Get all the news about today’s top incidents of the day in this article.
Andhra town tense after attack on TDP leader’s house
Tension gripped Macherla town of Andhra Pradesh while police deployed additional forces and imposed prohibitory orders on Saturday to prevent violence following overnight attack on the house of a leader of opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
Police either detained several leaders of TDP or placed them under house arrest to stop them from reaching Macherla town in Palnadu district.
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Blaming ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) for the attack on TDP leader Brahma Reddy, the opposition party called for protests and several leaders were trying to proceed to the town.
About 40 people attacked the house of Brahma Reddy house, ransacked and set it afire. The armed mob also damaged over 10 cars and torched two vehicles. The inmates alleged that the assailants took away cash and gold jewellery by breaking open the locker.
Following the attack, tension gripped the town. Police rushed additional forces to the town. Superintendent of Police Ravi Shankar Reddy was monitoring the situation.
Prohibitory orders under section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code were imposed to prevent further violence. Shops and business establishments were closed while on the advice of police state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) suspended the bus services till further notice.
The SP said cases were booked in connection with the Friday’s incidents. He said police were trying to identify and arrest the culprits. He, however, clarified that there was no political angle to the incidents. He termed it as a fight between two groups.
Police say tension had been brewing between two groups ever since TDP took up protest programmes against the YSRCP government.
The TDP, however, alleged that YSRCP men attacked the house of its leader with a plan and the police remained mute spectators.
Meanwhile, police in the united Guntur district placed TDP leaders under house arrest to prevent them from reaching Macherla. Tension prevailed at TDP office in Guntur as police tried to stop party leaders from heading towards Macherla.
TDP Palnadu district president B. V. Anjaneyulu was also kept under house arrest even as he was planning to call on SP to submit a complaint about Friday night’s violence.
Senior TDP leader D. Narendra was placed under house arrest in Guntur as he was leaving for Macherla. Another senior leader P. Keshav warned that the ruling party would have to pay a heavy price for continued attacks on TDP leaders.
Man jumps from rooftop after throwing child
A man jumped from the rooftop of his house in South Delhi’s Kalkaji area shortly after throwing his two-year-old child, police said on Saturday, adding that the two have been hospitalised.
The 30-year-old man has been identified as Man Singh, a resident of Sanjay Colony near Okhla.
According to a senior police official, the Kalkaji police station received information at 10.38 p.m. on Friday night that a person had jumped from the rooftop of his house after throwing down one child.
“Acting on the information, a police team rushed to the spot and found tha t Man Singh had allegedly jumped down from the rooftop at a height of about 21 feet after throwing down his minor son. On enquiry, it was revealed that the house where the incident occurred belongs to the grandmother of his wife Pooja and she had already taken the injured boy to Holy Family Hospital,” the official said.
Man Singh was shifted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre.
“Pooja alleged that her relation with Man Singh was not good and she had been living with her grandmother with her two kids since the past few days. Her husband reached the house on Friday evening and argued with her under the influence of liquor,” said the official.
Suddenly, he took his son to the rooftop and threw him down, following which he jumped, the official said, adding that a case under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC has been registered.
K’taka teen gives birth in hostel, Dalit bodies demand action on staff
In a shocking incident, a Class-12 student gave birth to a baby in a government-run girls’ hostel in Chikmagalur city of the state, sources said on Saturday.
Dalit organisations have demanded strict action against the hostel warden and district social welfare officer.
The outfits, including Dalit Sangharsh Samithi (DSS) which raised the issue, alleged that the incident had taken place in a hostel where about 200 girl students reside.
According to sources, the social welfare officer has claimed that since the girl wrapped clothes around her abdomen, they were unable to recognise the pregnancy.
The police have lodged a POCSO case in this regard and started investigations.
Raising questions on the safety of girls in government-run hostels, the activists asked how parents can send their wards to government hostels under these circumstances.
Girls’ health conditions need to be checked once every three months. Had the authorities followed this rule, the incident would have come to light much earlier. Instead, the authorities have facilitated the delivery in the hostel, they charged.
The organisations have demanded registration of FIRs against the social welfare officer and the hostel warden- both women. The two should be terminated from their services, they asserted.
Fire breaks out in basement of Delhi hospital, no injuries
A fire broke out in the basement of the Phoenix Hospital in South Delhi’s Greater Kailash-1 area on Saturday. However, there were no injuries.
According to Atul Garg, the Director of Delhi Fire Service, a call regarding the blaze at the hospital was received at 9.08 a.m. following which five fire tenders were pressed into service.
“The fire is under control and so far no injuries were reported. Cooling process is underway,” said Garg.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
Around 600 factories in Kolkata operate without fire NOCs
Several congested pockets in the city are virtually sitting over mini-volcanoes as around 600 small factories and warehouses operate without requisite clearances from the West Bengal fire services department, as per a recent fire safety audit report.
What is even more alarming is that most of these factories and warehouses are located in extremely congested pockets in the city like Tangra, Rajabazar, Khidirpur, Tiljala and Topsia areas, where the task of extinguishing any major fire is a herculean task considering the extremely narrow approach- ways for the fire tenders.
According to the state Fire Services Department Minister Sujit Basu, the fire safety audit was conducted on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s instructions after a number of fire incidents at factories and warehouses in the congested areas were reported.
The report also reveals that besides running without requisite clearance from the state fire services department, the minimum fire safety norms are not followed in such 600 odd factories and warehouses. “Many of the workers employed with such factories and warehouses stay within the factory premises where they cook food without maintaining the minimum safety norms. This is a dangerous syndrome considering that highly inflammable articles are often stocked there. Most of these factories and warehouses do not even have proper electrical wiring systems,” said a state fire services department official who refused to be named.
Admitting such factories running without proper fire safety clearance, Sujit Basu said the state government wants to regularise the system but not at the cost of closing down their businesses. “We will send notices to the owners of such factories and warehouses to upgrade their fire safety systems. It has also been decided that joint workshops by the state fire services department, state police and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation will be conducted to sensitize them on such issues,” Basu said.
It is learnt that there are around 450 pockets in the city where the approach-ways are narrow and congested posing problems for the fire tenders to reach the source of fire. Additional deep tube-wells are being set up in such pockets to ensure proper water supply for the fire tenders in case of fire.
Search on for missing students in Krishna river
Rescue operations continued in Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna district where five students went missing on Friday while taking a bath in the Krishna river.
Officials said on Saturday that two bodies were recovered while search was continuing for three others.
Personnel of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) with the assistance of fishermen and divers were carrying out search operations.
A group of students from Vijayawada and aged between 13 and 17 had gone to the river near Yenamalakuduru for taking bath. Initially taking bath on the banks, they entered into the deep water and started drowning.
One of the students sitting near the river cried for help. Some fishermen rushed to the rescue and pulled out one of the boys safely while another managed to swim to safety.
Alerted by the locals, police rushed to the area and with the help of revenue and other departments launched a rescue operation. Later, NDRF personnel also joined.
Bodies of E. Gunasekhar (14) and T. Kamesh (15), students of 9th and 10th classes respectively, were recovered late Friday. The rescue operation resumed Saturday morning to trace remaining boys. M. Balu, a student of intermediate second year, Shaikh Hussain of 9th class and Shaikh Baji of 8th class were still missing.
According to police, the students from different schools and a couple of drop-outs who were all friends had together gone to the river to take bath.
Kashmir, Ladakh shiver in sub-zero night temperature
People shivered as sub-zero night temperature continued in Kashmir and Ladakh region on Saturday, a MeT official said.
“Same weather conditions are likely to continue during the next 24 hours with a drop in the minimum temperatures during this period in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh”, he added.
Srinagar had minus 2.4 degree Celsius, Pahalgam minus 4.3 degree and Gulmarg minus 2 degree as the minimum temperature.
In the Ladakh region, Kargil had minus 12.1 degree, while figures for Drass and Leh are still awaited.
Jammu had 7.2 degrees, Katra 7.8, Batote 4.3, Banihal 2.6 and Bhaderwah 2.1 as the minimum temperature.
J&K bureaucrats, cops, retd judges, politicians lose excess security cover
In a significant development, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have withdrawn excess security from politicians, retired judges and both serving/retired IAS, IPS and J&K cadre police and civil officers.
The withdrawal was necessitated after a security audit was held during which it was pointed out that excess security needed to be withdrawn based on categorisation of protected persons, top sources said.
They said that the exercise had to be undertaken because those falling in ‘Y’ security category had been given security cover of ‘Z’ category and those of ‘Z’ category were enjoying the cover of ‘Z Plus’ category.
“This disparity has now been removed,” the top sources told IANS.
In addition to the withdrawal of personal security officers (PSOs) of 20 politicians, two excess PSOs of former DGP S.P. Vaid and three of former ADGP Munir Ahmad Khan have also been withdrawn.
SPOs of retired police officers, who were holding excess PSOs, have now been recalled by the security headquarters.
The retired IGPs are Mubarak Ahmad Ganie, Rouf-ul-Hassan, A.S. Bali, Mohammad Amin Anjum, Ghulam Hassan Bhat, Mohammad Amin Shah, Jagjeet Kumar, Javid Ahmad Makhdoomi and Shamas Ahmad Khan.
Excess security was also withdrawn from Muzaffar Hussain Attar, retired Judge High Court/Chairman of Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee of Private Schools; and Bashir Ahmad Dar, former Senior Additional Advocate General.
Serving and retired IAS officers, who have lost extra security cover, include Masood Samoon (former PSC member); Athar Amir Shafi, Commissioner SMC; Fazallul Haseeb, SDM Dharmari; Simrandeep Singh, on deputation to Centre; Rahul Yadav, Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation; Ghulam Nabi Naik, retired IAS; and Khurshid Ahmad Shah, retired Commissioner/ Secretary Public Works (R&B) Department.
More politicians of National Conference, Congress, PDP, BJP, Democratic Azad Party (DAP), People’s Conference have also lost additional security cover.
They include Ghulam Ahmad Mir, former PCC (I) chief; Nasir Aslam Wani alias Sogami, former Minister of State for Home; Kafeel-ur-Rehman, Nazir Gurezi, Javed Rana, all former MLAs from NC; Dr Sajad Shafi, Shafqat Watali, Hilal Akbar Lone, all NC; Taj Mohi-ud-Din, former Minister (now in DAP); Mohammad Iqbal Mir, Fayaz Ahmad Mir, both Congress; and Mohammad Amin Bhat, former MLA (DAP).
Three BJP leaders, whose excess security cover has been taken back, are Ghulam Hassan Malik, Bilal Ahmad Parray and Mohammad Ashraf Reshi.
Tariq Ahmad Veeri of Apni Party has also lost excess security with him. PDP leader Abdul Ahad Tantray’s additional protection has also been withdrawn.
Leaders of People’s Conference of Sajjad Ghani Lone, whose extra PSOs have been called back by the Security Department are Sakeena Ansari, Kumail Hussain Ansari, Dr Amjid Raza Ansari, Abdul Hussain Bhat, Nighat Gul, Adnan Ashraf Mir, Mohammad Yaseen Bhat and Habibullah Beigh.
The serving police officers/officials, whose excess security cover has gone, are Shabir Ahmad Malik, SP attached with Police Headquarters, Javed Ahmad Bhat, Staff Officer to IGP Kashmir, Zubair Ahmad Khan, SSP PCR Srinagar, Fayaz Ahmad Lone, SSP and Commandant IRP 10th battalion, Maqsood-ul-Zaman, SSP posted as SO to IGP Traffic, Mansoor Ahmad Mir, SSP Traffic Rural Kashmir, Nighat Aman, Deputy Commandant JKAP 11th, Ashiq Hussain Tak, Additional SP Bandipora, Imran Farooq, Additional SP CID SB Kashmir, Aftab Ahmad Mir, Additional SP Bhaderwah, Sheikh Adil Mushtaq, DySP Anti-Hijacking Srinagar, Afroz Ahmad, Additional SP Shopian, Aijaz Ahmad Malik, Deputy Commandant IRP 23rd, Atul Sharma, Commandant IRP 23rd, Raja Zuhaib Tanveer, SP North Srinagar, Rasiq Ahmad Mir, Deputy Commandant IRP 3rd and Sajad Ahmad Dar, Deputy Commandant JKAP 13th.
The government officials, whose excess security cover has been taken back, include Dr. Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Vice Chairman, J&K Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, Srinagar, Aijaz Ahmad Bhat, Director Horticulture Kashmir, Mohammad Haneef Balki, Additional DC Srinagar, Rayaz Ahmad, Director SRLM, Galib Mohi-ud-Din, CEO Tourism Development Authority Shopian/Kulgam, Reyaz Ahmad Wani, ex Director Urban and Local Bodies, Sumaira Khan, J&K AIDS Prevention Control Society, Zaffar Hussain Shawl, Additional DC Awantipora and Sajad Qadir, General Manager DIC Srinagar/Budgam.
Six members of a family charred to death in Telangana
Six members of a family were charred to death when their house in Telangana’s Macherial district caught fire, police said on Saturday.
The tragedy occurred in Venkatapur village of Mandamarri mandal past midnight.
The fire broke out in the house of Shivaiah when all the victims were asleep, the police said.
Shivaiah (50), his wife Padma (45), Padma’s nephew Mounika (23), her two daughters and another relative Shantaiah (52), an employee of Singareni Collieries, were burnt alive.
On receiving of the information, fire fighting personnel rushed to the scene and doused the fire.
The house was completely gutted.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Akhil Mahajan said that a short circuit is suspected to have resulted in the fire.
He said the exact cause will be known after a thorough investigation.
Police registered a case and shifted the bodies to Mancherial for autopsy.
