India

Uttar Pradesh: Guard kills lawyer at New Year party over casteist remarks

admin 0

The DCP said the guard, identified as Ardhendu Shekhar Tripathi, claimed that he was upset over the casteist remarks made on him by the 36-year-old victim Raghvendra Singh.

Published Date – 09:11 AM, Tue – 2 January 24


Uttar Pradesh: Guard kills lawyer at New Year party over casteist remarks


Varanasi: A lawyer was shot dead by a security guard at a New Year’s party in Varanasi over casteist remarks made by the victim on the latter.

According to DCP (Varuna zone) Amit Kumar, the incident took place in Tadikhana area under the city’s Lalpur-Pandeypur police station.

The DCP said the guard, identified as Ardhendu Shekhar Tripathi, claimed that he was upset over the casteist remarks made on him by the 36-year-old victim Raghvendra Singh earlier and when the latter made a similar bid during the party, he opened fire at him.

Tripathi, hailing from Nagwa area, was arrested from near the Varuna River with his licensed revolver which was used in Singh’s murder.

During investigation, it came to light that one Gaurav Singh, owner of a private security firm, had hosted the New Year party, in which, apart from his friends and their families, guards of the company were also present.

Singh had also arrived with his wife and children.

Tripathi said he was working in this security agency since 2008 and Singh used to frequent the firm’s office.

During all his previous meetings, Singh used to taunt Tripathi with casteist remarks.

Tripathi and Singh had a heated argument when the latter again made similar remarks, after which, the security guard opened fire at him.

Singh was rushed to the BHU trauma centre where the doctors declared him ‘brought dead’.

Police later lodged an FIR on the complaint of Singh’s wife.

Top News

RBI issues new order to help recovery of unclaimed deposits in banks

admin 0

The credit balance in any deposit account maintained with banks, which have not been operated upon for 10 years are required to be transferred by the banks to the DEA Fund maintained by the RBI.

Published Date – 09:00 AM, Tue – 2 January 24


RBI issues new order to help recovery of unclaimed deposits in banks


Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued fresh instructions to banks to strengthen the ongoing efforts to reduce the quantum of unclaimed deposits in the banking system and return such deposits to their rightful owners or claimants.

As per the extant instructions, the credit balance in any deposit account maintained with banks, which have not been operated upon for 10 years or more, or any amount remaining unclaimed for 10 years or more are required to be transferred by the banks to the DEA Fund maintained by the RBI.

Based on its latest review, the RBI has decided to issue comprehensive guidelines on the measures to be put in place by the banks covering various aspects of classifying accounts and deposits as inoperative accounts and unclaimed deposits, as the case may be, periodic review of such accounts and deposits, measures to prevent fraud in such accounts/deposits, grievance redressal mechanism for expeditious resolution of complaints, steps to be taken for tracing the customers of inoperative accounts/ unclaimed deposits including their nominees/ legal heirs for re-activation of accounts, settlement of claims or closure and the process to be followed by them.

The revised instructions will come into effect from April 1, 2024.

The bank shall contact the holder(s) of the inoperative account/unclaimed deposit through letters, email or SMS (if the email and mobile number are registered with the bank). The email/ SMS shall be sent on a quarterly basis, the guidelines state.

In case the whereabouts of the holder(s) of the inoperative account/ unclaimed deposit are not traceable, the banks shall contact the introducer, if any, who had introduced the account holder to the bank at the time of opening of the account. The banks shall also contact the nominee, if registered, for tracing the customer.

The banks shall make available the facility of updation of KYC for activation of inoperative accounts/ unclaimed deposits at all branches (including non-home branches) and through Video-Customer Identification Process (V-CIP) if requested by the account holder, subject to the facility of V-CIP being provided by the bank. The V-CIP related instructions under Master Direction – Know Your Customer (KYC) Direction, 2016 dated February 25, 2016 (as updated from time to time) shall be adhered to by the bank.

Banks have also been instructed to host the details of unclaimed deposits {only name, address (without pin code) and Unclaimed Deposit Reference Number (UDRN), which have been transferred to DEA Fund of RBI on their respective websites, which shall be updated regularly, at least on a monthly basis.

The banks, which do not have their own websites shall make available the above list of unclaimed deposits in their respective branches. The database hosted on the website shall provide a search option to enable the public to search for their unclaimed deposits using name in combination with the address of the account holder/ entity.

Top News

Watch: Unseen Video Of Dejected Kohli After WC 2023 Final Loss Goes Viral

admin 0

Virat Kohli at the Cricket World Cup 2023 final© AFP

It was a massive heartbreak for the Indian cricket team as the Rohit Sharma-led side fell agonisingly close to lifting the Cricket World Cup 2023 trophy after losing to Australia in the final. Playing the tournament at home, India looked unstoppable as they won 10 matches on the trot. The unbeaten run included a win over every other competing side in the tournament and ahead of the summit clash, India were considered to be favourites. During the campaign, star batter Virat Kohli played a massive role with 765 runs as he emerged as the top batter in the competition. As a result, the disappointment was quite clear on his face as India were outplayed by Australia thanks to Travis Head and Pat Cummins.

In an unseen video that is doing the rounds on social media, Kohli can be seen looking dejected following the end of the World Cup final. As the Australian players celebrated their win on the field, Kohli could not hide his sadness while walking towards his teammates and he even disturbed the stumps with his cap.

Meanwhile, ahead of second Test against South Africa, the Indian team has been practicing in full tilt.

Virat Kohli took part in an intense practice session. He faced the Indian bowlers as well as net bowlers.

After a dry spell from 2020-2022, India’s star batter Virat Kohli returned to his normal, run-scoring ways with a historic, record-breaking and consistent 2023 as a batter, breaking some massive batting records previously considered untouchable.

(With PTI inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

World

Probe launched into ‘severe hard landing’ of Air India A320 aircraft in Dubai

admin 0

Fortunately, the 5.5-year-old aircraft, which made the heavy landing with a recorded force of 3.5 G, did not suffer any apparent structural damage.

Updated On – 08:48 AM, Tue – 2 January 24


Probe launched into ‘severe hard landing’ of Air India A320 aircraft in Dubai


New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is investigating a “severe hard landing” involving an Air India Airbus A320neo (VT-CIQ) during its Cochin to Dubai flight on December 20, an official said on Monday.

Fortunately, the 5.5-year-old aircraft, which made the heavy landing with a recorded force of 3.5 G, did not suffer any apparent structural damage.

The incident occurred as the flight, operating under the designation AI 933, touched down in Dubai.

The Airbus A320neo, a relatively young aircraft, managed to come to a stop safely, preventing any injuries to the passengers and crew on board.

Flight tracking websites revealed that the aircraft was scheduled for its next flight to Mumbai on December 27 but has not been airborne since.

The reasons for the grounded status were not immediately clear, as the investigation into the incident began.

According to officials, pending the outcome of the investigation, the pilot responsible for the hard landing has been removed from flying duties.

Air India has taken this precautionary step as part of standard procedure to ensure a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Following the incident, the aircraft remained grounded in Dubai for an entire week. During this period, it underwent extensive checks and assessments to determine the extent of any potential damage. The safety checks were conducted in accordance with established protocols to ensure that the aircraft met all safety standards before being allowed to return to service.

Ultimately, after the week-long examination, the Airbus A320neo was cleared for flight and ferried back to Air India’s engineering base in Mumbai. Flight tracking data indicated that the aircraft operated the Mumbai flight on December 27 with a cruising altitude below 10,000 feet, suggesting an unpressurised ferry.

“An investigation has already been initiated, as per DGCA norms. The pilot was appropriately trained and licensed to fly the aircraft. He has been off-rostered till the process of inquiry is on as per norms,” an Air India spokesperson said.

Top News

South Korean Opposition Leader Lee Jae-myung Stabbed In Neck

admin 0

South Korean Opposition Leader Lee Jae-myung Stabbed In Neck

Lee was seen collapsing to the ground as people rushed to aid him (Reuters)

Seoul, South Korea:

South Korean opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck on Tuesday while talking to reporters in the port city of Busan.

Lee was walking in a crowd of journalists after visiting the site of a new airport when a man in front of him lunged and struck him in the neck, footage on South Korean television channels showed.

The 59-year-old was seen collapsing to the ground as people rushed to aid him. One man was seen pressing a handkerchief on Lee’s neck.

He was “walking to his car while talking to reporters when the attacker asked for his autograph before striking him in the neck with what looked like a knife”, a witness told local broadcaster YTN.

Emergency responders were seen carrying Lee into an ambulance. 

Yonhap news agency said he was bleeding but conscious as he was taken to hospital.

TV footage showed police officials wrestling the attacker to the ground. He was seen wearing a hat with Lee’s name on it.

Yonhap said the assailant has been arrested.

Chief of the Democratic Party, Lee lost to conservative Yoon Suk Yeol in a tight presidential race in 2022.

Yoon expressed “deep concern over the safety of Lee Jae-myung upon hearing of the attack”, his spokeswoman Kim Soo-kyung said.

“Yoon emphasised our society should never tolerate this kind of act of violence under any circumstances.”

A former child factory worker who suffered an industrial accident as a teenage school drop-out, Lee rose to political stardom partly by playing up his rags-to-riches tale.

Recent polls have indicated that Lee remains a strong contender for president.

But his bid for the top office has been overshadowed by a string of scandals.

Lee avoided arrest in September when a court dismissed a request from the prosecution for him to be taken into custody pending trial on various corruption charges.

He still faces trial on charges of bribery in connection with a firm that is suspected of illicitly transferring $8 million to North Korea.

Lee is also accused of breaching his duties, allegedly resulting in a loss of 20 billion won ($15 million) for a company owned by Seongnam city during his term as its mayor.

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

Top News

4 Shot Dead In Manipur, Biren Singh Calls Ministers For Urgent Meet

admin 0

After the attack, the enraged locals set the gunmen’s vehicles on fire.

Guwahati:

Four people were shot dead and several others injured in fresh violence in Manipur on New Year’s day, following which curfew was reimposed in the five valley districts of the state. A group of men, yet to be identified, came with automatic weapons for extortion, locals in Thoubal district claimed.

After the attack, the enraged locals set the gunmen’s vehicles on fire.

“The group came here with guns and while talking to a man who they seemed to know, a fight broke out. Soon they started shooting at everyone,” said a local.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh, in a video message, condemned the violence and appealed to the people to maintain peace.

“I express my immense sadness over the killing of innocent people. We have mobilised police teams to catch the culprits. I fold my hands and appeal to the residents of Lilong (where the incident happened) to help the government in finding the culprits. I promise that the government will do everything in its power to give justice under the law,” he said.

He also held an urgent meeting of all ministers and ruling party MLAs.

Following the fresh violence, curfew was reimposed in Thoubal, Imphal East and Imphal West, Kakching and Bishnupur districts, officials said.

Two days ago, four security forces were injured in a gunfight between suspected insurgents and police commandos in Manipur’s border town Moreh. Insurgents fired several RPGs which exploded inside the CDO outpost building at Moreh Turelwangma Leikai where the commandos were staying, officials said.

Manipur made headlines for much of 2023 as it saw one of the worst ethnic conflicts that broke out on May 3, resulting in more than 180 deaths and leaving nearly 60,000 people homeless.

India

Japan Lifts All Tsunami Warnings, Day After Metre-High Waves Hit Coast

admin 0

Japan Lifts All Tsunami Warnings, Day After Metre-High Waves Hit Coast

Tokyo:

Japan has lifted all the tsunami warnings and advisories put in place after a major quake on New Year’s Day, a meteorological agency official told AFP on Tuesday.

Small changes to tidal levels are still possible, the official said, a day after the strong jolt in central Japan triggered tsunami waves over a metre high.

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

Top News

Chinese Student, Victim Of "Cyber Kidnapping", Found In Tent In US Woods

admin 0

Chinese Student, Victim Of 'Cyber Kidnapping', Found In Tent In US Woods

The detective “contacted the victim inside the tent and found he was alive but very cold and scared.”

Utah, US:

A Chinese exchange student who fell victim to a “cyber kidnapping” scam in which his parents were extorted for $80,000, was found alive but “cold and scared” in a tent in the Utah wilderness, police said.

Kai Zhuang, age 17, was reported missing on Thursday after his parents in China told officials at his host high school in Riverdale, Utah that he appeared to have been kidnapped and a ransom had been requested. 

The case followed a typical pattern for cyber kidnapping, in which “kidnappers” tell a victim to isolate and provide pictures of oneself as if being held captive — photos that are then sent to the victim’s family to extort payment.

The victims comply under the belief their family will otherwise be harmed.

After analyzing bank records, purchases and phone ping records in a days-long search, police became convinced he was isolating in a tent some 25 miles (40 kilometers) north in a large area near Brigham City.

“Due to the cold weather in Utah this time of year, we became additionally concerned for the victim’s safety in that he may freeze to death overnight,” the Riverdale Police Department said in a press release after he was found Sunday.

A sergeant hiking on foot up a mountainside discovered Kai’s tent — which had no heat source but only “a heat blanket, a sleeping bag, limited food and water and several phones that were presumed to be used to carry out the cyber kidnapping,” the department said.

The detective “contacted the victim inside the tent and found he was alive but very cold and scared.”

After being rescued, Kai “requested a warm cheeseburger” and to speak to his family, which had paid $80,000 to bank accounts in China during the scam, according to Riverdale police.

Kai’s host family in Riverdale had initially been unaware he was missing, having heard him in the kitchen in the early morning the day of his disappearance.

Riverdale police worked with the FBI, the US embassy in China and Chinese officials to find the missing teenager, according to the press release.

Cyber kidnappers have been targeting foreign exchange students recently, and in particular, Chinese foreign exchange students, Riverdale police said.

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

Hyderabad

Telangana breaks record, tops organ donations

admin 0

In 2023 (between January and December), the organ donation initiative from Telangana broke its own record that it had set last year by retrieving 728 organs from 200 deceased brain dead donors and allocating them to needy patients

Published Date – 08:00 AM, Tue – 2 January 24


Telangana breaks record, tops organ donations


Hyderabad: The Jeevandan organ donation initiative of the Telangana State, which received unimpeded support from the BRS government in the last one decade, has set new standards in organ donations and retrievals.

In 2023 (between January and December), the organ donation initiative from Telangana broke its own record that it had set last year by retrieving 728 organs from 200 deceased brain dead donors and allocating them to needy patients. While last year the total number of donor organ retrievals was 716 from 194 brain dead patients, this year, the health department collected 728 organs from 200 victims.

In August, in terms of carrying out organ donations, Telangana emerged on top, when compared to other Indian States. To this effect, the union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), New Delhi, had adjudged Telangana as the number one Indian State for conducting the largest number of cadaver organ donation.

According to Jeevandan officials, the organ donation rate in Telangana is 5.04 per million population (PMP), which is considered to be the highest in the country. Out of the 728 organ transplants, 287 were kidneys, 173 liver, 75 lungs, 15 heart, two pancreas and 176 included corneal transplants.

“We must thank the donor families, declaration teams, intensivists, coordinators, transplant teams, hospitals police departments, forensics and many more, including the Telangana government, for the successful role in saving so many lives in 2023 by organ donation,” said in-charge, Jeevandan, Dr. G Swarnalatha.

Maintaining transparency has been the mantra in driving organ donations. The success of the Jeevandan online organ donation system and the transparent guidelines in allocating organs under the initiative have led other Indian States such as Gujarat, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir and Odisha to adopt the model.

This year, the authorities launched a major push to encourage government tertiary hospitals in Telangana to start taking up brain dead declaration and conducting organ transplantation. The Jeevandan officials are collaborating with government hospitals in Nizamabad, Warangal, Mahabubnagar, OGH, and Gandhi Hospital, and conducting workshops on this issue to make doctors aware about organ donation.

Almost all the brain dead or cadaver organ donations are trauma related i.e., they are road accident cases that are treated as Medico Legal Cases (MLCs) and involves police investigation. In the last few years, Jeevandan has been collaborating with Telangana police to spread awareness among police personnel on the importance of brain dead declaration and the much needed support that they can provide while dealing with road accident cases.

Info

Top News

Ram Rajya Coming, 2024 Polls Both Will Be 'Shubh' : Ayodhya Temple Priest

admin 0

Ram Rajya Coming, 2024 Elections Will Be 'Shubh': Ayodhya Temple Priest

Ayodhya Temple chief priest said not just peace, ‘Ram Rajya’ is coming.

Ayodhya:

This new year, 2024, will be significant as Ram Lalla will be seated in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the general elections will be held, and both will be ‘shubh‘ (propitious), Ram temple’s chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das said here on Monday.

Speaking to PTI at his residence in the Ramghat area of the city, the octogenarian praised the development work happening in Ayodhya.

“Not just peace, ‘Ram Rajya’ is coming. Ram Lalla will be seated in the sanctum sanctorum,” he said and quoted a couplet — “Ram Raj baithe trialoka, harshit bhai, gaye sab shoka“.

“Grief, pain, tension, will cease to exist and everyone will be happy,” he said.

‘Ram Rajya’ is a term used to refer to an ideal governance where everyone is happy.

“My greetings and blessings to all countrymen on New Year. Ram Lalla will be offered ‘Chhapan Bhog’, and ‘prasad’ will be offered,” he said, shortly before heading for the Ramjanmabhoomi temple site to perform the ‘aarti’.

As per the customs, ‘Bhog aarti’ is performed at noon. A ‘Chappan Bhog’ is offered to Ram Lalla on special occasions such as Holi, Ramnavmi, Basant Panchami, New Year, and Independence and Republic Day, his side said.

“So, the new year will be very good,” said the Ram temple’s chief priest.

The ‘Chhappan Bhog’ offered to Ram Lalla on Monday had come in a specially made box bearing a design that depicted Lord Ram and the upcoming temple, from a very old shop in Lucknow, his aide said, adding, it has been coming from the very same place for the last few years.

“This New Year is very significant, and it is significant because in this month on January 22, Ram Lalla will be seated in the sanctum sanctorum (of the under-construction temple)…and this will be very beneficial for the people of the country,” Acharya Das said.

Meanwhile in Ayodhya, organisers began distributing worshipped ‘akshat’ — rice grains mixed with turmeric and ghee — on New Year’s Day and this will continue up to January 15, a week before the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple.

Ayodhya rang in the New Year on December 31 night, amid chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ as many residents and others had gathered at the iconic Lata Mangeshkar Chowk near Naya Ghat.

A large number of people took holy dip in the Saryu river on the New Year while others visited the Ramjanmabhoomi temple to have a ‘darshan’ of Ram Lalla, as well as Hanumangarhi temple to seek blessings of Lord Hanuman.

Asked about the further construction of the Ram temple, this year, Das said, “A lot of work is to be done in 2024. One is that Ram Lalla will be seated in the sanctum sanctorum. And, Lok Sabha elections also will take place in this year, 2024, and all these will be ‘shubh’ (propitious) and good.” The consecration ceremony will take place few months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the temple town on December 30 during which he held a roadshow, inaugurated the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station and the newly-bult airport, and laid foundation stone for a slew of other projects.

On August 5, 2020, he had performed the ‘bhoomipujan’ ceremony in Ayodhya for the upcoming temple.

Settling a fractious issue that goes back more than a century, the Supreme Court in a historic verdict in 2019 backed the construction of a Ram temple by a trust at the disputed site in Ayodhya, and ruled that an alternative five-acre plot must be found for a mosque in the Hindu holy town.

On December 6, 1992, a frenzied mob of kar sewaks gathered in the holy town from from different parts of the country, had demolished the mosque, triggering communal violence in many parts of the country.

While much has changed in Ayodhya since the landmark verdict, the Ram temple issue and the history of the dispute continues to weigh on minds of many people.

Asked if lasting peace will return to Ayodhya after the construction of the Ram temple, Das, the Ram temple’s chief priest, said, He also shared that many development projects have materialised in the temple town and more are in the offing.

“Development is happening in Ayodhya. Airport has come up, new railway station (building) got built, and Ram Path has been developed. Many such roads are proposed, and through these projects, Ayodhya will be seen in a grand form. People will come and have ‘darshan’. It is a very auspicious month (January) and it may bode well for everyone is my blessing,” he added. 

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