Fire Mishap at Pachanady Dumping Yard: Night long operation undertaken to extinguish fire
Mangaluru: In an incident that occurred on Sunday night, a fire mishap in the dumping yard in Pachanady prompted the fire service department to undertake a night-long operation to extinguish the fire. While the garbage heaps in the site burned to the ground, no other life-threatening damages have occurred in the surrounding areas, it is learned.
Reportedly, the fire was spotted around 7 pm at the dumping yard. Although the reasons for the fire have not yet been determined, speculations have been made that it could either be a result of a short circuit in the area or the work of delinquents who may have lit the garbage heap. Due to the fire mishap, reportedly, the areas surrounding Pachanady were covered in thick smoke causing problems to the locals.
It has also been learned that the fire extinguishing operation had been delayed due to the unavailability of service staff who were on leave on the account of it being Sunday. As a result, the fire had spread even further, rendering the extinguishing operation to carry on till 3 am, eyewitnesses revealed.
Along with the staff from the fire brigade services, 4-5 JCBs were also involved in the operation to put out the fire. It is said that, if the extinguishing operations had delayed any further, the fire could have spread into the houses situated nearby.
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NIA court to complete framing of charges against 2010 hand-chopping case accused on May 15
Kochi (PTI): A special court here will complete proceedings for framing charges against the prime accused in the 2010 hand-chopping case involving professor T J Joseph, in which PFI activists were accused of attacking him at Muvattupuzha.
Ernakulam Special Court for NIA cases judge P K Mohandas, on April 30, heard the arguments of counsel for accused Savad and Shafeer C and decided to proceed with framing charges against the duo.
A group chopped off Thodupuzha Newman College professor Joseph's right hand in July 2010, accusing him of religious blasphemy in a question paper he had prepared.
The case, later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), resulted in the conviction of 19 accused.
The first accused, Savad, who allegedly chopped off Joseph’s palm, was arrested in Berram in Mattannur, Kannur, in January 2024, where he had allegedly been hiding under the pseudonym Shajahan.
The NIA also arrested Shafeer, who allegedly arranged shelter and provided logistical support to Savad at Chakkad and Mattannur in Kannur since 2020.
On April 30, the court heard the counsel for the accused and the NIA prosecutor on framing charges against the duo.
"On going through the documents and evidence in the case and on hearing the counsel for the accused and the prosecutor, I am of the opinion that there are grounds for presuming that the first accused has committed offences punishable under provisions of the IPC, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and that the second accused has committed offences punishable under the IPC and the UAPA, and there are materials for framing charges under these provisions against the accused," the court said.
The court directed that Savad be produced and Shafeer, who is on bail, appear before it on May 15 for recording their pleas as part of the charge-framing process.
After framing the charges, the court will schedule the trial in the case.
