Category: India

  • Tragic Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station Claims 15 Lives

    Tragic Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station Claims 15 Lives

    A serious stampede happened at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night, killing 15 people. Thousands of people were trying to catch trains to the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj, which caused the crowd to get extremely big and unmanageable.

    An Indian Air Force sergeant named Ajit, who witnesses the chaos, shared how officials tried to ask people to avoid gathering in large numbers, but nobody listened. He said there was a massive crowd and he couldn’t even get through the station after his duty. He and a friend helped some injured people during the stampede.

    Another person who saw it happen described how the crowd became uncontrollable. He mentioned that there were people from the administration and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) trying to help, but when the crowd got too big, it was impossible to manage.

    One victim’s brother, Sanjay, shared his heartbreak, saying, “We were 12 people going to Mahakumbh. My family was stuck in the crowd, and we found my sister half an hour later—she had died.”

    The confusion started when an announcement said a train was moved to a different platform. This caused people to rush from both sides, leading to the stampede.

    Delays with train departures and the sale of many general tickets made the situation worse. Pappu, a passenger from Patna, said, “My mother died in the stampede. We were going home.”

    NDRF officer Daulat Ram Chaudhary confirmed the situation was now under control, and they were rescuing people.

    DCP Railway KPS Malhotra said the officials expected a large crowd, but the chaos happened very suddenly. An investigation has been started by the Railway Board to find out what went wrong.

    The situation improved, and the Railway Board said two experts are looking into the incident. They even arranged for extra trains to help manage the crowd.

    Entry to the railway station was stopped for a short time to regain control. Although it was chaotic, DCP Malhotra stated that everything is normal now, and special trains were provided to help passengers.

  • Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station: 18 Dead; Many Injured

    Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station: 18 Dead; Many Injured

    New Delhi: A sad incident happened on Saturday at the New Delhi Railway Station when a stampede occurred, leading to the death of 18 people and many injuries. The chaos started at platform number 14, where a lot of people gathered to catch three trains heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh festival.

    President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared their thoughts on social media, expressing deep sorrow for the lost lives and sending prayers for the injured. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition, criticized the government for not managing the crowd properly. He stated that better arrangements should have been made since many people were traveling for the festival and that no one should have lost their life because of poor planning.

    Reports say that the stampede happened because staircases leading to platforms 14 and 15 were blocked by railway officials to manage the crowd. Unfortunately, as trains were delayed, more passengers pushed towards the blocked staircases, leading to the stampede.

    Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnav announced that an investigation into the tragic event has been ordered, expressing sorrow for those affected. Delhi’s Chief Minister Atishi also visited victims in the hospital and offered condolences to the families.

    Local leaders, including AAP head Arvind Kejriwal, called the situation tragic and shared their hopes for peace for those who lost loved ones. Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia described the incident as a result of administrative negligence, questioning how the public keeps suffering from such failures.

  • Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station: 18 Lives Lost in Tragedy

    Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station: 18 Lives Lost in Tragedy

    A tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station happened late Saturday night, resulting in the deaths of at least 18 people. Thousands of people were trying to catch trains to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh festival. The chaos started around 10 pm when the crowd became too large to manage.

    Eyewitnesses described the scene as frightening. Ajit, a sergeant in the Indian Air Force, recounted, “I was coming back from my duty, and the crowd was enormous. I tried to get people to move away from the platform, but no one listened.” Ajit and a friend helped several injured people.

    The crowd was larger than the station could handle, one witness said, “It felt like a disaster waiting to happen. There were so many people that it was impossible to control them.”

    Among the victims was Sanjay, who lost his sister in the stampede. “We were a group of 12 family members. We were still on the stairs when everything happened. We found her half an hour later, but by then it was too late,” he recalled, filled with sorrow.

    The situation worsened when an announcement changed where one train would arrive, causing more people to rush to the platform. “No one was controlling the crowd,” another witness said. “When the announcer said the train would come on a different platform, everyone pushed to get there, and a stampede broke out.”

    The station was also overcrowded because about 1,500 general tickets were being sold, and there were delays in trains. Pappu, a man from Patna, lost his mother in the panic. “She didn’t make it. We were just trying to go home,” he said, his voice shaking with sadness.

    After the incident, Daulat Ram Chaudhary from the National Disaster Response Force said, “The situation is now under control. We have rescued the injured.” The authorities had anticipated a large crowd but were surprised by how quickly things got out of hand. KPS Malhotra, the Deputy Commissioner of Police Railway, said, “We thought we could manage the crowd, but it happened so fast. We will investigate what went wrong.”

    On Sunday, the Railway Board created a special team to look into what led to the stampede. Dilip Kumar, a member of the Board, confirmed train services had resumed. “We have controlled the situation and even added four special trains to help with the crowd. Some people fainted and were taken to nearby hospitals,” he explained.

  • “Investigation Launched: Rs 122 Crore Embezzlement at New India Bank

    “Investigation Launched: Rs 122 Crore Embezzlement at New India Bank

    The Mumbai police are investigating Hitesh Mehta, the General Manager of New India Cooperative Bank, because he and some others are accused of stealing a whopping Rs 122 crore! This happened just after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) took control of the bank for a year, putting an administrator in charge.

    Just before that, the RBI made it hard for people to take out their money due to worries about what’s been happening in the bank. So many customers rushed to the bank branches on Friday, hoping to get their savings, but they couldn’t even get inside!

    Hitesh Mehta is currently being questioned by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the police. This investigation began after the bank’s acting CEO, Devarshi Ghosh, reported the mismanagement. According to Ghosh’s complaint, Mehta and his associates might have worked together to steal money from the bank’s safes in Prabhadevi and Goregaon locations.

    The police have charged Mehta with serious crimes under the law, including criminal conspiracy. New India Cooperative Bank has 28 branches, mostly in Mumbai, and it also has a couple in nearby places like Surat and Pune.

  • Debate: Should Chief Justice Be Involved in Executive Appointments

    Debate: Should Chief Justice Be Involved in Executive Appointments

    On Saturday, legal experts shared different opinions about whether the Chief Justice of India (CJI) should be included in choosing executive leaders, like the CBI director. Some believe having the CJI involved brings fairness, while others think he should not be part of such decisions.

    The discussion started when Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar questioned how it was right for the CJI to be part of these selections. He suggested it might be time to change the related rules.

    Expert Rakesh Dwivedi argued that the CJI shouldn’t be in the selection committee for positions like the CBI director. On the other hand, lawyer Shoeb Alam said the CJI’s involvement can make these appointments fairer and more credible. He pointed out that a democracy benefits when the CJI is included, especially when there aren’t clear laws guiding such appointments.

    Gopal Sankaranarayanan noted that since the case about the chief election commissioner’s appointment is currently reviewed by the Supreme Court, the Vice President shouldn’t have commented on it. Mohit Mathur added that since important roles like the prime minister and CJI are involved in choosing the CBI director, they shouldn’t face criticism for their roles.

    During a meeting in Bhopal, the Vice President also shared his personal views, stating that having the CJI involved in selecting positions like the CBI director seems questionable. The Supreme Court is set to hear related cases on February 19 regarding the selection of election commissioners.

  • Viral Video of Passengers Jumping Gates at Jama Masjid Metro Station

    Viral Video of Passengers Jumping Gates at Jama Masjid Metro Station

    A video of people jumping over ticket gates at the Jama Masjid metro station has gone viral online. This incident happened on February 13 on the Violet Line of the Delhi Metro. In the video, you can see many commuters skipping the automatic gates by leaping over them. Some people were even filming it on their phones.

    The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) responded to the video, explaining that there was a sudden rush of passengers at that time. “There was a short but busy period when a lot of people used the exit at once, and some chose to jump over the gates,” said Anuj Dayal, DMRC’s communications head.

    He assured everyone that there were security staff and metro workers present who managed the situation. It was never dangerous or out of control, according to him. DMRC said this was a quick reaction due to the unexpected crowd near the exit gates.

  • Pakistan Expresses Concerns Over US Plans to Provide F-35 Jets to India

    Pakistan Expresses Concerns Over US Plans to Provide F-35 Jets to India

    Pakistan is concerned after US President Donald Trump said he wants to give India F-35 stealth fighter jets. During a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump mentioned this plan, saying it would help strengthen military sales to India, starting this year with billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment.

    Pakistan fears that giving advanced military technology to India could upset the balance of power in the region and make peace harder to achieve in South Asia. Officials from Pakistan called on the world to recognize the true situation in the area and not take sides.

    A spokesperson from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that these military steps create an imbalance and threaten peace. They urged international partners to look at the issues in a balanced way.

    In response to Trump’s comments, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that while there was a talk about F-35 jets, no official process for purchasing them has started yet.

    During their meeting, Trump and Modi also talked about a new project called the Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA). This is meant to strengthen how they work together on defense, especially in new technologies for security. They plan to do more military exercises together and improve how they share important information about security.

    Trump also announced the extradition of a man named Tahawwur Rana, who is accused of being involved in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. He will be sent back to India to face justice.

  • CBI Busts Cyber Fraud: Rs 1.08 Crore Seized in Major Raids

    CBI Busts Cyber Fraud: Rs 1.08 Crore Seized in Major Raids

    The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has raided 11 places in Delhi and Haryana to catch cybercriminals who were pretending to be government officials. The sting operation led to the recovery of Rs 1.08 crore in cash, officials announced on Saturday. The raids took place at nine locations in Delhi and two in Hisar, Haryana, as part of a two-year investigation.

    These criminals were accused of tricking people by pretending to be government workers and were involved in scams related to cryptocurrency. They cheated individuals both in India and other countries by offering fake tech support, urging them to pay using cryptocurrencies. The money was then funneled through various crypto wallets and converted into cash.

    During the raids, the CBI found important digital evidence, including six laptops, eight mobile phones, and an iPad. They also discovered that the scammers were making calls using special software and accessing the darknet. In addition to the cash, the CBI seized foreign currency worth USD 1,000 and 252 grams of gold.

  • US Extradites Tahawwur Rana: Major Win for India

    US Extradites Tahawwur Rana: Major Win for India

    Former Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranji Singh Sandhu, has spoken out about US President Donald Trump’s decision to extradite Tahawwur Rana, who is accused of being involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Sandhu emphasized that this action sends a strong warning to those who threaten the friendship between the US and India.

    In an interview, Sandhu mentioned that the joint statement after talks between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump highlighted the importance of taking firm action against individuals who put the safety of both countries at risk. He noted that President Trump had pointed out that there are more names being considered for action, suggesting that those involved in such activities should be careful.

    Sandhu explained that the joint statement also talks about cooperating to combat various threats, including illegal crime, drug trafficking, and other dangers that could harm public safety. He expects the US government to take tougher measures against these threats.

    President Trump announced the extradition of Tahawwur Rana during a press conference with PM Modi, stating that Rana will face justice in India. Rana was found guilty for his role in the attacks, which led to the deaths of 174 people, including security personnel and foreign nationals.

    The US State Department had previously expressed its support for India’s efforts to bring justice for the Mumbai attacks. They are currently reviewing the situation for the extradition, especially since Rana has used up all legal options available to him in the US.

    With the US Supreme Court denying Rana’s petition against his extradition, India is now in discussions with US officials about the next steps to bring him back to face charges.

  • India Cuts Bourbon Whiskey Tariff – Discover Fun Facts!

    India Cuts Bourbon Whiskey Tariff – Discover Fun Facts!

    On Friday, India made bourbon whiskey cheaper by slashing the tax from 150% to 100%. This change happened after former US President Donald Trump complained about high taxes on American products being unfair. The new tax was announced just before Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Trump. Now, the total tax on bourbon is 100%, made up of a 50% basic tax and an additional 50% tax.

    The US is the biggest seller of bourbon whiskey to India, providing about 25% of the bourbon imported. In the year 2023-24, India bought bourbon whiskey worth $2.5 million. The US and India want to increase their trade to $500 billion by 2030 and are working on a trade deal to lower taxes.

    5 Fun Facts About Bourbon Whiskey

    1. What is Bourbon? Bourbon whiskey is America’s only spirit made mainly from corn, with at least 51% of the mixture being corn. In 1964, the US Congress officially called it a special American product.

    2. Barrel Aging: For bourbon to be called bourbon, it must be aged in a brand-new white oak barrel that has never been used before. The inside of the barrel is burned to give it flavor before the whiskey is added.

    3. Where it Comes From: Bourbon was first created in the 1800s in Kentucky, specifically Bourbon County. Many people think bourbon can only be made in that county, but that’s not true! As long as it follows the rules, bourbon can be made anywhere in the US.

    4. Reusable Barrels: After bourbon is made, the barrels can be used to age other types of whiskey. The charred barrels can be used to flavor other drinks, like single malt scotch.

    5. Mixing Bourbon: Bourbon whiskey is very versatile and can be used in popular cocktails like an ‘Old Fashioned,’ the ‘Mint Julep’ (the official drink of the Kentucky Derby), and a ‘Manhattan.’ It has yummy flavors like vanilla, oak, and caramel that blend well in many drinks.