Covid cases rise in Bengaluru; Nine-month-old tests positive, Karnataka issues advisory
Bengaluru: Karnataka's Health Department has issued an advisory amid a gradual increase in Covid-19 cases in Bengaluru, with 32 out of the state's 35 reported cases this year originating from the city. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday urged the public to follow preventive measures, although the situation remains under control.
“Out of 35 cases in the state so far, 32 are from Bengaluru,” said Minister Rao. While calling the rise concerning, he emphasized that no emergency has developed yet. “People should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour to limit further spread,” he added.
The Health Department has advised pregnant women, children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals to wear face masks when visiting crowded places. The use of hand sanitizers and maintaining hygiene have also been recommended for the general public. The Minister further advised those showing symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) to get tested for Covid-19 to ensure early treatment and prevent transmission.
Among the new cases is a nine-month-old baby from Hoskote, near Bengaluru, who tested positive on May 22 via a Rapid Antigen Test. The child is being treated at Vani Vilas Hospital and is reportedly in stable condition with no complications, according to health officials.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed concern over a potential uptick in cases nationally and urged the Central government to act swiftly, citing rising infections in countries such as Singapore and Hong Kong.
“There is a possibility of rising Covid-19 cases here as well. The Centre must take proactive measures in response to the global trend,” the Chief Minister stated.
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Traffic fraud: Fake 'no-entry' sticker racket busted in Delhi, mastermind among 3 held
New Delhi (PTI): Police here have busted a crime syndicate involved in traffic fraud and extortion, arresting three people including the alleged mastermind who sold fake stickers to help commercial vehicles bypass no-entry restrictions, an official said on Saturday.
The police said they dismantled a third organised syndicate linked to traffic-related frauds, with the arrest of Rinku Rana alias Bhushan, his associate Sonu Sharma and Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, who was also connected to another extortion syndicate.
According to the police, Rinku Rana was running a well-organised network that facilitated the movement of commercial goods vehicles during restricted hours by selling fake 'marka' or stickers for Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per vehicle every month. The stickers were falsely projected as authorisation to evade traffic challans.
During raids, the police recovered Rs 31 lakh in cash, property documents worth several crores of rupees, over 500 fake stickers and six mobile phones allegedly used to operate the syndicate.
The crackdown followed a complaint filed by a traffic police officer in April this year after a commercial vehicle tried to evade checking by producing a fake sticker claiming exemption from enforcement action.
Investigation revealed that social media groups were being used to coordinate the illegal movement of vehicles and alert drivers about traffic police checkpoints, police said.
"A parallel system was being run to cheat drivers and vehicle owners while undermining traffic enforcement. On the basis of evidence, provisions related to organised crime under the BNS were invoked," a senior police officer said.
Sonu Sharma, the police said, managed social media groups through which stickers were sold and real-time alerts were circulated regarding traffic police movement. He also acted as a link between Rana and drivers operating in the field.
In a related development, Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, an associate of Rajkumar alias Raju Meena, who was earlier arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), was also apprehended.
Mukesh allegedly helped extort money from transporters and was involved in blackmailing traffic police personnel by recording enforcement actions, the police said.
Investigators alleged the syndicate led by Rajkumar deployed drivers to deliberately violate traffic rules and secretly record police officials during challans, later using manipulated videos to extort money under threat of false allegations.
The police said that in total, eight accused belonging to three different organised crime syndicates linked to traffic frauds and extortion have been arrested so far.
Further investigation is underway to trace the remaining members, conduct financial probes, and analyse digital evidence recovered during the raids, officials added.
