Karnataka auto driver arrested for cutting birthday cake with machete
An autorickshaw driver from the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka was taken into police custody after a video of his birthday cake-cutting ceremony went viral, where he used a machete to cut his cake.Anil Kumar, a resident of Vychukurahalli village, was arrested by the Gudibande police on Monday, after visuals emerged of him slicing a cartridge-shaped cake with a machete. The incident occurred during his birthday party on the night of May 31 in the town of Gudibande, where he was seen surrounded by friends, family, and well-wishers cheering him on. advertisementThe viral video was reportedly forwarded to the jurisdictional police, prompting swift action. Upon being taken into custody, Kumar, who has no prior criminal history, admitted to the act and told investigators he did it 'in josh' — out of excitement.
Kumar was produced before a magistrate following his arrest.In a similar incident that occurred in Chennai on April 12, son of a Congress councillor of Greater Chennai Corporation, Dharshan found himself in legal trouble a video emerged online showing him cutting a cake with a sword during his birthday celebration.The event, which reportedly took place near the Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute, featured Dharshan with a sword in hand as the celebrations continued.The visuals quickly went viral, prompting public concern and a formal complaint from a local shopkeeper to the police. Authorities subsequently launched an investigation into the incident.advertisementBrandishing a sword in public without a proper license constitutes a violation of the Indian Arms Act and is deemed a criminal offence. Such actions are considered capable of inciting fear or panic among the public.Written by Rahen Philip
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Hindustan Times
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Bengaluru stampede: BJP blames ‘credit war' between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, demands resignations
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Congress-led Karnataka government, holding Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar responsible for the stampede that claimed 11 lives near Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The party has demanded both leaders resign immediately, alleging a breakdown in coordination and crowd management. Also Read - Bengaluru cops warned against immediate RCB event but were ignored: Report Thousands of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) supporters had gathered outside the stadium to welcome their team after its historic IPL title win. What began as a celebratory moment turned tragic as overcrowding spiraled into chaos, leading to a deadly stampede that also left 33 injured. Senior BJP leader R Ashoka alleged that a turf war between the chief minister and his deputy had contributed to the confusion. 'This is nothing short of state-sponsored murder,' Ashoka said in a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter). 'There's growing suspicion that the internal tussle for credit between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar led to this disaster,' he added. Ashoka criticised Deputy CM Shivakumar—who also handles the Bengaluru city portfolio—for skipping on-ground responsibilities. 'He should have been at the venue overseeing preparations. Instead, he was busy posing for photos at the airport,' he alleged. 'The police were clueless until the last minute on whether a victory parade would happen. Basic emergency arrangements like ambulances and fire engines were also missing despite knowing the crowd would be huge.' Also Read - 'Please don't cut his body': Heartbreaking plea from father of Bengaluru stampede victim Echoing similar sentiments, BJP national spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra called the tragedy a "government-manufactured stampede" and demanded accountability from the state's top leadership. 'Eleven innocent people are dead and dozens injured because of administrative failure. The CM and Deputy CM must step down,' Patra said. He also targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, questioning his silence on the matter. 'Rahul Gandhi never misses a chance to criticise India or the Prime Minister. But where is he now? Will he take action against his own party leaders in Karnataka?' Patra asked, suggesting that Gandhi summon both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar and seek their resignations. Meanwhile, the DK Shivakumar asked BJP to not politicize such sensitive issues and asked them to show empathy towards the families of victims.
Time of India
2 hours ago
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Bengaluru stampede: BJP demands arrest of Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar; draws parallel with Allu Arjun case
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Hindustan Times
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Did I or the Karnataka government criticise?' Karnataka CM was talking about the recent stampede at Maha Kumbh mela in BJP-ruled state of Uttar Pradesh that claimed the lives at least 30 people. Also read | Bengaluru stampede: Karnataka high court takes suo motu cognisance, to hear matter today Explaining what led to the stampede at Chinaswamy stadium, he said, 'The match happened last evening (Tuesday), and today (Wednesday) this event was organised by the cricket association. No one expected such a huge crowd. The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 2-3 lakh people came.' 'There were over 1.5 lakh people at the gates, banging and eventually breaking through in some places. The attempt to enter the stadium resulted in the stampede.' He added, 'There are small gates. The people entered through the gates. They have also broken the gates, so a stampede has taken place. Prima facie, it looks like that. I am not saying that nothing has happened. The inquiry will bring out facts.' BJP MP Tejasvi Surya criticised the Congress-led state government, accusing it of turning the celebration into a political spectacle without adequate preparation. 'The stampede was completely avoidable. It was state-orchestrated,' Surya said, alleging that an open invitation by CM Siddaramaiah on social media triggered an uncontrollable flood of fans without proper crowd and security measures in place. Also read | Bengaluru stampede: What led to deadly crush at RCB's IPL victory event? 'You cannot blame RCB, Virat Kohli, or even the fans. If there is anyone responsible, it is the CM and the deputy CM who wanted to hog undeserving limelight and made this an entire family function of the Congress leaders.' He questioned the value of the magisterial inquiry, 'Keep this 15-day report yourself in your house. Who cares? Will this 15-day magisterial report help these families?' Surya also appealed to the RCB management: 'It is the moral responsibility of RCB to also generously compensate the victims of this stampede. RCB and RCB's superstar cricketers have made hundreds of crores from the love of fans... now it is time for RCB to also be in terms of distress and challenge with the fans and their families.' Union minister HD Kumaraswamy blamed deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar directly. 'The person responsible for this tragedy must be immediately sacked from the cabinet,' he declared from New Delhi. Slamming the Congress-led administration, Kumaraswamy said, 'We have a Chief Minister who is completely inactive. He has no control over the Deputy CM... The Congress government is being run by arrogant fools.' The Board of Control for Cricket in India, meanwhile, denied any role in organising the event. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal said, 'We had no information that such an event was being planned... If such events are planned in the future, then proper arrangements should be made.' "We express condolences to the families of the deceased. A title win was to be celebrated; rather, the loss of lives is being mourned," Dhumal added. Rejecting accusations, he asked, 'How can we be held responsible? Have you seen any IPL officials at the gate, managing the crowd?' BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia added, 'There were some lapses. The BCCI has no role in it. But it's a lesson to learn.' The Bengaluru police conceded that they were overwhelmed. 'The crowd was beyond our control,' a senior officer told HT on condition of anonymity. Police said around 50,000 people packed a one-kilometre radius near the stadium. Narrow gates and mass pressure triggered the deadly crush. 'We had to resort to a lathi charge at some points... the pressure of the crowd caused the tragedy,' said the officer. Fans had started gathering as early as afternoon, climbing trees, scaling cars and walls, and screaming 'RCB! RCB!' in desperation for a glimpse of the players. While some had tickets, others with free passes reportedly forced their way in, contributing to the chaos. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar promised a detailed probe and claimed, 'We want to know the facts and give a clear message.' He also countered the BJP's attack, 'BJP is doing politics... We are very sorry for the incident. We will work out a better solution in the future.' The state cancelled all government events, including World Environment Day celebrations, in a show of mourning. Reiterating Siddaramaiah's sentiments, he said, 'We never expected such a big crowd. The stadium's capacity is 35,000, but over 3 lakh people were there. Gates have been broken. We apologise for this incident.' However, he defended the police force's efforts, saying, 'I should compliment my Police officers... they guided us not to bring a vehicle procession from the airport... we were very cautious at Vidhana Soudha too.' The tragedy unfolded rapidly on Wednesday afternoon as thousands of RCB fans thronged the M Chinnaswamy Stadium for the team's IPL victory celebration.
