High alert across Bengaluru metro, bus stations after man refuses screening at Majestic

High Alert

Bengaluru police, however, requested the public not to indulge in fear mongering, stating there is no need to panic.

Theja Ram

Just a day after Bengaluru Metro staff prevented a passenger from boarding the train due to suspicious behaviour, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation have begun conducting surprise checks of passengers at bus station across the city. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd has also asked security personnel at all metro stations to be on high alert. On Monday, a passenger, who triggered the red alert of the metal detector at the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Metro Station, also known as Majestic Station, escaped from the spot when asked to show the belt-like device under his kurta. A while late, the man tried to enter the metro station from the southern entrance when the metro staff tried to catch him, he escaped. The incident has been caught on CCTV cameras installed at the metro station and the Upparpet Police are currently investigating the matter. Following the incident, a high alert has been issued at all metro stations in the city. Speaking to TNM, Yeshwanth Chavan, spokesperson for BMRCL said that after the suspicious activity was reported, the police have issued a high alert at the stations. “We have asked our staff to be on high alert and conduct thorough checks. The staff has been instructed to strictly monitor the checking of bags as well as body check through hand-held metal detectors. We have not deployed any additional security personnel but have asked existing staff members to be on alert,” he added. The two bus stations nearby have also started surprise checking of passengers. “The number of home guards at the Majestic Bus Stand has been increased to 28. Since there are no high compound walls, they have to keep watch in the periphery of the bus station. There are 32 CCTV cameras recording the movements of people in the area,” a KSRTC official said. Anupam Agarwal, head of BMTC’s security and vigilance division told TNM that the transport body is scanning passengers and that bags would be checked if anyone reports suspicious activities. Speaking to TNM, DCP West Ravi D Channannavar said, “Yes, we have been informed of suspicious activity here. The man tried to enter from the eastern side and left when the security guard asked him to show him his belt. He again tried to enter from the southern side and when the security guard tried to catch him, he ran away,” he added. Three teams have been formed to nab the suspicious man. Police say that they are investigating whether it was a prank or whether the man actually posed a security threat. “There is no need to panic. I request the public to not indulge in fear mongering and please do not spread fake news. The city has been put on high alert due to attacks in Sri Lanka but there is not need to be fearful,” he added.     

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Idol war in Bangalore Uni between 2 groups of students, Home Min orders probe

Controversy

Police had to be called in the campus on Monday to prevent the situation from getting out of control.

Soumya Chatterjee

image of the new Saraswati statue| Sandesh MS/Twitter

High drama has been playing out at the Jnanabharathi campus of Bangalore University over the last two days over an argument regarding installation of idols. The issue also attracted the attention of Home Minister MB Patil, who has directed the state police chief to submit a report, as the controversy was widely reported. “The university should not have replaced one statue with another. We have great respect for both Saraswati and Buddha. I have instructed the police chief to ensure things remain as they were earlier,” Minister Patil told reporters on Tuesday evening. As heated words were exchanged between two groups, the university administration had even called the local police on Monday to defuse the situation. A group of students under The Federation of Bangalore University Post Graduation and Research Scholar Students had installed a statue of Gautam Buddha where a statue of Goddess Saraswati was about to be placed.  The same place in front of the administrative block, near the entrance of the University campus, had previously housed an old Saraswati statue which had worn out over the years, after it was first installed in 1973. Noticing the Buddha statue instead of the Saraswati statue, students opposed to the other group raised objections and approached the administration to remove it. They also started a silent protest for their cause. This later turned into a potential fight when students who installed the Buddha statue apparently came to the protest site.  Jurisdictional Jnanabharathi Police confirmed that the situation was under control as they reached the campus. Sources said that this installation of statues was a means of proxy war and assertion of power between students and faculty of the university, who were divided on political ideologies. “The statue was replaced by the V-C himself as he did not want to wait for the election code of conduct to get over and wait for all the red tape involved in getting government funds,” a source said.  Following a high-level meeting chaired by Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor KR Venugopal on Tuesday, it was decided that the Buddha statue will be installed at a separate place within the University while the Saraswati statue will be placed at the same designated place. “We have decided to keep both the statues but we will put the Saraswati statue in this place as before,” the V-C told TNM. The place of installing the Buddha statue is yet to be decided. “We have decided a sub-committee headed by Shivanna, the Chairman of the Syndicate will decide on the place where the Buddha statue will be installed,” the V-C said. Sources said the students who installed the Buddha statue are close to controversial Professor of Sociology, BC Mylarappa. Mylarappa could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts. When asked about this, the V-C said, “He has denied his involvement in the incident. There is CCTV footage and we have given it to the DCP West. The footage shows 30-40 persons came for the installation of the Buddha statue. I do not know how many of them are students.”  A former university student said, “Mylarappa has strong political clout but not limited to any party. He had the patronage of BJP during Yeddyurappa regime. Prior to that, he had a strong network of students who were part of BSP’s student wing through which he used to control all hostels.” Incidentally, Mylappa was also accused of plagiarising from his own students in the past.  

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Man refuses security check at Bengaluru metro station and flees, triggers alarm

Crime

Police, however, have not ruled out him to be a prankster.

TNM Staff

Police in Bengaluru are in search of a suspicious man who refused to be frisked at the Majestic Metro Station for the regular security check on Monday evening and also offered money to a housekeeping staff at the metro station for a “job”. Officials said a purported device under his kurta had triggered alarm as he passed through the metal detector but he ran away. This is confirmed in the CCTV footage. But he later attempted to enter the metro station again through another entrance. Deccan Herald quoted a source as saying, “Later, he tried to get in from another entrance but failed. When asked to open his bag there, he fled again.” Following that, top metro officials have ordered a stricter vigil across all stations and informed the police. “We have trained security guards to contact local police immediately if they come across any suspicious objects or people,” BMRCL chief public relations officer BL Yashavanth Chavan told The Times of India. Deccan Chronicle reported that Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Ravi D Channannavar has deputed police search teams to locate the suspect and all angles are being probed in the case. “We are trying to trace him. We want to know the reason behind his suspicious behaviour,” he told TOI.  However, police are also not ruling out the possibility of the man playing a prank. The incident comes at time when the city is in a state of heightened alert in the wake of the Colombo terror attacks which killed more than 250 people. City Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar had held a meeting last month with owners of establishments which see a daily footfall of 500 people and asked them to install CCTV cameras as well as follow other standard security protocol.  The Bengaluru airport is also on high alert since the Pulwama terror attack.

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Bengaluru activists, citizens stage protest against clean chit to CJI Gogoi

Protest

The silent protest was held against the procedure of the probe conducted by the in-house panel that was probing the charges against CJI Ranjan Gogoi

By Anusha Itnal Next to a busy street in the heart of Bengaluru, around 30 women and a few men stood in silence, with black bands tied around their mouths. Most of them were holding placards and banners that read ‘Supreme Injustice’ and ‘Gogoi Gotta Go.’ On Tuesday evening, people gathered at Mud Tank in Bengaluru’s Richmond Town to carry out a silent protest mirroring one that was held in the national capital – to protest against the clean chit given to Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi in the sexual harassment case against him. On Monday, the in-house panel, formed to probe the allegations against the CJI, stated that it had found ‘no substance’ in the allegations. At Mud Tank, activists Brinda Adige, Tara Krishnaswamy and comedian and writer Radhika Vaz joined the protests. “This is not just a miscarriage of justice, because this is not a case that has come up in court, but this is blatant impunity that is being portrayed by the judges of the highest court that they can get away with anything,” said Brinda Adige, speaking to TNM, adding that the panel formed was not in line with the Supreme Court’s own guidelines under the POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) Act.   “The Supreme Court has treated this woman (the complainant) as an absolute scapegoat. If the Supreme Court is going to sit on a high horse and break the rules and laws that they themselves propagate, what do they expect the citizens to do? I think it is not only shameful but also atrocious that they can get away with anything without having regard to the Constitution, the institution and certainly no regard to the citizens,” stated Brinda Adige. Rashi, a criminologist, stated that the silent protest in the city was against the failure of the judicial system to hear women’s voices. “During the Me Too movement, there was a backlash against a lot of women for sharing their stories on social media and not making official complaints, well, here is an example of somebody who did follow the procedure and this is what happens. This is exactly why women don’t go ahead and complain because they know nothing really will come out of it. This protest is for the failure of the judicial system to hear women’s voices,” Rashi told TNM. Speaking to TNM, Tara Krishnaswamy, the co-founder of the Shakti and Citizens for Bengaluru, stated that when the Supreme Court does not follow their own laws, it is a huge letdown for the women of the country. “The accused is making public statements about the character of the woman, claiming she has criminal cases against her, she has been denied her the right to legal representation, she has not seen the report – there are just too many egregious things,” Tara said. Comedian and writer Radhika Vaz said, “What shocked and disgusted me the most was the fact that CJI’s wife allegedly asked the victim to rub her nose on the ground and apologise.” Satya Prasoon, an employee at the Centre for Law and Policy Research (CLPR) called the dismissal of the charges a “sham of a procedure.” “The SC formed an informal committee to deny all rights to the victim, they did not take into account the power difference between the victim and the CJI. This protest must go inside the court, the lawyers and young advocates, public officers that appear before the SC should take action until justice Gogoi recuses himself from all the administrative matters,” said Satya Prasoon. The protests in Delhi held on Tuesday morning saw several activists, lawyers and even members of the media being detained for about four hours at the Mandir Marg police station. The complainant, a former Supreme Court staffer, had submitted a sworn affidavit to 22 judges on April 19, accusing CJI Gogoi of sexually harassing her on two occasions in October 2018. An in-house panel, headed by Justice SA Bobde and comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and Indu Malhotra, was formed to look into the allegations and on May 5, dismissed the charges of sexual harassment against CJI Ranjan Gogoi. On Tuesday, the complainant in the case sought a copy of the report filed by the committee that found “no substance” in her allegations.   "I have a right to know how, why and on what basis have your Lordships found my complaint to have 'no substance'," the complainant has said in a statement, adding she was "deeply shocked" on the outcome of the committee's findings.

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Udupi stares at water scarcity, Municipal Council taps Swarna river to meet water needs

Water

Water supply in Udupi has been affected by the lack of rainfall coupled with the drying up of water sources.

Prajwal Bhat

Representational Image

District authorities in Udupi have taken the drastic step of pumping water from holes in the riverbed of the Swarna river to ensure sufficient water supply this month. The decision was taken on Monday. A team from the Udupi City Municipal Council along with experts were posted at the Baje dam near Hiriyadka in the district to begin the process of channelling the water from the holes in the riverbed. The holes refer to ponds where water from the river accumulates. "There is a scarcity of water because sources have dried up due to the heat. We will be channelling and using water from available sources," confirmed Udupi Deputy Commissioner Hephsiba Rani. "By Tuesday evening, we will begin pumping the water," she added. Water from holes in areas like Shiroor and Puttige will be accumulated and treated at the Baje reservoir before it is supplied to meet the water demands of Udupi and neighbouring areas. The district has been plagued by water scarcity during the summer months for the last few years. At the Baje reservoir, the water level needs to be 1.7 metres in order to be drawn. Currently, the water is at 1.2 metres only. Water supply in Udupi has been affected by the lack of rainfall coupled with the drying up of water sources. Water rationing is already in place in the district and water is being provided once every three days. However, this will now be reduced even further due to the lack of water availability. "We have to continue the rationing of water and we cannot give it once in three days. We will work out based on the availability of water," the Deputy Commissioner said. The DC, however, refused to share the new system of water supply. "It could be even longer because it depends on the altitude and alternative sources of water. We are working out how we will use the available water," she said. Udupi usually receives good rainfall from the first week of June, which is when the monsoon season begins. Officials in the district are hopeful that the measures taken by them can sustain the water supply in Udupi and other areas for the rest of the month.

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Not another traffic jam in B’luru: Whitefield residents want alt route to Kundalahalli

Civic Issues

lthough the project was envisioned five years ago, the construction of the underpass began only in the first week of March after delay due to land acquisition.

Rohit R.

Vaishali, a parent, is worried about the additional hours her children will take to get to school, and this is also the plight of many office-goers as the Kundanahalli Junction in Bengaluru could be shut down. The junction connects Marathahalli and other surrounding areas with Whitefield, and if the plans of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) go through, this could severely hamper the movement of traffic. Kundanahalli Gate junction is an entry point for numerous schools and IT companies in Whitefield. With metro work being undertaken on Old Madras Road and a bridge be constructed bridge at Varthur Kodi, the construction of the underpass has put further stress on vehicular traffic.  It was a project that was envisioned five years ago. However, construction began only in the first week of March after delays due to land acquisition. This underpass is being constructed to make a signal-free corridor from Hopefarm Junction to Trinity Circle.  The civic body plans to close the busy intersection to facilitate the construction of the underpass and is coordinating with the Bengaluru Traffic Police. However, citizens are concerned as there are only a few alternative routes, and commuters aren't sure that these routes will be able to accommodate the traffic.  A member of Whitefield Rising, a civic movement, voiced his concerns about the lack of alternative arrangements and the condition of alternative roads. “The roads cannot accommodate the vehicles plying and would further worsen the traffic in these areas,” said the member, who did not wish to be named. A BBMP official said that the closing of the junction would expedite the project. A traffic police constable stationed at the traffic signal, however, told TNM that he was not sure about the closing down of the junction. “We aren’t aware of such information; if it’s the case, alternate routes would have been announced,” said the traffic constable.  However, the public is sceptical whether the work would be completed before the monsoon sets in.  Residents also point out that they were not notified before construction began. “We later had to bring in BMTC, BBMP, the contractors and traffic police to come up with solutions when the work commenced. Now, we are calling them on again, hoping that necessary arrangements would be made and that consultation with the public would be taken up,” said the Whitefield Rising member.

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Bengaluru, parts of south interior, coastal Karnataka to witness thunderstorms on Tuesday

Weather

A thunderstorm warning has been issued for Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, Mandya, Ramanagara, Kolar, Chickaballpura, Tumakuru, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Kodagu and Chitradurga.

Soumya Chatterjee

Representational Image

Bengaluru and parts of south interior Karnataka, coastal Karnataka and Malnad districts are likely to witness thunderstorms with scattered light to moderate rains, with isolated heavy rains and gusty winds. The Indian Meteorological Department issued a thunderstorm warning to the Deputy Commissioners of Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, Mandya, Ramanagara, Kolar, Chickaballpura, Tumakuru, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Kodagu and Chitradurga. “Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds reaching 30 to 40 kmph and light to moderate spells of rain is likely to affect your district in next 03 hours,” the note said. This is likely to bring down temperatures throughout the state, which is experiencing yet another year of deficient rainfall. Deficient rainfall Daily reports prepared by the state government show an overall 40% deficit of rainfall in the pre-monsoon season as of Monday. The worst affected districts are Bidar, Udupi and Koppala, which have a deficit of 66%, 63% and 62% respectively in the period between March 1 and May 6. Bengaluru Urban has a rainfall deficiency of 16% while Bengaluru Rural has a deficiency of 14%. Drinking water Successive drought years have resulted in the drying up of the traditional sources of water in many parts of the state forcing the government to supply drinking water through tankers. A total of 1,324 villages are getting water through 2,177 tankers operated by the State Emergency Operation Centre as part of drought relief measures. Deaths due to weather related disasters So far in the same pre-monsoon period between March 1 and May 6, 20 people have lost their lives across the state due to rain and lightning. Chikkamagaluru has seen three such deaths, while five districts including Bengaluru have seen two deaths each. Disaster Management officials said that they are prepared for instances of lightning and other rain-related incidents.

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