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First batch of Mizoram’s only medical college completes their MBBS course, new medical graduates hope to improve healthcare in the state

OpIndia Staff
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First batch of Mizoram’s only medical college completes their MBBS course, new medical graduates hope to improve healthcare in the state

On Wednesday, April 12, the results of the final examination of the first batch of MBBS graduates from Zoram Medical College, the only medical institution in the state of Mizoram, were announced with a pass percentage of 71%. The Mizoram Institute of Medical Education & Research became the Zoram Medical College (ZMC) on August 7, 2018, and 68 students passed the final exam out of 95 students who had attempted the exam. 

Following the release of the results, Health Minister Dr. R. Lalthangliana said that with this, the state has achieved an important milestone in the health sector in Mizoram. He said that the government is taking steps to ensure that MBBS graduates start their internships soon. The Health Minister said that the shortage of doctors in the state will be solved to some extent by next year.

Located around 16 km away from the state capital Aizawl, Zoram Medical College was inaugurated in August 2018. Admissions to the Zoram Medical College are done on the basis of National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) scores.

The students talking to the EastMojo expressed their happiness and indicated a desire to support Mizoram’s medical workforce needs. With the results being declared, the state witnessed history-making on April 12 as the Zoram Medical College was the only acknowledged hospital to serve Mizoram’s 1,091,014 inhabitants during the Covid-19 epidemic. 

ZMC administrators had reported a significant personnel shortage, and its 34-bed ICU was perpetually functioning at 100% capacity back then. According to reports, there is a severe lack of doctors, particularly in South Mizoram, where there is one doctor for every 50,000 patients in some locations.

One of the students identified as Lalrempuii Hmar who attained first rank with honours in Obs Gynae and Pediatrics said that the new doctors should give it back to the state. “As someone born and raised in Mizoram, I think we must help our state in the best way we can. If I get good results in my PG entrance, I will choose a field most needed by Mizoram. If possible, I would like to pursue my career in Mizoram,” she said.

As per the ZMC topper, Mizoram lacks doctors to cater to its population. “Our faculty at ZMC have tried their best to cater to this need through our college. So we hope to see an improvement in the future, and we hope to be as much of a blessing as possible,” she added. On being asked about ZMC, she said that she wanted to be a part of the first batch of ZMC and wanted to contibute to the state.

Meanwhile, the second ranker, F Vanlalchhuanpuia also stated that the shortage of doctors in the state touched his heart and inspired him to reach his goal. “When I see a lot of patients in Mizoram suffering from different diseases, I notice there are not enough doctors in Mizoram. I had thought that I could be of help in some way by becoming a doctor and God has given me an opportunity through ZMC in this way. My goal is to serve the lord and the people and the people include all patients in our state. If it is possible, outside of the state can also be included. But my priority right now is to be of good service to God and the patients of Mizoram,” he was quoted as saying.

Ruth Lalrinawmi, who scored in third, wants to pursue postgraduate studies abroad, but like her fellow competitors, she is determined to go return to Mizoram and help the locals. The students meanwhile lauded the infrastructure of the state’s first medical college and expressed happiness to be part of the first qualifying batch from the institution.

CBI summons Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for questioning on 16 April in the Delhi excise policy case

OpIndia Staff
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CBI summons Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for questioning on 16 April in the Delhi excise policy case

The Central Bureau of Investigation has summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to question him in connection with the Delhi Liquor Policy scam case. According to the news agency ANI, the AAP convenor has been asked to appear before the CBI on 16 April, Sunday.

Senior AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has already been arrested in connection with the case. The AAP govt is accused of changing its excise policy to benefit select business houses.

The liquor policy was first proposed in September 2020 but came into effect in November 2021. It changed the manner in which alcohol was being sold in the National Capital, introducing private players in the market and marking the exit of government-owned liquor vendors.

While the objective of Excise Policy 2021-2022 was to end black marketing and the liquor mafia, the Delhi government soon came under fire over allegations of corruption. Chief Secretary of Delhi, Naresh Kumar, found irregularities and procedural lapses in the new liquor policy. Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered a CBI probe on the recommendation of Naresh Kumar.

It was found that Manish Sisodia had waived off ₹144.36 crores on the license fee, to be paid by the private liquor vendors, under the garb of the Coronavirus pandemic. He had also waived import pass fee of ₹50 per beer case, causing loss of Delhi govt and benefiting liquor licensees.

Moreover, the changes to the Excise Policy were made without the final approval of the Lieutenant Governor and thus considered illegal under the Delhi Excise Rules of 2010 and Transaction of Business Rules of 1993.

The new excise policy was withdrawn by Delhi govt in July 2022. Following that, CBI booked Manish Sisodia, and several others in an FIR for irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-2022.

Congress openly seeks support of Islamist outfit SDPI for Karnataka polls, former deputy CM asks its help to defeat BJP

OpIndia Staff
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Congress openly seeks support of Islamist outfit SDPI for Karnataka polls, former deputy CM asks its help to defeat BJP

The former deputy chief minister of Karnataka and Congress leader Gangadharaiah Parameshwara has sought the help of the extremist organisation Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) to defeat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Notably, the outfit is the student wing of the banned terrorist group, Popular Front of India (PFI).

“We appeal to the minority section that definitely support us. It’s your (Muslims) security, safety, development and welfare,” he stated in an interview with Times Now.

“We appeal to them (SDPI). Certainly, we appeal to them. Bharatiya Janata Party believes in polarising people on the basis of religion and caste. We definitely need to defeat that concept in India. So, we need support. Whoever it is, SDPI or whichever organisation, we certainly appeal to them,” he remarked while responding to how parties like SDPI can eat into the Congress vote in certain constituencies.

The Congress stalwart is also a potential chief ministerial candidate if the party manages to grab power in the state. However, his appalling comments are not in isolation but are part of a long list of Congress leaders who have regularly expressed the same desire, despite Congress’ official claim of not associating with any radical outfit like SDPI.

After SDPI threatened to go alone in Karnataka assembly polls, state Congress Campaign Committee Chief M. B. Patil urged, “Even now we expect that SDPI should support Congress to defeat the BJP. Congress is a secular party, SDPI cannot win (seats), they can divide votes, which will affect Congress.”

SDPI state president, Abdul Majeed, has revealed that Congress leaders have approached them for a political alliance before the upcoming elections in the southern state. “Nobody’s approached us. Some individual MLAs have asked for support but we have not discussed anything on it yet.”

“Even Congress MLAs, JDS (Janata Dal-Secular) MLAs have asked us to support them, but we had not assured them. We have not taken any decision right now.” He declared, “Definitely, to defeat BJP, we will support the candidate who can defeat BJP,” when told that his party is being criticised by BJP for giving a ticket to Shafi Bellare. He is accused in the murder of BJP worker Praveen Nettaru, who was targeted by the ‘killer squad’ of PFI, the parent organisation of SDPI.

The Indian Government banned PFI last year for five years for undertaking ‘unlawful activities’ which are ‘prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country,’ under the Unlawful Activities Prevention (UAPA) Act. According to a chargesheet submitted by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in February of this year, the Islamist group intended for India to become a Sharia-compliant Muslim nation by 2047.

PM Modi lays the foundation stone of Assam Advanced Healthcare Innovation Institute, a medical research institution by IIT Guwahati and Assam govt

ANI
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PM Modi lays the foundation stone of Assam Advanced Healthcare Innovation Institute, a medical research institution by IIT Guwahati and Assam govt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Assam Advanced Healthcare Innovation Institute (AAHII) at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati on Friday, the government informed in a press release.

The Prime Minister also urged people to come together for achieving the target of ‘Swasth Bharat Samridh Bharat’. Speaking during the event, PM Modi said, “Today the Northeast region of our country received a boost in the healthcare infrastructure. I am honoured to dedicate the first AIIMS of the Northeast and three medical colleges to the people of Assam. I am happy to note the Assam Advanced Healthcare Innovation Institute being set up in collaboration between the Assam government and IIT Guwahati will foster innovative healthcare solutions.”

“Let us come together and make sure we work in harmony and follow ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Prayas, Sabka Vikas, to achieve our target of Swasth Bharat, Samridh Bharat,” he added.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also addressed the event and thanked the Prime Minister for laying the foundation stone of AAHII, adding that this will establish the synergy between technology and healthcare.

“On the auspicious occasion of Bohag Bihu we welcome PM Narendra Modi Ji to Assam. IIT Guwahati and Assam Government had envisioned a medical college where Engineers and Doctors will work together towards Medical Innovation. Prime Minister has helped us realize Assam’s dream,” he said.

Sarma added, “Today he will lay the foundation of AAHII on the IIT Guwahati campus. In this healthcare and innovation Institute, doctors will work towards Medical Innovation and engineers will work to make Healthcare ‘Atma Nirbhar’. We believe in the next three years this medical college will establish the synergy between technology and healthcare”.

The Assam Advanced Health Innovation Institute (AAHII) is a unique partnership between the Government of Assam and IIT Guwahati to set up a healthcare Research Institution to leverage advanced technologies to transform medical science.

The Institute will also offer Advanced Medical Degrees in Diplomate of National Board (DNB), Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master of Surgery (MS), and MD-PhD programs.

Speaking during the event Professor Parameswar K Iyer, Officiating Director, IIT Guwahati, said that AAHII will create a single umbrella under which physicians, scientists, engineers, doctors, design personnel, and regulators will work together to invent and innovate technologies and cater for the divergent needs of the people of Assam.

“AAHII will comprise of three major verticals, (i) an R&D Block, (ii) a 500-bed super-speciality hospital and (iii) a Post-graduate medical college. The R&D Block will initially start with six centres of excellence for cutting-edge research in Stem cell, digital health, Therapeutics (drug design, delivery, informatics), Precision medicine, Robotics and Affordable diagnostics. The super-speciality hospital will fill the current void in Assam and North-east of India by providing advanced Robotic surgery, comprehensive Transplant surgery, Gene therapy, Precision Medicine, Complex Trauma care, cutting-edge Neonatology, Neurosurgery, and complex Cardiac procedures among others,” he said.

As per the release, AAHII will be implemented through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), namely, Assam Government IITG Healthcare Foundation – AGIHF, which is a joint venture between the Government of Assam and IIT Guwahati. In the near future, this SPV will invite participation from corporates, business houses, research institutions and philanthropic organizations to collaborate on healthcare research and innovations.

AAHII will be a nationally and internationally ‘Connected’ hospital cum research hub, thus enabling skill and knowledge transfer to the peripheral hospitals empowering them for better patient management through enhanced skills.

It will also possess a Simulation lab integrated with Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR-VR) facilities that will uplift the skills of the doctors, nurses and other health workers. Through integrated and seamless functioning between these elements, AAHII will provide the foundation for evidence-based healthcare delivery to the State as well as to the country.

Over the years, IIT Guwahati is working tirelessly in collaboration with the central and state authorities toward revolutionizing the health sector in the North-East region by developing a digital highway for the stakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem while ensuring accessibility, affordability, inclusivity, and interoperability. The foundation stone to setup AAHII by the Prime Minister is another major step to fulfil this vision,” the release further stated.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Influencer who claimed Bournvita has 50% sugar in viral video gets sued by Cadbury, apologises and takes down post

OpIndia Staff
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Influencer who claimed Bournvita has 50% sugar in viral video gets sued by Cadbury, apologises and takes down post

On 13th April 2023, Cadbury issued a legal notice to social media influencer Revant Himantsingka who had shared a video on social media criticising the endorsement of Cadbury’s product Bournvita as a ‘health drink’. As the social media influencer received the notice, he deleted the post from his profile, but before that, the video had gone viral. The social media influencer’s Twitter handle was restricted. He lost his followers and later his account was permanently removed from the platform.

Revant Himantsingka is a social media influencer. He runs his Instagram handle named Food Pharmer. In his recent social media post, he informed about the legal notice he received from the company. He said in his post, “I created a video on Cadbury Bournvita which incidentally went viral receiving nearly 12 million views on Instagram. Some known personalities such as Paresh Rawalji, and cricketer Kirti Azadji shared it on Twitter and actor Madhavan also liked the video.”

He added, “I have decided to take down the video across all platforms after receiving a legal notice from one of India’s biggest law firms on 13th April 2023. I apologize to Cadbury for making the video. I did not plan or intend to infringe any trademark or defame any company nor do I have the interest or resources to participate in any court cases and I request MNCs to not take this forward legally.”

Revant Himantsingka further said, “After quitting a high-paying job in the US, I came back to India to start Food Pharmer with the belief that food is medicine and by eating food made by farmers, we can reduce our dependency on pharma. Thank you to all my supporters for your constant encouragement and concern for me. I will keep making videos to help you eat healthier!”

In the viral video about Cadbury’s Bournvita, he said, “Bournvita. Many of us have been drinking this for years. so let’s review it for one minute. Front package (which reads endorsement points of the product) active brain – pretty good, strong muscles – great, strong bones- excellent, immune system – fabulous. So before covid, they did not have the immune system in their package. But now that they know everyone is looking for immunity, so they added the immune system to their package. Because it sells. Even though they have made no change in the product. In fact, on Amazon, Zepto, Blink it, they call themselves the health drink.”

He further said, “Let’s turn the package around. A lot of other health claims here as well in strength and other things. Look at the ingredient list. Sugar is the second ingredient. Then we have cocoa solids which are basically chocolate. Colour (150C) which is a caramel colour that is known for causing cancer and reducing immunity. Liquid glucose which is again sugar. Maltodextrin is again a fancy word for sugar. They also have an emulsifier 471 which is made from glycerine to extend the shelf life. They have raisin agents and artificial vanilla flavour, none of which is good for you.”

He added, “If you look at the ingredient label here, per hundred grams they have 50 grams of sugar. So basically the entire half of this bag is of sugar. How is this helping your brain? How is this helping your immunity? How is this even legal? Cadbury is not a health company. It is a chocolate company. Instead of an active kid, there should be a sick kid in the photo here. The tagline is Taiyari Jeet Ki (meaning – getting ready for victory). But I think the tagline should be Taiyari Diabetes Ki (meaning – getting ready for diabetes). I will request parents to please stop getting their kids addicted to these products. I request to take action against these false claims.”

Though the video is now removed from his social media handle, it is already widely circulated. In the caption of this reel, Revant Himantsingka wrote, “Should the government allow companies to blatantly lie on their package? Parents are getting their children addicted to sugar at a young age, and the children end up craving sugar throughout their lives.” On Instagram alone, this video was viewed by more than 12 million people.

Cadbury Bournvita, on 9th April 2023, issued a clarification about the product on their Twitter handle. It said, “Bournvita has enjoyed the love and trust of consumers for over seven decades. Bournvita contains nutrients namely vitamins A, C, and D, Iron, Zinc, Copper and Selenium which help build immunity. These have been part of our formulation for several years. We have always called out “Helps with the healthy functioning of the immune system” on the back of our pack for several years (even before the Covid-19 pandemic).”

The clarification further said, “Bournvita is best consumed with a glass of 200ml hot or cold milk as highlighted on the pack. Every serving of Bournvita has 7.5 grams of added sugar, which is approximately one and a half teaspoons. This is much less than the daily recommended intake limits of sugar for children. Bournvita is a scientifically designed formula made with ingredients that are approved for use and all our ingredients are declared on the pack.”

Caramel colour is not identified as carcinogenic

It is notable here that Revant Himantsingka’s video claimed that the caramel colour used in Bournvita causes cancer. However, caramel colours are used in many foods and beverages under permissible limits and studies have shown that linking them to cancer is not correct. The US FDA identifies caramel colouring as safe.

Influencer sued by corporate

This is not the first time that a brand has issued notice to a social media influencer for allegedly defaming the company and its product or services. Earlier Whitehat Jr had also taken similar action against social media influencers who highlighted the practices of the online education company.

In 2020, WhiteHatJr and its founder Karan Bajaj filed a defamation suit of Rs.20 crore against YouTuber and whistle-blower Pradeep Poonia. In a series of allegations made on YouTube and Twitter, Poonia had claimed that WhiteHatJr, the online coding learning platform for kids, is scamming its customers. He also alleged that any voice raised against the company is dealt with by bullying and harassment.

‘Refrain from unnecessary politicking’: Delhi LG slams AAP govt for not doing audit of money given to pvt DISCOMs after AAP accused LG of stopping power subsidy

OpIndia Staff
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‘Refrain from unnecessary politicking’: Delhi LG slams AAP govt for not doing audit of money given to pvt DISCOMs after AAP accused LG of stopping power subsidy

On Friday (April 14), officials representing the ‘Raj Niwas’ (the official residence of Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor) urged the Power Ministry to not make false allegations about the Governor in connection to the Delhi government’s power subsidy scheme. The response by the LG came after the AAP govt said that the power subsidy in Delhi will end from today because LG has not signed the concerned file.

While speaking to ANI, the officials said, “The Power Minister is advised to refrain from unnecessary politicking and baseless false allegations against LG. She (Atishi Marlena) should stop misleading people with false statements.”

They slammed the Delhi government for delay in sending the files and deliberate politicisation of the matter. “If at all, she and the CM should answer the people of Delhi as to why was a decision in this regard kept pending till 4th April when the deadline was 15th April?” they asked.

“Why was the file sent to LG on 11th April? And What is the need for drama on 13th April by writing a letter and the press conference today?” the officials further inquired.

The LG’s office also slammed the AAP govt for not conducting the audit of Rs 13,549 crores given to private DISCOMs during the past 6 years. “LG repeats support for power subsidy to poor, reiterates that amounts being given to DISCOMs be audited to ensure non-pilferage,” they said.

LG VK Saxena further questioned the Arvind Kejriwal Government for not invoking Section 108 of the Electricity Act, 2003 to make it compulsory for DERC to audit DISCOMs till now. He underlined that audits by CAG-empanelled auditors cannot and should not be considered a substitute for CAG audits.

The LG’s office added that the LG has expressed surprise that the government’s appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court order quashing the CAG Audit of DISCOMs has been pending for more than 7 years. He asked the Delhi government to expedite it by filing an appeal for an urgent hearing.

The Background of the Controversy

On Friday (April 14), AAP MLA Atishi Marlena courted controversy after she blamed Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor for a ‘lapse’ in the power subsidy scheme of the Delhi government.

“The subsidy we give to 46 lakh people will stop from today. From Monday onwards, people will get inflated bills without subsidy. Till the file is approved we can’t give subsidy,” she was heard saying.

“I even sought time from the LG office to discuss the matter but it’s been more than 24 hours and I have not been given time. The file has also not come back yet. The budget for this subsidy has been passed by the Vidhan Sabha. The government has money for subsidy but we cannot spend it,” Atishi Marlena claimed.

Yesterday Atishi wrote a letter to the LG alleging that she is not getting an appointment to meet him. She wrote that there was an emergency situation in Delhi as the power subsidy scheme is ending and it needs to be renewed. “As it is the Government had an apprehension that BJP is trying to stop electricity subsidy that is given to lakhs of households in Delhi and now it appears that is exactly what is going to happen,” she wrote, virtually implying that the LG was not signing the file on the instructions of BJP.

Last month, the Delhi government announced its decision to continue the power subsidy scheme until March 31, 2024. Under the electricity subsidy scheme, households that use less than 200 units every month are not billed at the end of the cycle.

Those consumers who use up to 400 units per month can avail upto 50% of the subsidy (up to ₹800) on the total bill. Initially, the rule applied to all but was later tweaked to include only those Delhiites, who voluntarily opt-in for the service.

RSS to conduct route marches at 45 places in Tamil Nadu on Sunday, police grants permission after SC rejected state govt’s appeal against it

OpIndia Staff
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RSS to conduct route marches at 45 places in Tamil Nadu on Sunday, police grants permission after SC rejected state govt’s appeal against it

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has said that it will hold its route march in Tamil Nadu on 16 April, after getting the go-ahead from the Supreme Court of India. Yesterday the Sangh was granted permission by the state police to conduct its route march on April 16 in around 45 places in the state. The police were forced to grant the permission after the Tamil Nadu government’s appeal against a Madras High Court decision permitting RSS to organize the march was rejected by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

RSS got the police permission after it met DGP C. Sylendra Babu along with a copy of the Supreme Court order. A senior police officer, “We have granted permission to them as per the order of the Supreme Court with relevant terms and conditions. We will ensure necessary police bandobust.” The DGP asked the district cadres of RSS to approach the District Superintendent of Police and work out routes and other formalities for conducting the march on April 16. 

“The DGP of Tamil Nadu has granted permission to RSS to conduct route march in 45 places all over Tamil Nadu and has requested the district cadres to approach the concerned District Commissioners of Police and Superintendent of Police and work out route and other formalities for conducting march on April 16, 2023,” an official statement released by RSS Tamil Nadu read.

The RSS stated in the release that route march is a routine RSS practice across the country and every state except Tamil Nadu has allowed such route marches in the past. It said that the RSS had approached High Court to attain permission to conduct such marches in the past.

“In 2020, 2021 route marches were not conducted due to Covid-19 pandemic and in 2022 the state police denied permission to conduct marches at 50 places across the state. Following this RSS approached to the Madras High Court who on September 22, 2022 directed the state police to grant permission subject to certain conditions,” the statement read.

It further added that though the Court had directed to issue permission, the state government was reluctant to give permission. “Political parties such as Communists, VCK, Congress vehemently opposed the grant of permission. In fact VCK filed an appeal before the two judge bench against the order and though the same was dismissed. The state government also filed 50 review petitions which were also dismissed by single judge.”

RSS Tamil Nadu then filed 50 contempt petitions before the Single judge, during the hearing of which the state filed a status report stating that there have been petrol bomb attacks on the RSS and the BJP cadres throughout Tamil Nadu. The single judge bench granted the permission to conduct route marches in only three places named Cuddalore, Perambalur, Kallakurichi. The same were conducted on November 6 last year.

However, aggrieved by the Single judge order, the RSS approached the division bench which later set aside the order passed by the single judge. The state government then filed an appeal against the order in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court rejected the state government’s plea on Tuesday, allowing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to stage a route march in Tamil Nadu.

The RSS march organizers stated before the Supreme Court of India that Article 19(1)(b) of the Indian Constitution guarantees the basic right to peaceful assembly, and that their march could not be postponed because of potential violence by PFI as it is the state’s responsibility to provide appropriate security.

On the other side, the state argued that “reasonable restrictions” under Article 19(3) were necessary for the preservation of the nation’s integrity, sovereignty, or public order. The state mentioned instances where PFI members threw petrol bombs at an RSS march along a same route in Karnataka’s Haveri district in October.

A bench of justices V Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal while referring the previous history of attacks by PFI on similar rallies conducted by RSS, said, “The chart provided by the state government shows that the members of the respondent organisation were the victims in many of those cases and that they were not the perpetrators. Therefore, it is not possible for us to find fault with the order passed by the learned Judge either in the main writ petitions or in the review applications. Hence, all the special leave petitions are liable to be dismissed.”

The RSS is all set to hold the route march at 45 places across the state including Arani, Ambore, Vellore, Chennai, Hosur, Attur, Salem, Karur, Palani, Madurai, Tiruchi, Pattukottai and Palladam on April 16.

Stray Pitbull attacks 30-year-old man, bites his private parts in Karnal, Haryana

ANI
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Stray Pitbull attacks 30-year-old man, bites his private parts in Karnal, Haryana

In a horrific incident reported from Haryana’s Karnal, a Pitbull dog attacked a 30-year-old man and bit his private part leaving him seriously injured.

According to the information, the victim was identified as Karan Sharma (30), a resident of Bijna village. After the incident, the man was rushed to the government hospital Gharaunda.

He was later referred to Karnal Civil Hospital allegedly because of the unavailability of proper treatment and injection, as told by the victim’s brother.

According to Victim’s brother Purshottam, “The victim was on his way to farms when a stray Pitbull attacked him. In an attempt to get rid of the canine, he thrashed it with a stick after which the dog bit his private part.”
Later, villagers reached the spot and somehow managed to rescue Karna and later rushed him to the hospital, he said.

A doctor at the hospital said, “We have received a patient attacked by a Pitbull. He has been admitted and is being treated. Currently, the patient is in stable condition.”

For now, no police complaint is registered in the case as the owner of the dog is unidentified.
More details are awaited.

Earlier on April 7, in a similar kind of attack by stray dogs in Chhattisgarh’s Koriya district a five-year-old girl lost her life.

In the last couple of years, cases of dog menace have witnessed a major surge across the country.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Ayodhya: Hanumangarhi Temple Mahant Raju Das announces Rs 51,000 ‘cash reward’ for UP STF after Asad Ahmed’s encounter

OpIndia Staff
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Ayodhya: Hanumangarhi Temple Mahant Raju Das announces Rs 51,000 ‘cash reward’ for UP STF after Asad Ahmed’s encounter

On Thursday, April 13, Mahant Raju Das, who is the chief priest at the famous Hanumangarhi Temple in Ayodhya has announced a “cash reward” of Rs 51,000 for the Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Task Force (STF), after the UP STF neutralised Asad Ahmed, the son of mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed. It is notable that Asad Ahmed was one of the accused in the Umesh Pal murder case.

Apart from the cash reward, Mahant Raju Das also thanked UP CM Yogi Adityanath for the crackdown on the mafias. The Hanumangarhi Temple’s chief priest also appealed to the ‘mafias’ that till the time there is a BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and Yogi Adityanath is the CM, they should either shut their criminal activities or leave the state. 

“As long as there is a BJP government and Baba (Yogi Adityanath) is the chief minister, you (mafias) should either leave the state or calm down,” Mahant Raju Das said.

Moreover, he also congratulated the UP Police STF and announced the cash reward for them. In addition to this, the Mahant also demanded that the remaining fugitives should also be ‘finished’ as in a state like Uttar Pradesh that is governed by the constitution and law, the morale of the culprits is so high that they carried out bomb attacks wherein police personnel and common people were killed. “It is for this reason, we would demand the administration and thank you to Yogi Ji,” Mahant Raju Das concluded.

It is notable that on April 13, 2023, Asad Ahmed, the third son of mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed was gunned down by the UP Police STF in an encounter at Jhansi. Along with Asad, his associate Ghulam Muhammad, son of Maksudan, a gunman who assisted Asad in killing Umesh Pal and 2 other police personnel, was also killed.

The UPSTF team was led by Deputy SP Navendu and Deputy SP Vimal. The police had surrounded them and asked them to surrender. But they chose to fight instead. Both of them were taken to a hospital after the incident, where the doctors announced them brought dead. Foreign-made firearms were recovered on them. It has also been reported that Asad Ahmed was engaged to his cousin Mantasha, who is the daughter of Akhlaq Ahmed, who is the brother-in-law of Atiq Ahmed and also a co-accused in the Umesh Pal murder case. 

England coach Brendon McCullum examined for involvement with a betting company

OpIndia Staff
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England coach Brendon McCullum examined for involvement with a betting company

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced that it is examining the potential involvement of Brendon McCullum, the head coach of England’s Test team, with the betting company 22Bet India. Nevertheless, the board made it clear that the former New Zealand captain is not currently the subject of an investigation.

In November 2022, McCullum’s agreement with the Cyprus-based firm was made public, six months after he was named to his present position with the England men’s team. Nevertheless, over the preceding weeks, ads on YouTube and content from the 41-year-old’s social media accounts have drawn criticism, particularly in New Zealand.

In January, McCullum became an ambassador for the betting company and has been featured in various online advertisements. On March 27th, he shared a video on his Facebook page endorsing 22Bet’s offerings for the Indian Premier League.

The advertisements featuring McCullum encourage betting on the IPL. “The IPL is coming, and I think all cricket fans are excited about this big event. My friends at 22Bet are ready to make your IPL experience even more fascinating. 22Bet India guarantees the best odds,” the video he posted on Facebook said.

However, the adverts did not sit well with the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand, which lodged a formal complaint with the country’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) last week. The DIA has since stated that 22Bet’s advertisements are deceptive because “they are not a licensed New Zealand sportsbook and are not subject to DIA oversight or regulation in New Zealand.”

Due to this, advertisements featuring McCullum and 22Bet India have been blocked for users in the country, and the Problem Gambling Foundation reached out to the ECB.

In response, the ECB released a statement saying: “We are exploring the matter and are in discussions with Brendon around his relationship with 22Bet. We have rules in place around gambling and will always seek to ensure these are followed.”

According to the anti-discrimination code of the ECB, it is considered an offence to “solicit, induce, entice, instruct, persuade, encourage, facilitate, or authorize any other party” to place a bet, either directly or indirectly, on the outcome, progress, conduct, or any other aspect of a match or competition.

The protocol emphasized that such a violation results in a minimum of one year of “ineligibility.”

In the meantime, England will have McCullum back as they seek to reclaim the Ashes urn from Australia this summer. England has not possessed the urn since the 2015 series, as Australia has convincingly won two out of the last three Ashes competitions.

Starting on June 1st, England will play a single Test match against Ireland before taking on Australia.

Last summer, McCullum took over from Chris Silverwood as the head coach of the England Test team. Alongside captain Ben Stokes, the 41-year-old has led England to ten victories in their previous twelve Test matches and aided in breaking multiple records in the format.

On June 16th, the 2023 Ashes series will commence at Edgbaston, followed by the subsequent four Tests to be hosted at Lord’s, Headingley, Old Trafford, and The Oval.

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