Dharmasthala case: Vakalatnama filed on behalf of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala at Belthangady court
Belthangady: In connection with the Dharmasthala case that has attracted nationwide attention, a vakalatnama has been filed on behalf of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala before the Belthangady court.
Senior advocate C. V. Nagesh from Bengaluru and advocate Mahesh Kaje from Puttur have filed the vakalatnama in relation to Case No. 39/2025 registered at the Dharmasthala Police Station. On December 31, the advocates appeared before the Belthangady court and presented arguments on behalf of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala. After hearing the submissions, the court adjourned the matter to January 3.
An SIT is currently investigating the case and has submitted a report to the Belthangady court. In its report, the SIT has alleged that a conspiracy was hatched against Dharmasthala and has named six individuals in this regard. However, no action has so far been taken against the accused. The SIT’s application seeking permission to proceed against them is still pending before the court.
This marks the first time that Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala has directly joined the proceedings and presented arguments in the case.
Speaking to the media after the hearing, advocate Mahesh Kaje stated that the vakalatnama was filed on behalf of Dharmasthala in the capacity of a victim. He said the temple has been repeatedly referred to in the case and, as an affected party, should be given an opportunity to participate directly in the proceedings. Accordingly, an application has been filed seeking permission to present arguments on behalf of Dharmasthala.
The court has fixed January 3 as the next date of hearing. Supporting documents have been submitted, and no objections have been raised so far. It was also stated that allegations had earlier been made against Dharmasthala in a public interest litigation filed before the Supreme Court, in which the institution was explicitly named.
In light of this, Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala has sought permission to participate in the case as a victim and present its submissions. Further legal steps will be taken based on the court’s subsequent orders.
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Chamoli hydropower tunnel train collision: 88 injured, magisterial probe ordered
Gopeshwar/Dehradun (PTI): Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar on Wednesday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the collision between two loco trains inside the Pipalkoti tunnel of the under-construction Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydropower project, which left 88 people injured.
Earlier in the day, Kumar said that the accident occurred around 8.30 pm on Tuesday at the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) site inside the tunnel being built by THDC (India).
A loco train carrying workers for tunnel excavation during the night shift was about two kilometres inside the tunnel when another loco train coming from the opposite direction lost control and collided with it.
One of the trains had workers and officials on board, while the other carried material.
Upon receiving information about the collision, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered proper treatment for the injured. He spoke to the DM over the phone and instructed him to ensure that all the injured receive the best possible medical facilities.
DM Kumar and Superintendent of Police Surjit Singh Panwar met the injured at the Gopeshwar District Hospital.
Kumar said 109 people were on board the loco train at the time of the accident, most of them labourers. None of the injured was serious, he said.
He said that 88 of them were injured, although none of them are in serious condition. They said that 84 workers were discharged after receiving first aid, while four are still hospitalized.
DM Kumar and SP Panwar also inspected the project site and sought detailed information about the incident from the project officials.
They instructed them to strictly implement all necessary safety standards to prevent a recurrence of such an incident in the future.
After inspection, the DM issued orders for a magisterial inquiry into the accident caused by the collision of the loco trains.
Meanwhile, the Railways said the trains involved in the collision had no connection with it.
"It is clarified that this unfortunate incident occurred in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, involving a trolley used in the local transportation system during the construction of a hydroelectric project tunnel. The train referred to in the news reports is not an Indian Railways train, but a transportation system being used locally by the project team," the government entity said in a statement.
According to officials, rail-like vehicles are used to transport workers, employees, and materials for construction work inside the tunnel.
The project, being built between Helang and Pipalkoti on the Alaknanda River, will generate 444 megawatts of electricity through four turbines. The project is targeted for completion by next year.
