Bengaluru pharmacy owner held for illegally selling painkiller that killed 2 youth

Crime

On November 17, the two youths had injected a prescription drug called Tydol which they had purchased from a pharmacy in Rajajinagar, and they died two days later.

Theja Ram

The Bengaluru Police have arrested the owner of a pharmacy in Rajajinagar for allegedly selling Tydol tablets to two the two youths who died on November 19 due to an overdose. On Friday, the Vyalikaval Police arrested Manish Kumar, the owner of Mandeep Pharmacy located in Rajajinagar’s Dr MC Modi Road. The arrest was made after the police obtained the statement of one of the victims of the alleged overdose – Sumanth, who is currently undergoing treatment at KIMS Hospital in Bengaluru. According to Sumanth’s statement, at around 5 pm on November 17, he planned to meet his friends Gopi and Abhilash at Gopi’s residence for a birthday party. When the trio met, Gopi allegedly asked Abhilash to stay back, while he asked Sumanth to accompany him to the medical store. “Gopi drove us all the way from Vyalikaval to Rajajinagar to Mandeep Pharma, where he bought some tablets, distilled water and syringes. We went back to Gopi’s house. Gopi took us to a building, which was under construction opposite his house, where he told us about Tydol,” Sumanth’s statement reads. Tydol is a painkiller used for post-operative care. It is an opioid and overdose can lead to death. Sumanth told the police that the owner of Mandeep Pharma had sold them the pills without a prescription. “Gopi told us that he had bought it (tablets) many times from Mandeep Pharma. Abhilash and I were reluctant to consume it. Gopi mixed the pills with water and injected it into his body first.  Abhilash did it the second time. I did not want to do it but I felt pressurised to. We injected it into our bodies twice,” Sumanth’s statement reads. Soon after, Abhilash allegedly complained of pain in his heart and stomach. The trio then decided to return home, thinking it may have been the alcohol they had consumed prior to the consumption of Tydol, that was causing the uneasiness. “On the morning of November 18, Abhilash’s parents had taken him to Suguna Hospital. Gopi was taken to Vera Hospital. I was brought to KIMS by my parents. I did not know what was happening until the doctors told me that it was the painkiller,” Sumanth said in his statement to the police. However, earlier, the police had told TNM, the three friends had met at Abhilash’s home and had stayed back at his residence after consuming the drug. The police, now say that the FIR has been registered based on Sumanth’s statement as they did not have the information during preliminary investigation. Based on his complaint, the Vyalikaval police informed the state Drugs Controller that Mandeep Pharma had allegedly illegally sold a prescription drug to the three youth, which resulted in their deaths. The Drugs Controller under officer Khanapure raided Mandeep Pharma on Friday evening. Khanapure told TNM that they found a huge stash of Tydol at the pharmacy, which was not logged into the store’s books. “This was stashed illegally. He was selling Tydol illegally for months before the raid. We have seized the drugs and the police have booked him under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,” Khanapure said. In addition, Manish has been booked under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC.  

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Sharad Pawar's denial in Maharashtra 'coup' similar to what Deve Gowda did in 2006

Politics

The scenario playing out in Maharashtra is strikingly similar to the events that unfolded in Karnataka in 2006 when JD(S) suddenly pulled out of the coalition with Congress and formed a government with BJP.

TNM Staff

The startling twists that politics in Maharashtra has taken is a stark reminder of the political upheaval that took place in Karnataka in 2006. The JD(S) had suddenly pulled out of the coalition with the Congress and formed an alliance with the BJP. On Saturday, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar claimed that his nephew, Ajit Pawar who was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra at 8 am, had forged an alliance with the BJP without his consent. "Ajit Pawar's decision to support the BJP to form the Maharashtra Government is his personal decision and not that of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). We place on record that we do not support or endorse this decision of his," Sharad Pawar tweeted. This scenario is strikingly similar to the events that unfolded in Karnataka in 2006, when JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda's son -- HD Kumaraswamy -- convinced 46 out of 58 JD(S) MLAs to withdraw support from the coalition government it formed with the Congress in 2004. Kumaraswamy's sudden change in stance at the time had come as a shock to many. When Kumaraswamy had announced his "unconditional support" for the BJP in 2006, many questions prevailed on whether Deve Gowda had granted his approval for the political coup.  At the time, Deve Gowda held a press conference at JP Bhavan in Bengaluru and said that Kumaraswamy had acted out of his own volition and that he did not support his son's move.  "It was Kumaraswamy's decision, not mine," Deve Gowda had repeatedly said when Karnataka was plunged into a political crisis overnight.  Just like Sharad Pawar, Deve Gowda too distanced himself from his son’s plot to break up the alliance with the Congress. An insider privy to the most confidential matters in the JD(S), Kumarswamy's "sudden move" as Deve Gowda had called it, seemed like a betrayal to the former Prime Minister. "Kumaraswamy formed the alliance with the BJP for power," Deve Gowda had then said. His words are rather similar to Pawar's. However, others believe that senior Gowda was very much part of the plan, but it was only for public posturing that he distanced himself from his son's decision. And just as questions are being raised today on just how much Sharad Pawar knew of his nephew’s plans to ally with the BJP, many had then wondered if Deve Gowda was also in on his son’s plans.  Despite repeatedly stating that his son had betrayed him, Deve Gowda had ultimately stayed silent when the JD(S)-BJP coalition formed the government with both his sons -- HD Kumaraswamy and HD Revanna holding top posts in the government. One was a Chief Minister, while the other held the powerful Energy portfolio.  

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Struggling to stay afloat, Bengaluru’s iconic bookstore Goobe’s may have to shut shop

Business

The store may have to close down by as early as December this year.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Goobe’s Book Republic, the decade-old secondhand bookstore in Bengaluru, is struggling to keep its doors open, and is appealing to bibliophiles to head over and support the business. Goobe’s began serving customers secondhand books, as well as the latest releases, in 2009. It is situated in a basement at one end of Church Street, parallel to MG Road. Goobe is among the iconic bookstores of Bengaluru, like its neighbours, Blossoms and Bookworm. However, the store may have to wind up soon. They recently posted on social media that demonetisation and the current economic slowdown has caused their business to dwindle. This comes after several businesses in the city have been threatened by low demand. Ravi Menezes, the owner of Goobe's, told TNM that he has been finding it hard to cover his overheads ever since demonetisation happened. “We’d love to keep working, but it’s important for us to clear our overheads, and generate new business.” Some, who are moved by the thought of this iconic bookstore shutting down, have been fervently sharing posts on Facebook to encourage people to go to Goobe’s Book Republic. Social media posts say that Goobe’s is “staring at extinction”, as quickly as by December this year. The posts urge people to go and there and support local bookstores. Goobe’s is currently hosting a clearance sale of select books. Prices for these books start at Rs 25, Rs 69 and Rs 99. Besides selling books, Goobe’s has also been a frequent spot for book launches, and for talks with authors. Apart from the bookstore, Goobe’s also offers a library service to office spaces with more than 50 employees. They propose to set up a book rack at the office, and change 100 of the books with fresh stock every month, based on reading preferences. The service starts at Rs 7000, and can be personalised for organisations with more employees. Other popular bookstores on Church Street that also attract local bibliophiles are Bookworm and Blossoms. The latter has recently expanded to open a second store on Church Street.  

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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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