2 killed, 9 injured as fire breaks out at godown in outer Delhi
New Delhi: Two men were killed and nine others injured after a fire broke out at a godown in outer Delhi on Tuesday evening, an official said. The three-storeyed godown in Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar was used for storing paints, chemicals and CNG kits, police said. It is suspected that leakage from a CNG kit of a truck triggered an explosion and the fire, they added. A call was received around 4:20 pm regarding the fire in the godown. Eleven fire tenders were rushed to the spot, said an official from the Delhi Fire Service Department. The crime and forensics teams were called in and prima facie it appears the fire occurred due to the leakage in one of the CNG kits, police said. The deceased have been identified as Kuldeep and Bal Kishan, both workers at the godown, while the injured as Vinod, Fitrat, Rakesh, Satyaveer, Jayapal, Bittu, Pannalal, Heeralal and another person who is yet to be identified, they said. Labourers were unloading goods from a tempo when the fire broke out. The tempo caught fire and went up in pieces, police said. The owner of the building, identified as Parvesh, is absconding, they said. (PTI)
Prominent roads in UP to be named after great personalities
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to name prominent roads in various districts of the state after great personalities associated with them. The state government has also decided to name 54 inter-state highways after national and international personalities, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said while addressing a review meeting of the PWD department on Tuesday evening. “Now roads of districts will be named after great personalities of that area. Also, 54 inter-state connectivity highways will be named after great national and international personalities and huge entry gates will also be constructed. Besides ensuring greenery alongside highways, names of great personalities and history of the area will be mentioned ,” he said. He also directed that road repair should be carried out on a war footing especially in areas where roads have bee damaged due to rains. He said proposals of people’s representatives should be taken up on priority and they should be informed when the work was started or completed in their areas. Stressing on maintaining quality of work, Maurya asked officials to accord “top priority to the Indo Nepal border, which is sensitive in view of security”. He also asked officials to identify best among all 75 districts in terms of roads so that those without good roads can be taken care of. (PTI)
CBI probe ordered into death of tigers at Corbett Tiger Reserve
Nainital: The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered a CBI probe into the death of tigers at the Corbett Tiger Reserve over the past five years and alleged involvement of forest department officials in the poaching of big cats. A division bench of the the high court comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Lokpal Singh Tuesday ordered inquiry into the death of tigers in the park. The court also asked the CBI to find out the involvement of forest officers in the poaching of tigers. The matter shall be inquired into and investigated by the CBI and the preliminary report shall be submitted to this court, in sealed cover, within three months, it said. The CBI is free to take the services of its Wildlife Wing for the probe. The direction came after the court was told that out of nine tiger deaths in the past only six were natural deaths. The court does not order for investigation by the CBI but the present case is the rarest of rare cases where the expertise of the CBI is solicited, the court said. The court further observed that in a period of two and a half years 40 tigers and 272 leopards have died in the state. As per a newspaper report poachers active in Uttarakhand belong to the Bawariya gang hailing from Haryana. The Director General of Police is directed to constitute a Special Investigation Team headed by Senior Superintendents of Police to nab these poachers, the court said. The court further took cognisance of the fact that an area measuring 318.80 hectares falling in Dhulwa and Dhumanda has not been formally included in the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The State is directed to include this area in Corbett Tiger Reserve within one month. Issuing various directions to preserve wildlife the court banned the entry of private or commercial gypsies to ply in Dhikala Zone of the reserve thereby modifying previous order of permitting 32 vehicles each to ply in Jhirna as well as in Birjani Zones. (PTI)
Expelled DMK leader leads rally to Karunanidhi’s mausoleum
Chennai: Expelled DMK leader M K Alagiri led a rally of his supporters in a show of strength to the mausoleum of his late father and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi at the Marina beach on Wednesday. Dressed in black, to condole Karunanidhi’s death, the rally began from Triplicane. After walking for a while, Alagiri hopped on to an open van, waving enthusiastically to cheer his cadres. The expelled leader’s followers from various districts held banners, which read “karam korpom kazhagam kappom,’ (let us join hands and guard the party). The former Union minister’s loyalists, including Madurai-based P M Mannan, are taking part in the rally. Alagiri said some day ago that he was ready to accept the leadership of his estranged brother M K Stalin if he was admitted into the party. Hei was expelled from the DMK in 2014. (PTI)
IPS officer consumes poison
Kanpur: An Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Surendra Das, posted as a Superintendent of Police in Kanpur city, consumed poison on Wednesday, police said. His condition is said to be “very critical”. Doctors at a city hospital told IANS that Das had been put on ventilator for respiratory support and that the next 48 hours would prove to be very critical for the officer’s recovery. A 2014 batch officer, Das attempted suicide at his official residence and was rushed to the hospital by his staff. His parents live in Lucknow and have since rushed to Kanpur to be with Das. The officer hails from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh and his wife is a doctor. Informed sources say the officer may have taken the extreme step due to marital discord. Das, a B.Tech, is known as a good officer in police circles. (IANS)