First detention centre in Karnataka to house illegal immigrants
Bengaluru: Amid nation-wide protests over the controversial citizenship law, the first detention centre in Karnataka, reportedly meant to lodge illegal immigrants and migrants overstaying in the country, has been opened in Sondekoppa village near here.
The facility with several rooms, a kitchen and toilets has been kept ready on the directions of the government, a social welfare department official said. However, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai objected to the term 'Detention Centre'.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he had said, "In qualified terms, it is not a detention centre. There is no purpose per se to detain someone on the issue of citizenship." He ruled out that the centre has been operationalised.
".. please check with the social welfare department. At least I have no information that it has started. If at all it has been operationalised then there should be some detenue there? No one is there," he added.
According to Bommai, the purpose to keep the facility ready was to lodge African nationals overstaying in India and indulging in drug peddling.
He said their illegal activities create a law and order situation in the country. "It is only to keep them (African nationals) there and send them back to their nation," he added.
A social welfare department officer told PTI on condition of anonymity that they have got the direction to keep the 'Central Relief Centre' (CRC) ready before January 1.
The 20-year-old building was a hostel for more than 18 years for the poor and downtrodden community but as the number of students dwindled, it was lying vacant for almost two years waiting for the habitants.
Explaining the reason behind including the Social Welfare Department in this project, the officer said, "Food, accommodation and clothes will be provided to the detenus by our Social Welfare Department."
But, Foreign Regional Registration Officer Labhu Ram, said, "Please check with the Social Welfare Department. The detention centre is looked after by the social welfare department."
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
