Latest news with #Shimla-based
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Himachal student falls to death from 3rd floor in Zirakpur
Jul 01, 2025 08:56 AM IST A 20-year-old female student from Himachal Pradesh died under mysterious circumstances after allegedly falling from the third floor of a paying guest (PG) accommodation near Nabha Sahib village in Zirakpur. According to police, the victim had recently moved into the PG facility a few days ago (HT File) Police suspect suicide but the exact cause of death remains under investigation According to police, the victim had recently moved into the PG facility a few days ago. Preliminary probe suggests that the girl fell from the third floor under suspicious conditions. The incident came to light late on Sunday. Inspector Satinder Singh, station house officer (SHO) of the Zirakpur police station, said the police reached the spot after receiving information and took the body into custody. 'The body has been sent for autopsy at civil hospital, Dera Bassi. The victim's family has been informed,' he added. The woman was reportedly a student at a university in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Her student ID card issued by a Shimla-based institution was recovered from her belongings. Police also found a wristband typically issued at clubs, discos, or public events, raising further questions about her movements prior to the fall. While no foul play has been confirmed, police officials say they are awaiting postmortem results and the family's statement.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Indian Express
‘Expected to join Monday': Himachal drug officer shifted from Dharamshala to Shimla
Nishant Sareen — who was posted as the assistant drug controller (ADC) in Dharamshala — on Friday was deputed to the Directorate of Health Safety and Regulation in Shimla, with immediate effect, officials said. He is being probed on charges of 'forgery' and 'cheating'. The order, issued by the Secretary (Health) M Sudha Devi's office, read: 'The Himachal Pradesh Governor is pleased to depute Nishant Sareen, Assistant Drug Controller at Kangra (Dharamshala) CMO's office, to the Directorate of Health Safety and Regulation, Shimla, with immediate effect until further orders.' Confirming this, a senior officer said: 'Nishant Sareen has been directed to report at the Shimla-based headquarters immediately. He is expected to join on Monday.' This came days after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided seven premises linked to Sareen, his father-in-law Ramesh Kumar Gupta, and associate Dr Komal Khanna on June 22-23. The federal probe agency also claimed to have seized 40 bank accounts, fixed deposit receipts (FDRs), three bank lockers, over 60 unaccounted liquor bottles, and two luxury vehicles estimated to be worth Rs 32 lakh from his residence in Mohali's New Chandigarh, officials said on Thursday. According to the ED, the raids were conducted in connection with allegations of 'corruption', 'bribery', and 'misuse of official positions' during Sareen's previous posting as the ADC in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. Sareen, however, claimed the 'true picture' of the seizures is not being presented. Alleging 'professional rivalry', 'malafide complaints', and 'personal vendetta' against him, Sareen told The Indian Express over the phone: 'Of the 40 bank accounts (seized), only three are in my name. The rest belong to my relatives including my wife, daughter, father-in-law, cousins, and others. Also, since when did used vehicles like a Scorpio qualify as luxury vehicles? The enforcement agencies failed to recover even a single penny of unaccounted money from my house. As for the liquor bottles, I have a valid permit from the department concerned to store them.' Meanwhile, the investigation into an FIR registered against Sareen, and two others was recently transferred from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to the Haryana Police in Panchkula. The FIR was registered at the Sector 20 police station, Panchkula, on October 29, 2022, against Sareen, Dr Khanna, Vinay Aggarwal, and several unidentified persons under the charges of forgery, cheating, and using fake documents. In May 2024, the FIR was transferred to the CBI, following a petition by complainant Jagbir Singh in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, stating that the role of certain senior Haryana Police officers was also under scanner in the case. Jagbir further said that to force him to take back the FIR, a false FIR was registered against him in Panchkula. On May 17 last year, Justice Manjari Nehru Kaul had ordered transfer of the probe to the CBI. 'Although the CBI registered a fresh FIR against the three suspects, following the high court's directions, two of them — Vinay Aggarwal and Dr Komal Khanna — approached the Supreme Court against the transfer of the probe to the CBI. The Supreme Court allowed their plea and transferred the case back to the Haryana Police in Panchkula. The matter is now being investigated by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Panchkula Police,' sources said. A senior Panchkula Police officer said: 'The case against Nishant Sareen, Vinay Aggarwal, Dr Komal Khanna, and others is being handled by the EOW. Nishant Sareen had joined the investigation before the case was transferred to the CBI. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court later stayed the investigation, following a plea by one Jagbir Singh. The next hearing is scheduled for July 7.'
Indian Express
25-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Cabinet approves establishment of International Potato Center's South Asia regional centre at Agra
The Centre on Wednesday cleared a proposal to set up a regional centre of the Peru-based International Potato Center (CIP)— a premier research-for-development organisation founded in 1971 with a focus on potato and sweet potato—in India. The CIP-South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC) will come up at Singna in Agra and will not only serve farmers in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal but also cater to South Asian countries. The cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a proposal from the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare to establish the CSARC. 'The major objective of this investment is to increase food and nutrition security, farmers income, and job creation by improving potato and sweet potato productivity, post-harvest management and value-addition,' said an official statement issued after the cabinet meeting. 'The potato sector in India has the potential to generate significant employment opportunities in production sector, processing sector, packaging, transportation, marketing, value chain, etc. Hence, in order to untap and explore the huge potential in this sector, International Potato Centre (CIP)'s south Asia regional Centre is being established at Singna, Agra, Uttar Pradesh. High-yielding, nutrient and climate-resilient varieties of potato and sweet potato developed by CSARC will significantly accelerate the sustainable development of the potato and sweet potato sectors not only in India but in the South Asia region also through world-class science and innovation,' the statement added. The decision follows a letter Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan six months ago demanding the early establishment of a CIP regional centre in Agra. An agriculture ministry delegation led by Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi visited Peru recently. Potatoes are native to the Peruvian-Bolivian Andes in South America. The entire project, to come up on 10 hectares of land provided by the UP government, will cost $20 million (about Rs 160 crore), of which India will contribute $13 million and the CIP $7 million, according to sources. The CSARC will focus on the development of new varieties that are climate-resilient, disease-free, and suitable for processing, the sources added. China set up a similar CIP centre, known as the China Center for Asia Pacific, in Yanqing, Beijing in 2017. It serves the entire East Asia and the Pacific region. The CSARC will be the second major international agricultural research institution to set up operations in India, The regional centre of the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), established in Varanasi, was the first. Two centres of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) work on tuber crops–the Shimla-based ICAR-CPRI (Central Potato Research Institute) working on potatoes and the Thiruvananthapuram-based ICAR-CTCRI (Central Tuber Crops Research Institute) working on sweet potato. India ranks number two in potato production and consumption, after China. In 2020, China produced 78.24 million tonnes of potatoes and India 51.30 million tonnes of the crop, together accounting for over one-third of the global production of 359.07 million tonnes. Uttar Pradesh (15 million tonnes), West Bengal (15 million tonnes), and Bihar (9 million tonnes) were the top three potato producers in India in 2020-21. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab also produce significant amounts of potatoes. Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister's Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Time of India
Jealous lover traps, murders girl's friend using fake Insta a/c
Nagpur: A chilling tale of jealousy and betrayal unfolded in Nagpur's Pitesure area of Gorewada forest on Saturday night, where 20-year-old hotel management student Aman Dhruvanshi was brutally stabbed to death. The murder came to light on Sunday. The prime suspect, Lucky Mendwar, a housekeeper consumed by romantic jealousy, allegedly orchestrated the murder, mistakenly believing Dhruvanshi was a rival for his estranged girlfriend's affection. Mendwar, along with accomplices Sulabh Thakur, Abhishek Katariya, and a minor, has been rounded up, police confirmed. The incident stemmed from Mendwar's deteriorating relationship with his girlfriend, who had distanced herself from him. Convinced that her close friend, Dhruvanshi, was the reason for the rift, Mendwar devised a sinister plan. He created a fake Instagram account in his girlfriend's name to lure Dhruvanshi, a Shimla-based student visiting Nagpur for vacation, into a trap. Unaware of the deception, Dhruvanshi, who studied in the same class as the girlfriend, starting interacting with the fake account, believing it was his friend. Mendwar, acting as his girlfriend, arranged to meet Dhruvanshi at a secluded spot in Gorewada forest on Saturday night. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Mendwar and his minor accomplice abducted Dhruvanshi from the location. Thakur and Katariya, who were also part of the plot, guided them to a remote area in the forest ideal for the crime. There, Mendwar allegedly stabbed Dhruvanshi multiple times, leading to his death. The group fled the scene, leaving the victim's body behind. The crime came to light when Katariya, reportedly remorseful, tipped off a constable from Mankapur police station on Sunday morning. By then, Dhruvanshi's family, alarmed by his absence, had arrived at the station to file a missing person report, only to learn of his tragic fate. Police swiftly recovered the body and launched an investigation. Senior inspector Harish Kaleskar of Mankapur police station confirmed that Mendwar, Thakur, Katariya, and the minor have been detained. "Katariya was part of the plan but alerted us, yet he remains under arrest," Kaleskar said, adding the minor has a previous crime history. The case has shocked Nagpur, highlighting the dangers of jealousy fuelled vengeance and the misuse of social media.
India Gazette
09-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Shimla: MoS Defence Sanjay Seth visits Army Training Command
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 9 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, visited the Shimla-based Army Training Command (ARTRAC) on June 9. Sanjay Seth was briefed by Lt Gen Devendra Sharma, PVSM, AVSM, SM, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, ARTRAC, on the pivotal role played by ARTRAC in institutionalised training through 34 prestigious training establishments spread across the country, formulation of Doctrines and concepts based on contemporary and future challenges faced by the Indian Army, and development in aspects of Military Leadership. Sanjay Seth appreciated the Army Training Command's initiatives in empowering strategic leaders, online training efforts, technology absorption, and impetus to functional training. He lauded ARTRAC's role in transforming the Indian Army into a modern, technology-driven, Atmanirbhar, and battle-ready force by adopting niche technology and initiatives aligned with the Digital India Mission. During his interaction with personnel at HQ ARTRAC, Sanjay Seth highlighted and appreciated the joint coordination of the Army, Navy, and Air Force during Operation SINDOOR, calling it a successful demonstration of India's firm stand against terrorism and its perpetrators. He also emphasised the government's ongoing initiatives to increase NCC subscriptions and expand the Sainik School footprint. Sanjay Seth reaffirmed the government's commitment to the welfare of ex-servicemen. Sanjay Seth planted a sapling at the Army Heritage Museum complex as part of the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign. (ANI)
