Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

Karnataka Today newsletter: FIR against Arnab Goswami for fake news report about CM Siddaramaiah, and more

Sleuths of the Income Tax Department issued a notice to a leading home appliances manufacturer seeking details of its production and distribution of pressure cookers following allegation of distribution of pressure cookers in Bengaluru Rural constituency as election-related inducement. Congress MP D.K. Suresh is up against BJP candidate Dr. C. N. Manjunath in the constituency.

The latest action follows a complaint by the Janata Dal (Secular) to the Election Commission. Earlier, former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy had alleged that about 10 lakh pressure cookers bearing the photograph of a candidate were set to be distributed, of which 4 lakh had already been distributed.

Bengaluru police have registered a case against Arnab Goswami, editor-in-chief of Republic TV, and Niranjan, editor of R Kannada channel of the same group, for allegedly airing a fake news report about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The duo has been booked under Section 505 (2) of Indian Penal Code for ‘statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes’. 

The complainant says that on March 27 around 7.15 p.m., R Kannada channel aired a news story claiming that traffic on M.G. Road in Bengaluru was stopped to enable passage for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and, hence, an ambulance was stuck. However, at that time, Mr. Siddaramaiah was in Mysuru, according to the complainant. 

3. Karnataka to set up EV charging stations in RTO offices and highways

To bolster the infrastructure necessary for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), the Karnataka Transport Department has prepared a plan to set up EV charging stations in all Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) and on highways in the State. The installation of EV charging stations will be facilitated through collaboration with electricity supply companies (escoms).

Karnataka stands at the forefront in India in terms of public EV charging infrastructure, boasting of a staggering 5,059 charging stations, as per data from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the Union Ministry of Power. Bengaluru Urban district leads with 4,281 charging stations, constituting 85% of the total charging infrastructure within Karnataka.