Hebbalkar's kin bought lands just ahead of solar unit tenders

March 2, 2017

Bengaluru, Mar 2: It is now learnt that Congress leader Lakshmi Hebbalkar’s family purchased agricultural lands just two months before the e-tender was called to set up 1-3 MW solar projects.

Laxmi
The e-tender was called by the Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL) in October 2014 under the Karnataka Solar Policy 2014-2021. The whole tender process was over within 7.25 minutes on October 9, 2014. had recently reported how co-operative banks sanctioned huge loans on paltry security to Lakshmi’s company Harsha Sugars Pvt Ltd.

The 295 applicants who finally bagged the tender on that day include Lakshmi’s mother Girija Hattiholi, brother Channaraj Hattiholi, who is also one of the directors in Harsha Sugars Pvt Ltd, and other relatives. The KREDL had invited online applications from agricultural landowners for the total reserved capacity of 300 MW. The government had agreed to purchase power generated from these projects at Rs 8.40 per unit.

Documents suggest that Channaraj had bought agricultural land (survey numbers 43/1, 43/2 and 43/3) at Basaragi village in Soundatti taluk in August, while Girija bought land (survey number 548) at Madamageri village in Soundatti taluk a month before the e-tender process.

Another beneficiary Iravva R Patil (survey numbers 157/1 and 78/7) received six acres of agricultural land through a gift deed in August.

All these applications have the mobile phone number of Channaraj and documents suggest that the applications were uploaded at 11 am, within 52 seconds. When contacted, Channaraj said he had entered his number in many other applications as well and that there was nothing wrong in it. “I am a businessman and well versed in computers. I have uploaded the applications on behalf of many other people. What is wrong in filing applications for other participants?” he said.

No favours done: Energy minister

Energy Minister D?K?Shivakumar said that the whole e-tender process was carried out in a transparent manner. “I myself had asked my friends who have agricultural lands to make use of the e-tender process. Only a few intelligent people have managed to bag the tender. The whole country has applauded the project and even the Union government commended our work. It was National Informatics Centre which conducted this e-tender and none of the state government employees was involved. Out of 26,000 applications received, only 295 applications were selected. I have not done any favours to any individual,” the minister said.

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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 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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News Network
December 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

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.

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