2 killed as elephant brought for house warming runs amok
Guruvayur (Kerala): A temple elephant brought for an house warming function ran amok, killing two elderly people at nearby Kottapady Friday, police said.
"Thechikottukavu Ramachandran", the tallest elephant in the state, was standing at the congested compound of the new house overflowing with people, when the animal ran out.
As people ran helter-skelter in panic, two of them were trampled near the house, police said.
The house owner was said to be a member of the manging committee of a nearby temple, where the elephant had been brought for a festival later Friday.
He had asked the mahout to bring the elephant to his house for the house warming ceremony.
A case under Indian Penal Code sections -- 304(A) (causing death by negligence), 337 (causing hurt by endangering the life or personal safety of others) and 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animals) had been registered against the mahout of the elephant, police said.
The deceased were identified as Babu (66) and Gangadharan (60). Nine others suffered minor bruises and their statements have been recorded, police said.
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.
Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
