Antique idols stolen from Moodbidri basadi recovered in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, Jul 14: The Karnataka police recovered miniature idols made of precious metals stolen from the Jain shrine in Moodabidri, about 37 km from Mangalore, from the Odisha capital on Saturday.

Also seized were 1.5 kg of gold ingots, gem stones and Rs 2 lakh in cash from a house at Chandrashekharpur here, the sources said. The recovery was valued at Rs three crore, they said.

“We have seized three idols and some gold ingots. The gold ingots were made after melting some idols,” the sources said.

The Bhubaneswar commissionerate of police helped its Mangalore counterpart in recovering the stolen items from the house of the father-in-law of Santosh Das, alias Ghanshyam Das, a peon in the State secretariat, who was absconding.

“Recovery of the stolen idols from the house of Das' father-in-law has proved his involvement in the crime,” a member of the Karnataka police team said.

The police of both states did not divulge how they came to know about Das' involvement in the theft.

The shrine's CCTV camera had recorded a masked man in a black jacket entering the premises.

At least 15 idols made of gold and encrusted with pearls, precious stones and diamonds were stolen on the night of July 5 from Siddantha Mandir of Guru Basadi in Moodabidri, locally known as 'Jain Kashi'.

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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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