Meghalaya church, adjacent house gutted in fire, two killed
Shillong: An elderly couple died when a century-old church and an adjacent house in Meghalaya's capital were gutted in a devastating fire early on Sunday, police said.
The couple, residing in the house, could have died of asphyxiation and a preliminary investigation has ruled out vandalism, police said.
East Khasi Hills district SP Claudia Lyngwa said the incident was reported at around 4 am and three fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze. An investigation has been initiated to ascertain the exact cause of fire, Lyngwa said.
The 117-year-old church at Qualapatty area was reduced to ashes and the fire could be due to an electrical short- circuit as the church was undergoing large-scale repair work, the eyewitnesses said.
The church is located in the middle of a very densely populated area and is surrounded by many houses, the district police chief said, adding that the fire brigade officials faced difficulties to reach the spot as the road leading to the church is very narrow.
"As of now investigation is on. We are collecting all the details. As the church is very secured, there is little chance of vandalism," Lyngwa said.
According to the SP, the couple could have died when they went inside their house to collect some valuables and inhaled smoke from the razing fire.
"Meghalaya woke up to the tragic news of the Church of God, Qualapatty being gutted in fire that also claimed lives this morning. The indigenous church is one of the oldest in the state. My prayers for the deceased and the Church of God family," Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma wrote on his twitter handle.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
