Sufi singer Ibrahim Sutar, midwife Narasamma among 9 Padma awardees from Karnataka

News Network
January 26, 2018

As many as nine achievers from Karnataka figure on the list of those chosen for the prestigious Padma awards for 2018. Cue sports stalwart Pankaj Advani has been chosen for the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in the country.

Eight persons have been chosen for Padma Shri. Rudrapatnam Brothers — R.N. Thyagarajan and R.N. Tharanathan, Ibrahim Sutar and R. Satynarayana have all been selected for the honour in the music category. The others are writer and film lyricist Doddarange Gowda (lyrics), Sitavva Jodatti from Belagavi (social work), midwife from Tumakuru Sulagitti Narasamma (social work), and Siddheshwara Swamiji (spiritualism).

Sufi singer

Known as Kannada Kabir, 77-year-old Sufi singer Ibrahim Sutar is famous for spreading social and communal harmony through his songs and bajanas for the last 40 years in Karnataka and neighbouring states.

Born at Mahalingapura in Mudhol taluk in Bagalkot district in 1940 in a poor family, Sutar set up Harmony Folk Music Mela (team of artists) in 1970.

He used funds collected at his performances and organised social welfare programmes including yoga sessions, set up water tanks in villages and built class rooms to government schools.

A weaver by profession, Sutar studied till Class 3. Sutar and his team members staged performances singing devotional songs in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Goa, Odisha and Rajasthan.

He is popular among masses in North Karnataka region for his spiritual discourses. He is married to Marembi and has three children.

1,500 deliveries in 70 years

The famous midwife from Tumakuru district Sulagatti Narasamma, 97, started performing traditional deliveries when she just a 16-year-old girl.

A resident of Krishnapura village of Pavagada taluk, Narasamma, has performed over 1,500 deliveries over the last 70 years, without failed evence once.

An illiterate Narasamma learnt midwifery from her grandmother Marigamma. She was married to Anjinappa, at the age of 12.

She performed traditional deliveries not only Karnataka, but also in neighbrouing Andhra Pradesh.

She also provides neonatal care for about nine days.

In 2013 she was chosen for a national award recognising her contribution to the women's health by performing out such a large number of deliveries among poor families in remote rural areas.

Such is her popularity that there are instances when people from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh have taken her to their villages for deliveries.

She is a recipient of Rajyotsava award. Tumkur university has conferred an honorary doctorate degree on her. A lesson on her life has been prescribed in Class 9th text book.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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News Network
December 3,2025

arrival.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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