Category Archives: Newsbeat

Newsbeat

Greater Noida AC Blast Sparks Massive Fire

Massive Fire Erupts in Greater Noida Flat After AC Explosion; Video Goes Viral

A shocking video showing a devastating fire at Gaur City 1 apartment in Greater Noida has gone viral. The fire, caused by an air-conditioning unit explosion due to intense heat, left the flat covered in thick black smoke and ash.

The video, shared on X, included a caption saying, “The AC burst and then nothing was left in the flat. This picture of Gaur City-1 of Greater Noida West really makes one wonder why ACs are bursting every day. I had never heard of such a thing before this summer.” The explosion caused widespread chaos in the area.

Reports indicate that items worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed in the fire, but fortunately, no one was injured.

People reacted to the video with concern. One user wrote in Hindi, “Very worrying!” Another comment in Hindi roughly translates to, “Now AC is proving to be very fatal. I have heard many such incidents in recent times. What could be the reason?”

Another user blamed the quality of materials used by AC companies, saying, “The material used by the company is of low quality. Compared to the Middle East, the heat is very high here. There are not many complaints of AC bursting. This means that the material used by the company in India is of low quality.”

Fire department data from Delhi’s satellite towns reveals that between April 1 and June 5, there were 32 fires in Ghaziabad and 85 in Noida, all caused by short circuits and AC explosions. In the same period, Delhi reported 12 similar incidents.

ALSO READ | Driver Surrenders in Darshan Murder Case

Newsbeat

Driver Surrenders in Darshan Murder Case

Driver Surrenders in Murder Case Involving Actor Darshan Thoogudeepa

In a major development in the murder case involving Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, his girlfriend Pavithra Gowda, and 11 others, the driver Ravi has surrendered to the police. Ravi, who had transported Renuka Swamy, the murder victim, turned himself in at the deputy superintendent of police’s office in Chitradurga, Karnataka on Thursday night.

Another suspect, Raghu (also known as Raghavendra), along with others, had arranged for a taxi to take Renuka Swamy to Bengaluru on June 8. All the suspects used Ravi’s cab from Chitradurga to reach Bengaluru that evening, according to NDTV.

After dropping off in Bengaluru, Ravi went into hiding but later contacted the taxi association in Chitradurga, who advised him to surrender to the police.

Raghu, who managed a fan club for Darshan Thoogudeepa, was reportedly hired by the actor to gather information on Renuka Swamy. Renuka Swamy’s wife claimed he was kidnapped near their home.

Recently, CCTV footage showed two cars leaving the area where Renuka Swamy’s body was found on the night of the murder. One of these cars is linked to the actor.

Darshan and his associates allegedly took Renuka Swamy to a shed in Bengaluru’s Kamakshipalya, where Darshan beat him with a belt while others hit him with sticks until he lost consciousness. They then slammed him against a wall, causing multiple fractures.

ALSO READ | Kannada Actor Darshan Arrested in Murder Case

The body was discovered by a food delivery rider, with dogs reportedly nibbling on it.

Darshan Thoogudeepa, known as “Challenging Star,” and his associates were arrested for the murder of 33-year-old Renuka Swamy, a fan of the actor. Renuka Swamy had allegedly posted offensive comments on Pavithra Gowda’s social media, accusing her of causing issues between Darshan and his wife.

In response to the arrests, the Bengaluru Police have imposed Section 144 within a 200-meter radius of the Annapoorneshwari Nagar police station, preventing public gatherings.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara denied reports of “royal treatment” being given to Darshan and his associates at the police station. He stated that Darshan is being treated like any other accused, with no special facilities or meals provided.

Source.

Newsbeat

US Student Visas for Indians Hit Record, Expected Rise

Record Number of Student Visas Issued to Indians Last Year, Number Expected to Rise: US Embassy

American universities attract a large number of Indian students. Last year, the US consular team in India issued over 140,000 student visas, more than any other country, setting a record for the third consecutive year.

This year, the US consular team in India is preparing for an expected increase in applications from Indian students. A senior official from the US Embassy said that the number of visas issued in 2024 will likely be similar to or higher than last year.

On Thursday, the US Mission in India held its eighth annual Student Visa Day, with consular officers from New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai interviewing Indian student visa applicants. At the US Embassy in Delhi, a long line of students was seen since morning.

Syed Mujtaba Andrabi, acting Consul General at the US Embassy in New Delhi, mentioned that they expected to interview about 4,000 students by the end of the day. He emphasized that student visas are a top priority for the US administration and the mission in India. Last year, they issued a record 140,000 student visas and plan to continue focusing on this area throughout the year.

Regarding the expected increase in student visas in 2024, Andrabi stated it will be “similar or in excess” compared to last year.

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US envoy Eric Garcetti highlighted the high priority given to student visas, noting the lasting impact of people-to-people ties. The US Embassy reported a significant increase in the number of Indian students choosing to study in the US over the past three years. In 2023, more student visas were issued than in 2018, 2019, and 2020 combined. This growth reflects the US government’s commitment to prioritizing students and facilitating their travel despite a 400% rise in demand for other visas between 2021 and 2023.

Garcetti praised the dedicated public servants who worked tirelessly to ensure students met their deadlines and that American universities could welcome a historic number of Indian students. Andrabi added that the consular offices started the student visa season earlier this year to maximize the number of students applying.

Regarding efforts to reduce visa wait times, Andrabi said they have eliminated wait times for almost all visa categories except B1/B2 tourist visas for first-time applicants, which have also seen a 70% reduction in wait times over the past year.

David Moyer, Cultural and Educational Affairs Counselor at the US Embassy, shared excitement about the demand for student visas to the US. Currently, there are about 270,000 Indian students in the US, making up over a quarter of the total international students there.

Moyer noted that many students are choosing universities beyond the Ivy League, with over 4,500 accredited universities in the US to choose from. He encouraged more female applicants to consider US universities and emphasized the support and counseling available to help Indian students find the right match.

Source.

Newsbeat

Fresh Arrest in Rajasthan Jal Jeevan Scam

Enforcement Directorate Makes Fresh Arrest in Rajasthan’s Jal Jeevan Mission Probe

Padamchand Jain, owner of Shree Shyam Tubewell Company, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with its money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in Rajasthan’s Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme.

This is the second arrest made by the ED in this case. Earlier this year, Piyush Jain was taken into custody.

The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide safe drinking water through household taps. The ED probe stems from an FIR filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) which accused Padamchand Jain, Mahesh Mittal (owner of Shree Ganpati Tubewell Company), Piyush Jain and others of bribing government officials to win tenders, get bills approved and cover up irregularities in JJM projects.

The ED alleges the suspects also purchased stolen goods from Haryana for their projects and submitted fake work completion certificates to secure contracts. The agency claims middlemen and property dealers helped siphon off money from the Jal Jeevan Mission.

ALSO READ | Kannada Actor Darshan Arrested in Murder Case

Padamchand Jain and Mahesh Mittal are accused of securing tenders through bribes and fake work completion certificates. Piyush Jain is alleged to have managed the affairs of these companies and received a portion of the illegal earnings.

The ED has conducted searches in Jaipur and Dausa, including the residences and offices of senior Public Health Engineering (PHE) department officials, former Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi, and IAS officer Subodh Agarwal.

Source.

Newsbeat

Two ITBP Jawans Injured in IED Blast in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur

Similar to the incident reported earlier where two jawans were injured in an IED blast, another event unfolded today in Chhattisgarh. This time, two personnel belonging to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) sustained injuries in a Naxalite IED explosion.

The incident occurred on Friday around 6:30 am in the Narayanpur district. The blast took place near Kutul village under the Kotemetta police station area during an area domination operation carried out by a team from the ITBP’s 53rd battalion.

Police reports indicate that the two ITBP personnel encountered the IED, resulting in a detonation. Fortunately, the blast only caused minor splinter injuries. The injured jawans were promptly taken to a nearby hospital and are reportedly out of danger.

Security forces have launched a search operation in the area following the incident.

Source: PTI

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Newsbeat

Actor Prithviraj Faces Arrest Warrant Over Alimony Dispute

Actor Prithviraj was issued a non-bailable arrest warrant by a family court in Vijayawada. The warrant stems from an alimony case filed by his wife, Balireddy Srilakshmi.

Previously, the court had ordered Prithviraj to pay a significant sum (Rs 8 lakh per month) in alimony, which he contested in the High Court. The High Court reduced the amount to Rs 22,000 per month and ordered him to clear outstanding dues.

However, Prithviraj allegedly failed to comply with the High Court’s order. According to Srilakshmi’s petition, he did not appear in court and only issued a public notice regarding the case. This led the family court to issue the arrest warrant.

The couple, married since 1984 with two children, reportedly faced financial difficulties during Prithviraj’s early acting career. Srilakshmi claims her family even helped support him then. Despite this, she alleges Prithviraj forced her out of their home in 2016.

Source

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Newsbeat

Telangana Tragedy: Police Save Woman and Child in Lake

Tragic Incident in Telangana: Mother Jumps into Lake with Children, Police Save Two

In Ameenpur, Telangana, a serious argument between a married couple over childcare took a tragic turn when the mother jumped into a lake with her two children. Fortunately, the police saved the woman and one of the children.

The Incident
Sangareddy: A working couple argued over who should take care of their children. This led the mother, Shwetha, to throw her two children into Ameenpur Lake before attempting to drown herself on Wednesday night.

Police Rescue
A police patrol team spotted the situation and quickly acted. They jumped into the lake and managed to rescue Shwetha, 33, and her four-year-old daughter. Sadly, her son, Srihans, also four, did not survive. His body was recovered the next morning with the help of expert swimmers.

Aftermath
Shwetha and her daughter are now recovering in the hospital. Shwetha, who is a software engineer, faces charges of murder and attempted murder. Her husband, Vidyadhar Reddy, also a software engineer, was in Warangal when the incident occurred.

Background
Both Shwetha and Vidyadhar work from home for different software companies. Their argument over childcare became intense, and family elders intervened. Vidyadhar was taken to his native village by relatives to help calm the situation. However, Shwetha, in a fit of rage, took her children, Srihans and Sriha, on a scooter to the lake and threw them in before jumping herself.

Investigation
The police, led by Head Constable Janakiram and Constable Prabhakar, acted heroically to save Shwetha and her daughter but could not locate the boy in time. Shwetha now faces serious legal consequences as the investigation continues.

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Newsbeat

Telangana Teacher Job Seekers Demand Justice

Why Were Unemployed Youth Kneeling at Telangana CM Revanth Reddy’s Residence?

In Hyderabad, over 200 aspiring teachers held a sudden ‘kneel down’ protest outside Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s residence on Tuesday. They were frustrated after being denied a chance to meet the CM.

The protesters even stopped MLC-elect Chintapandu Naveen, also known as Teenmar Mallanna, from entering the house for a while. They let him in only after he promised to address their concerns. This was their second attempt in two months to meet the Chief Minister and explain their issues.

What’s the Issue?

The main issue is about the implementation of an interim order by the Telangana High Court. Here’s a breakdown:

Job Notification: In April 2023, the Telangana Residential Educational Institutions Recruitment Board (TREI-RB) announced 8,708 vacancies for various teaching positions like Degree Lecturers (DL), Junior Lecturers (JL), Post Graduate Teachers (PGT), Trained Graduate Teachers (TGT), and Physical Directors (PD).

Selection Process: The recruitment process required the same qualifications and had common exam papers for DL, JL, and PGT posts. Many candidates were selected for more than one position.

Order of Recruitment: Usually, DL positions are filled first, followed by JL, PGT, and TGT. This allows candidates to be considered for lower posts if they are not selected for higher ones. However, this time, the board completed the PGT recruitment first, causing confusion.

Relinquishment Option: Candidates who are selected for multiple posts can choose the best one (DL) and relinquish the others (JL, PGT). These relinquished posts should then go to the next qualified candidate. But the board didn’t follow this process, announcing PGT results first and skipping the relinquishment option.

Backlog List: Normally, when a candidate resigns from a job, the vacancy goes into a backlog list and is filled later through a fresh notification. The job seekers argue that instead of adding vacancies to this backlog, they should immediately fill them with the next qualified candidate.

Court’s Intervention

Unhappy with the selection process, many candidates went to the High Court. The court directed the government to consider the next qualified candidates for any vacancies left due to non-joining or relinquishment of posts. However, the board followed outdated guidelines from 1997 and did not allow for a waitlist.

The job seekers claim that many vacancies remain unfilled because the relinquishment option was not provided. This has led to their protests, hoping the government will address their grievances.

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Newsbeat

Kannada Actor Darshan Arrested in Murder Case

Kannada film actor Darshan Thoogudeepa was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the murder of Renuka Swamy. Swamy’s body was found in a drain in Bengaluru on June 9.

Swamy, who worked at a pharmacy, allegedly made offensive comments about a film actress on social media. Police are investigating whether Thoogudeepa was directly involved in the murder or played a part in planning it.

The actor was arrested at his farmhouse in Mysuru and brought to Bengaluru for questioning. Several other suspects have also been arrested.

The investigation is ongoing. Police have not released any information about the motive for the crime.

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Newsbeat

Four People Killed in Separate Road Accidents

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Bhupalpally/Karimnagar: Four people, including two teenagers, lost their lives in separate road accidents on Sunday night.

In the first incident near Kamalapur village in Bhupalpally, two young men were riding a two-wheeler when they were hit by a car coming from the opposite direction. R Naresh (30) died at the scene, and R Pramod (25) died from his injuries on the way to the hospital. A third person, Sidhu, was seriously injured. Locals claim the car driver was drunk. The police have registered a case.

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In another accident on the Karimnagar-Warangal national highway near Keshavapatnam in Karimnagar district, two teenagers were killed when their bike crashed into a lorry. The victims were Pittala Mahesh (18) and Narsingoju Arvind Chary (16), both from Kothagattu in Shankarapatnam mandal. Mahesh had recently completed his intermediate education, and Arvind Chary had just passed his SSC exams. Police have registered a case, and the bodies have been sent to the district headquarters hospital for postmortem.

Newsbeat

Pakistan Demands Return of Children in Love Case

Pakistan Seeks Return of Children in Cross-Border Love Case

Pakistan has made a strong appeal to India for the return of four children who traveled illegally across the border in 2023. The children, whose ages have not been disclosed, are part of a complex cross-border romance that has garnered significant media attention.

Seema Haider, a Pakistani woman from Sindh province, left her home in Karachi last year with her four children. They reportedly traveled via Nepal to be with Haider’s lover, Sachin Meena, an Indian national residing in Greater Noida. The family’s situation came to light in July 2023 when Indian authorities located them.

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According to Pakistani officials, Haider’s first husband has filed a legal case seeking the return of the children. The urgency of the request stems from their status as minors and concerns about their well-being outside the legal framework.

The situation is further complicated by Haider’s current marital status. News reports indicate she is expecting a child with Meena, potentially adding another layer to the ongoing legal dispute.

Officials in Pakistan have emphasized the need for a swift resolution through established legal channels. They are urging Indian authorities to consider the welfare of the children and facilitate their safe return to Pakistan.

The development comes amidst ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. It remains to be seen how this case will be handled on a diplomatic level and if any bilateral agreements regarding child custody will be invoked.

Source.

Newsbeat

Reasi Bus Attack: 2 Terrorists, 9 Dead in J&K

Reasi Bus Attack: Police Confirm Two Terrorists Involved, Search Operation Launched

Reasi, Jammu and Kashmir – June 10, 2024

Jammu and Kashmir police have confirmed that at least two terrorists were involved in yesterday’s deadly attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district. The attack, which occurred around 6:10 pm on Sunday, left nine people dead and 33 injured.

“Eyewitnesses reported seeing two attackers,” said Reasi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mohita Sharma. “A combing operation is underway in the area with five teams formed to search for the suspects.”

The SSP provided details of the attack, stating that militants fired upon the bus. “The driver was unfortunately shot in the head, leading to a loss of control and the bus plunging into a ditch,” she added. “Despite this, the terrorists continued firing for an estimated 15-20 minutes, causing further casualties among the passengers.”

The search operation involves the Indian Army, State Disaster Response Force, and drones to locate the terrorists in the dense forest area.

The bus, traveling from the Shiv Khori shrine to Katra, was targeted near the Pouni area bordering Rajouri district.

Officials have confirmed that the rescue operation is complete, with injured passengers taken to Naraina and Reasi District hospitals.

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