Mangaluru, Dec 21: The Karnataka government will bear the further expenses for the treatment of Purushotham Poojary, the autorickshaw driver who was injured in the cooker bomb blast in the city on November 19.

Poojary is being treated at a private hospital here. So far, the expenses were borne by his daughter using her ESI benefits. The hospital has now informed that further treatment will not come under the ESI scheme.

"The treatment should be continued from the hospital without pressurising the family to pay the expenses. Hence, the amount which was paid through ESI till now, will be paid by the government henceforth," an order from the Dakshina Kannada district administration said here Wednesday.

Poojary, who was injured in the auto rickshaw cooker blast along with Mohammed Shariq, the prime suspect in the terror case, was admitted to the private hospital on November 19. Shariq has now been shifted to Bengaluru by the authorities.

Poojary has to undergo treatment for another 15 to 20 days at the hospital for plastic surgery.

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra had handed over Rs 50,000 while district-in-charge Minister V Sunil Kumar gave Rs 25,000 to Poojary in their personnel capacity during his treatment.

The DK district administration has sent the proposal to the government seeking compensation for Poojary and a response is awaited, official sources said.

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New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.

The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.

In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.

"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.

It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.

The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.

The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.

The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.

The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.

A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.