Indian govt changes its mind: Passports to retain address page; Orange plan dropped

Belagavi, Jul 23: As many as 14 persons have been arrested following last night’s violence at Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS) - District Hospital.

Angered over the death of a Covid-19 patient, family members had turned violent and damaged the BIMS with stones and set an ambulance on fire alleging medical negligence. 

The 55-year-old male had been admitted to the hospital for treatment on July 19, for treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and was positive for Covid-19 according to the report received on Wednesday. He died on Wednesday night while being shifted to Intensive Care Unit for treatment of respiratory problems.

Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Two persons were detained in the spot and 12 persons later. The matter is under investigation and the police have launched a manhunt to nab the other accused.

During the violence, a police personnel and five other hospital staff suffered injuries.

Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC were imposed in the areas surrounding the hospital to prevent crowd gathering. 

Deputy Commissioner M G Hiremath visited BIMS on Wednesday night and held a meeting with the doctors and nurses treating the patients and those who were at the receiving end of the violence.

Hiremath said that he instilled confidence among the doctors and nurses and assured them that safety measures would be taken. Security arrangements will be made and prohibitory orders will be imposed. Presently entry of people has been banned, he said.

Police Commissioner Dr K Thiyagarajan said that cases will be filed against all those responsible for the violence. People whose vehicles have been damaged can also file complaints.

Bengaluru, Feb 25: In the view of 2nd PUC exams from March 4, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has approved free travel for students from home to exam centre on Monday.

"BMTC has extended free travel facility to all PUC students from their residence to examination centre on production of exam hall/admission ticket," said a press note.

BMTC has been issuing student concessional passes to travel from their residence to college at concessional rates for the benefit of students. 

New Delhi, Jan 17: Airports in Srinagar and Jammu are to be “immediately” brought under the security cover of the CISF in view of the arrest of DSP Davinder Singh, a Jammu and Kashmir government order has said.

The two sensitive airports are to be “handed over” to the CISF by January 31, the order of the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department to the Director General of Police (DGP) said.

“This issue (CISF security at Srinagar and Jammu airports) has acquired immediacy in view of the recent developments relating to the arrest of Davinder Singh, DSP airport security, for trying to assist militants to travel to other parts of the country,” the order issued on Wednesday said.

Police had arrested Singh, a deputy superintendent of police, at Mir Bazar in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Saturday, along with Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists Naveed Baba and Altaf, besides a lawyer who was operating as an overground worker for terror outfits.

The two airports are guarded by the CRPF and the J-K Police at present.

The Union government had last year decided that the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will be handed over security of these two airports along with the one in Leh in view of their sensitive and strategic location and the threats it faced related to possible terrorist and hijack attempts.

CISF is the national civil aviation security force and at present it guards 61 airports including the ones at Delhi and Mumbai.

News agency had on January 13 reported that the Union home ministry sanctioned about 800 personnel to the CISF in order to take over security duties at the three airports of the newly created Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

As per the original plan, the CISF was to take over Jammu airport by next month and the Srinagar and Leh airports after the spell of severe cold ends.

However, officials said, keeping in mind the arrest of the DSP and his alleged links, the latest order has been issued which also directs the J-K Police to make arrangements for accommodation, transport and other logistical requirements of the armed contingent of the CISF on a quick basis.

Once inducted at the most-sensitive Srinagar airport, the CISF will secure access control at both city and air side (tarmac area) while the CRPF will be responsible for securing the outer periphery. At the Jammu airport, the peripheral security duties will be rendered by the JK Police.

An assortment of surveillance and security gadgets like CCTVs, observation monitors, hand-held metal detectors, bullet-proof patrol vehicles and bomb detection and disposal equipment are also being provided by the airport operator, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), to the CISF.

The Union government sometime back made it clear that CISF will be the only civil airports guarding force and all such facilities in the country will be gradually brought under its command to bolster aviation security and tighten anti-terror and anti-hijack protocols.