Smoke engulfs bus carrying convicted Cong MLA Vinay Kulkarni
Bengaluru (PTI): A major accident was averted after a bus carrying murder convict Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni and 16 accomplices developed a technical snag near Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, with thick smoke engulfing the vehicle, police sources said on Thursday.
The incident took place on Wednesday, when a Special Court for MPs and MLAs in Bengaluru convicted Kulkarni and 16 others in the 2016 murder case of BJP leader Yogesh Goudar.
The court held them guilty of criminal conspiracy and murder, and directed the CBI to take the accused into custody.
Following the verdict on Wednesday, Kulkarni was taken to the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison. The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on Thursday.
According to police sources, a suspected short circuit combined with a diesel leak led to heavy smoke inside the bus, triggering panic among the occupants, including personnel of the Central Bureau of Investigation escort team.
Police sources said the CBI team acted swiftly and evacuated all those onboard, including Kulkarni, ensuring that no one was injured.
“The situation was brought under control immediately, and all passengers were safely moved out,” sources added.
The convicts were later shifted to alternative vehicles, including cars, and escorted safely from the spot without any casualties.
Police sources noted that the timely intervention of the escort team helped avert what could have been a major mishap.
STORY | Smoke engulfs bus carrying convicted Cong MLA Vinay Kulkarni
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 16, 2026
A major accident was averted after a bus carrying murder convict Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni and 16 accomplices developed a technical snag near Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, with thick smoke engulfing the… https://t.co/dAzoxIBUaN
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Meghwal, Shah move to introduce bills in LS to tweak women's quota law, set up delimitation panel
New Delhi (PTI): Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Amit Shah on Thursday moved to introduce three bills in the Lok Sabha to amend the women's quota law and set up a delimitation commission amid protests by the opposition, which termed the proposed legislations anti-constitutional.
Congress' K C Venugopal questioned why proposed changes in the women's quota law were not incorporated when it was earlier passed by Parliament.
"Bills to tweak the women's quota law and set up a delimitation panel are anti-constitutional," he said.
Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav questioned the rush to introduce the bills.
"We are in favour... but why do you not want a Census to be done?" he asked.
Union Minister Home Minister Amit Shah hit back, saying the Census 2027 is on and the Centre has also decided to go for caste enumeration, but reservation based on religion is "unconstitutional".
According to the draft Constitution amendment bill, Lok Sabha seats will be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats will also be increased in state and Union territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
The seats reserved for women in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies "shall be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a state or Union territory", the draft bill circulated among Lok Sabha members said.
Several opposition parties on Wednesday decided to unitedly vote against the delimitation provisions in the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament, while asserting that they are not against reservation for women in legislative bodies.
