Four arrested for making fake DDs

Bengaluru: Police Inspector of Khanapur station has been suspended for dereliction of duty by allegedly letting in political leaders and others inside the station while BJP MLC C T Ravi was in custody in connection with a case registered against him, officials said on Wednesday.

The suspension order was issued by the office of Inspector General of Police, North Zone, Belagavi on December 21, they said.

On December 19, Ravi was arrested by the police from the premises of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi for allegedly using a derogatory word against Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar in the legislative council hall.

According to the official order, when C T Ravi was taken to Khanapura police station for safety reasons, Police Inspector Manjunath Nayak, who was in-charge of the station, was told to use the staff and assign suitable duties to them.

It was also ordered to block the entry of any person other than the accused inside the police station. However, many political leaders and mediapersons stormed inside the police station. This created a noisy atmosphere inside the station, it stated.

The order further stated that as a responsible police inspector grade officer, Nayak failed to prevent several political leaders from entering Khanapur Police station, thus creating a tumultuous atmosphere.

He violated the order of superiors, showed negligence and carelessness while performing duty. Therefore, a departmental inquiry was initiated and Nayak was suspended from service with immediate effect for dereliction of duty, the order stated.

According to a police statement issued on Wednesday, after registration of case under section 75 (sexual harassment) and 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in Hirebagewadi police station here, Ravi was taken into custody and handed over to the investigating officers.

However, Ravi was shifted to Khanapura police station considering the security aspect and the huge crowd gathered near Hirebagewadi police station.

"A large number of mediapersons, supporters and party workers gathered and created a chaotic atmosphere in Khanapura police station. There was also the possibility of additional supporters and Congress workers arriving. All these factors also had the potential to disrupt public order," the police stated.

Keeping in mind Ravi's safety, he was shifted to Ramadurga, it said.

Udupi: In a shocking case of investment fraud, a 72-year-old man from Udupi, Karnataka, lost Rs 49 lakh after falling prey to a deceptive stock market scheme. The incident highlights the growing menace of online scams targeting unsuspecting individuals.

According to the complaint filed by Francis Castelino, an unknown individual added his son's mobile number to a WhatsApp group titled "Stock Market Navigation." The group shared stock market insights and promised lucrative returns, convincing Castelino’s son to invest. Trusting the information, the son persuaded his father to make substantial investments.

On December 30, 2024, Castelino transferred Rs 17,00,000, his wife contributed Rs 10,50,000, and their son invested Rs 21,50,000 to the bank account provided by the fraudsters. 

However, when Castelino attempted to withdraw the invested money, he and his family were pressured to reinvest further. Realizing that the promised profits and their principal amount were not forthcoming, the family approached the police for help.

A case has been registered at the Udupi CEN Police Station under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and 318(4) BNS. Investigations are underway to track down the culprits and recover the lost funds.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) says the northern part of the Gaza Strip has been going through “the hell of the hell" amid Israel's bombing campaign on civilian facilities and blockade of aid for almost three months.

In an interview with Irish state media RTE on Wednesday, UNRWA Communications Director Juliette Touma said northern Gaza has witnessed “heavy, heavy bombardment," as well as loss of life among civilians and attacks on hospitals and shelters.

She was also asked about the situation in the Kamal Adwan hospital, which is still barely functioning in northern Gaza despite an Israeli order to shut down and evacuate.

Touma said the evacuation orders of medical centers and raids on them "have become commonplace in Gaza" since last October, when Israel unleashed its genocidal war on the Palestinian territory.

“We shouldn’t become numb, though, to the fact that this happens all the time. Because, at the end of the day, this is a violation of international law," she added.

"This is crossing a very thick red line and way too many times the rules of war have been broken in Gaza, and those responsible must be held accountable."

Over the past few months, Israel has used tanks, snipers and quadcopters to attack the Kamal Adwan hospital, where over 400 civilians have sought medical care and shelter.

On Wednesday, Physicians for Human Rights - Israel (PHRI), an Israeli NGO that advocates for medical rights, filed an urgent petition with the regime's top court to end the ongoing attacks on the Kamal Adwan hospital.

The petition calls for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to deliver medical supplies, fuel, and for the safe evacuation of patients and staff.

“The relentless attacks on Kamal Adwan hospital have caused catastrophic harm to medical infrastructure, claimed the lives of patients and staff, and denied access to essential healthcare services," it said.

"Under international law, Israel is obligated to protect the safety and security of patients, medical personnel, and healthcare facilities—even in times of conflict.”

Israel launched its brutal Gaza onslaught on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out a historic operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

So far, the occupying regime has killed at least 45,361 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 107,803 others, in Gaza. 

Since early October, Israel has intensified its attacks in the northern Gaza Strip, cut the area off from the rest of the territory, and blocked nearly all food aid from entering the region.