Chaitra Kundapura is a former Indian news anchor, journalist and Hindu activist who made headlines in September 2023 in connection with the Bharatiya Janata Party ticket fraud case.
Wiki/Biography
Chaitra Kundapura was born on April 5 and she hails from Kundapura, Karnataka. Her zodiac sign is Aries. She attended a government school in Kundapura and then Government Matriculation College, Thekkatte, Karnataka. She studied Journalism and Mass Communication at Mangalore University.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′4″
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Her mother’s name is Rohini.
Old photos of Chaitra Kundapura’s parents
Chaitra Kundapura and her parents performing religious rituals
husband and children
Her marital status is unknown.
religion
She follows Hinduism.
Profession
She started working at Kannada television news channel Samaya News 24X7. In 2016, she joined the media company Spandana TV as a news anchor.
Chaithra Kundapura serves as news anchor at Spandana TV
Later, Chaitra moved to Kundapura town in Udupi district of Karnataka, where he continued to work as a journalist. In 2015, she started working as a deputy editor at Udayavani, a Kannada daily in Manipal, Karnataka.
Chaithra Kundapura anchors Kannada News Channel
In 2020, she joined KLH Infotech Limited as SEO Marketing Manager. She has also worked at UBMC School in Kundapur, Karnataka.
as a hindu activist
In 2013, she became a member of the national executive committee of Akhil Bharathiya Vidhyarthi Parishath (ABVP). In 2015, she became a member of the Central Working Committee (CWC). Chaithra, an active member of ABVP, led the agitation in the murder cases of two students, Rathna Kothari in 2014 and Akshatha Devadiga in 2015. In 2018, Chaitra earned high praise from BJP leaders, including Shobha Karandlaje, for her opposition to the September 9 Bharat Bandh called by the BJP. INC and other parties held discussions on rising fuel prices. She often delivers provocative speeches at events organized by right-wing groups such as Ramakshatriya Seva Sangha (Puttur), Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Her social media accounts are filled with images from anti-Muslim rallies, public engagement initiatives and events.
Chaitra during the Ugadi festival celebrations at Hirebettu village in Udupi district, Karnataka
She actively campaigned for the BJP during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, especially in the northern state of Kannada. During the campaign, she often shared the stage with various Hindu leaders such as Sri Rama Sena founder Pramod Muthalik and Bajrang Dal’s Sharan Pumpwell. The district collector’s order reportedly banned Chaitra from entering Aland taluk in Kalaburagi between February 27 and March 3, 2022, citing the need to maintain peace and harmony in the area as the main reason for the restriction.
Chaitra Kundapura was speaking at Satyanarayana pooja and Ramakshatriya Seva Sangha (Puttur) 2023 at Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district
dispute
Attack on Hindu Jagarna Vedike activists
In 2018, Chaitra Kundapura and five of her colleagues were sent to police custody for seven days by a Karnataka court. She and her gang attacked Guruprasad Panja, who was working as secretary of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike, Sullia taluk, following which she was arrested. According to a sub-inspector, Chaitra and her accomplices attacked him outside Panja’s shop near Kashgart. The attack took place after Chaitra’s visit to Kukke Subramanya Mutt earlier in the day. Following a heated argument between the two Hindu leaders, one of Chaitra’s aides attacked Panja with a steel rod. Chaitra was charged with assault under IPC 351. At that time, Panja and Chaitra got into an argument on Facebook over the conduct of the ‘Sarpa Samskara’ ritual, which involves worshiping the snake god. Chaitra wanted the ceremony to be held at Mutt, while Panja, who was allied with the Kukke Subramanya temple, preferred the ceremony there. Vidyaprasannateertha Swami, Muth’s seer, launched a hunger strike over the controversial issue. Even Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy reacted to the incident on October 14, urging the seer to end the hunger strike and find a peaceful solution.
Booked for hate speech
On October 4, 2021, Abdul Khader from Iddya filed a complaint against Kundapura for causing communal tension by making hate speeches at Bajrang Dal and Durgavahini events in Surathkal. In her speech, she spoke of “love jihad” and said Hindu groups could also convert Muslims to wear kumkum (vermilion). Love Jihad or Romeo Jihad is an Islamophobic conspiracy theory promoted by right-wing Hindu activists. The conspiracy theory claims that Muslim men “trick” Hindu and Christian women into converting to Islam through seduction, love and marriage. she says,
As a 23% Hindu, if you are showing such arrogance, how much (arrogance) should the 70% Hindus show? This is your final warning. If you can stop the love jihad, you can survive. If 70% of Hindus decide to convert 23% of Muslims and decide to love them, then just two days will be enough and you will not see a burqa in a Muslim’s home. We will put a kumkum on every Muslim girl’s forehead”
Video clips of the speech went viral on the internet. She was charged under sections 153 A (promoting disharmony, enmity or hatred between different groups) and 505 (2) (uttering remarks inciting enmity, hatred or ill-will) of the Indian Penal Code.
Cash for MLA Ticket Scam
On September 8, 2023, a businessman named Govind Babu Pujari filed an FIR in Bengaluru accusing Kundapura and his associates of obtaining Rs 5 crore was stolen from him by the BJP, which contested on a ticket from Bindoor constituency in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections. The FIR names Kundapura as the first accused, followed by Gagan Kadur, Abhinava Halasri Swamiji (Samsthana Mutt from Hospet), Ramesh, Naik, Dhanraj, Srikanth and Prasad Byandur. They were charged under IPC sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 419 (cheating by impersonation), 420 (cheating), 170 (pretending to be a public servant), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120B (criminal conspiracy). A case was filed. Kundapura holds Rs 35 crore while seer Abhinav Halasree received Rs 15 crore from Pujari. Pujari narrated the incident to the police and said:
Through Prasad Baindoor, I met Chaitra in 2022 and she promised to help me get a ticket from Byndoor constituency in the assembly elections. In July 2022, they took me to Chikkamagaluru and introduced me to a Vishwanathji claiming that he was an RSS pracharak. He promised to give me a ticket, but said it would cost money. …In July 2022, I made a cash advance of Rs 50 lakh to one Gagan Kadur of the BJP Yuva Morcha. Later, Vishwanathji told me that my name had appeared in the possible list and I should pay Rs 3 crore to get the ticket. In October 2022, I paid Rs 3 crore to Gagan and Chaitra. Then, following the instructions of Chaitra and others, I met one Abhinava Halashri Swamy at my residence in Bangalore, who claimed that he was in touch with senior BJP leaders and would issue a ticket to me. Pay him Rs 150 crore in cash… In March this year, Chaitra told me that Vishwanathji passed away due to illness. When I asked other BJP workers, they told me that there was not an RSS pracharak named Vishwanathji living in Chikkamagalu. When I confronted Chaitra and others and demanded my money back, they threatened to commit suicide. When I asked other BJP workers in Chikkamagalur, I realized that I had been cheated. “
The case has been handed over to the Central Crime Branch (CCB), which has formed three teams to trace the suspects. GM Abhinava Halaveerappajja, the seer of Halashri Mutt in Vijayanagara, was arrested by the police while traveling on a train near Cuttack in Odisha on September 18 He was captured while on the run. Chaitra reportedly sensed that the police were following her, so she switched off her phone and asked one of her colleagues to get her a new phone and a SIM card. However, police found her on September 12 after arresting Prasad Baindoor. They asked Baindoor to call Chaitra and asked her to meet him at the parking lot of Sri Krishna Mutt in Udupi to collect the mobile phone and SIM card, where the police arrested her. Meanwhile, her associates Gagan Kadur, Ramesh, Dhanaraj, Srikant and Prajwal were there Arrests were made across the state, while Abhinava Hala Swami remained at large. Gagan Kadur is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the BJP. On September 15, she suffered a seizure while being questioned by CCB officials and was subsequently admitted to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru. When Kundapura was brought to the CCB office for interrogation, she told a media interaction that her arrest was part of a “conspiracy related to the pending bill issue at Indira canteen”. She also said that the arrest of Swamiji would bring many high-profile figures into public view. As of September 17, Central Crime Branch (CCB) officials had recovered over Rs 2 crore from Chaitra, which she used to buy cars, invest in fixed deposits and buy gold valuables. The matter first came to attention in July 2023, when Satyajit Suratkal, a Hindu leader from coastal Karnataka, called Rajashekharananda Swamiji of Vajradehi Math and asked him to return it 15 Crores taken from Poojary. Rajashekharananda Swamiji was confused and told Suratkal that he had met Poojary only once in Kollur and knew nothing about the money. It was later clarified that the person actually involved in the matter was another prophet, Abhinav Harasree Swamiji, and not Rajashekarananda Swamiji.
cheating bjp members
When she was detained by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in Bengaluru, she was booked for allegedly defrauding a BJP member of Rs 5 lakh. The complainant Sudheena Pujari is a resident of Udupi district. He alleged that Kundapura defrauded him of Rs 5 lakh on the pretext of helping him open textile shops in Udupi and Kota in 2015. Sudheena claimed that he first met Kundapura in 2015 during a ‘Go Raksha Samavesha’ event. Kundapura encouraged him to open a clothing store, and he subsequently raised the necessary funds through fishing and other means. Sudheena claimed that he gave Kundapura Rs 2 lakh in cash and transferred Rs 3 lakh into her bank account. However, according to the complaint filed by Sudheena at the Udupikota police station, the clothing store was registered in the name of Kundapura and Sudheena was working in Andhra Pradesh at that time. The BJP member claimed that when he asked Kundapura to return the money, she threatened him to lodge a sexual harassment complaint. The Kota police have registered a case under Sections 506 (relating to criminal intimidation), 417 (relating to cheating) and 420 (relating to cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Facts/Trivia
- She won the 2014 Traditional Queen Competition.
Chaitra Kundapura is crowned as the Traditional Queen (2014-15)
- She also wrote a book about love jihad called Prema Pasha, which translates to “Love Cycle.” Cover of Chaitra Kundapura’s book Prema Pasha
Cover of Chaitra Kundapura’s book Prema PashaCategories: Biography
Source: HIS Education