Game zone blaze: Rajkot chief fire officer held

The Rajkot Municipal Corporation's chief fire officer and deputy CFO were arrested on Saturday in connection with the massive blaze at a game zone here on May 25, which resulted in the deaths of 27 persons, including children.

CFO Ilesh Kher and Deputy CFO Bhikha Theba as well as Mahesh Rathod, who was the supervisor of the fabrication work going on at the ill-fated TRP Game Zone, were arrested, the official said.

"Theba is already in jail in connection with a corruption case and his custody was taken through a transfer warrant. With this, we have so far arrested 15 persons in connection with the blaze," he said.

Kher was accused of not inquiring about whether the unit possessed a valid fire NOC certificate as well as proper fire fighting equipment after a similar blaze broke out during welding work at TRP game zone on September 4 last year, a statement from the police said.

Rathod was held for alleged negligence in his duty and not ensuring proper safety during the welding work, it added.

Among those arrested earlier include the civic body's Town Planning Officer MD Sagathia, who is presently under suspension.

He is also an accused in a disproportionate assets case being probed by the Anti Corruption Bureau.

These persons have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, causing grievous hurt by act that endangers life or personal safety of others, forgery, criminal conspiracy, among others.

Police probe so far has found the game zone was running without a no objection certificate (NOC) from the fire department of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation.   -- PTI

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced that the teachings of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna will be included in the curriculum of higher education and school education.

"The state government has taken up the 'Ram Van Gaman Path' and 'Krishna Path Gaman' projects. In Madhya Pradesh, the places Lord Ram had gone to will be identified and developed as religious places. This was also mentioned in our manifesto. I am happy that we are working on it. We will include Lord Ram and Lord Krishna in the curriculum of higher education and school education," CM Yadav told reporters.

Reacting to the Madhya Pradesh government's decision to teach about Lord Ram and Lord Krishna in their academic curriculum, state Congress President Jitendra Patwari said it is good to teach about Lord Ram and Lord Krishna in the book, but paper leaks, corruption and scams are sins, and the government should avoid them.

"The family has taught Lord Ram, Lord Krishna and love since childhood; every father says to become a good person; Lord Ram has taught it. They include it in the book; may God give wisdom; it is good, but the future of students gets affected due to paper leaks; its responsibility is with the government. What are the reasons behind recruitment scams in the BJP government? Who will take responsibility for them? It is good to teach about Lord Ram and Lord Krishna in the book, but paper leaks, corruption and scams are sins; the government should avoid them," Patwari told ANI.

Investigations into the bombing of the Air India Flight 182 remain 'active and ongoing', the Canadian police have said, terming it the 'longest' and one of the 'most complex domestic terrorism' probe, ahead of the deadly bombing's 39th-anniversary memorial.

The Montreal-New Delhi Air India 'Kanishka' Flight 182 exploded 45 minutes before it was to have landed at London's Heathrow Airport on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board, most of them Canadians of Indian descent.

The bombing was blamed on Sikh militants in retaliation to 'Operation Bluestar' to flush out militants from the Golden Temple in 1984.

In a statement on Friday, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Assistant Commissioner David Teboul called the bombing the 'greatest terror-related loss of life involving and affecting Canadians' in the country's history as he offered 'deepest sympathies, understanding and support to the families of the victims'.

"The Air India investigation is the longest and certainly one of the most complex domestic terrorism investigations that the RCMP has undertaken in our history," Teboul said.

"Our investigative efforts remain active and ongoing," he said.

Asserting that the impacts of the bombing 'have not diminished with time' he said that the trauma it caused has impacted generations.

"We must never forget those innocent lives lost to this tragedy and other acts of terrorism," he said.

Noting that this year marks the 39th anniversary memorial of the bombing, he said that the 40th memorial, a significant milestone, is approaching in 2025.

"At the memorials, previous and current employees from the investigation and our greater organisation, past and present, will ensure we remember those lost and those left to deal with the unthinkable," he said.

"Over the years, attending the memorials has been an opportunity to pay our respects to the victims and their families and show our appreciation for all those that did so much to respond to and investigate the tragedy," he said, encouraging people to do the same in private or at the memorials in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.

India's consulates in Vancouver and Toronto have planned a memorial service to mark the anniversary of the bombing.

A memorial is scheduled on June 23 at the Air India Memorial at Stanley Park's Ceperley Playground area in Vancouver.

Another memorial service is scheduled at South Lawn, Queen's Park, Toronto.  -- PTI

A communal clash erupted in a locality in Jodhpur in which two policemen were injured and two vehicles were damaged, police said on Saturday.

Jodhpur West DCP Rajesh Kumar Yadav said the clash began Friday night over the construction of a gate in the backside of an eidgah near Rajaram Circle in the Soorsagar area in Jodhpur.

The residents of the locality opposed the construction of the gate on the backside of the eidgah saying that it would increase the movement of people in that area.

According to police, the construction began on Friday evening. The subsequent confrontation turned violent later with stone-pelting, arson and vandalism.

Police Commissioner Rajendra Singh said that the situation is under control and police have been deployed in the entire area.

"We have imposed section 144 and have arrested 51 people so far," he said.

Last night, tension escalated and some people pelted stones, injuring two police officers, DCP Yadav said.

"A shop and a tractor were set on fire, and a jeep was vandalised," a senior police officer said.

"Police dispersed people to their homes by using batons and fired 4-5 rounds of tear gas shells," the officer added.

While charging at the crowd, police had to face a barrage of stones hurled at them, which for a moment blocked their advancement.

A brief peace was also worked out by the police with the help of senior members from both communities but sudden stone-pelting turned the situation tense again.

According to police, stones were pelted from houses in the areas including Vyapariyon ka Mohalla, Ambon ka Bagh and Subhash Chowk.

Efforts are on to identify the houses from where stones were thrown at the police when they tried to disperse the mob.

By late Friday night, the situation was brought under control but the area remained tense. Heavy police and Rajasthan Armed Constabulary forces continue to be deployed on Saturday morning to maintain law and order.

Police Commissioner Rajendra Singh said two FIRs were filed based on complaints from both sides.

Police said people from both sides have been taken into custody and teams are still raiding houses in the locality to apprehend suspects.

They said that the police have also filed a case in the matter under provisions of law, including perpetrating violence, causing interference in the government's work, damaging public property, disturbing communal harmony and rioting.  -- PTI

A small bridge collapsed in Siwan district on Saturday in the second incident of its kind in Bihar in less than a week, officials said.

The bridge was erected over a canal, connecting the villages of Daraunda and Maharajganj blocks, and it caved in at around 5 am, said District Magistrate Mukul Kumar Gupta.

"Nobody was injured in the incident. It was a very old structure and apparently, pillars caved in when water was released through the canal. We are trying to ensure that until it is restored, residents of affected villages face as little inconvenience as possible," the DM told PTI.

Daraunda BDO Surya Pratap Singh said, "Locals claim the bridge was built way back in 1991 with contributions from the then Maharajganj MLA Uma Shankar Singh".

Anil Kumar, the Sub Divisional Magistrate of Maharajganj, confirmed that the 'the 20 feet long brick structure' had been built through MLA's local area development fund and added, 'based on the investigation report further action will be taken'.

Earlier, on Tuesday, a newly constructed bridge, about 180 metres long, had collapsed in the Araria district, prompting the Rural Works Department to initiate departmental action against officials concerned.

Notably, Bihar has been witness to several mishaps involving bridges, large and small, constructed over rivers and other water bodies.

Though such incidents have not resulted in casualties, these have led to questions being raised on the quality of public works.  -- PTI

Newly elected Lok Sabha MP from north Kashmir Sheikh Abdul Rashid, arrested in a 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case, failed to secure interim bail on Saturday with a special court here adjourning the matter till July 1.

The court asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file a response to to his plea and also inform it about when he could take an oath as an MP. 

The newly elected Lok Sabha MPs are scheduled to take oath on June 24, 25 and 26.

During the hearing, Rashid's counsel sought custody parole for him to take oath and cited a recent order where Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh, an accused in the Delhi excise 'scam' money laundering case, was allowed identical relief to take oath as a Rajya Sabha MP recently.

Additional Sessions Judge Kiran Gupta, however, observed that the charges levelled against Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, were on a different footing from those faced by the AAP leader.

The NIA submitted it is in the process of consulting Parliament and Tihar jail authorities 'regarding the prayer sought by the applicant for his oath ceremony'.

"Let reply, if any, be filed by NIA on 01.07.2024 before the concerned Court. As directed vide order dated 18.06.2024, NIA is also directed to apprise the court about the date on which the applicant / accused may take Oath as Member of Parliament.

"Put up for consideration before the concerned court on 01.07.2024 at 11 am," the judge said the its order.

The judge allowed the NIA's prayer for time to file its reply.

Advocate Vikhyat Oberoi argued for releasing Rashid on bail, asserting, "He is the person who won the election with a vast majority. People love him and want him to fight in parliament democratically."

"It is my (Rashid's) constitutional duty to take oath. I am compelled to beg before them for taking an oath. This is really shameful. The court may direct the jail authorities to contact the Lok Sabha Secretariat, direct NIA to contact the Lok Sabha Secretariat, or direct the Lok Sabha Secretariat to specify the date on which Rashid may take oath," the counsel said.

Rashid has moved the court seeking interim bail, or custody parole in the alternative, to take oath and perform his parliamentary functions. Rashid has been in jail since 2019 after he was charged by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for his alleged involvement in a terror funding case.

He is currently lodged in Tihar jail. The former MLA's name cropped up during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who the NIA had arrested for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in the Kashmir valley.

The NIA had filed a charge sheet against several individuals, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin in the case.

Malik was awarded life imprisonment by a trial court in 2022 after he pleaded guilty to the charges.   -- PTI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday questioned a man in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar in connection with the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test paper leak case, officials said.

The suspect, who allegedly posted a portion of the paper on instant messaging service Telegram, was taken to Padrauna Kotwali in the district where he is being questioned by the team of CBI anti-corruption branch, they said.

It is understood that the suspect had undertaken coaching for the examination in Kota, Rajasthan, they said.

The CBI had registered a first information report (FIR) into the UGC-NET paper leak case on Thursday against unidentified people on a reference from the Union education ministry.

The UGC-NET-2024 exam for the selection of junior research fellows, assistant professors and PhD scholars was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on June 18 in two shifts across the country.

The next day, the University Grants Commission received inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (l4C) that the paper was available on the darknet and allegedly being sold for Rs 5-6 lakh on messaging platforms, sources said. 

According to the complaint from the education ministry, the inputs from I4C, which functions under the Union home ministry, 'prima-facie indicate that the integrity of the examination may have been compromised', officials said.  -- PTI

The death toll in the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy rose to 53 on Saturday and the administration said the condition of 140 people was currently safe.

About 140 people out of 193 who were admitted to various government medical facilities after they consumed the spurious liquor on Tuesday night were currently safe, Kallakurichi district collector M S Prasanth said.

"So far 53 people have passed away. Seven people have been arrested in connection with the spurious liquor tragedy," he told reporters after visiting the victims at the Kallakurich government hospital.   -- PTI

The Ministry of Education said Saturday it has constituted a high-level committee of experts led by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Radhakrishnan to ensure transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations through the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The seven-member committee will make recommendations on reforms in the mechanism of the examination process, improvement in data security protocols and the structure and functioning of the NTA, the Department of Higher Education in the ministry said.

It added that the committee will submit its report to the ministry within two months.

Central University of Hyderabad Vice-Chancellor Professor B J Rao and former director of AIIMS Delhi Randeep Guleria are on the panel.  -- PTI

A man and his cousin died by suicide allegedly after their families opposed their relationship, police in Shahjahanpur said on Saturday.

According to police, the incident occurred on Friday in the Astoli village. 

Kuldeep (20) was allegedly in a relationship with his 18-year-old cousin. When their families found out, they opposed their affair. Following this, Kuldeep got married a few months ago and the girl was supposed to get married on July 9, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Manoj Kumar Awasthi told PTI.

On Friday, when the girl's family member went to collect hay for their cattle in a hut built near their house, they found her and Kuldeep hanging and informed the police, Awasthi said.

The bodies were sent for post-mortem and further investigation is underway, he added.  -- PTI

A court in New Delhi on Saturday extended till July 6 the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar.

Kumar is accused of assaulting Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on May 13 at the chief minister's official residence.

Kumar was produced through video conferencing before Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal who extended his judicial custody till July 6. 

Kumar was arrested on May 18.

He was sent to police custody for five days the same day by a magisterial court, which observed that his anticipatory bail plea had become infructuous because of his arrest.

On May 24, he was sent to four days judicial custody, following which he was again remanded in police custody for three days.

An FIR was registered against Kumar on May 16 under various Indian Penal Code provisions, including those related to criminal intimidation, assault or criminal force on a woman with the intent to disrobe and attempt to commit culpable homicide.  -- PTI

Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday said the Chandrababu Naidu-led National Democratic Alliance state government has demolished the under construction central office of the opposition party at Tadepalli in Guntur district.

Reddy alleged that the demolition was carried out disregarding high court orders.

'Chandrababu took vendetta politics to the next level. Like a dictator, he got YSRCP's central office demolished with excavators and bulldozers, which was almost complete,' said Reddy in a post on 'X'.

According to a YSRCP statement, the demolition commenced around 5.30 am on Saturday.

'The demolition proceeded even though the YSRCP had approached the High Court the previous day (Friday), challenging the preliminary actions of the CRDA (Capital Region Development Authority),' said the statement.

YSRCP noted that the court had ordered a halt to any demolition activity, which was conveyed to the CRDA commissioner by a party lawyer, but the authority still went ahead and demolished the structure.

According to YSRCP, CRDA's action amounts to contempt of court.

The former chief minister alleged that law and justice completely vanished in the southern state under the NDA government, comprising the Telugu Desam Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Jana Sena Party, and added that the demolition indicates how Naidu's reign in the next five years would be.

The YSRCP chief said that the opposition party will not be intimidated by these vendetta politics.

He promised that the party will fight for the people.  -- PTI

Delhi Water Minister Atishi continued her indefinite fast, which enters the second day on Saturday, over the water crisis in the national capital.

   

In a video message from her 'Jal Satyagrah' venue at Bhogal in south Delhi, Atishi said she will not eat anything till Haryana releases more water for the people in the city, 28 lakh of whom she said were water shortage.

The minister sat on indefinite fast on Friday, alleging that Haryana was not releasing Delhi's rightful share of water in Yamuna.

She said 110 million gallons per day (MGD) less water was released by Haryana on Friday.

"One MGD water provides for 28,000 people. Shortage of 100 MGD water means 28 lakh people are not getting water in Delhi," she said.

The Water Minister said that Delhi depends on neighbouring states for water. It receives 1,005 MGD water from neighbouring states through rivers and canals, out of which Haryana provides 613 MGD, she said.

In the extreme summer heat faced by Delhi, Haryana has reduced its share to 513 MGD for a few weeks affecting over 28 lakh people, she added. 

Two policemen were injured in stone-pelting, a shop was set on fire and two vehicles were damaged as communal violence erupted in a Jodhpur locality, police said on Saturday.

   

Jodhpur West DCP Rajesh Kumar Yadav said the clash began Friday night over the construction of a gate in the backside of an eidgah near Rajaram Circle in the Soor Sagar area.

Locals in the area had opposed the gate so that there was no movement of people at the backside of the eidgah. 

Last night, tension escalated and some people pelted stones, injuring two policemen, DCP Yadav said.

"A shop and a tractor were set on fire, and a jeep was vandalised," a senior police officer said.

"Police dispersed people to their homes by using batons and fired 4-5 rounds of tear gas shells," the officer added.

By late Friday night, the situation was brought under control but the area remained tense. Heavy police and Rajasthan Armed Constabulary forces continue to be deployed on Saturday morning to maintain law and order.

Police Commissioner Rajendra Singh said two FIRs were filed based on complaints from both sides.

Police said people from both sides have been taken into custody. Police are still raiding houses in the locality to apprehend suspects.

According to police, the construction of the wall on the back side of the eidgah began on Friday evening, which was resisted by locals. The subsequent confrontation turned violent later with stone-pelting, arson and vandalism. -- PTI

Eight Indian crew members of the cargo ship 'Dali' that crashed into a famed Baltimore bridge in March left for India on Friday after nearly three months on the mammoth vessel.

According to Baltimore Maritime Exchange, four of the 21 crew members are still on board the 984-foot cargo ship MV Dali, which is tentatively scheduled to leave Friday evening for Norfolk, Virginia.

The rest of the crew has been moved to a service apartment in Baltimore and will remain there pending an investigation.

Notably, 20 of the crew members were Indian nationals. They were on board the MV Dali Cargo, which struck the pillars of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge resulting in its collapse and the death of six construction workers in the tragic incident.

Dali will undergo repair at Norfolk.

The departure of eight Indian crew members including a cook, a fitter and seamen follows a deal approved by the judge. None of these are officers. The rest 13 would remain in the US, mainly because of the pending investigations.

"They're anxious, under considerable stress considering they don't know the future. They don't know when they'll see their family again or how they'll be treated here," Rev. Joshua Messick, director of the Baltimore International Seafarers' Center and chaplain for the Port of Baltimore told CNN.

The Centre on Friday operationalised a stringent law that aims to curb malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations and entails provisions for a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore for offenders.

 

Nearly four months after President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, the Personnel Ministry on Friday night issued a notification, saying the provisions of the law will come into force from June 21.

The move assumes significance amid a raging row over UGC-NET, 2024, exam's question paper leak. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday registered a case to probe the question paper leak of the exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Opposition parties have also alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam NEET-UG, the results of which were announced by NTA on June 4.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 (1 of 2024), the Central Government hereby appoints the 21st day of June, 2024, as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force," reads the notification.

The notification of the Act comes just a day after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was asked when the legislation would be implemented. The minister had said the law ministry was framing the rules.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on February 9. The Lok Sabha passed it on February 6. President Murmu gave approval to the bill on February 12, turning it into a law.

The three juveniles, aged between 15 to 17 years, have been detained, they said. 

On June 1, the girl went to a shop in the neighbourhood when the three boys forcibly dragged her into a room and took turns to rape her, Gopiganj SHO Santosh Kumar Singh said. 

They also recorded a video of the act and threatened her, he said. 

The juveniles started harassing her to come to the shop again but when the girl did not agree after which the three juveniles posted the video on social media on Thursday, the SHO said. 

When the victim's family got to know about the incident, they moved to the police and filed a complaint against the three teenagers, he said. 

Singh said that the girl was sent for a medical examination on Friday while the three boys were sent to a juvenile home in the Mirzapur district. -- PTI

Contesting as an independent candidate, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, defeated former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of the National Conference in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Baramulla. 

Additional sessions judge Chander Jit Singh had on Tuesday fixed the matter for hearing on June 22 and directed the NIA to inform the court about the likely date for his oath-taking. 

The judge passed the directions after he was informed that the newly elected Lok Sabha MPs will take oath on June 24, 25 and 26. 

Rashid has moved the court seeking interim bail, or custody parole in the alternative, to take oath and perform his parliamentary functions. 

Engineer Rashid has been in jail since 2019 after he was charged by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the alleged terror funding case. He is at present lodged in Tihar jail. -- PTI