Mysuru gang-rape: Former CM H D Kumaraswamy says "follow what was done in Hyderabad"
Bengaluru, Aug 27: JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy on Friday appeared to suggest to deal with alleged rapists of a college student near Mysuru, on the lines of police action in Telangana nearly two years ago when perpetrators of such a crime were shot dead.
Amid outrage over the gang-rape, Karnataka Minister Anand Singh said: "Everything of the perpetrators should be chopped off."
Speaking to reporters in Chennapatna, Kumaraswamy said, "I appreciate the Hyderabad police in dealing with a rape case. What did they do finally? Unless stringent action is taken things will not improve."
The former Chief Minister was referring to the way the Hyderabad police shot dead the four alleged rapists who had burnt alive a veterinarian along with her vehicle after committing the crime at Shamshabad in the Telangana capital in 2019.
While recreating the crime scene, all the four accused were taken to the spot. When they allegedly tried to escape, Telangana police shot them.
"The government should handle it delicately and follow what was done in Hyderabad," Kumaraswamy added.
He blamed the government and police for the incident, which "did not stop people from drinking in public places". He alleged that gambling activities were rampant in villages.
Flaying "police for targeting innocent people and not the anti-social elements", he said the police department has become inept due to the "transfer for money".
He even added that the existing system encouraged the criminals.
"In our existing system, the accused are sent to jail and then they come out on bail after a few days. There is a belief that nothing will happen," the JD(S) leader said.
Karnataka Tourism, Environment and Ecology Minister Anand Singh said, "Everything of the perpetrators should be chopped off. Such incidents should not have happened."
Senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa said the police were investigating the case sincerely and were working beyond their capacity to trace the criminals.
"I am confident that the criminals will be caught and punished accordingly," Yediyurappa said.
Reacting to the incident, Congress MLA from Belagavi Rural constituency Laxmi Hebbalkar demanded capital punishment for the criminals as they not only perpetrated the heinous crime, but also made a video and tried to extort money from the victim.
She even wondered why the police could not trace the criminals even after "so many days".
The medical student with her male friend were on their way to the Chamundi hills on the outskirts of Mysuri on Tuesday evening when at least four people waylaid them and gang-raped her after assaulting him.
The gang members also allegedly made a video and threatened to make it viral unless they paid them Rs three lakh, police sources said.
When the girl and her male friend expressed their inability, they thrashed them.
The girl was later admitted to a hospital where she narrated the trauma she underwent.
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
