Five Hindutva activists held for attack on three including woman for selling bible

Bengaluru, Apr 25: Former Karnataka Health minister and senior Congress leader Dr H C Mahadevappa on Saturday urged the state government to chalk out a comprehensive plan to conduct tests among the vulnerable sections in the society to impede the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

Speaking to media persons, Dr Mahadevappa, felt that only restricting people to remain indoors will not suffice to tackle the spread of the contagious disease he said that "There needs to step up testing the people especially belonging to the vulnerable sections of the society".

Maintaining that the COVID-19 disease, which has progressed itself as a pandemic, across the globe, former Health Minister said that "there is also a need to fight the menace with multiple dimension, as it has potential to cause damage not only the social life of the people but also their livelihood".

Dubai, Jul 5: Three Indians, who were repatriated on a chartered flight from the UAE on Friday, have been held in the state of Rajasthan after officials seized gold worth Dh2.2million from them, the government announced on Saturday.

They are likely to be placed under arrest along with 11 others, who were repatriated from Saudi Arabia, from whom gold worth Dh5.5million was seized, a statement from the government tweeted by Press Information Bureau in Rajasthan said.

The gold bars were hidden in emergency lamps, photos attached to the tweets showed.

The 14 passengers had arrived at the Jaipur International Airport by two chartered flights.

They were intercepted by the Customs team at the airport and 31.9kg of gold valued at Rs156,759,820 (Dh7.7million) concealed in the baggage was recovered from these passengers.

Three passengers arrived from Ras Al Khaimah by Spice Jet Flight SG9055 and 12 gold bars/bricks weighing 9.3kg valued at Rs.45,761,100 (Dh2.2million) were recovered from them, the statement said.

The Indian Consulate in Dubai confirmed to Gulf News that the flight was chartered by a private company for repatriating its employees.

It is suspected that the passengers were used as carriers to smuggle gold.

The other 11 accused had arrived from Riyadh and 22.65kg of gold bars, predominantly with Suisse markings, valued at Rs110,998,720 (Dh5.5million) were recovered from them.

“The said recovered gold bars have been seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962. The said passengers are being interrogated and are likely to be placed under arrest in terms of section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962,” the statement added.

Indian media had earlier reported similar cases in which stranded Indians were apparently lured to be carriers for smuggling gold on repatriation flights from various countries.

A spike in gold smuggling attempts using Indians getting repatriated after losing jobs was also reported from the Indian state of Kerala.

Kasaragod, Apr 29: Kasaragod's General Hospital on Tuesday discharged the last of its 89 COVID-19 patients, who were admitted since the outbreak of the disease last month.

The patient discharged on Tuesday is a native of Anankur in Kerala. He was under treatment for 27 days following his return from Dubai. He was given a warm send-off at 12 noon by the doctors and hospital staff.

Of the 175 positive cases in Kasaragod district, only 12 are under treatment in other hospitals in the district now. Of them, seven had come from the Gulf and the remaining five were those in contact with them.

During a press meet, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, while referring the Kasaragod General Hospital's success story, congratulated the doctors, nurses and medical staff for the achievement.

According to Health Department, in spite of treating the highest number of COVID-19 patients in the state with meagre infrastructural facilities and even without the support of a medical college in the district, there have been no deaths.

According to the district administration, Kasaragod has conducted 4,112 tests so far, out of which 3,104 tested negative and the results of 833 are awaited.

The team of doctors, nurses and other staff numbering 250 is led by Dr Rajaram K Kandiyil, Superintendent of the Kasaragod General Hospital.