Another man lynched in Bangladesh over alleged extortion
Dhaka/New Delhi (PTI): A Hindu man has been lynched in Bangladesh over alleged extortion, according to media reports, days after another man from the minority religion was lynched in the country.
The incident took place on Wednesday in Rajbari town's Pangsha upazila, The Daily Star newspaper on Thursday quoted police as saying.
The deceased, identified as Amrit Mondal, had allegedly formed a criminal gang and was involved in extortion and other criminal activities.
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The interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus "strongly condemned" the killing while asserting that it was not a communal attack.
On the day of the incident, Mondal was beaten up by locals when he, along with his group members, tried to extort money from a resident's house, the report said.
Upon receiving information about the incident, police rushed to the spot and rescued Mondal in a critical condition.
He was taken to a hospital where doctors declared him dead around 2:00 am, Assistant Superintendent of Police (Pangsha Circle) Debrata Sarkar said, according to the report.
Mondal's body was sent to Rajbari Sadar Hospital morgue for an autopsy, Sarkar said.
Most of his associates fled after the incident, but police arrested one man and recovered firearms from his possession.
According to the police, Mondal had at least two cases filed against him, including a murder case.
Condemning the killing, the interim government said in a statement that it "does not support any kind of illegal activities, mass beatings or violence,” the state-run BSS news agency reported.
In a statement, the government said that the incident was not a communal attack but one stemming from a violent situation arising from extortion and terrorist activities.
Legal action will be taken against everyone directly or indirectly involved in the incident, it said.
The incident comes a week after another Hindu man, Dipu Das, was lynched and his body set on fire over blasphemy allegations in Mymensingh.
Police and other law enforcement agencies have made 12 arrests in the case so far.
Das’ killing sparked widespread protests by factory workers, students and rights groups in Dhaka and elsewhere in Bangladesh, and India expressed its concerns as well.
The interim government has said it would take care of Das' minor child, as well as his wife and parents.
The Hindu population in Bangladesh has been affected by a series of incidents against minority communities in the country after the ouster of then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year.
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Karnataka MLA Vinay Kulkarni disqualified after conviction in Goudar murder case
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Saturday issued an official notification regarding the disqualification of Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni following his conviction in the murder case of BJP leader Yogeshgouda Goudar.
The former minister is currently in prison, serving life imprisonment in the case.
“Consequent upon the conviction of Vinay Kulkarni, Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly representing the Dharwad constituency, by the LXXXI Additional City Civil & Sessions Judge, Bengaluru City (CCH-82), in Spl CC No. 565/2021, he stands disqualified from the membership of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from the date of conviction, i.e, April 15, 2026,” the notification read.
“He stands disqualified in terms of the provisions of Article 191(1)(e) of the Constitution of India, read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and such disqualification shall continue for a further period of six years after his release, unless the conviction is stayed by a competent court,” it added.
Hence, one seat in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly has fallen vacant, the notification said.
Bypolls were held on April 9 to fill two other seats in the 224-member Assembly that fell vacant due to the death of sitting MLAs. The results will be declared on May 4.
On April 15, Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat convicted Kulkarni and others under various IPC sections, including criminal conspiracy and murder. Subsequently, on April 17, the court sentenced Kulkarni and 15 others convicted in the case to life imprisonment.
The case pertains to the killing of Goudar, a BJP Zilla Panchayat member, in Dharwad on June 15, 2016. Kulkarni was a minister at that time. Hired assailants attacked and hacked Goudar to death in his gym at Saptapur in Dharwad.
Following demands from Goudar’s family and others, the then-BJP government transferred the case to the CBI in 2019.
The CBI filed a supplementary chargesheet in 2020, naming Vinay Kulkarni as the “main conspirator.” It alleged that he perceived Yogeshgouda Goudar as a growing political rival in Dharwad and hired contract killers to eliminate him.
Kulkarni was arrested by the CBI in 2020. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court in August 2021 under certain conditions, including a ban on entering Dharwad district. However, in June 2025, the apex court cancelled his bail following allegations of witness tampering and attempts to influence prosecution witnesses.
Kulkarni again sought bail in January 2026, but the High Court rejected it, citing judicial propriety.
However, the Supreme Court granted him bail on February 27 after noting that all witnesses had been examined.
