No trace of missing Malpe fishermen even after 28 days

Mangaluru, June 6: Four persons were arrested by the Mulki police today in connection with the murder of Abdul Lateef, a 38-year-old businessman.

The arrested are: Mohammed Hasim (27), Nissar alias Riyaz (33), and Mohammed Razim (24), all residents of Mulki, and Aboobakar Siddique (27), a resident of Udupi.

The weapons and vehicles used for murder have been confiscated. Investigation is in progress to find out the motive behind the murder and the arrest of remaining accused.

Abdul Lateef, his father-in-law Muneer, latter’s son Ijaz and relative Imran were returning from Vijaya Bank at Mulki when a gang of nine miscreants waylaid their car and attacked with sharp weapons.

The gang comprised of Hakeem, Wafa, Asim, Siddique, Nissar, Bava, Farhan, Razeem and Siddiq.  While four of them are arrested, police continued hunt to nab other accused.

Abdul Lateef breathed his last while being taken to hospital. Others are undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mangaluru.

Bengaluru, Mar 3: Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that the party's protest will continue until the Speaker will allow them to discuss BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yathnal's recent comments on freedom fighter HS Doreswamy.

"Our protest in the well of state assembly will continue until Speaker allows us to discuss about Basanagouda Patil Yatnal," Siddaramaiah said.

Congress MLAs staged a protest in the Karnataka Assembly and entered the well demanding BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yathnal's apology for his 'Pakistani agent' remark.

Earlier, Congress leaders on February 26 staged a protest on the same issue in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue at Vidhana Soudha.

Yathnal, on February 25, called Doreswamy a fake freedom fighter and a Pakistani agent while addressing the media. His comments triggered a controversy drawing sharp remarks from Congress and other parties.

Bengaluru, Apr 28: Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday demanded that the Karnataka government announce a "special package" for unorganised sector workers, street vendors and autorickshaw drivers, among others, all daily wagers whose lives are affected by the COVID-19 lockdown. "..a special package needs to be announced to this section of people, this is the demand," Siddaramaiah, who is also Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, told reporters here.

Alleging that the government has failed to control the spread of coronavirus, he said it is the government's responsibility to take care of the basic needs of those from the unorganised sector, whose lives have been impacted by the lockdown. "It is the duty of the government and they should do it immediately. The package should also be announced. I will hold discussions with leaders of other opposition parties like JD(S), CPI, CPI(M) and BSP in this regard and also on trouble faced by farmers," he added. Alleging discrimination in supply of food packets and ration kits, Siddaramaiah said it was being supplied properly only in constituencies represented by BJP legislators.

"Politics is being played out in supply of food materials to the needy, keeping corporation elections in mind.... We don't want to do politics at this point in time as there is lockdown. If things continue to be the same after the lockdown ends, we will protest on the streets," he said.

Siddaramaiah on Tuesday interacted with representatives of auto rickshaw and cab drivers, street vendors, barbers, unorganised workers organisations, among others, to understand the difficulties faced by them during the lockdown and to know whether help from the government has reached them. He said most of them don't have work and it has become difficult for them to lead their normal lives.

They raised several issues like auto and cab drivers being unable to pay road tax and EMI, he said, adding that he would write a detailed letter to the Chief Minister in this regard The former Chief Minister pointed out that there is about 21 lakh registered organised workers, 1.32 crore lakh unorganised workers and also agriculture labourers in the state.

"Among organised workers only 12.5 of the 21 lakh are said to be getting Rs 2000, that too from the Employees Welfare Fund, while others could not get any money, citing reasons like they have not renewed it," he said.

On the other hand, unorganised sector workers don't get money and were also not getting proper food or ration kits, he alleged Though the labour department claimed that it was supplying one lakh food packets and 1.5 lakh ration kits, as also corporations, there were leakages and it was not reaching the beneficiaries properly, he said.