Inter-state burglary accused arrested in Udupi; gold worth ₹3.9 lakh recovered
Udupi: Kaup police on Thursday arrested an inter-state burglary accused in connection with a house theft case reported from Mallaru village in Kaup taluk.
The arrested man has been identified as Umesh Balegar, also known as Umesh P and Umesh Reddy (47), a native of Fakirnakatta in Mallaru village and currently residing in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu.
The burglary occurred on December 4, when the house owner, Raghavendra Kini, had locked his house and kept the key inside the electricity meter box before stepping out.
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Taking advantage of this, the accused allegedly retrieved the key, entered the house, locked it from inside, and escaped with gold ornaments weighing about 72 grams, valued at approximately ₹3.9 lakh, along with silver articles worth ₹1,500. A case was registered at the Kaup police station.
Based on the modus operandi, a special investigation team was formed under the guidance of Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar. The team, led by Kaup Circle Inspector Azamat Ali G, conducted a detailed investigation and succeeded in tracing and arresting the accused.
Police said the accused is a habitual offender with an extensive criminal record. He is involved in around 16 theft cases registered across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and about 17 cases in various police stations in Karnataka. He has already been convicted in at least 8 cases.
Several non-bailable warrants have been issued against him by courts in Kerala and Karnataka, including cases registered at Thanipalam, Mavoor and Thrissur police stations in Kerala, and Subrahmanya, Belthangady, Puttur Nagar, Moodbidri, Basavanahalli (Chikkamagaluru) and Sirsi Rural police stations in Karnataka.
Police also said that a long-pending case registered at Thirthahalli police station in Shivamogga district was pending against him. In addition, proclamation orders have been issued in two cases registered at Sringeri police station in Chikkamagaluru district.
The arrest operation involved Padubidri Sub-Inspector Anil Kumar T Naik, Kaup Sub-Inspector Shubhakar, and police personnel Rajesh, Mohanchandra, Raghu, Jeevan, jeep driver Jagadish, and CDR section staff Dinesh and Nitin.
Police officials described the arrest as a significant breakthrough in curbing interstate burglary networks operating in the coastal region.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
