HSR has a new police inspector. Here’s all about him

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HSR has a new police inspector. Here's all about him 1

HSR has a new police inspector. Here's all about him 2

 
SR Raghavendra is the new 38-year-old police inspector of HSR Layout. After a wait of over three months, the neighbourhood finally gets a senior police officer. He replaces DR Nagaraj who is now in charge of Bommanahalli police station.
 
Raghavendra is not new to HSR though. He had served in HSR from 2013 to 2015. He is back again after completing his terms in Siddapura and Kalasipalya. He got into the police service in 2003, and has 15 years of experience under his policing belt.
 
However, BNR Reddy, chairman, Federation of Residents Welfare Association, opposes his appointment. “We have heard about corruption charges against him when he served in Hassan, Kalasipalya and HSR,” he told Residents Watch. “We don’t want such an inspector and are going to write to the relevant authorities about it.”
 
Raghavendra refutes these allegations. “I have no corruption charges against me till date,” he told Residents Watch. “The residents will get to know my work in the next 2-3 months.”
 
RS Murthy, former president of Sector 2 Residents Welfare Association, says: “Raghavendra wasn’t as good as his predecessor Rajesh, but he wasn’t bad either. I remember that he would hear all our complaints with a patient ear.”
 
In 2007, Raghavendra was honoured with the CM’s gold medal for his work as an investigation officer in Hassan where he served as a sub inspector. The police officer prides himself on getting a conviction a month ago in a gangrape case when he was the HSR inspector in 2014. In November 2018, the city civil court convicted four people to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, Rs 50,000 fine and Rs 7 lakh relief to the woman who was raped in front of her family members in her house in Bellandur.
 
In 2016, Raghavendra was honoured by the Salumarada Thimakka Samiti. He has been given several cash awards and appreciation letters as well. He has even written a book of poems in Kannada called ‘Seleta’ (attraction) in 2003. He has also donated towards the education of many poor students.
 
That’s not all. Raghavendra is a law graduate from Hassan known to have donated blood on 20 occasions. He celebrates the birthdays and wedding anniversaries of his colleagues with a cake and bouquet at the police station itself, and relieves them for the day, so they can spend their auspicious day with their loves ones. On wedding anniversaries, he invites their spouse to cut the cake at the station. He also rewards his staffers from his personal pocket for exceptional work.

 

UPDATE: Raghavendra is now replaced by inspector Muni Reddy, and he can be reached at: 94808-01626.

Closure notices issued to basement shops in HSR Layout!

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Closure notices issued to basement shops in HSR Layout! 3
 
 
Closure notices issued to basement shops in HSR Layout! 4
 
 
Following the BBMP Commissioner’s order, the HSR ward officials have issued 36 closure notices to basement shops and eateries on 27th Main Road. Next on cards to receive them are business establishments on 24th Main, 5th Main and 9th Main, among others.
 
“We will give them only three-days time to shut shop,” said one BBMP official. “If they don’t, we will shut shop after taking approval from Bommanahalli Joint Commissioner.”
 
One meeting regarding this matter is to take place today with the joint commissioner is to happen this afternoon. We will update you when shops indeed get shut down by the BBMP. Right now, it’s all on paper.
 
“If the basement is used for parking, then it’s a good move by the BBMP,” says retailer Suraj Lulla. “It will also take care of fire hazards. However, BBMP has to be sensitive about small-time dealers who would have spent money on doing up the shop. Perhaps, the landlords should be asked to refund 50% of the rents they have collecte to the tenant. Ideally, the landlord should not have taken any rent at all.”
 
Shopkeepers believe that the rentals in HSR Layout is reaching the rentals of malls already. The rentals on 27th Main Road range from 120-200 per square foot. “The rentals are already too high; if the landlord also starts charging for freeing up basements for parking, it will become unsustainable for businesses.”
 
Retailers say that the rentals in the neighbouring Marathalli are 20-25% cheaper while Whitefield is 30-35% cheaper than HSR.

 

India’s first composting park receives visitors galore!

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India's first composting park receives visitors galore! 5
 
 
India's first composting park receives visitors galore! 6
Corporators from the North-East at Swachagraha Kalika Kendra
 
 
India's first composting park receives visitors galore! 7
SK Ram, Joint secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs, Government of India, and Sarfaraz Khan, Joint Commissioner, Solid Waste Management, BBMP
 
India’s first composting park is in HSR Layout and already, it’s a big hit with environmentalists, policy planners, scientists and politicians. Only recently, corporators from the north east visited Swachagraha Kalika Kendra in Sector 4. “They were impressed with the project,” says Ratnakar Bhadravathi. “There has been regular demand for visit to the Centre. We welcome HSR residents to visit and see the pride project and learn about composting and urban gardening.”
 
Says Dr Shanthi Tummala: “Suma Reddy and Jayanthi Srikanth did a wonderful tour for the corporators. Chitra Praneeth explained them about sustainable menstrual options. They were so inquisitive to know about these when we told them that we are attempting to reduce 5% of reject waste as well. They loved and enjoyed to know so many new things.”
 
Before the corporators, there were visits by SK Ram, Joint secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs, Government of India, and Sarfaraz Khan, Joint Commissioner, Solid Waste Management, BBMP. “Their testimonials speak volumes about their appreciation of the project, which is the first of it’s kind in India,” says Ratnakar. “We at HSR Citizens Forum are committed to contribute towards a cleaner and greener HSR through our eco-friendly initiatives.”
 
What’s more, a month after the park’s inauguration, there has been a bountiful harvest as well. Says Dr Shanthi of HSR Citizen Forum: “It’s definitely a dream come true for any urbanite to grow and eat. One should be blessed to assuredly eat healthy food with no chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides. You want to feel blessed too. Start composting your waste and start growing on your terrace/ balcony anywhere you find a space to keep a planter box. Grab the opportunity of free sessions at Swachagraha Kalika Kendra and learn to compost and fall in love with growing your own food. It’s a heavenly feeling. Don’t miss it.”
 
Swachagraha Kalika Kendra
14th A Cross, 14th Main, Sector 4, Behind HP petrol bunk near BDA Complex flyover. 6am-11am. 4pm-8pm.

 

Newborn girl found floating in stormwater drain

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Newborn girl found floating in stormwater drain 8
 
 
Newborn girl found floating in stormwater drain 9
 
 
On Sunday, January 13, a dead baby was found in an HSR drain. After receiving a call from the police control room, the Hoysala team headed by Anil Kumar spotted the baby at around 3.30pm in the rajakaluve (major stormwater drain) on 13th Cross, 9th Main in Sector 6.
 
It was a newborn baby floating in the murky waters. With help from the general public, the body was retrieved from the major drain. It was a female baby and investigation is on.

 

Cops catch 4 robbers near Agara Lake; 2 absconding

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Cops catch 4 robbers near Agara Lake; 2 absconding 10
 
Cops catch 4 robbers near Agara Lake; 2 absconding 11
 
 
On the night of Sunday, January 13, HSR cops headed by police sub inspector Neelakantan M (52 years) caught four persons for allegedly attempting to rob people by threatening them with weapons. They were caught near Ayyappaswamy temple near Agara Lake on Outer Ring Road. All the accused are from Bihar aged between 20 and 40 years.
 
The cops witnessed this group of six people in the act of threatening the general public and snatching their precious belongings. One stick and one knife was seized from them after being brought to the HSR police station at 10.30pm. The accused who were caught include Kamalesh Paswan (21 years), Vivek Kumar (23), Kailash Sahani (26), and Jitendra Kumar (20). The two persons who escaped include Rakesh (26) and Sevakalal (40).
 
The operation was conducted between 8.40am and 1030pm. The HSR cops have lodged the case under two sections for attempting to commit dacoity and assembling for the purpose of robbing people. “Since it’s a stronger act, it will take more than three months for them to get a bail,” said one police official. “However, sooner or later, there are many gangs like this across Bangalore that get bail and engage in the same acts once they are released from jail.”
 
In other words, one or the other gang is always prowling the dark streets at night or lonely places during daytime. It’s best to avoid stopping at desolate places and venturing out at night, particularly by foot.

 

When is HSR Layout, the most polluted?

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When is HSR Layout, the most polluted? 12
 
 
When is HSR Layout, the most polluted? 13
 
 
When is HSR Layout, the most polluted? 14
 
 
In the last 24 hours, we have noticed, and this is the general trend across four months since we began this channel, the pollution in this area is most between 7am and 9am. Clearly, it’s vehicular pollution during peak hours that’s causing it, among other reasons.
 
Thanks to the Sankranti festival yesterday, the pollution fell below 100 on the Air Quality Index (classified as ‘safe’) from 11am to 7pm. From 8pm, the pollution steadily rose again to peak at 7am today with an AQI of 182.
 
The least polluted times are usually in the afternoons between 1pm and 4pm when you can keep your doors and windows open for atleast 10 minutes to let in the pure air to detoxify your homes.

 

Car tyres stolen and stones kept in their place!

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Car tyres stolen and stones kept in their place! 15
 
Santhanam Benedict was in for a shock the other day when his car’s tyres vanished overnight. Tweeting to the media and the cops, he says, “I had parked my Hyundai I10 car last night near my residence in Sector 4. The miscreants have stolen the left side front and back alloy wheels of the car and kept stones in the middle.”
 
The robbery between 9.30pm on January 9 and 10am on January 10. It happened on 15th D Main, 15th Cross.
 
 
Car tyres stolen and stones kept in their place! 16
 
 
Car tyres stolen and stones kept in their place! 17
 
 
Car tyres stolen and stones kept in their place! 18
 
 
Car tyres stolen and stones kept in their place! 19
 

 

What’s being done at accident-prone Iblur junction?

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What's being done at accident-prone Iblur junction? 20
 
 
What's being done at accident-prone Iblur junction? 21
 
 
What's being done at accident-prone Iblur junction? 22
 
 
What's being done at accident-prone Iblur junction? 23
 
 
What's being done at accident-prone Iblur junction? 24
 
 
 
Bellandur Jothege is an “apolitical civic positive action federation of RWAs and citizen groups” who are all for “livability, inclusion and the environment in Bellandur, for Bellandur, by Bellandur”.
 
Now, this group, fed up with the laxity shown by the government and the authorities is asking the general public to pitch in with their ideas. The subject is the designing of Iblur junction where two pedestrians died in the last one month alone.
 
“Iblur junction is a big cog in the Bellandur’s wheel of traffic,” the group says. “You can help it to function better by giving suggestions of Iblur Skywalk Design. Write to Bellandurjothege@gmail.com. Every little change counts.”
 
TRAFFIC POLICE DOING ITS BEST
The residents are thankful to Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Harisekaran and DCP East KV Jagadeesh for moving towards a pedestrian-safe Iblur junction. Now the residents are hoping for pelican signals and strict enforcement by the traffic police to make the area, zero-accident zone.
 
YOU CAN DO YOUR BIT
The police are looking for traffic wardens in Bellandur area. If you want to do your bit, read the announcement below.
 
 
What's being done at accident-prone Iblur junction? 25
 
 

 

Lorry driver who killed pedestrian gets bail, cops root for overbridges

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Lorry driver who killed pedestrian gets bail, cops root for overbridges 26

Following the death of another pedestrian at Iblur Junction in a month on January 12, the traffic police is pressurising everyone possible in ensuring that road deaths on Sarjapur Road and Iblur junction are minimised with proper overbridges and other safeguards. In the meanwhile, the lorry driver who ran over Doddamuniyappa and killed him at … Read more

Lorry driver who killed pedestrian gets bail, cops root for overbridges

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Lorry driver who killed pedestrian gets bail, cops root for overbridges 28
 
 
Lorry driver who killed pedestrian gets bail, cops root for overbridges 29
 
 
Following the death of another pedestrian at Iblur Junction in a month on January 12, the traffic police is pressurising everyone possible in ensuring that road deaths on Sarjapur Road and Iblur junction are minimised with proper overbridges and other safeguards. In the meanwhile, the lorry driver who ran over Doddamuniyappa and killed him at around 9.34am is out on bail. Even the vehicle that was seized is released. “Since it was a case under negligent driving, it is a bailable offence,” said one traffic cop.
 
The senior officers of the traffic department are visiting and examining all the road deaths on Sarjapur Road to come up with a comprehensive solution to prevent more pedestrian deaths. “We have written letters to not only the state government but also the central ministry as one side of the road belongs to the defence forces. We cannot do any work without their express permission,” said our police source.
 
WHAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY?
On January 12, at around 9.34am, 55-year-old Doddamuniyappa died on the spot when a cement mixer lorry (KA01 AE 3754) ran over him while he was crossing the Outer Ring Road near Iblur junction. This was the second pedestrian death in a month on the same stretch. The last death was of Gangadhar Nayar on December 10.
 
The death sparked a public outcry and traffic flow was disrupted for almost half a day on Saturday between Agara flyover and Sarjapur-ORR junction. According to the police complaint, the lorry driver was allegedly driving rashly and overspending when he hit the senior citizen. He did not notice the hand signal given by Doddamuniyappa and rammed into him. The lorry driver continued driving for some distance, then stopped for a while and then went away, according to the police. Later, he was arrested and released on bail.

 

Kids rescue injured pigeon; finally someone adopts it

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Kids rescue injured pigeon; finally someone adopts it 30
 
 
Kids rescue injured pigeon; finally someone adopts it 31
 
 
When one 12-year-old kid from Teacher’s Colony found an injured pigeon who could not fly, he thought of adopting it. But his parents objected. So he gave it to another kid who met with the same resistance from his parents. Eventually, it went to a 13-year-old boy who decided to go to resident BR Subhash who lived in the same colony.
 
“The parents were the spoilsports who did not want to adopt the pigeon because it would be a hassle to keep it,” Subhash told Residents Watch. “I uploaded a picture of the pigeon with the details in the Namma Teacher’s Colony WhatsApp group. Soon enough, one household volunteered to take care of it. Now the pigeon is doing well.”

 

Bike theft outside TBC Sky Lounge after midnight

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Bike theft outside TBC Sky Lounge after midnight 32
 
 
Bike theft outside TBC Sky Lounge after midnight 33
 
 
Mobile phone snatching and bike thefts are the most common crimes in HSR Layout. Sunil MA realised this the hard way on the night of January 3, 2019. He had stepped inside TBC Sky Lounge on 27th Main Road at around 7.45am. By the time he got out at 1am, he found his bike (KA51 EV3097) was nowhere to be seen. Strangely, the FIR was registered only on January 12, 2019. Working from an office in Sector 4, Sunil had decided to have dinner after work when the theft occurred.
 
ANOTHER INCIDENT
A few days later, on January 8, Abhinay Thakur was the next victim. The 26-year-old engineer and a resident of Sector 7 had parked his Bajaj Pulsar RS 200 (KA53 EM1084) in front of his house on 9th Main, 19th A Cross at around 7.30pm. When he checked up on it the next day at around 9.30am, the bike was nowhere to be found.