Homestay attack: All you had to do was dial 100, Seemant tells media

[email protected] (CD Network, Photos by Ahmed Anwar)
July 30, 2012

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Mangalore, July 30: Seemant Kumar Singh, Mangalore City Police Commissioner, on Monday said that he does not hold media as a whole responsible for the attack which took place on young boys and girls at a homestay in Padil in the presence of their cameras.

Addressing media persons at his office after a memorandum was submitted to him by the Dakshina Kannada District Working Journalists' Association requesting him to drop the FIRs registered against media persons in connection with the case, Mr. Singh said that no media person has been arrested and that their role is still being investigated. “Although one of the arrested has told us that he had informed the media, we are not going by his word just as yet. The matter is being investigated”, he said.

Mr. Singh said that media persons arrived at the spot to do their duty. “However, you and I have a bigger duty and responsibility towards the society and you should have informed the police. The concerned media person has said that the mob outnumbered media persons at the spot and there was very little he could do. If you were really concerned, you could have done much more. All you had to do was dial 100”, he said.

When it was pointed out that many a time police do not respond to calls made by media persons, Mr. Singh said that he would direct all police officers to see that media persons' calls are attended to and revert back to them in case they are unable to pick calls for some reason.

Mr. Singh maintained that the video footage shot by media persons have helped in identifying some of the culprits behind the assault. “But had you informed us beforehand, there would not have been a need to go through the footage at all. The incident could have been prevented”, he said. Media persons focused more on capturing the victims on camera rather than the culprits, he alleged.

In response to a query on the inaction of police personnel also being present at the spot when the assaulters were in the homestay, Mr. Singh asked for evidence for the early presence of police at the spot. If police officers are found to have been guilty, action would be taken against them, he assured.

Denying that the police have registered FIRs against media persons for personal grudge and enmity, Mr. Singh invited media persons to name a few members from their side to be a part of a common committee along with the police to sort the matter out.

Earlier, a delegation of media persons led by P B Harish Rai, President, DK District Working Journalists' Association, submitted a memorandum to the Commissioner. Stating that it is the democratic right of the media to convey to the people what is happening in society, Mr. Rai requested Mr. Singh to drop the cases against media persons and create an environment where members of the media fraternity could carry out their job with freedom.

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News Network
April 20,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 20: Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, reacting to the incident which happened in Padarayanapura area of the city last night, in which a group of men vandalised a police barricade, said that the perpetrators of the violence should be dealt with severely.

He further said, "It was not at all needed to attack Asha workers, police or doctors. These kinds of incidents are not acceptable. It is an act of shame. It does not matter which community the perpetrators belong to, each and everyone must follow the guidelines and law. Whoever indulged in such an act must be punished."

Earlier on Sunday, a ruckus erupted in Padarayanapura on Sunday allegedly over the shifting of suspected COVID-19 persons to a quarantine facility by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials.

The incident occurred in the late evening at Padarayanapura, which is recognized as a 'Red Zone', when BBMP officials went to shift 15 secondary contacts of corona positive patients. However, some people created a ruckus, broke the barricade and removed the police post in the area.

In Karnataka, 390 people have detected positive for COVID-19, of which 16 people have succumbed to the infection, as per the Union Health Ministry.

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News Network
April 13,2020

Mangaluru, Apr 13: Struck by the boredom of lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, a 17-year old was caught on Sunday trying to sneak his friend out of his apartment complex by stuffing him inside a suitcase, police said.

"A minor, aged 17-years-old, a resident of Orchid Apartment, Balmatta invited his friend, a resident of Motisham Apartment, Pandeshwar to stay with him on April 11, Saturday," said PS Harsha, the Commissioner of Police, Mangaluru.

The friend wanted to return back to his apartment in Pandeshwar the next day but due to strict security put in place, he got inside a large trolley suitcase. Security guards at the apartment, however, got suspicious when they noticed the wobbling of the suitcase that was being wheeled to the gate.

Based on the suspicions, security personnel alerted the residents of the building and opened the suitcase from which they were shocked to find the boy's friend stepping out. Police were later called in.

A case has been registered against the two minors at the East Police station, police said adding that the duo will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board.

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coastaldigest.com news network
February 16,2020

Udupi, Feb 16: A man, who was trapped in 15-feet-deep hole following a landslide during borwell digging work at a remote area in the coastal district, was finally rescued after a prolonged effort today.

The man, identified as Rohit, suffered minor injuries in the incident.

The incident took place at Maravanthe village near Baindur in Udupi district.

Rohit was trapped when the land around borewell was being dug collapsed suddenly. It took around six hours for the rescue workers to rescue him.

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