Mangaluru youth, jailed in Saudi Arabia for carrying tablets, walks free

February 9, 2017

Mangaluru, Feb 9: A 35-year-old man from Ullal in Mangaluru taluk, who had landed in a jail in Saudi Arabia after being detained at Dammam international airport for carrying a six-month stash of his epilepsy medicines without a doctor's prescription four months ago, has finally walked free.

Siyabuddin Fayaz Ullal, who was released on February 6, thanked all those who toiled for his release including the activists of Indian Social Forum (ISF).

On October 3, Siyabuddin boarded a flight from Mangaluru to Dammam. From there, he was to head for Riyadh, where he had worked for several years. This time, however, he was going to Riyadh after a break. He had come to Mangaluru to get married and had stayed on for over a year.

Siyabuddin was carrying with him his medicines for epilepsy, a condition he had suffered from for about 16 years. The tablets – Zeptol CR (Carbamazepine) 1200 mg and Cloba (Lobazam) 10mg – were enough to last him six months (they came cheaper in India).

But unlike his many other trips to Riyadh from India, at Dammam he was detained for carrying the medicines without a doctor's prescription. He was charged with smuggling.

His family had then approached U T Khader, the minister for Food and Civil Supplies, who in turn got in touch with Arathi Krishna, the deputy chairman of the NRI Forum in the state government. Ms Krishna had then sent the details of the case to the embassy officials.

Meanwhile, a relative of Siyabuddin had gone to Riyadh and submitted the requisite documents, mainly the doctor's prescription, which stated that he suffered from complex partial seizures and was carrying six months' worth of medicines from India.

Comments

Very Good job ISF. Keep it up.

It's ma uncl he dint board d flight on 3rd it was on 31st oct he left India

Great job done Indian Social forum, heard from the day one about this case. Social forum team members did a fantastic job. Highly riskier issue very nicely handled with almighty allahs blessings.

Congrats Indian Social Forum (ISF), they worked quickly behind this work, great! keep going..

Grt Job ISF., keep going.

masha allah isf member work hard on this case..sply noushad katipalla....

MASHAALLAH good work by ISF keep going with your great work, MAY ALLAH accept your noble work and may ALLAH bless you and give you good strength to serve the humanity.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

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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