Former Sri Lanka cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan to invest Rs 1,400 cr in beverages unit in K'taka
Bengaluru, Jun 18: Sri Lanka cricket legend Muttiah Muralitharan will invest a total of Rs 1,400 crore in phases to establish a beverages (soft drinks) and confectionery unit in Badanaguppe in Chamarajanagara district, according to Karnataka Large and Medium Industries Minister MB Patil on Tuesday.
The announcement came after Patil held discussions with Muralitharan, who met him to discuss the project.
In a statement by the Minister's office, Patil said the former Sri Lanka cricketer Muralitharan plans to manufacture beverages and confectioneries under the brand "Muttiah Beverages and Confectioneries." The project, initially planned with an investment of Rs 230 crore, has now been revised to a total of Rs 1,000 crore. It will be further increased to Rs 1,400 crore in a few years, he said.
The minister also noted that 46 acres of land have already been allocated for the project and manufacturing operations are expected to begin in January 2025.
He also said officials have been directed to resolve minor issues related to the allocated land.
Patil further revealed that Muralitharan has plans to establish another unit in Dharwad in the near future.
Legendary Cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan Expands Business to Our State!
— M B Patil (@MBPatil) June 18, 2024
Sri Lanka's cricket icon Muttiah Muralitharan, now an entrepreneur post-retirement has established a soft drink manufacturing plant in his homeland and has now selected our state for expansion.
A Rs. 1,000… pic.twitter.com/94hExZHTgD
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
