Man arrested in fake visa case from Bengaluru airport
New Delhi (PTI): A man has been arrested in Bengaluru in connection with a fake passport-visa racket busted by the Delhi Police, officials said on Saturday.
They said Sadiqulla Baig was taken into custody at the Bengaluru airport upon arrival from Dubai on Thursday.
Informing about the arrest, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani said a look-out circular had been issued against Baig after his name surfaced in a case of fake visa in Punjab's Ludhiana.
Bengaluru airport staff alerted security personnel as soon he landed in India, following which he was taken into custody and handed over to the Delhi Police, Rangnani said.
Referring to the fake visa case, Rangnani said a passenger identified as Harvinder Singh Dhanoa of Ludhiana was found travelling on a fake Canadian visa provided by an agent, Muskan alias Manpreet Kaur, a few months ago.
Police then arrested Manpreet, who disclosed that she had paid Rs 5 lakh to another agent, Sadiqulla Baig, based in Bengaluru for it, the officer said.
Several police raids could not trace Baig and hence, the look-out circular was issued, she added.
Another police officer said Baig disclosed during an interrogation that the fake visa sticker was provided to him by a Dubai-based agent.
The officer further said Baig told police that he and his associates cheated people for the sake of easy money.
During further investigation, the man's bank account was frozen. There was Rs 1.5 lakh in it and Baig told investigators that he had transferred the rest of the money to his relatives, the officer said.
Further efforts are underway to trace his possible involvement in other similar cases, he added.
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Karnataka cabinet approves formation of separate Dharwad Municipal Corporation
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a formation of separate Dharwad city corporation. Alongside, a 15% hike in fares across the four state transport corporations was also approved. The revised fares will come into effect on January 5.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil, addressing the media at the Committee Hall of Vidhana Soudha, provided details about the decision. He explained that the last fare revision for BMTC was a decade ago when diesel cost Rs 60.98 per litre. Since then, operational costs have risen significantly.
Diesel expenditure for the four corporations has increased from Rs 9.16 crore to Rs 13.21 crore, and personnel costs have grown from Rs 12.85 crore to Rs 18.36 crore. The daily operational burden now stands at Rs 9.56 crore. The fare hike is expected to generate an additional Rs 74.85 crore in monthly revenue without burdening the state exchequer, as Rs 5,015 crore has already been allocated for the Shakti Yojana this fiscal year.
Minister Patil announced that the Cabinet has decided to bifurcate the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation into two independent municipal bodies.
The Cabinet approved the construction of a fishing port in Hejamady village, Udupi, with a revised estimate of Rs 209.13 crore. Additionally, Rs 84.57 crore has been sanctioned for the modernization and dredging of fishing ports.
In a move to strengthen cow shelters, Rs 10.50 crore has been allocated for projects in 14 districts. The Cabinet also approved constructing a building for Visvesvaraya Technical University in Chikkaballapur district at Rs 149.75 crore.
The Cabinet sanctioned a state-of-the-art bus stand in Bannimantap, Mysuru, at a cost of Rs 120 crore. Spread over 14 acres, the facility will include a divisional office, bus units, and commercial shops.
Approval was also granted to utilize Rs 137.85 crore, provided by the Union Finance Ministry under the Special Capital Assistance Scheme, for capital expenditure.
The Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board will use Rs 56.92 crore from its SCP/TSP scheme to supply bed sheets, mosquito nets, and clothing to government residential schools and hostels.
The Cabinet approved Rs 100 crore to construct new buildings for 200 veterinary institutions currently housed in rented or dilapidated structures, using NABARD assistance.
In Davangere, a site was allotted to the Karnataka Working Journalists' Association for constructing a civic facility. A plot in Avaragere village was also leased for 30 years at a concessional rate to Nayaka Vidyarthi Nilaya.
