Family seeks help for release of Mangalurean languishing in Saudi Arabia for 20 months

News Network
November 19, 2021

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Mangaluru, Nov 19: The family members of Shailesh Kumar, who is reportedly languishing in a jail in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for over 20 months now, have sought the help of authorities concerned in securing his release.

The ordeal, faced by 52-year-old Kumar, a resident of Bikarnakatte, Mangaluru, has striking resemblance to Harish Bangera case. Harish from Kundapur was accused of uploading provocative content, and was jailed for months and finally released.

If the version of the Kumar’s family member is to be believed, in February 2020, he received a call threatening of dire consequences if he did not delete his Facebook account. Kumar fearing the worst had deleted the account immediately. On February 12 and 13, a fake account was created in the name of Kumar and posts making mockery of Islam and defaming the King were uploaded on social media.

“On the advice of his company, where he was serving for 20 years, he rushed to Saudi Arabia police in order to lodge a complaint. But he was arrested and imprisoned,” said BJP spokesperson Jitendra Kottari.

The Indian Consulate in Saudi Arabia, which had received our complaint, did not take any action for past 18 months, Kottari charged. 

He said that they will bring the issue to the notice of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Kumar’s wife Kavitha said that monthly calls from her husband stopped about three months ago. She was finding it difficult to raise her two children as she was not receiving any money from the day Kumar was imprisoned by the police in Saudi Arabia.

She appealed to officials to prove his innocence and to get him released from the jail.

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News Network
November 22,2025

Mangaluru: Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H has warned of strict action against individuals spreading rumours and attempting to create insecurity within the Muslim community and fuel hatred between Hindus and Muslims through social media.

Referring to a recent social media post alleging that police personnel had entered a masjid premises to check whether beef was being cooked, the commissioner said miscreants were attempting to push their communal agenda. 

“A group of people, both from Mangaluru and abroad, are trying hard to spread rumours. For the past 10 days, they have been attempting to rake up old issues, highlight routine matters as controversies, or fabricate news altogether,” he said.

He reiterated that any such attempts to disturb communal harmony would invite legal action. “Cases will be registered and the accused will be brought to book,” he stated.

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News Network
November 22,2025

Udupi, Nov 22: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has officially confirmed Narendra Modi’s visit to Udupi on November 28 and shared his detailed schedule with the Karnataka chief secretary.

According to the itinerary, the Prime Minister will land at Mangaluru International Airport from Delhi at 11:05 am and depart for Udupi by helicopter at 11:10 am. He is expected to arrive at the Adi Udupi helipad at 11:35 am.

The earlier plan for a roadshow has been cancelled. Instead, PM Modi will proceed directly to Sri Krishna Math at 12 pm, where he will have darshan of Sri Krishna and address participants of the Laksha Kanta Geetha Gayana event.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to depart from the Adi Udupi helipad at 1:35 pm, returning to Mangaluru Airport before leaving for Goa at 2 pm.

The state administration has been directed to make all necessary arrangements for the visit.

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News Network
December 1,2025

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Udupi, Dec 1: A horrific case of alleged rape has unfolded in Udupi, where a worker from a Hindutva organisation, previously arrested and released on bail for harassing a young woman, is now accused of waylaying and sexually assaulting her.

The arrested individual has been identified as Pradeep Poojary (26), a member of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike's Nairkode unit in Perdur.

Poojary had allegedly been relentlessly harassing the young woman, pressuring her to marry him. When she bravely stood up to him and refused his demands, she filed a formal complaint at the Hiriyadka police station. He was subsequently arrested in that initial harassment case but was later granted bail.

According to police reports, driven by the same malicious grudge, Poojary allegedly intercepted the woman again on November 29. While she was walking through a deserted area, the accused is claimed to have threatened her by grabbing her neck. When she again refused to marry him, he allegedly proceeded to rape her.

The survivor immediately informed her family about the traumatic assault. Following this, her parents lodged a complaint at the Udupi women’s police station.

Police arrested Poojary again and produced him before the court. He has since been remanded to judicial custody.

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