Jitan Ram Manjhi’s son detained with Rs 4.65 lakh cash: Police
Jehanabad (Bihar): In a major embarrassment for ex-Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi ahead of Bihar polls, his son Praveen Kumar was on Sunday detained by the police after he was allegedly found carrying Rs 4.65 lakh in cash in a car. During routine checking of vehicles, the police intercepted a car at Gaya-Jehanabad check post near Umta village and seized Rs 4.65 lakh in cash from Manjhi’s son Praveen Kumar who was on his way to Patna from Gaya, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Md. Ashfaq Ansari said. Kumar was detained and taken to Makdumpur police station for questioning after he failed to give a satisfactory reply about the purpose for carrying the cash, he said. Senior police and civil officials have gone to Makdumpur police station to question Kumar, Ansari said. Manjhi, the former chief minister, who is also the President of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), is in New Delhi for seat-sharing talks with BJP. The five-phase Bihar Assembly election will begin from October 12 and counting of votes will take place on November 8. (PTI)
IIT-Roorkee’s Assistant Prof returns home after going missing
Dehradun: A 37-year-old Assistant Professor of IIT-Roorkee who went missing two days ago from the campus has returned home and claimed that he had gone to Rishikesh to take a dip in the Ganges, police said on Sunday. Kirti Bhushan, working as Assistant Professor of the mechanical engineering department at IIT-Roorkee started for the institute from his house at the campus on the morning of September 11 but did not return till late at night, they said. His wife tried to call him over cellphone but of no vail. She then contacted the campus guards and CCTV footage at the gates showed that Bhushan hired a rickshaw and went away, police said. The rickshaw puller informed that he had left the Assistant Professor at the bus-stand from where he boarded a bus, they said, adding that after primary investigation a case of missing person was registered. Last night Bhushan came back home and said that he had gone to Rishikesh to take a bath in the Ganges, police said. (PTI)
BJP pays tribute to Kashmiri Pandit leader Tika Lal Taploo
Jammu: BJP on Sunday paid tributes to party’s former vice president and prominent Kashmiri Pandit leader Tika Lal Taploo, who was gunned down in Srinagar 26 years ago. A programme was organised by BJP’s Kashmir Displaced Unit under Triloki Nath Bhat on the occasion. BJP state president and MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, MLC Ashok Khajuria and other senior BJP leaders paid rich tributes to Taploo, a party spokesman said. Sharma said Taploo was “a great patriot and prominent pillar of BJP in Kashmir”, who could not be deviated from his mission of strengthening nationalist forces and commitment to defeat anti-India elements in the state. Former party president and MLC Ashok Khajuria said that he himself got many opportunities to work with Taploo and was very much impressed by his “simplicity and noble principles”. (PTI)
National Zoological Park staff injured
New Delhi: A staff of National Zoological Park (Delhi Zoo) was injured while trying to separate two elephants who clashed on Sunday morning. The staff member Kulin Boro, care taker of elephants’ in the zoo was looking after the three elephants who were allowed morning stroll as per schedule. When the two elephants started a fight while playing he tried to separate them. “While doing so he fell down and received light injuries on his arms and knee. He was rushed to RML hospital where he was treated for his wounds and later discharged,” said zoo official RA Khan. Three elephants including an African elephant Shankar, and one Indian female elephant Raj Laxmi and male Heera, are put together in the mote of the zoo. (PTI)
WB takes up project to provide water for irrigation: Mamata
Kolkata: In a bid to conserve surface and rain water to provide round the year assured irrigation, the West Bengal government has taken up a project to construct around 800 check dams and other water harvesting structures, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. “Our government has taken up an environment-friendly scheme named ‘Jalatirtha’ to conserve surface and rain water to provide round the year assured irrigation to the people by construction of Check Dams, Water Harvesting Structures and Surface Flow Minor Irrigation Schemes,” Banerjee said in a statement. “The Scheme taken up in four districts of Bankura, Birbhum, Purulia and Paschim Medinipur will help to prevent soil erosion, recharge ground water aquifers, improve production and productivity of agriculture, fishery, duck rearing and animal feeding etc,” Banerjee stated. Banerjee said around 800 check dams and other water harvesting structures would be constructed to facilitate irrigation of nearly 32,000 hectares in the state. “Around 800 structures like Check Dams, Water Harvesting Structures and Surface Flow Minor Irrigation Schemes will be constructed under Jalatirtha, which will help irrigate an area of nearly 32,000 hectares benefiting around 4,000 farmers. (PTI)
