Telangana tunnel accident: Rescue ops intensified by removing obstacles to reach trapped persons
Nagarkurnool (Telangana) (PTI): The teams engaged in rescuing eight persons who remain trapped in a partially collapsed SLBC tunnel have began cutting the part of Tunnel Boring Machine and other obstacles that are preventing them from going to the spot where they can search for the individuals.
Nagarkurnool Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad said the damaged part of the conveyor belt in the tunnel is expected to be repaired during the day to facilitate the transportation of debris.
“Yes, it's already (gas cutting machines went inside). (even during) Nights they did some cutting. Yes, it has already started last night,” the official told PTI when asked if the gas cutters started working.
Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said the TBM that is struck inside will be cut into pieces by using gas cutters and removed. After this, the Army, Navy, Rat Miners and NDRF teams will make another serious effort to rescue the eight persons who are missing, without compromising their own safety.
Replying to a query, the SP said he can not answer if the trapped individuals will be located today.
According to sources some of the workers engaged in the tunnel work have stated leaving the place out of fear.
A senior government official said there are 800 people working on the Srisailam Left Bank Canal project out of which 300 are locals while the rest are from states like Jharkhand, Odisha and UP.
On the media reports that labourers are panicked after the accident and planning to leave, the official said the initial apprehension will be there among the workers.
“The company constructed residential camps also for the workers. The initial panic will be there . Maybe some individuals want to go back. But we have no reports of workers leaving en masse,” the official said.
Eight personnel working on the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel project were trapped after a portion of the tunnel collapsed on February 22.
Meanwhile, former minister and BRS legislator T Harish Rao would visit the SLBC project today along with his party leaders.
Jaiprakash Gaur, Founder Chairman of Jaypee Group, the contracting firm of SLBC project on Wednesday reacted to the incident saying accidents may happen during difficult works.
Jaiprakash Associates Ltd, the flagship company of Jaypee Group, was awarded the tunnel boring of SLBC.
Gaur further said the teams are doing their best to see that those trapped individuals come out.
Two engineers and four labourers of the eight trapped persons are working for Jaiprakash Associates.
The trapped persons have been identified as Manoj Kumar (UP), Sri Niwas (UP), Sunny Singh (J&K), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab) and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu and Anuj Sahau, all from Jharkhand. Of the eight, two are engineers, two are operators and remaining four are labourers.
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BCI urges CJI to take action against Andhra HC judge for sending young lawyer to 24-hour custody
New Delhi (PTI): The Bar Council of India on Wednesday sought the urgent intervention of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant following a "deeply disturbing" incident where a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court reportedly sent a young advocate to
24-hour judicial custody over a procedural lapse.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairperson and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, in a formal representation, termed the conduct of Justice Tarlada Rajasekhar Rao "grossly inappropriate" and "damaging to the confidence of the Bar".
“I most respectfully request your Lordship to kindly take immediate institutional cognizance of the matter and call for the video recording of the proceedings, the order passed, and the surrounding circumstances.
“I further request that appropriate administrative action may kindly be considered, including withdrawal of judicial work from the learned Judge pending review, his immediate transfer to some far off High Court, and his nomination for appropriate judicial training/orientation on court management, judicial temperament, Bar-Bench relations, and proportional exercise of contempt/judicial authority,” Mishra wrote.
This representation is made to preserve the “dignity, moral authority and public confidence of the judiciary”, he said, adding, “Judges command the highest respect not by fear, but by fairness, patience, restraint and constitutional humility”.
The communication urged the CJI to intervene at the earliest to ensure that the faith of Bar, particularly young advocates, in the protective and corrective role of the judiciary is restored.
The controversy stems from proceedings on May 5.
According to the BCI, a video circulating online shows Justice Rao rebuking a young advocate who was unable to produce a specific order copy during a hearing.
The letter said that despite the advocate "repeatedly seeking pardon and mercy" and claiming he was in physical pain, the judge remained "unmoved".
The judge allegedly told the lawyer, "now you will learn," and mocked his experience before directing the Registrar and police personnel to take him into custody for 24 hours.
The BCI chairperson said that the judge’s actions lacked proportionality and fairness.
"The dignity of the court is not enhanced when a lawyer is made to beg for grace in open court and is still sent to custody for a procedural lapse," the letter said.
"A young lawyer... is an officer of the Court, still learning, still growing, and entitled to correction without humiliation," it added.
The bar body said that such actions create a "chilling effect" on the legal fraternity, particularly among junior members, and undermine the mutual respect required between the Bench and the Bar.
