Vijay Mallya loses UK High Court appeal against his extradition to India

PTI Photograph

Vijay Mallya on Monday lost a UK High Court appeal against his extradition, a major turning point that brings India closer to getting back the embattled liquor tycoon wanted in the alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to Rs 9,000 crores. The dismissal of the High Court appeal effectively clears the decks for Mallya's extradition to India to face the charges in the Indian courts, with 14 days for him to apply for permission to appeal to the UK Supreme Court. If he does apply, the UK Home Office would wait for the outcome of that appeal. But if he does not, under the India-UK Extradition Treaty, it would then be expected to formally certify the court order for the 64-year-old Mallya to be extradited to India within 28 days."We have held there is a prima facie case both of misrepresentation and of conspiracy, and thus there is also a prima facie case of money laundering," the High Court concluded. This marks a major turning point for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) case against the businessman, who has been on bail in the UK since his arrest on an extradition warrant in April 2017. The former Kingfisher Airlines boss had appealed to the higher court against his extradition ordered by the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London in December 2018, and then signed off by then UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid in February last year, at a three-day hearing in February this year. Lord Justice Stephen Irwin and Justice Elisabeth Laing, the two-member bench at the Royal Courts of Justice in London presiding over the appeal, dismissed it in a judgement handed down this week remotely due to the current coronavirus lockdown."We consider that while the scope of the prima facie case found by the SDJ [Senior District Judge Emma Arbuthnot] is in some respects wider than that alleged by the Respondent in India (CBI and ED), there is a prima facie case which, in seven important respects, coincides with the allegations in India," the judges noted. They detail seven main points around which they based their decision to concur with Arbuthnot's extradition order. Based on the documents setting out the Indian government's case against Mallya, the judges said they found that the loans in question were disbursed as the result of a conspiracy between the named conspirators and that they were made despite Kingfisher Airline's weak financials, negative net worth and low credit rating."The Appellant [Mallya] was party to false representations to induce the loans that funds would be inducted by way of unsecured loans, global depository receipts and equity," they note."The Appellant was party to false representations about inward investment, an exaggerated brand value, misleading growth forecasts, inconsistent business plans. The Appellant's dishonest intention not to repay the loans is shown by his later conduct in trying to avoid the personal and corporate guarantees," they said. Mallya's legal team had sought to challenge the Indian government's case on multiple grounds, including whether their client would be safe at Barrack 12 in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai where he is to be held on extradition. Most of the grounds had already been dismissed by the High Court, with permission granted to appeal only on one ground - challenging the Indian government's prima facie case against Mallya of fraudulent intentions in acquiring bank loans."Mallya has 14 days to apply for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court. If he doesn't appeal removal within 28 days thereafter. If he does appeal, we wait for the outcome on that application," said a spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which represented the Indian authorities in the UK courts. Representatives from the ED and the CBI had been present in court in February during the three-day hearing, at the end of which Mallya had once again reiterated his message for the Indian banks to take back 100 per cent of the principal amount owed to them."I am saying, please banks take your money. The ED is saying no, we have a claim over these assets. So, the ED on the one side and the banks on the other are fighting over the same assets What all they are doing to me for the last four years is totally unreasonable," he said at the time. Mallya has been based in the UK since March 2016 and remains on bail on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard in April 2017. In her verdict at the end of a year-long extradition trial in December 2018, Judge Emma Arbuthnot had ruled that the "flashy" billionaire had a "case to answer" in the Indian courts. India and the UK have an Extradition Treaty signed in 1992 and in force since November 1993. So far, only one successful extradition has taken place from the UK to India under the treaty, that of Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, who was sent back to India in 2016 to face trial in connection with his involvement in the post-Godhra riots in 2002.

Body 2:

Budget2020-21

The budget was presented online for the first time due to restrictions in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Twitter / @BBMPCOMM

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Monday presented a budget of an outlay of Rs 10,899.23 crore for the financial year 2020-21, compared to its outlay of Rs 11,449 crore for the previous financial year (2019-20). The budget was presented online due to restrictions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The BBMP has proposed to set aside Rs 25 lakh of wards’ grant from each ward, amounting to Rs 49.5 crore, to be contributed for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Incidentally, in his speech, L Srinivas, the Chairman of Standing Committee for Finance, also stated that like in previous years, the expenditure of the previous fiscal was revised to only Rs 7,066.21 crore. BBMP Budget was presented through video conferencing today due to the #lockdown.#ಬಿಬಿಎಂಪಿ ಯ 2020-2021ನೇ ಸಾಲಿನ ಆಯವ್ಯಯವನ್ನು ಇಂದು ತೆರಿಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಆರ್ಥಿಕ ಸ್ಥಾಯಿ ಸಮಿತಿ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರಾದ ಎಲ್. ಶ್ರೀನಿವಾಸ್ ಅವರು ಮಂಡಿಸಿದರು. ಇದೇ ಪ್ರಥಮ ಬಾರಿಗೆ ವೀಡಿಯೋ ಕಾನ್ಫರೆನ್ಸ್ ಮೂಲಕ ಆಯವ್ಯಯ ಮಂಡನೆ ಮಾಡಲಾಯಿತು.#BBMP pic.twitter.com/6zlfykTMVk — B.H.Anil Kumar,IAS (@BBMPCOMM) April 20, 2020 However, apart from the COVID-19 relief package, the Palike has earmarked less than 1% of the budget on health. Only a total of 1% of the budget will be jointly spent on health and education, the budget document said. The monthly honorarium of link workers in BBMP Health department shall be increased by Rs 1,000. In a welcome step, BBMP has said that birth and death certificates shall be issued free of cost and sent through the post directly to their homes. Among the other highlights, a multispeciality hospital with 25 ICU (Intensive Care Units) underPandit Deendayal Upadhaya’s name will be constructed. An amount of Rs 20 crore has been reserved for this. Further, the BBMP budget document stated that an expert nephrologist shall be appointed to supervise free dialysis facilities to be given at BBMP hospitals. The programme to provide free stents and angioplasty medical treatment for poor cardiac patients shall be continued for which Rs 4 crore has been set aside. Another Rs 16 crore will be utilized to set up and maintain dialysis centres in assembly constituencies that have no dialysis units. A majority of the budget has been allotted for development (49%) and maintenance (11%) works in the city, while only 5 per cent of the funds have been allocated for lakes, parks and gardens. A total of 6% of the budget will be spent on welfare programmes even though the vision of the budget mentions four points of smart education, pure drinking water, environment conservation and basic infrastructure. Rs 50 crore has been reserved for water supply works — Rs 35 lakhs per ward in new zones and Rs 20 lakhs per ward in old zones. Under the “Free Cauvery Water” programme, domestic connection users of BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board), whose monthly water consumption is up to a maximum of 10,000 litres, shall be given free Cauvery water. A budgetary provision of Rs 43 Crores has been made for payment to the BWSSB. Rs 43 crore will be paid to the BWSSB. A total of 2.5 lakh families are expected to benefit from this, BBMP said. The budget also mentions that Rs 10 crore will be the reserved for constructing Nadaprabhu Kempegowda arches and for landscape development at eight entrances of BBMP limits, namely at Tumkur Road, Mysore Road, Hosur Road, Kolar Road, Kanakapura Road, Devanahalli Road, Doddaballapura Road and Magadi Road.

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Coronavirus

BBMP and police officials, who were at the spot say that the people may have been scared of being shifted to quarantine centres.

Theja Ram

Visuals of an angry mob attacking a checkpoint went viral on Sunday night. The group could be seen hurling chairs and tables around. The incident occurred in Bengaluru’s Padarayanapura ward, one of the two wards that was sealed off in the city due to the spread of COVID-19. Padarayanapura ward has 10 active cases of COVID-19, all of them who attended the Tablighi Jamaat conference in Delhi. On Sunday night, BBMP health officials and the Jayajeevanagar Police had been to the area to transfer 58 people, who were secondary contacts of the positive patients. “The people there were scared. They had children who were secondary contacts,” says Dr Yogesh MC, the BBMP Health Department official attached with the Chamarajpet office, who went to Padarayanapura on Sunday. Dr Yogesh, says that the secondary contacts had mostly agreed to go to the quarantine centre but it was their neighbours and other people in the locality, who strongly objected to this. He further states that though there was resistance, the crowd had not turned violent when he left the spot around 7 pm. So how did a group of people, scared and apprehensive of being shifted to a quarantine, end up indulging in the ruckus on Sunday night? Violence erupted in Bengaluru's #Padarayanapura area allegedly during #COVID 19 surveillance activity pic.twitter.com/zQhn5tqUQT— Soumya Chatterjee (@Csoumya21) April 19, 2020 When BBMP Health officials went to quarantine secondary contacts At around 6 pm on Sunday, Dr Yogesh and a few police officers went to Arafat Nagar in Padarayanapura ward to transfer 58 secondary contacts of COVID-19 patients to a quarantine facility. Dr Yogesh says that the BBMP had already transferred two families of 15 people, who were living on the first and second floor of two buildings located on 10th cross earlier in the day. However, around 58 people, living in multiple houses in the two buildings were scared to shift to quarantine. “There were around five small children on the list of 58 people. We explained to them and they agreed to be shifted. But it was the neighbours and other people in the locality, who insisted that they continue staying in home quarantine. We tried to reason with them,” he says. By 7 pm, the crowd had grown. Dr Yogesh says he contacted BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar, who instructed him to go back. Anil Kumar also informed him that the health department personnel could transfer the rest of the secondary contacts to quarantine centres on Monday. Dr Yogesh said that he left the spot and went home. The events that led to the ruckus Head Constable of JJ Nagar Police Station, Venkatesh YT was deployed as security for the BBMP officials, who had visited Arafat Nagar. Venkatesh, and other constables including Devaraj, Manjunath and Ramesh say that after the BBMP officials left, they wanted to disperse the crowd from the 10th cross. “We were trying to ensure that they went to their houses. But there were a few youth, who were probably already frustrated because of the seal down. They started arguing with us. They started throwing stones at the street lights and began throwing stones at us,” Venkatesh said. He said that the crowd began moving towards the 11th cross and broke the barricades that were placed at the end of the road. The police checkpoint -- known as Sujata Tent, was located at the intersection between 10th cross, 11th cross and 11th F cross roads. Constable Raman Gowda, who escorted Dr Yogesh and the BBMP officials to 10th cross at around 6 pm, returned to the tent by 6.30 pm. At around 7.20 pm, he says that he saw a huge mob rushing towards the tent. “They were saying, ‘we must do something about them today’. They began vandalising the tent. They broke the tables and chairs. Many of them had wooden logs, stones and knives in their hands,” he adds. Few other people, who came from 11th F Cross and 12th cross, allegedly began vandalising barricades and CCTV cameras. “Thankfully, no one was hurt. They were throwing stones. It did not hit anyone,” he told TNM. The arrests The police officers, who were on the spot, contacted DCP West Ramesh Banoth and Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao, who arrived at the spot and dispersed the crowd. “When more police personnel started coming in, the crowd dispersed,” constable Venkatesh says. The JJ Nagar Police have booked 59 people in connection with the incident and have registered FIRs against five prime accused and around 50-60 others. Five FIRs were registered as the different crowds had gathered in four different spots in the area and complaints were registered by four constables and Dr Yogesh, the JJ Nagar Police said. The FIR names Wajid, Irfan alias Howli Babu, Kabeer alias Altaaf Pasha, Irshad Ahmed alias Zakriya Ahmed, Farzoova and 50-60 people. “These five people were the ones who started saying that the residents should not be taken to the quarantine centre. One of them was holding a knife in his hand as well. They were under the opinion that children must not be taken to quarantine centres,” constable Venkatesh said. In four of the five FIRs that were registered, the accused were booked under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 506 (criminal intimidation), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon),147(rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 269 (negligence leading to the spread of an infectious disease), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from performing duty), 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule),149 (unlawful assembly with common intention) and 324 (assault with deadly weapon) of the Indian Penal Code. However, in the FIR, where constable Raman Gowda is the complainant, section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC has been added against the five prime acussed and the others.

Body 2:

Law and order

The High Court however is yet to accept the bail plea of the three students and has listed the case for hearing next on 24 April.

Prajwal Bhat

The Karnataka High Court has observed that no prima facie case of sedition was made out against the three students from Jammu and Kashmir, who were arrested in Hubballi over allegations of raising slogans in support of Pakistan in February. In the observation, Justice G Narender said, "prima facie, the complaint does not disclose any material which could be considered as an ingredient constituting the offence as against the petitioners.” The judge also stated that the prosecutors should have looked at the 'larger picture' and at the "attempts of the central government to ensure integration of that class of people (Kashmiris) into the mainstream.” Despite making these observations, Justice G Narendar is yet to accept the bail plea of the three students and has listed the case for hearing next on April 24, giving time for the state government to respond. On February 15, three undergraduate students of KLE Institute of Technology were arrested in their college campus on charges of sedition, for allegedly circulating a video of themselves chanting ‘pro-Pakistan slogans’ in their hostel rooms on the anniversary of the Pulwama attack. The students were charged under sections 153 A, 153 B and 505 (hate speech) of the Indian Penal Code as well as Section 124A (sedition) for the video. Their plea for bail was rejected on March 9 by a Hubballi court, which was then challenged in the High Court. The High Court however took note of the fact that the students were studying in Hubballi through a scholarship of the central government."That the very fact that the accused have been sponsored on a scholarship by the central government, would demonstrate the fact that they are all people with roots and their background is vetted by none else than the Union government. Merely on account of a perception by a group construing the alleged to be of an offensive nature, it ought not to have negated the efforts being made by the Union government," noted Justice G Narender. The judge further noted that the principal of the institute should have made an effort to counsel the students. The sedition case against the Kashmiri students grabbed national headlines after the executive committee of the Hubballi Bar Association passed a resolution stating none of its members would file a vakalath for the students. Students and lawyers representing them were heckled in court, prompting the High Court to intervene and allow the bail application to be filed. There have been a slew of sedition cases filed in Karnataka ever since the protests against the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) intensified in the country. A case of sedition that was filed against the management of a school in Bidar district for a play was dismissed by the district court. Another case of sedition filed against activist Amulya Leona is yet to be listed by the sessions court.

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However, there is still no clarification on why the department withdrew the GO that directs employers to pay all workers without any deductions during the lockdown.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

In light of the economic crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown affecting business activities, many working professionals are facing threats of job losses and pay cuts. In order to safeguard the interest of the employees, the Karnataka Labour Department started a helpline to report any retrenchment or pay cuts, on Monday. “If any workman gets loss of pay, refusal of work, dismissal or retrenchment from service, illegal deduction from salary or any other objection against the employer or management during the lockdown period, he/she can file a complaint through Telegram (instant messaging platform) to 8884488067,” the state labour department tweeted. However, this helpline comes days after the state Labour Department withdrew its government order, issued on April 13, which stated that employers were bound to pay all their workers, including casual and contract workers, their wages without any deductions, and treat them as workers on duty, during the period of lockdown. The order was withdrawn just two days after its issuance. The GO was issued by Karnataka Labour Secretary Captain Manivannan in accordance with an order from the Union government. In an advisory dated March 20, the Union Joint Secretary for Labour, Kalpana Rajsinghot, had asked employers not to terminate employment or decrease their pay. On March 29, the advisory was followed by an order by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which made the advisory binding and warned that violators will be booked under the Disaster Management Act. Confusion prevailed among many as the helpline was issued in the absence of a government order. Speaking to TNM, Clifton D’ Rozario, a lawyer and activist, said, “The Union government had clearly said that retrenchments should not take place at this point of time. There should be no reduction or denial of wages either. An order agreeing to it was issued but unfortunately, the employers’ lobby is so strong in Karnataka that it prevailed over the state government to withdraw the order, which was unnecessary.” According to Clifton, withdrawing the GO gives a wrong impression that employers can retrench whenever they want and reduce salaries as they like. “We had a meeting with the Labour Minister as part of the joint trade unions and raised the issue again. We have requested the state government to put an order clarifying that the Union government’s order is still in force.” TNM could not reach the Labour Department for further clarification.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

Violence broke out on Sunday night when health officials and workers went to Bengaluru’s Padarayanapura ward to shift secondary contacts to quarantine facilities.

After the ruckus in the Padarayanapura ward in Bengaluru South on Sunday night, the Chamarajapet MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan expressed his disappointment over the way officials handled the process of shifting secondary contacts (of COVID-19 patients) to quarantine centres. On Sunday evening, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had sealed the ward, as 11 people who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat meeting tested positive for coronavirus. On Sunday night, the BBMP officials, ASHA workers and the police reached the ward in the MLA’s Chamarajapet constituency and identified 57 secondary contacts to be shifted to a quarantine facility. However, violence broke out when some refused to go to the centre. According to Zameer Ahmed, the officials should have raised awareness about the need for quarantine before taking them to the quarantine facility. “The people here are scared. Their fear is: where will they take us? What will they do with us? That's the fear the poor people have. They keep on dwelling on this fear,” he told the media. Zameer Ahmed said that in order to assuage this fear, steps should have been taken to reassure them first. He then went on to quote an example where he allegedly managed to convince the people in Tipu Nagar to undergo the COVID-19 test. “I had personally gone around in Tipu Nagar, reaching out to the people, (saying) that they should not be afraid. I told them that we are doing this for the benefit of their health and for the good of the nation. I told them that there is nothing wrong with (medical) check-ups. I even sent them WhatsApp messages, appealing to that community. As a result, 80 people had come forward for testing,” he claimed. Incidentally, the MLA was criticised for allegedly asking the officials not to shift them (to be quarantined). Slamming the MLA, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said, “Who is Zameer Ahmad Khan? Why should we take his permission before doing our government duties? So in other words, was it he who incited this? He is irresponsible for making such statements.” The MLA later clarified, “It is okay if only one or two people need to be shifted. If more than 50 people need to be shifted at once, people will definitely panic. So, I said let us give them some awareness and then take them away.” Zameer Ahmed also said that the police officials should have gone in the day time. “I understand that if those were positive cases. The officials then have every right to quarantine them immediately. But these are suspected cases," he added. Stressing that the people in the ward should have been shifted after creating awareness, he said, “This is a tricky population. They are not educated and are mostly daily wage labourers.” The MLA had come under fire for allegedly supporting the mob that indulged in the vandalism at the Padarayanapura ward. However, condemning the incident, he said, “I had stated last night (Sunday) that the government should take action against them (the culprits). This is a sensitive issue and people are afraid. Please don't misconstrue it.”

Body 2:

Coronavirus

The elderly person from Kalaburagi had been suffering from Parkinson's disease for the last three years and died at a hospital on Monday.

PTI : Image for representation

An 80-year-old COVID-19 patient has died in Karnataka's Kalaburagi district, taking the death toll in the state to 17, Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said on Tuesday. The elderly person had been suffering from Parkinson's disease for the last three years and died at a hospital on Monday, the minister said in a tweet."The person had developed fever on Sunday and was admitted to the hospital. The patient passed away yesterday at 9am. Last night at 9pm the death report came, which confirmed that the person was COVID-19 positive," Sudhakar tweeted. The total number of COVID-19 infections in the state has crossed the 400-mark, according to Monday evening's bulletin by the Karnataka Health Department."As of 5 p.m. on Monday, 408 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, including 16 deaths and 112 discharged patients," said the health official. Among the places with high case-load, Bagalkote, Ballari, Belagavi, Bidar and Mandya are yet to record a person who has recovered from the virus. As many as 278 COVID-19 patients, including a pregnant woman, remain isolated at designated hospitals across the state and are stable, except two in the ICU. Among the 18 new cases reported on Monday, Vijayapura accounted for 11, Kalaburagi five and Gadag and Mandya one each. There were nine men and nine women among the new cases, including three boys and two girls below 17 years of age. With the number of cases in the state rising to over 400, the state government announced that there will be no relaxation in the restrictions of the lockdown announced till May 3.

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Dr. Sadashiva Shenoy had treated the 50-year-old woman from Bantwal who later tested positive for coronavirus and succumbed.

PTI : Image for representation

Police officials in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka registered a case against Dr. Sadashiva Shenoy, who runs a clinic in Bantwal, charging him with a negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life. Dr. Sadashiva Shenoy had treated the 50-year-old from Bantwal who later tested positive for coronavirus and succumbed to death. In a statement to the media, Dakshina Kannada police said that Dr. Sadashiva Shenoy, who manages Navadurga Clinic, had treated the woman on April 15 for fever. The doctor was bound to inform the administration under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act. Despite having knowledge of this and treating the woman for four days, Dr. Sadashiva Shenoy failed to inform the Health Department or refer her for further treatment. The Bantwal Taluk Health Office, in a complaint to the Bantwal police, said that his negligence resulted in the death of the woman. The victim's family had reportedly revealed to the doctor that she was suffering from pneumonia. Police in Bantwal town have also registered a case against seven people charging them with assaulting a government driver on duty. The police said a shopkeeper in Bantwal had violated instructions and kept his shop open after 1 pm. Veerappa, driver of a vehicle attached to the Bantwal Town Municipality spotted the shop being open. But he was assaulted by a group of people. Police revealed that the shopkeeper was Rafeeque (48) of Barekadu, while the others in the group were Hanif, Badru, Haris, Imtiyaz and Rahamathul. Dakshina Kannada has reported 14 coronavirus cases so far of which 11 patients have recovered. Two active cases remain in Uppinangady in the district, while one death was reported in Bantwal. A total of 408 cases have been reported in the state.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

The state had earlier made a deal with a Singaporean company, which was later delisted by the Centre.

Representational image

Almost a month has passed since the Karnataka government announced its decision to use rapid antibody kits for COVID-19 testing. Though the government had placed orders for the kits in March, issues with the approval process may have led to delays. The government has yet to roll out the first phase of testing since the Singapore company chosen by the state did not get approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). “We are mapping the whole programme regarding whom to use these kits for and we will be able to start within one or two days,” Dr CN Manjunath, the nodal officer for testing in the state, told TNM on Tuesday. “We have so far received 12,500 kits from the Centre about two days ago. We expect another 50,000 by this evening, which the state government has arranged. We are expecting another 1 lakh tomorrow,” he continued. The kits are used to detect the presence of coronavirus antibodies so as to determine if a person has been exposed to the virus. Manjushree, a state health department official in charge of procurement during the COVID-19 pandemic, said that one lakh kits will be supplied by Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech Co. Ltd. and 50,000 kits will be bought from Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics. These two Chinese companies have also been supplying rapid testing kits to other states as well. However, the Rajasthan government stated on Tuesday that it will stop the use of rapid tests since they were showing invalid results. The kits were procured from Guangzhou city in China. While it is unclear which company’s kits were being used in Rajasthan, most states have been supplied by two Chinese companies — Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics and Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech, the same two supplying to the Karnataka government. At the end of March, the Karnataka government had chosen Sensing Self Pvt. Ltd., a Singaporean company, to supply the kits. However, that company was subsequently delisted by the central government. An official interim advisory with regard to kits was issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on April 2. A detailed testing protocol for using these kits in hotspot areas was also released by the ICMR on April 17. On the same day, the Karnataka government released a circular identifying four priority groups for whom these kits will be used: Group 1 includes COVID-19 hospital healthcare workers and non-COVID-19 hospital healthcare workers. Group 2 is government personnel in public contact and special groups in public contact such as those working in ration shops, milk shops, volunteers and delivery personnel. Group 3 is individuals who have been quarantined. Group 4 is vulnerable groups of 60 years and above, children and others. Other Indian states, such as Tamil Nadu have already started using rapid tests, even though Karnataka had made the decision to do so earlier. Officials had previously said that while legacy tests take at least 7 to 8 hours for the results, the rapid kits allow doctors to get results within 15 minutes by drawing blood from a patient’s finger with a pin prick. The cost of the devices are also roughly about 25% of the conventional tests. Further, officials said following the ICMR protocols, every patient will be declared COVID-19 positive only after they test positive via the legacy testing, even if they test positive in the antibody testing. Inputs from Theja Ram

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Coronavirus

Bengaluru resident and founder of Medalath Auto Components developed the prototype during the lockdown in his father’s carpentry shop.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

The novel coronavirus pandemic has brought several businesses to a grinding halt. Among many businesses which are trying to cope with the existing environment, a Bengaluru-based entrepreneur has created a prototype of a portable respirator which will be tested at two hospitals in the city starting Wednesday. Meladath Auto Components has built the Non-Invasive Respiratory Apparatus to aid a person to breathe in an emergency situation, before they can be put on a ventilator. The apparatus uses an Artificial Manual Breathing Unit (AMBU), which is attached to a 12 volt direct current battery. “It can be connected to a two-wheeler battery and used. In many rural and remote areas, it is not easy to access ventilators. In such emergency situations, this respirator can be used until the patient is able to access one. It is potable and does not depend on electricity,” Rakesh added. The device also has a manual hand-cranking option, which can be used to pump oxygen. Rakesh says he has applied for a patent for the device. The testing will be conducted at Chinmaya Mission Hospital in Indiranagar and Narayana Hrudayalaya in Bommasandra on Wednesday. “There is an electronic tidal volume selection switch, which can be used to increase or decrease the rate at which the AMBU bag pumps oxygen. Once the device is connected to the battery and switched on, it pumps oxygen automatically,” he said. The team at Meladath says that they consulted with several doctors and obtained feedback before building the prototype. “We spoke to doctors from Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, Narayana Hrudayalaya, CMH Hospital, Aster Hospital and several others. The feedback we got is that India lacks an adequate number of ventilators and manufacturing them at a large scale would take time. Hence, we decided to come up with this temporary solution to be used in case of emergencies,” he added. In early April, India had 6,704 ventilators, an equipment that’s considered crucial for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. With business coming to a standstill, Bengaluru-based entrepreneurs Rakesh MK, Praveen Balan and Rahul Shyamasukha decided to come up with a prototype for a respirator, a non-invasive device to aid breathing in emergency situations. “Business halted after the lockdown was announced. We developed a prototype for an electric vehicle, EZEE Hybrid. But that was stalled. We decided to develop a respirator instead of doing nothing,” Rakesh MK told TNM. Unable to get out of home or meet his colleagues due to the lockdown, Rakesh developed the prototype at home. An automobile engineer with over 13 years experience, Rakesh along with Praveen and Rahul started Meladath Auto Components in 2016. Within a year of starting, they won the Best Start-up Award in 2017 at Elevate 100, a start-up summit organised by the Karnataka government. “We had the concept of building a respirator by March 22. After Janata Curfew, we could not meet or do much. My father has a carpentry shop. He and I built the first concept prototype with wood in his shop. Later, we started developing the remote support, we used Team View and video calls to develop the design and test it,” Rakesh added. Rakesh says that the Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone had conducted an event earlier in March, where Medalath was shortlisted after the company submitted its prototype for the respirator. “We got shortlisted and APMZ has promised to accelerate our chances of sending the device for ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) approval,” he said. After the device is tested and feedback is received from doctors, Rakesh plans to send the prototype for ICMR approval. “We are hoping our work will help the people who need it,” Rakesh said.

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Coronavirus

COVID-19 is not just a natural disaster, but also a man-made disaster due to the non intervention of the government, citizens have alleged.

With the nationwide lockdown to combat coronavirus entering its fourth week, many in Bengaluru continue to be left hungry, despite the Karnataka government’s promises to feed the poor. Stranded across the city, many have neither been provided with cooked food nor pulses and food products. While rations from the government’s public distribution system (PDS) is usually only for those who hold ration cards, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had promised that people who didn’t have ration cards were also welcome to avail free food grains through PDS shops. However, on the ground, this is not the case. Officials admit that the promise has not been implemented since the details have not been worked out. With no written orders issued to provide food grains to those without ration cards, many have questioned the Chief Minister’s hasty assurances to the press on feeding the hungry. Speaking to TNM, N Krishnamurthy, chairperson of the State Commission for Food and Civil Supplies, Karnataka said, “APL (above poverty line) and BPL (below poverty line) card holders are being given their rations, but not those without ration cards. The scheme for non-card holders is not yet final, there is no ground-level implementation. The Revenue Department must discuss it, and they are still thinking about how to go about it.” The top official cites problems with documentation and tracking as one of the challenges with distributing ration to non-card holders. “Suppose they take ration from one place and then go to another ration shop and again take rations? It would cause a huge loss to the government.” he said. Speaking to TNM, social activist Brinda Adige, said, “The government does not have any stated way in which they plan to give any ration to non-card holders. Such people might be inter-state migrants who don't have a ration card as they keep moving from place to place, working in construction or in low-paying jobs. We suggested that they use the system of stamping hands with indelible ink, which is being used for people who arrive at the airport. This way, they can ensure that only those who need rations are benefiting from the scheme.” Card holders not getting rations either While the government made promises about feeding the hungry in the state, many of those who already possess ration cards also said that they are yet to get the food grains. Mahima, a pourakarmika (sanitary worker) from Chamrajpet, Bengaluru, said that she has not got any rations for the month. “They are using a token system by which they give tokens in the morning. Based on that, we are supposed to go and collect rations. We have been trying to get the token for two weeks now. Last week, they asked us to come on Sunday. When we went on Sunday, we didn't get the token. They asked us to come again on Wednesday. Now, my husband has gone to stand in the queue for the token.” Asked how her family was managing daily meals, Mahima said, “Some people in the area association where I work gave me about 5 kg of rice and I have been managing with that so far. I have been paid for the month, so with that I bought vegetables when they open in the morning.” Mary, a pourakarmika from Koramangala, said that she got only rice and no other pulses. “This month we got about 30 kg of rice but no wheat. We did not get any dal or oil either,” she said. Mary has been relying on the cooked food distributed by an NGO’s volunteers in the area. A source Food and Civil Supplies department said there has been a problem with procurements. “We will begin wheat distribution by the end of the month. We are giving them two months of ration, and that is already underway,” he said. Regarding the supply for pulses such as dal, the sourcesaid, “Earlier, people could get pulses for half the price, paying Rs 38 for a kilo of dal. But when the new government came into power, they stopped the supply. We have heard an announcement that in the following months they will resume the scheme, but we are yet to see it.” They added that the situation would improve. “Things should get better from next month. The state government has said that they will begin using central government funds from the ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme to provide free food grains for all beneficiaries.” Corruption in ration shops Recently, the Department conducted a raid at a PDS shop in Shivajinagar and found that the store was dispensing less rations than they should. “The shop owners were giving two kg of rice less, per person. For example, last month, each person was eligible to get seven kilos of rice. In a family of four, they were eligible for 28 kg of rice, but the beneficiaries were given only 20 kg of rice. There is a denial of 8 kilos of rice to that family. I have recommended departmental action against the shops that have misused the food grains.” Krishnamurthy, from the Food and Civil Supplies Commission said. Ration card holders spoken to in connection with the story confirmed that they were only getting 5 kilos of rice per person. What about those who live locally without ration cards? People who do not possess ration cards for various reasons have also been affected by the government’s lack of implementation. Rachna, a tailor from Kothanur, said she doesn’t have a ration card because she just moved into her locality. “I tried getting a ration card last month, but they kept saying come next week. Now, everything is closed and I will have to wait until the lockdown ends,” she laments. She is unsure about managing food. “For this month, we are adjusting with the rations I bought earlier. But if the lockdown is extended, I don’t know how I will find money to buy rations next month,” she said. Babu, an auto driver who lives in Pottery Town, said that he doesn’t possess a ration card since he is frequently moving homes. “I don’t have a ration card because I don’t have my own house and keep shifting the rental house. The government should have planned better for poor people when they announced the lockdown. Most people don’t have money because there is no way they can work. Even if we have money, what should we do if the shops don’t have food? Where should we go?” he asked. The response of private organisations in providing food Due to the void in the availability of food for the most vulnerable in society, local citizens’ groups and NGOs have taken it upon themselves to provide for the poor. However, the large number of people in need of urgent help for their basic survival amounts to thousands. This has overwhelmed many of the private individuals and organisations trying to help them. This is why they urge the government to take concrete steps to give support to people in need of basic food. Naavu Bharatiyaru, one of the groups coordinating relief in the form of both rations and cooked food, said that they have received requests from more than 6,000 migrant workers. “We were able to address some requests, but we are overwhelmed and cannot serve all these requests,” said Shaheen, a coordinator from the group. Many NGOs also report having run out of funds. Shaheen added that the requests keep coming in. “Our volumes have increased as more people get to know that we are helping people, and others too are contacting us with more requests for help.” Vinay Sreenivasan, one of the activists coordinating the efforts said, “The government needs to take a serious intervention in this matter. (COVID-19) is not just a natural disaster, but also a man-made disaster due to the non intervention of the government.”

Body 2:

Coronavirus

The announcement was made after several journalists in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu tested positive.

Karnataka Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Suresh Kumar on Tuesday said that he has urged his cabinet colleagues to look into the issue of testing journalists in the state for novel coronavirus. This was announced after journalists in Karnataka asked Suresh Kumar whether testing would begin soon in the wake of journalists in other states testing positive for the infection. Fifty-three journalists tested positive for novel coronavirus infection in Maharashtra and 27 journalists from a TV channel in Tamil Nadu tested positive on Tuesday. “I have brought this to the notice of my cabinet colleagues and also the Chief Minister. I have requested the ministers that all journalists should be tested as they are moving around in such infection hotspots. We will put out a timeline shortly,” Suresh Kumar said. On Monday, the minister wrote to the Chief Minister, asking him to ensure that journalists in Karnataka are tested as well. “Journalists move around for their work and come into contact with people. In Maharashtra, 171 journalists were tested and 53 were positive. I request you to direct the Health and Public Information departments to take necessary steps to begin testing,” Suresh Kumar’s letter to Chief Minister BS Yediyurapppa states. Twenty-six employees of a news channel in Tamil Nadu tested positive for coronavirus infection after a 24-year-old colleague tested positive, two days ago. The patients are part of the desk and reporting teams of the organisation. 94 other journalists were also tested on Tuesday in the state. The cases in Maharashtra were announced on Monday. “It is with dismay and shock that we have learnt that as many as 53 Mumbai-based journalists, many of whom are our members, have tested positive for the Covid-19 virus,” the Mumbai Press Club said in a Tweet after the results came out.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

The BBMP has said that residents should not go out to buy groceries unless it is an emergency.

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday inaugurated the Bengaluru civic body’s helpline to deliver groceries and medicines to the people. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has said that it will not allow city residents to go out to buy groceries unless there is an absolute emergency and people would have to use the helpline. An advertisement by the BBMP on its new helpline says, “People must not step out even for the purchase of essential commodities. All essentials will be delivered to your doorsteps from now.” Residents can call the BBMP helpline number 08061914960, or send a message on WhatsApp on the same number with their names, numbers and address. This should also come along with a list of items required. You must say “Hi” on WhatsApp and a chatbot will send you an automated response, asking you for your location. Upon sending your location, it will ask you to send a list of all the required items in one single message or a picture of the items. You will not be able to type your address and send it. Only sending your live location works. Once the order is placed, the BBMP’s backend team assigns the order to a Dunzo or Swiggy partner. The partner will give you a call to confirm the items. Payment has to be made after the delivery is done either by cash or via any UPI application that the partner uses. You can choose to tell the chatbot the name of the shop you want to buy the groceries from. This is optional, BBMP officials said. In case the store next to you already has home delivery, the customer can call the store directly. Bengaluru has a population of more than 85 lakh people according to the 2011 census and the BBMP estimates it has touched 1.2 crore by now. Even if a fraction of this population orders groceries, vegetables and medicines on any day, that would run into hundreds of thousands of calls. The BBMP, which does not have a good track record when it comes to efficiency, claims it can manage the load, TNM had earlier reported. Speaking to TNM, BBMP Special Commissioner Randeep Dev said that people must opt for home delivery instead of going out. He further stated that people can also opt for home delivery of groceries and medicines via Dunzo or Swiggy. On April 15, BBMP had started mapping all the grocery and medical stores in at the zonal level. This was after a similar project was started in the South zone by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

Mysuru city police said the altercation occurred after she advised three men to wear face masks and maintain social distance, as per national guidelines.

Representational image

Three people were arrested in Mysuru on Tuesday for allegedly threatening a Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA worker). Mysuru city police said the altercation occurred after she advised the three men to wear face masks and maintain social distancing as required under COVID-19 guidelines .When ASHA worker Sumayya Firdose was doing rounds at Haleem Nagar in Mysuru on Monday to check for symptoms of COVID-19 among the residents of the locality, three men allegedly abused and threatened her for advising them to maintain social distance and wear masks, police said. Based on a complaint by the worker, a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Mahboob, Khaleel and Zeeshan and investigation is ongoing, police said, adding all the three had been taken into custody. Mysuru District in-charge Minister ST Somashekar said he has spoken to the Mysuru Commissioner about the ASHA worker incident. The FIR has been registered and further action will follow, he added. The incident comes a day after violence erupted at the minority-dominated Padarayanapura ward in Bengaluru city after health workers of the BBMP attempted to take some people into quarantine. More than 110 people have been arrested in connection with the incident that occurred on Sunday. A total of five FIRs have been registered by police under sections such as 143 (unlawful assembly), 506 (criminal intimidation), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon),147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 269 (negligence leading to the spread of an infectious disease), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from performing duty), among others. No BBMP officials, police or health workers were injured in the incident. Earlier this month, a ASHA worker, while carrying out a surveillance of COVID-19 case, was allegedly manhandled by a group of people in Sadiq Nagar of Saraipalya in Bengaluru. (With PTI inputs)

Body 2:

Budget

For several years now, BBMP has been quoting a high Budget amount in its announcement – but what it actually spends is much less.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Monday presented its Budget online for the current financial year 2020-21 amidst much fanfare due to the COVId-19 pandemic. While the opposition Congress has claimed that all constituencies with BJP MLAs have been favoured at the expense of constituencies held by opposition MLAs, severe criticism has come up with the BBMP’s financial practices and impractical fund allocation in the Budget. This year BBMP has presented a budget with an outlay of Rs 10,899.23 crore compared to the Rs 11,449 crore outlay announced for the previous year. As part of the Budget speech, L Srinivas, the Chairman of Standing Committee for Finance, announced that the expenditure of the previous fiscal was revised to only Rs 7,066.21 crore. “This is a Rs 10,900 crore budget, somewhat less than last year’s but still it is unrealistic ,” Sapna Karim, Head of Civic Participation of Janaagraha, said. “We are also unfortunately experiencing high variance between the budget estimates and the revised estimates. The primary reason for this is high dependence on government grants and the dearth of efficiency in BBMP’s property tax collection, which is the BBMP’s prime revenue source. The revised estimates are lower than the budget estimates because often, the state government grants are delayed.” Janaagraha is a non-governmental organisation based in Bengaluru advocating civic engagement in urban local governance in India. In a comparative study, they have found, the variance between budget estimates (BE) and revised budget estimates (RE) averaged at 29.6% and budget variance between budget estimates and actuals averaged at 28% in Bengaluru. Meanwhile cities like Mumbai (9%), Chennai (15%), Ahmedabad (8%), Surat (5%) boast of an average budget variance under 15%. Table by Janagraha in crores Variance % Particulars BE RE Actuals BE vs RBE BE vs Actuals 2013-14 8,445 3,209 3,093 62% 63% 2014-15 5,978 2,894 4,205 52% 30% 2015-16 5,394 4,542 5,246 16% 3% 2016-17 9,331 6,819 6,572 27% 30% 2017-18 9,996 7,514 7,321 25% 27% 2018-19 10,129 7,380 7,296 27% 28% 2019-20 11,649 7068 NA 39% NA 2020-21 10899 NA NA NA NA With increased tax collection, the city council can be more independent and not dependent on the state government. This year, too, they have failed to reach their property tax collection target. While it is a good thing to keep a high target and they have said that they will widen the tax net, but collection efficiency has been a cause of worry,” Sapna added Actuals Actuals Actuals Actuals RE BE 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2,235 3,505 4,030 3,613 3,113 4,339 5,246 6,572 7,321 7,296 7,064 10,899 43% 53% 55% 50% 44% 40% Sapna also said that right now it is unclear what the BBMP’s budgeting and accounting rules are and said the commitment to release a BBMP Budget and Accounting Rules 2020 is a welcome step forward. Incidntally previous BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad had asked for the BBMP to be brought under the Karnataka Local Fund authorities and Fiscal Responsibility Act, but until now there has been no progress on that front. As mentioned by Sapna, the budget document proposes a similar law for BBMP to institute financial discipline to the Palike. Speaking about the same, Srikanth Narasimhan, co-founder of the Bengaluru Nava Nirmana Party, which will contest BBMP elections this year, also criticised the Budget calling it “nothing short of shambolic”. He said, “After the year is already over, BBMP is putting up revised estimates, which does not happen anywhere else in the world, but this keeps happening with the BBMP year after year. This is even more ridiculous as the amount of 11,649 crore has not been reduced to 11,000 crores but has become 7,000 crores. A revised budget estimate in the middle of the year might still be understandable but revision happening after the year has been completed is plainly shambolic. Worse still, this happens year after year and has become the norm now.” On the current Budget, he said the amount is again too random and too large to be not curtailed. “The same story is likely to be repeated this year too. We would like to know now if the 198 Corporators and their Ward Committees have given their requirements, and if so, how were they accounted for in the Budget? If this is not done, then this budget is not even worth the paper that it is written on,” he said. He added, “In this situation, it does not make sense to delve into the details when the fundamentals themselves are not in place. Effectively this budget is just a copy paste from previous year’s with some random numbers put in place of other random numbers.” He further stressed that the process of drawing up the Budget for all local bodies have to be bottom up from the wards as that is the only way to deliver grassroots governance. Echoing the opinion that the budgetary allocations being nothing notably different from the previous years, Srinivas Alavilli, co-founder of CItizens for Bengaluru, said money should have not been taken out from ward grants. Instead, he said the BBMP should have been given funds from the CM’s relief funds for COVID-19 relief. On the positive side, Srinivas lauded the BBMP for introducing the free water scheme and said it should be expanded to areas in the city through water tankers where residents do not get piped water. He said, “We were told there will be zonal budgets this year and I was eagerly looking for it. It is very disappointing as they seems to have dropped the idea. Rs 999 crore have been sanctioned for solid waste management but year after year we spend hundreds of crores and yet there are no change to the situation. We really need to think differently and decentralise the problem. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which will be around for some years now, how our city manages garbage becomes extremely critical. Yet we don’t see any new ideas and not even acknowledgement that we need to revamp our model.” “The investment in lakes and storm water drains is always half-hearted. It will take decades to revive lakes and clean up drains if we go at this rate. While there is a lot of emphasis on the BBMP office and cafeteria, there is no mention of upgrading the 198 ward offices, many of which do not even have a proper space to hold ward committee meetings. We request BBMP to make ward offices more people friendly and focal points for all things related to BBMP,” he added. Noting some welfare schemes introduced in this budget for pourakarmikas, Lekha Adavi, a lawyer and member of the BBMP Pourakarmika Sangha, urged the BBMP Council to consider a direct-payment system on par with permanent workers for contract workers. The association demanded the EPF (employees’ provident fund) dues from the contractors and health insurance as part of the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana Package must be disbursed immediately. The association also demanded mechanised pushcarts and continuous supply of safety equipment for all pourakarmikas. Lekha also pointed out that 36 crores allocated for housing for such workers will mean Rs 25,000 per worker, as there are 14,000 workers as per BBMP records. Similarly, for midday meal scheme, Rs 10 crore have been allotted which would mean Rs 900 per worker for a year.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

Convalescent plasma therapy is being deployed as an experimental treatment for COVID-19 patients with the plasma harvested from the blood donated from recovered patients.

PTI

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has granted the Karnataka state government to begin clinical trials for the use of plasma therapy to treat COVID-19. Bengaluru-based HCG Hospital has received the Centre’s nod to conduct clinical trials on patients to evaluate the efficacy of convalescent plasma transfusion therapy in COVID-19 treatment on human patients, the Karnataka minister for Education, Suresh Kumar, announced in a press conference on Tuesday. "HCG cancer hospital has received a grant from Directorate General of Healthcare Services (DGHS), Government of India to begin the clinical trials of proposed convalescent plasma therapy," said the hospital spokesperson in a statement. Convalescent plasma therapy is being deployed as an experimental treatment for COVID-19 patients with the plasma harvested from the blood donated from recovered patients."The idea behind this therapy is that a person’s immunity can be transferred from a healthy person to a sick patient using convalescent plasma. This therapy uses the antibodies created through from the blood of a recovered coronavirus patient to treat another critical patient," said HCG's Associate dean Vishal Rao. According the permission granted for the clinical trials, Drugs Controller General of India VG Somani, the licensing authority for the therapy, listed a total of 19 conditions in his sanction order that HCG hospital needs to meet in order to carry out plasma therapy evaluation. Meanwhile, the Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa congratulated the hospital’s dean Vishal Rao and the others in his team for receiving permission for the clinical trial. "Congrats to B. S. Ajai Kumar, Rao, Jyothsna and Gururaj Rao and everyone involved (in the trails) for receiving the okay from the Centre to begin testing on their 'plasma therapy'," he said in a tweet. "This is undoubtedly of significant importance for us all. Thank you and good luck HCG," he added. The Indian Council of Medical Research had, on April 12, called for intent from institutes interested in a randomized controlled study to assess the safety and efficacy of plasma therapy for COVID-19. ICMR received an overwhelming response of 99 applications. Those participating in the study would have to follow protocols approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee, a registered body of the Institute of Public Health-Delhi , recognised by the Drug Controller General of India. Earlier this month, Kerala had become the first state in India to receive a nod from the ICMR to begin trials for convalescent plasma transfusion therapy. Gujarat and Punjab have also reportedly started using the treatment for COVID-19 patients. Similar trials will start in Ahmedabad as well, where SVP Hospital signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ICMR to carry out plasma therapy clinical trials. The first patient in India to be administered plasma therapy was a 49-year-old man who was given the treatment at Max hospital in Saket, New Delhi. He is reportedly off ventilator support now. Plasma therapy has previously been used to treat Ebola virus and during the Spanish influenza pandemic. (with IANS inputs)

Body 2:

Accident

Condoling Hanumantha’s death, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the bereaved family.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

A journalist working with a Kannada news channel was killed in a road accident in Ramanagara district on Tuesday, police sources said. Hanumanthu (31), who worked with new channel Public TV was killed in an accident on his way from Ramanagara jail after covering a story. Hanumanthu was reporting the news development that more than 100 suspects had been arrested in connection with the Padarayanapura incident in west Bengaluru on Sunday. Deccan Herald quoted another TV reporter as saying that while others decided to take a break at a tea shop, Hanumantha went on his bike to record some visuals on his bike from the Mysore Road when a cash van rear-ended him. Condoling his death, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the bereaved family. Sources said an ATM cash van hit his bike from behind. Hanumanthu is survived by his wife and a child. Remembering Hanumanthu as an honest and active journalist, Deputy Chief Minister and Ramanagara district in-charge Minister Ashwath Narayan announced Rs 5 lakh to the family in his personal capacity. Former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, expressing grief over the journalist's death, also announced Rs 5 lakh to the family. He also offered to help with the medical treatment of his child who is suffering from an illness. Congress state unit Chief DK Shivakumar has also condoled the death. In February, a senior reporter with The Times of India died after he accidentally hurt himself while swimming in an open well in his hometown Tumakuru. Rohith Bevinahalli Rajanna who was working as the Deputy Chief of Metro bureau for the national daily newspaper had gone swimming with his brother and father. It was when he dived into the well he accidentally hurt his head against the stone steps. Due to the result of the trauma caused due to the injury he lost consciousness and drowned. (PTI inputs)

Body 2:

Coronavirus

Like other establishments in the city, barber shops are closed. How are they coping? TNM finds out.

Pexels

The nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of coronavirus has been in place for nearly a month now. With over ten days still to go for the lockdown to end, many have complained about unshaven facial hair and unkempt hairstyles as salons are shut. The barber community in Bengaluru, however, like many self-employed businesses, is facing problems as they have no other means to sustain themselves. The barber community in India is primarily from marginalised groups, undertaking the caste-linked profession. With barber shops in Bengaluru closed due to coronavirus, those performing the service are among the worst-hit amid the economic downturn. TNM spoke to people attached to the Pulakeshinagar Savitha Samaja, the barbers’ association in the Frazer Town area in Bengaluru. The barbers say that they are facing financial problems because they have to keep the shop closed, even as they continue to pay rent for both the shop and their home. The organisation had sent a letter to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) stating that it had decided to keep shutters down during the lockdown. Notices have been stuck at barber shops under the association, announcing that they would not be working until April 30. Prakash, the General Secretary of the association, says that with no other means of survival, many members of the association are seeking assistance after the decision to stay closed. “The association has no funds of its own. On their behalf, I have requested the government for relief to be distributed to the community. We have not received any assistance from the government yet,” he says. Members also said that they did not have ration cards, and so could not avail food grains like rice and wheat from the public distribution system. Rupesh, a barber, says that they manage by taking credit from local shops and relying on cooked food distributed in the area. “The local MLA comes and distributes food packets in the afternoon. But how will I survive on the food being distributed? I have five people in the house, and we cannot live on one meal a day, especially young children,” Rupesh points out. The widows of former Savitha Samaja members are also in touch, says Prakash. “These women are usually domestic helps and they cannot go out to work right now. They are not getting their monthly salary so they don't know how to manage household expenses, rent and utility bills,” he says. The government had asked employers to not withhold the salaries. However, Prakash says that even the women in his community who work as domestic helps have not been paid by their employers. The whole community is suffering without even proper food due to the lockdown, he says.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

Residents of Bengaluru's Padarayanapura want normalcy and an end to the media frenzy labelling them 'jihadis'.

Prajwal Bhat

Shop owners line up for permission to open their shops in Padarayanapura

At 2 pm on Tuesday, a truck loaded with gas cylinders pulled up in front of a police check-post in Bengaluru’s Padarayanapura ward— a confirmation to residents that life inside one of Bengaluru’s first containment zones had changed definitively. A group of 10 people, mostly men, lined up next to the check-post to pick up cylinders for their homes. A short distance away, 20 others stood in a line, clutching a passport size photograph in one hand and a copy of their Aadhaar cards in the other. They were shop owners in the area, selling a variety of items including condiments and groceries waiting to receive permission to re-open their shops. “Since the incident on Sunday, there has been strict police vigil around here,” Jameel, a resident of Padarayanapura says, referring to the change in the place he has called home for over 20 years. In a short span of time on Sunday night, Padarayanapura, a known shortcut for residents in south-western Bengaluru trying to reach the city centre, became the focus of news channels and social media after visuals emerged of a mob damaging public property. Visuals from Padarayanapura in Bengaluru during COVID-19 surveillance work. pic.twitter.com/pqvhoJ5bcw — Prajwal (@prajwalmanipal) April 19, 2020 Sunday’s violent protests Protests erupted in the area with a large presence of the Muslim community when a team of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials, along with police officers, reached the place to take 58 secondary contacts of COVID-19 patients into a quarantine centre. Video footage shows a large crowd of people breaking barricades, chairs and tables in protest. The police have arrested 119 residents in connection with Sunday’s vandalism incident. “We have created special teams to ensure all the people who took part in the rampage and those whose faces appeared in the videos are being traced,” Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao said on Tuesday. According to Shivaji Rao, the inspector of Jagajeevanram Nagar police station, the officials doing COVID-19 duty managed to retreat from the area. “We have arrested 119 people so far and we are looking to make more arrests as the investigation progresses,” says the inspector. Resistance from neighbours, local residents Residents in Padarayanapura say that the incident took place around 7 pm when officials were attempting to shift a group of people to a quarantine centre. “Contacts of a coronavirus patient were being taken into quarantine. Police and BBMP officials took one group of people from 10th Cross Road, but when they returned around 6 pm to shift a second group of people, there was opposition from neighbours and other residents in the area. One of the reasons for this was that the people being taken into quarantine were not showing symptoms of coronavirus,” says Jameel. Eleven coronavirus cases have been reported in Padarayanapura so far which includes patients who visited the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in New Delhi. The officials decided to stop their work and continue shifting people the next day. But when police constables tried to disperse the large group of people who had gathered, a mob rushed towards the tent and upended the police check-post set up at the end of 12th Cross Road. Wooden logs, stones and knives used “Many had wooden logs and knives in their hands. They also hurled stones at the police but there were no serious injuries sustained,” says Inspector Shivaji Rao. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao and Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Ramesh B have told reporters that no officials were hurt. Read : ‘Neighbours instigated violence’: Cops, BBMP recall unrest in Bengaluru containment zone Residents of Padarayanapura admit that a group of residents in the area were wrong to resort to violence and damage tables and chairs set up at the police check post. “We condemn the incident and the culprits should be punished,” Jameel says. One of the First Information Reports (FIR) filed in connection with the incident names Wajid, Irfan alias Howli Babu, Kabeer alias Altaaf Pasha, Irshad Ahmed alias Zakriya Ahmed, Farzoova and 100 to 200 others as rioters. But Jameel also says that innocent people were arrested from their homes and charged with assault, rioting and even attempt to murder. “More people were arrested on Monday with the police turning up at their homes. This included many people who were not part of the riot,” says Jameel. A ‘corona warrior’ among those arrested Jameel points to examples like Mohammed Shahbaz, a 30-year-old ‘corona warrior’ working with the state government to distribute ration and groceries, who was arrested from his home on Monday morning. Shahbaz resides in Padarayanapura along with his wife, mother and two children, a six-year-old son and a ten-year-old daughter. His family says he was at a clinic in Mysuru Road on Sunday evening when violence erupted in Padarayanapura. “He was working to distribute groceries till evening, when he stepped out to accompany his wife to a clinic. He came back home only at night but the next morning, police turned up at our door and arrested him without offering an explanation,” Aftaab, a relative of Shahbaz says. Padarayanapura sealed off on April 10 Tension has been mounting in Padarayanapura ever since it was confirmed as one of two wards to be sealed in the city on April 10. Only a single point of entry has been allowed into the area with those leaving and entering being screened. Photograph from Padarayanapura when it was sealed off on April 10 According to Jameel, the residents of Padarayanapura were on edge about the lack of clarity given by officials. “Most of the people who live here are part of low-income groups and work as coolie workers, mechanics, auto drivers and carpenters,” says Jameel. Residents are also involved in work like stitching bags and rolling incense sticks. “The people here know about the spread of coronavirus but there was a lack of clarity on what were the terms of the lockdown in this area.” Photograph from Padarayanapura when it was sealed off on April 10 Demonised by the media The residents lament the media’s coverage of the incident, which, according to them, was instantaneous, filled with conjecture, and lacking in facts. “Due to the way the incident was covered in the media, it has created an atmosphere of fear here which was not the case before,” says Jameel. Public TV, which aired a 40-minute segment analysing the incident with Chakravarthi Sulibele, a columnist and writer, began its coverage by speculating whether to term those involved in the violence as ‘traitors or demons’. Other TV channels labelled the people seen in the visuals with terms like ‘rowdies’, ‘sinners’, ‘devils’, ‘rakshasas’, and ‘jihadi virus’. Chamrajpet MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan was termed the ‘king of terrorists’ by one news channel. The media’s coverage of the incident has been fanned by statements made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders. MP Renukacharya, a legislator from Honnali in Davangere district, suggested that “Jihadis should be ‘encountered”. The residents of Padarayanapura hope that the media frenzy over the incident blows over and that life can return to normalcy in their area. On Tuesday, a list of shops were given permission to open their shutters while arrangements were made to provide gas cylinders and basic necessities to residents. An auto, fitted with a loudspeaker, blared announcements about the lockdown and advised people to stay in their homes. “We hope that this constant cycle of watching about Padarayanapura in the news is over soon and we can see out the remaining time our area will be sealed like this,” hopes Jameel.

Body 2:

Lockdown

Women Self-Help Groups have so far produced 12 lakh economically priced masks during the lockdown, which have been distributed to the state government staff.

Naheed Ataulla