Local BJP leader shot dead in UP's Gorakhpur; 3 detained
Gorakhpur: A 52-year-old local BJP leader, a contestant in the panchayat elections in Narayanpur in Uttar Pradesh, was shot dead while he was returning home after attending a public meeting, police said on Saturday.
Three people were detained following the killing of Brijesh Singh on Friday night in the Moglaha area. The fourth accused is at large, they said.
Singh was shot around 11 pm and was rushed to the BRD Medical College, where doctors declared him dead, police said.
Based on a complaint from Singh's family members, a case was registered at the Gulriha police station and Sunil Srivastav, Vinay Srivastav and Ramsamujh were detained on Saturday, they said, adding that teams have been formed to nab Pawan Srivastav.
Panchayat elections will be held across Uttar Pradesh in four phases on April 15, April 19, April 26 and April 29. Counting of votes will be done on May 2.
On the probe into the case, Gorakhpur Senior Superintendent of Police Dinesh Kumar P on Saturday said, "It is very early to say anything, but police have started investigating the matter and are collecting clues, and very soon the case will be solved."
The officer also said that there are no previous instances of Singh filing a complaint against those detained.
Singh had suffered bullet injuries to his head and chest, police said.
Singh was the sector in-charge of the BJP and also a former village head of Narayanpur. He was contesting the elections for the post of village head as the seat was declared unreserved this year.
Following the killing, the BJP leaders family members and relatives staged a protest, demanding the immediate arrest of the assailants.
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Govt to set up Bureau of Port Security to boost port, vessel security
New Delhi (PTI): To beef up the security infrastructure of ports, the government will set up a statutory body -- the Bureau of Port Security -- that will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information of ports and vessels, officials said on Friday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday convened a meeting for the constitution of the dedicated body, the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS), which was attended by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, an official statement said.
Emphasising that there is a need to establish a country-wide robust port security framework, Shah directed that security measures should be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, taking into account vulnerabilities, trade potential, location, and other relevant parameters.
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The meeting also noted that lessons learned from the maritime security framework shall be replicated in the aviation security domain, the statement said.
The new body, modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), will be constituted as a statutory body under the new Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and will work under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), it said.
Headed by a senior IPS officer as its director general, the BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.
"During the transition period of one year, the director general of shipping shall function as the director general of BoPS," the statement said.
"The BoPS will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity, including a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats," it said.
The government has designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a recognised security organisation (RSO), responsible for undertaking security assessments and preparation of security plans for port facilities.
The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will train and build the capacities of private security agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security.
"These agencies shall be certified and appropriate regulatory measures shall be introduced to ensure that only the licensed PSAs operate in this sector," the statement said.
