Regional

Noida, Sep 7 (IANS) After the demolition of the twin towers, the Uttar Pradesh Vigilance Department has swung into action in its probe and has sought records from the Noida authority.

A vigilance team from Lucknow reached the authority's office and it is understood that officials there sought two days to furnish the building plans. The team has sought four maps of the layout of the twin towers and the Emerald Court.

Vigilance had filed a case nearly 11 months back based on a complaint by the authority, and an FIR was lodged on October 4 last year based on the SIT report. The FIR had named 24 officials, including then Noida CEO Mohinder Singh, and four company officials.

However, no action was taken after the FIR was lodged and no has been questioned.

--IANS
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Panaji, Sep 7 (IANS) Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said that the police is working effectively to destroy the "demand of drugs" and henceforth raids will be conducted on night parties to book those who are caught consuming narcotics.

"Anti-Narcotic Cell has arrested three main drug peddlers. We are taking strict action against drug (trade) in the state. We are filing cases against suppliers and also those who are consuming it in parties. We are trying to destroy the demand (of drugs). Main suppliers were arrested in the last two days," he said.

"For tourist season, we want to send a message that Goa is not for drugs. Goa is for good tourists. Be it nightclubs or party destinations, wherever we find anyone consuming drugs, they will be booked. We will not tolerate drugs in Goa. ANC is working effectively in coordination with all departments to eradicate drugs," Sawant said.

He said that Goa's crime detection is highest in the country. "But we are taking measures so that crime should not happen in the state," he said.

Goa BJP government has come under fire since the death of Tik Tok star Sonali Phogat to whom methamphetamine drugs were allegedly given.

Phogat had come to Goa on August 22 and was staying at a hotel in Anjuna. She felt uneasy that night and the next morning, she was taken to a private hospital where she was declared brought dead.

Since her death, Goa Police has raided many places at Anjuna and has arrested drug peddlers and also those who are found consuming drugs.

--IANS
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Ranchi, Sep 7 (IANS) A large haul of explosives was recovered by the security forces on Tuesday from a bunker at Jharkhand's Budha Pahar, a safe haven of Maoists for the last two decades.

With the mountain on the Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh border, security forces from both states took up Operation Octopus to crack down on the Maoists.

During the operation going on for the last 15 days, the Maoists tried to stop the security forces by conducting more than 30 serial blasts in the Thaliya and Tisia forests adjacent to the mountain, but the security forces proceeded with full caution. During this, there was a big success on Tuesday as security forces seized a large quantity of explosives from the bunker.

Latehar SP Anjani Anjan said that a Chinese cylinder grenade, 35 Chinese grenades, three Chinese cone grenades, two cylinder bombs of 10 kg, 11 landmines of 3 kg, seven landmines of two kg, six landmines of one kg, five Tiffin bombs, one pressure cooker bomb, 25 arrow bombs, 2 kg ammonium nitrate, two kg urea, semi-finished barrel grenade launcher, drill machine, 350 rounds of SLR, 16 can landmines, three pressure landmines, and 500 meters of codex wire were found at the bunker.

The bunker was demolished after the recovery of the explosives.

According to security forces and police, there are 30 to 35 Maoists on Budha Pahar. Among them Saurabh alias Markus Baba and Naveen are the most notorious. Saurabh, who has a reward of Rs 25 lakh on him, is a special area committee member of the Maoists. Apart from this, Maoists like Naveen Yadav, Mrityunjay Bhuia, Santu Bhuiya and Ravindra Ganjhu are still in the Budha Pahar area.

Jharkhand DGP Neeraj Sinha is closely monitoring Operation Octopus. Apart from this, three IPS officers are making a strategy for the daily operation, in which personnel of Jharkhand Police, the CRPF, Jaguar Assault Group, the IRB and the CoBRA Battalion are also involved.

Significantly, the Budha Pahar is spread over an area of 55 square kilometres, spanning Latehar and Garhwa of Jharkhand and Balrampur of Chhattisgarh. In 2018 also, the security forces had conducted a big operation here. During this, many bunkers were demolished, and several Maoists were nabbed.

Due to the blockade put by the security forces in 2018, Maoist Arvind, who had Rs 1 crore reward on his head, died at Budha Pahar because he could not get any help from outside during his illness. However, during this operation, the security forces also suffered losses and six soldiers were martyred. After the death of Arvind, Sudhakaran and his wife were made in charge of Budha Pahar. Sudhakaran had surrendered before the police along with the entire team in Telangana two years ago.

Sudhakaran's surrender was followed by a dozen other commanders who gradually surrendered.

However, more than 30 Maoists are still present there, operation by security forces is on to catch them. Drive against Maoists is also being conducted in other areas of Jharkhand. During this, two Maoists were killed in Kuchai police station area in the border area of Seraikela-Kharsawan and West Singhbhum last week.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) In a setback to the ruling BJP, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday asked the special court for MP/MLAs to reconsider the corruption case against former CM B.S. Yediyurappa, recently nominated to the highest decision-making bodies of the BJP, the Central Parliamentary Board and Central Election Committee.

The bench, headed by Justice S. Sunil Dutt Yadav, gave the order in connection with a petition filed by social activist T.J. Abraham demanding a probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) against Yediyurappa and his family members.

The petition alleged that misusing power during his tenure as Chief Minister, Yediyurappa and his family members had received bribes to the tune of hundreds of crores from Ramalingam Construction Company for giving it contracts for housing projects of the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA).

The special court has dismissed the private complaint against Yediyurappa and others for not taking prior consent of the Governor. The High Court has set aside this order and directed the lower court to reconsider the decision.

The petition has made Yediyurappa's son and BJP Vice President B.Y. Vijayendra, son-in-law Virupakshappa Yamakanamaradi, Yediyurappa's daughter's son-in-law, Chandrakanth Ramalingam, Co-operation Minister S.T. Somashekar, IAS officer Dr G.C. Prakash and others as parties in the corruption case.

The bench further stated that the special court will take a call on the registration of the FIR and probe. The case was registered with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC on November 11, 2020.

The decision of the court may prove a setback for Yediyurappa is gearing up to lead the BJP in Karnakata in the run-up to the upcoming Assembly elections.

--IANS
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Chennai, Sep 7 (IANS) The Madras High Court's Madurai bench has directed the Tamil Nadu government to give proper counselling to teenage sexual offenders.

Calling on the state government to set up a mechanism wherein counselling is given to teenagers involved in sexual offenses, a division bench of Justices J. Nisha Banu and N. Anand Venkatesh observed that the government must ensure that such efforts are undertaken or else the teenage first-time offenders have a chance of turning into hardened criminals.

The court said that the children would then lose their entire lives and said that the government must not allow such a scenario to happen.

The court was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by a person who sought the quashing of the detention order passed by the Virudhunagar District Collector against his 18-year-old son in 2021.

The Collector had passed the detention orders against the teenager holding that he was a sexual offender and the petitioner sought a direction from the court to set his son free and at his liberty.

Setting aside the detention order, the court said that technology was posing a great challenge and was impacting the minds of teenagers, as it observed that the detenu was an 18-year-old and his co-accused, a minor girl.

It said that teenagers are easily falling prey to pornographic content through mobile phones and their minds are polluted and confused. It also observed that they do things without understanding their consequences, and once these teenagers are arrested and put in prison, the government must develop mechanisms and efforts must be taken to attend to their mental perversions.

It also stressed that the purpose of confining a teenager to prison is not to abandon him and throw him out of the mainstream of society.

--IANS
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Chennai, Sep 7 (IANS) AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Wednesday claimed that 10 MLAs of the ruling DMK were in touch with his camp to switch sides to the AIADMK, but denied rumours that his party were switching sides.

Terming the DMK as a family-run political party, he said that it was functioning like a corporate company and said that there was no respect in that party for the cadres and leaders. The AIADMK leader said that while Udayanidhi Stalin was just an MLA, he was being invited for all inaugurations while a mayor is not given adequate respect.

Referring to the CB-CID team reaching AIADMK headquarters on Wednesday to conduct investigation on the July 11 clashes, Palaniswami said that the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu has touched its lowest ebb and that the CB-CID reached party headquarters only after he had approached the court for the same.

He also ruled out any possibility of V.K. Sasikala and her nephew T.T.V. Dhinakaran coming back to the party fold, saying that AIADMK cadres do not want them.

--IANS
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Kochi, Sep 7 (IANS) A Kerala fisherman, returning after catching fish on Wednesday, was shot on his ear, police said.

Sebastian, along with his fishing mates, was in the boat nearing the shore when the incident occurred.

"I felt someone was slapping me in my ear. Soon my friend said that I am bleeding. I had no clue of what was happening. I was then taken to a hospital. Am told there are five stitches," he said.

The incident occurred close to the Cochin Naval Base and the fishermen allege that firing took place from the naval compound.

But the Navy officials flatly denied this and said that the official spokesperson will be issuing a statement.

A .2 mm bullet has been recovered from the boat and ballistic experts will analyse this, said the Coastal Police, which has started a probe into the incident.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday stated that the Karnataka government has prepared a rain damage estimate and urged the Central government to release a fair compensation.

He held a meeting with the central team led by Joint Secretary, Union Home Ministry Ashish Kumar, which arrived here this morning to study the flood situation.

The team was asked to take a stock of flood situation in Bengaluru city, neighbouring Mandya and Ramanagar districts.

CM Bommai also provided inputs on the extensive damage caused due to floods in July, August and the current month. The team members were also briefed on relief measures taken up by the state government.

The central team is scheduled to visit Chitradurga, Hassan, Chikmagalur, Haveri, Dharwad, Gadag, Bidar and Kalaburgi districts districts which have seen floods due to excessive rains.

CM Bommai suggested them also to visit Kodagu, Dakshina Kannad and Uttara Kannada districts that witnessed the massive landslide, sea erosion and other damage.

Bommai informed the team that this time, a large number of fishing boats, shops and other business establishments had been damaged. In Ramanagar, silk reeling unit and twisting units too have suffered damage.

This kind of damage has happened for the first time. It has impacted lives of people. The team must try to extend the maximum help on the humanitarian ground, he demanded.

He said Karnataka has a coastal area of 330 km and works worth Rs 350 crore have been taken up to prevent the sea erosion in several sensitive places. But, the erosion has happened in the new spots. The central government assistance is required for the protection of complete coastal region.

"The North-Karnataka region too faced unprecedented floods in districts like Kalaburgi, Gadag, Bidar and Koppal. In fact, the state has been receiving intermittent rains since November last year and there is a need to undertake a study of the rain pattern in the state.

Almost all the tanks are full and overflowing. Many tanks have breached and caused floods. This situation was quite contrast to the floods caused by overflowing rivers," he explained.

The CM said rains have been pouring since last one week causing severe damage in Bengaluru, Ramanagar, Mandya and other districts.

A proposal regarding the damages caused in the last one week would be submitted immediately.

The central team comprises of Mahesh Kumar, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Bhavya Pandey, Assistant Director, Department of Energy, Ashok Kumar from Ministry of Jalshakthi, V.V.Shastri, Executive Engineer, Union Ministry of Surface Transport and Highways.

Dr K.Manoharan from Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and S.B.Tiwari, Under Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development.

Ministers Govind Karjol, C.C. Patil, B.C.Patil, Araga Jnanendra, Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma were also present in the meeting.

--IANS
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Bhopal, Sep 7 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh Congress will organise a 'Sarvadharm Prarthana Sabha' at Bhopal's New Market area to extend support to the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'.

On this occasion, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) general secretary Rajiv Singh appealed to the party leader and workers to assemble in the area for the 'prarthana sabha (prayers meet)'. Dignitaries associated with all religions have also been invited to participate in the meet at 4.30 p.m.

During the prayer meet, the MPCC has set up a big screen for the live telecast of 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' led by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Besides, various programmes have been prepared for this occasion at the party's district offices across the state, Rajiv Singh told IANS.

With an eye on the 2024 general elections, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will launch the party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kanyakumari this evening. The 3,500 kilometre-long-yatra will be covered in nearly 150 days.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi paid tribute at the memorial of his late father Rajiv Gandhi in Tamil Nadu's Sriperumbudur, where the former Prime Minister was killed in a suicide attack on May 21, 1991.

After visiting his father's memorial, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "I lost my father to the politics of hate and division. I will not lose my beloved country to it too. Love will conquer hate. Hope will defeat fear. Together, we will overcome."

Gandhi will attend an event at Kanyakumari's Mahatma Gandhi Mandapam in the evening where Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will hand over the national flag to him for the yatra launch.

The 3,500 kilometre-long-yatra, dubbed by the Congress as the "longest march" organised in the country over the last century, will be launched at around 5 p.m. with a rally, and the 'padyatra' or foot march will begin from Thursday morning.

--IANS
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Kanpur, Sep 7 (IANS) A PhD student in IIT-Kanpur ended his life by suicide on the campus, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place on Tuesday night when a student informed the security personnel that Prashant Singh's room was locked from inside and he was not responding to knocks.

The institute's administrators forcibly opened the door and found Prasant Singh hanging from the ceiling with the help of a bedsheet.

He was rushed to the health centre of the Institute, where the on-call physician pronounced him dead.

The police and the forensic team were called in and the student's family was also informed about the incident. The student's body has been kept in the mortuary of the Hallet hospital.

In a release, the staff and students of IIT-K have condoled the demise of the student who had outstanding academic qualifications.

--IANS
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