Police launch inquiry into allegations of Union Minister Suresh Gopi misusing ambulance
Thrissur (Kerala), Oct 14: The Thrissur city police have launched a preliminary inquiry into allegations that Union Minister Suresh Gopi misused an ambulance during the Thrissur Pooram festival held in April this year, a police source said on Monday.
The police initiated the inquiry against the Union Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum based on a complaint lodged by a local CPI leader.
According to a police source, the preliminary inquiry aims to determine whether there is sufficient merit to register an FIR regarding the incident, which occurred before the Lok Sabha elections.
The complaint has been forwarded to the Thrissur city Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for the preliminary inquiry, the source told PTI.
Gopi won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket in the elections held after the Pooram festival, defeating his nearest rivals, V S Sunil Kumar of the CPI and K Muraleedharan of the Congress.
The complaint, filed by the local CPI leader, claims that Gopi arrived at the Pooram grounds in a Seva Bharati ambulance after the Thiruvambady faction temporarily paused the festival. It alleges that the ambulance, meant for medical emergencies, was used for non-medical purposes.
Additionally, the complaint states that Gopi was transported to a restricted area where other vehicles were prohibited.
This year's Pooram festivities were marred by controversy, allegedly due to police interventions and subsequent disputes.
The Kerala government has ordered a three-level probe, including an investigation into the alleged role of the police in the matter.
For the first time in the history of the festival, the display of fireworks--a major attraction of the event--was held in broad daylight the following day instead of the early morning hours, leading to disappointment among festival-goers.
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Blast occurred in slow-moving vehicle near Red Fort traffic signal: Delhi Police chief
New Delhi (PTI): Soon after a car explosion near the Red Fort killing at least eight people, Delhi Police commissioner Satish Golcha on Monday said the blast took place in a slow-moving vehicle near the Red Fort traffic signal.
Talking to reporters at the blast site, he confirmed multiple deaths and injuries, and said Union Home Minister Amit Shah was being regularly briefed about the incident.
"There was a blast around 6.52 pm in a slow moving vehicle near Red Fort. There were passengers inside the vehicle," Golcha said, adding other vehicles were damaged in the incident.
Earlier, officials said that the explosion happened inside a parked car.
The police commissioner said all agencies, including Delhi Police, forensic team, NIA, NSG, are taking stock of the situation.
"Some deaths happened, few people got injured. The situation is being regularly monitored. The home minister is being regularly briefed," he said.
A high-intensity explosion occurred near the Red Fort metro station on Monday evening, gutting several vehicles and killing at least eight people, officials said.
Twenty-four people were injured in the blast that took place at a time when the area was milling with people. The injured were taken to the LNJP hospital a few kilometres away.
