Udupi: An auto-rickshaw driver was reportedly attacked with a sword in a murder attempt near Shedigudde late at night on May 1. The incident occurred around 11:15 PM, and police have arrested two accused in connection with the case.

The arrested have been identified as Sandesh (31), a resident of Bommarabettu in Hiriyadka, and Sushanth (32), a resident of Bapuji Darga.

The victim, identified as Aboobacker (50) from Atradi, was driving his auto-rickshaw towards Madaga on hire. While he was passing near the Atradi Gas Petrol Bunk, two men on a bike began following him. They allegedly threatened Aboobacker and tried to force him to stop the rickshaw. Refusing to stop, he continued driving.

One of the bike riders was seen holding a sword. Realizing the danger, Aboobacker attempted to flee after stopping his auto near the residence of a Rose Bus employee in Shedigudde. The attackers targeted his head with the sword, but he managed to escape unhurt.

In a further act of vandalism, the accused reportedly smashed the front glass of the auto with a bottle. Aboobacker managed to flee by jumping over a nearby compound wall. A case has been registered at the Hiriyadka Police Station.

Acting immediately, the police arrested both accused and booked them under attempt to murder.

Retaliation for Suhas Shetty murder: SP statement

Udupi District Superintendent of Police Dr. K. Arun stated that the arrested individuals confessed during interrogation that the attack was carried out in retaliation for the murder of Suhas Shetty, which occurred recently in the jurisdiction of Bajpe Police Station in Dakshina Kannada district.

The investigation is ongoing, and the arrested individuals will be presented before a court.

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New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".

Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".

In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."

"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."

"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.

The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.

According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.

The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.

New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.

Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.

The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.

In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".

"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.