‘Police dept efficiently handled CAA agitations in Mangaluru’: Outgoing top cop

Bengaluru, May 18: Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa today announced lockdown relaxations from tomorrow (May 19) across the state. As per new guidelines public transport services will start operations outside COVID-19 containment zones in the state. 

 “To facilitate easy movements of citizens, services of the BMTC, KSRTC, NEKRTC and NWKRTC will start from Tuesday morning, except in containment zones. Even private buses can ply,” Yediyurappa said, after discussing the Centre's Lockdown 4.0 guidelines with his Cabinet colleagues and officials. 

“The only condition is that only 30 people should travel in one bus so as to ensure social distancing,” the CM said. 

He also clarified that bus fares will not be hiked. “I know there will be losses incurred. The government will bear the losses,” he said. 

Auto rickshaws, taxis and maxi cabs (six-passenger vehicles) will also be allowed to operate. “Auto rickshaws and taxis will have a driver and two passengers. Maxi cabs will have a driver and three passengers,” Yediyurappa said. 

All parks in the state will be open 7 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 7 pm. 

Starting Tuesday, all shops except malls and theatres can open. “This includes salons,” the CM said. 

All relaxation will cease to exist every Sunday, the CM said. “Every Sunday will be a complete lockdown. There’ll be no shops and the movement of people. It’ll be a complete rest day,” he said. 

The existing curfew from 7 pm to 7 am will continue on all days, which means public transport services will not be allowed during this time. 

Trains will run within the state, but interstate trains will not be allowed till May 31, the CM said. 

It is mandatory for citizens to wear masks in public. “Not wearing a mask will be penalised,” Yediyurappa said. 

On the classification of zones, Yediyurappa said the government's main focus was containment zones. “We're particular about containment zones. In the Karwar district, for example, Bhatkal will be a containment zone and no other taluk will have restrictions,” he said. 

However, the government will review the relaxation based on how things pan out. “States have been given the freedom, so we can withdraw or modify as necessary,” he said.

Mangaluru, Jul 3: A middle aged man killed his wife by pushing her down a stone quarry at Karambaru near Kavoor on the outskirts of the city today.

The victim has been identified as Shanta, aged around 35 years. The accused is her husband Ganesh, aged round 45 years.

The incident took place on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. The exact reason for the crime is yet to be known. It is learnt that the husband and wife had quarreled before the murder.

A native of Hassan, Ganesh was working as a tipper driver. Shanta hailed from Salethadka in Kasargod. They couple have a son and a daughter. The family stays in a rented house at Kavoor.

Bengaluru, Jul 19: A viral video claiming to show crowded condition of a hospital treating COVID-19 patients in the city was found to be false with police on Sunday arresting a person for allegedly circulating it on social media.

Police said such videos have the potential to create panic and asked people to refrain from spreading them.

The arrest was made within hours of the police announcing registration of a case in connection with the video that showed a crowd of people wearing masks at an "outpatient ward" of a hospital, falsely identified as Victoria Hospital, a major dedicated COVID facility here.

The video went viral on social media.

"City Crime Branch swiftly identified and arrested this person who has been circulating false videos of panic in Victoria Hospital, Bangalore. Kudos to all doctors and medical professionals who are doing their best. False news busted," Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao tweeted.

Police said such videos have the potential to create panic in society and asked people to refrain from it.

"Covid False video about conditions of hospitals in Bangalore circulated on social media. Case registered in Cybercrime PS. While government, society at large fighting the pandemic, some are creating/forwarding messages/videos which has potential to create panic in society. Refrain from it," Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime, Sandeep Patil tweeted.

The video showed scores of people wearing masks gathered in a small space allegedly at an Out-Patient Department in a hospital, and a person filming it, claiming to be a doctor expressing concern that it was a threat to all medical staff, including the patients.

Official sources said the video was reportedly from a hospital in one of the northern states and not from Victoria Hospital.