Author: TheStateLine

Bengaluru, Dec 4 (IANS) Karnataka Upalokayukta Justice B. Veerappa’s remarks on the scale of corruption in the state set off a fresh controversy on Thursday and left the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government facing major embarrassment.The Upalokayukta’s claim that corruption in Karnataka stands at 63 per cent has put the state government on the defensive, while the Bharatiya Janata Party has sharply attacked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, demanding their resignation in the wake of the revelation.Speaking at a book release function, Justice Veerappa said that Kerala faces about 10 per cent corruption at present, while Karnataka stands at 63 per cent. He added, “I am getting an opportunity to witness it myself after becoming the Upalokayukta.”He went on...

Bengaluru, Dec 4 (IANS) Commenting on rumours that National General Secretary and Congress Lok Sabha MP K.C. Venugopal held political discussions with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his close associates during his visit to the state, state Home Minister G. Parameshwara denied that any such talks took place. He also defended the pro-Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and pro-Siddaramaiah slogans raised in Venugopal's presence, which had left the party embarrassed.Speaking to the media in Bengaluru on Thursday, Parameshwara said, “I was seated beside the Chief Minister in the presence of K.C. Venugopal for two hours. We did not speak about politics at all. We discussed reformer Narayana Guru and his contributions.”Responding to the slogans raised by supporters of Deputy Chief Minister D....

Srinagar, Dec 4 (IANS) An FIR has been registered against a hotel in J&K’s Pahalgam hill station for concealing the stay of two foreign nationals at the hotel, police said on Thursday.Police in Anantnag district said that the FIR has been registered against a hotel for violation of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.A team from Police Station Pahalgam, during routine inspections of hotels and guest establishments in the Rafting Point area, found that Hotel Golden Heritage, Rafting Point, Yenner, had accommodated two Thai nationals without submitting the mandatory Form C, a police official said."The form, which must be filed online by all establishments hosting foreign guests, is a key component of the reporting and verification mechanism mandated under the Act," the official adde...

Bhopal, Dec 4 (IANS) As the number of cheetahs has risen to 32 in three years in Madhya Pradesh, India celebrated the International Cheetah Day with renewed commitment to conservation, awareness, and habitat protection for the world’s fastest land animal. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav shared a message on X, congratulating citizens on International Cheetah Day. He highlighted that the Cheetah Project, initiated in the state under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has opened a new chapter in India’s wildlife conservation journey.The Chief Minister announced that the cheetah population in Madhya Pradesh has now risen to 32, reaffirming the state’s commitment to ensuring that all wildlife remains safe and protected.The day aims to highlight the challenges facing ch...

Hyderabad, Dec 4 (IANS) Chaos continued at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) on Thursday as IndiGo Airlines cancelled 74 flights for the day.For the third consecutive day, the airline cancelled several flights, causing severe inconvenience to thousands of passengers.A total of 74 IndiGo flights have been cancelled for the day, an airport spokesman said. These include 37 arrivals and 37 departures.With their travel plans disrupted due to delays and cancellations, passengers were seen stranded at the airport for several hours.There were long questions outside and inside the terminal. Tempers were running high in the terminal building as angry passengers confronted the airline staff. Some were asking why the airline scheduled the flights when the staff was not available. F...

Kohima, Dec 4 (IANS) For the first time in the Northeast, the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court has launched its official mobile application, the GHCKB App, aimed at making justice delivery more accessible, transparent, and citizen-friendly, officials said on Thursday. A High Court official said the application was formally launched by Justice Ashutosh Kumar, Chief Justice, Gauhati High Court.Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury, Judges of the Gauhati High Court and other officials were present at the event.In his address, Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar said that the Gauhati High Court Kohima bench is the first High Court in the Northeast to launch such an application, emphasising that it was developed entirely in-house.He commended the ICT team of the Kohima bench ...

Jaipur, Dec 4 (IANS) Two businessmen from Jodhpur, Rajasthan, vacationing in Thailand with their families, died under mysterious circumstances after being found in the swimming pool of their hotel. The exact cause of their drowning is not yet known.The deceased have been identified as Anil Kataria, owner of Jiman Restaurant in Ratanada, and Harish Dewani, a noted glass artist who ran a specialised glass workshop in the same locality. Both were travelling with their wives and children, who remain in Thailand.According to initial information, the incident occurred on the evening of December 1. The two reportedly entered the pool for a swim when one of them began to drown, and the other probably lost his life while trying to rescue him. However, the sequence of events has not been officially ...

Thiruvananthapuram Dec 4 (IANS) A Thiruvanthapuram court on Thursday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of first-time Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, after two days of continuous hearing in the closely watched sexual assault case against him.No sooner did the court reject Mamkootathil's plea, state Congress President Sunny Joseph put out a statement announcing that he had been expelled from the party. Incidentally, Mamkootathil was sworn in as an MLA this day last year.The court order came even as the MLA remained untraceable for the eighth straight day, deepening the political and legal crisis engulfing the Congress in Kerala.Police have been searching for him since a young woman filed a complaint accusing him of sexual exploitation and pressuring her to terminate a pregnancy. Mamkoota...

Srinagar, Dec 4 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch said on Thursday that it has filed a charge sheet in a land fraud case in the special anti-corruption court in Srinagar.A statement by the Crime Branch Kashmir said, “The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Crime Branch J&K has submitted a charge sheet in case FIR No. 79/2022 under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B RPC read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act before the Hon’ble Court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Srinagar."The charge sheet was filed against the accused individuals -- Habibullah Bhat, a businessman, son of Mohammad Sultan Bhat, resident of Omarhair Buchpora; Mohammad Rajab Reshi, retired Naib Tehsildar, son of Haji Ghulam Ahmad Reshi, a resident of Brein Nishat; and Syed Khurshid Ahmad, then Patwar...

Patna, Dec 4 (IANS) On the fourth day of the winter session of the Bihar Assembly, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar presented a detailed account of the NDA government's work.The House also held a discussion on the Governor's address.While concluding his address, CM Nitish turned toward the opposition and remarked, "We kept you (RJD leaders) on the sidelines twice, and we carried out so much work. At that time, you accepted everything I said."Continuing his remarks, the Chief Minister added, "When you made mistakes, we left you, but now we will never leave. This is our own place, and we will stay here. But remember the work which has been done by our government."Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav was not present in the House during the Chief Minister's address.Reiterating his criticism, C...