6-yr-old Indian Muslim girl fights armed robbers to save her father's employee

September 7, 2016

Melbourne, Sep 7: A six-year-old Indian Muslim girl has won praise for her brave attempt at stopping an axe-wielding robber, who attacked an employee at her father's store in New Zealand in a burglary.

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Sarah Patel was captured on CCTV trying to defend the staff member when a group of six armed men broke into the family's electrical shop in Auckland on Monday.

The footage shows the masked men kicking, punching and threatening employees with an axe and a crowbar, or iron lever, and smashing cabinets and stealing thousands of dollars worth of electronics.

Sarah Patel, who was caught up in the violent drama, is seen in the video rushing towards one of the attackers standing over an employee with an axe, and tries to get him to stop his attack.

The girl grabbed onto the leg of the man during the armed incident that ended in a dramatic police chase from the North Shore to west Auckland.

She told the New Zealand Herald she was "trying to save" the employee and that she "wasn't scared" of the bad guy.

When Sarah Patel glimpsed the attacker's axe she fled. She later helps her grandfather out of the room and away from danger.

Her father Mr Suhail Patel told TVNZ he was "proud" of his daughter and though she had been shaken by the incident, she was recovering well.

"Last night she was very upset. Was in shock. We've been trying to say to her 'You're the bravest girl', that sort of thing," he said.

Mr Suhail said his daughter was extremely brave facing up to the man as he was holding what appeared to be a small axe.

"I'm proud of her, definitely."

The proud father added his daughter was "always trying to help people" and he was not surprised she sprung into action.

The video shows her being shoved aside by the man then helped up by her grandfather.

Sarah Patel's mother Ms Nashrin said her daughter initially thought the attacker was her father.

After the intruders fled, they were pursued across West Auckland by police - as well as Sarah Patel, her mother and grandfather, who gave chase in their family car.

They were eventually stopped by police road spikes laid out for them.

Five 16-year-old boys have been charged with aggravated robbery, injuring with intent and breaching bail.

A sixth suspect is still to be found.

Several newspapers around the world today reported Sarah Patel's "astonishing bravery", calling her "fearless".

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Comments

naren kotian
 - 
Friday, 9 Sep 2016

she initially thought it is her father ... it says everything .. appa robbery maadtha idda antha kanuthe ... hahaha

aharkul
 - 
Thursday, 8 Sep 2016

Maasha Allah ... Brave Child... Keep it up.... Come up with flying colors... Bring the good name to your parent. Pray always... Allah with you. Help always the person who suffers in their life and help the needy....

muthhu
 - 
Wednesday, 7 Sep 2016

Masha Allah ....Beef thinni ....Dhairya thanni

Shaima umar farooq
 - 
Wednesday, 7 Sep 2016

Well done sarah. May allah bless you with gud health & happiness & give you more sucess. Aameen yarabbal alameen.......

All the best ma child. Keep up gud wrk.

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News Network
December 2,2025

DKSsiddu.jpg

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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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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