No boat in distress approached us: NMPT

September 19, 2011

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Mangalore, November 20: New Mangalore Port Trust Chairman P Tamilvanan claimed that there was no boat had arrived to the New Mangalore Port on September 14.

This contradicts the claim by Vincent, the sole survivor of the 'Ocean Fisheries-2' boat tragedy that NMPT authorities had refused to anchor the boat in distress in the Port,

Speaking to the media persons on Monday, the NMPT Chairman ruled out Vincent's words and said, “the news that NMPT refused to give permission for anchoring the boat in distress in the Port is not acceptable and far from truth.”

He said that the NMPT is ready to face any inquiry in this regard. “On the previous day of the boat tragedy, the NMPT had anchored two boats from outside and there was no reason for the Port authorities to reject the plea of the fishermen in 'Ocean Fisheries-2', if at all the fishermen had asked for help,” he said.

The authorities from the Coast Guard, Fisheries and other departments who were present at the meet too washed their hands off, as none of the officials affirmed the statement of the survivor of the tragedy that the crew members of the sunken boat had sent distress message to them.

Recalling the incident, Coast Guard Commandant Rajendra Sigh Safal informed that he had received a call informing him about the boat in distress on September 15 at 3 am, following which he made arrangements for deploying an aircraft from Kochi to search for the boat and the search operation began at 5.30 am. “That was the minimum time required for making arrangements for the aircraft and we could not do anything more,” he said.

P Tamilvanan said that going by the words of Coast Guard staff, the boat in distress was stuck in the sea almost 30 nautical miles away from New Mangalore Port when the boat members sought help.

“When such was the situation, how can one believe that the boat had approached NMPT authorities seeking help on the same day?” he asked.

Port Security Committee

In a new development, Port Security Committee has been formed consisting of the NMPT Chairman, Mangalore Assistant Commissioner, Coast Guard Commandant, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Fisheries Department Deputy Director and others. The committee is scheduled to hold meetings once in three moths. The committee held an official meeting on Monday to discuss the matters pertaining to the security of the Port.

NMPT Chairman said that henceforth NMPT authorities will shelter the boats in distress in the Port without following the usual procedure of seeking assistance from the Fisheries Department. “The men in the boat will be taken care first and then the Port authorities would contact the Fisheries Department to receive the security clearance,” he informed.

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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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News Network
December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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December 1,2025

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Udupi, Dec 1: A horrific case of alleged rape has unfolded in Udupi, where a worker from a Hindutva organisation, previously arrested and released on bail for harassing a young woman, is now accused of waylaying and sexually assaulting her.

The arrested individual has been identified as Pradeep Poojary (26), a member of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike's Nairkode unit in Perdur.

Poojary had allegedly been relentlessly harassing the young woman, pressuring her to marry him. When she bravely stood up to him and refused his demands, she filed a formal complaint at the Hiriyadka police station. He was subsequently arrested in that initial harassment case but was later granted bail.

According to police reports, driven by the same malicious grudge, Poojary allegedly intercepted the woman again on November 29. While she was walking through a deserted area, the accused is claimed to have threatened her by grabbing her neck. When she again refused to marry him, he allegedly proceeded to rape her.

The survivor immediately informed her family about the traumatic assault. Following this, her parents lodged a complaint at the Udupi women’s police station.

Police arrested Poojary again and produced him before the court. He has since been remanded to judicial custody.

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