Malegaon blast; NIA names four in charge sheet

May 23, 2013
Mumbai, May 23: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed its charge sheet against four men, accused in the 2006 Malegaon bomb blast case, before a Special MCOCA court, officials said.

Malegaon
The charge sheet, filed before Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) Court Judge Prithviraj Chavan has named Lokesh Sharma, Dhan Singh, Rajendra Choudhary and Manohar Narwaria, who were arrested during the past one year, said an NIA source.

They have been charged with murder, planning and conspiring and triggering the deadly blast during Friday afternoon 'namaaz' near Hamidiya Mosque.

Besides these four, the NIA probe continues against several other accused in the Sep 8, 2006, blast case which left 37 dead and more than 125 injured.

Soon after the blasts, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad had nabbed nine Muslim youths from Malegaon as suspects in the blast.

They were: Noorul Huda Shamsud Doha, Shabbir Ahmed Massiullah, Raees Ahmed Rajjab Ali Mansuri, Salman Farsi Abdul Latif Aimi, Farokh Iqbal Ahmed Magdumi, Mohammed Ali Alam Shaikh, Asif Bashir Khan, Mohammed Zahif Abdul Majeed Ansari and Abrar Ahmed (who later turned approver).

However, in 2011, after the role of a Hindu right-wing group in the terror strike came to the light with the arrest of Swami Aseemananda, the NIA investigations took a different course.

"All the nine accused (above) were granted bail after the Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra took up their case in the Special MCOCA Court. Special Judge Y.D. Shinde granted bail and the NIA did not oppose it," said JUM spokesperson and lawyer Shahid N. Ansari.

Interestingly, the probe by ATS had been taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which endorsed the ATS's findings until the NIA exposed the new dimension to the blast case and the probe.

After Wednesday's charge sheet, the NIA is likely to file a supplementary charge sheet in the near future, naming more accused in the case, Ansari said.

Malegaon, a Muslim-dominated powerloom town in Nashik district, around 300 km from here, was rocked by another terror strike on Sep 29, 2008. The blast killed six people and injured over 60 others.

It was allegedly perpetrated by Hindu right-wing activists, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and others.

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News Network
December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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News Network
November 30,2025

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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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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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