Bengaluru: The sixth and the last accused was arrested on Monday in connection with the alleged molestation of a woman by two scooter-borne men near her home here on New Year’s eve an incident that was caught on camera causing national outrage.

The absconding accused in the Kammanahalli molestation case George alias Pappi, an electrician, was caught at Anekal as he tried to return to the city, police said.

George allegedly aided the two main accused, who drove up to the woman and sexually harassed her, police said.

The woman was allegedly groped and assaulted by the two scooter-borne men on January one at Kammanahalli here.

According to police, it was a “plan” prepared by the six accused with four being accomplices.

The Kammanahalli incident had occurred even as on December 31 night, several women were molested and groped and lewd remarks passed by miscreants on M G Road and Brigade Road, despite the presence of 1,500 police personnel to control unruly New Year revellers.

The incidents had led to a national outrage, raising concerns over safety of women in the country’s IT capital.

(Agencies)

Kolkata: Former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly on Monday admitted he has received a death threat from an unnamed source.

“I got the letter couple of days back. I have informed the police about the same,” the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President said.

The iconic batsman was scheduled to go to Midnapore district in West Bengal for Vidyasagar University’s programme on January 19.

The letter, it was learnt, advised him to refrain from visiting the area.

(IANS)

New Delhi: The Election Commission has asked the poll machinery in the five poll-bound states to either cover or remove photographs of political leaders on all hoardings and advertisements which seek to project the achievements of any living political functionary or political party.

The commission gave these fresh directions by reiterating its instructions issued on December 12, 2004 after the chief electoral officer of Goa raised the issue after the election schedule was announced on January 4. The poll watchdog said photos in advertisements or hoardings of similar type should also be removed or “covered suitably” so that spirit of its instructions is fully complied with.

It, however, made it clear that hoardings put up by the government which convey general message to the masses on family planning or social welfare schemes “may be allowed to be displayed”. “However, all those hoardings, advertisements which seek or purport to project the achievements of any living political functionary or political party and which carry their photos or name or party symbol should be removed forthwith…

“…No political party or functionary can use public resources and incur or authorise expenditure from public exchequer to eulogise himself or itself or enhance his/its own or any political leader’s image,” it said.

The poll panel made it clear that such images or hoardings “undoubtedly amount to their individual/party election campaign at public cost”. Between February 4 and March 8, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur are going for Assembly polls and the Model Code of Conduct came into force on January 4 when the schedule was announced.

(Agencies)

Kolkata/New Delhi: Flaying the Centre over demonetisation, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress on Monday launched a three-day countrywide protest demanding removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “save the country”.

Terming as “flop show” Modi’s November 8 decision of spiking Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes, Trinamool supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee said the party will hold demonstrations in Odisha, Punjab, Bihar, Manipur, Tripura, Assam and Jharkhand, besides West Bengal and the national capital.

“Trinamool Congress is organising nationwide protest against Modi Babu’s shameless flop-show,” Banerjee said in Kolkata.

Banerjee, who has been demanding a rollback of demonetisation, also called for removal of restrictions on the withdrawal of cash from banks and ATMs.

Holding placards with slogan “Modi Hatao Desh Bachao” (remove Modi, save the country), some 35 Trinamool MPs demonstrated in the national capital calling for setting up of a “National Government” at the Centre.

“Even after two months of the draconian decision, countless people across the country continue to suffer, while over a 100 people have lost their lives.

“Modi’s removal is a must to save the country. A National Government should be formed at the Centre,” Trinamool MP Sultan Ahmed said.

Banerjee on January 6 called for President Pranab Mukherjee’s intervention to “save the country” and mooted a National Government headed by BJP veteran L.K. Advani or Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley or Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

(IANS)

Bengaluru: Bengaluru police have cracked one of molestation cases that rocked the city and discovered that the culprit Irshad Khan, had staged the molestation drama with the intention of marrying his sister-in-law.

Footage from a CCTV camera showed a man stalking a burqa-clad woman walking towards a bus-stop on a deserted road on Friday morning. Another video, later in the day, showed wounds on her lips, tongue, hand and toes as she tried to resist the alleged molester.

Deputy commissioner of police (east division) Ajay Hilori said investigators found that it was a set-up. The alleged stalker is the woman’s brother-in-law and he plotted the incident meticulously because her parents were trying to marry her off.

The duo is in a relationship and decided to stage the molestation because she wouldn’t be able to find a match then. The accused thought he could then convince his wife to let him marry her sister,” the officer said.

The idea came after watching television channels that aired footage from a surveillance camera of a woman being molested by two men riding a two-wheeler in the Kammanahalli area of the city on New Year’s Eve.

Hilori said the accused surveyed the area for cameras and staged the incident.

(Agencies)

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Monday sought a compensation of Rs 2,480 crore from Karnataka for not releasing water to the state despite getting a Supreme Court directive to do so. The apex court in its sitting on Monday has ordered both the Tamil Nadu and the Karnataka governments to file a list of witnesses within a week. It also said that the details of witnesses affidavit should also be listed within four weeks. However, the apex court on January 4 announced to continue the hearing of the Cauvery water issue on February 7.

A bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Dipak Misra and comprising Justice Amitava Roy and Justice A M Khanwilkar extended the interim order in the water issue, directing Karnataka to release 2,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu, till the next order.

The lawyer from the side of Tamil Nadu Shekhar Naphade urged the three-judge bench to bring the matter to a logical end for which there should be continuous hearing. The apex court mentioned that the hearings would go on for three weeks at 2 p.m. daily from February 7 onwards so that the issue could be resolved and the appeal would be finalised.

Earlier, on December 9, the apex court upheld its constitutional power and right to hear appeals filed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, against the 2007 Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal final award.

(Agencies)