K’taka Govt reconstitutes legal panel to handle communal cases from Mangaluru, DK district
Bengaluru: In a move aimed at strengthening legal representation in sensitive communal cases, the Government of Karnataka has reconstituted a special panel of law officers to handle such cases arising from the jurisdiction of the Mangaluru City Police Commissionerate and the Dakshina Kannada District Police Unit before the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka.
This decision, issued through Government Order dated July 3, 2025, comes in the wake of growing communal tensions in Dakshina Kannada and Mangaluru City and a rise in the number of such cases being registered in recent times.
According to the official order, the newly formed panel supersedes an earlier Government Order dated June 20, 2025, and includes the following legal officers from the Advocate General’s Office:
1. B.A. Belliappa – State Public Prosecutor – I
2. Shahul Hameed Reheman – Additional Advocate General
3. Pradeep C.S – Additional Advocate General
4. Asma Kouser – Additional State Public Prosecutor
5. Rashmi Jadhav – Additional State Public Prosecutor
The panel is empowered to take the assistance of the concerned High Court Government Pleader for handling specific cases when required.
The reconstitution was initiated based on a request from the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP), Karnataka, through a letter dated June 11, 2025. The police chief had highlighted the pressing need for a dedicated legal team to manage and pursue the rising number of communal cases effectively, especially in light of the sensitive law-and-order situation in the region.
The government, after due consultation with the Advocate General of Karnataka, approved the formation of this high-powered legal panel. The appointed officers are expected to ensure robust prosecution and uphold the rule of law in communal cases that reach the High Court from these two key jurisdictions in the coastal district.
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
