Man alleges torture by police in Panjimogaru double-murder inquiry

September 18, 2011

musheer
Mangalore, September 18: A rresident of Panjimogaru area of the city has alleged that Panambur police tortured him for four days to force him to say that he had carried out the Panjimogaru double murder of a woman and her daughter.

Speaking from his bed at the Highland Hospital, Musheer (24), said that the police allegedly abused him by meting out cruel treatment. He said he was given only one meal a day, but he could not eat because of the pain. Before being let off on Thursday, he was threatened with an “encounter” if he told anybody about the ordeal, he said.

“They beat me every hour. What sort of inquiry is this? Around 15 people took turns in beating me. Some of them told me that they were doctors, but they too beat me,” Mr. Musheer said. The police kept telling him to “confess” to the double murder, and say that it was Hamid who had paid him to carry it out, he added.

Mr. Musheer said that an officer told him to come to the Panambur police station on September 12 as he “wanted a word” with him. The officer had met him during a visit to the house of Hamid's (the husband of the murdered woman Razya) elder brother where he (Musheer) and his wife were living on rent.

He said that he was taken to the police station from Jokatte in a Maruti 800. When he alighted from the car, the officer took the key of his motorcycle and his mobile phone, he said. On seeing nine men come from behind the police station, Mr. Museheer said that he got scared and started to run. However, the men caught him and took him to a room behind the police station, but in the same compound.

For four days, he was given tea in the morning and a meal with pickle in the afternoon. However, Mr. Musheer said that he could not eat it because of the pain. They also gave him tablets over four days, which he thinks were painkillers.

Meanwhile, reacting to Musheer's claim that police had forced him to confess to carrying out the murder at the behest of Razia's husband, Hamid reiterated that he and the members of his family were ready for any investigation. "We have been repeatedly saying that the we are ready to face even CBI investigation. I have also said that I am ready for narco analysis test," he said.


Reacting to allegations of abuse, Valentine D'Souza, the Inspector of Police, Panambur, said that the police have not tortured him. In fact, he was facing a couple of cases. We have only questioned him in connection with the double murder case. We produced him before the tahsildar and let him off, he claimed.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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News Network
November 30,2025

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Udupi: The pontiffs of Sri Paryaya Puttige Mutt, the sacred seat of Jagadguru Shrimad Madhvacharya Moola Samsthanam, have submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister seeking comprehensive development for Udupi district. 

Proposal for International Airport

A key request is the establishment of an international airport. Highlighting that around 1,000 acres of land are available and suitable, the pontiffs noted that the existing Mangalore Airport provides limited international connectivity. They suggested the airport be developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) or as a Greenfield Airport to boost trade, education, healthcare, and spiritual tourism.

Metro and Rapid Transit Connectivity

The proposal also calls for Metro Rail or Rapid Transit between Mangaluru and Udupi. The 55 km coastal stretch experiences heavy daily commuter traffic, causing congestion. The district administration is ready to prepare an initial project report for a Mass Rapid Transit corridor and requested inclusion under national urban mobility programmes to ensure safe, green, and time-efficient regional transport.

Port and Coastal Development

The pontiffs urged the development of an international-standard port with a cruise terminal along Udupi’s coast. They also requested fast-tracking of pending coastal tourism projects and revising Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms to encourage sustainable infrastructure and hospitality investment.

IT, AI and Technological Infrastructure

Support was sought for an IT and AI Innovation Park with incubation facilities under Digital India and Startup India initiatives. The proposal also emphasized the need for strengthened data security and cloud computing infrastructure to boost India’s technological independence.

Sports and Education Initiatives

The pontiffs requested national sports status for Kambala, along with financial and infrastructure support. They also sought the establishment of an AIIMS in Udupi, a new IIT campus, and approval for an IIM to promote higher education in the district.

Representation to the Prime Minister

Sri Sugunendra Tirtha Pontiff and Sri Sushrendra Tirtha Swamiji represented the pontiffs in submitting the comprehensive development proposal to the Prime Minister during his recent visit.

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News Network
December 7,2025

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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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