Object that sparked bomb scare at Bengaluru’s KSR Railway Station was Army simulator

Security

"The simulator is used in training and is not an explosive,” a Railways Superintendent confirmed on Monday through a press conference.

Soumya Chatterjee

Three days after the bomb scare at the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Railway Station in Bengaluru, police said that the object looking like a hand grenade belongs to the Indian Army and was a simulator. This was established by the Forensic Science Laboratory of the Government Railway Police (GRP).  It was widely reported on Friday how the bomb squad was called in after people noticed the object and part of the station premises was cordoned off. Train movements in two stations were restricted for two hours. TNM on Friday itself had reported that the suspicious object which triggered the alarm was a dummy and not an explosive. The same was confirmed by police on Monday evening through a press conference. "The simulator is used in training and is not an explosive. A box of grenade simulators was being transported to other parts of the country. The grenade could have fallen off during the journey. We have contacted army officials, seeking their report on the incident. They have accepted that it was their grenade simulator. We have to contact the person who was carrying the simulators in the railway station and will add his name in the FIR for negligence," Bheemashankar S Guled, Superintendent of Railways, Bengaluru told reporters. The simulator is a standard tool for the army’s training module in different parts of the country. Police also said that the dummy was produced in one of the Army’s workshops in the city and a consignment of these was being transported to Jhansi. Read: After bomb scare at Bengaluru’s KSR Railway Station, train movements restored While the SP refused to divulge further details, sources confirmed that there was a lapse in transporting the consignment.  “The GRP had sent one personnel to visit all army units in the city with the object. And one after the other unit said that they have no knowledge about it. It was one unit near Trinity Circle which accepted that this object was produced by them. They also told us that a consignment of these were sent to the Commanding Officer in Jhansi,” a top source told TNM.  “One Army personnel who was tasked with transporting has reportedly left work without notice. This led to the consignment first reaching Delhi on the Karnataka Express. Now the Railways sent it back to Chennai as there was no train to Bengaluru at that point of time. From Chennai, the boxes came to Bengaluru on Friday itself at 5.30am on Lalbagh Express,” the source added. Exact details on how one such object fell out of the box are awaited.      

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Drought-hit Karnataka seeks Rs 2,000 crore NREGA dues from Centre

Politics

"In the absence of funds from the Centre, the state government has been paying the beneficiaries their dues to mitigate the hardships they are facing due to severe drought," the CM's office said.

IANS

PTI

Drought-hit Karnataka sought the intervention of the four Union ministers and newly-elected BJP Lok Sabha members from the state in securing funds from the central government earmarked for development works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), a senior official said on Monday. "Congratulating the four Union Ministers from the state, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy urged them to prevail upon the Centre to get NREGA funds released as the state was reeling under severe drought," an official of the Chief Minister's Office told IANS here. The three other Union Ministers from the state are BJP members DVS. Sadananda Gowda fom Bangalore North Lok Sabha seat, Prahlad Joshi from Dharwad and Suresh Angadi from Belgaum in the northeast region. "I welcome the statements of Union Ministers @DVSBJP and @JoshiPrahlad that they will support the developments of our state. I request them also to make the Centre release the pending Rs 2,000 crore due to the state for NREGA works," tweeted Kumaraswamy in English and Kannada earlier in the day. The chief minister also assured the ministers and the lawmakers to provide them details of the various works being implemented under NREGA. "In the absence of funds from the Centre, the state government has been paying the beneficiaries their dues to mitigate the hardships they are facing due to severe drought," added the official. The chief minister also agreed to give details of NREGA works underway to the Union ministers and MPs ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament from July 18 to August 10. Of the 28 Lok Sabha seats, the ruling Janata Dal-Secular (JD(S)) and the Congress faced a rout winning only one seat each in the general election that was held in the state on April 18 and April 23. JD(S) retained Hassan and Congress won Bangalore Rural. Though both the allies fielded joint candidates in the ratio of 21 seats to the Congress and seven to the JD(S), they lost 20 and six seats, respectively.  

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Obamacare rate hikes appear modest for 2020

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107-yr-old activist Thimakka convinces Karnataka CM to not chop trees for road widening

Environment

Following the meeting, the Chief Minister called up concerned officials and asked them not to carry on with the road widening project.

TNM Staff

Intervention by 107-year-old Padma Shri awardee Saalumarada Thimakka may save the fate of hundreds of trees which were at the risk of facing the axe courtesy of a road widening project. Thimakka met Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Monday asking for the Bagepalli-Halaguru road widening project near Bengaluru to be called off. Incidentally, Thimakka had shot to fame for planting and tending to 385 banyan trees along a four-kilometre highway stretch between Kudur and Hudikal in Ramanagara district, a part of the same road in the 1960s. “I will not allow the trees I have planted to be chopped. I will not allow the government to carry out this project,” the veteran environmentalist told reporters after the meeting. Following the meeting, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy called up concerned officials and asked them not to carry on with the project. Instead, he asked them to come up with an alternative alignment to minimise tree felling, the CM’s office said. In a statement, the Deputy CM said, “It is true that she has protected these trees as her own children. It is our responsibility to protect these trees. We will try and come up with an alternate alignment for road expansion so that the trees which she planted are not harmed.” Before winning the Padma Shri, Thimakka had won the Karnataka Rajyotsava award, the Nadoja award by Hampi University, and the National Citizen award by the Government of India, among other national and international accolades. She was also part of the 100 influential and inspirational women list compiled by BBC in 2016. "Saalumarada" means rows of trees in Kannada. She had taken to planting trees after she and her husband failed to conceive after years of marriage. In an interview to Al Jazeera, she said, "One day we thought why not plant trees and tend to them like we would our children.”            

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On World Bicycle Day, Bengaluru cyclists appeal for their safety on roads

Cycling

A year-long campaign that aims to spread the message of safety for cyclists was also kicked off.

TNM Staff

Cyclists in Bengaluru gathered in front of the State Central Library in the Cubbon Park area on Sunday to appeal to motorists to keep cyclists safe on the city’s roads, ahead ofWorld Bicycle Day on Monday. The campaign, led by Citizens for Sustainability (CiFOS) and the Bicycle Mayor of Bengaluru Sathya Sankaran, also kicked off a year-long campaign that aims to spread the message of safety and push for better facilities for cyclists in the city. “While infrastructure and good design can solve the problem to a certain extent, attitudes of people and the culture of sharing our roads is a mindset issue. This is why we are here calling for a change in the driving culture to make equity on streets a reality,” Sathya said, speaking at the event. During the year-long campaign, CiFOS will hold discussions with bus and cab operators to sensitise them about keeping cyclists and pedestrians safe. This will include programmes for BMTC bus drivers as well as Ola and Uber cab drivers. Bengaluru civic officials also took part in the event and reiterated the need for the city to be turned into a bicycle-friendly city along the lines of Amsterdam. “We have provided more than Rs 80 crore in this budget for bicycle lanes and more than Rs 200 crore for improving footpaths to ensure the city is walkable and bicycle-friendly,” Mahendra Jain, Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Department, said. He further added that cycle lanes will be built on white topped roads to add to the earlier plan of building cycle lanes in over 100 km of roads in the city. In a bid to encourage cyclists, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had earlier drawn up a detailed plan to build cycle lanes in roads connecting metro stations from Baiyappanahalli to MG Road on the purple line of the metro, areas in Whitefield, and a portion of the Outer Ring Road. This is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019. A group of organisations including CiFOS are also building a database of working professionals in the city cycling to work. Qualcomm, Bosch and Cisco were honoured at the event for encouraging cycling among its employees. This campaign will also be extended to new offices in the city next year.

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Kallada Travels at it again: Bus abandons woman at night, makes her run on highway

Controversy

Instead of apologising, the driver reportedly shouted at her and took no responsibility for leaving her behind.

Soumya Chatterjee

Representational Image

On Sunday, a 23-year-old woman was made to run for more than five minutes after the bus she was traveling in abandoned her on a highway after they had stopped for a dinner break. And the bus company is the same one that was in a massive controversy in April – Kallada Travels – after they had brutally attacked two men travelling from Kochi to Bengaluru, for asking about a delay in their journey. Stella*, a Bengaluru-based HR professional was travelling from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru on Sunday night. “I had boarded the bus at 6.45 pm from Kazhakootam, Thiruvananthapuram, and the bus stopped for dinner around 10:30 pm, I think at Tirunelveli. I was actually having dinner and within 10-15 minutes, the bus started moving without any warning,” Stella said. “When I saw the bus moving, I literally ran towards the bus. People who were around understood and they started shouting and even cars were honking. But the bus just left and I started running behind like a mad person. Seeing me running, some people offered me a lift. But at that time I was traumatised and did not know whether to trust them. And then, literally, a car chased the bus and stopped it. Even then, the bus did not come back and I had to run myself on the highway all the way,” she said. When she got in finally, rather than apologising for leaving her behind, the bus driver behaved rudely with her, she said. “I did not understand fully what he said. I was not in the frame of mind to carry on that conversation. I just got back to my seat,” Stella said. “I had thought just like in any other bus, they would have checked that everybody was in their seats before leaving,” she said.   After some time, Stella called up her friend and narrated the incident. When her friend, C Sahaya Christen called the driver seeking an explanation, he was threatened. “I asked him why they left a woman behind. I asked this is in Tamil. Then he (the driver) said that he doesn’t know Tamil and asked me to speak in Malayalam. I asked the same thing in Malayalam again. Then he said that it’s not his duty to see if the passengers come inside the bus or not. I said ‘don’t you have any sense? You leave a girl and make her run and then say you it’s not your duty?’ He then said ‘do you know to which travels you’re talking to? This is Kallada travels. Do you know who is Kallada’?” Sahaya told TNM. TNM could not reach the driver, Thirupathy for a reaction. When asked for a comment, an official at the Kallada head office, said, “We are unaware of this incident. No such complaint has reached us." In April, seven Kallada Travels staff were arrested by police in Kerala for brutally assaulting two young men for questioning a delay in the journey. They were chased and beaten up by several thugs. The Travels company owner, Suresh Kallada was summoned by the Kerala State Human Rights Commission over the issue. (Additional inputs by Korah Abraham) *Name changed on request  

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Meet Bengaluru boy Niranjan Mukundan, a para-athlete making waves for India

Sports

Niranjan has made it to the Forbes U30 list and won medals at the World Series in Brazil.

Pooja Prabbhan

All of 24, para-athlete Niranjan Mukundan's indomitable grit is taking him places. And clearly, 2019 is his year. After making it to the Forbes U30 List, and clinching 1 gold in 200m I.M and 1 silver in 50m Butterfly events at the World Series 2019, Sao Paulo, Brazil, he has his sights set on a bigger innings:  Para-Swimming World Championships to be held in London in September.  Wise beyond his years, Niranjan has a sense of calm and the aura rubs off on you.  Soaking up all the praise that's coming his way post his recent feat at the World Series in Brazil, Niranjan says, “Well, I have clocked the MET ("B" Qualifying Time) for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics as well, so my main aim at the World Championships would be to achieve the MQS ("A" Qualifying Time) so that I will have one full year to train for the Paralympics." Niranjan’s journey hasn't always been smooth. Diagnosed with spina bifida, a neural tube defect which affects the spine, and having had to wade through a series of complex surgeries since birth, the Bengaluru boy had a slew of difficult decisions to make. But, that’s what made the pursuit all the more worthwhile. “If you’re really invested in your dream, challenges only make you want to push harder. One of my goals is to help the next generation of sportspeople, and most importantly, para sports athletes,” avers Niranjan, who’s armed with a Masters' degree in Sports Management. As the pressure mounts with every milestone that he crosses, the Bengaluru youngster is pinning all his hopes on focused training for his forthcoming pursuits. "I would be training at my overseas train base (Thailand) for a while before I come back to India for some final fine-tuning,” he adds. Like most true blue Bengalureans, Niranjan has a penchant for filter kaapi, idli-sambar, cricket and movies. While most know him owing to his swimming and para-olympic endeavours, not many are aware that this sportsperson massively roots for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Bengaluru Bulls Pro Kabaddi Team. These are some of the things he often makes time for, while taking a break from work. Elaborating on his passions, he says, “Whether we win or lose, I’ll always be a die-hard RCB fan. And of course, nothing beats the comfort that a plate of piping hot idli-sambar offers, or a cup of filter coffee. Maybe these are just very Bengalurean things! I'm also an ardent movie buff, so whenever I am in India and I am free, I love to go and watch movies with friends.” Coming from a modest family, Niranjan attributes all his success to his family and inner circle. “They have never said a 'No' to me for anything. Also, that passion towards my sport has always driven me. Sometimes I win and other times I have so much to learn. The sense of pride in representing my country at the highest level keeps me motivated and inspired. It's the passion that plays out, in the end,” he says. The social media-verified sportsperson, who’s quite active (though not acutely anxious about experiencing FOMO) believes that the medium is more a boon than a bane. “I love spending time on all the social media platforms. I think it’s a great way to stay connected, and I often spend a lot of time scrolling through my feed, whenever I can. Don’t we all?” he chuckles. With so much in his kitty, we wonder if there’s a bigger plan in the making. Has Niranjan ever considered writing a book or starting something on his own? And well, turns out, quite like his peers and other sportspersons in the industry, Niranjan too harbours lofty entrepreneurial pursuits. “I am planning to start off with my own foundation, and then an academy of my own in the long run.” He has his agenda set: To inspire those who want to start from scratch, sans a godfather. “One of my biggest goals is to help the next generation of sportspeople, narrowing it down to para sports.” Staunchly believing that inspiration is all around, Niranjan adds,  “But I’ve always looked up to Rahul Dravid (The Wall Of Indian Cricket) and Michael Phelps (Greatest Olympic Swimmer Of All Time) for their nature and composure on and off the sporting arena." Sporting victories aside, it’s also been a year of uber-satisfactory media attention. Speaking of an added feather to his cap - on being listed in the Forbes 30 U30 (April, 2019 Issue) Niranjan elatedly says, "That was such a sweet surprise, I still remember that morning when I woke up to hundreds of messages, then I realised that I was one among the 2 Indians under the sports category to be named in the Forbes 30 U30 list. It gives more responsibility and a sense of pride to try and inspire more people and particularly, people with disabilities, in the world."  Niranjan is crystal clear about where he sees himself next. "It's every athlete's dream to represent his/her country at the Olympics and that's my dream too. I am a few microseconds away in achieving that dream and I am very positive and hopeful in achieving it by the end of this year and also to see the tricolor go up at major competitions,” he signs off.

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