No need to impose night curfew in Karnataka for now: CM Yediyurappa
Bengaluru, Dec 22: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday said there was no need for imposing night curfew in the state for now, after neighbouring Maharashtra announced such a move amid growing concerns over a new coronavirus variant spreading in Britain.
"This (new coronavirus variant) is something that has worried the people of the state and the country, we have come to know that a person who has arrived in Chennai has been found infected. We have to be extra cautious. Whoever comes from outside they will be checked at the airports itself before allowing them," Yediyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, all the necessary precautions have been taken and the government was watchful to control the spread of the virus in Karnataka.
"There is no need for it here, for now," he said in response to a question about Karnataka emulating Maharashtra by imposing night curfew, as he also noted that restrictions were already in place for New Year celebration in the wake of COVID-19 situation.
The Maharashtra government on Monday had declared a night curfew in municipal corporation areas as a precautionary step amid growing concerns over a new coronavirus variant spreading in Britain.
However, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said, he will discuss with the Chief Minister regarding imposing night curfew in the state and come to a decision, but ruled out the possibility of a lockdown.
"I held discussions with the Secretary, Union Health Department, who said that there was no reason to worry, but necessary precautionary measures be taken. He suggested that night curfew may be imposed after examining, as done in other states...I will meet the Chief Minister and discuss with him about the night curfew," he added.
Stating that as a precautionary measure, the state government has mandated seven-day home quarantine for travellers from the UK, Denmark and the Netherlands, the Minister on Monday had said those who have arrived in the state from these three countries in the last 14 days will be traced within the next 24 hours and subjected to RT-PCR test.
Noting that so far no one who had come in the last 14 days and had undergone RT-PCR tests had tested positive, Sudhakar on Tuesday said, in case anyone tests positive we have asked NIMHANS to study the virus through genetic sequence and provide a comprehensive report.
He said the contacts and addresses of the 138 people who had come to the state from the UK, Denmark and the Netherlands without any negative reports, have been gathered last night itself, and they will be made to undergo tests and will be monitored.
"They will have to quarantine at home and all of them will be tested."
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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.
