DSS sets 15-day deadline to arrest culprits in tax driver murder

September 23, 2011

Mangalore, September 23: Hundreds of people under the banner of Karnataka Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (Krishnappa) on Friday staged a demonstration in the city demanding the immediate arrest of those behind the killings of city based taxi driver Govardhana.

The protesters, who took out a rally from Jyothi Circle, gathered in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner raising slogans against the failure of cops in solving the murder case.

The protesters set a 15 day deadline for the police to arrest the culprits. They also demanded the government to provide a government job to one of the family members of the victim.

Addressing the protesters DSS State Secretary Satya Bhadravati said that the unsolved case of a Dalit driver is another example for the failure of policing in coastal Karnataka.

Reminding that the incident has taken place in the home district of Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, he said his group would not allow the CM to participate in any programme, if he continued to ignore this brutal murder.

“If the police failed solve this case within 15 days, the DSS will stage a broom showing protest at the office of the Commissioner of Police”, he warned and added that state level office bearers will decide on future course of the struggle in a meeting to be held on October 8 in the city.

DSS state organising convenor M Devadas, divisional convenor Shekhar Hejamady, state committee member Shrinivas, Corporators Shashidhar Hegde, Harinath, Amithakala, Congress leaders Ivan D'Souza, Suresh Ballal and Christian leader Dennis D'Silva were present among the protesters.

Govardhan, son of S Narayan, a resident of Bejai Kapikad and a taxi owner-cum-driver by profession, vanished after he dropped four strangers, who hired his car to Karkala on the night of August 25.

It is said that four strangers had hired Govardhan's car from KSRTC bus stand in the city to reach Karkala. At around 7: 15 pm the strangers had approached Govardhan saying that their car had developed snags in Karkala and they wanted to bring it back. At around 9:30 pm Govardhan had called his family and informed that he was in Karkala and would be returning soon.

When Govardhan did not return home till next day morning his family members tried contact him over phone. However both of his cells were switched off. Later they lodged a complaint with Urwa police station.

Govardhana's car was traced near Padubidri very next day. His body was found on Belman-Mundkur Road on August 29.

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.

Puttur's Healthcare Dream Cleared: State Finance Gives Nod for 300-Bed Hospital

News Network

December 2,2025

Puttur: The long-cherished dream of a government medical college in Puttur has moved a decisive step closer to reality, with the Karnataka State Finance Department granting its official approval for the construction of a new 300-bed hospital.

Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai announced the crucial development to reporters on Monday, confirming that the official communication from the finance department was issued on November 27. This 300-bed facility is intended to be the cornerstone for the establishment of the government medical college, a project announced in the state budget.

Fast-Track Implementation

The MLA outlined an aggressive timeline for the project:

• A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the hospital is expected to be ready within 45 days.

• The tender process for the construction will be completed within two months.

Following the completion of the tender process, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the project.

"Setting up a medical college in Puttur is a historical decision by the Congress government in Karnataka," Rai stated. The project has an estimated budget allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the medical college.

Focus on Medical Education Department

The MLA highlighted a key strategic move: requesting the government to implement the hospital construction through the Medical Education Department instead of the Health and Family Welfare Department. This is intended to streamline the entire process of establishing the full medical college, ensuring the facilities—including labs, operation theatres, and other necessary infrastructure—adhere to the strict guidelines set by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The proposed site for the project is in Bannur.

Rai also took the opportunity to address political criticism, stating that the government has fulfilled its promise despite "apprehensions" and "mocking and criticising" from opposition parties who had failed to take similar initiatives when they were in power. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept his word," he added.

Comments