40 cases registered under the COTPA, 295 people fined for smoking in public places in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): The city police has registered 40 cases and fined 295 people for smoking in public places here.
The action comes following the recent special drive conducted on Friday and in the early hours of Saturday across the north division of the Bengaluru City, they said.
During the operation, police teams carried out surprise inspections at places where smoking is prohibited and took action against individuals who were smoking in public places.
According to police, the teams also inspected shops that had illegally displayed advertisements of cigarettes or beedis at the entrance of their establishments.
Cases were registered against those violating the COTPA (Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act) and fines were imposed on individuals found consuming tobacco products in prohibited
areas, a senior police officer said.
As part of this operation, a total of 40 cases were registered under the COTPA and 295 people, who were found smoking in prohibited public places, were fined, they added.
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Mangaluru police flag fake ‘sea breeze marathon’ Instagram campaign, urge public caution
Mangaluru: Police have flagged a fake marathon campaign being widely circulated on Instagram under the name “Sea Breeze Marathon” and warned the public against falling prey to a suspected cyber fraud network.
The purported post, which began circulating on April 3, claims to offer prize money of Rs 2.51 lakh for a 5 km race, Rs 3.5 lakh for a 10 km race, and Rs 5 lakh for a 21 km race. It also urges participants to register in advance. However, officials have clarified that no such marathon has been organised in Mangaluru.
The poster also promises to provide participants with free sports shoes, goodies bags and refreshments, in order to lure people.
Police suspect that the poster is part of a cyber fraud attempt designed to lure users into registering through fraudulent links.
Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy cautioned that registering through such links could lead to mobile phone hacking and financial loss.
The campaign is also being amplified through a viral video featuring songs from popular movies, along with visuals of people participating in marathons, allegedly sourced from existing footage, giving the content a sense of authenticity and misleading people.
When Vartha Bharati conducted a reverse image search, the video was traced back to marathons held in Mumbai, further confirming that the circulating content is not related to any event in Mangaluru.
Speaking to Vartha Bharati, Commissioner Reddy confirmed that the campaign is fake and that no organisation has approached authorities seeking permission for conducting a marathon, including traffic or road clearances.
“So far, no complaint has been lodged, and no victim of the campaign has been reported,” he said.
