Veterinary doctor killed in hippopotamus attack in Karnataka zoo, inquiry ordered
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Bengaluru (PTI): A veterinary doctor, who had entered an enclosure to provide medical care at the Tavarekoppa Lion and Safari Zoo in Shivamogga, died after being attacked by a hippopotamus.
The deceased, Dr Sameeksha Reddy (26), had been recently appointed on a contract basis, office of Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said in a statement.
She was attacked by the hippopotamus around 11.30 pm on Thursday while attending to a wild animal, it said.
According to Khandre's office, She was rushed to a hospital in Shivamogga but succumbed to her injuries around 6.30 am on Friday, doctors said.
Calling it an unfortunate incident, the minister said the government stands with the bereaved family during this difficult time. “Every life is precious. May God give strength to the family to bear this loss,” he said.
The minister has ordered compensation to the family of the deceased doctor as per norms.
He also instructed that veterinarians at all zoos in the state must strictly follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) while treating wild animals.
Khandre further ordered an inquiry into the incident by a team comprising senior veterinarians and forest officials, and directed that a report be submitted within seven days.
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Surat spiritual guru among seven held in Rs 2.38 crore fake currency racket in Ahmedabad
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Ahmedabad (PTI): City police has seized high-quality counterfeit Indian currency with a face value of Rs 2.38 crore and apprehended seven persons, officials said on Thursday.
Acting on a tip-off, the crime branch apprehended the accused, including a Surat-based spiritual and yoga teacher, when they arrived here on Wednesday, and seized 42,000 fake notes Rs 500 denomination.
Mukesh Thummar, Ashok Mavani, Ramesh Bhalar, Divyesh Rana, Pradip Jotangiya, Bharat Kakadiya and a woman allegedly brought the high-quality Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) in an SUV which was intercepted near Amraiwadi area, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Ajit Rajian.
Pradip Jotangiya is a 'spiritual and yoga teacher' at Shree Satyam Yog Foundation in Surat. The SUV had a "VVVIP" sticker and a plate reading "Shri Satyam Yog Foundation Recognized by Ayush Mantralay, Govt. of India".
Currency bundles were recovered from a black bag and concealed packaging inside the vehicle, the official said, adding that the process to arrest the accused was underway.
A crime branch team was immediately sent to Surat, and in coordination with the Surat crime branch, another Rs 28 lakh in fake currency was seized from a house where notes were being printed. Some equipment was also seized, DCP Rajian added.
Mukesh Thummar was allegedly the kingpin of the racket and arranged equipment and raw material including printers and paper cutting machines, as per an official release. Counterfeit currency was being printed at the place for the last four months, it added.
The accused had procured security thread paper resembling RBI markings from Chinese sources through e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba, it said.
Probe also revealed that photo-editing software and AI-based platforms such as ChatGPT were used to refine the design, layout, and visual features of counterfeit notes. One of the accused had expertise in graphic editing and printing processes.
The accused initially tested the counterfeit notes by using them in a few transactions. After gaining confidence that the fake currency was not being detected, they engaged agents to produce additional notes, Rajian said.
The accused will be produced before a court later on Thursday and police will seek their custody, he said.
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