2 CPM leaders arrested for involvement in murder of 2 Youth Cong workers

News Network
May 15, 2019

Kasaragod, May 15: The Crime Branch team probing the twin murders of Youth Congress workers Kripesh and Sarath Lal at Kallyot, near Periye, here has arrested two local leaders of the CPI(M) here on the charges of helping the accused escape and destroy evidence.

The arrested are CPI(M) Udma area committee secretary K. Manikandan and Periye local committee secretary N. Balakrishnan. They were produced before the Hosdurg judicial first class magistrate court here on Tuesday morning. They were granted bail.

According to the police, the accused involved in committing the crime had gone to Velutholi, near Udma, and met Manikandan. He, along with Balakrishnan, had helped them to go into hiding.

They were charged under Indian Penal Code Sections 212 (harbouring offender) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence). The arrest of the two leaders followed their interrogation earlier in connection with the case.

The two YC workers were hacked to death on February 17. The investigating team headed by M. Pradeep, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, Malappuram, had earlier arrested 10 accused including CPI(M) local committee member A. Peethambaran, the alleged kingpin in the murder case, and six others who were alleged to be directly involved in the murders.

One CPI(M) worker, Subheesh, who was arraigned as an accused directly involved in the murders, is absconding.

150 witnesses

As many as 150 witnesses have been questioned and their statements recorded, according to the police. In an affidavit filed by the investigating team in the Kerala High Court, Manikandan had advised the accused to change their clothes and hide the weapons.

The arrest is seen as an embarrassment for the CPI(M) which had stated that the party had no role in the twin murders.

The families of the slain YC workers had been alleging that the murders had been carried out with the knowledge of the party leadership here.

In their statements to the Crime Branch, they had named Udma MLA K. Kunhiraman and former MLA K.V. Kunhiraman as having connection with the crime.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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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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