Senior Yakshagana artist Shridara Bhandari Puttur passes away
Mangaluru, Feb 19: Veteran Yakshagana artiste Puttur Sridhar Bhandary, who has long been associated with the Dharmasthala Yakshagana Mela, died on Friday, family sources said.
He was 73.
He is survived by wife, two sons and two daughters.
Bhandary had learnt Yakshagana at the age of 12 and first made a stage appearance when he was 15.
He earned praise and recognition for the portrayal of young Yakshagana heroes and was known for his electrifying, youthful and soulful performances.
He was a resident of Bannur in Puttur taluk.
Bhandary had won several honours including Karnataka Rajyotsava award and Yakshaganga academy award.
Some of the immensely popular roles he portrayed were Babhruvahana, Ashwathama, Kusha and Bhargava.
He had served in Subramanya Mela, Balambetttu Mela and Puttur Mela before joining Dharmasthala Mela where he served for 45 years as the leading artiste.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
