Bring amendment to law for cancelling licenses of shops selling drugs: CM Siddaramaiah to officials
Bengaluru, May 31 (PTI): Asserting that his government will make Karnataka a drug-free state, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday instructed the officials to bring an amendment to the law regarding cancellation of licenses of shops and other centers selling drugs.
Speaking at the review meeting with Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of all districts and CEOs of all Zilla Panchayats here, he asked for strict action to be continued against drugs.
"As many as 6,767 cases were registered in 2023 and 4,188 cases in 2024. So far this year, 1,793 cases have been registered. DCs and SP should take effective steps to curb drug trafficking in the districts," Siddaramaiah was quoted as telling officers, his office said in a release.
If necessary, the government is committed to implementing stricter laws, he said, as he called for continuous monitoring of drug activities in schools and colleges.
Questioning as to why no action is being taken against hate speech in the districts, despite the Supreme Court's clear directions in this regard, the CM said a complaint should be filed immediately and action should be taken as per the law.
Similarly, immediate action should be taken in cases of spreading false news and information about government schemes and measures taken, he said.
The DCs should provide all cooperation to the police department to curb criminal activities. All pending cases under the Goonda Act should be disposed of expeditiously, he said.
Meanwhile, Minister Santosh Lad suggested "honey fencing" to prevent elephants from destroying agricultural fields or plantations, during the discussion on increasing incidents of human-animal conflicts in the state.
"A serious discussion was held in the meeting about the loss of lives due to human-animal conflict in many places in the state and to provide a scientific solution to this. At this time, Minister Santosh Lad explained to the Chief Minister about 'honey fencing, honey farming'," the Chief Minister's office said in a statement.
Pointing out that elephants do not come to the area where there are bees, the minister said that therefore, if honey farming is done along the elephant barricade, it will benefit the farmers and the elephant menace can also be avoided.
Siddarmaiah urged officials to take appropriate measures to prevent human-elephant conflict.
"Elephant task forces should work actively. Proper food should be made available to elephants in the forest itself. In addition to this, work should be done to remove lantana weeds. Also, the availability of drinking water should be ensured in sufficient quantities in the forest," he said.
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3 Indians arrested in Canada for shooting outside home
Ottawa (PTI): Three Indian nationals have been arrested by Canadian police on an anti-extortion patrol and charged after bullets were fired at a home.
Harjot Singh (21), Taranveer Singh (19) and Dayajeet Singh Billing (21) face one count each of discharging a firearm, and all have been remanded in custody until Thursday, the Surrey Police Service (SPS) said in a statement on Monday.
The suspects were arrested by patrol officers after an early morning report of shots fired and a small fire outside a home in Surrey's Crescent Beach neighbourhood, the LakelandToday reported.
On February 1, 2026, the SPS members were patrolling in Surrey’s Crescent Beach neighbourhood when reports came in of shots being fired and a small fire outside a residence near Crescent Road and 132 Street.
The three accused were arrested by SPS officers a short time later, the statement said.
SPS’s Major Crime Section took over the investigation, and the three men have now been charged with Criminal Code offences, it said.
All three have been charged with one count each of discharging a firearm into a place contrary to section 244.2(1)(a) of the Criminal Code.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming. All three have been remanded in custody until February 5, 2026.
The SPS has confirmed they are all foreign nationals and has engaged the Canada Border Services Agency, it said.
One of the suspects suffered injuries, including two black eyes, the media report said.
Surrey police Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said on Monday that the suspect had refused to comply with instructions to get out of the ride-share vehicle and started to "actively resist."
"As we were trained, he was taken to the ground and safely handcuffed," said Houghton.
A second suspect with a black eye was also injured in the arrest after refusing to comply, Houghton said.
The arresting officers were part of Project Assurance, an initiative that patrols neighbourhoods that have been targeted by extortion violence.
Houghton said the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is also involved because the men are foreign nationals, and the trio may face additional charges.
It's not clear if the men are in the country on tourist visas, a study permit, or a work permit, but Houghton said CBSA has started its own investigation into the men's status.
Surrey has seen a number of shootings at homes and businesses over the last several months, but there's been an escalation since the new year.
