Hidden camera at women's toilet: M.Sc. student Santosh M arrested

[email protected] (CD Network)
September 14, 2016

Mangaluru, Sep 1: More than three weeks after a hidden was found inside a women's toilet on Mangalore University campus, the police have managed to arrest the main accused in the case.

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The arrested has been identified as Santosh M (22), a second year student of M.Sc. in Marine Geology.

Mangaluru City Police Commissioner M Chandra Sekhar on Wednesday told media persons that the accused has confessed to the crime.

He said that the accused had left the campus for nearly a week after a complaint was filed at the jurisdictional Konaje police station by Registrar K.M. Lokesh.

Mr. Sekhar said the accused returned to the campus thinking the police would take some time to get the forensics report in light of the trouble in Bengaluru over the Cauvery issue. “But we caught him off-guard as we went ahead with our investigation while waiting for the FSL report,” he said.

The accused has also admitted to purchasing the mobile phone and a power bank and installing them in the washroom. “It was nothing but an act of a perverted mind,” Mr. Sekhar said.

82 suspects quizzed

The top cop said that it was the particular dressing gait of the accused that came in handy in zeroing in on him, after quizzing 82 suspects during the course of investigation.

He was usually wearing the shirt with his vest visible (unbuttoning the first button in the top order). He also turned out to be the same masked man (in particular dressing style) who was actually captured on the same cell phone camera, while keeping the device in the toilet.”

Above all, it was the meticulous groundwork of a posse of policemen led by Shivaprasad K attached to jurisdictional Konaje police station that helped in cracking the case.?Apart from gathering the information, the team was also involved in accessing the closed circuit TV footages, matching the available details.

Mr Sekhar said, it was a second hand phone that had changed several hands before reaching the hands of the accused. He had bought the phone and power bank from different shops in a same commercial complex in the city just two weeks before the incident.

Though the camera was found on August 24, a case was registered in the Konaje police station only on September 1 after the news went viral on social media.

A girl student had noticed the hidden camera in the roof of the toilet on August 24. She immediately informed Bioscience Department faculty Dr Tharavathy N?C, who in turn brought the matter to the notice of Vice Chancellor Prof K?Byrappa. The VC asked Registrar Lokesh K?M to look into the matter.

Prof Lokesh had referred the matter to Sparsh,' a committee in the university that looks into issues related to girl students. The committee headed by Dr Musteri Begaum had reportedly submitted a report to the VC's office on August 28. However, the VC had been to Delhi to attend a meeting on August 28. By the time he returned on August 31, the news had spread.

As the camera phone was on' when it was noticed by the student, it is suspected that the person might have placed it there just a few hours ago. It is also said that the phone was concealed in a paper and was painted so that it is not easily noticed. There was no sim in the phone.

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Comments

Abu Muhammad
 - 
Thursday, 15 Sep 2016

He is a Brahmin n ABVP sex pervert, may be supplying such clips to elderly cheddis. See notorious Coastal Kannada daily indirectly supporting Santosh in its news coverage. Cheddi nexus compromises their own sisters' and daughters' honour.

Satyameva Jayate
 - 
Thursday, 15 Sep 2016

viren.....credible sources.......means ABVP pillas or Saffron Goonys....???

Satyameva Jayate
 - 
Thursday, 15 Sep 2016

Viren.....Ha Ha...
Good you dint say the guy is incharge of toilet sensus....kept the mobile to see how many girls enter the toilet each day.....ha ha....

Sameer
 - 
Thursday, 15 Sep 2016

Viren Kotian.....hahahaha you are really funny joker!!! You have proved it!!!

S Ahamed
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

He must have been misguided, at this level of higher education he must feel shame to do such a bad act...he admitted that himself placed phone....well Viren kotian seems to be still in coma though our police department spend lot of effort and time with forensic report he claims to hav info on real culprit.....uff please wake up Viren,

Rakesh
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

Viren koti father also involved in keeping cam ..please investigate again .. before commenting have some sense idiot

lijoe
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

i am new to Coastal digest, but i am surprised,at the comment by Mr. kotian. If this has any base please provide evidence to the police, the Law will take required action, we are at the service of people after all.

Haneef
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

Sadly this is what happen if they train only for catching cows and not trained to be a good human being with moral and cultural values.
May be he is a expert cow catcher.
# Viren Kotian, dont waste time going behind fake theories.. Better get a medical certificate which shows he is mental patient. WHich may help him to come out fast as they usually do in other cases.

abdul raheem
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

CD PLEASE DONT POST VIREN'S COMMENTS.I THINK HE IS NOT WELL.HE IS ......

Syed
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

CD must inform the contact details of Viren Kotian, Udupi to investigating agencies to find out the real culprit. CD will you do this?.

Satyameva jayate
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

Viren naren and ABVP will protest to release the culprit and return the phone...ha ha......also abvp pilla?

observer
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

Viren Kotian deadly desperate. I like it. Hahah

TRUE INDIAN
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

Viren proved that he is 10 Paisa Kammi

Abbu Beary
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

It seems Viren is unhappy about the arrest of a sadist. Why? The arrested is an ABVP activist???

Viren Kotian
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

I have got information from credible sources that a love jihadist stole mobile from a Hindu boy and placed it in toilet. Police must release this innocent boy and arrest the real culprit.

SHABEER AHAMMED
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

Let him try same in his own home. let see how he will feel..

Chakrapani
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

His name should be changed as 'Vighna Santosh'.

Fahmi
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

This incident has proved that moral education ins must for students even at post graduation level.

Jithendra
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

Shocking. But, he is misguided student. The society spoils innocent youths. University should morally educate students.

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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 2,2025

Puttur: The long-cherished dream of a government medical college in Puttur has moved a decisive step closer to reality, with the Karnataka State Finance Department granting its official approval for the construction of a new 300-bed hospital.

Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai announced the crucial development to reporters on Monday, confirming that the official communication from the finance department was issued on November 27. This 300-bed facility is intended to be the cornerstone for the establishment of the government medical college, a project announced in the state budget.

Fast-Track Implementation

The MLA outlined an aggressive timeline for the project:

•    A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the hospital is expected to be ready within 45 days.

•    The tender process for the construction will be completed within two months.

Following the completion of the tender process, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the project.

"Setting up a medical college in Puttur is a historical decision by the Congress government in Karnataka," Rai stated. The project has an estimated budget allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the medical college.

Focus on Medical Education Department

The MLA highlighted a key strategic move: requesting the government to implement the hospital construction through the Medical Education Department instead of the Health and Family Welfare Department. This is intended to streamline the entire process of establishing the full medical college, ensuring the facilities—including labs, operation theatres, and other necessary infrastructure—adhere to the strict guidelines set by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The proposed site for the project is in Bannur.

Rai also took the opportunity to address political criticism, stating that the government has fulfilled its promise despite "apprehensions" and "mocking and criticising" from opposition parties who had failed to take similar initiatives when they were in power. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept his word," he added.

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News Network
November 30,2025

airportmetro.jpg

Udupi: The pontiffs of Sri Paryaya Puttige Mutt, the sacred seat of Jagadguru Shrimad Madhvacharya Moola Samsthanam, have submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister seeking comprehensive development for Udupi district. 

Proposal for International Airport

A key request is the establishment of an international airport. Highlighting that around 1,000 acres of land are available and suitable, the pontiffs noted that the existing Mangalore Airport provides limited international connectivity. They suggested the airport be developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) or as a Greenfield Airport to boost trade, education, healthcare, and spiritual tourism.

Metro and Rapid Transit Connectivity

The proposal also calls for Metro Rail or Rapid Transit between Mangaluru and Udupi. The 55 km coastal stretch experiences heavy daily commuter traffic, causing congestion. The district administration is ready to prepare an initial project report for a Mass Rapid Transit corridor and requested inclusion under national urban mobility programmes to ensure safe, green, and time-efficient regional transport.

Port and Coastal Development

The pontiffs urged the development of an international-standard port with a cruise terminal along Udupi’s coast. They also requested fast-tracking of pending coastal tourism projects and revising Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms to encourage sustainable infrastructure and hospitality investment.

IT, AI and Technological Infrastructure

Support was sought for an IT and AI Innovation Park with incubation facilities under Digital India and Startup India initiatives. The proposal also emphasized the need for strengthened data security and cloud computing infrastructure to boost India’s technological independence.

Sports and Education Initiatives

The pontiffs requested national sports status for Kambala, along with financial and infrastructure support. They also sought the establishment of an AIIMS in Udupi, a new IIT campus, and approval for an IIM to promote higher education in the district.

Representation to the Prime Minister

Sri Sugunendra Tirtha Pontiff and Sri Sushrendra Tirtha Swamiji represented the pontiffs in submitting the comprehensive development proposal to the Prime Minister during his recent visit.

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