NEWS

Concerned over the large number of cases of atrocities against the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe community members being reported every year, the Narendra Modi government will launch a national helpline to ensure FIRs are registered smoothly and the victims are provided support in a time-bound manner.

According to a senior government official, the helpline will be launched in April by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

“It will be a cloud-based call centre in which operators will be available at every state/UT headquarter round the clock. It will be a toll-free service and callers will be able to access it by making a voice call/VOIP on 14566 either from mobile or a landline number of any telecom operator across the country. Services would be available in Hindi, English and the local language of the State/UTs. A mobile application will also be available,” the official said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned kingpin Anup Majhi alias Lala, the main accused in the multi-crore rupees coal smuggling scam in West Bengal, for questioning tomorrow. News agency ANI reported that Majhi has been asked to appear before the CBI at the agency's Kolkata office.

For a while now, sleuths have been in close pursuit of Majhi, who is currently absconding. In addition to issuing a look-out circular against Majhi, the CBI had raided several of the accused's premises in the city and in the coal-bearing belt of Asansol and Ranigunj.

On March 13, the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) made the first arrest in connection with the case — Randhir Singh, who is said to have been involved in the scam and working for Majhi, was arrested by the state CID from the Paschim Bardhaman district.

The NIA custody of a dismissed cop and a bookie arrested in connection with the death of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran has been extended till April 7 by a special court in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Vinayak Shinde, the jailed former cop currently on parole and cricket bookie Naresh Gaur were arrested by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on March 21 but the case was subsequently taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on March 24.

NIA Special Public Prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves, seeking 10 days additional custody, said that the probe agency has seized two mobile, one iPhone, 7 SIM cards, a blank cover of SIM card, a note with 14 mobile numbers mentioned including 5 in the name of arrested-suspected cop and prime accused Sachin Vaze with ‘Ok’ written (for activation) beside them.

Several private hospitals and one government hospital in the National Capital are left with no intensive care unit (ICU) beds with ventilators which are extremely crucial for patients with severe disease even as Delhi witnessed another surge in coronavirus infections.

According to sources, all ICU beds with ventilators in the Central government’s Northern Railway hospital are occupied. The condition is the same in the Holy Family Hospital in Okhla, the Fortis Hospital and the Max SS Hospital (both Shalimar Bagh), the Navjeevan Hospital in Pitampura, the Kalra Hospital in Kirti Nagar and the Fortis SS hospital in Vasant Kunj.

The Indian Spinal Injury Centre in Vasant Kunj, the Maharaja Agrasen Hospital in Punjabi Bagh, the Sri Balaji Action Medical Insititute in Paschim Vihar, the Ayushman Hospital in Dwarka, and the Mool Chand Khairati Ram Hospital in Lajpat Nagar are other institutions that have run out of such beds.