Close friend among 4 arrested for Mangaluru businessman's murder

[email protected] (CD Network | Photos by Chakravarthi)
January 11, 2017

Mangaluru, Jan 11: The Mangaluru city police arrested four persons in connection with the mysterious death of a young businessman. Umesh Shetty, a resident of Kelanjur village, who had given old currency notes on loan days after announcement of demonetisation, was killed by his close friend and accomplices when he failed to repay them in legal tender.

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Announcing the arrests of Prasad Acharya, 27, Rajesh Shetty, 32, Tilak Poojary, 26 and Prakash, 28, on Wednesday, M Chandra Sekhar, city police commissioner said that on December 28, a missing complaint of Umesh Shetty was registered at Mulki Police and on New Year's Day, his body was found at a remote place at Niddodi Village.

The special police team formed to investigate the case sensed that the person was murdered, but had no single clue to start their investigation with. "The investigation took a turn when police recovered Umesh Shetty's wallet. Based on technical and other evidences, police have arrested four persons and few other are absconding," the top cop added.

Explaining the reason behind the murder of 30-year-old transporter Umesh, the top cop said that Umesh had a good reputation in his village and was known for his hard work. He had recently sold his property worth several lakh. As he had money at home, Prasad Acharya, a close friend of Umesh, asked him to lend some money as he was constructing a house but Umesh did not agree to this.

However, things changed when PM Narendra Modi announced demonetisation of high value currency notes on November 8. Prasad again approached Umesh for money and this time, Umesh gave him the demonetised notes of the face value of Rs 30 lakh to pay off his house construction dues. Prasad promised Umesh that he will return the money by March.

Umesh, who sensed that Prasad had no intention of returning the money, started demanding the same from him. To avoid the continuous pestering, Prasad who knew that Umesh had plans to obtain a stone quarry on lease, called him on December 28, to show him a quarry that he was interested in. Later, Prasad and the other accused took him to a remote location, strangulated him using a dupatta and dumped his body 10km away from the spot at Niddodi.

Police team from North sub-division, after interrogating several persons, arrested the prime accused Prasad Acharya, resident of Nadugodu village; Rajesh Shetty, resident of Niddodi, Thilak Poojary, resident of Niddodi and Prakash, resident of Mudigere. Among the four, the first three work as crane operators in MRPL and MCF and Prakash is a carpenter.

Chandra Sekhar announced a cash award of Rs 15,000 and appreciation certificates to the investigating team. He also made a special mention of hardwork of probationary PSI Maruti in cracking the case.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Mangaluru: Chaos erupted at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) after IndiGo flight 6E 5150, bound for Mumbai, was repeatedly delayed and ultimately cancelled, leaving around 100 passengers stranded overnight. The incident highlights the ongoing country-wide operational disruptions affecting the airline, largely due to the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms for crew.

The flight was initially scheduled for 9:25 PM on Tuesday but was first postponed to 11:40 PM, then midnight, before being cancelled around 3:00 AM. Passengers expressed frustration over last-minute communication and the lack of clarity, with elderly and ailing travellers particularly affected. “Though the airline arranged food, there was no proper communication, leaving us confused,” said one family member.

An IndiGo executive at MIA cited the FDTL rules, designed to prevent pilot fatigue by limiting crew working hours, as the cause of the cancellation. While alternative arrangements, including hotel stays, were offered, about 100 passengers chose to remain at the airport, creating tension. A replacement flight was arranged but also faced delays due to the same constraints, finally departing for Mumbai around 1:45 PM on Wednesday. Passengers either flew, requested refunds, or postponed their travel.

The Mangaluru delay is part of a broader crisis for IndiGo. The airline has been forced to make “calibrated schedule adjustments”—a euphemism for widespread cancellations and delays—after stricter FDTL norms came into effect on November 1.

While an IndiGo spokesperson acknowledged unavoidable flight disruptions due to technology issues, operational requirements, and the updated crew rostering rules, the DGCA has intervened, summoning senior airline officials to explain the chaos and outline corrective measures.

The ripple effect has been felt across the country, with major hubs like Bengaluru and Mumbai reporting numerous cancellations. The Mangaluru incident underscores the systemic operational strain currently confronting India’s largest carrier, leaving passengers nationwide grappling with uncertainty and delays.

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News Network
December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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