One more Indian national killed in Maldives garage fire
Male(PTI): The number of Indians killed in the deadly garage fire in the Maldivian capital here rose to eight on Sunday after the only unidentified body was identified as that of an Indian man.
Thursday's fire is reported as the worst-ever recorded in Male City in terms of lives claimed and damage to property.
Police said the last body from the 10 deceased in the fire that broke out in a car repair garage in M Nirufehi, located near the Maaveyo Mosque, was identified and it was an Indian man, the Sun Online International reported.
The garage was located on the ground floor, while the first floor of the building housed migrant workers from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.
Authorities have confirmed the deceased as four women, including three Indians and one Bangladeshi, and six men. The five men that were previously identified were four Indians and one Bangladeshi.
Police said that the identities of all the deceased have been shared with the Foreign Ministry, and the diplomatic missions of their respective nations in the Maldives. The identities of the Indian nationals have not been made public.
The migrant quarters housed at least 38 people, and there were cooking gas cylinders placed next to each bed.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that 29 people, including 15 locals and 14 foreigners, are being provided with temporary shelter in guesthouses. Guardians of another 19 foreigners who were displaced in the incident have provided them shelter, it said.
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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