Sri Ram Sene leader among 10 arrested for murdering Muslim youth over interfaith love

News Network
October 8, 2021

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Belagavi, Oct 8: The Belagavi police on Friday, 8 October, arrested 10 persons including a local leader of the Hindutva right-wing outfit, Sri Ram Sene, for having killed a 24-year-old Muslim youth, Arbaz Aftab Mulla in cold blood.

The Ram Sene leader, Pundalik Maharaj, was a suspect from the time Mulla's family accused him of having threatened the youth over a period of six months. Another Sri Ram Sene leader, Prashant Kallappa is also arrested. Also arrested are the parents of the woman with whom Mulla was in an alleged relationship.

Mulla's mother, Nazeema Mohammed Gouse Sheikh, had accused the woman's father of involvement. 

Communal Motive

On the day of the murder, Mulla was called from Belagavi to Khanapur. "He was murdered near the railway track. Then the body was thrown on the railway track to make it appear like a train accident or suicide attempt," Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi said at a press conference held on Friday.

The police confirmed that Arbaz Mulla was in love with a Hindu woman. Even after the deceased shifted from Khanapur to Belagavi, "the relationship continued". Two days before the murder, there was a meeting between some mediators and the families of the two.

"Even after the mediation had reached a settlement, the murder happened on 28 September," the SP said.

Answering a question about the murder being communal, the SP said, "Yes that is a party of the investigation".

Killers Hired

The parents – Shusheela Eerappa (42) and Eerappa Basavanni Kumbara (54) – had hired contract killers to finish off Mulla, the police said in a press release. Others arrested include Kuthabuddhin Allahbaksh (36), Maruthi Prahlad (30), Manjunath Thukaram (25), Ganapathi Jnaneshwara (27), Prashant Kallappa (28 and Praveen Shankar (28 and Shridhar MahadevaDoni (30).

Mulla was in a relationship with a woman, who was his neighbour. He was a resident of Belagavi even though he used to stay at Khanapur till six months ago.

Members of Sri Ram Sene had threatened him of dire consequences event three days before his death, the family had alleged. Mulla had gone missing on September 28 and his body was found on a railway track near Khanapur, Belagavi. He was a used cars salesman.

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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.

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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 4,2025

Mangaluru: Chaos erupted at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) after IndiGo flight 6E 5150, bound for Mumbai, was repeatedly delayed and ultimately cancelled, leaving around 100 passengers stranded overnight. The incident highlights the ongoing country-wide operational disruptions affecting the airline, largely due to the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms for crew.

The flight was initially scheduled for 9:25 PM on Tuesday but was first postponed to 11:40 PM, then midnight, before being cancelled around 3:00 AM. Passengers expressed frustration over last-minute communication and the lack of clarity, with elderly and ailing travellers particularly affected. “Though the airline arranged food, there was no proper communication, leaving us confused,” said one family member.

An IndiGo executive at MIA cited the FDTL rules, designed to prevent pilot fatigue by limiting crew working hours, as the cause of the cancellation. While alternative arrangements, including hotel stays, were offered, about 100 passengers chose to remain at the airport, creating tension. A replacement flight was arranged but also faced delays due to the same constraints, finally departing for Mumbai around 1:45 PM on Wednesday. Passengers either flew, requested refunds, or postponed their travel.

The Mangaluru delay is part of a broader crisis for IndiGo. The airline has been forced to make “calibrated schedule adjustments”—a euphemism for widespread cancellations and delays—after stricter FDTL norms came into effect on November 1.

While an IndiGo spokesperson acknowledged unavoidable flight disruptions due to technology issues, operational requirements, and the updated crew rostering rules, the DGCA has intervened, summoning senior airline officials to explain the chaos and outline corrective measures.

The ripple effect has been felt across the country, with major hubs like Bengaluru and Mumbai reporting numerous cancellations. The Mangaluru incident underscores the systemic operational strain currently confronting India’s largest carrier, leaving passengers nationwide grappling with uncertainty and delays.

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