New tree park honoring Salumarada Thimmakka to be built in North Bengaluru: Eshwar Khandre
Bengaluru: Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment Eshwar Khandre stated that a stone laying ceremony would soon be held for 'Salumarada Thimmakka Sasyodyana' in the model of Cubbon Park at the 153-acre forest land in Madappanahalli near Yelahanka RTO office. This would aid in remedying the lack of 'lung space' in the northern part of Bengaluru city, he said. He was addressing the valedictory ceremony of 'Wildlife week' at Aranya Bhavana in Bengaluru on Monday.
"The 153-acre forest land had been leased to the State Forest Development Corporation. As the contract period is over now, the forest department will develop a Cubbon Park style tree park, with the aid of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund. Bengaluru has grown far and wide around Yelahanka. So if we build the Salumarada Thimmakka Tree Park here to benefit people, this will be a top level attraction", he said.
Citing a recent Indian Forest Survey report, Khandre said that Bengaluru, the third largest city in India, had about 89 sq. km of forest which amounted to 6.81% tree cover. However, around 5 sq. km of tree cover was lost in the last ten years, he said.
"The fast growing Bengaluru city needs to reclaim its legacy of being a 'garden city'. The department must collaborate with the public to conduct more and more tree planting events. Along with this, we need to recover the encroached forest land in the capital city", Khandre stated.
Referring to how people throng zoos and jungle safaris to be enchanted by the wildlife in weekends, the Minister for Ecology said that all of us had the responsibility to protect and conserve these wonderful creatures which made us happy. This was why the department conducted a wildlife week from October 2 to 8 of every year, he said.
School children who won various competitions held during the Wildlife Week were awarded prizes during the occasion. A wild life photography and postal stamps exhibition was also held at the event.
Forest Department Additional Chief Secretary Manjunath Prasad, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Task Force Brijesh Kumar Dixit, Chief Wildlife Warden Subhash Malkhede and others were present.
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CBI charge sheets Sanjay Roy for rape and murder of trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical college
New Delhi, Oct 7: Civic volunteer in Kolkata Police Sanjay Roy had raped and killed the trainee doctor in the seminar hall at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, the CBI has alleged in its first charge sheet in the sensational case filed on Monday while ruling out "gang rape".
In the charge sheet filed before a Sealdah court 54 days after the CBI took over the investigation, the agency said that Roy had committed the crime alone and it has not found evidence so far to substantiate allegations of gang rape and involvement of other individuals, officials in the know of the developments said.
The agency told the court that it has kept the probe open into other aspects of the crime, they said.
The report had annexure carrying statements of prosecution witnesses was filed .
The local police had arrested Roy on the next day of the crime - August 10 - based on the CCTV footage and his inability to explain his conduct at the time of the crime.
The CBI heavily relied on the CCTV footage which showed Roy entering the seminar hall at around 4 AM on August 9, they said. The footage showed that he had left the room after 30 minutes, they said.
The DNA samples collected from his nails also indicated his role in the gruesome crime, they said.
The body of the trainee doctor was found at 9.30 am on August 9 by her colleague who went looking for her before starting ward rounds.
The Tala police station was informed about the "body of a lady lying in an unconscious state" and its team reached the spot around 10.30 am. Her autopsy had shown multiple internal and external injuries on the body.
The CBI has charged Roy with Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 64 and 66 pertaining to rape and 103(1) relating to murder.
Section 66 of the BNS prescribes a punishment for causing the death of a woman during rape, with a minimum of 20 years rigorous imprisonment or life imprisonment or death sentence. Under Section 103 (1), the punishment is death or imprisonment for life.
The CBI, which took over the investigation on August 14 following a Calcutta High Court order, also took Roy’s custody and conducted a detailed interrogation, followed by a polygraph test.
Roy had claimed innocence during questioning and had said that when he entered the room he found the woman doctor unconscious. He could not explain the reasons why he did not inform the police.
Roy had refused to give consent for the narco analysis, following which the CBI could not proceed with the test.
The CBI has also arrested Tala police station officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondal and former principal of the medical college Sandip Ghosh in the case. Ghosh is also facing another CBI case pertaining to alleged corruption.
The junior doctor's killing sparked protests by resident doctors across the country, demanding better security for them.
The Supreme Court also took cognisance of the case and related allegations levelled by agitating doctors and has been holding hearings on the matter.
