Dakshina Kannada cop suspended for showing his saffron colour on Facebook

Bengaluru, May 31: In spite of opposition, chief minister BS Yediyurappa has appointed his former personal assistant and maternal grandnephew NR Santosh as his political secretary.

Santosh is the fourth political secretary to the CM besides SR Vishwanath, MP Renukacharya and Shankaranna Munavalli. 

Santosh was arrested for allegedly trying to kidnap Vinay NS, personal assistant of BJP leader KS Eshwarappa in 2017. He's also facing attempt to murder and dowry harassment charges.

The 30-year-old had fallen out with the CM's younger son BY Vijayendra soon after the BJP came to power and had been reportedly asked to keep away from him. He had identified with some MLAs who were up against the CM.

It's said the appointment was made to send out a message to the rivals after some MLAs launched a renewed campaign against Yediyurappa over a dinner meeting at BJP MLA Umesh V Katti's house. 

Though Yediyurappa was not keen, sources said Santosh brought pressure from RSS and some BJP leaders, whose help he had sought to reunite with the family. 

Santosh from Tumakuru is the son of the CM's sister's daughter. He was Yediyurappa's Man Friday and his job was confined to ensuring he took his medicines on time.

Mangaluru, June 11: The Saudi Arabia based Expertise Contracting Company, which is repatriating its employees to India and other countries, today allocated around 90 seats of one of its chartered flights to Kannadigas stranded in Saudi Arabia. 

The Gulf Air flight took off with around 175 passengers on board from Dammam International Airport around noon local time. It is expected to land at Mangaluru International Airport at around 7 p.m. Indian time. 

In fact the company had chartered the flights only to repatriate its employees. However, due to the lack of special flights under Vande Bharati Mission, the company decided to help the other stranded Kannadigas in Saudi Arabia, who had approached Saudi Kannadigas Humanity Forum for help. 

A company official said that around 2,000 employees from various countries in the Indian subcontinent are being repatriated, of which 1,665 are Indians.  Already hundreds of them have reached India, and hundreds are still waiting for repatriation. 

“We are grateful to Expertise for allowing to travel in the flight which the company had chartered to repatriate its own employees,” said one of the passengers before boarding the flight at the airport.  

Director of Expertise, KS Shaikh said the 20-year-old Expertise group, one of the largest conglomerates in the GCC operating in petrochemical and heavy equipment sectors, has more than 10,000 employees and their family members in the Gulf, mainly in Jubail, one of the largest industrial cities.

Of these, the company has chosen over 2,000 employees for the covid-related repatriations considering various emergencies. He said 12 chartered flights have been engaged to carry out the repatriation exercise to the Indian subcontinent.

Bengaluru, Jan 22: The suspected man in planting of a live bomb at the Mangaluru International Airport surrendered before the DG and IG of Karnataka Police, Neelamani Raju, here on Wednesday, police sources said.

The accused was identified as Aditya Rao, a resident of Udupi.

The accused was taken for questioning by the Halasurugate Police, where he was being interrogated intensively, the sources further said.

According to them, he confessed that he planted an explosive device at Mangaluru Airport on Monday said that it was an act of revenge for denying him an employment by the Kempegowda International Airport Limited (KIAL).

He was arrested by the Bengaluru police in the past for making a hoax call to the police stating that a bomb had been planted at the Bengaluru Airport.

Karnataka Home minister Basavaraj Bommai told the media that 'the Bengaluru police have taken the custody of Aditya Rao, who is being subjected for a thorough interrogation'.

The Mangaluru police was also likely to join the Bengaluru police into the investigation, the sources added.

Also Read: Udupi’s Aditya Rao arrested for issuing bomb threats to Airport, railway station