Kerala man faces trouble as wife gets road safety camera pics of him with woman friend
Thiruvananthapuram, May 10: The controversial road safety cameras installed on Kerala roads has not only caused headaches to the state government but also to a man who travelled on a scooter along with his woman friend without wearing a helmet, in the capital city.
The details of the traffic rule violation by the man, along with the photographs taken by the high-end cameras, and sent by the Motor Vehicle Department, triggered issues in his family, which finally resulted in a police case and his arrest.
An Idukki native, the man had taken a ride on the scooter with his woman friend through the city's roads without wearing a helmet on April 25.
As the wife was the owner of the vehicle as per its Registration Certificate, the details of the violation by the man and the fine to be paid were sent as a message to her mobile phone.
When the message was received, the wife questioned the husband asking who the woman pillion-rider seen in the photograph was.
Though the 32-year-old man, an employee of a textile shop here, claimed that he had no relationship with that woman and that he had just given her a lift on the scooter, the wife didn't believe him. It led to an argument between the couple.
She lodged a complaint with Karamana police here on May 5, alleging that the husband had manhandled her and their three-year-old child.
"He was taken into custody based on her statement. An arrest was recorded under IPC 321 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 294 (obscene acts) and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act (assault or neglect of child)," a police officer told PTI.
The man was produced before a court, which remanded him in judicial custody later, he added.
Kerala has been witnessing an intense political row over the installation of cameras on state roads as part of the road safety project 'Safe Kerala'.
The opposition Congress has levelled serious corruption charges against the LDF government over contracts related to the installation of the cameras.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Over 70 pc maternal deaths in Karnataka could've been prevented: Audit report
Bengaluru, Apr 04 (PTI): Nearly 70 per cent of maternal deaths that occurred between April 1 and December 31, 2024, could have been prevented by following certain practices such as optimising cesarean rates and ensuring health facility preparedness, according to the interim maternal death audit report released by the Health and Family Welfare Department on Friday.
Following a sudden spurt in maternal deaths in Ballari during November 2024, the Karnataka government constituted a technical team of experts to examine all maternal deaths from April 1, 2024, and submit an audit report.
According to the report, out of the 464 maternal deaths analysed across districts in the state during this period, 18 were linked to the use of substandard Ringer Lactate solution, reportedly supplied by West Bengal-based manufacturer Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals.
Of the 18 maternal deaths associated with the Ringer Lactate issue, five were reported in Ballari, four in Raichur, four in Bengaluru Urban, three in Uttara Kannada, and one each in the Yadgir and Belagavi districts.
The audit found that 65 per cent of the total maternal deaths occurred in government hospitals, 22 per cent in private hospitals, 10 per cent in transit, and 2 per cent at home.
It noted that the 10 deaths that occurred in transit were caused due to "negligence of the service providers."
The report also revealed that 50 per cent of the maternal deaths occurred among women aged 19 to 25 years, while 6 per cent were among women aged above 35.
Further, 72 per cent of the deaths were among first-time and second-time pregnant women.
Notably, 68.5 per cent of the women who died had one or more risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, infections, or severe anemia—indicating that high-risk pregnancies significantly contributed to maternal mortality.
In contrast, 31 per cent of the deaths occurred in women with no known risk factors.
The audit report stated that 37 per cent of the maternal deaths followed normal deliveries, while 63 per cent were associated with cesarean sections.
According to the state government, Karnataka has made steady progress in reducing maternal deaths and has already achieved the Sustainable Development Goal of a Maternal Mortality Ratio below 70 by 2030.
"As per the latest 2024–25 statistics, the state MMR is 57. Compared to the previous financial year, maternal deaths have decreased in the first three months of this year. In January–March 2024, 148 maternal deaths were reported, while in the same period in 2025, the number dropped to 102," the department said in a statement.
The state-level expert committee also submitted 27 recommendations to improve the quality of antenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum services in healthcare facilities.
Key recommendations include capacity building, equipping facilities with essential drugs and equipment, strengthening blood storage units, and mandating hospital stays of three days after normal delivery and seven days after cesarean delivery.
The committee also recommended post-mortem examinations in cases where the cause of death is unclear.
"Birth planning should be done for all pregnant women, including decisions on the time, place, and mode of delivery. Necessary logistics such as transportation—via 108 services or local transport—should be discussed and finalised well before the expected delivery date," the report stated.
According to the Health Department, the committee reviewed all maternal deaths, including those in private facilities, that occurred in Karnataka from April 1 to December 31, 2024.
The audits were conducted by examining healthcare processes based on medical records and oral submissions from doctors and specialists involved in the care of the deceased patients.
