SC declines Karnataka govt’s plea challenging NGT order on pollution in 3 lakes

Law

The NGT ruling had directed the government to deposit Rs 500 crore in an escrow account for failing to take action on pollution in three lakes in Bengaluru.

IANS

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a plea by Karnataka government challenging a National Green Tribunal ruling to deposit Rs 500 crore in an escrow account for failing to take action on pollution in three lakes in Bengaluru. The tribunal had also asked the government to submit a performance guarantee of Rs 100 crore. Senior advocate Devadutt Kamat, representing the Karnataka government, contended before a bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde that the amount which was directed to be deposited did not qualify as fine or penalty, and to comply with this direction of such a huge amount, the state would have to make separate budgetary allocation. Chief Justice Bobde, however, declined to hear the arguments and dismissed the plea. The tribunal had said the state will deposit a sum of Rs 50 crore by way of interim compensation for environmental restoration with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). In December 2018, the NGT ruled that sheer failure of state authorities concerned, including the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the three lakes -- Bellandur, Agara and Varthur -- as well as the "Rajakaluves" or storm water drains joining the lakes, were not clean and not free from encroachments. The NGT said the authorities should perform their duties by developing the requisite action plan and associated funds. "Inspite of admitted grave situation, the state/BBMP have not taken any coercive measures against polluters or the concerned officers for their failure. No prosecution is shown to have been launched. No serious steps are shown to have been taken to remedy the situation. Thus, the state and the BBMP are also liable to pay compensation for the past failure," the green court had said. The BBMP was ordered to deposit Rs 25 crore with the CPCB. Former Supreme Court judge Justice Santosh Hegde headed a committee, formed by the NGT, to monitor the cleaning and removal of encroachments.

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B’luru man posing as fake CBI officer held for extorting businessmen, Rs 24 lakh seized

Crime

The accused has been identified as M P Abhilash, who had been successfully implementing and carrying out his modus operandi for the past two years now.

TNM Staff

A 34-year-old man from Bengaluru was arrested by officials from the Central Crime Branch (CCB) after he had successfully managed to extort money from around 20 businessmen in Bengaluru by posing as a CBI officer. Officials also recovered Rs 24 lakh in cash and confiscated a Mercedes Benz and an Audi from his residence. The accused has been identified as M P Abhilash, who had been successfully implementing and carrying out his modus operandi for the past two years now. As per reports, he is an unemployed engineering graduate. According to reports, Abhilash would approach businessmen in the city posing as an official from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and use tax threats to extort large sums of cash from them. Abhilash, a resident of Annasandrapalya near HAL, was caught when he attempted to undertake the same operation against a realtor who approached the police, after having grown suspicious of Abhilash’s claims. The realtor, identified as Vijay Reddy was reportedly looking to expand his business and enter software development business. Abhilash came to know of Vijay’s plans through a mutual friend and using the friend was able to set up a meeting with Vijay. During the meeting, when Abhilash questioned Vijay how he was planning to finance the new business, Vijay grew suspicious of Abhilash. When the latter stated that he was a CBI officer looking into cases of realtors evading taxes, Vijay stated that he paid income tax regularly and didn’t have any sources of income which he had not disclosed. Abhilash also reportedly threatened Vijay and stated that he had to give him Rs 1 crore if he did not want a case filed against him. Vijay immediately went to the police and told them of his suspicions, following which Abhilash was arrested. He confessed to the crime after he was unable to explain how he possessed an Audi and a Mercedes Benz car in his name. CCB officials have asked individuals who may have been conned by Abhilash to come forward and give their complaints.

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'Kannad Gothilla' review: Jingoistic thriller that takes its subject too far

Review

If any movie must win an award for the worst climax sequence this year, it has to be 'Kannad Gothilla'.

Aravind Shwetha

Kannad Gothilla - if you are a Kannadiga, you may have heard this from people who cannot speak or understand Kannada. If you are a non-Kannadiaga residing in Bengaluru, you may have uttered this at some point in your life. Kannad Gothilla itself comes in two tones. One, an honest, somewhat apologetic admission by non-Kannadigas, implying that they are trying to learn the language, and the other is the arrogant tone, expressing the carefree "chalta hai" attitude that's especially prevalent among Hindi speakers. The latter has become the reason for the clarion call #Kannadagottu. South Indians have forever been resisting Hindi imposition, and anything perceived as an insult to south Indian languages is taken very seriously. But, can one go on a killing spree for the sake of language? Eight non-Kannadigas are found murdered in different locations across the city, and there’s only one common thread – they have all travelled in a cab owned by Manjunath (Dharmanna). Harshavardhan (Mayura Raghavendra) is put on the job to solve the case. As he makes no headway, a top cop (Sudharani) assigns special officer Shruthi Chakravarty (Hariprriya) for the case. While she decides to take the road less travelled to solve the case, it leads her back to the police station itself. So, who is the real culprit? Kannad Gothilla is Hariprriya’s one-woman show and the actor, as Malashree 2.0, is a treat to watch. She had played a similar role in her 25th Kannada film D/O Parvathamma. Hence, she doesn’t spring any surprises here. Kannad Gothilla is more like an extended version of the film. The same-old low-angle shots during investigation sequences, similar and clichéd costumes hint at a very stereotypical filmmaking pattern. Dharmanna, Pavan (as Soma), Mahantesh, Sudharani and Mayura Raghavendra have limited roles and you can’t expect much from them. Pavan’s comedy is monotonous. The music leaves no mark. The director’s intention to set a crime thriller in the backdrop of language love is hard to digest. The dots are difficult to connect, as many may not agree with the idea of using the language issue for a script like this one. At the end of the film, one is baffled about what it intended to say. If any movie must win an award for the worst climax sequence this year, it has to be Kannad Gothilla. The movie is predictable and evokes no language passion whatsoever. Yes, there is plenty of ‘If Kannadigas themselves don’t speak the language, how can you expect it from others’ moments. But all of it fails to impress. Kannadigas are known for welcoming people of different languages and cultures with open arms. The movie’s message seems to be giving out the opposite vibes. The thin line between the love for language and linguistic chauvinism has been a bone of contention among many from years. But all said and done, Bengaluru has forever been a cosmopolitan city. A recent survey had even revealed that 40 percent of the people in Karnataka are multi-lingual. Many Kannada film directors are of the opinion that remakes don’t work here, as most people are bilingual and may have already seen the movie in the original language. Yes, Kannada in Bengaluru has forever ‘faced the threat’, if one has to put it that way. But, move a little out of Bengaluru and it is all ‘Kannada’ everywhere. It is the same case in all other cosmopolitan cities - from New York to Mumbai to Bengaluru. Most people residing in border towns, in any state for that matter, are bilingual. Overall, Kannad Gothilla leaves a lot to be desired. It's neither a good crime thriller nor a flag-bearer of language love. Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.

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The way cars are designed in India puts lives of women at risk: Experts

Technology

Often, cars in India are designed keeping in mind the physiology of males, and thus put women at risk when it comes to comfort and safety.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

The way cars are designed in India could be putting women who drive them at risk, experts at a panel discussion at the recently-held Bengaluru Tech summit said.   “Seatbelts and airbags proved to be more deadly to women passengers than male,” said Cynthia Srinivas, Senior Engineering Manager at Intuit. The reason? Cars are primarily designed by men and are constructed to suit male physiology. Though data released by the government points to the fact that most fatalities in road accidents in India are men, this could be attributed to risk-taking behaviour and the fact that most cars are driven by men.  However, Criado Perez, a British journalist, explains in her book ‘Invisible women: Exposing data bias in a world designed for men’ that a woman who is in a collision is 47% more likely to be seriously injured than a man and 17% more likely to die. This is attributed to the flawed design: engineers and designers take note of the male physiology as the default, which negatively affects the experience of female users. She explains, for example, that the seatbelt in cars is designed with the average man in mind. They are made for people with the height of an average male, and the width of male shoulders. She says pregnant women, or the bust of women is not taken into account, which is the reason why many women prefer not to wear seatbelts.  Even when women do wear seatbelts, she explains, they aremore adversely affected during a crash due to the phenomenon called whiplash. During a crash, you go forward and come back with an enormous amount of force, which has the capacity to break your neck. Men are not as adversely affected as women by this phenomenon because their neck muscles are more defined. The current seat-belt design does not take this into account, experts say. Airbags, too, have been designed based on crash data taken from a “male default” dummy during testing. Thus, smaller people, including children and women, are not adequately protected by airbags in cars. This is because where their bodies hit during a crash is completely different from that of a "default male". The cars are also not easy to use for shorter or smaller drivers since they sit closer to the edge of the seat and it becomes difficult for them to reach the car pedals and often have to strain to see over the wheel. This brings their heads and chests closer to the steering wheel and the airbag, making their bodies more susceptible to injuries, researchers say. However, this bad design is not just limited to the realm of private cars. Buses too are designed taking into account the average stride of a man, which makes it harder for women to enter a bus. This is because they are generally shorter, and take smaller strides. What is the solution? The panel at Bengaluru Tech Summit spoke of the importance of female representation at all levels, whether it be leadership or design. One of the speakers, Cynthia Srinivas, an engineering manager, especially highlighted the point of representation in design, saying that the risk of being a woman extends even when you’re within the comfort of your own car. “Women in leadership can also be more empathetic, which makes all the employees fare better in their work, not just women,” she said. 

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Bengaluru police deport 59 Bangladeshi immigrants detained last month

Immigrants

The 59 immigrants from Bangladesh, including 23 women and 18 children, were detained in Ramamurthynagar, Bellandur and Marathahalli in October.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka police on Friday deported a group of 59 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh as part of the state's deportation exercise, an official said. The immigrants were to Kolkata by train.  “They (illegal migrants) have already boarded the train towards Howrah, along with 29 Karnataka policemen. They will be handed over to the West Bengal police and Border Security Force (BSF),” Deputy Commissioner of Police Bengaluru (East) SD Sharanappa said. The team of Karnataka police officials, which also includes female police officers, is escorting 18 men, 23 women and 18 children who were detained in three areas in the city — Ramamurthynagar, Bellandur and Marathahalli — in October. According to the DCP, there are no cases against the immigrants as they are victims of human trafficking. “We spoke to the agencies of West Bengal Police concerned and also the BSF. We are coordinating with the Karnataka Home Department and the Union Home Ministry,” said Sharanappa. The train carrying the immigrants is scheduled to reach Kolkata around 3 pm on Saturday, after which they will be handed over to the West Bengal Police and BSF. Arrangements will then be made to deport them to their native country.  Read: Karnataka HC asks state govt to spell out plan for detaining illegal immigrants The Karnataka police had to move the Bangladeshis to the Puttaparthi Railway station of Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh to board the train, as the South Western Railway zone could not provide a full coach to accommodate the police, from Bengaluru. The deportation of the detained immigrants comes a day after the Karnataka High Court asked the state government to spell out its plan to detain illegal immigrants in the state in the event the countries they are being deported to do not accept them. A detention centre built in Nelamangala, around 40 km from Bengaluru, will be operational from January 2020, but in the absence of state-run detention centres, the state government has identified temporary areas where illegal immigrants will be detained.   The High Court was hearing a bail plea filed by an immigrant from Bangladesh, along with 14 other immigrants detained in August 2018 in Bengaluru.  With IANS inputs  

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Long weekends in store for 2020: List of public holidays in Karnataka next year

Holidays

The year 2020 will have 18 public holidays.

TNM Staff

The year 2020 is just over a month away and the Karnataka government has released the list of public holidays for the new year. The year 2020 will have 18 public holidays.  The list features 10 holidays that fall either on a Monday or a Friday, making it an extended weekend for the working lot.  The potential long weekends fall during Maha Shivaratri, Good Friday, Mahaveer Jayanti, May Day, Ramzan, Bakrid, Gandhi Jayanti, Vijayadashami, Eid-Milad, Deepavali and Christmas. Here’s the full list: January 15 (Wednesday) - Makara Sankranti February 21 (Friday) - Shivaratri March 21 (Wednesday) - Ugadi April 6 (Monday) - Mahaveer Jayanti April 10 (Friday) - Good Friday April 14 (Tuesday) - Ambedkar Jayanti May 1 (Friday) - May Day May 25 (Monday) - Khutba-e-Ramzan August 1 (Saturday) - Bakrid Aug 15 (Saturday) - Independence Day September 15 (Thursday) - Mahalaya Amavasya October 2 (Friday) - Gandhi Jayanti October 26 (Monday) - Vijayadashami October 30 (Friday) - Eid Milad October 31 (Saturday) - Valmiki Jayanti November 16 (Monday) - Deepavali December 3 (Thursday) - Kanakadasa Jayanti December 25 (Friday) - Christmas The list does not include holidays such as Republic Day (January 26), Basava Jayanti (April 26), Moharram (August 8), Mahanavami (October 26), Ayudha Pooja (October 26) and Kannada Rajyotsava (November 1). Incidentally, most of these days fall on a Sunday, which means, no scope for an extended weekend. Naraka Chaturdashi (November 14) and Varasiddhi Vinayaka Vratha (August 22), meanwhile, fall on the second and fourth Saturdays respectively.   

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K’taka police arrest PFI member who allegedly masterminded attack on MLA Tanveer Sait

Crime

Investigating officials say that Abid Shah, the alleged mastermind, is accused in nine other murder cases across Karnataka.

TNM Staff

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the attempted murder of Narasimharaja MLA Tanveer Sait said that member of Popular Front of India – Abid Pasha is the alleged mastermind in the case. Investigating officials said that Abid Pasha, who is an accused in nine other murder cases across the state, allegedly trained Farhan Pasha – the man who stabbed Tanveer Sait. On the night of November 17, Farhan Pasha, who worked as an assistant to a craftsman, allegedly stabbed Tanveer Sait’s neck with a knife outside Bal Bhavan in Mysuru’s Bannimantap area. Tanveer Sait was walking out of Bal Bhavan after attending a wedding ceremony when the incident occurred. Farhan Pasha tried to flee the spot. However, onlookers caught him and handed him over to the Narasimharaja Police. An SIT was constituted to investigate the matter after Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa accused PFI of planning Tanveer Sait’s murder. Investigating officials say that Abid Pasha allegedly financed the entire operation and had trained Farhan in the usage of a knife. “Abid Pasha took Farhan to Kerala in October, where he was taught how to stab someone in the neck. They used stray dogs to practise the stabbing. We found that Abid Pasha got a few stray dogs and Farhan practised by stabbing the animals’ necks,” the police said. On November 20, the SIT arrested Abid Pasha, and other members of PFI Akram alias Don Akram, Noor Khan, Muheeb and Muzzamil. Police said that Abid Pasha provided training and money, while Akram, Noor, Muheeb and Muzzamil provided logistical support and conducted a reconnaissance of the venue before the night of the attempted murder. They have been remanded to judicial custody and are being interrogated. “The accused had followed the MLA for weeks before the murder to learn his movements and details on who generally accompanies him. We have also recovered one bike, which was used for the recce,” the investigating officer said. Abid Pasha’s chequered past In April 2019, Mysuru’s Kuvempunagar Police arrested Abid Pasha, who had eluded law enforcement officials in Karnataka. Abid Pasha was accused of killing RSS activist Raju in Kyatamaranahalli in Udayagir in 2016. He was, however, out on bail in June. A resident of Erekatte Street in Lashkar Mohalla, Abid Pasha would allegedly stalk his victims before killing them and left behind very few clues at the crime scene, said officials. He is accused of abducting and killing two business management students – Sudheendra and Vignesh – in 2011. The victims were abducted and Abid had allegedly demanded a ransom and later killed them in Chikkamagaluru. He is also the prime accused in the murder of his acquaintance Thyagaraj Pillai. “Totally there are nine murder cases registered against him in against him including the murder of RSS worker Raju. He was the mastermind in all these murder cases. He used to plan the murders meticulously. This time, Farhan would have got away if he had not fallen down as there was another man waiting for him on the bike,” the police said. Police on Tuesday provided Sait with 24×7 security. Fairoz, Sait’s former gunman has been suspended and two new gunmen have been deployed for his safety.    

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