QBengaluru: Manual Scavenging Claims 3 Lives & More
Here’s a roundup of all the top news in and around Bengaluru.
Three Men Die While Cleaning Manhole in Posh Bengaluru Colony
In a gross violation of human rights, three Bengaluru men who were engaged to manually clean a manhole by apartment dwellers in a posh south Bengaluru locality, died on the job.
Manual scavenging is banned across India, but that hasn’t stopped people in various places from making humans enter manholes and sewers.
Narayana Swamy (35), Mahadeva Gowda (42) and Srinivas (52), died after they had gone down a manhole inside the premises of ND Sepal Apartments in Somasundara Palya in HSR Layout.
(Source: The Quint)
Man Killed in Retaliation for Deepak Rao’s Death Gets Burial
Abdul Basheer, the 48-year-old man who was murdered in retaliation to the killing of Hindu activist Deepak Rao, was laid to rest to as per Islamic rituals at Mohiuddin Juma Masjid premises, Kuloor-Panjimogaru, near Bengaluru, on Sunday.
Basheer was attacked by four persons on the night of 3 January, hours after Deepak died in Katipalla following an attack allegedly by members of a minority community.
Basheer, who was returning home after a day's work at the fast-food outlet which he ran, was left for dead. He was found by an ambulance driver 15 minutes later and was shifted to a private hospital. Doctors had performed multiple surgeries on him to save his life. He succumbed to his injuries on Sunday morning.
(Source: The Times of India)
Actor Booked for Sexual Abuse
Kannada actor Vishwanath (Taranga Vishwa) is among four people booked by the police in connection with the alleged sexual harassment of a female techie in South Bengaluru.
The 40-year-old woman had filed a complaint with the police commissioner's office on 20 December 2017. The FIR has been registered against Viswanath, Papanna, Puttaswamy and his son-in-law Nagesh. Police have invoked IPC section 354 against them.
According to the woman, Vishwanath and Papanna were her neighbours in an apartment complex near Uttarahalli. She told the police the suspects started stalking her and heading into her personal matters after learning that she was living alone.
(Source: Deccan Herald)
BBMP Plans A Wearable Band To Keep Bengaluru’s Women Safe
In a technology-backed move aimed at improving safety for women in the city, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has proposed an integrated project called ‘Suraksha Mitra’ and sought Nirbhaya Fund from the Centre to implement it.
The project involves, among other things, a wearable, motion-sensitive band capable of sending SOS when the wearer is under attack. More importantly, the Palike wants to integrate the application with the police control room in a way that when an alarm is raised, not only are ‘guardians’ alerted, but voice clips and snapshots recorded from the device are sent to the police’s monitoring cell for immediate action.
(Source: Bangalore Mirror)
Lingayat Issue: Expert Panel Seeks Six Months’ Time
The issue of a separate religion tag for the Lingayat community is not likely to reach a conclusion before the Karnataka Assembly elections, with the seven-member expert committee set up by the State government to study the issue having sought six months to submit its report. The committee has also made it clear that it will not submit an interim report.
The committee that met for the first time on Saturday unanimously resolved to seek six months time though the State government had asked it to submit its report within a month. If it was done in a month, the government would have been able to make a recommendation to the Centre, based on it.
“Given the seriousness and importance of the subject, one month is not enough. We have a great responsibility and we want to fulfil it in a scientific manner taking into consideration even the legal aspects. Hence, the committee has decided to seek six months time to submit the report,” said H.N. Nagamohan Das, former Karnataka High Court judge, who heads the committee.
(Source: The Hindu)
Indira Canteen Cashier Files Sexual Harassment Plaint
A sexual harassment complaint was filed with Bandepalya police on Friday against Satish Kumar, a senior official supervising the Indira Canteens.
A cashier at the canteen alleged that Satish was pestering her for sexual favours and issuing threats that he would sack her and appoint someone else if she didn't co-operate with him. Police registered an FIR under Sections 354 A ,504 and 506 of the IPC against Satish, said to be an ex-serviceman who retired about two years ago.
After the complaint was registered, his mobile has been switched off and he is absconding, police said.
The complainant alleged that Satish would torment her not only at the workplace but would also make mobile calls at night and threaten her of dire consequences if she didn't give in to his demands.
(Source: The Times of India)
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