Footbridges to be built in coastal and malnad districts of Karnataka to avert tragedies

Bengaluru, Apr 7:  A group of Muslim philanthropists including a woman were allegedly assaulted by a group of people while they were distributing necessary food items to the needy at Dasarahalli of Amruthahalli Police Station limits in the city.

An FIR has also been registered in this regard and two people have been taken under police custody.

Twenty-three-year-old Syed Tabrez, son of Zarin Taj, secretary of Swaraj Abhiyan's local unit and his mother and friends were attacked by some unknown miscreants at Dasarahalli of Amruthahalli police station limits on Monday while they were distributing essential items to the needy amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

"The incident occurred on Monday. An FIR was filed by the woman stating that she was assaulted by some people. On receiving the information, our officers rushed to Ambedkar Hospital and spoke to one of the victims. As per the complaint, Vidyaranya Pura and Amruthahalli Police have secured two people.

The investigation is underway. It is not a case of communal hatred," said Dr Bheemashakar Guled, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), North-East Bengaluru.

Tabrez has suffered minor injuries on his right hand and right leg while others have also suffered minor injuries. They have been discharged from the hospital.

The incident occurred at around 6 pm yesterday when some people came on a motorcycle, carrying bats and started thrashing Tabrez along with others, as per the FIR. Later, the injured people went to Amrutahalli Police Station and filed a complaint there.

Later they went to the Bowring Hospital which was closed. Then, they went to Dr Ambedkar Hospital in KG Halli.

Syed's mother said the accused persons threatened us, saying that "Muslims are poisoning the rations. You people will not deliver the food here. Muslims will have to leave the slum and relocate themselves somewhere else."

Mangalore, May 2: More than 500 families received ration kits in a distribution drive conducted by St Agnes College in outskirts of Mangaluru on Wednesday.

Since the lockdown was announced, the management, staff and alumni of St Agnes College are playing an active role in ensuring no one is deprived of food and essentials during these challenging pandemic times.

The College as part of its Agnes towards Community (ATC) programme had adopted villages such as Munnur, Harekala, Amlamogaru, Someshwara and Pavur. Various development drives are conducted in these villages by the staff and students. However, due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the activities undertaken in these villages were kept on hold.

The College recently received information from its network that several families in these villages are struggling for food and essentials.

The College management in association with its alumni and well-wishers took-up the initiative to distribute ration kits consisting of rice, dal, spices, tea powder, hygiene products and other essentials to 500 needy families belonging to these villages.

The drive was held in presence of Zilla Panchayat member Dhanalakshmi Gatty and other Gram Panchayat members.

"We were able to provide food to 600 and more families in different villages and to the stranded migrant workers in the city during this time of crisis because of the generous contributions of our staff, alumni and well wishes" says Sr Dr. M. Jeswina A.C.

The College management expresses its gratitude to all donors, especially the staff, alumni and those associated with the college.

Abu Dhabi, Feb 17: NMC Health Plc, a hospital operator targeted by short-seller Muddy Waters, said founder Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty resigned amid investor concern he faced a margin call and misrepresented his stake.

The board asked for Co-Chairman Shetty’s resignation and it takes effect immediately, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. NMC has lost four board members since Friday, including Vice Chairman Khaleefa Butti, whose holdings are also being probed. The stock, the worst performer on the FTSE-100 Index this year, fell as much as 9.2 percent Monday morning and then rebounded.

“The resignation of senior board members should be viewed positively,” said Abdulla Nahlawi, an analyst at Rasmala Investment Bank in Dubai. “The credibility of the current board has been jeopardized with the unfolding of the recent events.”

NMC shares lost almost half their value the first week of February on speculation the company’s main investors faced a margin call, in which banks seize shares pledged as collateral. NMC said Friday that First Abu Dhabi Bank and Al Salam Bank Bahrain obtained 20 million shares in the company from BRS International Holding, an investment vehicle of NMC’s top shareholders. The banks sold more than 8 million of those shares as “enforcement of security,” NMC said.

NMC operates the largest medical network in the United Arab Emirates and in 2012 became the first Abu Dhabi company to list in London. The shares started teetering in mid-December when Muddy Waters alleged that NMC manipulated its balance sheet and inflated the prices of companies it acquired.

Shetty, 77, was born in India and founded NMC in the 1970s after moving to Abu Dhabi. His spokesman said a legal review of the situation is ongoing and declined further comment.

Chief Investment Officer Hani Buttikhi and board member Abdulrahman Basaddiq also stepped down because they were appointees of Shetty and Butti, NMC said, adding that they had no knowledge of the share transfers.

Questions remain over the role of Shetty’s family at the company. His wife and son-in-law both hold roles in senior management.

Almost 10 per cent of NMC’s freely traded shares are shorted, according to Markit Securities data. In mid-December about a third of them were.

Last week GKSD Investment, an investment company backed by hospital investors, said it’s studying a possible offer for NMC. Under U.K. takeover rules, it has until March 9 to make a bid.

NMC has said Muddy Waters’s claims are false and the company hired former FBI Director Louis Freeh to conduct an independent review. The review is due to be completed before the company issues its financial results in March, the person said.

NMC said Mark Tompkins will continue as the company’s sole chairman.