COVID-19: 4,267 new cases, 114 deaths in Karnataka
Bengaluru: Karnataka on Monday logged 4,267 new cases of COVID-19 and 114 fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 1,82,354 and the toll to 3,312, the health department said.
The day also saw 5,218 patients being discharged after recovery. Of the fresh cases, as many as 1,243 were from Bengaluru Urban district alone.
As of Monday evening, cumulatively 1,82,354 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 3,312 deaths and 99,126 discharges, the health department said in its bulletin.
Out of 79,908 active cases, 79,227 are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while 681 are in the intensive care units.
Among the fresh deaths, Thirty-six were from Bengaluru Urban, followed by Davangere (11), Dakshina Kannada (8) and Ballari (7). Most of the dead are either with a history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) or Influenza-like illness (ILI).
Besides the state capital, Mysuru 374 cases, Ballari 253, Davangere 225, Kalaburagi 196, Raichur 165, Dharwad 157, Bagalkote 147, Dakshina Kannada 146 and Vijayapura 139 were among the districts with higher cases.
Bengaluru urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 75,428 infections, followed by Ballari 10,624 and Mysuru 7,685. Among discharges too Bengaluru urban tops the list with total of 41,166 discharges, followed by Ballari 5,447 and Kalaburagi 4,837.
A total of 17,29,067 samples were tested so far, out of which 22,620, the lowest in recent days, were tested on Monday. Among the samples tested today 8,193 were rapid antigen tests, the bulletin said.
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Vande Bharat passenger finds live worms in packaged curd; vendor fined, contract terminated
New Delhi (PTI): The Railways has terminated the contract of a vendor after a passenger found worms in a packaged curd served to him on the Patna-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express and imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh on the company.
The Railway Ministry has also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on its own company, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), for not handling the matter properly.
On March 15, a group of seven passengers on board the Vande Bharat train were served packaged curd of a known brand along with dinner. Upon opening one of the packets, they found live worms and insects inside. The passenger, Ritesh Singh, immediately flagged the issue on his X handle, tagging the IRCTC, the Railway Minister and others.
In its incident-cum-action taken report, IRCTC found that the curd packet was picked up from Patna, with a manufacturing date of March 9, 2026 and an expiry date of April 7, 2026.
The report stated that the officials apologised to the passengers and served them dry fruit mixtures and some sweet treats.
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"We tried to explain the situation to them in every possible manner and requested them to verify the matter at the spot. However, they refused to delete the tweet and expressed their intention that the video should go viral and trend,” the report said.
According to the report, the vendor, Krishna Enterprises, was fined Rs 25,000 and warned for negligence in food handling. The firm was also instructed to maintain a proper cold chain, be more vigilant and adhere to food safety protocols.
Dissatisfied with the IRCTC’s action, the Railway Ministry on Wednesday directed it to terminate the contract of Krishna Enterprises and enhance the fine from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50 lakh.
The ministry has also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on IRCTC.
"Considering the gravity of the lapses, the competent authority has decided to impose a fine of Rs 10 lakh on IRCTC for such deficiency in services. Further, IRCTC is advised to ensure strict monitoring of onboard services so as to prevent any such incident in future," the Ministry said in its order.
"All concerned IRCTC supervisors must be directed to ensure that food quality, food safety and hygiene are their prime concerns," it added.
The ministry also posted the matter on its X handle, stating, "The complaint regarding food quality raised by a passenger in train number 21896 (Patna-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express) on 15 March, 2026 has been taken seriously.”
“Action taken - IRCTC has been penalised Rs 10 lakh, the service provider has been penalised with Rs 50 lakh, and has been ordered to terminate the contract. Passenger safety and quality remain our top priority,” the post read.
