UP: Farmer beaten to death on Holi after asking biker to slow down; 6 arrested
Gorakhpur (UP) (PTI): A 35-year-old farmer who set out on a regular inspection of his fields while most locals were revelling in Holi celebrations, ended up getting allegedly lynched just because he asked a biker to slow down.
Gyanendra Chaudhary (35), a resident of the Maniram area here, had gone to inspect his fields near the Rohin river on Wednesday afternoon when a youth from Karahiya village allegedly rode past him near a Shiv temple at high speed on a motorcycle, kicking up a cloud of dust, police said.
An argument ensued after Chaudhary asked the youth to slow down. In response, the biker summoned his associates, after which several men arrived at the spot armed with sticks and allegedly assaulted the farmer, police added.
Soon, villagers gathered at the scene and raised an alarm, believing Chaudhary to be dead from the assault. They said they saw the attackers flee after a hue and cry was raised.
Family members rushed the injured man to a private hospital in the Gorakhnath area, from where doctors referred him to BRD Medical College due to his critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries during treatment at around 7 pm on the same day, police said.
A team from the Chiluatal police station reached the spot after receiving information and sent the body for post-mortem examination. Station House Officer Suraj Singh said further legal proceedings in the case are underway.
Six people have been arrested in connection with the incident, and two sticks and two motorcycles allegedly used in the crime have been recovered, officials said.
The accused have been identified as Sandeep Nishad, Sheshnath Nishad, Gautam Nishad, Ramesh Nishad, Vicky Rajbhar and Rajan Nishad, all residents of Karahiya village in the district.
Chaudhary, the youngest among three brothers, is survived by his wife Anjali and their son, Raj, who is a high school student.
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Pune airport runway shut after IAF aircraft 'hard landing'
New Delhi/Pune (PTI): The Indian Air Force (IAF) late Friday night said the runway at Pune airport is temporarily unavailable following an incident involving one of its aircraft.
It said efforts are underway to operationalise the runway.
"Pune runway is temporarily unavailable due to an incident involving an IAF aircraft. The aircrew are safe and there is no damage to civil property," the IAF said on social media.
"Efforts are underway to operationalise the runway and resume normal operations at the earliest," it said.
The airport uses a 'dual-use model', integrating civilian commercial operations with an active Air Force station.
A police officer said an IAF aircraft experienced a "hard landing" but refused to give details.
According to the authorities at the Pune International Airport, at about 2225 hrs, a fighter aircraft experienced an undercarriage failure during landing, resulting in blockage of the runway.
"As per IAF ATC, it will take 4–5 hours to clear the runway and restore normal operations," they said.
Union Minister of State for Aviation Murlidhar Mohol confirmed the suspension of runway operations at the airport.
"Thankfully, the aircrew are safe and there has been no damage to civil property. Airlines have been informed, and it may take approximately 5 hours to restore normal runway operations," Mohol said in a post on X.
"I am in constant touch with the Airport Director and Air Force officials to ensure the situation is resolved at the earliest," he said.
