NDRF rescues over 90 in cyclone-hit Sri Lanka
New Delhi (PTI): National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescuers have saved more than 90 people affected by landslides or floods in Sri Lanka that has been hit by the devastating Cyclone Ditwah, officials said on Tuesday.
India had sent two teams of the federal contingency force, comprising 80 personnel and four dogs, as part of Operation Sagar Bandhu to initiate relief-and-rescue measures in the affected areas of its southern maritime neighbour.
"The NDRF rescuers are deployed in landslide- and flood-affected areas of Kaduwela, Badulla and Puttalam. The teams have rescued a total of 64 people, evacuated 28 and retrieved a body till early Tuesday," an official told PTI.
The teams are assisted by Sri Lankan security forces and administration officials and they have also distributed about 800 food packets among 1,070 locals, the officials said.
The force has retrieved a body from Badulla from under five feet of debris, they added.
The NDRF personnel have also rescued a nine-month pregnant woman from Puttalam.
There are four women rescuers in the 80-member NDRF team and they have been tasked with specifically assisting local women, the officials said.
The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) based in Colombo has confirmed at least 410 deaths and 336 people missing till Tuesday morning in the catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.
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RSS man's defamation case against Rahul: Key witness unavailable, hearing adjourned to Dec 20
Thane (PTI): A court in Bhiwandi in Thane district on Saturday adjourned the hearing in the criminal defamation case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker to December 20 due to non-availability of a crucial prosecution witness.
Advocate Narayan Iyer, counsel for Rahul Gandhi, confirmed the adjournment, stating that the witness, Ashok Saykar, currently Deputy Superintendent of Police in Barshi in Solapur, could not remain present due to personal reasons.
Saykar's evidence is now likely to be recorded on December 29.
His testimony is considered key because he, as police sub inspector in 2014, conducted the preliminary inquiry into the private defamation matter under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
It was on the basis of Saykar's submitted report that the court subsequently issued process (summons) against Rahul Gandhi under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The criminal defamation case was filed by local RSS worker Rajesh Kunte following a speech given by Rahul Gandhi at an election rally near Bhiwandi on March 6, 2014.
The case stems from the Congress leader's alleged statement that "the RSS people killed (Mahatma) Gandhi."
The matter is being heard by Bhiwandi Joint Civil Judge, Junior Division, P M Kolse.
The hearing had previously been adjourned on November 15 after the complainant's counsel, Advocate Prabodh Jaywant, moved an application seeking permission to examine Saykar, who had submitted the probe report to the court.
The matter was originally scheduled for November 29 but was deferred to December 6 after Rahul Gandhi's legal team sought an adjournment citing their non-availability. The proceedings will now resume on December 20.
