Hyderabad, July 30 (IANS) In a shocking incident, a 26-year-old woman passenger was allegedly raped on a moving private bus in Telangana, the police said on Tuesday.

One of the two drivers of the private bus, which started from Nirmal town and was heading to Prakasam in Andhra Pradesh, allegedly committed the offence on Monday night.

The Osmania University police intercepted the sleeper bus belonging to Hari Krishna Travels on the outskirts of Hyderabad past midnight after the victim called ‘Dial 100’.

However, the accused driver got down from the bus and escaped when the vehicle slowed down near the Mettuguda area.

The other driver who was driving the bus has been detained by the police.

The police have registered a case and sent the victim for medical examination. Circle Inspector N. Rajender said they are on the lookout for the absconding driver, identified as Krishna.

The woman told the police that the accused put a blanket in her mouth and allegedly raped her on the moving bus even though other passengers were there.

Meanwhile, in another incident, a young woman was allegedly gang raped by her friends at a party which she had thrown on getting a job in a software company. The incident occurred in Vanasthalipuram on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

According to Rachakonda police, the woman had thrown the party at a bar & restaurant for her childhood friend Gowtham Reddy and another youth, said to be a common friend.

When the victim was under the influence of alcohol, Gowtham Reddy and the other youth took her to a room and allegedly raped her.

Police have registered a case and taken up the investigation.

–IANS

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Beed (Maharashtra), July 30 (IANS) Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar has slammed Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for their stance on the caste issues, here on Tuesday.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha speech expressing concerns over the lack of representation to the deprived sections, Ambedkar said that the Dalits, Tribals, Muslims and OBCs must not trust either the Congress or the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“Rahul Gandhi raised a concern that out of 20 officers who prepared the Union Budget, there was only one from OBC and one from the minority. True! But why didn’t Rahul Gandhi highlight how many Dalits, Tribals, Muslims and OBCs officers prepared the Budget during the Congress governments?” demanded Ambedkar.

Speaking to media persons during his ongoing march across a dozen districts to drum up awareness, he called upon the different castes and communities “not to fall for the fake love of Congress” as the party is the same as BJP.

The grandson of the Chief Architect of Constitution, B. R. Ambedkar, the VBA chief drew comparisons “how the BJP is equal to the Congress, that they do not care for Dalits, Tribals, Muslims and OBCs but only want their votes during elections.”

Training guns on Thackeray, the VBA chief accused him of igniting instead of defusing the ongoing row on reservations in Maharashtra, vis-à-vis the Shivba Sanghatana leader Manoj Jarange-Patil’s ongoing campaign for Maratha quotas.

“Rather than stating clearly whether he is for or against the demand for quotas, Thackeray has asked the caste leaders to approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hike the ceiling on reservations. This is unfortunate,” said the VBA chief.

“By this, Thackeray suggests that only if the reservation ceiling is increased, then the Marathas would get quota. It also implies that the OBCs are opposed to the inclusion of Marathas in the OBCs, and he is hinting that the Marathas should get quota from the OBCs’ share. This is a form of inciting the conflict instead of resolving the matter,” Ambedkar explained.

He warned that in the given circumstances, “there is a possibility of breach of peace in Maharashtra”, echoing similar sentiments expressed on Sunday by Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar, as the state prepares for the Assembly elections in October.

–IANS

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Patna, July 30 (IANS) After Rashtriya Janata Dal Chief Lalu Prasad expressed his concern over the frequent train accidents in the country, Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal on Tuesday criticised opposition party leaders for politicising the issue.

Bihar BJP President Jaiswal accused the opposition parties of indulging in “cheap politics” and running political agendas over the train accidents, suggesting that they lack genuine issues to address.

He assured that inquiries would be conducted to determine the causes of the accidents.

“The concerned department would investigate why these incidents have been occurring over the past month-and-a- half, including on the day of the Budget. The Opposition leaders are doing cheap politics over the accidents. They do not have any issues and hence are running political shops over train accidents,” the State BJP President said.

“The inquiry will take place to find out why and how the accidents are taking place. I condemned the Opposition’s actions. The people of the country would not forgive them for allegedly exploiting the tragedies for political gain. Seeking power should not involve such low tactics,” he added.

This statement by the State BJP President came after Lalu Prasad expressed concern over the frequent train accidents on Tuesday.

Sharing a post on his official X account, Lalu Prasad said: “Seven train accidents had occurred within 13 days in the country. Regular train accidents are a matter of great concern. The government is not even taking basic steps to ensure safety in trains.”

“Indian Railways has become so unsafe that before boarding the trains, passengers pray that this journey should not be their last journey. Railway coaches have become like moving coffins,” he added.

The collision between the Howrah-Mumbai Mail (12810) and a goods train at Barabamboo railway station in Jharkhand’s Chakradharpur division on Tuesday morning led to the deaths of two passengers and injuries to more than 20 others.

The accident, which occurred around 3:45 a.m., resulted in the derailment of around 18 coaches of the Howrah-Mumbai Mail. The injured were promptly rescued and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

–IANS

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Patna, July 30 (IANS) A gang of dacoits stabbed three members of a family in Bihar’s East Champaran district on Tuesday, an official said.

The injured persons, Om Prakash Warnawal, his wife Anu Warnwal, and their son Lakhan Warnwal, were initially admitted to the Common Health Center (CHC) and later referred to a private hospital in Motihari.

Lakhan Warnwal’s condition is critical.

According to the police, Lakhan Warnwal displayed bravery by managing to capture one of the dacoits despite sustaining multiple stab injuries.

The incident occurred around 2:30 am on Tuesday while the victims were sleeping in their house on Sargam Cinema Road under Sugauli police station in the district. The dacoits used a bamboo ladder to enter the house through a window.

“Upon entering the house, the dacoits attacked the family. Lakhan Warnwal, showing immense courage, fought back which caused panic among the dacoits and led them to flee the scene. In the process, Lakhan managed to apprehend one of the dacoits. He sustained multiple injuries and his condition is critical,” said Om Prakash Warnwal, the victim and a prominent trader of readymade garments in the district.

“When we received information about the incident, our team immediately reached the scene and rescued the victims. We have also arrested an accused and recovered a knife from him. The arrested individual has been identified as Shahid Alam, son of Akbar Ali and a native of Barpurva village under Paharpur police station. We are currently interrogating him to identify other members of the gang,” said Munna Kumar, SHO of Sugauli police station.

–IANS

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Bhubaneswar, July 30 (IANS) The Ministry of Railways has sanctioned Rs 275.01 crore for the provision of safety fencing along the railway tracks in the Bhadrak-Palasa and Khurda Road-Puri Railway Sections of the Khurda Road Division under East Coast Railway.

This project aims to facilitate the safe movement of trains at speeds up to 130 mph and beyond.

“To ensure effective fencing and avoid any disruptions, the Ministry has decided to construct boundary walls nearer to the tracks. The current plan involves erecting fencing at the boundary of Railway Land, with the actual distance to be determined by the zonal railway authorities based on site conditions, maintenance requirements, multi-tracking works, the level of trespassing and the overall effectiveness of the proposed fencing,” said East Coast Railway sources.

The Railways through this initiative also aim to seal the entry to the rail tracks at level crossings, ROBs (flyovers), RUBs (underpasses), bridges and other critical locations requiring access control.

Also, cattle grazing near the tracks will be restricted from moving towards the Railway Line due to the safety fencing ensuring smooth traffic movement and preventing loss of livestock and wildlife.

Recently, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed in Lok Sabha that safety fencing would be strategically implemented at vulnerable locations to support the running of Vande Bharat trains at speeds between 110 kmph and 130 kmph.

For speeds exceeding 130 mph, continuous safety fencing will be installed along the entire track length.

“The Ministry of Railways remains committed to advancing railway safety and infrastructure to meet the growing demands of semi-high-speed train travel in India. This safety fencing project marks a significant step towards achieving these goals, ensuring a safer and more efficient railway network for the nation,” added the ECoR.

–IANS

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