Congress rule in Karnataka from today, after 9-year gap

May 13, 2013
Bangalore, May 13: Congress leader Siddaramaiah will take over as Karnataka chief minister Monday, beginning the party's rule of the state on its own after a gap of nine years.

Governor H. R. Bhardwaj will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Siddarimaiah at Sree Kanteerva stadium in city centre.

This is the first time in Karnataka that a chief minister will be sworn-in at a stadium as work on metro rail has taken up much of space in front of the Vidhana Soudha, the majestic state secretariat, the usual venue for such functions.

The stadium is about three km from Vidhana Soudha.

The other venue has been the lawns of the Raj Bhavan, about a km from Vidhana Soudha, which however cannot accommodate thousands of supporters of the 64-year-old leader from his home district Mysore and other parts of the state want to witness the function.

Only Siddaramaiah is expected to be sworn-in Monday as there are many aspirants for ministerial berths from among the 120 (excluding Siddaramaiah) newly elected Congress assembly members and several members of the legislative council.

Siddaramaiah, chosen May 10 by the party to lead the government, has said that he and the state Congress chief G. Parameshwara would go to New Delhi Monday to finalise the names of the ministers in talks with the high command.

Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysore, about 130 km from here, that the party's election manifesto had made a number of promises and he would draw up a plan to ensure their time-bound implementation.

He sought cooperation of all sections of the society, including Dalits, as at a few places some Dalit organizations have organized protests against what they claim as "denial" of chief ministership to union Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit.

"I am also a Dalit (in the sense that he is from a deprived sections of the society)," said Siddaramaiah, who belongs to Kuruba (shepherd community) caste.

Siddaramaiah said Kharge deserved the post but high command has given the responsibility to him and all should abide by it.

Kharge also appealed to the protesting Dalits to end the agitation. He told reporters in Bangalore that the Congress high command has taken the decision and now the focus should be on helping the party to provide good governance and not protests.

The Congress won 121 seats in the 225-member assembly for which election was held May 5 and voted counted May 8. The Congress last ruled the state on its own in 1999-2004. For nearly two years in 2004-2006, it headed a coalition with Janata Dal-Secular.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was routed in the poll as it won just 40 seats and is tied for the second spot with Janata Dal-Secular which also got the same number of seats.

Independents and smaller parties have taken 22 seats while voting will take place May 28 for one seat as polling was countermanded following the death of BJP candidate.

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Preparations for swearing in ceremony of Siddaramaiah at Sree Kanteerava stadium, in Bangalore on Sunday

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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru CEN police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly posting provocative and misleading content on an Instagram page named “mr_a_titude”, targeting the Bajpe police.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H identified the arrested as Abhishek M, a resident of Katipalla in Mangaluru.

A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station under Sections 353(1)(c), 353(2), 56, and 57 read with Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the post.

According to police, the accused uploaded a photograph of a hotel on the Instagram page and alleged that accused persons in a murder case under the Bajpe police jurisdiction were being given “royal treatment” by the police, including being served beef meals daily from the hotel.

The post further accused the police of supporting criminals, misusing their authority, and betraying public trust. Police said the content was provocative in nature and aimed at inciting public outrage against the police.

Following the post, a case was registered at the Bajpe police station, and further investigation was transferred to the CEN police station.

Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, assault, and robbery at the Surathkal Police Station, and one case at the Kaup Police Station.

The Commissioner said the accused was traced and arrested using technical evidence.

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News Network
December 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

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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