Srinagar: It was an emotional meeting when NC president Farooq Abdullah met his son Omar Abdullah in the sub-jail in Srinagar where he has been under detention for over the last seven months.

Released on Friday after his detention under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) was revoked, former chief minister Farooq Abdullah drove from his residence to nearby Hari Nivas where his son, also a former chief minister, has been held first under preventive custody since February 5 under the PSA. The two warmly embraced.

The 82-year-old leader had requested the Jammu and Kashmir authority for permission to see his son for the first time in seven months and the same was granted, officials said, adding that the two were together for about an hour.

Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and other leaders, including another chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, were detained on August 5 last year, the day the Centre withdrew special status of the erstwhile state.

The National Conference (NC) president was booked under the PSA on September 15 while his son was booked hours before his six month tenure of preventive detention was to come to an end on February 5 this year.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Jhagadia (Bharuch) (PTI): At least 16 workers were injured after a massive fire broke out at a chemical factory in Gujarat's Bharuch district on Thursday afternoon, officials said.

The blaze erupted around 1 pm at Metropolitan Eximchem Pvt Ltd, located in the Jhagadia Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) area, Deputy Superintendent of Police Ajay Meena said.

At least 16 workers suffered injuries and were admitted to nearby hospitals for treatment. No fatalities have been reported so far, he said.

Emergency response teams and local police personnel rushed to the site after being alerted about the incident. Fire tenders and ambulances are also stationed at the spot, Meena said.

Efforts to douse the fire are still underway, he added.

In addition to the fire brigade personnel from Jhagadia, two fire tenders from the disaster prevention and management centre in Ankleshwar were deployed to assist in controlling the blaze, an official added.

Visuals from the scene showed thick plumes of smoke billowing into the sky, visible from a considerable distance.