Cyanide Mohan Kumar gets life sentence in DK woman rape-murder case

coastaldigest.com news network
February 25, 2018

Mangaluru, Feb 25: The sixth Additional District and Sessions Judge D.T. Puttarangaswamy here on Saturday sentenced to life “Cyanide” Mohan Kumar on finding him guilty of murdering a 28-year-old woman by administering cyanide to her.

As per the charge-sheet, Mohan Kumar introduced himself as Shashidhar Poojary to the 28-year-old woman, a resident of Belthangady taluk in Dakshina Kannada. He promised to marry her and took the woman to a lodge in Hassan on September 23, 2009.

The next day, he asked her to remove her jewellery in the room and sent her to a public toilet at the bus stand nearby to consume pregnancy prevention pill. The woman went to the toilet and consumed the pill given by Mohan Kumar. However, the pill contained cyanide.

While the woman died in the bus stand, Mohan Kumar vacated the room and left the place with her jewellery. He sold the jewellery to some jewellers in Mangaluru, the charge-sheet said.

Prosecutor Judith O.M. Crasta examined 38 witnesses, including the lodge owner, the person who had sold cyanide to Mohan Kumar and the jewellers who purchased the jewellery.

The judge sentenced Mohan Kumar to death and imposed a fine of Rs. 3,000 on him for an offence under Section 302 (murder) of Indian Penal Code (IPC). He was sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs. 3,000 for an offence under Section 376 (rape) of IPC, six years imprisonment and Rs. 3,000 fine for an offence under Section 366 (kidnapping) of IPC, seven years imprisonment and Rs. 3,000 fine for an offence under Section 328 (administering stupefying drugs) of IPC, five years imprisonment and Rs. 3,000 fine for an offence under Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of IPC, five years imprisonment and Rs. 3,000 fine for an offence under Section 392 (robbery) of IPC and five months imprisonment for an offence under Section 417 (cheating) of IPC. All these sentences will run concurrently, the judge said.

Mohan Kumar, a former teacher, has been charge-sheeted by police in 20 cases of murder of women by using cyanide. Including the murder of the 28-year-old woman, he has been convicted in five cases.

The District Sessions Court has already sentenced him to death for the murder of a woman from Sullia on February 12, 2008, which was upheld by the High Court of Karnataka on November 15, 2017.

The High Court, however, overturned the death sentence awarded by the District Sessions Court and awarded life sentence to Mohan Kumar for the murder of two more women.

While acquitting Mohan Kumar in the murder of a 32-year-old woman from Bantwal, the High Court had sentenced him to five years imprisonment on finding him guilty of robbing her of her jewellery.

Also, the District Sessions Court had sentenced him to life for the murder of a woman from Puttur.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Mangaluru: Chaos erupted at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) after IndiGo flight 6E 5150, bound for Mumbai, was repeatedly delayed and ultimately cancelled, leaving around 100 passengers stranded overnight. The incident highlights the ongoing country-wide operational disruptions affecting the airline, largely due to the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms for crew.

The flight was initially scheduled for 9:25 PM on Tuesday but was first postponed to 11:40 PM, then midnight, before being cancelled around 3:00 AM. Passengers expressed frustration over last-minute communication and the lack of clarity, with elderly and ailing travellers particularly affected. “Though the airline arranged food, there was no proper communication, leaving us confused,” said one family member.

An IndiGo executive at MIA cited the FDTL rules, designed to prevent pilot fatigue by limiting crew working hours, as the cause of the cancellation. While alternative arrangements, including hotel stays, were offered, about 100 passengers chose to remain at the airport, creating tension. A replacement flight was arranged but also faced delays due to the same constraints, finally departing for Mumbai around 1:45 PM on Wednesday. Passengers either flew, requested refunds, or postponed their travel.

The Mangaluru delay is part of a broader crisis for IndiGo. The airline has been forced to make “calibrated schedule adjustments”—a euphemism for widespread cancellations and delays—after stricter FDTL norms came into effect on November 1.

While an IndiGo spokesperson acknowledged unavoidable flight disruptions due to technology issues, operational requirements, and the updated crew rostering rules, the DGCA has intervened, summoning senior airline officials to explain the chaos and outline corrective measures.

The ripple effect has been felt across the country, with major hubs like Bengaluru and Mumbai reporting numerous cancellations. The Mangaluru incident underscores the systemic operational strain currently confronting India’s largest carrier, leaving passengers nationwide grappling with uncertainty and delays.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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