Goa miners slam Santosh Hegde for Dawood comment

March 25, 2013

Panaji, Mar 25: Former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice (retd) Santosh Hegde drew flak from the Goa Mining People's Front for insinuating that illegal mining was akin to Underworld activities.

"We condemn the statement of Hegde equating us with Dawood Ibrahim. We are the workers who have been toiling on the mining leases to make our livelihood", Suhas Naik, Convener, Goa Mining People's Front (GMPF) told reporters here today.

GMPF represents the people affected by the closure of mining activity in the state. The Supreme Court had last year imposed an interim ban on mining in the coastal state.

During his interaction with media yesterday, Hegde had invoked Underworld to support his argument that those indulged in illegal mining business did not deserve any compensation.

"We can not ask illegalities to be perpetrated because some people are going to remain hungry...Frankly speaking (this is like) many people losing their jobs if Dawood Ibrahim were to be arrested", he had said.

Dismissing Hegde's observation, Naik said, "If he is treating us like Dawood Ibrahim then (it means) he did not want us in society".

GMPF, which had been holding the sit-in protest at Azad Maidan here for resumption of legal mining, today announced that it was withdrawing the agitation and will be launching it at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on April 15-16.

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Post-Sabarimala pilgrimage drinking party turns fatal in Udupi; youth killed in midnight brawl

News Network

December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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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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