Ind vs NZ 1st Test: Virat Kohli falls as India end Day 3 at 231/3, trail by 125 runs
Bengaluru, Oct 18: Sarfaraz Khan and Virat Kohli led India's fight back with combative half-centuries after skipper Rohit Sharma set the platform with his 52-run knock as the hosts ended day three of the opening Test against New Zealand at 231 for three here Friday.
Resuming the day on 180 for three, New Zealand posted 402 on the board for a massive 356-run first-innings lead with Rachin Ravindra (134) conjuring up a majestic century.
India, who were bowled out for a mere 46 in the first essay, made a confident start to their second innings with skipper Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal (35) producing a 72-run stand for the opening wicket.
Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel dismissed both the openers before Kohli and Sarfaraz added 136 runs for the third wicket.
Kohli was dismissed at the fag end of the day and stumps were called right after his dismissal.
India trailed by 125 runs.
Brief Scores:
India: 46 all out and 231 for 3 in 49 overs (Sarfaraz Khan 70 batting, Virat Kohli 70, Rohit Sharma 52; Ajaz Patel 2/70).
New Zealand 1st innings: 402 in 91.3 overs (Devon Conway 91, Rachin Ravindra 134, Tim Southee 65; Mohammed Siraj 2/84, Kuldeep Yadav 3/99, Ravindra Jadeja 3/72).
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Over 400 police personnel fined by railway for travelling without tickets between Ghaziabad, Kanpur
New Delhi, Oct 18: The Prayagraj railway division has fined more than 400 police personnel for travelling without tickets on several mail and express trains in the last month and a half at various places between Ghaziabad and Kanpur, officials said.
The traffic officers conducting these special drives found most of the police personnel travelling without tickets in air-conditioned coaches and pantry cars, causing inconvenience to passengers.
Shashi Kant Tripathi, Chief Public Relations Officer, North Central Railway, said the Indian Railways regularly conducts drives to check unauthorised travellers.
"Without-ticket travellers not only cause inconvenience to passengers but also financial loss to the railway. Hence, we have adopted strict measures to check unauthorised travelling of every individual and we have been quite successful in our efforts," Tripathi said.
Santosh Kumar, zonal secretary of the Indian Railway Ticket Checking Staff Organisation, NCR zone, said many police personnel misuse their official position, enter air-conditioned coaches and lie down on empty berths,
"They do not vacate the berths for authorised passengers and even threaten them as well as railway officials," Kumar said.
He said the special drive has received a positive feedback from passengers who have appreciated the initiative and cooperated with railway officials. The drive has been led by Amit Sudarshan, Deputy Chief Traffic Manager, and assisted by Assistant Traffic Manager Dinesh Kapil and other officers.
One of the railway officials said many of these police personnel threatened the traffic officers and ticket examiners of dire consequences if they are fined.
"Though the higher-ups in the Uttar Pradesh police department have issued cautionary letters and circulars asking police personnel not to travel on trains without tickets, it seems that these letters have had little impact on them," another railway official said.
"These police personnel think that no one will report to the higher-ups about their misconduct and so they can carry on with their activities," he added.
According to Kumar, initially these police personnel tried to intimidate commercial officers but when the latter started recording their activities on the phone and became adamant to issue challans as well as report their wrongdoings to their departments, they started pleading for mercy.
"Many of them fled from one coach to another to skip the fine," Kumar said.
According to the railway officials, the drive will be carried on throughout the festive season so that authorised passengers do not suffer.
"Even after the festivals, we will conduct surprise checks occasionally to curb such activities," a railway official said.
