Karnataka HC stays probe in FIR against Minister Karandlaje for linking Tamilians and café blast
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Friday stayed further investigation of a criminal case filed against Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje by the Election Commission Flying Squad for a controversial statement by the minister during a recent protest in the city.
Karandlaje, who is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, had alleged during the protest at Nagarathpet in Bengaluru, "Law and order in Karnataka has deteriorated. People who come from Tamil Nadu plant bombs here, people from Delhi chant 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans and people who come from Kerala were involved in acid attacks." Following severe criticism for linking the blast at The Rameshwaram Café with Tamil Nadu, the minister had withdrawn her statement on her 'X' account and also posted an apology to the people of Tamil Nadu.
ALSO READ: Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje says people from TN plant bombs in Karnataka, Stalin fumes
The single-judge bench of Justice Krishna S Dixit, which heard the petition on Friday, stayed further investigation in the FIR filed against the minister by the Cottonpet Police.
The judge also advised Karandlaje to exercise restraint while speaking, adding that this applied to all leaders, regardless of the party. "We live in a civilized society. Therefore, tell your client that the judge has requested her to be measured in her speech," Justice Dixit told Karandlaje's advocate.
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Bridge portion collapses on Jammu outskirts; 3-4 labourers feared trapped, 1 rescued
Jammu (PTI): A portion of a small bridge collapsed in the Bantalab area on the outskirts of Jammu city on Friday, trapping at least three to four labourers under the debris, while one injured worker was rescued, official sources said.
Authorities have closed the road link following the collapse of the portion of the bridge.
The incident occurred when labourers were carrying out repair work on a retaining wall near the bridge that was damaged in last year's flash floods, the sources said.
According to the sources, a section of the bridge suddenly gave way, burying workers engaged at the site under the rubble.
Police, Army and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams launched rescue operations to extricate those buried under the debris. They pulled out one injured labourer and shifted him to a hospital, the sources said.
Family members of the labourers present at the site said around six workers engaged at the site at the time of the incident came under the debris when the structure collapsed. The family members said while two of the labourers managed to escape, four got trapped.
The sources said those trapped included the husband of a woman labourer, a mason, an unmarried labourer and a relative of the contractor.
There was no official confirmation on the exact number of persons trapped under the debris till the filing of this report.
The rescue operations are ongoing.
