India

Chandigarh, Jan 6 (IANS) A five-decade-old commercial building near the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Chandigarh's Sector 17, which had been declared unsafe earlier, collapsed on Monday morning.

However, there was no causality in the building collapse located in the heart of the city.

Eyewitnesses said the building collapsed at around 7 a.m. The adjoining building, which was once running the famed Mehfil restaurant, has also developed cracks and is partially damaged by the caving-in of the building.

Police and fire brigade teams have arrived at the spot.

The local administration had earlier declared the building unsafe and sealed it.

It is learnt that some construction was going on in the building before it was declared unsafe owing to cracks in its pillars and walls. The police had barricaded the area as a preventive step to prevent any mishap.

Police said the building was rented out and the tenants were carrying out a major renovation work.

Chandigarh’s Sector 17 shopping plaza is the walkers’ paradise designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier. At present, it has virtually been lost after shedding its old-world charm.

The shopping marketplace, the pedestrian’s paradise that Corbusier designed on the European pattern has been witnessing business nosediving since the early 2010s.

Shopkeepers say they lost customers to the air-conditioned Elante Mall and North Country Mall where people love to hang around for hours with a flurry of shopping activities, besides restaurants and bars with a host of entertainment options.

A large number of multinational brand outlets have shifted base to the vibrant shopping hubs, another reason for a limited clientele in Sector 17’s marketplace.

The closure of Lyon’s Restaurant with its prime location in Sector 17 is a great miss among the old-timers. They say they have fond memories of yesteryears. While others have been using the eatery as a landmark location for route direction. Upscale bars and microbreweries elsewhere have left high and dry the Gymkhana Pub in Sector 17, one of the most affordable bars in the city.

The prominent outlets that downed shutters with the winds of change include Kwality restaurant, Blue Ice, Indian Coffee House, Shangrila, Oven Fresh, Anchor Pub, Bhatura King, Deepak Radios and law bookseller Jain General House and Jain Jewellers.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Jan 6 (IANS) Suresh Chandrakar, the prime accused in the murder of Chhattisgarh journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, has been arrested in Hyderabad.

Suresh Chandrakar, a contractor, has been absconding since the body of the missing journalist was found on January 3 in a septic tank on a property owned by Suresh Chandrakar at Chattanpara Basti in Bijapur town.

Suresh, believed to be the alleged mastermind behind the murder of the 33-year-old journalist, was allegedly hiding at his driver's residence in Hyderabad.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case arrested him in a late-night operation on Sunday, and he was later taken to Raipur.

Suresh Chandrakar's wife was also taken into custody in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district and was interrogated.

Three people, including two of Chandrakar's relatives, were also arrested in the case. His cousin, Ritesh Chandrakar, was arrested at Raipur airport on Saturday, while Mahendra Ramteke, a supervisor, and Dinesh Chandrakar, another relative of the victim, were taken into custody from Bijapur.

Mukesh Chandrakar, an independent journalist who had highlighted alleged irregularities in road construction, went missing on January 1.

He was last seen leaving his home in Bijapur's Pujari Para on New Year's Day. When Mukesh did not return, his brother, Yukesh, filed a missing complaint the next day.

Mukesh Chandrakar also ran a YouTube channel, 'Bastar Junction', which has 1.59 lakh subscribers.

A preliminary police probe revealed that Ritesh Chandrakar is a kin of Mukesh Chandrakar, and the two used to interact often. On January 1, the two spoke on the phone, and then both went to the compound of Suresh Chandrakar for dinner. An argument broke out after Ritesh accused the deceased of hindering their construction work. According to police, Ritesh and Ramteke killed Mukesh with an iron rod, placed the body in the septic tank and shut it.

--IANS

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Pithampur, Jan 6 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh government on Monday will submit the status report on the hazardous chemical waste of Bhopal's Union Carbide factory to seek its direction in the matter.

Along with the status report, the state government will also inform the court about the controversy that erupted after 337 metric tonnes of chemical waste was transported to the Pithampur industrial area, over 250 km away from Bhopal.

Notably, complying with the court's December 3 direction, the chemical waste lying at the defunct Union Carbide factory was collected in a three-day operation and loaded in 12 container trucks. The trucks were transported to Pithampur, around 40 km from Indore on January 2.

However, the citizens of Pithampur opposed the shift, fearing that the toxic gas of chemical waste may have an impact on human life. There have been massive protests in the surroundings of the Pithampur industrial site, forcing the state administration to put the incineration process of the waste on hold.

The lack of proper communication between the state administration and the people led to confusion among the citizens of the Pithampur industrial area. However, escalating protests and the law and order situation forced the state administration to hold meetings with people.

After a series of meetings from Bhopal to Pithampur, the state administration decided to put the incineration process on hold and inform the High Court about the public agitation after the waste was shifted to Pithampur.

After chairing a high-level meeting on January 4, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the government will present a detailed report of Pithampur's incident before the High Court and will decide on the further course of action on chemical waste stored container trucks.

Chief Minister had also said that the government respects the sentiments of the people of the Pithampur industrial area, therefore, it would inform the same (about the protest) to the court on January 6 and will seek future direction on the matter.

Notably, in its previous order on December 3, 2024, the HC had given three weeks for the state administration to shift the 1984 Bhopal Gas Leak waste and had sought a report on it.

The administration claimed the situation in Pithampur was peaceful on Sunday after leaders of the ruling BJP and the state administration held a series of meetings with people at different locations in the past two days in the Pithampur area. After several rounds of parlays with government officials and public representatives, the citizens of Pithampur have decided to wait for Monday's hearing in the Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Jan 6 (IANS) The prime accused in the murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar has been arrested in Hyderabad, according to the police officials.

Suresh Chandrakar, a contractor and the alleged mastermind behind the killing had been on the run since the crime came to light.

Police revealed that Suresh was hiding at his driver's residence in Hyderabad.

Investigators reviewed footage from over 200 CCTV cameras and analysed nearly 300 mobile numbers to locate him. Following this, he was arrested on Sunday night.

The police confirmed that the interrogation of the accused is currently underway.

Mukesh Chandrakar's body was discovered last week in a septic tank located in a shed owned by a contractor in Chhattisgarh's Bastar division.

The 32-year-old independent journalist was last seen leaving his home in Bijapur's Pujari Para on New Year's Day.

His brother, Yukesh, had filed a missing person complaint the following day after Mukesh failed to return home.

During their investigation, police found Chandrakar's body in Chhatan Para Basti, not far from his residence. Three other individuals, including two of the victim's relatives, have been arrested in connection with the case.

Ritesh Chandrakar, a cousin of the journalist, was detained at Raipur airport on Saturday. Mahendra Ramteke, a supervisor, and Dinesh Chandrakar, another relative, were apprehended in Bijapur.

Earlier on Sunday, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai condemned the murder, calling it "a very condemnable crime" and assuring strict action against those responsible.

"The state government is taking all possible measures to investigate this heinous act. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed, and we will leave no stone unturned in this case," he had said.

The Chief Minister also addressed allegations linking the prime accused, Suresh Chandrakar, to the state Congress President, Deepak Baij.

"The contractor involved is a Congress worker. We've observed a pattern where Congress members are implicated in incidents like this. In cases such as those in Baloda Bazar and Surajpur, Congress links have emerged," he stated.

This high-profile case has drawn widespread attention, raising concerns about the safety of journalists and the political affiliations of the accused. The SIT continues its investigation to ensure justice for Mukesh Chandrakar.

--IANS

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Chennai, Jan 6 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly will commence its session on Monday. The duration of the session, however, will be decided by the Business Advisory Committee, which is likely to meet later in the day.

Governor R.N. Ravi, whose customary address to the Assembly over the past two years has witnessed unprecedented scenes, will be addressing the session.

The Governor was invited by Assembly Speaker M. Appavu, who called on him on Friday. This session will also mark the first meeting between the Governor and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin since their spat over the rendition of the Tamizh Thai Vaazhthu two months ago.

The recent sexual assault case of a second-year engineering student on the Anna University campus is likely to be taken up by the opposition --AIADMK and BJP -- during the session.

Additionally, the DMK ally CPI(M)’s outbursts against the state police for denying permission to stage protests are also expected to be a topic of discussion.

Another ally of the DMK, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), has been in the news following a statement by its former Deputy General Secretary, Aadhav Arjun, suggesting that the DMK should accommodate alliance partners in the cabinet.

This has led to a major controversy within the party. VCK founder and Member of Parliament Thol Thirumavalavan denied Aadhav Arjun’s statement and suspended him from the party for six months.

Subsequently, Aadhav Arjun resigned from the party. The opposition AIADMK and BJP have already raised this issue and are expected to bring it up during the session.

The falling law and order situation in the state and alleged encounter killings by the Greater Chennai Police will also be raised.

It may be recalled that after the broad daylight murder of Tamil Nadu BSP president K. Armstrong on July 5, the police reportedly killed three history sheeters in alleged encounters.

The opposition has accused the state police of failing to maintain law and order and announced that they will address this in the Assembly.

The frequent accidents in Tamil Nadu’s firecracker industry, particularly in Virudhunagar, are expected to be discussed. A blast at a firecracker factory in Sattur, Virudhunagar, recently claimed six lives and injured around 30 people.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inspected several firecracker factories during his outreach programme in Virudhunagar district and directed management to take extra precautions. It is worth noting that the annual turnover of the state’s firecracker industry is Rs 6,000 crore.

--IANS

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Tirupati, Jan 6 (IANS) Two devotees were killed and three others were injured when a 108 ambulance ran amok in Tirupati district on Monday.

The vehicle ran over a group of devotees heading to Tirumala temple on feet. The accident occurred near Narasingapuram in Chandragiri mandal.

Two women died on the spot while three other devotees were injured. The deceased were identified as Pedda Reddamma (40) and Lakshmamma (45), residents of Champalapalli in Ramasamudram mandal of Annamayya district.

The devotees were walking to Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala from Punganur while the ambulance carried a patient from Madanapalle to Tirupati. The injured were shifted to Ruia Hospital in Tirupati.

The cause of the accident was not known. Police suspect that dense fog in the area may have led to the mishap.

Chandragiri police registered a case and took up an investigation.

Several devotees reach the famous hill shrine of Tirumala by walking from different points. Thousands of devotees from various parts of Andhra Pradesh and other states visit the temple every day.

Meanwhile, two women died in a fire in a house in Bapatladistrict late on Sunday night. The incident occurred at Turpu Bazar in Parchur past midnight. Two sisters died in the fire while their mother was injured.

The deceased were identified as Nagamani (34) and Madhavi Latha (30). The injured was admitted to a local hospital.

Police suspect that the fire broke out due to a short circuit.

In another fire accident, a physically challenged person was charred to death. The accident occurred at Kotha colony in Nallajerla mandal of East Godavari district. According to police a thatched house caught fire on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. Namala Daneyulu (28), a physically challenged, was trapped in the fire and died. Police registered a case and took up an investigation.

--IANS

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Patna, Jan 6 (IANS) Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor was arrested by the Patna Police on Monday for staging a sit-in in an unauthorised location in Gandhi Maidan, according to an official.

After the arrest, a medical examination was conducted, and Kishor will be presented in court, Patna SSP Awakash Kumar told IANS.

"Prashant Kishore of Jan Suraaj Party and some other people were illegally protesting in front of Gandhi statue in the restricted area of ​​Gandhi Maidan for their five-point demands," SSP Kumar said.

He also informed that the administration had earlier issued a notice to Kishor and other protestors to move from the unauthorised area of Gandhi Maidan to the designated place of protest, Gardnibagh.

"An FIR was lodged in Gandhi Maidan police station for illegally protesting in the restricted area. Despite repeated requests and giving sufficient time, the place was not vacated," the Patna SSP told IANS.

"Today, on January 6, he has been arrested along with some supporters in the morning. They are completely healthy. Action is being taken to present them before the court as per the prescribed procedure," SSP Kumar added.

Kishor has been actively supporting the agitating Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) candidates and has joined their protest, further bringing attention to their demands for a re-conduct of the entire 70th preliminary examination.

However, his choice of venue for the sit-in has raised concerns about adherence to legal protocols.

Meanwhile, Kishor defended his choice of Gandhi Maidan as a protest site, arguing that it is a public space and does not require prior permission for peaceful demonstrations.

He referred to the large-scale farmer protests in Delhi, questioning whether those protests were deemed illegal and whether Delhi authorities were uninformed about the rules.

Following this, Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh clarified that Kishor's sit-in protest under the Bapu statue at Gandhi Maidan violates established regulations.

"As per a 2015 Patna High Court ruling, Gardanibagh is the designated location for protests, provided prior permission is obtained from the district administration. Gandhi Maidan, a public space primarily used for recreational activities like morning and evening walks, is not authorised for protests or sit-ins. Even political rallies at Gandhi Maidan require administrative approval," Singh had mentioned.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 6 (IANS) Delhi will experience a mix of weather patterns over the coming week. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert, forecasting light rain in the national capital during the early hours of Monday.

According to the IMD, from January 6 to 10, residents can expect temperatures ranging between 7 degrees Celcius and 18 degrees Celcius. Moderate to dense fog is predicted from January 7 to 9, while thundershowers may also occur around January 11. Cloudy skies are expected throughout the period.

The IMD has issued a yellow alert for dense fog, urging commuters to exercise caution, especially during the early mornings and evenings. These weather conditions are likely to provide a brief respite from the persistent air pollution in the region.

Recent data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) showed that Delhi's air quality index (AQI) improved slightly, moving from the 'severe' to the 'very poor' category. The overall AQI stands at 317 on Monday, significantly better than the previous days when it exceeded 400 in several areas.

Major pollution hotspots such as Alipur, Anand Vihar, Jahangirpuri, and Narela still recorded AQI levels above 350. Meanwhile, in NCR cities, AQI readings are relatively better: Noida at 188, Gurugram at 164, Greater Noida at 151, and Ghaziabad at 225.

In light of these improvements, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has revoked Stage III restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) as of Sunday. This decision was based on AQI trends observed over the weekend, which showed declining pollution levels due to stronger winds and favourable weather conditions. Despite this, the CAQM cautioned that the air quality might remain in the 'poor' category for the next few days.

Light showers and stronger winds are expected to improve air quality further. However, residents are advised to remain vigilant, especially those with respiratory conditions, as the AQI continues to hover in unhealthy ranges.

--IANS

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Gurugram, Jan 6 (IANS) A 22-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly stabbing his colleague to death over a minor dispute here in the Sector 52 area, the police said.

The arrested individual has been identified as Arjun Shavtal, a resident of Cachar district in Assam.

The victim was identified as Dilip (26), a resident of Bihar who worked at Hello Stay Guest House in Sector 52.

According to the police, they received information regarding the murder of a man on Saturday.

Upon receiving information, the police team reached the spot, where it was found that the person who was stabbed had been taken to the hospital. The police team got the spot inspected by the scene-of-crime, fingerprint and dog-squad teams.

The police team also received information from the hospital that a person named Dilip had been brought to the hospital in a lifeless condition.

In this regard, the brother of the deceased told the police that his brother used to work as a housekeeper at the Hello Stay Guest House, adding that another person working as a housekeeper in this guest house stabbed his brother to death.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered under the relevant sections.

During the investigation, police nabbed the accused, Arjun, from the Sector 53 area on Sunday.

During questioning, the accused told the police that both he and Dilip used to work in the same guest house.

Dilip allegedly did not do much work of his share due to which Arjun used to threaten him, and also abuse him.

"On Saturday at around 4 p.m., a verbal spat took place between the two, and in a fit of rage, Arjun took a knife from the kitchen and stabbed Dilip to death. The knife used in committing the murder was also recovered from the spot by the police team," Sandeep Kumar, spokesperson of the Gurugram police said.

--IANS

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Jammu, Jan 6 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo convened a meeting of all Administrative Secretaries and Deputy Commissioners to assess the quality of disposal of grievances by different departments and offices of Deputy Commissioners on ‘JK Samadhan’ grievance portal, an official statement said on Sunday.

During the meeting, the Chief Secretary had a live demonstration of the ‘JK Samadhan’ grievance portal to view certain grievances registered by the citizens. He took this occasion to assess the timeline by which the grievances had been resolved besides the quality of responses given by the concerned departments.

"He enjoined upon the administrative heads to appoint nodal officers not below the rank of Deputy Secretaries to monitor the quality of disposal of grievances against their departments," the statement said.

"He called for seeking clarifications from the citizens instead of prematurely closing the grievances, in case the material of grievances is not satisfactory for taking further action," it added.

The Chief Secretary also impressed upon the district administration to increase the traction of ‘JK Samadhan’ portal among the residents so that grievance registration is eased for them.

He further asked them to increase the registration of citizens besides uploading all the grievances on the portal, including grievances received in physical mode.

"The Chief Secretary also impressed upon the Department of Public Grievances to give super access to the Administrative heads and DCs to analytical dashboard pertaining to their respective departments and districts. He enjoined upon them to be ready with the AI-based updated version of the portal by February this year," the statement added.

On the occasion, Secretary, Public Grievances, Aijaz Asad gave the demonstration of the public grievances portal to the Chief Secretary.

He revealed that a more comprehensive AI-based version ‘JK Samadhan 2.0’ is currently under development through BISAG-N which is going to be ready by February this year.

Regarding the action taken report on directions given earlier by the Chief Secretary, he made out that an analytical dashboard was created and its demonstration of was also made in the meeting. He also gave out that DCs had also been given access to view all grievances registered in their districts for their monitoring and quick disposal.

"It was added that the capacity building programmes were held for Master trainers and nodal officers as per the previous directives," the statement said.

"Moreover the offline training sessions in districts to enhance the capacity of officers and officials is going on through the resource persons of this Department," it said.

--IANS

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