Boat sinks in Assam river after colliding with ferry; several feared dead
Jorhat/Guwahati, Sep 8: Several people are feared dead as a large boat sank in the Brahmaputra river after colliding with a ferry near Nimati Ghat in Jorhat district of Assam on Wednesday, officials said.
The collision occurred when the private boat 'Ma Kamala' was headed to Majuli from Nimati Ghat and the government-owned ferry 'Tripkai' was coming from Majuli.
"The boat 'Ma Kamala' capsized and then sank. We do not have much detail at this moment," an official of the Inland Water Transport (IWT) Department said.
Another IWT official said more than 120 passengers were on board the boat, but many of them were rescued by 'Tripkai' which is owned by the department.
Jorhat Deputy Commissioner Ashok Barman told PTI that 41 people have been rescued so far and no body has been found yet.
"We cannot say right now how many people have died," a senior official of Jorhat district administration said.
Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and SDRF have started a search and rescue operation.
The boat was also carrying several four-wheelers and two-wheelers that went down the river.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed concern over the accident and directed the district administrations of Majuli and Jorhat to undertake the rescue mission expeditiously with the help of NDRF and SDRF.
He also asked minister Bimal Bora to rush to the site of the accident.
Sarma asked Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Samir Kumar Sinha to monitor the developments round-the-clock.
"The Chief Minister himself will visit Nimati Ghat tomorrow for evaluating the situation," a CMO statement said.
#UPDATE | Boat accident in Brahmputra river, Assam: There were around 50 people in the boat which met with the accident, out of which 40 people have been rescued, says Jorhat Additional DC Damodar Barman
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2021
Resue teams on the spot. pic.twitter.com/drcMOWTGVW
I am pained at the tragic boat accident near Nimati Ghat, Jorhat.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 8, 2021
Directed Majuli & Jorhat admin to undertake rescue mission expeditiously with help of @NDRFHQ & SDRF. Advising Min @BimalBorahbjp to immediately rush to the accident site. I'll also visit Nimati Ghat tomorrow.
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Delhi: Father, son held for killing 19-year-old woman in suspected honour killing
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.
The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.
"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.
On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.
Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.
"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.
Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.
During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.
The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.
Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.
Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.
A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.
Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.
"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.
