The managing director of the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation Limited allegedly received a death threat from a subordinate who was angry at being transferred.

In a police complaint, Islauddin Jalaluddin Gadyal said N G Chennigaraya, the corporations Mandya district manager, barged into his office on the 12th floor of VV Tower on Ambedkar Veedhi, central Bengaluru, on February 27 and threatened to kill him.

Chennigaraya was transferred recently but had failed to report for work. Gadyal then issued him a notice. Chennigaraya requested him to revoke the transfer, but the KAS officer refused to do so.

Following Gadyals complaint, the Vidhana Soudha police rushed some of their men to VV Tower but Chennigaraya had left by then. He has been booked under IPC sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

Tejaswin Shankar underlined his class with a national record in high jump to confirm his spot in the Commonwealth Games squad on the third day of the Federation Cup athletics championships here on Wednesday.

Tejaswin, who had cleared 2.28 metres indoors in a competition in the United States last week, repeated the effort outdoors to break his own record of 2.26 metres set in 2016.

The mark was well clear of the qualification guideline of 2.25 metres set by the Athletics Federation of India and also showed the 19-year-old has struck a note of consistency after moving to the US on a scholarship.

The Delhi youngster had competition from Haryanas Siddharth Yadav, who also met the CWG guideline by clearing 2.25 metres. But he failed three times at 2.28, settling for the silver.

Tejaswin then raised the bar to 2.31 metres but missed out narrowly.

"Today, I was a bit excited while going for the 2.31. It was a world-class height and I could have cleared it in my first of the three attempts. I missed it narrowly. But it is alright. I hope I will cross this height soon," said Tejaswin.

Tamil Nadus L Suriya also met the CWG guideline, powering home in the 10000M in 32:23.96. The norm was 32:30:00 seconds.

Keralas Sheena N V won the triple jump with an effort 13.31 metres while V S Surekha hit form in the pole vault pit with a clearance of 3.90 to win the gold. Both, however, missed the CWG standard.

Karnatakas Khyati Vakharia won the silver in the pole vault, with a clearance of 3.80 metres. Annu Rani too had disappointment in store in womens javelin. She could manage only 57.37 metres, falling well short of the standard of 62.50 metres.

Results:Men: 10000M: G Lakshmanan (Tamil Nadu), 29:31.72, 1; Gavit Murli (Gujarat) 29:33.85, 2; Abhishek Pal (Uttar Pradesh) 29:34.47, 3. High jump: Tejaswin Shankar (Delhi) 2.28 metres (National record. Old: 2.26, Tejaswin, Coimbatore, 2016), 1; Siddharth Yadav (Haryana) 2.25, 2; Srineesh C (Kerala) 2.14, 3.

Discus throw: Dharamraj Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 55.35 metres, 1; Kirpal Singh (Punjab) 54.51, 2; Mithravarun S (TN) 54.28, 3. Women: 10000M: L Suriya (Tamil Nadu) 32:23.96,, 1; Sanjeevini Jadhav (Maharashtra) 33:36.49, 2; Swati Gadhave (Maharashtra) 33:47.02, 3. Triple jump: Sheena N V (Kerala) 13.31 metres, 1; Renu (Haryana) 13.22, 2; M A Siva Anbarasi (Tamil Nadu) 12.95, 3. Pole vault: V S Surekha (Tamil Nadu) 3.90 metres, 1; Khyati Vakharia (Karnataka) 3.80, 2; Krishna Rachan (Kerala) 3.70, 3.

Javelin throw: Annu Rani (Uttar Pradesh) 57.37 metres, 1; Pushpa Jakhar (Haryana) 53.70, 2; Kumari Sharmila (Rajasthan) 53.53, 3.

The JD(S) will continue its alliance with the Congress in the BBMP in spite of the ruling partys stand against backing it in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.

The JD(S) parliamentary board has taken a decision to this effect, the partys national president H D Deve Gowda told reporters on Wednesday. But he made it clear the JD(S) would keep protesting against the Congress over corruption and other issues both inside the BBMP council and outside.

Gowda said he didnt want to send a wrong message by withdrawing support to the Congress. "If we withdraw support now, it might create an impression that Im supporting the BJP. But it doesnt mean that I am scared of anybody or of the consequences," he said. "Withdrawing support will be the last resort. JD(S) corporators and ex officio members, including legislators and MPs, will sit together and weigh all options. The Assembly elections will be held in three months. Once the results are out, the equations will change."

Dont hassle motorists: HDK

JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy, who took part in the partys Vikasa Parva Padayatra in Padmanabhanagar, appealed to workers and candidates for Assembly seats in Bengaluru not to hassle the public by causing traffic jams. "I am not happy with the idea of the padayatra. Just because the BJP is carrying out one, it doesnt mean the JD(S) should do it, too," he said. He added that hassling the public would not help the JD(S) win over the electorate but would rather dent its prospects.

Kumaraswamy asked JD(S) leaders to go door-to-door instead and educate the voters about the partys good work.

The ruling Congress will come out with a charge sheet to highlight the way the BJP mishandled Bengaluru, Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said here on Wednesday.

This will be a counter to the BJP, which has already released a 20-page booklet to showcase the "misrule" of Bengaluru under the Congress regime, which the saffron party followed up with a Bengaluru Rakshisi (Protect Bengaluru) padayatra covering all 28 Assembly segments in the city.

"In fact, it was the Congress that protected Bengaluru from the BJP," Reddy told reporters. "By the time we came to power, the BBMP had loans worth Rs 3,500 crore, Rs 2,500 crore of pending bills and six public properties were pledged. We have taken steps to remedy these mistakes," he said.

A committee under retired high court Justice H N Nagamohan Das was looking into the irregularities in the BBMP from 2008 to 2012, Reddy said.

"Our charge sheet will highlight the mistakes committed by the BJP. Once the BJP is done with its padayatra, we will also cover all the 28 constituencies and take the message to the people," Reddy said, adding that KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao had been tasked with the job of preparing the charge sheet against the BJP.

The all-new logo of the Bengaluru Central University (BCU) which was inaugurated on Wednesday will hold the words of Kuvempu, one of the greatest poets of the 20th century.

The logo is based on the universitys motto Aagu Nee Aniketana translated as Be Boundless. The line is from Kuvempus poem Vishwamanava Sandesha, which conveyed his message of universal brotherhood.

"The first lines of the poem are translated as Oh spirit! Transcend all boundaries. We shortened it to Be Boundless. This reflects the vision of the university which is open and inclusive. There will be freedom of thought and expression," Vice-Chancellor Prof S Japhet said.

The design was created by artist M S Murthy, former chairman of the Lalithakala Academy. Japhet said there was a public call for submission of logo designs and a committee of writers including Prof K Marulasiddappa and Dr Siddalingaiah, shortlisted them.

The logo was signed by the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddi and retired Justice M N Venkatachaliah who is an alumnus of Central College. It will be framed and preserved for posterity, Japhet said.

Kuvempu, the first recipient of the prestigious Jnanpith award, was once a professor of Kannada Literature at the Central College for six years. "He wrote a majority of Sri Ramayana Darshanam which got him the Jnanpith award when he was with the Central College," Japhet said.

The logo also features the Clock Tower which is a landmark of the Central College campus. The tower which was set up more than a century ago is one of the oldest clock towers in the city.

On Wednesday, the Clock Tower which had not been ticking for several years was also restored to operation.

"It had not been working for about five to ten years and it was symbolic of how the campus was being neglected. With the clock working again, it symbolically conveys that the university is on the move as well," Japhet said.

The restoration work of University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) was inaugurated on Wednesday by the chief minister.

The work marks the 100th year of the engineering college established by eminent engineer Sir M Visvesvaraya.

Addressing the students, Siddaramaiah urged them to strive to achieve the same heights which their colleges founder did.

Prof K R Venugopal, Principal, UVCE said that the Rs 25 crore granted by the government in its centenary year will be used to restore heritage buildings on the campus. Work will also begin on a new block for the mechanical department. "The plan is being developed by the state department of architecture. We will need another Rs 100 crore to complete the plan," he said.

Venugopal said that more teachers should be appointed as there is a shortage and the college should be developed to become a deemed university.

The video that purportedly showed Nithyananda and an actress in a compromising position was morphed, the self-styled godmans lawyer argued before the high court on Wednesday.

The Ramanagaram police had taken up the case on the basis of a complaint filed by a former female disciple of Nithyanandas. The woman accused the 40-year-old godman of sexually assaulting her. That came shortly after Tamil news channels aired the video in 2010.

Nithyanandas lawyer, senior counsel C V Nagesh, sought to discredit her, saying she often carried condoms and liquor bottles in her vanity bag and was known to do stripteases at some bars in Los Angeles, US. People living in Nithyanandas Bidadi ashram were aware of her character. Her accusation that Nithyananda sexually assaulted her is false, the counsel submitted during the hearing on a criminal revision petition filed by the godman and his associates.

The petition has challenged the rejection of the discharge petition by the trial court in the criminal case under IPC sections 295 A (insulting religious belief), 420 (cheating), 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural sex), 506 (i) (criminal intimidation) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy).

Justice R B Budihal adjourned the hearing until Thursday.

Amidst a grand ceremony on Wednesday, the newly formed Bengaluru Central University was inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Its website, logo and a vision document were also launched on the occasion.

Chief minister inaugurated the university by unveiling a plaque at the Central College premises. He also inaugurated the restored clock tower.

Founding Vice-Chancellor Prof S Japhet said addressing the chief minister. "We will need at least Rs 1,000 crore to build this university but to begin with please give us a sum of Rs 500 crore. Then, we will be able to bring it to the standards you have dreamed of."

He requested the chief minister to grant an additional land of 40 to 50 acres and to sanction additional teaching and non-teaching faculty posts.

In response, Siddaramaiah said,"We will give you the land and money but you should ensure quality education first."

Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy said the states Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education is 26.5%, higher than the national average of 25.2%. "In the next five years, we want to increase it to 40%," he said.

Laptops will be distributed to first-year students of BE, BA, BCom, BSc and polytechnic in government colleges for free at a cost of Rs 300 crore, he said.

Nine old students of Central College were felicitated by the CM at the ceremony: Scientist Dr Roddam Narasimha, film director M S Sathyu, poet S Nissar Ahmed, former editor of Deccan Herald and Prajavani K N Hari Kumar, freedom fighter H S Doreswamy, former chief justice of the Supreme Court Justice M N Venkatachalaiah, educator Dr Geetha Narayanan, scientist Dr Vasudev Aatre, and poet Dr Siddalingaiah.

Poet Nadoja K S Nissar Ahmed reminisced about his time as a student and later, as a teacher. Ahmed poked fun at transport minister H M Revanna, who was also a student of Central College and present at the event. "I am not sure if he has the right to sit here because he did not come for a single class. He used to sit on the compound wall of the college," Ahmed said.

Two universities without VCs

Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy said that the names proposed for the post of vice-chancellor of Bangalore University (BU) had been sent to the Governor. The names recommended for Mysore University will also be sent in two days, he said. The two universities have been without vice-chancellors for more than a year.

Late beginnings

Students were irked that the programme began two hours late since the chief minister arrived at the venue only at 1 pm. Many left the venue even before the chief minister delivered his address.

Days, after the state government launched the Arogya Karnataka universal healthcare scheme, doctors and health activists, point out that it contains nothing new.

While appearing similar to the Arogyashree and Yeshaswini schemes, Arogya Karnataka also has the same beneficiaries, said Dr C N Manjunath, director, Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research.

Besides concessions on payment, the scheme appears to offer no coverage for surgeries or expensive equipment, some of which costs as much as Rs 4 lakh. It only covers a family of four up to Rs 1.5 lakh and an additional Rs 50,000, if needed.

The requirement of a referral letter before approaching a private hospital could also cause considerable trouble to patients, especially if they have to undergo secondary procedures like a Cesarean section.

"All our beds are full. Patients are waiting in queue for appointments," Dr Manjunath said, explaining on how delays could hurt patients.

The Karnataka Janorogya Chaluvali, an NGO that works on various health issues in the state, said the scheme continues to be a card-based entitlement as it makes Aadhaar mandatory for those wanting to enroll.

Also, the scheme focuses on selected surgical procedures, while not considering long-term and non-surgical ailments that need medical management, the organisation said.

"The scheme has brought a lot of focus on government hospitals, but shortage of doctors in those hospitals are a matter of concern that needs to be taken care of," said Dr Alexander Thomas, executive director, Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI).

Police inspector Chandrappa, attached with the District Special Branch (DSB) Kolar, has been arrested for abetting the suicide of a KSRTC conductor and his mother.

Maunesh and Sundaramma, the mother-son duo, plunged to death from the fifth floor of the MSC Empress apartment in Belathur in Kadugodi in east Bengaluru on Tuesday. Both were residents of Chikkanahalli in Shahpur, Yadgir district.

Mauneshs wife Sridevi lodged a complaint with the Whitefield police on the same night. The police probe, which focused on circumstantial and scientific evidence, indicate that the deaths were suicide.

The police also recovered a suicide note written by Maunesh, accusing Chandrappa of causing enormous mental torture.

Taking the note as evidence, the police booked Chandrappa under IPC Sections 306 (abetment to suicide) and 343 (illegal confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

"We are also writing to the superintendent of police, Kolar to place Chandrappa under suspension, and to initiate a departmental inquiry," said an official.

The police are also searching for Chandrappas sister Manjula, who went missing recently, to ascertain if she had a marital relationship with Maunesh.

Inspectors version

In his statement to the police, Chandrappa had said he suspected Maunesh for his sisters disappearance as the conductor had an affair with her. He also alleged that Maunesh eloped with Manjula and married her.

Chandrappa traced the couple, annulled their marriage and brought Manjula home. But his sister went missing for a second time.

Chandrappa then invited Maunesh to his flat to search for Manjula. Fearing that the inspector would harm Maunesh, his mother Sundaramma also came with him to Bengaluru.

On Tuesday morning, the duo jumped from the kitchen utility area of the fifth-floor flat and committed suicide.

A leaf and garden-waste processing centre opened in Domlur, East Bengaluru, on Wednesday.

Set up at a cost of Rs 56 lakh, the unit will process the waste from Sharadamma Layout, Amarjyoti Layout and Domlur. It was inaugurated by Domlur corporator C R Lakshminarayan. Nonprofits Sasken Foundation and B.PAC were instrumental in setting it up.

Speaking on the occasion, Revathy Ashok, CEO, B.PAC, said: "This project aims to support the BBMPs efforts to set up decentralised leaf and garden waste-processing centres and reduce the air pollution caused by the burning of such waste."

The centre can generate a tonne of fertilisers that can be used in 22 parks in Domlur ward.

The Karnataka State Pharmacy Council has released a 30-minute video to educate the public on the need to buy medicines from a registered pharmacist.

Despite claims by the Karnataka State Drug Comptroller of cancelling several licences and raiding drug stores, unregistered pharmacists remain a serious threat to the public as they continue to issue drugs across the counter.

"A registered pharmacist never really runs a drug store. He simply hands over his/her certification to another person who runs the store," said vice president of the state drug council, D A Gundu Rao. "Although the drug store does have a licence hung in the shop, the actual registered pharmacist is never available there."

The message

Rao said the video would educate consumers to be wary of unregistered pharmacists, who act against the provisions of the Pharmacy Act, 1948.

"Beware consumers," says the video. "Why are you showing negligence while buying medicines?"

Drugs must be issued by a registered pharmacist since they can read the doctors prescriptions properly and issue the medicines in the right dosage, the video says. "Drugs save lives, so ensure that drugs are bought through a registered pharmacist only. Dont risk your lives," it warns.

Council president Gangadhar V Yavagal said the video will be officially launched on March 11. "We want the public to know the dangers of buying drugs from unregistered pharmacists," he said.

Yavagal said the council has been instructing all pharmacists to renew their licences paying just Rs 200 per year. But only a few pay heed. Among the 55,000 registered pharmacists in the state, the council has removed over 20,000 for not renewing their licences.

The First Additional City Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court extended the judicial custody of Mohammed Nalapad Haris and six others till March 21 in a pub brawl case.

Nalapad and the others were produced via video conference from the Parappana Agrahara central prison.

On February 21, the 8th ACMM rejected their bail applications and sent the accused to 14 days judicial custody, till March 7. Since the case has been shifted from the Cubbon Park station to the Central Crime Branch police, the case was also transferred from the 8th ACMM to First ACMM.

As Nalapad was denied bail, his judicial custody was extended by a further 14 days, till March 21.

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday adjourned the bail plea of Mohammed Nalapad Haris, arrested for his involvement in assaulting a man in a pub.

Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar adjourned the petition, saying he will hear the main bail plea and not the interim application after Special Public Prosecutor M S Shyamsundar sought two days to file objections on allowing Nalapad on bail.

Justice Kumar also allowed Alam Pasha, who runs an NGO, to assist the prosecution in the case.

Senior council C A Nagesh, representing Nalapad, raised no objections on Pasha assisting the prosecution.

Advocate Usman P, who filed Nalapads bail application, said the son of the Shantinagar MLA was falsely implicated in the case and that dented his reputation. The complaint does not indicate that Nalapad committed any overt act that could be considered a non-bailable offence.

The petition also states that the rejection of bail by the sessions court caused serious prejudice in view of subsequent revelations by the doctors.

The victim feigned illness and was not cooperating with the doctors and the investigating agency to record his statement. Doctors treating him have certified that it was a clear case of malingering since February 25.

While the statements of the accused were recorded soon after they surrendered, the victim did not cooperate with the investigating agencies and he attempted to manipulate medical records to create false and imaginary grounds for rejection of Nalapads bail, the petition said.

The assault was a spontaneous incident spurred by a drunken brawl and the victim did not sustain injuries to the vital parts of his body that could have caused death, the bail plea said.

The incident was blown out of proportion and Nalapad was unjustly subjected to media trial because he happens to be the son of an MLA, said the petition.

It also said the victim is the son of an influential businessman and there are no apprehensions about his safety, except for the SPPs claims that he is facing threats.

It conveyed Nalapads submissions that he will cooperate with the probe and abide by the conditions the court may impose on him.

In a bid to celebrate the spirit of women empowerment, an all-women crew will be stationed at various highway toll plazas.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)will deploy women staff at toll plazas across the state at various posts like managers, toll fee collectors, shift in-charges, housekeeping staff, lane assistants, shift assistants on regular basis in general shifts from 8 am to 4 pm at various toll plazas.

At Attibele and Electronic city, under the jurisdiction of project implementation unit, Ramanagara, 40 women are already working at various levels.

Women are also deployed at Talapady, Hezamady and Gundmi toll plazas under the jurisdiction of NHAIs Mangaluru unit, Shanthigrama and Kadaballi plazas under Hassan unit.

Several events are organised in the city to mark the International Womens Day on March 8.

Aside from the usual discounts at spas, pubs and restaurants, many talks and discussions on womens issues are being organised.

Bangalore University will organise a talk on this years theme Time is Now: Rural and Urban activists transforming womens lives. The keynote address will be delivered by Sunanda Jayaram, leader of the Karnataka State Farmers Association.

Ramaiah Institute of Technology is organising a two-day seminar on Women in Engineering with Dr Shubha V, Head of Airport Instrumentation at National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) as one of the key speakers.

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will celebrate the day with the announcement of schemes for the benefit of women employees and passengers. Transport Minister H M Revanna will be honouring women achievers Padmashree Sulagatti Narasamma, the 97-year-old midwife and Anitha Meri, a government school teacher from Bhadravathi.

K Ratnaprabha, chief secretary of the state, and the states first woman Director-General and Inspector General of Police Neelamani S Raju will be taking part in the celebrations organised by the Karnataka Media Journalists Union in Nayana Sabhangana.

The New India Charitable Trust will mark the day with a silent protest march from Mysore Bank circle to Freedom Park to urge judiciary to fast-track rape cases.

From now onwards, the Aadhar upgrade facility will be available in all BBMP ward offices.

BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad made the announcement on Wednesday during the civic bodys budget council meeting.

He said that since the Central government had mandated the linking of Aadhaar with most documents, many people either have to register afresh or make changes to existing cards. Since there are few such centres in the city, opening an Aadhar upgrade centre in every BBMP office will help people reach out to their nearby offices.

Many corporators spoke about how officials in Aadhaar offices are asking people to get a letter from the local MLA only after which the card will be issued.

"This opening of new centres will help curb all those problems," Prasad said.

Maternity hospital

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated a 50-bed maternity hospital near Referral Hospital in Chamarajpet on Wednesday. However, the necessary equipment is yet to be installed in the hospital, a senior BBMP official said.

Dialysis centre

A new dialysis centre, Sanjeevini, was inaugurated by Bengaluru Development and Town Planning Minister K J George in BTM Layout 1st Stage on Wednesday.

The centre is a collaboration between the BBMP and the NGO Integrated Rural Development Society. It is a 16-bed facility.

DH News Service

The state government will sign a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the government of France on March 10 to set up waste energy plants in the city.

The proposal was presented by the government of France to the state government in 2017.

French President Emmanuel Macron will be signing the MoA with Karnataka in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, city Mayor R Sampath Raj and BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad on Saturday in Delhi.

The waste plant will be coming up at a Chikkanagamangala site near Anekal in Bengaluru Urban where the civic body is processing waste as of now.

With the introduction of the technology provided by France - which is on a public-private partnership model - about 7-8 MW of power can be generated.According to the revenue model, the Chikkanagamangala facility will be taken for a 3-year lease by the company. "There were a lot of procedures which we had to go through and we have completed all formalities for the process," said Prasad.

The Bengaluru division of the South Western Railway (SWR) will run an all-women crew train from Bengaluru to Danapur (Patna) on Thursday.

The women crew on Sanghamitra Express includes an assistant loco pilot, a trainee guard, three security personnel and six ticket checkers, who will work from the Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna, Bengaluru, to Chennai Central stations.

The railways has also decided to make the Banaswadi station an all-women staff station.

From the station master to booking and reservation clerks, women employees will oversee the work.

Despite the forest department rejuvenating the Yelahanka Puttenahalli Lake, it would take longer to fully restore the citys only bird conservation reserve due to a rundown sewage treatment plant.

Home to over 127 bird species, the lake was declared a bird conservation reserve in August 2015. But its catchment area has been built over and is mired with sewage. The forest department began rejuvenating the lake in September 2017.

Forest officials wrote to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Department to restore the 5-MLD sewage treatment plant and make sure it pumps cleaner water into the lake.

"Besides rainwater, treated water is the only source of rejuvenation for the lake in the dry months," Deputy Conservator of Forest, Bengaluru Rural, Dipika Bajpai told DH. "The existing STP is being used to supply water to the Attur Lake and Allalsandra STP. Now, the BWSSB has a greater responsibility to ensure the Puttenahalli Lake also gets water from this STP."

The lake wears a barren look as the forest department has drained it for desilting. "It was slushy. Water was barely up to the waist level (three feet). Weve cleared the silt up to 10 feet and are slanting the base from 0-10 feet, mindful of all the bird species visiting the lake," said an official, in-charge of the lake. The natural depth of the sprawling 37-feet lake would be roughly 12 feet. Its catchment area has been completely constructed. The state government has sanctioned Rs 12 crore for its rejuvenation. The department, however, invited tenders for Rs 9 crore.

"Well use the remaining funds for beautification at a later stage. Our priority is to rejuvenate the lake, for which were seeking the BWSSBs help as the dry spell after the monsoon season will be very tough," Dipika said.

Nityanand Kumar, BWSSB chief engineer for waste water management, said estimates are being prepared for the STP, which is getting delayed due to technical issues. The target is to complete it by 2020.

The BWSSB is also building underground sewage lines to ensure dirty water does not enter the lake.