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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Mysuru (PTI): The Mysuru police on Monday said they have rescued a businessman, who was allegedly kidnapped by a gang for a ransom, and arrested five men in this connection.

Lokesh, a resident of Vijayanagar, who was involved in finance and real estate, was abducted on December 6, they said.

According to police, the prime accused, Santosh, had known Lokesh for the past three months and believed he possessed significant wealth. Acting on this assumption, he allegedly planned the abduction.

Citing preliminary investigation, a senior police officer said that Santosh was aware that Lokesh visited a club every day and allegedly took disadvantage of it.

Chilli powder was thrown into Lokesh’s eyes before he was forcibly taken away in a hired Tata Sumo. The kidnappers called one of Lokesh's friends and demanded nearly Rs 20 lakh as ransom.

Lokesh's wife grew suspicious when his phone was switched off and did not return home by 8.30 pm, said the police.

Based on her complaint, a kidnapping case was registered at Vijayanagar police station, police said.

Mysuru City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar said initial inquiry pointed to the involvement of someone known to the victim.

“We went to the scene of crime and found chilli powder and a bullet bike. So, we arrived at the conclusion that the victim was forcefully taken away,” she told reporters here.

She added that after sometime, the victim's wife received a voice note from Lokesh assuring her that he would be back home by 11.30 pm and that she need not worry. Later, Lokesh's friend received a ransom call from the kidnappers demanding Rs 15-20 lakhs.

“Whoever he (accused) had called, we tracked through that number and traced the location to Hampapura. Based on CCTV footage and technical evidence, we came to know that the accused had hired a Tata Sumo and taken him,” Latkar said.

Police formed five teams and, convincing the kidnappers that the money would be paid, they laid a trap and nabbed the suspects from K R Nagar and rescued Lokesh.

“The main accused is Santosh. The accused thought that the victim had a lot of money, so he tried to kidnap him. Within a few hours of kidnapping, we rescued the victim and arrested all the accused from K R Nagar,” the Commissioner added.

The arrested men, police said, are engaged in masonry and painting work. No physical harm was caused to the victim apart from the chilli powder attack during the kidnapping.