Reputed Kannada actor Lohitashwa passes away at 80
Bengaluru, Nov 8: Veteran Kannada actor Lohithaswa T S, passed away at a private hospital here on Tuesday, after a prolonged illness.
The 80-year old died at around 2.40 PM after being hospitalised for over a month.
"He had recently suffered a heart attack and had developed brain related issues. Though his other vitals like breathing and BP had improved subsequently, it again started to deteriorate and he breathed his last this afternoon," his actor son Sharath Lohitashwa said.
Speaking to reporters, he said the veteran actor's mortal remains will be kept at their residence in Kumaraswamy Layout in the city till Wednesday morning for his fans and well-wishers to pay last respects.
"It will be later shifted to his native village Thondagere in Tumakuru district, where last rites will be performed by the evening," he added.
Known for his dominating voice, Lohithaswa has acted in more than five hundred Kannada movies, stage plays and television serials.
He was also a playwright and a retired English professor.
His popular films include 'AK 47', 'Dada', 'Deva', 'Nee Bareda Kadambari', 'Sangliyana' among others. Television serials include 'Antim Raja', 'Gruhabhanga', 'Malgudi days', 'Natyarani Shantala', among others.
Expressing grief over Lohithaswa's demise, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in a tweet said, "(He) has a permanent place in the hearts of Kannadigas for his voice and mature acting. I pray for his soul. I pray that God gives strength to his family to bear this grief."
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Bengaluru jail introduces biometric tracking system for prisoners
Bengaluru: In a bid to curb misconduct and illegal activities inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, prison authorities have introduced a new ‘Prisoners Tracking Movement System’ under which inmates will have to undergo biometric verification while entering every barrack.
According to jail officials, biometric systems have been installed across all major sections of the prison, including barracks, visitor rooms, hospital, canteen, kitchen, library, playground, handicraft units and bakery sections. Staff members have also been deployed at these locations.
Officials said inmates visiting the visitors’ room must now obtain a digital token after biometric verification. Details such as the prisoner’s name, identification number and entry time will be updated in the prison software system. This will help authorities maintain a complete digital record of inmates visiting and returning from meeting rooms.
Similar systems have also been introduced at entry points of the hospital, library and other barracks accessed for work-related purposes. Officials said the system will help identify prisoners involved in suspicious or illegal activities with other inmates and enable authorities to track how much time a prisoner spends at different locations inside the prison.
Authorities stated that AI-powered cameras were already being used inside the prison to monitor inmates as well as prison staff. Along with this, digital tracking of prisoner phone calls and a digital token system for visitor meetings have now been added to strengthen surveillance over inmate movement. Officials said the project has been implemented at a cost of around Rs 2.25 crore.
The prison department has also introduced a canteen usage tracking system to monitor prisoners’ spending patterns. Instead of direct cash payments, inmates can purchase bakery items and snacks using wallets or coupons issued within the prison system.
Officials said the digital system will record details including the buyer’s name, items purchased, quantity, date, time and remaining wallet balance. This will allow prison authorities to maintain complete expenditure records of inmates.
