Bihar: Cough syrup unit shuts in Hajipur after children’s medicine found contaminated

Chhatarpur, July 8 (IANS) In a tragic incident, a woman lost her life after the wall of a “dhaba” (eatery) collapsed at the Bageshwar Dham premises in Garha village of Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district in the night between Monday and Tuesday, officials said.

The victim, identified as Anita Devi Kharwar (40), wife of Raju and a resident of Adalhat village in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh, died on the spot after being buried under the debris.

She was visiting the Bageshwar Dham with her family to celebrate Guru Purnima, scheduled for July 10.

The family had been sleeping in the dhaba when the collapse occurred.

Twelve other devotees sustained injuries in the incident.

According to the police, nine of the injured are from Uttar Pradesh, one from Uttarakhand, and two from West Bengal.

Spiritual leader Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Dham Sarkar, has appealed to people on social media platform X to stay at home and celebrate “Paduka Pujan” on July 10.

Four of the more seriously injured individuals have been referred to Gajra Raja Medical College Hospital in Gwalior for advanced treatment, while seven others with minor injuries are being treated at the Chhatarpur District Hospital.

The injured victims include Munshilal Kashyap (72) from Sailanpur, Pilah; Poonam Devi Kharwar (38) and Priya Kumari Kharwar (17) from Jongwa, Mirzapur; Veena Devi Kashyap (50) from Sujanpur, Bareilly; Manju Devi Kurmi (40) and Arvind Kumar Patel (17) from Narayanpur, Mirzapur; Anshika Kumari Kahar (18) and Namvar Prasad (42) from Jogwan, Mirzapur; and Sachin Kashyap (28) from Shahjahanpur, all hailing from Uttar Pradesh.

Others injured are Kaushal Saini (18) from Roorkee, Haridwar (Uttarakhand), and Gulabchand Sahu (55) and Dhaneshwari Devi Sahu (48) from Hawara-2, Howrah (West Bengal).

Police officials said that an investigation into the cause of the wall collapse is underway.

They also confirmed that the state government will extend compensation to the family of the deceased.

Chhatarpur Chief Medical and Health Officer, R.P. Gupta, confirmed the referral of the four critical patients to Gwalior.

This is the second such mishap to occur near Bageshwar Dham in recent days.

On July 3, a tent collapsed within the premises of the spiritual site.

One devotee died after being struck on the head by an iron beam, and eight others were injured in the resulting stampede.

Meanwhile, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri continues to draw massive crowds at the revered Bageshwar Dham in Chhatarpur.

Known for his impassioned advocacy of Sanatan Dharma and his charismatic discourses, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri recently celebrated his 29th birthday by urging devotees to donate bricks for a cancer hospital instead of bringing gifts.

–IANS

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Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 4 (IANS) Kerala’s only Scheduled Tribe gram panchayat and one of the most inaccessible settlements in the state, Edamalakudi is gearing up for a uniquely challenging local body election defined by tough terrain, scattered settlements, and a distinctive demographic profile.

A total of 1,803 voters and 41 candidates will participate in this remote forest panchayat in Idukki district.

Following delimitation and the inclusion of the Kavakkattukudi ward, Edamalakudi now comprises 14 wards, each reserved exclusively for Scheduled Tribe candidates.

The voter list shows an almost equal gender split, with 893 women and 910 men.

The candidate pool mirrors this balance with 20 women and 21 men contesting.

Women’s participation stands out this election, with seven wards — Meenkuthikudi, Nooradaikudi, Parappayarkudi, Thekke Idaliparakudi, Societykudi, Ambalappadikudi, and Kavakkattukudi — reserved for women, adding a stronger focus on gender representation in the region.

The conduct of elections here, however, remains an extraordinary logistical feat.

With no motorable roads and thick forest stretches separating settlements, polling officials must trek several kilometers carrying election materials to reach all 14 polling booths.

Weather conditions and geographically hostile terrain add layers of difficulty.

To ensure smooth coordination, seven sectoral assistants will manage election operations across the panchayat.

Temporary fencing will be installed at polling booths to facilitate safe and orderly voting.

In addition, the Forest Department’s Rapid Response Team (RRT) will provide essential protection to voters and polling staff, given the area’s wildlife presence.

Edamalakudi was formed as a separate panchayat in 2010, carved out from a ward of the Munnar gram panchayat.

Even after 15 years, every election continues to highlight the extraordinary challenges of delivering democracy to one of Kerala’s remotest and most demanding landscapes.

Munnar, one of Kerala’s most prominent hill stations, is renowned for its sprawling tea plantations, cool climate, and rich biodiversity. Located in Idukki district, the region attracts tourists year-round while also supporting a sizeable local population engaged in plantation and service-sector activities.

Administratively, the area falls under the Munnar gram panchayat, which oversees civic amenities, infrastructure development, and welfare programmes across a geographically diverse terrain.

The panchayat plays a key role in coordinating services for both residents and the large floating tourist population. Its jurisdiction includes several remote settlements, making governance and delivery of public services particularly challenging during peak seasons.

–IANS

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Imphal, March 18 (IANS) Two tribal organisations in Manipur — the Hmar Inpui and the Zomi Council – on Tuesday withdrew the indefinite shutdown in Churachandpur district after the two settled the row over the severe assault of a senior Hmar tribal leader on March 16.

The leaders of Hmar Inpui and the Zomi Council held a meeting with the families of the victim and attackers and settled the dispute as per local customary law and practices.

The indefinite shutdown in Churachandpur district was called after Hmar Inpui General Secretary, Richard Laltanpuia Hmar, who was on his way home, was stopped, blindfolded, and severely beaten inside the campus of V.K. Montessori School on March 16 by the “local miscreants”.

Laltanpuia Hmar is now undergoing medical treatment at a hospital due to excessive bleeding and injuries.

Tuesday’s meeting between the two tribal bodies and the families of the victim and the attackers decided that “culprit family would handover Rs 50,000 to the victim’s family in lieu of traditional and customary peace feast”.

“The culprit family will make an initial payment of Rs 2 lakh for medical treatment expenses of Richard Laltanpuia Hmar and also pay any additional cost involved beyond the Rs 2 lakh which will be intimated later to the culprit’s families. In case, any serious case arises due to the brutal attack, both parties should meet again to solve the matter. Both the parties agreed that such perpetration of violence against one another should not occur in the future,” the resolution adopted in the meeting said.

After the March 16 incident, indefinite curfew was clamped in Churachandpur by the district administration following tension triggered by the vicious attack on the Hmar tribal leader.

Churachandpur Deputy Commissioner, Dharun Kumar S., in an appeal, urged all community leaders to come together to engage in peaceful dialogue. “Violence and unrest will not lead to a solution, and it is in all our best interests to find common ground through peaceful discussions and dialogues,” he had said.

Various other tribal organisations strongly condemned the “heinous and cowardly assault” on Richard Hmar, who is also a member of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF).

–IANS

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