Kathua rape: Youngsters with saffron links were masterminds behind undeclared hartal in Kerala

coastaldigest.com web desk
April 22, 2018

Kasaragod, Apr 22: The police in Kerala have arrested five youngsters in connection with the undeclared hartal of April 16 in the state over the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in a temple at Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir.

The arrested have been identified as Amarnath (20), from Urukunnu in Kollam, Sudheesh (22), Akhil (23), Gokul Shekhar (21), and Cyril from Thiruvananthapuram. Interestingly all of them allegedly have links with saffron outifits. Amarnath was a prominent member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh till last year.

The police have charged the accused of inciting enmity between groups on the grounds of religion and remanded them in judicial custody. Senior police officers Debesh Kumar Behera and Jaleel Thottathil supervised the probe.

According to police, Amarnath was responsible for the online mobilisation for the flash hartal that put communities on edge and disrupted life in different parts of Kerala including Kasaragod district.

A Plus Two open university student, Amarnath deserted the RSS along with 30 others in his locality, including his father, last year.

Subsequently, he emerged as an influential leader among his friends and started criticising both RSS and Muslim groups. Others who had abandoned the RSS similarly formed the bulk of his followers on Facebook and WhatsApp.

Perinthalmanna DySP M P Mohanachandran, who probed the case, said that Kathua incident provided these youngsters an opportunity to became popular.

Encouraged by the swelling number of followers on the social media, he created two exclusive WhatsApp groups ‘Voice for Youth’ and ‘Justice for Sisters’. More people started joining the group and started condemning Sangh Parivar for its purported role in defending the accused in the brutal rape and murder.

SDPI denies role

According to police, Amarnath instigated the people to take to the streets rather than confining their agitation to social media. His message resonated strongly among netizens, including Muslim groups such as SDPI and PFI.

“The SDPI subsequently weaponised Amarnath’s posts about the Kathua incident and used its exclusive online messaging groups to invigorate its cadres and prompt them to unleash direct action in the physical realm”, a police officer was quoted as saying by local media.

However, SDPI leaders has denied the allegation of the police. Meanwhile, another Muslim party, Welfare Party of India, said that it had opposed the flash hartal.

Comments

Kumar
 - 
Sunday, 22 Apr 2018

Police did good job by uncovering the links. Should ban many saffron political wings.. under modi rule it wont happen..

Farooq
 - 
Sunday, 22 Apr 2018

I didnt understand how muslims became this much fools. Why they staged protest by a whatsapp msg that also faked by some cheddis.. People should be some more careful

Vivek
 - 
Sunday, 22 Apr 2018

Saffrons wanted to ban SDPI. That's why they planned and moved like this with a fake hartal. But atlast police revealed everything.. Hats off for the unbiased probe

True.. Modi ji did many good things, but media always highlighting negative things. And in Kathua rape issue, media making unwanted sensationalism to tarnish BJP image

Babu Gowda
 - 
Sunday, 22 Apr 2018

Indian media highlighting only negativity and spreading their own assumptions.. Everything paid prestitutes. 

Danish
 - 
Sunday, 22 Apr 2018

As usual RSS is the mastermind of all violences. not only in Kerala, everywhere in India same condition

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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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News Network
December 17,2025

melkar1.jpg

Melkar, Dec 17: The 17th Annual Day and Graduation Ceremony of Melkar Women’s PU and Degree College, themed “Fusion-2K25,” was celebrated with dignity and enthusiasm, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s academic journey. The programme reflected the college’s steadfast commitment to academic excellence, character building, and the holistic development of students.

The event was inaugurated by Mr. Asif Mohammed, whose presence greatly enriched the occasion. The celebration was further graced by the chief guests Mr. P. B. Ahmed Mudassir and Mr. Nissar Fakeer Mohammed, along with the distinguished guests of honour Mr. B. A. Nazeer and Mr. Ibrahim Gadiyar. In their inspiring addresses, the guests encouraged the graduating students and appreciated the dedicated efforts of the management, faculty, and students.

The annual report was presented by the Principal, Mr. Abdul Majeed S, highlighting the institution’s academic progress, notable achievements, and extracurricular accomplishments during the academic year.

The presidential address was delivered by the esteemed Chairman of Melkar Women’s PU and Degree College, Dr. Haji S. M. Rasheed, who emphasized the vital role of education in empowering women and shaping responsible citizens. He also stressed the importance of discipline, dedication, and perseverance in achieving success.

Cultural programmes and academic recognitions formed an integral part of the celebration, showcasing the talents and achievements of the students. The graduation ceremony was a proud moment for the outgoing students as they were formally conferred degrees and wished success in their future endeavours.

Ms. Mashmooma Fathima served as the Master of Ceremonies. The welcome address was delivered by Ms. Fathima Nida, and the programme concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Ms. Ayisha Suhana.

The event successfully achieved its objectives and was highly appreciated by the guests and attendees.

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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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