My father is not guilty; he will come out safely: Ravi Belagere’s daughter

Agencies
December 9, 2017

Bengaluru, Dec 9: The daughter of a leading Kannada tabloid editor, who was arrested for allegedly hiring a contract killer to eliminate his journalist colleague, on Saturday said that her father was "not guilty" and would come out of the case "safely".

Ravi Belagere, who brings out 'Hai Bangalore', was arrested on Friday from his house here on charges of hiring a 'supari' killer from Vijayapura in north Karnataka to kill Sunil Heggaravalli.

"No one has filed an FIR in this case based on a complaint filed by someone. It is a suo-motu case by the police based on Shahi's (the contract killer) statement. There is no meaning in it," Bhavana claimed.

"I'm very confident, he (Belagere) is not guilty. He has not done anything and will be out of it safely very soon," she told reporters in Dharwad.

Bhavana said that she has been advised by lawyers not to issue statements on the case and that the evidence the police have is just a statement and the case cannot stand based on it.

"My dad is a great man, he is a fighter, he will come out fighting," she added.

Belagere was produced before a magistrate at his residence on Friday night and was remanded in four days police custody.

The police stumbled on the alleged plot when the contract killer, Shashidhar Mundewadi, was being questioned in connection with the probe into the killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead at her house by unidentified assailants here on September 5.

Official sources said that the City Crime Branch was questioning Belagere.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah, commenting on the case, said that the police would do their work according to the law.
"I don't know. Police might have evidence, they will work according to the law," he said.

On Friday, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Satish Kumar claimed that Mundewadi had stated during interrogation that Belagere gave him 'supari' to kill Heggaravalli.

Based on the inputs, Belagare was arrested and a pistol and a double barrel gun was seized from him, he had said.

Kumar also said that Belagere wanted to kill Heggaravalli for "personal reasons" and that an FIR was registered at the Subrahmanyapura police station.

Belagere was in news after the Karnataka Legislative Assembly passed a resolution sentencing him and Anil Raju, editor of tabloid 'Yelahanka Voice', to one year in jail.

Fines of Rs 10,000 each was also imposed on them for their alleged defamatory articles against state legislators.

The assembly had recently rejected a plea by both the journalists to reconsider its decision.

On a petition by the journalists, the Karnataka High Court had earlier this week directed the assembly not to pursue the proceedings until further orders.

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News Network
May 8,2025

SofiaQuraishi.jpg

Belagavi: Colonel Sofia Qureshi who along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh presented the details of ‘Operation Sindoor’ is being hailed as the daughter-in-law of Karnataka’s Belagavi.

Qureshi's husband Colonel Tajuddin Bagewadi is from Konnur town in Gokak taluk. He has been serving as a colonel in the Indian Army. They were married in 2015.

Qureshi is a native of Baroda in Gujarat, being married to Tajuddin has made her the daughter-in-law of Belagavi.

During a media meet at New Delhi on Wednesday, Qureshi had shared the details of the success of Operation Sindoor which was conducted in retaliation to the terror attack at Pahalgam in Kashmir.

Qureshi has also served in the UN peacekeeping force at Kangola. She has received great appreciation from General Officer Commanding for her work along the borders of Punjab and during the floods in North-East.

Presently Sofia has been posted at Jammu while her husband Colonel Tajuddin Bagewadi at Jhanshi.

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News Network
May 13,2025

A new chapter is unfolding for football in Mangaluru as the football ground adjacent to Nehru Maidan receives a modern artificial turf, with completion expected by the end of May. This long-awaited upgrade promises to significantly enhance the playing experience for both budding and seasoned footballers in the region.

The project, spearheaded by Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL), involves laying synthetic turf across the 90,000 sq ft ground at a cost of ₹2.5 crore. Equipped with efficient drainage systems, the revamped ground will support uninterrupted play throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions.

“This is a long-pending demand of the football community here,” said D.M. Aslam of the Dakshina Kannada District Football Association. “We expect the turf work to be completed in the next two weeks. Currently, around 150 children practice regularly at the ground, and we anticipate that number to rise once the new surface is open.”

MSCL General Manager (Technical), Arun Prabha K.S., noted that while the project had been planned for some time, groundwork officially began after last year’s monsoon league concluded in August. “Once completed, this facility will be a full-fledged synthetic turf suitable for training, local tournaments, and league matches,” he said.

With the inauguration expected soon after the final touches are completed, the new astro turf is set to elevate the city’s football infrastructure and serve as a springboard for talent development across the district.

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News Network
May 13,2025

Udupi, May 12: A tragic incident unfolded at a wedding in Nandikur, Udupi district, when a four-year-old boy, Vasudeva, drowned in a temple pond near the venue.

According to a police complaint filed by Satyanarayana, 38, a resident of Kurkalu village in Kaup, the child had accompanied his mother, Soumya, and siblings—Vaishnavi (10) and Vishnu Priya (1)—to attend a wedding at the Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple Hall in Nandikur.

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Soumya was feeding her infant daughter inside the hall while Vasudeva remained nearby. After tending to the baby, she stepped away briefly to wash her hands, during which time she noticed that Vasudeva was missing.

A frantic search ensued involving family members and others at the venue. About 15 minutes later, at around 2:15 p.m., Vasudeva was found unresponsive in the temple pond adjacent to the hall. Bystanders pulled him from the water and attempted resuscitation.

He was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Udupi, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Despite this, the family sought further medical assistance at a hospital in Manipal, but physicians there also confirmed that he had passed away.

The Padubidri police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.

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