Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

Karnataka Today newsletter: Lokayukta police says no evidence against CM Siddaramaiah, wife in MUDA case, and more

The Lokayukta police probing the MUDA site allotment case on Wednesday (February 19, 2025) said that the charges against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his wife Parvathi could not be proved for want of evidence. The probing officers said they have submitted the final report to the High Court.

The Lokayukta police said that further investigation will be conducted into the allegations of Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) providing compensatory plots in the ratio of 50:50 from 2016 to 2024 and an additional final report will be submitted to the High Court under Section 173 (8) CrPC.

The Bengaluru District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed PVR INOX to display the actual time of a movie on tickets and not the time when the advertisements start playing in the cinema hall. Blaming PVR INOX for subjecting viewers to long advertisements beyond the scheduled time of the film, the court directed the multiplex chain to pay ₹1 lakh in punitive damages.

According to the order, Abhishek M.R., a consumer from Bengaluru, had filed a case on PVR INOX for the delayed screening of the film Sam Bahadur on December 26, 2023. In his complaint, Abhishek said he had booked three tickets for a 4:05 pm show at PVR INOX, but the film was played at 4:30 pm after a series of advertisements.

The study ‘Delineating the environmental justice implications of an experimental cheetah introduction project in India’ by the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS), has examined the ethical, ecological and welfare challenges associated with the translocation of African cheetahs to India and also raised questions about its scientific merit and long-term viability.

The study highlights that the translocation of African cheetahs to India has resulted in significant welfare challenges, with a mortality rate of 40%-50% in the first phase of the project, far below the expected survival rate of 85%. Cheetahs involved in the project have experienced high levels of stress, with over 90 chemical immobilisations and regular veterinary interventions, it said.

Alleging that Karnataka is heading towards “financial bankruptcy” due to mismanagement, BJP State President B. Y. Vijayendra urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to come out with a white paper on the financial condition of the State before presenting the state budget.