U'khand man declared 'dead', later found alive by family
Pithoragarh, Dec 2: A 42-year-old man, declared "dead" by his family, was later found to be alive when his post-death rituals were being carried out.
The man named Navin Bhatt, allegedly an alcoholic, was missing for the past nine years.
Upset over Navin's drinking habit, his wife Rekha had also left him and shifted to Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow with their two kids.
His father Dharmanand Bhatt received a call from the police on November 23 stating that they had found an unclaimed body in Haldwani and recovered a slip from his pocket which says his name is Navin Bhatt, said Ramesh Mahar, former gram pradhan of Sripur Bichwa village from where the man hails.
Navin's family went to Haldwani and identified his body.
They brought the body to their ancestral village near Khatima in Udham Singh Nagar district and "cremated" it.
However, when Navin's post-death rituals were being conducted in the village, a friend of his younger brother called him up to find out why their shop in Rudrapur was closed.
Navin's younger brother KD Bhatt told him that it was closed as his elder brother had died and his post-death rituals were underway.
Shocked to hear this, his friend told him that it was impossible as he had met his elder brother Navin just a few minutes ago.
He caught Navin and put him on a video call with his family to make them see for themselves and believe what he was saying.
Navin's relatives rushed to Rudrapur and actually found him alive.
The post death rituals being conducted in his village were consequently cancelled.
The family had mistaken someone else's body as Navin's and cremated it thinking that he had died, Mahar said.
Navin's family treated his sudden return as his second birth and renamed him as Narayan Bhatt.
They performed his sacred thread ceremony (janeu sanskar) before re-marrying him to his wife Rekha, who had come to the village on hearing about her husband's "death".
Mahar said that Navin has vowed not to take to drinking again and look after his family.
Navin's family originally hails from Beltari village in Pithoragarh district but they are now settled in Sripur Bichwa village in Udham Singh Nagar district.
Praveen Singh Tewatiya, a police officer in Haldwani who had handled the matter, said the unclaimed body had been handed over to Navin's family after they identified it to be of their son.
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Karnataka: SP’s gunman among two arrested for extorting money from rice smuggler
Ballari (Karnataka) (PTI): An armed police constable serving as the district superintendent of police’s personal gunman, along with his accomplice, was arrested for allegedly extorting money from a rice smuggler, police said on Friday.
Devaraj, who had been serving as the SP’s gunman for the past four and a half years, was identified as the mastermind behind the incident.
Following an investigation, Devaraj and his accomplice Sairam were arrested on May 6, while efforts are underway to nab a third accused, Gadilinga, a practising advocate in Ballari, who is absconding, police said.
The matter came to light after a complaint was filed by Sharabappa, a habitual offender allegedly involved in illegal rice transport, they added.
According to police, the incident occurred on the intervening night of April 27 and 28, when a group of masked men intercepted Sharabappa’s rice-laden vehicles near the Moka forest area.
The accused allegedly introduced themselves as members of an “SP squad”, threatened to seize the vehicles and file criminal cases, and demanded money to avoid legal action.
Police said the accused initially demanded Rs 5 lakh and later extorted around Rs 3 lakh from the complainant.
Investigation revealed that Devaraj was the main person involved in demanding and collecting the money, while Sairam and Gadilinga were also involved in the offence. Sairam was allegedly involved in similar activities earlier as well.
Devaraj and Sairam were arrested under Sections 308(2) (extortion) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police also seized the extorted cash, the four-wheeler, and mobile phones allegedly used in the crime. Efforts are underway to trace Gadilinga.
Addressing a press conference, Ballari Superintendent of Police Suman D Pennekar described the incident as a serious offence that has tarnished the image of the police department.
"There is no official ‘SP squad’ or ‘DSP squad’ operating in the district. Such labels are often misused by impostors or corrupt individuals to commit extortion," the SP clarified.
She said no involvement of other police officers has been found so far.
Departmental proceedings have been initiated against Devaraj, and suspension proceedings are underway. The SP added that strict action will be taken against anyone involved in such offences.
Police said Sharabappa, the complainant, is a known habitual offender involved in illegal rice smuggling, and several cases have already been registered against him in the Moka and Peddihalli areas. A separate case has also been registered against him in connection with rice smuggling on the night of the incident.
Authorities are also exploring the possibility of initiating externment proceedings against him under applicable legal provisions.
The SP urged the public to report any extortion attempts by persons claiming to be part of an “SP squad”, assuring that the identity of informants will be kept confidential.
