Udupi MP assures flyover on NH 66 at Ambalpady Junction

Mangaluru, Feb 18: Within days after Kambala racer Srinivasa Gowda emerged a national hero, another Kambala racer Nishant Shetty has grabbed headlines. 

Nishant Shetty from Bajagoli Jogibettu reportedly broke Gowda’s record at the Venoor Kambala on Sunday. Shetty recorded 143m in 13.68 seconds. If calculated for 100m he clocks it in 9.51 seconds. His speed is faster than Gowda who clocked 9.55 seconds.

According to Kambala organisers, with Shetty’s feat, four participants have joined the elite club of racers who have completed the 100 metres in less than ten seconds.

They are Iruvathur Anand (9.57 secs), Akkeri Suresh Shetty (9.57 secs), Srinivas Gowda (9.55 secs) and Nishant Shetty (9.51 secs). Anand and Suresh Shetty had participated in the same Venoor Kambala where Nishant emerged first.

Kambala is an annual race held in Karnataka where people sprint 143m through paddy fields with the buffaloes. During the race, the racers try to bring the buffaloes under control by holding their reins tight and beating them, making it amply clear that the animal plays an equally important role in achieving the timing. Traditionally, it is sponsored by local Tuluva landlords and households in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.

Bengaluru, Apr 8: Till date 181 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in Karnataka including five deaths and 28 discharges, said State Government on Wednesday.

Six new positive cases have been reported from April 7, 5:00 PM to April 8, 12:00 noon, informed Karnataka Government in a bulletin.

Out of the six fresh cases one has been reported from Uttarakannada, two from Kalburgi, one from Mandya, one from Chikkaballapur and one from BBMP Bengaluru.

"In view of breaking the chain and containment of COVID-19, Karnataka State Board of Auqaf, Bengaluru has directed to all the managements not to allow any congregational prayers in the Masajid and the managements of the Qabrasthans (Muslim graveyards) / Darghas throughout the state and to suspend the visit of public on the occasion of SHAB-EBARAT on thursday, April 9," said State Government in its bulletin.

No public shall be allowed to perform religious rituals in the Qabrasthans/Darghas and all the gates of Qabrasthans/Darghas shall be kept closed.

All managements of Qabrasthans/Darghas shall take necessary action on the above directions and all Waqf officers, District Waqf Advisory Committee in state shall adhere to the orders and directed to circulate the same and to ensure the order is followed scrupulously, the State Government added.

India's tally of positive COVID-19 cases stands at 5,194, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.

Out of the 5194 cases, 4,643 are reported to be active while 401 people have recovered or have been discharged and one has migrated. The death toll stands at 149.

Mangaluru, June 21: A local court has held notorious serial killer Cyanide Mohan Kumar guilty in the murder of a 25-year-old woman from Kasargod. This is the 20th and the last case of Cyanide Mohan to be tried in the sixth additional district and sessions court. 

According to public prosecutor Jayarama Shetty, the victim was working as a cook in a ladies hostel and got in touch with Mohan Kumar, a teacher. He visited her house thrice and promised to marry her. On July 8, 2009, on the pretext of visiting a temple in Sullia, she left home, never to return. 

They had travelled to Bengaluru and three days later, when her family tried to reach her on phone, he told them that she had gone for a bath and that they were married and would be returning back home soon.

The next day Ramakrishna, a constable from Upparpete police station, found a lady lying unconscious outside the bathroom and he immediately rushed her to a local hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival. Like in all other cases, after staying in a lodge and having sex with the victim, he took her to the KSRTC bus stand and asked her to consume a cyanide laced tablet, stating it was a contraceptive pill. 

He asked her to leave behind the jewellery that she was wearing at the hotel room. An unnatural death report was registered and since none of her relatives had turned up for identification of the body, on July 15,2009 the body was buried.

The moment the Dakshina Kannada district police arrested the serial killer on October 21, 2009 and his pictures were all over the media, the family recognised him and the victim’s younger sister filed a missing complaint. The police had also recovered the victim’s jewellery from the house of Mohan’s second wife and the jeweller from whom he had purchased cyanide had also identified him. Meanwhile, the CID had taken over the case and a charge sheet was filed.

"The report from the Forensic Science Laboratory is crucial in this case as cyanide was found in the victim’s viscera. Mohan over the years has become a legal expert and in this case, he had sought two adjournments," said Jayaram Shetty. Mohan is currently lodged in the Hindalga central jail.