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

Mangaluru, Mar 19: The officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, on March 11 intercepted 2 persons - Syed Mohammed and Shri Ashoka K S - Mangalore Central Railway Station and recovered 5.6 Kgs of gold bars in crude form.

The operation was conducted based on specific information about a network of operators who were bringing smuggled gold in the form of crude bars from Calicut to Mangaluru. The gold was then re-melted and cast into 100 gms bars with foreign markings, using foreign marking moulds, and was then getting distributed to various locations in Karnataka.

Further, one Mr. Manjunath Shet alias Rupesh who was supposed to receive the said gold from the passengers was also apprehended at the parking lot of the railway station.

Simultaneous searches were conducted in three different premises in car street Mangaluru, Udupi, and Shivamogga.

Further, the source of the gold was traced to melters/jewellers in Calicut and swift follow up action was conducted leading to seizures of gold and Rs 82 lakh Cash. Two cars of Toyota Etios model belonging to the syndicate having specially designed cavities for concealment which were used for transporting cash and gold between Calicut and Mangaluru were also seized.

Naveen Chandra Kamath of Udupi, who is the master mind involved in the case was also apprehended. Overall 7 persons were arrested during the entire operation. Further investigation is ongoing in the said case to uncover the other persons involved in the racket. The total seizure was 9.3Kgs of gold, valued at approximately 4 crores, 5.2 kgs of silver along with Rs 84 lakh in cash.

The team constituted of 40 officers from Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Shivamogga took part in the co-ordinated effort.

Mar 5: The government on Thursday asserted that there is no shortage of raw ingredients or medicines in the country as it has taken various initiatives to tackle the challenge posed by the coronavirus outbreak.

All initiatives are also being taken to ensure that there is no impact of the disease in India, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers D V Sadananda Gowda said.

"There is no shortage of any APIs in the country. We have sufficient APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) and medicines in the country," he said.

Gowda was addressing the 5th international exhibition and conference on the pharmaceutical and medical industry organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Gujarat government and industry chamber Ficci here.

For another three months there is no shortage for undertaking production in the pharma sector, he added.

"Our government has taken all initiatives to ensure that as far as our country is concerned the coronavirus should be stopped, and there is no hazard as far as this issue is concerned," Gowda reiterated.

Coronavirus is a challenge and "we should make all efforts that need to be taken..., " he added.

On Tuesday, India, the world's largest maker of generic drugs, restricted the export of common medicines such as paracetamol and 25 other pharmaceutical ingredients and drugs made from them, as it looks to prevent shortages amid concerns of the coronavirus outbreak turning into a pandemic.

Besides over-the-counter painkiller and fever reducer paracetamol, drugs restricted for exports included common antibiotics metronidazole, and those used to treat bacterial and other infections as well as Vitamin B1 and B12 ingredients.

A notification by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had said the export of 26 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulations would require licence.

Bengaluru, Mar 23: In the wake of the shutdown in several districts of the state to control the COVID-19 spread, Karnataka government on Monday said food would be provided free of cost through Indira Canteen for the poor who depend on daily wages for their livelihood.

The state-sponsored subsidised 'Indira Canteens' as of now serves breakfast at Rs 5 and lunch and dinner at a cost of Rs 10.

"In the interest of the poor, it has been decided to serve free food for poor. Through Indira Canteen, free food will be served for the entire day for the poor," Yediyurappa told reporters.

The Karnataka government has already announced shutdown of all commercial activities, barring essential services, in nine districts where COVID-19 cases have been reported till March 31.

They are: Bengaluru city, Bengaluru Rural, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Dharwad, Chikkaballapura, Kodagu and Belagavi.