Army jawan beaten to death in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu, two detained

Patna, Jan 27 (IANS) A Food Corporation of India (FCI) employee, identified as 45-year-old Rajdev Rai, was found murdered late Sunday night in Chhitnawa village, under the jurisdiction of Maner police station.

Rai, a resident of Daudpur Baghicha in the Shahpur police station area, is also known to be involved in property dealings.

Villagers discovered the man’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood in a wasteland and alerted the local police.

A large crowd gathered at the scene as the incident unfolded.

Upon receiving the information, the in-charge of Maner police station arrived promptly and arranged for a dead body to be transported to Danapur Sub-Divisional Hospital for post-mortem.

Patna SP (West) Sarath R.S. said that the police are investigating the case. “A dog squad and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team were brought to the site for a thorough investigation. Preliminary inquiries suggest that the incident could be related to Rai’s land dealings. Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the accused,” he stated.

In another incident, a person, identified as Buchchai Murmu, was found murdered on Monday night in Kushha village under the Sarsi police station area in Purnea district.

According to family members, the murder may have been linked to a land dispute.

A relative, Bhagwan Murmu, stated that some known individuals in the village were involved in this murder and the reason was a land dispute. Upon receiving information, Sarsi police arrived at the scene and transported the dead body for the post-mortem at GMCH.

Based on a written statement from the family, an FIR has been registered against two accused — Ravish and Shankar.

Manish Yadav, the in-charge of Sarsi police station, confirmed the development. “On the written statement of the family members, a case has been registered against Shankar and Ravish. Both accused have fled the village, and police are conducting raids to arrest them,” he said.

–IANS

ajk/skp

Imphal, March 31 (IANS) Former Manipur Chief Minister and senior BJP leader N. Biren Singh said on Monday that P.A. Sangma, the former Union Minister and Lok Sabha Speaker, had advocated a dangerous idea of breaking northeast into smaller states along ethnic lines, and today similar attempts were being made to interfere in Manipur’s internal affairs to destabilise the state.

In a post on his X handle, Singh said, “Late P.A. Sangma once advocated for dividing the northeast into smaller states along ethnic lines, a dangerous idea that threatened the unity of our Nation. Today, we are seeing similar attempts to interfere in Manipur’s internal affairs to destabilise the state. Manipur’s situation is unique. This state is home to several small, vulnerable indigenous communities whose protection necessitated the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP), he said.

The ex-Chief Minister tagged his post with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and said, “After years of effort to safeguard indigenous populations, we have begun to make real progress such as the implementation of ILP, a hard-won achievement. Shri Conrad K. Sangma should know that the violence was not spontaneous, it was instigated by those who feel threatened and insecure by this kind of progress. Does Mr Conrad Sangma know that Manipur had already initiated border fencing? That the Free Movement Regime (FMR) is now strictly regulated? Has he noticed the alarming rise in unrecognised villages within Manipur’s borders?”

Conrad K Sangma is the son of P.A. Sangma and President of National People’s Party (NPP), which is dominating the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) led government.

Singh also with his post tagged an old video of P.A. Sangma’s speech.

“It must be noted that when Manipur was facing these serious challenges, others refrained from interfering in our internal affairs,” Biren Singh said.

He said the same courtesy was expected, yet some chose a different path, one driven by narrow interests rather than genuine concern. “Today, various groups across the northeast are beginning to recognise the seriousness of FMR, ILP and border security. Manipur’s experiences should serve as a lesson, not a platform for political posturing. Manipur is home to 32 indigenous tribes whose identities, cultures, and way of life deserve protection,” Singh pointed out.

“Refrain from encouraging illegal immigrants or interfering in matters that threaten this delicate balance,” the former Chief Minister urged. He said the people of Manipur have endured enough and prayed for peace, saying, “Let us live in peace.”

Manipur has been under the President’s rule since February 13, four days after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, who was heading a BJP-led government for the second term, resigned on February 9, following ethnic violence for over 23 months.

Singh, as Chief Minister, had earlier said that the identification of illegal immigrants was initiated through proper constitutional provisions after satellite mapping indicated the growth of unrecognised villages in the state.

Earlier, a Manipur government statement had said that in the period between 1969 till now, there has been an increase in the number of villages in the districts of Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Churachandpur, and Pherzawl by 893, from 731 to 1,624, or a 122 per cent increase. In the remaining hill districts of Tamenglong, Noney, Senapati, Ukhrul and Kamjong, which are Naga-dominated, the increase during the same period is a figure of merely 49, up from 527 to 576, a mere 9 per cent increase, the statement had said.

–IANS

sc/dpb

Ahmedabad, May 18 (IANS) Union Home Minister and Gandhinagar Member of Parliament Amit Shah addressed the Gujarat State Cooperative Union’s Summit in Ahmedabad on Sunday, where he emphasised the crucial role of cooperation in India’s development journey.

He highlighted the importance of both the “science of cooperation” and the “science in cooperation”, underlining that cooperative synergy is essential for the sector’s growth.

HM Shah stressed that cooperation among cooperatives — whether in dairy, banking, housing, or agriculture — is vital for mutual benefit and progress. According to him, “to become a developed nation, a strong cooperative structure significantly contributes to national progress, and India must follow suit by integrating modern practices into its cooperative framework.”

In his address, the Home Minister pointed out that changes and technological advancements in the cooperative sector will only be meaningful when they reach the grassroots, particularly the farmers. “Until these innovations and systems benefit farmers directly, they cannot be considered truly effective,” he stated.

He also called for greater transparency across cooperative institutions to ensure accountability and enhance trust among stakeholders. Transparency, he said, is not optional but necessary for the cooperative model to sustain and flourish.

Highlighting Gujarat as a testing ground for innovative cooperative models, HM Shah revealed that cooperatives in the state are being empowered to manufacture machinery and equipment for producing dairy products such as ice cream, paneer, and cheese. “Machines and equipment to make ice cream, cheese, paneer — everything will be built within cooperatives. We are already trying it in Gujarat,” he shared, reflecting the government’s push towards self-reliance through local production ecosystems.

The Union Minister further elaborated on the need for interlinking different sectors within the cooperative system. He emphasised that dairy cooperatives must coordinate with cooperative banks, and cooperative housing societies must engage with other cooperative institutions. This kind of integrated approach, he said, would lead to shared success and long-term sustainability.

Amit Shah also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various development projects across Gandhinagar city and district, worth more than Rs 708 crore. The Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation led the initiative with the inauguration of civic and infrastructure projects valued at Rs 200.94 crore, while new works amounting to Rs 352.76 crore had their foundation stones laid.

The Gandhinagar District Administration contributed projects worth Rs 45.70 crore, and the Gandhinagar Urban Development Authority (GUDA) initiated additional works valued at Rs 107.85 crore. Among the notable projects inaugurated were RCC and CC roads in the villages of Basan, Palaj, and Por, totalling Rs 8.91 crore. Primary Health Centres were inaugurated at Vavol and Pethapur for Rs 5.43 crore, and landscaping works along the CH-0 to GH-0 corridor were completed for Rs 4.68 crore.

The broader development package also included the installation of sewerage and drainage pipelines in areas like Borij and Kolavada, town planning development works amounting to Rs 75.08 crore, and the establishment of a Rs 30.97 crore sewage treatment plant at Bhat. Additionally, a new road underpass between Sectors 21 and 22 was initiated, with an investment of Rs 16.45 crore.

–IANS

janvi/dpb