Watch: Taxi submerged in Bengaluru underbridge, driver hangs on to roof of car

Floods

The incident occurred at the Kodigehalli underpass in Bengaluru early on Wednesday morning.

TNM Staff

The video of a man hanging on to the roof of his Innova car in the middle of a flooded underpass in Bengaluru went viral on Wednesday. The incident occurred near the Kodigehalli underpass in the early hours of Wednesday. According to an eyewitness, Chetan Shetty, a resident of Kodigehalli, the driver, was in an Innova car, seemingly owned by a car rental company, as there was a sticker on its bumper. The driver was travelling towards Yelahanka, when he arrived at the Kodigehalli railway underpass at around 6.30 am.  Even after locals persuaded him to ditch his vehicle and escape. The driver held on to his vehicle (2/2). pic.twitter.com/kMw6RxIjGz — Imran Khan (@keypadguerilla) September 9, 2020 "Generally, whenever it rains even slightly higher than normal, the underpass gets flooded.  Since the road slopes, from afar, the water level looks shallow, and that's how the driver ended up in the middle of the flooded underpass," Chetan Shetty said.  The driver seemingly assumed that the water level was low and decided to cross the underpass. However, when he reached the middle of the underpass, he realised that the road sloped downward and his car began to drown.  "Me and another local, a 20-year-old man, were shouting at the driver, telling him not to go inside from the side of the road. I think he did not hear us and his car started drowning," Chetan Shetty added.  The driver, however, managed to get out of the car and the Innova began drowning inside the flooded murky water. The driver held on to the roof of the car, which had a contraption to house luggage.  Chetan and the other local resident immediately called the driver of an earthmover they knew. The duo fetched a rope from their house and pulled the driver towards the road. By 8 am, the earthmover had arrived at the spot.  "We tied a fat rope to the contraption above the car and tied the other end to the earthmover. Within minutes the car was taken out. But since it was submerged in water, the driver was unable to kickstart the car. He finally told his employer, who sent a towing vehicle to help them get back. By 9 am, everyone was out of it safely," Chetan Shetty said.  On Tuesday night, moderately heavy rain lashed Bengaluru. Low lying areas including Kodigehalli, HBR layout, Horamavu and Sahakar Nagar flooded. In HBR Layout, rain water mixed with sewage from the storm drain nearby flooded homes. Sleeping residents awoke to water entering their houses.  This is not a new phenomenon in Bengaluru. Due to rampant encroachment of storm water drains over decades, low lying areas tend to get flooded whenever there is moderate to heavy rainfall. The primary reason is lack of inter-agency coordination between Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). While the BBMP is supposed to desilt storm drains, the BWSSB has to ensure that sewage does not flow into these drains. With both agencies placing the blame on each other, there has rarely been any initiative in cleaning up these drains, which inadvertently lead to flash floods. 

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Bengaluru Metro row: ED attaches Rs 60 crore assets of Church of South India trust

Crime

The land was allegedly leased by the Defence Ministry to Church of South India Trust Association, ED said.

PTI

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth nearly Rs 60 crore of the Church of South India Trust Association (CSITA) in Bengaluru for alleged illegal transfer of land leased to it by the Defence Ministry. In a statement, the ED said the attached assets are in the form of fixed deposits maintained and available with the State Bank of India and the action has been initiated under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). According to the ED, investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered at Ashoknagar Police Station, Bengaluru, against the CSITA for allegedly "dishonestly" entering into an arrangement for transfer of the title of a piece of land measuring 7426.886 square metres belonging to the Ministry of Defence. The land was earlier leased to the All Saints Church in Bengaluru. Part of the precinct where the All Saints Church, Bengaluru, is situated, has been allegedly transferred to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), a Karnataka government undertaking, by the CSITA to receive a compensation of Rs 59.29 crore in 2019. The BMRCL had acquired the said land through the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB). The ED said during investigation it was found that the title of the land belonged to the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, and it was only leased out to the All Saints Church for conducting religious affairs and no proprietary right of the land was ever transferred to the Church. The CSITA allegedly illegally transferred the land belonging to the Ministry of Defence to BMRCL, the ED said. The compensation for the land is required to be paid into the Consolidated Fund of India as the rightful owner of the land is the Ministry of Defence, the agency said. The CSITA is not the rightful owner of the land "illegally barged" into the land of Defence authorities and has allegedly transferred the property and obtained the proceeds amounting to Rs 59.29 crore from BMRCL, the ED said. Accordingly, identified assets to the tune of Rs 59.52 crore, including accrued interest on the amount received, have been provisionally attached under PMLA, the ED said, adding that further investigation is in progress.

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'The water had reached knee level': Bengaluru's HBR Layout wakes up to major flooding

Floods

A mixture of heavy rains and overflowing sewage water from a stormwater drain led to floods in HBR Layout.

Prajwal Bhat

Mubeen, a 40-year-old resident of HBR Layout in Bengaluru, was asleep on Tuesday night when she was awoken by the sound of water gushing. She woke up to find that water had entered their home.  "The water had reached knee level before we woke up. We packed whatever we could and headed upstairs to our neighbour's house," says Mubeen.   Her neighborhood in HBR Layout's 1st stage grappled with rising water levels on Tuesday night after a spell of heavy rains. Parts of Sahakar Nagar, Horamavu and HBR Layout reported flooding on Wednesday following the rains.  In HBR Layout, water mixed with drainage from a storm-water drain near the railway track spilled into low-lying residential areas and plunged the residents into chaos around 1.30 am.  On Wednesday morning, residents assessed the damage in their homes. Many were seen scooping water out of their homes and drying the household items damaged by the rains. "Our grocery items were submerged in the water and now we have no more rice left," Mubeen says.  Several residents were checking their vehicles and complaining that it was not starting due to excessive water entering inside. "The situation is the same across the neighborhood. Many of us have our vehicles outside but the engines are not starting because too much water has entered inside," says Rajat, a software professional living in the area.  Residents complained that there were no boats rescuing people and helpline numbers weren't responsive on Tuesday night. "We tried helpline numbers but there was no help forthcoming. The electricity was not shut off so there was the risk of electrocution. There was a smell of gas and petrol in the air in the night," Mubeen says.  Flooding is not uncommon in HBR Layout as it is a low-lying area. The rains on Tuesday night began around 10:30 pm and continued till the early hours of Wednesday morning according to residents. "There was high intensity rains in Bengaluru last night. Many places in Bengaluru excluding the southern zone and Bommanahalli zone recorded over 100 mm rainfall last night. Since it was in the night, it did not disrupt traffic but low-lying areas were flooded," Subha Avinash, a scientific officer in the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) tells TNM.  According to figures compiled by KSNDMC, rainfall measured in HBR Layout was 108.5 mm. In other areas like RT Nagar, the rain recorded was 139 mm. Long-time residents in HBR Layout point to a storm-water drain close to the railway track in HBR Layout for aggravating the floods. "There is a storm-water drain where the water flows down usually. We don't know the reason but water is blocked from flowing in the storm-water drain and it gushes into residential areas Do we pay all our hard earned money in taxes for staying like this . What do u want us to do in such situation no help can reach at this time. People are stranded running for their life. Trying to save their hard earned money Will the govt do something about it ? pic.twitter.com/TVhFjcZMos — Namma HBR (@NammaHBR) September 8, 2020 P Anand, Corporator of HBR Layout told TNM that a vent near the railway underpass needs to be widened to address the issue of the low-lying residential areas flooding.  "There needs to be a wider vent near the railway underpass to allow water to flow. We have written letters asking for this to be done,"  says P Anand.  The corporator sprung into action early on Wednesday morning, arranging pumps and coordinating relief efforts. But he says that there is no way to be completely prepared for the possibility of floods. "It was a sunny day yesterday and even this morning is bright and sunny. The rains last night were unexpected. We have to address the issue of the water from the storm-water draining entering the roads in the area," Anand says.   

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Why Winston Churchill's unpaid Bangalore Club bill featured in an SC case

Court

A Supreme Court judgement began with an anecdote about how the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom still owes Bangalore Club Rs 13.

Sanyukta Dharmadhikari

On Wednesday, a Supreme court judgment began with a small anecdote about the 152-year-old Bangalore Club, located in the city’s Richmond Town. The bench, headed by Justice RF Nariman and comprising Justices Navin Sinha and Indira Banerjee, was hearing a case about whether the club was liable to pay wealth tax.  “In the year of grace 1868, a group of British officers banded together to start the Bangalore Club. In the year of grace 1899, one Lt. W.L.S. Churchill was put up on the Club’s list of defaulters, which numbered 17, for an amount of Rs 13/- being for an unpaid bill of the Club. The “Bill” never became an “Act.” Till date, this amount remains unpaid,” Justice RF Nariman observed in his part of the judgment.  “Lt. W.L.S. Churchill went on to become Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain. And the Bangalore Club continues its mundane existence, the only excitement being when the tax collector knocks at the door to extract his pound of flesh,” the court added.  Bangalore Club had filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Karnataka High Court’s decision that the club was entitled to pay wealth tax under Section 21AA (Assessment when assets are held by certain associations of persons) of the Wealth Tax Act, 1957.  The judge allowed the appeal by Bangalore Club, stating that the club is a social club where the members do not band together for any commercial or business purpose of making income or profits and so the section does not get attracted at all. “The Bangalore Club is an association of persons and not the creation, by a person who is otherwise assessable, of one among a large number of associations of persons without defining the shares of the members so as to escape tax liability. For all these reasons, it is clear that Section 21AA of the Wealth Tax Act does not get attracted to the facts of the present case,” the court held. The court added that for the purposes of Income Tax, the Bangalore Club could perhaps be treated to be a ‘body of individuals’ which is a wider expression than ‘association of persons,’ in which such body of individuals may have no common object at all but would include a combination of individuals who had nothing more than a unity of interest.  The bill Churchill never paid Formed by a bunch of British officers, the Bangalore United Services Club came into existence formally five years later in 1868. Since its existence, many British officers, who were stationed in Bengaluru or erstwhile Bangalore, became members of the exclusive white club for men. Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister during World War II, and heavily criticised for his role in the great Bengal famine, came to Bangalore in 1896.  Twenty-eight years into the club’s existence, Churchill, who was a lieutenant in the 4th Hussars, was stationed in the Bangalore cantonment, when he became a member of the club.  According to Bangalore Club’s website, Winston Churchill played polo and read a lot of books at the club during his time as a member and also spent a lot of time “courting” an English woman named Pamela Plowden, who later went on to become Lady Lytton. Three years after his stay in Bengaluru (erstwhile Bangalore), Churchill left for war in the then North-West frontier, which is now Pakistan. When he left the city, he also left behind a debt of Rs 13 that he owed to the club, which was subsequently written off as “irrecoverable debt” in 1899.  Bangalore Club and its history In the year 1863, when a large part of what was Bangalore was still forested and the “town” was restricted to the British cantonment, there were many clubs in Bengaluru that came to be known as typical British “gentlemen’s clubs.”  The British of the Victorian era, were known to be sticklers for “propriety”, had “societal rules” about how to dress, how to eat, how to talk and even what was considered “polite conversation.” The gentlemen clubs during the British rule, were for a long time “white only” clubs, where they could “feel at home” by having a space to drink, gamble, play sports like polo, tennis among other things. These clubs were also where the members could freely engage in social gatherings accompanied with all the rules they imposed on themselves. The Bangalore Club too, was one such gentlemen’s club until the year 1946. However, with changing times and Indian independence, the club shed its cloak of British superiority and is now one of the most expensive clubs in the city.  Bangalore Club completed 150 years of its existence in 2018.

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Actor Samyuktha Hegde withdraws complaint against Kavitha Reddy

Crime

Samyuktha has only withdrawn the complaint against Kavitha but not the other people named in the case.

TNM Staff

The Bengaluru police on Tuesday arrested All India Congress Committee member and civic activist Kavitha Reddy for assaulting, and harassing actor Samyuktha Hegde and her friends at the Agara Lake park last week. Later in the day, the actor tweeted that she did not wish to pursue the case against Kavitha Reddy although her apology was unsatisfactory. Speaking to TNM, HSR Layout Police Inspector Muni Reddy, said that Kavitha Reddy was arrested and released on station bail as the sections she was charged with in the FIR were bailable and non-cognisable offences.  In a statement, Samyuktha Hegde said, “'I’ve consulted with my family and also keeping Kavitha Reddy's age in mind, I am not interested and don't want to pursue my case against her and I have formally requested the police yesterday about the same. However, I want to be clear: I still hope that strong action is taken against Anil Reddy and the others with him, who threatened and abused us at the park and made us feel so helpless.”  Hi everyone. I really really appreciate all the support I’ve been getting, all the love, all the posts, all the trolls, all the tweets that gave this voice an amplifier. You all have played such a major role in making this a nationwide impact Regards, Samyuktha Hegde pic.twitter.com/AeXJQBzAnf — Samyuktha Hegde (@SamyukthaHegde) September 8, 2020 She further stated that Kavitha Reddy’s apology was unsatisfactory and said that Kavitha seemed very casual about it and seemingly had issued it under pressure.  “Let's be clear, Kavitha Reddy apology was not satisfactory or genuine. She had not taken down her posts or tweets for 16 hours after issuing a public apology, which shows how casual she was about this apology and had clearly done this under pressure as it was affecting her public image and many of you have also pointed this out. However, I want the focus of this issue to not be on her or me or the incident, I hope this goes a small way in working on greater freedom for women everywhere,” Samyuktha Hegde added.  HSR Layout Police said that Samyuktha only wanted to retract allegations against Kavitha Reddy but not against the other accused including Anil Reddy, who had accused her of consuming drugs, while resorting to policing Samyuktha and her friends regarding the clothes they were wearing.  “However, I want to be clear. I still hope that strong action is taken against Anil Reddy and the others with him, who threatened and abused us at the park and made us feel so helpless. Nobody in the world has a right to make you feel like that and it will not be tolerated,” Samyuktha Hegde added.  Kavitha Reddy and several others, who were present at the park last Friday, had heckled and verbally abused Samyuktha Hegde and her friends for wearing joggers and sports bra while working out with hula hoops. Kavitha Reddy had called them “cabaret dancers”, who were “stripping in public”. In one video, Kavitha Reddy can be seen charging at Samyuktha and her friends. In an Instagram live recording by Samyuktha, Kavitha Reddy can be heard saying, “We will have to hit you if you wear such clothes.” Anil Reddy who can be seen and heard in the video, threatens Samyuktha to inform the “media” that “she consumes drugs”. Samyuktha and her friends subsequently filed a complaint against them at HSR layout Police Station and an FIR was registered on Sunday. 

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Bengaluru's HBR Layout, Horamavu, Sahakar Nagar flooded as heavy rains lash city

Civic Issues

Residents say that in low-lying areas, the storm water drains are filled with sewage and flooding is a recurring problem.

TNM Staff

Twitter

As heavy rains lashed Bengaluru on Tuesday night, several low-lying areas in the city were flooded. The rainwater, mixed with sewage, entered the homes of residents. Roads were flooded with water, submerging vehicles and residents lament that this is not the first time. The rains flooded parts of Sahakar Nagar, Horamavu and HBR Layout on Tuesday night.    Another image of #Bengaluru after a heavy spell of rain. Most of these homes in this area are inundated with water. It's most likely a low lying area. And builders must have encroached a lake. And nature has its own way of getting back. pic.twitter.com/mgmrdj782E — Imran Khan (@keypadguerilla) September 9, 2020 Speaking to TNM, Peter Thomas, a 61-year-old resident of HBR Layout, said that this is not the first time floods have occurred. "It happens every time there are heavy rains," he said, while adding that the primary storm water drain, located about a kilometre away from his house, is constantly filled with sewage, and that the outlet to the storm water drain has been blocked due to accumulation of silt.  Water inside houses of residents at 2nd block HBR Layout. @BBMPCOMM @BBMP_MAYOR @Officeofkjg @PCMohanMP pic.twitter.com/PEQiNYGgSG — madan prasad (@Twitmadanprasad) September 9, 2020 "The sewage water is stagnating there. We have been calling the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) for days on end. Last month, the BBMP people got a lorry here to make it look like they were doing something. When we asked them, they said they would come back tomorrow with an earthmover and clean it up. Nothing has happened yet," he added.  #bangalorerains HBR layout @BBMP_MAYOR @BBMPCOMM pic.twitter.com/POzn96CMrW — Punit Bhatia (@punitvbhatia) September 9, 2020 Retired Professor Ranganath Murthy, a resident of HBR Layout, said that when heavy rains lash the area, which is low-lying, rainwater mixes with the sewage from the storm water drain and floods the streets and homes. "Our corporator Anand came early this morning and organised pumps to flush out the water from our houses. He is prompt in taking action after the floods. But, when is the BBMP going to fix the problem of the nalas (storm drains). We have been suffering for years now," he said.  Ranganath Murthy said that when the water flooded the ground floor of his residence, the water also seeped into the sump tank. "We don't have water to drink now or bathe. The water in the sump is contaminated. Every time this happens, we have to pay thousands of rupees to get our sump tanks cleaned," he added.  HBR Layout is flooded the houses are filled with water. What's next 2020. #flood #BangaloreRains #Bengaluru #2020worstyear @CMofKarnataka @BBMPCOMM @BBMPCOMM @BJP4Karnataka @narendramodi @EgoisticMonk @sr_kashyap pic.twitter.com/xivuSzHzyz — Arjun cr (@arjuncr) September 8, 2020 Encroached storm water drains, sewage running into primary and secondary storm water drains is not a new problem Bengaluru has been facing. In November last year, the Hulimavu Lake breach had flooded the entire area including homes and apartments. In 2017, the heavy rains that lashed the city had flooded many areas.  The primary reason for the floods were the inadequate efforts on the part of the civic body to clean up the storm water drains. Another major problem is that the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is in charge of sewage connections. In many parts of the city, sewage pipes run into storm drains and the BWSSB too, has not made efforts to rectify the issue. With the problem glaring at residents for years on end, every time, even a moderate bout of rainfall lashes the city, the roads and homes are flooded.  Thank you @BBMPCOMM @BBMP_MAYOR Few hours of rains and this happens. Great infrastructure. Just collect taxes and mint money. Do nothing for public.#BangaloreRains #flood #BangaloreFlood@CMofKarnataka @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/FO42pgRxYm — Pradhumn Kumar (@rickypradhumn) September 8, 2020 Speaking to TNM, P Anand, corporator of HBR Layout said that he has taken the residents' issues into consideration. “Currently, it is difficult to put pressure as the BBMP council's last day is September 10. After this, an administrator will oversee all works. I will appeal to the administrator once appointed," he said.      

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BJP tweets pictures of Ragini Dwivedi, Sanjana Galrani with DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah

Politics

The move comes in the wake of the Congress' allegations that BJP leaders were influencing the probe as Ragini had campaigned for its candidate in Mandya in 2019.

TNM Staff

The BJP's Karnataka unit on Tuesday lashed out against the Congress for accusing its party members of having links with actor Ragini Dwivedi, who is accused in the drug case that is being probed by Bengaluru's Central Crime Branch. The BJP tweeted pictures of actors Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjana Galrani with Congress leaders DK Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and questioned what the pictures "meant".  "The BJP government is taking stringent action at every step in connection with the drug case. The Congress is trying to interfere with the investigation by deflecting the direction of the probe. Actors are seen with politicians from all parties and to link the party (BJP) with the case (drug case) is laughable. What do you think these pictures mean?" the BJP's tweet said.  ಮಾದಕ ವಸ್ತು ದಂಧೆ ಪ್ರಕರಣ ತನಿಖೆಯ ಹಂತದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದು ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಕಠಿಣ ನಿಲುವು ತಾಳಿದೆ, @INCKarnataka ವೃಥಾ ಆರೋಪ ಮಾಡಿ ತನಿಖೆಯ ದಿಕ್ಕು ತಪ್ಪಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ. ನಟನಟಿಯರು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಪಕ್ಷದವರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಕಾಣಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಇದನ್ನೇ ಪಕ್ಷದ ಜೊತೆಗಿನ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಎಂದು ಬಿಂಬಿಸಿ ಆರೋಪಿಸುವುದು ಹಾಸ್ಯಾಸ್ಪದ. ಈ ನಂಟಿನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಏನು ಹೇಳುತ್ತೀರಿ? pic.twitter.com/43BEPIGwFK — BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) September 8, 2020 This was after the Congress on September 4, released pictures of actor Ragini Dwivedi campaigning for turncoat MLA Narayana Gowda during the 2019 bye-elections in Mandya. Narayana Gowda defected from JD(S) to BJP and contested the KR Pete seat, which he won. The Congress had tweeted pictures of Narayana Gowda with Ragini Dwivedi and also with Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa's son Vijayendra. Actor Ragini had campaigned for Narayana Gowda during the bye-polls.  The Congress had also alleged that a senior BJP leader had tried to influence the drug case probe. "Actress Ragini Dwivedi was today arrested in a drugs related case. Media is saying that a senior BJP Minister from Bengaluru put pressure on the police to not arrest her! How can a fair probe happen if BJP leaders are involved? Why not have an investigation by CBI, which is monitored by the High Court (sic)?" Karnataka Congress Spokesperson Srivatsa had tweeted.  Actress Ragini Dwivedi was today arrested in a drugs related case Media is saying that a senior BJP Minister from Bengaluru put pressure on the police to not arrest her! How can a fair probe happen if BJP leaders are involved? Why not an investigation by CBI & monitored by HC? pic.twitter.com/xBORjXRH2b — Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) September 4, 2020 Soon after the pictures were released, Narayana Gowda said that "he had no knowledge of drug consumption".  "I did not know that she was consuming drugs. If I did, I would not have accepted her request to campaign for me," Narayana Gowda had said. On September 5, the BJP had released an official statement titled, "We disown Ragini Dwivedi".  "Ragini Dwivedi is not a member of the BJP. The BJP has not assigned her the responsibility of electioneering. She may have been involved in the campaign on her own," the BJP's statement had said. 

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