SDPI’s Ilyas Mohammad Thumbay files nomination papers from Dakshina Kannada

Bengaluru, Feb 24: Wanted gangster Ravi Poojary, who was arrested in South Africa and brought to India, was on Monday sent to police custody till March 7 by a Bengaluru court.

First Additional City Magistrate V Jagdish, while sending Pujari to police custody, said that there should be no interference in the investigations.

The court also asked the police to record video and audio of the interrogation process.

Poojary, who was wanted in over 200 cases of serious crime including murder and extortion, was brought to India by a team of senior officials and arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport here.

Pujari was extradited from Senegal on February 22 pursuant to an extradition request made by India in early 2019.

"He is physically fit. Questioning will begin from tomorrow. He is supporting our investigation and answering questions," Additional Director-General of Police Amar Kumar Pandey told reporters here earlier today.

Poojary, who parted ways with underworld don Chhota Rajan had jumped bail after he was arrested in Senegal in 2019 and had escaped to South Africa, where he was involved in drug trafficking and extortion.

According to sources in the Indian intelligence, Ravi Pujari was hiding with a false identity of Anthony Fernandes, a Burkina Faso passport holder, in a remote village in South Africa.

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 7: Making a scathing attack on the Central government, Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac on Friday said the BJP-led NDA government was "strangulating" the southern state by denying funds.

Presenting the 2020-21 budget of the Pinarayi Vijayan led-LDF government, he alleged the centre has been "helping" corporates rather that the common man.

"The Centre has been strangulating Kerala by denying funds for the state and has been moving on a self-destructive path by corporate-friendly policies and privatisation. The GST implementation has not been beneficial for the state," he said.

"The government proposes 2.5 lakh water connections in the upcoming financial year. We will also construct one lakh houses under Life Mission," the finance minister said.

The budget has allocated Rs 90 crore for Pravasi Welfare Fund and the government proposes power projects with a capacity of 500 MW.

"The government proposes Kochi development plan with a fund of Rs 6,000 crore. The city will get an unified travel card and Metro project will be extended," Issac said.

The state government has increased all welfare pension funds by Rs 100, allotted Rs 40 crore to paddy farmers and Rs 10 crore for startups in the state.

The local self-governments have been allotted Rs five crore for waste management, Rs 20 crore has been set apart for 1,000 food stalls under hunger-free Kerala, where meals will be made available at Rs 25. 

Mangaluru, Jan 11: U Haroon bin Aboobakar Mukri, a businessman from Uppinangady passed away at a private hospital in the city today. He was 74.

He was undergoing treatment for multiple ailments including age-related diseases. He breathed his last at 12:40 a.m. on Saturday.

Son of Late Aboobakar Mukri, who was an Islamic activist and leader of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in Uppinangady, Haroon was known for his generosity, kind-heartedness and simplicity.

An alumnus of St Aloysius College, Mangaluru, he was also a passionate traveller and life enthusiast, who always loved to meet people and spread positive vibes.

He is survived by his wife, four sons, a daughter and a large number of relatives, friends and well-wishers.

The funeral prayers were held at Masjid al-Huda, Uppinangady on Saturday afternoon. He was buried on premises of the same mosque.