Kalasa DRFO suspended for alleged fraud in trekking ticket scam
Chikkamagaluru: The Forest Department has suspended Kalasa Deputy Zonal Forest Officer, Chandan Gowda Dyamana Gowda, of the Koppa Forest Division following allegations of fraudulent activities involving the sale of fake trekking tickets.
The officer is accused of creating counterfeit tickets for popular trekking spots such as Rani Zari and Ballalarayana Durga in Mudigere taluk and selling them online. The funds from these ticket sales were allegedly transferred to an individual named Monika via PhonePe.
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The scam came to light when a trekker arrived at the site without prior online booking, leading to an investigation by forest department officials. It was discovered that Chandan Gowda had reportedly generated more than 10 fake tickets. Discrepancies were found between the official online booking records and the on-site registration book.
Following an investigation by the Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Upendra Pratap Singh ordered the suspension of Chandan Gowda on Monday. The investigation report confirmed that the officer had engaged in fraudulent activities, resulting in government losses.
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Double-decker electric bus gutted in fire at Kurla BEST depot
Mumbai (PTI): An empty double-decker electric bus was gutted in a fire during servicing at a BEST depot in Mumbai's Kurla area on Sunday, officials said, adding that nobody was injured.
The blaze broke out inside the Kurla BEST bus depot near Kanakia Building at 4.14 pm, according to preliminary information from the Mumbai Fire Brigade.
The parked bus was unoccupied at the time of the incident.
Fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. The exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, they said.
No injuries were reported in the incident, officials added.
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has hired 50 electric double-decker buses from Switch Mobility in its fleet of around 2,700 buses.
