DK SP clarifies actions taken against MLA Harish Poonja amid chaotic incident in Belthangady
Belthangady: Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police Rishyanth CB provided clarity on the recent disturbances involving local MLA Harish Poonja, addressing the legal actions taken and the ensuing chaos.
Speaking to reporters in Dharmasthala, SP Rishyanth explained that the initial measures followed legal procedures, with a notice issued for the first case and station bail granted for the second. Further actions will depend on the MLA’s response to the notice.
The SP recounted that three police officers were initially dispatched to MLA Poonja’s residence to bring him in for questioning. However, as a crowd began gathering outside the legislator’s house, additional police personnel were deployed. Local representatives noted the congestion on the narrow street and assured the authorities they would disperse their supporters, requesting the police to withdraw. Consequently, the officers were asked to leave, and the MLA was later taken to the police station for questioning, where he was granted station bail for one of the cases against him.
Regarding the ongoing investigation, SP Rishyanth mentioned that the police are determining whether the alleged illegal mining occurred on private or government land. If confirmed as private land, a case will be filed against the accused, who will also face arrest. During an inspection, quarry workers provided the tahsildar with information on the quarry’s ownership, leading to the arrest of one individual while another remains at large. The police are actively investigating and anticipate arresting the second person soon.
SP Rishyanth emphasized that the law must be upheld, regardless of an individual’s status as an elected representative. He criticized the gathering of large crowds to oppose the legal questioning of an MLA or to demand the withdrawal of a notice or case, stating that legal procedures and charges cannot be influenced by public demonstrations. The law, he reiterated, remains impartial and unaffected by the number of supporters an accused individual might have.
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Four killed, one critically injured as tractor-trolley collides with bike in UP's Kaushambi
Kaushambi (UP) (PTI): Four people were killed and another man was critically injured after a tractor-trolley collided head-on with a motorcycle near a village here on Thursday, police said.
Five people were riding on a single motorcycle when the accident took place at around 9 pm near Arka village in the Karari area, they said.
The deceased were identified as Rahul (14), Akash Saroj (25), Aman (22) and Chhotu (20), while Vikas Kaithwal (18) sustained critical injuries. All the victims were residents of Dhanpara village.
The victims were taken to the district hospital, where doctors declared four of them dead. The injured person is undergoing treatment, police said.
Following the accident, the driver fled with the tractor, leaving the trolley behind, they said.
Police are now examining CCTV footage along the route taken by the motorcycle riders.
The Circle Officer of Manjhanpur has been asked to probe the functioning of police pickets and Police Response Vehicles deployed on the route, a senior police official said.
The families of the deceased have been informed, and post-mortem examinations are being conducted, he added.
