JPC Chairman's visit over Waqf row is politically motivated, says Dy CM D K Shivakumar
Hubballi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday termed the visit of the Chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Jagadambika Pal to the state as a tour of a "drama company" and "politically motivated", with an eye on the upcoming Assembly by-polls in the state and election in neighbouring Maharashtra.
Charging the JPC Chairman with indulging in political propaganda, Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, said it is not a joint parliamentary committee that is visiting, as "only BJP members have come and are doing politics."
Pal is visiting Hubballi, Vijayapura and Belagavi, during which he will meet farmers and members of various organisations regarding their lands being claimed by the State Waqf Board. Bengaluru South MP and JPC member Tejasvi Surya is accompanying him.
"It is a drama company. JPC means all the members will have to come, also governments and officials have to be informed.. Only the chairman has come. He has come on party work along with another MP," Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said: "Is Bommai (MP and former CM Basavaraj Bommai) a member of JPC or is V Somanna the member? Somanna is the union minister, he cannot be part of the JPC. He (Chairman) has come taking applications and is doing political propaganda."
Both Bommai and Somanna had met Pal earlier in the day.
Claiming that it was during the Bommai-led BJP government that notices were issued and records amended, Shivakumar said, "...there is no question of taking away farmers' land or evicting them . We (Cong govt) will save farmers. Due to some technical reasons, some officials might have done something, our government will set them right and save farmers."
"It is not a joint parliamentary committee that has come, BJP members have come there, they are doing politics, let them do politics.....they are spoiling the atmosphere, they don't want people to be in peace, so they are trying to create a problem at the time of election. People are intelligent, people will give the right answer to them," he said.
"The Karnataka government is committed, we are going to protect the farmers of the state," he asserted.
There were allegations by a section of farmers from Vijayapura district that their lands were marked as Waqf properties, and similar charges have surfaced from a few other places subsequently. Similar allegations have also been made by some organisations and religious institutions like Mutts.
With the row escalating, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed officials that all notices issued to farmers be immediately revoked, and any unauthorised amendments in land records without due notice must also be nullified.
Home Minister G Parameshwara too said, "it doesn't look like JPC as a committee is visiting, as the Chairman is visiting alone disregarding rules. It seems to be a politically motivated visit."
Members of the committee too have raised objections stating that any visit has to be decided in the panel and "unilaterally one cannot make visits," he said.
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TraceX Guard Strengthens National Safety Against Mobile Cyber Threats
India is witnessing a sharp rise in trojanised Android APK scams, as cybercriminals increasingly exploit fake government, banking, LPG, challan, and welfare scheme apps to seize full remote control of victims’ smartphones.
Cybersecurity investigators warn that attackers are now widely deploying Remote Access Trojan (RAT) malware, often powered by leaked builder kits such as CraxsRAT and heavily modified custom payload frameworks. Once installed, these malicious APKs can convert an ordinary Android phone into a fully controlled fraud device, enabling silent surveillance, banking theft, and mass scam propagation.
These malware campaigns are primarily being distributed through WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS phishing links, and fake APK download websites, where users are tricked into installing apps disguised as:
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- SBI KYC verification tools
- PM Yojana portals
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- fake adult video call apps
As the scale of the threat intensifies, cybersecurity startup TraceX Labs has introduced TraceX Guard, positioning it as a frontline mobile defence platform against APK fraud, RAT infections, QR scams, and malicious permission abuse.
Fear-Based Social Engineering Behind the Surge
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Common bait messages include:
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- Your SBI KYC is pending
- PM Yojana verification required
- Your LPG cylinder booking failed
- Your bank account will be blocked
These alerts often include fake challan numbers, vehicle details, Aadhaar-linked references, or forged bank notices, creating a sense of urgency that pushes victims to install the malicious APK without verification.
One of the most dangerous variants currently in circulation is a fake mParivahan-style application, which closely mimics India’s legitimate transport services interface while secretly embedding a hidden RAT payload.
How the Malware Takes Over Smartphones
Once installed, the malicious APK immediately requests dangerous permissions, including:
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- SMS permissions
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- Notifications
- File storage
- Battery optimization exemptions
Security researchers say Accessibility Service abuse remains the most critical attack vector, allowing the malware to silently:
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- capture OTPs
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Because these actions occur directly on the victim’s trusted device, attackers are often able to bypass traditional fraud detection systems.
Within minutes, victims may lose control over:
- bank balances
- UPI wallets
- Aadhaar and PAN scans
- contact lists
- personal photos and media
- incoming calls
- SMS OTPs
In many cases, the malware also self-propagates by forwarding malicious APK links through the victim’s own WhatsApp groups and Telegram chats, triggering a chain infection effect across trusted social circles.Fake RTO Challan APKs Become the Most Dangerous Variant
Among the most active campaigns, fake RTO challan APK scams have emerged as one of the most financially destructive.
Victims are first lured into paying a ₹1 “verification fee”, after which the malicious app requests highly sensitive information such as:
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- expiry date
- CVV
- UPI PIN
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Once payment details are entered, the embedded RAT intercepts OTPs and silently completes unauthorized transactions.
India’s Mobile Fraud Crisis Reaches Critical Levels
Investigators estimate that more than 70% of reported cyber fraud cases in India now originate from mobile devices, with millions of complaints linked to:
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- phishing URLs
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- RAT droppers
- banking session hijacks
- WhatsApp fraud chains
The impact is particularly severe across Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions, where smartphone adoption has expanded faster than awareness around:
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- dangerous permissions
- fake banking overlays
- accessibility abuse
- WhatsApp APK scams
This has effectively turned Android smartphones into the primary battlefield of India’s financial cybercrime ecosystem.
TraceX Guard Introduced as a Real-Time Defence Layer
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TraceX Labs says the system is specifically trained to detect patterns used in:
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From Phishing to Malware-Driven Financial Warfare
Cybersecurity analysts say this marks a major shift in India’s digital threat landscape.
What once began as simple phishing links has now evolved into malware-driven financial warfare at scale, where a single infected smartphone can silently compromise:
- families
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With losses from mobile-first fraud already running into tens of thousands of crores, experts believe the future of cyber defence will increasingly depend on preventive mobile security tools capable of stopping unsafe APKs before installation.
In that battle, TraceX Guard is emerging as one of the most important first lines of defence for India’s digital users.
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