Ahmedabad: A total of 49 accused have been convicted in a series of bomb blasts in Ahmedabad. 28 accused acquitted. A special Gujarat court has convicted 49 people in connection with the 2008 Ahmedabad blasts. The sentence will be announced today.
The trial began in December 2009. The trial was completed in September 2021 in a case involving 77 defendants. During the years-long trial, more than 1,100 witnesses were questioned. On July 26, 2008, bombs exploded in various parts of Ahmedabad. Within 70 minutes, 56 people were killed in 21 blasts in the city. Police had identified the militant group Indian Mujahideen as the mastermind behind the blast. Gujarat police had earlier arrested 85 people in connection with the case. However, the trial has started against 78 accused. Meanwhile, someone apologized.
Adoor: Three people were killed when a car plunged into a canal near Karuvatta church on the Adoor bypass. Two women and a man were killed. The doctor said the driver was drunk. The deceased have been identified as Indira (57), Shakuntala (51), Alan (14), Bindu (37), Ashwathy (27), driver Sinu and Sreeja (45). The car was completely submerged in water. The locals are trying to lift the car above the water.
Chennai: Gravton Motors’ Indian-made electric scooter Quanta has set a record for the shortest travel time from Kanyakumari to Ladakh.
It took just 164 hours and 30 minutes for the Growton team to travel from Kanyakumari to Khardungla in Ladakh. That is, it took them about six and a half days for this journey. The scooter also holds the record for completing the Kanyakumari – Ladakh journey in the shortest possible time. The scooter has been listed in the Asia Book of Records.
During the 4011 km journey, they never stopped to recharge the scooter. Instead, the vehicle’s battery was being replaced. Gravton Motors’ organized the trip to convince people how good their e-scooter is for long-distance travel. Company officials said that despite traveling more than 4,000 km at a time, the scooter did not have any problems with operation and the driver did not feel any physical discomfort.
The company said that the Growton team rested only after arriving in Manali after traveling 3400 km and that it was only for their body to adapt to the weather. Gravton Motors claims that the Quanta scooter can reach speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour, with a single charge of 150 km in economy mode, 110 km in city mode, and 85 km in sports mode.
Palakkad: Two days later, the rescue squad released a 23-year-old man named Babu who was trapped in the Cherat gorge in Malambuzha at around 2 pm on Monday.
The security forces saw success where the efforts of the locals and other forces besides the army failed.
This mission is notable for being one of the rarest rescue missions. During the trek, the young man slipped and fell into a special crack in the mountain. For two days without even taking a full drink, the young man endured the extreme cold of the night and the extreme heat of the day. Thousands of people are reporting on social media that the extraordinary will of the youth should be praised and respected by the security forces.
Babu and 3 friends went climbing the mountain on Monday. Tired of climbing a mountain more than 1 km high, the friends decided to go back. But Babu went ahead and told his friends that he would return only after going a little higher. It is believed that he slipped and fell down a steep hill and got stuck in a ravine.
Even the security forces were amazed at Babu’s confidence and courage. A team of forest, police, and firefighters began the rescue operation on Monday night. Yesterday (Tuesday) morning another group climbed the mountain to no avail. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) untied the ropes and tried to reach the gorge, but to no avail.
The Coast Guard helicopter arrived but the rescue team was unable to land the helicopter due to the terrain, strong winds, and dust. Attempts to bring water by drone also failed due to the slope and manure of the mountain. Voluntary organizations and tribals tried to reach out. All of these were defeated last night and the Army had to rely on the rescue force.
Mananthavady: Excise seized gold jewelry worth Rs 1.5 crore which was smuggled without proper documents. The gold was seized during a joint search of the vehicle by the Excise Range Party led by Excise Range Inspector PG Radhakrishnan and employees of Tholpetty Excise Check Post. The gold was seized from Anu Lal, 30, who was traveling in a Karnataka Road Transport Corporation bus from Mysore to Ernakulam. The accused and material were handed over to the GST department for further action.
Male: The country has granted visa-free entry to business travelers from India to the island nation of Maldives. The Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the process of granting visa-free entry to Indian citizens for business purposes has started from the 1st of this month. However, the free visa will be valid for 90 days.
This is in line with the agreement signed by the two countries on December 17, 2018 to facilitate visa arrangements. As part of the mutual arrangement, multiple entry, non-resident and business visas will be issued to Indian citizens. This facility can be used for 90 days within 6 months. The statement said that any Indian citizen with an approved business visa is eligible to renew the visa for up to 180 days in a year.
Thiruvananthapuram: Minister V Sivankutty said that public examinations will be conducted in all classes from first class. The minister announced this at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram. Including the model test,all exams will be conducted. All the previous examinations have been conducted flawlessly by the Department of Education. Examinations will be conducted in a manner that is not difficult for students and parents. The decision has been taken to conduct examinations and announce the results. The minister said that teachers, parents and people’s representatives are cooperating well. Minister V Sivankutty said there was no impediment to classes 1 to 9 working till evening and a decision in this regard would be taken soon. Special guidelines are being prepared for the resumption of schooling from February 14 onwards. Classes will be held on this basis. He said the education department was trying to prepare students for the exams. There will be changes in the academic field from the next academic year. From playgrounds to library facilities will be prepared. The aim is to qualify students so that they can succeed in competitive entrance examinations conducted on a national basis. There will be no change at lunch.
The minister said additional guidelines would be issued for starting classes one to nine. The study in these classes is planned to be from morning to evening. The minister said a comprehensive standard would be introduced for classes up to nine.
Kochi: The High Court has rejected a petition filed by the company against the banning of the Media One TV channel. The verdict was handed down by Justice Nagaresh. The High Court accepted the affidavit of the Central Government stating that the Home Ministry had not renewed the channel license based on reports received from intelligence agencies. With this, the channel lost its operating license.
All the files of the Home Ministry related to the ban were submitted to the Central Government’s Asst. Solicitor General S. Manu was handed over to the court. The Assistant Solicitor General argued that the findings of the Home Ministry were not against the channel but against the company that runs it. The Solicitor General argued that freedom of the press was not a bargaining chip and could be restricted for security reasons.
This does not mean that the matter can not be reconsidered once it has been sanctioned by the Home Ministry. Applications for transmission permits are approved by the Home Ministry for ten years.
Ten years later, the consul told the central government that the conditions for renewing a permit and issuing a new license were the same.
New Delhi: The Center has said that the Aadhaar card is not mandatory for covid vaccination. The central government has said that the Aadhaar card is not mandatory on the Cowin portal. The court was hearing a case related to this. This is stated in the affidavit submitted by the Central Government to the Supreme Court.
The affidavit states that it only required any one of the nine identification documents, including passport driving license, PAN card, and ration card for vaccination. A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant considered the affidavit and decided the case.
Ottawa: A state of emergency has been declared in Canada. Truckers have been protesting against covid restrictions for more than a week. This is followed by action. The protesters are more than the police. Meanwhile, Mayor Jim Watson said the city is completely out of control.
He said the protest was a threat to the safety of locals. Racial violence has also been reported. Vehicles and roads were blocked by protesters. Protests erupted last month when a new law was introduced requiring all truckers to be vaccinated to cross the US-Canada border. But officials said the protest turned out to be a challenge to covid preventive measures.
