A week after installation, Javelin from Neeraj Chopra's statue stolen in UP's Meerut
Meerut (UP): Barely a week after the installation of a statue honoring world champion javelin thrower and Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra, a portion of the javelin held in the statue's hand has reportedly been stolen.
The discovery was made on Monday morning by social activist Lokesh Khurana, who subsequently called for an inquiry into the matter. Khurana stated, "The part is either broken or stolen. If it has been stolen, efforts on a war footing should be made to trace the same, and if it is broken, an inquiry should immediately be ordered to fix responsibility."
The Meerut police have initiated an investigation, and teams have been formed to resolve the issue. However, despite preliminary indications of a robbery, no significant progress has been reported thus far.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rohit Singh Sajwan stated, "We are going through all available CCTV footage in the area to track down the culprits and are hopeful to nab the miscreants soon." As of now, no official First Information Report (FIR) has been filed regarding the incident.
The statue was erected on August 29 by the Meerut Development Authority (MDA) to honor Neeraj Chopra's accomplishments at the Tokyo Olympics and the world athletic event in Budapest. The Hapur Adda intersection is home to statues of other renowned Olympians.
Abhishek Pandey, Vice Chairman of the MDA, commented, "I am not aware of the incident, but if it is true, then the MDA will re-install the missing portion of the javelin."
Anuj Singhal, Chief of the Surajkund Sports Vyapar Sangh, expressed his disappointment, saying, "If the javelin has been stolen, it is a shame on us as Meerut is known for producing and exporting sports goods across the world. We have seen a record rise in the sale of javelins since 25-year-old Neeraj Chopra earned laurels for the country in the international arena."
Several reports had surfaced claiming javelin from Neeraj Chopra's statue in UP's Meerut had gone missing. Police now claims the Javelin was not stolen. The long plastic javelin was replaced months ago with the actual smaller one. pic.twitter.com/z1Zaug6NkI
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
