The other face of poverty: 19-year-old student-cum-labourer crushed under debris

October 1, 2011

Puttur, October 1: In a tragic incident, a college student was crushed to death when a wall collapsed on him in Puttur late on Thursday.

The victim has been identified as Prakash Kumar (19), son of Kukkadi Balakrishna Gowda, a resident of Aryapu village. He was involved in the renovation work being carried out at the Mahalasa Medical and the shopping complex. He was digging the foundation pit for the new wall when the adjacent dilapidated structure caved in.

He was rushed to the hospital, but subsequently sustained to his injuries. Prashant was a second year student at the Government Polytechnic and was believed to be a very talented student. He had to take up cooli work during night due to support his family which is in extreme poverty.

Prashant was involved in the construction work along with his relatives for the past several days, it has been learnt. Puttur police have registered a case.

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‘Profit’ trap: Mangaluru trader duped of ₹33.1 lakh in online App scam

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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