Sharief ends stir over Amanath Bank scam

August 5, 2013

Bangalore, Aug 5: Former Union minister and senior Congress leader C K Jaffer Sharief on Sunday ended his indefinite hunger strike after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assured him that he will take necessary steps to revive the scam-hit Amanath Cooperative Bank.

Sharief had undertaken was on strike since past three days demanding the State government among others a CBI probe into the alleged misappropriation of crores of rupees in the bank and, steps to revive the institution. A delegation of Muslim leaders from the Congress led by Sharief had a fortnight ago petitioned to the Chief Minister, seeking a CBI probe.

Sharief resorted to strike as the government did not take any action. The strike had evoked good response with many Muslim leaders from the Congress such as R Roshan Baig and C M Ibrahim lending support. Interestingly, many political leaders including Union Minister for Minorities K Rahman Khan are alleged to be involved in the scam.

Although Siddaramaiah, who met Sharief, persuaded him to call off the strike, he did not give any assurance on ordering a CBI probe. “I have assured him that steps will be taken to revive the bank and he has called off the strike,” Siddaramaiah told reporters.

On the demand for a CBI probe, the Chief Minister said it has not been discussed.

Sharief said he will continue to demand for a CBI probe. “The State government has not been able to take action against those involved in the scam. People are suffering. Besides, those responsible for the scam should be punished. So I have advised the Chief Minister to hand over the case to the CBI so that there will be a fair investigation,” he stated.

Sharief's close aides said he has ended the strike only for the time being and would resume it after Ramadan, if action is not taken.

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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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