'5th In 9 Days': Another bridge collapses in Bihar
Patna, Jun 28: Another instance of bridge collapse has come to the fore in Bihar, making it the fifth such incident to have been reported from the state in just over a week.
The latest incident has been reported from the Bheja police station area of Madhubani district, situated in the state's northern extreme, along the borders with Nepal.
Officials were tight-lipped about the incident, though sources in the Rural Works Department, which was entrusted with the construction of the 75-metre-long bridge, confirmed that one of the pillars got washed away a few days ago.
They said the bridge was being constructed at a cost of about Rs 3 crore over the Bhutahi river which has been in spate on account of torrential rains in catchment areas of Nepal.
The sources claimed that the district administration has been asked to investigate the matter and submit its report while the contractor concerned has been instructed to get the structure repaired at the earliest.
A video of the collapsed bridge, under construction for more than two years, has gone viral.
Leader of the opposition in the state assembly Tejashwi Yadav shared the video on X, taking an indirect swipe at the Nitish Kumar government.
"Another bridge has collapsed in Bihar. Did you get to know? If not, guess why," said the RJD leader, who is also a former deputy CM.
Last week, one incident each of bridge collapse was reported from the Araria, Siwan and East Champaran districts while a similar mishap took place in Kishanganj on Thursday.
ЁЭЯЧ рджрд┐рди рдХреЗ рдЕрдВрджрд░ рдмрд┐рд╣рд╛рд░ рдореЗрдВ рдпрд╣ ЁЭЯУрд╡рд╛рдБ рдкреБрд▓ рдЧрд┐рд░рд╛ рд╣реИред
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) June 28, 2024
рдордзреБрдмрдиреА-рд╕реБрдкреМрд▓ рдХреЗ рдмреАрдЪ рднреВрддрд╣реА рдирджреА рдкрд░ рд╡рд░реНрд╖реЛрдВ рд╕реЗ рдирд┐рд░реНрдорд╛рдгрд╛рдзреАрди рдкреБрд▓ рдЧрд┐рд░рд╛ред рдХреНрдпрд╛ рдЖрдкрдХреЛ рдкрддрд╛ рд▓рдЧрд╛? рдирд╣реАрдВ рддреЛ, рдХреНрдпреЛрдВ? рдмреВрдЭреЛ рддреЛ рдЬрд╛рдиреЗ? #Bihar #Bridge pic.twitter.com/IirnmOzRSo
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NIA court to complete framing of charges against 2010 hand-chopping case accused on May 15
Kochi (PTI): A special court here will complete proceedings for framing charges against the prime accused in the 2010 hand-chopping case involving professor T J Joseph, in which PFI activists were accused of attacking him at Muvattupuzha.
Ernakulam Special Court for NIA cases judge P K Mohandas, on April 30, heard the arguments of counsel for accused Savad and Shafeer C and decided to proceed with framing charges against the duo.
A group chopped off Thodupuzha Newman College professor Joseph's right hand in July 2010, accusing him of religious blasphemy in a question paper he had prepared.
The case, later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), resulted in the conviction of 19 accused.
The first accused, Savad, who allegedly chopped off Joseph’s palm, was arrested in Berram in Mattannur, Kannur, in January 2024, where he had allegedly been hiding under the pseudonym Shajahan.
The NIA also arrested Shafeer, who allegedly arranged shelter and provided logistical support to Savad at Chakkad and Mattannur in Kannur since 2020.
On April 30, the court heard the counsel for the accused and the NIA prosecutor on framing charges against the duo.
"On going through the documents and evidence in the case and on hearing the counsel for the accused and the prosecutor, I am of the opinion that there are grounds for presuming that the first accused has committed offences punishable under provisions of the IPC, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and that the second accused has committed offences punishable under the IPC and the UAPA, and there are materials for framing charges under these provisions against the accused," the court said.
The court directed that Savad be produced and Shafeer, who is on bail, appear before it on May 15 for recording their pleas as part of the charge-framing process.
After framing the charges, the court will schedule the trial in the case.
