Soldier who burnt madrasa student alive finally commits suicide

November 3, 2014

Hyderabad, Nov 3: A soldier suspected to be involved in burning alive an 11-year-old Madrasa student last month apparently committed suicide here early on Monday.

Appala Raju shot himself with his service rifle in Army Garrisson in Mehdipatnam area in the heart of the city. Police said no suicide note was found. Army authorities are investigating.

Sheikh Mustafa

The lance naik was reportedly grilled by Special Investigating Team (SIT) in connection with the October 9 incident in which a boy was burnt alive allegedly by army men.

The boy was found with serious burn injuries near the main gate of the Garrison. He told a magistrate in his dying declaration that some army men poured kerosene on him and set ablaze.

Sheikh Mustafa, a madarsa student and a resident of Siddiq Nagar abutting the Garrison, died the next day.

Police had lodged a case of murder against unidentified army men and a special investigation team was constituted a few days ago to probe the incident.

Army authorities have already denied involvement of any army man in the incident and assured full cooperation with the police in the investigations.

Also Read: Military men burnt me: 11-year-old Madrasa student revels before death

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

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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