Ashok who washed away in stream not traced even after 8 days
Chikmagaluru, July 18: Labourer Ashok who was washed away in a stream around 8 days ago was not yet traced. As there was no clue about the youth, NDRF team has called off its search operation. Now, the local divers have continued their searching for the body.
It is said that Ashok swept away along with his motorbike while riding the bike on the Bastihalla bridge at Kyogre in Koppa taluk in the district a week ago. Though the motorbike was traced in the stream, Ashok was not yet traced. Later, the district administration summoned NDRF team to search the body of Ashok. As the NDRF team did not get any clue about him, it has called off its search operation on Saturday.
But Kyogre villagers with the help of Balehole village divers have started the search operation once again from Sunday. The local people have collected donation to provide food, shelter and payment for the divers and they expressed anger against the district administration for its negligence.
MLA visits Ashok house
MLA TD Rajegowda visited the family members of Ashok and consoled them. He said that as he was in the Assembly Session, he could not visit the place. He also said that he would discuss with the deputy commissioner on summoning another team of divers from Mangaluru. He would also speak to the Chief Minister and get the compensation to the family. A proposal would also be submitted to the government to construct a new bridge, he said.
“Balehole diver Bhaskar has been trying to trace the body of Ashok. But the district administration has failed even to give food and minimum payment to the diver. Every day, the local people collect donations and provide food and honorarium”.
- Devaraj, Kyogre resident
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Three company directors held in Rs 100-crore investment fraud in Kochi
Kochi (Kerala) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested three directors of a firm accused of cheating hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme linked to agricultural tourism here, officials said.
The accused were identified as Muraleedharan, Ashik Murali and Akhil Murali, all natives of Thrissur.
The arrests were made by the Kalamassery police in connection with a fraud involving ATCOS (Agri Tourism Cooperative Society), a firm headquartered at Pathadipalam here.
Police said the company had promised high returns by collecting investments from the public in the agricultural tourism sector, but allegedly cheated hundreds of people and fled with the money.
ATCOS was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act and operated 13 branches across various districts in Kerala, besides a branch in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
When investors failed to receive their promised returns or the invested amount, complaints were filed with the police.
Officials said around 54 cases have been registered against the firm in 32 police stations across the state, including 29 cases at the Kalamassery police station alone.
Following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner K S Mahesh Kumar, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shehensha and Thrikkakara ACP Manoj Kumar.
The team traced the accused to an apartment in Amala Nagar in Thrissur, where they had been hiding after secretly renting the flat, officials said.
The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen, and steps have been initiated to trace their assets, officials said.
Police also conducted a raid at the company’s office at Pathadipalam and seized several documents related to the case.
The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kalamassery, which remanded them to judicial custody and sent them to Kakkanad jail.
Police said they would seek the custody of the accused for further interrogation as the investigation continues.
