Wildlife photographer from Udupi Haarish Mohammed wins international photography award
Udupi: Haarish Mohammed, a wildlife photographer from Udupi, now residing in Saudi Arabia, has won the international photography competition organized by 35 Awards in the Black and White category. This contest saw a remarkable participation of 465,000 photographs submitted by 111,253 photographers from 174 countries.
Reflecting on his journey, Haarish shared, "I've been fascinated with nature and forests since childhood. During my college years, trekking through the Western Ghats became a regular activity. In 2011, I moved to Saudi Arabia for a job, realizing that my connection to the forest could only be maintained through a career in the Forest Department, becoming a naturalist, or pursuing wildlife photography. I dedicated 1.5 years to learning the theory of photography before purchasing my first camera in 2013.
“The period from 2013 to 2017 was all about learning, and in 2017, I met a group of talented photographers in Saudi Arabia called Photomates, which I joined. With their support, I honed my skills. However, my job in Saudi Arabia limited my opportunities to explore the forests of Karnataka. After the first wave of COVID-19 in 2020, I decided to resign and return to India to start my own business. Since then, I've had many of my works featured and published on various platforms. I visited national parks like Nagarhole, Kabini, and Bhadra, photographing beautiful animals such as tigers, leopards, elephants, and many colorful birds."
Haarish elaborated on the story behind his winning image: "It was taken during an evening safari in the lush forests of Kabini, Karnataka. We were waiting for a herd of elephants to cross our path to reach a water body. To our surprise, a single tusker emerged from the dark forest."
Haarish's achievements include being featured in BBC Earth, the international online magazine PawsTrails, and Nature In Focus. He secured third place in the 2020, 2021, and 2023 photography competitions held by Pilikula Biological Park in Mangalore. His work was also accepted for the International Wildlife Photo Exhibition held by Alvas Virasat in 2023. Additionally, he won a certificate of merit in the National Level Photography Contest conducted by the Karnataka Forest Department in 2023. His most recent accolade is the first place in the 2023 international photography competition conducted by 35 Awards in the Black and White category.
"Wildlife photography is like a window into the world of animals. It helps us understand and appreciate them better by capturing their beauty and diversity. Moreover, wildlife photography raises awareness about the importance of protecting wildlife and their habitats. By showcasing the wonders of nature, it encourages us to take care of it. When we see how amazing animals are, we're more likely to want to save them," Haarish added.
Haarish's photo that bagged first place in international photography competition organized by 35 Awards
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Gujarat man held for impersonating govt official, duping people with forged letters
Ahmedabad (PTI): The Ahmedabad police have arrested a 29-year-old man who allegedly posed as a senior revenue official and used fake letters claiming to be from various government departments to cheat people, an official said on Sunday.
Mehul Shah, an engineer who manages two schools at Vankaner in Gujarat’s Morbi district, is accused of making lakhs of rupees with bogus documents and false claims, said inspector (crime branch) JK Makwana.
Shah had forged an appointment letter from the Ahmedabad district education officer (DEO) to offer a computer operator’s job in a government office to a complainant’s son. He also introduced himself as a trustee of a school and did not pay a man Rs 7 lakh due to him over the painting of a school building, the official said.
“Despite holding no official position in the state or central government, he used fake work permits and NOCs to cheat people of lakhs of rupees,” the police official said.
One complainant alleged that Shah identified himself as a top revenue department official and produced a fake letter from the chairman of the “department of science and research development” to make him install a siren and curtain in a hired vehicle but did not pay for the job, he said.
Bogus letters claiming to be from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ahmedabad DEO were used by the accused to cheat the complainants, the police official said.
Police have recovered from his possession fake identity cards and letters with headings like “bharat gaurav ratna shri samman council”, “chairman of department of science and research development”, “health and family welfare department”, and “road and building department”.
“The FIR is based on complaints by three victims. We appeal to the people to come forward and submit their complaints if they have been cheated by Shah in any way,” Makwana said.
