1. K'Taka May Have to Choose a Tri-Colour Flag
The state government may not be able to make the popular yellow-and-red flag, which is synonymous with the Kannada identity, as the state's official symbol, and in all likelihood, Karnataka will have a tricolour one.
Reason: A registered political party, Kannada Paksha, has claimed rights over the flag and threatened to sue the government if it makes the yellow-and-red flag official. Kannada Paksha's opposition came on 21 July, two days after TOI first reported that the state has formed a committee to look into giving legal sanctity for a separate state flag.
P Purushotham, the state president of the party, wrote to the government pointing out that the party's official flag cannot become the state's official flag. "If the state does not drop its efforts to make it the state's official flag, we'll fight a legal battle through a petition in the high court," his letter, a copy of which is with Times of India, reads.
(Source: Times of India)
2. Nine-Months-Old Bear Cub Rescued From Snare on City Outskirts
Wildlife volunteers and forest department officials have rescued a nine-month-old sloth bear cub which was trapped in a snare on the city outskirts.
The cub stuck with the metal snare around its waist was found on top of a tree at Gangadharana Gudde, off Kanakapura Road. After meticulous medical treatment and examination, the cub was released back into its natural habitat.
On Saturday afternoon, members of Wildlife SOS, a non-profit group at the Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Center, received an emergency call from Range Forest Officer Dinesh Gowda about the female bear cub in danger. The unsuspecting bear had wandered into a large millet field when it got stuck in the snare while climbing a tree.
(Source: Times of India)
3. Energy Minister DK Shivakumar and Family Appear Before I-T Officials
Energy Minister DK Shivakumar and his immediate family members appeared before the income tax department officials to record their statements in connection with the searches on his premises carried out in August.
Post the searches, taxmen had estimated around Rs 100 crore as undeclared income in the form of cash, jewellery, investments and properties owned by Shivakumar’s family.
Subsequently, Shivakumar was called a few times for questioning by the sleuths. On the rainy Monday noon, the minister, his mother Gowramma, wife Usha and daughter Aishwarya walked into the department’s headquarters on Infantry Road to record individual statements. According to official sources, “The assessee who has been searched, can be called for questioning any number of times as and when required, during the course of the case.”
(Source: Bangalore Mirror)
4. Police Now Seek Exclusive Dog Squad to Sniff out Narcotic Drugs
Following increasing cases of drug-trafficking in the city, the narcotic drugs squad has decided to use an exclusive canine squad to sniff out contraband. ADGP (KSRP) Bhaskar Rao said a proposal had been sent to the government to set up the canine squad. It was also decided to adopt 35 German Shepherd pups for forming a young canine squad.
Assistant commissioner of police from Central Crime Branch BS Mohan Kumar, who heads the narcotics squad, said the police now depend only on informers and peddlers to dig out drug-trafficking cases in the city. He added that use of dogs in the operation can help identify banned substances. "If there is a dedicated canine squad, we can raid drug peddlers' houses," he said.
According to narcotics squad officials, earlier, drug peddlers used to function in the areas like MG Road, Indiranagar and Koramangala but they have now moved their operations to city's outskirts like KR Puram, Banaswadi, Kammanahalli, TC Palya and Hebbal.
(Source: Deccan Herald)
5. Assaulted in Front of Kids by Stalker, Woman Kills Self
A 26-year-old woman committed suicide by hanging at her home in HAL, after her colleague came to her house and allegedly attacked and molested her in front of her children.
The accused, S Mahantesh, employed as a pantry boy in the same firm as the woman, is said to have been harassing her for months now.
Last Monday, he and his associate are said to have gone to the victim’s house in the absence of her husband and assaulted her for not listening to him. The woman’s two minor children are also said to have witnessed their mother being beaten and molested by the accused. After this incident, the woman committed suicide. The HAL police have arrested the accused and are on the lookout for his associate.
The victim has been identified as Sumithra, a resident of Nellurupuram near HAL Airport. Mahantesh, 23, a resident of KR Puram and originally from Davanagere, is said to have been harassing the victim for sexual favours.
(Source: Bangalore Mirror)
6. Maker of Mavallipura Landfill Figures in 43-Year-Old 'Lake Grab'
The Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA) has directed the authorities to initiate action against SB Hanumantharayappa, a class-1 contractor, for allegedly encroaching on 5.13 acres of Nanjundapura Lake near Yelahanka, four decades after his family first laid claim to the water body, documents show.
The lake is located in survey number 64/1 of Jarakabande Kaval village, Yelahanka hobli in Bengaluru North taluk. The KLCDA authorities, after an inspection, found that Hanumantharayappa had dug a borewell to pump the lake water out.
On 25 October, KLCDA chief executive officer Seema Garg directed the Vadderahalli panchayat to "fence the lake, clear the encroachment and take action". The lake is not far from the Mavallipura landfill, where Hanumantharayappa allowed the BBMP to dump the city's waste on a piece of land he claimed he owned.
(Source: Deccan Herald)
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