Lockdown must be extended for 2 more weeks in Karnataka, says expert
Bengaluru, May 6: A health expert on Thursday suggested extension of lockdown by two more weeks in Karnataka, saying the state is yet to reach peak though it has been reporting over 50,000 cases.
"At least in two weeks we will see a peak in Karnataka," Dr Giridhara R Babu, who is a professor and head of Life Course Epidemiology at the Public Health Foundation of India, told PTI.
Babu, who is a member of the Technical Advisory Committee on COVID, said the case detection is presently erratic because the testing numbers have reduced, especially in Bengaluru.
"I will not give a clear indication on the number of cases during the peak, but irrespective of the testing, we will see the peak in the next two weeks," he said.
Hailing the decision of the state government to impose lockdown from April 27 to May 12, Babu citing an estimate by IISC, said the state has saved 5,800 lives.
"Lockdown has helped in reducing the number of deaths, according to the models by IISc Professor Sashikumaar Ganesan.
So, I recommend that the lockdown be extended by at least two weeks," Babu opined.
He added that there will be an increase in fatalities at least 10 to 14 days from the date of cases being reported.
On the measures to be taken in view of surge in infections, he said triage could be a game changer in the fight against COVID.
According to Babu, there should be more screening and triage centres with oxygen supply all over Bengaluru where the COVID cases are high.
"These (Triaging centres) should be set up every five kilometres. By doing this kind of enhanced triage by using existing manpower, we can tide over the crisis," he claimed.
While daily infections and active cases in the state are rising alarmingly, the fatalities too are spiralling.
On Wednesday alone, there were 346 deaths taking the total deaths so far to 16,884.
Bengaluru was the main contributor of COVID cases in Karnataka with 23,106 infections and 161 fatalities on a single day taking the total infections and deaths to 8,63,380 and 7,006 cumulatively.
The city had 3.13 lakh active cases as on Wednesday.
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.
ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
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.
