Students gherao Udupi SP, demand suspension of cops over assault

September 7, 2015

Udupi, Sep 7: Dozens of college students from Manipal on Monday gheraoed Udupi Superintendent of Police Dr K Annamalai demanding him to take action against policemen from Malpe, who allegedly beat up two students in lock up over a trivial issue.

Aweez, a student of MCom at Manipal Institute of Technology, was hospitalized after he was attacked by Sub Inspector Ravi Kumar and his five subordinates at Malpe Police Station. His friend Sampath was also allegedly attacked by the cops.

They were summoned to the station separately and assaulted by police after they mistook a phone call from police for prank and spoke rashly.

It is learnt that Sampath had purchased a second hand mobile phone from a person identified as Prasanna. Unfortunately it was a stolen mobile phone and police were trying to trace it.

Mistaken for Prank

On Saturday, September 5, Sampath received a call from an unsaved mobile number. The caller claimed himself to be a policeman and asked him to visit the police station. However, Sampath, who thought that one of his friends was trying to fool him, spoke rudely and cut the call.

After sometime, when Sampath was riding his motorbike, once again he received a call from the same strange number. He handed over his mobile phone to Aweez, who was riding pillion and requested him to deal with the unknown caller. Aweez also refused to believe the caller and reportedly scolded him.

Three Angles

Dr Annamalai accepted a memorandum submitted by the students but turned down their demand to suspend SI Ravi Kumar and five other police personnel, for allegedly assaulting the Sampath and Aweez.

He said that both Sampath and Aweez spoke rudely with a head constable and misbehaved with him. He said that police will investigate the matter in three angels, i.e., 1) alleged misbehaviour of students with a head constable, 2) alleged assault on students by SI and his subordinates, and 3) theft of mobile phone.

“If police personnel were found guilty, appropriate action will be taken against them,” the SP said, urging the students not to bunk classes.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

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.

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