DGP's son too has links with Lokayukta scam accused kin!

August 21, 2015

Bengaluru, Aug 21: State police chief Omprakash’s son, Karthikesh Omprakash, has business relations with the kin of N Narasimha Murthy, a clerk at the State police headquarters, who has been arrested by the SIT probing the Lokayukta corruption scam.

DGP
Documents show that Murthy's brother-in-law Ashwath and Karthikesh are partners in a quarrying and crusher unit in Ramanagara. Incidentally, a complaint by the villagers of Hanchikuppe in Ramanagara district against this quarrying firm for violation of rules is still pending before the Upalokayukta.

The application for quarrying and stone crushing unit was filed in the name of Karthikesh in 2009. The Mining Licence (Number 1354 and 1353) was issued in favour of the firm Magadi Quarry and Crusher, owned by Karthikesh and Ashwath. Around five acres of gomala land at Hanchikuppe was allotted to the firm.

When villagers objected to the quarrying unit within the prescribed safe zone, a proceeding by the Ramanagara Deputy Commissioner held on March 1, 2013 relaxed certain conditions. The area was declared as safe zone. The same day, based on the recommendation of the DC, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board accorded certification for the safe zone. The decision was so fast that both the offices passed orders in favour of a quarry owner in just one day, the documents reveal. Despite this, the Tahshildar had submitted a report that the unit fell within 500 metres of residential area, which is not permissable under Karnataka Regulation of Stone Crushers Act, 2011.

The Hanchikuppe villagers had also filed a PIL in the High Court. The court dismissed the petition on the grounds that since the villagers are the concerned parties a PIL cannot be entertained. The villagers also filed a complaint before the Upalokayukta (Compt/Uplok/BD/459/2011) and the next date of hearing is September 23, 2015.

On the day Omprakash took charge as DG&IGP, Loksatta Party had complained to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that he had prima facie misused his position to get clearances for the unit owned by his son.

When contacted, Omprakash said that it was a personal business issue of his son. Asked if he is aware of his son's business partnership with the brother-in-law of a clerk in his office, the DG&IGP answered in the negative.

“You have to ask this question to my son. He may have a business relationship with a private person. Moreover, if it is illegal, let the law take its own course,'' he said.

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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 19,2025

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru CEN police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly posting provocative and misleading content on an Instagram page named “mr_a_titude”, targeting the Bajpe police.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H identified the arrested as Abhishek M, a resident of Katipalla in Mangaluru.

A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station under Sections 353(1)(c), 353(2), 56, and 57 read with Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the post.

According to police, the accused uploaded a photograph of a hotel on the Instagram page and alleged that accused persons in a murder case under the Bajpe police jurisdiction were being given “royal treatment” by the police, including being served beef meals daily from the hotel.

The post further accused the police of supporting criminals, misusing their authority, and betraying public trust. Police said the content was provocative in nature and aimed at inciting public outrage against the police.

Following the post, a case was registered at the Bajpe police station, and further investigation was transferred to the CEN police station.

Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, assault, and robbery at the Surathkal Police Station, and one case at the Kaup Police Station.

The Commissioner said the accused was traced and arrested using technical evidence.

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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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