Mistaken for a child-lifter, mentally challenged man brutally thrashed

News Network

September 7, 2018

Bengaluru, Sept 7: A mentally challenged youth was tied to a tree and beaten up by an unruly mob that mistook him for a child-lifter at Patalamma Layout near Kadugodi in East Bengaluru last evening.

As the 25-year-old youth from Odisha entered a house in Patalamma Layout around 4.30 pm, residents came out of the house screaming. Passerby and neighbours caught him and tied him to a tree.

Meanwhile, one of the residents told them that he had received a WhatsApp message saying that four child lifters had entered their area and that he suspected him to be one of them. Taking his word, the mob thrashed him and some of them even shot the act, with the video going viral.

Onlookers refused to help him while he was being attacked. Some whipped out their cellphones to take videos.

The Kadugodi police rushed to the spot after the alert. They took him to the police station and after interrogation, they learnt that he was mentally disturbed and admitted him to a hospital. The police arrested one of the attackers, Rajesh, 30, and efforts are on to track down the others.

The incident is similar to a spate of attacks that unfolded in May in Bengaluru and surrounding areas after messages and videos warning people about child-trafficking gangs on the prowl went viral on social media. At the time, the police arrested 14 people, including four women, for allegedly lynching a 26-year-old construction labourer.

Abdul Ahad DCP (Whitefield) said no child lifters were reported in the city. He cautioned people about fake posts on WhatsApp and other social media sites.

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Air India Express brings back Mangaluru–Muscat direct flights from March 2026

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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