Former Bajrang leader Mahendra Kumar acquitted in church attack case

coastaldigest.com news network

February 7, 2019

Mangaluru, Feb 7: A court here on Wednesday acquitted politician and social activist Mahendra Kumar of all charges in the 2008 Mangaluru church attack case. With this, the former Bajrang Dal firebrand stands in the clear.

The second JMFC judge, Mahesh BT, acquitted Kumar of the charges in the last of the cases in the attack that shook the state.

A day after the attack that took place more than 10 years ago, Mahendra had confessed to the media that members of his organisation — Bajrang Dal — had attacked Adoration Monastery, near Milagres Church, on the morning of September 14 and destroyed the idol of Jesus Christ, besides causing damage to the property. This was followed by a string of attacks on religious houses in the coastal districts.

Hours after his acquittal, Mahendra, lashed out at the Sangh Parivar, including the BJP, for training their guns on him for seeking a permanent solution to the vexed Datta Peeta issue. The cases the BJP government slapped against him after the 2008 church attacks were “part of a strategy to shut me up”, the former Bajrang Dal leader said.

He said the Parivar was wary of his rising popularity among the saffron ranks and his confession of its involvement in the attacks came in handy for the BJP government to punish him with trumped-up charges.

The activist claimed the BJP and Parivar had different, if conflicting, stand on the Datta Peeta issue — when they were in and out of power. Thanks to his frequent run-ins with the Parivar, he claimed the BJP government ensnared him in legal cases to keep him busy in courts and away from party affairs.

Mahendra expressed happiness the judiciary finally delivered justice, and mocked at the Parivar for paying lip sympathy when he was incarcerated.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

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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