More witnesses testify against cyanide Mohan Kumar

April 11, 2012

Mangalore, April 11: Witness testified before the Fast Track Court here on Tuesday that Sashikala of Bantwal Taluk who was reported missing on May 5, 2007, was found dead on the same evening at KSRTC bus stand in Mysore.

Madhusudhan testified that he had found the lifeless body of Sashikala on the floor of the second platform in Mysore KSRTC bus stand on the night of May 5. Lakshmi, a caretaker at the bus stand for over 15 years, testified on having witnessed Sashikala step into the women's toilet complex in the bus stand.

Lakshmi sought Rs 2 as user fee from Sashikala who promised to pay the fee on her return. However, she came out staggering and walked up to a distance of 10 to 12 feet before collapsing.

Lakshmi attempted to revive Sashikala by sprinkling water on her face. Assuming that she was suffering from a bout of fits, Lakshmi had even thrust a metal piece into her palm. When she realized that Sashikala was dead, the Lashkar police were informed.

Srinivas who works at a graveyard in Mysore, testified to burying the body, Venkappa Gowda from Mithur, a mason, informed the court on having assisted police in acting as a witness during the seizure of gold ornaments pledged with Sona Bankers in Mangalore.

During cross examination by Mohan Kumar, he denied issuing any false statements and insisted that the accused Mohan Kumar was also present when the seizure was made.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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