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"Deeply saddened": President Murmu expresses grief over Telangana Chemical factory blast

"Deeply saddened": President Murmu expresses grief over Telangana Chemical factory blast

India Gazette30-06-2025
New Delhi [India], June 30 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu on Monday expressed grief over the fire accident at Sigachi Pharma chemical factory in Telangana's Sangareddy district that killed at least 12 people and injured several others.
'Deeply saddened by the tragic fire accident at a factory in Sangareddy, Telangana, which claimed several lives. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,' Murmu said in a post on X.
Earlier today, Director General of the Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services, Y Nagi Reddy, stated that rescue officials are currently unsure of the number of people trapped under the debris following the blast at the Sigachi Pharma Company in Sangareddy.
He added that, according to industrial experts, the blast occurred during the air handling and drying of Microcrystalline cellulose.
'Today, at around 9.48 am, there was a blast in the drying unit at Sigachi Pharma Company. The explosion led to a fire. A total of 12 people have died and 35 are injured in the incident,' Nagi Reddy told reporters after visiting the accident site.
'As per industrial experts, the incident happened during the air handling/drying of Microcrystalline cellulose. We are currently unsure of the number of people under the debris,' he added.
Rescue operations, including those by NDRF, are currently underway.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the explosion, and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakhs for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.
In a social media post on X, the Prime Minister's Office wrote, 'Anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire tragedy at a factory in Sangareddy, Telangana. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM @narendramodi.' (ANI)
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Not just stalking accused, several VIP relatives on list of law officers appointed by Haryana govt
Not just stalking accused, several VIP relatives on list of law officers appointed by Haryana govt

Indian Express

time28 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Not just stalking accused, several VIP relatives on list of law officers appointed by Haryana govt

THE Haryana government may be having a rethink over the appointment of Vikas Barala, an accused in a sexual harassment case, as Assistant Advocate General, but a scrutiny of the list shows that like Barala, many of those appointed as law officers are relatives of VIPs, including politicians and bureaucrats. This, ironically, when the Supreme Court, as early as 2016, had cautioned against such appointments and advised guidelines to insulate the process from politics. On July 18, Vikas Barala, the son of BJP Rajya Sabha MP and former Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala, was named as one of 97 law officers in the state. Talking to The Indian Express, Advocate General Pravindra Singh Chauhan said: 'As far as Vikas Barala is concerned, he has not joined yet…I was not aware of the background (of Vikas Barala). I don't think he (Vikas) will join.' AG Chauhan told The Indian Express that it was wrong to see all from one lens. 'I have seen their (the new appointees') working. All of them are competent lawyers. They have not made it to these posts due to their surnames, but only due to their competence. All the selections have been made on merit.' The AG's office in Haryana put out an advertisement in January for 100 posts of law officers (including 20 Additional AGs, 20 Senior Deputy AGs, 30 Deputy AGs and 30 Assistant AGs). A Selection Committee was then set up, with AG Chauhan as its head, and Special Secretary (Home) Maniram Sharma, 'Legal Remembrancer' Ritu Garg, and retired judges Darshan Singh and H S Bhalla as members. Of the 97 chosen, The Indian Express found, at least 23 have links to either politicians, bureaucrats or judges. These include at least seven close relatives of retired or serving high court judges, seven close relatives of IAS-IPS officers, seven close aides of BJP ministers or MLAs, and relatives of officials of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the State Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana. Aakash Singla, who has been appointed as Additional AG and whose father is a former head of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, told The Indian Express, 'I have been practising since 2012 and it is my first stint in the Haryana AG's office. I was earlier on the panel of Punjab and Haryana High Court.' Also appointed as Additional AG, Ruchi Sekhri, the BJP state secretary, Chandigarh, said, 'I have been practising for the last 22 years. It is my first stint in the Haryana AG's office.' Vasundhara Dalal Anand, the daughter of a former DGP who is also among the new Additional AGs, said she had been practising for over two decades and had earned her law degree from Delhi University. Another newly appointed Additional AG, not willing to be named, said she had been practising for nearly 15 years, and had earlier been with the Punjab AG's office. While an Additional AG in Haryana is entitled to Rs 1.8 lakh per month, apart from Rs 25,000 as retainer fee, a Deputy AG gets Rs 1.28 lakh, and an Assistant AG such as Vikas Barala Rs 88,400 per month. All the appointments are on a provisional/contract basis, and for a period of a year to begin with. A law officer's duties include giving advice to the state government in legal matters; to appear and defend the state government or its officials or any statutory authority before a court or tribunal; to represent the state government in any reference made by the President to the Supreme Court; and to discharge such other functions as are conferred on a law officer. The law officers are barred from appearing in any court of law 'against the interest of the state government'. Additionally, the AG can engage up to five advocates who 'possess such special qualifications and experience as deemed suitable for Law Officers'. The Haryana Law Officers' Engagement Act, 2016, says the candidates must be advocates, picked as per eligibility, merit and suitability, including the number of cases handled by them. While Barala's appointment has raised a row, such appointments took place under previous governments too. It was this that led to the Supreme Court curtailing the discretion of Punjab and Haryana governments in appointing law officers in March 2016, while advising guidelines for the same on the basis of merit and eligibility. Hearing a bunch of cases challenging law officers' appointments, a Bench of Chief Justice of India T S Thakur and Justice Kurian Joseph said: 'For a fair and objective system of appointment, there ought to be a fair and realistic assessment of the requirement. For otherwise, the appointments may be made not because they are required but because they come handy for political aggrandisement, appeasement or personal benevolence of those in power towards those appointed.' Rejecting the states' argument that appointments of law officers were contractual in nature and not public employment, the Court pointed out that the persons chosen lead some of the most important cases involving public interest. The Court also said that while its directions were confined to Punjab and Haryana, 'other states would (also) do well to reform their system of selection and appointment to make the same more transparent, fair and objective'. Subsequently, the BJP government in Haryana passed the Haryana Law Officers' Engagement Act in September 2016. Asked about Vikas Barala's appointment, former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda of the Congress said: 'I do not comment on individuals, but all I can say is that only competent people should be appointed (as law officers).' Another senior state politician said, 'It is commonly known that many of these appointments are political appointments. Of course, many of those who have political or bureaucratic linkages are also bright and competent and make it due to their competence, and not only due to their surnames.' Incidentally, on Thursday, hearing a case on the appointment of Punjab AG Maninderjit Singh Bedi, a Division Bench of the High Court held that 'you cannot succeed in the challenge to an office of Advocate General just by saying he is politically affiliated with some party… That cannot be a disqualification'. Meanwhile, in a Facebook post Thursday, Varnika Kundu, who had accused Vikas Barala of stalking and attempted abduction, said: 'Appointing someone to a public position of power is not just a political decision – it's a reflection of values and standards… Our policymakers run the country; the rest of us are just hoping they remember that they work FOR the INDIAN CITIZEN. What I will speak about is my own case – and the fact that despite months of national media attention, it has dragged on for this long with little progress… I continue to hold faith in the judiciary until the verdict is announced – but I won't deny that faith has wavered.'

Couple Find Surrogate Baby's DNA Not Linked To Them, Doctor Arrested In Major Surrogacy Racket
Couple Find Surrogate Baby's DNA Not Linked To Them, Doctor Arrested In Major Surrogacy Racket

News18

timean hour ago

  • News18

Couple Find Surrogate Baby's DNA Not Linked To Them, Doctor Arrested In Major Surrogacy Racket

Last Updated: An illegal surrogacy and baby-selling racket was busted in Hyderabad with the arrest of at least 10 people, including a doctor. A major illegal surrogacy and sperm trafficking racket has unravelled in the twin city of Hyderabad-Secunderabad. The Hyderabad police raided a fertility centre in Regimental Bazaar after a couple found out that the DNA of their child, born through surrogacy catered by the fertility centre, does not match with them. Police have arrested at least 10 persons in connection with the case, including a doctor. The accused, Dr Namrata, is the manager of Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Regimental Bazaar. As per the police, the accused used to target vulnerable women, particularly those seeking abortions, and lured them into continuing pregnancies in exchange for money and other reasons. The newborns were handed over to the couple who had approached the clinic for surrogacy. Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Zone-Hyderabad) S Rashmi Perumal said people were misled by the clinic into believing the babies were biologically theirs. Charged Rs 35 Lakh For Surrogacy The couple who approached the police stated that they had approached the fertility clinic in August 2024 for fertility and IVF consultation. Dr Namratha conducted their fertility-related tests and advised them to go for surrogacy. The DCP told PTI that the couple was directed to another branch of the clinic at Visakhapatnam for collection of specimens and were told that the surrogate would be arranged by the clinic and the embryo would be transplanted to the surrogate. Over the course of nine months, the couple made several payments to the clinic. In June this year, the complainant was informed that the surrogate had delivered a baby boy via C-section in Visakhapatnam. Overall, the clinic took over Rs 35 lakh from the couple as consultation charges for the procedures, police said. The baby boy and a 'false" birth certificate document were given to the couple. When the couple tried to get in touch with the clinic they were refused any documentation and were threatened, which prompted them to approach the police, the senior police official said. Illegal Rackets Operated Across Multiple Locations Based on the complaint, a detailed investigation was conducted on Saturday which revealed that Dr Namratha was allegedly conducting a large-scale illegal surrogacy and fertility 'scam". The main accused operated fertility centers in Vijayawada, Secunderabad, Visakhapatnam, and Kondapur, police said. Over the years, she expanded into unethical and illegal practices, collecting Rs 20-Rs 30 lakh from each client under false promises, police said. With the help of the medical department, the clinic at Gopalapuram in Hyderabad was sealed, police said. The Medical and Health Department had cancelled the registration of the involved fertility clinic previously, but the accused continued to operate from the building and put the name of another certified doctor on the official letterheads of the clinic. view comments First Published: July 28, 2025, 07:34 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Haridwar: Stampede at Mansa Devi temple claims 6 lives, injures 28; magisterial probe ordered
Haridwar: Stampede at Mansa Devi temple claims 6 lives, injures 28; magisterial probe ordered

The Print

timean hour ago

  • The Print

Haridwar: Stampede at Mansa Devi temple claims 6 lives, injures 28; magisterial probe ordered

The officer added that 34 people were rushed to a hospital of which six died. Rumours of an electricity current where the stairs begin triggered panic among people, leading to the stampede, Haridwar's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramendra Singh Dobal told PTI Videos. Haridwar, Jul 27 (PTI) A stampede broke out during a rush of pilgrims along a stair route leading to the Mansa Devi temple on a hilltop in Haridwar on Sunday, killing at least six people and leaving 28 injured, police said. The incident took place around 9 am. Being a Sunday, a sea of devotees had gathered at the temple atop the Shivalik hills at a height of more than 500 feet. Videos from the spot showed a massive rush of people, including children and women, towards the narrow entrance of the temple and outside the hospital, and of worried family members waiting for the news of their loved ones. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said a magisterial probe has been ordered into the circumstances leading to the stampede. Haridwar's Additional District Magistrate has been assigned the task of conducting a probe into the incident and submit a report within 15 days making recommendations on how to prevent the recurrence of such happenings in future, District Magistrate Mayur Dikshit said. Speaking to reporters here, CM Dhami said, 'A stampede broke out at the Mansa Devi temple in the morning because of a rumour…. We have ordered a magisterial probe into the incident and those responsible for spreading the rumour will face strict action.' The chief minister later visited the district hospital in Haridwar where most of the injured were admitted and went from bed to bed asking them about their well being. He assured the relatives attending them of all support from the government. Dhami also announced a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased persons and Rs 50,000 to the injured. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the political leaders who expressed grief over the loss of lives in the stampede. President Murmu, In a post on X in hindi, said 'The news of the deaths of many devotees in a stampede on the way to the Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar is deeply painful. I express my heartfelt condolences to all the grieving families. I pray that all the injured devotees recover quickly.' PM Modi, in a post on X, said 'Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected.' Disaster Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman in Dehradun of the total injured in the stampede, five have been referred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh for better treatment. According to the officials, those killed in the tragic incident have been identified as Arush (12), Shakal Dev (18), Vicky (18), Vipin (18), Vakil and Shanti — age of both have not been specified yet. 'The priority as of now is the rapid recovery of those injured in the stampede,' Garhwal Commissioner Vnay Shankar Pandey told reporters. Haridwar SSP Doval said that a rumor of electric current suddenly spread near the stairs about 100 meters below the temple and prima facie this caused the stampede. However, he said, a detailed investigation of the incident is being done. An injured devotee, Nirmala who is admitted at the government hospital, said the stampede happened as the horde of people going up and those hurrying downwards choked the narrow passage. 'People coming back from the temple pushed those climbing upwards and then people began falling over each other. Nothing could be seen because of the crowd. I kept lying down,' she said from her bed at the hospital. Locals said if the administration had been a little cautious, considering the possibility of a huge crowd coming to the Mansa Devi temple, the accident could have been avoided. Video clips of the stampede showed a huge crowd of men, women and children stuck in a narrow passage leading to the temple. Dozens of people, seemingly glued to each other and hardly moving, could only manage to hold the children above their heads. The temple, dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi, is one of the five sacred sites or 'Panch Tirthas' of Haridwar. Prime facie, it appears that the stampede broke out following a rumour that electricity was running through broken wires, District Magistrate Dikshit told reporters in Haridwar. Some broken wires were found at the site, suggesting that some people tried to climb up the stairs to the temple by clutching at those, he said. Search operations continued to find any victims hidden among the bushes and a ditch along the route where the stampede occurred. The roads and bushes on the surrounding hills were being scoured by the SDRF personnel as a precautionary measure, Haridwar Kotwali police station incharge Ritesh Shah said. He also said that closure of the route half an hour before the stampede prevented a bigger tragedy. People were stopped from going on the staircase half an hour before the accident in the morning as the crowd was too big, Shah said if this had not been done, the accident could have been bigger. PTI ALM NB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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