Latest news with #CoromandelExpress
Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
West Bengal: Cabinet okays job to families of Balasore train tragedy victims
The West Bengal Cabinet on Monday gave the go-ahead to a proposal to give a job each to the families of the 2023 Balasore train accident victims who hailed from the state, officials said. Thirteen of the 296 persons who died in the accident were residents of West Bengal. The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat. The Cabinet decided to give them home guards jobs in the police department. In one of the country's worst railway disasters, Chennai-bound Coromandel Express rammed into a stationary goods train at Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore, Odisha, on the evening of June 2, 2023. Minutes later, the coaches derailed in the collision were hit from the opposite direction by the Yeshvantpur Express that was going towards Howrah. The Cabinet also announced to allocate 40 acres land to Titagarh Rail Systems Limited for extension of the existing facility to manufacture Vande Bharat train coaches. The land will be given to the rail coach factory on a lease of 99 years for Rs 126 crore. The plot is located adjacent to TRSL's current 34-acre plant in Uttarpara in Kotrung and Bhadreswar in the Hooghly district. The Cabinet decided to change the provision of widow and old age allowances. So far, the social welfare office was in charge of the approval of the allowances in the Kolkata Corporation. But from now, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation commissioner can approve the allowances. The administration has argued that the process will be faster, simpler and transparent under the new system. The beneficiaries will get quick allowances in this process, the state government claimed. Speaking at the meeting, the CM expressed concern over the harassment of Bengali-speaking people in other states. Stating that such injustice cannot be tolerated, she said peaceful protests need to be organised. A minister said, 'In the meeting, the CM asked ministers to take out with rallies in the districts to support Bengali migrant workers who were being humiliated in the other states. She also said on July 21, the TMC will organise the Martyrs Day rally was done in the past.' — PTI inputs
New Indian Express
12-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Man nabbed with ganja-laced chocos in Andhra Pradesh
VIJAYAWADA: Police arrested a passenger carrying ganja disguised as chocolates on the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express during a joint surprise inspection at Vijayawada railway station on Friday. Teams from the Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF), local police, and EAGLE officials conducted the search as part of 'Operation Flush Out', launched on the instructions of Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta. The operation has been ongoing across trains, stations, and buses over the past week. Acting on a tip-off, police boarded the train at Eluru and inspected all coaches. Upon reaching Vijayawada, they searched the luggage in coach S1 and found 40 pieces of ganja-laced chocolates weighing approximately 220 grams. GRP Inspector JV Ramana said, 'We took the accused, Kailash Kumar from Korkatta in Jharkhand, into custody. He confessed to purchasing the chocolates from a local shop in his village and claimed they were for personal use.' Further investigation is underway to trace the sources.
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- The Hindu
Ganja chocolates seized, one smuggler arrested
In a joint operation, searches by the police in Coromandel Express train on Friday (July 11), led to the seizure of ganja chocolates from a passenger. Police teams comprising of personnel from Government Railway Police (GRP), Elite Anti-Narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) and the NTR Police Commissionerate and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) conducted raids in the train. Satyanarayanapuram CI S.V.V. Lakshminarayana, Vijayawada GRP Circle Inspector J.V. Ramana and RPF personnel participated in the raids. 'The police teams searched the luggage in general and general and reserved compartments and seized the ganja chocolates. One person, travelling to Chennai was taken into custody,' said Deputy Superintendent of Railway Police G. Ratna Raju. In Eluru In another raid, the Eluru police conducted searches in the running trains at Eluru railway station on Friday. The police teams led by Additional Superintendent of Police N. Suryachandra Rao conducted the checks. 'Following the directions of DGP Harish Kumar Gupta, police conducted the raids on trains. The raids were aimed at checking ganja and drugs smuggling through trains,' said Eluru District Superintendent of Police K. Pratap Shiva Kishore.
New Indian Express
06-07-2025
- New Indian Express
EAGLE steps up raids as ganja smuggling via trains, buses surges; interstate racket busted
VIJAYAWADA: Special Enforcement Wing for Narcotic Substance Control — Elite Anti-Narcotic Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) — has uncovered an increasing trend of smuggling ganja in trains to transport it along with sedatives while posing as regular passengers. During an inspection aboard the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express on Thursday, EAGLE teams, in coordination with Railway Protection Force (RPF), nabbed a man smuggling ganja from Shalimar to Chennai. In separate incidents, the teams seized two packets of ganja from a passenger on the Tambaram Weekly Superfast Express and 19 kg from two people aboard the Rayagada Passenger. 'In light of recent seizures, EAGLE is preparing for Statewide raids and intensified inspections of trains and buses, especially after busting the 'chocolate ganja' racket being routed to Chennai and other destinations through Andhra Pradesh,' said EAGLE Chief Ake Ravi Krishna. He added, 'Intelligence inputs from neighbouring states and other enforcement wings are being actively pursued, with a strict action plan in place for sustained surprise inspections.' Over 400 personnel from EAGLE, RPF, Government Railway Police (GRP), and local police have been deployed to trace ganja sources, gather information, and conduct public awareness drives. EAGLE teams plan to hold counselling for private bus operators, State-run transport corporations, and cab services, urging them to check passenger's luggage in case of suspicion. 'Such cooperation will help curb ganja smuggling through public transport. We have apprehended smugglers using RTC buses and private cabs,' Krishna said. An interstate intelligence-sharing network has been set up, and properties of arrested smugglers are being seized and attached through court proceedings, he added. Officials noted that smuggled ganja originates from Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Bihar.
The Hindu
05-07-2025
- The Hindu
Ganja chocolate smuggler arrested in Vijayawada
The Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested a ganja chocolate smuggler Subhash Kumar Yadav of Bihar in Coromandel Express train during 'Operation Vijay'. Vijayawada GRP Circle Inspector J.V. Ramana said that Subhash was transporting chocolates made of Cannabis (ganja), weighing about 445 grams. The team led by Elite Anti-Narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) head and IGP Ake Ravi Krishna arrested the accused and seized the ganja chocolates on Thursday. During questioning, the accused reportedly admitted that he was smuggling the chocolates, also known as 'Bung' in local parlance (in Bihar), to Chennai. Subhash, a native of Badia village in Darbanga district, was running a tea stall in Chennai. The accused was produced in the court and the case is under investigation, Mr. Ramana told The Hindu on Saturday.
