Saudi NRI techie detained at Mangaluru Airport; cops release him after realising their mistake

coastaldigest.com news network
December 21, 2017

Mangaluru, Dec 21: A young non-resident Indian engineer from coastal Karnataka had to land in police custody soon after he arrived at Mangaluru International Airport on Thursday after working in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for two years. In what appears to be a case of mistaken identity, the authorities detained him because they believed him to be an accused in a five year old murdered case.

Mohammad Ashfaq, son of Ahmad Bava, a resident of Kulai Vidyanagara on the outskirts of Managluru, had been to Saudi Arabia’s Dammam in 2015 after completing his engineering graduation. He was eager to meet his family members who were waiting for him at the airport on Thursday morning. However, to his shock, immigration authorities surrounded him and handed him over a court notice.

The murder case

In 2012 rowdy-sheeter Kodikere Shivaraj was hacked death by two miscreants – Dinesh and Prakash – at Kulai Kodikere. Police managed to arrest both the accused. Later, Prakash was murdered by the gang members of slain Shivaraj. Dinesh was sentenced to life imprisonment by a local court earlier this year. 

However, the police believe that one Mohammad Asfar had given supari to eliminate Shivaraj. Asfar hails from Kulai Sannangara and his father’s name also Ahmed Bava. Police suspect that he had flown to Saudi Arabia to evade arrest. They have also issued a lookout notice for him.

Finally released

After reading the passenger’s first name and his father’s name, the immigration authorities did not make any delay to detain Mohammad Ashfaq, who had come from Saudi Arabia.

Even before an innocent Ashfaq could realise what’s happening, he was handed over to the jurisdictional Bajpe police who in turn handed him over to Panambur police who are looking for Moammad Asfar.

However, after interrogation, the coups realised that they have detained a wrong person who does not even aware of Shivaraj murder case. He was released following the intervention of senior police officers of Mangaluru City Police Commissionerate.

Comments

shaji
 - 
Saturday, 23 Dec 2017

Thank God, Police realised their mistake soon.  Otherwise Mr. Ashfaq would have been put in jail and kept for years without any trial.  Police should give full opportunity to any one for clarification before arresting.  Innocents should not be harassed for no reason.  thanks to senior police offers of Mangalore city police commissionerate for their quick response.  

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News Network
December 20,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 20: The Mangaluru City Police have issued a detailed traffic advisory ahead of the inaugural ceremony of Karavali Utsava, which will be held at the Karavali Utsava Ground on Saturday.

The festival will be inaugurated at 6:00 pm by Dakshina Kannada District Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao. Cultural and public programmes will be held at the venue every evening and will continue until January 2.

According to City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy, parking of vehicles is strictly prohibited on both sides of the road from Lalbagh to Karavali Utsava Ground. Visitors are requested to park their vehicles only at designated parking areas.

To help the public, traffic signboards and parking guidance flex boards have been installed along the routes leading to the venue. The police have urged commuters and visitors to follow these instructions to ensure smooth traffic movement.

Designated Parking Locations

•    Urwa Market Ground – Cars
•    Gandhinagar Government School (near Press Club) – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Ladyhill Church parking area – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Canara School Ground, Mannagudda – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Thimmappa Hotel premises – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Scout and Guide Bhavana premises (behind Karavali Utsava Grounds) – Two-wheelers
•    Urwa Market Road – Two-wheelers
•    Hat Hill Road – Two-wheelers

The police have appealed to the public to cooperate by following traffic rules and parking guidelines to avoid inconvenience during the festival.

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News Network
December 16,2025

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Melkar (Bantwal): The 9th Annual Day celebration of SMR Public School, titled “EXCELLENTIA”, was held on December 15 with great enthusiasm and dignity, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s journey towards academic excellence and holistic development.

The programme was inaugurated by Dr. U. T. Iftikar Ali. The chief guests were Dr. Akhtar Hussain, Mr. P. Moosabba Beary, Mr. Zakaria Jokattre, and Dr. T. M. Abdul Rahuf—whose inspiring addresses motivated the students and appreciated the school’s contributions to education.

Mr. Abdul Nasir, Mr. Ibrahim Gadiyar, Mr. Razak Golthamajal, Mr. Sali Koya, Mr. Arshad Hussain, Mr. Ismail Balanoor, Mr. Feroz Bawa, Mr. Sahul Hameed, Mr. Abubakkar, Mr. Hameed K. Mani, Mr. Abdul Majeed (Principal, Melkar Women’s College), and Mr. Abdul Lathief (Former Principal, Melkar Women’s College) were the guests of honour.

The Annual Report was presented by the Headmistress, Ms. Fathimathul Zaheera, highlighting the school’s achievements and progress during the academic year. The Presidential Address was delivered by the Chairman of SMR Public School, Dr. Haji S. M. Rasheed, who emphasised the vital role of education in shaping students’ futures and stressed the importance of discipline, dedication, and consistent effort in achieving 100 per cent academic results.

Secretary of SMR Public School, Mr. Rifath Ahmed, and PTA President, Mr. Sandeep Kumar, were also present on the occasion.

The Annual Day celebration showcased the collective efforts of students and teachers and reaffirmed the school’s commitment to quality education and all-round development. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all dignitaries, parents, and well-wishers for their support. The 9th Annual Day—EXCELLENTIA—was a memorable and successful event, leaving a lasting impression on everyone present. 

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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