Tension in Andhra after hate-mongers kill Muazzin in mosque, burn Quran

News Network
December 31, 2017

Tension gripped the city of Rajamundry in Andhra Pradesh after unknown terrorists barged into a mosque, killed a Muazzin (the one who invites the faithful to prayer five times a day through Azaan), burnt copies of Quran and urinated there before vacating the place. 

The incident took place at Noorani Masjid of Lalacheruvu locality where the victim Mohammed Farooq (61), a native of Bihar, was working as a muazzin for the past four months. 

“Farooq was a newcomer to the city and was not known much outside the community. He used to do the chores in the Masjid. He was a kind-hearted person who was leading the life according to the tenets of Islam due to which miscreants targeted him,” said a local resident.

It was the duty of Farooq to give Azaan (call for Namaaz) early in the morning. But on Friday, as there was no sign of Azaan, one of the neighbours went to check and found him lying in a pool of blood. A case of murder was registered but no arrests have been made yet. Police are investigating the case from all angles and have not ruled out any possibility. 

“It’s too early to specify the reason as the investigation is underway, we are looking into the case from all possible angles," said Rajamundry Urban SP, B Rajakumari.

The officer added that a team is working with Bihar authorities to reach out to the victim’s family, all measures are being taken and nothing can be ruled out at this stage." She added that the body has been sent to his home state of Bihar. 

Mohammed Ibrahim Khan, a representative of Muslim rights’ group, Muslim Samakya, said, "Farooq came from a very poor background and was working for a meagre salary of Rs 5,000.”

He said "We aren't naming anyone or any group as of now, but the acts which the miscreants have done following the brutal murder, such as burning of Quran, leaving cigarette butts on the floor along with signs of urination are scary."

He added, "The murder seems to have been done with the ultimate intention of creating conflict and polarisation.”

As the news spread, the city witnessed a spate of protests, with hundreds of Muslim people and civil society groups taking out a rally and holding mass prayers on the road. 

The local residents told that this kind of incident took place for the first time in Rajahmundry. They demanded to arrest the culprits. “The incident shows how communal poison is being spread by Sanghis," tweeted Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi. He demanded CM Chandrababu Naidu to take immediate steps to arrest the culprits.

Comments

Mohammad.n
 - 
Monday, 1 Jan 2018

Yogesh you must be ashamed to call yourself hindu, i will personally feel pain even if a innocent hindu gets killed for no reason. But you regardless have zero humanity, heart full of hatred and evil, first love ur religion then hate others, thanks 

True.. Nobody will raise voice for Hindus and Hindu holy books. If anybody is there, then media make him as saffron terrorist

Yogesh
 - 
Sunday, 31 Dec 2017

Unwanted highlights giving to that book burning. If Hindu books burned instead of Quran then no media will cover and no highlight will give to that.

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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 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

•    Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

•    STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

•    Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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