Archives for December 2020

Jayadeva Hospital director Dr CN Manjunath said that the situation can be monitored and reviewed in three weeks’ time.

BENGALURU : The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has stuck to its guns on reopening offline classes for class 10 and 12 students from January 1, taking a stand that postponing reopening further would be a knee-jerk reaction in the wake of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2.

At its meeting on Tuesday, the committee deliberated on whether or not regular classes should resume for Grades 10 and 12. It decided that for now it is alright to reopen offline classes, and that another decision cannot be made in a week.

He said the decision for Vidyagama students of Class 6-9 will be made by the education department. The TAC had in its previous meeting a week ago had recommended in a report that schools reopen on January 1. Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar said that the TAC had given the nod days ago, and arrangements are being made for the reopening of schools for class 10 and 12.

With just over a week to go for the reopening of schools, TAC experts believe it is too soon to react to the new strain of the virus. The TAC took a month to come out with its recommendation after the education department announced in November that schools would remain closed for the whole of December.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa explained that all international travellers will be checked at the airports itself before allowing them into the state.

BENGALURU: Allaying apprehensions that night curfew may be imposed in the state, like in neighbouring Maharashtra, after a new strain of SARS-CoV2 was detected in Britain, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday said there was no need for such a measure as of now.

The State Government is also not looking at any kind of lockdown or quarantine for inter-state travellers. “We understand that the finding of a mutated strain of the virus has worried the people of the state and also the country.

We have come to know that someone who arrived in Chennai has been found infected. We have to be extra cautious and we have put stringent measures in place,” he said. 

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa explained that all international travellers will be checked at the airports itself before allowing them into the state. To a question on imposing night ban he said,”There is no need for it here for now. Restrictions for New Year celebrations are already in place.”

The Maharashtra government on Monday had announced a night curfew in municipal corporation areas as a precautionary step amid growing concerns over the new virus strain spreading in Britain.

However, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said that he will discuss with the CM regarding imposing night curfew in the state, but ruled out the possibility of a lockdown.

“I held discussions with the Union Health Department Secretary, who said that there was no reason to worry, but necessary precautionary measures should be taken. There is no question of a lockdown and, in my personal opinion, certain activities like partying, gathering in numbers during night times can be stopped. I will meet the CM and discuss with him about the night curfew,” he added.

Meanwhile, Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey said the state Health Department is imposing quarantine norms only for international travellers from the UK, but not for inter-state travellers.

“As of now, we are not imposing any quarantine rules for inter-state travellers. We will implement it later if the situation demands.

Pramesh Jain

The Anti-Narcotics Wing of CCB stepped up investigation into the drug racket linked to Sandalwood from three months has arrested Vinay kumar on Monday,who is named as 12th accused in the cottonpet drug case.Who was on the run from past 3 months.

The accused has been identified as,Vinay Kumar a event organiser who used to organise parties at reputed hotels across city.

A special team who was on search for the absconding accused who is 12th accused in cottonpet police station drug scandal case was arrested near Goraguntepalya.

Sandeep Patil,Joint Commissioner of Police,said that the accused Vinay Kumar booked in the drug case was on the run since three months.He has been taken into custody to ascertain his drug network and also his whereabout while he was on the run.The investigation is also to find about the people who helped him during his escape.

Being addicted to drugs,Vinay also peddle drugs and organised parties at reputed hotels across the city on behest of Viren Khanna.Such parties are attended by Ravishankar and Ragini among the others.

Soon after his name cropped up,he was on the run and even applied for an anticipatory bail. However the court dismissed his bail petition.

Based on tip off,team of CCB officials arrested him in Goraguntepalya where he was come to meet his friends seeking help.The CCB team produced the accused before the Magistrate and the court remanded him to CCB police custody till 28th December for further investigation he added.

The ccb yet to arrest many prime accused in the case who are on the run and hoodwinking CCB tracking team.

A few key accused still remain elusive,including party organiser Sheikh Fazil and Aditya Alva,the son of the late Minister Jeevaraj Alva and brother-in-law of Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi. As part of their search,the police had raided Vivek Oberoi’s residence in Mumbai and summoned Alva’s sister Priyanka who is married to the actor for questioning.

The CCB is investigating the drug abuse case after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested three people hailing from Kerala in Bengaluru, who were allegedly supplying drugs to Kannada film actors and singers last month.

Pramesh Jain

In a massive development in the Bengaluru riots case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested 17 SDPI and PFI party leaders for their involvement in riots and large scale violence at the KG Halli Police Station on August 11.

The case was originally registered by KG Halli police which was taken over NIA in September.

The new set of arrests come almost a month after 43 locations in Bengaluru including 4 offices of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), were raided by the NIA. 

The arrested accused are identified as Mohammed Sharieff,Mohd Ateef,Shabbar Khan, Irfan Khan,Azil Pasha,Akbar Khan,Sayyed Sohel Torvi,Saddam alias Kareem,Mohammed Kaleem Ahmed,Muhammed Mudassir Kaleem,Naqeeb Pasha,Kaleemulla alias Shahrukh,Imran Ahmed, Mohammed Azhar,Rubah Waqas,Imran Ahmed and Shaik Ajmal. 

Investigation so far has revealed that the SDPI leaders,namely, Mohammed Sharieff,President, Bengaluru District,SDPI,Imran Ahmed,President, KG Halli Ward,along with other senior leaders like  Rubah Waqas,Shabbar Khan and Shaik Ajmal had conducted meetings at Thanissandra and KG Halli wards in Bengaluru in the evening of 11.8.2020 wherein they conspired,mobilised and  led the crowd gathered at KG Halli Police station to attack the police personnel,causing huge damage to the public and police station vehicles.

Similarly, accused Abbas,SDPI President of Nagawara ward had also mobilised large crowd at the KG Halli police station through his associates Azil Pasha,Irfan Khan and Akbar Khan.

Investigation also revealed the use of social media channels like Facebook,Instagram,Whatsapp to spread terror among people and mobilised people from far away places to gather at KG Halli Police Station.

Accused Saddam,Sayed Sohel,Kaleemulla@ Shahrukh Khan were active social media users who participated in riots as well as instigated others to gather at the Police Station says NIA press release.

During the raids,which took place on November 18,the NIA team collected incriminating evidence at the SDPI offices including swords, knives and iron rods which have been seized by the agency.

The NIA’s investigation comes under two broad cases that have been registered at the KG Halli and DJ Halli Police stations.The cases pertain to ‘large scale rioting armed with lethal weapons causing injuries to police personnel, destruction of public and private property including the two police stations which had become a hotspot during the violence, and intentions to cause terror in the society.’

SDPI’s role unearthed

SDPI,which is the political front of the Popular Front of India (PFI) has been under the NIA scanner since the investigation agency unearthed links of Karnataka SDPI secretary Muzamil Pasha in the case.

The SDPI Secretary has been accused of calling a meeting and directing the members of PFI and SDPI to instigate the mob and incite violence at the KG Halli and DJ Halli Police stations which ultimately resulted in the death of 3 people and had left 60 police personnel injured. 

Notably,as per the chargesheet filed by the Central Crime Branch,the police has also alleged that Congress corporators and Former Mayor,Sampath Raj and Zakir Hussain along with the SDPI instigated the Bengaluru riots.Sources have revealed that the NIA is now looking into an alleged ‘terror angle’ in the case. 

Bengaluru Riots:

At around 8.30 pm on August 11, a riot-like situation was witnessed between the KG Halli and DJ Halli police station limits in East Bengaluru.A mob of more than 1000 people gathered outside the residence of Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy demanding immediate action against his relative Naveen.

Soon, the police resorted to the use of force to contain the violence.By the time the situation was brought under control at around 1 am on August 12,three people were killed,nearly 60 police personnel.

Including,DCP Bhimashankar Guled was injured and over 300 vehicles were burnt in the violence. 

So far,more than 340 persons have been arrested for arson,stone-pelting,and attacking the police.This includes Naveen and Kaleem Pasha,the husband of Congress corporator Irshad Begum.

Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa has announced that the state government would assess the damages caused to public and private property and recover the costs from the culprits.

So far, 187 accused persons have been arrested in the case and further probe is underway by NIA.

Pramesh Jain

The Whitefield Division police of Kadugodi police have arrested an I yee state fraudster who had abducted a hotel employee for many days to extort ransom of Rs.48 lakh from his family.

Based on the complaint filed by the family, the kadugodi police arrested the accused from a prestigious apartment in ITPL road and rescued the youth identified as Arshad on Sunday.

According to the police the accused Swaroop Shetty met Arshad at Radison blue hotel where he was working.

Swaroop was a regular customer to the hotel and befriended Arshad .

After formal introduction Arshad shared his financial problem he was facing due to huge loan, for which Swaroop offered to help.

He took Arshad to his apartment on the pretext of help and tortured him before calling his family in Haveri for ransom.

Swaroop used to get drunk and take drugs before torturing Arshad.The entire episode he would record in his mobile.

He also tortured Arshad to get information about the family members and relatives and would call them posing as police officer to extort money.

Using the modus operandi,the accused extorted Rs.48 lakh from Arshad family and relatives and started demanding for more.

Unable to bare harassment Mohammed Rafi, uncle of Arshad has filed a complaint,based on which the police arrested the accused.

Senior officer told reporters,Swaroop took Arshad to his Kadugodi apartment and kept him in confinement for three months and tortured him severely.

He also recorded a video of Arshad during the confinement.Arshad managed to escape from the clutches of Swaroop after three months and informed the matter to the police.It came to light during the investigation that Swaroop has seven cases registered against his name in Mangaluru also.

Detailed Investigation revealed that the accused had cheated several persons in Pune posing as CEO of MNC.

Kadugodi police have arrested Swaroop and further investigation is on.The police are investigating further to trace Swaroop’s associates identified as Kiran B, Subina and Sandeep Rai he added.