Car logo theft on the rise

[email protected] (Stanley Pinto for Times of India )
February 18, 2012

carlogo

Mangalore, February 18: It could be kleptomania or a way to make easy money, monograms, badges or logos of expensive cars like BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Skoda and Merc are being increasingly targetted. And the culprits are said to be students.

Stealing car logos is the newest trend in auto theft in the city, especially in areas where mass parking is done and near colleges. Most of the thefts have occurred near Town Hall, TMA Pai Convention Hall, State Bank of India (Hamilton) Circle, Jeppu and Light House Hill Road areas.

Ramesh S, who lost Volkswagen monogram on the rear within a week after the car was bought, says that usually car owners miss the theft as the most observed spots are tyres for proper inflation or punctures, scratches on the panels etc. "It must have occurred a few days back. It is the unlikeliest thing one will ever notice. There was no use of complaining. I will have to shell out Rs 1,800 to buy one,'' he adds.

Charan Suvarna, sales manager, Volkswagen, says the logos are costly as they are imported from Germany. "Untill they are sourced locally, this problem will continue,'' says Suvarna adding that they have received 20 inquiries for logo replacement A scrap dealer in Bunder said, "Last week two students were trying to sell a Volkswagen logo. A customer, who had come for some used part, started inquiring them on suspicion and they bolted. But, we could not catch them.''

The expensive logos are not available with local scrap dealers and they claim that the logos find way to Bangalore. "Police should find out whom the students work for. It is looking like a big racket here,'' another scrap dealer added.

Vinay Goankar, police inspector, Mangalore north admits logo theft is on the rise, but none have complained about it so far. He also indicates that mostly students are behind the new type of theft. According to sources several complaints have been withdrawn after parents of the students who were caught stealing the logos pleaded not to spoil their wards' future. Sometimes they also promise to make good the loss.

Showroom sources said flicking a logo was easy as they are either stuck with special glue or held in position with clips. "With a screw driver and correct pressure one can remove it without making any damage to the logo,'' the source added.


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News Network
March 24,2020

Mangaluru, Mar 24: A Covid-19 patient from Kasaragod, who recently came from abroad travelled to Mangaluru twice, revealed Karnataka department of health and family welfare.

The 54-year-old person is confirmed as Covid-19 positive case yesterday.

He landed at Mangalore International Airport on March 10 at 5.30pm by Air India Express flight.

From there, he had travelled in his own vehicle to Kasaragod. He had coffee near Kasaragod and reached home at 7.30pm.

On March 11, he had visited local fish market and returned home at 10pm.

He had consulted a local doctor at Kasaragod on March 18 and later visited to Kasturba Medical College, Attavar at 3pm, visited reception and consulted a doctor.

He had tea at KMC canteen and travelled in an auto to Medicity and brought medicines and returned to Kasaragod by KSRTC bus.

Again he travelled to Mangaluru on March 20 in a private vehicle and visited a doctor and returned back to Kasargod in a private vehicle.

The health department has requested all passengers who travelled in the above said flight/aircraft, and KSRTC bus can self-report by dialing 104 or other helpline numbers.

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News Network
March 19,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 19: Karnataka High Court on Wednesday rejected the plea by Congress leader Digvijay Singh seeking directions to the police to allow him to meet rebel Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs who are lodged in Bengaluru.

Earlier in the day, Singh said at a press conference, "I have filed a plea in the Karnataka High Court, seeking permission to meet Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs who are putting up at Bengaluru. I have decided to be on fast and shall take a call on that after the decision of the Supreme Court and the High Court," Singh said at a press conference here earlier.

Singh said, "The BJP is busy in toppling duly-elected governments. We had successfully thwarted their plans to destabilise the MP government but we were let down by Jyotiraditya Scindia who had a very successful career in Congress."

"We never expected that he would ditch us and join hands with the BJP," he added.

The Congress leader also said that the BJP government had become insecure since the Kamal Nath-led government started tightening the laws on mining.

"Chief Minister Kamal Nath drafted a new mining policy for the sand under which the mines were allotted through auction. All this was unpalatable to the BJP and from Day 1 they started offering money to our Congress legislators," he said.

"In BJP, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee's kind of leadership no longer exists. The leadership which controls the BJP now includes people who have joined hands to do all kinds of unscrupulous things which has led to a stage in India where the banks are collapsing, non-performing assets and unemployment are growing," he added.

Earlier today, he was put under preventive arrest after he sat on a dharna near Ramada Hotel here allegedly for not being allowed to meet the 21 rebel Congress MLAs lodged in the hotel.

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News Network
January 1,2020

Kalaburagi, Jan 1: Fighting penury and partial blindness in one eye, a 39-year-old part-time Kannada lecturer from Kalaburagi district is set to become a commercial tax officer after cracking the Karnataka Administrative Services.

Ambadas Kamble, from Kotana Hipparaga village in Aland taluk, had to take a three-year gap during his school and college years - one-year break after completing Class VII and two years to clear subjects after he failed in II PU examinations. During those three years, he joined his brothers in masonry work to supplement the family's income.

Sweeping aside all hurdles with grit and determination, Ambadas studied Kannada literature for both undergraduate and postgraduate to land the post of a part-time lecturer in a Kalaburagi college. His father died when he was a child, and mother Chandamma supported her family of six - besides, Ambadas, she has two sons and two daughters - by working in houses in the neighbourhood.

Ambadas said he would like to dedicate his success to his mother, who died in the year 2012. "My mother encouraged me to chase my dream - financial difficulties notwithstanding - and allowed me to spend time in the library when my siblings were busy doing menial jobs to fund my education. I'm grateful to my brothers too," he said.

His two brothers are working as masons in Mumbai, having quit studies midway and deciding to support Ambadas - the first in the family to complete graduation. He did high school at Tadkal village in Aland taluk, and college in Kalaburagi.

The lecturer, who's 40% blind in the right eye, cracked the KAS examinations in his third attempt and stood 706th in the state. He has been selected for first-grade officer's post. Alongside, he's doing PhD in Kannada literature.

When his efforts finally paid off, Ambadas landed four job offers: Hostel warden at Morarji Desai hostel, at an SC/ST hostel, post of a lecturer and the tax officer's post. He picked the fourth to serve the state in right earnest.

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