Dr Heggade to pull up Saujanya's family to Court for baseless allegations

[email protected] (CD Network)
October 12, 2013

Belthangady, Oct 12: With Saujanya's family directing attacking Sri Kshethra Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade and family of hushing up the rape and murder case because of his nephew's alleged role in the same, Dr Heggade has said that he will pull up the victim's family to Court for its baseless allegations.

verendra_heggade

“While I am for a CBI probe in this case, it is wrong on the part of the family to make baseless allegations against me and my nephew Nishchal,” he said stating that when the incident occurred, Nishchal was in New York.

Suspecting vested interests at work behind family's claims, he said that some elements which have not been able to tolerate the services done by his family have made attempts to tarnish their image.

“In fact, when I came to know about Saujanya's death, I had called the then home minister right in front of her parents and urged him for an unbiased inquiry into the case. We have documents with regard to the struggle we have made to seek justice for Saujanya but, may be, we have not been able to give media statements every time,” he said, also stating that the'D' number that Mr Timarodi was talking about in an interview was given to local auto drivers because the pilgrims coming to the area had been complaining of drivers overcharging them.

“It was done keeping convenience of the pilgrims in mind,” he said lamenting that it has backfired against him and his family.

It may be recalled that family of Saujanya, a student of SDM College, Ujire who was raped and murdered a year ago, has now come out in open and pointed finger at Sri Kshethra Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade of having played a role in pushing the case under the carpet.

In an interview to a private channel Saujanya's parents have said that Dr Heggade's brother Harshendra Kumar's son Nishcal was involved in the crime and hence Dr Heggade had gone out of his way to hush up the matter.

Resort of rape

Vittal Gowda, Saujanya's uncle has said that a resort is functioning in Dharmasthala where rape and murder is executed fearlessly.

He said that a resort run by Chandan Kamat at Nidle is the den of such people. “Nobody can question them because there is someone supreme taking care of them,” he said adding that that some days ago, even Saujanya's family was warned of dire consequences if they participated in the protests for Saujanya.

He said that a worker from Mr Heggade's plantation had come to them and said that'Kavandaru' (as locals address Mr Heggade) has warned you to stay away from the protest.”

Not sure of surviving

Hindu leader Mahesh Shetty Timarodi addressing the interview on Friday has said that they had changed three vehicles to reach the TV studio in Bangalore.

“Several steps were taken to prevent us from reaching this place. There are several persons waiting to get us killed,” he said adding that the ones standing for Saujanya are not sure of surviving the threats.

“That does not mean that we are scared. We do not fear death. We want justice for a young girl who died an untimely death,” Mr Shetty said adding that Belthangady SI Yogesh had worked very hard to close the case.

He lamented that even when COD officials came to investigate the matter they left the place because of the pressure from higher-ups. “They knew the truth but they could not open their mouth. Former home minister R Ashok, during his visit to this place had not met Saujanya's parents. Instead, he went to the temple and left to Bangalore,” he said.

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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 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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News Network
December 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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