Actor Tunisha Sharma, 20, found dead on TV serial set

Mangaluru, Mar 14: A teenage girl student of a pre university college at Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district reportedly died of high fever, suspected to be dengue. 

The deceased has been identified as Misriya (17), the second daughter of Mayyaddi and Ramlath couple from Jyotinagar area in Moodbidri. She was a science stream student of first PUC at a private college. 

She was suffering from high fever since some days and died on Sunday late night. It is learnt that the girl was suffering from high fever for past few days. According to sources, she breathed her last as her white blood cells dropped drastically. 

It is suspected that this is a case of dengue. However, only the test report will confirm the exact cause of the death.  

Mayyaddi, who works in a gulf country, had come down to native place after knowing that his daughter was suffering from fever.

Taluk health officer Dr Sujay Bhandary said, “If dengue and malaria cases are admitted to government hospitals, we get immediate information. However, from private hospitals, only when the report is sent to Malaria centre we come to know of the case and take suitable survey. Misriya’s death case is yet to be reported to the Malaria centre.

“So far this year, no death is reported in Moodbidri taluk due to dengue. If this is confirmed, then it will be the first case. We will investigate the case and take suitable action immediately,” he said.

Belagavi, Mar 20: KPCC president DK Shivakumar said he appealed to Nirmalananda Swamiji of Adichunchanagiri Mahasamsthana Mutt to take lead against BJP’s communal agenda of creating disturbance in the society, through imaginary characters Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda, claiming that both have killed Tipu Sultan.

He said Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji along with seers from other communities and Kannada organisations in Karnataka should undertake a movement against "acts of tampering" with history and giving a wrong message to the society. 

Shivakumar alleged BJP leaders are trying to hurt sentiments of the people by tampering with the history in a false way and said it is condemnable.

"There was a history and gazetteer about the life and death of Tipu Sultan while BJP National General Secretary C T Ravi, Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan and Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje were attempting to present wrong imaginative history," he said.

Shivakumar said that Tipu Sultan was killed 200 years ago, but now BJP wants to give a new twist to the history by stating that Urigowda and Nanjegowda killed him. "We too have read the history of Tipu Sultan and no such persons existed. It's the imagination of BJP leaders and now they want to make a film on their story."

Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji should oppose such acts and stage a movement against them by taking seers of different communities and Kannada organisations with him.

"The acts of BJP leaders were to tamper with history and anti-Hindu. Wrong history was propagated by BJP's 'WhatsApp university'. The seer should not talk with the producer or director of the film or enter into any compromise. I have held talks with the seer over the phone and have been making an appeal through media,'' he stated.

Shivakumar said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai panicked after Congress commenced the announcement of its guarantees to the people if voted to power. 

"Bommai has been announcing schemes now which should have been implemented earlier. Now, elections could be announced anytime and he has been announcing programmes for women and youth after Congress announced them. Instead, they should have been made part of the BJPs election manifesto. BJP has been following the line of thinking of Congress," he said.

"Congress has been fixing the narrative for the Assembly election while the BJP's narrative was corruption. BJP has given the most corrupt government in the country and does not have any concern for youth and women," he added.

"Corruption in employment has led to youth being deprived of opportunities. There was the involvement of a minister and officials in corruption and MLAs acted as a conduit. BJP had been demanding evidence of corruption and Lokyukta has given it," he further said.

New Delhi, Mar 19: Adani Group has suspended work on a Rs 34,900 crore petrochemical project at Mundra in Gujarat as it focuses on resources to consolidate operations and address investor concerns following a damning report by a US-based short seller, sources said.

The group's flagship Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) had in 2021 incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary, Mundra Petrochem Ltd for setting up a greenfield coal-to-PVC plant at Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) land in Kutch district of Gujarat.

But after Hindenburg Research's January 24 report alleging accounting fraud, stock manipulations and other corporate governance lapses chopped off about $140 billion from the market value of Gautam Adani's empire, the apples-to-airport group is hoping to claw back and calm jittery investors and lenders through a comeback strategy.

The comeback strategy is based on addressing investor concerns around debt by repaying some loans, consolidating operations, and fighting off allegations.

The group has denied all allegations levelled by Hindenburg. As part of this, projects are being re-evaluated based on cashflow and finance available.

And of the projects the group has decided not to pursue for the time being is the 1 million tonne per annum Green PVC project, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.

The group has shot off mails to vendors and suppliers to "suspend all activities" on immediate basis.

In the mails, seen by PTI, the group has asked them to "suspend all activities of the scope of work and performance of all obligations" for Mundra Petrochem Ltd's Green PVC project "till further notice."

This is the following "unforeseen scenario". The management, it said, was "re-evaluating various project/s being implemented at group level in different  business verticals. Based on future cashflow and finance, some of the project/s are being re-evaluated for its continuation and revision in timeline."

Reached for comments, a group spokesperson said AEL will be evaluating the status of growth projects in primary industry vertical over the coming months.

"The balance sheet of each of our independent portfolio companies is very strong. We have industry-leading project development and execution capabilities, strong corporate governance, secure assets, strong cashflows, and our business plan is fully funded. We remain focused on executing our previously outlined strategy to create value for our stakeholders," the spokesperson said.

"AEL will be evaluating the status of growth projects in the primary industry vertical over the coming months".

The unit was to have a poly-vinyl-chloride (PVC) production capacity of 2,000 KTPA (kilo tonne per annum) requiring 3.1 million tonne per annum (MTPA) of coal that was to be imported from Australia, Russia and other countries.

PVC is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic polymer of plastic. It finds wide applications - from flooring, to making sewage pipes and other pipe applications, in insulation on electrical wires, packaging and manufacture of aprons etc.

Adani Group had planned the project as PVC demand in India at around 3.5 MTPA was growing at the rate of 7 per cent year-on-year. With near stagnant domestic production of PVC at 1.4 million tonne, India is dependent on imports to keep pace with the demand.

The Hindenburg report had alleged "brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud" and use of offshore shell companies to inflate stock prices. The group has denied all Hindenburg allegations, calling them "malicious", "baseless" and a "calculated attack on India".

As part of the comeback strategy, the group has cancelled a Rs 7,000 crore coal plant purchase as well as shelved plans to bid for stake in power trader PTC to conserve expenses. It has repaid some debt and pre-paid some of the finances raised by pledging promoter stake in group companies.