
Samana shuts to mourn death of schoolkids in road accident
1
2
3
Patiala: Samana town on Thursday remained shut to grieve the death of five schoolchildren in an accident on the Samana–Patiala road, with a large number of people gathering at the cremation ground to pay their final respects.Local residents questioned the lack of basic health infrastructure and hospitals in the town, calling for schools to be stricter with private vehicles ferrying schoolchildren.
Some residents raised strong objections to mining activities which allow heavy tippers to operate on roads.On Wednesday, five children, aged between 6 and 12, and a 45-year-old Toyota Innova driver were killed after their vehicle collided head-on with a tipper truck, while seven others were hospitalised. Police said that one of the children is facing serious head injuries.Meanwhile, cabinet minister Dr Balbir Singh held a meeting on road safety with deputy commissioner Preeti Yadav, SP Vaibhav Chaudhary, RTA Naman Markan, SDMs, DSP (traffic), and representatives from related departments. A two-minute silence was observed in memory of the children, and tributes were paid to them. He directed the officials to enforce zero tolerance for speed limit violations by tippers and school buses.Balbir Singh said, "There can be no compromise on the safety standards of school vehicles." He directed that all tippers must not exceed 60 kmph and speed governors be mandatorily installed. School buses must fully comply with the Safe School Vehicle Policy, he added. He instructed that tippers be barred from operating during morning school arrival hours and afternoon dispersal times, and strict action is to be taken against violators. He further warned that any officer or employee found complicit in negligence or in violation of these directives would face stringent consequences.Balbir Singh also directed the traffic police, transport, and health departments to ensure all drivers of tippers, trucks, and school buses undergo fitness checks, dope tests, eye exams, and mandatory training in traffic rules. Calling the
Samana accident
"unbearable," he urged all officers to take a pledge to leave no stone unturned in making roads safer.
Operation Sindoor
Operation Sindoor: Several airports in India closed - check full list
Did Pak shoot down Indian jets? What MEA said
India foils Pakistan's attack on Jammu airport: What we know so far
"Every life lost on the road is an irreparable tragedy for the family," he said.Taking serious note of late-night activity near Rajindra Hospital, he directed the district police to ensure roadside eateries and dhabas in the area close on time. He also ordered the construction of speed tables across city roads and highways and the installation of speed limit signage.
The RTA was directed to monitor school buses, tippers, and trucks closely, especially those carrying school children, and take strict action against violators. He further instructed that school dismissal timings be staggered to ease traffic congestion around school zones.MSID:: 121000027 413 |

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
33 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Robert Vadra skips ED summons, asks for another date
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) asked Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra to appear before it on Tuesday in connection with a money laundering probe linked to fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, but the businessman sought another date for questioning, people familiar with the development said. Bhandari, 61, is under investigation by multiple agencies, including ED, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Income Tax department and the Delhi Police, for money-laundering, violation of foreign exchange as well as black money laws, and the Official Secrets Act for having access to sensitive defence documents. The Indian government sent two extradition requests against the fugitive businessman which were certified by the then UK home secretary Priti Patel in June 2020, after which British authorities arrested him on July 15, 2020. However, on February 28 this year, a King's bench division at the UK high court allowed Bhandari's plea against his extradition to India, primarily on the grounds that he would be at real risk of extortion, torture or violence in Tihar jail, from other prisoners or prison officials, which means his extradition to India is now not possible. Also Read: Robert Vadra faces petition in court over Pahalgam remarks ED's probe against Bhandari, in which Vadra is under the scanner, relates to two properties in London as well as some land parcels in India. 'We had summoned Vadra on Tuesday, but he sought adjournment and sought a next date. We will decide the next date soon,' said an officer. The federal agency has claimed that one of the properties at 12, Bryanston Square, London, acquired by Bhandari in 2009, is linked to Vadra, as it was 'renovated' on his directions and using his funds. The agency has also claimed that Vadra has stayed in this property 'three-four times'. The second property under the scanner is located at 6, Grosvenor Hill Court, 13 Bourdon Street in London. Both are being treated as 'proceeds of crime' of Bhandari and NRI businessman C C Thampi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). In a charge sheet filed in November 2023, ED had alleged that Vadra and his wife Priyanka Gandhi Vadra bought land in Haryana through a Delhi-based real estate agent who also sold land to Thampi, while adding that Vadra and Thampi have a 'long and thick' relationship that extends to 'common and business interests'. Earlier, in April this year, ED questioned Vadra in connection with a separate probe related to a 2008 land deal in Gurugram's Shikohpur. HT reached out to Vadra on Tuesday for a comment but there was no response. The copy will be updated whenever it is received.


Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Shuttler Aakarshi Kashyap's takeaways from police training, hitting bullseye with machine guns, regaining confidence
A bunch of her badminton racquet frames and other gear in the usual kitbag, went through the customary check-in two weeks back from Singapore to Indonesia. But World No.46, Aakarshi Kashyap who is sixth in India's women's singles rankings, was also carrying two fat books that nobody else from the badminton caravan on the South East Asian swing, was lugging. On a bunch of flights last month – from India to Thailand to Malaysia to Singapore, Aakarshi was at times deeply studying, on an average 4-5 sections from India's CrPC and BNS texts. While being trained for the Chhattisgarh state police, after her appointment as DSP in lieu of the 2022 Commonwealth Games team silver, Aakarshi has been undergoing police training for the last several months, even as she juggles top-grade badminton tournaments. The full-fledged training at Raipur and Durg (near Bhilai), has also seen her discover that she's got quite an aim, when wielding not just hand-held pistols, but also the heavier AK-47 and the self-loading rifles (SLRs). 'There's of course been a change in how people see me, as a police. It's work that demands responsibility, in being thorough in law and when using weapons. I also take my books everywhere and study on flights and in between training and matches. It's a very different experience,' she says. Seeking job security like any other sportsperson, the slightly built shuttler from Durg, was inspired by some of India's women's hockey players, when she looked at her employment prospects. An assistant manager with RBI earlier, Aakarshi was keen on getting on a stronger financial footing and a more fulfilling job for when her badminton would be over. 'We all need job security and though my aim is to play, I was very excited about this job,' the 23-year-old says. The year-long onfield training for which she went back to Raipur, includes 17 written exams on subjects as varied as law, detection, forensics, but also responsible arms training. 'When it was time to get on the firing range, I knew I would be wielding an AK-47 and SLR which no common person is even allowed to hold. It's a huge responsibility and I was very very excited that day, I couldn't sleep that night before,' she says. Aakarshi is barely 5'3″, and though she's known on the badminton circuit for her endless endurance in rally games – though the finishing tends to be missing – she wasn't quite prepared for how heavy the weaponry can be. 'It's very heavy and I had to start, prone (lying down). But I realised my aim is actually good. We took 60 shots on the AK-47. On the INSAS (Indian small arms system – which has light machine guns and assault rifles), everything was Bullseye,' she said of the ARs that finally sunk in the deeply serious nature of her future job. 'With the standing pistol, 9 out of 10 were on target, and 6 were Bullseye. But you also realise your responsibility in carrying them.' Her entry-level fitness had helped her clear the initial physical exams. 'That was just 5 km running, pull ups, push ups,' she recalls of her training. At Singapore last month, Aakarshi took a set off Chinese World No.4 Han Yue, and says she realised how her police training had made her mentally stronger, though she couldn't win. 'I'd just got my period at Singapore and could not go all out and kept getting tired. But though I couldn't bend down much and the backache was terrible and all my focus on stomach cramps, I realised pushing through tough training helps me focus even when everything is not perfect. I always struggled with pull-ups before my police academy training. Now with even climbing ropes, imbalanced obstacles drills, I can do 7-8 repetitions at a go. It's slowly reflecting in my badminton,' she says. Aakarshi was a junior national champion and won the seniors title too, but without a proper smash on the international circuit, she had struggled to make headway in seniors despite being extremely gritty. She has also been mercilessly trolled, with online anons labelling her 'Lord Aakarshi' sarcastically, something that took a toll on her mind, and she even broke down courtside after losing her Nationals final at Pune to Anupama Upadhyaya. 'Police training brought back my confidence. It shows in how I control the shuttle better. I used to overthink when I couldn't apply strategy and would panic and go blank on court. I'm calmer now in long rallies,' she says, even if the punishing pace of rallies can still catch her out. Clarity in shot selection however has seeped in. Not someone who is physically the sturdiest given her frame, cop training has lent her mental solidity, and also brought in some realism in her life, quite apart from the bubbles most athletes inhabit. 'Though I have full support of my seniors to train and play and try to win on international circuit, the small break for training I took, has brought in focus into my career. When I was at a Grameen thana (rural police), I had to actually receive calls and head to where incidents happened. It opens your eyes to lives that are very different from what we badminton players live,' she says. While her actual duty workload is expected to be minimal as she focusses on trying to make a mark in badminton, Aakarshi senses a change within her. 'Compared to 2024, I'm much stronger because of my job training. Stamina higher. But also the mindset, I'm always alert now. And better at time management,' she laughs. 'There's no free time to waste or think of what people say about my results. I'm trying hard. And I'm taking risks on court I never would have,' she says.


India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
ED summons Robert Vadra in money laundering case linked to fugitive arms dealer
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a fresh summons to businessman Robert Vadra, who is also the brother-in-law of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, for questioning in a money laundering case linked to fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, sources told India Today who fled India in 2016 and is currently based in the United Kingdom, is allegedly a close aide of Robert case is part of a larger investigation into Bhandari, who fled India in 2016 and is currently based in the United Kingdom, where he is contesting extradition proceedings initiated by Indian authorities. Bhandari is accused of concealing overseas assets, laundering kickbacks, and violating multiple Indian laws, including the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the Black Money Act, and the Official Secrets Act. According to the central probe agency, Bhandari had acquired several properties in London from the proceeds of crimes from defence deals in India. ED has alleged that over Rs 300 was paid as kickbacks, which were laundered by Bhandari and his ED has alleged that Bhandari had financial dealings with Vadra during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government era, including the alleged acquisition of a London property through shell its supplementary prosecution complaint filed in 2023, the ED named Bhandari as a "close associate" of Vadra and claimed he had made payments that ultimately benefited the however, has denied any wrongdoing or business association with November 2022, a Westminster Magistrates' Court in London approved Bhandari's extradition. The UK Home Secretary ratified the order in early 2023. However, Bhandari has challenged the decision in the UK High Court, where the matter remains Watch