Mangaluru: Two get life sentence in 2016 Panambur murder case

News Network
February 18, 2021

Mangaluru, Feb 18: More than four years after the murder of a man in Panambur, two youths who were found guilty of murdering him, were sentenced to life imprisonment by Third Additional District and Sessions Court Judge Basappa Balappa Jakati.

The convicts are Nagaraj Govindappa Lamani (28) and Veeresh Shivappa Lamani (32), both from Ranebennur taluk. They were working as labourers and staying in a rented room in Hosangady in Manjeshwara taluk in Kasaragod district.

The duo had murdered Rekappa Lamani in Panambur in 2016. Rekappa was in fact Nagaraj's relative. The latter had even helped Rekappa find work in Hosangady.

However, Nagaraj became intimate with Rekappa’s wife. On learning about it, Rekappa decided to return to his native on September 4, 2016. Nagaraj, who got to know about it, decided to eliminate Rekappa. He took Rekappa to a bar in Mangaluru and made him consume alcohol.

Later, Nagaraj and his friend Veeresh took Rekappa to a secluded area in Panambur in an autorickshaw. The duo then strangulated Rekappa had smashed his head with a boulder. After committing the crime, Nagaraj reached Kuloor on a bike and later left for Hosangady.

The then inspector of Panambur police station Lokesh A-C had filed the charge sheet to court.

As many as 22 witnesses were produced before the court. Though there were no direct eyewitnesses in the case, the court had considered the circumstantial pieces of evidence. 

The statement of a man who had given him a drop till Kuloor in a bike, driver of an autorickshaw who had dropped him to Pumpwell from Kuloor, supervisor of the bar where they consumed alcohol, statement of the doctor who had conducted post mortem, bloodstains on the clothes worn by the accused, statement given by the Forensic lab experts about the soil found on the clothes worn by the accused and the soil test conducted from the spot where the body was found were recorded during the trial.

The Judge also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on each. Of the fine amount Rs 10,000 should be given to Rekappa Lamani’s wife, the court declared.

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News Network
November 21,2025

Bantwal: A domestic dispute appears to have led to a violent confrontation in BC Road area, where the owner of a textile shop was allegedly attacked with a knife by his wife on Wednesday evening.

Krishna Kumar Somayaji, the owner of Somayaji Textiles, sustained serious injuries in the incident and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. He is currently receiving care in the intensive care unit and is reported to have survived the assault, according to police.

The Bantwal Town police have registered a case against Somayaji's wife, Jyothi KT, who has since been taken into custody.

Police stated that the complainant, Namita, an employee at the shop, reported the sequence of events. She stated that around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the suspect entered the shop, wearing a burqa and disguised as a customer, before attacking Somayaji with a knife. The employee then transported the injured owner to a local hospital via an autorickshaw.

Superintendent of Police Arun K confirmed that an ongoing domestic dispute between Somayaji and his wife reportedly preceded the attack. Police noted that Jyothi KT had previously visited the shop and issued threats.

Based on the complaint, Bantwal Town police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indian Arms Act-1959. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.

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News Network
November 28,2025

ministerPM.jpg

Mangaluru, Nov 28: Karnataka Health Minister and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday handed over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the severe distress faced by farmers due to crashing crop prices.

PM Modi arrived at the Mangaluru International Airport en route to Udupi, where Gundu Rao welcomed him and submitted the letter. The chief minister’s message stressed that farmers are suffering heavy losses because maize and green gram are being bought far below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The state urged the Centre to immediately begin procurement at MSP.

According to the letter, Karnataka has a bumper harvest this year—over 54.74 lakh metric tons of maize and 1.98 lakh metric tons of green gram—yet farmers are unable to secure fair prices. Against the MSP of ₹2,400/MT for maize and ₹8,768/MT for green gram, market rates have plunged to ₹1,600–₹1,800 and ₹5,400 respectively.

The chief minister has requested the Centre to:

• Direct NAFED, FCI and NCCF to start MSP procurement immediately.
• Ensure ethanol units purchase maize directly from farmers or FPOs.
• Increase Karnataka’s ethanol allocation, citing high production capacity.
• Stop maize imports, which have depressed domestic prices.
• Relax quality norms for green gram, allowing up to 10% discoloration due to rains.

The letter stresses that MSP is crucial for farmer dignity and income stability and calls for swift central intervention to prevent a deepening crisis.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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