Fair probe into sexual abuse of nursery girl, stringent action assured: UTK

March 19, 2015

Mangaluru, Mar 19: A high level investigation team has been formed to probe the sexual abuse of a three-and-half-year-old nursery student by the van driver of Mangaluru One School, said Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader.

Mr Khader, in whose constituency the crime took place last week, expressed hope that the culprits will be punished. He said that the City Police Commissioner S Murugan has assured him impartial probe into the case with the intention giving justice to the victim.

He said that the government has considered this case as a serious crime and no one can try to protect or defend the accused.

The government and all the people demand stringent action against the accused based on the report of the investigation team, he said adding that the chief minister Siddaramaiah and home minister K J George also have assured him that the case will be considered seriously.

The case has been transferred from Ullal Police Station to Pandeshwar Women’s Police Station to avoid external pressure and facilitate fair and impartial probe. Besides, Mr Murugan himself heading the probe team as per the request of the minister.

The team also comprises of experts like Wenlock Hospital Superintendent Dr Rajeshwari Devi, Dr Ramesh from the Department of Forensic in Wenlock Hospital, Dr Sundari and Dr Caroline P D’Souza from Lady Goschen Govt Hospital, Gynecologist Dr Jameela, and Pandeshwar police inspector Kalavathi.

The team has collected statements from the victim, her parents, and the staff and management of the school, sources said.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

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.

Comments