Karnataka

Crime

Instead of giving a challan to the offenders, the policemen took matters into their own hands and asked the two men to stand still with their hands stretched.

TNM Staff

A horrific video has emerged from Koppal in Karnataka, where a police officer is seen hitting a man with what appears to be a leather strip. In the clip, the man grimaces in pain when he is struck but the officer is not done. He turns to another man and takes aim before striking the man hard on his palm. Another police officer watches on unmoved, as this assault continues. Their crime? Jumping a traffic signal. The two police officers belonging to Koppal police station are facing the heat after the video beating up two men for jumping a traffic signal went viral. The two policemen, identified as Viruapakshappa and Suresh Talwar, had stopped two men for jumping a signal during a temple procession in the town on Thursday. The two men reportedly started arguing with the policemen, angering them. They were soon joined by other police personnel, who surrounded the men and dragged them to the Koppal police station, where they were beaten up. The incident took place at an area whose security was being managed by the two policemen appearing in the video. The fine for people who jump traffic signals is Rs 100 as per Rule 119 section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Instead of filing a report or giving a challan to the offenders, the policemen took matters into their own hands and asked the two men to stand still with their hands stretched out at the police station. They then proceeded to hit the men brutally leaving them wincing in pain. The nature of the police’s attack on the two men was highlighted by a bystander who videographed the beating. The video is now being shared on social media platforms and on television news channels. Doddesh, a resident of Koppal alleged that Virupakshappa has had run-ins with citizens in the past too and has been accused of misbehaviour including assault. In spite of calls for stringent action to be taken on the officer, none has been taken yet. Attempts by TNM to contact the Koppal police were unsuccessful.

Drugs

They have found a private firm which has the machinery required to burn the seized drugs at high temperatures.

TNM Staff

Drug Bust by Bengaluru Police, December 2017

Bengaluru Police have finally found a way to dispose of seized drugs, by incinerating them at a private firm near Magadi, 60 kms from the city. Police officials admitted that till now, disposal of narcotics had not been carried out in a systematic manner, due to lack of proper incinerators. But it appears they have now found a way to solve this problem by turning to a private firm which has the machinery required to burn the seized drugs at high temperatures. “The Pollution Control Board suggested 10 locations at different areas of Bengaluru where we could dispose narcotic substances and we selected the place near Magadi. An official from the pollution board accompanied us when we went to the facility. With the help of the people operating the machinery there, we loaded the seized drugs onto it and saw to it that the drugs were destroyed. At no point are the drugs handed over to anyone,” clarified Ram Nivas Sepat, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Division. When asked how the police department dealt with drugs earlier, he said that there was no systematic city-wide manner in which drugs were destroyed. “The drugs were destroyed at the station-level but it is only now we have come up with this solution. It has been coming for a year now as we had formed a committee to address this issue,” he said. “The drugs are incinerated at temperatures over 1,000 degrees Celsius now,” said Sepat. But, there is no record of the exact quantity of drugs held by the police department. Police have set up a dedicated narcotic storage room at the city police commissioner’s office on Infantry Road to address this issue. A narcotic inventory will be kept with police officials ensuring that the quantity of drugs seized are accounted for, at the various police stations in the city. Until now, the police department weighed and kept the seized drugs at the police station itself in sealed packets that noted the quantity of drugs stored and date of seizure. The District Drug Disposal Committee headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Kushalendra Kumar will periodically review the seized narcotic substances. After permission is granted by the court, the seized substances are cleared to be destroyed.

Civic

Three rooftop restaurants were ordered to be closed for operating without a license while the three other restaurants were fined for poor hygiene and food safety regulations.

TNM Staff

Attic, Lavelle Road, Image for representation

Six roof-top restaurants and bars were raided in Jayanagar 4th block on Friday evening by members of the BBMP health committee. Three rooftop restaurants were ordered to be closed for operating without a license while the three other restaurants were fined for poor hygiene and food safety regulations. “The three places without licences have been told to shut down voluntarily and obtain trade licences. Fire safety norms were also lax," said Mujahid Pasha, Chairperson of the health committee. The raids were conducted after a fire broke out at a roof-top bar in Mumbai and claimed 18 lives last week. The raids are set to continue in the city over the next few days. Earlier, Bengaluru civic officials issued notices to 69 rooftop bars and restaurants in the city, warning closure if they violate fire safety norms. “Inspections were conducted in 12 of the total 38 rooftop establishments in the South Zone. The remaining will be served notices as soon as inspection is completed,” said Dr Manoranjan Hegde, BBMP Health Officer, South Zone. The first restaurant to fall to the BBMP’s sword was Onesta in Banaswadi, which was issued a notice to vacate the premises and slapped with a Rs 5 lakh fine. Another eatery in the area, Rasta Café, was sealed and the owners of the establishment were also fined Rs 5 lakh. On Lavelle Road, two outlets – Attic and Lady Bug – were levied a penalty of Rs 5 lakh each. “If the establishment is exclusively a rooftop one, then they have to shut down operations within seven days. If the rooftop is an extension of an existing restaurant, the rooftop operations must be stopped. If any of these establishments do not shut down as per the notice, their trade licenses will be cancelled and they will be fined. The fine amount will be decided by the Mayor and Joint Commissioner,” said Dr Lokesh.

Mahadayi Row

He had earlier called Parrikar's letter promising release of water as a 'political stunt'.

TNM Staff

BJP leaders protesting over Mahadayi Row outside KPCC office

Goa Water Resources Development Minister Vinod Palienker reaffirmed his decision not to release water to Karnataka ahead of the tribunal verdict, contradicting Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar over the Mahadayi water dispute. He was speaking to media persons after a delegation of Mahadayi Bachav Abhiyan (MBA) led by a former minister called on him to take a firm view of the issue. Palienkar said, “I have made my stand very clear on Mahadayi river water. Once we take a stand on an issue we do not change it,” said Palienkar speaking to The Hindu. Palienkar is a member of the Goa Forward Party (GFP), an ally of the BJP in the state. He has repeatedly insisted that the state will not share a drop of water with neighbouring Karnataka without a tribunal verdict. “If someone thinks that Mahadayi water cannot be taken by Karnataka, he is living in fool’s paradise. He doesn’t understand law. (If) a river flows through three States including Karnataka, how can you deny water to them? But they cannot take the water to some other area. They have to drink it or they have to use it in that area only,” he added speaking to The Hindu. He had earlier termed Parrikar’s letter promising release of water as a ‘political stunt’. “As Water Resources Minister I have made my stand clear. Whatever he (Parrikar) has written (in the letter), he has not sent me. You ask him. If he has sent it to Karnataka, I can only comment, that it must be a political stunt, therefore he sent the letter. I do not want to say anything more about that," Palienkar said speaking to Times of India. Karnataka and Goa are at odds over the sharing of water of Mahadayi river. Karnataka is set to go to polls this year.

Caste violence

Basheer’s son says that there was false news being spread about his father being a member of political organisations, and that that his father only wanted to live a peaceful life.

Theja Ram

On the morning of January 3, Deepak Rao, a BJP worker, was hacked to death in broad daylight allegedly by four Muslim men. Following Deepak’s death, on that very night, a 47-year-old owner of a fast food joint, Basheer, was hacked up with machetes by a gang of seven. Basheer’s murder is being seen as a retaliation to Deepak’s killing. CCTV footage accessed by TNM shows two men hacking Basheer. The rest of them are not visible in the footage. Basheer is motionless in the video at this point. He had sustained severe injuries on his head, tongue, chest and arms. Basheer’s 21-year-old son, who works as a store manager in a watch showroom, told TNM that his father is in a critical condition and is unable to speak, although he has gained consciousness. “They hacked my father’s tongue. His head has deep wounds. So do his arms and his chest. He is in a critical state. This morning I went into the ICU to see him but he was motionless,” a worried Imran says. Basheer went to Saudi Arabia in 1994 and opened a restaurant so he could provide for his wife and child back home. Imran says that Basheer came back to India only one-and-a-half-years ago. “My father used to run a restaurant in Saudi Arabia for over 20 years. His sole aim was to provide for the family. He only came back to India because my brother and I insisted that he stay close to home. He never got involved in any of these religious or political organisations and their activities,” Imran says. According to Imran, Basheer was closing down his eatery, Chinese Fast Food Restaurant in Akash Bhavan area, around 9.45 pm when seven miscreants on three bikes barged into the hotel and attacked Basheer.“My father was about to pull down the shutter when these men barged in and began hacking him with machetes. One of the helpers who was there ran away. My father tried to escape and he came outside on the road but he fell down as he was injured. Then two men began hacking him once again and they left when my father became utterly motionless,” Imran says. Around 10.00 pm, Shekhar Kulkarni, a local resident, who was going back home after dropping a friend stopped at the scene of the crime to see why a crowd had gathered.“When I was passing by, I saw some people who were calling the police and one man looked like he had been hurt badly. When I went near the man and saw, he was lying in a huge pool of blood,” Sekhar says. Sekhar says that the people were scared to touch Basheer, which is why they stood there looking helpless. “They were afraid of touching him. They were standing there and waiting for the police to arrive. But he was whimpering and then the sound also stopped. I just wanted to help him. I did not think too much. I just took him on my bike and brought him to AJ Hospital,” Sekhar said. Initially, Sekhar assumed that the man lying on the ground had met with a terrible accident. But when he went up close to see what had occurred, Sekhar saw deep cuts on Basheer’s body. Stating that there was false news being spread about his father being a member of political organisations, Imran said that his father only wanted to live a peaceful live with his family. “That morning (January 3) one BJP worker was killed. This was just revenge of some sort I feel. Because a Hindu man was killed, they wanted to kill a Muslim man and my father became the unfortunate target. These kinds of revenge killings are not new to our area. Without any rhyme or reason, people get murdered. I only appeal to people to stay peaceful and pray for my father’ recovery. None of our family members wanted to harm anyone. We were leading quite lives and by ourselves. What happened to my father was so unfortunate,” Imran laments. The Urwi Police have registered a case of attempted murder and are trying to track down the men seen in the CCTV footage

Crime

The 15-year-old from Manipur was allegedly tortured by the hostel warden and other students on the basis of a rumour that she was lesbian.

Theja Ram

Image for representation

About a year ago, 15-year-old Reshma* joined a convent school in Karnataka to pursue Class 10. Reshma’s parents had sent her to the state all the way from Manipur and the girl stayed at a hostel. Little did the quiet and shy girl know that she would become the victim of severe assault. Unable to bear the torture allegedly doled out by a nun who is the hostel warden and the students living there, Reshma contacted Child Line on December 29. “It was some time in the last week of December when my roommates picked up a fight with me. I did not understand why they were angry with me and had no clarity about what they were saying. By the time I could process that, they got together and thrashed me. That’s when the warden intervened. I thought she would help me but like always, even she beat me up,” Reshma alleges. This is not the first time Reshma was targeted by the children and the warden, she claims. She says that she has been thrashed on many other occasions, too. The reason has been a persistent rumour that Reshma is lesbian. This, she says, angered the hostel warden so much that she would beat her up for "treading a wrong path which was against God's will.""This time also the same thing happened but it was worse than all the other times,” Reshma says, adding that no matter how many times she told the warden that the rumour was untrue, the latter was unwilling to let her go. Reshma alleges that the warden thrashed her and ordered the other girls also to beat her up. They then poured chilli powder into her mouth and refused to let her drink water, she claims. The torture allegedly went on because the warden wanted her to "accept her mistake"."What if it was another girl and she was actually lesbian? They would have probably killed her," says Reshma. Recounting the ordeal, she says, "Some of them held me down and the warden poured chilli powder in my mouth. It burned so much." The young girl says that she's now terrified to even look at the warden. Reshma, who describes herself as a quiet person, has a few friends who attend the same school but they don't live in the hostel. When her friends saw her condition, they informed Reshma's brother, Ranjit*. “When I came down from Manipur, the warden told me that my sister had tried to sexually assault another girl, which is why the other students had thrashed her. She kept telling me how my sister’s mistake was a 'spiritual' one. The warden told me that if my sister apologises, then everything would settle down. But my sister said that she did not want to say sorry because she was the one who had suffered. So we decided to file a complaint,” Ranjit says. On December 29, Ranjit and Reshma contacted Child Line and filed a complaint. On the same day, the Special Juvenile Police Unit of the district took down Reshma’s statement and a complaint was filed with the Child Rights Commission. On Tuesday, District Child Protection Officer Kumara Swamy and his team visited the school for preliminary investigation. “The school’s warden alleges that the girl made advances to other girls in the school. There is suspicion that the warden may have intimidated other students as well. We will visit the school on Monday to take down the statements of the other children who have been accused of beating the victim,” Kumara Swamy says. An FIR will be registered after the statements have been obtained on Monday, he said. Meanwhile, scared of going back to the hostel, Reshma is now staying with her brother. “Even the mention of the warden's name brings fear to her eyes. She has become very scared. There are bruises on her face, body and legs also. I tried to give her a hug of reassurance but she cried out in pain. Even the process of standing up or sitting hurts her. She is only a little girl. What did she do to deserve such treatment?” Ranjit asks. The school, however, has been supportive. Ranjit says that the headmistress has told him that Reshma can continue to attend classes and write her exams. “The headmistress was very helpful. She told us that my sister can write the exams. I just want to make sure that my sister is fine. She is hurt both physically and mentally,” he says. *All identities withheld

Crime

Disha Choudhary, prime accused in the case, had stashed Rs 1.95 crore in her account, which has now been frozen.

TNM Staff

This was a scam that destroyed the dreams of hundreds of Bengaluru residents – the Rs 1,500-crore Dreamz Infra project. With the investigation moving at a snail’s pace, the cheated investors have been running pillar to post, trying to get their money back. However, in December 2017, the Crime Investigation Department (CID) finally made a breakthrough in the case and unearthed a sum of Rs 1.95 crore in the account of one of the accused – Disha Choudhary. According to a source in the CID, Disha had an HDFC Bank account in Bengaluru in which she had stashed away the money. “We received information that Disha Choudhary had an this undisclosed amount in her account. We have frozen the money in the bank account. It has also come to our attention that Disha Choudhary had not disclosed to us certain properties she owns in Kolkata. We are investigating this matter,” the source added. The scam In 2012, thousands of people invested anywhere between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.2 crore in three real estate companies in Bengaluru. The first, Dreamz Infra India Ltd, was run by Disha Choudhary. The second, Gruh Kalyan, was also run by Disha. The third, TGS, is run by Mandeep Kaur. The investors were promised their dream homes in Bengaluru, and all of them were shown lands on which these homes would be constructed. But no even one got approved plans from the BBMP. Victims threaten protest According to Nida, one of the victims of the Dreamz Infra scam, the aggrieved persons had “always doubted that she had money stashed away”. “The investigating officers had said that Disha had shopped for Rs 3 lakh at Phoenix Mall. If this money, which is frozen now, can be used to pay off those people who are in dire need, it will be very helpful,” she said. Nida alleged that during a protest conducted in early December 2017 by the victims, Disha had arranged for sweets to be distributed to the protestors. “We were shocked to see she wanted to distribute sweets and food. If she says she did not have the money, where did it come from? We all knew she had stashed away money,” Nida said. The victims are now threatening to hold a protest outside the Chief Minister’s house if the investigation does not speed up. “We were waiting with patience. We trusted the CID to file the chargesheet and the CM to gazette the report and proceed to take steps so that the Revenue Department can auction the properties owned by Sachin Naik and his wife. If there is no action taken, we will intensify our protest in front of the CM’s house,” she added. The elusive money The masterminds of the Dreamz Infra, TGC and Gruha Kalyan scams – Sachin Naik, Disha Choudhary and Mandeep Kaur – have been out on bail since September 2017. However, the CID had submitted a list of properties owned by Sachin Naik to the Karnataka Revenue Department in November 2016, which were to be auctioned. The e-auction has not yet happened. A source with the Revenue Department said that 17 of his properties will be attached and put up for an online auction soon. “The money obtained from the auction will be distributed to the people who had invested in his schemes,” the source added. According to a CID source, there are a total of 55 properties in which the fraud companies had bought stakes. “Out of the 55 properties, 17 of them can be auctioned, but the problem lies in the other 38 properties,” the source said. Sachin had entered into agreements with certain builders after assuring them that he would buy the properties at a later date. The terms of the agreement have now landed the people who invested in the projects in trouble, CID sources say. The fraudulent companies, with the money collected from the investors, would enter into agreements by making downpayments. The agreements also state that if the companies (Dreamz Infra, TGS and Gruha Kalyan) did not pay the rest of the money within a stipulated time period, the down payment amount would be forfeited. “Sachin Naik never got the properties registered. The downpayment was then forfeited. We are now holding talks with the builders and asking them to consider returning the money without interest so that the affected people will get their money back,” CID sources added. Read: The Rs 1500 crore scam: How Yogesh became Sumanth, then Sachin to allegedly dupe people in Bengaluru The 1500 crore scam: Sachin Naik had interests in an IPL team and also funded a Bollywood film Rs 1,500 cr B’luru Dreamz Infra scam: Accused Sachin Naik absconds days after he got bail

Violence

While BJP worker Chandrashekar Kulai rushed an injured Basheer to hospital, Deepak Rao’s employer, Abdul Majid, was the first to respond after Deepak Rao was attacked.

Prajwal Bhat

Picture from Deepak Rao's residence

By Wednesday evening, news of Deepak Rao’s death had spread across Dakshina Kannada. WhatApp forwards of pictures of Deepak, who was affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Katipalla, and was hacked to death earlier in the week, were shared far and wide triggering a cycle of violence which saw two others, Basheer and Mubashir, attacked the same day. This incident brought Dakshina Kannada’s contentious history of communal violence to the fore, but dig a little deeper and things may not quite be as they seem. When Deepak was waylaid and hacked to death by a gang of four, the first person to rush to his family’s aid was his employer, Abdul Majid. “I worked with him for seven years. We sell SIM cards in a small area and often divide work between us. He would ply half the route, and I would work in the other half,” said Abdul. Deepak's nature of work required him to frequent Muslim-dominated areas in Krishnapura, and his fluency with the local Beary dialect, spoken by Muslim communities, made him an asset to his employer."He used to speak to me in this language and I could not distinguish (him from a Muslim). If there was any festival in my house, we would call him over and if there was a pooja in his, he would invite us. We were friends,” said Abdul, who broke down during the television interview he gave in the aftermath of the incident. Dakshina Kannada has been in the news before for communal incidents, but Abdul believes that it is only a few people who create trouble. “Maybe a few people indulge in communal violence, but most people in Dakshina Kannada are not like this. I have many Hindu friends and I do not have any ill-feeling towards them. I find these murders to be strange,” added Abdul. A few hours after news of Deepak’s killing spread, 47-year-old Basheer was attacked by a gang wielding lethal weapons in Kottara Chowki, Mangaluru. A crowd quickly gathered around Basheer’s still body, but it was Chandrashekar Kulai, an ambulance driver and a yuva karyakarta with the BJP's North Mangalore division, who rushed Basheer to hospital.“They (the people in the crowd) were afraid of touching him. They were standing there and waiting for the police to arrive. I looked at it from a human point of view. I did not think too much. I just took him in my ambulance and brought him to AJ Hospital,” Chandrashekar recounted. Chandrashekhar too is perplexed by the number of communal incidents taking place in the district and said that innocent people are losing their lives. “I knew Basheer's family. I have played kabbadi with his son and the father was not involved in anything political, but innocent people like him are being hurt in this hatred,” he said. He also pointed out that the media’s portrayal of the incidents do not corroborate with what he sees on the ground in the district. “People outside are being misled. It is true that incidents have happened and when an incident happens, there are sudden reactions from people and this is adding to the general fear. We should respond with friendship and love,” said Chandrashekar.

Crime

The arrested men said they were looking to avenge Deepak Rao’s death and they knew Basheer would have been an easy target.

Theja Ram

The police in Mangaluru has nabbed four men in connection with attacking a Muslim man in the city’s Kottara Chowki. The police arrested PK Srijith, a 25-year-old from Uppala, Kishan Poojary and Dhanush Poojary, brothers from Padil, near Mangaluru, and Sandesh Kotian, a 22-year-old from Manjeshwar in Kasaragod. Abdul Basheer, who ran a fast-food joint, was attacked on January 3, by a group of men wielding lethal weapons. “The four accused were part of the Garodi Jathre, a festival which was being celebrated near Mangaluru. It was here that they came to know about the murder of Deepak Rao in Katipalla. The accused have confessed to hacking up Basheer as an act of revenge,” Mangaluru Police Commissioner TR Suresh said. According to the police, the four accused were friends, who had frequented Basheer’s eatery several times in the past. “They said that they just wanted to attack someone from the community. They were travelling to Surathkal and saw Basheer, so they attacked him. They knew Kottara Chowki, where the eatery was located, and also knew that Basheer would be an easy target,” the Commissioner added. Police say that one of the accused – Srijith – has been named as an accused in seven cases in the past in Kasaragod, Mangaluru and Ullal police stations. Kishan Poojary has three criminal cases pending against him and Dhanush was earlier named as an accused in an assault case, where he was also booked for rioting. Sandesh has one criminal case registered against him in the Badiyarka Police Station. “When Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activist Sharath Madiwala was murdered, there was a spate of attacks. The brothers, Dhanush and Kishan, were booked then for attacking one man,” the Commissioner said. Sharath Madiwala was brutally hacked to death in broad daylight in Dakshina Kannada’s Bantwal taluk in July 2017. Sharath’s death was seen as a revenge killing after an Social Democratic Party of India activist Kalaayi Ashraf was hacked to death earlier in the same month. Meanwhile, the investigating team is trying to recover the weapons used to hack Basheer. The police, led by ACP Valentine D’Souza, has gathered information that the weapons are stored in Dhanush and Kishan’s house. “They have not yet revealed the name of the organisation they belong to, but they have said that they are pro-Hindu activists,” Commissioner Suresh added. Police say that Basheer, who is admitted to AJ Hospital, is recovering and that his condition is getting better. The police also appealed to the media to not display pictures of the victims of the recent communal killings and to avoid rumour mongering. “It has come to our notice that certain television channels have been telecasting rumours and hearsay messages at first instance without proper verification of facts. They have also been airing footage of violent incidents and images of the injured persons repeatedly. This could further ignite tensions and disrupt communal harmony. I therefore appeal to the television channels to observe restrain and sensitivity to maintain peace and harmony,” an advisor issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Daksina Kannada district, Shashikanth Senthil states. The advisor further appeals the media to not publish information without verifying facts, and also observe restrain in the choice of words used.

Human Interest

The comments came at a conference organised by Grama Seva Sangha, where activists and personalities urged authorities to promote handmade goods in the country.

Prajwal Bhat

Actor Irrfan Khan, theatre personality Prasanna Heggodu, filmmaker MS Sathyu were among a number of people who called for the Centre to reduce the Goods and Services Tax on handmade goods to zero while speaking at a symposium organised by Grama Seva Sangha in Bengaluru. Drawing attention to the condition of workers who make handmade goods in India, Irrfan said that India can set an example to the rest of the world by promoting handmade goods. “Sixty percent of India’s population is involved in making handmade goods and we should take a greater interest in the living and working conditions of the people,” he said. Irrfan was inaugurating the symposium alongside activist Uzramma, theatre personality and filmmaker MS Sathyu and livestock activist Neelkanthmama at St Joseph Institute of Management. Grama Seva Sangh held the symposium to promote handmade goods in the city. It comes two months after the organisation staged a tax denial satyagraha in a bid to bring down the GST on handmade products to zero. Prasanna Heggodu, a theatre personality who went on a fast in a bid to highlight the grievances faced by those in the handmade goods sector, admitted that the process of making goods by hand is slow, but is holistic and closer to nature. “It may appear economically inefficient, but is ecologically sustainable and can be made socially just. Machine-making is faster and appears economically more efficient, but causes extensive damage whilst also depriving large sections of society of their wealth. Machine-making is also a natural ally of neo-liberal economic systems whose methods entail appropriation and aggregation of wealth, and essentially is an antithesis to cooperation and empowerment,” Prasanna said. Singer MD Pallavi discussed the use of technology in music. “Violinists and percussionists have been displaced by the overemphatic presence of musical machines and now they are forced to become taxi drivers to eke out a living,” she said. Handmade products are being taxed for the first time in the GST taxation system and the Grama Seva Sangh are continuing to protest against the tax levied on handmade goods. At the symposium, the experts present urged the GST council to remove taxation on handmade products. They also urged the Central and State governments to take measures to get a better price for handmade products and asked for a separate ministry to be made for it. They also asked the government to define handmade products as any product that uses not less than two-thirds of the hand process and not more than one-thirds of the machine process.

Suicide

Before hanging himself, Rajesh recorded a video in which he cautioned people against taking loans from such financiers.

TNM Staff

Image for representation

A 25-year-old man in Bengaluru hung himself as he was allegedly being harassed by loan sharks. Rajesh, a resident of JC Nagar and a marketing professional, took the extreme step on Friday. However, before taking his life, Rajesh recorded a two-minute video on his phone in which he cautioned people against taking loans from such financiers. In the video, Rajesh said that he had taken a Rs 25,000 loan from a financier called Kiran. And since he was unable to repay the money, Kiran had been harassing him. The financier had also allegedly gone to Rajesh's house in the past and assaulted his family. Rajesh asked Kiran to not trouble his family after his death. The victim also mentioned a woman he had loved but who had broken up with him. According to police, Rajesh was upset for both these reasons and this could have driven him to suicide. "At the same time, his lover is also alleged to have deserted him over personal reasons. Upset over both the issues, Rajesh committed suicide by hanging on Friday night when his parents went out," an officer said. When his brother returned home, he found Rajesh hanging from the ceiling. A case has been filed and investigations are underway. In December last year, another man took his life in a similar way. 27-year-old Anil, a resident of Beniganahalli in Byappanahalli, worked as a cab driver. Before hanging himself, Anil recorded two videos where he alleged that he was being harassed by bank officials over a loan. Anil's father Rajanna told the police that his son had taken a Rs 4 lakh loan from SBI's Nagavara Palya branch some years ago. The bank allegedly threatened to auction his house if he failed to clear the loan. In one of the videos Anil took before his death, Anil urges people not to "get stuck in the net of loans"."We cannot ignore parents or wife or children. But, they are not the reason for my suicide. I'm going to commit suicide only because of bank loan. Think before getting loan. Don't get stuck in the net of loans. The loan providers would die for interest," he said.

GI-tag

The first coffee in India is said to have been grown in Baba Budangiri.

TNM Staff

Two varieties of Arabica coffee grown in the hills of Baba Budangiri in Chikkamagaluru and Coorg could soon get a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. The first coffee in India is said to have been grown in Baba Budangiri. The coffee board has filed an application with the Geographical Indication Registry at Chennai seeking GI-tags for five varieties of coffee including the Baba Budangiri type. The other varieties are Coorg Arabica, Wayanad Robusta, Chikmagalur Arabic and Araku Valley Arabica. K Basavaraj, Coffee Board head (coffee quality), told The Times of India, "We have applied for the GI marker and we are also profiling the majority variety grown in Baba Budangiri, a variety called Selection-795." According to the India Coffee Board, the Selection-795 or S-795 variety "is by far the most popular Arabica selection released during the 1940s with high yields, bold beans, superior quality and relative tolerance to leaf rust. This selection was developed using 'Kents' Arabica, known for its high quality. Even today, the S.795 is a favourite with the planters and is a widely cultivated Arabica variety. S.795 has a balanced cup with subtle flavour notes of Mocca." This variety is grown across 15,000 hectares in the Baba Budangiri hills. It is said that coffee was introduced to the region in the 17th century by a legendary saint called Baba Budan. Baba Budan planted the first coffee seeds that he had got from Yemen in the hills that got his name. GI-tags The GI-tag is a component of the intellectual property rights of individuals or groups. The Indian government maintains a Geographical Indications Registry, which is a list of the GI tags which have been offered to those who have sought it based on the proof of their ownership. Geographical Indications of goods is defined as that industrial property which refers to the geographical indication from where the product is considered to have been originated. GI-tags are serious business, and patent owners take it very seriously. Once the GI is allotted to a product, the same product name cannot be used for products that are manufactured or grown outside the registered geographical boundaries. For example, 'Kancheepuram Silk' has a GI tag, so now no one can sell any other variety of silk with the label 'Kancheepuram Silk' which is manufactured outside Kancheepuram. Violation of GI tags is a punishable offence under the law.

Crime

Basheer, a fast-food joint owner, was injured after he was attacked on January 3.

Harsha Raj Gatty

Days after battling for his life, 47-year-old Basheer who was attacked following the death of 27-year-old BJP activist Deepak Rao, succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital in Mangaluru on Sunday. Basheer, a fast-food joint owner, was injured after he was attacked on January 3, by a group of men wielding lethal weapons, as he was returning home. Meanwhile, Basheer's kin told the media that their family has decided not to hold a funeral procession. "Only close members of the family will be allowed to see the body," they said. The police had earlier arrested PK Srijith, a 25-year-old man from Uppala, Kishan Poojary and Dhanush Poojary, brothers from Padil near Mangaluru, and Sandesh Kotian, a 22-year-old from Manjeshwar in Kasaragod, for the murder. While Basheer was a resident of Akasha Bhavana, approximately 11 km from Katipalla, where Deepak was found murdered, the police have not established any connection between the two deceased victims. The police said that the four people arrested just wanted to take revenge for Deepak's death."In fact, they were familiar with Basheer's movements as they frequented to his eatery. On their way from Garodi temple (near Nagori) to Surathkal, they spotted him at Kottara Chowki and assaulted him nearly 15 times, the video grab showed," Mangaluru Police Commissioner TR Suresh told the media. “They said that they just wanted to attack someone from the community. They were travelling to Surathkal and saw Basheer, so they attacked him. They knew Kottara Chowki, where the eatery was located, and also knew that Basheer would be an easy target,” the Commissioner added. “They have not yet revealed the name of the organisation they belong to, but they have said that they are pro-Hindu activists,” Commissioner Suresh added. On being alerted by locals, two off-duty ambulance drivers, Rohit and Chandrashekar Kulai, attempted to save Basheer's life by shifting him to AJ Hospital in their ambulance. However, doctors said that his condition was critical and he was battling for life. Basheer was formerly employed in Gulf countries for over two decades, before he returned to India in 2016 and setup an eatery, while staying close to his family. Content provided by www.storyinfinity.com (Subs and Scribes Media Ventures). Read: ‘He was not radical, just a Hindu’: K’taka BJP man’s murder evokes anger and sorrow Mangaluru’s cycle of communal violence: Muslim man’s family grapples with brutal attack

Politics

The Karnataka Assembly elections will be held in less than six months’ time, with CM Siddaramaiah finishing his full term in May.

Soumya Chatterjee

Karnataka will elect a hung Assembly in the 2018 state polls, leaving the former PM HD Devegowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) party to don the hat of kingmaker yet again, predicts the TV9 Kannada-C-Voter opinion poll. The Karnataka Assembly elections will be held in less than six months’ time, with CM Siddaramaiah finishing his full term in May. The TV9 Kannada-C-Voter opinion poll estimates that the ruling Congress will remain the top party, winning 102 seats – but 11 short of the magic number. A party has to win a total of 113 seats in the 224 member Assembly to form a government on its own. The opinion polls show that the BJP will be the second favourite, winning 96 seats well short of their much publicised target of 150 seats. In fact, the number is less than their 2008 winning tally of 110 seats, while the JD (S) will further lose ground winning only 25 seats The polls, like last time, are primarily poised to be a three-horse race between the ruling Congress, and opposition BJP and the JD (S). Both the BJP and the JD (S) managed to win 40 seats each last time. The Congress had emerged as the winner with 121 seats and formed the majority government on its own. The last major election in the state was the Lok Sabha election in 2014, in which PM Narendra Modi stormed to power at the Centre. The BJP had then won 17 seats in Karnataka back then, with the Congress settling for only 9 seats and the JD (S) managing a meagre 2 seats. The table shows the break up of seats in the six geographical regions of the state: Region Congress BJP JD (S) Central K’taka 15 18 2 Coastal K’taka 7 14 0 Greater Bengaluru 10 19 2 Hyd-Karnataka 14 16 1 Mumbai-K’taka 26 24 0 Old Mysore 30 5 20 Total 102 96 25 This pre-poll survey suggests that both the Congress and the BJP have a chance of forming the government this year – as long as they have JD (S) support. ‘No hung Assembly’ “I agree that there is very little difference between the two parties (BJP and Congress) today with Congress a little ahead at this moment. We don’t know what will happen in the next three months. But personally I am not of the opinion that there will be a hung assembly,” noted political analyst Sandeep Shastri told TNM. “My argument is we have had a hung Assembly when there is a transition. In ‘83, the transition was when we moved from single party rule to competitive party system. In 2004, we moved from a Congress vs Janata Dal competition to a Congress vs BJP competition. I don’t see any such eventuality coming up later this year,” he added. Speaking about the JD (S)’s tally of 25 seats in the opinion poll, the analyst says the number is realistic. “For them to retain what they currently have would be a task by itself, given so many deserters in the party and some more in the near future,” he added. ‘South Karnataka the key for BJP’ “In north Karnataka, the Mumbai-Karnataka region has always been the forte of the BJP. I don’t think the separate religion tag for the Lingayats would strongly impact the BJP negatively. The party realises the real battle is going to be in the old Mysore where its strength is not as much. That’s why the party can be seen working hard in Chamrajnagar, Mandya and Mysore. They realise that in a bid to be in power they have to do well in south Karnataka and Hyderabad-Karnataka and that’s why the focus there,” he added. However, Professor Muzaffar Assadi is of the opinion that the JD (S) will retain 35-40 seats. “Irrespective of the fact that they try or not they will definitely get close to 40 seats with their Vokkaliga pro-peasant identity. Their base is too strong in the Cauvery belt. The BJP cannot dent that like the JD (S) cannot expect to gain in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region where the Lingayat peasantry won’t vote for them,” he told TNM. He said, "Going by the current trends, despite the anti-incumbency, the Congress might manage to get closer to the 113 mark with populist schemes." Vote share In terms of vote share, the Congress and the BJP are neck to neck with 36.6% and 35.9% of the total votes according to the ppinion poll. The JD (S) is touted to get 18.8 % of the total votes while others are estimated to register only 8.7% of the votes in their name. In the 2013 polls, the BJP had only managed 19.89% of the total votes which was less than JD (S)’s 20.45% while the Congress got 36.59%

Manual Scavenging

Manual Scavenging is banned across India, but that hasn't stopped people in various places from making human beings enter manholes and sewers.

Soumya Chatterjee

One of the three men who died in Bengaluru.

In a gross violation of human rights, three Bengaluru men who were engaged to manually clean a manhole by apartment dwellers in a posh south Bengaluru locality, died on the job. Manual Scavenging is banned across India, but that hasn't stopped people in various places from making human beings enter manholes and sewers. Narayana Swamy (35), Mahadeva Gowda (42) and Srinivas (52) died after they had gone down a manhole inside the premises of ND Sepal Apartments in Somasundara Palya in HSR Layout. Mahadeva Gowda (42) succumbed while he was being taken to Columbia Asia Hospital while the bodies of Narayana Swamy and Srinivas were recovered by fire and emergency personnel from the manhole. The bodies of the three deceased have been kept at the St John’s Hospital for post-mortem. An FIR has been registered at the Bandepalya Police Station under section 304A (causing death by negligence) read with section 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC. “At the moment we do not know the cause of death. All we know is that the incident had occurred around 10.30am, Post-mortem will be conducted and only then can we know about the cause. The police have been informed. In most of these cases, asphyxia is the primary cause of death,” Dr Sanjiv Lewin Medical Superintendent, St John’s Hospital told TNM. "Septic tanks are enclosed areas with decomposed domestic wastes, sewage and resultant gasses. Methane is extremely toxic in high concentrations apart from hydrogen sulphide, ammonia, carbon dioxide and others. Toxicity causes asphyxia at cellular levels, which damages vital organs rapidly and kills," he explained. Bengaluru Mayor N Sampath Raj told TNM, ”There is negligence by the apartment owners. The workers did not have any protective gear. This is a human rights violation, They should not have done this. The concerned apartment association president and the vice-president have been detained by the police. Investigation is going on and action will be taken.” “Tomorrow onwards we will advertise in newspapers informing that such violations will no longer be tolerated and strict action will be taken,” the Mayor added. Other than the Mayor, Bengaluru Development Minister KJ George also visited the accident spot. However, this is not the first incident of death due to this barbaric practice. In March 2017 too, three persons engaged to clean a manhole had died due to unsafe conditions. At that time, it was a government body, the BWSSB which had outsourced those three persons to manually clean the sewer. Back then, Clifton Rozario, a lawyer advocating the cause of these workers had said, “It is the social circumstances that compels them to clean another person's waste. We as a society are equally responsible for the deaths. Not just that, the society is equally responsible for this. As far as the urban elite are concerned, they want their dirt to be cleaned and do not bother about who does it in what condition. The blood of these men are on our hands. Employing a manual scavenger has been made a cognisable offence with imprisonment and fine since 1993, and The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013, and a Supreme Court ruling state the same.

News

The bodies have been sent to Victoria Hospital for post-mortem.

TNM Staff

Five people died in Bengaluru on Monday morning, after a fire broke out at a bar-cum-restaurant in the early hours. The incident happened in the vegetable market area after a blaze erupted at Kailash Bar and Restaurant, located on the ground floor of Kumbaara Sangha building, said police. The deceased have been identified as Swami (23), Prasad (20) and Mahesh (35), all natives of Tumkur, Manjunath (45), a native of Hassan and Keerthi (24), a native of Mandya. The bodies have been sent to Victoria Hospital for post-mortem. The Fire Control Room received a call from a man named Chaluvakumar at 3.10am, stating that he could see heavy smoke coming out of the building. Soon the North fire station personnel were roped in and 20 firefighters rushed to the spot. According to Chief Fire Officer (East) Basavanna, who went along to douse the flames, five employees were asleep inside the bar when the fire broke out. The blaze has been put out but the reason for the fire is not clear and is being probed, police said. “Five of them had died in the fire. We had already begun the firefighting operation and a few of us went in to see if anyone was inside. We found five people dead. The entire ground plus one structure was on fire when we reached,” CFO Basavanna said. (More details awaited)

Politics

"If Siddaramaiah is Hindu, then how correct is it for him to promote the consumption of beef?” Yogi asked

TNM Staff

A war of words broke out between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath on Twitter, as the latter visited Bengaluru for political campaigning. Adityanath was in Bengaluru campaigning for the BJP ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the state when he launched an attack on CM Siddaramaiah and the ruling Congress government in the state. In response, Siddaramaiah took to Twitter, sarcastically suggesting that Adityanath ‘can learn a lot’ from Karnataka. Siddaramaiah, in his tweet, asked him to tour the Indira canteens and other ration shops started by his government. He also referenced starvation deaths, pointing out the death of a man in Bareilly reportedly because of starvation. The UP government however has steadfastly denied the claim. I welcome UP CM Shri @myogiadityanath to our state. There is a lot you can learn from us Sir. When you are here please visit a Indira Canteen & a ration shop. It will help you address the starvation deaths sometimes reported from your state. #YogiInBengaluru https://t.co/lj0m4fMphC— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) January 7, 2018 Yogi Adityanath responded by highlighting failures of the Congress government in the state. He claimed that the number of farmers committing suicide was highest in the current regime and also pointed out the transfer of numerous bureaucrats in the state. Thank you for the welcome @siddaramaiah ji. I heard number of farmers committing suicide in Karnataka was highest in your regime, not to mention the numerous deaths and transfer of honest officers. As UP CM I am working to undo the misery and lawlessness unleashed by your allies. — Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) January 7, 2018 Earlier on Sunday, Yogi had slammed Siddaramaiah at the Parivartana Rally in Bengaluru for the assertion that he was a Hindu. “Hindutva is not pecific to any caste or religion. It means living life in sync with India,” he said. “However, it does not promote the consumption of beef. I want to ask [Siddaramaiah], if you too are Hindu, then how correct is it for you to promote the consumption of beef?,” he said, according to Hindustan Times. Yogi Adityanath is in Bengaluru campaigning for the BJP ahead of the assembly elections in the state later this year. BJP looking to canvass votes based on the promise of ‘development’, even as leaders like Pratap Simha and Ananthkumar Hegde make incendiary statements. It’s Parivartana Yatra Rally started on November 2 entered its 66th day on Sunday.

Politics

Yogi Adityanath challenged Siddaramaiah to prove his Hindutva credentials by bringing in a ban on cow slaughter.

TNM Staff

Yogi Adityanath Twitter

In a speech at the Parivartana Rally in Bengaluru on Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister slammed his counterpart Siddaramaiah for asserting that he is a Hindu. He also likened him to Congress President Rahul Gandhi for remembering he is a Hindu in the time of elections and challenged him to prove his Hindutva credentials by bringing in a ban on cow slaughter. Here are five things that stood out from the UP CM’s speech in Bengaluru. On cow slaughter “When we were in power in Karnataka, we had enacted a law prohibiting cow slaughter. The Congress government as soon as it came to power, repealed that law. The cow is a very scared animal to Hindus. If Siddaramaiah is a Hindu and talks of Hindutva, he shouldn’t allow cow slaughter,” he said as reported by The Hindu, challenging the Chief Minister to prove his Hindu credentials. He added, "Hindutva is a method of living. It should not be linked with religion, caste, belief or prayer. Hindutva does not advocate eating beef. I want to ask the chief minister that if he is a Hindu and supports Hindutva then is it right to endorse eating beef." On Congress “The party has become a burden...a problem for the nation. Because of corruption, its divisive politics and its anti-development policies, Karnataka has been pushed five years back. The corrupt Congress is using Karnataka as its ATM," Adityanath said as per The Economic Times. On Siddaramaiah “Like their leader Rahul Gandhi who visited temples during Gujarat elections, Siddaramaiah also now remembers that he is a Hindu,” Adityanath said. On Hanuman Jayanti “Like Uttar Pradesh is the birthplace of Lord Rama, Karnataka is the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. So, Hanuman Jayanthi is a great issue here as everyone celebrates the day. Like Rama in UP, it is Hanuman in Karnataka,’’ he said as per Asian Age. On the need for a BJP government “In the past five years, the Congress has pushed Karnataka backwards. Karnataka needs to benefit from the development programmes of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, the youth, farmers and cities like Bengaluru need these programmes, and for this Karnataka needs a BJP government,’’ Adityanath said as per The New Indian Express. Yogi Adityanath is in Bengaluru campaigning for the BJP ahead of the state assembly elections in Karnataka in May. The Parivartana Yatra which started on November 2 entered its 66th day as the BJP campaigns on the promise of ‘development’ in the state. In December, during the Parivartana Yatra rally in Hubballi, Yogi Adityanath took a jibe at the Congress, and said that "It is the turn of the people in Karnataka to throw Congress out of south India as voters did in Gujarat and Himachal in western and northern India recently.”

Fire

Sources told TNM that there was 50-minute delay in fire services personnel arriving at the spot.

Theja Ram

In a small gully just off New Bamboo Bazaar Road in Bengaluru’s Kalasipalya area, Kailash Bar and Restaurant, a 70-year-old building went up in flames early on Monday morning. The blaze killed five people. Swarms of police and fire services personnel were seen coming out of the building at around 10am. Hours after the fire, civic officials have now admitted that the establishment violated several laws and safety norms. The fire at the bar and restaurant on the ground floor of Kailash Bar and Restaurant building in Kalasipalya broke out in the early hours of Monday morning. The fire claimed the lives of five employees, who were staying inside the bar. “All five victims were staying inside the bar which violates labour laws. If there is a situation where the staff is unable to afford accommodation, then the owner of the establishment should ensure that the staff are accommodated elsewhere,” said Bengaluru Mayor Sampath Raj. The mayor also admitted that fire safety norms were violated and that the staff were not aware of basic fire-safety measures. “Fire safety norms were violated blatantly. There was no fire exit staircase, there is no proper ventilation and there were no fire extinguishers inside the building. Even though the staff was staying inside, there was a risk of fire and the staff was not aware of fire-safety measures. If they were taught basic measures of safety, the deaths could have been avoided. The owner of the establishment should ensure staff knows how to handle emergencies like a fire breaking out,” said Sampath Raj. Bengaluru Police has arrested Dayashankar, the owner of the bar. A case has been registered against him under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). The police is also investigating whether workers were staying in the bar to serve alcohol after-hours. “Based on preliminary investigations, there is a suspicion that the reason they were in the bar is so that they could sell alcohol,” said T Suneel Kumar, Bengaluru Police Commissioner. “Forensic Science Lab and the state electrical inspectorate is yet to file a report but it appears to be a short circuit,” said Kumar. The police also confirmed that a suspected short-circuit of a UPS sparked a fire, which originated near the entrance of the bar and spread rapidly as there were several alcohol bottles near it. “The building is very old and has violated building norms also. We are conducting a probe to check discrepancies in the building norms,” added Kumar. Police Commissioner Kumar also told TNM that Ramachandra, who is a cashier at the bar, received a call saying that there was smoke coming out the building. Ramachandra in turn called his relative Prasad, who is one of victims of the fire, telling him and the others to get out immediately. “Five of them ran and locked themselves in the bathroom. While three have died due to asphyxiation, the bodies of two other victims were found burnt,” said Kumar. Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy, KJ George and Commissioner T Suneel Kumar at Kalasipalyam 50-minute delay in arriving at spot Sources have also told TNM that while the Kalasipalyam fire station received a call informing them of the fire at 3.10am, fire services personnel arrived at the spot only at 4am – indicating a delay of 50 minutes. Fire services personnel that TNM spoke to on the ground also confirmed that they had arrived at the scene only at 4am. But it wasn’t just a delay in getting to the spot that prevented fire personnel from saving the victims. Fire personnel say that they faced challenging entering the building that was engulfed in flames. “ “We faced problems going in as the shutter of the building was locked from inside,” said a fire personnel on the ground. Meanwhile, the Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is conducting its own internal probe into the incident. Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy confirmed Rs 5 lakh compensation for the victims’ families. He also said that the Labour Department will conduct an inquiry and see if there are other places where violations are happening.

Death

Mahesh, one of the five men who died in the fire, had taken a two-week break from work and was planning a function to celebrate his niece’s second birthday.

Theja Ram

The atmosphere was grim outside the mortuary in Bengaluru’s Victoria Hospital on Monday morning. Family members of the five victims who died in the fire in Kailash Bar and Restaurant wept for their loved ones as they waited for the autopsies to be completed. Sitting on the stone pavement outside the mortuary, Praveen, a cousin of Swami and Prasad, two of the deceased, held his head in his hand as he cried for his brothers. “Both Swami and Prasad were my cousins. They were still so young. Our family members used to ask Swami when he would get married. He would always say that he was working hard so he could become financially stable. It had been six years since he joined the bar. He was finally telling us that he was happy about reaching his goal. Now all of a sudden he is no more,” Praveen says. Relatives of the other deceased stand outside the mortuary door, their expressions showing their sorrow and helplessness. Speaking to TNM, Puttaswamy, a cousin of another of the deceased Mahesh, says that his brother had taken a two-week break from work and visited his hometown Mukkikere in Hassan district to spend time with his brother and niece. “He came back to Bengaluru yesterday (Sunday) from Mukkikere to get money for his niece’s birthday. She was turning 2 on January 16 and he was planning a function in our village on the occasion. He loved her a lot. Mahesh was not married and did not have kids of his own. He treated his niece like his own daughter. He was so excited about the birthday. Now it is hard to believe that he is never coming back,” Puttaswamy says. While the relatives of the deceased consoled each other, a brother of one of the deceased Manjunath, also named Manjunath, was wandering in the area around the mortuary asking for the hospital staff to let him have a glimpse of his brother. “I just want to see my brother. His wife is diabetic and she is unwell. My brother used to work very hard so that he could send some money home. He has two children – an 18-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy. The boy studies at the Tiptur Government School in Tumakuru. My niece is turning 19 in a few months and he was planning her wedding. He was looking for grooms and just two days ago he told me of all the grand plans he had in mind for his daughter’s wedding. The children are devastated. He was the only one earning in the family,” Manjunath’s brother told TNM. Two of the deceased – Prasad and Swami – were cousins. Their uncle Ramachandra works as the cashier at the same bar and restaurant which went up in flames. Ramachandra was alerted by Cheluvakumar, the owner of a shop opposite the bar, about fumes coming out of the building early on Monday morning. “I received a call at around 2.45 am that there was a lot of smoke coming out of the building. I immediately called Prasad to alert the men inside of the fire. I could talk to Prasad for only about a minute or so. They were very scared and they said that there was a fire. I was telling them to crawl out of the place but the call got cut and I could not connect again. I also called the police. The five men rushed into the bathroom in the first floor. But they could not be saved – they had terrible burns and three of them had choked on the smoke,” a teary-eyed Ramachandra says. Meanwhile, Kiran, brother of Keerthi, who also died in the fire, says that his brother had joined the job at the bar only a month ago. “I work at Udupi Hotel in Balepete in Bangalore. Keerthi was also working with me but one month ago, he joined the bar as it payed more. We live in a joint family in Mandya and all my cousins are doing odd jobs so that we can provide for the family as farming is not yielding much income. Keerthi started working in Udupi Hotel when he was 14 years old. He was a hard worker and only 18 years old. This is so unfortunate,” Kiran adds. While the Kalasipalya Police arrested the bar owner Dayashankar, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the family members. Chamarajapete MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan has taken charge of transporting the bodies of the deceased after the autopsy to their villages. The Police Commissioner, BBMP and the Labour Department have begun independent investigations into the incident as a preliminary probe revealed that labour laws and fire safety norms were violated.

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