Seized narcotics worth Rs 50 crore destroyed across Karnataka including Mangaluru, Udupi

News Network
June 26, 2021

Bengaluru, June 26: Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said narcotic substances worth over Rs 50 crore seized by the police are being destroyed in all the districts.

"Today, we are destroying narcotic substances worth more than Rs 50 crore as per court orders. This is only 60 per cent, the remaining 40 per cent are at various stages like the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) report has to come, court permission has to be taken in some cases. We will destroy the remaining 40 per cent at the earliest," Bommai said.

Speaking to reporters here after attending an event as part of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, he said the war against drugs would continue and would be intensified.

"On getting to know about activities such as transportation of narcotic substances and storing, among others, using the Covid situation, our drive against drugs has been intensified, and it is notable that large amounts of seizures were done during the pandemic," he said.

The Home Minister said those involved in international crime do not bother about global pandemics or Covid and continue with their activities, so the officials concerned have decided to track them and bring them to justice.

There is NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act against such activities, which is a central Act that cannot be amended by the State, but rules for its implementation can be changed as required and that process is on, he said.

"We are getting a study done by the National Law School as to what all the changes have to be made, how to go about it within the ambit of the Act. Following which necessary action will be taken," he said.

Bommai further said that by breaking through the dark web, officials have been able to gather new information based on which several raids have been conducted and international players involved in these activities have been arrested.

According to officials, the drugs were being destroyed today as per prescribed procedure, and they were seized during the last 12 months. During 2020, a record 4,066 cases were booked under the NDPS Act which led to massive seizures and arrest of 5,291 people, they said.

The drugs destroyed include ganja, poppy, brown sugar, opium, heroin, hashish, charas, cocaine, MDMA powder, MDMA tablets, Amphetamine and LSD strips.

The Home Minister lauded the swift action of the Bengaluru police in nabbing the five accused involved in the murder of former BJP corporator Rekha Kadiresh. 

Mangaluru/Udupi

Seized drugs worth Rs 1.38 crore was destroyed by Mangaluru and Udupi police today. Drugs worth approximately Rs 10 lakh was destroyed in Mangaluru while the same worth Rs Rs 1,00,28,600 was disposed in Udupi.

Under Mangaluru police commissionerate and district police disposed drugs which included ganja, cocaine, MDMA, LSD and charas here at bio medical waste treatment unit at Kolnaad Mulky. As much as 130 kg of ganja, 68 grams MDMA, 41 strips LSD, 18 ml cocaine and 18 gram brown sugar was destroyed worth approximately Rs 10 lakh which was seized in 50 cases under different police station limits.

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News Network
November 26,2025

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Bengaluru, Nov 26: Karnataka is taking its first concrete steps towards lifting a three-decade-old ban on student elections in colleges and universities. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced Wednesday that the state government will form a small committee to study the reintroduction of campus polls, a practice halted in 1989 following incidents of violence.

Speaking at a 'Constitution Day' event organised by the Karnataka Congress, Mr. Shivakumar underscored the move's aim: nurturing new political leadership from the grassroots.

"Recently, (Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to me and Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) asking us to think about restarting student elections," Shivakumar stated. "I'm announcing today that we'll form a small committee and seek a report on this."

Student elections were banned in Karnataka in 1989, largely due to concerns over violence and the infiltration of political party affiliates into campus life. The ban effectively extinguished vibrant student bodies and the pipeline of young leaders they often produced.

Mr. Shivakumar, who also serves as the Karnataka Congress president, said that former student leaders will be consulted to "study the pros and cons" of the re-introduction.

Acknowledging the history of the ban, he added, "There were many criminal activities taking place back then. We’ll see how we can conduct (student) elections by regulating such criminal activities."

The Deputy CM reminisced about his own journey, which began on campus. He recalled his political activism at Sri Jagadguru Renukacharya College leading to his first Assembly ticket in 1985 at the age of 23. "That's how student leadership was at the time. Such leadership has gone today. College elections have stopped," he lamented, adding that for many, college elections were "like a big movement" where leaders were forged.

The move, driven by the Congress high command's push to cultivate young talent, will face scrutiny from academics and university authorities who have, in the past, expressed concern that the return of polls could disrupt the peaceful academic environment and turn campuses into political battlegrounds.

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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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coastaldigest.com news network
November 29,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 29: Around 12,500 healthcare students from Medical, Dental, AYUSH, Pharmacy, Nursing, Physiotherapy and Allied Health Sciences colleges of Dakshina Kannada, affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), took part in a massive walkathon to promote awareness on Organ Donation and Nasha Mukth Bharat.

The inaugural ceremony was held at Mangala Stadium. Dr Bhagavan B C, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of RGUHS, delivered the welcome address. The walkathon was flagged off by Shri U T Khader, Hon’ble Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, and presided over by Shri Dinesh Gundu Rao, Hon’ble Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Dakshina Kannada District In-charge. Dakshina Kannada MP Shri Brijesh Chowta also addressed the students.

Music director Guru Kiran, MLA Dr Bharat Shetty (Mangalore North), Police Commissioner Shri Sudheer Kumar Reddy, Shri Manjunath Bhandary and Shri Harish Kumar were among those present.

Institution heads including Dr Haji U K Monu (Kanachur Colleges), Dr Shantharam Shetty (Tejaswini College), Dr Bhaskar Shetty (City Group of Colleges), Mr Abdul Rahiman (Kanachur Institute of Medical Sciences), and the District Health Officer, Mangalore, also participated.

The vote of thanks was delivered by Prof U T Ifthikar Fareed, Syndicate Member, RGUHS.

The event was organised by Dr U T Ifthikar Ali and Dr Shiva Sharan (Syndicate Members), Prof Vaishali (Senate Member), Prof Mohammad Suhail (Chairman, BOS Physiotherapy), Dr Sharan Shetty (Former Senate Member), along with principals and faculty of various colleges.

Students marched from Mangala Stadium to Karavali Grounds via MCC and Lalbagh signal. The event set a record as one of the largest gatherings of healthcare students for a social cause in the RGUHS Dakshina Kannada Zone.

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