Parmesh S Jain

Home Minister Araga Jnanendra has warned that  strict action against police staff who associate themselves with anti-social activities .

He was speaking to media after laying foundation stone for new buildings  to be constructed for Chamrajpet and Chickpet traffic police stations,on Thursday.

The proposed building was estimated at the cost of Rs 2.4 crore .

Replying to a question about involvement of policemen in some criminal cases,Jnanendra said,Our government has zero tolerance towards such attitude.

Because of a few black sheeps, the entire force which has a strength of more than one lakh will get a bad name.Those who join hands with anti-social elements and involves in criminal activities will be dealt with an iron hand,he warned.

He said that he has sought a report into the incident in which police staff tried to extort drug peddlers near the CM’s residence and will initiate action against the errant staff based on the report.

Suspension is not enough for those who are supposed to protect the law,involve in criminal activities.Such people don’t deserve to continue work in the police force,the minister said adding that the department is contemplating to bring the law of stricter punishment . 

The Home Ministry is awaiting report in this regard based on which action will be taken.

Reacting to the few congress party worker fight over trivial row last night, Araga Jnanendra said that the police have not received any complaint in this regard.The police will probe the matter if there is a complaint,he said .

Parmesh S Jain

The case of the two constables who were arrested on January 13 for selling drugs has been handed over to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) for a detailed probe.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant took strong exception to the way the inspector of RT. Nagar and his junior handled the case.

He suspended them before initiating an inquiry against the duo while directing the CCB to conduct a detailed investigation into the case.

There are a lot of loopholes in the investigation by Inspector Ashwath Gowda to dilute the case. Though the seized amount of the drug was commercial quantity,the investigating officer booked the two constables under ‘consumer’ to help them get out on bail.

Moreover, the accused investigating officer Veerabhadra Swamy and Ashwath Gowda did not seek custody of the accused for questioning though it was an important case and needed in-depth investigation to ascertain their criminal background,”a senior police officer said .

The accused, Head Constable Shivakumar and Constable Santosh,were absent from duty for a long time.But,their seniors did not notice their absence,which amounts to a serious lapse.

This is one of the reasons why the DCP (VVIP security), in charge of security at the CM’s personal residence at RT. Nagar, has been issued a show cause notice, sources said .

Even the Southeast division DCP has also been issued a show cause notice for failing to check the background of the (arrested) policemen before deploying them in the security team of the CM.

The CCB is probing the criminal links of the accused constables and negligence on the part of their seniors.

Two policemen were arrested on January 13 for allegedly selling drugs while on security duty near the residence of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on 80 feet road at R.T. Nagar. Police had said Head Constable Shivakumar and Constable Santosh, attached to Koramangala police station, were caught red-handed by a Hoysala patrol team with two peddlers.

Police had said that the two constables had 400 grams of marijuana in their possession at the time of their arrest.

Sources says the contraband was seized from Koramangala after taking the peddlers to their Koramangala house and recovered 10kgs of Ganja from their possession but the inspector, Ashwath Gowda and sub inspector, Veerbhadra Swamy diluted the FIR which helped the accused constable get bail in just 5 days.

As the detailed information is not mentioned in the FIR says senior counsel to media that it is a clear picture that the inspector has helped the accused to get bail as he has not mentioned the content they seized and details of the accused also not mentioned in the FIR and they booked them as consumer of drugs and diluted the case he added.

It is also alleged that before deploying the constable and head constable to CM’s security team police inspector,Ravi Kumar of Koramangala police station opposed their deployment and sent a detailed report to DCP Southeast,Srinath Mahadev Joshi stating the constable and head constable are involved in Criminal activities and anti social activities but the DCP dint take the note seriously and posted them to CM’s security team as high level source in the department said.

Parmesh S Jain

Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials,on Thursday,taken kingpin of mobile app investment scam,Anas Ahmed, into six days custody after booking him under sections of the Prevention of Money laundering Act (PMLA).

Anas Ahmed,a kerala based businessman has been accused in a money laundering case in connection with a fraud committed through Powerbank and other such fraudulent mobile applications.

In June 2021, the cyber crime police of CID arrested 11 persons including Anas Ahmed , involves collection of hundreds of crores of rupees from people through an app called ‘Powerbank’.

Sources said that it has been found that the accused were conducting transaction through the Hawala route.

The ED officials had initiated money laundering investigation into the operations of accused entities that induced the public to invest certain amount through Powerbank and other such fraudulent apps by assuring to remit interest on daily or weekly basis on the investments made.

The accused entities closed their purported business after collecting huge sums of money from gullible public and had gone incommunicado.

The accused entities neither paid interest nor returned the principal amount to the public and withheld the investment made by public which had resulted in the commission of cheating offences.

Anas Ahmed is a partner in two accused firms namely H&S Ventures Inc and Clifford Ventures.

These two partnership firms have been responsible for collection of approximately Rs.84 Crore from members of the general public.

It is also noted by the ED officials that Anas Ahmed has Chinese links and is suspected of being the mastermind of the whole racket.

Anas Ahmed indulged into corrupt and illegal activities through his partnership firms by deviating from the declared line of business and other activities of gaming and has collected money from public under the guise of investment schemes through fraudulent apps.

The proceeds generated through criminal activities have been layered through a number of shell entities to remit out of India and also invest into crypto currencies.

Anas Ahmed who was in judicial custody and lodged at the Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai, in the similar offence booked by CB, CID of Chennai.

The Principal City Civil and Sessions and Special Judge for PMLA Cases, Bengaluru has granted six days of custody of Anas Ahmed to the ED officials on Thursday for enquiring into the fraud committed,and further investigation is underway,” a release from Enforcement Directorate stated.

Parmesh S Jain

The North east cyber crime police have arrested a 40-year-old unemployed man from Rajajinagar who befriended a woman on matrimonial site and blackmailed her with the private pics before escaping with Rs 50,000.

The accused identified as Vijay Kumar S,was unemployed used to claim that to be journalist , film artiste and IT employee depending upon the situation and lure women on kannada matrimonial sites and befriended them by his charm.

Senior officer told media persons,The accused would then meet the victims few times before proposed to marry them.

The accused would then gain their confidence and take private pictures and blackmail them to extort money.

Using a similar modus operandi the accused blackmailed and extorted Rs 50,000 from a private firm employee .

When he started harassing her for money money, the victim approached the police and filed a complaint.

Based on the complaint the police track down the accused and arrested him.The police are now probing further to ascertain his criminal background he added.

Parmesh S Jain

The Karnataka state Government on Wednesday transferred four IPS officers.Santosh Babu,who was Deputy Commissioner of Police,Intelligence, Bengaluru,has been posted with immediate effect as Superintendent of Police, Ramanagaram.IPS officer S.Girish, who held that post, is now Deputy Commissioner of Police, Whitefield.

G.Radhika,who held the post of Superintendent of Police,Chitradurga,is the new Director, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Security & Vigilance).The post in Chitradurga will be held by K.Parashurama,who was Superintendent of Police,Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement.

Parmesh S Jain

In a major development to the drug peddling case involving two constables attached to Chief Minister Residence security,City police commissioner,Kamal Pant on Wednesday suspended RT Nagar Inspector and his junior for failing to probe the case in detail.

With this a total four police personnel have been suspended in this case including head constable Shivakumar and Constable,Santosh attached to Koramangala station who were caught red handed by the hoysala patrolling police red handed along with two peddlers .  

The RT Nagar Inspector,AShwath Gowda and PSI Veerabhadra who investigated the case has tried to safeguard the accused police personnel which led to their suspension.

Mr. Pant also issued show cause notice to DCP southeast Srinath Mahadev Joshi and DCP VVIP Security,Manjunath Babu,In charge of the CMs security .

Notice was served to Mr.Joshi seeking explanation on what procedure was followed while deploying the two accused policemen for CM security job .

While is there any negligence on part of the security arrangements from Mr.Babu.

The incident has embarrassed the Home department as even the Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Wednesday reacted strongly stating that the department will not tolerate such incidents and action would be taken against the persons involved .

The department is also contemplating dismissing the accused personnel involved in the criminal activities who are blot to the entire force, he told the media.

He also said that the personnel who exposed the corrupt policemen and busted the racket would be suitable rewarded.

It may be recalled that the alert Hoysala patrolling police caught Shivakumar and Santosh along with peddlers identified as Akhilraj and Amjad khan on 80feet road near CM residence and recovered 400 grams of Marijuana from them. 

Probe revealed that the duo used to source the drugs from the peddlers regularly and even through online sometimes to peddler it to their customers.

Parmesh S Jain

A decision on relaxing Covid restrictions would be taken after discussing the issue at a meeting with the experts,Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said speaking to media persons on Wednesday.

The number of hospitalisation cases is less in the current wave of Covid.So there is an opinion that it would be better to carry on daily life by following the Covid guidelines.The experts are examining it.

They are set to present a comprehensive picture at the meeting to be held on Friday.A suitable decision would be taken after getting clarity about the issue, Bommai said.

Meeting with DCs:

Referring to the Video conference he had with DCs of various districts to review the progress of vaccination drive,Bommai said, instructions have been issued to intensify the vaccination drive in districts which are lagging behind.

Apart from ramping up vaccination of both doses and covering the 15-18 age group,special emphasis is being given for vaccinating Corona warriors.

As 94% of the infected are in home isolation, Health department should maintain constant contact with them and distribute medical kits and conduct Triaging, Bommai said.

Health department officials have been instructed to restart the ‘Vadyara Nade Halligala Kade’ programme for doctors to go on door to door service in rural areas and also administer Booster doses, Bommai said.

Though the number of cases is on the rise,those getting admitted to hospitals is low.So officials have been instructed to strengthen the OPDs. 

Covid expected to peak in February :

Experts who have studied the trend in various states have estimated that the Covid wave in the state could peak by January end of February first week.

The Chief Secretary has already ordered booking of cases and legal action against those who violate Covid rules.There will be no bias against any person or organisation,Bommai made it clear.

Replying to a question about possible cabinet expansion,Bommai refused to discuss it in public.

CM recovers from Covid

Bommai who was in home quarantine for the past 11-12 days said, “the quarantine period is over. Covid test result has come negative. So I am back on my work from today he added.

Parmesh S Jain

Mantra4Change and Suriya Foundation in association with the BBMP have donated a Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) to BBMP south zone and the same (MTU) was launched by BBMP Chief Commissioner Sri Gaurav Gupta today.The Mobile Testing Unit is sponsored by Zerodha.

This mobile testing unit will be connected to the South zone war room along with mobile triage unit.

This unit will be deployed at the 44 wards of the zone 24X7- according to the calls recieved at the war room.If this gets success in south zone, then other 7 zones also will get one each mobile testing unit.

This Mobile testing unit will have a driver and a paramedic who will conduct Rapid antigen test and if covid positive the subject will recieve a call from BBMP and depending on the seriousness of the case, required treatment will be given post triage.

Consummables in the form of N95 masks,PPE Kits,Testing kits,thermal scanners and sanitizers are donated to 6 covid care centres in the south zone. Particulars are below:

1. N95 maksks – 1,000
2. PPE Kits – 300
3. Testing Kits – 500
4. Thermal Scanners – 15
5. Sanitizers – 220 Litres

Zonal Commissioner (South) Tulasi Maddineni, BBMP Special Commissioner (Health) Dr Trilok Chandra and other officials were present on the occasion.

Parmesh S Jain

Ahead of IPL matches match fixing incident surfaced with Jayanagar police on Friday registered an FIR against a bookie who contacted a IPL player offering Rs 40 lakh deal for match fixing for the upcoming matches .

B Lokesh in his complaint said that the accused Anand through his social account Instagram, approached Satish Rajgopal, a TNPL player and played IPL matches earlier for Mumbai, Punjab and Kolkata.

Anand offered Rs 40 lakh stating that two players have already in his list and accepted the offer .
Satish rejected the offer and complained to anti Corruption unit of BCCI .

The instagram account was traced to be operational from bengaluru and hence approached Jayanagar police by the south zone unit of BCCI .

The police have initiated investigations and trying to track down Anand.It may be recalled that the CCB had busted similar racket and arrested bookies who are running the betting racket for KPL and other league matches .

Based on the complaint filed by B Lokesh, representing BCCI anti corruption unit,the Jayanagar police registered a case against a suspected bookie,identified as Bunny Anand, charging him under various section of Karnataka Police act and also under criminal conspiracy and cheating under IPC, on Friday said senior officer.

Bengaluru: Karnataka on Wednesday reported 40,499 new cases of COVID-19, and 21 fatalities, taking the tally to 33,29,199 and the death toll to 38,486.

The state, which has been witnessing a steady surge in cases since the last week of December, had recorded 41,457 fresh infections on Tuesday.

Of the new cases on Wednesday, 24,135 were from Bengaluru Urban that saw 18,081 people being discharged and five virus-related deaths.

The total number of active cases across the state is now 2,67,650.

There were 23,209 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries to 30,23,034, a health department bulletin said.

While the positivity rate for the day stood at 18.80 per cent, the case fatality rate (CFR) was 0.05 per cent.

Of the 21 deaths, five are from Bengaluru Urban, four from Mysuru, three in Dakshina Kannada, and one each from Bagalkote, Belagavi, Chikkaballapura, Gadag, Hassan, Raichur, Shivamogga, Tumakuru and Vijayapura.

Apart from Bengaluru Urban, Tumakuru recorded the second highest with 1,804 new cases, Hassan 1,785, Mysuru 1,341, and Mandya 1,340, followed by others.

Bengaluru Urban district now has a total of 14,82,484 cases, followed by Mysuru 1,91,803 and Tumakuru 1,31,569.

According to the bulletin, Bengaluru Urban tops the list among discharges with 12,81,636, followed by Mysuru 1,80,264 and Tumakuru 1,20,917.