Two coaches of the LTT-Shalimar Express derailed in Maharashtra's Nagpur on Tuesday and relief operations were underway, the officials said. No injuries were reported in the incident, they said. "In a peculiar derailment, two coaches—third and 12th from the engine –of the 18029 LTT-Shalimar Express derailed at Kalamna station, just ahead of Nagpur station. There were no injuries to anyone. Officials said two coaches S2 and a parcel van have got derailed and efforts are on to re-rail the train and restore traffic," the officials said. “Passengers have been safely evacuated, and alternative arrangements are being made to minimise inconvenience,” said an official.
22 October,2024 07:18 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarMahendra Pathak, the state secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), announced the party's first list of candidates for the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections, reported news agency ANI. This decision follows the party's dissatisfaction with the current seat-sharing arrangement within the INDIA alliance. The CPI leader expressed disappointment with assurances received from leaders of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress regarding seat sharing. He said, "We have been a part of the INDIA alliance. We had contacted the big leaders of both JMM and Congress regarding seat sharing and were also given assurances but we were disappointed. That is why we have decided to field our candidates on 15 Assembly seats in Jharkhand. Today we are announcing our candidates for some seats." The candidates announced include, Kanhai Chandramal Pahadiya from the Nala Assembly, Chhaya from Sarath Assembly, Mahadev Ram from Barkatha Assembly, Ruchir Tiwari from Daltonganj, Santosh Kumar Rajak from Kanke, Suresh Kumar Bhuiya from Simaria, Doman Bhuiya from Chatra, Mahendra Oraon will contest from Bishanpur, Ghanshyam Pathak is fighting from Bhawanathpur, stated ANI. Pathak further said that candidates for the remaining constituencies such as Ranchi, Mandu, Barkagaon Hazaribagh, and Poreyahat will be revealed in two days. Pathak criticised both the Jharkhand government and the BJP for allegedly misleading voters with promises of freebies. He stated, "The state government has disappointed the youth here for 5 years, we will contest elections outside the alliance." Earlier announcements from Chief Minister Hemant Soren indicated that the JMM and Congress would share 70 seats while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Left parties would divide the remaining 11 seats. RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha criticised this "unilateral decision" made by the Congress-JMM alliance on Sunday. Meanwhile, the BJP released its first list of 66 candidates on October 20. Notable candidates are the party's state chief, Babulal Marandi, who will contest from Dhanwar, Lobin Hembrom from Borio, and Sita Soren from Jamtara. Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Champai Soren will contest from Saraikella, Geeta Balmuchu from Chaibasa, Geeta Koda from Jaganathpur, and Meera Munda, the wife of Union Minister Arjun Munda will contest from Potka. The Jharkhand Assembly elections are scheduled to take place in two phases on November 13 and November 20, with vote counting set for November 23 as confirmed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. (With inputs from PTI)
22 October,2024 06:14 PM IST | Ranchi, Jharkhand | mid-day online correspondentA four-year-old girl died of severe burn wounds after she fell into a pot in which vegetables were being cooked in Maharashtra's Nagpur district, the police said on Tuesday, reported the PTI. The child succumbed to her injuries at a hospital on Monday morning, an official from Wathoda police station said. According to the PTI, the incident occurred on October 14 when Trisha Balu Panbude, a resident of Shravan Nagar, was playing with other children, and she accidentally fell into a vessel in which vegetables were being cooked for a function in the neighbourhood, he said. Bystanders immediately pulled her out, but she had already sustained severe burns and was rushed to a hospital. The police have registered a case of accidental death and launched a probe, the official said. Girl hurt as elevator crashes from first floor at Thane building Meanwhile, in an another, An 11-year-old girl was injured on Monday when an elevator at a residential highrise in Thane crashed from the first floor, officials said.Three other persons inside the elevator escaped unhurt, reported the PTI. The incident occurred in the evening at a 41-storey building located on Pokhran Road No. 1 in Thane after the cable of the lift snapped when it reached the first floor from the ground floor. "The elevator crashed to the ground floor, a Disaster Management Room official said. Emergency response teams, including personnel from the Vartaknagar police station, fire brigade with one emergency tender, and staff from the Disaster Management Cell with a pickup vehicle, arrived swiftly at the scene. All the four persons inside the elevator were rescued safely, the official said, adding that the girl suffered injury to her left leg, the news agency reported. Nagpur firm's owners booked for trying to pass of guard's murder as accident The owners of a private firm in Maharashtra's Nagpur have been booked for allegedly trying to pass off the murder of their security guard by another staffer as an accident, a police official said on Monday. Kamlesh Patel (50), a security guard with Ujjwal Ispat Private Limited in Hingna MIDC, was allegedly murdered by labourer Manohar alias Manoj Bende (42), who was drunk at the time, on October 8, the official said. "The firm's owners Suresh Chandani and Dharmesh Suresh Chandani allegedly tried to pass it off as an accident. We registered a case of accidental death at the time, but a probe found it was murder. While Bende has been arrested, the Chandani duo is on the run," the MIDC police station official said, PTI reported. (with PTI inputs)
22 October,2024 06:01 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondentThe Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has publicly accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring against its own people following recent Bahraich violence. Akhilesh Yadav's statement comes in the wake of a BJP MLA, Sureshwar Singh, filing an FIR against his party colleague in the Mahrajganj violence case, reported news agency PTI. Yadav took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share a news report detailing the FIR lodged on October 18 by Singh, who represents Bahraich's Mahsi seat. The complaint named seven individuals, including Arpit Srivastava, the city president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), for rioting and other serious offences. The SP supremo alleged that the BJP is deliberately inciting riots for political gain and the rioters themselves are "revealing the truth" before hidden cameras. The BJP is yet to respond to Yadav's latest attack on the party over the communal violence in the Maharajganj town of Bahraich district last week, PTI stated. धिक्कार है ऐसी भाजपाई राजनीति और सत्ता की भाजपाई भूख पर जो सियासत के लिए देश के भाईचारे के बीच दंगा कराने की साज़िश करती है। बहराइच हिंसा के मामले में हर दिन नये खुलासे हो रहे हैं, जिनसे भाजपा मुँह दिखाने लायक नहीं रही है। भाजपा के विधायक ही भाजपाइयों पर साज़िश करने की एफ़आइआर… pic.twitter.com/VLCXwrYFyg — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) October 22, 2024 "Shame on such BJP politics and BJP's hunger for power, which conspires to incite riots... for politics. Every day new revelations are being made in the case of Bahraich violence and the BJP is not able to show its face. BJP MLAs themselves are filing FIRs against BJP members for conspiracy and the rioters are revealing the truth in front of hidden cameras," the SP chief said on X in Hindi. "The few supporters and voters of BJP that are left are now also ashamed to see this conspiratorial and violent form of the BJP. The BJP has used the sentiments of its supporters by misleading them to save and maintain its power. The truth is that BJP is conspiring against its own people," he added. Yadav said that the internal conflict within the BJP is evident, as its members are now filing complaints against one another. He also said that this demonstrates the party's disconnect from its own supporters and claimed that many BJP voters are now embarrassed by the party's actions. "UP kahe aaj ka, nahin chahiye Bhajpa (Today's UP says it doesn't need the BJP)," he said. Yadav also shared a media report with his post in which two alleged rioters filmed on hidden cameras point towards a conspiracy behind the communal violence in Maharajganj and make several "revelations", stated PTI. The communal violence in Maharajganj broke out after 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra was shot dead during a Durga idol immersion procession on October 13. Following this incident, MLA Singh filed an FIR against Srivastava and others for their alleged involvement in inciting violence. The police confirmed that this case marks the twelfth FIR related to the disturbances. On the complaint of Singh, a case was registered against Srivastava, Anuj Singh Raikwar, Shubham Mishra, Kushmendra Chaudhary, Manish Chandra Shukla, Pundrik Pandey and Sudhanshu Singh Rana as well as unknown rioters under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Singh alleged that upon arriving at Bahraich Medical College to transport Mishra's body, he faced hostility from Srivastava and his supporters, who reportedly shouted slogans against him and attempted to attack his vehicle. Apart from this, stones were also pelted with the intention of stopping his car and killing him, Singh claimed. A bullet was also fired by the mob due to which the glass of his car broke and his son Akhand Pratap Singh narrowly escaped, the Mahsi MLA added, stated PTI. (With inputs from PTI)
22 October,2024 05:17 PM IST | Lucknow | mid-day online correspondentAround a dozen people were injured and one person is reported missing after a massive blast occurred at ordnance factory in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, an official said, reported the PTI. According to the PTI, the blast took place at around 9.45 am when explosive material was being filled in bombs in a refilling section of the factory, the official from the establishment said. Among the injured persons, two were in a serious condition and admitted to a hospital. Another worker was missing and was possibly trapped under the debris of the section in which the blast took place, he said. The blast was so powerful that it was even heard by people a few kilometres away, as per eyewitnesses. The Ordnance Factory Khamaria is one of the major ammunition production unit under the Department of Defence Production. More than a dozen workers received injuries in the blast and efforts were on to locate a missing worker, who was possibly trapped under the debris of the building, the official said. A probe has been ordered into the incident and the exact cause behind the blast will be known after completion of the investigation, he said. Fire brigade and security staff of the factory launched a relief and rescue operation, the official added. "A pechora missile was being boiled out at Ordnance factory Khamaria on Tuesday and at around 10:45 an explosion occurred. Four people were working in that building out of which three people were injured who have been shifted to Mahakaushal Hospital. Among the injured, one is critical and the other two are fine who will be discharged after treatment in the next 24 hours. The fourth person is still missing, we are trying to find him," said M N Haldar, Chief General Manager, Ordnance Factory Khamaria, reported the ANI. Speaking about the reason for the blast, the Chief General Manager said that he ordered an inquiry to ascertain the reason. "I have ordered an inquiry to ascertain the reason for the blast. We do such work every day. It is not new for us. The exact reason for the blast will be known after the inquiry. Besides, we will provide all the assistance for the treatment of our employees," he added, the news agency reported. An inquiry committee has been constituted and the reason for the blast will be known after the probe. The procedure of the inquiry is being followed according to DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) and it is being observed, he added. (with PTI and ANI inputs)
22 October,2024 04:32 PM IST | Jabalpur | mid-day online correspondentExpressing concern over the declining quality and quantity of groundwater, President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday stressed the vital role of collective responsibility in preserving water resources. "Groundwater is not only getting polluted but also depleting. This is a serious concern," the president said while conferring the National Water Awards on Tuesday. She warned that without conservation efforts, society cannot progress. Murmu said that all major civilisations have thrived around water bodies, and yet, in modern times, water is often neglected. "We at times forget the importance of water," she said. Murmu emphasised the role of the state governments in water management, praising the Ministry of Jal Shakti and minister C R Patil for their dedication to conservation. The president lauded the winners of the National Water Awards for their efforts and urged that their best practices be shared widely. The awards, organised by the Department of Water Resources under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, recognised efforts across nine categories, with Odisha securing the top spot for Best State, followed by Uttar Pradesh while Gujarat and Puducherry were joint third place. The National Water Awards started in 2018 to promote water conservation in line with the government's vision of a 'Jal Samridh Bharat' (water-sufficient India). This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 October,2024 04:28 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIThe Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted activist Teesta Setalvad to travel between November 14 and November 24 to attend the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam. Setalvad had received an invitation from the organisers to attend the festival in her capacity as producer of the documentary film Cycle Mahesh. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan allowed the plea filed by Setalvad. The apex court had in July, 2023, granted her regular bail in a case of alleged fabrication of documents to frame innocent people in the 2002 post-Godhra riot cases. During the hearing on Tuesday, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Setalvad, said she had filed an application seeking permission to travel abroad as the apex court had in July, 2023, directed for her passport to be in the custody of the sessions court. "My documentary has been awarded in Amsterdam. I (Setalvad) am seeking your lordships permission to go to Amsterdam from November 14 to November 24," he informed the bench. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Gujarat government, did not object to the application. The bench said the same conditions, as the ones imposed in August, would apply on Setalvad when her plea to travel to Malaysia was allowed. The top court had on August 20 allowed Setalvad to travel to Malaysia for a conference while directing for her passport to be returned to her. "The petitioner (Setalvad) shall file an undertaking before this court that she will return to India as scheduled and face the trial," the bench said, adding she will have to furnish a solvent surety of Rs 10 lakh to the sessions court's satisfaction. Upon her return from Malaysia, Setalvad shall re-surrender her passport with the trial judge, the court had said further. On July 19, 2023, the apex court quashed the July 1 order of the Gujarat High Court, which had denied bail to Setalvad in the case. It had said that Setalvad's passport, which she had already surrendered, shall continue to be in the custody of the sessions court, and she would not make any attempt to influence the witnesses and stay away from them. The top court had noted the submissions of Setalvad's counsel that the FIR against her was lodged following a judgment by the apex court on June 24, 2022 in the case of Zakia Jafri, who had alleged a larger conspiracy behind the 2002 communal riots and challenged the high court's October 5, 2017 order rejecting her petition against the finding of the Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team. Jafri is the widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, who was among those killed at the Gulberg Housing Society during the communal riots. Setalvad was arrested a day after the apex court's judgment in the Zakia Jafri case. The FIR against Setalvad and two others -- former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt and former DGP R B Sreekumar -- followed the apex court's observation that some people kept "the pot boiling" of the case "for ulterior design" and "all those involved in such abuse of process, need to be in the dock and proceeded with in accordance with the law". This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 October,2024 04:24 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIHezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into central Israel on Tuesday, setting off air raid sirens in the country's most populated areas but causing no apparent damage or injuries. The Israeli military said five projectiles were fired from Lebanon into Israel and said most were intercepted by Israel's missile defense system. One landed in an open area. The rocket fire came as Israel stepped up its strikes in Lebanon, targeting a Hezbollah-run financial institution, and as the U.S. pushed to resume cease-fire talks in Gaza following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to annihilate Hamas and recover dozens of hostages held by the group. Hamas says it will only release the captives in return for a lasting cease-fire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led militants blew holes in Israel's security fence and stormed in, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed over 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not distinguish combatants from civilians. The war has destroyed large areas of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its population of 2.3 million people. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 October,2024 03:45 PM IST | Tel Aviv | PTIA day after India announced reaching an agreement with China on patrolling along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Tuesday said as of now "we are trying to restore the trust" and both sides will have to "reassure each other" to achieve this. He was speaking at an interaction session here after delivering a lecture hosted by defence think-tank USI. India on Monday announced it has reached an agreement with China on patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. This is seen as a major breakthrough in ending the over four-year-long military standoff ahead of a likely meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Russia this week. "As far as we are concerned, we were looking at... we want to go back to the status quo of April 2020. Thereafter, we will be looking at disengagement, de-escalation and normal management of Line of Actual Control. And, this normal management of the LAC will not just start there. There are phases in that also," the Army chief said. "So, this is what I am saying. This has been our stance since from April 2020...and even today remains the same. So, as of now, we are trying to restore the trust. How the trust will get restored. It will get restored once we are able to see each other, and we are able to convince each other" related to the buffer zones that have been created, he said. "And, both will have to reassure each other," the Army chief added. Patrolling gives you that kind of advantage and, that is what is commencing. "And, as we restore the trust, the other stages will follow through," he said. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday said the agreement was finalised following negotiations by the two sides over the last several weeks and that it will lead to a resolution of the issues that had arisen in 2020. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said Indian and Chinese soldiers will be able to resume patrolling in the way they had been doing before the border face-off began and the disengagement process with China has been completed. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 October,2024 03:36 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIThe Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday said it has arrested six persons in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged drug trafficking racket running from Afghanistan to India. Lovejit Singh alias Labba, Manjeet Singh alias Manna were taken into custody under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on October 11. Prabhjit Singh, Gurjot Singh, Ramandeep Singh were arrested on October 18 while Gurpreet Singh was arrested on October 20, the federal agency said in a statement. The money laundering case stems from an complaint of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the special cell of the Delhi Police that seized 293.81 kg heroin from the Nhava Sheva Port, Mumbai in containers imported by a company named Sandhu Exports and 352.71 kg heroin from two vehicles and a flat in Faridabad, Haryana some time back, respectively. The accused "coordinated the smuggling, storage and distribution of heroin across Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi." "These individuals were key members of a syndicate that smuggled heroin from Afghanistan and Iran concealing them within shipments of talc stone and gypsum powder," the ED said. These persons incorporated Sandhu Exports, a "front company " owned by Prabhjit Singh, to carry out the smuggling of drugs, it alleged. The accused, the agency said, "disguised" the origin of the illicit funds, which were further layered and integrated into seemingly legitimate financial activities. It was also found that the syndicate did not make any payments to Afghan suppliers until the drugs were sold in the local market, the ED probe found . They used "cash" to purchase vehicles like Toyota Fortuner, Etios, Hyundai Verna etc, from the second hand market for trafficking the drug. Cash, as per the ED, was also used for purchase of high-end smartphones and encrypted communication apps were used to coordinate smuggling activities. "Drugs smuggled from Iran and Afghanistan used to be imported via Nhava Sheva Port, later stored at a rented godown in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh and further distributed for local supply in parts of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. "Transportation was carried out in lesser quantities of 10 kg to prevent detection by law enforcement agencies," it said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 October,2024 03:30 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIThe Odisha government has kept ready around 800 cyclone shelters for people who will be evacuated from vulnerable areas as the well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on Tuesday and moved towards the eastern coast with the likelihood of turning into a severe cyclone Dana, reported the PTI. Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari on Tuesday said officials have so far visited 250 cyclone relief centres where the people will be housed after evacuation. He said that food, water, medicine, electricity and other essentials are kept in readiness for the people to be evacuated due to the impending cyclone. Apart from 800 cyclone shelters, the minister said an additional 500 temporary shelters have been made ready including schools and colleges. The officials at the ground level have been instructed to make arrangements for women in cyclone shelters where women police will be deployed, he said. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has stressed on 100 per cent evacuation of people from vulnerable areas to ensure "zero Casualty" in the impending cyclone, Pujari said. The minister said the government has also prepared a list of pregnant women who are expected to deliver in a fortnight. All those women are being shifted to the nearby hospital in order to avoid any difficulty during the calamity. Asked about the situation if the cyclone changes its track as forecast by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the minister said that the state government has also studied that aspect. "In the past it has been noticed that cyclones change its anticipated track, Therefore, keeping in view the possibilities, the state government has already identified certain places and made equal arrangements in vulnerable places. A red alert has been issued for nine districts and orange warning for heavy rain in some districts, Therefore, there should be no fear in this regard," the minister said, according to the PTI. The state government has already ordered closure of schools in Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Khurda, Nayagarh and Cuttack districts for three days from Wednesday, as a precautionary measure against the cyclone, an official said. The Odisha government has also cancelled the leave of all staff from October 23 to 25. In a letter to all the departments, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) DK Singh has asked them to remain prepared to tackle the challenges of the impending calamity. Suresh Pujari further said that personnel of ODRAF and Fire service have been dispatched to the possible vulnerable areas. He said the Centre has agreed to send 11 more teams of NDRF keeping in view the intensity of the impending calamity. The minister said districts have been earmarked as red, orange and yellow zones keeping in view the possible impact of the cyclone, as per the PTI. Stating that October 24 and 25 are two crucial days for the state, Pujari said a red alert of heavy to very heavy rain and wind has been issued for Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsingpur, Jajpur and Cuttack on October 24 and Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Keonjhar on October 25. As per the state's advisory, tourists in Puri have already started leaving the pilgrim town on Tuesday morning. This apart, the Puri district administration was discouraging tourists from visiting the town from Tuesday. Meanwhile, Odisha's Director of Health Services Bijay Kumar Mohapatra said that the government has suspended the leaves of the health service providers, the PTI reported. (with PTI inputs)
22 October,2024 03:27 PM IST | Odisha | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
