Udupi: 2 cops among 8 arrested in Kota double murder case

coastaldigest.com web desk

February 11, 2019

Mangaluru, Feb 11: The Udupi District Police have arrested two police constables in connection with the Kota double murder case here.

Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi said here on Monday that the two police constables arrested in the case were Pavan Amin (31) and Veerendra Acharya (31).

Both were serving as constables in the District Armed Reserve (DAR) Police. Both Amin and Acharya had contacts with the accused, including Rajashekhar Reddy, Harish Reddy and Mahesh Ganiga, who were arrested earlier.

The accused killed Bharat and Yatish over a dispute relating to a toilet pit at Mannur near Kota on the night of January 26. The constables also had contacts with another accused, Santosh Kundar, who is yet to be arrested.

The accused, who murdered Bharat and Yatish, were given shelter by Amin in his house at Kuchur near Hebri on the same night after they committed the crime. Harish Reddy also called Amin over mobile telephone, and sought a SIM card, a mobile telephone, money and other items. Amin supplied these to the accused, through Pranav Bhat.

The accused left in a car, which was arranged for by Acharya, to N.R. Pura. Acharya also arranged for the accused to stay in a house belonging to his relative there.

While returning from N.R. Pura on January 28, Acharya helped accused Harish Reddy to hide mobile his telephone and other items.

The police have recovered the hidden items from Amin and Acharya.

The two accused constables were produced before court which remanded them in judicial custody till February 15. Meanwhile, the two constables have been suspended for dereliction of duty.

With this, the total number of persons arrested in the case has gone up to eight, including Raghavendra Kanchan, Udupi Zilla Panchayat member from Kota, who was held on February 7.

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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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