Report linking Kalkuli Vittal Hegde, Kadidal Shamanna to Naxalism: Two scribes fined
Chikmagaluru: Sringeri First Sessions Court on Friday slapped a fine of Rs 20000 each on two journalists on charges of publishing a defamatory report on environmental activist Kalkuli Vittal Hegde and farmers leader Kadidal Shamanna linking them with naxal activities.
The court has fined an editor and residential editor of a state level newspaper.
On June 3, 2007, Hosadiganta newspaper has published the report on its front page against Kalkuli Vittal Hegde and Kadidal Shamanna under the headline 'Kalkuli Vittal Hegde, Kadidal Shamanna have naxal links: Here is proof', alleging that they have naxal links.
Against the report, Hegde moved the court and filed a defamation case saying that it was a false news. By making a news, the newspaper has tarnished his image and insulted him, he complained.
After a prolonged hearing of the case, judge S Suryanarayan, on January 25, 2019, had announced the verdict citing that the editor of the newspaper have failed to prove their version of the news. Based on publishing the defamatory news, the court opined that newspaper editor Du Ga Lakshman and resident editor S Shantaram have done cognizable offence under IPC Section 500, 501 and 502.
For this case, the court has slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 to each of the journalists and if they failed to pay the penalty, the journalists have to undergo seven months imprisonment. Moreover, the photo published in the newspaper was taken in 1998 and during that time, there was no naxal movement in Malnad region. That photo was taken during public awareness meetings related to Kudremukh National Park issue. Parvathi who was with Vittal Hegde and Shamanna, in that photo, was not involved in naxal movement at that time, the court observed in its verdict.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
