Date:30/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/30/stories/2007123052820400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

There are touts here too

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: Officials have unearthed a network of touts that fleeced the poor petitioners coming to the Janata Darshan. Managing director of the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation Mohammad Saleem told presspersons that the petitions came in a printed form which was never issued by any government department. When one of the officials of the corporation asked a woman petitioner who had given the printed form to her, she took the names of Ismail and Mehbub.

She told the officials that they had taken Rs. 2,000 from her and even arranged transport to the Vidhana Soudha from a pick-up point. The officials stated that they had received some 200 petitions in the printed form.