MA Yusuf Ali of Lulu group caught in Kerala CPM feud?

May 27, 2013
Thiruvananthapuram, May 27: Two prominent Middle East-based businessmen who hail from Kerala appear to be caught in the factional feud of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in Kerala.

lulu
The Ernakulam unit of the CPI-M has accused MA Yusuf Ali, owner of the Emke Group, of encroaching upon the government land for his Rs 1600-crore Lulu Shopping Mall project here that opened in March this year.

The Ernakulam district committee of CPI-M is believed to have allegiance to the party's state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, while Ali is said to be in the good books of former chief minister VS Achuthanandan, who is believed to be leading the opposing faction of the party.

"All the sanctions for the shopping mall were given while the previous Left government of Achuthanandan was in power," said Kochi's Mayor Tony Chammany.

Another of Ali's major trouble relates to the 10.59 hectare of land in Kochi, around 200 km from here, on which Ali was planning to build a state-of-the-art convention centre and other facilities.

The plot was allotted to the businessman through an open bid and tender process initiated by the Cochin Port Trust. It was leased out to Ali in November 2010 for a sum of Rs 72 crore for 30 years.

Following the allegation of encroachment by the CPI-M's Ernakulam district committee, Ali told media persons in Dubai that he was deeply hurt by it.

"I have always taken the lead to promote Kerala to leading investors of the world. This statement has deeply pained me," Ali said.

He also announced that he was backing out from the convention centre project, and that he would invest in another state, according to a report.

"We welcome the decision of Ali to back out of the convention centre project, and hope that the land would be handed back to the Cochin Port Trust," CPI-M Ernakulam secretary Dinesh Moni said.

The other Middle East-based businessman who has been caught in the crossfire between the two CPI-M factions is Ravi Pillai, owner of plush hotels at popular tourist destinations Kovalam and Kollam in the state.

While the CPI-M faction led by Vijayan is completely mum over the allotment of a parcel of land to Pillai near his Kovalam project, Achuthanandan has raised a red flag over the deal.

In a press release here on Saturday, Achuthanandan said the 16 hectare of prime land belonged to the government.

"This is a blatant violation of the law of the land which the state government has done, and if need be I will not hesitate to take legal action against this," the veteran Marxist leader said.

However, CPI-M politburo member MA Baby denied any tussle was ongoing between the party factions led by Vijayan and Achuthanandan. He termed it as a wild imagination of the media.

"The media has to come out with juicy and spicy reports. The truth is that every district committee of the party takes up an issue based on the situation and so do leaders. There is nothing beyond that," Baby told media persons

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News Network
November 30,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 30: A 22-year-old college student succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Mangaluru today, days after she was hit by a goods tempo while crossing a road in Padubidri.

The deceased has been identified as Preksha, a resident of Nadsalu Billitota in Padubidri. The fatal incident occurred as Preksha, who was returning home after completing her examination, attempted to cross the service road towards Mangaluru. She was struck by a goods tempo approaching from the Udupi side, causing her to fall and sustain a severe head injury.

Prompt action from local residents ensured she received immediate first aid before being rushed to a hospital in Mangaluru for specialised treatment. Despite medical efforts, she passed away while undergoing care.

Preksha was a student at Karavali College, Vamanjoor on the outskirts of Mangaluru city. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that she belonged to a financially vulnerable family, having previously lost her father. She is survived by her mother and brother.

A case related to the accident has been registered at the Padubidri police station, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the collision. The incident highlights the growing concerns over road safety, particularly on busy service roads, and serves as a tragic reminder of the human cost of traffic accidents.

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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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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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