Cops nab six associates of underworld don Bannanje Raja

Hubli, Jun 29: The City police have arrested six associates of underworld don Bannanje Raja allegedly involved in an extortion case and have also seized three pistols and 18 live bullets from them.

The arrested are: Ijaj Bandenawaj Patel (26) of Nandral in Indi taluk of Bijapur district, Vilas Keshav Rathod (23) of Arakeri Tanda in Bijapur, Hussain alias Gidda Saifan Shaikh (25) of Halasangi in Indi taluk, Abbas Ali Mohmadmulla Shaikh (50) of Halasangi, Hazarath Ali alias Babu Mohammadgous Shaikh Momin (24) of Karadagi in Savanur taluk of Haveri district, and car driver Sangamesh Neelappa Nasi (28) of Bijapur, at Varur in the taluk, on Friday evening.

ACP A?R?Badiger, Prabhugouda, A?B?Hiregoudar, and others were in the special team that made the arrests. The car used by the accused and their mobile phones were also seized.

Ravindra Prasad, Police Commissioner, said: “On June 1, Raja had threatened to kill businessman Omkarappa B?R?Halagappa in Shimoga and he had demanded a sum of Rs 50 lakh.”

On Friday, the Shimoga police arrested Mahesh alias Achangi Mahesh and Anand alias Navale Anand, and gathered information that weapons were being brought from Bijapur to murder the businessman.

Accordingly, ambush points were set up on different roads surrounding the twin cities and the car in which the accused were travelling was followed by the police from Kusugal Road till Varur.

At Varur, all of them were arrested when a pistol was being handed over to Hazarath Ali, who was waiting there, he said.

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‘Profit’ trap: Mangaluru trader duped of ₹33.1 lakh in online App scam

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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