When the clock strikes 12 tonight, 2019 will be history. But the calendar which is set to be replaced with a new one is marked by major crime, fraud and accidents, like the IMA scam, allegations of eavesdropping on public figures and Karwar boat tragedy. Here is a walk down memory lane
A journey that met watery end
Just three weeks into 2019, 16 people drowned after a boat with 35 devotees returning to Karwar beach from Kurmagad island capsized near Kali river estuary on January 21. It was a major boat tragedy in a decade in the region. Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Security Police and civil police were deployed for the rescue operations. Apart from ships, two helicopters from Navy and ICG were also deployed to search for the missing people. A body was recovered off Gokarna coast, about 40 km away from Karwar. The 16th body was found after eight days some 100 km away from where the boat capsized. A total of 19 people were rescued.
Much lost in Ponzi scam
A Ponzi scam involving I Monetary Advisory (IMA) Group shook the state leaving several investors devastated. The group floated a Ponzi scheme offering investors dream returns of 36-64 per cent on investments in compliance with Sharia law of Islam. IMA managing director Mohammed Mansoor Khan was arrested by a Special Investigation Team of the police and later the case was handed over to the CBI. Names of several politicians including former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah, Zameer Ahmed Khan and Roshan Baig surfaced during the investigation. Interestingly, the CBI has also sought permission to prosecute senior officials -- IGP Hemant Nimbalkar, who was in the Economic Offences wing of the CID, erstwhile DCP of Bengaluru’s east division Ajay Hilori and former deputy commissioner of Bengaluru urban, BM Vijayshankar. Nearly 45,000 people filed complaints against the firm.
Netas caught in audiogate
A leaked telephone conversation between AGDP Bhaskar Rao and an alleged power broker, purportedly taken place before the officer was posted as the Bengaluru city police commissioner opened a can of worms. The phone tapping was allegedly done on the instructions from the then Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy under the direct supervision of Rao’s predecessor Alok Kumar. The new BJP government handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation. In an unprecedented development, the CBI sleuths raided the state police chief’s office as part of the probe. Alok Kumar’s residence and office were also raided. The investigations reportedly revealed that phones of prominent politicians cutting across party lines, bureaucrats and pontiffs of prominent mutts in the state were tapped. The CBI probe into the
case is still on.
Remember, remember the 19th of December
The amended Citizenship Act and the expectation of nationwide National Register of Citizens sparked furore across the country and Karntaka was one of the states which saw massive protests since December 19. Clamping of prohibitory orders did not help much in controlling the agitations. While the resistance was peaceful in most parts of the state including Bengaluru, it turned violent in Mangaluru where two people were killed in police firing. This was followed by curfew and suspension of internet. While the firing drew criticism from various quarters, the government defended the police action saying they resorted to the measure to “save” their lives.
Gangrape shocker in Puttur
Amid countrywide concerns about women’s safety, a girl was allegedly gang-raped at Puttur near Mangaluru and a video reportedly recorded by the offenders went viral. In July, the police arrested five students of a college for the crime which took place in March. They were granted bail by the High Court in December.
Minor blast that exposed major issues
In October, a low intensity blast occurred at Hubballi railway junction, injuring a food joint employee. The blast occurred on the platform number one. After a thorough search,
the police found a bucket with ‘crude explosives’ abandoned in a general compartment
of the Vijayawada-Hubballi Amaravati Express, which had arrived. The plastic bucket had ink scribbling, reading ‘No BJP, No RSS’, ‘Kolhapur district’, ‘MLA’, ‘Gargoti’, ‘MSState’ and
‘Prakash Abhitkar’. It exposed the larger issue of lack of security at railway stations.
coffee Empire lost its king
On July 30, the state and the rest of the country woke up to the sad news that Cafe Coffee Day founder V G Siddartha went missing from the Netravathi bridge in Mangaluru. The next day, his body was discovered by fishermen in the river. The death of the son-in-law of former chief minister S M Krishna sent shivers across the business community as a letter purportedly written by him mentioned “harassment by the Income Tax Department” which had reportedly left him in a financially bad position. While investigations confirmed it was clear case of suicide, the incident led to debates on ‘tax terrorism’.
Bad times end for cops
As the entire state police force had planned to go on mass leave demanding pay hikes and other benefits, the government had constituted a committee headed by the then ADGP Raghavendra Auradkar. Though it submitted its report recommending a pay hike to the police, the government sat on it for months. Finally, when it was implemented in September, the police personnel were disappointed as what was approved deviated from the committee’s recommendations. The staff complain that the changes made by the government would benefit only those who would join the department newly and
it made almost no difference to the already serving personnel.
An ‘Alliance’ gone wrong
The murder of former Alliance University vice-chancellor Dr Ayyappa Dore (54) in a playground in RT Nagar on October 15 sent shock waves across Bengaluru.The police arrested university chancellor Sudhir G Angur, his aide Suraj Singh and others over the killing. The prime accused, Sudhir Angur, allegedly got Dore eliminated as the latter had been supporting his brother over the ownership of the university. Following the arrest, Angur resigned from his post.