Tripura tribal activists beat TV channel journo to death

News Network
September 21, 2017

Agartala, Sept 21: A TV news channel reporter died after he was seriously injured in an attack by Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) activists while he was returning home after covering a political clash in West Tripura district on Wednesday, police said. For many years, IPFT has been fighting for a separate state for indigenous Tripuris, which the ruling Left Front has always opposed.

Shantanu Bhowmik (27), who worked for pro-Left Deen Raat TV, had gone to tribal-dominated Mandwai in West Tripura to cover a clash between IPFT and CPM supporters. "Bhowmik was attacked between Mandwai and Jirania, which is about 30 km from Agartala," police said.

Locals said IPFT supporters called Bhowmik a "CPM activist working against their party" while they assaulted him and his camera person who managed to escape and report the incident to police at Jirania. CPM workers took Bhowmik to Agartala Government Medical College and Hospital, where he died. Bhowmik was reportedly hit with sharp-edged weapons. Bhowmik and his camera person reportedly had footage of IPFT supporters attacking the CPM office at Mandwai.

Pranab Sarkar, secretary of the Tripura Journalists' Union, said, "Bhowmik was assaulted in front of police personnel, who remained mute spectators." Later, media personnel blocked a road leading to chief minister Manik Sarkar's official residence and sat on a dharna, demanding action against all people, including abettors, who killed Bhowmik before his last rites.

Groups of people protesting against Bhowmik's killing gheraoed the district magistrate and the superintendent of police of West Tripura and set afire police vehicles at Khumlung. Seven police personnel were injured.

DGP (Tripura) AK Shukla, who visited the place where the journalists were protesting, said, "We will take appropriate action against the guilty as well as police personnel." He asked the journalists to give him some time and end the road blockade. Till evening, the protesters, however, were seen blocking the road.

Governor Tathagata Roy said, "I will take up the matter with the highest authority." As news of Bhowmik's killing spread, tension gripped Jirania, which has a mixed population.

The government promulgated prohibitory orders and deployed paramilitary personnel there. The movement of people along roads in the area was restricted.

Deputy speaker Pabitra Kar, who also visited the spot, said, "IPFT supporters attacked our office and assaulted some activists. Tension rose further after our activists also responded to the attack."

Debasish Majumdar, secretary of the Tripura Working Journalists' Association, said, "Journalists have faced attacks in the past. Since no action was taken against anyone for those attacks, today's incident has happened."

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News Network
June 24,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 24: Karnataka Minister of Medical Education Dr K Sudhakar said on Tuesday that the directors of institutions will be held responsible if any there are any complaints and lack of facilities in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

'Since a couple of days, there are reports in media regarding the admission of COVID-19 patients, lack of hygiene and the supply of sub-standard food to patients. The country is appreciating Karnataka and Bengaluru for controlling the spread of coronavirus. This was possible due to tireless efforts from past several months and these kinds of reports emerging now cannot be tolerated," Sudhakar said.

He added, "There can be no compromise in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. It must be ensured that these kinds of complaints will not be repeated. Directors of hospitals will be held responsible if there are complaints."

The medical education minister further said that asymptomatic patients will be kept in COVID-Care Centres and if they develop symptoms in the care centres, they will be shifted to hospitals for further treatment.

"Since the COVID-19 cases are increasing, private hospitals have been roped in to treat coronavirus patients. Officials have to ensure that beds are reserved and all arrangements are made as per the government order. Guidelines will soon be issued for monitoring asymptomatic cases in COVID care centres," he added.

Karnataka on Tuesday reported 322 fresh COVID-19 positive cases and eight deaths.
According to the state health department, the total number of positive cases has mounted to 9,721 and 150 deaths. So far, 6,004 people have been discharged.

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coastaldigest.com news network
January 3,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 3: General Secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyatul Ulama, AP Aboobacker Musliyar Kanthapuram, visited the family members of Abdul Jaleel and Nousheen, expressed his condolences.

Jaleel, resident of Bundar Kandak and Nousheen, resident of Kudroli were killed in police firing that took place during the anti-CAA protest in the city on December 19.

Former President of the District Wakf Advisory Committee of Dakshina Kannada SM Rasheed Haji, Corporator Lateef Kandak, Congress leader N S Kareem and Ashraf Kinara, Samsuddin Kudroli were also present. 

DYFI delegation

Meanwhile, a central delegation of the Democratic Youth Federation of India also met the families of the both the victims and expressed solidarity with the kin of the deceased.

The delegation comprised of DYFI national president advocate Mohammad Riyaz, other leaders such as A A Raheem, S Satish, S K Sajeesh, legislator V K Sanoj and DYFI State present Muneer Katipalla.

 

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News Network
January 23,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 23: An alleged low-intensity blast on Wednesday late evening in Shanthinagar left three-time Congress MLA NA Harris and six others with burn injuries. The blast reported at around 8:30 pm during a cultural programme gripped the central parts of Bengaluru in a panic especially after the incident of police recovering a live bomb in Mangaluru airport. 

According to sources in Shanthinagar, MLA Harris was attending the birthday celebrations of MGR organized by the locals close to his residence in Shanthinagar. Following the blast, Harris and a few others who standing close to the MLA sustained burn injuries and rushed to the nearby Philomena Hospital immediately and police officials from both the Ashok Nagar and Vivek Nagar visited the spot. The police officials are yet to confirm whether it was a bomb blast or due to the bursting of loud and powerful crackers. 

Chethan Singh Rathore, DCP (Central) visited the hospital and the blast site. A team of forensic science lab experts have also been summoned to the spot to collect samples for ascertaining the nature of the blast. MLA Harris’s son Mohammed Nalapad who rushed to the hospital along with supporters told media persons that they are completely shocked by the incident. 

“He was sitting on a chair and suddenly something that was hurled at him exploded beneath the chair. He sustained injuries to his leg and brought to the hospital. He is being treated by a team of doctors and other injured supporters are also being attended to by the doctors,” Nalapad said. 

Expressing shock over the incident, he said, “My father has been an MLA for 12-years and nothing of this sort had happened before in the constituency. We have no rivals and my father never had any gunmen. We are all shocked and have complained to the jurisdictional police.” 

Meantime, Dr Shankar Prasad, Medical Director, St Philomena’s Hospital explained that Harris and others are currently being treated for minor injuries. “None of them have any open cut injuries and they are being examined further,” Dr Prasad told DH. 

According to Dr Prasad, Harris had a minor blood clot in his left leg which was possibly due to a hard object hitting him during the blast. “We have taken X-Ray and examining further. At the look of it, it seems like a very minor injury,” he added. 

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