Verify church blasts convict's medical condition, SC tells Karnataka

DHNS
April 5, 2018

New Delhi, Apr 5: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Karnataka government to verify the medical condition of a convict as he has been in jail for about 18 years after having been convicted and awarded life imprisonment for carrying out a series of blasts at various churches in the state in 2000.

Hearing the bail plea of Syed Mohammed Ibrahim, a bench of Justices R K Agrawal

and Abhay Manohar Sapre asked Additional Advocate General Devadatta Kamat to ascertain his condition as his counsel Kamini Jaiswal contended that the 70-year-old petitioner lodged in central prison, Belagavi, suffered from several ailments and was seriously ill.

The counsel contended that some of the accused had died during the pendency of appeal in the top court. She submitted that the petitioner could be granted bail after imposing any condition.

"Whether continued incarceration of the petitioners was justified just because they belonged to a particular community? They are in custody for over 18 years, while during the pendency of appeal, one more accused had died," she contended.

The counsel also submitted that the petitioners were said to be belonging to Deendar-Anjuman organisation, which was proscribed only in 2005. She said the petitioners, who faced similar charges in Andhra Pradesh, were imposed a jail term of a mere six months, while in a case in Goa, they were acquitted.

The court, however, directed the state government's law officer to verify the medical condition of the petitioner and posted the matter for consideration on April 12.

The convicts were alleged to have conspired and carried out the blasts at different churches in Bengaluru, Hubballi and Kalaburagi among others. They challenged the December 14, 2014 order of the Karnataka High Court that upheld their conviction in the case. The HC had commuted the death penalty awarded to them by the trial court to life term.

On June 8, 2000, two consecutive blasts took place at St Ann's Catholic Church, Wadi, Chittapur taluk, Kalaburagi district in three hours. The second blast took place on July 8, 2000 at St Lutheran Church in Hubballi between 3.30 am and 4.30 am.

The third blast was carried out on July 9, 2000 at 10.15 pm at St Peter and Paul church on JJ Nagar Main Road, Bengaluru.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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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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