Man hacked to death, police open fire on accused in Hubballi

Vartha Bharati | 28-01-2025 | 19:48:00 IST

Akash Valmiki, Yallappa Koti, Abhishek Shiroor and Vinod Ambigera (L-R)

Hubballi (Karnataka), Jan 28 (PTI): A 24-year-old man was brutally assaulted and killed by a group in the parking area of a bar here, police said on Tuesday.

Three of the accused arrested by the police attempted to escape and the cops opened fire on them. In the process they sustained injuries, they added.

Three of the accused -- Abhishek Shiroor, Vinod Ambigera and Yallappa Koti, residents of Anandnagar -- have been arrested in connection with the murder that occurred in Vidyanagar on Monday midnight, they said.

Akash Valmiki, a resident of Indraprastha Nagar, was assaulted and stabbed with a knife, police said, adding the exact reason for the murder is being investigated.

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According to police, around seven people are involved in the crime. Three among them were the assailants while two others were tasked with informing the movement of the victim to the assailants.

The three offenders were caught on Tuesday morning near the railway station and they led the police team to another place where possibly other offenders were hiding.

"However, after coming to the place, taking advantage of the darkness around 5:45 am, they (accused) assaulted police officials and tried to escape. In the bid to catch them, our team fired in the air two or three rounds but when they proceeded to escape, they had to be detained with minimal use of force. So, two of our Sub Inspectors fired five rounds at the accused and in the process, three of the accused sustained injuries," a senior police officer said.

The arrested accused have been admitted to hospital for treatment, he said.

"A case has been registered at Vidyanagar Police Station in this regard and the investigation is on," he added.

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Crowd management efforts ramped up at Maha Kumbh after stampede

30-01-2025 ¦ 30-01-2025 IST

PC: PTI

Mahakumbh Nagar (PTI): A day after a stampede at the Maha Kumbh left 30 dead, the Uttar Pradesh government ramped up efforts to ensure crowd management and safety of devotees who continued to flock here in large numbers for the religious gathering.

The devotees braved the pre-dawn chill and dense fog to take a dip in the Sangam and at other ghats here on Thursday.

More than 55.11 lakh devotees had taken the holy dip till 8:00 am, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.

Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Anshuman Mishra told PTI that the area would remain a no-vehicle zone until the crowd disperses completely.

"Vehicle passes will not be valid until all devotees have safely left for their destinations. No outside vehicles would be allowed to enter the city until the crowd exits the Mela area," he said.

However, senior officials may grant permission for vehicle entry based on the situation, he said.

Mishra clarified that essential services such as police administration vehicles, ambulances and suction machines would be allowed entry as they are crucial for the smooth management of the Maha Kumbh.

Pilgrims, including women and children, were seen walking to and fro the various ghats amid reduced visibility. Many had thin blankets covering their bodies while some stopped by bonfires along the routes to keep themselves warm.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and Director General of Police Prashant Kumar are scheduled to reach here later in the day for a detailed probe into the stampede.

The top officers would also conduct a thorough review of the arrangements in the Mela area, Chief Minister Adityanath said on Wednesday night.

"Every aspect related to security and public convenience must be carefully examined to ensure seamless arrangements for Basant Panchami (Feb 3 - Amrit Snan)," he said.

In a bid to further strengthen the arrangements, the Uttar Pradesh government will also be deploying two former senior officers on Mela duty -- Ashish Goyal, who served as divisional commissioner of Prayagraj for the 2019 Kumbh, and Bhanu Goswami, former vice chairman of the Agra Development Authority.

Additionally, five special secretary-level officers are being assigned to oversee operations. All of them will remain in Prayagraj till February 12 to assist in streamlining the arrangements, Adityanath said.

Besides 30 deaths, 60 people were injured in the pre-dawn stampede on Wednesday in the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh as millions of pilgrims jostled for space to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, one of the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar.

Maha Kumbh DIG Vaibhav Krishna said the incident took place due to crowd pressure. The crowd broke barricades and jumped to the other side, crushing those waiting there, he said.

On Wednesday, more than 7.64 crore devotees had a 'snan' at the Maha Kumbh, the highest in a single day so far. The footfall since the beginning of the mega event had crossed 27.58 crore by the end of Wednesday, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.

The Maha Kumbh kicked off on January 13 and will continue till February 26.