Udupi’s Harish Bangera, who was jailed in Saudi Arabia over Facebook post, reaches home finally

Jaipur: A 25-year-old man was allegedly strangled to death in Rajasthan's Dausa district for trying to stop three men from applying colour on him ahead of Holi, police said on Thursday.

The incident was reported from Ralwas village on Wednesday evening when Ashok, Bablu and Kaluram reached a local library to apply colour on Hansraj, who was preparing for competitive exams there, officials said.

As Hansraj refused to be smeared with colours, the trio kicked him and thrashed him with belts, before one of them strangled him to death, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dinesh Agarwal said.

The angry family members and villagers later staged a protest with Hansraj's body, blocking a national highway in the area that continued till 1 am on Thursday.

The protesters demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to Hansraj's family, a government job to one member of the family, and immediate arrest of the accused trio.

The body was finally removed from the highway after police assurance.

Udupi, Mar 18: In response to concerns over the potential cancellation of the Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express due to low passenger occupancy, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Kota Srinivas Poojary has proposed extending the service to Mumbai instead of discontinuing it.

MP Poojary met Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and urged him to consider the extension, highlighting the benefits it would bring to commuters and the economy. The minister promptly directed railway officials to ensure the train service is not discontinued and to explore the feasibility of extending it to Mumbai.

A detailed report on the economic significance of Mangaluru and Udupi was also presented, stressing the necessity of the train's extension. Additionally, a request was made to introduce a sleeper Vande Bharat train between Mangaluru and Mumbai in the future.

Expressing gratitude to the minister for his prompt attention and assurance of support, MP Poojary welcomed the positive response and reiterated his commitment to improving railway connectivity in the region.

Mangaluru International Airport (MIA), Karnataka’s second busiest airport, has seen 148.5kg of gold smuggled between 2019 and December 2024, with 90% arriving from the UAE. Customs officials recorded 346 cases, averaging 30kg of gold seized per year (2.5kg per month). Most smugglers are from Kerala and Bhatkal.

A senior customs officer revealed that MIA sees at least five gold smuggling cases per month. Numbers dropped during the pandemic but surged after flights resumed. Many offenders are first-time carriers, while some are habitual smugglers. With fewer flights, customs thoroughly checks passengers, making smuggling harder.

Smugglers constantly innovate concealment methods. Hiding gold in the rectum remains common, but gold is also found in trolley bags, mobile covers, chocolate boxes, milk powder, biscuit packets, and clothing layers. Electronic devices like car speaker magnets, LED bulbs, AirPods, wristwatches, and ballpoint pens have been used.

Unusual tactics include hiding gold in a woman’s hairband, a baby’s diaper, and even a kheer mix packet (347g). In one case, a passenger attempted to smuggle 100g in his mouth under a mask but was caught.

Officials note that while the UAE remains a key source, smugglers now bring gold from other Gulf countries, continuously adapting to evade detection.