Man found dead in Honnavar amidst communal tension; Bhat, Karandlaje to visit

coastaldigest.com news network
December 8, 2017

Bhatkal, Dec 8: Tension prevailed in Honnavar town on Friday after the body of a 21-year-old man, who went missing after Wednesday's communal clashes, was found floating in a lake.

The city had witnessed several incidents of violence on Wednesday evening when a minor traffic accident led to mobs going on a rampage across the city. 

According to sources, the deceased has been identified as Paresh Mesta, a resident of Honnavar, who was found in the Shetty lake behind Shani temple. Passersby found the body and informed the police.

Police said that initial examination did not reveal if it was a case of murder or suicide. In the meantime, as the news spread, there was a massive deployment of police to ensure that the violence did not flare up. Police have also imposed restrictions on the movement of vehicles in the town.

BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje, who was in Udupi for a party function, said that she would be heading to Honnavar. Sources said that RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat would also visit the town.

Honnavar falls under the Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha constituency represented by union minister Anant Kumar Hegde, who is also a hardcore Hindutva leader known for his provocative remarks against religious minorities.

60 arrested after Wednesday’s clash

A minor accident between an autorickshaw and a motorbike belonging to persons of different communities led to the communal clashes on Wednesday night in Honnavar.

Several people were injured as rampaging mobs attacked each other with sticks, pelted stones on rivals and also houses and commercial establishments in town.

The auto driver allegedly attacked the bike rider after an altercation. Soon after, some youths belonging to a particular community gathered near the bus stand and began targeting shops belonging to the other community. Two shop owners were seriously injured. Several others sustained injuries.

The mob attacked tempos and auto rickshaws parked near the bus stand, and pelted stones on about 15 tempos and damaged them.

After this, a mob belonging to the other community took to the streets and attacked houses and shops. Groups attacked each other with rods, sticks and stones. Police were outnumbered as a majority of the police force had been sent to Karwar on duty, where the chief minister was on official tour on Wednesday night.

Soon, police reinforcements were rushed to the town and about 60 persons were arrested and shifted to Karwar. Locals alleged that police entered their houses at night, beat up women and children and arrested the men.

Hindutva organizations gave a bandh call on Thursday, alleging that only people belonging to their community had been arrested. All shops and business establishments remained closed on Thursday.

Also Read: Hindu youth killed by ‘Muslim goons’; cops tried to cover up: Karandlaje

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News Network
March 15,2024

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Bengaluru, Mar 15: Work from home to using toilets in malls, residents of India's 'Silicon Valley' Bengaluru are exploring all options to combat the unprecedented water crisis. People across various neighbourhoods have been forced to order food from restaurants and take bath on alternate days due to the water scarcity.

Even those in high-rise apartments equipped with water harvesting systems now find themselves reliant on water tankers for basic needs, leading to stringent usage restrictions.

Eateries are mulling over use of disposable cups, glasses and plates to avoid excess use of water.

Educational institutions are also feeling the pinch. Recently, a coaching centre in the city asked its students to attend classes online due to an 'emergency' for a week. Similarly, a school on Bannerghatta Road was also closed, asking students to attend classes online just like they did during the Covid pandemic.

Residents have come with up new methods to try and conserve water. With temperature rising, it is difficult to avoid a daily shower but they are left with no option but to take bath on alternative days, said Sujatha, a resident of KR Puram.

"What to do? Clean vessels, cook food, wash clothes....so, we have started using paper plates, that way we have cut down on our water usage. And we order food twice a week. We are using the washing machine only once in a week now," she said.

Some others have resorted to visiting a mall to take a shower or use the toilet facilities.

Lakshmi V, an IT professional living in Singasandra, has been requesting her firm to allow WFH option so that she and her family can temporarily shift to her native place in Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu until the situation becomes better.

"If the situation persists, we are thinking of seeking a work from home option. We are planning to move to our native place in Tamil Nadu temporarily till rain arrives here," she said.

Bengaluru primarily gets its water supply from two sources - Cauvery river and groundwater. For most non-drinking uses, recycled water processed by sewage treatment plants is used. With no rain for a while now, the primary sources have been stretched to their limits. Bengaluru needs 2,600-2,800 million litres of water daily, and the current supply is half of what's required. The result is a daily struggle for the city's residents.

The brunt is also being borne by people living in the outskirts of Bengaluru, especially in 110 villages that were merged with the city in 2007.

The crisis has also turned into a political battle between the state's ruling Congress government and the opposition BJP with Lok Sabha just weeks away. While the BJP has held several protests blaming the government, the Congress has accused the BJP-ruled federal government of not providing financial assistance to drought-hit Karnataka.

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News Network
March 22,2024

Tejaswi.jpg

Bengaluru, Mar 22: An FIR has been registered against BJP MP Tejasvi Surya over a provocative hate post on social media, Election Commission officials said on Friday.

The move comes after a complaint filed by officials of the poll body and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) that the Bengaluru South MP, who is also the President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, had in a post apparently targeted a minority and spread enmity between two communities.

He also made a similar post on March 19 on X and YouTube which went viral. He has 1.3 million followers on X, thereby influencing the voters and disturbing the communal harmony between the communities, it further alleged.

Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered at Halasuru Gate police station on March 20 under sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 295 A (Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act, the officials said.

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News Network
March 27,2024

Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday launched simultaneous raids in multiple places, including Bengaluru and Shivamogga.

Reports suggested that the ongoing raids are in connection with the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe on March 1. The blast had injured at least ten people as per the police report.

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) had launched an investigation alongside the NIA, and the trail of the suspect led them to Tumakuru first and subsequently to Ballari. Investigators believe that the bomb was planted by Mussavir Hussain Shazib, a handler of the Islamic State’s Shivamogga module who was aided by another IS handler called Ahmed Taahaa.

Sources in the know said that Shazib and Taahaa had stayed in Chennai for about a month between January and February using fake credentials. The names of the suspects were identified after they traced the cap worn by Shazib to a shop in a mall in Chennai. The cap, which was abandoned by the bomber in Bengaluru after the blast, was reportedly bought by Taahaa, around January-end.

As per the NIA, Shazib hails from Masjid Road in Thirthahalli, Shivamogga district, and Taahaa from Fish Market Road, Soppu Gude, Thirthahalli Rural. Both "wanted" suspects have been termed "absconders" by the NIA.

The NIA has questioned seven jailed terror suspects so far in connection with the blast. The investigation agency had also obtained seven-day custody of a jailed terror suspect named Maaz Muneer Ahmed.

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