Bhatkal: Tree branch pierces Volvo bus; Conductor dies
Bhatkal: A KSRTC Volvo bus conductor was killed when a branch of a tree pierced the vehicle in Bhatkal on Thursday night.
The deceased has been identified as Panchayya Mathapati (35) from Belagavi.
The bus between Mangaluru-Bhatkal reached Bhatkal at around 8: 55 pm on Thursday. Then, the bus driver and conductor Panchayya had dinner after dropping passengers. The incident occurred at around 9: 30 pm when the bus was going to the KSRTC bus depot on Sagar Road.
When the bus driver took the bus off the road to avoid collision with an autorickshaw that was moving in opposite direction, a large branch of a tree pierced the bus and hit Panchayya. Consequently, he succumbed to the injuries on the spot.
Bhatkal police have registered a case regarding this.
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Govt ruthlessly demolishing drug cartels, securing convictions against offenders: Amit Shah
New Delhi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ruthlessly demolishing drug cartels and praised the NCB for securing convictions against 73 offenders in the first quarter of 2026.
Among the important convictions is one linked to a case involving the seizure of 2.75 kg of heroin at the Ahmedabad airport in 2021 and 4.23 kg of heroin at Fazilka (Punjab) along the India-Pakistan border in 2022.
In these cases, two foreign traffickers were sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, a home ministry statement said.
Shah took to X to say: "To protect our youth from the scourge of drugs, the Modi govt is ruthlessly demolishing drug cartels and is also ensuring their conviction."
"Under this mission, the NCB has made a breakthrough of getting 73 drug offenders convicted in the first three months of 2026, with harshest punishments. We are determined to shut every breathing space of drug rackets with entire might. Congratulations to NCB for this achievement," the home minister said.
According to official data, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) secured convictions for 73 drug offenders in 35 cases in the first three months of this year. Of the convicts, four were awarded the maximum sentence of 20 years, while 54 received sentences of 10 years or more.
The statement said a total fine of Rs 1.22 crore was also imposed on the convicts.
The statement also mentioned a conviction secured in the 2023 pseudoephedrine-diversion case (a controlled substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) involving a company named Alps Life Sciences Private Limited located in Sonipat, Haryana.
In this case, three accused, including the firm's director, were sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh each. The company was also convicted and fined Rs 1.5 lakh. The permission granted to the company for manufacturing pseudoephedrine has also been withdrawn by the NCB, the statement said.
The federal anti-narcotics agency has also appealed to other central and state enforcement agencies to identify key undertrial cases involving drug kingpins and ensure effective prosecution, according to the statement.
