Stop communalising and politicising Deralakatte forced sex case, urge Nayak couple

[email protected] (CD Network)
January 10, 2014
Mangalore, Jan 10: Reacting strongly against the communalisation and politicisation of the recent Deralakatte forced sex case, rationalist Narendra Nayak and advocate Asha Nayak said that the Deralakatte incident was a crime and it should not be communalised by right-wing groups who were trying to gain electoral capital out of it.

bearys_1

The husband and wife, who were the first two individuals who took up the issue of the kidnap and subsequent sexual exploitation of two medical students in Deralakatte, came out in the open and recounted their experience with mediapersons at a press conference at their residence in the city on Friday.

'No political pressure'

In the backdrop of allegations such as 'inefficiency of the police department' and 'political pressure' in the case flung at a mass rally organised by a right-wing women's outfit on Thursday, president of Federation of Indian Rationalists Association (FIRA) said that the so-called guardians of the society were trying to communalise the crime in order to make political electoral gains through it.

The crime was done by an organised anti-social gang and there should not be any political exploitation of the crime. Such attempts are being made by people who were nowhere in the picture when the events happened, which is extremely condemnable and should not be allowed, he said.

Mrs Asha Nayak, who was with one of the victims during and after their rescue, also clarified that there was no political pressure when the statements were being taken.

'Male victim also faced physical and mental trauma'

Reacting against the allegation that the male victim in the case was also involved with the accused (since he belongs to the same community), Mrs Asha Nayak, who was involved in the case and played a crucial role in rescuing the victims, refuted the allegation and stated that the male victim had also undergone physical and mental trauma by the kidnappers.

If he was in nexus with the gang who exploited them, it would have been revealed by the eight accused during police interrogation. So far, the boy has adhered to everything that the police have said, including making a statement before the judicial magistrate.

During his ordeal with the accused, he was physically injured to the extent that he had to be hospitalised subsequently, she said.

She said that when the boy was found by the police, his hand was fractured, his face bloated, and he was badly bruised. She also said that during the boy's rescue, the female victim had been very concerned about him till he was rescued.

Mr Nayak said that it was a malicious allegation against the boy, merely because he was from the same community as the accused.

'Cannot blame the police'

The couple also clarified that the police had swung into action when they were informed about the issue, and were successful in nabbing the culprits on the same day.

“They cannot blame the police on the alleged grounds that they did not take necessary action in the case. It is not necessary for people to drag the issue on the streets when the police are doing what should be done,” said Mr Nayak.

Having helped the two victims during their ordeal in their capacities as human beings, the duo said that they were deeply pained by the attempts to communalise the entire crime and create rifts between communities. This was a delicate and sensitive case, which is why we did not want to speak to the public earlier, said Mrs Nayak.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.