ED raids at SJDA scam accused IAS officer's residence
Kolkata, April 6 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday carried out a search operation at the residence here of Bengal IAS officer Godala Kiran Kumar, allegedly involved in the nearly Rs 200 crore Siliguri-Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) scam, an official said. The 2005 batch Indian Administrative Service officer, who was earlier arrested on graft charges in connection with the scam, is now out on bail.
Court stays order in JNU missing student's case
New Delhi, April 6 (IANS): A sessions court here on Thursday stayed a lower court order that directed nine JNU students to appear before it to record their consent or refusal for a lie-detector test in case of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed. After the stay by the sessions court, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Dass adjourned the matter pending in his court for May 4. Ahmed, 27, an M.Sc. First Year student, allegedly went missing after a row with members of the RSS student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, which denied involvement.
Lightning kills woman in Jammu
Jammu, April 6 (IANS): A woman was killed when struck by lightning on Thursday in Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir while several people were trapped in flash floods in Poonch district, police said. "A woman, identified as Khatun Begum, died in a lightning strike in Dandote Budhal area of Rajouri district," a police officer said here. Rajouri district has been witnessing heavy rain since Wednesday evening. Rescue teams have been rushed to reach out to the trapped people in Poonch district, police said.
Odisha CM disapproves of 'farm loan for alcohol' statement
Bhubaneswar, April 6 (IANS): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday disapproved Cooperation Minister Damodar Rout's statement that farmers are using agricultural loans to consume alcohol. Meanwhile, Rout on Thursday took a U-turn over his previous remarks. "I have not said the farmers are utilising the loan for consuming alcohol. Rather, they are deprived of availing loan which I have been demanding since long. But the landlords are indulging in amusement with loan money by consuming liquor and marrying off their daughters," Rout stated.
Worker crushed to death in Gurugram factory
Gurugram, April 6 (IANS): A 31-year-old worker was on Thursday crushed to death in a Gurugram factory, police said. Shtrughan Prasad, hailing from Bihar, was employed at SPM Autocomp System Pvt. Limited company located in Industrial Model Township (IMT) Manesar. While working in the factory, Prasad was caught in between the belt and the machine. Workers present said he was badly crushed and died on the spot. He was rushed to hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.
A police constable was shot dead here in Uttar Pradesh by unidentified assailants early on Thursday, police said. The deceased was with the just disbanded Special Operations Group (SOG) and was being investigated for some serious charges. Constable Ajay Yadav was out on patrol duty when two bike-borne assailants intercepted him in Shamsabad area and pumped bullets into him, the police said. He was rushed to a nearby medical facility in serious condition where he died during treatment, the official told IANS.
Heavy rain, hailstorm and strong winds have damaged nearly-ready-to-harvest wheat crop in Punjab and Haryana, officials said on Thursday. Farmers in both the states rued the untimely rain and strong winds which flattened the standing wheat crop at many places. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ordered a special survey to assess the damage. The damage was reported in Sangrur, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Patiala and Mansa districts.
