‘Paid Rs 15 lakh to dist in-charge minister’: Davanagere officer-contractor conversation goes viral
Davangere: An alleged audio interaction between City Corporation Manager Venkatesh and contractor Krishna, who fell into the trap of the Lokayukta on accusations of demanding Rs 7 lakh to give the excise tender, has reportedly gone viral.
Contractor Krishna has accused the Corporation Manager Venkatesh was caught on audio stating that ‘a payment of Rs 15 lakh has even been made to the district in-charge minister (Urban Development Minister Byrathi Basavaraj)’, it is learned.
Krishna, along with Sri Rama Sene leaders, addressed a joint press conference on Monday.
“In 2021, I obtained the contract for excise collection. I had requested the municipal commissioner to extend the period of the contract due to apparent loss. The Commissioner then notified me to contact Corporation Manager Venkatesh in this regard. To renew the contract, Venkatesh put forth a demand of Rs 7 lakh in bribes and received Rs 2 lakh in advance. On Sunday night, when he was receiving the additional Rs 3 lakh rupees, he fell into the Lokayukta’s trap”, Krishna revealed.
Demand to take action against municipal commissioner, minister:
Shri Rama Sene’s District President Manikanta has demanded action to be taken against the municipal commissioner for taking lakhs of rupees in bribe money to allocate the excise tender. “The High Court and the District Court have already registered cases concerning incidents of corruption that have occurred in the jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation and the district”, he informed.
“Concerning the renewal of the excise contract in the jurisdiction of the Davanagere City Municipal Corporation, the Corporation’s Commissioner had put forth a demand of Rs 7 lakh for six months’ contract renewal. Upon discussion, it was agreed that, first, an advance amount of Rs 2 lakh was to be given, and the remaining Rs 5 lakh would be paid after signing the renewal order. In the background of this agreement, when the person went to pay the money on Sunday night, the Lokayukta conducted a raid and arrested Venkatesh”, Manikanta added.
“The Lokayukta conducted the raid at Venkatesh’s room near the Ram and Co circle in the city when he was receiving Rs 3 lakh on Sunday night. He has been taken into judicial custody. Since corruption is underway at all levels of the City Corporation, the Lokayukta officials must take necessary action against this”, he requested.
“Apart from this, the Corporation’s employee Venkatesh, during his conversation with Krishna, had stated that he had recently paid an amount of Rs 15 lakh to the Davanagere District In-charge Minister Byrathi Basavaraj. Therefore the Lokayukta must also investigate the minister”, he demanded.
Concerning the audio recording of the conversation between Venkatesh and Krishna, he urged the Lokayukta police to undertake a comprehensive investigation and take appropriate action against those found guilty.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
South zone finalists announced at WAVES VFX challenge in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: The South Zone round of the WAVES VFX Challenge took place today in Bengaluru, organized by the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry (ABAI).
The day-long competition brought together talented participants from across southern India, with the goal of selecting top finalists who will go on to represent the region at the national finals next month during the WAVES Summit in Mumbai.
Finalists were selected in three categories:
Student Category
Winner: Soumya Das
Runner-up: Gagan HP
Professional Category
Winner: Mohamad Javeed
Runner-up: S Sai Chandan
Enthusiasts Category
Winner: Gagan Ajai
Over 1,500 entries were received from students, working professionals, and VFX enthusiasts, all centered around the theme “Super Hero Power.” Out of these, 14 entries were shortlisted to compete in today’s final round. One winner and one runner-up from each category were chosen to represent the South Zone in Mumbai.
ABAI Secretary R.K. Chand appreciated the strong participation and encouraged industry professionals to attend the Mumbai summit, which will host well-known personalities from films, advertising, and creative sectors. He also mentioned that the WAVES Challenge was recently launched in Bengaluru by Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The event was inaugurated by Dr. Sagar Gulati, Director of the School of Creative Design and Information Technology at Jain (Deemed-to-be University), the zonal partner for the competition.
The day also featured two special sessions led by industry experts. Vijay Selvam from the global VFX studio MPC held a masterclass titled “Concept Reality,” where he discussed lighting, animation, compositing, and photorealistic effects. Students got the chance to interact with him during a Q&A session.
Another session was conducted by Rakesh H, Lead Head at The Mill, who spoke about how visual effects are used in advertising. Nearly 100 students attended these sessions, gaining valuable industry insights and learning opportunities.
