by Anisa Fathima, Daijiworld.com, Mangalore
February 18, 2007
Talk of an exciting week. While the beginning of the week saw a wild visitor from the jungle in the form of a leopard which ultimately met its end following public chaos while capturing it, the end of the week gave us a memorable moment to cherish, when the international flight from Muscat touched the Mangalore soil. In between these two events, eleven poor families of Vamanjoor were left homeless with the MCC demolishing the illegal structures built on its land, which attracted the attention and sympathy of many towards the families.
Mangalore: Visitor Leopard Dies at Pilikula Wildlife Park
Mangalore: Demolition of Illegal Structures - Mayor, Minister Visit 'Victims'
Abu Dhabi - Muscat Air India Express Lands at Bajpe
The Polali Ananthu murder case took a new turn as the four main accused were acquitted by the district sessions judge on the basis of lack of evidence.
The Polali Annathu murder case has been the top mystery among the sensational murders in recent times. Mulki Rafiq who was killed in an encounter early this year had been the main accused for long, but with his death, the mystery deepened and the real culprits must have heaved a sigh of relief. If Rafiq had been alive, it would have been easier to solve the case, but now, we are back to square one. It almost seems as if the four who have been acquitted had been arrested for the sake of showing a sunny side to the police, and while the innocent suffered behind bars and their families at their homes, the real culprits made merry. The investigation needs to go forward, and surely, the capture of the real culprit will also open cans full of wriggly worms.
Mangalore: Accused in Polali Ananthu Murder Case Acquitted
Meanwhile, the news of a hotel in the city being ransacked late in the night brought into focus once again the cold rivalry existing between groups and gangs in the city. The hotel belonged to one Azeez who had allegedly abetted the murder of Sukhanand Shetty.
Gang rivalries have always been a matter of great concern to law keepers. This is just one more in the long list of attacks on places owned by people suspected to be members of rowdy gangs. At the end, the person on whom the assault is targeted escapes uninjured, while others land up in hospital. The police have established the owner’s connection with Shetty’s murder, and have even arrested him, despite that, his hotel was ransacked. It is unfortunate that many people do not rest till they have taken law in to their own hands for selfish motives. It is an amusing fact that though it was Azeez who had helped in murdering Shetty, it is his family who has to suffer the loss.
Mangalore: Ransacked Restaurant Belongs to Sukhanand Shetty Murder Accused - Pics
The news that was music to the ears of many was that of the reduction in petrol and diesel prices.
Though the news brought in a sigh of relief among vehicle owners, it did not affect public transport commuters a bit. Every time fuel prices increase, the auto and bus associations demand a hike in fares, but when the prices go down they all maintain strict silence. The funny part is many of the auto drivers use gas cylinders, but give the excuse of high petrol rates to demand a hike! The fares of public transport must be set in proportion to oil prices – if one reduces, the other too should follow suit. This is the second time in recent months that the prices have gone down, but the auto and bus fares remain the same. Will those associations again demand a hike if the price of petrol is increased by Rs 1? It would be surprising if they don’t.
Mangalore: Petrol Cheaper by Rs 2, Diesel by Re 1
The sensational Sucheta Shetty murder case was brought to an end after the CoD failed to find the culprit following an extensive search and investigation for almost four years.
It is very sad that even after a thorough investigation the murderer still remains at large. Protests, appeals and promises had given hopes to the bereaved parents and well-wishers, but in vain. The murderer must have been quite clever to have hid from police for so long. It may even be that he is no more in the country. Speculations are many, but leading to no conclusion. We have seen in the past cases where there had been no chance of nailing the culprit, but perseverance has shown the light of day. Justice has to be delivered, no matter how long and tiring the process may be.
Udupi: Curtains Down on Sucheta Shetty Murder Case - 'C' Report Submitted
It seems that the wild visitor to our city had lost its way and its friend had come to look for him. Close on the heels of a leopard captured in the city, another was found fallen in a well in Udupi. Thankfully, unlike the chaos created in Mangalore, the Udupi leopard was rescued without any ado.
Two leopards straying into town in a span of just one week is quite rare. Though the incident provided some nice excitement and entertainment to the people around, the poor animal that strayed in to Mangalore had to meet a sad death. It is a wonder that the leopard did not kill anyone (though it attacked five people) for it might well have been hungry, considering the long hours it took to capture it. The question as to how it wandered in to the city is still unanswered, but the people in Mangalore have a lot to learn from their counterparts in Udupi, who were patient enough and did not create confusion. Cheetahs are officially extinct in India, and if this is the way we look after wild animals (not to mention the fast dwindling forest cover), very soon we might have to forget about leopards too.
Udupi: Leopard Successfully Rescued from Well
The protest against the Nagarjuna power plant seems to be abating these days. Jayashreekrishna Parisara Premi Samiti not only signed what it called an MoU with Nagarjuna Power Company Ltd, but also visited the plant site to ensure that the company was sticking to its claims of being kind to the environment.
Kudos to the committee for having taken this step. While several others were busy touring, the committee stepped forward to actually see that the claims of the company held good. Inspecting the site regularly will not only ensure credibility, but also give a sort of accountability to the people concerned about the environment. That the committee also looked into the state of displaced families is also heartening. However, it should not be a one-time inspection, but a regular one. This might alleviate the anxiety of protesters as well as smoothen the path for development.
Udupi: JPPS Members Visit Nagarjuna Construction Site
That’s it for this week. Though the week provided us with quite a lot of excitement what with leopards, international flight and reduction in fuel prices, it also gave us some food for thought with news of displaced-but-not-rehabilitated families of Vamanjoor. Be back next week with some more interesting happenings.
Anisa Fathima
Earlier Weeks
Anisa Fathima - from 'Exclusive Archives'