16-yr-old Kerala girl jumps to death from 7th floor after tiff with dad in Sharjah

[email protected] (News Network)
March 21, 2017

Sharjah, Mar 21: A 16-year-old Indian girl died on the spot after she jumped off the seventh floor of her building in Al Majaz area in Sharjah. The police's initial investigation revealed she committed suicide after a heated argument with her father.

sharja
The teenager has been identified as Aswathi Ajay Kumar, a Grade 11 student of Sharjah Indian School.

The police said that the operations room got a call at 12:30 pm, after which they dispatched a team comprising of CID, patrol and crime scene officers, forensic expert and an ambulance, which rushed to the site.

However, they found the girl already dead in a pool of blood, from severe damage to her skull and various parts of the body.

According to the initial investigation, the girl argued with her father over a financial matter on Monday morning; she was planning to buy gifts for her mother on the occasion of Mother's Day. She then went to her room, shut the door and jumped from the balcony.

The police have taken the father into custody at Al Buhairah police station, for interrogation. Aswathi's mother was rushed to Al Kuwaiti hospital after she went into a state of shock.

Al Kuwaiti hospital staff said that the deceased girl was brought in by the national ambulance and transferred to the forensic laboratory for autopsy to aid the investigation.

A relative of the family, which hails from Thrissur in Kerala, said that Aswathi has a brother, Aravinda in Grade 12 at the same school. He described them as a happy family and long-time Sharjah residents, saying the children were polite, well-mannered, studious, smart and very attached to their parents.

The suicide has come as shock to all members of their extended family.

Jalila K, a witness, said she was waiting in the street for her children's school bus, when she saw a crowd gather close by. "When I rushed over, I saw a girl with long hair lying there, but did not recognise her due to the blood all over. She was then covered with some sheets provided by someone in the neighbourhood, until the police arrived," she said.

"My daughter, who knew the girl, said she was nice and cheerful, but also shy and sensitive," Jalila added.

Srikar V.K., Aswathi's schoolmate, said the news has shocked the students and staff. "Her exams are scheduled to start tomorrow and she prepared well for it. This is really sad news for us," he said.

The police stated that while 2015 witnessed a number of suicides by students due to stress at school or disagreements with their parents, there were no such deaths reported in 2016. A senior official said that children in the adolescent stage of life need to be treated carefully as they undergo physical, mental and hormonal changes that make them sensitive to issues and pressures. He urged parents to be patient with their teenage children and deal lovingly with them.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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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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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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