Author: Vividh Bharathi

Agartala, Nov 7 (IANS) With the arrest of three more accused including a woman, the total number of people arrested so far in connection with the brutal attack on Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in Tripura’s Sepahijala district has risen to 21, including four women, police officials said on Saturday.

A police official said that a middle-aged woman, identified as Hasina Khatun, was arrested from Kalapania in Sepahijala district on Saturday in connection with the November 2 incident at Ashabari village, under Kalamchaura police station, along the India-Bangladesh international border.

In a separate incident, the BSF detained two prime accused, identified as Rabiul Hossain and Mahabul Hossain, on Saturday and later handed them over to the Kalamchaura Police Station during the night.

According to investigators, the video footage purportedly shows Rabiul snatching the service rifle of a BSF jawan during the attack, while Mahabul is seen assaulting BSF personnel with a stick.

“An intensive search operation, launched immediately after the attack on BSF personnel on November 2, is still underway to apprehend the remaining accused,” the official told IANS.

All 21 accused, including four women, have been booked under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.

The official said that police were identifying and arresting those involved in the attack on the basis of electronic evidence, CCTV footage, and intelligence inputs.

He added that no accused would be spared.

“Police and the BSF are jointly conducting searches at suspected locations, including residences and shops, to apprehend the accused and seize contraband and illegally stored goods,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manik Saha, who had condemned the attack and directed the authorities to take stringent action against those involved, held a series of meetings with senior security officials to review the incident and assess the overall law and order situation in the state.

According to the police, the incident took place on November 2 when BSF personnel intercepted a group of alleged smugglers who were attempting to smuggle ganja (cannabis) across the India-Bangladesh international border.

Following the interception, the BSF personnel were reportedly surrounded and attacked by a mob comprising around 50 men and women, leaving three personnel, including a Company Commander, grievously injured.

The attackers also allegedly snatched a pump-action gun (PAG) from one of the BSF personnel and damaged a BSF vehicle during the assault.

One of the alleged attackers was also injured in the incident.

There have been several instances of attacks on BSF and police personnel by suspected cross-border smugglers in Tripura, particularly in the smuggling-prone Sepahijala district.

These recurring incidents highlight the serious risks faced by security forces and law-enforcement personnel while carrying out operations against organised cross-border smuggling networks in the district.

Tripura shares an 856-km-long international border with Bangladesh and is surrounded by the neighbouring country on three sides.

The state’s geographical location makes it particularly vulnerable to cross-border smuggling, illegal movement of people and other transnational criminal activities.

Except for a few stretches, most parts of the international border have been fenced to prevent smuggling, illegal crossings and the movement of criminals and other inimical elements.

–IANS

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Patna, Nov 7 (IANS) The Bihar Police on Saturday busted an alleged heroin trafficking network by an operation in Kaimur district, arresting three people, including a woman, and recovering 52.58 grams of heroin worth around Rs 35 lakh.

The seizure was made during a raid at a house in the Babu Mohalla area under Kudra police station following a tip-off that heroin was being packaged into smaller quantities for distribution.

Mohania Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Gopal Krishna said the Kudra police received confidential information about the illegal activity and immediately formed a team to conduct a raid.

The operation was carried out at the residence of local resident Kiran Devi in the presence of a Magistrate, who also serves as the Circle Officer.

During the search, police recovered 52.58 grams of heroin and Rs 19,48,012 in cash, suspected to be linked to the illegal drug trade.

Three people were arrested from the premises. They have been identified as Kiran Devi, a resident of Ward No. 11 in Kudra, and Mintu Singh and Rajesh Singh, both residents of Karampura Pipra village under Durgawati police station.

According to police, three other suspects managed to escape after noticing the arrival of the police team.

They have been identified as Gular Singh alias Anchal Singh, Shibu Singh and Jitendra Singh, all residents of the Kudra area.

Police said Gular Singh has a criminal history and efforts are underway to trace and arrest all three absconding suspects.

The recovery of a substantial amount of cash alongside the narcotics has raised questions about the scale of the alleged trafficking operation and its financial network.

Investigators are now examining the source of the seized money, the supply chain of the heroin and the possible involvement of other people in the illegal trade.

Mohania SDPO Gopal Krishna said further legal proceedings were underway in connection with the recovery and arrests.

Police teams are also conducting raids at suspected locations to apprehend the remaining accused.

The investigation is expected to establish the extent of the network, its links with other drug suppliers and the number of people involved in the alleged trafficking operation.

The seizure comes amid ongoing efforts by Bihar Police to enforce prohibition laws and curb the illegal narcotics trade in the state.

–IANS

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Faridabad, Nov 7 (IANS) A man accused of shooting his neighbour following an altercation over parking in Sector-21C of Haryana’s Faridabad, has been arrested, officials said on Saturday.

The incident took place on Friday, coinciding with the occasion of Dhanteras.

The deceased was identified as Paramjit Dhankar, who had returned from Singapore just two days before the incident to attend a family wedding, officials said.

According to the police, his neighbour, identified as Mohan alias Monu Sharma, allegedly opened fire with his licenced pistol, firing around 15 to 16 rounds. Eight to nine bullets reportedly hit Paramjit, leaving him dead.

A team of Crime Branch Sector-30 has now arrested the accused.

Preliminary questioning revealed that the accused lived on the second floor of House number 641, while the deceased, Parmjeet, lived on the ground floor with his family.

According to the police, Parmjeet’s son Shaurya said in his complaint that at around 8:30 p.m. on November 6, his neighbour Mohan Sharma rang the doorbell and called his father downstairs to move a vehicle.

Shaurya also accompanied his father. Once downstairs, Mohan allegedly began arguing with Parmjeet, and the dispute escalated.

During the altercation, the accused allegedly pulled out a pistol and fired multiple shots at Parmjeet. Mohan also fired at the complainant, who managed to save himself by taking cover behind parked vehicles.

The accused then fled the spot in his car. Parmjeet later succumbed to the gunshot injuries.

Based on the complaint, Surajkund Police registered a case under charges of murder, attempted murder, and criminal conspiracy, and launched an investigation.

Station House Officer Prahlad Kumar said that considering the seriousness of the case, crime branch teams were directed to trace the accused.

Acting under the leadership of Inspector Anil Kumar, In-charge of Crime Branch Sector-30, the team moved quickly and arrested Mohan alias Monu Sharma on Saturday.

According to the investigators, Mohan and Parmjeet reportedly had frequent disputes over minor issues.

Police said there had been tensions between the two families for some time.

Around five days before the shooting, the accused had allegedly used abusive language against Paramjit’s son, officials added.

The accused will be produced before the court and taken into police remand for detailed questioning and collection of evidence.

–IANS

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Ahmedabad/Anand, Nov 7 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Gujarat president Jagdish Vishwakarma on Saturday held a series of meetings with prominent citizens and social leaders in Ahmedabad to discuss the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, as part of the party’s ‘Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy’ campaign.

He also visited the Art of Living Ashram in Vasad of Anand district, where he met its founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and sought his blessings.

During his outreach in Ahmedabad, Vishwakarma met intellectuals, prominent personalities and social leaders in the Nikol Assembly constituency and discussed various aspects of the SIR exercise, including the need for clean and transparent electoral rolls and their importance in a democratic system.

Later, he held a separate interaction at Chhaganbhai Ni Wadi in Indrapuri Ward, which falls under the Nikol Assembly constituency.

“The discussion focused on the need for purification of electoral rolls, strengthening democratic institutions and the significance of the SIR process in the national interest,” party leaders said.

The BJP also raised the issue of what it described as “misleading propaganda” by the Opposition against the revision exercise.

The meetings were organised as part of the party’s statewide campaign to engage with influential citizens and explain its position on the electoral roll revision process.

Ahmedabad MP Hasmukh Patel was present at both interactions in the Nikol Assembly constituency, along with other BJP leaders and prominent members of the area.

Earlier in the day, Vishwakarma visited the Art of Living Ashram at Vasad in Anand district and met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in what the party described as a cordial meeting.

He received blessings from the spiritual leader. The meeting was attended by state minister Kamlesh Patel, district BJP president Sanjay Patel, former Union Minister and MP Devusinh Chauhan, MP Mitesh Patel, besides MLAs and other party leaders.

The engagements come amid the BJP’s efforts to take its ‘Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy’ campaign to different sections of society, with particular emphasis on the SIR exercise and the importance of maintaining accurate and transparent electoral rolls.

–IANS

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Agartala, Nov 7 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha will inaugurate a three-day Diwali festival at the historic 525-year-old Maa Tripura Sundari Temple in Gomati district on Sunday, officials said on Saturday.

The famous temple, located at Udaipur and regarded as one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, was built in 1501 by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya.

Local MLA Abhishek Debroy and Gomati District Magistrate Rinku Lather said all arrangements for the annual festival had been completed.

A Bhajan Sandhya and a drone show are among the major attractions scheduled for the inaugural day.

Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been put in place to manage the expected rush of devotees and visitors.

Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Manchak Ipper and Anirban Das inspected the fairground and reviewed police deployment, traffic management, crowd control and emergency response measures.

The district police chief monitoring the security aspects on a round-the-clock basis.

As part of the security measures, the district administration has imposed a no-fly zone within a five-km radius of the temple from November 8 to 10.

The restriction prohibits the operation of drones, manned and unmanned aircraft, and other aerial objects during the festival.

However, aerial devices specifically authorised for use at the Diwali Mela have been exempted from the order.

Meanwhile, fulfilling a long-awaited public demand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 22 last year inaugurated the redeveloped Mata Tripura Sundari temple and offered prayers at the Kali temple.

A senior official of the Tourism Department said that under the PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) scheme of the Union Tourism Ministry, the 525-year-old Tripura Sundari temple has been redeveloped at a cost of more than Rs 54 crore.

The Central government provided Rs 34.43 crore, while the Tripura government contributed Rs 17.61 crore towards the project.

The temple, built in 1501 by the state’s erstwhile king Maharaja Dhanya Manikya in Udaipur, is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in the country and the third such shrine in eastern India after the Kali temple in Kolkata’s Kalighat and the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati.

After 517 years of monarchy, on October 15, 1949, the erstwhile princely state of Tripura merged with the Indian Union following an agreement signed between Kanchan Prabha Devi, the then regent Maharani, and the Governor-General of India.

–IANS

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Jaipur, Nov 7 (IANS) A 70-year-old Romanian tourist visiting Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region died on Saturday after experiencing sudden chest pain and breathing difficulties. She was rushed to hospital but could not be saved.

The deceased, identified as Corina Iacob, a resident of Romania, had arrived in India on November 4 as part of a 32-member foreign tourist group.

She reportedly developed severe chest pain and breathing difficulties around 9 am on Saturday. Hotel staff immediately arranged for her to be taken to the government hospital in Mukundgarh.

After providing initial treatment, doctors referred her to the government hospital in Nawalgarh as her condition remained critical. However, doctors at the Nawalgarh hospital declared her dead upon arrival.

Preliminary assessments suggest a possible heart attack, although the exact cause of death will be established after the necessary medical procedures.

According to Gopal Singh Thalor, Station House Officer (SHO) of Mukundgarh police station, the 32-member group arrived in India on November 4 to visit various tourist destinations across the country.

On Friday evening, around 5:30 pm, the group checked into Vivana Hotel in Churi Ajitgarh, Jhunjhunu district. Iacob was among the tourists staying at the hotel.

Her health reportedly remained normal until Saturday morning, when she suddenly complained of severe chest pain and difficulty breathing.

Noticing her deteriorating condition, the hotel management promptly arranged medical assistance. Following the tourist’s death,

Nawalgarh Deputy Superintendent of Police Sugan Singh visited the government hospital to gather information about the incident.

He spoke with officials and sought details about the sequence of events. The incident left the other members of the foreign tourist group in shock. Police and medical department teams have begun gathering information related to the case. The Romanian Embassy has also been informed about Iacob’s death.

Further legal formalities will be completed after her family members arrive in India.

–IANS

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