Four Indian medical students drown in Russia's St Petersburg; Indian embassy issues advisory
Moscow, Jun 7: Four Indian medical students drowned when they entered a fast-flowing river near St Petersburg in Russia, authorities said on Friday, prompting the Indian embassy here to issue an advisory to the students to be "extremely careful" while going to the beaches, rivers, lakes, ponds and other water bodies.
In the worst tragedy to hit the Indian student community in Russia, four students from Maharashtra - Harshal Anantrao Desale, Jishan Ashpak Pinjari, Jia Firoj Pinjari and Malik Gulamgous Mohammad Yakub - drowned in the Volkhov River.
They were studying at the Novgorod State University in Veliky Novgorod city.
A fifth student, Nisha Bhupesh Sonawane, was rescued.
The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi termed it as an unfortunate incident.
"Four Indian students who were studying at the Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University located in Veliky Novgorod, Russia, drowned in an unfortunate incident in the Volkhov river. In the incident, a fifth Indian student was saved from drowning and is presently receiving medical attention," it said.
Local emergency services have so far recovered two dead bodies from the Volkhov River. The search for the remaining two missing students continues.
Local media reports said that the students drowned as they tried to save one of their female friends. They all were aged 18-20.
The tragedy has prompted the Indian embassy here to issue an advisory to the students.
"Unfortunate incidents of drowning of Indian students in Russia are taking place from time to time. In such incidents this year so far, four Indian students have lost their lives. In the year 2023 there were two incidents and in 2022, there were six cases of death of Indian students by drowning," the embassy said on Friday.
"The Embassy, therefore, urges Indian students in Russia to be extremely careful while going to beaches, rivers, lakes, ponds and other water bodies. Students are advised to take all necessary precautions and safety measures in this regard," it added.
Two of the four students, Jishan and Jia, were siblings. They hailed from Amalner in the Jalgaon district. Harshal Desale belonged to Bhadgaon, also in the Jalgaon district.
Jalgaon district collector Ayush Prasad said arrangements are being made to bring the bodies to India.
"We are working to send the bodies to the relatives as soon as possible. Proper treatment is also being provided to the student whose life has been saved," the Embassy of India in Moscow said on X.
The Consulate General of India in St Petersburg said these students were pursuing medical education at Veliky Novgorod State University.
"Sincere condolences to the bereaved families," it posted on X.
The Consulate General said it was working together with the local authorities of Veliky Novgorod to send the mortal remains to the relatives as soon as possible.
"The bereaved families have been contacted and assured of all the possible help," it said.
A family member told local media: "When they entered the Volkhov River, Jishan made a video call to his family. His father and other family members were pleading with Jishan and others to come out of the river waters when a strong wave swept them away.”
In a message to the Indian envoy to Russia, the administration of Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University has expressed condolences over the tragedy.
“The students were taking a walk near the city's beach along the Volkhov River, in the evening, during their study-free time. The tragedy was accidental and unexpected. Nisha Bhupesh Sonawane survived. Now she is under the care of medical staff,” a university official said.
The university's representatives are monitoring her state closely and doing everything possible to help her, he added.
“The university informed the parents immediately and is currently working closely with all respective agencies in the Russian Federation,” he said. The university has requested the Indian envoy for assistance in repatriation of the students' bodies to India, he added.
In June last year, two final-year MBBS students from Kerala drowned in a lake in Russia. They were studying at Smolensk State Medical University.
Indian students study medicine across Russia. There are around 25,000 Indian nationals of which a majority are Indian students studying medicine, the Indian embassy said, quoting the latest data.
There are also Indian students studying engineering, economics, sciences and other subjects in other universities.
Advisory for Indian students in Russia:https://t.co/h7RnGowOkB https://t.co/z8q9dk4qag pic.twitter.com/IDADhYsiqG
— India in Russia (@IndEmbMoscow) June 7, 2024
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Eleventh woman judge in SC history, Justice Bela M Trivedi bids adieu
New Delhi (PTI): Justice Bela M Trivedi, who was the eleventh woman judge to be elevated to the Supreme Court in its 75-year-old history on Friday demitted office after spending three-and-a-half years on the bench.
Justice Trivedi, who had the rare distinction of being elevated to the top court after starting out as a trial court judge in Gujarat in July 1995, was part of the top court's several landmark judgements.
"It was a happy coincidence that her father was already working as the judge, city civil and sessions court when she was appointed. The Limca Book of Indian records has recorded the entry in their 1996 edition that 'Father - daughter judges in the same court'," Justice Trivedi's profile on the apex court website said.
She was elevated as a judge of the apex court on August 31, 2021 when a record nine new judges, including three women, were administered oath of office.
On Friday, Justice Trivedi sat in the ceremonial bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai as a tradition marking the exit of a top court judge.
She was part of a five-judge Constitution bench, which by a 3:2 majority, in November 2022 upheld 10 per cent reservation introduced in 2019 for economically weaker sections in admissions and government jobs that excluded the poor among the SC/ST/OBC categories.
A seven-judge Constitution bench, which Justice Trivedi was part of, in August 2024 by a 6:1 majority held that states are constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the Scheduled Castes, which form a socially heterogeneous class, for granting reservation for the uplift of castes that are socially and educationally more backward among them.
Justice Trivedi, in her 85-page dissenting verdict, said it is only Parliament which can include a caste in the SC list or exclude it, and states are not empowered to tinker with it.
A bench comprising Justice Trivedi in November 2021 said touching genitals of a child or any act involving physical contact with "sexual intent" amounts to sexual assault under Section 7 of the POCSO Act as the most important ingredient is sexual intent and not skin-to-skin contact.
It quashed the controversial "skin-to-skin" judgements of the Bombay High Court in two cases under the POCSO Act.
Justice Trivedi penned a verdict holding that the moratorium imposed under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code does not prohibit the attachment of properties under the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors Act.
A bench headed by Justice Trivedi on May 15 paved way for a Uttar Pradesh government scheme to develop the Shri Banke Bihari Temple corridor in Mathura for the benefit of scores of devotees.
Born on June 10, 1960 at Patan in north Gujarat, she practised as a lawyer in the Gujarat High Court for about 10 years.
She was appointed as a judge, city civil and sessions court at Ahmedabad, on July 10, 1995.
She had worked on different posts like registrar vigilance in the high court and law secretary in the Government of Gujarat.
She was elevated as a judge of the Gujarat High Court on February 17, 2011.
Justice Trivedi was transferred to the Rajasthan High Court where she worked since June 2011 till she was repatriated to the parent high court in February 2016.
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