Mumbai: As many as 884 people, many of them minor girls, went missing every month on an average from the metropolis during the last decade though a vast majority of them have been traced, according to figures released by Mumbai police. As per statistics, a total of 1,10,547 people from Mumbai city were reported missing in last 10.5 years, out of which 1,00,439 have been traced while 10,108 remain untraced. A detailed chart released by Missing Person Bureau, Crime Branch of CID Mumbai Police from January 2005 to May 2015, shows that the number of missing females, including minor girls, was higher compared to males. According to figures, a total of 18,547 girls, 37,603 women, and 17,195 boys and 37,202 men were reported missing with the Mumbai police over the last ten years. Though police claim to have traced over 90 per cent of the missing people -- 803 of 884 on a monthly basis, 582 minor girls and 2,944 women were still missing till the end of May 2015. "We have successfully traced over 90 per cent missing people, because we have set up a dedicated squad comprising one officer and two subordinates who work 24x7 on missing cases only," Mumbai Police spokesperson Dhananjay Kulkarni said. Also, the statistics point out that Mumbai Police has done a remarkable job in tracing missing children from the city in the last seven months. Figures from November 2014 to May 2015 say that during the period, 1,033 minor children were reported missing but 1,039 were found (including some from previous missing cases). According to region-wise figures, the eastern parts of the metropolis topped with 1,717 missing cases in these seven months, followed by 1,560 in western region, 1,174 in north region, 1,085 in central and 360 in south region. Additional Police Commissioner of North Region, Fattesingh Patil said, "There are many pockets in the city where over 50 per cent people live in slums and most of the missing cases are reported in slum areas." Claiming that his region has a tracing record of 97 per cent, Patil said, "Nowadays proper use of technology and various platforms of social media have helped our tracing teams a lot."

Puttur: Pro ISIS inscriptions were found on the ineterlock laid surface leading to Pilingur crematorium here on Tuesday night.

It is scribbling in the graffiti reads like this, 'D K Ravi (IAS) was killed by me. So many police will be killed in future and you will get good news like this - ISIS'.

It might be remembered that in last January  similar scribblings, claiming to be supporting the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and derogatory writings against Swami Vivekananda had appeared on a culvert around the same place.

Although, there was some initial concern, the police said that it could be an act by miscreants to create tension by passing the blame.

Udupi: Locals of Padoor protested against the pipeline work to transport crude oil to the crude oil storage plant in Padoor.

The pipeline will pass through Mangaluru, Haleangady, Thokur,Kenchanakere, Balakunje, Karnire. The residents of all these regions have planned to protest against the pipeline. The people are enraged over the government for starting the work by keeping the people in dark.  

People opined that the work has been started in a hurry as the confusion over land acquisition bill is not cleared.    

Bantwal: Six people sustained gruesome injuries in a serial accident between an Omni car, Auto rickshaw and a bike. The incident occurred in Kalladka on National Highway 75 on Sunday evening March 22.

News in Detail:

A family from Shaktinagar in Mangaluru was returning from Puttur in an Omni car after attending a function. An Auto rickshaw driven by Ashraf, a resident of Bolantoor rammed over the car. The face of the auto was completely mangled and the Omni car was overturned. At the same time the car hit a bike which was coming behind the auto. The couple from Kasargod and their child was injured in the incident.

Three people belonging to one family who were in the Omni sustained serious injuries. The condition of an injured woman is said to be critical. The auto driver sustained injuries on his leg. The child was thrown on the road and it’s been treated in ICU of a hospital under critical condition.

The injured were first taken to a local hospital and were later shifted to hospital in Mangaluru in 108 ambulances from Maani and Vittla. Bantwal police rushed to the spot and inspected the spot. The details of the injured persons are not yet known.

Mangaluru: Thousands of people from all sections of the society joined hands to take out a candlelight march demanding `justice for baby Nirbhaya’ a three and a half year old child on Saturday March 21 evening at Nehru Maidan here.

Protesters led a candlelight march from Nehru Maidan to DC office where a protest meet was held.

Nandagopal of Centre for Integrated Learning said after flagging off the march that so far we have heard of rape cases in Delhi and then in Bengaluru, and now we hear of it in our own neighbourhood. The intention of this candlelight march is to bring awareness about the child sexual abuse among the people.

State convener of campaign against child labour Renny D’Souza,Coordinator of citizen forum for development of Mangaluru Vidya Dinker, Sachita Nandagopal, Umar U H and others wee present.

Mumbai: A brave girl attacked by a drunk man in broad daylight was left speechless when none of the 50 people who were watching did anything to help.

Student Pradnya Mandhare said she had no choice but to fight the man off and drag him to a police station herself.

The 20-year-old was stunned by the attack because it happened at a train station at around 2.30pm in front of dozens of onlookers and she was convinced that some of the people walking past would step in to help, but nobody did.

The third-year media studies student at Sathaye College in the city of Mumbai was on her way home after attending her lectures when the incident took place on the platform at Kandivli station in the north of the city.

She said: 'I was really shocked when he came up and just started groping me, and I try to get away from him but he grabbed me then. 

The only thing to do because nobody else was doing anything was to hit him and so I belted him with my bag.

'He tried to hit me back and he really stunk of alcohol, but I was determined not to let him get away with it. I know that women don't like to complain to the police but I was determined to make sure he was punished.'

The platform where she was attacked had been packed at that time of day but not one person had offered to help her, so she had grabbed him by the hair and dragged him to the police station herself.

She said: 'He was telling me to let go and that he would come with me voluntarily, but I didn't trust him and continued to pull him along. I finally managed to hand him over to the police without getting any help from anyone.'

Police confirmed they had arrested 25-year-old drug addict and alcoholic Chavan Chowdee, who was currently in custody awaiting charges.

The young woman has now been held as an example for others to also take the law into their own hands and not allow men to simply do what they want.

She said: 'I don't see myself as a heroine but I also think we should make a stand and let men know they can't just do what they want and treated like objects to be groped whenever they feel like it.'

Bhopal: In a bizarre suggestion, a senior Madhya Pradesh minister has sought a law that allows people to domesticate or keep as pets - big cats like lions and tigers for their conservation.

Animal Husbandry, Horticulture and Food Processing Minister Kusum Mehdele, in a proposal sent to the state's forest department, has cited legal provisions in some African and South-East Asian countries like Thailand, which have helped bring about an increase in the population of the big cats.

Noting that there are various projects in the country for conservation of tigers, the minister, however, said that although crores of rupees have been spent on these projects, there has been no surprising increase in tiger numbers.

In Thailand and some other nations, there is a legal recognition to people for keeping tigers and lions as pets, she said, adding the number of such animals is increasing in a surprising way in these countries.

If such a possibility can be thought over, then necessary action should be undertaken and guidelines passed on, she said in the proposal sent to state Forest Minister Gaurishankar Shejwar in September last year.

Following suggestions from the minister, Madhya Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Narendra Kumar has written to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) seeking their comments on the proposal.

"Kindly give your suggestion or comments in this regard so that the minister can be informed about it," Kumar said in the letter. The copy of the note sheet carrying the minister's suggestion and Kumar's letter were accessed by Bhopal-based wildlife activist Ajay Dubey following an RTI appeal filed by him.

Mehdele could not be contacted for comments despited repeated attempts by PTI.

"It is surprising that such a bizarre suggestion could be made by senior minister Mehdele. She hails from the Panna region of the state, which is known for its tiger population. I denounce such a proposal and request the central government not to give its permission for domesticating the tiger," Dubey said.

Six tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh -- Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Panna, Bori-Satpura, Sanjay-Dubri and Pench -- have as many as 257 big cats. While the tiger population in the country was estimated to be at 1,706 in 2010, according to latest data, it has risen to 2,226 in 2014.

 

Puttur: 'Virat Hindu Hridaya Sangama' programme was organized in the fields opposite Lord Mahalingeshwara Temple here on Friday January 16.

Addressing the huge crowd International President of Vishwa Hindu Parishat, Pravin Bhai Togadia said, there is a need to make India a Hindu Rashtra. The conversion of Hindus is on the rampage and there is nothing wrong in re conversion. We ask the government to either ban religious conversions, or allow us to go ahead with our re-conversion initiatives, he said.

He also demanded the implementation of uniform civil code. Supporting the statement of Sakshi Maharaj of BJP, Togadia said, if the government cannot enforce the rule that every couple can have only two children, then  how can one find fault in the call given to parents to have four children?' he asked. He called upon Hindus to stand up against Love Jihad which he said, aims at changing the identity of the nation.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader, Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, who presided over the programme, said that nothing remains of India if Hindu society is separated from it. 'Hindu society and country have grown together. Hindu society has always aimed at the welfare of the world, and it did not support religious conversions. Because of the fact that there are enemies of Hinduism within Hindu society, the policy of minority appeasement is continuing,' he opined.

Bhat accused the state government of sanctioning huge amount of compensation during the death of illegal cattle Sri Rajashekharananda Swamiji of Gurpur Vajradehi Math, Manila Mohandas Swamiji, Odiyoor Sri Gurudevananda Swamiji, Balekody Math Shashikanth Mani Swamiji, entrepreneur, Kudgi Sudhakar Shenoy, Bantwal taluk panchayat former president, Babu Mugera, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders, Rajamatha Chandrakanta Devi and Meenakshi Thayi Peshwe, Bajrang Dal leaders, Sharan Pumpwell and Bhaskar Dharmasthala, were at the dais.

 President of Virat Hindu Hridaya Sangama Committee, Dr M K Prasad, welcomed. VHP district president, Deekaiah Pervody, proposed vote of thanks. VHP district Satsanga Pramukh, Kashekody Sooryanarayana Bhat presented the programme.