India records 44,111 new COVID-19 cases, 738 deaths
New Delhi: India saw a single-day rise of 44,111 new coronavirus infections, raising its tally to 3,05,02,362, while the death toll climbed to 4,01,050, with 738 new fatalities, the lowest in 86 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.
The active cases -- 4,95,533 -- were recorded below five lakh after 97 days and comprised 1.62 percent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate improved to 97.06 percent, the data updated at 8 am showed.
A net decline of 14,104 cases has been recorded in active coronavirus infections in a span of 24 hours, it said.
Also, 18,76,036 tests were conducted on Thursday, taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 41,64,16,463.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.35 percent. It has been less than 5 percent for 26 consecutive days, the ministry said.
The weekly positivity rate has declined to 2.50 percent, it added.
Recoveries continue to outnumber daily new cases for 51st consecutive day. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,96,05,779, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.31 percent, the data stated.
Cumulative vaccine doses administered so far has reached 34.46 crore under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive, it said.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.
The country crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore cases on May 4 and 3 crore on June 23.
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Bengaluru: KAS officer, driver caught in Rs 30 lakh bribe case
Bengaluru: Lokayukta police have arrested a KAS officer and his driver for allegedly demanding and accepting a Rs 30 lakh bribe to pass a favourable order in a pending RRT case.
The accused have been identified as Nagaprashanth (KAS), serving as Special Assistant Commissioner (North) and Special Land Acquisition Officer-1, KIADB, and Kumar, a driver associated with his office, Deccan Herald reported.
Based on a complaint by Ravi Kumar, a resident of Attur in Yelahanka, Lokayukta team laid a trap.
According to investigators, the accused had demanded Rs 30 lakh, of which Rs 15 lakh was allegedly collected earlier by the driver on the officer’s instructions.
On Wednesday, the driver was caught red-handed while accepting the remaining Rs 15 lakh, leading to the arrest of both him and the officer.
Both accused have been taken into custody, and further investigation is underway.
