Udupi: Naxal Activist Lakshmi Thombattu surrenders at SP Office
Udupi: Lakshmi Thombattu, a former Naxal activist who had been involved in the Naxal movement two decades ago in the Kundapur region, surrendered at the office of the Udupi District Superintendent of Police (SP) today. With this, Lakshmi becomes the first Naxal fighter from Udupi district to return to the mainstream of society.
Accompanied by police security, Lakshmi arrived at the SP office along with her brother, Vittal Poojari, relatives, and members of the Naxal surrender and rehabilitation committee, including Sripal. The surrender process took place in the presence of SP Dr. K. Arun and Additional SP S.T. Siddalingappa.
Also present were Kundapur DYSP H.D. Kulkarni, Udupi DYSP D.T. Prabhu, and Karkala DYSP Aravind Kalagujji.
Lakshmi had been actively involved in the Naxal movement in Udupi district, alongside Vikram Gowda. Recently, Vikram Gowda lost his life in a police encounter. Lakshmi has now chosen to surrender to the authorities.
For the past several years, Lakshmi had been living in Andhra Pradesh with her husband and two children.
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Goa nightclub fire: Co-owner Ajay Gupta's police remand extended by four days
Panaji (PTI): A Goa court on Thursday extended by four days the police remand of Ajay Gupta, co-owner of Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, where a devastating fire on December 6 killed 25 persons.
Gupta was arrested from New Delhi on December 10. A court in Mapusa had remanded him in police custody for seven days at the time.
Gupta was presented before the lower court, which sent him to four-day police custody as his initial remand was expiring, his advocate Rohan Desai told reporters.
"Gupta had complained about back pain. The court ordered his medical examination, after which he was allowed use of a mattress in custody. He was examined by a specialised doctor at Goa Medical College and Hospital near here," the lawyer said.
Twenty-five persons, including 20 staff members and five tourists, were killed in the major blaze at the nightclub at Arpora in North Goa around midnight of December 6.
Gupta had, during the day, filed an bail application.
So far, eight persons have been arrested in connection with the case, including Gupta, and two other owners - Gaurav Luthra and his brother Saurabh - who were deported from Thailand.
Five other staffers of the nightclub arrested in the case are Rajiv Modak (Corporate General Manager), Priyanshu Thakur (Gate Manager), Rajveer Singhania (Bar Manager), Vivek Singh (General Manager) and Bharat Karan Singh Kohli (employee).
A Look Out Circular (LOC) has been issued against Surinder Kumar Khosla, another owner of the nightclub who is a British citizen, police said.
