Karnataka govt to form panel to decide on lifting ban on eucalyptus plantation
BENGALURU: The Karnataka government will constitute a high-level committee to decide whether to lift the ban on the Eucalyptus plantation or look for alternative ways to facilitate the revival of the Bhadravati MPM factory. According to an official statement on Thursday, a decision to this effect was taken at a meeting convened on Wednesday regarding the revival of Mysore Paper Mill Ltd (MPM).
The meeting was chaired by Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil at the Vidhansouda office. Forest Minister Ishwara Khandre and Bhadravati MLA Sangamesh also attended it. Ishwara Khandre said the forest department will form an experts committee today and it will be asked to submit a comprehensive report within a month.
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Speaking after the meeting, the Minister explained, "A total of 20,005 hectares of forest land has been given to Bhadravati Paper Factory in 2020 on a lease for 40 years, for growing eucalyptus. However, forest land cannot be granted without the central government's permission. On the other hand, the factory cannot run without getting the required raw material. This catch situation needs to be resolved".
MPM operation requires 10 lakh tonnes of raw material every year and currently only two lakh tonnes are available from the land given to the factory. Eucalyptus plantation is banned in the state. So, this has forced the concerned to explore a new option so that the factory can be revived, he said.
The government is considering allowing eucalyptus plantations in the surrounding districts of Shivamogga as well and the proposed committee will take a call on this, Patil added.
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SIT charge sheet names 39 for circulating explicit content involving Prajwal Revanna
Bengaluru (PTI): An SIT probing the circulation of explicit videos and photographs linked to multiple sexual abuse allegations has filed a charge sheet against 39 individuals in a court in Hassan, sources said on Wednesday.
Poornachandra Tejaswi M G, who was an election agent for former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna during the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, filed a complaint with Hassan police alleging the dissemination of obscene content through pendrives and messaging platforms during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with investigators suspecting an organised effort to influence voters.
Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former prime minister Deve Gowda, was convicted in a sexual assault case.
Sources said that the accused, who circulated the obscene videos purportedly of Prajwal Revanna, had allegedly purchased 70 pendrives to circulate the obscene content, and the police found that one of them procured them by making a UPI payment. They added that transaction details have been collected as part of the evidence.
The investigation was initially based on a complaint filed with the cybercrime police in April 2024, alleging that morphed images and videos were being circulated widely in the constituency to influence the electoral outcome.
A case was registered under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2008, along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Subsequently, the State government handed over the case to the SIT constituted to probe the larger allegations of sexual abuse. The probe team examined the role of over 50 individuals and, based on available material, named 39 persons in the charge sheet.
The charge sheet, running into over 13,000 pages, includes extensive documentary and digital evidence collected during the investigation, officials said.
Meanwhile, the complainant expressed dissatisfaction over the development, alleging that names of "influential people" had been dropped. He urged the authorities to "dig deeper" and identify the alleged kingpin behind the circulation network.
