Shakuntala Shetty not in potential candidates' list of Congress?

March 23, 2013

Mangalore, Mar 23: Surprisingly, the name of former Puttur MLA Shakuntala Shetty, who was being looked at as a potential candidate and a sure shot winner from Puttur constituency for the upcoming Assembly elections to be held on May 5, has been left out of the list of potential candidates to be fielded by Congress.

With this, one has to only wait and watch Ms Shetty's next move considering the fact that it was due to the ticket that she broke ties with the BJP, a party which literally gave her an identity.

Recently, Shakuntala Shetty had been inducted into the party in the presence of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Dr G Parameshwar and former MLA Vinay Kumar Sorake. Sources say that she joined the party only on an assurance from Congress leaders of a ticket in the Assembly elections. Upon hearing the news of her induction into the Congress, BJP workers and spokespersons had unanimously declared that her entry would herald a definite win in the elections. However, her name was absent in the list of candidates that was sent from Bangalore to New Delhi.

Instead, Nabhiraja Jain, a staunch supporter of Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and former Zilla Panchayat president Bharath Mundodi have been named as leading candidates for the constituency of Puttur. The third name in the list is Sudhakar Shetty.

Sources say that local Congress leaders had urged in the panel meeting held in Bangalore to not field Shakuntala Shetty as a candidate in the forthcoming polls. This is seen as a major setback to former MP Sorake and District Congress Committee president B Ramanath Rai. An opportunity to have regained the Congress presence in Puttur is being lost, said spokespersons.

In another surprising development, former Mangalore Mayor Purandaradas Kuloor has been named as a proposed candidate in the candidate list from Sullia Assembly constituency, which is reserved for a candidate from the Scheduled Caste. The defeat of Dr Raghu from the constituency in the previous elections may have proven lucky for the former Mayor.

Incumbent MLAs have been named as candidates for the constituencies of Bantwal, Mangalore (Ullal) and Moodbidri in the forthcoming polls, while in the constituency of Belthangady, Harish Kumar, a supporter of former Union Minister B Janardhan Poojary has been named along with the incumbent MLA Vasanth Bangera.

Only two names have been proposed for the Assembly seat from Mangalore South constituency, including former MCC Commissioner J R Lobo. Kripa Alva's name has been suggested as candidate from Mangalore North (Suratkal) constituency. Kripa Alva had been aspiring for a ticket even from Puttur constituency, but finally submitted her request for a ticket from Suratkal constituency. From the Muslim community, the names of Badruddin, B A Moideen and Masood are being considered for a ticket.

It is said that the party has adopted winning strategies for gaining seven Assembly seats out of eight, leaving aside the constituency of Mangalore City South, in the district of Dakshina Kannada.

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Air India Express brings back Mangaluru–Muscat direct flights from March 2026

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.

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Think Before You Post! Mangaluru Police Crack Down on Provocative Instagram Accounts

News Network

December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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Udupi NRI duped of Rs 12.25 lakh in Telegram investment scam

News Network

December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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