Despite ban, PoP idols resurface in Bengaluru ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi: Report
Bengaluru: With nearly two months left for Ganesh Chaturthi, banned Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols have made a return to the streets of Bengaluru, raising concerns over environmental compliance and enforcement lapses.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, over 100 idols — many ranging from three to five feet in height — were seen on display at the Venkateshwara Temple premises on Seshadripuram Main Road. Another stall near Kamat Hotel on RV Road had fewer idols, but business was reportedly brisk.
Despite a statewide ban on PoP idols imposed by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) in July 2016, vendors continue to promote them as a preferred option. The Karnataka High Court upheld the ban in January 2017, citing the need to protect waterbodies.
At Seshadripuram, a vendor insisted PoP remained ideal for large idols. "Clay is fine for small ones. PoP idols are cheaper, lighter and do not break easily," DH quoted him as saying.
Both sellers and buyers reportedly appeared uneasy when questioned about the ban. One vendor justified his products by pointing to the use of non-toxic colours and claimed their idols were of better quality than cheaper alternatives found elsewhere, such as on RV Road.
PoP does not dissolve easily in water and can affect water’s alkalinity, turbidity, hardness, suspended solids and oxygen demand. These changes can severely degrade water quality during idol immersion rituals.
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Two arrested in K'taka for assaulting minors, uploading CSAM content
Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said.
A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.
Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.
Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.
Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.
Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.
The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.
According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet.
"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.
