13 injured as bus crashes into no-entry zone during Navratri feast in Jabalpur
Jabalpur (PTI): Thirteen persons were injured when a private bus rammed into a no-entry zone during a Navratri feast in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district, officials said on Wednesday.
The incident took place on Tuesday night in Sihora town where a Navratri 'bhandara' (feast) was underway, they said.
Prima facie, the bus driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident and was later taken into custody, the officials said.
Due to the Navratri festival, the entry of heavy vehicles into Sihora was prohibited. However, a bus defied the no-entry rule and crashed into the area near Gauri tri-junction under Sihora police station limits, Jabalpur Collector Raghvendra Singh said.
A totalof 13 persons, including those manning the area, suffered injuries in the incident. Eight persons were given primary treatment in Sihora, while five were admitted to Jabalpur Medical College, he said.
Among the five, the condition of three was serious, the official said.
Prima facie, it appears the driver was drunk and that resulted in the accident, the collector said.
After the incident, some angry people vandalised the bus and assaulted the driver, Additional Superintendent of Police, Rural, Suryakant Sharma said.
Police later seized the bus and took the driver into custody, he said.
State Public Works Department Minister Rakesh Singh expressed anguish over the bus accident and spoke to the Jabalpur collector. He asked him to ensure proper treatment for the injured persons.
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Strictest action promised after students forced to remove sacred thread at Bengaluru CET exam centre
Bengaluru (PTI): Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner Jagadeesha G on Monday said the government has decided to take the “strictest possible action” against those responsible for allegedly forcing some students to remove their ‘janivara’ (sacred thread) before entering the venue of the CET exam last week.
He said a committee of senior officials constituted to inquire into the incident reported that, prima facie, it appears the students were “intentionally” made to remove the ‘janivara’.
The city police have already booked three staff members of a private college in Bengaluru for allegedly forcing some students to remove their ‘janivara’ before entering the venue of the Common Entrance Test (CET-2026) last week.
Similar incidents last year in Shivamogga and Bidar had triggered controversy, following which the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) issued clear directions not to force students to remove any religious identification or symbol during exams.
“Despite KEA taking measures such as appointing dress code officials and providing training on dos and don’ts to prevent such incidents from recurring after last year’s cases, there has been a dereliction of duty this time,” Jagadeesha told reporters here.
“To take strict action against those responsible, an FIR has been registered, and arrests have been made. An inquiry has been conducted by senior officials, and those responsible have been suspended,” he added.
Stating that the inquiry report has been submitted at the district level, he said it will be forwarded to the government.
Based on the findings, it has also been decided that KEA will not conduct CET exams at the institution where the incident occurred, he added.
“The strictest possible action is being taken by the district administration and the government,” he added.
The deputy commissioner had constituted a committee headed by the additional deputy commissioner to investigate the incident and submit a report within two days.
“Exams have been held at several centres across the state, and nowhere else has this issue occurred. If students were forced to remove ‘janivara’ at this centre, it appears that it was intentional. We have taken it seriously,” he said, adding that strict action has been recommended to ensure such incidents do not recur.
Noting that senior officials were appointed for the inquiry, the DC said that after a thorough investigation and verification—which included statements from students, the school principal, exam observers, CCTV footage, and documents—it prima facie appears that students were intentionally made to remove the ‘janivara’.
“We are recommending strict action. The government has also ordered a detailed police investigation, and an FIR has been registered in connection with the incident,” he added.
