Newlywed bride killed in car-bus collision after temple visit, groom fights for survival

Mangaluru, June 28: After years of public demand, the Vijayapura–Mangaluru Central train has been made a regular service. MP Capt Brijesh Chowta announced the news on Twitter and thanked Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister V Somanna for their support.

The train will now run daily with the following schedule:

•  From Vijayapura to Mangaluru (Train No. 17377):

Departs Vijayapura at 3:00 PM → Arrives Mangaluru Central at 9:50 AM the next day.

•  From Mangaluru to Vijayapura (Train No. 17378):

Departs Mangaluru Central at 4:45 PM → Arrives Vijayapura at 11:15 AM the next day.

The regular service will benefit patients from North Karnataka visiting Mangaluru for medical treatment, students studying in coastal districts, and daily commuters.

This train had been operating on a temporary basis since December 1, 2021.

Mangaluru, July 6: In a chilling reminder of how fear and impersonation can override rationality, a Mangaluru woman was allegedly defrauded of a staggering ₹3.16 crore by cybercriminals posing as senior law enforcement officials and a public prosecutor.

This incident underscores the urgent need for public awareness about increasingly sophisticated impersonation scams, where fraudsters exploit legal jargon and fear tactics to drain victims financially.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN Crime Police Station, the ordeal began on June 5 when the woman received a call from an individual claiming to be Inspector Anu Sharma from the National Cyber Response Portal (NCRP). The caller informed her that a SIM card was allegedly purchased in her husband’s name and was being used for sending fraudulent messages and suspicious links.

The call was transferred multiple times — first to a so-called sub-inspector Mohan Kumar from ‘Sahar Police Station’ in Mumbai, who gathered personal details, and then to someone identifying himself as Public Prosecutor Deepak Venkata Ramana. The supposed prosecutor convinced the woman that her and her husband’s bank accounts were under scrutiny and needed to be “verified” through urgent fund transfers.

The complainant was threatened to maintain complete secrecy and promised that all transferred amounts would be refunded once the verification process was complete. Gripped by fear and manipulated through psychological pressure, she allegedly made a series of RTGS transfers between June 10 and June 27, totaling ₹3,16,52,142, into multiple bank accounts provided by the fraudsters.

Once the funds were drained, the fraudsters cut all communication and blocked the victim’s number. Only after she confided in her children did she realise that she had been conned.

Police have registered a case and an investigation is underway.

Why this matters:

This case highlights a disturbing trend in digital fraud, where scammers combine technology with fearmongering and impersonation to bypass even the most cautious minds. Authorities urge the public to be extremely wary of unsolicited calls claiming to be from police, banks, or legal institutions — especially when money is demanded under the guise of investigation or legal procedure.

Mangaluru, June 26: In two separate but strikingly similar incidents, two individuals from Mangaluru lost a total of ₹36.89 lakh to sophisticated "work from home" scams that originated on Instagram and WhatsApp, and later extended to platforms like Telegram. The scams, disguised as easy online jobs with high returns, lured victims with small initial payouts before demanding larger investments, which ultimately vanished without a trace.

Case 1: ₹27 Lakh Lost in ‘Global Part-Time Job’ Scam

One of the victims, a woman from Mangaluru, said she was watching Instagram reels on June 11 when she came across an advertisement offering a "Work From Home" opportunity. Intrigued, she clicked on the link, which redirected her to a WhatsApp chat, promoting a scheme called "Global Part Time Job".

The offer promised ₹120 per task for simply liking content on ShareChat, with daily earnings up to ₹5,000. She completed 20 tasks on the first day and was credited ₹320 to her bank account — a tactic often used by fraudsters to gain trust.

Encouraged by the payout and the lure of larger profits, she began transferring money to the scheme in phases from June 13 to June 20 — not just from her account, but also from those of her father, sister, and husband. Altogether, she claims to have transferred ₹27.01 lakh to various bank accounts.

When she could no longer withdraw any funds and received no response from the operators, she realized she had been defrauded and filed a complaint at the CEN Crime Police Station.

Case 2: ₹9.88 Lakh Lost in Telegram Investment Fraud

In another similar case, reported at the Mangaluru Rural Police Station, a second victim lost ₹9.88 lakh after being contacted on WhatsApp by someone named Ishika Joshi on May 22. She shared a link offering money for rating movies online. After the victim gave 5-star ratings, ₹150 was credited to their account, building confidence in the legitimacy of the task.

Soon after, a man identifying himself as Naveen Aurora, a "data tutor," contacted the victim via Telegram. He claimed that by paying a ₹5,000 task fee, the victim would gain access to more profitable assignments. The victim was then persuaded to invest in “US Copper”, a so-called foreign stock opportunity, initially depositing ₹53,000.

When the victim inquired about the expected returns, Aurora claimed the investment had been misdirected to “UK Copper” by mistake, and that a "repair task" was needed to recover the funds — prompting a further transfer of ₹8 lakh. Later, Aurora demanded an additional ₹8.5 lakh to complete “Level 2” and unlock the refund.

Realizing something was amiss, the victim checked with the bank and confirmed the fraud, eventually reporting it to the police.