Kalasa DRFO suspended for alleged fraud in trekking ticket scam
Chikkamagaluru: The Forest Department has suspended Kalasa Deputy Zonal Forest Officer, Chandan Gowda Dyamana Gowda, of the Koppa Forest Division following allegations of fraudulent activities involving the sale of fake trekking tickets.
The officer is accused of creating counterfeit tickets for popular trekking spots such as Rani Zari and Ballalarayana Durga in Mudigere taluk and selling them online. The funds from these ticket sales were allegedly transferred to an individual named Monika via PhonePe.
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The scam came to light when a trekker arrived at the site without prior online booking, leading to an investigation by forest department officials. It was discovered that Chandan Gowda had reportedly generated more than 10 fake tickets. Discrepancies were found between the official online booking records and the on-site registration book.
Following an investigation by the Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Upendra Pratap Singh ordered the suspension of Chandan Gowda on Monday. The investigation report confirmed that the officer had engaged in fraudulent activities, resulting in government losses.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
