New twist in Soujanya rape and murder: Court summons 3 from Dharmasthala

[email protected] (CD Network)
November 20, 2016

Mangaluru, Nov 20: In a new twist to the 2012 Soujanya rape and murder case, a Special CBI Court has summoned three persons from Dharmasthala not named by the investigation agency in its charge sheet.

Soujanya

Soujanya, who was then a 17-year-girl and II PUC student of SDM college, Ujire was raped and murdered while returning home after finishing classes on October 10, 2012. This had triggered widespread protests in Dakshina Kannada.

The 50th Additional Sessions Court on Saturday issued summons to Mallik Jain, Uday Jain and Dheeraj Jain of Dharmasthala. The judge directed the trio to appear before the court and face the trial.

The summons were issued based on the petition filed by Soujanya's father Chandrappa Gouda pleading before the court to consider the trio as accused, saying they are involved in the murder.

The trial of the case is in progress. Witness statements by two doctors who conducted post-mortem on the body have given a new twist to the case. During cross examination, they testified that the crime was committed by more than one person.

While issuing the summons under Section 319 of CrPC, the court observed that Santosh Rao, given his mental ailments, couldn't have committed the crime alone. It relied on the doctor's statements for issuing the summons to Jain trio, sources said.

The CID had arrested Santosh Rao, who suffers from depression and other mental ailments, in connection with the murder. Now, the Special CBI Court has summoned the three others, based on new information presented during the trial. Till date, Public Prosecutor Shivananda Perla has examined 15 witnesses, including the two doctors. 

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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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News Network
December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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