Dalits flay police for labelling Vaittal as naxal

April 1, 2012
Mangalore, April 2: Dalitha Hakkugala Horata Samiti, Belthangady taluk president Shekhar l took police to task for labelling Dalit student Vittal Malekudiaya as a naxal supporter in the absence of proper evidence.

At the SC/ST monthly grievance meeting organized at the old commissioner office meeting hall on Sunday, he sought the status of the complaint lodged by one Ishwari against the circle inspector of Belthangady police station as he had verbally abused her when she stepped into the police station seeking justice.

Responding to this, SP Abhishek Goyal said no action has been taken due to lack of proper witnesses. On what grounds was the only graduate from Malekudiya community , Vittala Malekudiya arrested? Shekhar questioned . Is it wrong on the part of a person to store sugar, tea powder and other rations in his home? .The Anti Naxal Force (ANF)has traced only ration items and a book pertaining to the biography of freedom fighter Bhagath Singh.

How can they claim that Vittala was a strong supporter of Naxalites? He questioned, alleging that Anti Naxal Force had put Vitalla Malekudiya's name in the Naxalites list only to receive funds from the government. Responding to that, SP Abhishek Goyal said the ANF and Poilce department were two separate entities. ANF had arrested Vittala Malekudiya and handed him over to Belthangady police station. Blaming the police Department for the same is not fair as the district police is not connected to this at all. Whether he was a Naxal supporter or not will be decided by the court, he said.

The Police did not allow Vittala's mother to talk to him when he was in police custody, saying a court order was needed.

When Dalit leaders claimed that their life had worsened after the entry of the ANF team , SP Abhishek Goyal questioned Dalits about whether there were Naxalites in the Belthangady region or not.

Irked over the question ,Shekhar L said only the Police Department should answer such questions and not the public. If the SP is not able to answer the question , he should step down , he opined. Immediately ASP Prabhakar got up and warned him not to make such comments.
Though some leaders stood in favour of Shekhar many Dalit leaders said there were other issues that needed to be discussed and Vittala's arrest should be discussed separately.

Later, Dalit leaders placed some of their grievances at the meeting and received answers from the department. Civil Rights Enforcement cell (CREC) SP Sarvotham Pai and others were present at the meeting.

Complaints should be given FIR copy

Whether it is an atrocity case or any other case, a copy of the First Investigation Report should be given to each complainant. Every police station should follow this procedure, said Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh here on Sunday.

He was speaking at the SC/ST monthly grievance meeting at the Commissioner's Office.

When Dalith leader M A Naik revealed that Moodbidri police station had not provided a First Investigation Report copy to a complainant, Singh said the complainant should know the status of his case and police stations should instil confidence in the complainant by doing justice and give him a copy of the FIR.

Another Dalit leader, Vittal VB revealed that traffic police constable Jithin Kumar had collected Rs 1000 from him without giving him a receipt. Hearing this Seemanth Kumar Singh questioned why he had paid the constable such a huge amount without getting a receipt. He promised to inquire about the incident.

DSS district convener SP Anand alleged that a sub inspector at Mangalore South Police station threatened a dalith woman not to enter the station in future. However , when the Commissioner asked the particular sub inspector , she rubbished the complaint.

St_1

St_2

St_3

St_4

St_5

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.
News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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.
News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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.
News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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.