Motorist dies after falling into roadside pit in Kerala's Thodupuzha; Minister orders probe
Thodupuzha (Kerala) (PTI): A 27-year-old man died after allegedly falling into an open roadside pit near Thodupuzha in Idukki district, police said on Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Jeys Benny, a native of Muthalakkodam.
The accident occurred late Monday night when his two-wheeler plunged into the large pit dug on the side of the road as part of the construction work, they said.
Though he was rushed to a nearby hospital, his life could not be saved.
As the issue triggered heated protest, state Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Mohammed Riyas ordered a probe into the tragic incident.
He said the deputy chief engineer of the PWD has been entrusted with a probe into the incident and will take further action after receiving his report.
"Stringent measures will be taken if the negligence happened from the side of the Public Works Department," Riyas said.
In the CCTV visuals aired by TV channels, the bike could be seen plunging into the open pit.
According to local residents, the pit has been left open for over a month without adequate safety measures such as barricades or warning signs.
Following the incident, local residents staged a protest at the accident spot, alleging negligence on the part of the PWD.
Workers of the Opposition UDF also protested at the local PWD office demanding action against those responsible.
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Bengaluru: Domestic help held for theft of gold jewellery, cash at elderly couple's house
Bengaluru (PTI): A 55-year-old domestic help was arrested for allegedly stealing gold jewellery and cash worth Rs 16 lakh from an elderly couple's house here, police said.
Dhanlakshmi had been working at the couple's house in Frazer Town for nearly 25 years, they said.
With her arrest, police claimed to have recovered 54 grams of gold jewellery and Rs 8 lakh cash, totaling worth Rs 16 lakh.
The matter came to light on February 19 when a complaint was filed in this regard at Pulakeshinagar police station, police said.
According to police, the elderly couple used to withdraw money every month from a nearby bank for household expenses and used to take the domestic help along with them. After withdrawing the cash, they would keep it in their house.
Observing this, the domestic help is suspected to have stolen cash and two gold chains weighing about 54 grams from the house since the year 2025, without the knowledge of the elderly couple.
During the course of investigation, on March 5, a notice was issued to the domestic help for an inquiry. During interrogation, she confessed to committing the theft, a senior police officer said.
"Upon questioning, the accused revealed that she had kept the stolen gold jewellery and cash at her residence. Based on the information provided by her, on March 7, 54 grams of gold jewellery and Rs 8 lakh in cash was recovered from her possession. The total value of the recovered property is Rs 16 lakh," he added.
