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Bengaluru, Mar 28: Karnataka Director General of Police Praveen Sood on Saturday asked philanthropists who want to support the poor during the lockdown to leave food at the nearby police station, who will ensure that it reaches the needy.

The DGP has asked the Bengaluru City police Commissioner to take steps in this regard and ensure fair distribution.

"All philanthropists, in case you want to support poor. Leave cooked, packed, simple food at the police station and it will reach poor. @CPBlr pl announce a nodal officer for deciding the police station for fair distribution," Sood wrote on his official twitter handle.

Responding to the DGP's tweet, city police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao appointed Joint Commissioner (Crime) as a nodal officer.

"Sandeep Patil, IPS, Joint Commissioner, CRIME at 9480801011 is the officer nominated from Bangalore City Police to receive and acknowledge donation of food and consumables for distribution to police and those in need," Rao tweeted.

Meanwhile, the city police has also initiated measures to take those in critical medical emergency to the nearest medical facility.

"We @BlrCityPolice are at your service 24/7 to take you to nearest medical facility in critical medical emergency, dialysis, chemo, emergent heart issues etc PLEASE CALL 100 Misuse may affect someones life! Be responsible #CoronaLockdown is National Duty #Covid19India," Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration), Bengaluru, Hemant Nimbalkar tweeted.

Bengaluru police's initiative of distributing food, snacks, water and certain essential requirements to those in need has received wide appreciation.

While some police stations are already providing food to poor and those in need by collecting it from sponsors, couple of them have even hired a cook for the needy.

The lockdown has affected the poor who depend on their daily wages for livelihood.

Kasaragod, June 2: As Kerala commenced fresh academic year with online classes from Monday, a ninth-standard student at Malappuram district in North Kerala ended life allegedly owing to lack of online study facilities like television connection and a smartphone at her house.

Devika, daughter of Balakrishnan, hailing from a Dalit community at Valancherry, about 25 kilometres from Malappuram town, ended her life.

Balakrishnan told the media that he could not recharge the television connection owing to financial crunches. He was working as a daily wage worker and owing to COVID-19 and lockdown, he was not having much work these days. 

The family also did not have a smartphone or computer. The family members alleged that Devika was quite upset as she could not attend the virtual class that began on Monday. She was a student of a nearby government school.

Local police said that Devika, who was the eldest among four children of Balakrishnan, was suspected to have self-immolated using kerosene at a premise close to her house on Monday evening. The cause and provocations were still being probed only. No suicide notes were recovered yet.

Palakkad, Jun 1: An 11-month-old boy, whose parents are placed under COVID-19 quarantine, drowned in a bucket of water in Chalissery at Palakkad district.

The toddler Muhammed Nisan was the son of Muhammad Sadiq. The parents of the child are under home quarantine after Sadiq's brother, who is living in the same home was tested positive of COVID-19.

The child was found dead in a bucket of water kept in the bathroom on Saturday around 10 pm.

Chalissery police said that ''further actions will be taken only after the test result comes out. We have filed an unnatural death case on this.''

Since the family has been quarantined, the body of the baby has been shifted to the Thrissur Medical College for COVID-19 testing.