Assam: Eminent singer, director Ramen Barua remains untraced
Guwahati, Jul 23: Assam Police have launched a massive search for eminent singer, music composer and director Ramen Barua, who has been missing since Monday, a police officer said.
Eighty-four-year-old Barua had left his home in Latasil area of Guwahati on Monday morning for a nearby temple but did not return home till late in the evening, when his family members lodged a missing complaint with the police.
According to available CCTV footage, he was last spotted near the new Gauhati High Court building adjacent to the temple around 10.15 am on Monday, the police officer said.
His mobile phone has been switched off since Monday and its last location was traced to an area behind the high court.
Popular singer Zubeen Garg joined the police in the search and till late on Monday, visited various parts of the city, including Lachit Ghat, Kamakhya Temple, Sukreswar Temple, Bhootnath Temple and Uzan Bazar Ghat.
An eyewitness informed the police that Barua was seen near Kachari Ghat on the banks of Brahmaputra on Monday, following which the NDRF and SDRF conducted a search along the river from Kachari Ghat to Pandu Ghat on Tuesday morning.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that he was deeply concerned by the sudden disappearance of Barua.
"His absence worries his family, friends, and countless admirers. I have asked Commissioner of @GuwahatiPol Sri Diganta Bora to mobilise all resources and take swift action to locate him," Sarma said in a late night post on X.
A radio artiste of fame, Barua has composed music for several Assamese films including 'Dr Bezbarua', 'Baruar Songsar', 'Mukuta', 'Lalita', 'Kokadeuta', 'Nati Aru Hati' among others.
Barua comes from a family of filmmakers, singers, music composers, artists, sportspersons and entrepreneurs and their over 100-year-old house in Latasil area is a prominent landmark of the city.
I am deeply concerned about the sudden disappearance of Sri Ramen Baruah, missing since this morning. His absence worries his family, friends, and countless admirers. I have asked Commissioner of @GuwahatiPol Sri Diganta Bora to mobilize all resources and take swift action to…
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 22, 2024
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
