National Power Lifting Gold Medal to Surekha Naik
 

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The St. Mary's festival was celebrated with pomp and gaiety and a procession was taken out as part of the celebrations in Harihar on Sunday.
 

Snakes, scorpions, elephants make life tough for STF men
Who wants to catch Veerappan? Any volunteers?
 

Kollegar, September 9: They are combing the forests for the elusive Veerappan. Suddenly there is a hiss and they turn round to find a deadly snake ready to strike. They scare it away by firing in the air. In addition, move on. Only to find a tiger ready to spring at them.  For the Special Task Force personnel, capturing the brigand is not so much a challenge as encountering the wild animals.  At night, their special task is to battle hostile mosquitos.  The STF personnel fanning the marshy forests of M.M. Hills confess that every day they encounter snakes, elephants, bisons, tigers, leopards and other wildlife while tracking the brigand.

The STF personnel at Naal Road Cross camp who had been combing the jungle said, "We start combing operations just before day break and we see so many of these creatures like cobras, kraits, large scorpions and even an occasional python. Sometimes we have to fire at them just to save ourselves.''  One STF foot patrol officer shot at himself as a herd of elephants charged at him recently. STF officials said the police officer had intended to shoot in the air but he panicked, lost control and fell shooting himself accidentally instead.  On several occasions, they had encountered large monitor lizards, some of which are up to three-foot-long and ferocious.

That is not all. They need to save themselves from the insects and worms too. Some STF personnel showed leech bites sustained during operations. Some parts of the forest are terribly leech-infested. These men rubbed tobacco from cigarettes and beedis all over their lower limbs to keep leeches away.  Those camping in tents after dark had encountered foxes and wild dogs here. They said, ``It is frightening in the forests after dark where you risk your very life camping out in the open. During rains it gets worse when you have to fight dampness and these creepies like centipedes crawl towards us because of the campfire warmth.''

STF personnel before operations had been briefed about leopards and tigers, which roam around here. They had also been informed about bears, which are largely peaceful. There are more than 120 varieties of snakes here and the staff has been urged not to panic when they spot serpents.
 

Story of Bribery:
Tax officer caught red-handed taking bribe
 

 
Bangalore, September 9: Mostly it happens on TV, silver scree or in stories.  An Income Tax officer who went to raid a building was caught red-handed by the CBI while accepting bribe of Rs. 10,000.  The CBI searched his person and found Rs 39,900 in cash. Then they raided his Vijayanagar residence where they found another Rs 10,000 in cash.  CBI sources told that Income Tax (Investigations) Inspector A.V. Ravi had accompanied a Mumbai team of the department to raid the premises of Shiva International on S.C. Road on September 3. He later went back to one of the occupants of the building, C.V. Reddy, who is promoting a project of Anusha Hotels, and demanded Rs.1 lakh in bribe.

Anusha Hotels is situated on the ground floor and first floor and Reddy is the managing partner.  The Shiva International Hotel belongs to B.G. Somasekhara, whom the Mumbai team of the Income Tax department had raided. The Mumbai team had also checked on Anusha Hotels premises where Reddy had shown them the relevant documents. But after sometime, Ravi sent a driver to Reddy asking him to meet him in a nearby car parking place.When Reddy met him, Ravi identified himself as a CBI Inspector in Income Tax Division and demanded Rs 1 lakh. `"f you don't give me the money, I will put you in trouble,'' he is believed to have told Reddy and gave him time till 4 p.m. on September 3 to pay up.

CBI sources said again at 4 p.m., Ravi contacted Reddy on his mobile phone and repeated his demand. When Reddy said it was not possible, Ravi reduced his demand to Rs 50,000 and extended time till 6 p.m. Ravi reduced the demand to Rs 35,000 at 6 p.m. when Reddy expressed his inability and extended the time till September 5.  A harassed Reddy went to CBI who set up a trap. Ravi had asked Reddy to bring the money to Hotel Chalukya on September 5 evening. Ravi came and discussed the 'case' with Reddy, but became suspicious and went away saying he would contact him later.

Again Ravi contacted Reddy and said he would take the money through James, who was Reddy's consultant for the Anusha Hotels project. Reddy agreed to this. On Sunday, Ravi came near Reddy's office, called him and demanded the amount. Reddy contacted James and asked him to hand over the money. The CBI team caught Ravi red-handed while accepting the bribe.  Ravi has since been arrested and released on conditional bail and the case has been posted before the CBI Special Court.
 

Adament lady - Ms. Vera Vaz
 

Bangalore, September 9: "Mr. Commissioner, I am ten times more intelligent than you, It's a stupid question to ask me to shift to an orphanage or an old age home,'' 80-year old Vera Vaz, still grieving over the murder of her younger sister Dolce, snaps at Police Commissioner H. T. Sangliana. "This house is a gift to us by our father and we have lived here since 1941. It is not easy.''  Gift it seems, as the timeworn 'Tera Vera' built in 1934 on St. Mark's Road remains still against the advance of time. A thick pile of dust and cobwebs cover everything that catches the eye. Exsquisite and antique articles strewn across the bungalow against hauntingly dim lighting, with a number of rooms, which Vera can't remember.

"I am too shocked to react, but I want to erase the murder out of my mind -- the scene as I cried out, 'Dolcie, you are still warm. Get up..'. However, just then the lights went off and she was gone.'' The tragedy, she says has come in succession after her pet dog, which she picked up, from the streets, died a few months ago.  Vera has been unable to sleep until Sunday night without a handful of sedatives. Sitting on a chair surrounded by stacks of newspapers, a telephone and an ashtray dumped with cigarette butts, Vera is meticulously putting together her personal telephone directory. "Most of my antiques are stolen. I want to start cleaning this house,'' she says.

She says her youngest sister wants to snatch away their property. "She even managed to grab and sell the front portion of the house.''  Ever since the murder, two police constables stand guard at her residence throughout. "But who needs them now?,'' says Vera. She is no weakling. "I can still play the piano, standing for two hours at a stretch,'' she avers.

Things have changed for Vera slightly. She has begun to stay overnight at Tunbridge School on Infantry Road -- the school where she has been a piano instructor for the last five years. "I have dinner and breakfast at the school itself. Kavitha, the cop, has been kind enough to buy me lunch this afternoon.''  Meanwhile, Cubbon Park police say that they are sure to seize the murderer at the earliest. "We will provide her security on humanitarian grounds till sometime.'' However, Vera is adamant and determined. "I don't need to move out of Tera Vera. So long as I have a roof on my head, God will take care of me. All I need is prayers.''