3 killed, 9 injured in separate road accidents in Jharkhand
Bokaro/Hazaribag (PTI): Three persons were killed and nine injured in separate road accidents in Jharkhand's Bokaro and Hazaribag districts on Wednesday evening, police said.
Two persons died on the spot in a head-on collision between a truck and a tanker on NH-23 linking Bokaro to Ramgarh at Chargi valley area under Peterwar Police Station limits of Bokaro district.
Peterwar Police Station Officer-in-Charge, Raju Munda, told PTI that apart from two persons who died on the spot, six persons sustained serious injuries in the mishap and have been rushed to a government hospital in Peterwar.
"In the head-on collision between a truck and a tanker on the NH-23 stretch, the driver of the truck was trapped inside the mangled front portion of the truck, causing his death at the site," said Munda.
The police officer said that an auto rickshaw carrying passengers from Peterwar to Gola was trying to overtake the truck, was also impacted in the mishap, causing the death of the auto rickshaw driver, identified as Ravindra Karmali, on the spot.
"Five passengers of the autorickshaw sustained serious injuries and have been admitted to the Community Health Centre in Peterwar," the police officer added.
In Hazaribag, a car plunged into a 30 feet deep gorge in the Danua Valley under Chouparan Police Station area, leading to the death of one person while three others sustained injuries.
Chouparan Police Station Officer-in-Charge, Saroj Singh, told PTI that the injured have been admitted to the Community Health Centre in Chouparan.
"Of the three injured, two are in a critical condition," the police officer said.
The police officer said that the car was travelling from Barhi towards Gaya (in Bihar) and while negotiating the slope and curve in the Danua Valley, the driver lost control, leading to the mishap.
"The deceased and injured are yet to be identified. We are trying to contact the owner of the vehicle based on the registration number of the vehicle," the police officer added.
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VCK urges CM Vijay to enact stringent law against superstitious practices
Chennai (PTI): VCK MLA Vanni Arasu on Wednesday urged the newly formed Tamil Nadu government to enact a stringent law against superstitious practices, citing similar legislations in Karnataka and Maharashtra to curb exploitation in the name of black magic and rituals.
VCK, which won two seats in the 2026 Assembly election, has offered support to TVK to form a government during the floor test.
Speaking during the discussion on the confidence motion in the Assembly, Arasu highlighted that states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Rajasthan already have laws against witchcraft and sorcery.
"From 2013 in Maharashtra and 2020 in Karnataka, laws providing imprisonment for those who deceive through superstitious means have been in practice," he stated. The party noted that rationalist Narendra Dabholkar had fought for such a law in Maharashtra before being murdered by "Sanatana terrorists".
The VCK MLA further called on the government to prioritise scientific temper over beliefs in astrology and sorcery.
"Our government should give priority to projects that develop science without giving room for superstitions like astrology and black magic," Arasu said, citing Article 51A of the Indian Constitution, which defines the development of scientific temper as a fundamental duty of every citizen.
The party demanded a special law to prevent honour killings as well, which Arasu claimed are rising in Tamil Nadu as they once did in North Indian states.
The government was also urged to enact legislation protecting the "200-point roster system" for SC/ST employee promotions, utilising powers under Article 16(4A) of the Constitution.
Highlighting the recent arrest of 40 Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, the VCK sought a permanent solution to protect them from such attacks.
The party called on the state government to take initiatives toward the "right of Eelam Tamils to rule themselves" and requested that the state officially observe May 18 as International Genocide Day.
