Chikkaballapur terror conspiracy case: Karnataka court remands 2 suspects to 4-day police custody

Hyderabad, Jan 27 (IANS) The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has apprehended six accused in three cases of cyber fraud involving over Rs 16 crore, during an operation conducted in Kerala and Bengaluru.

TGCSB director Shikha Goel said on Tuesday that TGCSB organised a coordinated operation as part of its ongoing investigation into cybercrimes and to apprehend the accused individuals involved.

Two teams were dispatched to Kerala, and one team to Bengaluru. They successfully apprehended six accused, three each in Kerala and Bengaluru.

The accused, including five account holders and one agent, were arrested in three cases, in which victims had together lost over Rs 16.18 crore.

On December 9, 2024, a complaint was received from a senior citizen woman that she was cheated by a group of impersonating officials of TRAI, CBI, RBI and other national agencies. The victim received a call falsely claiming that her Aadhaar-linked phone number was involved in criminal activities.

The call was transferred to persons identifying themselves as CBI officers, who instructed her and her daughters to connect on Skype, remain under 24-hour surveillance and follow strict directions, stating they were “digitally arrested.”

The fraudsters sent fake documents with CBI and RBI logos and claimed her bank accounts required verification. Under continuous pressure, she transferred large sums through RTGS between November 14 and December 3, 2024. She suffered a loss of Rs. 5,66,51,100.

In this case, the TGCSB arrested Renju Pathakku Reji, 30, a resident of Kerala. He had provided his company’s current bank account and credentials to his friend for use as a mule account to receive proceeds of cyber fraud. Subsequently, his friend provided the details to the main fraudsters who are alleged to be operating from other countries.

On January 2, 2026, a complaint was received from a senior citizen who became a victim of digital arrest. He mentioned that on October 27, 2025, he received a WhatsApp call from someone claiming to be from Blue Dart Customer Care, alleging that a parcel linked to him contained illegal items. He reported that another caller, posing as a Bombay Police officer, accused him of involvement in serious offences and instructed him to keep the matter confidential while forcing him to share financial details.

He was pressured to transfer money. He suffered a total loss of Rs. 7,12,80,000. A letter demanding more money made him suspicious, prompting him to file a complaint with the NCRP.

In this case, Arun Sreenivas, 41, and Sanal V Menon, 48, both from Kerala, were arrested. They had provided their bank account details to cyber fraudsters for a commission.

The third case relates to online trading fraud allegedly committed by Nadir Verma and his associates, who had posed as genuine traders connected to the ORBM trading platform.

The complainant reported that he initially invested Rs 1 lakh on December 2, 2025, after which his account showed a small profit, and he was then persuaded to invest a much larger amount. He stated that under continuous pressure, he ultimately invested Rs.3,40,96,958 over 22 days.

When he attempted to withdraw his funds, he was asked to deposit additional money, which raised doubts about the legitimacy of their demands. He added that he filed a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.

In this case, TGCSB arrested V. Jayaprakash, 41, Balaraju, 51, both directors of ZIP Cleaning Services Pvt. Ltd. Bengaluru and Harish G, 55, also a resident of Bengaluru.

Jayaprakash and Balaraju conspired with Harish to commit the offence with an intention to unlawfully gain financial benefits by misuse of company accounts, banking instruments and electronic devices. They provided the account details to a person living in Pune and facilitated the transactions by providing the account-linked mobile phone to the main fraudsters.

Efforts are being continued to trace and apprehend the absconding accused, said TGCSB director.

–IANS

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Bengaluru, March 21 (IANS) The Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC, Class 10) Board exams commenced in Karnataka on Friday, with approximately 8.96 lakh students appearing for the examination across 15,881 examination centres in the state.

The Karnataka Assembly extended best wishes to the students and urged parents not to pressure their children.

The House also expressed concern over the circulation of fake question papers on social media before the exams and directed the State Minister for Education, Madhu Bangarappa, to take strict action.

Speaker U.T. Khader conveyed his message at the beginning of the session. He said, “Today, the SSLC (Class 10) board exams are beginning, and I want to wish the students good luck. About 8,96,447 students are taking the examination across 15,881 centres. Dear students, this is an important stage in your life. I urge you to write your exams without stress or fear. We hope you achieve good results. Your dedication, hard work, and the guidance of your parents and teachers will bring you success.”

He further added, “Parents should not put mental pressure on their children. It is important to provide them with emotional support. Your primary role is to help them focus on their studies peacefully.”

Addressing the students, he said, “Dear students, your Class 10 exams are the first phase of your academic journey; they are not the end of your life. We believe in you, and our support and blessings will always be with you. Our prayers are with you for success.”

Minister for Education Madhu Bangarappa thanked the House for its good wishes for the students taking the board exams.

At this point, Speaker Khader intervened and expressed concern over fake question papers being circulated online.

He stated, “I appreciate the efforts of Minister Madhu Bangarappa. However, I want to bring to your attention that an App is systematically spreading messages claiming to have access to the question papers, which can be obtained by paying thousands of rupees. These messages also suggest that many students have already accessed these papers, misleading and luring others. I have seen these messages and sent them to you. Please investigate and take immediate action.”

Minister Madhu Bangarappa responded, stating that he had already issued a warning in this regard. “We are also verifying the matter through our department. Forwarding such messages unnecessarily is a serious offence. During the Class 12 exams, I personally met with students to ensure they were writing their exams without fear.”

He further added, “I usually avoid discussing social media forwards because, as a minister, if I comment on them, students may get disturbed when they hear about it. I am deliberately avoiding media discussions on this matter. However, trust that we have made all necessary preparations to ensure the smooth conduct of exams. We will also address the issue of fake question papers being circulated on social media before the exams.”

Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka also shared his thoughts, stating, “We have all been through this phase. We have witnessed students experiencing stress and depression over their exam results. I want to appeal to parents not to put pressure on their children. This is my humble request. The students are already under stress, and even a slight drop in grades can cause them anxiety.”

He also raised concerns over the circulation of fake question papers, saying, “On social media, these fake question papers appear exactly like the original ones. Some students may be misled, which could negatively impact their exams. The government must take strict action through the police department to curb such social media forwards.”

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Siddaramaiah stated that the SSLC exams had begun and assured that the government had arranged for students to travel freely on RTC buses. He added, “Last year, I decided against awarding grace marks because students’ real abilities should be reflected in their performance. Grace marks were given during the Covid-19 pandemic, but this time, students will write their exams without the expectation of grace marks. I wish all students, both boys and girls, the best of luck on this occasion.”

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 23 (IANS) Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday assured Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda that the Centre would do everything for recovery and reconstruction activities in the aftermath of flood, landslides and cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh.

BJP national President Nadda along with Rajya Sabha member Harsh Mahajan met Union Minister Gadkari here and apprised him about the damage to roads, especially in Mandi district, owing to torrential rain that triggered flash floods.

A statement quoting Union Minister Nadda said the Central government “will not leave any stone unturned for Himachal Pradesh. Every road in the areas damaged by the tragedy will be repaired on a war footing”.

He said the way Union Minister Gadkari has laid out the plan for the construction of roads, tunnels and bridges in Himachal Pradesh.

“The slow pace of development in the rural areas of Himachal Pradesh will now be accelerated,” said Union Minister Nadda, who belongs to Himachal Pradesh and visited flashflood-ravaged villages in Seraj and Thunag areas in Mandi district on July 10.

Union Minister Nadda said the Centre has sanctioned a budget of Rs 201 crore in the first phase to the state under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).

“Now with this amount, the construction of drains, paths, roads and other small and big works under MNREGA at the panchayat level will be accelerated.”

He said Himachal Pradesh is continuously receiving funds from the Centre for the NDRF and SDRF. Himachal Pradesh has received an assistance of more than Rs 5,000 crore.

Union Minister Nadda said that “if we talk about relief, the government of India is always ready for this work, in terms of financial help. The government of India stood with Himachal Pradesh earlier and will stand with it in future as well”.

Recalling the natural calamity of 2023, the BJP President said, at that time, there was a tragedy in Mandi and Kullu district, and “I visited Himachal Pradesh thrice. I remember that at that time, the Centre had provided a relief of Rs 3,146 crore to Himachal Pradesh. Even now, for the rehabilitation, the Central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released Rs 2,006 crore for Himachal under National Disaster Response Fund.”

“And, if we add this, the total aid for reconstruction activities post-2023 landslides, flood is Rs 5,152 crore,” Union Minister Nadda said.

Talking from the economic point of view, the Central government has given more than 1 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, more than 3000 crores of roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana to the state.

“And being a representative of the Central government, I am saying it with responsibility that the government of India is standing with Himachal and will continue to do so in the future too,” he added.

–IANS

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