Community leaders come together to celebrate 28 years of Thumbay Group’s legacy in UAE
Sharjah: Members of the Karnataka community in the UAE gathered at Thumbay Villa in Sharjah on 6 December 2025 to mark the 28th anniversary of the Thumbay Group. The event brought together business leaders, community representatives and dignitaries to reflect on the Group’s growth and its contributions to education, healthcare and research in the region.
The programme opened with a visual presentation outlining the Group’s development under the leadership of Dr. Thumbay Moideen. In his welcome address, Dr. Moideen spoke about the organisation’s expansion over the past two decades and expressed gratitude to the UAE leadership and the Karnataka diaspora for their support.
Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U. T. Khader addressed the gathering, commending the entrepreneurial achievements of the Indian community in the Gulf. India’s Consul General to the UAE, Satish Kumar Sivan, highlighted the Thumbay Group’s role in strengthening ties between India and the UAE, noting its contributions to medical education and healthcare delivery.
Community leaders including Dr. Kaup Muhammad, Praveen Shetty, Mohammad Ali Uchil, Shashidhar Nagarajappa and Hidayath Addoor shared their observations on the Group’s journey and on the importance of collective progress within the diaspora.
A key part of the event was the presentation of Lifetime Achievement Awards to two industry and community leaders: Mohammed Meeran, Chairman of EMCO International and Electric Way, Dubai, and Dr. B. K. Yusuf, President of the Bearys Cultural Forum. Both were recognised for their long-standing contributions to business and community service in the UAE.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks, group photographs and a networking dinner. According to organisers, the gathering reflected the continuing engagement of the Karnataka community in the Gulf and acknowledged the Thumbay Group’s 28-year presence in the UAE.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
