School dropout Karnataka man poses as doctor and engineer; marries 15 posh women

News Network
July 10, 2023

mahesh.jpg

Mysuru, July 10: This is the story of a school dropout, who managed to marry at least 15 unsuspecting rich women by posing as doctor and engineer even though he cannot speak proper English. 

Police have managed to catch 35-year-old K.B. Mahesh, a resident of Banashankari in Bengaluru, after one of the women fooled, married and swindled by him lodged a complaint against him. 

Mahesh used to upload his profile on matrimonial sites like shadi.com or doctorsmatrimony.com.

Initial investigation has revealed that the accused married and cheated over 15 women in Mysuru and Bengaluru. 

Police said that Mahesh was confident that if he married and conned women in high positions, they will desist from filing a Police complaint. This boosted his confidence as most of the women did not complain but silently suffered his atrocities. 

Terrible English

If this conman’s English language skills were better, he may have lured more unsuspecting women into his web of deceit. Several women rejected Mahesh's marriage proposal when they heard him speak English. His poor language skills acted as a red flag to many of his potential victims, according to police. 

Exploiting unsuspecting individuals, Mahesh, who barely completed the 5th grade, masterminded an elaborate scheme where he posed as a doctor, tricking over 15 women into marrying him and swindling them of their valuables. However, the cunning fraudster’s deceptive streak has come to an end now.

His victims were carefully selected, targeting unmarried women, divorcees and widows, who held reputable positions and possessed substantial wealth. Since 2007, Mahesh had been orchestrating these scams, confessing to the Police that he had conned more than 15 women into marriage. Shockingly, some of these victims had children and Mahesh had rented a house in Mysuru and take his victims there to show off and make an impression. He also told the Police that he had rented the Mysuru house and had kept three of his victims there.

A complaint, finally!

The crime came to light when a software engineer from Bengaluru, 45-year-old Hemalatha, reported the cheating to the Police. Shortly after their marriage, Mahesh decamped with 200 grams of gold worth Rs. 8 lakh and Rs. 15 lakh in cash.

Sending her profile a request on shadi.com on August 22, 2022, Mahesh introduced himself as an ortho DNB specialist in Mysuru and expressed his interest in marrying her. He told Hemalatha that he was a resident of SBM Layout in R.T. Nagar, Mysuru.

Impressed by his profile, Hemalatha responded and they met at a fruit juice shop in Marathahalli, Bengaluru and exchanged phone numbers. On Dec. 22, 2022, Mahesh invited Hemalatha to Mysuru and took her to Chamundi Hill for the darshan of the presiding deity. He later brought her to his home at SBM Layout.

He then informed Hemalatha about his plans to open a clinic at Vijayanagar Fourth Stage. Hemalatha discussed the alliance with her parents, leading to their marriage on Jan 28, 2023, at Dolphin Hotel in Visakhapatnam.

Forced to apply for to Rs 70 lakh loan

They returned to Mysuru just a day after the wedding and after a day or two, he asked Hemalatha to apply for a loan of Rs. 70 lakh to finance the opening of his new clinic. Hemalatha refused and Mahesh allegedly threatened her.

On Feb. 5, Mahesh stole 200 grams of gold and Rs. 15 lakh in cash. Meanwhile, Divya, a resident of Bengaluru visited Hemalatha at the house in R.T. Nagar and revealed that she had also been deceived by Mahesh after marriage.

Without any further delay, Hemalatha filed a complaint with the Kuvempunagar Police and a case was registered on June 13 under IPC Sections 420 (cheating and dishonesty), 406 (criminal breach of trust), and 506 (criminal intimidation).
After arresting Mahesh, the Police confiscated two cars, seven mobile phones, Rs. 2 lakh in cash, as well as various stolen items such as a gold bracelet, two gold bangles, a necklace, and a gold ring.

‘I am a reputed doctor!’

Mahesh used to claim that he was a reputed doctor and his services were summoned from various parts of Karnataka and also from outside the State. He had a habit of keeping his women victims at houses in cities and towns and visiting them once or twice a month but regularly keep in touch over the phone.

Kuvempunagar Inspector L. Arun, Sub-Inspectors M. Radha, S.P. Gopal, ASI Nanjundaswamy, Constables M.P. Manjunath, Anand, Kuttappa, Hazarath, Suresh, and technicians Kumar were part of the investigation team.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 2,2025

A major upgrade in safety and monitoring is planned for Haj 2026, with every Indian pilgrim set to receive a Haj Suvidha smart wristband linked to the official Haj Suvidha mobile app. The initiative aims to support pilgrims—especially senior citizens—who may struggle with smartphones during the 45-day journey.

What the Smart Wristband Will Do

Officials said the device will come with:
•    Location tracking
•    Pedometer
•    SOS emergency button
•    Qibla compass
•    Prayer timings
•    Basic health monitoring

SP Tiwari, secretary of the UP State Haj Committee, said the goal is to make the pilgrimage safer and more comfortable.

“Most Hajis are elderly and not comfortable with mobile apps,” he said. “The smartwatch will help locate pilgrims who forget their way or cannot communicate their location.”

The wristbands will be monitored by the Consulate General of India in Saudi Arabia, similar to mobile tracking via the Haj Suvidha App.

Free Distribution and Training

•    Smart wristbands will be given free of cost.
•    Training for pilgrims will be conducted between January and February 2026.
•    Sample units will reach state Haj committees soon.
•    Final devices will be distributed as pilgrims begin their journey.

New Rules for Accommodation

Two major decisions have also been finalised for Haj 2026:
1.    Separate rooms for men and women – including married couples. They may stay on the same floor but must occupy different rooms, following stricter Saudi guidelines.
2.    Cooking banned – gas cylinders will not be allowed; all meals will be provided through official catering services arranged by the Haj Committee of India.

These decisions were finalised during a meeting of the Haj Committee of India and state representatives in Mumbai.

Haj Suvidha App Launched Earlier

The government launched the Haj Suvidha App in 2024, offering:

•    Training modules
•    Accommodation and flight details
•    Baggage information
•    SOS and translation tools
•    Grievance redressal

Haj 2026 Quota and Key States

•    India’s total Haj quota for 2026: 1,75,025 pilgrims
•    70% (1,25,000) allotted to the Haj Committee of India
•    30% (around 50,000) reserved for Haj Group Organisers

Uttar Pradesh has the largest allocation (around 30,000 seats), though approximately 18,000 pilgrims are expected to go this year. States with high pilgrim numbers include Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Dates of Haj 2026

The pilgrimage is scheduled to take place from 24 May to 29 May, 2026 (tentative).
Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is mandatory for Muslims who meet the required conditions.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
coastaldigest.com news network
December 2,2025

karkala.jpg

Udupi, Dec 2: A wave of regional pride is sweeping through Udupi district as Shagun S Verma Hegde, a talented Class 9 student from Christ King English Medium High School, Karkala, has been named the captain of the Indian National Team for the Under-15 Girls’ Volleyball Championship.

Shagun holds the unique distinction of being the sole player from Karnataka selected to represent the country in the prestigious international tournament. The championship, organized by the School Games Federation, is scheduled to take place in Shangluo, China, from December 3 to 13, where Shagun will lead the national squad.

A Remarkable Journey to the Top

Shagun’s selection is a testament to her dedication and exceptional skill on the court. Her journey included several rigorous rounds of selection:

•    She was the only player from Udupi district to qualify for the state-level selection camp.

•    Out of eight players from Karnataka who advanced to the national selection camp in Pune, Maharashtra, Shagun was the only one to secure a place in the final national squad.

•    The national camp saw participation from approximately 200 players, which was shortlisted to 23. Shagun not only made the final cut but was also ranked as the second-best player overall, solidifying her leadership role.

Shagun, who is the daughter of Sandesh Verma and Shruthiraj of Kallotte, Karkala, has trained under experienced coaches Santosh D’Souza, Jeevan D’Silva, Jairaj Poojary, and Ramesh. Her selection as the team captain has brought profound honour to her family, school, the Udupi district, and the entire state of Karnataka.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.