Tragedy Strikes as Explosion Claims 10 Lives in Tamil Nadu Firecracker Factory

Hyderabad, Dec 18 (IANS) The Telangana High Court on Wednesday granted bail to former BRS MLA Patnam Narender Reddy and 24 others in the Lagacherla case.

The court directed Narender Reddy, who is accused number one in the case, to submit a personal bond of Rs 50,000. The remaining accused were directed to give a personal bond of Rs 20,000 each.

Narender Reddy is currently lodged in Cherlapally Jail while the remaining accused are in Sangareddy Jail. They are likely to be released on Thursday.

The court has refused bail to two accused, including accused number two Suresh Raj, a local leader of the youth wing of the BRS.

Reacting to the court order granting bail to the former MLA and others, BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao said that this is a victory of the Kodangal farmers who fought “valiantly against the oppressive Congress government”.

Several villagers, including farmers, were detained after an attack on the Vikarabad district Collector and other officials at Lagacherla village during the public hearing on land acquisition for a pharma cluster on November 11.

Kodangal Area Development Authority (KADA) Chairman Venkat Reddy and Additional Collector Lingya Naik sustained injuries along with Vikarabad DSP Srinivas Reddy.

Former BRS MLA from Kodangal, Patnam Narender Reddy was arrested in Hyderabad on November 13. The police named him as the number one accused. He was accused of instigating people to attack officials.

The incident in Kodangal constituency represented by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had created a furore with the ruling Congress blaming the BRS for instigating violence.

The BRS, however, termed it people’s revolt against the forcible acquisition of their land by the Congress government.

The issue had hit the national headlines after the BRS took up the issue with the National Human Rights Commission, the SC/ST Commission, and the Women’s Commission about the alleged police atrocities.

Tribal women, farmers, and other victims from marginalised communities had complained about alleged oppressive measures by the state government.

The state government on November 28 withdrew the notification for land acquisition for the proposed ‘Pharma Village’

–IANS

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Kolkata, Dec 14 (IANS) Doors of hotels, lodges and resorts in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district, popular for its scenic beauty, forests and wildlife, have been closed for Bangladeshi citizens from Saturday.

The Alipurduar Hotel Owners’ Welfare Association announced the decision after holding a meeting on Friday.

According to the association secretary Pawan Kumar Purohit, “The Indian Tricolour was insulted in Bangladesh. It is not acceptable to any of the hotel owners at Alipurduar.”

“The honour of the country comes first. Hence, for the time being, we have decided not to allow check-in to any Bangladeshi citizen and through this decision, we want to send a message,” said Purohit.

It is learnt that on average, around 2,000 Bangladeshi visitors come to Ailipurduar. Some come with tourist visas and a major chunk of them come for treatment with medical visas. The ongoing winter season witnesses the maximum inflow of Bangladeshi tourists.

“We are all aware of the loss that hotel owners might face because of this decision to refuse check-in to Bangladeshi visitors. But still, we are taking this decision for the sake of honour and pride of our nation,” said another member of the association.

This is the fourth district-level hoteliers’ body to shut doors for Bangladeshi visitors. On December 9, the Greater Siliguri Hotelier Welfare Association made a similar announcement of refusing Bangladeshi citizens at hotels in the hills and plains of Darjeeling district.

The decision also received backing from the Eastern Himalayan Travel & Tour Operators Association.

The biggest hoteliers’ body in Malda district was the first to decide on this matter earlier this month.

–IANS

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Bengaluru, Dec 21 (IANS) Civic body Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has issued a notice to cricketer Virat Kohli’s pub ‘One8 Commune’ over alleged fire safety violations.

The restaurant, located on the sixth floor of Ratnam’s Complex on upscale M. G. Road near the Chinnaswamy International Cricket Stadium, has been reported to be functioning without a no objection certificate from the Fire Department.

Earlier, a notice was issued on November 29 on the complaint of social activists H. M. Venkatesh and Kunigal Narasimhamurthy. However, no reply has been received to date.

Now, the BBMP has been given a seven-day deadline, and if clarification is missed this time too, legal action will be initiated against the said pub, the notice issued by the Health Officer of Shanthinagar Division of the BBMP said.

Complainant Venkatesh stated, “Many restaurants, bars, and pubs in high-rise buildings across Bengaluru are operating without any fire safety measures in place. In the past, fire accidents in Bengaluru have led to significant loss of life and injuries. For instance, during the Carlton Towers fire caused by a short circuit, people jumped off the building in an attempt to save their lives.”

“To prevent such incidents, BBMP and the Fire Department have conducted audits. They identified several buildings without proper fire safety measures and issued rules stating that licenses should not be granted to such buildings, and operations should not be permitted on those premises,” Venkatesh demanded.

“Despite these rules, violations continue unabated. Similarly, a restaurant in a high-rise building at Ratna Complex on MG Road is lacking fire safety measures. We have raised this issue and brought it to the attention of the BBMP by filing a complaint. Following this, they have issued a notice. It remains to be seen how proactive BBMP and the Fire Department will be in ensuring safety and implementing these measures effectively,” he maintained.

Earlier, in July, an FIR was registered against One8 Commune for operating past the 1 a.m. deadline. The FIR stated that the establishment was open and serving customers at 1.20 a.m., which exceeded the permissible time limit.

–IANS

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