Archives for 2024

Bahraich (UP): Police have booked a man and detained around 30 people in connection with the communal violence that broke out in a village here and led to the death of a 22-year-old, officials said on Monday.

The face-off occurred on Sunday in the Mahrajganj area of Mansoor village when a Durga idol immersion procession passed through. Around half a dozen people were injured in stone pelting and firing.

Superintendent of Police (SP), Bahraich, Vrinda Shukla said 25-30 people have been detained and efforts are on to bring normalcy in the areas affected by disturbance.

She added that an adequate police force has been deployed.

“All anarchist elements will be identified,” Shukla said, adding that stringent action would be taken against them.

The SP said a case has been registered against a person identified as Salman. Gunshots were fired from his house, which also functions as a shop.

Identities of those involved in the incident are being ascertained and some suspects have been detained, she said.

Sunday’s violence was triggered by a disagreement over music being blasted out from loudspeakers while the procession was passing through the area.

Ram Gopal Mishra of Rehua Mansoor village was walking in the procession when he suffered a bullet wound. He was rushed to a hospital where he died during treatment, one of his family members said.

The area was fraught with communal tension after the killing. Similar processions were cancelled in Fakharpur town and some other places.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath denounced the violence and directed the administration to communicate with religious organisations and get the idol immersions done on time.

He also directed police to deploy personnel at the immersion sites.

Sanjay Singh Gangwar Uttar Pradesh’s junior minister for sugarcane development

Pilibhit: In a series of unusual remarks, Sanjay Singh Gangwar, Uttar Pradesh’s junior minister for sugarcane development, has claimed that cancer can be cured by cleaning and lying in cowsheds.

He also suggested that petting and serving cows could reduce the need for blood pressure medication within 10 days.

Speaking at the inauguration of a cow shelter in Pakadia Naugawan, Pilibhit, on Sunday, Gangwar said, “If a person with high blood pressure pets a cow morning and evening, their dosage of medicine could be reduced by half in just 10 days.”

He went further, stating in Hindi that, “If a cancer patient starts to clean a cowshed and lies there, even cancer can be cured. And, if you burn cow dung cakes, you can get rid of mosquitoes. So, everything that a cow produces is useful in some way.”

Addressing press persons the Minister also urged people to celebrate their wedding anniversaries and children’s birthdays in cow shelters and to also donate fodder.

New Delhi: A New York-bound Air India flight carrying 239 passengers from Mumbai was on Monday diverted to the Delhi airport following a security concern arising out of a bomb threat in the aircraft, officials said here.

They said all passengers have disembarked and the aircraft was being searched.

“The aircraft is currently stationed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, and all standard safety protocols are being diligently followed to ensure the safety of the passengers and crew on board,” a senior police officer said.

The officer said the threat was received through a tweet and is being verified.

Air India issued a statement saying, “Flight AI119 operating Mumbai to JFK on October 14 received a specific security alert and on instructions of the government’s security regulatory committee was diverted to Delhi.”

“All passengers have disembarked and are at the Delhi airport terminal. Our colleagues on the ground are making sure to minimise the inconvenience caused to our guests by this unexpected disruption,” it added.

Air India is committed to and accords top priority to the safety and security of its passengers and crew, the statement said.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddiqui

Mumbai: Mumbai Police have arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Baba Siddiqui. The suspects, Gurmail Baljit Singh (23) from Haryana, Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19) from Uttar Pradesh, and Pravin Lonkar (29) from Pune, are linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. This group has previously issued threats to Bollywood actor Salman Khan. Gurmail and Dharmaraj allegedly opened fire on Siddiqui during the attack.

The murder took place on Saturday when the assailants, taking advantage of the sound of firecrackers, shot at Siddiqui. He was immediately taken to Lilavati Hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.

According to police, the conspiracy was devised in Patiala jail with help from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, naming Mohammad Zeeshan Akhtar as a key conspirator. One of the suspects, Pravin Lonkar, was arrested after his brother, Shubham, posted on social media claiming responsibility for the murder, though he later deleted the post.

Police are still searching for other individuals involved, including Shivkumar Gautam, another shooter who remains absconding. Gurmail Singh has a criminal record, having been arrested in a previous murder case in 2019 but later released on bail. His family claims to have disowned him more than a decade ago.

Dharmaraj Kashyap’s family expressed shock at his involvement, stating that he had left home two months ago to work at a scrapyard in Pune, and they had no knowledge of his activities since then.

Baiju Santhosh

Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam film actor Baiju Santhosh was arrested by the police early Monday for allegedly driving his car rashly under the influence of alcohol and hitting a two-wheeler.

The incident occurred at 11.45 pm on the Kowdiar-Vellayambalam road, under the Museum police station limits in the capital city.

Upon learning of the incident, the police arrived at the scene, took Baiju into custody, and recorded his arrest at 12.30 am on Monday.

He was charged under Section 281 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) (Rash driving on a public way) and Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Driving under the influence of alcohol).

Baiju was later released on station bail. The car has been taken into police custody.

The scooter passenger, who did not suffer serious injuries, has not lodged a complaint with the police.