Everyone in Bihar’s Agriculture dept is thief and I’m the sardar of thieves: Minister Sudhakar Singh
Patna, Sep 13: The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar was left embarrassed on Tuesday over the reported candid admission of rampant corruption by the state's Minister for Agriculture Sudhakar Singh.
Singh, whose remarks at a public meeting two days ago have gone viral, dug in his heels even as the BJP, which had been gunning for him till recently, said his averment was an "eye opener" and the chief minister should come out with a white paper on corruption.
"I stick to what I have said and I seek to make no amendments (sanshodhan). I have been elected by the people towards whom I have a responsibility," said Singh when he was approached by journalists here in connection with remarks he made at Kaimur two days ago.
In the video footage, the 46 years old RJD leader can be seen saying he felt like a "choron ka sardar" (leader of thieves), heading a department that "seemed full of thieves".
"And there are thieves above me as well", Singh was seen declaiming in the video and invoking Lohia to assert "when the legislature turns rogue, people must take to the streets".
The 'Mahagathbandhan', the seven-party ruling alliance, was predictably peeved but reluctant to come on record against the RJD leader whose father Jagadanand Singh is the party's state unit chief and a trusted aide of Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.
BJP, which had been seeking the removal of Singh ever since he became a minister a month ago, latched on to the opportunity thrown up by his alleged comments.
"What the agriculture minister has said is an eye opener and serves as a mirror to the self-obsessed chief minister under whose rule red tapism has been rampant and bureaucrats have been refusing to listen to even ministers", state BJP spokesman Nikhil Anand said in a statement.
"It is high time that the chief minister gave up living in denial on the issue of corruption under his rule and set up a high level committe to prepare a white paper on the same," demanded the BJP leader whose party had been Kumar's ally till his exit from the NDA.
#WATCH | There is not a single wing of our (agriculture) dept that does not commit acts of theft. As I am the in-charge of the department, I become their Sardar (chief)...There are many more people above me: Bihar Agriculture Min S Singh, in Kaimur (12.09)
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2022
(Source: Viral video) pic.twitter.com/p6mNVRgr60
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Mumbai family deaths: Rat poison ingredient zinc phosphide found in viscera, watermelon sample
Mumbai (PTI): Four members of a family in Pydhonie area of south Mumbai died last month due to rat poison, police officials said on Thursday.
The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report has confirmed the presence of zinc phosphide in viscera (liver, kidney, spleen), stomach contents, bile, and abdominal fat samples of the deceased identified as Abdulla Dokadia (44), his wife Nasrin (35) and their daughters Aayesha (16) and Zaineb (13), said Deputy Commissioner of Police Pravin Mundhe.
"The watermelon sample also tested positive for zinc phosphide, while all other food items were negative. The report will be studied in depth. We will consult forensic doctors. Further probe in the case is underway," the DCP said.
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Zinc phosphide is used primarily as a highly toxic acute rodenticide to control rats and mice.
"The forensic experts who examined the viscera of deceased Abdulla Dokadia, Nasrin (35), Aayesha (16) and Zaineb (13) found traces of zinc phosphide. It is, however, unclear whether the rat poison was consumed accidentally (or on purpose). So far, we have found no strong reason why the whole family would take such an extreme step," another official said.
Further probe is being conducted by the JJ Marg police station, which has recorded statements of kin and neighbours, he added.
The Dokadia family, residents of Ghari Mohalla on Ismail Kurte Road, had hosted a get-together of relatives on the night of April 25. At around 1 am, hours after the guests had left, Abdullah Dokadia, his wife Nasreen, and daughters Ayesha and Zaineb ate pieces of a watermelon.
They suffered severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea in the early hours of April 26 and were rushed to a local hospital before being referred to the government-run J J Hospital where all four died during treatment.
