Mangaluru, Apr 1: Two people have been arrested on charges of dropping objectionable items into the offering box at a daivasthana here, police sources said on Thursday.

The sources said the two had earlier confessed their guilt to the Koragajja Katte (daivasthana for spirit worship) priest and had surrendered before shrine authorities who later handed them over to the police.

City police commissioner N Shashi Kumar saidthe temple authorities had summoned them during the 'Nemotsava' festival (performance of 'Bhoota Kola'-spirit worship) where the two allegedly admitted their guilt.

The commissioner said another accused, who was a friend of the duo, had died of serious health issues recently.

Later, one of them also faced health issues and fearing the wrath of the 'Daiva,' as the temple deity- Koragajja-is called in Tulunadu region, both decided to surrender.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused had resorted to similar acts in at least three places and the probe will continue, the commissioner added.

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New Delhi (PTI): To beef up the security infrastructure of ports, the government will set up a statutory body -- the Bureau of Port Security -- that will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information of ports and vessels, officials said on Friday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday convened a meeting for the constitution of the dedicated body, the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS), which was attended by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, an official statement said.

Emphasising that there is a need to establish a country-wide robust port security framework, Shah directed that security measures should be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, taking into account vulnerabilities, trade potential, location, and other relevant parameters.

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The meeting also noted that lessons learned from the maritime security framework shall be replicated in the aviation security domain, the statement said.

The new body, modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), will be constituted as a statutory body under the new Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and will work under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), it said.

Headed by a senior IPS officer as its director general, the BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.

"During the transition period of one year, the director general of shipping shall function as the director general of BoPS," the statement said.

"The BoPS will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity, including a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats," it said.

The government has designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a recognised security organisation (RSO), responsible for undertaking security assessments and preparation of security plans for port facilities.

The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will train and build the capacities of private security agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security.

"These agencies shall be certified and appropriate regulatory measures shall be introduced to ensure that only the licensed PSAs operate in this sector," the statement said.