Latest news with #Sengupta
India.com
3 days ago
- Climate
- India.com
Uttarakhand Uttarkashi cloudburst: 70 people airlifted from Dharali, over 50 still missing, army intensifies relief operations
PTI Photo Two days after heavy cloudbursts caused sudden flash floods in the Uttarkashi area of Uttarakhand, rescue and relief efforts are going on quickly and with full force. People are being airlifted to safer places, and those who were hurt are getting medical help right away. As of this morning, over 70 people have been rescued by helicopters from Dharali, the area worst affected by the floods and taken to a safer spot in Matli. From there, arrangements are being made to send them back to their homes. Officials have also shared a list of 65 people who were stuck and have now been rescued. Their phone numbers have also been shared so families can contact them. All of them were airlifted to safety on Thursday, two days after the powerful floodwaters damaged homes and villages in Dharali. More rescue flights are expected during the day. The rescue mission is being handled by teams from the Indian Army, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, along with the Uttarakhand Police and local government. Everyone is working together to make sure people are safe and get the help they need. Indian Army increases rescue and relief work At the same time, the Indian Army has increased its rescue and relief work in the Dharali area near Harsil, which was badly hit by the cloudburst. More than 225 army personnel including expert engineers and medical teams are working on the ground to help people. Drones are also being used to look from the sky and find people stuck in places that are hard to reach. Because the roads are damaged in several places like Bartwari, Linchigad, Gangrani, and near Dharali, the Army has kept Chinook and Mi-17 helicopters ready in Dehradun for rescue flights. A temporary helicopter base is also being set up at the Matli Helipad to make airlifts quicker and smoother. Special teams with radar equipment, trained search dogs, and five private helicopters have also joined in to support the rescue missions. In a statement this morning, the Army said, 'Lt Gen Sengupta, Army Commander Central Command, and GOC UB Area are present in Dharali. We are working closely with the Central Air Command to make sure everyone is rescued safely and given proper care. The Indian Army stands strongly with the people of Uttarakhand in this difficult time.' MET dept issues red alert in Uttarakhand The Meteorological Department has issued a Red Alert for many parts of the hilly state of Uttarakhand. Areas under this warning include Pauri Garhwal, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Dehradun, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar, Bageshwar, and Nainital. The alert will remain in place until August 12. As a safety step, all schools and educational institutions in these areas have been closed. People are being strongly advised to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. (With inputs from agencies)
India.com
3 days ago
- Climate
- India.com
Uttarakhand Cloudburst: Over 50 People Airlifted To Safety, Army Intensifies Relief Operations
Two days after the cloudburst-triggered flash floods wreaked havoc in the Uttarkashi region of Uttarakhand, the relief operations are in full swing, and people are being airlifted to higher locations while those having sustained injuries are being attended to swiftly. Till this morning, more than 50 individuals were airlifted to safety and evacuated from Dharali, the flash flood-hit zone, to the upper reaches of Matli by helicopter. From there, the people were being transported to their respective destinations. The officials also released a list of 55 stranded individuals, along with their phone numbers, who were airlifted to safety on Thursday - two days after raging waters swallowed villages in Dharali. During the day, many more are expected to be lifted out via helicopters. The rescue work is being spearheaded by teams of the Indian Army, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF in coordination with Uttarakhand police and the local administration. Meanwhile, the Indian Army has also intensified its relief operations in the cloudburst-hit region of Dharali near Harsil. Over 225 troops, including specialised engineer and medical teams, are on the ground conducting rescue and relief tasks. Drones have also been deployed for aerial reconnaissance and locating stranded individuals in inaccessible areas. With multiple road breaches reported at Bartwari, Linchigad, Gangrani, and near Dharali, Chinook and Mi-17 helicopters are positioned at Dehradun for airlift operations, while an ad hoc aviation base is being established at Matli Helipad. Recco radar teams, search-and-rescue dogs, and five civil helicopters have been pressed into service to augment relief and rescue efforts. "Lt Gen Sengupta, Army Commander of Central Command and GOC UB Area present at Dharali, and seamless coordination is underway with HQ Central Air Command; every possible effort is being made to ensure the safe evacuation and care of all affected. The Indian Army stands firm with the people of Uttarakhand in this hour of need," it said in a statement this morning. Meanwhile, the Met Department has issued a Red Alert for multiple areas of the hilly state, including Pauri Garhwal, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Dehradun, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar, Bageshwar, and Nainital, till August 12. Schools and educational institutions have been shut as part of a precautionary measure, and people are advised to stay indoors.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Hindu
Uttarkashi flash floods: Army says rescue operations intensified, ad-hoc aviation base set up at Matli Helipad
The Army, in close coordination with other authorities, continues to intensify Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in the flash flood-affected area of Dharali, near Harsil in Uttarakhand, according to an official statement. Over 225 troops, including specialised engineer and medical teams, are on the ground conducting rescue and relief tasks under extremely challenging conditions, the statement said. Uttarkashi flash floods rescue operation LIVE updates The Army has employed drones for aerial survey to locate stranded individuals in inaccessible areas. Due to obstruction in road connectivity at Bartwari, Linchigad, Gangrani and near Dharali, Chinook, evacuations are happening through airlifting, the statement said, adding that the Army has positioned Mi-17 helicopters at Dehradun for airlift operations, while an ad-hoc aviation base is being established at Matli Helipad. #WATCH | Uttarkashi cloudburst incident: NDRF and SDRF teams are leaving Matli helipad in Uttarkashi with relief materials via helicopters to the disaster-affected areas of Uttarkashi district. — ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2025 'Recco radar teams, search-and-rescue dogs, and five civil helicopters operating from Sahastradhara continue to augment efforts, leading to the rescue of 70 civilians so far,' the Army has stated, adding that it is conducting the rescue operation round-the-clock in close coordination with the state administration, SDRF, ITBP and local police. VIDEO | Uttarkashi flash flood: NDRF, SDRF and other agencies continue relief and rescue efforts in the tragedy-stricken hilly region.#UttarakhandFlashFloods#UttarakhandDisaster (Full video available on PTI Videos - — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 7, 2025 The Army has said that three civilian fatalities have been confirmed, over 50 remain missing, and 9 Army personnel (1 JCO and 8 OR) are feared missing following extensive damage to an Army post. It has reached out to approximately 180–200 tourists stranded at Gangotri and they are being provided food, shelter and medical support by the Army and ITBP. The statement said, 'With Lt. gen. Sengupta, Army Commander Central Command and GOC UB Area present at Dharali, and seamless coordination underway with HQ Central Air Command, every possible effort is being made to ensure the safe evacuation and care of all affected. The Indian Army stands firm with the people of Uttarakhand in this hour of need.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Contempt rule can't take away CJ's powers'
Kolkata: Senior counsel Parthasarathi Sengupta, while making his arguments in response to senior counsel Kalyan Banerjee's plea in a recent contempt case before the Calcutta High Court Thursday, submitted that the chief justice of a high court enjoys certain general powers under the Constitution that a rule of the Contempt of Courts Act couldn't take away. Sengupta was arguing over the maintainability of the contempt rule issued by a division bench of justices Arijit Banerjee, Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya and Rajarshi Bharadwaj against TMC's Kunal Ghosh and seven others in connection with the ruckus where a mob stamped on a photo of a high court judge. He submitted that the chief justice didn't issue the contempt rule. Sengupta submitted that the division bench, after seeking affidavits, issued the contempt rule on its own motion. He argued that the advocate general's taking cognisance of the complaint was not mandatory for the high court to take cognisance of the complaint. The bench will hear the matter again on Aug 14. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata
Indian Express
02-08-2025
- Indian Express
Rudraneil Sengupta's The Beast Within flips the script on traditional crime fiction
In The Beast Within, Rudraneil Sengupta flips the script on traditional crime fiction. This is not a whodunnit that builds suspense through shocking twists or eccentric detectives. Instead, it's a grounded, deeply immersive look at how a case is pieced together — patiently, relentlessly, and, often, in spite of the system. Set against the smog-and-sweat drenched landscape of Delhi, the novel opens with the death of15-year-old Jyoti Dhurwa, a tribal girl working as a house help in the Srivastavas' plush mansion in Panchsheel Park. Everyone, including the Srivastava family and the officials are ea- ger to dismiss the case as an accident. But to sub-inspector Prashant Kumar of the Crime Branch, something feels off— and he refuses to let it go. What follows is a gripping investigation that reveals as much about the city and its power structures as it does about the crime itself. Fresh off a gritty case in Bawana, Kumar has just been transferred to Hauz Khas and is still finding his footing. Sengupta crafts his protagonist with subtlety — he's not a brooding genius or a rebellious maverick but a cop with sharp instincts, deep empathy and a refusal to be swayed by bureaucracy or superficial closures. The manner in which Kumar navigates his way through the case makes the story gripping: negotiating with his superiors, rallying his team and slowly earning the trust of rookies and veterans alike. Sengupta's detailing — the delicate push and pull within the system — gives the book a refreshing sense of realism. There are scenes with high octane action, but at the same time, Sengupta succeeds in showing the slow-natured process of investigations — that the officers do not find a turning point to the case everyday and investigating a case is a slow and lethargic process. Kumar is not a lone wolf on a mission, he has an interesting team that does not trust the boss blindly but listens to him nonetheless: Meera, is a wrestler-turned-cop with fierce loyalty and street smarts; Zeeshan, Kumar's steady and sharp right hand man, and Parveen, who takes his caste and vegetarianism very seriously and considers interacting with women beneath him. These characters bring texture and rhythm to the investigation, balancing the bleakness with moments of dry, earthy humour and camaraderie. Sengupta's journalistic background — especially his time with the Delhi Police — adds a layer of authenticity that many crime novels struggle to achieve. He doesn't romanticise the police force nor does he reduce it to a corrupt monolith. Instead, he captures its complexity — the push for justice often entangled with class and caste biases, personal compulsions and bureaucratic lethargy. His familiarity with the multiple terrains of the National Capital Region helps bring out the multifacetedness of the city — from gated colonies to cramped bastis, from cold drawing rooms to searing streets. The atmosphere — whether it's the dense winter fog or the oppressive summer heat — mirrors the psychological weight of the case, pressing down on both investigators and readers. Sengupta's deep detailing of the city's locations not only shows how familiar he is with the city but also helps the readers to reimagine the story. The Beast Within is less about 'who did it' and more about 'how the one who did it was brought down'. The plot steadily uncovers not just one crime but a series of intertwined acts of violence, systemic failure and buried truths — all connected to Jyoti's death. The procedural builds tension through methodical, grounded storytelling. The Beast Within ends with a quiet conviction that justice must be pursued, however delayed or imperfect.
