Newly commissioned ICGS Vikram arrives at Mangaluru base
Mangaluru: Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Vikram, the first in class of seven new generation offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) built by Larsen and Toubro, has arrived at its base port in Mangaluru on Sunday.
Contracted by Ministry of Defence (MoD) in March 2015 under government's initiative of ‘Make in India', the OPV was commissioned by union minister of state for defense Subash Bhamre at Kattupalli near Chennai on 11 April 2018 in the presence of DG Rajendra Singh, Director General, ICG.
The defense ship, after its keel was laid in March 2016, was completed in just 25 months of build period including trials and commissioning. The commissioning of indigenously designed and built ICGS Vikram has rendered a befitting curtain-raiser to ‘Make in India' theme of DEFEXPO, which is being organised in Chennai.
The vessel which is approximately 97m long, 15m wide, has 3.6m draught, 2140 tone displacement and a range of 5,000 NM. It can attain a sustained speed of up to 26 knots. The OPVs are built with Integrated Platform Management System to enable unique control capabilities generally integrated into larger warships like frigates and destroyers.
The ship is also designed to carry one Twin Engine Light Helicopter and stage through of twin-engine heavy helicopter with night flying capabilities. It also has the capabilities to carry pollution response equipment to contain oil spill contamination at sea.
Vikram meaning ‘Valour' with a complement of 14 Officers and 88 men is commanded by Commandant Rajkamal Sinha.
The arrival of ICGS Vikram at Mangalore will be a significant milestone in augmenting the maritime security of Karnataka. The ship will enhance Indian Coast Guard's operational capabilities to discharge various naval tasks on Western Seaboard in general and the Maritime States of Karnataka in particular.
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Online fraud: Hotel chef from Udupi cheated of over Rs 1 lakh by WhatsApp contact
Udupi: Udupi City Police have registered a case of online fraud after a 62-year-old hotel chef was allegedly cheated of Rs 1.13 lakh by a woman who befriended him on WhatsApp, claiming to be based in London.
The victim, identified as Pandu Kariappa Poojary, a resident of Kuthpadi in Udupi, was working at a hotel in Mangaluru.
He reportedly came into contact with a woman identifying herself as Emilda William on WhatsApp. During their interactions, she told Poojary that she planned to start a cosmetics and hotel business in India and would meet him during a visit to Mangaluru.
On April 7, Emilda sent Poojary a flight ticket from London to Delhi via WhatsApp. The following day, Poojary received a phone call from a woman who informed him that Emilda had arrived at Delhi airport carrying a demand draft worth Rs 5 crore along with other items. The caller allegedly asked him to pay Rs 70,000.
Subsequently, Poojary also received a call from Emilda, who was reportedly crying and spoke about the situation. Believing the claims, he transferred a total of Rs 1,13,300 in phases using a scanner. He later realised that he had been cheated.
