Bengaluru: Hair-raising fight between female banker and thief

[email protected] (Bangalore Mirror)
October 7, 2016

Bengaluru, Oct 7: A 27-year-old woman pickpocket was nabbed within 25 minutes after she stole the purse of a bank's assistant general manager in a BMTC bus and was trying to withdraw money from a ATM kiosk on Thursday morning. The victim's husband received an SMS on his mobile about the huge withdrawal of Rs 90,000 and alerted her. The victim got down from the bus and being a bank official, she called the bank to find out the place from where the money was withdrawn. The ATM kiosk was just 500 meters away. The victim, with the help of security guards and a few roadside vegetable vendors, nabbed the accused and handed her to the police.

fight
The victim, a resident of Rajajinagar, had boarded the BMTC bus near Bashyam Circle to go to her bank on Magadi Road. The victim works in State Bank of India. Around 10.20 am, when she was travelling in the bus, the accused, 27-year-old Abhi alias Prafulla, a resident of Banashankari, managed to steal her purse from her handbag. The accused immediately got down from the bus and walked to an ATM kiosk of State Bank of Hyderabad on Malle Gowda Street. The ATM kisok is 10 minutes walk from Bashyam Circle.

"There were two ATM cards in the purse and the victim, despite being a bank official and knowing the dangers of leaving the ATM PIN near the cards, had still written the PIN in a slip and kept it in the same purse. The accused, using the PINs, had withdrawn around Rs 90,000. The victim had given her husband's mobile phone number for the SMS alert facility. After every withdrawal, the husband kept receiving the alerts. He called his wife who was still in the bus to enquire about the withdrawals. The victim looked at her bag and found that her purse was stolen," said an officer part of the investigations.

Being a bank official, the victim checked with the bank to find out the ATM kiosk from where the money was withdrawn. She immediately got down the bus and rushed to the kiosk and found the accused still inside trying to withdraw more. The ATM cards had a minimum withdrawal limits of Rs 50,000 each. The accused, after using one card, was withdrawing money from the other card. The security guard of the kiosk also suspected foul play due to repeated withdrawals.

"The victim immediately sought the help of the security guard and a few vegetable vendors in the vicinity. The public surrounded the accused and the victim also saw her purse with the accused. The victim called the police control room and the jurisdictional Rajajinagar police were sent to the spot and brought the accused to the police station. The victim was advised not to keep the PIN with the ATM cards," the officer added.

The accused claims she is from Hosur in Tamil Nadu. But according to her voter ID card, she is a resident of Banashankari. The accused seems to be a habitual offender, which is being verified. The entire money was recovered intact and will be returned to the victim after completing the formalities, Rajajinagar police said. Further investigations are on.

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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Puttur: The long-cherished dream of a government medical college in Puttur has moved a decisive step closer to reality, with the Karnataka State Finance Department granting its official approval for the construction of a new 300-bed hospital.

Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai announced the crucial development to reporters on Monday, confirming that the official communication from the finance department was issued on November 27. This 300-bed facility is intended to be the cornerstone for the establishment of the government medical college, a project announced in the state budget.

Fast-Track Implementation

The MLA outlined an aggressive timeline for the project:

•    A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the hospital is expected to be ready within 45 days.

•    The tender process for the construction will be completed within two months.

Following the completion of the tender process, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the project.

"Setting up a medical college in Puttur is a historical decision by the Congress government in Karnataka," Rai stated. The project has an estimated budget allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the medical college.

Focus on Medical Education Department

The MLA highlighted a key strategic move: requesting the government to implement the hospital construction through the Medical Education Department instead of the Health and Family Welfare Department. This is intended to streamline the entire process of establishing the full medical college, ensuring the facilities—including labs, operation theatres, and other necessary infrastructure—adhere to the strict guidelines set by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The proposed site for the project is in Bannur.

Rai also took the opportunity to address political criticism, stating that the government has fulfilled its promise despite "apprehensions" and "mocking and criticising" from opposition parties who had failed to take similar initiatives when they were in power. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept his word," he added.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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