Shivamogga: Girl swept away in flood water
Rains continue to wreak havoc in Western Ghats
Shivamogga: With the rains wreaking havoc in several places in Western Ghats range in the district, major rivers are flowing above the danger mark. Normal life was paralysed in Thirthahalli and Hosanagr taluks. Amidst this, a school girl washed away in flood water in a stream in Thirthahalli taluk on Monday.
When the girl identified as Ashika (14) of Kendalubailu Doddamane near Agumbe tried to cross the foot-bridge across a stream, she slipped into the flowing water and washed away. She was studying in 9th standard at Guddekere government high school. Because of heavy rains, schools and colleges in the taluk were declared holiday on Monday. But unaware of the holiday, she has gone to the school. After she came to know about the holiday, she returned home. While going back home, she tried to cross the stream over the foot-bridge, but slipped into the water and swept away, it is said.
Sources also said that the incident happened when her mother was accompanying her at that time.
The taluk officials and senior police officers rushed to the spot and began searching operation to trace the body of the girl. Because of heavy rains, the searching teams were finding it difficult to continue the search operation.
Though the rains gave some respite in other parts of the district, he continued to lash in the Western Ghats range in the district.
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Three company directors held in Rs 100-crore investment fraud in Kochi
Kochi (Kerala) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested three directors of a firm accused of cheating hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme linked to agricultural tourism here, officials said.
The accused were identified as Muraleedharan, Ashik Murali and Akhil Murali, all natives of Thrissur.
The arrests were made by the Kalamassery police in connection with a fraud involving ATCOS (Agri Tourism Cooperative Society), a firm headquartered at Pathadipalam here.
Police said the company had promised high returns by collecting investments from the public in the agricultural tourism sector, but allegedly cheated hundreds of people and fled with the money.
ATCOS was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act and operated 13 branches across various districts in Kerala, besides a branch in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
When investors failed to receive their promised returns or the invested amount, complaints were filed with the police.
Officials said around 54 cases have been registered against the firm in 32 police stations across the state, including 29 cases at the Kalamassery police station alone.
Following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner K S Mahesh Kumar, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shehensha and Thrikkakara ACP Manoj Kumar.
The team traced the accused to an apartment in Amala Nagar in Thrissur, where they had been hiding after secretly renting the flat, officials said.
The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen, and steps have been initiated to trace their assets, officials said.
Police also conducted a raid at the company’s office at Pathadipalam and seized several documents related to the case.
The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kalamassery, which remanded them to judicial custody and sent them to Kakkanad jail.
Police said they would seek the custody of the accused for further interrogation as the investigation continues.
