Over 100 Pakistani drones recovered from Punjab border in 2023: BSF
New Delhi, Jan 1: The Border Security Force (BSF) either shot down or recovered 107 drones from along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab during 2023, a senior officer said Monday.
The force guards more than 2,289 km of the International Border that runs along Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat along India's western flank. The Punjab region shares 553 km with Pakistan.
Quoting official data, the officer said almost all of the recovered drones were Chinese made and the maximum were recovered from farm lands running along the border on the basis of intelligence inputs.
Around ten drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were recovered from Rajasthan frontier during the same period, the officer said.
The force, during 2023, also seized a total of 442.39 kg of heroin, largely flown in and dropped by these drones, 23 weapons of different caliber and 505 rounds of ammunition from along the Punjab front, he said.
Three Pakistani intruders were killed while 23 Pakistan nationals that included two smugglers were apprehended by BSF personnel. Fourteen Bangladesh nationals and 95 Indian suspects that included 35 smugglers were also apprehended, the officer said quoting the same data.
A dozen Pakistani nationals, who had inadvertently crossed the IB fence, were also handed back to the other side, he said.
"The BSF remains committed to ensuring the security of the border with Pakistan through active communication and coordination with all stakeholders," the force said in a statement.
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No 'bacterial infection' found in bodies of 4 Mumbai family members who died after eating watermelon
Mumbai (PTI): The initial report submitted by the microbiology department of a Mumbai-based state-run hospital has said no "bacterial infection" was detected in the bodies of four family members, who died after consuming watermelon recently, officials said on Wednesday.
The Dokadia family, residents of Ghari Mohalla on Ismail Kurte Road, had hosted a get-together of relatives on the night of April 25. At around 1 am (on April 26), hours after the guests had left, Abdullah Dokadia (40), his wife Nasreen (35), and daughters Ayesha (16) and Zaineb (13) ate pieces of a watermelon.
They suffered severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea in the early hours of April 26 and were rushed to a local hospital before being referred to the government-run J J Hospital where all four died during treatment.
After the incident, Mumbai police, forensic experts and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials visited the house and had collected samples of every food item that constituted the family's last meal, including 'chicken pulav', watermelon, water, and other foodstuffs, and sent them to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis.
After the post-mortem of the deceased, their viscera was preserved for chemical analysis.
As the probe is underway, the microbiology department of the state-run J J Hospital has submitted its initial report to the police.
"As per the report, no bacterial infection has been detected so far in the bodies of the victims. No bacteria was found in their blood," the official said.
The exact cause of the death will be known once the forensic science lab submits its report, he said.
"The report will also clarify whether any food items consumed by the family members during the day contained anything poisonous," the official said.
