Karnataka objects to Maharashtra's case on border issue
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that the state has objected to the jurisdiction of Maharashtra in a case pertaining to the border issue.
The neighbouring Maharashtra has locked horn with Karnataka on border row, especially claiming that Belagavi should be merged with it.
According to the chief minister, Maharashtra has filed a case in the Supreme Court in this regard.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the Karnataka government will hire a good lawyer to fight the case.
"We will hire a good lawyer. According to me, there is no case. Maharashtra has filed a case. Our objection is on jurisdiction. Jurisdiction has to be decided first whether they have a locus standi or not, whether they are entitled to file a case or not," the CM said.
Responding to a question on reports that about three crore voters in the state have not been mapped as per the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process undertaken by the Election Commission of India, Siddaramaiah said the Congress has cautioned people about it.
"The SIR exercise must be carried out with utmost caution. We have told our Block Level Agents and voters to be cautious," he said.
The chief minister denied that the Congress is taking the SIR politically.
"The Congress will never indulge in politics over the SIR process being conducted by the Election Commission but our only concern is that genuine voters should not be excluded from the voters’ list," he said.
Responding to the demand that municipal corporation elections be held through ballot papers, he said it is also their (Congress) wish.
Commenting on the Governor returning the bill related to the internal reservation among scheduled castes, Siddaramaiah said appropriate explanations would be provided to the questions raised by the Governor regarding the bill.
Replying to a question on his visit to New Delhi, the CM said he would travel to the national capital if he receives a call from the party leadership.
Asked about mining baron and BJP MLA from Gangavathi G Janardhana Reddy’s charges during a public meeting in Ballari that the Congress government was indulging in looting the state, Siddaramaiah said he has no moral right to say so.
"He (Reddy) was the one who went to jail for looting the state. What moral right does he has to say that? Why was he restricted from entering Ballari? The case against him is still pending before the court," the chief minister said.
The opposition BJP has no job other than lying and misleading people, he said, and added that he will speak in the Assembly when the legislative session starts from January 22.
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Man booked for duping firm of Rs 6 cr by posing as Infosys CSR official
Bengaluru (PTI): An FIR has been registered against a man and his accomplices for allegedly cheating a firm of Rs 6 crore by falsely claiming to be associated with an IT company and promising to facilitate CSR funds for its projects, police said on Friday.
The crime is said to have taken place between September 1, 2025 and March 20, 2026, and after consultation with legal experts the company decided to file a complaint at the Devanahalli police station here, they said.
The FIR was registered on March 30 following a complaint by Mysore Mercantile Company, alleging that a person named Gagan N Deep approached them, posing as the Regional Head (CSR) at Infosys Ltd, they said.
According to the FIR, Deep claimed he reported to senior officials - Harsh J, Senior Regional Manager - Infrastructure, Facilities Operation, Public Relations and CSR Works, and Niladri Prasad Mishra, Senior Vice President and Head - Global Infrastructure and Climate Action.
The FIR alleged that the accused expressed interest in the activities of their associated trust, Heggunje Rajeeva Shetty Charitable Trust, Bangalore, and assured facilitation of CSR funds from Infosys Ltd.
It further stated that the accused sent a team of four to five individuals representing Infosys, including persons identified as Chethan and Tejas, to Udupi, Mangaluru and other places to verify the trust’s activities.
According to the complaint, the accused subsequently induced the complainant to pay an Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) to alleged regular vendors of Infosys as a condition for approval of CSR grants.
The complainant stated that a total amount of Rs 6 crore was paid, including Rs 1.75 crore through demand drafts in favour of Anitha Ventures and Rs 3.75 crore through demand drafts in favour of ANS Engineerings, apart from an additional cash payment of Rs 30 lakh allegedly handed over to the accused through his driver near Nandi Upachar Hotel in Devanahalli, as per his instructions.
The FIR further alleged that the accused issued a purported sanction letter dated October 21, 2025, allegedly from Infosys bearing the signature of Mishra, and executed a grant agreement dated January 8, 2026 between Infosys and the charitable trust for the construction of more than 855 houses across Karnataka with a total grant of Rs 179 crore.
Another grant agreement dated January 13, 2026 was also executed for construction of primary health care centres across the state with a total grant of Rs 178 crore, it stated.
However, the complainant later suspected that the representations made by the accused were false, the documents were fabricated, and the entire transaction was fraudulent in nature, as the accused dishonestly induced them to part with substantial amounts under the pretext of EMD for CSR grants.
"Despite repeated follow-ups neither has any grant materialised nor have the amounts been returned, and the accused is now unresponsive and deliberately avoiding communication," the FIR added.
A case has been registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 316(2) (criminal breach of trust), Section 319(2) (cheating by personation), Section 336(3) (forgery for the purpose of cheating), police said, adding that further investigation into the matter is underway.
Efforts are being made to nab the suspects in the case, they added.
