44 police personnel in Karnataka have died of COVID-19

Coronavirus

Karnataka DG-IGP Praveen Sood said he has directed all his subordinates to liberally sanction earned leave to police personnel having comorbidity or serious illness.

PTI

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The Karnataka state police chief Praveen Sood on Thursday said 44 police personnel have died due to COVID-19 in Karnataka so far and their kin have been given Rs 30 lakh ex-gratia announced by the government for all frontline warriors.  The Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG-IGP) hailed Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa for categorising police personnel also as corona warriors along with doctors, nurses and ASHA health workers as it entitled them for the Rs 30 lakh COVID ex-gratia in the event of their death. "So far 44 policemen have lost their lives due to COVID- 19. We have not just given Rs 30 lakh each to their families. They will also get insurance, other benefits and a job for a dependent on the compassionate ground," Sood told reporters in Vijayapura, in response to a question. The ex-gratia of Rs 30 lakh had been given within 48 hours of the demise of the police personnel, he said. The DG-IGP said he has directed all his subordinates to liberally sanction earned leave to police personnel having comorbidity or serious illness. "The others will have to work because we cannot sit at home permanently. The infection is not on the road. It has entered every house. We have to take precautions," he said. He, however, saw coronavirus as a blessing in disguise as it helped in extensive usage of technology. "One good thing that has happened due to COVID-19 is that technology is widely used. Video conference is extensively used (in court proceedings). It is happening from Bengaluru to Bijapur. It should reach the interior villages," he added. The police have stopped taking accused to the court and were getting their appearance done through video conference. He said that in the next four to five years, even evidence might be recorded through video conferences. On the drug menace, Sood said the police were initiating action to check it, adding a lot of seizures had been made and the drive would continue in future also. "We have to eliminate the drug menace from the state" and people would see the results soon due to the measures taken to curb the entry of drugs coming from neighbouring states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, he said

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Karnataka govt withdraws 62 criminal cases against BJP MPs and MLAs

Controversy

This comes on the recommendation of a sub-committee headed by Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka government has decided to withdraw 62 criminal complaints against its MPs and MLAs. Based on the recommendation of Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who headed a sub-committee, cases against several sitting ministers, including the Law, Tourism and Agriculture ministers, will be dropped as well.  The cases that are being dropped are those against Karnataka Minister JC Madhuswamy and Tourism Minister CT Ravi, according to a report in News18. They both were facing charges of rioting, unlawful assembly and wrongful restraint.  The case against Anand Singh, rebel Congress leader who last year switched to join the BJP, has also been dropped. Anand Singh was booked in 2017 for attacking a Hospete Taluk office and was charged with criminal intimidation, assaulting a public servant, and damaging public property.  The case against Mysuru MP Pratap Simha, who was booked for trying to run over a policeman, has also been dropped. The policeman had tried to stop him during a Hanuman Jayanthi procession in December 2017 and had been injured then. Simha had been booked for overspeeding and for voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant. Other leaders against whom cases are being dropped include Mandya independent MP Sumalatha Ambarish, BJP MLA fromYelburga Hallapa Achar, BJP MLA from Honnalli and CM’s political secretary MP Renukacharya.  The proposal to drop these cases was opposed by the director general and inspector general of police(DG-IGP), the director of prosecution and government litigation and the law department but despite this, the government has decided to go ahead with it.  The BJP government has refused allegations of ulterior motive behind the move and have claimed that it is ‘routine’ and the leaders had cases filed against them for taking up ‘public issues.’  A couple of days ago, the government also decided to drop cases against several protestors, most of whom are part of farmers’ groups and had taken part in protests on the Mahadayi issue.  The Youth Congress in Karnataka, meanwhile, has questioned the state government’s move. The party give tickets only for them Who have a criminal background or one who have done crimetl The person who don't know to speak English he's Tourism Minister Another one who don't know to talk properly with women's & peoples of Karnataka he's Law Minister.#CriminalsOfBJP pic.twitter.com/U3FOn9HfvV — M.Kashif Ahmed || ಎಂ.ಕೆ. ಅಹ್ಮದ್ (@M_KashifAhmed) September 3, 2020

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Contact tracing foiled by conspiracy theories, lack of federal messaging

A total of 14 states and New York City supplied POLITICO contact tracing results showing widespread public reluctance to participate in disease tracking.

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HHS secretary insists no politics at play in coronavirus vaccine race

Alex Azar’s remarks come as three vaccine candidates have entered late-stage Phase 3 clinical trials.

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K'taka Cabinet considering deferring BBMP polls, increasing wards in Bengaluru to 225

Politics

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister JC Madhuswamy said a joint select committee of the legislature is looking into the BBMP bill.

TNM Staff

With the Bengaluru civic body polls around the corner, the Karnataka cabinet on Thursday discussed increasing the number of wards under Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) from 198 to 225. It also discussed seeking permission from the High Court, about postponing the polls, in case the ward delimitation has to happen. "We have discussed increasing the number of wards under BBMP, we will have a separate meeting for it. According to a thinking it has to be 225 wards from 198 wards now," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister JC Madhuswamy said. Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, he said a joint select committee of the legislature is looking into the BBMP bill that the government had placed before the assembly, and so the matter will be raised at the committee meeting and accordingly a decision taken. "But, the government's thinking is the number of wards should be increased, for about 40,000-42,000 population there should be a ward," he said. "If the ward delimitation has to happen we will have to seek permission from the court to postpone the elections for some time, as the term (of current BBMP council) ends later this month, we will have approach court before that." To a question, whether areas under BBMP will be increased while increasing the number of wards, the minister said, more areas will get added and more parts of Bengaluru will be considered. The number of zones will increase from current 8 to 15. "All these things will be discussed at the joint select committee meeting scheduled for tomorrow," he added. The BJP government at the last moment during the assembly session in March had introduced The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Bill that promises a 5-year mayoral term, area sabhas, among other reforms. It was subsequently referred to the Joint Select Committee headed by BJP MLA S Raghu. Pointing out that question hour has been cancelled for the upcoming Parliament session, Madhuswamy said,what has to be done in the state assembly, it will be discussed at the business advisory committee meeting. Amid opposition's criticism to the government's plans to introduce about 30 bills during the coming assembly session , he said there are about 18-20 ordinance replacement bills for this session and there is a plan to introduce another 8-10 bills. This will be discussed at the business advisory committee meeting on the first day of the session and bills will be introduced after taking everyone into confidence, he said. Monsoon session of the legislature will be held from September 21 to 30.

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(With PTI Inputs)

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Kannada filmstar Ragini Dwivedi seeks time to appear before cops in drug case

Controversy

Citing a very short notice, Ragini on Twitter said she is committed to appear before the CCB on Monday morning.

TNM Staff

Sandalwood actor Ragini Dwivedi who was summoned by the Central Crime Branch in Bengaluru in connection with a drug use case failed to appear before the police on Thursday. The actor was summoned in wake of the Kannada film industry being linked to wide-scale drug abuse.  In a series of tweets, Ragini, on Thursday, claimed innocence and said that she will appear before the police on Monday. She said her lawyers had appeared before the police and explained her situation because of which she could not appear before the CCB on Thursday. I am grateful for all the concern expressed by the public about a notice I received https://t.co/yHsBpREC1M I received it at a very short notice,I was unable to appear today before the CCB police.However out of respect for the process of the law ( contd ) —Ragini Dwivedi (@raginidwivedi24) September 3, 2020 She said, “I am grateful for all the concern expressed by the public about a notice I received yesterday. As I received it at a very short notice,I was unable to appear today before the CCB police.However out of respect for the process of the law ( contd )” She added, “My advocates have presented themselves before the police, have explained my difficulty in not being able to appear today and have sought time. I am committed to appear on Monday morning before the police.” My advocates have presented themselves before the police, have explained my difficulty in not being able to appear today and have sought time. I am committed to appear on Monday morning before the police.( contd ) — Ragini Dwivedi (@raginidwivedi24) September 3, 2020 She claimed that she has nothing to hide but will “humbly participate in any questioning”. “I consider it my duty as a citizen to humbly participate in any questioning that the police might have. I have nothing to hide and have no connection with any unlawful activity which is being probed by the CCB police. Once again I express my gratitude to concern,” her tweet read. The allegation of drug use in the Kannada film circles had come up with the authorities arresting an international drug racket, including a kingin identified as Anikha, on August 21. Police and the Narcotics Control Bureau have said that during interrogation Anikha have dropped many big names of the Sandalwood industry who were allegedly part of her clientele. Ragini was summoned along with a friend, a government employee, after filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh had reportedly told the CCB about Ragini’s involvement.

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KSRTC extends special Onam bus services to Kerala and back to Karnataka

Transport

The buses will ply towards various Kerala districts from Bengaluru and Mysuru.

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The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation on Thursday said they are extending the operation of special services to Kerala and back which were introduced during the occasion of Onam festival. The special interstate services had started operating from August 24 from Bengaluru and Mysuru to various places in Kerala.  The KSRTC on Thursday said that for the convenience of the travelling public the special services will be extended up to September 8. The operation of buses to Kerala state from Bengaluru and Mysuru will end on September 7 and from Kerala back to Karnataka on September 8.  The services will be operated on these routes- from Bengaluru to Kannur, Ernakulam, Kasaragod, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram and Vadakara and back to Bengaluru from these places.  Buses will operate from Mysuru to Thiruvananthapuram, Emakulam and Kottayam and back to Mysuru from these places.  The KSRTC said that travellers from Karnataka to Kerala have to adhere to Kerala state government's orders. This will include mandatorily registering in the Covid Jagratha Portal of Kerala Govt. https://ift.tt/2QRjBmQ a ‘Proof of registration’ has to be shown to KSRTC officials before boarding the bus. Otherwise boarding will be denied.  It is further mandatory for all passengers to wear masks. Passengers can book tickets in advance online through www.ksrtc.in or through franchisee advance reservation counters. Like the KSRTC, the Kerala Road Transport Corporation (Kerala RTC) had also resumed interstate bus service to Karnataka for the first time since the COVID-19 induced lockdowns were put in place. Kerala Minister for Transport AK Saseendran had earlier announced that bus services will resume between Kerala and Karnataka (Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kodagu, Sulia among other places) from August 25 to September 6 Similar services were introduced from Kerala to neighbouring Tamil Nadu as well.

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