1. Home Minister G. Parameshwara formally launches Special Action Force to restore communal harmony in three districts
Home Minister G. Parameshwara who launched the Special Action Force (SAF) in Mangaluru on June 13, 2025, said that its sole purpose is to restore communal harmony in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Shivamogga districts. The SAF will act against those persons who disturb communal harmony in the three disricts, he said, adding that such a force has been constituted in the country probably for the first time.
As many as 248 personnel from the Anti Naxal Force have been drawn to create SAF. A SAF unit, each comprising of 78 personnel, will be placed in the three districts. The SAF will presently be headed by the Deputy Inspector General C.H. Sudheer Kumar Reddy, who is Mangaluru Police Commissioner, and it will work in coordination with Inspector General of Police (Western Range) Amith Singh.
2. Karnataka rains: IMD forecasts very heavy rain in six districts
Karnataka continued to receive widespread rainfall on June 13. The IMD Bengaluru said that the upper air cyclonic circulation over Southwest Telangana and the neighbourhood now lies over North Interior Karnataka and adjoining Telangana and Rayalaseema, extending up to 5.8 km above mean sea level titling southwestwards with height. Due to this, coastal Karnataka will continue to receive heavy rainfall till June 17.
According to IMD, heavy to very heavy rain, and extremely heavy rain has been forecast for Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu districts, for which an red alert has been issued for June 13 and 14.
3. Air India Ahmedabad crash: One of the victims studied medicine in Belagavi
Prateek Joshi, one of the victims of the Ahmedabad Air India flight crash, had studied medicine in Belagavi in Karnataka. He hails from Banawal in Rajasthan. He was shifting to London with his wife, who was a doctor. The couple and their three children perished in the crash.
Dr. Joshi was in the 2000-05 batch of KLE Society’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College. He had promised his classmates to visit Belagavi in September this year for the silver jubilee celebrations of his batch.
4. Crash of mango prices: Karnataka CM writes to Centre seeking urgent procurement of fruit from growers
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has appealed to the Centre to take urgent steps to help mango farmers of the State, as fruit prices have dropped sharply this season, causing financial loss to growers. Mango prices have plummeted from ₹12,000 per quintal to ₹3,000, Mr. Siddaramaiah wrote.
In a letter to Union Minister for Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Mr. Siddaramaiah, who was Delhi on June 13, requested the Centre to start a Price Deficiency Payment and Market Intervention scheme, and start immediate procurement though Central agencies, such as NAFED and NCCF, to support farmers and stop further distress in rural areas.
5. Two from UP arrested for duping 19-year-old Belagavi-based cricketer of ₹24 lakh promising IPL selection
Belagavi police arrested two persons from Uttar Pradesh on the charge of defrauding a young cricketer from Belagavi. Susanjan and Diwakar, both around 25, were arrested from their hometown in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. This followed a long and detailed investigation by the Belagavi police.
They face charges of collecting over ₹24 lakh from the family of Rakesh Yadure of Chinchani near Chikkodi. They had lied to the young sportsperson’s family that they would get him selected to the Rajasthan Royals IPL cricket team. The boy comes from a humble background. His father, a security guard, took loans to pay the conmen.
Published – June 13, 2025 06:26 pm IST
