KOLKATA: BCCI president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly has been admitted to a city hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, the cricket board sources said on Tuesday.

Ganguly is double vaccinated and has been travelling extensively, taking part in all professional activities.

The 49-year-old was rushed to a hospital late on Monday night as a precautionary measure after his RT-PCR test returned positive.

“He was taken to Woodlands Nursing Home last night. He has been given medication and is currently stable,” a BCCI source, who is keeping track of Ganguly’s health, told PTI.

Ganguly was admitted to hospital twice earlier this year and underwent emergency angioplasty after having some cardiac issues.

His elder brother Snehasish Ganguly had also tested positive for COVID early this year.

Parmesh S Jain

A group of four men who are reportedly in an inebriated state set fire to the dhaba in Soladevanahalli after the staff demanded a bill citing closure timing on Sunday night .

While furniture and goods were gutted in the mishpa, a staffer also sustained burn injuries in the melee and was hospitalized.

Senior officer visited the spot and after taking stock of the situation he said,The accused,who had come to have dinner,created ruckus after the staff told them to pay the bill since it was closing time .

A Heated arguments endured which took an ugly turn when they went out and later returned to set fire on the dhaba and escaped.

In the fire the supplier sustained burn injuries and is undergoing treatment in Victoria hospital and his condition is said to be critical due to burn injuries.

A case has been registered in Soladevanahalli police station special teams are now on the lookout for the accused he added.

Parmesh S Jain

The Annapoorneshwari Nagar police have arrested a gang of seven which robbed a FMCG agency after threatening the staff with lethal weapons on December 20.

The accused has been identified as,Goutham, Srikanth,Hemanth,Jnanesh,Ashwath,Pradeep, Naveen.

Senior officer told media persons a armed gang robbed a private limited company in which the accused barged into Sudha agency situated on Nagarabhavi 9th block at around 8.30 pm, threatened the staff robbed cash,mobile phones and gold valuables from the staff and escaped in motorcycles.

Based on the complaint, ACP,Crime squad with other senior officers rushed to spot and after collecting information and Analysing CCTV footage with the help of technology skill of investigation the police track down one of the accused obtained from in and around the area.

The accused confessed the crime during investigation the team grilled him further who spilled the beans and Based on his information, the police arrested his associates and recovered Cash Rs 80,000, three mobile phones,four bikes and gold valuables which they has robbed from the staff members .

The accused have been take into custody to ascertain their criminal background, while efforts are on to track down two more accused who are presently on the run and further investigation is on.

Finally Bengaluru Police Commissioner,Kamal Pant has appreciated Addl CP West,Soumendhu Mukherjee,DCP West,Dr Sanjeev M Patil,ACP, Nanjundegowda K,PI,Lohith BN,and ACP Crime squad who has done a exemplary and excellent investigation in nabbing the robbery gang and recovered stolen property from them a suitable reward will be given to the team he added.

Parmesh S Jain

Night curfew has been imposed in the state in the interest of public health,Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said speaking to media persons on Monday.

Solatium is being paid to BPL families of those who lost their lives due to Covid in all districts and taluks.A programme in this regard is being held in Bengaluru as well,he said.

Reacting to displeasure among the business community against the night curfew he said,the measure has been taken in the interest of public health. People would have to strictly follow Covid norms at tourist spots.

The BJP State Executive Committee meeting to be held in Hubballi would discuss issues related to party organisation and other developments.

The meeting,which is held once every two months,would take important decisions,he said.

Replying to a question about much expected cabinet expansion,Bommai said, it is an internal matter of the party and the party high command would take a call on that.

There is good coordination between the party and the administration.The government will come up with more good programmes in the days ahead and seek public mandate in 2023 on the basis of its good work for the people he added.

Parmesh S Jain

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday exhorted the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation(BMTC) to be the number one transport corporation in the country with improved quality service,better look and efficient utilisation of human resources.

Speaking at a function to induct electric and BS-6 diesel buses into the service by BMTC he assured all necessary support from the government in this regard.

Rejuvenation of Transport Corpns & ESCOMS

It is difficult to run Transport Corporations with government subsidies. A committee headed by retired Additional Chief Secretary,MR Srinivasa Murthy has been constituted for the revival of these transport corporations,he said.

The committee would present recommendations on plugging the pilferage in these transport corporations.

It would suggest ways and means to improve their service,raise resources and thus turn profitable,Bommai said.

Similarly a committee headed by retired Additional Chief Secretary,K Jairaj has been constituted for rejuvenation of Electric Supply Companies(ESCOMS), he added.

Pollution-free buses

Bommai expressed his happiness at the introduction of BS-6 buses and the move for getting 300 pollution-free electric buses by BMTC.

Presently 90 electric buses are being introduced. It would help in reducing the air pollution in the city, he said and appealed to the people to prefer the electric vehicles for commuting, he said.

Referring to raise the revenue of BMTC, he said, earlier many city based Public Sector Enterprises used to hire BMTC buses to ferry their employees.We will talk to the PSUs like HAL and IT companies to convince them to utilise BMTC services.”

The Chief Minister also suggested BMTC to change its look and design to make it more appealing for the commuters.

Transport minister B Sriramulu, Cooperation minister ST Somashekar and other dignitaries were present.

Parmesh S Jain

Bengaluru City,Police Commissioner,Kamal Pant stated on Monday that cases will be lodged against those who violate the curfew imposed by the government from Tuesday onwards.

The violators will be strictly dealt with and cases will be booked against them under appropriate clauses

Briefing the media about his preparedness,he said that the city police have geared up to enforce the night curfew which will be enforced from Tuesday night .

During the enforcement,hotels,pubs and bars and restaurants have been asked to shut down business by 10 pm and gathering and unnecessary movement on public places and roads are banned.

Those who are on emergency work like hospital and travel should show the relevant documents to the police.

No special passes have been issued to anyone, police have put up nakas and checkpoints at every junction of entry and exit of the road  .

The police have been directed to intensify patrolling and any violations by the shop and commercial establishments which lead to gathering will strictly be dealt with,he reiterated.

The curfew enforcement kept the health factor of the general public and requested members of the general public to follow it.

He further said that there will be no movement of vehicles and people on MG Road,Brigade Road, Koramangala and Indiranagar after 10 p.m.

The police will take extra measures on New Year’s eve to enforce the curfew.

Most of the happening pubs and restaurants are located in these areas and the people of Bengaluru traditionally celebrated new year on M.G Road and Brigade Road.Vehicle movement used to be stopped to allow the celebrations.

CCTV’s will be installed everywhere and no passes will be issued.Those who move out on an emergency should show proof, those who are undertaking journeys must show their tickets and those who go to work will have to show their identity cards, he said.

Meanwhile The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Monday,December 27, announced that it is reducing the train frequency for Namma Metro from December 28,in view of the 10-day night curfew imposed in the state.

BMRCL said that due to the night curfew imposed by the Karnataka government from December 28 to January 7,which will restrict movement from 10 pm to 5 am every night,there will be reduced frequency of metro train services after 10 pm.

However, the operational timings of the metro services remain unaltered, the BMRCL said in a statement.

Any violations will be dealt under Epidemic Diseases Act and also under section Sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of IPC.

Parmesh S Jain

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has assured necessary support through a special programme to strengthen Hubballi Taluk Okkaluthana Huttuvali Marata Sahakari Sangha.

Speaking at the centenary celebrations function of the Sangha Bommai said, the Sangha has rendered commendable service to the farmers for the last 100 years and it should be strengthened to reach out to more farmers in the coming years.

“We all need to work unitedly for the welfare of farmers. Strengthening the Sangha would help the cause of the farmers. State government would provide all necessary help to strengthen this institution,” he said.

Parmesh S Jain

Chief Minister,Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday called upon the youth to join hands with the government in the war against drugs.

Karnataka would be completely freed from the drug menace with cooperation from the youth,” he said.

Chief Minister,Bommai was speaking after launching a state-wide campaign against Narcotics organised by the Home Department in association with Vijaya Karnataka Kannada news daily which had a big turnout of students.

Energy is another name for the youth,Bommai said and called upon the youth to harness this energy to build a bright future for themselves and bring laurels for the state.

Emphasizing the need to eradicate the drug menace from the state,he said that he had instructed the police to install CCTV cameras around all prominent colleges.

Similarly CCTV cameras should be installed within the college campuses and hostels too. Stringent action would be taken against those who sell drugs in and around college campuses and those who use the drugs.

Karnataka has declared a war against drugs.

State tops the country in the quantity of drugs seized and destroyed.We will wage a relentless war against drugs.

Some foreign nationals staying in Bengaluru have been found to be engaged in drug peddling. Stringent action is being taken against them.

NDPS act is being used to crush the drug menace.Dark Web has been penetrated for the first time in Karnataka.Drug supply from abroad is being prevented,Bommai said.

Vijaya Karnataka daily has been discharging its social responsibility. It is in the forefront of the campaign against drugs.

The campaign against drugs needs to be taken to every home.The youth need to take a pledge of not using and neither allowing others to use the drugs,he said.

He urged the youth to register themselves to be part of the Vijaya Karnataka campaign against drugs.

The Chief Minister termed those involved in narcotics business as traitors and assured that they would be dealt with sternly he added.

Depressed over health issue, a 52-year-old Block Education Officer,ended his life at his house in Kodigehalli on Sunday.

The deceased identified as T N Kamalakar working as BEO in Yelahanka.

Senior police officers with DDPI,officers and others rushed to spot and after inspecting and collecting stock of the situation senior officer told reporters,we found a death note in which it is mentioned the BEO kamalakar was in depression.

He shot himself using his licensed double barrel gun and left suicide note stating that he had taken enough medicine and dont want to trouble family members anymore. .

The incident took around 1.30 pm while he was alone at the home.He shot himself and mentioned in the suicide note that his family has taken enough care of him for over two decades .

He also mentioned in the suicide note that no one is responsible for his death and his family should not be harassed .

Kamalakar hailed from Shivamogga and having licensed gun since few years.Based on a statement from his family a case of unnatural death has been registered and further investigations are on.

Those in distress or those having suicidal tendencies can call Arogya Sahayavani Ph: 104 for help.

Parmesh S Jain

An autorickshaw passenger was killed and two others injured when the autorickshaw they were traveling lost control and turned turtle on Rajajinagar ring road in the early hours of sunday.

The deceased has been identified as Murthy Kumar,30, of Andhrahalli.

The injured Putturaju and driver Kiran sustained injuries and being treated at hospital.

Senior officer told media persons that,The incident occurred when kumar and Puttaraju boarded the autorickshaw in the early hours and heading towards Majestic.

The driver was reportedly overspeeding and lost control and autorikshaw turned turtle. As a result kumar was killed and both the driver and Puttaraju injured.

The Rajajinagar traffic police booked the driver under rash and negligent driving and death due to negligence.

In another incident a 28-year-old autorickshaw driver was killed and two of his friends injures when he tried to do stunts on his vehicle leading to mishap.

According to the police the deceased Muthu resident of janaki Ram layout was returning home with friends after party on saturday night.

While he reached Nehru Nagar the accused started doing stunts with his Autorickshaw and in the melee lost control over the vehicle and vehicle turned turtle.

Muthu struck between the autorickshaw and the road and sustained severe injuries,while the duo travelling in passengers seat escaped with minor injuries.

Passers by rushed the injured to nearby hospital where the Muthu succumbed later.

The Banasawadi traffic police have taken up a case and are investigating.