Biased policing worsened condition of minorities'

January 16, 2012

Mangalore, January 16: Retired High Court Judge M F Saldanha said on Sunday lamented that the condition of minorities in Karnataka has continued to be pathetic, with communal forces targeting them without any fear.

Addressing presspersons here on Sunday Mr Saldanha said that situation in Coastal districts of Karnataka is far worst owing to biased policing.

He said that Govt and police had completely abdicated its responsibility towards minorities. In many instances, when members of the minority communities approached the police stations with their complaints on communal violence or harassment, instead of catching the perpetrators of the crime, the complainants were being harassed, he lamented.

“In most of the instances, the police simply did not register the cases. In yet other instances, the police played an active role in hushing up or destroying evidence instead of protecting it. They were doing this on the directions of their political masters”, he said.

He went on to claim that the bureaucracy and lower judiciary too gave the impression of having abdicated their duty. The functioning of the lower judiciary was particularly disappointing when it came with dealing with communal cases.

He said, the only way to deal with this situation where minorities were living under the constant shadow of fear was to create public opinion. About a few decades ago, all communities lived in harmony in the Coastal Karnataka, it was necessary to bring back those times, Mr. Saldanha said.

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Mangaluru–Kasaragod bus fare rolled back after Kerala protests force NHAI to shut Arikkady toll plaza

coastaldigest.com news network

February 5,2026

Mangaluru: The KSRTC Mangaluru division has rolled back the fare hike on buses operating on the Mangaluru–Kasaragod route following the suspension of toll collection at the Arikkady toll plaza near Kumbala in Kasaragod district.

The fare revision had been implemented after the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) began toll collection at the Arikkady plaza on NH-66. As a result, fares for ordinary and Rajahamsa services were increased by ₹7 and ₹10, respectively, raising the bus fare from Mangaluru to Kasaragod from ₹81 to ₹88.

Senior Divisional Controller of KSRTC’s Mangaluru division, Rajesh Shetty, said the fares were reduced after toll collection at the Arikkady plaza was stopped. “The tollgate began operations on January 13, and the toll amount was deducted from the FASTag accounts of KSRTC buses operating on the route. Following an order from the central government to suspend toll collection, KSRTC has also withdrawn the additional fare with immediate effect,” he said.

At present, vehicles travelling on the Mangaluru–Kasaragod route pay toll only at the Talapady toll plaza. The toll for light motor vehicles (LMVs) at Talapady is ₹80 for a same-day return, while heavy vehicles, including buses, are charged ₹250. At Arikkady, the toll rates were ₹130 for LMVs (same-day return) and ₹450 for buses.

Protests against Arikkady toll plaza

The Arikkady toll plaza witnessed widespread protests from January 12, the day toll collection commenced. On the second day, an action committee led by Manjeshwar MLA A K M Ashraf launched an indefinite protest at the site. Except for the BJP, leaders and workers of most major political parties participated in the agitation.

On the night of January 14, a large number of protesters gathered at the plaza and vandalised property, following which authorities temporarily suspended toll operations. The BJP later also expressed opposition to the toll plaza and criticised NHAI’s decision.

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