New Dakshina Kannada SP warns of tough action against social media rumour-mongers

Mangaluru, Mar 8: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has confirmed arrest of five Hawala operatives in Phulwarisharif Popular Front of India (PFI) case from coastal belt of Karnataka and Kerala.

With these arrests from Kasargod in Kerala and Dakshin Kannada in Karnataka, the NIA said, a PFI funding-by-hawala module operating out of Bihar and Karnataka with roots in the United Arab Emirates has been busted.

The arrested are: Mahammad Sinan from Panemangalore, Sarfraz Nawaz from Sajipamuda, Iqbal from Panemangalore, Abdul Rafeek M from Puttur in Dakshina Kannada and Abid KM from Kunjuthur from Kasaragod of Kerala.

The arrested persons have been found to be actively involved in PFI's alleged conspiracy to move and channelise funds procured from outside India for distribution among PFI leaders and cadres, claimed the NIA.

Earlier in this case, seven accused persons have already been arrested when they had gathered in Phulwarisharif area of Patna in July last year for training and to carry out acts of terror and violence.

NIA teams have been carrying out extensive searches in Kasargod and Dakshin Kannada since Sunday, March 5, said the anti-terror agency, adding "searches were conducted at eight locations leading to the seizure of multiple digital devices and incriminating documents containing details of transactions running into several crore rupees."

While tracing and tracking the funds being moved by the PFI across the country, especially the states of Kerala, Karnataka and Bihar, the NIA said, its investigations into the Phulwarisharif PFI case of Bihar have led to the un-earthing of a large network of hawala operatives in South India and their arrest from Karnataka.

PFI cadres in Phulwarisharif and Motihari in Bihar had vowed to continue PFI activities in a clandestine manner in Bihar and had also arranged a firearm and ammunition recently to eliminate a youth of a particular community in Bihar's East Champaran district. Three operatives of the module had been arrested on February 5 this year.

Pursuing the investigational leads since July 2022, the NIA team found that despite the ban on PFI imposed on September 27 laat year, the PFI and its leaders and cadres continued to propagate the ideology of violent extremism and were also arranging arms and ammunition to commit crimes.

'Following the money', the NIA investigators reached Md Sarfraz Nawaz and Md Mahammad Sinan, who had been found making deposits in the bank accounts of accused and suspects in the PFI case, said the NIA.

"Dogged pursuit of the money trail and connecting the dots, NIA managed to unravel the international conspiracy and linkages to the funds while investigating Iqbal and other associates who had collected illegally generated funds from Dubai and Abu Dhabi and handed them over to Mahammad Sinan, Sarfraz Nawaz, Abdul Rafeek M and Abid K. M. in India."

Investigations have shown that Mohammad Sarfaraz, Md Sinan and Md Rafeek deposited this money in different bank accounts of accused and the suspects.

"Further investigations are on to track, trace and choke international as well domestic illicit funding channels of the banned PFI," added the NIA.

Mangaluru, Mar 12: 'We the People', a new civil society organisation, was launched at a function organised at Fr. L.F. Rasquinha Hall of St. Aloysius College in the city recently. The organization aims to deepen democracy and improve the living standards of citizens in the Dakshina Kannada.

During the launch, experts highlighted the importance of citizens' participation in the effective functioning of a democratic system. They urged citizens to bring any observed deficiencies to the attention of the authorities and emphasized the critical role civil society organisations play in this process.

The function was presided over by Padmanabha Ullal, a senior social worker, and retired officer, who also launched the organization's website, www.we-the-ppl.org. In his address to the gathering, Ullal emphasized the need for citizens to take responsibility for identifying and reporting problems and grievances. He stated that only through people's participation can the system work more dynamically.

The chief guest, Katyayani Chamaraj of Civic Bangalore, expressed concern that the government has the wrong policies for solving the problems of the municipalities. She urged civil society organisations to inform local government bodies of people's demands.

"The Ward Committees are not allowed to function properly, and Area Sabhas have not been constituted yet. Unlike rural areas, a social audit is not done in urban areas. Civil society organisations should constantly make local government bodies aware of the people's demands. Advocacy should be done for people's work; if unavoidable, issues can also be challenged in court," she said.

Prof. D. Jeevan Kumar, Hon. Professor of Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University, Gadag, quoted comparative studies and gave suggestions for developing the democratic system in India. Melanie Kumar, a freelance journalist, spoke about the dangers of social media.

President of 'We the People,' Prathapchandra Kedilaya, explained the organisation's aims and objectives. He also announced that the Association would be convening a brainstorming meeting with social activists from across the Dakshina Kannada district within the next ten days. The purpose of this meeting would be to address the various social issues affecting the region.

The Vice President, Mariete Fernandes, welcomed the gathering. Secretary Oswald Periera gave a vote of thanks. Treasurer Suresh Nayak and Executive Members Bhaskar Kiran, Dilip Vas Naik, Gladys Monteiro, and Steevan Dsouza participated in the inaugural.

Bengaluru, Mar 10: The Karnataka High Court has quashed the circular issued by the state government changing the method of assessment for class 5 and 8 students for the academic year 2022-23.

Justice Pradeep Singh Yerur said that the circular issued in this regard is not in consonance with section 38 (4) of the RTE Act which states that every rule or notification shall be placed before the state legislature as soon as possible.

The court also said that the order does not stop the state government from implementing the new method of assessment in accordance with the provisions under RTE Act. 

The petitioners had challenged the decision to conduct state level ‘board exams’ instead of school-level assessment. The petitions filed by the Organization for Unaided Recognized Schools, Registered Unaided Private Schools' Management Association and others had challenged the December 12, 2022 circular issued by the state government.

The petitioners claimed that the decision to change the assessment has come at a time when the students were preparing for their final examinations. They claimed the introduction of board exams would adversely affect the interest of both the students as well as the teachers.