Class 9 student dies after suspected heart attack in school

Class 9 student dies after suspected heart attack in school 

03.09.2026

Mandya: A 14-year-old student died after reportedly suffering a heart attack during lunch break at SCMM High School in Somanahalli village of Maddur taluk Wednesday. The deceased is Veeramani, who was staying with his grandparents while his parents were residing in Tamil Nadu. According to school authorities, the incident occurred during lunch break when Veeramani suddenly collapsed while drinking water. He was a class 9 student at the school. Teachers immediately rushed him to Maddur Public Hospital in a school vehicle, where he was provided first aid. 

As his condition was critical, doctors advised that he be shifted to Mandya MIMS Hospital for further treatment. However, doctors at MIMS confirmed that the boy had died. Dhananjay, BEO, Maddur, confirmed the death of Veeramani and mentioned that the student was very active in school. The news of Veeramani’s death left his parents and relatives devastated, with the family mourning outside MIMS hospital. Maddur police have registered a case and are conducting an inquiry into the incident. tnn Lunch-hour tragedy

தீபாவளி: மருத்துவர்கள் பணியில் இருக்க அறிவுறுத்தல்

தீபாவளி: மருத்துவர்கள் பணியில் இருக்க அறிவுறுத்தல் 

தீபாவளியையொட்டி துணை சுகாதார நிலையங்கள், மருத்துவமனைகளில் முதுநிலை மருத்துவர்கள் பணியில் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று மக்கள் நல்வாழ்வுத் துறை அறிவுறுத்தியுள்ளது.

தினமணி செய்திச் சேவை Published on:  16 அக்டோபர் 2025, 1:24 am 

தீபாவளியையொட்டி துணை சுகாதார நிலையங்கள், மருத்துவமனைகளில் முதுநிலை மருத்துவர்கள் பணியில் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று மக்கள் நல்வாழ்வுத் துறை அறிவுறுத்தியுள்ளது.

தீபாவளி பண்டிகையையொட்டி பல்வேறு முன்னேற்பாடுகளை மக்கள் நல்வாழ்வுத் துறை மேற்கொண்டு வருகிறது. அதன்படி, பட்டாசு விபத்துகளால் ஏற்படும் தீக்காயங்களுக்கு உடனடி சிகிச்சை அளிக்க அனைத்து துணை சுகாதார நிலையங்களும் தயார் நிலையில் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்றும் மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி மருத்துவமனைகளில் அவசர காலங்களைக் கையாளும் வகையில் ஒட்டுறுப்பு அறுவை சிகிச்சை நிபுணர்கள் கட்டாயம் பணியில் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்றும் மக்கள் நல்வாழ்வு துறை உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.

இதுகுறித்து, பொது சுகாதாரத் துறை இயக்குநர் டாக்டர் சோமசுந்தரம் கூறியதாவது:

கிராமப்புறங்களைப் பொருத்தவரையில் துணை சுகாதார நிலையங்கள், தீபாவளியையொட்டி நாள்களில் முழு நேரமும் இயங்க அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது. குறிப்பாக, சிறிய அளவிலான காயங்களுக்கு உடனடி முதலுதவி சிகிச்சை அளித்து தேவைக்கு ஏற்ப 108 ஆம்புலன்ஸ் வாகனத்தில் மாவட்டத் தலைமை மருத்துவமனை அல்லது மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி மருத்துவமனைக்கு அனுப்பி வைக்க அறிவுறுத்தல்கள் விடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

மேலும், 424 வட்டார ஆரம்ப சுகாதார நிலையங்களில், ஞாயிறு, திங்கள்கிழமைகளில் 24 மணி நேரமும் மருத்துவர்கள் பணியில் இருப்பது உறுதி செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. அதேபோன்று தொலைநிலை மற்றும் மலை கிராம மக்களுக்காக 420 நடமாடும் மருத்துவ வாகனங்களும் செயல்படும் என்றார் அவர்.

Hoardings, ropes at rally site made things worse

Hoardings, ropes at rally site made things worse 

Crowd Included People From Other Districts Too 

V Srivatsal & Deepak Karthik | Tnn 28.09.2025

Karur : Hoardings and ropes on both sides of the Karur Erode highway at the TVK rally site at Veluswamypuram appear to have contributed to the tragedy. “There was no way for people to flee the stampede like situation because both sides of the road were blocked with ropes and hoardings. Some were injured when the hoardings fell on them, but one thing I am sure, those hoardings and ropes were not there when we reached the venue by 4 pm,” S Ramkumar, a survivor from Vadakku Palayam near Karur, told TOI. 

Witnesses said some youths stood atop the roofs of a bakery and offered to help women with children by pulling them to safety. However, the roof collapsed and the situation turned much worse. Men and women who were watching the campaign sitting on two-wheelers were trapped as the crowd surged like a human flood.

 “We could not pull out a middle-aged man; his leg was struck in a two-wheeler. But a two-yearold boy was saved, I hope he made it alive,” said R K Nirmal, a survivor. Survivors said the crowd gathered at the Karur venue were not just locals, there were people from Theni, Madurai, and Virudhunagar districts too. They have come to see their star actor at close quarters. Survivors said the crowd that turned up would have filled a huge open ground. “It was chaos. No one knew where their loved ones were; people had fallen ten deep,” said Abinaya S, who lost her aunt Maheshwari. S Maliga, who lost her husband Shankar Ganesh, said, “I asked him not to attend the campaign, but he did. He has now left us all alone.”

38 KILLED IN STAMPEDE AT VIJAY RALLY

38 KILLED IN STAMPEDE AT VIJAY RALLY 

■ Deceased Include 10 Children

 ■ Murmu, Modi Condole Deaths

 ■ Retd HC Judge to Probe Incident 

News Of Missing Girl Triggered Panic In Crowd: Eyewitnesses Team

TOI Karur/Chennai : At least 38 people, including 10 children and 16 women, were killed in a stampede that took place when TVK chief and actor Vijay was addressing an election rally at Karur on Saturday night. Eighty-one people have been hospitalised. Witnesses gave different versions of what triggered the stampede; many said some disturbance in the crowd started as soon as Vijay opened his speech.The actor was heard appealing to the people and police to calm down. Ashmika, a 9-year-old girl, was missing, the public address system said. 

Vijay appealed to the police to help. He then cut short his speech and left the place. R K Nirmal, a native of Karur working in an IT firm in Chennai, said everything was normal until Vijay came to the campaign venue. “Suddenly, floodlights connected to a generator turned off. One woman started to search for her missing child. People panicked, and then everyone ran helter-skelter,” he said. 

Nirmal said he and a few others managed to evade the frenzy and save a few people. He saw some people trapped and stuck under vehicles. Another rally participant Ramesh V, recalled a moment that triggered panic in the crowd. “When Vijay sang the song criticising V Senthilbalaji as the '10-rupee minister', the crowd erupted. The energy shifted and suddenly the police began using lathis, and people panicked. 

Everyone started pushing forward, including parents holding babies. It was chaos,” he said. Compared to the previous campaigns of the TVK leader, Karur was the most disorganised event. Cadres and fans were standing right beside the campaign vehicle.

In a statement, chief minister M K Stalin announced an inquiry commission headed by retired judge Justice Aruna Jagatheesan to probe the incident.

CM orders ₹10L ex-gratia Stalin also ordered an ex-gratia relief of ₹10 lakh each from the chief minister’s public relief fund to next of kin of the deceased and Rs one lakh to each of the injured. “The loss of priceless lives has shaken the hearts of all of us. I express my deep condolences and sympathies to the families who face an irreparable loss,” Stalin said, ordering all those admitted to the hospital be given the best treatment. 

The chief minister also rushed to the Secretariat at night and took stock of the situation. Vijay had completed his rally in Namakkal district and was supposed to campaign in Karur district on Saturday evening. From morning, his fans and cadres from various parts of the state beyond Karur started assembling at Veluswamypuram, the location permitted by police for the TVK’s rally on Karur-Erode state highway. 

The 2 km stretch from Karur-Trichy highway roundabout to Karur-Erode highway was completely crowded. Many of those gathered were young girls, children and women

2 final-year MBBS students drown in Odisha waterfall 27.07.2025

2 final-year MBBS students drown in Odisha waterfall 27.07.2025

Sambalpur : Two final-year MBBS students of VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (Vimsar) in Odisha’s Sambalpur district drowned while bathing in the Deojharan waterfall on Saturday, reports Priti Suna . Monika Meena from Rajasthan and Sandeep Puri from New Delhi, both 24, were part of a group of six students who had gone to the waterfall. Subdivisional police officer (Rairakhol) Prasanta Meher said, “They were bathing in the waterfall when the volume of the stream increased due to heavy rainfall. While four students came out of the water, two drowned.” Firefighters and police brought them out and rushed them to the Jujumura community health centre where they were declared brought dead.

At 100kmph, driver opens car door to spit; 1 dead, 3 injured

At 100kmph, driver opens car door to spit; 1 dead, 3 injured

Rashmi.Drolia@timesofindia.com 04.06.2025

 

Raipur : In a moment of recklessness, an Innova driver swung open the door to spit gutkha while speeding at over 100kmph, causing the MUV to flip several times and crash, killing a businessman and critically injuring two other occupants of the vehicle in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur on Monday. 

The Innova went somersaulting down the road, hitting two vehicles, and also injuring one of their drivers. The out-of-control Innova hit the divider and started rolled over, throwing all three occupants out of the vehicle. Police said the deceased, Jackie Gehi (31), a cloth merchant from the outskirts of Bilaspur, was flung violently and struck a metal structure near the divider, sustaining fatal injuries. He died on the spot. 

Police said Jackie had gone to a late-night party on Sunday and called a friend, Akash Chandani, around 1.30am to pick him up. Akash arrived with another friend, Pankaj Chhabra, in an Innova. Akash was driving, Pankaj sat in the front passenger seat, and Jackie was in the back. On Bilaspur-Raipur highway, Akash suddenly opened the door while driving to spit gutkha. 

He instantly lost control of the vehicle. Akash and Pankaj were also ejected from the MUV and slammed into the ground, suffering grievous injuries. The Innova then hurtled down the highway and slammed into a parked commercial vehicle, overturned four to five times more, and finally crashed into a parked Ertiga, injuring its driver, who never had a chance to turn on the ignition and get out of harm’s way. 

The horrifying accident was caught on CCTV. The footage shows the vehicle flipping down the road, and one of the passengers being ejected and slamming into a pole. Emergency services were on the scene swiftly as passersby alerted authorities. Police sealed off the area and hospitalised the injured. The wreckage was later cleared from the road.

Teen riding two-wheeler leaves 76-year-old man bedridden

Teen riding two-wheeler leaves 76-year-old man bedridden

Sindhu.Kannan@timesofindia.com 16.04.2025

Chennai : A 76-year-old man, who once led an active life, now lies confined to his bed after being struck by a scooter driven by a minor at Saligramam. The minor, who caused the accident four days ago, has been sent to a juvenile home for violation of the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Rules and his mother was arrested and later released on bail. At 7.30pm on April 11, the victim, Sampath, a resident of Kambar Street, was on his way to buy some groceries when the accident took place. 

Eyewitnesses said Sampath was walking on the side of the road when the 16-yearold boy lost control of the vehicle and rammed him, flinging him into the air. Neighbours rushed to his aid and took him to a nearby private hospital, where he was kept under observation for two days. Sampath is now bedridden. Family said doctors have diagnosed him with a brain clot, a fractured nose and hand after the accident. "My father does not have any major health issues. He took care of me and my mother, Radha. This accident has turned our lives upside down," said his son, S R Chakaravarthy, a former video jockey and character artist. “He will have to use some medicines for the rest of his life,” he said. “Many teens fail to understand the gravity of such accidents. Lack of strict enforcement has allowed them to continue using vehicles without valid licences,” he said. 

The Pondy Bazaar traffic investigation wing regis tered an FIR and arrested the minor and his mother. While the teen was booked on the charges of rash and negligent driving and his mother was facing charges for allowing him to ride the vehicle. The boy has been sent to an observation home, while his mother was released on bail. Sampath's family says they are now grappling with mounting hospital bills. Chakaravarthy also expressed concern over the growing number of underage riders in his locality, urging police to take stricter action to prevent such incidents. 

Careful parents, you’ll be caught too 

Chennai : Parents or guardians can face up to three years in jail and a fine of ₹25,000 if their underage child is involved in a road accident as per the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Rules, implemented since 2022, city police said. The child will be sent to a juvenile home. On April 9, a 14-year-old boy, who drove his father’s car hit two pedestrians. One of them, Mahalingam, an elderly succumbed to the injuries at a hospital. Police arrested the boy’s father and sent the minor to an observation home. 

With summer vacation in full swing, authorities are urging parents to be extra vigilant. “Children often take vehicles without permission during holidays. If any minor is caught driving, we will take strict action against the parents,” said deputy commissioner of police, traffic, south, P Kumar. Parents will be held directly accountable for any negligence, he said. “We are not just looking at enforcement but prevention of accidents,” he added. TNN

2 students killed as car rams truck

2 students killed as car rams truck 

07.03.2025

Chennai : Two college students died when the car they were travelling in rammed a truck near Urapakkam on the Chennai-Trichy national highway on Thursday morning. Three other students in the car sustained injuries and are currently undergoing treatment. The deceased were identified as Thanesh Reddy, 21, a third-year engineering student at a private college in Potheri, and Shreyas, 21, who was studying in Andhra Pradesh. Shreyas had come to visit Thanesh along with his friends Harini, 21, and Uma, 21. On Thursday morning, the group of five —Thanesh, his friend Mohammad, Shreyas, Harini, and Uma —were en route to Tambaram, with Thanesh driving. During their journey, a lorry in front of them suddenly stopped. Thanesh tried to brake but was unable to avoid a collision with the lorry. Thanesh and Shreyas died on the spot. Three other students, Harini, Uma, and Mohammad, 21, were taken to Chengalpet Govt Hospital.TNN

Boy, 17, driving dad’s minivan mows down 53-yr-old woman Older

Boy, 17, driving dad’s minivan mows down 53-yr-old woman Older 

Man Arrested For Letting Minor Drive

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 24.02.2025

Chennai : A 17-year-old boy trying to move his father’s minivan parked outside their house in Kancheepuram on Sunday morning accidentally killed a 53-year-old woman. The older man was later arrested for allowing a minor to drive the vehicle. Police said the boy, whose father Rasa prepares snacks at home and delivers them to shops in his minivan, was trying to move the vehicle in front of their house on Gangai Amman Temple Street at 6.30 am when he lost control. The vehicle hit Saraswathi, who was drawing a kolam in front of her house, then collided with a pushcart and a scooter before stopping. 

A few of their neighbours rushed to help when the minivan trapped Saraswathi underneath. They lifted the vehicle off her, but she died on the spot. A team of the Sivakanchi police arrived, took the boy into custody for questioning and sent Saraswathi’s body to the Kancheepuram Govt Hospital for a postmortem examination. Investigations revealed that neither Rasa nor his son knew how to drive and hired a driver to deliver snacks. 

“The son occasionally tried operating the vehicle to learn driving,” said a police officer. Police suspect that in panic, the boy accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brake. They registered a case against Rasa for negligence and for allowing his minor son to operate the vehicle. Investigations continue. “We have been creating awareness about dangers involved in underage driving. But people continue to flout norms,” said the officer.

TN woman injured in e-scooter battery explosion dies

TN woman injured in e-scooter battery explosion dies

Arockiaraj Johnbosco  TNN

Feb 21, 2025, 21:23 IST

MADURAI: A woman, who suffered severe burn injuries after an electric scooter battery exploded a week ago, died in Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital on Friday.

The explosion happened in a poultry unit and piggery -- owned by Devadoss of Anaikudi in Tirunelveli district -- on Feb 15.

The victim, Jansi Papa from Idachivilai in Tuticorin, was working in his farm. Devadoss has two electric scooters which he used to charge in his farm. On Feb 14, he disconnected batteries from the scooters and took them to the chicken incubation room in his poultry farm. After charging them during the night, he decided to charge them again the following morning.

Police said Jansi Papa went to the incubation room the following morning, when one of the batteries exploded causing severe burn injuries to her.

She was rushed to Thisayanvilai primary healthcare centre, from where she was referred to Tirunelveli MCH as her injuries were severe. However, Papa died in the hospital on Friday not responding to the treatment.

The Thisayanvilai police filed a case and were investigating.

Toddler drowns in bucket at Chengalpet

Toddler drowns in bucket at Chengalpet

TNN | Jan 23, 2025, 03.59 AM IST

Chennai: A 14-month-old boy drowned in a bucket filled with water outside his home at Melachery in Chengalpet district.

The baby, M Augustine was the younger son of Manikandan, an electrician, and Joyce. The couple got married in 2019 and they have a four-year-old son too.

On Monday afternoon, Manikandan was at work while Joyce was with the children at home. The woman sat outside the house and fed Augustine. After feeding him, she went inside. In the short time she was away, the boy fell into the bucket.

The bucket was kept under a public tap near the house.

When she returned, she saw her son in the bucket and pulled him out. She alerted her neighbours and family members who rushed him to Chengalpet govt hospital, where he died on Tuesday night.

The Palur police registered a case.

Techie plays cricket despite chest pain, dies of heart attack

Techie plays cricket despite chest pain, dies of heart attack 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 27.12.2024

Vijayawada : A 26-year-old software engineer died of cardiac arrest while playing cricket in Kowthavaram of Krishna district, on Wednesday evening. The deceased identified as Kommalapati Sai Kumar, employed with an IT company in Hyderabad, had returned to his hometown for the Christmas holidays. According to witnesses, Sai Kumar experienced sudden uneasiness and chest pain during the match but dismissed concerns, attributing it to a recurring issue. After drinking water, he resumed playing, taking a wicket and celebrating with teammates. However, while he continued to play, he collapsed with chest pain. Sai Kumar’s friends performed CPR on him and rushed him to a hospital in Gudlavalleru, where he was referred to another facility in Gudivada. Doctors there declared him dead on arrival. 

The Gudlavalleru police officials confirmed the incident but stated no complaint was filed yet as the death appeared natural. This incident mirrors a similar tragedy in June 2023, when a 26-year-old lawyer, Manikantha Naidu, collapsed and died of cardiac arrest while playing cricket in Vizag. Naidu reportedly had a pre-existing heart condition. Cardiologists report a rise in heart ailments in recent years, attributed to factors such as poor diet and lack of exercise. They advise individuals who haven’t been physically active for an extended period to exercise caution. At the first sign of distress, they emphasise the importance of seeking immediate medical help and alerting others without delay. 12/27/24, 9:09 AM Times of India ePaper hyderabad - Read Today’s English News Paper Online https://epaper.indiatimes.com/timesepaper/publication-the-times-of-india,city-hyderabad.cms 1/2 12/27/24, 9:09 AM Times of India ePaper hyderabad

Tearful adieu to medical students killed in road accident

Tearful adieu to medical students killed in road accident

Health Minister Veena George and others paying tributes to five first-year MBBS students when their bodies were kept on the Alappuzha Government Medical College campus on Tuesday. SURESH ALLEPPEY

Sam Paul A.ALAPPUZHA  04.12.2024 

A sombre atmosphere enveloped the Alappuzha Government Medical College campus on Tuesday as the bodies of five first-year MBBS students, who lost their lives in a road accident, were brought to the central library building.

The building corridor, bustling with activity until Monday, was filled with grieving family members, friends, teachers, and members of the public who gathered to mourn the loss and pay their last respects.

Devanandan from Kottakkal in Malappuram, Sreedeep Valsan from Shekharipuram in Palakkad, Ayush Shaji from Kavalam in Alappuzha, Muhammed Ibrahim P.P. from Andrott island in Lakshadweep, and Muhammed Abdul Jabbar from Muttom in Kannur were killed when the car they were travelling in veered onto the other lane and collided with a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus coming from opposite direction at Kalarcode in Alappuzha around 9.30 p.m. on Monday.

Six injured

Six other students—Anand Manu, Krishadev, Alvin, Muhsin, Gouri Shankar and Shane—who were in the car sustained injuries, with the first three remaining in critical condition. The students were heading for Alappuzha in a rented car to watch a movie.

Following the post-mortem examinations, the bodies were brought to the library building before noon. Family members and friends, many in shock and disbelief, were overcome with emotion, finding it difficult to control their tears.

“We have only been together for about two months, but we became like family. I cannot believe this has happened,” said a distraught first-year student.

Ibrahim, one of the victims, had recently secured admission to the medical college by cracking the NEET-UG exam on his first attempt.

“We are all shocked. He was supposed to become the backbone of his family, but fate had other plans,” said a family friend. The bodies were later transported to the victims’ native places. Ibrahim’s body was buried at a mosque graveyard in Ernakulam.

The crash site was less than 10 km from the medical college campus.

The Motor Vehicles department attributed the accident to reckless driving by the student behind the wheel of the car. “Gouri Shankar who drove the car (who was also injured in the accident) obtained his driving licence less than six months ago. He was inexperienced. The car lacked an anti-lock braking system. When he applied the brakes, the vehicle skidded on the wet road and rammed the bus,” said A.K. Dilu, Regional Transport Officer, Alappuzha.

Mr. Dilu said the seven-seater car was carrying 11 people.

“The students had taken the car from an unauthorised rent-a-car facility. We have identified the owner of the facility and summoned him for questioning,” Mr. Dilu said, adding that steps would be initiated to suspend the driving licence of Gouri Shankar.

Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Health Minister Veena George, Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian, Agriculture Minister P. Prasad and others paid their last respects.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a statement in Thiruvananthapuram, said the deaths of the medical students had deeply saddened Kerala. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan expressed his condolences.

Case against driver

Meanwhile, the police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) naming the KSRTC driver as an accused.

However, officials clarified that the FIR was registered based on preliminary information and it could be changed based on CCTV footage and witness statements.

Doc dives into river to save drowning child, both die

Doc dives into river to save drowning child, both die

TIMES OF INDIA KOCHI 26.11.2024

Bhopal : A doctor dived into a river to save a 13-year-old drowning girl in Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli on Sunday, but both sank into a watery grave. Police said the victims — Dr Harish Singh, who worked with Northern Coalfields Hospital, and Prerna — were in a group of 15-16 from five families in Singrauli town who had gone on a picnic on Sunday evening to Gopad riverbank in Langhadol region of Singrauli, 730km from Bhopal and close to the Uttar Pradesh border. 

Prerna somehow slipped into a deep part of the river and began drowning. Dr Singh, who was at the bank, and Prerna’s father immediately dived in to rescue her. Family members and other picnickers watched in horror as the trio struggled in the water. They managed to pull out Prerna’s father but couldn’t reach either her or Singh. 

The doctor’s valiant act went in vain as they both disappeared under water. Police were alerted and rescue teams began searching for the duo. Dr Singh’s body was found on Sunday night. He was taken to hospital where he was declared dead. Prerna’s body was found Monday morning. “Rescue and search operations for the girl were carried out till late in the night and resumed on Monday. Her body has been handed over to her family. The spot where she drowned was very deep,” Langhadol police station incharge Pushpendra Dhurvey told TOI. TNN

How a station master’s OK sent train & his life on wrong track

How a station master’s OK sent train & his life on wrong track

Partha.Behera@timesofindia.com 07.11.2024 TIMES OF INDIA CHENNAI 

Raipur : A train chugged off where it wasn’t supposed to, railways suffered a ₹3-crore loss, a station master was suspended, and a divorce battle dragged on for 12 years from Visakhapatnam to Supreme Court and Chhattisgarh’s Durg — all because of an ‘OK’. The station master had said ‘OK’ to his wife during a fight over a phone call, which was mistaken for the green light to send a train into Maoist territory, triggering this strangerthanfiction chain of events. 

The station master hails from Visakhapatnam and his now divorced wife is from Durg. They married on Oct 12, 2011, but within a few days, it was evident that it wasn’t going to be a blissful ever-after. From court evidence, it’s learned that the bride was unhappy with the wedding due to her past relationship with another man, and her confession that she wasn’t over it. This led to friction at home. The station master appealed to her parents, who gave assurances, but the woman never stopped communicating with her lover. She would call him even with her husband sleeping right next to her, leaving him feeling insulted. 

The marriage was hanging by a thread when, one night, she called the station master when he was on duty and they again quarrelled. Since he was at work, he ended the call by saying, “We’ll talk at home, OK?” He didn’t realise that his work microphone was on. His colleague on the other end only heard the ‘OK’ and mistook it as green signal to dispatch a freight train down a restricted route in a Maoist affected area. 

Dowry, cruelty charge turns out to be false 

Thankfully, there was no accident, yet it was a violation of night-time restrictions, and caused railways a loss of ₹3 crore. The station master was suspended. The punishment worsened his marital woes and the officer, now at the end of his tether, filed for divorce in Visakhapatnam family court. His wife filed a complaint under IPC section 498A (cruelty and harassment) against him, his 70-year-old father, his elder brother, who is a govt employee, sister-inlaw and maternal cousins. Saying she feared for her life, the woman moved Supreme Court and managed to get the case transferred to Durg. When the Durg family court rejected his divorce petition, the railway man appealed to Chhattisgarh high court, his counsel, Vipin Kumar Tiwari, said. 

In a recent judgment, a division bench of Justice Raja ni Dubey and Justice Sanjay Kumar Jaiswal deemed the wife’s actions as ‘cruelty’, reversed the family court judgment and granted the man divorce. HC found that the wife had falsely accused her husband of having an affair with his sister-in-law. The dowry and cruelty complaint also turned out to be false. The division bench granted the husband divorce while noting that the wife’s arguing with him on the phone, which led to the ‘OK’ incident, the filing of false reports, and making baseless accusations constituted mental cruelty towards him.

Orissa HC grants bail to 3 in Balasore train accident case

Orissa HC grants bail to 3 in Balasore train accident case

Satyasundar Barik

BHUBANESWAR 31.10.2024 

The Orissa High Court has attributed one of India’s deadliest train accidents, which claimed the lives of 296 passengers in Balasore district last year, to the composite negligence of railway authorities who failed in upkeep, maintenance, and proper functioning of the signal system at the Bahanaga station.

The court, however, granted conditional bail to three railway employees who were investigated for their alleged lapses in duty, stating that there was no conclusive evidence to suggest that they were completely responsible for the tragedy. “The petitioners’ [three employees] entry into the North Goomty and the tampering with the circuit in North Goomty, which is the bone of contention of the prosecution, does not conclusively indicate that the petitioners are solely responsible for the tragedy,” the court observed. The court said the role of the stationmaster of the Bahanaga Bazar station was not inquired into properly by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Adjudicating the bail applications moved by the three employees, Justice Aditya Kumar Mohapatra said, “On a wholesome consideration of the entire incident, this court is of the view that the entire tragedy is a result of a composite negligence on the part of the railway personnel/officials/executives, who were responsible for the upkeep, maintenance and proper functioning of the signal system at the Bahanaga station.” The bail was granted as the CBI had concluded its investigation.

“There is no doubt that had the authorities been more careful and sincere in discharging their duties, the accident could have been averted, thereby saving the human lives lost,” the judge observed.

Justice Mohapatra added, “Be it a criminal act causing death of hundreds or a negligence on the part of the Indian Railways and its officials and employees, one thing is for certain; the magnitude of the damage in the present case is huge. Therefore, the investigation is required to be broad-based and comprehensive, taking within its sweep the conduct of every officer involved in the signaling system.”

ACCIDENT

 

Car plunges 40ft, 7 medical students killed

 Car plunges 40ft, 7 medical students killed

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Soumitra Bose & Balwant Dhage

TNN

26.01.2022

Nagpur/Wardha: Seven medical students returning from a birthday celebration were killed in Maharashtra's Wardha around midnight on Monday when their car plunged 40ft from a bridge in-

to the dry, rocky bed of the Badhari river along DeoliWardha Road. State BJP MLA Vijay Rahangdale's son Avishkar, a first-year MBBS student, was among the dead.

All seven victims were students of Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences at Sawangi in Wardha. It took a nightlong operation for their bodies to be retrieved from the wreckage, the police said.

PM Narendra Moditweeted his condolences to the bereaved families on Tuesday and announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for each life lost in the tragedy.

Barring Avishkar, whose father is the MLA from Tirora in Gondia, the rest of the deceased were from Bihar, UP and Odisha. They had travelled to Yavatmal, around 69km from Wardha, in intern Neetesh Singh's car to celebrate first-year student Pawan Shakti's birthday. The accident occurred on the return journey, around 20km before Wardha.

Several pilgrims fell, people walked over them to escape

 ‘Several pilgrims fell, people walked over them to escape’

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02.02.2022

The deceased were identified as Dheeraj Kumar, 26, of Nowsherain J&K’s Rajouri; Sheweta Singh, 35, of Ghaziabad, UP; Delhi residents Vinay Kumar and Sonu Pandey, both 24; Mamta, 38, of Jhajjar, Haryana; Dharamvir Singh, 35, of Saharanpur, UP; Vaneet Singh, 38, also of Saharanpur; and Arun Pratap of Gorakhpur, UP," a spokesperson of shrine’s board said.

Two  bodies were sent by air and nine by road to their native places, while one will be airlifted on Sunday morning from Jammu.  The treatment cost of the injured will be borne by the shrine board.  The Lt Governor, who chairs the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, ordered a high-level inquiry into the stampede that officials said  occurred after a rush of devotees entering and exiting the temple converged near the narrow gate, leading to a suffocating crush as people tried to get away from the spot. According to eyewitnesses, several men and women fell and people walked over them to escape the m elee. 

Most of the pilgrims have walked1 2km through a steep, winding mountain trek from the base camp of Katra, a small town 50km from Jammu, early on Saturday to pray at the shrine. Officials said there was a heavy rush since it was New Year’s Day and more so as the train  service to Katra resumed lately following its suspension because of the farmers’ protests in Punjab. A shrine board official said 35,000 pilgrims were allowed to proceed for the yatra on December 31 and January 1 as against the National Green Tribunal’s cap of 50,000 a day, keeping in view the pandemic.

Pilgrims are allowed in a file inside the cave and there’s a constant flow to avoid overcrowding. "But people probably stayed a bit too long at the temple, crowding the space. As more pilgrims entered, the place got congested and there was a rush to get out. That chaos soon turned into tragedy," an eyewitness said.

President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Narendra Modi led a shocked nation in offering condolences to the families of the dead and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. "Extremely saddened by the loss of lives…" Modi wrote on Twitter and announced a compensation package. Junior minister in the PMO, Jitendra Singh, dashed to Katra to take  stock of the situation. UP CM Yo gi Adityanath and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal a lso expressed grief over the tragedy.

12 pilgrims die as New Yr rush sparks Vaishno Devi stampede

Scuffle Between Two Groups Led To Chaos: Board

Jammu: At least 12 pilgrims were crushed to death and 16 injured on New Year’s Day in the biggest tragedy at Mata Vaishno Devi temple as a crowd surge led to a stampede around 2.15am near gate No. 3 outside the sanctum sanctorum of the popular cave shrine in the Trikuta hills of Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district.

The tragedy happened “due to a scuffle between two groups of pilgrims”, the shrine’s board said in a statement without giving more details.

Officials said authorities responded quickly, order within the crowd was restored and the pilgrimage resumed after nearly four hours of the early morning tragedy.

Rescue teams evacuated the injured to various hospitals. Nine of them at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi NarayanaSuper- specialty Hospital, Kakryal, were discharged during the day, while the rest are undergoing treatment and their condition is said to be stable.

Of the 12 dead, the identity of four people were not known till the filing of this report. “The deceased were identified as Dheeraj Kumar, 26; Sheweta Singh, 35; Vinay Kumar and Sonu Pandey, both 24; Mamta, 38; Dharamvir Singh, 35; Vaneet Singh, 38; and Arun Pratap,” a spokesperson of shrine’s board said.

 

Bus driver gets 190 yrs in jail for crash that killed 22 in MP

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal:

02.02.2022

Six years after a bus accident in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna killed 22 people, many of them migrant labourers, a local court sentenced the driver to190 years of imprisonment — 10 years each on 19 counts. The sentences will run separately, said the court order. This is perhaps the first time that a driver in a fatal accident has got such a prison sentence.

Driver Shamshuddin, 47, was convicted for culpable homicide and rash driving. The bus owner was also punished with 10 years’ imprisonment, said assistant public prosecutor officer Kapil Vyas. On May 4, 2015, a passenger bus carrying 65 people plunged into a dry canal near Madla hill and caught fire, killing 22 people and injuring a dozen.

During the investigation, it was found that the emergency exit was blocked by iron rods and an addi- tional seat was mounted in its place. Passengers were trapped in the inferno and those killed were burnt beyond recognition.

Shamshuddin was accused of driving recklessly despite passengers’ requests to slow down. He and the bus owner Gyandendra Pandey are residents of Satna, where the bus was headed. The accused were booked under IPC sections 304 (a) (death due to negligence), 304 (culpable homicide), 279 and 337 (both for rash driving), and under section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act. After the investigation was over, the trial started in the court of special judge R P Sonkar.