Hubballi violence: CM hints at recovering losses from accused

Mangaluru: The long-awaited DC office complex in Padil is nearing completion, with plans underway to inaugurate the facility during Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s visit to Mangaluru for the State Olympics meet on January 17. Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader inspected the site and emphasized the urgency of completing the ₹75 crore project within the set deadline.

“We aim to finish the work by January 10 so that the inauguration can align with the Chief Minister’s visit. However, the final decision will depend on the project’s readiness by then,” Khader stated during his site inspection.

The ambitious project, reflecting the rich Tulu Nadu heritage in its design, received administrative approval on April 28, 2015. Following delays, the work order was issued on February 3, 2018, and construction began on March 17, 2018. Khader assured that the building's traditional architecture will extend to its surroundings, including an aesthetically designed entrance gate.

Spread across 5.89 acres, the complex boasts a total plinth area of 21,054.88 sq m, encompassing multiple levels:

Basement: 4043.88 sq m
Ground Floor: 7553.36 sq m
First Floor: 4158.94 sq m
Second and Third Floors: 2561.28 sq m each
Roof 1 and 2: 88.07 sq m each

The facility aims to centralize government services by housing most departments—except Revenue and RDPR—under one roof. This initiative, Khader highlighted, will streamline operations, save time, and enhance convenience for both officials and the public.

"Officials have been directed to expedite the remaining work, ensuring its timely completion," he added, reaffirming the government’s commitment to creating a functional and visually iconic administrative hub for the region.

Eight members of the Israeli Knesset (parliament) have called upon the regime’s minister of military affairs Israel Katz to instruct the occupation army to destroy all water, food and energy sources in the Gaza Strip “to achieve the war goals.”

The letter to Katz asserted “the Israeli military’s operations were failing to achieve the political objectives set for the war”, the Israeli Haaretz daily newspaper reported. 

Despite Israel’s complete siege on the Gaza Strip and the reduction in aid being allowed into the coastal territory, the legislators said the current plans to displace north Gaza residents to the south are not being implemented “properly”.

The Knesset members urged Katz to re-examine war strategies, asserting that after besieging northern Gaza and displacing its residents, the Israeli military should destroy all energy, food and water sources in the area.

They also called for the killing of anyone who moved within northern Gaza without surrendering by waving a white flag.

The measures should not be limited to northern Gaza, they said, but extended to other regions.

They made no mention of the Israeli captives being held in Gaza, Haaretz noted.

Backed by the United States and its Western allies, Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against the Israeli regime in response to its decades-long campaign of oppression against Palestinians.

The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed at least 45,658 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 108,583 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

Mangaluru: Despite a reduction in the number of cybercrime cases in 2024 due to effective preventive measures and increased public awareness, the financial impact of cybercrimes in the Mangaluru Commissionerate was the highest this year. Over Rs 40.46 crore was lost, with Rs 9.32 crore frozen and Rs 2.55 crore released to the complainants, reported Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal.

Comparing years, the number of cybercrime cases at CEN Police Station decreased from 196 cases in 2023 to 72 cases in 2024. In total, CEN registered 313 cybercrime cases from 2022 to 2024, including 55 cases in 2022, 196 in 2023, and 62 in 2024. In contrast, other police stations reported 120 cybercrime cases during this period, with eight cases in 2022, 40 in 2023, and 72 in 2024.

The financial losses from cybercrimes in 2022 were Rs 61 lakh, with Rs 7 lakh frozen and Rs 6 lakh returned to victims. In 2023, the losses increased significantly, with Rs 9.83 crore lost, Rs 6.29 crore frozen, and Rs 1.17 crore released to complainants.

Cybercrimes were mainly investment frauds, accounting for 50% of the cases and around 75% of the total losses. A total of 67 cases of investment fraud led to a loss of Rs 30.3 crore in 2024. Other major cybercrime categories included digital arrest scams (25 cases, Rs 7.1 crore lost), job frauds (8 cases, Rs 1.2 crore lost), and matrimonial frauds (4 cases, Rs 60.4 lakh lost). Online shopping frauds resulted in Rs 5.9 lakh in losses from three cases, while share market frauds led to Rs 41.96 lakh in losses from five cases. Other frauds, including advertisement, KYC, and miscellaneous scams, caused additional losses.

The National Cyber Crime Reporting portal received 5,498 complaints, with 215 cases converted into FIRs. Arrests related to cybercrimes increased in 2023, particularly at other police stations. This year, 42 individuals were arrested for cybercrimes, with 15 from Karnataka and 27 from other states, including Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

To combat cybercrime, 217 awareness programs were held across Mangaluru, targeting various sections of society. These programs were organized at the Police Station, Beat, Sub-division, and Commissionerate levels, helping spread awareness and prevent future crimes.