Gauri had defamed me, says Vikram Sampath as SIT records his statement

Agencies
September 17, 2017

Bengaluru, Sep 17: The Special Investigating Team, probing the Gauri Lankesh case, has recorded the statement of writer Vikram Sampath in connection with the killing of the journalist-activist.

"After I came from London a couple of days back, an SIT official visited my house to record my statement in connection with Gauri Lankesh case," he told PTI here.

Sampath said though he felt it was not a "constructive" approach by the SIT official, he cooperated with him as any law-abiding citizen would do.

He said the approach of the SIT would have made some sense if he had written a critical piece about the 55-year-old Gauri, but he neither responded nor did he react to her articles.

"If anything, it was Gauri who had defamed me publicly and I was the supposed wronged-party," he alleged.
Gauri had reportedly written a critical article on Sampath in her Kannada tabloid and some English newspapers for opposing the 'Award Wapsi' campaign by writers in 2015.

The Bengaluru Literature Festival that year had run into rough weather following Sampath's decision to step down as the festival director after some Kannada writers refused to participate in the event because of his remarks over the writers returning their awards.

"Will the SIT also be questioning everyone whom Gauri has been critical of?.. because as a fearless journalist she has been critical of several individuals, including the Prime Minister of India. But, I and my aged parents needed to go through this ordeal and tension for what?" he asked.

"None of her (Gauri) articles against me have I ever read, or even responded to as it did not seem important to me to react to every opinion in that charged atmosphere, with a counter," he added.

Sampath, who was questioned on Friday, sought to know whether the SIT would reach its rightful and logical conclusion or go the same way as several other special teams that were constituted after the killing of writers, civil servants or police officials in Karnataka but went nowhere even after years of probing.

The writer also asked media, politicians and intellectuals not to put forth their theories on who might have killed Gauri.

"No one - media, intellectuals, politicians or anyone else - should jump the gun..They should allow SIT to investigate the matter.. Pressure would only create more confusion," he added.

The Karnataka government had on September 6 announced the formation of a 21-member SIT team to investigate the killing of Gauri that led to a wave of countrywide protests and condemnation across the political spectrum.

Gauri Lankesh, known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her home here on the night of September 5.

A few other writers were also reportedly questioned by the SIT in connection with the murder.

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News Network
November 21,2025

Bantwal: A domestic dispute appears to have led to a violent confrontation in BC Road area, where the owner of a textile shop was allegedly attacked with a knife by his wife on Wednesday evening.

Krishna Kumar Somayaji, the owner of Somayaji Textiles, sustained serious injuries in the incident and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. He is currently receiving care in the intensive care unit and is reported to have survived the assault, according to police.

The Bantwal Town police have registered a case against Somayaji's wife, Jyothi KT, who has since been taken into custody.

Police stated that the complainant, Namita, an employee at the shop, reported the sequence of events. She stated that around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the suspect entered the shop, wearing a burqa and disguised as a customer, before attacking Somayaji with a knife. The employee then transported the injured owner to a local hospital via an autorickshaw.

Superintendent of Police Arun K confirmed that an ongoing domestic dispute between Somayaji and his wife reportedly preceded the attack. Police noted that Jyothi KT had previously visited the shop and issued threats.

Based on the complaint, Bantwal Town police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indian Arms Act-1959. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.

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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 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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