Police officer removed from service for taking bribe in Kerala
Kottayam, Nov 8: A police officer was removed from service Thursday for allegedly taking bribe from some of the accused in a suspected honour killing case in Kerala.
Two police personnel, ASI Biju and police driver Ajaya Kumar of Gandhinagar police station near Kottayam, were arrested and suspended for allegedly taking bribe from some of the people accused of killing a 23-year-old man in May this year.
Biju was removed from service on Thursday, according to an order by Kottayam district police chief Hari Sankar. The department also cancelled service benefits to Kumar for three years.
Kevin P Joseph, a Dalit Christian, was abducted on May 27 by a gang allegedly engaged by his fiancee's family, who were opposed to their move to marry.
His body was found in a river in Kollam district a day later.
Police had said the ASI and the driver, on a night patrol on May 26, had intercepted a car being used by the gang after noticing that its number plate was hidden.
However, the two allowed the vehicle to proceed after taking a bribe of Rs 2,000, they had said.
The action against the two police personnel was taken as the trial in the case is set to begin at a court here.
Joseph's killing had rocked the state with the opposition Congress and BJP attacking the Left Democratic Front government on the issue.
Joseph's relatives had alleged that he was tortured and killed two days after he and his fiance filed a joint application for registration of their marriage at a sub-registrar office near here.
Then Kottayam District Superintendent of Police V M Mohammed Rafique was transferred following the incident.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
