Latest news with #Gopal
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Two die of electrocution, 30 injured in Alwar village after power line comes in contact with Kanwar yatra truck
Two people were killed and 30 others injured when a truck carrying kanwariyas came in contact with a hanging overhead high-tension power line at Bichgaon village in Rajasthan's Alwar district on Wednesday morning, police said. Police said three of the injured are said to be in a critical condition and are undergoing treatment at a hospital. The incident took place during the Kanwar Yatra in Bichgaon village, Laxmangarh, around 7:30 am Wednesday. A video of the incident surfaced on social media shows a group of devotees dancing, before several of them who were walking close to the truck suddenly collapse to the ground. The electric current from the overhead wire hit several devotees, including women, within seconds. The devotees were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals, where two were declared dead. The procession was heading towards the village temple when the accident took place. The deceased have been identified as Gopal, 22, and Suresh Prajapat, 40, both residents of Bichgaon. In the aftermath of the tragedy, angry villagers staged a dharna outside Laxmangarh Community Health Centre, demanding compensation for the families of the deceased. After hours of discussion, officials agreed to provide financial assistance of ₹10 lakh to each family of the deceased. Of this, ₹5 lakh will be provided under the Ayushman Yojana and ₹5 lakh by the Rajasthan Electricity Department. Following the incident, two employees of the electricity department – Junior Engineer Dinesh and technical helper Sonu – have been suspended. Forest Minister Sanjay Sharma, the MLA from the Alwar seat, visited the CHC to meet the injured. He assured the villagers that every high-tension electricity line in the area would be made underground to prevent such incidents in future.
IOL News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Witness recounts chilling details of murder trial linked to July 2021 unrest in Phoenix
An emotional State witness has described to the Durban High Court how some July unrest victims were brutally attacked in phoenix Image: Nomonde Zondi Durban High Court heard on Wednesday morning that one of the victims of the 2021 July unrest in Phoenix was hit on his head by a rock and a hammer. This is after one of the four Indian men was heard saying that they needed to put heat on the 'darkie ous'. Four men, Ravine Naidoo, 67, from Phoenix, Trevor Gopal, 52, from La Mercy, Tyreece Govender, 21, from Phoenix, and Timothy Govender, 46, from Phoenix, are on trial for murder, attempted murder, malicious damage to property, and public violence. Additionally, Gopal is also charged with incitement to commit public violence. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The State is alleging that the four men killed Njabulo Allen Dlamini by hitting him with golf sticks, an iron rod, a sjambok, and setting him alight. It also alleges that the accused attempted to kill Nkosikhona Madlala and Sandile Colin Sambo by hitting them with golf sticks, baseball bats, putting wooden pallets on their bodies, and pouring fuel on them with the intent to burn them to death. The State alleges that Gopal had addressed his co-accused and some community members to attack black Africans outside his tavern. A State witness, Anard Chetty, who said he used to reside at Gopal's tavern after he lost his job during Covid-19, told the court that on July 12, 2021, when the victims were attacked, Tyreece hit Dlamini with a rock on his head. He stated that Dlamini arrived at the tavern in a taxi bearing the Africa Touch logo, accompanied by others. Chetty testified that Gopal used to sell alcohol illegally, as it was banned during that time because of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. He said a female and two males had alighted from the taxi to go to the tavern, and within minutes, they came back running. At that time, a lot of vehicles came, with one being driven by Gopal's brother, blocking the taxi. He said the taxi occupants, including Dlamini, who were left inside, were told to come out and lie down on the floor. He said there was resistance from the taxi occupants and stated that the people who had come in vehicles had sticks and they assaulted the victims. He said they ran in different directions. 'A female and one male ran to the container behind the tavern and came out the next day around 6.00 in the morning,' Chetty said. He said that when Dlamini jumped out of the taxi, he was tripped by Gopal's brother, and he fell. 'More people came to assault him,' he added. Additionally, Chetty, who would constantly get emotional and cry, said that as Dlamini was being assaulted, Tyreece picked up a rock and hit him with it. 'After the third accused (Tyreece) picked up the big rock, Accused Four (Timothy) took the hammer and beat him with it. Those are the two fatal blows that ended that guy. He couldn't move,' he said, crying. Additionally, Chetty told the court that Dlamini was his friend. He said Tyreece is the son of Timothy. During his testimony, Judge Mluleki Chili kept on reminding him to slow down as they took notes. At some stages, when Chetty got emotional, he would tell him to drink water and take a minute. All the accused are out on bail. The trial continues.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Who is Swami Yashveer Maharaj, making headlines over eatery checks on Kanwar route
On June 28, a video surfaced on social media from outside an eatery in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar. In it, a man, Gopal, claimed he was stripped by a group inside Pandit Vaishno Ji Dhaba along National Highway 58. He alleged that the men wanted to 'check his religion'. The group identified itself as the Chatrapati Shivaji Sena, led by Swami Yashveer Maharaj. Since the start of the Kanwar Yatra, the outfit has allegedly been carrying out an 'identification campaign' of shops and dhabas along the Kanwar Yatra route to 'ascertain the owner's religious identity' and ensure that devotees are served only by Hindu-run dhabas. Following the incident, on July 1, the Muzaffarnagar police issued notices to six members of the outfit for allegedly conducting unauthorised Aadhaar and caste verifications of eatery owners along the pilgrimage route. Two constables were also deployed to ensure Yashveer's security. When The Indian Express contacted the Muzaffarnagar police on July 17 to ask about the reasons behind his heightened security, an officer requesting anonymity said that such decisions are taken based on assessment reports. 'If he has received security, it would be based on reports,' he said. The matter went to the Supreme Court. On July 15, it sought the Uttar Pradesh government's response to an application challenging the reported direction to food sellers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display QR code stickers that would reveal ownership details of the eatery and other compliance when scanned. A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and N K Singh had asked the state to file its reply in a week and fixed the matter for hearing next on July 22. 'What I'm doing, Muslims should have done' The Indian Express paid a visit to Yashveer's ashram, about 14 km away from Muzaffarnagar, in Baghra village. Flanked by a boundary wall painted saffron, the entrance to the Yog Sadhna Yashveer Ashram has a smaller gate for visitors, who are received by Yashveer's companion, Brahmachari Swami Mrigendra. After a brief screening, he introduces them to Swami Yashveer. Spread over two bighas, there are three mango trees inside the premises, flowering plants, and a Hawan Kund. A white Mahinder Bolero Neo car is parked to the side. Under one mango tree, Yashveer was seated on a red plastic chair. He was clad in an orange dhoti, with a matching saffron shawl draped over his torso. His hair was neatly parted in the centre, with silver earrings in his ears, and a streak of orange and red vermilion on his forehead. When asked about the June 28 incident, he asserted that he was not checking anyone's identity but was trying to help the police. 'Mai jo kar raha hun, woh toh Musalmano ko karna chahiye tha. Woh log kyun hamare devi devtaon ke naam pe dukan chala rahe hai? (What I am doing should have been done by Muslims. Why are Muslims naming their shops after our (Hindu) gods and goddesses?' he asked. 'We had raised our voices last year as well. There were at least 85% Muslims who were running their shops along the Kanwar route in the name of Hindu gods. They want to ruin our religion,' he alleged. How does he know all this? 'People tell me about their (Muslims) activities. They notice every activity going on at all eateries,' he said. He also said the allegations that his group was stripping people or asking their names and identity were false. 'I only give them a Sanatani flag and an image of Varaha (the third avatar of Vishnu who takes the form of a boar) to display at their shop.' Born in a Jat family in Muzaffarnagar, Swami Yashveer claimed he has severed all ties with his past. He said he left home during his childhood, wandered through several districts of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, performing yoga and teaching it to students. 'I used to perform dangerous stunts in public,' he said. He claimed he could stop a 'moving truck with his hand, tear apart brass plates and bend iron rods'. When asked to perform one of his stunts, he said he needed a certain kind of power and it could only happen in the presence of a crowd. Yashveer also said his food is only cooked in cow ghee donated by followers and has no salt or sugar. 'I am a saint,' he said. 'I belong to no family, no village. Today, I am Swami Yashveer Maharaj and I have devoted my life to the protection of Sanatana Dharma.' When asked about his family and education, he said, 'Asking a sanyasi about his identity is against Sanatan Dharma. A saint should not be questioned about their personal life. Right now I am a Hindu saint, Swami Yashveer, and this is my identity.' Yashveer first came into the public eye in December 2015 after a 23-year-old Hindu woman eloped with a married Muslim man in Shamli. On December 25, a mahapanchayat was held, where Yashveer allegedly gave an inflammatory speech in the presence of BJP MP Hukum Singh and BJP MLA Suresh Rana — fanning communal tensions. Shamli Police had registered an FIR against him on charges of giving a provocative speech and promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and began conducting raids to trace Yashveer. They first arrested his nephew, Jitendra, on charges of conspiracy and then nabbed Yashveer on December 28 during a joint operation by a SWAT team and Muzaffarnagar Police. On January 1, 2016, police added a section of the National Security Act against Yashveer for his provocative speech. He was released on bail from prison in August of the same year after serving a jail term of seven months. Since then, Yashveer's rhetoric has only hardened. He has claimed to have helped more than a thousand Muslims 'return to Sanatan Dharma,' a process commonly referred to by right-wing Hindu groups as ghar wapsi. Such claims are hard to verify and not publicly corroborated by the administration, but they continue to form a key part of his narrative. Following the Muzaffarnagar case, Yashveer has stopped checking the religious identity of shopkeepers and eatery owners along the route. But several shopkeepers confirmed that he continues to offer the Varaha flag to eateries along the Kanwar route, especially in Haridwar, Ghaziabad, and Meerut. Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express. She covers crime, health, environment as well as stories of human interest, in Noida, Ghaziabad and western UP. When not on the field she is probably working on another story idea. On weekends, she loves to read fiction over a cup of coffee. The Thursday Murder club, Yellow Face and Before the Coffee Gets Cold were her recent favourites. She loves her garden as much as she loves her job. She is an alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. ... Read More
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
NABARD disburses Rs 43,000 cr to Andhra Pradesh, expands grassroots reach
NABARD disbursed nearly Rs 43,000 crore in loans and around Rs 32 crore in grants to Andhra Pradesh in FY25, its chief general manager M R Gopal said on Monday. Speaking at The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development's 44th Foundation Day celebrations in Vijayawada, Gopal said the bank made significant progress in supporting rural infrastructure, institutional development, and credit expansion across the state. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category PGDM Data Science Design Thinking Others MBA Data Science Product Management Cybersecurity Artificial Intelligence CXO healthcare Digital Marketing Operations Management Management Healthcare MCA Public Policy Degree Data Analytics others Technology Project Management Leadership Finance Skills you'll gain: Financial Analysis & Decision Making Quantitative & Analytical Skills Organizational Management & Leadership Innovation & Entrepreneurship Duration: 24 Months IMI Delhi Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Online) Starts on Sep 1, 2024 Get Details "In FY25, NABARD disbursed Rs 42,842 crore in loans and Rs 31.83 crore in grants, and inaugurated district development manager offices in three districts," he said. The launch of new offices in East and West Godavari and Nandyal districts has expanded NABARD's grassroots reach in the state, he added. Gopal also noted that credit flow of over Rs 29,000 crore was achieved through refinance to rural financial institutions. Live Events He highlighted the progress in computerising Primary Cooperative Societies (PCS), calling it a "benchmark for the nation." He also acknowledged the support of the RBI, the State Level Bankers' Committee, and the Andhra Pradesh Grameena Bank in the digital transformation. Commissioner of cooperation and registrar of cooperative societies A Babu lauded NABARD's role in modernising and digitising the cooperative credit structure. He emphasised the need for greater convergence to achieve financial inclusion and strengthen cooperatives across all 26 districts. RBI regional director A O Basheer also appreciated NABARD's efforts in strengthening the cooperative banking framework and enhancing financial stability in rural Andhra Pradesh.
News18
2 days ago
- Business
- News18
NABARD disburses Rs 43,000 cr to Andhra, expands grassroots reach
Agency: Last Updated: July 21, 2025, 21:15 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Vijayawada, Jul 21 (PTI) NABARD disbursed nearly Rs 43,000 crore in loans and around Rs 32 crore in grants to Andhra Pradesh in FY25, its chief general manager M R Gopal said on Monday. Speaking at The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development's 44th Foundation Day celebrations in Vijayawada, Gopal said the bank made significant progress in supporting rural infrastructure, institutional development, and credit expansion across the state. 'In FY25, NABARD disbursed Rs 42,842 crore in loans and Rs 31.83 crore in grants, and inaugurated district development manager offices in three districts," he said. The launch of new offices in East and West Godavari and Nandyal districts has expanded NABARD's grassroots reach in the state, he added. Gopal also noted that credit flow of over Rs 29,000 crore was achieved through refinance to rural financial institutions. He highlighted the progress in computerising Primary Cooperative Societies (PCS), calling it a 'benchmark for the nation." He also acknowledged the support of the RBI, the State Level Bankers' Committee, and the Andhra Pradesh Grameena Bank in the digital transformation. Swipe Left For Next Video View all Commissioner of cooperation and registrar of cooperative societies A Babu lauded NABARD's role in modernising and digitising the cooperative credit structure. He emphasised the need for greater convergence to achieve financial inclusion and strengthen cooperatives across all 26 districts. RBI regional director A O Basheer also appreciated NABARD's efforts in strengthening the cooperative banking framework and enhancing financial stability in rural Andhra Pradesh. PTI MS STH SSK (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments News agency-feeds NABARD disburses Rs 43,000 cr to Andhra, expands grassroots reach Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
