District Magistrate to inquire into Bengaluru violence
Will Do Asset Recovery Like UP: Minister
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Wednesday decided to conduct an inquiry into the violence in parts of the city last night, in which at least three people were killed and scores of others were injured, though a District Magistrate.
The government also decided to recover the losses arising from damage to public property during the violence, from the rioters, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
"There are National Human Rights Commission guidelines for such a situation, as per which the inquiry will be conducted by the district executive magistrate. This decision was taken at the meeting headed by the Chief Minister," Bommai said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa reviewed the complete situation and the action taken by police.
The Chief Minister, who was discharged from a hospital on Monday after undergoing treatment for COVID infection, is currently under self-quarantine at home.
Ahead of the meeting with him, Bommai said the government has decided to recover the loss arising out of damage to public property and vehicles during the violence, by making those involved in such acts pay for it.
"We have come to a decision as per the Supreme Court order that when such riots take place and properties are damaged, the loss has to be recovered from those who have caused the damage. I have given orders to initiate all the measures to recover losses from those who have caused the damage," Bommai said.
Speaking to reporters he said, buses, vehicles and properties were burnt In D J Halli and K G Halli police station limits. all those losses will be recovered from those who have done it. "There is media and CCTV footage," he said.
At least three people were killed after police opened fire to quell a mob that went on a rampage, irked over a social media post allegedly put out by a Congress legislator's relative, as a city locality witnessed arson and violence.
Scores of persons, including around 50 policemen, were also injured in the violence that erupted on Tuesday night and continued till the wee hours of Wednesday, apparently prompted by the 'communally sensitive' online post. Also, 110 people allegedly involved in the violence and the accused who posted the communal post have been arrested.
The Congress MLA's residence and a police station were among those targeted by the angry mob, prompting the government to issue a stern warning that rioting and law and order issues will not be tolerated. An ATM was also destroyed in the violence.
Earlier in the day, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya wrote to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa requesting him to confiscate the properties of rioters and recover losses caused to public property.
"I request Sri @BSYBJP to confiscate and attach properties of the rioters and compensate losses to public property in the same way as Sri @myogiadityanath govt did in UP. Bengaluru is known for its peace and harmonious society. We must protect this strength of our city at all costs," he tweeted.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
