Supreme Court refuses to stop Kambala for now; final hearing on Mar 12

Agencies
February 12, 2018

New Delhi, Feb 12: The Supreme Court of India on Monday, February 12, refused to pass an interim order to stop Kambala, a popular buffalo racing sport prevalent in coastal Karnataka. The Kambala race, held between November and March, involves a pair of buffaloes tied to a plough and anchored by one person.

A bench comprising A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, however, fixed March 12 for a final hearing on the plea by animal rights body PETA in the matter.

Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said the state ordinance allowing Kambala has lapsed and the buffalo race has no legal sanction at present.

To pave the way for the festival, the state cabinet had on January 28 last year decided to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, (Central Act 59 of 1960), enacted to prevent infliction of unnecessary cruelty and suffering on animals.

Bullock cart races are held in parts of north Karnataka and in the coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada.

The Kambala race, held between November and March, involves a pair of buffaloes tied to a plough and anchored by one person.

They are made to run in parallel muddy tracks in a competition in which the fastest team wins.

It is believed to be held to propitiate the gods for a good harvest, besides being a recreational sport for farmers.

PETA has opposed the upcoming Kambala festival on grounds of cruelty to animals. Calling for banning the sport, it said the agitators have taken a leaf out of the pro-jallikattu protesters' book.

Earlier, another animal rights' body, Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), had approached the apex court challenging the bill to legalise traditional buffalo races in Karnataka.

Comments

Hari
 - 
Monday, 12 Feb 2018

Kambala is not just a bull race.. It's our pride.. we cant expreess our feeling with just words.. It's beyond words

Danish
 - 
Monday, 12 Feb 2018

Those who oppose kambala ban, should think about in poor animals' point of view. Suppose if animals doing such act with human, do we enjoy.. still do we support that,,.?

Vinod
 - 
Monday, 12 Feb 2018

Should stop kambala. Kambala is extreme animal torturing. 

Ganesh
 - 
Monday, 12 Feb 2018

We should learn from Tamilans. Entire Tamil Nadu protested against Jellikettu ban. Here in Karnataka, nothing.

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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru CEN police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly posting provocative and misleading content on an Instagram page named “mr_a_titude”, targeting the Bajpe police.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H identified the arrested as Abhishek M, a resident of Katipalla in Mangaluru.

A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station under Sections 353(1)(c), 353(2), 56, and 57 read with Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the post.

According to police, the accused uploaded a photograph of a hotel on the Instagram page and alleged that accused persons in a murder case under the Bajpe police jurisdiction were being given “royal treatment” by the police, including being served beef meals daily from the hotel.

The post further accused the police of supporting criminals, misusing their authority, and betraying public trust. Police said the content was provocative in nature and aimed at inciting public outrage against the police.

Following the post, a case was registered at the Bajpe police station, and further investigation was transferred to the CEN police station.

Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, assault, and robbery at the Surathkal Police Station, and one case at the Kaup Police Station.

The Commissioner said the accused was traced and arrested using technical evidence.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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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.

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