Bengaluru, Jul 1 (PTI): In the wake of recent cases of deaths due to heart attacks in Hassan, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday cautioned people against symptoms even as an experts committee headed by the Director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research has been formed to identify the exact cause behind these deaths.
He urged everyone to visit the nearest health center immediately for a check-up if they have symptoms such as chest pain or difficulty breathing, and not to ignore these signs.
The chief minister said that more than twenty people have died due to heart attacks in the past month alone in just one district of Hassan.
"The government is taking this matter very seriously. To identify the exact cause of these series of deaths and to find solutions, a committee of experts has been formed under the leadership of Dr Ravindranath, Director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, and they have been instructed to submit a study report within 10 days," he said, in a post on 'X'.
According to him, orders were given to the same committee back in February to conduct a thorough study on the reasons behind sudden deaths among young people in the state, and whether the COVID vaccines could have had any adverse effects. In this regard, the process of examining and analysing heart patients is also underway.
"We too value the lives of children, youth, and innocent people who have their entire lives ahead of them, and we share the concerns of their families," he said.
Siddaramaiah condemned the actions of BJP leaders, alleging that they are using such matters for their political gains.
"It cannot be denied that the hasty approval and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to the public could also be a reason for these deaths, as several studies worldwide have recently indicated that COVID vaccines could be a cause for the increasing number of heart attacks. Before the BJP criticise us on this matter, they should ask their conscience," he added.
The chief minister said the state government is fully committed to finding the true cause behind these sudden series of deaths in Hassan district and across the state and to preventing them.
"With this goal, we have already implemented schemes like Hridaya Jyothi and Gruha Arogya to monitor public health. Based on the report from the expert committee under Dr Ravindranath's guidance, necessary actions will also be taken. As a government, we are making every possible effort to protect the health of the people," he said.
According to the health department, a directive has also been issued to form a district-level committee to verify the facts of each reported cases of heart attack death in the media. The committee headed by Dr Ravindranath has been instructed to investigate this matter in collaboration with Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences and to submit a report within 10 days.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundo Rao said Dr Ravindranath committee will look into these deaths, conduct an audit, collect all the necessary information, and check for any abnormalities or variations.
"We've taken it seriously. If there are any factors beyond medical reasons, those will also be examined and verified. A proper scientific analysis will be done once the report is ready. We have asked the committee to submit the report within 10 days, and based on that, we will take further decisions," he told reporters here.
Among the reported deaths due to heart attacks in Hassan, four were in the age group of 20 years and below, one in the age group of 21-29 years, five were in the age group of 30-40 years, seven deaths were in the age group of 41-59 years and one death was in the age group of above 60 years, the health department added.
In the past month alone, in just one district of Hassan, more than twenty people have died due to heart attacks. The government is taking this matter very seriously. To identify the exact cause of these series of deaths and to find solutions, a committee of experts has been…
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 1, 2025
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.
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.