Rahul's 'emotional' link with Wayanad
Wayanad (Kerala), Apr 4: Congress President Rahul Gandhi has an emotional link with Kerala's Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency from where he is contesting polls besides his family bastion Amethi, party leaders said here Thursday.
An urn containing the ashes of his father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was brought here in 1991 and they were immersed in Papanasini, a stream connected to a famous temple dedicated to Lord Mahavishnu in picturesque Thirunelli village, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala recalled.
"The then chief minister K Karunakaran, myself, Mullappally Ramachandran and K C Venugopal had attended the ritual of immersing the ashes of Rajiv-ji in Papanasini," Chennithala told PTI here.
Rajiv Gandhi was killed in a suicide bomb blast at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991 during an election campaign.
The Congress leaders indicated that Rahul Gandhi is likely to offer prayers at the holy place when he visits the constituency for campaigning next time.
Papanasini means destroyer of sins. According to Thirunelli temple officials, if the ashes of the dead are immersed in Papanasini, it is equivalent to doing the rituals in Gaya.
Surrounded by the Kambamala, Karimala and the Varadiga peaks, the Thirunelli temple near Mananthavady embodies traditional Kerala architecture, the Kerala Tourism department said in its website.
The shrine, situated among scenic mountains and forests, is shielded with 30 granite columns and the ground is paved with huge square pieces of granite.
Gandhi on Thursday filed his nomination from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
Rahul, accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi and senior Congress leaders including K C Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik, submitted the papers before district collector A R Ajayakumar at the district headquarters here.
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Mangaluru man duped of Rs 10.55 lakh in Instagram ‘digital gold’ investment scam
Mangaluru: A 57-year-old man has allegedly been cheated of Rs 10.55 lakh by online fraudsters who lured him into investing in a so-called digital gold trading platform through Instagram, Deccan Herald reported on Tuesday.
According to the complaint, the victim was browsing Instagram at his residence on November 12, 2025, when he received a message from an account named “Suhani Patel.” The accused initiated a friendly conversation and later persuaded him to invest in the “digital gold market,” promising high returns.
The accused subsequently shared a mobile number and sent a link via WhatsApp, asking the complainant to install an application called “Kanak Daam Exchange.” Following the instructions, the victim downloaded the app and registered.
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The accused told the complainant that all transactions would be handled through the app’s customer service. Following their instructions, the complainant contacted the customer service through the app and sent a message requesting US dollars in exchange for Indian rupees. He was then directed to transfer money to specific bank accounts provided by the accused.
Trusting the claims, the complainant transferred Rs 1,50,000, Rs 3,45,000 and Rs 5,60,000 in multiple transactions, amounting to a total of Rs 10,55,000.
Subsequently, the app displayed that his total investment had grown to Rs 60 lakh. However, when he attempted to withdraw the amount due to personal financial needs, the request was denied. On contacting customer service, he was informed that he would have to pay 30 per cent of the total amount as “tax” before any withdrawal could be processed.
Growing suspicious, the complainant reportedly consulted officials at Canara Bank, who advised him that it was a fraud and warned him not to transfer any more money. When he confronted the accused, the amount displayed in the app was allegedly reduced to zero, and he was blocked from further communication.
Despite further attempts to contact “Suhani Patel,” the accused allegedly continued to assure him that the lost money would be returned, before eventually blocking him.
The complainant stated that he was cheated between November 12, 2025 and February 27, 2026, and has urged police to take action against the fraudsters.
A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.
