A leopard was found loitering around a fort in Udgir town of Maharashtra's Latur district on Friday, prompting the forest authorities to initiate measures to capture it, reported the PTI. The feline was captured on a CCTV camera installed outside a local resident's house located close to the Udgir fort around 5.20 am, an official said. "After being informed about the leopard sighting, the forest department is taking steps to capture it. Forest personnel have been deployed in and around Udgir town. Local residents have been advised to stay alert, avoid staying overnight in fields and ensure that children do not step out alone," Assistant Conservator of Forests V B Tambe said, according to the PTI. If the leopard is seen, the residents must immediately inform the local authorities and refrain from chasing the animal, he said. The forest as well as police departments have formed teams for patrolling, he added. A leopard was spotted near Udgir Fort in Maharashtra's Latur district on Friday, captured on CCTV around 5:20 am. Forest authorities have deployed personnel, drones, and patrol teams to locate the animal. Residents have been advised to stay alert, avoid staying in fields… pic.twitter.com/hfpPXtr4KS — Mid Day (@mid_day) November 29, 2024 A Range Forest Officer (RFO), three rangers, six forest guards and 20 watchmen have been deployed in the area and a hunt for the animal is underway using drone cameras, the official said. Injured leopard rescued in Wagholi Meanwhile, in an another incident last month, an injured leopard was sighted near the Pune-Nagar highway in Wagholi, prompting swift action from the Pune Forest Department and RESQ Charitable Trust. The leopard initially observed limping on a CCTV footage captured near a sports branding store, Wagholi, was promptly identified as a large carnivore whose injury compromised its ability to hunt, thus increasing the risk of further human interaction and potential accidents in the area. The first video, received at 4:55 am and recorded by the Decathlon security guard, showed the leopard near a commercial area. Acting quickly, RESQ team members Vaishnavi Bhangare and Aijaz Shaikh, along with Forest Guard Balasaheb Jivade, deployed camera traps at 10:30 am to monitor the animal's movements. Meanwhile, at around 1 pm additional CCTV footage confirmed the leopard’s limp, corroborating concerns about its compromised health and potential danger in an urban environment. Recognising the need for immediate intervention a second team from RESQ joined the team on the field and two cage traps were set up by 5:30 p.m. After continued monitoring, the leopard was successfully captured in one of the trap cages and RESQ personnel carefully transported the leopard to the Transit Treatment Centre in Bavdhan for a thorough medical examination and appropriate care. (with PTI inputs)
29 November,2024 11:22 PM IST | Latur | mid-day online correspondentUnion Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said security agencies should focus on emerging security challenges along the eastern border, immigration and trends in urban policing. Inaugurating the annual DGPs/IGPs conference here, which will discuss a host of emerging national security challenges, including counter-terrorism and left-wing extremism, Shah also congratulated the police leadership for the smooth conduct of the 2024 general elections and the seamless rollout of the three new criminal laws. The focus should be on emerging security challenges along the eastern border, immigration and trends in urban policing, Shah was quoted as saying in an official release. The home minister's statement bears significance as India's eastern neighbour Bangladesh has seen unrest following the ouster of its then prime minister Sheikh Hasina and an interim administration taking charge in August. There have been reports of attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, an issue New Delhi has raised strongly with Dhaka. Shah expressed satisfaction at the significant achievements leading to improvement in the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the northeast and states affected by left-wing extremism. The home minister said the three new criminal laws have transformed the ethos of the country's criminal justice system from punishment-oriented to justice-oriented. He emphasised that the spirit of the new laws is rooted in Indian tradition. Shah also called for taking the initiative towards a zero-tolerance strategy against terrorism. "Under the leadership of PM Modi, Bharat is building its police force as an apparatus capable of both securing the nation against new-age challenges and addressing the root causes of crime and terrorism. "The DGPs/IGPs conference serves as a knowledge-sharing platform to fortify policing in every state through collaboration," he said. The 59th three-day DGPs/IGPs conference will also be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and provide a platform for senior police officers to freely discuss and debate diverse national security-related issues besides various operational, infrastructural and welfare-related problems faced by the police. In the next two days of the conference, the top brass of police leadership would chalk out a roadmap to counter existing and emerging national security challenges, including left-wing extremism, coastal security, narcotics, cybercrime and economic security. The Prime Minister's Office said the three-day conference will include deliberations on critical components of national security, including counter-terrorism, left-wing extremism, coastal security, new criminal laws and narcotics. Its deliberations will include formulation and sharing of professional practices and processes in tackling challenges relating to crime control and law-and-order management, besides internal security threats. "The prime minister not only listens attentively to all contributions but also fosters an environment of open and informal discussions, allowing for the emergence of new ideas. "This year, some unique features have also been added to the conference. The entire day is being effectively utilised starting from a yoga session, business session, break-out sessions and thematic dining tables," the PMO said in a statement. This will also provide senior police officials with a valuable opportunity to present their perspectives and suggestions to PM Modi on critical policing and internal security matters that impact the country, it added. The prime minister will be present for the remaining two days of the conference and deliver the concluding address on Sunday. Around 250 officers in the rank of DGP and IGP will physically attend the conference while more than 200 others are participating in it virtually. Sources said many officers have been tasked with delivering presentations on specific subjects such as counter-terrorism, online fraud, cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, activities of pro-Khalistani groups and left-wing extremism, among others. The conference also provides an opportunity to identify tangible action points and monitor their progress, which are presented before the prime minister every year. The event is the culmination of extensive deliberations involving police and intelligence officers from district, state and national levels on identified themes, sources said. Best practices from states and Union territories under each of the themes will be presented at the conference so that states can learn from each other. Since 2014, the prime minister has taken a keen interest in the DGP conference. Free-flowing thematic discussions over breakfast, lunch and dinner have also been planned for this year's conference. This will provide an opportunity for senior police officials to share their views and recommendations on key policing and internal security issues affecting the country with the prime minister. Till 2013, the annual meet was held in New Delhi. The following year, after Modi came to power, a decision was taken to organise the event, organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Intelligence Bureau, outside the national capital. Accordingly, the conference was organised at Guwahati in 2014, Dhordo in the Rann of Kutch in 2015, National Police Academy in Hyderabad in 2016, BSF Academy in Tekanpur in 2017, Kevadiya in 2018, IISER, Pune in 2019, at police headquarters, Lucknow, in 2021, at the National Agricultural Science Complex, Pusa, Delhi in 2023, and Jaipur in January 2024. Before 2014, the deliberations largely focused on national security matters. Since 2014, these conferences have a twin focus on national security as well as core policing issues, including prevention and detection of crime, community policing, law and order and improving the police's image, among others. Earlier, the conference was Delhi-centric with officers coming together only for the meet. Residing on the same premises over two to three days has served to build a heightened sense of unity among officers of all cadres and organisations since 2014, an official added. Direct interaction of the police's top brass with the head of government has resulted in a convergence of views on crucial challenges faced by the country and the emergence of doable recommendations, sources 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
29 November,2024 11:10 PM IST | Bhubaneswar | PTIThe Kerala High Court on Friday rejected the bail pleas of seven Popular Front of India (PFI) members, accused in the 2022 murder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader SK Srinivasan in Palakkad district. According to news agency PTI, the accused are also facing trial for allegedly inciting communal violence in Kerala and other parts of the country. A bench of justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and KV Jayakumar said that on careful consideration of the materials on record, it was of the view that the prosecution has succeeded in showing that the allegations against the seven accused "are prima facie true". Srinivasan, a former district leader and office-bearer of RSS, was attacked by a six-member gang at his motorbike shop in Melamuri, Palakkad, less than 24 hours after a PFI leader, Subair, was allegedly killed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in a nearby village. The Kerala High Court noted that according to the records, one of the seven accused had arranged the motorcycle used by the assailants "to conduct a recce for locating the target [Srinivasan] and carrying out the terrorist act." The court also noted that the records indicated that two of the accused had conducted a recce of the target on April 15, 2022. Additionally, several documents, notices, magazines, and other items seized from the house of the another accused included the controversial question paper linked to the 2010 "hand chopping case." Professor TJ Joseph's palm was chopped off in 2010 in Idukki district after he was accused of insulting Prophet Mohammed in a question paper for an internal examination. In light of these factors, the Kerala High Court ruled the seven accused "are not entitled to be released on bail." The decision followed the accused person's plea challenging the National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court's refusal to grant them bail. Initially, 51 persons were named as accused in connection with the murder of Srinivasan on April 16, 2022. One of the arrested suspects died, while seven others remain absconding. The charge sheets for the remaining accused were filed in two phases: in July and December 2022. During the investigation into the murder, the Centre received intelligence suggesting that office-bearers and members of PFI and its affiliates in Kerala had conspired to instigate communal violence and radicalise their cadre to carry out terrorist acts in Kerala and other parts of the country, the high court said. In September 2022, the Centre directed NIA to take over the investigation of the case against the accused. On September 28, 2022, the Centre declared PFI a banned organisation. Last year, NIA filed its chargesheets, after which the accused filed their bail pleas before the special court. In June, the court granted bail to 17 of the accused in the case but denied relief to nine others. (With PTI inputs)
29 November,2024 11:06 PM IST | Kochi | mid-day online correspondentThe Gujarat Anti Corruption Bureau arrested a man on Friday for allegedly trying to offer a bribe of Rs 35,000 to a labour court judge during a hearing in Godhra in Panchmahal district, a police official said. Accused Bapu Solanki, a resident of Virpur taluka in Mahisagar district, walked into the court room and placed a sealed cover on Judge HA Maka's table, ACB Godhra division inspector RB Prajapati said. "When questioned by the judge, Solanki said he was asked to give the cover and did not know anything else. When the judge asked his staff to open the cover, they found Rs 35,000 inside. Solanki was arrested under Prevention of Corruption Act after the court staff called us on the direction of the judge," the official said. "However, Solanki is not revealing anything at present. We have learnt he is a party to a case but there was no hearing connected to it during the day. He is also claiming he has forgotten the name of the person who asked him to hand over the cover to the judge. Further probe is underway," Prajapati 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
29 November,2024 10:59 PM IST | Godhra | PTIThe integrity of the entire electoral process is being "severely compromised" and sections of society are becoming deeply apprehensive of it, the Congress alleged on Friday and asserted it will take up these public concerns as a national movement. A resolution adopted by the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the top decision-making body of the party, said free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate which was being called into "serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission". The CWC, which met amid the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, said the session has been a washout so far because of the Narendra Modi government's "stubborn refusal" to have an immediate discussion on three pressing national issues -- "the recent revelations regarding corruption by a business group, and the violence in Manipur and Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal". Asked why the resolution does not name the business group, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "The answer is the Adani group". "The CWC believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission. "Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. The Congress will take these up these public concerns as a national movement," the resolution stated. Ramesh said that going forward there will be a movement and rallies on the concerns over the electoral process and INDIA boc parties will join the movement. Addressing a joint press conference along with Ramesh and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, party general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said the party discussed the political situation in the country for four-and-half hours and adopted the resolution. He said the CWC has decided to constitute internal committees to look into electoral performance and organisational matters. About the Assembly polls results in Maharashtra, Venugopal said the electoral outcome in the state was "beyond normal understanding and it appears to be a clear case of targeted manipulation". The resolution alleged the prime minister has "abdicated" all responsibility and has not even once visited the violence-hit Manipur since May 2023. It also claimed there were "systematic attempts of the BJP to foment communal tensions in different states, most recently in Uttar Pradesh". Tension has been brewing in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal since November 19 when the court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid was carried out following claims that a Harihar temple previously stood at the site. Violence erupted on November 24, killing four people and injuring several others. The CWC reiterated its firmest commitment to the letter and spirit of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which it said is being "violated brazenly by the BJP". The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act prohibits change of character of religious places as they existed as on August 15, 1947. However, the Supreme Court had noted that it had earlier dealt with the Act in its 2019 Ayodhya verdict and one of the law's provisions, Section 3, did not expressly bar ascertaining the religious character of the place of worship. At the meeting, the top decision-making body of the Congress discussed the challenges faced by the party following the results of the four Assembly polls. The CWC resolution also said the overwhelming victory of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll has generated a massive wave of enthusiasm amongst the party workers as well among the public. "The CWC thanks the people of Jharkhand for the decisive mandate they have given the JMM, Congress and other INDIA (bloc) parties. They have resoundingly rejected the dangerously divisive and poisonously polarising campaign of the BJP spearheaded by the prime minister, Union home minister, the CM of Assam and the former CM of Madhya Pradesh," it said. The party, in the resolution, thanked the people of Jammu and Kashmir "for the confidence they have placed in the National Conference-Congress alliance in such a clear manner". "While accepting that our own performance should have been better, our party will continue to press for the restoration of full-fledged statehood to Jammu and Kashmir," it said. "The CWC also acknowledges that the party's performance in Haryana has been contrary to all expectations. Very simply, the INC should have formed the government in the state by a convincing margin but it didn't. But there have been electoral malpractices that have influenced the result in the state which have been overlooked," the resolution stated. The CWC "accepted" the Congress' performance and that of its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra Assembly polls have been "inexplicable" and "shocking". "The electoral outcome is beyond normal understanding. It appears to be a clear case of targeted manipulation," it said. In the election for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, the Congress registered one of its worst performances, winning only 16 seats. Its MVA allies Sharad Pawar's NCP(SP) and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena(UBT) won just 10 and 20 seats, respectively. The CWC expressed hope and confidence that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will complete the detailed state-wise reviews soon and take the necessary follow-up action, particularly about organisational matters. It also called upon the party organisations at all levels to summon the maximum strength and resilience at this juncture. "There is no reason to get disheartened or to panic. We must persevere with renewed determination and resolve. Unity and discipline are called for now more than ever before. The issues the party placed before the people during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and the Lok Sabha election campaign are issues of daily concern to the people of our country. "The party must keep reinforcing its narrative. This includes caste census to ensure full social justice, removal of the 50 per cent ceiling on reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs, control of growing monopolies in the economy through political patronage and continuing price rise and growing unemployment," the CWC added. 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
29 November,2024 10:50 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIA school teacher hailing from Maharashtra's Latur, his wife and their daughter ended their lives in Parbhani district of state, a police official said on Friday, reported the PTI. The deaths took place at around 2:30 pm on Thursday near a bridge on Godavari river in Dharkhed close to Gangakhed town, the official added. The deceased teacher was aged 53 and his daughter was 22-years-old, the official said. They were residents of Kini Kadu in Latur's Ahmedpur tehsil. He was a teacher at a secondary school in Gangakhed, he added. The three were cremated at Kini Kadu on Friday, with a large number of villagers who had gathered at the crematorium expressing shock and dismay. The teacher's son-in-law had died in an accident last year, some villagers said, the news agency reported. An official said that the reason behind the extreme step by the family was being probed. Pilot suicide: Court in Mumbai sends 25-year-old's boyfriend to custody till Dec 2 Meanwhile, a court in Mumbai on Friday extended till December 2 the police custody of the boyfriend of a 25-year-old Air India pilot who allegedly died by suicide in her rented flat in the Marol area of Mumbai on Monday, news agency PTI reported. The pilot's 27-year-old boyfriend, who has been charged with abetment of suicide, was produced before a magistrate's court in suburban Andheri at the end of his previous remand on Friday. The police sought further custody of the accused from the court, saying that they need to retrieve the deleted WhatsApp chats between the couple from his mobile phone, PTI reported. The chats may reveal crucial information related to the victim's death, they submitted. The accused was detained on Tuesday after one of the relatives of the pilot alleged that he had harassed and abused her as well as forced her to stop consuming non-vegetarian food, the police earlier said, citing the first information report (FIR) registered in the case. According to Mumbai Police, the pilot hailed from Uttar Pradesh and had been living in Mumbai owing to her job since June 2023. She met the accused while pursuing a commercial pilot course in New Delhi two years ago. (with PTI inputs)
29 November,2024 10:33 PM IST | Latur | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the Delhi Assembly Elections scheduled to be held early next year, state Congress chief Devender Yadav said on Friday that his party will contest on all the 70 seats and will not form any alliance.After attending the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Friday in the national capital, Yadav spoke to ANI on the party's chief ministerial face for the Delhi Assembly Elections and the possibilities of an alliance. "We never announce [the CM] beforehand. We will contest all 70 seats. Our leader is elected after we win. Same procedure will be adopted in Delhi. There is no alliance," he said.Yadav, who led the Fourth Phase of the Congress' Delhi Nyay Yatra on Friday, said people are "very unhappy" with the "misgovernance" of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)."Senior citizens are not getting old age pensions. The poor are not getting ration card. Roads are damaged. Pollution has gone beyond control. Youth are unemployed. Women are dejected due to inflation. AAP has opened Mohalla Clinics just for show. This is the Kejriwal model," he told ANI.Meanwhile, the Congress has appointed party leader Priyavrat Singh as the 'war room' chairman for the Delhi Assembly Elections. The appointment was approved by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.Congress, which was in power in Delhi for 15 successive years, has performed poorly in the past two assembly polls, failing to win even a single seat.Earlier, the Congress party had announced that it will hold its Working Committee meeting on Friday following its poor performance in the recently concluded Maharashtra and Haryana elections.Meanwhile, BJP and AAP have also started their preparations for the Delhi Assembly Elections.The Delhi BJP Manifesto Committee met on Monday under the chairmanship of party leader Ramvir Singh Bidhuri as a part of its preparations, ANI reported.The meeting comes amid BJP's recent triumph in Maharashtra.Delhi BJP President Virendraa Sachdeva expressed confidence that the party would secure a similar victory in the national capital, too."PM Modi's address fills the BJP workers of Delhi with enthusiasm. Now the time has come for the people to give a befitting reply to those who are ruining Delhi. People want a clean, corruption-free Delhi. After Maharashtra and Haryana, people will elect a BJP Government in Delhi too... BJP will get huge support in the upcoming Delhi Assembly Elections..." he said in a statement to ANI. (With ANI inputs)
29 November,2024 10:10 PM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondentAt least 11 people died and 25 have been injured after a Maharashtra State Transport bus overturned near Bindravana Tola village on the Gondia-Arjuni Road in Gondia District on Friday afternoon.The bus was on its way from Nagpur to Gondia."A state transport bus met with an accident in Gondia district. The bus was en route from the Bhandara Depot to Gondia when its driver lost control of the vehicle near Bindravana Tola village on the Gondia-Arjuni Road and overturned," an officer from the Maharashtra Police said.The officer added that the injured have been shifted to Gondia District Hospital, adding that the death toll is expected to increase.According to information from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Eknath Shinde has ordered the Transport Administration to provide an immediate assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the victims."A state transport Shivshahi bus overturned in a horrific accident. Eight bodies have been recovered from the site of the incident, and the death toll is expected to increase. Information about the situation was taken from the local administration. Instructions have been issued for immediate and proper treatment of the injured," the CMO said.Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis offered his condolences to the bereaved family members.Taking to his official handle on X, Fadnavis posted, "It is very unfortunate that a Shivshahi bus met with an unfortunate accident near Sadak Arjun in Gondia district in which some passengers died. I pay my heartfelt respects to the deceased. We share the grief of their families.""The people who were injured in this incident may immediately receive treatment in a private hospital if necessary. I have also told the Collector of Gondia to make arrangements to shift them to Nagpur if required. Senior administration officials have reached the spot and are coordinating relief efforts. I pray to God for the speedy recovery of the injured in this incident," posted Fadnavis on X.Further details on the matter are awaited. 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.
29 November,2024 08:44 PM IST | Mumbai | ANIBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan on Friday took a swipe at his former colleagues in the Congress and said that the party should introspect about its poor performance in the recent Maharashtra Assembly election 2024, reported the PTI. Ashok Chavan, a former state chief minister, had quit the Congress and joined the BJP earlier this year, while his daughter Shreejaya Chavan won the November 20 assembly polls from Bhokar seat in Nanded district in Maharashtra. "When I headed the state (chief minister), the party won 82 seats (in 2009). After me, Prithviraj Chavan (chief minister from 2010 to 2014) brought it down to 44 and Nana Patole (state unit chief since February 2021) has now brought it down to 16 (in the 2024 assembly polls). The figures are in front of us," he said, according to the PTI. "Winning is a process in politics so the Congress should introspect," he added. Ashok Chavan emphasised he was not giving advice to his former party but added "I was in 'vanvaas' for 14 long years (an apparent reference to his removal as CM) and I too have feelings," as per the PTI. Ashok Chavan was Maharashtra CM between December 2008 and November 2010, before being replaced by Prithviraj Chavan. Ashok Chavan was president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee between 2015 and 2019. He joined the BJP in February this year. Meanwhile, last week, Ashok Chavan had termed the Mahayuti's landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly election "a huge change". Ashok Chavan, who switched from Congress and joined the BJP earlier this year, slammed his former party, stating that it has no leadership in Maharashtra. "A huge change has come in Maharashtra. Mahayuti has got a huge mandate. Congress has no leadership and it does not have any leader left. People have understood that if we stay together, there is benefit," Ashok Chavan had told ANI. The ruling Mahayuti alliance won the Maharashtra assembly polls. While the BJP has won 132 seats, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has won 57 seats, and NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar won 41 seats. The state has 288 assembly seats. The constituents of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a rude jolt with Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray winning 20 seats, Congress 16, and NCP (SCP) led by Sharad Pawar only 10 seats. (with PTI inputs)
29 November,2024 07:11 PM IST | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | mid-day online correspondentBased on specific information received from the Sri Lankan Navy regarding probable narcotics smuggling by Sri Lankan flagged fishing vessels in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy launched a coordinated operation to localise and intercept the boats. Extensive surveillance was undertaken by the Indian Naval Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft and Remotely Piloted Aircraft, based on inputs from the Information Fusion Centre (Indian Ocean Region), Gurugram, and an Indian Naval ship was deployed to augment efforts a media statement released by the Indian Navy said. Two boats were identified based on continuous inputs from the Sri Lankan Navy and aerial surveillance by an Indian Navy aircraft. Subsequently, in a closely coordinated operation between the ship and the aerial assets, both the boats were boarded by the ship’s boarding team on November 24 and 25, leading to the seizure of around 500 kg of narcotics (Crystal Meth). One additional Indian Navy ship was also tasked to augment the force level for conduct of anti-narcotics operations. The two boats, along with crew and seized narcotics, are being handed over to Sri Lankan authorities for further legal action. The operation reaffirms the close partnership and bonds developed between the two countries and navies. It also symbolises the combined resolve of both navies to address regional maritime challenges, and ensure safety and security in the Indian Ocean Region.
29 November,2024 06:46 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPrime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Friday condoled the loss of lives in a bus accident in Gondia, Maharashtra, and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the victims and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the mishap."Distressed by the loss of lives in the bus mishap in Gondia, Maharashtra. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM Narendra Modi," PMO said on X.At least eight people died and around 30 were injured after a Maharashtra State Transport bus overturned near Bindravana Tola village on the Gondia-Arjuni Road in the Gondia District on Friday afternoon.The incident happened when the bus was on its way from Nagpur to Gondia."A state transport bus met with an accident after it lost control and overturned near Bindravana Tola village in the Gondia district. So far, eight people have died. Around 30 people are injured and the injured have been shifted to Gondia District Hospital," the Gondia Police said in a statement.After the incident, Maharashtra's caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde issued an order for immediate and appropriate medical care for the injured."A state transport Shivshahi bus overturned in a horrific accident. Eight bodies have been recovered from the site of the incident, and the death toll is expected to increase. Information about the situation was taken from the local administration. Instructions have been issued for immediate and proper treatment of the injured," Maharashtra CMO said.Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also offered his condolences to the families of the victims and stated, "It is very unfortunate that a Shivshahi bus met with an unfortunate accident near Sadak Arjun in Gondia district in which some passengers died. I pay my heartfelt respects to the deceased. We share the grief of their families." 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.
29 November,2024 06:19 PM IST | New Delhi | ANIADVERTISEMENT
