Durg, Feb 12: Authorities in Chhattisgarh's Durg district on Monday demolished the illegally constructed portions of houses of three persons arrested in connection with the murder of a 17-year-old boy in Bhilai city, officials said.
According to officials, the action was taken based on a report of the revenue inspector and patwari to the local municipal corporation.
The authorities razed illegally constructed portions of houses belonging to the accused, Nikesh Chauhan, Sumit Chauhan and a minor boy, in the Shardapara locality under Chhawani police station limits, an official here said.
The trio were among five persons arrested for stabbing the Class 12 student to death over a personal dispute in the locality on January 21, he said.
A probe by the civic authorities revealed that the families of the accused had encroached on additional land while constructing their houses, the official said.
A notice was served to them for encroachment, and action was taken as per the Municipality Act, he said.
Welcoming the civic body's action, local BJP MLA Rikesh Sen warned that people committing offences in his Vaishali Nagar constituency will face similar action.
"The bulldozer action was taken on the houses of the accused in the murder of Class 12 student Shivam. I had said on January 22 that if anyone is found indulging in offences of 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), molestation or any other crime, they will face the same action. Criminals in my constituency should now remain alert," Sen said.
The state will become crime-free under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, he said.
Last month, authorities had taken similar action against the main accused in the murder of a cow shelter worker in the state's Kabirdham district.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal on Monday said the Congress-led UDF’s sweeping victory in the Kerala Assembly polls was a clear verdict against the “arrogance”, corruption, and nepotism of the CPI(M)-led LDF government headed by CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Addressing a press conference as counting of votes for all 140 Assembly constituencies neared completion, Venugopal said the outcome reflected public anger against what he termed “10 years of misrule” by the Left government.
He claimed that Vijayan’s victory in his home constituency, Dharmadam, was “only technical”, alleging that the CM trailed the UDF candidate in the initial rounds of counting and failed to secure a majority in his own village.
“He just escaped. He suffered a setback even in his home turf. He was the only person who did not realise the people’s mood in this election,” Venugopal said.
Alleging that the CPI(M) and the LDF had resorted to “communal and opportunistic politics”, he further claimed that the ruling front had entered into a “secret understanding” with the BJP in a bid to retain power for a third consecutive term.
He said that when a government driven by power and arrogance attempts to align with anyone to stay in office, even its own cadre turns against it.
Referring to the results, Venugopal said that while the UDF expected rebel CPI(M) leaders, including K Kunhikrishnan in Payyannur, to impact the vote share, their victories came as a surprise.
Describing the UDF’s performance as a “historic victory”, he attributed it to coordinated teamwork, grassroots mobilisation, and the dedication of party workers, adding that the alliance accepted the mandate “with humility”.
Venugopal also credited Rahul Gandhi’s campaign guarantees, calling them a “trump card” that helped voters focus on real issues and reject what he described as the LDF’s “false narratives”.
He claimed that the Congress witnessed one of its lowest levels of rebellion in this election, which contributed to the alliance’s strong performance.
The senior Congress leader further alleged that the BJP managed to win two seats with the help of the CPI(M), and asserted that forces attempting to divide society on communal lines should “learn a lesson” from Kerala’s verdict.
“This is the real Kerala story,” he said.
On the question of the next Chief Minister, Venugopal said the party leadership would decide at the earliest after due consultations.
The counting of votes began on Monday morning for all 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala, where the Congress-led UDF secured a decisive majority, defeating the CPI(M)-led LDF, which was seeking an unprecedented third consecutive term in office.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) posts, "Thank you to my brothers and sisters in Keralam for a truly decisive mandate. Congratulations to every UDF leader and worker for a hard-fought, well-run campaign. As I said before, Keralam has the talent, Keralam has the potential… pic.twitter.com/6T4IZbEmp4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 4, 2026
