Mangaluru, Dec 21: The Karnataka government will bear the further expenses for the treatment of Purushotham Poojary, the autorickshaw driver who was injured in the cooker bomb blast in the city on November 19.

Poojary is being treated at a private hospital here. So far, the expenses were borne by his daughter using her ESI benefits. The hospital has now informed that further treatment will not come under the ESI scheme.

"The treatment should be continued from the hospital without pressurising the family to pay the expenses. Hence, the amount which was paid through ESI till now, will be paid by the government henceforth," an order from the Dakshina Kannada district administration said here Wednesday.

Poojary, who was injured in the auto rickshaw cooker blast along with Mohammed Shariq, the prime suspect in the terror case, was admitted to the private hospital on November 19. Shariq has now been shifted to Bengaluru by the authorities.

Poojary has to undergo treatment for another 15 to 20 days at the hospital for plastic surgery.

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra had handed over Rs 50,000 while district-in-charge Minister V Sunil Kumar gave Rs 25,000 to Poojary in their personnel capacity during his treatment.

The DK district administration has sent the proposal to the government seeking compensation for Poojary and a response is awaited, official sources said.

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Bengaluru: In a major crackdown on drug trafficking and illegal narcotics trade, Bengaluru City Police have arrested 16 accused persons and seized narcotic substances worth Rs 36.67 crore.

According to Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, those arrested include four foreign nationals, eight persons from other states and four locals. Police said the network had interstate as well as international links.

Police recovered 9 kg 64 grams of MDMA, 5 kg 195 grams of hydro ganja, 19,755 LSD strips, 156 grams of heroin, 618 grams of charas, 332 grams of cocaine, 315 grams of drug-mixed gummies and 11 kg 470 grams of ganja from the accused.

The Commissioner said the action was carried out as part of a major anti-drug operation in the city. The network was busted with the support of the CCB Narcotics Control Squad and police stations of Bagaluru, Adugodi, Chikkajala, HSR Layout, Yeshwanthpur, Jalahalli and Jnanabharathi.

Cases were registered in CCB, East Division and West Division police stations based on specific intelligence received on different dates, following which raids were conducted.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were procuring drugs at lower prices from foreign, interstate and local sources and selling them in Bengaluru at higher rates.

Police said college students and working professionals were among the main targets of the accused.