Kambala to debut at Mysuru Dasara; Belagavi SIR plea rejected; Mangaluru railway shift nears

Kambala, the traditional coastal sport of buffalo racing through slushy fields, will make an appearance at this year's Mysuru Dasara on October 18 and 19. Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai announced the schedule on September 25 after discussions with representatives of buffalo owners. The races will take place at a newly built 147-metre 'Kare' near the VTU College campus in Mysuru, which will be named 'Vijaya Dashami'. Around 160 pairs of junior and senior buffaloes, chosen by the Mysuru Dasara Kambala organising committee, are expected to participate, with events running until the afternoon of October 19.

In Belagavi, Election Commission of India officials overseeing the Special Intensive Revision have turned down a request from BJP MLA Abhay Patil to scrutinise and remove about 2,598 votes in the Belagavi North constituency. M. Karthik, Belagavi city corporation commissioner and Electoral Registration Officer, replied to the MLA stating that no legal provision exists for bulk scrutiny or deletion under the SIR process. He noted, however, that Booth Level Agents may raise objections to doubtful electors through the relevant Booth Level Officers.

Meanwhile, preparations are in full swing to transfer the Mangaluru Railway Region from the Palakkad division of Southern Railway to the Mysuru division of South Western Railway, effective from the midnight between September 30 and October 1. Both divisions are holding regular coordination meetings. Divisional Railway Manager Mudit Mittal said a team of senior Mysuru division officers will arrive in Mangaluru on September 30 to formally assume administration, with the primary goal of ensuring uninterrupted services during the transition. The team will remain in Mangaluru for a few days to oversee the handover.

In Bengaluru, police have arrested a 32-year-old man in connection with the murder of his wife, whose highly decomposed body was discovered at a vacant site in Agrahara Layout, M.S. Nagar, on September 2. The accused, Sagar Chandra Rawat, allegedly strangled his wife Anusuya Behara, 28, during an argument over a financial matter at their rented home near Sampigehalli on August 11. A clothing tag helped investigators identify the body.