Karnataka

Crime

After interrogating him for over a fortnight, the police named Naveen Kumar as an accused in the case on Friday.

Twenty days after KT Naveen Kumar was picked up by the Special Investigation Team probing the Gauri Lankesh murder case, he has now been arrested and booked for murder. Naveen Kumar, the founder-member of Hindu Yuve Sena, a fringe Hindu outfit, was taken to custody on February 18 by the Special Investigative Team in Bengaluru’s Upparpet while he was allegedly trying to sell an illegal country-made .32 calibre revolver and 15 live bullets. The SIT had initially suspected Naveen Kumar to have assisted Gauri’s killers in the murder. However, on Friday, after interrogating him for over a fortnight, the SIT has named him as accused in the case. “Yes, he has been arrested, but whether he is the primary accused can be determined only when chargesheet is filed. He has been booked under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code,” an investigating officer told TNM. Naveen Kumar was produced before the 3rd ACMM court on Friday. The SIT submitted a sealed file to the judge containing crucial information obtained during the course of the investigation. Naveen Kumar has been remanded to five-day police custody. The court has decided to hear the SIT's plea to conduct lie-detector test on Naveen Kumar on March 15. Accused Naveen Kumar had objected to undergoing this test when he was in the custody of the SIT. Hence, the investigative officers petitioned the court. Gauri, 55, was the outspoken editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, which was known for its frank editorials. She was shot dead outside her residence in Bengaluru’s Rajarajeshwarinagar on September 5, 2017. The SIT had initially suspected that Naveen had ferried the murderer to Gauri’s home in Rajarajeshwarinagar. They also claimed to have evidence to prove that Naveen’s presence in the area on September 5, the night of the murder, and September 3, the day the killers conducted a reconnaissance. Naveen was believed to be a part of a four-member team hired to kill Gauri. The SIT also suspected that he may have been involved in the killing of noted rationalist and writer MM Kalburgi. On February 24, officers of the Organised Crime Wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB), Bengaluru police had first arrested KT Naveen Kumar and he was booked under the Arms Act. Read: Ground report: The origins of Naveen Kumar, the weakest link in Gauri Lankesh murder

Politics

The party has formed a screening committee, headed by Madhusudhan Mistry, to vet the candidates before giving them tickets.

Theja Ram

KPCC/Twitter

With the Karnataka Assembly polls around the corner, the state Congress party has formed a screening committee, headed by former MP Madhusudan Mistry, to ensure that winnable candidates are given tickets. While one faction of leaders in the party believe that it should field the children of politicians, another faction, headed by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Dr G Parameshwara has demanded for a ‘one family, one ticket’ policy to avoid an anti-incumbency wave. “This is an election the Congress cannot afford to lose. If a politician’s son or daughter is a winnable candidate, then that’s who the party will pick. But there is also the concern of several senior leaders having criminal allegations against them. The screening committee is looking into these candidates,” a source told TNM. Sources added that a separate selection committee has been formed to vet the applications. These will then be sent to the screening committee, which will then send the list it to the party high command where it will be finalised. “Parameshwara had tried to change the perception that tickets are given to children of politicians and that new candidates are not accepted. Besides, he is not happy about (Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah declaring that his son will contest from Varuna. Yes, Parameshwara is a veteran leader. However, this is a do-or-die situation. The party cannot lose and it appears that appeasement of some of the seniors is taking a back seat,” a party functionary said. Sources also claim that a strict screening process was being put in place by the leaders. “Mistry is being very thorough in the vetting of the over 3,000 ticket applications received. Only the candidates who have ground-level support, match the caste combination of the constituency and knows what to do to win in the said constituency will be given the ticket,” the source added. Mistry, who is on a two-day visit to Bengaluru, held a meeting with the selection committee members and conducted informal interviews with applicants who wanted to present their cause. “Obviously this election is not a time to experiment with fielding candidates who are not from a politically influential family. This is about the promise that a Congress revival will begin in Karnataka. Already the party has faced losses in many states. This is not the time for appeasing disgruntled leaders. Everyone has to go along with what the party decides,” the source added. On Friday, after extensive discussions, the party’s campaign committee chalked out some ideas to counter the BJP’s Bengaluru Rakshisi campaign. “From the first week of April to April 13, we will conduct an aggressive door-to-door campaign in every Assembly constituency. All office bearers who are ticket aspirants have been advised to tender voluntary resignations from their posts so that they can campaign effectively in the constituencies. We are going to step up ‘Mane Manege Congress’ and spread the news about what the government has done so far and also offer reasons why the BJP should never be voted to power,” Parameshwara said.

Religion

The ongoing face-off between Veerashaiva and Lingayat leaders has created a rift in the cabinet.

TNM Staff

Differences have cropped up within the Siddaramaiah cabinet over the question of recommending ‘religious minority’ tag for the Lingayat community. The ongoing face-off between Veerashaiva and Lingayat leaders created a rift in the cabinet on Thursday. Water Resources Minister MB Patil and Basavaraj Rayareddi were in favour of going ahead with the Justice Nagamohan Das Committee report which recommends ‘religious minority’ tag for Lingayats. However, they were strongly opposed by Municipal Administration Minister Eshwar Khandre and Horticulture Minister SS Mallikarjun. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah intervened as the arguments escalated and decided to defer the issue to a later date. The issue will now be discussed in the next cabinet meeting on March 14. Former IAS officer SM Jamdaar, who is spearheading the Lingayat movement for separate religion tag said that the differences between the leaders belonging to Veerashaiva and Lingayat community caused the issue to be deferred to a later date. “It is nothing unexpected or nothing new. The leaders who have opposed it in the cabinet are the same people who have opposed the Lingayat movement in the last ten months. They are representing the Veerashaiva Mahasabha and they want Veerashaivas to also get a religious minority tag,” he explained. SS Mallikarjun is the son of All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha President Shamanur Shivashankarappa while Khandre has previously said that Veerashaivas and Lingayats should not be divided. The Lingayat movement, which was started in 1942, was resurrected last year by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s promise to look into the demand for a separate religion tag for Lingayats and Veerashaivas. A series of rallies in various parts of North Karnataka demanding an independent religion status to Lingayats pushed the state government to consider the issue, by referring the matter to the State Minorities Commission. Eventually, a seven-member expert committee was formed in December 2017 to study five separate demands, three of which were for a separate minority religion status for Lingayats. One representation stated that the Lingayat community members are Hindus and another demanding minority religion tag for the Veerashaiva-Lingayat sect. The committee recommended ‘religious minority tag’ for Lingayats. It concluded that there is enough evidence to differentiate Lingayat religion from Hindu religion and also added that Veerashaivas - another sect looking to get religious minority status, too can be part of the larger umbrella of ‘Lingayat religion’, as per a report by The Hindu. Jamdaar had earlier confirmed that negotiations between Lingayat and Veerashaiva groups over presenting a joint proposal for separate religion status had collapsed. While the next cabinet meeting on March 14 will take a decision, a court case related to the issue in the Karnataka High Court is still being heard. The court had earlier put a rider on the process initiated by the State Minorities Committee on the formation of the panel and its report and said that further steps will be subject to the court’s final decision. The next hearing in the case is on March 9.

Crime

The Special Public Prosecutor told TNM that three videos had been submitted to the judge, including one of the assault.

Theja Ram

High drama prevailed in the Karnataka High Court on Friday during Mohammed Haris Nalapad’s bail hearing. Nalapad, the former Bengaluru District General Secretary of the Youth Congress was arrested for brutally assaulting 24-year-old Vidvat at the city’s Farzi Cafe. Though Vidvat had been allegedly attacked by Nalapad and friends at two locations, Senior advocate, VC Nagesh, who appeared for Nalapad had argued that it was not a case of assault, but just a “drunken brawl”. “Vidvat did not suffer any serious injuries, nor were any weapons used. It was only a drunken brawl. The fight broke out in the heat of the moment and there was no intention to kill Vidvat. Hence section 307 is not applicable,” VC Nagesh said. The defence also argued that Vidvat had been deliberately kept in the ICU due to pressure from his family members so he would not be able to give his statement to the police. VC Nagesh had also produced a doctor’s note signed by Dr Anand, one of the doctors who had treated Vidvat during the period of his hospitalisation. The doctor’s note produced by the defence stated that Vidvat had a “hairline fracture and a simple scratch” and that Vidvat could be shifted out of the ICU on February 25 itself. “Every time doctors said that Vidvat could be discharged, he complained of something new. He was fabricating problems,” VC Prakash had told the HC. The defence had argued that efforts had been made to portray Vidvat’s condition as critical, so that Nalapad would not get bail. Objecting to the claims made by the defence, Special Public Prosecutor Shyam Sundar, representing Vidvat then pulled out a detailed discharge summary, which was submitted as evidence against Nalapad. “The discharge summary had detailed all the injuries suffered by Vidvat. Besides, even if there was a doctor’s note, how did the defence get it? Vidvat was still under treatment and it was proved in court that the defence had fabricated evidence. This is a medico legal case and the hospital records are confidential. How did the defence get hold of this doctor’s note even before the investigating officers or even the family of the victim got it?” SPP Shyam Sundar questioned. Soon after, three videos were also presented as evidence before the court. The first one was that of Mohammed Haris Nalapad entering UB City along with 15 men. The second was a 15-minute clip of Nalapad and his gang brutally assaulting Vidvat and the third one was that of Nalapad and the gang threatening Vidvat’s brother Satvik at Mallya Hospital. “Since the video of the assault was brutal, the video was played in the judge’s chambers. It is a 15-minute clip. There are 15 people beating Vidvat. Nalapad is wearing knuckle rings and is seen assaulting Vidvat. The assault goes on for 15 minutes and there are around 100 people who are standing and watching in fear. He is assaulted once more when Vidvat is coming down the escalator. Nalapad and his men drag him back to Farzi Cafe and beat him up again. This clearly proves the extent of Vidvat’s injuries,” Shyam Sundar told TNM. Justice Srinivas Harish Kumar, the judge presiding over the hearing adjourned the court. The next hearing is scheduled on March 12.

Protest

Nearly 900 of the 1,200 Metro employees are affiliated with the Bangalore Metro Rail Employees Union.

TNM Staff

The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) employees’ union threatened to go on an indefinite strike from March 22 over several demands, including higher wages and greater recognition for the union. The union has printed 10,000 leaflets, which it will distribute it to the public to explain their decision to halt Metro train operations. Nearly 900 of the 1,200 Metro employees are affiliated with the Bangalore Metro Rail Employees Union. Over 70 employees, accompanied by union leaders, organised a press briefing on Friday with some even wearing black protest badges. “Let the management invite us for talks and take steps to solve our demands. We will call off the strike the very next minute. We are forced to go on a strike because of the management,” Legal advisor to the union, D Leelakrishnan, told TNIE. The Union had earlier written to the Managing Director of the BMRCL on Wednesday, issuing a notice that it would “go on strike on and from March 22.” The letter explained the rationale behind the strike and the various issues plaguing the union. It also pointed out that the corporation had ignored the concerns raised by employees. The BMRCL had responded saying that metro services are declared as essential services under the Essential Services Maintanence Act (ESMA).“All persons in the employment of the metro railways are deemed to be public servants within the meaning of Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code as per Section 90 of Metro Railway Operations and Maintenance Act 2002, and so they are prohibited from taking any action which jeopardises the metro services putting the commuters in difficulties and causing inconvenience to people,” Mahendra Jain, Managing Director of BMRCL, said in a press release. However, it does not appear to have deterred union members from going ahead with the strike later this month.

Crime

An FIR has been registered against two unidentified persons for attempted robbery, attempted murder and also under the Arms Act.

TNM Staff

It was routine for 35-year-old Sindhu to close down the home decor store she worked in, before heading home. On Friday night as well, Sindhu was riding home on her two-wheeler after finishing work. But that is when, miscreants who were on a bike, shot at her and fled the spot. At around 9.00 pm on Friday night, the Vidyaranyapura Police received a call from the police control room (PCR) alerting them that a woman had been shot at, near the Hanuman Temple in Ramachandrapura. “As soon as we received the call, the beat officers who were close to the temple were alerted and officers from the police station too rushed to the spot from where the incident was reported. The control room informed us that the injured woman had made the call,” an officer at the Vidyaranyapura Police Station said. When the police reached the spot, Sindhu was lying on the ground. She had been shot at twice and the bullets had pierced her on the right side of her abdomen and right shoulder. “She was in a lot of pain and passers by who were there had called the ambulance, which arrived within minutes of us arriving at the spot,” the police added. Sindhu was immediately rushed to MS Ramaiah Hospital, where she is currently undergoing treatment. Police say that she is out of danger. “We have taken her statement but Sindhu says that she did not see her attackers as both were wearing helmets, which covered their faces. She is also uncertain as to why she was attacked and according to her statement, the men may have wanted to steal from her. She says that is the only reason she could think of. However, we are investigating the matter,” the police added. Sindhu works as an accountant and administrator for a shop which sells home decor in Ramachandrapura, police say. Currently, an FIR has been registered against two unidentified persons for attempted robbery, attempted murder and also under the Arms Act. "The store owner Pradeep's statement has also been taken. We are yet to determine whether the shooting was personally motivated or whether it was a robbery attempt. Investigation is on to determine the motive. We don't know yet if the woman was being stalked but this is also a suspicion because after shooting, Sindhu's belongings were not taken away. The two men just fled the spot,” the police added.

News

To mark International Women’s Day, four women who had made a remarkable achievement in their fields were honoured.

TNM Staff

To mark International Women’s Day, World Vision India, a humanitarian organisation, honoured women in Bengaluru, who are role models in their communities. Krishnappba, Housing Minister, Vijayanagar constituency, was the chief guest at the event. Women from the slums of MCT colony, Girinagar, Arundhatinagar and Chamundinagar participated in the event. Four women who had made a remarkable achievement in their fields were honoured. Among them was Ganga Ravikumar, the first woman Ola driver from Girinagar. Speaking at the event, Ganga said, “Overcoming barriers of gender and poverty was not easy. It is important to change the mindsets in the communities about women. We hope our stories of struggle are an inspiration to many women.” The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Time is now: rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives”. Over the years, women have faced exploitation, harassment, discrimination and lack of equal opportunities. Many of their rights have been secured after sustained efforts to overcome these odds. Today, women have made significant contributions in all spheres of life. Yet, they are still under-represented in the public sphere and many of them continue to suffer discrimination and violence. Equal access to education, healthcare, employment opportunities and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will ensure transformation in the lives of women. Speaking at the event, Krishnappa, said, “There are many women achievers who remain unnoticed and is important that we identify and honour them. Empowered women help in bringing social change. It is important that we help them to develop their skills and talents”. World Vision India (WVI) believes that empowering and educating women is an essential part of social change. Mathai Kutty, Senior Manager-World Vision India said, “We believe that integrating gender into our programs transforms individuals, systems and structures towards gender justice for a more equitable world which promotes dignity and wellbeing of every man, woman and child. Through our initiatives, we seek to empower and equip girls and women to become active participants in the development of their communities.” World Vision is one of the world’s leading child focused humanitarian organisations. With nearly 65 years of experience in India, World Vision India works in 185 districts impacting 26 lakh children and their families in over 6,252 communities spread across 25 states of India. For more information, click here.

Crime

The rapist and murderer was found dead in his solitary cell in February, with his throat slit.

Theja Ram

The circumstances under which serial killer ‘Psycho’ Shankar died at Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Prison had raised several questions. On Friday, the National Human Rights Commission issued a notice to the Inspector General (Prisons), Karnataka, to submit a detailed report regarding the matter within six weeks. In the wee hours of February 27, Shankar – who was given the moniker ‘Psycho’ by the media – was found in his cell with his throat slit. Prison officials said that they suspected that Shankar had committed suicide using a shaving blade. Now, the NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports following the serial killer’s death and has questioned the IG as to how Shankar got his hands on a shaving blade to begin with. The 38-year-old convict was serving a 10-year imprisonment. He was accused in 15 cases of rape and murder, out of which he had been convicted in 3 cases before his death. M Jaishankar, alias Psycho Shankar, had been lodged in an isolated cell after a daring attempt to escape. Speaking to TNM on condition of anonymity, a prison official said that authorities have launched a probe into how he got hold of the blade. “Even when the prisoners are in isolation, they have prison duties to perform. Currently, we suspect that he may have got the blade from one of the inmates either while his food was being delivered or when they were performing prison duties. The reason is not yet clear,” the official added. Sources in the prison told TNM that procuring a blade was not very difficult. "It has come to light that some of the beat officers make a few inmates run errands for them, like fetching files and such. There is a possibility one of them got their hands on the blade then and may have given it to Shankar. The matter is still under investigation," the official said. Meanwhile, the NHRC notice has said that negligence on the part of jail officials is a matter of serious concern. “The Commission has issued a notice to the IG (Prisons), Karnataka, calling for a detailed report with regard to the matter within six weeks. It has observed that the contents of the news reports, if true, amounts to negligence on the part of the jail officials, which is a matter of serious concern,” a statement issued by NHRC reads. The Commission’s statement also noted that state authorities had not informed NHRC within 24 hours of the death in judicial custody, as per guidelines. “Therefore, NHRC has sought an explanation from the IG (Prisons), Karnataka, for not adhering to this guideline,” the statement adds. The prison official added that Psycho Shankar was suffering from depression since he was unable to walk properly after his attempted escape. “Jaishankar had jumped from a 30ft outer wall and had injured his legs badly. He was in a wheelchair and he had also sustained injuries to his back too. He was put in an isolated cell because he was a threat to other inmates. He was speaking to prison counsellors, but not regularly. Shankar was depressed because he had lost hope of ever getting out of prison, especially since he had hurt his limbs,” the official said. Also read: Rapist, murderer ‘Psycho’ Shankar found dead in Bengaluru prison, cops suspect suicide

Crime

Sources tell TNM that Naveen Kumar, arrested in the Gauri Lankesh murder, is suspected of planning another killing. Here’s why.

Theja Ram

After the arrest of KT Naveen Kumar, who is suspected to have provided arms and logistical support for the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, the Special Investigation Team probing the case now suspects that the group’s next target was rationalist KS Bhagwan. A source close to the investigation told TNM, “During the course of investigation, we have had reason to believe that the group which is suspected of killing Gauri Lankesh was planning to kill KS Bhagwan next. The suspicion is that Naveen was providing the weapon for killing their next target to one of the team members when the Central Crime Branch arrested him on February 18,” the source added. Read: After Gauri’s death, Karnad, KS Bhagwan and Veerabhadra Swami to get police protection The SIT is now questioning a man with links to gunrunners in Bijapur, who allegedly provided the weapon for the killing. “Currently, it is only a suspicion but once we have gathered more evidence to link the gunrunner we are questioning, we can divulge more information about how the weapons were procured. We have submitted some evidence gained during investigation in a sealed envelope to the court, which is why the court extended the date of Naveen Kumar’s custody with the police. We suspect that the gunrunner in question had provided the weapon to Naveen, who was to deliver it to one of his team members. Naveen Kumar had full knowledge of the team’s plan to kill Gauri Lankesh,” the SIT source said. Sources in the SIT said that concrete evidence has not been gathered to link Naveen Kumar to Sanathan Sanstha. However, the sleuths had recovered a book written by the founder of Sanathan Sanstha at Naveen Kumar’s residence in Mandya. “This was also submitted to the court. Just because he was in possession of the book does not mean he had links to Sanathan Sanstha. It could mean that he believed in the ideology. As of now there is no evidence linking him to the outfit. However, we are pursuing the angle to see if he had links to the outfit,” the source added. Naveen Kumar was produced before the 3rd ACMM court on Friday. The SIT submitted a sealed file to the judge containing crucial information obtained during the course of the investigation. Naveen Kumar has been remanded to five-day police custody. The court has decided to hear the SIT's plea to conduct lie-detector test on Naveen Kumar on March 15. Accused Naveen Kumar had objected to undergoing this test when he was in the custody of the SIT. Hence, the investigative officers petitioned the court. Gauri, 55, was the outspoken editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, which was known for its frank editorials. She was shot dead outside her residence in Bengaluru’s Rajarajeshwarinagar on September 5, 2017. Read: Gauri Lankesh murder: Accused Naveen Kumar booked for murder Ground report: The origins of Naveen Kumar, the weakest link in Gauri Lankesh murder

Karnataka 2018

Mysuru SP Ravi Channannavar will now take MN Anuchet's place as DCP West in Bengaluru.

IANS

As many as 18 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers have been transferred in poll-bound Karnataka on the order of the Election Commission (EC), an official statement said. The transfer order was issued on Friday night on the recommendation of the EC ahead of the state assembly election due in late April or early May."This order is issued in concurrence of an EC letter dated March 8," the government notification said. Among the officers transferred was M.N. Anucheth, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) west division, posted as the new Superintendent of Police, Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Anucheth, who has also been an Investigation Officer of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder case, will continue to hold the additional charge, the order said. According to the notification, of the 18 IPS officers transferred to new posts, three were women -- G. Radhika, Renuka K. Sukumar and Kala Krishnamurthy. Others transferred were B. Dayananda, Amrit Paul, Umesh Kumar, Soumendu Mukherjee, S. Ravi, Vipul Kumar, N. Shivaprasad, Amit Singh, Ravi D. Channannavar, Kuldeep Kumar R. Jain, Nikham Prakash Amrit, Bheemashankar S. Guled, Anoop A. Shetty and S. Girish. Earlier this week, the state had issued transfer orders to a total of 12 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers.

Survey

The Karnataka Voter Survey 2018 was released by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Om Prakash Rawat.

IANS

Image for representation: PTI

Improving the quality and supply of water in the state is one of the most important issues for voters in poll-bound Karnataka, a survey released on Saturday said. The Karnataka Voter Survey 2018 that was released by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Om Prakash Rawat in Bengaluru stressed this point. Several districts of Karnataka have been facing water crisis, with the state's north-western drought-prone districts of Bagalkot, Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag lacking water even for drinking needs. Better electricity supply, improved roads and environment protection were among the other most important issues for voters in the urban areas. Voters in rural parts, meanwhile, stressed more on better schools, roads and an increase in the number of public health centres. The most important factor for the electors to cast their vote was found to be the candidate, followed by the party and then the party's Chief Ministerial candidate. About 42% of the voters surveyed said they would vote for a particular political party based on their Chief Ministerial candidate, with 67% of the total number of people surveyed agreeing that the candidate's party was a reason to cast vote for him/her. According to the report, nearly 36% of the voters considered the candidate's religion and caste important. The survey's urban participants believed that the current government performed poorly on the issues of improving public facilities, eradicating corruption and job training. Only 31% of the people surveyed were happy with the state government's much-touted Indira Canteens, which provide food for the poor at subsidised rates. About 79% of the people had reported that they were happy with the state government's subsidised food scheme, "Anna Bhagya". The Congress-led state government was given a score of 7.09 on 10 for its overall performance in the five years since 2013, as per the survey."The voters' perceptions highlight the need for awareness on the criminal, financial and other background of the candidates as well as transparency and accountability of political parties. Only then can a voter make an informed choice," asserted the survey. Issues related to terrorism were among the least of the priorities for urban participants, the survey noted. Coming ahead of the upcoming assembly polls the survey was held across the 225 assembly constituencies in the state between December 2017 to February, with 13,244 people taking part in it. The survey was conducted by the New Delhi-based Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an organisation working for electoral reforms, and Daksh, a Bengaluru-based civil society body.

Crime

Special Public Prosecutor in the Karnataka High Court alleged that NA Haris had illegally obtained Vidvat’s confidential medical records.

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) investigating the assault on Vidvat, who was beaten up mercilessly by MLA NA Haris son Nalapad and his friends, have served notices to Mallya Hospital and Dr. Anand K, a consultant plastic surgeon who had treated the victim, seeking an explanation over how Vidvat’s medical report was leaked to the press. Mohammed Nalapad Haris, son of Congress MLA from Shantinagar NA Haris is one of the accused In the case. NA Haris surprisingly posted Vidvat’s discharge summary on Monday night in an apparent attempt to play down the effects of the assault but the move has backfired on the Congress MLA as the CCB has now given Mallya Hospital and Dr. Anand three days time to respond. A source at Mallya Hospital said that a patient’s discharge summary can only be handed over to the patient or the patient’s attender and questioned how Vidvat’s medical records had reached MLA NA Haris. The issue was also raised in the Karnataka High Court on Friday by the Shyam Sunder, Special Public Prosecutor in the case against Nalapad and friends, who alleged that NA Haris had illegally obtained Vidvat’s confidential medical records. Vidvat was discharged on March 4, two weeks after he was brutally assaulted by Mohammed Nalapad and his associates at UB City in Bengaluru. Mohammed Nalapad Haris was denied bail by a magistrate court with one of the reasons being that the police was yet to record Vidvat’s statement. Since the attack took place, police officials had repeatedly tried to record Vidvat’s statements but he was unable to speak due to a nasal bone fracture. Nalapad surrendered before police officials at the Cubbon Park police station on February 19, two days after he was accussed of brutally assaulting Vidvat at UB City. Nalapad has been in jail for 18 days since February 19. The hearing at the High Court was adjourned to Monday.

Human Interest

Freedom Pedals, an initiative started by Bengaluru-based professionals has donated over 300 cycles to children in orphanages and government schools.

TNM Staff

Around 120 students of Seegehalli government school on the outskirts of Bengaluru were beaming with happiness as they received bicycles which were collected from various parts of Bengaluru on Saturday. The early summer gift for the students came from ‘Freedom Pedals’, an initiative started by Bengaluru-based professionals led by Sampath Ramanujam, a software engineer and founder of the not-for-profit Anvaya Foundation. The initiative began three years ago when Ramanujam was moved by the sight of two girls playing with a broken cycle at Kaivara in Chikballapur district, around 50 kilometres from Bengaluru. “We met two girls near a temple in Kaivara, 50 kms from Bangalore and she was playing with a cycle that did not have a bell or proper brakes. Being a resident of Bengaluru I knew that in apartment blocks there are a number of cycles lying around so we came up with the idea of collecting these cycles and giving it to the needy,” explains Ramanujam. He along with his team decided to implement their abstract idea of giving away unused cycles in the city to underprivileged children in rural areas. The first cycle collected by the initiative was given to Shaila, one of the girls who was playing with the broken cycle in Kaivara. In the first year, the collective managed to donate four cycles and in the next year, they donated 38 cycles to an orphanage in Kadugodi. “We have cycles but we are not using them. Either our children outgrow them or we don’t have the space in apartments to ride the cycle. The cycles are in good condition and we rarely use them,” says Ramanujam. The collective accepts cycles in any condition as long as the frame is intact. The initiative soon picked up as Ramanujam was flooded with calls from donors across the city. A network of convenors across the city coordinate the task of collecting unused cycles. ‘Freedom Pedals’ gave away fifty cycles to students in Dommasandra Government School in September 2017 and have now followed it up with their biggest haul yet – 120 cycles donated to Seegehalli government school students. 'Freedom Pedals' distributing bicycles at Dommasandra “In total, we have collected 220 cycles excluding prams and tricycles. Students studying below class 8 do not receive cycles and we made it a priority to give them cycles first. The first 50 cycles went to a school in Dommasandra and today we are giving away 120 cycles to students of classes 4, 5 and 6 in Seegehalli. All the cycles are serviced and repaired after we have collected them,” says Ramanujam. “The children are riding cycles restlessly when we have given it to them,” adds an elated Ramanujam. Under the initiative, Ramanujam and his team have already donated over 300 cycles to children in orphanages and studying in government schools in rural areas and hopes to continue the work and keep giving away unused cycles to underprivileged children. If you want to donate used cycles, you can contact Sampath Ramanujam at +91 9663033699

Civic Issues

Over 1000 Kasavanahalli residents from 28 resident welfare associations formed a human chain in protest.

Soumya Chatterjee

In India’s IT capital — Bengaluru, residents do not have the luxury of enjoying family time or engage in leisure activities on weekends. Instead, they are forced to step out of their homes to protest for basic amenities. On Saturday, over 1000 Kasavanahalli residents of all ages - armed with placards - formed a human chain between Amrutha College to Play Arena, which was over 1 km long. Residents from 28 Resident Welfare Associations took to the streets in protest due to the treatment meted out to them by the elected representatives. Resident activists of the nearby areas also participated in the human chain in solidarity. Residents say that they have miserable water supply, bad drainage infrastructure and bad roads. The protesters demanded the construction of an alternate arterial road to connect Kasavanahalli road, proper and effective road signage to prevent accidents, and also brisk work on the underground drainage system. Kasavanahalli acts as a passage for connectivity between Electronic City and Wipro Park, ITPL, and Outer Ring Road. As a result, the area sees a large number of floating population. Protesters feel that due to this, the budgetary allocation given to Bellandur ward in insufficient, due to which the infrastructure is crumbling. Frustrated residents carried placards that stated that they have no other choice but to vote for NOTA in the upcoming elections. Vishnu Prasad, a founding member of Kasavanahalli Development Forum (KDF), an umbrella organisation of these 28 RWAs, told TNM, “We don’t see many options open. We have tried every other alternative possible before resorting to forming the peaceful human chain. If we go to the MLA, he says his party is not in power so he can’t help. The primary opposition is even worse. He can’t even be reached. So we are now forced to consider fielding someone of our own in the coming elections to put pressure on the political class.” Rohin, another protester, said, “We are apolitical protesters. Our MLA , corporator are from BJP, the state government is of Congress - but we are not getting anything from them. All of us are angry. School children are also not left out of this. They take one hour to go to the nearby school. There is a traffic jam on Jail Road all the time as it is the only road. All the government's spending seems to be concentrated in Central Business Districts, which is at the cost of these areas”. He also suggested that if things do not move in the right direction, residents will intensify protests. Read: 'Widen Sarjapura Road': Bengalureans protest, petition CM, MLA and MP Also read: 'Shut down KCDC': Hundreds take to streets in Bengaluru to shut down composting plant They also alleged that the state government has neglected the area and has not provided enough buses, due to which the people have to rely on private transport. The protests held on Saturday were sparked due to the alleged consistent inaction by area MLA Aravind Limbavali (former minister), corporator Asha Suresh and also the state government. Protesters said that there no short-term or long-term initiatives were taken even after citizen representatives held a meeting with both Arvind and Asha on February 24. The short-term and long-term action plan for area improvement plan, published by BBMP officials, remained only on paper. In a media statement, the KDF said that life was not only becoming very difficult due to government apathy, but was also proving lethal. They said the recent two dengue casualties in the locality were only due to the lack of basic sanitation. They also pointed out pedestrian deaths could have been averted if there were proper pavements. Arvind Limbavalli and Asha Suresh could not be reached for comment.

Accident

The two workers were engaged in laying pipes for the controversial project carried out by the Minor Irrigation Department.

TNM Staff

File image

In a tragic development, two migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh engaged in laying pipes died at the Varthur lakebed in Bengaluru as the earth suddenly caved in on Sunday. The deceased have been identified as Sandeep (20) and Akhilesh Yadav(21), according to news reports. According to initial reports, another person related to the work has been injured. Officers at the Whitefield Police Station said, “There is a pipeline being placed in Varthur Kodi to take water to Kolar. It has happened there when suddenly the earth caved in. Two persons have died. Another person is in the hospital.” A case of accidental death (304A of the Indian Penal Code) has been registered. Officials of the Minor Irrigation Department and the contractor could not be reached for a comment. The deceased were employed with Megha Engineering and Infrastructure, a contractor with the Karnataka Minor Irrigation Department. Officials of the Minor Irrigation Department and the contractor could not be reached for a comment. The laying of pipelines in the lake, an unpopular project carried out by Minor Irrigation Department to transport waste water from Varthur to lakes in Kolar have faced opposition from the local residents in the past. The project will ensure that the water from sewage treatment plants of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board are pumped to Narsapura Lake in Kolar. The citizens struggle to save Varthur Lake comes at a time a number of lakes in the area are mired in contentious developmental activities. Activists and scientists have claimed the project is unscientific, environment unfriendly and even a potential health hazard. Residents allege work in the lake bad had begun without the permission from the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority. KLCDA is the nodal authority till the Governor gives his assent to a controversial Bill which makes the MI Department the sole custodian of all lakes in the state.

Politics

Rajeev Chandrasekhar was nominated mainly as he has helped swing votes in Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural districts.

Theja Ram

The Karnataka Congress and BJP units announced their candidates for seats which are up for grabs from the state for the Rajya Sabha. As speculated earlier, retiring independent candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar is BJP’s pick while Congress has chosen Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Vice President L Hanumanthaiah, AICC Spokesperson Naseer Hussain and Political Secretary to KPCC President GC Chandrashekar. Rajeev Chandrashekhar has been MP twice before, first in 2006 and then in 2012 as an independent candidate. He got the support of the BJP and JD(S) on both occasions. He is also the founder and chairman of Jupiter Capital Pvt. Ltd, a financial services and investment company. He has invested in numerous media companies including Asianet News and Republic TV, in which he is the largest investor. A BJP functionary, with knowledge about the goings-on, told TNM that Rajeev Chandrasekhar was nominated mainly as he has helped swing votes in Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural districts. “Over the past four years, Rajeev Chandrashekhar has become a people’s person and has put a positive spin to the BJP's campaign in Bengaluru's urban and rural districts,” the source added. The Congress and combinations Terming them as a ‘no holds barred’ choices, Congress sources said that careful considerations of caste combinations were at play while selecting its candidates. Though the Congress High Command had suggested the name of Sam Pitroda, Siddaramaiah had been adamant that only people hailing from the state would be made candidates. The JD(S) which had failed to come to an understanding with the Congress stuck with billionaire business tycoon BM Farooq as its candidate. Speaking to TNM, a senior Congress leader said that since the party had decided not to back the JD(S) candidate this time and field three of its own, there had been several rounds of discussion. The candidates were chosen keeping in mind the caste combination, whilst also appeasing some of the veteran politicians in the state. “Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is set on countering the BJP’s Hindutva agenda with his own brand of Kannadiga agenda. Invoking Kannada pride and uniting vote banks based on language identity is the top priority this time. For this reason alone, all three candidates needed to be Kannadigas. Hence L Hanumanthaiah who was the Kannada Development Authority Chairman in 2014 was nominated. He is also a Dalit and fielding one such candidate is crucial,” the senior Congress leader said. AICC Media Spokesperson Naseer Hussain was chosen to replace long-standing Congress candidate K Rahman Khan. “This is very important because Naseer Hussain is from Ballari and he is also a Kannadiga, a long time party man and belongs to the minority community. Earlier Saleem Khan was being considered but he is an aspirant for a ticket to contest from Haveri in assembly polls," the source added. GC Chandrashekar, a prominent Vokkaliga face in the party ranks, who is also Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief G Parameshwara's political secretary. was chosen as a counter to the JD(S) candidate. “No matter which candidate is fielded from JD(S) it will still be known as a party of Vokkaligas. Initially, the caste combination that the party was aiming for was the Dalit-minority-Lingayat one but after various rounds of talks, it became evident that Lingayats had been given adequate representation through Water Resource Minister MB Patil, senior Congress leader SR Patil and various other leaders. It was the Vokkaliga face that the Congress needed. Hence GC Chandrashekar was chosen,” another Congress leader told TNM. Notable omission Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s nomination came as a major blow to Vijay Sankeshwar, owner of the influential Kannada newspaper Vijayavani and logistics firm VRL. Sankeshwar previously owned Vijaya Karnataka until, which was bought by The Times Group in 2007 after which he started Vijayavani.

Sport

Bengaluru FC has become the first team to qualify for the ISL final scheduled to be played on March 17.

Prajwal Bhat

A stunning hat-trick by Sunil Chhetri saw Bengaluru FC beat Pune City FC 3-1 in the second leg of the semi-finals of the Indian Super League at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Sunday. After a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Pune, Bengaluru FC knew that only an outright win would guarantee a place in the final. They controlled a large part of the game but were left nervously defending a 2-1 lead in the final moments before Chhetri ran clear of the trailing Pune defenders to finish authoritatively and send Bengaluru FC into the ISL final. It was Chhetri who broke the deadlock in the tense semi-final after starting and finishing a sweeping counter-attack in which he held off defenders to play in Udanta Singh down the right. The industrious winger then crossed the ball into the box to find an unmarked Chhetri who headed it back across the keeper. The ball looped in, almost in slow motion, to give Bengaluru a deserved first-half lead. In the second half, the Bengaluru skipper stole possession on the left-hand side before making a clever run into the box. Just when he was about to pull the trigger, he was pulled back by his Indian teammate Sarthak Golui to give the home side a penalty. Chhetri picked himself up and audaciously chipped a ‘Panenka’ penalty to double Bengaluru’s advantage. The visitors’ rallied to pull the deficit back to one goal when substitute Jonatan Lucca curled in a sublime free-kick to give Pune a glimmer of hope. But it was to be Chhetri’s day as the striker streaked clear of Pune’s Rohith Kumar to slot past the keeper and complete his hat-trick before jumping the barricade to celebrate in front of the fans at the stadium’s West Block. The result means Bengaluru FC becomes the first team to qualify for the ISL final scheduled to be played on March 17 where they will play the winner of the second semi-final between Chennaiyin and Goa. All praise for Chhetri Heaping praise on the ‘hat-trick hero’, Bengaluru FC head coach Albert Roca on Sunday said that his captain defies age and always steps up in big matches. “He is simply outstanding and there are no words to define him," Roca told reporters at the post match press conference."In such an important game he stepped up. His age does not matter. He pushes others and shows amazing intensity," Roca added. The Spaniard though pointed out that this is a team game and reaching the final in their first season in the ISL is credit to the backroom staff as well as the squad."This is a team game so not just him (Chhetri) but all the people around him did well. The squad, technical staff...all were there (with the team) in such an important game," Roca said. “Chhetri is the best player ever for India. He scored a superb hat-trick. We can only learn from him," Pune coach Ranko Popovic rued"We tried to make the game difficult for them. That was our idea. We cannot be disappointed. It was a historical season for FC Pune City. Both goals (we conceded) due to inexperience. It's too much if we make such mistakes in conceding goals," Popovic added. IANS inputs

Politics

BJP’s N Ravikumar had called Karnataka Minister and a Congress leader “no less than any terrorist”.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Minister for Food and Civil Supplies UT Khader reacted sharply to BJP State General Secretary N Ravikumar’s comment that he and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Ramanath Rai were ‘no less than terrorists’. Ravikumar had made the remark while speaking at the BJP Law and Parliamentary Affairs Cell’s state committee meeting on Saturday. “Just looking at the ministers from the coastal district gives you a clue about the place. According to me, the ministers in coastal Karnataka – Ramanath Rai and UT Khader – are no less than any terrorist,” he had said. The comment elicited a response from UT Khader. “We don’t take these comments seriously. With elections around the corner, leaders will say anything to gain attention. The people of this district know who we are and what we have done,” said Khader. He claimed that the BJP is desperate to get back to power in the state and were making baseless allegations to gain attention. “For the sake of power, BJP will even endorse terrorists. It is even seen supporting extremists in Assam, Nagaland and Tripura. The party has allied with Bodoland People’s Front in Assam, National Democratic Front in Nagaland,” he said. He also claimed that the BJP is hatching a political conspiracy to come back to power in the state. “This is their political strategy to make comments like this and try to polarize people. We should not give importance to this,” he said. He cautioned his party members to not get provoked by BJP leaders and respond to baseless allegations. “The BJP should check themselves from making provocative baseless allegations keeping the state’s unity and peace in mind,” he added. In the eight assembly constituencies in Dakshina Kannada, Congress won seven seats in 2013 polls wresting three seats away from the BJP. Karnataka is set to go to polls later this year with both the Congress and the BJP organising massive public rallies in order to gain power in the state.

Controversy

This isn’t the first time the leader has been accused of corruption; he, however, claims this is an attempt to defame him before the state Assembly polls.

TNM Staff

YouTube screengrab

In another embarrassment for the ruling Congress party ahead of the Karnataka Assembly polls, Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA N Munirathna Naidu (also a film producer and a civil contractor) has been named as an accused in the Crime Investigation Department chargesheet for a multi-crore scam. According to The Times of India, the CID in its latest chargesheet in the Rs 1,500 crore Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike fake bill scam has named him as the fourth accused seven years into the investigation. He has been named under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery, falsification of accounts and also sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case deals with fake bills submitted to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore – purportedly the biggest scam to rock the BBMP – relating to 285 civil works in RR Nagar, Malleswaram and Gandhinagar Assembly constituencies of during the years 2008 and 2011. The scam was unearthed by the Lokayukta police in 2014 they raided a house owned by Munirathna’s wife and found three BBMP officials – then executive engineer Idaya Vendon, assistant engineer Vishwas and first-division assistant Shylaja – and contractors with more than 850 BBMP files. This particular chargesheet deals with a road project in Malleshwaram subdivision. Munirathna has also been a corporator in the past. He is no stranger to controversy. Recently, in May, 2017, three female corporators, including one from his own party, threatened suicide alleging sexual assault by him and his aides. Read: ‘MLA supporters tried to disrobe me’: 3 women corporators try to drink phenol at BBMP meeting He was also indicted in a case involving the death of a minor due to a wall collapse in Government Veterinary College on Ballari Road. He was the contractor who built the wall. Other than Munirathna, three BBMP officials have been named as the other accused. All four accused are out on bail. Defending himself once news of the chargesheet broke, Munirathna claimed that this was a BJP ploy ahead of the elections and said he will approach the Karnataka High Court for relief. He added that the CID did not ask for an explanation from him, even though he was given a clean chit by the BBMP in the past. He said although he owned the house, it was rented to an unrelated person. This move to name him comes just ahead of the polls in Karnataka. The Congress has been hit by a series of allegations – a minister was caught on camera threatening to set a BBMP office on fire a few weeks ago and senior leader NA Haris’ son was accused of brutally assaulting a man in an upscale eatery in Bengaluru last month. Investigations found that the accused would fabricate bills of civic works which are already completed or do not even exist on paper. A lawyer involved in the Lokayukta case alleged that it was unnecessarily going soft on the MLA. Speaking to TNM, NP Amrutesh said, “The standard procedure is to book the house owner if any crime is taking place in a property. Moreover, here the civil works are in his area and also the contractor for all these civil work.” “Munirathna is a repeat offender. When he was contractor, his shoddy work led to the death of a techie. Then, as Councillor, he indulged in corruption which has resulted in this chargesheet against him. And as MLA, he has been harassing women councillors. He has got away with all his malpractices and corruption thanks to CM Siddaramaiah. Finally the law has caught up with him,” BJP's Malavika Avinash told TNM.

Health

In the face of the Supreme Court verdict allowing passive euthanasia, Dr Lavina says palliative care is an alternative that upholds the right to live with dignity.

Harsha Raj Gatty

In 2014, 58-year old Michael*, battling end-stage cancer, was told that he had close to two months to live. He was shifted to Ave Maria Hospice, a Palliative care centre that looks after terminally ill patients at Vamanjoor in Mangaluru. Fast forward to 2018, Michael, now 62, lives on and was shifted to a long-term care facility for the terminally ill. "It is an extraordinary case of increase in life-expectancy. We are glad to provide some kind of assistance to the patient who was brought with this incurable condition," says Dr Lavina M Noronha, Director, Ave Maria Palliative Care. In 10 years of its existence, Ave Maria Hospice has provided end-of-life care for close to 590 patients suffering from symptoms that were considered to be incurable. Every year, the multi-disciplinary team at the hospital receives patients suffering from Parkinson’s, cancer, Alzheimer’s, chronic kidney diseases etc. And in the face of the Supreme Court verdict allowing passive euthanasia, Dr Lavina says palliative care is an alternative that upholds the right to live with dignity – and is, at the same time, less stressful for families. Dr Lavina says that palliative care provides emotional, spiritual, and social support, necessary both for the patients suffering from life-limiting conditions, and to their families. "We are just adding life to the terminally ill patients. We try to reduce their pain by providing them medical assistance from time-to-time and upholding their right to live with dignity. We also reduce the emotional concerns of the families who realise that their loved ones are in the hands of professional caregivers," she says. The Supreme Court recently upheld the right of people to die with dignity, and allowed for a ‘living will’ and for passive euthanasia – where patients can decide if they do not want to be on life support in case of terminal illnesses. However, Dr Noronha believes that passive euthanasia is emotionally distressing to families, and that her organisation is 'pro-life' and does not support the practice."The family of the terminally-ill feel emotionally stressed as it is not easy for anyone to let go of their loved one. In passive euthanasia, the medical professionals generally withdraw nutrition, surgeries and life-support from terminally-ill patients, which otherwise would increase their longevity," she says. Palliative care, she believes, is a good alternative. In the context of people raising the need for active euthanasia, Dr Lavina further says that the provision can be misused."A person who is depressed because of some issue in the personal or professional front may always prefer death over life. In the spur of the moment, they may opt for physician assisted suicide, with a lethal dose or some other method. So the question is, where do you draw the line?” she asks. “In any case we are opposed to both passive and active euthanasia," she says. On an average, the general life-expectancy of the patients at Ave Maria Hospice is a little over four months. The centre says they have helped over 550 terminally-ill patients have a comfortable death. At present, the palliative care centre is staffed with four qualified nurses, eight health assistants, a social worker, visiting doctors and two supervising staff. It has 15 beds. According to the Institute of Palliative Medicine, India has an estimated one million people diagnosed with cancer every year and more than 80% of the patients are incurable after the first diagnosis. "The country is estimated to have an equal number of patients with other incurable diseases like progressive neurological, cardiac, respiratory, AIDS and other diseases. With the rapid ageing of the Indian population, the highest number of patients needing palliative care in the future will be from among the elderly," a representative from the Institute of Palliative Medicine says. As per the Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance, only Kerala, through its neighbourhood network, stands out in providing qualitative palliative care and accounts for two thirds of India’s palliative care. Whereas the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Quality of Death Index report in 2015 claimed that India stood at a measly 67 out of 80 countries. Also read: How Kerala’s palliative care network benefits both patient and carer The people who give dignity in death: The inspiring story of palliative care in Kerala

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Between painful death and passive euthanasia, palliative care is an option, says hospice