Greater Noida building crash toll rises to 9; may still trapped
Greater Noida, July 19 : The death toll in the twin-building collapse here in Uttar Pradesh climbed to nine on Thursday, with five more bodies pulled out from the rubble of the residential apartments early in the day.
The rescue operations were still on in the Shahberi village where the crash took place late on Tuesday, an official said.
A rescue personnel told IANS that according to estimates given by neighbours, at least 20 persons are still feared trapped inside.
Six of the deceased have been identified. There is Priyanka Dwivedi, 26, of Mainpuri; Shamshad, 25, of Faizabad; Ranjeet Bhimali, 30, from West Bengal; Raj Kumar,50, Shiv Trivedi,28, and Pankhuri of just 14 months.
A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) official said based on the operation conducted with the help of sniffer dogs, "chances of anybody surviving under the concrete debris were slim" as more than 36 hours have lapsed since the incident.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the dead.
The District Magistrate of Gautambuddh Nagar (Noida) has already ordered a magisterial probe.
Cases have been filed against two dozen persons and four of the accused, including the builder Ganga Sharan Dwivedi, brokers Dinesh and Sanjeev have been arrested.
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Badlapur accused Akshay Shinde shot dead: Lawyer of minor girls calls it 'killing of justice'
Mumbai (PTI): The gunning down of Badlapur case accused Akshay Shinde on Monday was the "killing of justice", said Asim Sarode, lawyer for the two minor girls he allegedly sexually assaulted.
Shinde was killed near Mumbra Bypass around 6:15pm when he allegedly snatched the gun of a policeman while he was being ferried in a police vehicle as part of a probe into a case registered on the complaint of his former wife.
After he shot and injured an API, another personnel from the escort team fired at him, and he was declared dead by doctors at a nearby hospital.
"While representing the two minor girls, I noticed it was becoming uncomfortable for the local politics of the Thane district and even for the educational institution where Akshay Shinde was working. Shinde's death in such a manner is killing of justice," Sarode told a regional news channel.
"Now, the case of sexual assault of the two minor girls will get sidelined. The case of these two minor girls was becoming difficult for the educational institute, as it is affiliated with a certain political family. Such a practice would lower the confidence of people in police and the judiciary," he claimed.
Sarode said he will be filing a plea before the Bombay High Court demanding thorough inquiry into the firing incident.
"Shinde's case could have brought up certain aspects that would have been negative politically for the government. I wonder how Shinde could access the gun and how he could unlock it when his hands were tied. This is political murder and is absolutely wrong," he said.
