One killed, four injured in blast at MRPL

[email protected] (CD Network, Photos by Ahmed Anwar)

October 18, 2011

Mangalore, October 18: A worker was killed and four others injured when a blast ripped through a crude oil storage tank of Phase III of the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, where they were working.

The blast occurred around 11: 30 am at the huge tank at Bala area, when around two dozens of labourers were busy in welding, painting and other works, it is learnt.

19-year-old Munna from Orissa, who was carrying out welding work at the unit, died on the spot, while 22-year old Rahim from Bidar district sustained more than 90% burn injuries. He was busy in painting work in the same unit during the blast.

Pappu Mahto from West Bengal, Uday Kumar (26) from Bihar and Bheemanna (32) too sustained injuries. Bheemanna is admitted to MRPL Hospital.

A worker at the site revealed that the grinding work (smoothening of the tank surface) was going on and some painting work was being done nearby. Suddenly, there was a huge blast inside the tank. Munna died on the spot and Raheem sustained third degree burns, he said.

Residents said they heard a deafening sound near the cargo gate, about 1.5 km from the spot, and a pungent smell hung in the air.

However, A R Jhelki, in charge of the work site, denied there was a blast at the work site. He said the accident occurred after a spark from the grinding machine fell on paint spilled on the floor. It caught fire instantly, engulfing two and injuring two, he said.

Surprisingly, MRPL officials said nothing about an injured Bheemanna. A few workers later hesitantly informed media persons that five workers, not four, were injured in the mishap.

The workers have been working in Mangalore under Offshore Construction Company since the last one and half years.

Meanwhile, the MRPL management has remained tight-lipped about the entire episode which the local residents see as a precursor to a possible larger mishap.

Calling it a “consequence of breakdown in safety”, a resident said Tuesday's blast was the third in Phase III of MRPL in the last two-three months.

“The principal employer (MRPL) is in a hurry to commission Phase III. These incidents are to be blamed on laxity in safety,” said another resident. He said a water tank had recently collapsed at the contract labourer colony outside the refinery.

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HC refuses to quash probe against Mangaluru WhatsApp admin over offensive posts

News Network

February 1,2026

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has refused to quash an investigation against a WhatsApp group administrator accused of allowing the circulation of obscene and offensive images depicting Hindutva politicians and idols in 2021.

Justice M Nagaprasanna observed that, prima facie, the ingredients of the offence under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code were made out. “The offence under Section 295A of the IPC is met to every word of its ingredient, albeit prima facie,” the judge said.

The petitioner, Sirajuddin, a resident of Belthangady taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, had challenged the FIR registered against him at the CEN (Cyber, Economics and Narcotics) police station, Mangaluru, for offences under Section 295A of the IPC and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. Section 295A relates to punishment for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens.

According to the complaint filed by K Jayaraj Salian, also a resident of Belthangady taluk, he received a WhatsApp group link from an unknown source and was added to the group after accessing it. The group reportedly had six administrators and around 250 participants, where obscene and offensive images depicting Hindu deities and certain political figures were allegedly circulated repeatedly.

Sirajuddin was arrested in connection with the case and later released on bail on February 16, 2021. He argued before the court that he was being selectively targeted, while other administrators—including the creator of the group—were neither arrested nor investigated. He also contended that the Magistrate could not have taken cognisance of the offence under Section 295A without prior sanction under Section 196(1) of the CrPC.

Rejecting the argument, Justice Nagaprasanna held that prior sanction is required only at the stage of taking cognisance, and not at the stage of registration of the crime or during investigation.

The judge noted that the State had produced the entire investigation material before the court. “A perusal of the material reveals depictions of Hindu deities in an extraordinarily obscene, demeaning and profane manner. The content is such that its reproduction in a judicial order would itself be inappropriate,” the court said, adding that the material, on its face, had the tendency to outrage religious feelings and disturb communal harmony.

Observing that the case was still at the investigation stage, the court said it could not interdict the probe at this juncture. However, it expressed concern that the investigating officer appeared to have not proceeded uniformly against all administrators. The court clarified that if the investigation revealed the active involvement of any member in permitting the circulation of such content, they must also be proceeded against.

“At this investigative stage, any further observation by this Court would be unnecessary,” the order concluded.

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