Dr Heggade to pull up Saujanya's family to Court for baseless allegations

[email protected] (CD Network)
October 12, 2013

Belthangady, Oct 12: With Saujanya's family directing attacking Sri Kshethra Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade and family of hushing up the rape and murder case because of his nephew's alleged role in the same, Dr Heggade has said that he will pull up the victim's family to Court for its baseless allegations.

verendra_heggade

“While I am for a CBI probe in this case, it is wrong on the part of the family to make baseless allegations against me and my nephew Nishchal,” he said stating that when the incident occurred, Nishchal was in New York.

Suspecting vested interests at work behind family's claims, he said that some elements which have not been able to tolerate the services done by his family have made attempts to tarnish their image.

“In fact, when I came to know about Saujanya's death, I had called the then home minister right in front of her parents and urged him for an unbiased inquiry into the case. We have documents with regard to the struggle we have made to seek justice for Saujanya but, may be, we have not been able to give media statements every time,” he said, also stating that the'D' number that Mr Timarodi was talking about in an interview was given to local auto drivers because the pilgrims coming to the area had been complaining of drivers overcharging them.

“It was done keeping convenience of the pilgrims in mind,” he said lamenting that it has backfired against him and his family.

It may be recalled that family of Saujanya, a student of SDM College, Ujire who was raped and murdered a year ago, has now come out in open and pointed finger at Sri Kshethra Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade of having played a role in pushing the case under the carpet.

In an interview to a private channel Saujanya's parents have said that Dr Heggade's brother Harshendra Kumar's son Nishcal was involved in the crime and hence Dr Heggade had gone out of his way to hush up the matter.

Resort of rape

Vittal Gowda, Saujanya's uncle has said that a resort is functioning in Dharmasthala where rape and murder is executed fearlessly.

He said that a resort run by Chandan Kamat at Nidle is the den of such people. “Nobody can question them because there is someone supreme taking care of them,” he said adding that that some days ago, even Saujanya's family was warned of dire consequences if they participated in the protests for Saujanya.

He said that a worker from Mr Heggade's plantation had come to them and said that'Kavandaru' (as locals address Mr Heggade) has warned you to stay away from the protest.”

Not sure of surviving

Hindu leader Mahesh Shetty Timarodi addressing the interview on Friday has said that they had changed three vehicles to reach the TV studio in Bangalore.

“Several steps were taken to prevent us from reaching this place. There are several persons waiting to get us killed,” he said adding that the ones standing for Saujanya are not sure of surviving the threats.

“That does not mean that we are scared. We do not fear death. We want justice for a young girl who died an untimely death,” Mr Shetty said adding that Belthangady SI Yogesh had worked very hard to close the case.

He lamented that even when COD officials came to investigate the matter they left the place because of the pressure from higher-ups. “They knew the truth but they could not open their mouth. Former home minister R Ashok, during his visit to this place had not met Saujanya's parents. Instead, he went to the temple and left to Bangalore,” he said.

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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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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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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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