Sasikala holds regular durbar in jail, Roopa says in report

DHNS
July 16, 2017

Bengaluru, Jul 16: V K Sasikala, the convicted Tamil Nadu politician, enjoys the services of a cook inside her cell on the first floor, sources said, quoting a report submitted by DIG (Prisons) D Roopa.

Sasikala

The jail staff have also given her a special room with a table and chair. Four chairs for visitors facilitate regular “office-like” meetings with Sasikala, the report purportedly says.

Sasikala’s “office” is located next to the office of a female jail superintendent in charge of women’s barracks. Roopa learnt about the arrangement from a staffer, after which she inspected the spot and prepared the report which she later submitted to the state police chief Rupak Kumar Dutta, the Home Secretary, the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) and her immediate boss, the DGP (Prisons) H S Sathyanarayana Rao.

Her enquiries revealed that prison staff let in more visitors than allowed in the manual. Rules about duration and frequency of visits were also violated. Other VIP prisoners have been provided similar facilities.

The report says two senior officials, attached to the Bengaluru and Belagavi prisons, had prodded inmates into protesting against her after she exposed jail irregularities. She has sought stringent action against them.

Footage vanished?

Roopa suspects systematic efforts to destroy evidence of irregularities at the Parappana Agrahara jail.

Her second report purportedly says CCTV installed at the barracks had been deliberately rendered dysfunctional. The CCTV cameras do not cover visitor rooms with cameras 7 and 8 remaining broken, a source quoted her report as saying. A significant amount of ‘select’ footage has also been deleted from the DVR at the headquarters of the Prisons Department.

The prison authorities have deleted crucial footage that could have proved her charges. She had used a video camera from the department to record the statements of inmates on June 28 and July 10, and entered the details in the prison dairy, but much of it has vanished, the report indicates.

Roopa had lunch with the inmates and even shared her phone number with them when she came to know of irregularities inside the prison. The report says she had asked a jail employee to send her the footage.

When nothing came, an enraged Roopa questioned the staffer, who said her seniors had prevented them from handing over the footage to her. When she persisted, she was given a pen drive with nothing significant.

The report purportedly says Roopa then came to know the footage had been deleted at the behest of her seniors.

Footage covering the barracks and visitor areas have been erased, the report complains.

Comments

wellwisher
 - 
Monday, 17 Jul 2017

Mr Shettar , state chief minister comments his just to understand our blind fold bjp criminal mind leaders that a hindu never play communal mind politics and game for his personal sake. He always work for his mother lands development and for citizens better future. There is no criminal game like bjp leaders.

Please try to understand the meaning i/o of teasing.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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