Swami rape case: CID questions Kalladka Prabhakhar Bhat

November 4, 2014

Bengaluru, Nov 4: Officials of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) grilled senior RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakhar Bhat on Monday in connection with the suicide of Shyamprasad Shastry, brother of Diwakar Shastry whose wife has lodged a rape complaint against Raghaveshwara Bharati, the pontiff of Ramachandrapur Mutt.

The CID officials had issued a notice to Prabhakar Bhat, asking him to appear before the investigating officer, in connection with the alleged abetment to suicide. Shyamprasad had shot himself using his licensed single bore breech loading (SBBL) gun at his house in Kedila near Puttur, after Diwakar's wife accused the pontiff of raping her. Shyamprasad's wife had lodged a complaint that a few followers of the pontiff had threatened her husband.

In this connection, the CID police had analysed call record details and found that Shastry and Prabhakhar Bhat had several conversations. The CID officials questioned Bhat to ascertain whether he had any role in the suicide. Sources said that Bhat denied any role in the suicide, saying that he had been a good friend of Shastry for a long time and that they chatted over phone regularly.

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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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