Breakthrough in Surathkal murder, gang that allegedly killed Fazil identified

News Network

August 1, 2022

Mangaluru, Aug 1: The police on Monday claimed a breakthrough in the Mohammad Fazil Mangalpet murder case by identifying a gang of four killers, sources said on Monday.

According to police sources, Suhas, Mohan, Giri and Amith had hacked Fazil to death. Investigations have revealed that Suhas is the main accused in the case. He has a criminal record and is involved in a murder case and two attempt to murder cases. A manhunt for him has been launched.

Police have also seized the car used by killers to carry out the crime on July 28 and arrested its owner Ajith Crasta (40), a resident of Surathkal. Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) experts are conducting checks of the seized vehicle and are expected to provide further leads and evidence.

Mangaluru Police Commissioner N Shashikumar stated that agencies have questioned 51 people in connection with the case and gathered exact clues on the killers. He also stated that they would be arrested soon.

After hacking Fazil to death, the car was abandoned in Padubidri police station limits by killers. As per the demand of Fazil's family, the police department has appointed an ACP ranked officer to head the investigation.

Opposition parties in the state had demanded an impartial probe into the youth's murder.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had stated that the police have been given a free hand in the investigation and to nab the murderers.

It is suspected that Fazil was killed by Hindutva terrorists despite knowing that he did not belong to any organisation.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

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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