'Satsang' Organisers Will Be Called for Interrogation: CM Yogi Adityanath on Hathras Stampede | LIVE

 Two senior engineers of the PWD have been suspended and action has been sought against five others after approval of Lt Governor V K Saxena in alleged irregularities related to construction of the official residence of Delhi chief minister, officials said.

The engineers, including currently serving and those either retired or transferred, were involved in alleged demolition of the old official residence of the chief minister at 6 Flagstaff Road, and construction of a new one at its place with a cost of more than Rs 50 crore.

The Vigilance Directorate documents showed that the officers were issued showcause notices in June 2023.

The directorate found that the officers were allegedly resorting to delaying tactics and also approached the court but failed to get any relief, showed the documents.

The matter was placed before Lt Governor V K Saxena with recommendations to seek their suspension and initiation of disciplinary proceedings for major penalty against three officers of the PWD who have since been transferred out from the Delhi government.

A tiny dead snake was allegedly found in a packet of mid-day meal meant for children at an `Anganwadi' or government-run nursery school in western Maharashtra's Sangli district.

The alleged incident was reported by the parents of a child at Palus on Monday, said Anandi Bhosale, vice-president of the state Anganwadi workers' union, though district officials could not be contacted to confirm it.

"Children in the age group of six months to three years get packets of mid-day meal, a premix of dal khichadi, at Anganwadis. On Monday, meal packets were distributed by Anganwadi workers in Palus. The parents of one of the children claimed that a tiny dead snake was found in the packet they received," she said on Wednesday.

The Anganwadi `sevika' (woman worker) reported the incident to the officials, Bhosale added.

Deputy chief executive officer of the Sangli Zilla Parishad Sandip Yadav and other officials from the food safety committee visited the Anganwadi and the packet was taken away for lab tests, she said.

Senior BJP leader and former MLA Aditya Madhi died at a hospital here on Wednesday.

He was 50.

Madhi was elected to the state assembly from Malkangiri constituency in 2019. However, the BJP denied him a ticket in this year's election and fielded Narsingh Madkami, who won the seat.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and several other BJP leaders expressed their condolences.

Majhi, along with Speaker Surama Padhy and several ministers paid their last respects to the departed soul on the assembly premises.

The chief minister said Madhi was infected with COVID but recovered. However, he was not keeping well and was suffering from other health issues.

He was a well-known leader in Malkangiri and had played a major role in strengthening the party. 

The Indian Army on Wednesday issued a clarification on emoluments to Agniveer Ajay Kumar. In a post on X, it said, "Of the total amount due, the family of Agniveer Ajay has already been paid Rs 98.39 lakhs.  Ex-Gratia and other benefits amounting to approximately 67 lakhs, as applicable according to the provisions of the Agniveer Scheme, will be paid on Final Account Settlement shortly post due Police verification. The total amount will be Rs 1.65 Cr approximately."

After Jharkhand CM Champai Soren tendered his resignation, Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo said, "Hemant Soren is again all set to become the chief minister and unceremoniously he has removed the present chief minister, Champai Soren from his post. Hemant Soren is likely to take over as the next chief minister in the next couple of days. We think it's an insult to the tribals of the state of Jharkhand because, for the Soren family, nobody outside the family has any right, be it a tribal, be it a non-tribal, to become the chief minister. The power remains restricted to the family and that is a sad state of affairs."

A lawyer representing Bhole Baba claimed on Wednesday that "anti-social elements" were behind the stampede at the preacher's 'satsang' in Hathras in which 121 people died a day back, and contradicted preliminary reports that the tragedy struck when his followers rushed to collect the soil touched by his feet. According to preliminary government reports, the stampede occurred when a large number of his followers, mostly women, rushed towards Baba Narayan Hari alias Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba when he was leaving to get a closer glimpse of the preacher and collect his "charan raj".

Judicial Inquiry Commission constituted in the Hathras stampede case. Retired Justice Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, Retired IAS Hemant Rao and Retired IPS Bhavesh Kumar have been named as the members. The commission will be headed by Retired High Court judge Brijesh Srivastava. The commission will submit its report within 2 months. 

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday asserted that his government has adequate funds to deal with the critical flood situation in the state even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also assured him of more assistance if required.

Addressing a media briefing after chairing a cabinet meeting here, the chief minister said that the state government has Rs 1,300 crore of central funds to deal with the situation.

"By adhering to all norms, we are providing all help to the affected people. The prime minister has also assured us that the Centre will provide additional funds, if required," he said.

The CBI arrested an alleged co-conspirator in the NEET-UG paper leak case, Aman Singh, from Dhanbad in Jharkhand, officials said on Wednesday.

The CBI has developed intelligence about Jharkhand-based module allegedly involved in the paper leak of NEET-UG 2024 that resulted in the arrest of Singh, they said.

This is the sixth arrest by the central agency in connection with the case, the officials added.

The agency had earlier arrested principal and vice principal of Hazaribagh-based Oasis school in the case and two persons who allegedly provided safe premises to NEET candidates where burnt question papers were recovered by Bihar Police.

Delhi Education Minister Atishi on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice to the Secretary of Education and the Directorate of Education for disobeying the Minister-in-charge order to halt the transfer of 5,000 teachers. Delhi Education Minister had in written order on July 1, 2024 directed that no teacher be transferred only because she or he has completed more than 10 years in a particular school.

Heavy water-logging witnessed in Jaipur following heavy downpour in the city on Wednesday evening leading to disrupted traffic movement. 

Over 120 people died in a stampede at a Baba's satsang in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras. The bodies of the deceased have been sent to Agra, where post-mortem is being done, said the sources. According to the reports, the post-mortem report of 21 dead bodies has hinted that most of the people died due to suffocation. According to the report, three people died due to head injuries and the other three lost their lives due to shock and hemorrhage.

The Border Security Force on Wednesday informed that on 3rd July, during the morning hours, BSF troops observed a movement of a person ahead of the border fence on the Ferozepur border. As the suspect tried to escape towards the IB, BSF troops chased and apprehended him. Upon questioning, the apprehended person was revealed to be a Pakistani national. The person is a teenager and was apprehended near the International Border (IB) adjacent to the village of Palla Megha of district Ferozepur. Questioning is being carried out by the BSF and other sister agencies to know about his intentions or motive for crossing the IB. 

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday announced that Dr BN Gangadhar has been appointed as Chairperson of the National Medical Commission. 

Andhra Pradesh Mines, Geology and Excise Minister K Ravindra on Wednesday said the government will supply sand free to everybody in the state by adopting a free sand policy in three months' time to prop up construction works. K Ravindra said that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is determined to adopt a free sand policy to reinvigorate the construction industry, bolstering livelihood prospects for lakhs of construction workers.

Hathras Stampede Occurred 'After I Left': Godman's First Reaction After 121 Deaths. 

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, on Wednesday, inspected the areas affected by floods and waterlogging in Assam's Dibrugarh.

 A public interest litigation was filed in the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday demanding a CBI inquiry into the stampede at a religious congregation in Hathras which claimed 121 lives.

The PIL filed by advocate Gaurav Dwivedi said the district officials are "fully responsible" for the negligence that led to the stampede.

In his petition addressed to the chief justice and other judges, Dwivedi has said that it was learnt through media that more than a hundred people had died and many were injured in the stampede that took place after the 'satsang' in Hathras district.

The district officials have all the arrangements to deal with any untoward situation and the Uttar Pradesh government is spending a lot of money on the new technologies, the petition said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday announced a judicial probe into the Hathras tragedy while not ruling out the possibility of a "conspiracy" behind the stampede that killed 121 people.

He also said the "sevadars" (volunteers working for the 'satsang' organisers) should have taken the victims to the hospital. People were dying and the "sevadars" fled, he claimed.

Adityanth met those injured in the incident at the venue of the religious congregation here and obtained information from the eyewitnesses about the course of events preceding the tragedy.

Asserting the government will ensure that such incidents do not recur, the chief minister said a standard operating procedure might be put in place for religious congregations.

Chaos caused after Narayan Sakaar Hari's followers, who tried to reach near his vehicle to seek "darshan", were pushed by the godman's security and a "slippery slope" resulted in the stampede that killed 121 people in Hathras, a preliminary report of the SDM said.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sikandra Rao submitted the preliminary report on the stampede to the district magistrate (DM).

The SDM, who gave permission for the 'satsang' (religious congregation), was also present at the venue when the incident occurred, according to the report.

"A crowd of more than 2 lakh people was present in the satsang pandal. Shri Narayan Sakar Hari (Bhole Baba) reached the satsang pandal at about 12.30 pm and the program went on for 1 hour.

"After this, at about 1.40 pm, Shri Narayan Sakaar Hari (Bhole Baba) came out of the pandal to go towards Etah on National Highway-91," the preliminary report said, adding that when the godman was leaving the venue, his followers started running towards him for a 'darshan' and collect soil from around his feet.

"Satsangi women/men/children etc. started applying the dust of Baba's feet on their foreheads (while trying) to get his darshan, touch his feet and take his blessings," reads the report dated July 2.

Markets regulator Sebi on Wednesday drastically cut the face value of debt securities to Rs 10,000 from Rs 1 lakh at present to boost participation of retail investors in the corporate bond market.

Market participants are of the view that lower ticket size of debt securities may encourage more non-institutional investors to participate in the corporate bond market which in turn may also enhance liquidity.

In a circular, Sebi said, "the issuer may issue debt security or non-convertible redeemable preference shares on private placement basis at a face value of Rs 10,000".   

Punjab Police arrested 3 people in a ransom case of Rs 2 crores. The mastermind was abroad while his associates lived in Punjab and they were demanding ransom of Rs 2 crores from a person. Police is investigating the matter in depth: SSP Bathinda Deepak Pareek

Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs comprises PM Modi and 13 Union ministers.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs comprises PM Modi and 10 cabinet ministers.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma tweets "The removal of a senior tribal leader from the post of Chief Minister in Jharkhand by the JMM and Congress party is deeply distressing. I am certain that the people of Jharkhand will strongly condemn this action and firmly reject it."

Uttarakhand has been allotted 100 megawatt additional power supply from the central pool, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The Chairman of the Central Electricity Authority had written a letter in this regard to secretary (power) R Meenakshi Sundaram. The additional allocation has been made for July 4 to July 31, according to the statement.

It will help the state overcome the gap between demand and supply of electricity, it said, adding that there will be no power cuts even during peak hours. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had met Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar recently seeking allocation of additional electricity from the central pool for Uttarakhand. 

Delhi: Traffic jam caused as a result of waterlogging after Delhi receives heavy rainfall. Visuals from Mehrauli-Badarpur Road.

Kerala Students Union (KSU) protests outside State Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, against the alleged on KSU workers by SFI. Police use water cannons to disperse them.

National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma visits the site of Hathras stampede incident. Yesterday, 121 people died and 28 people got injured in a stampede during a Satsang organised in Hathras.

The central government on Wednesday formed the cabinet committess. 

West Bengal Addl DGP (Law & Order) Manoj Verma issues advisory for all CPs and SPs regarding measures to be taken to prevent incidents of mob lynching.

olice arrested five persons in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Wednesday, a day after workers of the BJP and Congress hurled stones at each other outside the opposition party's state headquarters here on Tuesday during a protest against "anti-Hindu" remarks made by Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Shivam Verma said two FIRs were registered at the Ellisbridge police station regarding the clash and five persons were arrested on Wednesday.

Five policemen, including an Assistant Commissioner Police (ACP), were injured in the stone-pelting by both the sides outside Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, Congress's state headquarters near Ashram Road in Paldi area of the city.

Two newly elected Trinamool Congress MLAs resumed their sit-in at West Bengal assembly premises on Wednesday demanding that they be administered oath in the House rather than in the Raj Bhavan as per Governor C V Ananda Bose's invite.

The sit-in by Baranagar MLA Sayantika Bandyopadhyay and Bhagabangola legislator Rayat Hossain Sarkar entered the fifth day as they staged the demonstration on the assembly premises on June 27, 28 and July 1, 2.

The two had been declared elected in the assembly by-polls but were yet to start work as people's representatives with the process of swearing-in yet to be over.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday announced a judicial probe into the Hathras stampede as he met those injured in the incident at the venue of the religious congregation here.

Adityanath did not rule out the possibility of a conspiracy in the stampede. He also said the "sevadars" (volunteers working for the 'satsang' organisers) should have taken the victims to the hospital.

People were dying and the "sevadars" fled, he claimed.

Asserting the government will ensure that such incidents do not recur, the chief minister said a standard operating procedure might be put in place for religious congregations.

 The Congress on Wednesday slammed the National Testing Agency (NTA) over the delay in the results for the Common University Entrance Test and claimed that the exam is one reason why more and more youngsters are looking to go abroad for undergraduate education.

The results for the CUET were scheduled to be announced by June 30. The agency is yet to give any update about when the results will be declared.

University Grants Commission chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said the NTA is working on the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) results and will announce a date soon.

The crucial CUET was held from May 15 in hybrid mode for the first time across the country but was cancelled in Delhi with the NTA citing "logistical reasons". The exam was cancelled on May 14 night. It was later conducted from May 29 in the national capital.

 Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on Wednesday that the kind of words used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is a sign of his frustration.

In his speech in Lok Sabha on Monday during the Motion of Thanks on the President's address, Gandhi had hit out at Modi, the BJP and the RSS, alleging, among other things, that the Hinduism they practised was full of hatred, violence and falsehood.

Modi returned the volley on Tuesday when, without naming Gandhi, he called him "baalak buddhi" (childish mentality) besides mocking the leader of opposition on several counts.

Gehlot wrote on X, "The kind of words used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi yesterday is a sign of his frustration. It seems that the Prime Minister is neither concerned about his post nor the dignity of the House." According to Gehlot, "The public has come to know about his frustration, that is why he is not being taken seriously." Gehlot said Modi's speech in the election rally at Banswara in Rajasthan in the run up to the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, in which he used terms like "mangalsutra" and "infiltrators", was discussed negatively throughout the country till June 1.

 The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said it would hear on July 5 Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea seeking bail in the corruption case registered by the CBI in connection with the alleged excise policy scam.

The counsel for Kejriwal mentioned the matter for urgent listing before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela which said it would be heard on Friday.

Advocate Rajat Bhardwaj, appearing for Kejriwal, asserted that the applicant was taken into illegal custody without following the due procedure of law and he has filed a bail plea.

As the counsel insisted on fixing the plea for hearing on Thursday, Justice Manmohan said, “Let the learned judge go through the papers. We will have it day after.” The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he is still lodged in judicial custody in a connected money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday informed the Madras High Court that none of the well-settled circumstances, under which transfer of investigation to CBI was ordered, apply to the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy case that has left over 60 dead.

Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena stated this in his status report filed before a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice R Mahadevan and Justice Mohamed Shafiq, in response to the petition filed by AIADMK legal wing secretary I S Inbadurai and K Balu, president of Advocates Forum for Social Justice. They sought a CBI probe into the crime/offence, sale of illicit arrack by accused person in Kallakurichi district on June 19, in which 65 persons died.

The bench posted to July 11, further hearing of the case at the request of Additional advocate general J Ravindran, seeking time.

In his report, Meena said transfer of cases from the state investigation to the CBI, acting under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act was not to be resorted to routinely but only to be used in rare cases where investigation was found by the constitutional courts to have failed.

"I turned over more than 100 dead bodies to check their faces," a brother, whose 50-year-old sister has been missing since the stampede incident in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, said here on Wednesday.

After visiting the postmortem houses in Hathras, Etah and Aligarh, "where a large number of dead bodies were lying and the situation was horrifying", Rakesh Kumar (46) said he reached the postmortem house here on his motorcycle in the morning to search for his sister, Harbeji Devi.

The death toll in the stampede that broke out in a 'satsang' in Hathras rose to 121 on Wednesday and police filed an FIR against the organisers, accusing them of hiding evidence and flouting conditions with 2.5 lakh people crammed into a venue in which only 80,000 were permitted.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin sent a condolence message to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin wrote "Kindly accept the most sincere condolences over the tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh. Please convey words of sympathy and support to the near and dear ones of the deceased as well as wishes for a speedy recovery of all injur

A court here on Wednesday extended till July 12 the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam. Kejriwal appeared before the court of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja through video conference

CM Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday addressed media on Hathras stampede incident which claimed the lives of 121 people and left many injured. He said that people affected in the incident were mainly from the 16 janpads in and around Hathras.

Yogi Adityanath Address Media on Hathras Stampede

The Rajya Sabha proceeding adjourned sine die after PM Modi's speech on Motion of Thanks to President's Address, on Wednesday.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday approached the Delhi High Court seeking bail in the corruption case registered by the CBI in connection with the alleged excise policy scam. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he is still lodged in judicial custody in a connected money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said violence in Manipur is continuously declining and schools have reponed in most part of the state, and efforts are being made to ensure a return of complete peace. Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Modi said the Centre was working with the state government and others to restore normalcy in the state.

Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren is scheduled to preside over a crucial meeting of INDIA bloc legislators on Wednesday, amid speculations of a change of guard in the state, MLAs of the alliance said. Soren, the executive president of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), was released from jail on June 28 after nearly five months, as the high court granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. "A change of guard in the state is possible... This meeting is crucial. All the legislators of the ruling alliance will assemble here at 11 am," a party source told PTI.

“I say with all seriousness that Congress is biggest opponent of Constitution,” PM Modi said in Rajya Sabha.
 

In a troubling trend for Bihar, a portion of a bridge over Gandaki river in Siwan district collapsed on Wednesday morning, marking the seventh such incident in the state within the past 15 days. The small bridge, situated in the district's Deoria block, connects several villages with Mahrajganj. No casualties have been reported so far. This is the second incident of bridge collapse in Siwan in the last 11 days.

Hitting out at the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi said that those who spread lies don't have the capacity to hear the truth. He said,"Desh Dekh Raha Hai...satya sunne ki takat nahi hoti."

PM Modi continued his development speech amid ruckus by Opposition in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

“When India becomes third largest economy, it will have a positive impact not only domestically but also at global level,” said PM Modi in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The flood situation in Arunachal Pradesh remained unchanged on Wednesday, as major rivers continued to surge above the danger mark, officials said. Four districts - Namsai, Lohit, Changlang, and East Siang - bore the brunt of severe flooding, while other districts witnessed landslides following incessant rains over the past few days, they added. In Papum Pare district, a cloudburst in Sagalee triggered the release of a significant volume of water from the Pare Hydropower Project (PHEP).

A court extended the judicial custody of Manish Sisodia, K Kavitha till July 25 in money laundering case related to alleged excise scam.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday met the people who got injured during Hathras stampede incident on Tuesday. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Rajya Sabha at around 12 noon today. He will take part in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath took stock of the situation at the Hathras Police lines on Wednesady morning, following stampede accident.

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking direction to appoint a five-member expert committee under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge to enquire into the Hathras stampede incident. It further seeks direction to the committee to suggest and frame guidelines and safety measures to avoid such incidents in public gatherings. 
 

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath arrived in Hathras, to meet those injured in the stampede incident in which 121 people lost their lives and 28 people were injured in the incident.

The FIR filed in connection with the Hathras stampede has no mention of preacher 'Bhole Baba'.

A day after stampede incident in Hathras during a 'satsang' event, heavy police force has been deployed outside Bhole Baba's. Activities are restricted for Baba and devotees, with no vehicles or devotees allowed to leave the ashram.

TDP supremo and Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu will meet PM Narendra Modi in Delhi on Thursday. He is also scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari, and J. P. Nadda in the national capital.

An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 on the Richter Scale occurred today at 08:12 IST in Leh, Ladakh: National Center for Seismology.

The Calcutta High Court is on Wednesday scheduled to hear a defamation suit filed by West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Bose had filed a defamation case against Banerjee on June 28, a day after she claimed women complained to her that they were afraid to visit the Raj Bhavan because of the activities there.

On Hathras stampede, Aligarh ASP Amrit Jain said, "We received 38 bodies from Hathras district where the incident took place yesterday. We have successfully identified 36 of them. After completing the legal formalities - panchayat nama and post-mortem, we have sent those 36 bodies to their destinations along with their families. 2 bodies remain unidentified. For their identification, we have released their photographs to all the nearby districts and the entire state through the control room..."

The death toll in the Hathras stampede incident has risen to 121 and 28 injured, as per the Office of the Relief Commissioner.

The Badrinath National Highway in Uttarakhand is blocked near Paagalnala due to debris, the Uttarakhand Police said.

On Hathras stampede, former Samajwadi Party MP Dr. ST Hasan said," It is an unfortunate incident. Most victims were from poor families. This is an administrative lapse. A thorough inquiry should be conducted into it. The local administration does not fear that it could be penalised. When the govt is bulldozing houses then it will only protect the local administration."

Following a stampede incident during a religious congregation in Ratibhanpur village in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday which resulted in the deaths of at least 116 people and injuries to several others, police field an FIR against one Devprakash Madhukar, referred to as 'Mukhya Sewadar', and other organisers of the religious event. 

A Forensic unit along with dog squad arrived at the incident site in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras where a stampede took place yesterday, claiming the lives of 116 people.

A search operation was underway for 'Bhole Baba', who conducted a Satsang in Hathras where a stampede took place yesterday claiming the lives of 116 people.