News Analysis India

Tag: Rajasthan

  • Rajasthan: Irked over repeated beating, 16-year-old boy kills alcoholic father with axe

    By PTI
    KOTA: A 16-year-old boy allegedly killed his alcoholic father with an axe while he was asleep early on Friday in Rajasthan’s Kota district, police said.

    Around 3.30 am, the boy took an axe from the house and attacked his father multiple times, resulting in his death on the spot while other members of the family were asleep in another room, Station House Officer at Itawa Police Station, Bajrang Lal said.

    Initial inquiry revealed that the deceased, Abid Ali (45), was a history-sheeter with 27 criminal cases against him, including murder and loot.

    He was convicted in some of the cases and was a liquor addict.

    It was also revealed that Ali used to beat and harass his wife, two sons and daughter in inebriated condition.

    Prima facie, the minor boy, a Class 10 student, murdered his father in order to get rid of the constant torture and beating to the family members, the SHO said.

    The body was handed over to the family members after a post-mortem and on the complaint filed by Ali’s brother, the police lodged a case of murder under IPC Section 302 against the boy, who is yet to be detained, he said.

  • 320 doses of COVID-19 vaccine missing from hospital in Jaipur

    By Express News Service
    JAIPUR: At a time when Rajasthan and many other states are battling an acute shortage of vaccines,  320 doses of ‘Covaxin’ have gone missing from a hospital in Jaipur. An FIR has been registered about the theft at Kanwatia Hospital in the Shastri Nagar area of Jaipur.

    According to the FIR and information from the local police, as many as 320 doses of Bharat Biotech’s indigenously manufactured vaccine, COVAXIN, has gone missing from the cold storage of the Kanwatia Government hospital.

    The hospital had received these doses on April 11 but when the hospital administration looked for the doses on April 12, they could not find a single jab of the 320 doses that were received.  

    The SHO of the Shastri Nagar police station, Dilip Singh said they will use the CCTV footage of the cameras installed in the hospital to push their investigation forward.

    The FIR was lodged after the hospital staff failed to locate the vaccine.

    After a male nurse Hiralal Verma of the hospital filed the complaint about the missing vaccine at the Shastri Nagar police station, the probe has been handed over to Head constable Harnath Singh. The FIR has been filed against unidentified persons.

    The police is taking a close look at the stock register of the Kanwatia Hospital and all staff members of the hospital are being interrogated. Meanwhile, the health department will also probe this case which has raised fears that the missing vaccine doses may have been sold in the black market.

    Just last week, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming that the stock of COVID-19 vaccine in the state will be finished in the next 2 days. Gehlot had also asked PM Modi to provide another 30 lakh doses to the state to prevent vaccine shortage in Rajasthan.

  • Facing backlash for his remarks on Maharana Pratap, Rajasthan BJP leader tenders apology

    By PTI
    UDAIPUR: Rajasthan’s Leader of Opposition Gulabchand Kataria on Tuesday tendered an apology after his controversial remarks on famous warrior king Maharana Pratap triggered outrage among Rajputs in the state.

    Kataria tendered the apology saying his selection of words for the Mewar king famous was not right and he was sorry for that.

    “Our ancestors fought for 100 years. The most recent example is Maharana Pratap.

    “Had dogs been him that he left his kingdom and fort to wander in jungles? Who had he done it for?” Kataria had asked in Hindi while addressing a public gathering in the Rajsamand constituency on Sunday.

    The remarks outraged the people from the community with Udaipur’s royal family scion Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar asking “how can the dignity of language be forgotten for Maharana Pratap whose name is synonymous with the valour and struggle”.

    In a message on his Facebook page, Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, also a descendant of Maharana Pratap, also said “the sense of choosing words should not be lost”.

    Known for his valour, Maharana Pratap (1540-1597) was the king of Mewar, the present-day Udaipur region.

    Kataria was also criticised and targeted on social media.

    Reacting sharply to the comment, Rajput youths defaced Kataria’s posters outside the BJP headquarters in Jaipur here with ink and protested against him.

    They demanded from the BJP to sack him from the post of leader of the opposition.

    After the escalation of backlash, Kataria tendered an apology.

    Also saying that he felt sorry for hurting the sentiments of people.

    He released a video saying his sentiment for Maharana Pratap was not wrong but he used wrong words.

    “I respect Maharana Pratap. If anyone is hurt by my statement, I apologise,” he said.

  • Communal tension flares up in Rajasthan’s Baran, curfew imposed

    By Express News Service
    JAIPUR: A minor violent incident in Rajasthan’s Baran district has now turned into a major fiasco leading to communal tension on Sunday.

    There were reports of stone pelting and six shops were set on fire along with many vehicles parked in Baran. Power supply was cut off in the area after the fire incident. In view of the circumstances, curfew was imposed in the evening and the internet was also shut down in Chhabra town.

    On Saturday, when Kamal Singh, a resident of Chhabra subdivision, was buying fruits at the intersection of the town where he got into a fight with 3 youths of other community. The boys took out a knife and attacked Kamal. The shopkeepers present there intervened, but in the meantime two people were injured who were admitted to the hospital for treatment.

    After the incident, people reached the police station and demanded action against the accused. Police interrogated three youths in custody, after which some people gathered again at Dharnavada intersection on Sunday morning.

    When people of both the communities came face to face, stone pelting started due to a minor issue. This led to a stampede in the market and people set fire to six shops one after the other. The mob also ransacked and looted several shops. Police appeared helpless in front of an uncontrollable crowd. Around a dozen policemen have also suffered injuries.

    Police released tear gas shells and resorted to lathicharge. As soon as the information of the incident was received from Baran, SP Vinit Kumar Bansal and Collector Rajendra Vijay reached Chhabra and took stock of the situation. 

    As of now, the situation is under control.

    After the incident, police forces have also been called from nearby police stations. Kota IG is also present on the spot.

    Meanwhile, Chhabra MLA and former Minister, Pratap Singh Singhvi on Sunday condemned the violence in Baran. He said, “today’s incident could have been avoided if the local police had taken the incident between the boys of the two communities seriously on Saturday evening. It is the failure of the local police that there was a huge loss where shops of innocent traders were burnt.” He added that had the police administration been alert, this loss could have been avoided.

  • Rajasthan govt says Rs 500 each released for 33 lakh families hit hard by coronavirus

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government Saturday said it has released an installment of Rs 500 each to 33 lakh families hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

    “In this year’s budget, it was announced to give Rs 1,000 to these families in two installments. First installment has been released,” Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said in a tweet.

    The state government had provided a financial assistance of Rs 3,500 in three installments last year to 33 lakh helpless, destitute and laborers’ families affected by the coronavirus, he said.

    He said the state government is with the people in this time of crisis.

    “The funds have been deposited in the bank accounts of families. Those who do not have bank accounts, have been provided the relief amount in cash. In this difficult phase of Covid, the state government stands fully with the common people,” he said.

    Gehlot also spoke about an online meeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi held earlier in the day with the chief ministers and ministers of the party-ruled states.

    “The Congress president has rightly said that mass gathering of people in elections, religious events, has accelerated the transmission of COVID-19.

    For this, we are all responsible to some extent. We need to accept this responsibility, keep the national interest above self-interest,” he said.

  • Suspended Rajasthan constable sentenced to three years in jail for taking bribe

    By PTI
    KOTA: A suspended Rajasthan police constable was on Tuesday sentenced to three years in jail for taking a bribe of Rs 4,000 eleven years ago.

    The Kota anti-corruption court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on suspended constable Lal Singh after convicting him in the case.

    The constable was arrested in 2010 on a complaint of a Dhaturia village resident under Anta police station in Baran, Anti-Corruption Bureau’s Assistant Prosecution Director Ashok Joshi said.

    The constable had demanded the bribe from the complainant threatening him that unless he gives him the money, he would be implicated in a false case.

  • Ashok Gehlot holds high-level meeting amid surge in coronavirus cases in Rajasthan

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot held a high-level review meeting on Monday night over the surge in coronavirus cases.

    Gehlot discussed the situation with divisional commissioners, district collectors, police officers and top doctors.

    In the meeting, the experts laid emphasis on public participation and support in containing the spread of the virus, according to officials.

    They said the government guidelines issued on Sunday was helpful in handling the situation but public participation was crucial.

    The experts said people should follow self-imposed lockdown and should avoid going out if it was not necessary.

    The meeting is continuing.

    The Monday has recorded 12 deaths on Monday and 2,429 positive cases.

  • Will take strict measures to tackle coronavirus: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said strict measures will be taken to tackle the surge in coronavirus cases and detailed guidelines will be released soon.

    Gehlot said this after a virtual review meeting here.

    He said it is a priority for his government to stop the infection spread and save lives of people.

    “After the review meeting on coronavirus, it has been decided to take strict decisions for the next 15 days. Detailed guidelines and standard operating procedure will be released in this regard soon,” Gehlot said in a tweet.

  • Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra adopts stray dog, names him Chintamani

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Saturday adopted a stray dog and named it Chintamani.

    Governor Mishra also appealed to the people to sympathise with stray dogs and come forward to look after them, the Rajasthan Bhawan said in a statement.

    He also insisted on campaigning to save dogs of Indian species, it added.

    Viren Sharma of ”Protection of Animal and Welfare Society”, an organisation working for the protection of animal lovers and stray dogs helped in the adoption, the statement said.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had also appealed to the people in the ”Mann Ki Baat” some time ago to come forward to protect stray dogs.

  • BKU supremo Rakesh Tikait’s convoy attacked in Alwar, farmer leader blames BJP for attack

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) supremo Rakesh Tikait’s car was allegedly attacked in Rajasthan’s Alwar on Friday. Stones were allegedly pelted at his convey, damaging the rear windshield.

    The incident reportedly occured in Tatarpur village of Alwar district. Tikait was on his way to Bansur from Harsora village of Alwar when his convoy was attacked. Tikait was going to Bansur after addressing a gathering in Harsora.

    The farmer leader was quick to share the information on Twitter wherein he blamed the BJP for the attack. Tikait tweeted, “Attacked by BJP goons at Tatarpur intersection of Alwar district of Rajasthan, Bansur Road. Death of democracy.” The farm leader even shared a video of a damaged car, saying that the attack was carried out by “BJP goons”.

    Police have detained a student leader, who the Bhartiya Kisan Union claimed, belonged to ABVP, the student wing of the BJP, and accused the party of being behind the attack.

    Tikait, however, was not in his car when the stones were allegedly pelted, Bhiwadi Superintendent of Police Ram Murti Joshi said, adding no one was injured in the incident.

    “At this, some of the cars stopped and their occupants in the vehicles argued with them over the issue. Amid all this, the windshield of one car was damaged apparently in stone pelting,” the SP said.

    BKU’s state president Rajaram Meel, who was accompanying Tikait, alleged that at least 40 to 50 people carrying sticks stopped the convoy and entered into an altercation with them.

    राजस्थान: अलवर में किसान नेता राकेश टिकैत के काफिले पर कुछ लोगों द्वारा कथित तौर पर हमले का मामला सामने आया है।राकेश टिकैत ने बताया, “पुलिस का पिस्टल छीनने की कोशिश की गई। पत्थर मारकर गाड़ी के शीशे तोड़ दिए गए, लाठी चलाई गई।” pic.twitter.com/eqLeYjYyge
    — ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) April 2, 2021

    Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in support of the BKU leader and took to Twitter to slam the BJP for the alleged stone-pelting.

    Gehlot tweeted, “The attack on the convoy of  BKU leader Rakesh Tikait in Alwar by BJP folks is condemnable and action will be taken against the culprits. The BJP’s opposition to the farmers’ agitation through irresponsible statements reflects their anti-democratic attitude and is shameful.”

    After the incident, farmers blocked the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh Ghazipur border in protest. Tikait’s supporters blocked National Highway 9, but after a short while, traffic was restored through police intervention.

    Tikait has been spearheading the over four-month-long farmers’ agitation at the Delhi-Ghazipur border, against the three farm laws passed by the Centre last year.

    Last week, he had asserted that agitating farmers were prepared for a long haul and will relent only when their demands are met. Tikait and his supporters want the Centre to withdraw the farm laws and provide a legal guarantee on MSP.

    (With PTI inputs)