Two Indian students drown in US lake
Houston(PTI): In a tragic incident, two Indian students from Telangana drowned in the Lake of the Ozarks in the US state of Missouri during the Thanksgiving weekend, according to police.
The victims were identified as 24-year-old Uthej Kunta, and 25-year-old Shiva Kelligari by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The two Indian nationals from Telangana drowned in the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri on Saturday. Details of the victims were not immediately known.
Telangana minister K.T. Rama Rao in a tweet said that he has asked his team to assist the victims' families in getting the mortal remains back as soon as possible.
First responders received a call on Saturday at 2:20 p.m. requesting assistance locating the two, the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Twitter page tweeted on Sunday.
The incident took place when Kunta who went swimming in the lake failed to surface. His friend Kelligari then jumped into the lake to rescue Kunta but failed to come back up too, the police statement said. Kunta's body was recovered two hours after the incident by the rescue services on Saturday while Kelligari's body was recovered later on Sunday, police said.
Both were pronounced dead on scene, according to police records. The manager of the Airbnb where the two were staying said that he called the emergency services after hearing cries for help.
"I called 911 and my daughter also called 911," he said.
"My brother jumped in the water and tried to save him but by the time he got to the kayak, they were already gone," he was quoted as saying by the local television channel KY3.com.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
_vb_77.jpeg)
_vb_00.jpeg)
