Media unleashes terror after passenger held for carrying power bank at Mangaluru Airport

coastaldigest.com news network
September 20, 2017

Mangaluru, Sep 19: Within hours after a passenger was detained at Mangaluru International Airport on Tuesday for carrying a mobile power bank in his luggage, mass media across the world issued a “terror alert” claiming that a “cellphone bomb” was found.

According to sources, security officers at the Airport discovered a “suspicious object” hidden in baggage. The passenger who was carrying the baggage was immediately detained and handed handed over to the CISF personnel for further examination around 9.30 p.m. The CISF team examined the device for nearly an hour and found it to be a non-explosive substance. 

“The detained passenger had booked a ticket on IndiGo’s flight 6E877 from Mangaluru to Bangaluru on Tuesday. He was then supposed to travel from Bangaluru to Dubai on IndiGo flight 6E95 Wednesday (September 20) at 7.20 am,” a senior official said.

"While screening his checked in baggage, the screener noticed that a power bank was in his bag which looked suspicious (as it showed a green colored thick image). The screener did a physical check and opened the power bank to check and noticed a clay like substance in the power bank,” he said.

However, a controversial tweet by the airline IndiGo not only caused panic among air passengers but also misled many news agencies. 

"IndiGo's alert security screener staff at Mangalore caught a suspect carrying alleged cellphone bomb today,” tweeted the airline.

Within minutes, prominent Indian television channels like Republic TV and Times Now broke the “cellphone bomb” news. Many international news agencies too fell prey to the hoax bomb scare. 
 
Airport director V V Rao clarified that he had no information about the discovery of “cellphone bomb”. However, he confirmed that a passenger was detained at the Airport for questioning.

Meanwhile, Mangaluru City Police Commissionerate T R Suresh clarified that the seized object was mere a locally made power bank. “After a thorough check, the passenger was allowed to proceed,” he said. 

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News Network
November 18,2024

resort.jpg

Mangaluru: The Ullal police have arrested Manohar, the owner of Vazco Beach Resort, and its manager Bharath in connection with the drowning of three college girls from Mysuru at the resort’s swimming pool on November 17.

City Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal confirmed the arrests, stating that a case has been registered under Section 106 of BNS. The bodies of the victims, all in their twenties, have been handed over to their parents. The women had arrived at the resort for a weekend getaway on November 16.

Following the tragic incident, the resort was sealed by officials led by Mangaluru Assistant Commissioner Harshavardhan. The trade license of the resort, issued on June 13, 2024, has been suspended, and the tourism department has temporarily revoked the resort's registration. These actions prohibit the resort from engaging in any tourism-related activities until further notice.

Someshwara TMC Chief Officer stated that the suspension was due to the resort's failure to implement adequate safety measures, which resulted in the loss of three lives. Further investigations are underway.

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News Network
November 11,2024

Mangaluru: Six youths including teenagers have been arrested by the Bantwal Rural Police in connection with a brutal assault on 21-year-old Aboobakar (name changed to hide identity), an incident that was widely shared on social media after footage revealed the victim tied to a pole and violently beaten.

The arrested individuals, all from Kanchinadkapadavu, Sajipanadu village in Ullal Taluk, have been identified as Mohammad Sapwan (25), Mohammad Rizwan (25), Irfan (27), Anis Ahmad (19), Nasir (27), and Shakeer (18). According to police reports, the assault took place on November 7 in Kanchinadkapadavu.

The sequence of events began when Aboobakar was reportedly called to a residence in Kanchinadkapadavu by a female relative. Upon his arrival, he was confronted by the accused, who questioned his presence, tied him to a pole with ropes, and attacked him while he was shirtless. 

Aboobakar managed to file a police complaint the following day, detailing the assault. As his injuries worsened, he was admitted to a private hospital in Mangaluru.

While in the hospital, Aboobakar alleged that his attackers intended to kill him during the assault. This statement led to additional charges of attempted murder being filed. 

Police officials stated that the suspects were subsequently apprehended, charged with group assault and attempted murder, and placed in judicial custody. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are awaited.

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News Network
November 14,2024

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday backed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over his claim that the BJP had offered Rs 50 crore each to 50 Congress MLAs in an attempt to "topple" the state government.

Addressing reporters here, Shivakumar, also the Congress state president, said, “The BJP indeed lured 50 Congress MLAs with Rs 50 crore each.”

He defended Siddaramaiah’s statement and said the Congress MLAs were briefed about the BJP’s alleged 'Operation Lotus', a term used to describe the BJP's attempts to destabilise ruling governments through horse-trading.

“Some of our MLAs informed the Chief Minister about this matter, and he, in turn, shared it with the media,” Shivakumar said.

At an event in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah reiterated the claim that "none of the Congress MLAs had accepted the offer".

He also accused the BJP of filing false cases against him in a bid to "remove him and overthrow his government".

The BJP has yet to respond to the allegations.

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