36 people, including children, killed in stampede at Vijay's Karur rally
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Chennai/Karur(PTI): Thirty-six people, including eight children, died in a stampede at actor-politician Vijay's rally in Karur, about 400 km away from Chennai, on Saturday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister TN Chief Minister M K Stalin said.
The dead also include 16 women, Stalin, who convened a meeting of top state officials at the Secretariat to review the situation, said.
He also announced announced a Commission of Inquiry to be led by Justice Aruna Jagadeesan to probe into the deadly incident.
Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry has sought a report on the stampede from the Tamil Nadu government. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke to Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi and Stalin to take stock of the situation post-stampede at Karur and assured all possible central help.
According to officials, the stampede broke out in the evening, around 7.30 pm, just as actor-politician Vijay was addressing supporters who had gathered in huge numbers in the afternoon and were waiting for hours to get a glimpse of the TVK leader, also a top movie star.
Vijay, who was addressing the massive gathering from atop his campaign vehicle, halted his speech mid-way when many workers raised an alarm after noticing that people were fainting and falling. Many who fainted included women and children.
Stalin, who will be leaving for Karur on Saturday, termed the situation "worrisome". The government also announce a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the victims.
The CM said he has instructed Ministers Ma Subramanian, Anbil Mahesh, and the District Collector to provide immediate support to the affected people.
President Droupadi Murmu expressed anguish over the tragic loss of lives in the incident and extended her deepest condolences to the bereaved family members.
PM Modi, condoling the deaths, said: "The unfortunate incident during a political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. Wishing strength to them in this difficult time. Praying for a swift recovery to all those injured."
"Deeply pained by the tragic loss of lives in a stampede in Karur, Tamil Nadu. My heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased. I pray to the Almighty to give them the strength to bear this grief and for the speedy recovery of the injured," Shah wrote on X.
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19-yr-old woman found hanging from tree in UP village; juvenile held
Lucknow/Pratapgarh (UP) (PTI): Police have apprehended a 16-year-old boy for his alleged involvement in the rape and murder of a 19-year-old woman whose body was found hanging from a tree in a village here, officials said on Monday.
Additional Superintendent of Police (West), Brijnandan Rai, said that the body of a 19-year-old woman was found hanging from a tree in an orchard in the Manikpur police station area on Sunday morning. A post-mortem examination subsequently confirmed that she had been raped.
Police registered a case against unidentified persons under sections 103(1) (punishment for murder) and 70(1) (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and initiated an investigation.
During the course of the investigation, the police found that the deceased was in contact with a juvenile who was also her relative.
Acting on this information, during a joint checking operation, sub-inspector Amit Kumar Singh of Manikpur police station and SOG In-charge Amit Kumar Chaurasia, along with their team, apprehended the 16-year-old near the Lehdari Ganga River bridge.
The search for other accused persons is ongoing, police said.
According to the police, the woman had gone to sleep after dinner on Saturday night but was found hanging in an orchard nearly 400 metres away from her home the following morning.
Additional Superintendent of Police (West), Brijnandan Rai, had earlier said that the circumstances suggest foul play.
"The victim's slippers and undergarments were recovered 50 metres away from the spot where the body was found. There are visible injury marks on her body," Rai said.
While locals have alleged that the woman was murdered after being raped, the ASP said that it is "prima facie a case of murder."
"Based on the complaint filed by the victim's brother, a case of murder has been registered against unidentified persons," the officer added.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, in a post on X in Hindi on Monday, said, "The news of the heinous murder of a Dalit daughter in Pratapgarh is deeply tragic and condemnable."
"The question remains: why does the spate of murders of 'PDA daughters' continue unabated in Uttar Pradesh? Are the BJP government's claims regarding women's safety merely hollow rhetoric, or is there, in fact, discrimination even in the provision of security for women?" he said.
"Whenever the 'wandering Honourable (ghumantu maananiye)' finds a moment of respite from election campaigning, he should cast a glance at the plight of the daughters of his own Uttar Pradesh. In any case, apart from injustice and oppression, no sister, daughter, or mother of this state holds any hope from you," Yadav added.
