Karnataka students made to wear cartons on their heads to avoid copying in exams

Controversy

The pictures of students wearing cartons on their heads and writing the exam inside a classroom were shared widely on social media.

TNM Staff

An 'out of the box' solution to ensure that students do not copy during the exam in a college in Karnataka's Haveri district has landed officials of the institution in trouble. \ On October 16, around 50 students writing the mid-term examination at Bhagat PU college were forced to wear cartons on their heads to avoid copying in exams. The pictures of students wearing cartons on their heads and writing the exam inside a classroom were shared widely on social media. The front side of the cartons were cut for the students to breathe and see but not allow them to see anything to their left or right. There were also some students seen without wearing cartons on their heads. "A notice has been issued to Bhagat Pre-University College seeking explanation for forcing its students to wear cardboard boxes (cartons) while writing exams to prevent them from copying," a Haveri district Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) official told IANS on phone. The incident, which took place on Wednesday, came to light when photographs and videos showing the students were shared on social media on Friday. The students were writing papers in Economics and Chemistry as part of the mid-term exams conducted in their classroom. "Whatever be the purpose, they (students) cannot be made to wear cartons for writing exams. There is no rule or advice from us," said the official. Reacting to the incident, state Education Minister S Suresh Kumar said that such an attempt was not acceptable. "Nobody has any right to treat anybody more so students like animals. This perversion will be dealt with aptly," tweeted Suresh. Defending their action, college head MB Satish claimed to the media that a college in Bihar had used a similar method to check rampant copying during exams and had been widely appreciated on social media. "We tried to see how it works as a trial and told the students in advance that boxes would be given to each of them to wear before writing the exam. No student was forced to wear them and it was optional," he added.    

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‘Terrorist sleeper cells may be active in Bengaluru, Mysuru’: Karnataka Home Min

Terror Alert

‘Terrorist sleeper cells may be active in Bengaluru, Mysuru’: Karnataka Home Min

TNM Staff

Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Friday that terrorist sleeper cells may be active in the state, namely in Bengaluru and Mysuru. According to the minister, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) suspected that terrorists belonging to Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were allegedly moving along parts of coastal and interior Karnataka. “There is a possibility of sleeper cells in Bengaluru and Mysuru, hence the NIA wants us to take extra care,” the minister said to the media in Mysuru. He further added that they had entered the country through Bangladesh and Jammu and Kashmir. “According to information available from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, they are active in the coastal areas of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. While there are sleeper cells in Bengaluru, Mysuru, there is more information which cannot be disclosed at this juncture. However, measures are being taken to curb their activities by enhancing surveillance,” he said according to TNIE. While the minister said that more information could not be revealed at this point, he did state that police are alert and that further information was being gathered about the potential suspects. The minister also said that there was an increase in illegal Bangladeshi immigrants moving within the state. Earlier in the week, Bommai had announced the formation of the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) which would be working to uncover further details of potential suspects. The ATS will be working closely with the NIA. A ‘Bengaluru-specific ATS’ will reportedly function from November 1. A state-wide ATS has already been established and implemented following the seizure of explosive devices and materials from an alleged JMB member last year. Earlier, NIA chief Y C Modi addressed the media and stated that JMB had begun to spread its activities across various parts of India, including Karnataka and Kerala in the south.

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Bengaluru techie arrested for creating fake Instagram page to harass ex-colleague

Crime

The woman had been his junior colleague at the private software company, where the two worked.

TNM Staff

The Bengaluru police have arrested a 25-year-old techie for creating a fake Instagram page and harassing his former colleague. The accused has been identified as Nitin Achari, a native of North Karnataka’s Yemalur, who has been working at a tech company in Bengaluru. He and the victim were good friends from the time the latter had joined the company. For personal reasons, the victim had changed her job. On learning that she had become friends with another man at her new workplace, Nitin allegedly began to call and harass the woman on the phone. In an effort to avoid his harassment, the woman began avoiding Nitin’s calls, which reportedly irked him even more. He then took it one step further and allegedly created a fake Instagram account under the woman’s name and had taken her pictures from her social media page. He also reportedly shared messages between the two on the account. The woman had reportedly been his junior colleague at the private software company. According to reports, on discovering the Instagram handle, the woman confronted Nitin, who told her that he did not post the messages or photos, and even pretended to be more concerned. He had even allegedly told her to file a police complaint to trace the “real culprit”. The woman then filed a complaint with the cybercrime police, who were able to trace the page back to Nitin. He was subsequently arrested and remanded to judicial custody. The accused hails from a small village in Honnavar taluk in North Karnataka and was residing in Bengaluru’s Bellandur area. Earlier in June, a mobile shop technician was arrested after he was found to be harassing women on social media using one of 13 different online identities he had created. 

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Man attempts to attack Bengaluru Congress MLA Byrathi Suresh, arrested

Crime

A case of attempt to murder was registered against the attacker.

TNM Staff

A man attempted to assault Congress leader and Bengaluru’s Hebbal MLA Byrathi Suresh on Friday near his residence in Byrathi in north Bengaluru. He escaped unhurt.  A case of attempt to murder was registered in the Kothanur police station against the attacker, Shiva. The accused has been taken into custody.  Speaking to TNM, DCP Bengaluru North East Bheemashankar S Guled said, “Around 12:30 pm, a resident of Byrathi village attacked Hebbal MLA Byrathi Suresh with a knife. His gunmen and others nearby managed to overpower the attacker. The MLA is safe without any injury. We have detained the man on charges of attempt to murder at the Kothanur Police Station. “We are investigating the background of the accused, a resident of the same village. Byrathi Suresh says he had helped build the accused's house so we are now investigating why he took this action,” the DCP told reporters. Speaking to Public TV, Suresh said, "There was a man who does coolie work in our area who hit our car with his vehicle around 50 metres from our house. He then went around and hit the car again. He later tried to attack with a knife but my gunman and others nearby restrained him and handed him over to the police. I am perfectly safe. I was at some distance from him.”  Suresh said that he knew the attacker as he lived close to his house and said that the man worked as a carpenter. Media reports suggested that there was a political motive behind the attack, but the police refused to comment on the same.  "We have increased security detail on Byrathi Suresh. We are investigating the background of the accused, a resident of the same village,” DCP Bheemashankar added. 

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Bengaluru citizens protest against poor infrastructure in Mahadevapura

Protest

The protestors, led by Whitefield Rising, demanded that better roads be built or that the elected officials step down from their posts.

Dr Nimeshika Jayachandran

Cries of ‘beda beda, traffic beda’ filled the air in Bengaluru’s Marathahalli where citizens gathered to protest on Friday morning. Their demands? For better roads and development of the Mahadevapura IT hub in Bengaluru. The protesters began marching at Marathahalli Bridge bus stop around 9.30 am and walked towards Bagmane World, before turning back towards the bus stop.  “We are demanding that the elected representatives resign. It is not about which political party is in power, we have no agenda against any one particular party, the issue is that despite having been elected — in some cases multiple times —by the citizens here, they have failed us,” says one of the protestors, Anjali Saini, who is an active member of the citizens’ collective Whitefield Rising.  Organised by Whitefield Rising, the protest also saw scores of school children. The protestors demanded that action be taken and that the Mahadevapura Zone be developed.  The Mahadevapura zone is one of the several zones which fall under the BBMP. In several pockets of this region in Bengaluru, there is a serious lack of road development and most of the roads remain riddled with potholes and in a pitiable condition. In other areas there are no streetlights. The citizens have noted that several accidents which have taken place could have been averted if the roads were in good condition.  Over 200 people were present at the protest to showcase their support for the cause.  However, it should be noted that this is not the first time that Whitefield Rising has protested. The group has been protesting against the poor condition of roads from as early as 2015. “Over the past few years we have attempted to collaborate and work with the systems, however unfortunately, Honorable MP and MLA you have not kept your manifesto promises. Corporators, you all have not followed ward committee rules to provide local governance in the manner provided and sanctioned by the 74th amendment to the Constitution,” reads the letter written to the elected officials by the protestors. As they shouted ‘beda beda, traffic beda,’ several protestors waved signs around. Just three days ago, 36 school children had a narrow escape as a tree fell on their school bus, injuring the driver, on Varthur-Gunjur main road. Officials had stated that the tree most likely had fallen down due to the BWSSB pipeline digging which had weakened its roots. At the time, Varthur BBMP Corporator Pushpa Manjunath had stated that the recent rains too added to the problem and resulted in the tree falling.   “That incident  has definitely gotten more school students to come out to protest today,” adds Anjali.

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Collecting evidence to protecting sexual abuse victims: A look at K’taka’s POCSO handbook

Child sexual abuse

The handbook has been put together with inputs from various stakeholders such as police officials, doctors and social workers on the ground.

TNM Staff

Image for representation

Karnataka has released a handbook to deal with various aspects of child sexual abuse cases, which come under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Called ‘Standard Operation Procedures and Guidelines under POCSO Act 2012’, the handbook, which has been four years in the making, contains comprehensive information about how various stakeholders involved in POCSO cases – right from police to public prosecutors to support staff and mental health professionals – should deal with the child victim as he/she goes through the legal process. The handbook is put together with inputs from various stakeholders such as police officials, social workers and doctors on the ground. It is a joint effort by Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR), Office of the Director-General and Inspector General of Police, Office of the Director-General of Police Training, Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratories, Prosecution Department, Center for Child and the Law (CCL), Enfold Proactive Health Trust, NIMHANS, Factum Law and Doctors. Released on October 13, the handbook will soon be uploaded onto the KSPCR website, and will also be translated into Kannada. What the handbook addresses The handbook is divided into various sections, each detailing how various state personnel — police, forensic science labs (FSL), medical examiners, public prosecutors — and others like support staff and mental healthcare professionals should deal with child sexual abuse cases. For instance, the section on FSL provides information on procedures to collect evidence (preservation of crime scene, completely barring press and media from crime scenes) and types of physical evidence and how it should be preserved. The section on medical personnel, too, talks about how the role of a doctor is three-pronged: physician, legal (collecting forensic evidence, preparing medical report), and social (preventing victim blaming, encouraging and maintaining the child’s dignity). Standard operating procedures pertaining to trial and investigation are also laid down to ensure minimal trauma to the child victim. For example, a police official can come to the child’s house, in plain clothes, to take the statement. The book also iterates that child-friendly practices laid down should be followed during the trial. For instance, the child should not be repeatedly called to testify in court. Further, aggressive questioning or character assassination of the child should not be allowed by Special Courts. The identity of the child must be protected, even after the trial. And at no point should the child be made to see the accused; a screen should be placed between the accused and the victim in the court.   Why the handbook The handbook not only provides guidelines to those working with POCSO cases, but also provides a holistic view of what they can expect as well. For instance, the handbook explains how a child’s behaviour can change post-sexual trauma, and how mental health experts should look out for it. In addition to the mandatory reporting of the crime — as prescribed in the POCSO Act, it also touches upon how mental health professionals can help a family navigate it. A social worker involved with putting together the handbook told TNM that standard operating procedures allow different stakeholders involved in the POCSO case to collaborate and coordinate with each other. It also clearly defines time frames within which the medical examinations, analyses of different samples and other aspects need to be done. Above all, the handbook hopes to standardise the ways in which POCSO cases are dealt and can help reduce errors and further trauma to the child and the family. In the future, SOP for judges and Child Welfare Committee workers will also be added to the handbook. 

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License of Bengaluru security firm cancelled after arrest of MD for assaulting workers

A video of the managing director of a private security firm in Bengaluru brutally assaulting two of his employees were shared widely on social media, prompting the police to make three arrests.

TNM Staff

Just days after a video of the managing director of a private security firm in Bengaluru brutally assaulting two of his employees was shared widely on social media, the firm's registration certificate has been cancelled by the Labour Department. Salim Khan, the managing director of Bangalore Security Force was arrested on Tuesday evening for allegedly assaulting two of his employees.  In the video clips, Salim Khan is seen standing on the neck of one of the employees and kicking another employee even as they both beg him to let them go. Salim is also heard asking, "Who told you?" repeatedly to his employees. The incident took place on Monday in HSR Layout in the city. Read: MD of Bengaluru security firm caught on camera brutally assaulting 2 employees, arrested HSR Layout police officials registered a suo motu case against Salim and arrested him on Tuesday evening. A team of officers from the Labour Department headed by divisional officer Yashodhar CN recorded the statement of the employees - Faizuddin and Raizuddin - who hail from Assam and were working with the security firm for the last few months.  After the statements were recorded, department officials decided to revoke the registration certificate of Bangalore Security Force. Manjunath G, Joint Labour Commissioner, Labour Welfare Board confirmed the decision to TNM. "The registration certificate of Bangalore Security Force has been revoked with immediate effect," he said.  In a letter confirming the cancellation of registration certificate, officials cited human rights violations against the employees and previous cases of assault and theft against Salim Khan as the reasons for its decision. "This (cancellation) letter has been issued for the protection of the workers working in your organisation and to protect their security under the principles of natural justice," the letter issued by a senior official of the Labour Department stated.  Salim was arrested along with two others from the same organisation. Bangalore Security Force provided security and housekeeping services in the city.  

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