Former Mangalore Mayor among 11 arrested for illegal gold prospecting

October 15, 2011

Davanagere, October 15: Police have confirmed that former Mangalore Mayor Purandaradas Kuloor was among the 11 suspected illegal gold prospectors nabbed while panning for gold in a reserve forest area at Jagalur in Davanagere district.

A former policeman and sportsman, Koloor had served as the Mayor of Mangalore City Corporation during 2004-05.

Other 10 arrested have been identified as Badmanabh Bhat and Rajesh Shetty from Mangalore, Ponnappa, Jabir Mohammad and Abdul Rahman, Siddeeq from Kodagu district, Basavaraj and Mahantesh from Bellary and Rangappa from Jagalur.

Two cars worth Rs 5 lakh, and a motorbike have been seized from the arrested. Among the 15 suspected gold prospectors, four persons managed to escape during the raid, said HS Venkatesh, the Superintendent of Police in a press meet.

He said that the arrested were panning for the gold at the Rangayyana Durga Reserve Forest area at Jagalur taluk.

It is assumed that Rangappa and Mahantesh, who were suspected to be the masterminds, had brought the other people with the promise of hidden gold. Padmanabh Bhat from Mangalore had accompanied the miscreants for Ganapati Pooja during the crime.

Acting on a tip off, Harapanahalli DySP Anitha, Jagalur CPI J S Tippeswamy, PSI Imran Beg raided the spot and arrested the accused.

A case has been registered at Bilichodu Police Station in Jagalur.

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Udupi school girl Shagun Verma Hegde to lead India U-15 volleyball team in China

coastaldigest.com news network

December 2,2025

Udupi, Dec 2: A wave of regional pride is sweeping through Udupi district as Shagun S Verma Hegde, a talented Class 9 student from Christ King English Medium High School, Karkala, has been named the captain of the Indian National Team for the Under-15 Girls’ Volleyball Championship.

Shagun holds the unique distinction of being the sole player from Karnataka selected to represent the country in the prestigious international tournament. The championship, organized by the School Games Federation, is scheduled to take place in Shangluo, China, from December 3 to 13, where Shagun will lead the national squad.

A Remarkable Journey to the Top

Shagun’s selection is a testament to her dedication and exceptional skill on the court. Her journey included several rigorous rounds of selection:

• She was the only player from Udupi district to qualify for the state-level selection camp.

• Out of eight players from Karnataka who advanced to the national selection camp in Pune, Maharashtra, Shagun was the only one to secure a place in the final national squad.

• The national camp saw participation from approximately 200 players, which was shortlisted to 23. Shagun not only made the final cut but was also ranked as the second-best player overall, solidifying her leadership role.

Shagun, who is the daughter of Sandesh Verma and Shruthiraj of Kallotte, Karkala, has trained under experienced coaches Santosh D’Souza, Jeevan D’Silva, Jairaj Poojary, and Ramesh. Her selection as the team captain has brought profound honour to her family, school, the Udupi district, and the entire state of Karnataka.

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