The Weekly Observer vol 13, issue 15

Observer The weekly

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

VOL 13 ISSUE 15

Ambulance driver flees along with nurse after running over 70-year-old

PAGE 2

76-year-old woman robbed and throttled to death at her home

PAGE 3

Mars Orbiter Spacecraft successfully launched by ISRO

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Doctors deny keeping minor girl as domestic laborer Bhaskar Dutta A minor girl being used as a bonded laborer was rescued from the house of two doctors in Jayanagar one and a half months ago. e rescue was carried out by the Labor Department and an NGO called BachpanBachaoAndolan (BBA) on September 20. e house from where the girl was rescued is owned by Dr Prashanth and his wife Dr Sowmya. ey are employed at the Apollo hospital in Bannerghatta road. Dr Prashanth is a surgeon and Dr. Sowmya is an eminent pediatrician. ey also run their own clinic in Bommanahalli.

According to the school transfer certificate of Kaveri (name changed) she is thirteen years old. e Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act states that any person below the age of fourteen may not be used as a domestic worker or a servant. e Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Act of 1976 also applies to children who are used as bonded laborers.

Kaveri was rescued under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act 2000. e rescue was carried out aer the BachpanBachaoAndolan received an anonymous complaint from a neighbor of the couple in Jayanagar. According to the complainant’s statement, it was noticed that the girl was being made to wash cars and clean the area outside the house.

In her statement to the BBA Kaveri said, “Aer I was brought here I had to clean the doors of the house, chop vegetables and take care of one of the doctor’s two children. I also had to give massages to

Kaveri (name changed) at the time when she was rescued from the doctors’ house at Jayanagar the children’s grandfather.”

Vani Kantli of the BBA said, “When we carried out the rescue, the doctors claimed that the girl was a relative and that she was at their house because she was in need of medical treatment since she was suffering from a chronic leg ache. ey have submitted bills for the medicines which were administered to the girl. ese bills are from their own clinic in Bommanahalli. e medicines that were used include sleeping pills such as Alprax.”

She added that she remembers being present at two Ganesh Chaturti festivals since she started working at the doctor’s house in Jayanagar.

However, according to the statement issued by the pediatrician at

the time of the rescue, the girl had only been at their house for the last two months.

Aer the BBA filed a complaint at the Tilak Nagar Police station, the couple agreed to pay the girl Rs 30,000 as back wages as she had not been given any payment since she started working for them. ey also produced a school certificate which states that the girl was fourteen years old and hence permitted to work as a domestic worker. is certificate was obtained from H D Kote from where the girl’s father hails.

At the same time the BBA obtained a school certificate which shows that Kaveri was born on September 15, 2000.

According to her own statement

(made to the BBA), Kaveri is thirteen years old.

“I have been working since I was six years old so that I could support the household. My mother sent me to work here aer she and my father started fighting”, said Kaveri at the time of her rescue.

Kaveri’s mother Chikamma, who comes from Nanjangud, is the second wife of her husband Venkatesh and is separated from him.

Subsequently, the Tilak Nagar Police Station dismissed the case. According to Kantli, when she inquired into the reasons behind the dismissal of the case, she was informed by the Station House Officer that his seniors had taken the decision.

Srikanth, a Senior Labor Inspec-

tor from the Labor Department said, “At present a client petition has been filed to the payment of wages authority in accordance to the Payment of Wages Act 1936.”

He confirmed that the couple had agreed to pay a certain amount of money to Kaveri as she had not received any payment since she started working for them.

He added that the case was complex because of the different ages shown in the school records that were provided by the girl’s mother and the doctors.

“I have written a letter to the Labor Officer and Workmen’s Compensation Commissioner (Region 2) stating that Kaveri’s school certificate shows that she is thirteen years old. e case can be prosecuted only aer I receive a reply”, he said.

According to Mohammed Sajed Khan, Police Inspector, Tilak Nagar Police Station, the case was dismissed on the grounds that the parents did not have any complaints as she had been sent to the doctor’s house for educational purposes and medical treatment. “Since the girl herself is a minor, if the parents do not file a complaint the case has no ground” he added.

At present Kaveri has returned to her mother’s house at Nanjangud.

When Dr. Sowmya was contacted she said that Kaveri was sent to her by her mother as she was suffering from anaemia.

She denied having used her as a domestic help and maintained that she had been sent back home aer her treatment was completed.

“When Kaveri came to our house she was fourteen years old.My husband and I have submitted all the relevant authorities to the police.”

e Weekly Observer

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

2

70 -year-old woman hit by ambulance, driver and nurse fled scene ing cattle when she was hit by an

Narendra, ambulance driver.

Neha Singh An old woman was killed after

cident.

ambulance and dragged 40 ft away

He added that the driver was pro-

where she died on the spot. The ac-

duced before the Metropolitian

cident happened on October 28.

Magistrate Traffic Court - 3 on the

He said that Narendra SSC, the

same day of the arrested, and was

ambulance driver who has been ac-

granted bail on paying Rs. 5000. He

cused for the accident, shifted the

added that the nurse was not

body to the side of the road with

charged with any case, instead she

the help of the assistant nurse, Shiv-

is being used as a witness.

akumara, who was also there in the

H. Nagaraj, Inspector of Police at

ambulance and then fled from the

JTPS said, “The driver told them

scene.

that he was taking a patient from

Shivakumar, constable at JTPS

Hesaraghatta farm to the Baptist

said that the driver left the ambu-

Hospital.” He added that the pres-

lance near Soladevanahalli police

ence or absence of the patient in the

station and ran away to his relative’s

ambulance is not needed for the in-

house at Dasarahalli.

vestigation.

Body of the victim aer being hit by an ambulance near Heasaraghatta village.

being hit by an ambulance in

He added that the driver was ar-

Nagesh added, “The driver was a

Heasaraghatta village, police said.

rested on October 29 by Sub In-

casual labor appointed as a driver.”

According to Nagesh, station-

spector,Vishwanath and constable

He added that he was not given any

gency medical aid but not the

that they are waiting for the post

writer at Jalahalli Traffic Police Sta-

Nagesh, after Nagaraju HV, son of

emergency medical training. H.

driver.

mortem report and the motor vehi-

tion (JTPS) , Muttamma, 70, was

the deceased, filed an FIR in the

Nagaraj added that the assistant

Nagesh told The Observer that

walking down the road while graz-

police station on the day of the ac-

nurse was trained in giving emer-

the investigation is going on and

Trader arrested over illegal prize chit ring Karishma Ravindran

cle

report

after

which

the

chargesheet would be filed.

Burglars caught in the act by police Aurosmita Acharya

e police report added, "ey have been

ant, we conducted a raid at the tea shop at

Burglars were caught red handed when they

caught red handed in Hennur while attempt-

Police arrested a trader in connection with

around 8:30pm on October 31 with my offi-

broke into a locked house at Hennur Cross.

ing a burglary. Lethal weapons like knife and

circulation of money and prize chit ille-

cers and arrested the accused”

Further investigation by the Hennur police revealed that they have been involved in a

dagger have been recovered from them"

gally aer conducting a raid at a tea shop.

e inspector added, “e accused con-

Kalalasipalya police have arrested a 30-

fessed to his crime and said that every Mon-

year-old man identified as Mohammad Mu-

day he used to collect Rs1000 on a weekly

Syed Sharaj alias Sheru, 22, and Samiullah, 23

“Sheru and Shamiullah have been detained in

dashir alias Abdul Salam under the Prize

basis. 20 people used to gather at the tea

were caught red handed by IPS Dr. Harsha and

jail. A case has been registered against them

Chits and Money Circulation schemes (ban-

shop and circulate chits illegally.”

her team on October 28, 2013 near Hennur.

but no further proceedings have yet been un-

dozen robbery and the cases.

H. Lakshmi Narayan Prasad, the Police Inspector at the Hennur Police Station said,

ning) act of 1978 on October 31 aer they

e senior inspector in his letter has writ-

Prasheela B.S, Sub- Inspector at the Hennur

conducted a raid at a tea shop in Aslam

ten, “e police officer and I had taken the

Police Station said, “ey have been on run

He added, “e operation was undertaken by

Sharif shop at Bamboo Bazar.

dertaken. No one is allowed to meet them.”

jeep towards Bamboo Bazaar and parked it

since the last six months. We had received

five member team consisting of Dr. Harsha,

e senior police inspector of Kalasipalya

close to the tea shop. I witnessed Moham-

complaints against them at K.G.Halli, D.J.Halli,

me, Sri Krishna H., Sri Kumar and Raja Nayak.

police station, Purushotham M L said,

mad collecting money from the members of

Mahadevapura and Banaswadi Police Sta-

ey were caught while attempting a robbery

“Aer receiving a tip off from our inform-

the prize chit and writing them in the regis-

tions.”

in Hennur.”

ter. e people involved in the prize chit, did not have any license to carry that out.”

He also mentioned in the letter, that the nearby shopkeepers also informed the police about the illegal prize chit they witnessed.

vehicles with them when they were caught. We

e police said, “We seized Rs 1, 20,000

they are allegedly involved in a robbery at Hennur and the of eight two-wheelers from

bers, a mobile phone, 4 registers which had

K.G.Halli and D.J Halli. ey were involved in

ing to chit business and a scooter from the place.”

‘

Lethal weapons A case has been registered against Sheru and like knife and dagger Samiullah under section 392 of the Indian have been recovered Penal Code. According to the police report, from them are yet to find the rest."

cash which was collected by the chit memthe names of the members, money pertain-

Tea shop at Bamboo Bazar where the police conducted a raid

She added, "We discovered one of the stolen

H.LakshmiNarayan Prasad, a cash robbery of Rs 1, 34,000, a gold chain and Police Inspector four two wheelers in Mahadevpura.”

e Weekly Observer

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

3

Old lady robbed and throttled to death by plumber Gaurav Kumar

was 76 years old and was living with

profession and was known to the

vived the attack

her two elderly sisters. Two men

victim and her family for many

and

An old lady was found dead and

were held for attempt to murder

years.

them, Dr Mu-

two of her sisters attacked at their

and robbery by the police, 25 days

Jayanagar residence on April 22,

aer the incident occurred.

Shrimati Chandra, the deceased,

Ramachandra had been carrying

n i l a k s h mamma, called

Ra-

week before the incident. Soon aer

up Dr. Chitra

machandra, 38, is a plumber by

Chandra’s daughter, Dr. Chitra,

and informed

who works for the Pediatric De-

her about the

partment of Jayadeva Hospital, le

incident, who

for work, Ramachandra and his

in turn informedJewellery recovered from the accused by the police

brother,

the police.

principal

accused,

Vasanth

Kumar,19,al-

legedly committed the crime. e accused allegedly attempted to murder all the three ladies pres-

Ramachandra the plumber and his brother Vasanth Kumar

Potency insult leads to murder Pranay Lakshminarasimhan

of

out repair work in the house for a

e

2013.

one

According to the FIR, the accused fled with gold ornaments which weighed up to 300 grams.

dened by debt and was under pressure to pay his creditors.

According to MP Lokesh, Station House Officer , Jayanagar Police

ent in the house by throttling their

According to the police investiga-

Station, the charge-sheet has al-

throats and then fleeing with their

tion, the motive behind the murder

ready been filed and the trial is un-

money and jewellery.

was monetary as it was later re-

derway. e accused are in judicial

vealed that Ramachandra was bur-

custody.

However, Shrimati’s sisters sur-

Abducted baby rescued from West Bengal, father still at large

Irudayaraj’s wife, Pricilla, whose

A man was allegedly stabbed to

sister Shanti is married to Balasub-

Nibedita Mohanta

West Bengal, where Dhrub was

of changing clothes, she escaped

death by his brother-in-law aer

ramani, lodged a complaint with

A fieen-month-old baby ab-

hiding with his mother and the

from the back door with someone

he told him he had sex with the

the police on the same day. e po-

ducted by her father was rescued

baby at a relative’s house.

on a motorbike. “

latter’s wife.

lice immediately arrested Balasub-

by Karnataka police from a village

ramani and he has been in judicial

in West Bengal while the father is

had marks all over her body which

custody ever since.

still absconding.

included bites and burn marks sup-

Irudayaraj, 33, a resident of Whitefield, was allegedly stabbed

It was aer Anjali was informed

Lilawati added,” e rescued baby

and had his throat slit by his

According to Vasanth, who is a

Dhwani (name changed), who

brother-in-law, Balasubramani, 26,

part of the team investigating the

was living with her mother Anjali,

Anjali said, “My baby is still in

on October 19, in a bar where they

case, Balasubramani confessed all

was abducted by her father on May

trauma and cries even if I am away

were having a drink together.

his actions to the police but charge-

5. Aer the incident, Anjali lodged

from her for a second. Syed, an of-

sheet is yet to be filed.

a complaint against Dhrub Kumar

fice colleague of Dhruv, is keeping

Kochhar, the father of the baby.

an eye on my activities and also fol-

According to Vasanth, the Head

posedly caused by cigarette-butts.”

Constable of Whitefield Police Sta-

Dr. T.D Pawar, the Deputy Com-

tion, both men were drunk at the

missioner of Police, South-East Di-

According to Anjali, Dhruv and

lows me wherever I go. But I cannot

time of the incident and therefore,

vision, said: “Murders of this sort,

she got married on January 11,

complain about this to the police

couldn’t control their actions. He

with hardly any motive or provoca-

2011 against her parents’ wishes.

because I do not have proof.”

said,

his

tion, have unfortunately been on

She said that her in-laws wanted a

Siddhiramaiah added, “ough

brother-in-law’s throat with a knife

the rise. ere are other similar in-

baby boy but she gave birth to

they rescued the baby, they could

and smashed his head with a rock

cidents that have taken place in the

Dhwani on May 22, 2012 and since

to finish the job.”

recent past within my jurisdiction.

then they started harassing her

Dhwani with her mother Anjali

whom the charge of abduction was

e incident took place at half

is case initially surprised me as I

mentally and physically.

by a person living close to where

levelled.

past three in the aernoon, in a

was taken aback by the triviality of

Dhrub was hiding that police res-

switched off, so we are unable to

Whitefield bar named Guruashri

the reason for murder.”

cued the baby.

trace his location.”

“Balasubramani

slit

Anjali added, “My husband sexually abused me when Dhwani was two-months-old in order to get a

Wines on Himmdihalli Main Road.

baby boy.”

According to Vasanth, Irudayaraj

not get Dhrub and his mother on

Mr. Siddhiramaiah, Assistant

Dhrub allegedly beat her and

said, “We send an assistant sub in-

him that he had kept his wife and

kicked her and the baby out of the

spector, a head constable and two

used her for sexual pleasure.

house on November 19, 2012. Ac-

constables to Jhalda for rescuing the baby on October 18.”

Vasanth said that things went fur-

cording to Anjali’s complaint with

ther downhill when Irudayaraj

the police at the Halasur Police Sta-

Lilawati, the sub inspector who

added to the insult by saying that

tion, Dhrub had abducted her

went to rescue the baby said,” At the

daughter on May 5.

time of the police raid, Dhrub was

having children and all his children were actually Irudayaraj’s.

Dr. T.D Pawar, DCP SouthEast division

number

Commissioner of Halasur police

provoked Balasubramani by telling

Balasubramani was incapable of

Dhrub’s

e police rescued the baby from

not at home but Rekha, Anjali’s

Jhalda village of Purulia district in

mother-in-law, was. On the pretext

Burn mark on le leg of Dhwani

is

e Weekly Observer

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Countdown leads to meltdown Nibedita Mohanta were

costantly

sharing

their

event. We are police people and we

thoughts on the launch via social

have lot of other responsibilities.

media.

But I would like to congratulate

e ISRO web page server

4

Events THEATRE

ISRO for this feat.”

stopped working before 1 pm and was unavailable until 3 pm. e rocket was launched at 2.38pm Reactions on Twitter: Kiran Bedi, For-

Devegere street gathering

mer IPS“Can't hold back

Devegere Villagers in conversa-

my tears of joy.

tion:

anku our ISRO.

“India has money to spend on

Pray for full success of #Man-

Mars Mission but no money for the

galyaan.Proud of being an Indian!”

poor.”

“Raising the price of petrol and

Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat-

diesel and then sending satellites to

Blink A new play by Bruntwood Playwriting Prize winner Phil Porter.

Blink premiered at the Traverse, Edingburgh.

Venue: Jagriti eatre, Ramagondanahalli, Varthur Road , Whitefiel Date: Nov. 29- Nov.30, 2013 Time: 8:00 PM onwards

EXHIBITION

Mars.”

“We are happy for India’s such

“Something about space travel

big step, we wish it become successful.”

that makes one feel like in school again...watching

Sahil

the countdown of #Mangalyaan !”

Doctor-

Chabbra,

“I sincerely hope Rajiv Malhotra, Indian- Amer-

Photo Credit: www.isro.org India’s historic first mission to Mars sent the nation’s space agency website into meltdown.

Servers at the Indian Space Research Organisation crashed as ‘Mangalyaan’ soared into the sky above Andhra Pradesh. e Rs 450 crore mission will take 300 days just to reach the red planet’s orbit.

mission to Mars.

ica Researcher“Congratulations to ISRO scien-

ISRO's

439Crore

#Man-

galyaan mission is

tists for Mars mis-

not based on any '1000 tonne gold

Technical glitches on the ground

sion. Has potential

on Mars' surface' dream of some

le Indians unable to access the

breakthroughs & in-

saint..!”

ISRO website at the crucial launch

spiration for Indian

time.

science.”

Amitdan Gadhvi,

One technician even compared

Anti- poverty Ac-

the site to the notoriously slow In-

Suhasini Haider,

dian Railway Catering & Tourism

Foreign

Corporation website.

Analyst-

An official from ISRO’s IT de-

“Successful

Something about

galyaan only proves we can become finest in the world if we try hard

An Art show by Women artists to commemorate breast cancer awareness month.

Venue: Swasti Contemporary Art Gallery, HCG Towers, Sampangiram Nagar Date: Oct 23 - Nov. 30, 2013 Time: 11:00 AM- 7:00 PM

MUSIC

launch of #Man-

If the mission, to be completed by

partment said, “Hits were too high,

space travel that

so the server became too slow, like

makes one feel like in school

cess, ISRO would be only the fourth

IRCTC.”

again...watching the countdown of

People from various walks of life

tivist-

Affairs

next September, is deemed a sucglobal space agency to complete a

that

Paint-it-Pink

enough !”

#Mangalyaan !

Sunburn Festival Reactions from Bangloreans: Vasanth,

Head

Constable,

White

Field Police station“I about

am the

unaware entire

ISRO’s Mars Mission is the Cheapest’ has gone viral on facebook.

Asia`s largest dance music festival, Sunburn, hits Bengaluru for the very first time!

Venue: Near Colonial Restaurant, Bangalore Date: Nov.16- Nov.17, 2013 Time: All day

Observer Team: Reporters– Apurva Venkat, Chitharth Mathivanan, Ishan Bhattacharya, Nikita Narvekar & Pranay Lakshminarasimhan Emergency Call Services & Online TrackerBhavika Bhuwalka Proof Reader- Bhaskar Dutta News Editors– Anannya Sarkar & Gaurav Kumar Picture Editor- Mayuri J. Ravi Sub Editors– Anagha Sawant, Aurosmita Acharya & Nibedita Mohanta Chief Sub Editor– Neha Singh Editor- Karishma Ravindran Email- editor@iijnm.org An IIJNM Publication (For Private Circulation)