Karnataka man who injured self attempting backflip stunt for social media video dies

Accident

His brother-in-law said Kumar wanted to take part in reality shows.

TNM Staff

The 19-year-old man from Tumakuru who made news last week after injuring himself while attempting a backflip has succumbed to his injuries. Eight days ago, Kumar was admitted to a hospital after he injured his spine while trying to attempt a backflip. A video had shown 19-year-old Kumar attempting to do a backflip in the air but then faltering, with his head hitting the ground first. Disclaimer: Graphic content, viewer discretion is advised (add graphic content disclaimer) The incident was recorded on June 15 and Kumar was rushed to hospital on the same day. According to reports, Kumar was a performance artist working with an orchestra troop called ‘Ramu Melodies’. Kumar was being treated for severe spinal injuries at Bengaluru’s Victoria Hospital and was being treated for severe spinal injuries. TNM had earlier reported how Kumar’s friend was recording the stunt allegedly to upload onto a popular social media platform. Speaking to TOI, his brother-in-law said that Kumar himself was unaware of social media as he did not have a smartphone of his own. But it was on the request of his friends that he performed the stunts. "He wanted to showcase his talent to the world and participate in dance reality shows," he added. Kumar had sustained extensive damage to his spinal cord. The spinal cord is a structure which is responsible for a range of sensory and motor functions. Damage to the spinal cord can result in either temporary or permanent distortion in these functions. However, this incident is not the first time that people have been injured attempting to perform stunts for social media. Several deaths have earlier been reported as the result of people attempting to recreate various stunts or photos to post to social media. In one such instance in 2017, a 13-year-old boy from Hyderabad died after he took a selfie from the top of a railway coach. The boy, identified as K Sai Kumar, was taking selfies atop an empty, stationary railway coach at Moula Ali railway station when he came into contact with a high-tension wire and was electrocuted. He succumbed to burn injuries he sustained later at Osmania General Hospital in Hyderabad.       Disclaimer: Graphic content, viewer discretion is advised

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IMA scam: Mansoor Khan releases new video, promises to return to India with names

Scam

In the video, IMA owner Mansoor Khan says his was a true business that ran for 13 years, and not a ponzi scheme, and claimed a conspiracy to make IMA go bankrupt.

TNM Staff

Founder of I Monetary Advisory (IMA), Mohammed Mansoor Khan, who has been accused of cheating 40,000 investors to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore, has now released a video from an undisclosed location, promising to return to India and expose several powerful people, including politicians and an IAS officer. Mansoor Khan fled India around June 13, and investigators believe he is in hiding in Dubai. In his video, however, Mansoor Khan claims he left the country because there were threats to his life and the lives of his family members. Addressing Alok Kumar, the newly appointed Police Commissioner of Bengaluru, Mansoor says he’s willing to come back to India and cooperate with the investigation. Mansoor has been accused of running a ponzi scheme – where money is rotated from new investors to older investors – in the name of IMA. However, in his video released on Sunday, he claims his was a ‘true business’ which has been made to go bankrupt by corrupt forces at the centre and state level. “In the last 13 years, all entities of IMA have made a profit worth Rs 12,000 crore, which we have paid to all our investors. Even the Rs 2,000 crore capital investment has been returned to the investors. The remaining assets worth Rs 1,350 crore will be liquidated to return the money I owe the investors,” he says in the video. Claiming that he tried to come back to India on June 16, but was deboarded from the plane, he says, “The officials told me that I could not leave wherever I was and my ticket was cancelled. I was asked to contact the Immigration Department, but due to jummah (Friday prayers), it was shut.” Mansoor also names a bunch of people – sarcastically thanking them for stabbing him in the back. He claims there is a massive controversy behind IMA’s fall, and also has bitter words for his investors who complained about IMA, and did not wait for his business to get better. “IMA has been helping around 21,000 families with monthly income, around 18,000 children with education across India, and given ration to 7,300 families,” he says. Promising to come back to India, Mansoor adds that he is in a better state of mind than when he released an audio clip last week, where he had said he was going to kill himself. Claiming there were anyway people trying to kill him, and that he wasn’t afraid, he says, “The moment I reach there, those people would have made all the plans to kill me, all planning would have been done to shut my mouth – but I'm not coming back for myself. In the previous audio, I said that I would take my life. That was a demotivated statement of mine. But I know that if I have to die, then why should I kill myself when there are people ready to do that. I know that they can kill me in custody as well. They can kill me after I'm produced in court and if I get bail from there and leave then they can kill me on the road.” Who is Mansoor Khan and what is the IMA scam? Read: Tracing the meteoric rise of IMA Jewels scam kingpin Mansoor Khan Also read: Fearing loss of money deposited in schemes, hundreds protest against Bengaluru's IMA Jewels  

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Smart City project: Why there are no bidders to renovate Bengaluru’s KR Market

Smart City

The proposed revamp of the market, estimated to cost Rs 50 crore, includes building new structures for vegetable vendors and restructuring the meat market.

Theja Ram

File photo

On March 9, Bengaluru’s civic body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, had floated tenders for the renovation of the city’s Krishna Rajendra Market. Two months after the tenders were floated, there was not a single bid, and the BBMP had to close the offer to accept bids. On June 3, the BBMP once again floated tenders. The last date for submitting bids is June 27 and sources in the BBMP say that the situation is bleak. “One of the reasons why contractors are not willing to take up the project is because of the land acquisition process. Some existing vendors may lose their shops due to the project and the contractors do not want the burden of convincing them to sell the land,” a senior BBMP official with Bengaluru Smart City Limited told TNM. Another major problem, he says, is that the existing vendors would be inconvenienced as the entire structure of the vegetable and meat market on the inside has to change. “The contractors are worried about protests. We have given them a 24-month deadline and no one was willing to carry out works in such a crowded area, and finish it soon without backlash,” the official added. Established in 1928, KR Market was India’s first area to get a public electricity light up and running in 1972. Years of mismanagement and lack of efficient maintenance turned one of the city’s oldest markets into a garbage-strewn dump. The proposed revamp of the market, estimated to cost Rs 50 crore, includes building new structures for vegetable vendors and restructuring the meat market by constructing stalls with facilities to dispose carcasses of animals and the waste generated efficiently. “The heritage walls will be intact but the interiors, which have become dingy and dirty, will get a facelift. We will have a separate area for garbage disposal so that the interior of the market remains clean. Same goes for the meat market. We had called for technical bids on May 15 but there were no takers for that one too,” said Suresh, Chief Engineer at Bengaluru Smart City Limited. The proposed project will also have a new stormwater drain system, electrical supply lines, water supply lines, and also meet fire safety norms. Chief Engineer Suresh says that the existing market does not adhere to fire safety norms and is a threat to vendors and customers. “There will be designated vending zones with smart vendor kiosks, sensor-based smart dustbins, recycling unit, composting unit, and organised vehicular and pedestrian movement. We will also change the bus routes from KR Market. There will be a foot over bridge from Chickpet Metro Station to the market as well. We will have provisions for loading and unloading bays, rooftop solar panels and solar lighting/energy efficient lighting,” he added.

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IMA investment scam: SIT arrests five more directors of company

Scam

SIT sources told TNM that the investment bonds suggest that the investors’ money was deposited in the IMA Credit Co-operative Society.

Theja Ram

On Saturday, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested five more directors of IMA Credit Cooperative Society Ltd, which is a part of the umbrella organisation – I Monetary Advisory Company Pvt. Ltd. Shadab Ahmed (28), Israr Ahmed (32), Faizal Ahmed (30), Mohammed Idrees (30) and Usman Abrez (33) are the directors of the co-operative society who have been arrested. IMA duped over 40,000 investors to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore under the pretext of ‘halal’ investment. The scam broke out on June 10, after thousands of investors accused the Managing Director of IMA, Mohammed Mansoor Khan, of cheating them. Following this, the police had arrested eight directors of IMA Group. SIT sources say that although investors were under the impression that they were investing in IMA, the investment bonds suggest that their money was deposited in the IMA Credit Co-operative Society. “Mansoor Khan was under the lens of the Income Tax Department because the officials probing him believed he was evading taxes by siphoning money through the Credit Co-operative Society," an SIT source said. Investigators say that the investors had no clue regarding what "volatile investments" IMA was indulging in. "The agreement document itself is vague and says returns will be based on market volatility. It also states that IMA is not responsible for the loss of their principal amount. Mansoor Khan had washed his hands off the responsibility of the victims’ money even before the company went under. When we look at the investments bonds or the agreements, there is a suspicion that Mansoor Khan never planned to return their money, to begin with,” the SIT source said. Mansoor Khan is believed to have fled the country via the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on June 8 when it became evident that the Central Crime Branch (CCB) was probing fraudulent activities of IMA and its founder. Meanwhile, the Interpol (International Criminal Police Organisation) division of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) issued a blue corner notice against Mansoor on Saturday. A blue corner notice is issued to locate, identify or obtain information regarding a fugitive or an absconding accused person in a criminal investigation. The SIT has also impounded Mansoor Khan’s passport, making it difficult for him to move from one country to another. “There is suspicion of whether he is in Dubai or in some other country. If we had confirmed that he was in Dubai, we could have tracked his movements easily and Interpol would have been requested to issue a red corner notice (extradition). We are still looking for him and we believe he may be in the UAE,” an SIT source said. SIT sources say that Mansoor Khan had laid out an elaborate escape plan when the Revenue Department had issued a public notice against him. “We have arrested 13 directors of IMA and the questioning has revealed that his escape plan with crores of rupees of bullion was planned well in advance,” the source said. Read: IMA investment scam: Did government agencies neglect I-T warning in 2017?  

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Bengaluru pub owner arrested after 2 die falling off building

Negligence

Two customers of the Church Street pub fell from the second floor of the building when they were leaving the premises.

Theja Ram

The Cubbon Park police on Saturday arrested the owner and manager of Bengaluru’s #BEiR on charges of negligence causing death. The owner Abhishek Kulkarni was arrested after two customers fell from a window of his building late on Friday night and died. According to the Cubbon Park Police, the victims – Pavan Attavar (36) was a marketing manager with a media company and Veda Yadav (28) was a techie. Pavan and Veda had visited #BEiR on Friday night and were leaving the premises, located on the third floor of the building. “The woman lost balance first and then Pavan tried to help her and he too fell along with her. They were inebriated and when she wobbled near the third-floor staircase. The window frame, which was loose, came off. Since there was nothing to break her fall, she lost balance and fell out. Pavan tried to save her and he fell too,” the Cubbon Park Police said. Veda died instantly, while Pavan succumbed to a head injury at Bowring Hospital on Friday night. The Cubbon Park Police said that after preliminary probe, they ruled out suicide. “Abhishek Kulkarni was arrested and he is being questioned. The building owner of Prestige RR has also been booked. They have not followed safety norms of the building bye-laws. The windows were not sturdy enough. The area near the staircase had not lighting. It is the responsibility of pub owners and building owners to ensure that corridors are lit properly. Without light, obviously patrons who are inebriated will find it difficult to navigate the stairs,” the Cubbon Park Police added. Rumours had been rife that the two were exiting the pub in a hurry fearing an impending police raid as Police Commissioner Alok Kumar was conducting regular checks on the night of the incident. However, the Cubbon Park Police ruled out such rumours and said that the CCTV footage shows that the two friends were just walking down a dimly-lit staircase. Speaking to TNM, Pramod Rao, a friend of Pavan, who was at #BEiR said that they had gone to the pub as it was Friday night. “There were no raids or anything. It was almost 11.30 and they decided to leave. It was an unfortunate incident,” he added.

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Moily blames Congress tie-up with JD(S) for Lok Sabha rout

Politics

The former Union Minister lost to BN Bachhe Gowda of the BJP in the Chikkaballapur parliamentary seat by 1.8 lakh votes.

IANS

File Image/PTI

Veteran Congress leader Veerappa Moily on Saturday blamed the pre-poll alliance with the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) for the party's rout in Karnataka in the Lok Sabha elections. "We lost badly in the Lok Sabha elections in the state due to our alliance with the JD(S). Had the party contested alone, it would have won 15-16 seats," Moily told reporters at Chikkaballapur. The former Union Minister lost to BN Bachhe Gowda of the BJP in the Chikkaballapur parliamentary seat by 1.8 lakh votes. Claiming that the tie-up with the JD(S) to contest jointly in the general elections was a mistake, Moily said the Congress lost more than its ally, as it won only one of the 21 seats. "Our party could retain only one (Bangalore Rural) of the 9 seats it had won in the 2014 elections, which was the highest from any state in the country," he said. Moily also blamed the JD(S) for his defeat, accusing its leaders and cadres of not supporting him in campaign and securing their party votes for him as a joint candidate. While the JD(S) contested 7 seats, it also won only one seat (Hassan). The BJP won 25 of the 27 seats it contested, while an Independent it supported one more. Besides Moily, Congress veterans and former Union Ministers like Mallakarjun Kharge and KH Muniyappa had also lost, while from the JD(S) saw its supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda lose. As a split verdict in the May 2018 state assembly elections resulted in a hung house, the Congress and JD(S) entered into a post-poll alliance to form a coalition government so as to keep the BJP out of power.

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Bengaluru's RV Road metro station may shut down for construction of Yellow Line

Transportation

If the RV Road station shuts down, commuters will have to board the metro at Jayanagar or Banashankari stations.

Theja Ram

Image for representation

The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) may shut down the RV Road Metro Station along the Green Line to facilitate the construction of the Yellow Line. BMRCL is set to commence work on RV Road Station to facilitate the movement of the Yellow Line, which will pass through the metro station. Hence, the existing RV Road station on the Green Line (Nagasandra-Yelachenahalli) is likely to be shut down for a year, according to reports. “The metro station cannot operate properly if work on the interchange is being carried out. We are still thinking about whether it has to be shut down,” a BMRCL official told TNM. BMRCL is planning to demolish half of RV Road Metro Station in order to lay another track which will ply between RV Road and Bommasandra. Over 5,000 passengers use the RV Road Metro Station along the Green Line every day, which has been operational since June 2017. If the RV Road station shuts down, commuters will have to board the metro at Jayanagar or Banashankari stations. “The metro will ply from Yelachenahalli to Banashankari and Jayanagar to Nagasandra. So, commuters going to Yelachenahalli will have to board the metro at Banashankari and those going towards Nagasandra will have to board the metro at Jayanagar,” the BMRCL official said. According to The Hindu, BMRCL had planned to construct a new RV Road station along the Yellow Line. However, the agency now plans to merge it into an interchange station for the Green and Yellow lines. The new metro line to Electronic City, which will begin from RV Road station on the Green Line. will run along the land near Lakshman Rao Park, parallel to the Green Line viaduct. The BMRCL had earlier planned to construct the Phase 2 viaduct over the existing one at the Marenahalli Road Circle. “Lots of trees will be cut in Lakshman Rao Park and to avoid this and also save costs on land acquisition, if RV Road station become the interchange metro station. We have to see if it would be feasible to close the metro station completely. We will hold a public consultation before making a decision,” the official added. Hindustan Construction Company and URC Construction are responsible for the RV Road-Silk Board stretch of the Yellow Line, which is likely to be operational by 2021, the TOI report stated.  

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