SIT grills Hindutva extremist Sudhanva Gondhalekar in Gauri murder case

coastaldigest.com news network
September 8, 2018

Bengaluru, Sept 8: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, has started interrogating hardline Hindutva chauvinist Sudhanva Gondhalekar after getting his custody.

Gondhalekar (39) hailing from Satara in Maharashtra and a member of the Shivpratishthan Hindustan, was arrested by August 10 and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for alleged terror conspiracy for his involvement in murder of anti-superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar.

The Maharashtra Anti Terror Squad (ATS), acting on intelligence provided by the Karnataka SIT, had recovered several country-made pistols from him. A court in Bengaluru on Friday granted custody of Gondhalekar to the SIT for 14 days.

According to the SIT, Gondhalekar played a key role in the planning and execution of the hit. Nine days after Gauri was murdered on September 5, 2017, he allegedly travelled to Bengaluru from Satara and collected the murder weapon – a country made pistol – from H.L. Suresh, another accused in the case. Amol Kale, the alleged mastermind, had stayed in Suresh’s residence in Seegehalli on the day of the murder.

“Suresh revealed that one 'Govinda', an associate of Kale, collected the pistol from him on September 14. Kale's diary had an entry with the name, and a technical analysis revealed that his operational phone number was based out of Satara. We alerted Maharashtra ATS and gave them leads on several suspects,” said a senior SIT official.

The ATS worked on the leads and arrested five men, including Gondhalekar. “Suresh identified Gondhalekar as Govinda,” the official added. The pistols recovered are being tested at the FSL in Mumbai to see if there is a ballistic match with the cartridges found at the scene of the crime.

According to SIT sources, Gondhalekar was also near Gauri's residence hours before her murder, doing a recce. CCTV cameras in an apartment on a road adjoining her residence captured Gondhalekar moving around suspiciously for 15 seconds at 4.30 p.m.

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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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coastaldigest.com news network
December 2,2025

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Udupi, Dec 2: A wave of regional pride is sweeping through Udupi district as Shagun S Verma Hegde, a talented Class 9 student from Christ King English Medium High School, Karkala, has been named the captain of the Indian National Team for the Under-15 Girls’ Volleyball Championship.

Shagun holds the unique distinction of being the sole player from Karnataka selected to represent the country in the prestigious international tournament. The championship, organized by the School Games Federation, is scheduled to take place in Shangluo, China, from December 3 to 13, where Shagun will lead the national squad.

A Remarkable Journey to the Top

Shagun’s selection is a testament to her dedication and exceptional skill on the court. Her journey included several rigorous rounds of selection:

•    She was the only player from Udupi district to qualify for the state-level selection camp.

•    Out of eight players from Karnataka who advanced to the national selection camp in Pune, Maharashtra, Shagun was the only one to secure a place in the final national squad.

•    The national camp saw participation from approximately 200 players, which was shortlisted to 23. Shagun not only made the final cut but was also ranked as the second-best player overall, solidifying her leadership role.

Shagun, who is the daughter of Sandesh Verma and Shruthiraj of Kallotte, Karkala, has trained under experienced coaches Santosh D’Souza, Jeevan D’Silva, Jairaj Poojary, and Ramesh. Her selection as the team captain has brought profound honour to her family, school, the Udupi district, and the entire state of Karnataka.

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News Network
December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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