Man arrested under Wildlife Protection Act for biting snake to death in Karnataka

Mysuru, May 6: A seven-months pregnant woman fled Covid-19 hotspot Mumbai along with her family, and made it to her village 1000 km away in KR Pet taluka in Mandya district of Karnataka, flashing her mother's ID card at each checkpost. After reaching her destination, she got herself tested for Covid-19.

She tested positive for the virus on Monday in Mandya.

The 20-year-old woman (assigned the number P637) had been living with her husband and in-laws at Santa Cruz East, Agripada in Mumbai for the past three years. To get out of the containment zone, they started out from Mumbai at 7.30 pm on April 23 -- she, her husband, brother-in-law, co-sister and their children, and a 19-year-old girl. She made it past checkposts at Belagavi, Hubballi, Davanagere, Kadur, Arasikere, Channarayapatna and Shravanabelagola and reached her village Jaaginakere at 3 pm on April 24.

She stayed at her home in the village from 24 April to April 29. With the Mandya district administration testing people on a campaign mode in the entire district, she and her family got themselves tested on May 1.

Her test returned positive on May 4, according to deputy commissioner M V Venkatesh.

Along with her, the 19-year-old girl (P638) who travelled with the family also tested positive. The girl is in the sixth semester of her BE Electronics course at an engineering college in Mumbai.

This is not the first case of a corona fugitive from Mumbai. Earlier, a 50-year-old man who ran a hotel in Mumbai travelled in a vehicle carrying dates and reached Channarayapatna in Hassan district.

In fact there have been three such incidents, including that of seven people coming to Mandya from Mumbai transporting a dead man's body for cremation in his native village of B Kodagalli in Pandavapura taluk.

Mandya deputy commissioner Dr Venkatesh has appealed to natives of Mandya who are stuck in Mumbai to stay there till the Covid situation comes to control.

So far 28 people in Mandya diatrict have tested positive for Covid 19. Seven people have been discharged. Currently there are 21 active cases being treated at the Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences.

Bengaluru, Mar 3: Bengaluru mayor Gautam Kumar on Tuesday said that the decision to ban protests in front of Town Hall was made by the council and not only by him.

"The decision to ban the protest in front of the Town Hall was made by the entire council and not only my decision. Also, the things which are approved by the councillor are also read by the ruling party leaders," Bengaluru mayor told media.

"Still it is the discretion of the Commissioner to take a call after the council also. As of now, we have banned any protests in front of Town Hall," he added.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders staged a protest against Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Mayor Gautam Kumar and BJP at Council BBMP building against the decision.

"If people will start protesting, it will badly affect the traffic of the city," said Kumar, while commenting on the protest. If they want to talk about the matter, let us have a healthy discussion. I don't have a problem with and I don't think the ruling party has a problem too," he added.

On Sunday, pro-Kannada activist and former MLA Vatal Nagraj staged a protest in front of Sir KP Puttanna Chetty Town Hall (Bangalore Town Hall) against the decision taken by Bengaluru mayor.

Talking to reporters, Nagraj had said: "He does not know the history of the Town Hall. It is a historic building and protests can be staged there."

"Mayor's decision is against Bengaluru's tradition and culture, that's why we are condemning it and are protesting against this decision. We will not allow Mayor's programs in Bengaluru and he will be shown black flags", he added.

Mangaluru, Feb 28: Sleuths of Bajpe police station have busted a counterfeit currency racket and arrested two persons on charge of printing and circulating fake currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 200.

The arrested have been identified as Dheerendra (45), a resident of Kanjilakody House in Bantwal taluk, and Sudheer Poojary (44), a resident of Adyar Volabail. Both of them said to be activists of Hindutva groups and had campaigned for BJP during last Lok Sabha polls.

Apart from counterfeit currencies, the cops have recovered a colour printer, two mobile phones and a motor bike from the accused.

According police, on February 23 the miscreants went to a petty shop owned by one Abdul Salam near Suralpady and purchased a Gillette blade costing Rs 20. They handed over Rs 200 currency note to Abdul Salam and took Rs 180 back from him.

However, the shop keeper grew suspicious about the genuineness of Rs 200 note. When he went in search of the duo, he came to know that they had purchased mustard seeds from a nearby provision store belonging to one Muhammad Arif. There too, they had handover Rs 200 fake note and got change.

The duo then took fake notes back from Abdul Salam and Muhammad Arif and escaped. The next day, Abdul Salam filed a complaint with Bajpe police station.