Hyderabad:

A police team was attacked and its vehicle damaged by a mob when it reached a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi to control a ruckus at a wedding, officials said on Sunday.

Police have arrested 11 people in connection to the incident that happened during a wedding procession that had come from Chaubepur of Varanasi to Mahjuda village on Saturday, they said.

The mob had surrounded three policemen at the spot who had to flee and a larger team had to be sent to bring the situation under control, they added.

Superintendent of Police Meenakshi Katyayan said that police received information that people from the bride and groom’s side were fighting and creating a ruckus after consuming alcohol.

Police reached the spot and found many people on the road in an inebriated condition. When the police team tried to remove them from the road, they started shouting that the police were beating them, Katyayan said.

The SP said this angered people from both the bride and groom’s side. They attacked the police team and started beating policemen Radheshyam, Vikas and Awadhesh Pathak, she said.

Surrounded by the mob, the three cops tried to flee to save their lives, she said.

The crowd broke the glass of their police response vehicle (PRV) with sticks chased the policemen for some time and pelted stones at them, the officer said.

Meanwhile, a policeman contacted the control room, after which a large number of police forces reached the spot and brought the situation under control.

The SP said that an FIR had been registered against 10 named and 40 unknown people in the case late Saturday night. Eleven people, including three women, had been arrested by Sunday.

Efforts are being made to arrest the rest, she said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

Days after an advertising agency owner was robbed of his valuables allegedly by a fellow passenger, who drugged him by offering a cup of coffee on board a Pune-Mumbai state-run AC bus, police have arrested the accused from Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Wednesday.

The accused, 52-year-old Yunus Shafiquddin Shaikh, was arrested by a team of Matunga police in Mumbai on July 8 from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, an official said.

The incident had occurred on June 14 on board the Pune-Mumbai Shivneri bus operated by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), he said.

“The victim, Shailendra Sathe (57), who owns an advertising and brand agency, had boarded the Shivneri bus from Wakad in Pune to Mumbai. The accused, who was travelling with him in the same bus, befriended him and offered a cup of coffee to him when the bus stopped at a food mall in Khalapur. As Sathe fell unconscious later during the journey, the accused stole his gold ornaments, including a ring, and a mobile phone,” the police official said.

After the bus reached Dadar in central Mumbai, the MSRTC staff helped Shailendra Sathe get down from the bus, he said.

Assuming that he was under the influence of liquor, they left him on a footpath, where he kept lying in an unconscious state for the next several hours, he added.

Later, Shailendra Sathe narrated the incident on his X handle, “LEFT TO DIE, thrown on a footpath for 18 hours. Hypnotised, Drugged, Robbed & Ignored on a Mumbai-Pune Shivneri Bus in an acutely confused state, Negligence, No concerned authority helped in distress. Found by family, 80 hrs unconscious, treated at Jupiter Hospital Thane.” Based on his complaint, a case was registered at Matunga police station on June 20, following which a probe into the case was launched.

Police teams went through the footage of CCTVs installed in the Shivneri bus and at other places, including the Khalapur food mall, Dadar, and the Mumbai Central area, he said.

During the probe, police teams zeroed in on two suspects and received information that they were from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, he added.

A team was then sent to the Guzri Bazar area of Meerut, and after mounting surveillance for three days, Yunus Shaikh was apprehended by the Mumbai police.

The police recovered Shailendra Sathe’s 30 grams of gold from Yunus Shaikh, who worked as an estate agent in the area, he said.

During the probe, the police found that Yunus Shaikh is a notorious criminal in Meerut, the official said, adding that serious cases like murder, attempt to murder, and arson were registered against him in the past.

He was also involved in incidents like robbing passengers, spiking their drinks or drugging them during the journey. Similar cases were registered against him in Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Following his arrest, he was produced before a local court and was brought to Mumbai on transit remand, the official said.

Police are looking for an accomplice of Yunus Shaikh, he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hathras:

Chotelal and his wife Manju Devi had gone to Hathras on Tuesday to attend ‘Bhole Baba’s’ satsang, just like they had been doing for the last 4-5 years. They also took their 6-year-old son hoping that he would learn something from the preachings. But the day ended on a tragic note, one that Chotelal had not imagined even in his scariest dreams – his wife and son died in a stampede at the end of the ‘Satsang’ that also claimed the lives of 119 other people.

The incident unfolded during a gathering of followers of self-styled godman Narayan Sakar Hari, also known as ‘Bhole Baba’. As devotees gathered to catch a glimpse of the godman leaving in his car, pandemonium erupted triggering a stampede. Witnesses recounted the horror as people scrambled to avoid the crush, with many falling victim to the tumultuous surge.

Chotelal spoke through tears of his devastating loss. “I was near the main gate when the stampede started. My wife fell into a pit filled with water as she tried to escape. Both my wife and son did not survive,” he lamented, his voice choked with grief.

For families like Chotelal’s, the aftermath has been a harrowing ordeal. Identifying loved ones among the deceased in various mortuaries across Hathras has become a painful ritual. The injured, scattered across multiple hospitals, have left relatives desperately searching for information and solace.

After #Hathras Tragedy, Grieving Families Left With Questions And Anger#GroundReport by @TanushkaDuttapic.twitter.com/xnt4SQxg38

— NDTV (@ndtv) July 5, 2024

The daughter-in-law of another victim, Premvati, described the chaos and trauma her family endured. “My mother-in-law was our pillar of strength,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion. “We have been associated with Bhole Baba for nearly a decade, attending his satsangs regularly. Now she is gone, and we are left questioning why this happened.”

Both families also have one more question, “If Bhole Baba can perform miracles, why did this happen and why hasn’t he brought his followers back to life.”

Survivors recount scenes of sheer terror and helplessness. One survivor, who narrowly escaped the stampede, recalled being trapped under a pile of people. “There was no space to move. I lost consciousness and woke up in the hospital,” she recounted, her face still bearing the marks of the ordeal. “We were calling out for help, but it was chaos all around.”

“When I Went To The Hospital…”: Man Who Lost Mother In #Hathras Tragedy Breaks Down pic.twitter.com/Yau44cYSnx

— NDTV (@ndtv) July 5, 2024

Amidst the tragedy, the political blame game has begun, overshadowing the voices of grief-stricken families who are struggling to come to terms with their losses. Calls for accountability and measures to prevent such disasters in the future are echoing through the grief-stricken community.

Announcing their first arrests in the stampede at the Hathras religious event which killed 121 people, the Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday said they have taken six people into custody, but there was one notable omission – Bhole Baba aka Narayan Saakar Hari, the self-styled godman in whose honour the ‘satsang’ was organised.  

Pressed on the issue at a press conference, Inspector General of Police (Aligarh Range) Shalabh Mathur said the investigation has just begun and more arrests will be made based on the facts that emerge. He also clarified that the ‘godman’, whose original name is Suraj Pal, has not been questioned yet. 

Not ruling out taking Pal into custody, the officer said, “We will make arrests based on what the investigation reveals… We will question the baba if necessary, it is too early to say or comment whether he has a role. He has not been named in the FIR, which has held the organisers responsible. The permission was taken by the organising committee and members of the panel have been arrested.”

The permission was taken in the name of one Ved Prakash Madhukar, the officer said, adding that teams have been formed to trace him and a reward of Rs 1 lakh has been announced for information leading to his arrest. “If the role of other people is revealed during Madhukar’s questioning, we will take action accordingly,” Mr Mathur said.

Asked about the previous cases against the ‘godman’, who has allegedly also been accused of sexual assault, the officer said that, from what they know so far, Pal was a head constable with the UP police and had taken VRS (voluntary retirement from service) in 2000, when he was posted in Agra. 

“Soon after, an FIR was registered against him in Agra’s Shahganj police station and he was later acquitted. We are finding out if he has any more cases against him and we are taking the help of police in various states for this. 

Tuesday’s stampede, which led to the deaths of 121 people, including at least seven children, occurred at a ‘satsang’ in Phulrai village under Sikandra Rao police station limits in Hathras. Police said permission had been given for 80,000 people but 2.5 lakh had gathered for the event. 

When Pal was leaving in his car, a crowd rushed to collect the dust left in its wake, thinking of it as a blessing.

In a bid to control the crowd, the volunteers and others in charge of security from Pal’s organisation began pushing people back. Several devotees fell around an embankment and were crushed by the crowd. Amid the chaos, other attendees began running, triggering a stampede. 

Issuing a brief statement on Wednesday after maintaining silence since the stampede, Pal expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and said he will take legal action against “anti-social elements” that were allegedly behind the tragedy. 

Varanasi:

Six people including a six-year-old child were injured in a shooting at the residence of Samajwadi Party leader and former corporator Vijay Yadav in Varanasi.

The incident took place in the Dashashavmedh area on Sunday, the police said.

The police stated that the SP leader claimed in his complaint that the attack was intended to murder his entire family.

An FIR has been registered against the accused individuals, namely Ankit Yadav, Shobhit Verma, Govind Yadav, Sahil Yadav and other unidentified persons.

The injured individuals include Nirbhay Yadav (6), Kiran Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Dinesh Yadav and Shubham alias Golu. All of them are currently being treated at a hospital and are reported to be in stable condition.

Varanasi police commissioner Mohit Agarwal has suspended Rakesh Pal, the in-charge (SI) of the Dashashavmedh police station.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Pramod Kumar stated that efforts are being made to apprehend the accused, and actions under the Uttar Pradesh Gangs and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act and National Security Act will be pursued against them.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ballia, Uttar Pradesh:

Police have filed a case against two leaders of the Samajwadi Party for allegedly assaulting a BJP leader in UP’s Ballia, officials said today.

They said a case was registered against the Samajwadi Party’s regional president Ramji Yadav and local leader Anant Mishra under IPC sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide).

The officials said the case was registered at the Sikandarpur police station on Tuesday based on a complaint by local BJP leader Lal Bachan Sharma.

They said Mr Sharma said in his complaint that Mr Yadav and Mr Mishra grabbed his throat and shoved him against the wall at the sub-district magistrate’s office, following which he fell unconscious.

Mr Sharma claimed in his complaint that the Samajwadi Party leader had threatened him.

Police station in-charge Dinesh Pathak said attempts were underway to arrest both the accused.

He said Mr Sharma is a local BJP leader and former divisional president of the BJP’s backward classes cell.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kushinagar:

A 14-year-old boy from Kushinagar district was detained on Wednesday for reportedly threatening to blow up the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the police said.

The boy has an intellectual disability and was undergoing treatment, Kushinagar Superintendent of Police Dhawal Jaiswal said.

His grandmother, with whom he lived, had also been detained.

Police officials said the boy called the police emergency number ‘112’ on Tuesday night and threatened that he would blow up the temple with a bomb.

He also shared posts with similar messages on his Instagram and other social media accounts.

With the help of its Cyber Cell, the police traced the caller’s location to Balua Takiya, a village under Patherwa police station limits in Kushinagar, and detained him.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ghaziabad:

 A total of 57 minors, including 31 girls and 26 boys, were rescued from a slaughterhouse in UP’s Ghaziabad following a joint operation by the police and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), an official said on Wednesday.

“Today, in a joint raid conducted with @NCPCR_ ) on the instructions of @Uppolice at the International Agro Food slaughterhouse of Yasin Qureshi in the Mussoorie area of Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh, 57 minors (31 girls and 26 boys, including handicapped people) have been rescued; the operation is still on. All of them were being made to slaughter animals there,” NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo said in a post on X.

आज उत्तरप्रदेश के ग़ाज़ियाबाद ज़िले के मसूरी इलाक़े में याशीन कुरेशी के इंटरनेशनल एग्रो फ़ूड के पशु क़त्लखाने पर @NCPCR_ के निर्देश पर @Uppolice के साथ की गयी संयुक्त छापामार कार्यवाही में 57 नाबालिगों (31 लड़कियाँ व 26 लड़कों इनमें दिव्यांग भी शामिल हैं।) को रेस्क्यू किया गया है… pic.twitter.com/0pmkT2dHgg

— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (मोदी का परिवार) (@KanoongoPriyank) May 29, 2024

“The number may change once other processes, including age verification of the children, are completed. Action has been taken on the complaint of Mission Mukti,” he added.

A senior police officer said that due to the poor economic condition of their families, these children were brought from their respective states to Ghaziabad on the pretext of providing jobs.

“They (the minors) were then put to work at International Agro Foods without their prior knowledge of the nature of the work. The police are searching for the persons who brought these children from their states to initiate action against them,” the officer said.

According to the police, the NCPCR had received a complaint that approximately 40 children from Bihar and West Bengal were being forced to work in inhumane conditions at a slaughterhouse in Ghaziabad.

This complaint was lodged with the Ghaziabad Police Commissionerate.

“Based on the information provided by the officials of the NCPCR, the police assembled a team. On Wednesday, a joint operation was conducted at International Agro Foods in Dasna. During the operation, 57 minors were safely rescued from the slaughterhouse,” the officer said.

International Agro Foods is involved in meat processing, freezing, and exports. The company supplies a significant amount of its products overseas.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Lucknow:

The bomb threat mails sent to schools in Lucknow on May 13, were the handiwork of a group of minor school children who ‘accidentally’ forwarded the mails during a chatting session, officials said.

The Lucknow police and the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) wings of the Uttar Pradesh Police have worked out the case.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Zone), Tej Swaroop Singh, said, “Chatting during an online gaming session by a group of children aged between 10-11 years went awry when a message of a bomb attack was wrongly forwarded to a private school’s email ID in Lucknow.”

He said, “Interestingly, the children were all from different states, including Maharashtra, and are not interlinked to each other. The children are innocent and their identity is being kept secret. These children are not related to the similar bomb threats received at Kanpur and Delhi schools.”

A private school had received an e-mail of a bomb threat.

Gauging the seriousness of the matter, an FIR under the relevant section was registered after a complaint by the school’s principal.

The DCP also said that to work out the case, a team of surveillance, and Sushant Golf City police was formed.

“During the probe, it was found that the children were chatting on a gaming app ‘Discord’ where they wrongly sent the bomb attack mail to the Lucknow school,” the DCP added.

The children told police that they got the school ID from a pamphlet.

The DCP also said that the case has not been closed yet, as the police are still probing it from other angles.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Varanasi, UP:

Mafia don Brijesh Singh’s son, Siddharth Singh, was duped of Rs 11 lakh by a cyber thug who promised him a dealership of a branded paint company, the police said.

Inspector Vijay Narain Mishra of the Cybercrime police station, said that an FIR has been lodged based on Singh’s complaint.

The FIR has been lodged under Sections 417 (cheating), 420, 465 (forgery), 468, 471 (forgery) of the IPC, and 66D of the IT Act.

The Cybercrime Cell has initiated an investigation into the case, he added.

In his complaint, Singh mentioned that after seeing an online advertisement for the allotment of a dealership of a prominent paint company, he contacted Amit Singley, who claimed to be the director of the company, using the mobile number provided in the advertisement in February.

Singley informed Singh that to apply for the dealership, he would have to deposit Rs 11,14,539 in the account of the Kalina (Mumbai) branch of a bank.

Singley also provided an account number and the necessary codes to transfer the money.

Singh said that on March 9, he transferred the same amount from his bank account to the account number provided by Singley, who also issued a confirmation letter acknowledging the receipt of the amount.

After this, Singley communicated with him on a few occasions, but later, his mobile number was found to be switched off.

Unable to contact him, Singh visited the company’s Mumbai office, where he was informed that neither Amit Singley was a director nor an employee of the company, and the company had not released any advertisement for the dealership.

Following these developments, Singh became certain that he had been cheated by a fraudster who had issued fake documents to dupe him of more than Rs 11 lakh, and he lodged a complaint.

Siddharth is the son of Brijesh Singh, who gained notoriety due to the war between him and the gang of his arch-rival, mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who died on March 28.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)