A suspect has been taken into custody after one policeman was killed while four others sustained injuries in a shooting in Florence city in the US state of South Carolina, officials said.

One of the five police officers shot at has died, Florence County Coroner Keith von Lutcken told CNN affiliate WBTW on Wednesday.

“Active shooting situation is over and the suspect is in custody,” the Florence County Emergency Management Department tweeted, Xinhua news agency reported.

Three Florence County Sheriff’s Office deputies and two city officers were shot at, chief deputy Glenn Kirby said, according to CNN affiliates.

Florence, located in the northeastern corner of South Carolina, hosts a population of roughly 37,000. Reports said the shooting took place in an upscale neighbourhood in the city.

Further details were not immediately available. 3

IANS

A special court in Bengaluru on Wednesday issued a warrant against Congress MLA from Ballari – B Nagendra, in connection with the Belekeri Port illegal iron export scam.

Speaking to TNM, MLA Nagendra confirmed that a warrant had been issued as he was not present for the hearing on Wednesday. Sources, however, say that Nagendra had failed to attend multiple hearings and despite several notices issued by the court, the legislator had failed to show up.

“I was not in Bengaluru and was in Ballari. I missed my flight and by the time I arrived in Bengaluru, the proceedings were adjourned and the warrant was issued. My lawyers will file for a withdrawal tomorrow,” MLA Nagendra said.

MLA Nagendra was one among many of mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy’s associates, who was named in former Lokayukta Santosh Hegde’s explosive report on illegal mining and export of iron ore.

The Belekeri Port scam refers to 3.5 million tonnes of seized iron ore which was exported illegally from Belekeri Port in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district between 2006-07 and 2010-11.

Former Deputy Conservator of Forests R Gokul had seized the ore and the High Court had refused permit for it to be exported. A large part of it was surreptitiously exported from the port. The scam is said to be to the tune of Rs 60,000 crore.

According to Justice Santosh Hegde’s report, large scale illegal exports of ore were done by private companies – Shree Mallikarjun Shipping Pvt Ltd (SMSPL), Adani Enterprises Ltd, Salgaonkar Mining Industries Pvt Ltd and Raj Mahal Silks.

The report has stated that officials of the Ports department, Customs, Police, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, the Mines department and local politicians had received bribes from Adani Enterprises for undue favours to facilitate illegal exports.

It was found that 44 companies were supplying ore exclusively to Adani, 30 companies to SMSPL and eight were supplying ore to both these companies.

The companies supplying iron ore include GG Mines of Gogga Gurushantaiah and brothers, Continent Impex Pvt Ltd, Nagappa mines of Shantalakshmi Jairam, SB Minerals, Junjubail of Dream Logistics, SVK Jaisingpura of S B Minerals, SVK Danapur of S B Minerals, V S Lad belonging to former MLA Anil Lad, Nadeem Minerals, Sunrise of S B Minerals belonging to MLA B Nagendra, ILC of S B Minerals, ILC Bevanahalli, Trident Minerals, Lakshmi Venkateshwara Minerals, Arshad Export of S B Minerals, Alpine International of Vesco, Bharat Mines and Minerals, Taurine Iron and Steel Co Pvt Ltd and Satya Granites.

The iron ore was allegedly illegally extracted and transported from Hospet, Sandur, Bellary and Koppal, the report stated.

The Belekeri port scam which was one of the main cases in the Rs 35,000-crore illegal mining scam in Karnataka, first exposed by JD(S) leader Kumarawamy and then investigated by former Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, had been closed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

In a missive sent by the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch to the Chief Secretary of Karnataka in September 2017, the investigating agency had cited technical reasons for closing the preliminary investigation in the case.

This was in connection with the cases of illegal export of iron ore from the Belekeri port. However, in February 2018, the Siddaramaiah government, which had asked for a Lokayukta Special Investigation team to reopen the case, extended the investigation period. Now, five cases are being heard and at least 10 are being investigated in connection with the port scam.

IANS

Hours after the National Investigation Agency charged two terror suspects, arrested from Bengaluru recently of conspiring to kill Dalai Lama, Chief minister Kumaraswamy clarified that no such plot had been hatched in the state.

Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha here on Monday, Kumaraswamy said that as per the intel provided by the state police no such attempt was made in Karnataka.

The NIA, on Monday, stated that two persons, suspected to be members of a Bangladesh-based terror outfit, were the masterminds behind the planting of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at Bodh Gaya on January 19 this year. In a charge sheet filed before the Special Court in Patna on Thursday, the NIA said that the explosion was to have been carried out when the Dalai Lama and the governor of Bihar were at the Bodh Gaya temple.

On August 6 this year Adil Sheikh,29, who is believed to be a senior member of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB), Bangladesh was arrested from Cantonment Railway Station and a day later the second suspect, Mohammed Jahidul Islam alias Munir Sheikh, 38, a native of Jamalpur, Bangladesh was arrested from Ramanagaram.

“The two men had played a role in planting IEDs at a kitchen set up in Bodh Gaya on January 19 this year to express solidarity with Rohingya Muslims fighting the Myanmar government and wage a war against the government of India,” the NIA statement said.

However the plot was foiled and the area secured by the police who immediately swung into action having received information regarding some suspicious objects lying near the Kalchakra Maidan, Bodh Gaya, under a generator set. During the search, the police had found two more live IEDs.

The charge sheet further states that suspect Jahidul Islam conspired with two others to carry out terror attacks in India by planting IEDs and carrying out explosions at Buddhist monuments and sites to show solidarity with the Rohingya Muslims.

“The accused met at multiple locations and carried out reconnaissance of the targets at Bodh Gaya and procured explosives and other materials to manufacture IEDs,” the NIA said.

Jahidul Islam, with the help of the other co-accused, allegedly made three IEDs and two hand grenades. The IEDs were allegedly planted by Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain and Arif Hussain in Bodh Gaya. NIA had earlier established links to eight persons in the case out of whom seven were arrested. NIA is yet to arrest Arif Hussain.

PTI

 A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday searched the residence of a businessman in Srinagar in connection with a terror funding case, police sources said.

The central anti-terror agency carried out searches at the residence and office premises of Ajaz Ahmad Hakak in connection with its ongoing probe into the hawala terror funding by the Pakistan-based Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), an NIA official told IANS in Delhi.

The raids were carried out in Srinagar’s old city area at Hakak’s Nowhatta residence. There was no report about any seizure made.

The NIA action comes a week after it had busted a hawala network linked to the FIF and arrested three persons from Delhi, including a Kashmir-based hawala courier.

The agency had seized over Rs 1 crore in cash and Rs 43,000 in Nepali currency and several incriminating documents from the arrested men.

According to the NIA, some Delhi-based individuals were receiving funds from FIF operatives based abroad and were using the money for terror activities in the country.

The NIA had arrested Mohammad Salman, 52, Mohammad Salim aka Mama, 62, Sajjad Abdul Wani, 34, of Srinagar.

Salman was said to be in regular touch with a Dubai-based Pakistani national, who in turn was connected with the deputy chief of FIF, a charity group linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The FIF is a Lahore-based organisation established by Jamat-ud-Dawa and acts as a front for the LeT. FIF was founded in 1990 by Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

IANS

In a shocking case, a 15-year-old boy has been apprehended here for allegedly trying to rape his neighbour — a Class 3 girl student, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Aslam Khan said the incident was reported from north Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar on Monday evening.

A First Information Report (FIR) was lodged immediately, the police officer said.

“Following that, the accused was apprehended,” she said, adding the case was being investigated.

(IANS)

Inspired by a Telugu film, two Class 10 students committed self-immolation over fear of failure in love affair in Telangana’s Jagtiyal town, police said on Monday.

Contrary to initial reports that they allegedly died in a clash over an affair with the same girl, the investigations revealed that they took the extreme step after their parents chided them for continuously chatting with girls.

Both the students, aged 16, consumed liquor before pouring petrol on themselves and committing self-immolation. The incident occurred in the town about 190 km from here.

The police officer said the students were inspired by recent film ‘RX 100’ in which the hero ends his life for his lover.

K. Mahender died on the spot while Ravi Teja, who sustained critical injuries succumbed in a hospital.

Their families had suspicion that there could be some conspiracy. The police, however, found that there was nobody else on the scene.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Venkatramna said the boys purchased petrol and consumed liquor before immolating self.

IANS

An activist who had been fighting drug smugglers and local criminals in south Delhi’s Taimoor Nagar was gunned down by two suspected smugglers who came to buy drugs near his residence, police said on Monday.

The incident occurred on Sunday night at around 9 p.m when the victim, Rupesh, 28, was playing with his children outside his residence.

The attackers first stabbed a drug peddler when they did not get fine quality drugs from him and later attacked Rupesh.

CCTV installed outside Rupesh’s residence captured the attackers running away. One wearing a white cap opened fire at Rupesh after he objected to their abusive language, victim’s wife Monica told IANS.

“I was standing at the balcony and saw the crime. I raised an alarm and ran to help my husband. He was taken to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries,” she said.

“My husband and his elder brother Umesh, along with locals, had launched an anti-drug campaign in Taimoor Nagar. They had earlier complained to the local police, the DCP’s office and also to the Police Commissioner, but nothing happened. Some drug smugglers had threatened my husband and his brother,” she said.

Hundreds of people blocked traffic on major roads in the area for a couple of hours, demanding early arrest of the killers. A mob torched a motorcycle and damaged a few vehicles in the area before the police used force to disperse the stone-pelting crowd.

“We have detained some drug smugglers and are trying to identify the accused. We will soon nab the attackers,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Chinmoy Biswal said.

“A vigilance inquiry has been ordered by the Joint Commissioner of Police to look into the lapses and omissions by the local police,” Biswal added.

The victim’s family has demanded police protection for Umesh.

(IANS)

Eight days after he went into judicial custody, Sandalwood Actor Duniya Vijay and three of his associates were granted bail on Monday.

The 70th Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court granted set the bail amount at Rs 1 lakh. Vijay and his aides were also ordered to appear before the investigating officer regularly and cooperate with the investigation. Officials at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru said that they have not recieved a copy of the bail order from the court. “Duniya Vijay can walk out of the jail if the bail application reaches before 7:30pm. October 2 being a public holiday, he will be released on Wednesday if the bail application reaches anytime after 7:30pm,” a prison official said.

Earlier on September 26, the 8th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Bengaluru had denied him bail in connection with an assault case.

Duniya Vijay was arrested by High Grounds Police on Sunday for allegedly assaulting and kidnapping a man named Maruthi Gowda. Maruthi is the nephew of Pani Puri Kitty, Vijay’s former friend and trainer.

The High Grounds Police booked Vijay under IPC sections 365 (kidnapping), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 325 (punishment for causing grievous hurt) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and was subsequently remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.

The actor and three of his associates were lodged in Parappana Agrahara prison so far.

Meanwhile, officials at High Grounds Police Station in Bengaluru have also registered an FIR against the complainant in the assault case – H Krishnamurthy alias Paani Puri Kitty, the alleged assault victim Maruthi Gowda and others.

The FIR was registered based on a counter complaint by actor Duniya Vijay. The actor alleged that Pani Puri Kitty and Maruti Gowda threatened his son’s life, pushed him and damaged his sports car on Sunday night near High Grounds Police Station. It was the same night Vijay was accused of assaulting Maruthi Gowda, a gym trainer at Ambedkar Bhavan, after a bodybuilding event.

Kitty was previously Vijay’s gym trainer and is the uncle of Maruthi Gowda. Actor Duniya Vijay is not new to controversy.

He was out on bail after being booked for abetment in connection with the ‘Maasti Gudi’ case – in November 2016, where a stunt shoot had gone wrong at the Thippagondanahalli Reservoir and resulted in the death of two actors.

In the scene, Duniya Vijay, Uday and Anil had to jump off a helicopter from a height of 100ft. While Vijay had a life jacket, the other two actors were not given any safety gear. Vijay was on the run for over a year after he was charged by police for helping accused producer P Sundar Gowda avoid arrest. He was also detained by police in connection with another assault, in which he allegedly beat up one of Sundar Gowda’s relatives.

PTI

By PRAMESH S JAIN

The accused members of American service centre promised seats to the candidates in MBBS and MBA courses under management quota, charging caption fees from Rs.35 lakh to Rs.40 lakh.

The Madiwala Police has arrested six people in connection with fake admission racket which promised seats in medical and management courses at colleges in Washington universities of Babourdus gayaan,Alexander University of America,Tianjin Medical University of China and with various other foreign universities name they have cheated about 300 students to the tune of 25 crores of rupees.

The incident came into light when a group of students lodged a complaint at the Madiwala police station saying that it had been six months since they have paid Rs.35 lakh to the alleged company American Service Center for admission to MBBS course at a medical college in foreign universities,but the firm neither facilitated the admission nor returned the money.

Based on a complaint the Madiwala police on Saturday raided an educational consultancy firm with branches in HSR Layout and Jayanagar for allegedly duping as many as 200 students from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh after promising medical seats in foreign universities.

Six staff members have been arrested, but the kingpin owner Gopi Venkata Rao and his wife Nikhila as well as an associate identified as Zameer were able to escape.

The arrested accused has been identified as Shaistha Suman,25,Dilip,28,his father Edukondalu, 51,and three relatives of the owners are Ayesha Banu,25,Ranganayakalu,30, and Ishaq Basha,30.

The accused used to convince their clients that they had tied up with medical institutions in several countries. They allegedly promised them seats in medical colleges in the U.S. and China.

A Senior police officer told media persons, that a team led by DCP Southeast,Dr.M.B.Boralingaiah,ACP,G.U. Somegowda,formed a special team headed by Madiwala inspector Mallesh.S.Bolletin and his crime staff based on complaint and on the tip of they nabbed Suman and during interrogation he confessed the crime and he revealed the names of others involved and based on his statement the team nabbed other 5 accused including a women and detailed investigation by the team it has revealed that the couple had opened several Consultancy services in different names across South India, since 2011.The duo were arrested by Chennai police two years ago,but then shifted their consultancy branches to Bengaluru and Hyderabad, while changing names to mislead the police.The gang used to offer admissions to medical courses at institutions like the Washington University, Alexander University of America,and other foreign universities.They would collect 25 to 30 lakh from each student, and take them to these foreign locations to gain their trust.After getting money, they would avoid the students and their parents.The gang made more than 25 crores this way.The team has filed cases against the consultancy and the couple in Adugodi, Madiwala and Jayanagar,The arrested accused has been identified as Shaistha Suman,25,Dilip,28,his father Edukondalu, 51,and three relatives of the owners are Ayesha Banu,25,Ranganayakalu,30, and Ishaq Basha,30.They were booked for cheating and forgery, and remanded in judicial custody.and a special team is on lookout for the absconding accused and finally Bengaluru Police Commissioner,T.Suneel Kumar,has appreciated, Addl CP East,Seemanth Kumar Singh,DCP Southeast,Dr.M.B.Boralingaiah,ACP,Madiwala Sub-division,G.U.Somegowda,PI, Mallesh.S.Bolletin,PSI,Sanjeev Kumar and his whole crime staff who has done commendable job and exemplary work in nabbing these notorious conman gang who has cheated around 300 students for the tune of Rs.25 Crores,to lead a lavish lifestyle they conned students but now they are cooling their heels in jail he added.

The national flag was allegedly displayed upside down during a rally led by senior BJP leader Rajiv Jasrotia in Kathua district, following which an FIR was lodged for insulting the tricolour, police said Saturday.

The FIR was registered on Friday against unknown persons in Kathua Police Station under Section 2 (insulting the national flag or the Constitution) of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, a police official told media.

A local resident, Vinod Nijhawan, in a complaint alleged the national flag was disrespected during the rally led by Jasrotia, who is a former minister, and BJP candidate Rahul Dev Sharma Thursday, the official said.

Jasrotia, who is the BJP MLA from Kathua constituency, had accompanied Sharma in a procession from his Shiv Nagar residence to file nomination papers for ward-number 19 Thursday for the Urban Local Body polls.

The complainant presented a video clip purportedly showing a person, just behind the BJP legislator, holding the tricolour upside down during the procession which covered a distance of over two km, the official said.

In his complaint, Nijhawan said the act was “very heinous” and hurt the “sentiments of the patriotic citizens of India”.

The official said an investigation was underway in the matter.

PTI