Archives for April 2021

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot held a high-level review meeting on Monday night over the surge in coronavirus cases.

In the meeting, the experts laid emphasis on public participation and support in containing the spread of the virus, according to officials.

They said the government guidelines issued on Sunday was helpful in handling the situation but public participation was crucial.

The experts said people should follow self-imposed lockdown and should avoid going out if it was not necessary.

The meeting is continuing.

The Monday has recorded 12 deaths on Monday and 2,429 positive cases.

CHENNAI: Urging people not to believe rumours on a complete lockdown after the Assembly elections on April 6, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, however, said steps will definitely be taken to restrict non-essential activities in Tamil Nadu to prevent a Maharashtra-like COVID-19 situation here.

People should avoid crowding during non-essential activities like marriages, funerals and cultural events, besides also avoiding unnecessary travel, he said.

Restrictions will certainly be tightened in containment zones — of which there are 925 as of now — after the elections and essential items will be supplied to people through volunteers, Radhakrishnan said. Also, fever camps and door-to-door fever surveillance will be intensified after the elections, he said.

The test positivity rate is 8.01 percent in Chennai, 6.85 percent in Ranipet, 6.17 percent in Coimbatore and 5.53 percent in Chengalpattu. The Union Health Ministry has advised to bring down the positivity rate to below 5 percent. So, testing and contact tracing will be intensified and screening centres will also be increased, the Health Secretary added.

He also requested people to wear masks and follow COVID-19 protocols and urged all those eligible to get vaccinated.

People should realise that cases are increasing because of violation of standard operating procedures, Radhakrishnan said.

Madikeri: In a shocking incident that occurred on Saturday morning, a criminal poured petrol on members of one family and lit fire burning three individuals alive on the Kaanur road in the Mugutageri village of Virajpete Taluk. 

The deceased have been identified as Paniyeravara Sita (45), Baby (40), and Prarthana (6). The accused named Yeravara Boja lit the fire and burned the victims alive, and later escaped from the site, a source in the police revealed. 

Reportedly, Yeravara Manju was living in the residence of Kolera Vasanta situated near the Kaanur road in Mugutageri village. Some 5-6 members of the family had visited his house and had stayed there, it is learned. In the early hours around 2 am, Manju’s father Boja poured petrol on top of victims and lit them on fire. In this unexpected development, a 6-year-old child helplessly got caught in the fire and died along with the two victims after burning alive, the police revealed.

The police who registered a case in this regard is investigating further. More details are awaited.

Jaipur: Taking more harsh action against Kailash Bohra, who was given compulsory retirement from the Rajasthan Police Service (RPS) for demanding sexual favours from a rape survivor last month, the state government has ordered his dismissal.

The order was issued on Friday after obtaining the approval from the governor.

The state government had issued an order for Bohra’s compulsory retirement on March 20.

Bohra was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly demanding sexual favours from a rape survivor in lieu of taking action in cases lodged on the basis of her complaints.

He was posted as the assistant commissioner of police (ACP) at the special investigation unit for crimes against women in the DCP East office and was arrested by the ACB team from his office on March 14.

Bohra had first demanded money from the woman, who had got three cases, including one of rape, lodged. Subsequently, he began demanding sexual favours from her for taking action in the cases.

The officer was investigating the cases.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) raised the issue in the Assembly and expressed dissatisfaction over mere suspension. However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal assured the House that Bohra will be terminated from service.

On March 20, Principal Secretary, Home Abhay Kumar issued the order of Bohra’s (52) compulsory retirement in public interest, in accordance with the recommendation of the high-level standing committee of the administrative reforms department.

However, the government took the final decision to punish Bohra with dismissal from service under Article 311(2) of the Constitution after the governor’s approval, sources said.

Jhansi (UP): Three people have been arrested for breach of peace and misbehaviour in connection with the last month’s alleged harassment of nuns here, police said.

Two nuns and two postulants were taken off an express train and detained for questioning by the railway police in Jhansi on March 19 after local Bajrang Dal activists complained that two women were allegedly being taken forcibly for religious conversion.

“On Thursday night, during patrolling on the station, GRP SHO Sunil Kumar Singh got information that two persons were arguing with policemen near the booking hall,” Circle officer, Government Railway Police (GRP), Neem Khan Mansuri, said on Friday.

They were threatening to launch an agitation, claiming that police did not act properly and let the nuns go, he said.

No action had been taken against the two earlier in the case, Mansuri said.

However, after this, Anchal Arjaria and Purukes Amraya, both members of a Hindu outfit, were arrested for breach of peace and their role in misbehaviour with the nuns, he said.

Later, Ajay Shankar Tiwari, on whose complaint the nuns were taken off the train for questioning, was also arrested.

All three were produced before the court of city magistrate from where they were shifted to a jail for 14 days.

After the issue came to light last month, police had said there was no basis in the complaint by the Bajrang Dal activists and all four women took the next train to their destination in Odisha.

Bengaluru: Citing health reasons, former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who stepped down from his post on March 3 following allegations of sexual harassment against him, did not appear on Friday before the Special Investigation team probing the case.

The Gokak MLA deputed his counsel with a letter to the Investigating Officer, stating that he was not keeping well and requested further time till he recovered.

Jarkiholi, who was Water Resources Minister in Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa-led cabinet, had resigned on March three, a day after news channels aired videos of the alleged sex scandal.

An FIR was registered against Jarkiholi on March 26 based on a written complaint by the woman through her lawyer.

While Jarkiholi has repeatedly claimed his innocence and that the video was fake, the woman in the purported sex video has accused him of sexually using her, cheating and threatening her after promising a government job.

New Delhi The Election Commission on Friday barred Assam minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma from campaigning for 48 with immediate effect for allegedly making threatening remarks against against Bodoland People’s Front chief Hagrama Mohilary.

The Commission hereby strongly condemns the impugned statements made by Himanta Biswa Sarma …

“The Commission … bars him from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, road shows, interviews and public utterances in media (electronic, print, social media) in connection with ongoing elections for 48 hours from immediate effect on April 02 (Friday),” the order read.

The Congress had approached the EC demanding action against Sarma for his remark that Mohilary would be sent to jail through central probe agency NIA if he does “extremism” with rebel leader M Batha.

The Bodoland People’s Front is an ally of the Congress in Assam. It was previously with the BJP.

On Thursday, the EC notice to Sarma quoted transcript of the speech provided by the state election machinery.

“If Hagrama does extremism with Batha he will go to jail. This is a straight talk. If Hagrama encourages Batha, he will go to jail. Already got lot of evidence. This case is beinq qiven to NIA,” according to a portion of Sarma’s speech made part of the notice.

Dinhata/Natabari/Falakata (WB) Asserting that she was winning the election from Nandigram, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that she does not need his “suggestion” on contesting from an alternate seat.

The prime minister had on Thursday asked Banerjee to clarify whether there is truth in “rumours” that she would file her nomination for another seat going to the polls in the last phase, maintaining that the TMC chief has admitted defeat in Nandigram.

“I want to tell the prime minister to control his home minister first and then try to control us. We are not your party’s members that you will control us,” Banerjee said at an election rally in Dinhata in the north Bengal district of Coochbehar.

Banerjee had on Friday alleged that Shah was influencing central forces to behave in a partisan manner during the Bengal polls.

“I am not your party’s member that you will suggest I contest from another seat. I have contested from Nandigram and will win from there,” she added.

At a rally in Uluberia on Thursday, Modi said that the people of Bengal are prepared if she goes anywhere else to contest, anticipating defeat in Nandigram, where she was up against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, her former close aide.

Banerjee, who began her north Bengal tour with the rally here, alleged that the election is not being conducted by the Election Commission but by Amit Shah, the Home Minister.

She also alleged that the central forces were being used to intimidate the voters.

“I want more than 200 seats, since anything less than that will mean they (BJP) will buy the ‘gaddars’ (traitors),” Banerjee said, apparently admitting that TMC MLAs may be up for grabs if her party wins by a slender margin in the elections to the 294-member assembly.

Banerjee said she required “strong people”, including women, to be polling agents for her party in the elections who would not give in to any intimidation or allurement.

The TMC chief had for some time been voicing concerns that her rivals may buy up poll booth agents, critical to the election process as these party officials help check electoral malpractices and fake voting.

Speaking at Natabari, also in Coochbehar, the chief minister said leaders from Tamil Nadu, where assembly elections will be held next week, had contacted her over income tax raids on relatives of DMK leader M K Stalin, claiming that these were done at the behest of Amit Shah.

She alleged raids by central investigative agencies in Bengal were for similar political considerations.

The TMC supremo while speaking at Falakata in Alipurduar, claimed the names of 14 lakh Bengali speaking citizens residing in Assam were deleted in NPR, and maintained the BJP had similar plans for Bengal also.