One of the first informers of landslide in Wayanad dies before rescuers reach her
Wayanad (PTI): Neethu Jojo, a woman staff of a private hospital in Wayanad, was probably one of the first to alert the emergency services about the devastating landslide that hit this district on July 30, but lost her life before rescuers could reach her.
A recording of her call seeking help for herself and a couple of other families who were trapped in her house after the first wave of the devastating landslide hit Chooralmala here, has gone viral.
According to the recording, she narrates the details of the horror they faced in the early morning of July 30 when the first wave of landslide hit her house.
In her distress call, she was heard saying that the water was flowing inside her house, which was surrounded by debris including cars swept away in the landslide.
In the voice recording she says that five to six families, who used to live near her house, have escaped from nature's fury and sought refuge at her place which was comparatively safer.
Neethu was apparently speaking to a staff member of Dr Moopen's Medical College who sought all the details and assured that help was on the way.
She was probably one of the first informers of the incident but could not be saved unfortunately and her body was found days later.
In the call recording she can be heard saying she was making panic calls to everyone she knew.
"There is a landslide at Chooralmala. I live behind the school here. Can you please send someone to help us?" she was heard saying over the phone.
One of the first calls Neethu made was to Dr. Shanavas Palliyal, the DGM of Dr. Moopen's Medical College, where she was working as an office staff of the nursing college.
"She sounded very distressed and was calling for help. I immediately informed the police and our ambulance from the hospital left for Chooralmala. The road was blocked due to uprooted trees.
"Our ambulance driver and another staff member were regularly in contact with her but after the second wave of landslide, the connection was lost," Palliyal told PTI.
The ambulances and the first responders were unable to reach Neethu as the Chooralmala bridge had washed away.
However, her husband Jojo, their toddler and Jojo's mother survived the landslide.
"It looks like, after the first landslide, she and other neighbours got trapped in a room and were unable to escape before the next one," Palliyal said.
Four staff members of the hospital, including Neethu, lost their lives in the devastating landslip that struck Mundakkai and Chooralmala.
The side of the house in which she and the others were trapped was destroyed in the landslide.
Around three bodies were found from that region while Neethu's body was recovered from else where.
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Republican Congressman demands preservation of all Adani prosecution records
Washington (PTI): A Republican lawmaker has asked the US Department of Justice to preserve all records in connection with the "selective prosecution" of billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani and his group of companies by the Biden administration.
The demand comes less than a week before the Donald Trump administration takes office.
Rep Lance Gooden, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, in a letter on Tuesday to Attorney General Merrick Garland, demanded that the department preserve and produce all records and documents leading up to its decision to go after the Adani Group.
In another letter to Garland on January 7, Gooden had raised serious concerns over the department's recent indictment of the group.
The indictment alleged acts conducted entirely within India, involving Indian citizens and officials, with no apparent injury to US interests, he had noted.
"The allegations in the Adani case, even if proven true, would still fail to make us the appropriate and final arbiter on the issue. These 'bribes' were allegedly paid to Indian state government officials, in India, by Indian executives of an Indian company, with no concrete involvement of or injury to any American party," Gooden had said.
"Conversely, Smartmatic, an American company responsible for conducting our elections, had executives who allegedly laundered money and paid bribes to foreign governments, according to the Department of Justice's indictment earlier. However, despite numerous attempts by my colleagues and I to have our concerns addressed before the elections, we were never briefed by your department," he had argued.
Alleging that the department had been highly selective against Adani and his companies, the Republican lawmaker posed several new questions to Garland.
"Why has the Department of Justice not indicted a single American if the case involves a significant nexus with the US? Were there no Americans involved in this alleged scheme? Why has the Department of Justice pursued this case against Gautam Adani when the alleged criminal act, and the parties allegedly involved are in India? Do you seek to enforce justice in India?" he asked.
"Will the Department of Justice seek an extradition of the Indian executives involved in this case? What is the Department of Justice's contingency plan if India refuses to comply with an extradition request and claim sole authority over this case? Is the Department of Justice or the Biden administration willing to escalate this case into an international incident between the US and an ally like India?" he further asked Garland.
Gooden said the questions were also to remind him of the probable consequences of the administration's actions.
India is one of the few reliable partners the US has in the Asia-Pacific region, alongside being one of the fastest-growing and largest economies, he said.
"Such reckless acts of pursuit against its top industrialists could start a harmful narrative against India's growth. Not respecting India's authority over this matter could strain and even permanently damage our international relations with a strategically important and key economic and political ally," he added.
"At this juncture, letting the Indian authorities investigate, determine any injury, and adjudicate on the matter instead of jumping to premature conclusions would be the best and only appropriate course of action. It would also be wise to pursue cases where the department is certain we have appropriate and conclusive jurisdiction, aside from a serious shot at winning," Gooden said in the letter.
The Republican lawmaker asserted that targeting entities that invested tens of billions of dollars and created tens of thousands of jobs for Americans only harmed the US in the long run.
"When we forego real threats from violent crime, economic espionage, and CCP (Communist Party of China) influence and go after those who contribute to our economic growth, it discourages valuable new investors hopeful of investing in our country," Gooden said.
"An unwelcome and politically charged atmosphere for investors will only stall efforts to revitalise America's industrial base and economic growth, directly undermine President Trump's commitment to revive the economy with increased investments. Given the timing of these decisions coincides with the end of the Biden administration, concerns arise that the only true goal here is disruption for President Trump," he added.
Instead of expending valuable taxpayer resources on opening lengthy and "perhaps politically-motivated" pursuits in foreign countries, the department should co-operate with the incoming administration on better serving the American people, Gooden said.
"As a cog in the outgoing administration, it is your duty to the public in being mindful of not creating further complications that could compromise America's geopolitical eminence," he said in the letter to Garland.
"Please also report if there has been any communication or negotiation regarding the Adani case between the Department of Justice (including any of its agents, subsidiaries, instrumentalities, or authorised representatives) and any third-party or agent representing any third party that works closely, for, or in conjunction with any entity partly owned or controlled by George Soros," Gooden said.
