Illegal gratification: ED files chargesheet against Himachal ex-Deputy Drug Controller

Lucknow, June 26 (IANS) In a shocking incident, a newborn was found missing from a district hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Hardoi district.

Shivakant Dixit’s wife, Nidhi, a resident of Bilhari village, underwent a C-section surgery and gave birth to a healthy baby on June 19.

Talking to the media on Thursday, Shivakant shared that the next day, during the dressing, Nidhi’s stitches were found to be infected, and she was shifted to Ward Number 36 on the first floor of the medical facility.

The baby was sleeping next to his grandmother on the lower floor of the medical facility, however, around 3 A.M. when she woke up, the child was missing from the hospital cradle.

Shivakant claimed that a woman wearing a mask had taken away the child who had been sleeping next to his grandmother.

The guard at the hospital is also clueless about the whereabouts of the baby and the woman who took him away, Shivakant told the media.

Acting on the information about the missing child, the Uttar Pradesh Police launched an investigation.

However, the police faced difficulties during the probe as a few of the CCTV cameras in the hospital were not operational at the time of the incident.

Police have registered a case against the unidentified woman and are reviewing the CCTV footage of the hospital and nearby areas.

The child’s family is inconsolable and is raising questions about the hospital administration’s negligence.

Semwati, the grandmother of the child, said, “He was next to me in the cradle. When I woke up I could not find the child. I asked everyone about his whereabouts, but in vain.”

The police said that the probe was on and soon, a breakthrough would be achieved in the case.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the body of a newborn baby was found in the Bhainsa River, triggering panic, reports said.

As the newborn’s umbilical cord was clipped and the child was draped in a green cloth, there is speculation that he might have been born in a hospital.

People working in the nearby field spotted the body and alerted the police, who sent the body for post-mortem examination.

–IANS

svn/rad

Visakhapatnam, Oct 6 (IANS) Andhra Cricket Association (AC) has announced that two stands in the ACA-VDCA Vizag cricket stadium here would be dedicated to legendary Indian women cricketers Mithali Raj and Ravi Kalpana on October 12, aligning the unveiling with the India vs Australia ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup fixture.

The decision was fast-tracked following star batter Smriti Mandhana’s request during the “Breaking Boundaries” fireside chat in August 2025 with Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh, where she highlighted the absence of stadium stands named after leading Indian women cricketers, including at Visakhapatnam.

She felt that the renaming of such stands would honour the contribution of women cricketers, while also spotlighting their contributions to the game. It would also inspire the next generation of women to enter cricket as a profession.

Acting on Mandhana’s appeal, Minister Nara Lokesh immediately consulted the Andhra Cricket Association, leading to a prompt resolution to honour women’s cricket icons by naming stands after them at the Vizag venue, said an official statement on Monday.

The ACA will inaugurate the Mithali Raj Stand and the Ravi Kalpana Stand on October 12, ahead of the India-Australia match, marking a first-of-its-kind tribute to women cricketers at the stadium.

“Smriti Mandhana’s thoughtful suggestion captured a wider public sentiment. Translating that idea into immediate action reflects our collective commitment to gender parity and to acknowledging the trailblazers of women’s cricket,” said Minister Nara Lokesh.

Smriti Mandhana’s intervention at “Breaking Boundaries”, where leading cricketers discussed the stereotypes and barriers women face in sport, underscored how visible honours in major venues can elevate awareness and inspire participation across India.

Mithali Raj is a former India captain and one of the game’s most accomplished batters. She is a pathbreaking figure who broadened the horizons for women’s cricket nationwide.

Ravi Kalpana is an Andhra-born wicketkeeper-batter whose rise from the state system to the India side has galvanised local talent and strengthened the pathway for girls in cricket.

–IANS

ms/skp

Bengaluru, Nov 8 (IANS) Under the signature campaign launched by Congress leaders against voter fraud across the country, Karnataka alone has collected 1,12,40,000 (1.12 crore) signatures, said Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President D.K. Shivakumar.

He addressed a joint press conference with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held at the Congress office, Bharat Jodo Bhavan, in Bengaluru, on Saturday.

“Signatures have been collected from all Assembly constituencies and 40 districts where our party is politically organised. Our workers have worked with great sincerity in this campaign. Except for about 8-10 places, the response has been excellent everywhere. Signatures were collected booth-wise, and awareness is being created among the public about voter fraud,” he said.

“The petitions with these signatures will be sent to Delhi on November 10. Along with the district presidents who worked most responsibly in this campaign, these petitions will be taken to Delhi by air.

A massive public rally is being planned at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi, in the third week of November (November 25). This campaign will not stop here — areas that couldn’t complete collection will get three to four more days,” he said.

“Under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, a massive nationwide campaign is being conducted through this signature movement to protect democracy, the Constitution, and voting rights. In the Mahadevapura constituency, a study revealed over one lakh fraudulent votes. In one house, over 80 votes were registered; in one bar, 70-80 voters were listed. Rahul Gandhi exposed this with evidence and drew national attention,” he said.

“Now, Rahul Gandhi has also exposed 25 lakh fake votes in the Haryana Assembly elections. Protecting India’s Constitution and democracy is at the heart of Rahul Gandhi’s fight. This movement, which began in Karnataka, will spread nationwide to present people’s opinions to the President and the Election Commission. This is not merely the Congress’s fight — it’s a fight to protect citizens’ right to vote. People across party lines have participated,” Shivakumar stated.

When asked if the Election Commission is revising lists to cover up fraud: “After we exposed these irregularities, the Commission suddenly started ‘revisions’. Why now? Because we began this movement. To prevent this, the State Election Commission has decided to use its own separate voter list for local body elections instead of the central one. That will reveal the extent of fraud,” he said.

Asked about the Haryana case where a woman allegedly had 200 votes: “We have spoken wherever fraud has occurred — even where we’ve won despite it. In Aland, our candidate won despite such conspiracies. In Haryana, Rahul Gandhi exposed evidence-based irregularities, yet the Commission did nothing.

With modern technology, how can such fraud continue? The Election Commission itself is complicit,” he alleged.

When asked about demands for CCTV footage from polling booths, Shivakumar said, “Rahul Gandhi never asked to see who voted for whom. We only want data showing how many people entered the booths and when. For example, in Maharashtra, lakhs of votes were cast in the last hour — we just want records of that.”

–IANS

mka/uk