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.
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)
