Police launch inquiry into allegations of Union Minister Suresh Gopi misusing ambulance
Thrissur (Kerala), Oct 14: The Thrissur city police have launched a preliminary inquiry into allegations that Union Minister Suresh Gopi misused an ambulance during the Thrissur Pooram festival held in April this year, a police source said on Monday.
The police initiated the inquiry against the Union Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum based on a complaint lodged by a local CPI leader.
According to a police source, the preliminary inquiry aims to determine whether there is sufficient merit to register an FIR regarding the incident, which occurred before the Lok Sabha elections.
The complaint has been forwarded to the Thrissur city Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for the preliminary inquiry, the source told PTI.
Gopi won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket in the elections held after the Pooram festival, defeating his nearest rivals, V S Sunil Kumar of the CPI and K Muraleedharan of the Congress.
The complaint, filed by the local CPI leader, claims that Gopi arrived at the Pooram grounds in a Seva Bharati ambulance after the Thiruvambady faction temporarily paused the festival. It alleges that the ambulance, meant for medical emergencies, was used for non-medical purposes.
Additionally, the complaint states that Gopi was transported to a restricted area where other vehicles were prohibited.
This year's Pooram festivities were marred by controversy, allegedly due to police interventions and subsequent disputes.
The Kerala government has ordered a three-level probe, including an investigation into the alleged role of the police in the matter.
For the first time in the history of the festival, the display of fireworks--a major attraction of the event--was held in broad daylight the following day instead of the early morning hours, leading to disappointment among festival-goers.
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Rupee falls 28 paise to 94.77 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 28 paise to 94.77 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday as market sentiment took a dramatic turn after reports emerged that the US and Iran are discussing a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at reducing tensions and reopening negotiations.
Forex traders said Brent oil prices, which had fallen to USD 98 on the US-Iran peace deal, edged slightly higher to USD 101 per barrel after investors weighed the prospects for a Middle East peace deal.
Moreover, factors such as unabated foreign capital outflows amid rising geopolitical uncertainties further dented investor sentiment.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 94.77 against the US dollar, registering a fall of 28 paise over its previous close.
On Wednesday, the rupee appreciated 69 paise to close at 94.49 against the US dollar.
"Markets are currently focused on the critical 48-hour window during which the US expects Tehran’s formal response through Pakistani mediators," said CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened Iran with more bombing if it doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz, amid a report that the warring sides were nearing an agreement to end the war.
US media outlet Axios reported, quoting US officials and two other sources, that the US and Iran were getting close to a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.
The US expects Iranian responses on several key points over the next 48 hours, Axios reported, adding that nothing has been agreed yet. This was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.01, down 0.01 per cent.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.65 per cent at USD 101.83 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex declined 160.24 points to 77,798.28 in early trade, while the Nifty was down 30.25 points to 24,300.70.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 5,834.90 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
On the domestic macroeconomic front, the country's goods and services exports rose 4.6 per cent to an all-time high of USD 863.11 billion during 2025-26, up from USD 825.26 billion in 2024-25, despite global economic uncertainties, according to revised commerce ministry data.
Merchandise exports grew 0.93 per cent to USD 441.78 billion in the last fiscal year from USD 437.70 billion in 2024-25, the data showed.
