Ore export scam: Legislator 'flees' to Singapore

September 25, 2013

Bangalore, Sep 25: B S Anand Singh, the BJP MLA from Vijayanagar (Hospet) constituency in Bellary district, who was likely to be arrested by the CBI in the Belekeri port iron ore export scam case, has left for Singapore.

The CBI had summoned Singh, who was Tourism Minister in the Jagadish Shettar government, for questioning to its office in Bangalore on Saturday.

The CBI sources said that Singh had left for Singapore on Friday night itself. Though the CBI had alerted all the airports about the possibility of Singh, a second-term MLA, fleeing the country on Saturday, it was a tad too late.

Advance bail plea

On Monday, Singh's counsel filed an anticipatory bail petition in the CBI?court in Bangalore stating that the MLA was in Singapore for treatment for a heart ailment.

In the petition, Singh has pleaded that he has been co-operating with the CBI all through the probe and now the CBI was unnecessarily thinking of arresting him, though he was innocent.

The petition is likely to come up for hearing on Wednesday. The CBI is now looking at options of seeking the Interpol's help to nab Singh and bring him back to the City.

In a related development, the CBI on Monday night arrested Singh's close aide Shivakumar, manager of S B Minerals, accused of illegally exporting iron ore through Belekeri port near Karwar. S B Minerals is a company owned by Singh.

Shivakumar was produced before the CBI special court in the City on Tuesday. He was remanded in CBI custody till September 30.

A couple of days ago, the CBI arrested two MLAs, T H Suresh Babu of Kampli in Bellary district, and Satish Sail of Karwar for their alleged involvement in the multi-crore iron ore export scam.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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