Govt. to crack down on illegal private Haj tour operators

April 27, 2014

Bangalore, Apr 27: Home Minister K?J?George on Saturday directed the State police to crack down on illegal private tour operators who were duping the public by promising them Haj and Umrah tours at affordable rates.

Speaking to reporters after holding a meeting with Additional Chief Secretary S?K?Pattanayak and Bangalore City Police Commissioner Raghavendra H?Auradkar, George said there have been several complaints of prospective Haj and Umrah pilgrims being duped by private tour operators.

The illegal firms collect money from prospective pilgrims but the promised tour never happens. There were many instances when the pilgrims had been left stranded at the airport with their baggage, George said. He said the menace was prevalent especially in Bangalore.

Only 40 Haj private tour operators in the State had been recognised by the Ministry of External?Affairs, but a lot more operated without the required criteria, he said. George said the police will launch a thorough investigation and crack down on such illegal private operators.

He said he had directed Bangalore City Police Commissioner Raghavendra H. Auradkar to review pending cases, investigate complaints, and take stringent action against such operators.

Haj Minister Roshan?Baig said he had taken up the issue with the Home minister following complaints from the public.

Baig said the Ministry of External Affairs had recognised about 863 private tour operators in the country, of which about 25 are from Karnataka. In addition, a plenty of unrecognised operators are working in all district conducting Umrah tours. They offer affordable rates by advertising in the media. Pilgrims going on such tours face hardships and also lose money.

Baig said the quota fixed by the Haj?Committee for Karnataka to be taken on Haj pilgrimage on government subsidy was Rs 7,000 per annum. On an average another 3,000 took up Haj tour from private operators, he said. As many as 10,000 went on Umrah tour every year through private operators and there is no government subsidy for the Umrah pilgrimage, he added.

He said a list of the private tour operators in the State approved by ministry of External?Affairs would be published in the media soon.

The Minister said several operators who were not recognised by the MEA also organise Haj tours. He alleged that these operators had a network of agents across the State to lure people through advertisements in local newspapers. “They collect money and later abscond, leaving the aspiring pilgrims in the lurch. Following several complaints, we have asked the State Haj committee to publicise the list of recognised tour operators,” Mr. Baig said.

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Think Before You Post! Mangaluru Police Crack Down on Provocative Instagram Accounts

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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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Mangaluru police issue alert over fake traffic fine payment Apps and links

coastaldigest.com news network

December 20,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 20: City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy has issued a high-alert warning to vehicle owners regarding a surge in cyber fraud targeting those looking to pay traffic violation fines. Fraudsters are reportedly exploiting recent government discount schemes on traffic penalties to deceive citizens.

The Scam: How Fraudsters Strike

Criminals are using SMS, WhatsApp, and social media to circulate suspicious links and APK files (Android application packages). They claim these apps allow users to pay e-challans at a discount.

• Device Hacking: Downloading these unauthorized apps gives hackers full access to the victim's smartphone.

• Financial Theft: Once the phone is compromised, fraudsters intercept OTPs and personal data to drain bank accounts.

• Phishing Sites: Fake websites mimicking official portals are also being used to harvest banking credentials.

Already, two residents within Mangaluru city limits have reported significant financial losses after falling victim to these fraudulent apps.

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