Mangalore: Police inefficiency, civic problems dominate grievance meet

[email protected] (CD Network)
June 7, 2014

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Mangalore, Jun 7: Upa Lokayukta Justice Subash B Adi reviewed a number of petitions received from people in a public hearing and disposal of complaints organised by the Karnataka Lokayukta at Town Hall here on Saturday.

The grievances received by the Upa Lokayukta in Dakshina Kannada were pertaining to revenue departments, police inefficiency, irregularities in Mangalore Electricity Supply Company and civic problems.

In a complaint filed by C S Shastri, he alleged that the headmaster of an aided primary school in Bantwal taluk had also been unlawfully functioning as the principal of a private un-aided high school run by the same management since the year 2006 before its closure.

The complainant alleged that the headmaster of Shastri Memorial Primary School in Punacha in Bantwal taluk, had also been unlawfully functioning as the principal of Shastri Memorial High School, which was privately owned and un-aided, from 2006 until 2010. He also alleged that principal had also been receiving payment for both the posts during the same duration.

In his summary, Justice Adi said that the preliminary enquiry by the block education officer revealed that primary school teachers were being used in teaching high school classes, as alleged. The complainant has made a serious allegation that this arrangement continued from 2006 until the closure of the high school in 2010, thereby engaging in misuse of government facilities and public funds. The DDPI has submitted that a swift inquiry will be made into persons responsible for the same and submit a report within two months, a copy of which will be sent to the Commissioner of Public Instruction for taking further action, he said.

In another grievance pertaining to misuse of government facilities and public funds, the complainant alleged that Girish Kumar had held two government posts at the same time in Sajipa Mooda gram panchayat and had illegally amassed Rs 1.40 lakhs as salary from public funds.

He alleged that Girish Kumar had been working as a clerk and bill collector at the same time under the gram panchayat and had forged documents for abetting the same. He said that the CEO of Zilla Panchayat did not take any action against Girish Kumar when the matter was brought to her notice.

Justice Adi directed the concerned officials to initiate a criminal case against Girish Kumar as well as Sajipa Mooda gram panchayat PDO (panchayat development officer) and recover the entire sum amassed by the accused within a month.

In a complaint filed by Babu and his family pertaining to the illegal functioning of a stone quarry in Navoor gram in Bantwal taluk, the complainant said that he had suffered loss due to the dust and pollution from the stone quarrying which had affected his agricultural land situated adjacent to the quarry.

The Upa Lokayukta directed that a senior geologist and deputy director of Mines and Geology Department to submit a report of the lease sanctioned to the stone quarry contrary to the regulations within a month, and directed the concerned Tahsildar to investigate the extent of loss suffered by the complainant and submit a report accordingly.

A B Ibrahim, Deputy Commissioner, Dr S D Sharanappa, Superintendent of Police, Dakshina Kannada, Tulasi Maddineni, CEO of Zilla Panchayat, S Ajith Kumar Hegde, Commissioner of Mangalore City Corporation and others were present.

On Friday, he reviewed and disposed off nearly 80 complaints in a public hearing held in a public hearing in Udupi district during his official visit.

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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 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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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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