Indian expat stabs colleague to death in Saudi, burns body

Mangaluru, Jan 14: Ace Yakshagana guru Kadri Ramachandra Bhat Yelluru will be awarded the ‘Kundeshwara Samman’ award by Shri Kundeshwara Kshetra, Hirgana, Karkala taluk.

The award will be presented to him in a ceremony on January 21.

“A Yakshagana, ‘Bhargava Vijaya’, with Yakshadhruva Patla Sateesh Shetty will be held on the same day. A Tulu drama, ‘Panoditthundu’, will be staged by Sindhura team. The annual temple festival will be held on January 22,” a press release issued by Cultural Programme Convenor Jitendra Kundeshwara said here on Tuesday.

Bengaluru, Feb 4: Taking the state government to task, the Karnataka High Court on Monday opined there was a need to rehabilitate or compensate migrant workers whose homes in Tubarahalli and Kundalahalli were demolished by a BBMP engineer last month.

On January 19, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) assistant executive engineer at Marathahalli had taken up a demolition drive stating that the migrant workers residing in the area were “illegal Bangladeshis”.

A division bench led by Chief Justice Abhay S Oka was hearing a petition by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties which contended that the evacuation of the workers was illegal. Stressing the need for relief, the court directed the state government to come clean on its stance and adjourned the hearing to February 10.

Advocate General Prabhuling K Navadgi submitted that the Union government had issued a circular last year to ascertain the presence of illegal Bangaladesh migrants. “On the basis of this circular, the BBMP officials had written a letter to Marathahalli police sub-inspector on January 18. Based on this letter, the residents in huts were evicted in a civilised manner,” he stated.

The bench, however, differed with the submission. “Who identified them as Bangladeshis before the eviction? Which is the competent authority to do so? Which police officer took up the inquiry?” the bench questioned.

The court also asked whether the government would take up similar eviction drives against illegal buildings of the rich. It also expressed displeasure over the action taken against the BBMP engineer.

“Instead of sending him home, you say you have transferred him. We can’t be mute spectators,” the bench said.

The court did not mince words as it castigated the authorities for failing to act judiciously. “The police and the BBMP are blaming each other. Your action appears to be dangerous. Going by the state of things, it seems that everything is not in order,” it said.