Toll during Ganesha idols immersion rises to 13
New Delhi: As least 13 persons drowned during the ceremonial immersion of Lord Ganesha’s idols in the Yamuna river here Wednesday. Rescue operations were continuing on Thursday and authorities said the toll might go up. “At least four more bodies have been fished out from Wazirabad ghat since Thursday morning while a total of nine bodies were recovered Wednesday from the Yamuna river,” a fire service official told IANS. All the victims drowned in the Yamuna river here at various ghats Wednesday during immersion ceremonies of Lord Ganesha’s idols, police said. Five bodies were fished out from Wazirabad, two from Burari and one from Sonia Vihar area, a police official added. The deceased were identified as Rajesh, 25, Toshi, 25, Rahul 31, Kale, 31, and Yogesh Kumar, 20. While the bodies of Sunny, 22, and Bhogat, 20, were fished out from Sonia Vihar, 45-year-old Bhagat was brought out from Burari. Many bodies have not been identified as yet. Last year, five people had drowned at Wazirabad ghat during idol immersion. (IANS)
Grave matter lands woman in psychiatry ward
Cuncolim (Goa): A middle-aged woman has been detained and admitted to a state-run psychiatry institute for vandalising 92 crosses in a cemetery in Cuncolim village, 45 km from the capital of Goa. Lewi Afonso confessed to the destruction in the presence of a women NGO’s representative. She said she uprooted and broke the crosses positioned near graves because she thought they “were old and the cemetery needed cleaning”, a senior police official told IANS. “The incident took place near St. Rock Church Tuesday night. We have sent her to the Institute for Psychiatry and Human Behaviour for examination and treatment,” Mohan Naik, deputy superintendent of police, said. (IANS)
Top UP police officer goes on long leave
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General of Police Arun Kumar on Thursday proceeded on long leave, leading to speculation that he took the step over political interference in police work. Official sources confirmed that the second seniormost police officer in the state had gone on leave, but refused to speak on the reasons behind it. Arun Kumar, said to be with an impeccable service record and known for his uprightness and honesty, has been for some time now considering going on deputation to the central government. He had served as joint director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) a few years back and was the officer-in-charge of the Aarushi Talwar and Hemraj murder case. He returned to his parent cadre during the Bahujan Samaj Party government, but was sidelined with a posting in the technical services. Arun Kumar had camped for a week in the violence-hit Muzaffarnagar region and only moved out after normalcy was restored. A total of 48 people were killed and more than 43,000 displaced in communal clashes that erupted Sep 7 and lasted for three days. (IANS)
Rajasthan minister resigns
Jaipur: Rajasthan Minister of State for Dairy and Rural Industries Babu Lal Nagar resigned on Thursday, two days after a woman filed a case against him accusing him of raping her. A first information report (FIR) was Tuesday registered against Nagar at the Sodala police station here, a police officer told IANS. Nagar told the media that he sent his resignation letter to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s office. “I am resigning on moral grounds and to let the investigation agency conduct a free and fair probe,” he said. Nagar refuted the allegations and said he was being framed in “a political conspiracy”. “My house was swarming with people on Sep 11, the day when the woman says she was raped. I was not alone even for a minute,” said Nagar. Nagar represents Dudu in Ajmer district in the state assembly. A police officer said the complainant was a married woman. She had approached a court recently, and the court directed police to register the FIR. (IANS)
Man killed by sons
Gopalganj: A man was killed by his sons and daughter- in-laws for money at Sonipur village under Gopalpur police station here on Thursday. According to police, the man had sold some land and his sons and daughter-in-laws were asking for the money. To get the money, his four sons and three daughter-in-laws killed him with lethal weapon. An FIR was lodged against all the seven accused in connection with the incident. (UNI)