Elephant shot dead in Kodagu village, shooter absconding

Wildlife

The elephant’s death comes just days after a wounded elephant was rescued by forest officials in the same village. It is unclear whether it is the same animal or not.

Prajwal Bhat

An elephant carcass was found by forest officials in Palamangala village of Kodagu district on Thursday after it was shot dead by unknown persons. The officials from the Virajpet range forest office in the district believe that the elephant was shot dead on Wednesday using a single-barrel gun. "We received information from local residents that an elephant's body had been found. When we checked the body, there was a visible bullet wound and we tried to retrace the steps of the elephant by following the blood trail, we found that it led to a house nearby but the person accused of shooting the elephant was not there. He is absconding," said Gopal, a forest officer in the Virajpet range. A post-mortem of the elephant was conducted by Dr Mujheeb, a veterinary doctor at the Nagarahole elephant camp. "It is likely that an old stock of bullets was used to shoot down the elephant. You don't get the bullet used in the market. It was not a modified bullet," Gopal said. The death of the elephant comes just days after a wounded elephant was rescued and  treated by forest officials in the same village. While residents of the village believe it is the same elephant that has been killed, forest officials are less sure that this is the case. A senior forest official claimed that the slain elephant was similar in age and size to the elephant rescued recently. However a few marks on the tusk of the rescued elephant, which were caused during the rescue act, were missing in the elephant carcass found on Thursday. "The rescued elephant was left free in a nearby forest. This elephant is very similar to the rescued elephant however during the rescue, there were a few injuries caused by the tusks of the elephant hitting a jeep which is not visible on the elephant that was shot," says the forest official.  Senior forest officials are still unwilling to rule out the possibility that the rescued elephant was shot dead. "It could be the same elephant. We are not sure yet. We are focused on catching the persons who shot the elephant. We will be investigating this matter and have booked a case in the local court," Maria Christhu Raja, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) of Virajpet told TNM. Forest officials have lodged a complaint against the accused and are investigating the incident. The latest incident comes at a time of rising human-elephant conflict in the forests of Kodagu, which has led to the loss of the lives of both humans and elephants. Forest officials attribute the spike in conflict to the lack of water available in the forest prompting elephants to turn to coffee and other plantations in the district in search of water. Over the years, forest officials have attempted digging elephant trenches, setting up solar fencing, iron fencing, spike pillars among other solutions to resolve this problem. The construction of the Hemavathi, Harangi and Chiklihole reservoirs along with power lines, highways and hydel projects have led to the forests of Kattepura and Yedavanadu-Aanekaadu in north Kodagu to be disconnected from the southern forests of Dubaree, Mavukal, Demavachi, leading to smaller habitats for the animals.

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SC lifts stay on K-C Valley project, asks petitioners to seek relief in K'taka HC

Civic Issues

The apex court noted that the scheme was in compliance with similar practices adopted across the world

IANS

PTI/file photo

The Supreme Court on Friday lifted a stay it imposed earlier on the Karnataka government's scheme to pump secondary treated water from sewage plants in Bengaluru to minor irrigation tanks in the water-starved districts of Kolar and Chikkaballapur. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the city agencies, including the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board and the Karnataka Pollution Control Board, had said that the water was not fit for human consumption and would be used only to recharge the groundwater in the areas.  The apex court noted that the scheme -- known as K & C Valley -- was in compliance with similar practices adopted across the world to recharge the groundwater table. It will benefit the farmers as the groundwater levels in these districts were dipping fast, it said. Appearing for the Bengaluru agencies, senior advocates Shyam Divan and Balaji Srinivasan told the court that secondary treated sewage water under the scheme would percolate down and help recharge the groundwater, losing its remaining impurities in the process. After vacating its stay order of January 7, the top court asked R. Anjaneya Reddy, President of the Shashwatha Neeravari Horata Samithi, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, to approach the High Court.  The K & C valley and H & N Valley projects, being implemented by the Karnataka government, are aimed at pumping of 210 MLD of secondary treated water from Nagavara, Hennur and Horamavu Sewage Treatment Plants to Amani Gopal Krishna Kere and then directing it further to fill 65 tanks in Bengaluru rural and urban as well as Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts. The Supreme Court had earlier suspended an interim order issued on September 28, 2018 by the Karnataka High Court which refused to stay the scheme.  The High Court order came on a writ petition against the scheme. The state government challenged the petition stating that it was a motivated and malafide attempt by the downstream users of water at Bellandur lake.      

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Is Nikhil Kumaraswamy using state machinery to sabotage Sumalatha’s campaign?

Lok Sabha 2019

Supporters of Sumalatha allege that the JD(S) had instructed the Deputy Commissioner’s office to cut power when Sumalatha filed her nomination papers in March.

Theja Ram

As the poll battle heats up in Karnataka’s Mandya district, speculation has surfaced over Congress-JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy allegedly using state machinery to advance his own campaign, while impeding the electioneering of independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh. Nikhil, the son of CM HD Kumaraswamy, is up against Sumalatha, wife of the late Sandalwood star and Congress MLA Ambareesh. With Sumalatha gathering the support of rebel Congress leaders, her late husband’s supporters and the BJP, the JD(S) is now faced with the possibility of Nikhil Kumaraswamy losing the elections. Power cuts to impede electioneering Supporters of Sumalatha allege that the JD(S) had instructed the Deputy Commissioner’s office to cut power across Mandya when Sumalatha filed her nomination papers on March 3. Madan, Sumalatha’s polling agent, told TNM, "We had raised this issue first when Sumalatha had filed her nomination papers. Power and cable TV services were disrupted so people could not watch the procession. We have received information that it has happened a few times after that.” Sumalatha had in March openly accused the Mandya district administration of double standards and said that a notification had been issued to the Deputy Commissioner’s office to instruct the officials to not cut power on the day Nikhil Kumaraswamy filed his nomination papers. TNM is in possession of an order issued by the district administration, which stated that there would be no power cuts on March 25. JD(S) insiders claim that the power was also cut when Sumalatha was campaigning in Malavalli so her speech could not be heard by supporters. Luring farmers with water supply? Officials with the Water Resource Department have allegedly been instructed to release water from the Krishna Raja Sagara reservoir into irrigation canals in Mandya. This is allegedly an effort to show Nikhil as fulfilling a campaign promise to farmers who typically protest for water during the summer season, JD(S) insiders say. According to an official with the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited, 3,800 cusecs of water have been released to the Visvesvaraya canal in Mandya for irrigation purposes. “In the last five years, the government had declared that water in the KRS would be used for drinking purposes and it was meant for residents of Bengaluru and Mysuru. Crop holidays were declared during summers in the last five years but now we have been instructed not to cause problems for farmers,” the official added. According to the KRS officials, the dam currently has 14.89 TMC water which is at 95.22 ft in the reservoir. “Last year during this time, we had only 6.41 TMC of water left. There is surplus water compared to last year but generally, we utilize the water for drinking purposes in Bengaluru,” the official added. Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited has told farmers not to plant paddy and sugarcane and stick to crops like ragi, jowar and pulses, which do not require more water. JD(S) insiders allege that the Water Resource Department’s orders were meant to coincide with Nikhil Kumaraswamy’s campaign of being the man to solve farmers’ troubles.    

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'Ranam' movie blast case: Kannada film producer Kanakpura Srinivas arrested

Crime

The blast had killed a mother and daughter, who were watching the shoot.

Theja Ram

The Bengaluru Police on Friday arrested the producer of Sandalwood film Ranam in connection with the death of a mother-daughter duo during the movie's shoot. The Bagalur Police arrested Kanakapura Srinivas, the producer of the film, a week after a blast sequence during the shoot killed the mother and daughter. Srinivas was produced before the magistrate on Friday and has been remanded to judicial custody. On March 29, a planned cylinder blast to shoot an action sequence for the film resulted in the death of 29-year-old Sumera and her eight-year-old daughter Aeyra. The film crew was shooting a car blast sequence in Bagalur Industrial Area, when the debris from the car hit a family of four. Sumera and Aeyra were killed in the blast, and the father and another child were injured and are admitted to Ambedkar Hospital in Bengaluru. On Monday, the Bagalur Police had arrested the stunt master for the film – Subhash K and booked him for negligence. Investigators of the case say that Subhash had not handled the set up for the blast sequence properly. “They were using a nitrogen gas cylinder for the explosion, which was to be kept between two colliding cars. The cylinder was placed by Subhash and he had not done that properly. When the blast occurred, it caused the cylinder to shoot up in the air. This caused the debris to land on the woman and the girl,” the police official said. However, the police are yet to arrest the director V Samudra. Investigators say that he may be in Andhra Pradesh and police are still looking out for him. Kanakpura Srinivas and Subhash K have been booked under sections 304-A (causing death by negligence) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC. According to MN Reddi, DG of Fire Services, the film's crew had not obtained any prior permission to shoot the blast sequence. Ranam, is a Sandalwood film starring Chethan Ahimsa and Chiranjeevi Sarja. The shooting for the film began on March 28.     

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Two labourers killed after under-construction parking lot in Bengaluru collapses

Accident

The two dead were among the 12 who were sleeping in one of the floors of the parking facility.

TNM Staff

Two migrant labourers were killed in the wee hours of Friday after a portion of an under-construction multi-level car parking facility collapsed in Bengaluru’s northern suburb of Yeshwantpur. Both the deceased were labourers engaged in the construction project within the APMC premises. Others who were trapped have been rescued and are being treated. The deceased have been identified as Rahul Kumar from West Bengal and Rajesh from Bihar. Police said the two dead were among the 12 who were sleeping in one of the floors of the parking facility. The other 10 suffered injuries and are being treated at a hospital. Mohamed Mukarram, Inspector at the RMC Yard Police Station, told TNM, “We have detained one site engineer for interrogation. It is a government building that was being constructed by a private contractor within the APMC premises.” “Two people died on their way to the hospital. All the other 10 are being treated at MS Ramaiah Hospital. We will record the statements of the people who were trapped,” another police officer working on the case told TNM. MN Reddi, DGP, Fire and Emergency Services, Karnataka also tweeted about the incident. “Under construction building (multi-level car park – first floor) at APMC premises, Yeshwantpur, a part of the slab collapsed. Around 4 am. Rescue teams from KSFES at the spot. All 5 labourers trapped rescued. 2 were critical but later died,” his tweet read. In a subsequent tweet, he added, “There are no more trapped persons. Fire Force Rescue operations concluded.”   #BengaluruAPMCyardBuildingCollapse there are no more trapped persons. Fire Force Rescue operations concluded. https://t.co/XvP2CjXBei — M.N.Reddi, IPS (@DGP_FIRE) April 5, 2019   The incident comes less than two weeks after 19 people lost their lives in a building collapse in Dharwad. Rescue operations took place for five long days and three teams of National Disaster Relief Fund had to be engaged.

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Denied basic necessities for 20 yrs, Kodagu tribe to boycott polls

Lok Sabha 2019

The residents of Maadu Hati in Kodagu say they have no proper drinking water or sanitation facilities.

Mubarak

For the past 20 years, the tribal community in Maadu Hadi, under B Shettigeri Gram Panchayat limits in Karnataka’s Virajpet is relying on small streams that flow in the mid of the dense forest patch. Their repeated pleas to the concerned authorities have gone unheard and hence, the members of the hamlet have decided to boycotting the upcoming Lok Sabha election. With no water supply or any other resource, the residents of this hamlet collect rainwater during monsoon. However, they do not have the facility to store the water, and also no mechanism to treat the water. Every day, they travel long distances in the dense forest to collect rainwater that flows as small streams. Sometimes, the villagers dig into the ground to collect water too. These residents are currently working as labourers in coffee plantations and live at the row houses in various plantations. For the last 20 years, they have been demanding water and basic amenities for their hamlet but in vain. Their protests too have yielded nothing. "We have been living here for over 20 years, yet, we do not own a title deed," complained Mani, a resident of Maadu Hadi. "Just because we live in tribal hamlets, should we be deprived of basic facilities? We have been struggling for drinking water for the past 20 years, yet no one listens to us. It is better to live somewhere else," says Parvathi, another resident. Nestled amidst the dense forest, Maadu Hadi is a tiny hamlet with 20 houses that threaten to collapse anytime. Over 40 families live in these precarious houses. Besides, there are 20 or more families who have only plastic tents to call their homes. Although, the concerned gram panchayat has built a few toilets in this hamlet, they have been rendered useless with no water supply. The toilets have no proper doors but and have a thin plastic sheet as a cover. This is doubly hard for women as they are forced to defecate in the open, risking their lives, especially in the night. Except for concrete roads, the hamlet has no other facilities. But to find a motorable road, one has to tread 10 kms. Private transport services ply on this road but residents have to shell out a lot more money as the roads are unmotorable. "These roads are nothing but a show of completion of project. Although the government has drawn power lines here, only seven houses are lucky enough to get electricity,” Parvathi adds. Their woes do not end here. In fact, every day, schoolchildren have to walk for eight km to reach the government school. Even anganwadis are located four km away from the hamlet, which has led to several of them dropping out of school and working in coffee plantations. "There are over 50,000 tribals living in the district who have been deprived of basic facilities including water, road or even title deed. Despite their protests, the authorities concerned have failed to come up with a permanent plan to address these issues," said Tribals Co-ordination Committee State convener YK Ganesh. He has warned to boycott the upcoming Lok Sabha election as the administration has failed to respond to the people's problems, here. "Only a handful of people are living in Maadu Haadi. The local gram panchayat should have implemented development works. However, the Tribal Welfare Department has laid down concrete roads in the hamlet and a drinking water project will be implemented at a cost of Rs 6 lakhs soon," explains Tribal Welfare Department officer Chandrashekhar. Content provided by http://bit.ly/2DX7vnh and Scribes Media Ventures LLP).      

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2 men arrested for attacking rival with swords in front of Bengaluru metro station

Crime

Harshith Gowda and Sharan R were later arrested from a farmhouse on the outskirts of the city.

TNM Staff

Two Bengaluru men were arrested by police after reportedly attacking a rival gangster with swords in front of Yelachenahalli metro station junction on Kanakapura Road on Wednesday evening. In connection with the case, Subramanyapura Police Station reportedly arrested Harshith Gowda and his associate Sharan R, both of whom are 20 years old. DCP (South) K Annamalai said Harshith has a murder case against him and Sharan has been accused of snatching a mobile phone. Deccan Herald reported that the duo arrived at the junction at around 6.30pm on a two-wheeler and spotted Mithun, their rival. While trying to flee, Mithun fell on the pavement and Harshith attacked him. Mithun later told police that Harshith threatened him that he will meet the same fate as his brother Puneeth who was murdered. Harshith was jailed in 2017 in the murder of Puneeth, a rowdy sheeter, the Deccan Herald reported. Harshith was working as a painter after being out on bail. Police suspect that Harshith wanted Mithun to withdraw the murder case. After spotting a probationary police official chasing them, they fled on their two wheelers and smashed the windows of at least four vehicles and attacked a passerby, reports say. According to reports, a passerby who was trying to capture the incident on his mobile phone, was also attacked by the duo. Police officials said he fell from his bike and hurt himself while escaping. “The duo turned violent as bystanders began to take photos. They started smashing cars on the road,” an officer told The Hindu. Police identified the duo after seeing a video recording of the event captured by a couple who was also present at the spot. A police team tracked the duo to a farmhouse in the city outskirts and took them in custody. They have been remanded in judicial custody.

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