Shiva Thapa, Pooja Rani enter finals of Olympic Test event
Tokyo: Former world bronze-winner Shiva Thapa (63kg) advanced to the final with a hard-fought triumph along with Pooja Rani (75kg) but two other Indians ended with bronze medals after losing their opening bouts at the Olympic Test event for boxing here on Wednesday.
In the morning session of the semifinals, Thapa, a four-time Asian medallist who claimed his third national title earlier this month, defeated Japan's Daisuke Narimatsu in a split verdict.
Rani, a former Asian Games bronze-medallist, got the better of Brazil's Beatriz Soares in a unanimous decision. Rani had won a silver medal at the Asian Championships earlier this year.
However, former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) and Vahlimpuia (75kg), in the men's draw, lost their respective semifinal bouts to end with bronze medals. Both the pugilists had made the last-four stage without any preliminary contest owing to the small size of their respective draws.
Zareen lost in a split decision to Japan's Sana Kawano, while Vahlimpuia was also beaten by a local favourite in Yuito Moriwaki but in a unanimous call by the judges. The remaining three Indian boxers in fray -- Asian silver-medallist Sumit Sangwan (91kg), Ashish (69kg), and Simranjeet Kaur (60kg) -- will fight their semifinal bouts in the evening session.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Two Delhi men held for BMTC bus phone thefts in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Whitefield police have arrested two men from Delhi for allegedly stealing mobile phones from passengers travelling in Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses and solved 14 theft cases, officials said on Tuesday.
The arrested accused have been identified as Jai Chand (25), who worked at a hotel in Delhi, and Tarun (34), an autorickshaw driver in Delhi.
Officials said on January 24, a Mahadevapura resident lodged a complaint that his iPhone 15 Plus was stolen while he was travelling on a BMTC bus towards Whitefield.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case and arrested two suspects within an hour near a lodge on Hosa Road. During the arrest, the police found a bag containing several stolen mobile phones.
ALSO READ: Two college dropouts held with drugs worth Rs 10 crore in Bengaluru
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed that they were stealing mobile phones from passengers travelling in BMTC buses. They had also committed thefts during a concert held under the Channarayapatna police station limits on January 23,” the police said.
Investigations revealed that the accused had travelled from Delhi for the concert and stolen mobile phones from the audience. A third suspect is at large and is likely hiding in the Shahdara area of Delhi.
One of the victims, a YouTuber, raised the theft issue in February in a post on X.
“Here is my (FIR No 0013/2026 is registered in Channarayapatana PS. Your GSC No. is PO1814260100013) request @DelhiPolice @BlrCityPolice to plz look into this & get my device back since it's my work phone & I am a youtuber, all my data is there! someone plz help. @dcpwhitefield,” Anirban Sarkar posted on X on February 6.
Police have recovered 14 mobile phones of various brands, collectively valued at about Rs 9 lakh, from the accused. The two were produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody.
In total, one case from Whitefield and 13 from Channarayapatna police stations were detected. Further investigation is underway.
