The Daily Observer, Vol 13, issue 4

Observer The Daily

VOL 13 ISSUE 4

ursday, December 5 , 2013

Man-eater tiger nabbed after killing four villagers

Gangster bludgeoned to death by rivals in the middle of the road

Page: 4

Page: 5

One of the city’s most notorious rowdy gangs rounded up

Page: 7

Sweatshop raid rescues 31 children EXCLUSIVE

Bhaskar Dutta

Children, some of them held captive for a year, rescued from two sweatshops in a cross-agency raid that led to the arrest of one alleged gangmaster

cramped space, for at least a year.

Dozens of children were rescued

BachpanBachaoAndolan (BBA) a

today from a life of bonded labor

child rights NGO, the state police

aer a daytime raid on two illegal

Anti-Human Trafficking Unit and

sweatshops.

the Labor Department all coordi-

State police raided two factories

nated their efforts to gather intelli-

and found 31 children crammed

gence and carry out the operation.

into tiny rooms making bags and calendars for market.

e children, most of whom were trafficked from their home states,

None of the children had ever been

were rescued from two factories in

paid and some had been held there,

Cottonpet by five teams comprising

working and sleeping in the same

police personnel, Labor Department

ree agencies teamed up to coordinate a raid on a bonded labour sweatshop where they believed over 30 youngsters were held against their will making bags and calendars for market.

Daily Observer reporter Bhaskar Dutta joined today’s operation, which was the culmination of months of intelligence gathering against gangmasters forcing children to work for no pay.

officials and members of the BBA.

work in each of these tiny rooms.

e children, mostly between the

e Child Labor (Prohibition and

ages of twelve to sixteen, were em-

Regulation) Act of 1986 declares the

ployed as bag and calendar makers.

employment of children below the

eir work included cutting, stitch-

age of 14 to be illegal.

ing and assembling cloth bags.

It also outlines specific condition

e makeshi factories operated

under which persons below the age

from small rooms near the Jolly

of eighteen may be employed. Ac-

Mahal area of Cottonpet. One of the

cording to these conditions children

rooms where the sewing machines

should not be employed in condi-

were kept was also used as a kitchen.

tions which do not fulfill fire safety

At least nine children were set to

standards

e Daily Observer

ursday, December 5, 2013

2

Security guard run down by BMTC bus Aurosmita Acharya & Mayuri J Ravi A security guard died aer a BMTC bus ran over him on Tuesday evening in a city ward.

S. J. Nagaraju, a resident of K.R. Pete Taluk, Mandya was trying to cross the road when he was run

e BMTC bus that ran over and killed S.J. Nagaraju

over by the bus.e incident took place in front of Beggar’s Colony Gate, Sumanhalli cross in Magadi Road. e accident occurred at 5:30 in the evening following which he was admitted at the Victoria Hospital at 9:27 pm. Dr. Shrikanth declared him dead the next day at 2:30am. e bus was heading from Kottigepalya towards Sumanahalli Cross when it hit Nagaraju. He fell on the road with the front-le wheel of the bus running over his legs fracturing the bone of his le leg completely. is led to multiple fractures and excessive bleeding. He succumbed to his injuries aer nine hours at the Victoria Hospital Emergency Ward. e bus has been identified as 401 M- KA 57 F 582 of the Ken-

S.J. Nagaraju, the security guard who was killed by a BMTC bus geri Depot, driven by Dayananda to Victoria Hospital with the help Ishwarappa Gowda. It has been of the bystanders and the driver. detained at the Kamakshipalya e post mortem report states, Police Station.

Nagaraju was brought to the hosAccording to the police, Na- pital with severe head and leg ingaraju was taken in an ambulance juries.

e forensic report stated that the victim died of “shock and hemorrhage.”

H. Chandrasekhar, Assistant Sub-Inspector (Traffic), Kamakshipalya Police Station added that the case was filed on the same day as the accident and the driver charged under Section 279 and 337 of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Aer the death of the victim the police filed a case under Section 279 and 304 A of IPC that is of rash and negligent driving.

Gangadhar, Nagaraju’s brother said, “e police have taken up the case, they have asked me to come to the police station on Saturday, aer which I will know the details of the case.”

H. Chandrashekar said, “We arrested the driver but he got out on bail yesterday. We have seized his driving license.”

‘Unity’ is more important than money: S. Patel Ishan Bhattacharya, Neha Singh & Nibedita Mohanta

money. “We are not funding the

to reveal the names of companies

statue ourselves, it is being funded

from where the funds are coming

Terming the cost of constructing

by different companies,” said

from saying that “it is not possible

the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Sourabhbhai Patel

to get information like that over the

statue as ‘unimportant’, the en-

Prakash, the PRO of Karnataka

ergy minister of Gujarat said the

BJP said, “e cost of the project is

idol stands for “India’s unity”.

more than Rs 2600 crores.”

phone.” e minister defended spending crores on a statue by saying that

Sourabhbhai Patel, Energy Minis-

He refused to reveal the name of

money does not matter but value

ter of Gujarat, refused to disclose

the companies who are funding the

and culture does and that unity is

the total expenditure on the statue,

project.

more important than money.

named Statue of Unity, saying that

Sanjay Joshi, a manager of the

Sourabhbhai patel said, "We have

value is more important than

Statue of Unity project, also refused

hired the best builders to build the world class statue of Sardar Vallab-

All the delegates at the press conference on ‘Statue of Unity’

hbhai Patel." e statue is planned to be built at Sadhu Bet near Sardar Sarovar

e energy minister of Gujarat, Sourabhbhai Patel speaking to the press

land.”

construction is not as important as

Dam of Narmada River. Construc-

He said:" ere will be events and

people's participation in the proj-

tion of Narmada Dam had trig-

competitions on Sardar patel's

ect. ere are many people who are

gered

to

139th birth anniversary, December

willing to donate for the purpose."

displacement of hundreds of local

15th 2013, in which more than 1.5

e iron which will be used for

inhabitants of the area, but the en-

lakh people will participate. ere

making of the statue will come

ergy minister guaranteed that this

will be more than 1000 marathons

from used agricultural tools pro-

project has caused no rehabilitation

on one particular day in India

vided by farmers as tokens all

as the land has gone through all the

which will be a new Guinness

across India. e minister said that

clearance procedure. Patel said, "No

World Record and the whole coun-

more than 700 tons of iron will be

forceful acquisition of land has hap-

try will participate.”

required for the construction of the

protests

owing

pened in t he process of acquiring

He added, "Today cost for the

statue.

e Daily Observer

3

ursday, December 5, 2013

French rape accused must wait for Session Court ruling “

Nobody from the media talks to me any-

more. It’s just his version which is out.”

-Suja Jones, Pascal’s wife. happening to her but she repeatedly

more. With no source of income,

complained that her father physi-

how is he affording such expensive

cally hurt her. e medical reports

lawyers?”

prove that she was sexually abused

A spokesperson for the French

but fail to link it with Mr.Mazurier

Embassy said, “Mazurier has been

owing to the lapse in time between

suspended indefinitely and whether

the act and the complaint.”

he will be employed with the French government again depends

Doctors and counselors at Enfold

on the verdict of this case. He is also

India had helped in ascertaining

not allowed to leave India until the

that the girl was raped aer which

verdict is out.”

the case was filed by Jones.

Anannya Sarkar & Shweta Nair

“Nobody from the media talks to

Jagirdar,

pay anything for the maintenance

tive for Shared Parenting said, “Pas-

of his wife and three children.

cal Mazurier is innocent as the

he said, “If he is so

order but because of the change in

Kumar

Founder, Children’s Rights Initia-

Commenting on this,

Pascal Mazurier being taken to the court in 2012. Photo Courtesy: KPN News

However,

She added that Mazurier does not

concerned

DNA reports are not conclusive.

He is seeking for a complete

about

dismissal of the case and he

the handwriting she postponed the

me anymore. It’s just his version

his children, as he

wants the actual culprit to

e French embassy clerk accused

hearing to Monday as Saturday and

which is out.”

has claimed to the

be caught.”

of raping his daughter has been

Sunday is off.”

Mazurier, who is not eligible for

media, then why

told he must wait for a ruling on

I am mad and p****d but I am not

diplomatic immunity, was arrested

doesn’t he pay for

his plea to have all charges

going to jump off a building. I have

on June 19, 2012, on the basis of his

the maintenance of

dropped.

to be patient, there is no other

wife’s complaint to the police that

his children?

choice.”

he had raped his four-year-old

Pascal Mazurier was at Sessions

“We have information

Mazurier will be let off. He will be tried because all the evi-

His estranged wife Suja Jones is

there was not enough evidence

also anxiously awaiting an out-

He was granted bail on October

against him to convict him of rap-

come. Speaking exclusively to the

17, 2012 by the Karnataka High

govern-

ing his four-year-old daughter.

Observer, she said: “It’s ridiculous

Court.

ment

But lost paperwork delayed the proceedings and the hearing was again re-scheduled for Monday.

that he's seeking a discharge. It doesn't make sense.”

Aer

initially

denying

the

charges, he later filed a case with

She added: “My daughter is much

the police seeking justice for his

An angry Mazurier said: “e

better now, we're moving on. It’s

daughter when medical records es-

case was earlier presided by a judge

funny how the media took up such

tablished that the girl was sexually

who got transferred and so my case

an active stance when this case sur-

abused.

too got transferred.

faced. He just talks to people when

“e judge was going to write the

he wants something published.

“

He said that he was being framed by his wife and laid the blame on one of her friends. Investigation for

e judge was going to write the order but be-

that case is still pending as it depends on the verdict of this case.

cause of the change in the handwriting she

According to Khushi of Enfold India, who helped Jones with the

postponed the hearing to Monday as Saturday

filing of the case, “e child, at no point, mentioned anybody else

and Sunday is off.”

- Pascal Mazurier.

apart from her father in so many days.

“She did not understand what was

said, “ere is no way that

that he is not employed

Court again today to insist that

daughter.

Puroshottam, a lawyer from the prosecutor’s side,

with the French

any-

dences are against him.”

e Daily Observer

ursday, December 5, 2013

4

Killing tigers is the last resort Apurva venkat & Sneha Mejari

Officers of Bandipur Forest Department have nabbed the man eating tiger on ursday aer he made four people his kill in last one week.

Additional PCC Ajay Mishra of Bandipur Department said “ere was only one tiger which was creating problem and it has being tranquilized and captured by us now. Killing is not the option it’s the last resort.”

On Decenber 3, Basapppa, the victim was attacked by a man eating tiger at around 5pm when he was inside the forest to graze his cattle in Hediyala range. is was fouth attack in a week which claimed the life of villagers near Bandipur forest aer which Ramanath Rai, the forest minister, issued a shoot-at-sight order in legislative council yesterday.

Maneka Gandhi said: “It is completely illegal. ere are 10,000 ways of capturing tigers. ere is no need to kill tigers especially when they are on the verge of extinction.”

Commenting on people who were attacked she said: “Many people just go into the forest. ey cut wood, take their goats for grazing. ere is a lot of vested interest in this. ey sell skin of animals etc. is should not be done.”

Gandhi who is the chairperson of People for Animals,

“

It is completely illegal. ere are 10,000 ways of capturing tigers. ere is no need to kill tigers especially when they are on the verge of extinction.

on Facebook, but people are unaware of the ground realIndia's largest animal welfare organization, added: ity. e measure we are taking to save tiger may double “Instead of killing the tigers, they should sedate them and breed them. is will help increase the population of their population, but we don’t think where we will keep the tigers as well.” these tigers. We also have to think about increase in forSudhir Shivraman, a renowned wildlife photographer, est area. ”An adult male tiger marks his territory which is who photographed the tiger four years ago, said “My first at least 60 sq km.” said Sudhir Shivraman.

Bandu Mankar, a driver for the jeep which takes tourist reaction as a wildlife lover is that this should not happen. ere are a lot of parameters to the human- animal fight. to the tiger reserve said; “tigers inside jungles are not a threat at all. It’s only when they don’t get their kill in the Only when tranquilization and other techniques fail are forest that they move out. e tigers that enter in village when killing a tiger can be justified.” are harmful, but the poor animal is just hungry. Killing them is wrong. ey should be held and moved away.”

Lack of understanding of animal behavior is the main reason for tiger-attacks. Tiger attacks when a person enters his circle of fear.

Many experts agree that safety of the villagers is also equally important. Nonprofit organizations have come up with a model which has been successful in past.

Sullimada Muthanna, a coffee planter, Bandipur forest, found paw marks of a tiger near the fence of her coffee estate, said “We contacted the forest staff of Nagarahole. e Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Director Kumar Pushkak along with his forest rangers took control of the situation and tranquillized the tigress to transport her to Mysore zoo.”

“Everybody wants to save tigers Sudhir Shivraman belives this is Bhalla-the man-eating tiger in Bandipur

Sweatshop raid rescues 31 children cont from page 1 >> e children mainly hail from the Motihari district of Bihar and the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh.

Z. Ahmed who was charged aer the raid

Speaking exclusively to the Observer, Mohammed (name changed), 13, said, "We were promised one thousand rupees per month. I was never given any money."

Raju, 15, said, "I came here while traveling. I am now make calendars here which are later sold in the market. I have never received any payments."

According to their accounts the children start work in the morning and carry on until well in to the evening. e Anti-Human Trafficking Unit arrested a 30-yearold called Z. Ahmed who was the manager of operations in one of the rooms.

Ahmed also hails from the Motihari District of Bihar. A case has been filed against him in the Cottonpet Police Station.

Speaking to the Observer, Ahmed said, "What is the issue about? I know these children. ey come from my home state."

According to rescue team, this case is being treated under the category of trafficking.

Most of the children do not know how they came to Bangalore. According to them the operations are owned by two individual called Junaid and Mullah.Both of them live near the Vinayaka Cinema on the Mysore Road.

Commenting on the episode, DSP Kohlapure of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit said, "e problem of child labor goes hand in hand with trafficking. ere is a deep nexus that must be traced and stopped by the police. " Vani Kantli of the BBA said, "Our fact finding operations located this bonded labor ring a little while back. It has taken a lot of effort and coordination to rescue these children."

e Weekly Observer

ursday, December 5, 2013

5

Murder mystery of underworld rowdy solved by Crime Branch Prutha Bhosle With the arrest of the 13th accused the Central Crime Branch (CCB) has concluded a year-long investigation into a well known criminal’s murder case. e CCB arrested all the 13 accused which include Velu, 30, Ramesh, 25, Ranjith, 28, Chandar, Charles, Karthik, 28, Shanmugam, 30, Saravana, 35, Armugam, 29, Girisha, 23, Sriram, 22, Prasannakumar, 21and Chethan, 21.

Shivkumar alias Rudra, 32, was murdered on December 9, 2012, at Devarachikkanahalli Road, by his neighbor, Velu, 30.

Pratap Singh roat, a CCB Officer said, “Rudra was involved in few murder cases committed in 2005, one of which includes Velu’s brother Market Vedi.

Rudra and Velu have been neighbors for many years and

“

e moment the rowdies attacked our car, I didn’t know what to do. e only thing that came to my mind was to get out and run as fast as I could, which I did.”

- Pagalavan, Rudra’s driver who filed a complaint at Electronic City Police Station (One of the prime witnesses to the crime)

had differences for petty issues. Aer Rudra murdered Velu’s brother for one such reason, Velu planned to avenge the death.”

He added, “Velu told the CCB team that he had been planning Rudra’s murder for months. He tracked Rudra’s move-

goods tempo and followed Rudra around the city. Velu and

ment in the city along with a gang of 12 rowdies. Velu even

his gang would spend evenings at a play ground near Rudra’s

Pratap said, “e reason behind choosing the spot outside

rented a flat close to Rudra’s at Beguru.

house to trail his activities. Moreover, they befriended the

the play ground for the murder is because the road has a

school children there, to avoid suspicion.

bump which slows down any vehicle passing by. e motive

Rudra was having an illicit affair with a married woman, Amala. He lived with her in Spoorthi Apartment at Beguru.

Rudra was into extortion and would leave his house everyday along with his driver, Pagalavan, in a car. Pagalavan had been working for Rudra for past six years.

Velu rented three vehicles, an auto rickshaw, a MUV and a

Velu even stored weapons like machetes, swords and cricket bats in order to murder Rudra.

road.”

was such to drag Rudra outside his car and kill him to death right there.”

On December 9, 2012, Velu waited inside a MUV near the

He added, “Around 1p.m, Rudra’s car reached the spot.

play ground along with Chandra, one among accused. Others

Amala and her son were seated at the back. As soon as the car

sat inside the goods tempo and auto rickshaw on the opposite

hit the bump on the road, the gang of 13 rowdies rushed to sabotage the vehicle.

Amala, her son and Pagalavan, managed to run out of the car safely but Rudra was beaten to death with machetes, swords and cricket bats. e gang escaped soon aer the incident.

Pagalavan, lodged a complaint at Electronic City Police Station and a case of murder was registered.

Ten days aer the incident, my team and I tracked down the 13 accused in Tamil Nadu. ey were brought to Bangalore and were put behind the bars. But we could not initiate court proceeding before investigating the mechanism of the murder. So, my team was on the job for a year ever since to unfold the crime.”

A post-mortem report was prepared at Victoria Hospital.

Prof.C.N.Sumangala, Forensic Medical Assistant of Victoria Hospital said, “e death of Rudra was due to shock and hemorrhage as a result of multiple chop injuries sustained.

Rudra had an injury of 34cm depth with brain matter partially drained outside and a 4cm cut on his right ear. ere were also deep injuries in the chest and the le hand was chopped into pieces.”

Pratap said, “Charge is framed last week and the proceedings will begin later this week.”

e eye-witnesses to the crime, who played a key role in helping the Central Crime Branch crack the case

e Daily Observer

ursday, December 5, 2013

6

ree held over murder of woman Beaten, betrayed and abandoned

Celebrating the United Nations' 16 day campaign from November 25 to December 10 which aims to fight violence against women, e Daily Observer brings you the stories of the survivors and healers associated with this gender-based struggle that is still rampant.

Sneha Ghosh

e alleged murderers of the pregnant woman who was recently killed in Kumabalgodu have been caught.

On November 16, Munivenkatamma, 32, resident of Doddaguallarahatti, Kengeri, was allegedly murdered by the sons of her live-in partner, Solapuri, 50.

She was seven months pregnant.

A First Information Report was lodged by Munivenkatappa, the victim’s father, in Kumbalgodu Police Station on November 17.

Police arrested Manjunath, 24, Shivraj, 19, and Hanumanha, 20, who were the prime suspects in the murder, on November 18, 2013.

“We arrested the three people on the very next day aer we received the complaint. At the time of interrogation, they confessed of having slit her throat and killing her,” said, Police Sub-Inspector Bhaskar, Kumbalgodu Police Station. ey have been charged under the sections 302 (murder) and 201 of the Indian Penal Code.

He added, “Manjunatha is Solapuri’s son. Shivraj is a friend of Manjunatha while Hanumnatha is the brother of Manjunatha.

Shivraj had agreed to help Manjunatha aer he paid him two thousand rupees. All of them were angry with Munivenkatamma for having an illicit relationship with their father.”

Solapuri’s first wife had died a couple of years back. He lived with Munivenkatamma in a rented house in Kengeri.

“Manjunatha could not come to

“

terms with the fact that Munivenkatamma was pregnant with his father’s child. He is married himself and has been trying to have a baby. e fact that his father was going to have a son with his live-in partner before he could get his wife pregnant really angered him. at is the primary reason why he murdered her,” said Mr. Bhaskar.

On November 16, 2013, Munivenkatamma was alone in her house. Solapuri had just le aer visiting her. “She had gone to the neighbour’s house aer Solapuri had le.

Manjunatha, Shivraj and Hanumantha came into the house and started fighting with her. Shivraj and Hanumantha attacked her and Manjunatha slit her throat with a knife,” added Mr. Bhaskar. e post mortem was conducted in Rajarajeshwari Hospital. e forensic report is still awaited.

Munivenkatappa said, “Now that the three murderers have been caught I can be a little happy.

She was my only daughter. She was pregnant. e police co-operated a lot with us. ey arrested the three the very next day. I went to the police station to see them, the police had beaten them a lot.at is the only consolation I have.” e three men have been produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate. ey have been kept in judicial custody. e charge sheet is yet to be filed following which they will be produced in court.

She was my only daughter. She was pregnant. e police co-operated a lot with us. ey arrested the three the very next day. at is the only consolation I have.”

- Munivenkatappa, Munivenkatamma’s father

Sneha Bengani

She had spent so much of her income and savings to bail her husband out and on her motherin-law’s operation that “at the time of my delivery, I was penniless.”

Her mother-in-law sent her to her father when she got to know that Redemma was pregnant. “ey told me that they would come to take me aer the baby was born.”

Aer giving birth to Jhanavi, she kept waiting for them but they never came to take her. “When I confronted them, I got to know that my husband had married another woman,” she said teary eyed.

Initially, Anjappa’s mother pretended to be angry about what her son had done. “She took me from my father’s to the big room in Whitefield where we lived.”

It was aer a month that she took to beating her. “She started pestering me to give my child to her youngest son and asked me to go to work and earn money.”

Redemma had requested her mother-in-law to stay at home and take care of the baby while she went to work but the old woman was adamant on giving the baby away. “She used

to hit me whenever she felt like.”

Her husband came once to her aer getting married the second time. “When I questioned him, he hit me brutally and threatened that he would take Jhanavi away.

I have not seen him since.”

She has no clue as to where the father of her child is. “All I know is that he is not in Bangalore.”

Redemma has not filed a police complaint against Anjappa. “My husband is a rowdy. He has contacts with all the big men. ere is no point in going to the police.

He will get bail in no time.”

She fears that if she complains, “he will get me and Jhanavi killed.”

Redemma’s mother had died when she was a child. Her father has always been indifferent. “I told him that I was in big trouble and asked him to take me away.

But he never bothered. He used to keep me as a domestic help when I was with him. I have not seen him since Jhanavi was born.”

Her mother-in-law had hit her hard the day she fled. “She was determined to take Jhanavi away from me. We had a huge fight.

She threw the baby and hit me black and blue.”

Redemma’s neighbor rescued her. “She knew about Asha Kirana. She told me to run away and I did. No one knows that I am here. I escaped secretly.”

Later when she tried to enquire if they were trying to find her, she learnt from her neighbor that Anjappa’s mother has spread all over that “I have run away with some other man.”

“I treated his mother as my own, gave them all the money I had, and they did this to me. ey never gave me or my daughter a single penny,” said the woman who is clueless about her future.

Aer getting bailed out of jail for killing his lover, a man abandoned his wife and one-year-old daughter to marry a second woman.

Anjappa, 30, worked as a construction laborer when he got married to Redemma in August 2010.

Redemma, 27, has been living in Asha Kirana, a short stay home for women at Old Airport Road for two months now with her one-year-old daughter Jhanavi aer she stealthily escaped.

“He had killed a woman before he married me. He had an affair with her but later refused to marry her, stating that she was not a good woman and then killed her,” she said.

Redemma got to know about it only aer their marriage. e dead woman’s parents filed a case against him but he went absconding. “e police could not find him for a long time.” He was finally caught and jailed in February last year where he spent three months, aer which he got bail with the help of a lawyer.

“He told me that he had not killed her, the woman died herself. He claimed that he was innocent and was being targeted. I paid the lawyer’s fee,” said Redemma who worked as an attendant in a private hospital then.

Soon aer Anjappa’s wedding, his mother had to undergo an operation. “I looked aer her for three months, took care of her like my own mother.

I was with her every minute. ere was no one else. I even paid for the operation,” Redemma said. She got to know during this time that the police are looking for her husband.

Redemma, with her one-year-old baby daughter Jhanavi

e Daily Observer

ursday, December 5, 2013

Notorious gangster nabbed by police Shweta Nair One of Bangalore’s most notori-

7

NEWS BRIEF Four charged after large cannabis find

don’t know exactly why he kept

A 23-year-old student was caught

himself away from Bangalore.”

with a large amount of marijuana at his home last month.

ous gangsters, wanted in more

He also said: “Gang activity is

than 20 serious cases, has been

quite active in Bangalore and be-

Varun Ravi, a student of Acharya

caught by police.

cause of restrictions like Human

Institute of Technology was

Ravi Kumar, known as Cycle Ravi,

Rights we are unable to bring it

caught with 3.7 kilograms of mar-

was arrested by the city crime

down.e police become inactive

ijuana on the November 28th. He

branch on November 25th.

because of such factors and this

was caught by the Yashwantpura

Kumar, 37, of Byatarayanapura

causes restrictions in our activities.”

Police Station on a tip-off. Accord-

and his four associates were caught

e DCP said: “e investigation

ing to constable, V. Dada Peer, he

for killing his main rival and a

will take a while as there are a lot of

was supplying drugs to his class-

leader of another gang, Pavan.

cases on him.”

mates and his neighbours. ree

Manjunath, alias Gejje Manju, 27,

e five convicts are in judicial

other people, including two

Manju, 24, Rahil Ahmed, 21, and

custody and a charge sheet will be

women were also caught with

Rajesh.P, 24, allegedly killed their

filed within 60 days, e investiga-

Ravi.

rival Pavan and his associates.

tions are going on.

Ravi Kumar and Manjunath were interrogated for two hours. ey were also taken to the crime scene as part of the investigation.

CCB sleuths have recovered a bike and lethal weapons like two ma-

lice Station said, “He is now under

Ravi Kumar (second from right) and his four associates Kumar, the main accused has

in a total of nine other cases similar

been registered in a total of 23 cases

in nature registered in various po-

across four police stations in the

lice stations across Bangalore.

city.

A source at the crime branch said:

chetes, two knives and an iron rod

e cases involve kidnapping,

“Ravi was absconding for a few

which were allegedly used to com-

murder, abduction, robbery and

months now but we finally found

mit the crime.

dacoit. Ravi has also been active in

him. He has two wives, one in Ban-

gang wars, according to detectives.

galore and one in Tamil Nadu. We

His associates have been involved

nabbed him from Tamil Nadu. We

A case has been registered in Girinagar Police station.

Inspector at Yashwantpura Pojudicial custody and a chargesheet

“

Gang activity is quite active in Bangalore and because of restrictions like Human Rights we are unable to bring it down - A source from Crime Branch

will be filed at the earliest.”

According to Dada Peer, this was the second drugs bust in the last month. e first bust was of a group of women, using and buying marijuana. He added that the police are now looking into other students from the same college to apprehend people who trade and use marijuana.

A hope for engineering students

CREDAI opposes Real Estate Bill

Sushmita Sen & Suchitra Sharma

you have to be smart enough to get

college and thus, most of the VTU

is an initiative for engineering stu-

a job of your desire. Syllabus at

students are facing problems. In au-

dents who have graduated but are

Almost 1000 developers across

ousands of engineers graduat-

VTU is just a basic introduction to

tonomous college, the students are

still without a job and for those who

India are opposing the Real Estate

ing from Visvesvaraya Technolog-

all the concepts, however, whatever

not being recognized, even when

will soon be graduating. ere are

Regulatory Reform Bill, which is

ical

you are trained in the company

they have good percentage.”

University

(VTU)

are

currently unemployed as their

helps you in your daily work.”

70,000 engineers who are unem-

being discussed in parliament.

VTU in an initiative signed a

ployed because their engineering

e head of the Confederation of

Another VTU graduate, Manish

Memorandum of Understanding

skills are not in sync with the re-

Real Estate Developers Assoocia-

said: “VTU’s syllabus is not enough

with 30 Canadian Institutions for

quirements of industries, according

tion of

to get a job. ere are lots of tech-

various courses including recruit-

to the statistics of 2012-13.”

clauses of the bill would affect

ence, Nikhil said: “ e competition

nical programming languages that

ment of engineering students who

Dr. Milind Pimparkar, Director,

is really high, and jobs are less. So

have been taught in an autonomous

are jobless. As of now 16,000 grad-

CANEUS International said, “It is

"How can they expect us to take

uates have registered from various

our first experiment in India and it

names of buyers and developers?

institutions across the state. e

is amazing.” e faculties there too

Why only real estate is being tar-

registered students and the faculty

were excited about the develop-

geted?" said Suresh, Secretary,

will be involved in 240 hours of

ment and said that it was their priv-

CREDAI. He said existing rules in

training starting from December

ilege that they were getting such an

the Consumer Protection Act

10.

opportunity.

must be "enforced”.

skill set are not in sync with requirements of the industries.

A VTU graduate in computer sci-

VTU signing the MoU with the Canadian institutions

India claims that 46

their business.

In a press conference held on

Shobha, VTU student said: “e

"Roti, kapda, makaan are crucial

Wednesday in the VTU campus,

industries prefer those with more

for life. If you impose this on

Bangalore Dr. Chandrashekhar, Di-

practical knowledge. I think this

makaan, do it with roti and kapda

rector of Mission VTU said, “is

initiative is going to help us.”

too," he added.

e Daily Observer

ursday, December 5 , 2013

‘In Korea they treated me like God, but in India I am an ordinary man’ Sneha Ghosh

108.

“I enjoy what I do, particularly with young stu-

treated me like god. I do not want to be god. But,

declared that Dr. Rao along with Sachin

dents who are completing their Ph.D. It has been

yes, I do feel that my work is valued much more

Tendulkar will be honored with the Bharat

a wonderful, wonderful journey.”

internationally than in India. In London, all the

Of all the roles he plays, he feels researching

European scientists will be celebrating my 80th

Awarded with the highest honor that can be

and teaching are what fulfills him the most. “I

birthday in a special meeting. We recently had

awarded to an Indian civilian, Dr. Rao is the

am a scientist-teacher. One does not exist with-

Rabindranath Tagore’s 100th anniversary of

third

country’s

out the other. e rest are other shades of my

being awarded the Nobel Prize this year. Imagine

history aer Dr. Kalam and Sir C.V.Raman to re-

professional life. I would not have been able to

this country, the only Nobel Laureate in Poetry

ceive it.

develop science without the help of my young

and we did not celebrate it. What kind of coun-

students.”

try is this?”

scientist

in

the

“I was attending a conference in Trivandrum when a fellow colleague informed me. Five min-

Convincing the government to bolster the de-

Looking back at his journey he reflects, “When

utes later it was the Indian Prime Minister on the

velopment of science in India is no small feat.

I came back to India aer my post doctorate in

telephone confirming the news.”

“Other countries are expanding pretty fast.

Berkeley, I was a member of the staff in the In-

His journey with science began at the age of

China has improved vastly, a little country like

dian Institute of Science. Back then India was a

seventeen when he read Linus Pauling’s ‘Nature

South Korea has grown so magnificently. e

very poor country but I managed to do some re-

of the Chemical Bond’. He has worked exten-

question is not whether we are doing good, it is,

search with a few students. Over the decades,

sively

metal

are we doing good enough. e government has

there has been a lot of improvement but it has

oxides, hybrid materials, nanomaterials and fi-

done a few things, however a lot more effort is

been a very long journey and equally difficult. In

nally graphene.

required.”

the last 20-25 years I have had good equipments

with

transition

“I was the first one to begin researching in

He seems disappointed with Indian media. “In-

graphene mimics. Now of course a lot of other

dian media has done nothing to promote sci-

people in the world are working on it. In the last

ence. It has been ignored. e news is all about

Dr, Rao’s comments about political leaders

two

years

I

have

been

Events MUSIC

appreciate his work.“When I went to Korea, they

On November 16, Government of India

Ratna.

8

Cadence -2013, Around the World in 80 minutes Award winning Harmony Children Choir present a musical extravaganza to enthrall the audience.

When: December 15, 2013 Where: Jyoti Nivas Auditorium

ART

to work with and have done whatever I could, using the best of my ability.”

focusing

cricketers, actors or dirty politics. What I am

landed him in a controversy recently. “I got upset

primarily on artificial photosynthesis. I am try-

working on right now with a student is actually

when someone said that I have been very angry

ing to produce hydrogen and oxygen separately

big news abroad, but unfortunately, not here. We

and had an outburst but that isn’t true. I didn’t

Photograph Photoshop Contest 2014

using water as it happens in plants.”

are trying to split water just like plants do under

even use the word ‘idiot’, I said ‘idiotic’. at is

A photography contest featuring

At 79, Dr. Rao is the National Research Profes-

the sun. Indian journalists should try to find out

how I talk but someone twisted my words. If this

wildlife, nature and culture pre-

sor, Founder and Honorary President of Jawa-

interesting news, cover recent events regarding

is the kind of media in our country then what do

sented.

harlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific

science like foreign media.”

I do? Some of these people have no class. I have

When: Jan 31-Feb 2, 2014 Where: Karnataka Chitrakala

Research, Director at International Centre for

Despite

being

never lied in my life.”

Material Science and the Chairperson of the Sci-

acknowledged

entific Advisory Council to the Indian Prime

worldwide for

the day he gets awarded with the Nobel Prize, he

Minister. His day begins at 4:30 A.M. and he

his intellect,

seems unperturbed. “I do not want to lose my

works for six-and-a-half days a week.

his

sleep thinking of such issues. Recently the Nobel

“I do spend a lot of my time advising the Prime Minister on what India should be doing, dis-

own

country failed to

has

While the entire nation is keenly waiting for

posium where I was one of the speakers. Among others present, four were Nobel Laureates, but

suggesting new ideas for improving science.

some of them spoke very badly. ey kept asking

Dr. Rao has 60 Honorary Doctorates from

FOOD

Committee in Chemistry had organized a sym-

cussing new proposals, projects, funding and Apart from that I work on my research.”

Parishat

me the similar question. I told them you know better.”

around the globe and has authored 1500 research papers and 20 books, edited 28 others. He has been presented with the

Christmas Special Brunch

Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan,

Special brunch at Opus with pop

Hughes Medal, Indian Science

sensation Vivian all the way from

Award, Medal by the Royal

Columbia.

Society and his ‘h-index’ is a whopping

When: December 15, 2013 Where: Palace Orchads, Bangalore

Observer Team: Editor - Tulana Nayak, Chief Sub Editor - Suchitra Sharma, News Editors - Sneha Ghosh, Tanisha Das, Sureshkumar, Prutha Bhosale, Shivpriya Jodha , Raju Peethala Sub Editors - Sneha Mejari, Apurva Venkat, Sushmita Sen, Sneha Bengani Picture Editors/ Design - Soumya Basu, Sreelakshmy Sivaram, Proof Readers - RahulSadhu. Social and emergency: Vaishnavi Desai, Saikat Ghosh. Email- editor@iijnm.org An IIJNM Publication (For Private Circulation)