Cleric crushed to death under sand lorry; Cops reach spot after 2 hours

Bengaluru, Mar 8: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has identified three more locations to open Viral Research Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) including in Mysuru, Hassan, and Shivamogga in Karnataka.

According to a statement issued here on Sunday, these laboratories will start functioning shortly in Mysuru Medical College and Research Institute, Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, and Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences. Besides, the ICMR has also identified sample collection centres in Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Science in Ballari and Kalaburgi Institute of Medical Sciences.

B G Prakash, State Joint Director (Communicable Diseases), said that the new Laboratories will help to ease the load on the two designated laboratories in Bengaluru. Currently, the virology laboratory in Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute and the NIV branch in Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases are doing COVID-19 tests in Karnataka.

New Delhi, Feb 24: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting raids at more than 20 locations in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The latest raids are being carried out in connection with ISIS conspiracy cases.

More details are currently awaited regarding the cases.

Meanwhile, NIA had on February 15 filed a charge sheet against two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists before the agency special court, Jammu. The two terrorists are identified as Khalil Ahmad Kayani (34) and Mohammad Nazeem (23), both residents of Haveli Farwad Kahuta district in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The case is related to the arrest of the two accused near Nilkanth Nala, approximately 700 metres inside the Indian side of LoC, in Gulmarg Sector of Baramulla district.

Mangaluru, Mar 19: The officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, on March 11 intercepted 2 persons - Syed Mohammed and Shri Ashoka K S - Mangalore Central Railway Station and recovered 5.6 Kgs of gold bars in crude form.

The operation was conducted based on specific information about a network of operators who were bringing smuggled gold in the form of crude bars from Calicut to Mangaluru. The gold was then re-melted and cast into 100 gms bars with foreign markings, using foreign marking moulds, and was then getting distributed to various locations in Karnataka.

Further, one Mr. Manjunath Shet alias Rupesh who was supposed to receive the said gold from the passengers was also apprehended at the parking lot of the railway station.

Simultaneous searches were conducted in three different premises in car street Mangaluru, Udupi, and Shivamogga.

Further, the source of the gold was traced to melters/jewellers in Calicut and swift follow up action was conducted leading to seizures of gold and Rs 82 lakh Cash. Two cars of Toyota Etios model belonging to the syndicate having specially designed cavities for concealment which were used for transporting cash and gold between Calicut and Mangaluru were also seized.

Naveen Chandra Kamath of Udupi, who is the master mind involved in the case was also apprehended. Overall 7 persons were arrested during the entire operation. Further investigation is ongoing in the said case to uncover the other persons involved in the racket. The total seizure was 9.3Kgs of gold, valued at approximately 4 crores, 5.2 kgs of silver along with Rs 84 lakh in cash.

The team constituted of 40 officers from Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Shivamogga took part in the co-ordinated effort.