Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 8 (ANI): Activist Dinesh Kallahalli on Sunday wrote to the police seeking withdrawal of his complaint against Ramesh Jarkiholi in which he alleged that the water resources minister was sexually exploiting a woman in return for a government job.
Kallahalli on Sunday claimed that he will withdraw the police complaint against BJP MLA Jarkiholi, who has resigned as minister amid the alleged sex-for-job scandal.
Kallahalli’s advocate submitted the petition at the Cubbon Park police station. seeking to withdraw Jarkiholi’s complaint on March 2.
In his statement Kallahalli said that he decided to take back the complaint against the BJP MLA after many people alleged that he received money to release the CD and raised questions on the credibility of his social services.
A purported sex tape showed the Major and Medium water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi in a compromising position with a woman.
“We have seen treachery, vendetta, honey trap, blackmailing as the motive behind such videos. I don’t know the truth, time will decide everything. The truth will come out after an investigation,” Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, Ashwathnarayan had earlier told reporters here when asked about Jarkiholi’s alleged involvement in the sex tape case.
Karnataka Home Minister B Bommai had said that an inquiry is being conducted as per law adding that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will make a decision on taking action against him.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi had on Tuesday said that the BJP will take action after checking the authenticity of the alleged sex videotape in which Jarkiholi is said to be involved. (ANI)

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], March 8 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy on Sunday threw down the gauntlet at Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) stating that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win both the two Legislative Council seats under the Graduates constituency quota.
‘The Graduate MLC election is going to be held on March 14 in Telangana. I am confident that in the coming days the people of Telangana will trust the BJP and the party will win in both seats. TRS party government will not be in Telangana for long now,” he added.
The Minister made the statement after addressing Hyderabad- Mahabubnagar- Rangareddy District’s Graduate MLC Constituency Election Meeting at Vikarabad, Telangana.
He emphasised the need to elect the BJP’s Candidate N Ramchander Rao for the upcoming MLC graduates constituency elections.
The election for the two Legislative Council seats under the Graduates constituency quota will be held on March 14. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 8 (ANI): The General-Secretary of Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Champat Rai on Sunday said that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is likely to be ready in three years time.
“The Ram Temple will be built in about two and a half acres and a wall will be built around it, which is called Parkota. Retaining walls will be built inside the ground to prevent the effects of floods. This work will be completed in three years and with this preparation we are doing all the work,” Rai said.
Earlier in the day while addressing a press conference, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) national vice-president Rai said that Rajasthan has participated the most in the Samarpan (donation) drive for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
“The collective contribution of Jodhpur, Jaipur, and Chittor for the construction of Ram Mandir is Rs 500 crores, which in itself is quite a big deal,” Rai said while addressing a press conference.
“We connected to 36,000 villages in Rajasthan where 9 lakh workers were contacted. 38,125 workers were given the responsibility to deposit the money in the bank. The campaign was monitored from 49 centres in India,” he added.
He went on to say that the figures for each state will be revealed soon. A lot of paperwork in connection with the construction of the temple in Ayodhya has been done.
Earlier on Saturday, Rai, had said the door-to-door collection drive for Ram temple construction in Ayodhya has stopped, but devotees who missed the contribution drive can still make their contributions through the trust website.
Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has been entrusted with the task of Ram temple construction in Ayodhya. (ANI)

Kochi (Kerala) [India], March 8 (ANI): Palarivattom flyover in Kochi that was shut for nearly two years amid allegations of corruption in its making was reopened for the public earlier on Sunday after its reconstruction.
On January 8, the Kerala High Court granted bail to former Public Works Department (PWD) minister and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MLA VK Ebrahim Kunju in the Palarivattom flyover scam case.
Kunju is accused in connection with a scam related to the Palarivattom flyover, which was inaugurated in October 2016 and closed for traffic merely three years later after flaws were detected in the same in July 2017.
Earlier last month, the High Court had granted bail to BV Nagesh, who was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau of the state government in the Palarivattom flyover scam case on November 18.
Nagesh is the owner of Nagesh Consultancy, the company that was entrusted with the construction of the Palarivattom flyover in Ernakulam district.
In September, after the Supreme Court verdict allowing the reconstruction of the flyover, the state government has decided to reconstruct it in a time-bound manner, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. (ANI)

By All India Jamiatul Quresh
Agra (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 8 (ANI): Following the recent suicide of 23-year-old Ayesha Arif Khan, who was allegedly harassed for dowry district chief of All India Jamiatul Quresh in Agra, Sarif Qureshi has appealed to the Muslim community to neither take nor receive dowry.
“We have appealed to Muslims not to take or give dowry. Dowry is a criminal act and is also prohibited in Sharia law,” Qureshi said.
Earlier in the day, Muslims organisations urged people to stop the exchange of dowry in all Muslim wedding following the death by suicide of Ayesha in Ahmedabad.
A section of the Muslim community in Agra too vowed to stop the exchange of dowry in all the marriages of its community.
In a meeting held at a local mosque in Agra after the Friday Namaz, the community leaders led special prayers for the soul of Ayesha.
Speaking to ANI, Jamit-Ul-Quresh president Mohammad Sharif Kale said, “Ayesha had been badly tortured by her husband and in-laws because she had not given dowry to them. Such people should be given the strictest punishment in the law.”
He also said that the people from all communities have to take a unanimous decision to disallow the exchange of dowry in all the community, as it is not the problem of just Muslims.
Furthermore, Hindustani Biradari member Siraj Kureishi said that dowry has been forbidden in Islam and the Muslim community should follow the teachings of the Holy Quran by renouncing dowry completely.
The woman named Ayesha jumped into a river and later died in Gujarat’s Ahmadabad after allegedly being harassed by her husband for dowry. (ANI)

Panaji (Goa) [India], March 8 (ANI): Officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB ) of Maharashtra and Goa conducted multiple raids and caught drug peddlers including foreigners as well as seized a huge amount of drugs from their possession in Goa.
The team, led by zonal officer Sameer Wankhede conducted raids at multiple locations across Goa late on Sunday as part of an anti-narcotics drive.
Speaking to ANI over the phone, Wankhede said that his team has caught drug peddlers including foreigners. The raid had been going on since morning and the team has now moved to other areas. (ANI)