New probe into inter-state drug racket, Karnataka cops question celebrities

Crime

The Internal Security Division is heading the probe.

TNM Staff

Representation photo

The Internal Security Division of the Karnataka Police are probing another inter-state drug racket. The ISD sleuths have so far interrogated 67 people in connection with the case including Sandalwood actor Yogesh. The ISD, on Tuesday, issued summons to Chethan Gowda, son of former JD(S) MP Shivarame Gowda for questioning in connection with the case.  Actor Yogesh was questioned on Monday. ISD sources said that he was a user and that the sleuths are looking to apprehend the suppliers and distributors of drugs. The ISD’s case began after it arrested two people from Kerala, Ran Daniel and Gokul Krishna. The duo were arrested on September 12 from Uram village. Police say that the duo revealed information that they were allegedly supplying drugs to Sandalwood actors and also sons of politicians in Karnataka. The ISD seized marijuana and LSD from their possession and also a black motor bike. "We have been investigating the drug case for the past 10 days and have interrogated about 67 people," Rao, who is the Additional Director General of ISD said. ISD sources said a few film and television actors have been questioned, as also some cricket players and a journalist. Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai had said that the ISD will also investigate the drug case as some big names have cropped up during the CCB probe. The sources said the scope of the ISD's investigation is quite vast compared to CCB, which is limited to rave parties in Bengaluru and added that many bigwigs may come under its purview. The Bengaluru police started investigating the drug case soon after the Narcotics Control Bureau arrested three people from the city who were allegedly supplying drugs to Kannada film actors and singers. Now, there are three gencies  probing three different cases in Karnataka. The first is the CCB's probe into the Sandalwood drug case, the second is the NCB's case where three persons were arrested and huge amounts of synthetic drugs were seized and the third is the ISD's probe.  The CCB of Bengaluru, which is probing the matter, has so far arrested 13 people, including two film actresses, a realtor and a few foreigners. An FIR was registered under sections 20B (possession, manufacture, sale, use or distribution of narcotic or psychotropic substances) and 22 (contravention of commercial quantity of drugs) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. 

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Hoskote’s Anand Dum Biryani sees massive queues as Bengalureans flock to eatery

Food

The biryani hotspot in Hoskote had a 1.5 km line on Sunday morning, leaving some hungry customers without the famed biryani.

Nikhita Venugopal

Twitter

Like many restaurants that had to remain shuttered over the summer due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the famous Anand Dum Biryani in Hoskote, which serves hundreds of kilograms of mutton biryani early on Sundays mornings, also kept its doors closed. But since reopening, the biryani spot has seen both big crowds and new publicity in recent weeks. On Sunday, Anand Dum Biryani had a 1.5 km line that stretched out of the eatery, leaving some hungry biryani lovers without a plate for themselves. Though Anand, the owner, doesn’t have exact numbers, he estimates a 20% increase in sales from earlier. “We had a big queue on Sunday, about 1-1.5 km for the token and in the end we couldn’t give parcels to everyone. We stopped parcels and ended up giving one plate to the last few people,” he told TNM. The line outside Anand Dum Biryani on a recent Sunday morning Anand Dum Biryani is no stranger to long lines, as many customers rise at the crack of dawn to drive from Bengaluru and other towns to their location. Several videos have documented the making of the famous biryani, most recently on Food Lovers TV, which released their video on September 10. The video, which has over 870K views, shows people queuing up just as the sun rises on a Friday morning to get their plate of the biryani. “We generally used to have a good rush on Sundays before the lockdown. We stopped serving during the lockdown for five months and reopened only a month ago. We have a lot of people posting about our restaurant on YouTube,” Anand said. Anand began making biryani several years ago, though his business earlier focussed on idlis and chitranna. While starting with only a few kilograms, they later expanded to making and selling hundreds of kilograms of biryani on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. They begin the cooking process in the wee hours in order to serve customers who start lining up around 6 am, and typically run out of food within a few hours. However, social media posts show that there is little physical distancing between customers standing in line or sitting at tables eating the biryani.  The owner told Food Lover TV’s Kripal Amanna that they use only locally grown ingredients, while also rearing their own sheep for the mutton. The massive pot of biryani is cooked over a wood-fired flame before it is finished with a coal dum. Bengalureans have been driving to the Hoskote spot for years for their early morning biryani breakfast, and as its popularity grows, it looks like they might have to start waking up even earlier than usual. With inputs from Prajwal Bhat

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Yelahanka, Bengaluru West recorded most COVID-19 cases over 24 hours

Coronavirus

Though Bengaluru West recorded many of the new COVID-19 cases on Monday, it also saw the most recoveries.

TNM Staff

Of the 2,886 new COVID-19 cases reported in Bengaluru on Tuesday, the most were reported from Yelahanka and Bengaluru West, with each area accounting for 16% of the new cases, according to the bulletin by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).  Yelahanka and Bengaluru West are followed by Bengaluru East which reported 15% of the new cases, Bengaluru South at 14%, Bommanahalli at 13%, RR Nagara and Mahadevapura at 11% each, and Dasarahalli at 4%.  Though Bengaluru West recorded many of the new cases on Monday, it also saw the most number of recoveries.  BBMP did not update the number of containment zones on Monday, so the number of active containment zones in the city continues to be at 21,558; and the total number of containment zones is at 33,140. Most of the COVID-19 patients in the city are in the 30 to 39 age group, followed by the 20-29 age group. In both, the number of male patients was significantly higher. Recoveries – of the 3,536 recorded on Monday – were also highest in the 30-39 age bracket. Karnataka on Monday reported 7,339 new cases of COVID-19 and 122 related fatalities, taking the infection count to 5,26,876 and the death toll to 8,145, the health department said. The day also saw the number of recoveries outnumbering new infections, with 9,925 patients getting discharged after recovery. As of September 21 evening, cumulatively 5,26,876 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 8,145 deaths and 4,23,377 discharges, the health department said in its bulletin. It said of 95,335 active cases, 94,526 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and stable, while 809 are in ICU. According to the bulletin, 32 out of total 122 deaths reported on Monday are from Bengaluru urban, followed by Mysru (15), Ballari (9), Dakshina Kannada (8), Dharwad and Shivamogga (7), Chamarajanagar, Gadag, Hassan and Udupi (4), Belagavi, Chikkamagaluru, Davangere, Haveri and Tumakuru (3), Bagalkote, Chikkaballapura, Mandya, Raichur and Vijayapura (2), and Bengaluru Rural, Kalaburagi and Koppal (1). Most of the dead are either with a history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) or Influenza-like illness (ILI). Among the districts where the new cases were reported, Bengaluru urban accounted for 2,886, Mysuru 524, Shivamogga 348, Chitradurga 326, Tumakuru 300, Hassan 268, Dakshina Kannada 233, Udupi 231, followed by others. Bengaluru urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 1,97,646 infections, followed by Mysuru 30,308 and Ballari 29,279. Among discharges too, Bengaluru urban tops the list with total 1,53,884 discharges, followed by Mysuru 25,115 and Ballari 24,661. A total of 42,82,735 samples were tested so far, out of which 42,691 were tested on Monday alone. Among the samples tested on Monday, 11,154 were rapid antigen tests. With PTI inputs

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Minor landslide triggers panic in Manipal over building collapse, residents moved out

Infrastructure

A viral WhatsApp message suggested that the building was about to collapse but the district administration rejected suggestions that there is any threat to the building.

Prajwal Bhat

A minor landslide in Kundelkad, a forested area close to Manipal in Udupi district of Karnataka, triggered panic for the residents living in Premier Enclave apartment building in the town. Following heavy rains over the weekend, a landslide occurred in Kundelkad and caused a retaining wall close to the apartment to collapse. The landslide occurred due to the force of water from a stormwater drain, district officials said.  A viral WhatsApp message suggested that the Premier Enclave building, which is a residential and commecial building, was about to collapse, however, the district administration rejected suggestions that there was any threat to the building. The building is popularly referred to as the 'Dominos building' in Manipal. Speaking to TNM, Udupi DC G Jagadeesh said, "A national highway was built in the last year near the apartment and officials from the National Highway Authority of India have allowed water to flow down the side of the building because that was the way it flowed earlier too. There was a lot of water gushing through that side and this resulted in the collapse of the retaining wall". However, residents in the building were asked to vacate the premises for the next few days as a precautionary measure, since there is a red warning and heavy rains forecasted in Udupi. A resident in the building confirmed the development to TNM. "There were only eight families living in the building. This is because many flats were occupied by students who are currently not in Manipal. The residents were asked to shift outside for two days since there is a red alert in Udupi," Jagadeesh said. The building has a total of 32 flats.  Officials from the National Highway Authority of India will inspect the affected area and suggest alternative ways to regulate the flow of drain water, he added.  In July 2015, a landslide occurred close to the Premier Enclave building on the access road to INOX cinemas. The multiplex was closed for a brief period following the landslide and inspections were carried out in the area. 

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Accused in 2008 Bengaluru blasts deported to India, arrested by NIA at TVM airport

Arrest

One person was killed and 20 others were wounded in the serial blasts at nine places in the Bengaluru city in July 2008.

TNM Staff

Two persons who reached the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday. They had reached from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The NIA has not yet issued a release identifying the two persons. However, a senior police official said that one of the persons is a suspect in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts in Karnataka. One person was killed and 20 others were wounded in the serial blasts at nine places in the Bengaluru city on July 25 that year. "Important arrest in 2008 Bengaluru serial blast case. Bengaluru City Anti-Terror Cell (ATC), with the assistance of central agencies, has detained one accused Shoab," Bengaluru Joint Commissioner (Crime) Sandeep Patil said in a brief statement. He said that Shoab had been on the run since 2008, following which a Red Corner notice was issued against him. "He was detained in Kerala and is being brought to Bengaluru," Patil added. Two ATC officers have gone to Kerala to bring him to Bengaluru, he said. Police tentatively identified the other person who has been detained as Muhammad Gul Nawaz, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, reports The Hindu. While the NIA had issued a lookout notice for Shoab earlier, Nawaz was wanted in an anti-hawala probe. Both of them have been taken to Kochi to be presented at the NIA special court.   A few suspects were arrested in the Bengaluru blast case, including a cleric who allegedly hatched the conspiracy and had links with some terror outfits operating outside India. The blasts were reportedly caused by crude timer bombs. All nine were low-intensity blasts from different areas of Bengaluru including the popular shopping mall Forum. A day later, similar bombings took place in Ahmedabad. No one had claimed responsibility for the attacks. Several arrests were made in the months that followed. (With PTI input) Also read: Moral policing? Kerala cop suspended for visiting woman friend at apartment  

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Scuffle between Karnataka Minster and BJP MLA in Vidhana Soudha

Politics

The scuffle took place on the first day of the monsoon session of the state legislature at the makeshift lounge on the first floor of the Vidhana Soudha.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Municipal Administration Minister K C Narayana Gowda and BJP’s Kadur MLA Belli Prakash allegedly indulged in a verbal duel and almost came to blows in the premises of Vidhana Soudha over a constituency related matter. The scuffle took place on the first day of the monsoon session of the state legislature at the makeshift lounge on the first floor of the Vidhana Soudha. Prakash allegedly accused Narayan Gowda of being inaccessible and delaying clearing a file relating to his constituency Kadur, that has been referred to him after getting the Chief Minister's consent. This led to a verbal duel between the two in which they "almost came to blows", eyewitnesses said. Legislators Satish Jarkiholi, K Annadani, among others, intervened and separated them. With the incident being reported by the media, Narayan Gowda clarified that he objected to Prakash speaking to him in a raised voice and using 'certain language.' Unprepared for such an uncomfortable question in full public glare, Narayan Gowda retorted stating that if any legislator had any problems with him, he /she should come to him and meet him in his office and not question him in a public place, that too, in such an undignified manner. "A file had gone to the CM's office and is now at the secretariat. He (Prakash) enquired about it. I asked him to come during lunch hours (to office), let's check...for which he spoke to me in singular in a raised voice... used certain language. I was pained by it and asked him not to do so...that's all, nothing big about it," he said. Terming the matter as trivial, the Minister said he would give an explanation, if the Chief Minister seeks any clarification. When the media tried to question Prakash about the incident, with folded hands he said, it was a "fight between brothers...I'm still growing (in politics)", and walked away. The incident is also being seen as a reflection of growing discontent within the ruling BJP about the functioning of some ministers, especially those from Congress and JD(S) who were made Ministers after winning on a BJP ticket in recognition of their role in coming to power. Narayan Gowda was with JD(S) before defecting to the BJP in 2019. Inputs from PTi

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Karnataka decides to shorten legislature session to 6 days

The ruling BJP and opposition parties agreed to shorten the monsoon session due to the number of COVID-19 cases reported among Vidhana Soudha secretariat staff.

IANS

Vidhana Soudha

After at least 100 members of Vidhana Soudha secretariat staff as well as ministers tested positive for the coronavirus, the ruling BJP and the opposition parties on Monday agreed to shorten the ongoing eight days monsoon legislature session to six days. One of the main reasons for the opposition parties to agree to the ruling party's decision to shorten the session was allowing the parties to debate on six contentious bills of the 32 bills the ruling party is planning to get approval from the House. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru after the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting headed by the Speaker Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah said, "The scenario is similar across the country. Every state legislature is cutting short its days. But, as the opposition parties we have held our ground, did not agree to the initial proposal of bringing down business days to three, instead we have succeeded in making them agree to continue this session till Saturday. We will take all contentious issues, which they have already promulgated through ordinances." The three days which the Opposition has agreed to cut short will be compensated by calling the house early at 10 am and adjourning the house late in the day till (7 or 7.30 pm), he added. Siddaramaiah further said that the ruling party has not come to terms with the opposition parties regarding question hour discussions as the opposition parties want discussions on at least some questions if not all. "We will slowly resolve this as well," he said. While, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, D K Shivakumar said that the opposition parties have not agreed to the suggestions made by the ruling party to curtail the ongoing legislature session. "As we know that at least as many as 60 staff members of secretariat have tested positive till yesterday and nearly 35 to 40 legislators have tested positive, hence, we all have decided to have the session till Saturday," he said after the BAC meeting. Several legislators from ruling and opposition parties, told reporters on the condition of anonymity that they feared to attend the session due to the pandemic. This fear was subtly conveyed by Siddaramaiah too, as he said that none should be affected by this dreaded disease. "This disease is such that it won't even allow your near and dear ones to come near you. It's very painful. When I came out of hospital, my entire family went into isolation. In both cases, neither I could go and see them nor could they come and see me. That was a very horrific experience I have ever had," he said. Earlier in the day, an eight-day monsoon legislature session began with unprecedented mandatory security measures like compulsory face masks, gloves, face shields and entry to only those carrying COVID-19 negative certificates to all legislators, staff members, marshals and journalists. Keeping COVID-19 safety protocols in consideration, special seating arrangements were made for MLAs and MLCs in adherence to physical distancing guidelines.  First time legislators were made to sit in fibre-glass enclosures which separated them from their adjacent seats on Monday. "Till date at least as many as 70 MLAs, MLCs and more than dozen ministers have been tested COVID-19 positive, as a result of this, the secretariat has taken these measures," an official said. The Assembly and Legislative Council was adjourned for an hour for lunch after obituary references to former president Pranab Mukherjee and other Members of Parliament, leaders and prominent personalities who have passed away during the interregnum. As per the protocols, the session recommenced and adjourned for the day owing to custom, when a sitting legislator passed away. Sira MLA Satyanarayana of the Janata Dal (Secular) passed away earlier this year and a bye-election will be held in the constituency. The Congress is trying to push hard for a debate on the state's economy, alleged corruption during COVID -19 management, drugs scandal, to corner the government. The JD(S) planned to counter the ruling party on three contentious ordinances which were in line with the union government's farm reform bills recently.

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