Potential tragedy averted: Drunk woman pilot of Mangaluru-Dubai flight suspended

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, Jun 25: Former Karnataka chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday claimed that there are shortage of beds and ventilators to treat COVID-19 patients in the state.

In a series of tweets, he targetted the Karnataka government on COVID-19 management.

"The state government has failed to provide adequate treatment to those infected with corona. There are no beds and no ventilators to treat more than four thousand patients. Self-induced lockdown is the only solution," he tweeted.

In his subsequent tweet, he said, "Residents of the state, including Bangalore, now have only one way to escape from COVID-19. Stay at home and celebrate yourself as a self-proclaimed lockdown. Money is not more important than life. Your life is in your hands now."

In another tweet, former Chief Minister alleged that the government has fixed Rs 10-15,000 per day for COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals.

"The state government is also saying this indirectly. The 'home remedy' in the home is to stay at home and be safe. The government has fixed Rs 10-15,000 per day for the treatment of this infection in private hospitals. How poor can afford it while upper class can't afford," he tweeted.

"If four members of a family infected with corona, the cost of treatment for a 15-day treatment at a private hospital is Rs 5-6 lakh. Where do the poor bring that Much money? We must save our lives while the government is sitting incapable. This is my concern for the people of the state," he said in another tweet.

In a video message that HD Kumaraswamy demanded the state government to give all kinds of safety and security to the students who are writing the SSLC exam tomorrow.
HD Kumaraswamy also urged students to be careful.

About 8,48,203 students will appear in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination tomorrow, said Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Wednesday.

Bengaluru, Feb 25: A smooth-talking ‘swamiji’ has come under police radar after a widow lodged a complaint stating he cheated her of over Rs 27 crore and three kgs of gold between 2016 and 2019.

The woman, Geetha of Ramamurthynagar, was staying with her three sons after her husband, a landlord, died in 2009. Her family owned several sites in Tavarekere and other parts of the city, apart from a farm near Bethamangala in Kolar district.

Geetha, who had got into property disputes with her relatives, said she was introduced to the accused, Nagaraj C of Bangarapet, who claimed to possess powers to ward off evil spirits, by one of her farm labourers. “I was assured that all my problems would be solved. He came to my house and claimed he had been sent by god and would find solutions to all my problems,” she stated.

Nagaraj allegedly pretended to be possessed by spirits and directed her to give him gold bars. Geetha ended up giving three kgs of gold in the process. Later, he began directing her to sell a few properties stating these were the root cause of her problems. “I sold many properties and pledged a few residential sites. He took Rs 22.5 crore that came from selling properties, apart from Rs 5 crore cash from my husband’s savings,” she stated.

She said Nagaraj took the money from her on the promise of buying alternative properties. “When I demanded he return all my money, he threatened to kill me and my kids using evil spirits,” she alleged.

Police have registered a case of cheating, criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation under various IPC sections and Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2017, against Nagaraj and others.