ABVP protesters defy police warning; several injured in lathicharge

Bengaluru, Jul 20: The Karnataka Congress on Monday slammed the State government's decision to distribute beds used by COVID-19 patients to Government-run hostels and called it as a "ridiculous" decision.

"It's ridiculous that the Govt plans to distribute beds used by COVID patients to Govt run hostels," read a tweet from the Karnataka Congress president DK Shivkumar.

He further said that the Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa should give these beds to his ministers, MLAs and officials.

He further went on to urge parents and students to speak "against this move" by the State government.

"Let CM @BSYBJP give these beds to his Ministers, MLAs & Officials! We are launching a movement against this Govt & appeal to parents, students & youths to speak against this move," Shivkumar's tweet read further.

Along with the tweet he also shared a video as well.

Karnataka reported 3,648 COVID-19 cases and 72 deaths on Monday, taking active cases to 42,216 and death toll to 1,403. Bengaluru recorded the highest number of cases and deaths today at 1,452 & 31, respectively, said the State Health Department.

Mangaluru, May 19: Team Be Human, a city based group of philanthropists, has taken commendable initiative to satiate the hunger of the civic workers of Mangaluru City Corporation that are endangering their lives to keep the city clean amidst covid-19 lockdown. 

On Friday, April 18, gorcesary kits were distributed among around 180 civic workers at Eidgah Maidan in Light House Hill in the presence of Corporator Abdul Raoof Bajal, Mansoor Ahmed Azad, Aina group Ashraf, Ceco Asif, Advocate Abdul Shukoor, U B Saleem, Sahil Zaheer, Rash Beary, Munna Kammaradi and Abdul Muttalib.

The Team swung into action on hearing the civic workers' plight due to the delay in payment of their wages by the Antony Waste Management firm. The Team was helped by the alumni of the St Aloysius College, Mangaluru (batch 1989). 

This is not the first time the Team Be Human distributing kits among the needy. Amidst lockdown it has already distributed around 1200 grocery kits among the poor people including the daily wage workers, migrant labourers in Dakshina Kannada district with help of Ahnaf Deals, Altaf, Shameem, Basha, Pradeep, Vincent,  Shiyaz Deals, Nawaz and Haneef. 

In its next step the Team Be Human is planning to distribute the kits among civic workers in Urva and Suratkal region, said Asif Deals, founder president of Team Be Human. He called upon the youth and students to come forward to help the needy and poor people who are deprived of basic facilities.

Bengaluru, May 9: A three-year-old boy was killed by a leopard in the early hours of Saturday in Magadi taluk near Bengaluru.

According to police, the boy identified as C Hemanth, was sleeping with his parents - Chandrasekhar and Mangalagowramma - outside his grandfather Chikkanna's residence at Kadaraiana Palya.

The couple, residents of Dodderi, near Big Banyan Tree (Dodda Alada Mara), had been staying at Chikkanna's [Mangalagowramma's father] residence since past a few days following the outbreak of COVID-19 epidemic in Bengaluru.

Some of the family members, with the child, had slept outside the residence on Friday as the temperature was high. The feline might have taken the child between 1.30 a.m. and 4 a.m., and killed it on the outskirts of the village, said the sources.

After a frantic search, family members and villagers found the mutilated body of the child in the early hours. The leopard had left the partially devoured body on the outskirts of the village, added the sources.

According to the villagers, many felines have been prowling in the area, probably arriving from forests around Magadi and attached areas, for the last several weeks.

The Forest Department officials said that they have launched an exercise to trap the animal by placing cages with live baits.

According to preliminary investigations, the child was killed by a leopard. Pugmarks were found near the body. A detailed investigation and post-mortem report will find the exact cause for the death.

The incident has sent shockwaves in the vicinity of the village. According to the sources, people are planning to launch a protest to condemn the killing of the boy.

Minister for Forest and Environment B.S. Anand Singh has announced a compensation of ₹7.5 lakh to the family of the victim.

Accompanied by Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha member D.K. Suresh, Magadi legislator Manjunath and senior officials, Mr. Singh visited the place on Saturday morning.

Addressing media persons, he said that the department has decided to start combing operations for the leopard.

Mr. Suresh said the leopard might have come from Thippagondanahalli reservoir's catchment area on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The leopard has already tasted the blood of the child and hence the department should initiate immediate action [as the chances of the feline becoming a man-eater is high, Mr. Suresh added.