MCJ student's arrest sparks war of words at SC/ST meet; SP justifies ANF action

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

April 2, 2012

Mangalore, April 2: Arrest of Vittal Malekudiya, first year PG student of mass communication and journalism of Mangalore University with his father Lingappa by Anti Naxal Force on charges of being naxal sympathisers sparked verbal duel among his sympathisers and police officials at the monthly SC/ST meeting organised by DK district police here on Sunday.

When the meeting commenced Dalit members questioned the basis on which Vittal was arrested.

Speaking at the meet, Dalita Hakkugala Horata Samiti President L Shekhar asked the Superintendent of Police the reason for Vittal's arrest and the subsequent tagging of the boy as an anti-national element.

The police have filed a FIR and arrested him without any proper evidence to prove his involvement in Maoist activities. In the FIR it is mentioned that the police have found steel plates, rice, sugar, tea and coffee powder and a text on Bhagath Singh at Vittal's home. “Don't you have all these things in your home too, Sir?

Is this a reason strong enough to arrest a student on the grounds of being a Maoist supporter?” he questioned.

SP Abhishek Goel replied that they have enough proof for arresting Vittal, which he may not be able to disclose in the meeting.

When Dalita Hakkugala Horata Samiti Secretary Eshwari Padmunja alleged the police of harassing Vittal Malekudiya's father Linganna Malekudiya, the SP refuted.

“Linganna had tried to escape the police and in the attempt he had broken his knee,” said the SP.

In response to the allegation made by the dalit community members against the police of harassing Vittal and Linganna Malekudiya, Civil Rights Enforcement Cell SP Sarvoththama Pai said that if the father-son duo was harassed then Vittal should have informed the same before the Judge when he was taken to the Court.

At one point, when the dalits made hue and cry over the arrest, the Superintendent of Police said that it was the ANF cops who had arrested Vittal and handed over to the local police and the Court has given the judicial custody. “If you find the process wrong, you can challenge it before the Court,” he told Shekhar.

Dalit leader Krishnanda accused the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) of arresting innocent people sporadically just to show that they are still active.

Various other issues including sexual harassment by a school teacher in Uppinangadi police station limits, misbehaviour by police constable at Nelyady OB were brought to the notice of the SP. To these issues, the SP directed the respective officers to follow up the cases and take immediate action.

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.

Mangaluru Tees Off Big: Golf Excellence Academy to Open at Pilikula

News Network

February 1,2026

The coastal city of Mangaluru is gearing up for a major sporting milestone with the launch of a Golf Excellence Academy at the Pilikula Golf Club (PGC), scheduled to open on May 31. The initiative aims to position Mangaluru firmly on India’s national golfing map.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday during PGC’s first-ever floodlit Pro-Am tournament, club captain Manoj Kumar Shetty said the project is being funded by UAE-based philanthropist Michael D’Souza and is currently in the design phase. Experts from leading golf academies across the country are expected to visit Mangaluru to help shape the training programme and infrastructure.

The academy will train 20 young golfers at a time, with a long-term vision of producing national-level players from the region. Until now, PGC relied on an in-house coach, but the recent renovation of the course and the introduction of floodlights have opened new possibilities for expanding the sport.

Shetty said discussions are underway with two reputed coaching academies, whose heads are expected to visit PGC shortly. “A dormitory for trainers is already under construction. We are inviting academies to assess the facilities and suggest changes so we can build a truly world-class Golf Excellence Academy,” he said.

Professional golfer Aryan Roopa Anand noted that the floodlit course would be a game-changer for young players. “Students can now practise after school hours, even up to 8 or 9 pm, without compromising on academics,” he said.

Comments