Indian-origin man in Singapore jailed for unlawfully setting off Diwali fireworks
Singapore: An Indian-origin man in Singapore has been jailed for three weeks and fined 5,000 dollars for setting off fireworks close to a housing complex during Diwali celebrations in the country last year.
Jeevan Arjoon, 29, bought the firecrackers from Little India shopping precinct and unlawfully lit them at 3.30 AM as Diwali night stunt on November 6, 2018, The New Paper reported on Friday.
The fireworks, shot up to seven-storey, were laud enough to be heard from the neighbouring public housing estate of Yishun.
The display lasted for five minutes. No one was hurt and there was no damage to any property, according to the report.
District Judge Marvin Bay said the court has to take a strict view of Jeevan's use and possession of fireworks, and sentenced him to three weeks' jail and 5,000 Singapore dollars (USD 3,685) on Thursday.
He said the detonation of fireworks can cause serious injuries and pose a risk of fire, noting that they were set off close to public housing.
The judge said that setting off fireworks at 3 AM could also cause considerable alarm to the public, particularly in this time of heightened concerns over possible acts of terrorism.
Jeevan, who was unrepresented, said in his mitigation that he was the sole breadwinner of his family and was taking care of his mother-in-law who was diabetic and blind.
The man, who had a record of giving false information to a public servant in 2017, was also convicted of giving false information to a police officer during investigation into the firework incident. He had tried to put the blame on someone else.
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'With or without Budget, we are doing our work': Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said that he does not need announcements to be made in the State Budget to carry out developmental works.
He said this highlighting the developmental works in his native district of Bengaluru South.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also holds the Finance portfolio, is scheduled to present the 2026-27 Budget on March 6. This would be Siddaramaiah's record 17th budget.
"No need to have expectations from the Budget. With or without the Budget, we are doing our work," Shivakumar said in response to a question on what can be expected from the Budget.
Speaking to reporters, he said, "Others need the Budget. We don't. It's not that we need to take up work only if it is announced in the Budget."
Citing the example of flagship Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) in Bengaluru South district, Shivakumar said, "You get a survey done across the country. Bengaluru South district has 25 government schools, each one costing Rs 15 crore. We have ensured it. Has anyone else done it? Was this in the Budget? We created it, it is our concept. Now there is a state level policy for 2,000 such schools."
Further pointing out that during the JD(S)-Congress coalition government under H D Kumaraswamy's Chief Ministership in 2018-19, he had ensured a medical college was announced for the then Ramanagara (now Bengaluru South) district, he said, "But the next BJP government under B S Yediyurappa cancelled it and took the medical college to Chikballapura district. Now, we have given medical colleges to both Ramanagara and Kanakapura (taluks in the Bengaluru South district)."
He also highlighted private medical colleges are coming up in Channapatna taluk and one between Ramanagara and Kanakapura taluks.
