Bangalore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday condoled the loss of lives due to the derailing of the Bangalore-Ernakulam Inter City Express near Anekal in Karnataka this morning.

“Saddened by the loss of lives due to derailing of Bangalore-Ernakulam Express. Condolences to the families of the deceased,” Prime Minister said.

“I wish the injured a speedy recovery. Railway Minister and officials are closely monitoring the situation and ensuring timely relief”, “, the Prime Minister further said.

Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu is likely to visit the spot where nine coaches of the Bangalore- Ernakulam express train derailed this morning, killing at least eight people.

The mishap took place this morning at around 7.45 a.m. in South Western Railway, Bangalore division. The accident happened between Hosur and Anekal road station.

The Public Relations Officer of Railway Board said relief and rescue operations are underway but there was no authentic information on the casualties.

Eight passengers were on Friday killed and over 60 injured, some of them critically, when an express train bound for Ernakulam in Kerala from Bengaluru derailed near Anekal, about 45 kms away here.

As per railway officials, about nine coaches of the Bangalore-Ernakulam Inter City Express have been derailed in the mishap that took place between Anekal-Hosur on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border at around 7.40 am.

The Karnataka government has rushed several ambulances to the spot and launched rescue operations.

Three passengers died as the Kochi bound Bangalore-Kochi Intercity train derailed Friday morning near Hossur in Tamil Nadu, said a passenger travelling on the train.

Cyriac Mathew told the media over telephone that the accident occurred around 7.45 a.m.

“Around nine coaches bogies derailed. The worst affected was the coach D-8. I could see the bodies of two men and a woman in the coach…,” said Mathew.

“Police and the ambulance arrived an hour after the accident,” Mattew said.

He said some passengers have suffered minor injuries and that rescue operations are underway.

Nearly 100 passengers were feared injured after an express train bound for Ernakulam in Kerala from Bengaluru derailed near Hosur on Friday, railway sources said.

The incident occurred near Anekal near Mulagondapalli and Chandrapuram in the early hours today, they said.

About seven ambulances from Tamil Nadu and 10 from Karnataka have been dispatched to tackle the emergency situation.

Officials are co-ordinating rescue operations, railway sources said. A railway official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that three people have died so far, but the toll may go up.

—-PTI

As cricket fever grips the country ahead of World Cup 2015, an exhibition of cartoons of cricket players put on display in Bengaluru is attracting sport lovers.

World Cup 2015 starts in New Zealand and Australia on February 14 with Pakistan and India playing against each other on Sunday.

The exhibition by self-taught cartoonist Satish Acharya displays 65 of his chosen cartoons for young and old cricket fans.

The cartoons depict cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, Pakistani cricket team and the crisis within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) among many other works.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is all set to organize the tenth edition of Aero India exposition in Bengaluru from February 18.

The five-day-long biennial air show and aviation exhibition – Aero India 2015 – will see the participation of leading countries including U.S., Russia, France and U.K.

The fair would highlight examples of technological advancement achieved by India through international cooperation.

There was no point in considering a bullet train with 350 kmph speed on the Bengaluru and Mysuru route as the train’s potential will not be fully utilised due to short distance between the two cities, Principal Adviser of DMRC E Sreedharan said.

In a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Sreedharan said that it would be a “sensible” proposal to run trains with a maximum speed of 200 kmph and not 350 kmph between Bengaluru and Mysuru on a high speed railway line on a different alignment.

Police Monday registered three cases against the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) for defying a ban on its international working president Pravin Togadia from speaking directly or indirectly at a function here.

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday orally directed DMK leader K Anbazhagan and Special Public Prosecutor Bhavani Singh to approach the Supreme Court “without wasting any more time” to seek clarification on the issue of appointment of SPP in the appeal by AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa against her conviction in the wealth case.

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday orally directed DMK leader K Anbazhagan and Special Public Prosecutor Bhavani Singh to approach the Supreme Court “without wasting any more time” to seek clarification on the issue of appointment of SPP in the appeal by AIADMK Chief Jayalalithaa against her conviction in the wealth case.

“As per the Supreme Court order, there is no clarity on the appointment of SPP. The bench has to go by the apex court’s order and hence I ask you both (Anbazhagan and Singh) to go before it to seek clarification without wasting much time,” a Division Bench said here.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) landslide win in the Delhi assembly election was an outcome of its offer to the people who want their basic needs met and corruption eliminated, Manipal Global Education chairman T.V. Mohandas Pai said Tuesday.

“AAP offered people what they wanted, their basic needs and elimination of corruption. Disenchantment of the poor and lower middle class with the quality of life in Delhi, lack of basic needs and insecurity, corruption and oppression by officials led to its landslide victory,” Pai told IANS here.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Monday urged the biotechnology sector to focus on synthetic biology for developing biological parts, devices and systems.

“Synthetic biology is an emerging field combining biology and engineering. By using engineering principles, it designs and constructs biological parts, devices and systems for useful purposes,” he told about 500 delegates participating in a three-day biotech event here.

Defying multi-media gag by police, VHP leader Praveen Togadia’s video recorded speech was played at a rally here on Sunday in which he called for Ghar Wapsi (homecoming) and establishment of “Constitutional Hindu Nation”.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Bengaluru) Alok Kumar said, “We have taken note of the violation; we will get opinion of our legal officers and we will take further action.”

A 20-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for the alleged rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl near Hoskote on the outskirts of the city on February 5.

“We arrested a 20-year-old man today at Mutthahalli after keeping track of his movements, based on the sketches and information gathered from eyewitnesses,” Bengaluru Rural District Superintendent of Police Ramesh Bhanot said.

The accused, Ambareesh, is a native of Chalappanhalli village near Hoskote and is a construction labourer, he said.

A day after Karnataka High Court rejected VHP’s plea for a stay on the police order banning its leader Praveen Togadia’s entry into the city on grounds of law and order, the saffron outfit has made all arrangements to live telecast his speech through video-conferencing at the ‘Hindu Virat Samavesha’ to be held here on Sunday.

IT consulting and software services provider Sonata Software Friday reported Rs.36 crore consolidated net profit for third quarter of fiscal 2014-15, registering 65 percent year-on-year (YoY) and 15 percent sequential growth.

Consolidated revenue for the quarter under review grew 21 percent YoY and 15 percent sequentially to Rs.470 crore, including Rs.314 crore from products and services in the domestic market and Rs.156 crore from exports.

West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra, arrested on December 12 last year in connection with Saradha scam by CBI, today filed a bail plea in the Alipore District and Sessions Judge’s Court.

The bail prayer was filed by defence counsel on behalf of Mitra.
The matter would come up for hearing on February 11 on completion of the statutory period of 60 days within which the prosecution would have to file the charge sheet.
Mitra is now being held in the Alipore Correctional Home.

The Karnataka High Court Friday dismissed the interim prayer of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Pravin Togadia to stay the police ban on his entry into this city to attend a religious convention Feb 8.

Upholding the ban order imposed by city Police Commissioner M.N. Reddi on Togadia Tuesday, Justice S. Abdul Nazeer, however, observed that his petition was maintainable and he had the right to appeal in a higher court for relief.

Togadia-VHP-Bangaluru The VHP leader is scheduled to take part in the Virat Hindu Samajotsava to be held in the city on February 8.

The Karnataka High Court on Friday upheld the state government’s decision to ban Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Praveen Togadia’s entry in Bengaluru.

“The Commissioner of Police has said that Praveen Togadia will not enter the city. We have challenged this order in the High Court. This is maintainable with petition. After listening to both the sides, the High Court will give its judgment,” said Prasanna Deshpande, the lawyer of VHP.

State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd has bagged a major defence contract, valued at around Rs 1,090 crore, that includes supply of 14 Do-228 aircraft produced by the company to the Indian Air Force.

“Apart from these aircraft, the contract valued at aroundRs 1,090 crore, includes six reserve engines, one flight simulator and associated equipment,” HAL Chairman T Suvarna Raju said in a release today.

“This also reflects the trust of defence customers on HAL and we remain committed to supporting Indian Defence Services for all their needs,” he added.

State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on Thursday said it has secured a Rs.1,090-crore contract to supply 14 Dornier multi-purpose aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF).

“The contract includes delivering six reserve engines, a flight simulator and associated equipment along with the aircraft,” the defence behemoth said in a statement here.

The company’s transport division in Kanpur will manufacture the turboprop utility aircraft (Do-228), as it has expertise in producing transport and trainer category of aircraft under a production license from German aerospace firm Dornier GmbH.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Wednesday said it has filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking lifting of the ban on entry of its leader Praveen Togadia to attend a convention here from February five to 11.

“I have moved the High Court seeking lifting of the ban imposed by the city police on Togadia’s entry into the city for attending an event,” VHP Organising Secretary of Karnataka unit, Keshav Hegde said here.

He said the matter may come up for hearing tomorrow.

Togadia was scheduled to take part in the VHP convention ‘Hindu Viraat Samavesha’ on February 8.

The Catholic church on Wednesday alleged that two key Vatican officials who were to address the 27th national assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) here had been denied visa.

Cardinal Oswald Gracias, CCBI president, said the 140 bishops from across the world are attending the assembly that commenced yesterday.

Karnataka Wednesday invited Chinese enterprises to invest in infrastructure projects in the state.

“As Karnataka needs to build strong infrastructure, China could be the best bet. With a view to taking bilateral ties to a new high, we favour expansion and deepening of exchanges and cooperation in all areas and settle questions left over by history,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng here.