With Paralympics silver, Suhas Yathiraj smashes his way to IAS archives
Noida, (PTI): Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) District Magistrate and shuttler Suhas Yathiraj's Paralympics run culminated with a silver medal for India on Sunday, with the journey also earning him a place in the annals of Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
The 38-year-old Suhas, who was outdone by his 23-year-old top seed French rival Lucas Mazur in a thriller of a final, became the only IAS officer to have not only participated but also won a medal in the Paralympics.
Congratulations Suhas L Y, IAS, DM G B Nagar (Noida) for winning the silver medal in men's singles SL4 para-badminton at Tokyo Paralympics. We and the entire nation are proud of you, the IAS Association, a group of serving and retired central administrative officers, tweeted.
The IAS Association's tweet also carried the hashtag #Cheer4Suhas, a trending buzzword on social media to rally support for Yathiraj during the showpiece event, along with #Cheer4India.
The Indian Police Service (IPS) Association, too, chipped in with a congratulatory message for the Karnataka-born UP cadre IAS officer, who has been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic management in Gautam Buddh Nagar since end of March 2020.
Secretary, Inter-State Council Secretariat of Union Home Ministry, Sanjay Gupta also heaped praise on the 2007-batch IAS officer for his achievement.
Suhas wins hearts. India lose another 63 min cliffhanger. He led in decider too but change of court at 11-10 turned the tables. Stupendous achievement for which nation is proud. Sadly, 2nd seed Tarun too loses Bronze play off. Avani Lekhara couldn't make to the finals in the mixed event, the senior IAS officer tweeted.
Suhas' IAS and IPS colleagues in Gautam Buddh Nagar too showered praise on his historic performance.
Greater Noida Authority CEO Narendra Bhooshan said Suhas has done the fraternity proud, describing him as an unprecedented combination of service with sports.
Every IAS officer tries to excel in public service but Suhas has broken the barrier and excelled in sports also, that too in paralympics. He has proved that mental toughness helps break all barriers and you can reach the top, the senior IAS officer told PTI.
Suhas has been the role model for lakhs of Indians, sports persons and more importantly specially-abled people, Bhooshan said.
Noida Police Commissioner Alok Singh tweeted, Well done Suhas L Y, you fought like a champion, made us all proud of your mettle.
IAS officer and former Gautam Buddh Nagar DM Brajesh Narain Singh in his congratulatory note for Suhas on Twitter said, A great feat for the country, the state, the services and Gautam Buddh Nagar.
The unseeded Suhas ended his campaign with a historic silver after going down fighting against top seed Lucas Mazur of France in the men's singles SL4 class final at the Tokyo Paralympics on Sunday.
The IAS officer, who has an impairment in one of his ankles, produced an entertaining performance before narrowly going down 21-15 17-21 15-21 to two-time world champion Mazur in a 62-minute summit clash.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
