Madikeri: An unexpected building collapse in Gonikoppa city, Kodagu, on Thursday afternoon left many injured and three individuals trapped under the debris. The incident occurred in an old structure housing the 'New Ambur Hot Dum Biryani' restaurant, operated by Tirumurugan and his family.

Fire and Emergency services responded to the scene, rescuing three individuals from the rubble. Efforts are ongoing to locate and save three more people suspected to be trapped. One person, who sustained serious injuries, has been transported to a hospital in Mysuru for advanced treatment.

The police have arrived at the scene to manage the situation and ensure public safety. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is actively coordinating the rescue operations to expedite the search and recovery efforts.

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Guwahati, Apr 4 (PTI): The Assam cabinet has decided to lift all cases pending against people from the Koch Rajbongshi community in the Foreigners' Tribunals, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.

They will also no longer carry the tag of 'D' or doubtful voters, he said.

''There are 28,000 cases pending in different Foreigners' Tribunals in the state against people of the community. The cabinet has taken a historic decision of lifting the cases with immediate effect,'' Sarma said at a press conference here after the cabinet meeting.

The government believes that the Koch Rajbongshis are an indigenous community of the state and they are an inextricable part of ''our social and cultural fabric'', he asserted.

The people of this community are poor and have suffered a lot over the years, he said.

''They will no longer carry the tag of foreigners or ‘D’ voters,'' the CM said.

Foreigners Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, particularly in Assam, established to determine if a person residing in India is a "foreigner" as defined by the Foreigners Act of 1946, based on the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964.

These tribunals are designed to address matters related to citizenship and the presence of “foreigners” in India, specifically focusing on cases where someone is suspected of being an illegal immigrant.

There are 100 Foreigners’ Tribunals across Assam.

The Koch Rajbongshis have a sizeable presence in Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and parts of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, and they demand Scheduled Tribe status.