Mining baron Janardhana Reddy gives cops the slip in Hyderabad

TNN
November 9, 2018

Bengaluru/Ballari, Nov 9: A day after the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch police said they were investigating former minister G Janardhana Reddy's possible role in "bailing out" Syed Ahmed Fareed in an Enforcement Directorate (ED) case involving a Rs 600-crore Ponzi scheme, three special teams on Thursday landed in Hyderabad in search of the elusive mining baron.

By evening one team got a tip that Reddy was at a close friend's apartment near Banjara Hills but, by the time police reached there, he had vanished, investigators said.

One more police team will leave for Telangana soon, a senior CCB officer told TOI, adding that Reddy had been evading police from Tuesday.

"Reddy is most likely in Hyderabad," he said. "All the three mobile numbers he uses are switched off. Before switching off his phones, Reddy had made several calls to Hyderabad and other places on the Karnataka border."

Additional commissioner of police (crime) Alok Kumar said investigators, who have asked police of other states for help to nab Reddy, had questioned Ambidant Marketing Pvt Ltd founder-director Syed Ahmed Fareed again on Thursday.

Investigators believe Reddy took 57kg of gold from Fareed, promising to pay unscrupulous Enforcement Directorate officers to let him off the hook in the investment scam.

"We have some big names involved in the case," Alok Kumar said. "We are following the trail of the money and it has changed many hands."

CCB sleuths on Thursday also raided the residence of Reddy's aide Mehfuz Ali Khan in RT Nagar, Bengaluru. Also, CCB personnel continued their searches at the Reddy's flat in Parijata Apartments near Chalukya Circle. Policemen carried documents out of the apartment as the searches continued till late in the evening.

In Ballari, armed with a search warrant, an eight-member CCB team led by ACP Manjunath Chowdary swooped down on Reddy's house and offices at 8am. Reddy's wife Aruna Lakshmi was present during the search and affixed her signature on the panchanama (witness record) copy.

Her father Parameshwara Reddy told reporters later that he cooperated with the investigators. The searches evidently upset her mother Nagalakshmamma, and Reddy's friend and BJP leader B Sreeramulu soon arrived in an SUV to placate her. CCB police summoned women personnel, who explained to Nagalakshmamma the legality of the operation, after which she too cooperated with the officers.

Officers recorded the operation on their cellphones as they scoured the kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms, knocked on walls and opened all lockers in the presence of Sreeramulu and fellow party leader K Ramachandra Reddy.

Around 3.15pm, they left for Reddy's Obulapuram Mining Corporation office, 500m from Reddy's house. Searches at the office concluded around 6pm.

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News Network
March 28,2024

An Indian expatriate, hailing from Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, who was detained in Jeddah jail in an alleged cyber case, was set free recently. He is allowed to continue his work in the same company. 

The 49-year-old Mangalurean, has been working for a Maintenance company in Jeddah for more than 13 years. He is known for his efficiency and sincerity in the company with good experience in his field of work. 

His company usually assigned him on duty in Jeddah sea port to take the delivery of the goods consigned to his company. As a part of his duty, he normally takes pictures of the goods before the transportation. He did the same in February 2023 too. 

The security personnel informed the police about his act that amounts to be a violation of the port security rule. He was unaware of the rule as he was doing it normally in the port during the release of the goods. Since then, he was detained by the police on the charge of photographing inside the port premises. After more than 6 months detention, he was released and allowed to work in the same company. 

The detainee’s brother based in Jeddah was constantly pursuing the case.

P A Hameed Padubidri, a pro-bono NRI lawyer and social worker based in Riyadh, extended his socio-humanitarian help in this case upon the request of his family and relatives. 

He actively involved trying to set him free from the jail on humanitarian grounds with the coordination and help of the Consulate General of India (CGI) Jeddah. The CGI keenly followed up the case with the concerned Saudi authorities. He was released from the jail recently and shared his happiness with his family and thanked good samaritans. 

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News Network
March 28,2024

fire.jpg

Mangaluru, Mar 28: A fish meal factory in the Baikampady Industrial area in Mangaluru was gutted in a fire incident on Thursday, officials said.

The factory is owned by the company 'Shihar Enterprises', they said.

According to the locals, the fire was first noticed at 4.45 am today, which was immediately reported to the fire department.

The fire engines reached the spot and tried to douse the fire, but it had already spread to other parts of the factory. After almost four hours of fire-fighting operation, the blaze was completely doused, officials.

The reason for the blaze is still being probed, the fire department officials said, adding that they suspect an electric short circuit could have triggered it.

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News Network
March 15,2024

water.jpg

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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