Chandigarh, Nov 4: After the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct for the by-election to the Tarn Taran Assembly constituency, Punjab Police, following the directions of the Election Commission, has made seizures of drugs, liquor, cash and freebies valued at over Rs 57.47 crore.

According to details, from October 7, the day the Model Code of Conduct came into effect, till November 3, the police in the Tarn Taran constituency seized 51,429.50 litres of liquor valued at Rs 32,89,160, narcotic substances of Rs 56,67,10,500 (21,811.10 grams), cash amounting to Rs 9,73,480, and other items valued at Rs 37,85,700.

Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C said the police have been directed to maintain round-the-clock surveillance through CCTV cameras at all checkpoints in the constituency to curb illegal smuggling activities.

He added that strict action is being ensured against those attempting to influence voters by distributing cash or any other kind of freebies during the elections.

The Chief Electoral Officer said there are a total of 192,838 voters in the constituency, which includes 100,933 men, 91,897 women and eight third-gender voters. There are 1,357 service voters, 1,657 voters aged above 85 years, 306 NRI voters, and 1,488 voters with disabilities. The number of young voters aged between 18 and 19 years stands at 3,333.

He said there are 222 polling stations set up at 114 polling station locations, of which 60 are urban and 162 are rural.

The Tarn Taran bypoll on November 11 was necessitated by the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal, who had won the seat with 52,935 votes, defeating Shiromani Akali Dal’s Harmeet Singh Sandhu.

Fifteen candidates are in the fray. They include Sukhwinder Kaur of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Harjit Singh Sandhu of the BJP, Harmeet Singh Sandhu of the Aam Aadmi Party, and Karanbir Singh of the Congress.

New Delhi, Nov 4: The NHRC has sought a report within two weeks from the Karnataka government and state police chief over the alleged collection of bribes from a grieving 64-year-old father of a woman who died after a brain haemorrhage, an official said on Tuesday.

The alleged harassment of the man started after the death of his daughter, an IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad graduate working in Bengaluru, who suffered a brain haemorrhage on September 18.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that, while mourning the death of his only daughter, the elderly man was made to pay bribes at every step, including an ambulance driver, police, crematorium staff and civic officials in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

According to the media report, carried on October 30, what should have been a solemn farewell turned into a nightmare of corruption, bureaucracy and inhumanity.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights. Therefore, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Karnataka, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.

When the father called an ambulance after the death of his daughter, the ambulance driver apparently overcharged for the services. When he reported his daughter’s death to the police, they not only displayed a lack of empathy but also gave copies of the FIR and post-mortem report only after a bribe was paid.

According to the media report, the deceased’s family donated the girl’s eyes before cremation. Money was again demanded at the crematorium, which the father paid.

There was also a considerable delay in issuing a death certificate from the Mahadevapura Municipal authorities. Despite intervention by a senior officer, the certificate was issued only after the father paid a bribe.

Earlier, the NHRC asked 19 state governments and 4 UT Administrations to take pre-emptive steps and implement relief measures for vulnerable people ahead of the upcoming winter season.

The Commission directed the State and UT governments to protect newborns, children, infants, poor, elderly, homeless, destitutes and people involved in beggary, who are at risk of exposure to cold waves due to lack of shelter and resources, said a statement.

The right body also called for Action-Taken Reports from the government on steps taken to deal with cold waves and stressed upon the need for sensitising the State/UT authorities concerned.

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Kafeel Ahmed Mohammed Ayub, 65, who was arrested thirteen years ago in connection with the July 13, 2011 triple blasts case that killed 27 persons and injured 127. 

A bench of Justices Ajey Gadkari and RR Bhonsale granted bail to Ayub on a surety of Rs one lakh. A detailed order copy is awaited. At present, he is lodged at the Mumbai Central prison. 

Ayub had approached the  HC after his bail plea was rejected by the special court in 2022. 

Ayub, a resident of Bihar, was arrested in February 2012 and has been in custody since then. 

On July 13, 2011, Mumbai was rocked by three blasts — at Zaveri Bazaar, Opera House and near a school in Dadar Kabutarkhana close to the railway station — in a span on 10 minutes. 

The probe  was handed over to the state Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) police. It alleged that terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) had orchestrated the blasts and the main conspirator was its founder Yasin Bhatkal. Eleven persons are facing trial in the case. 

According to the ATS, Ayub and the other accused in the case were indoctrinating Muslim youths to carry out terror acts at the behest of IM. It further claimed that Ayub was in close contact with Yasin Bhatkal, who is alleged to be the main conspirator, and is still absconding. 

Ayub’s advocate Mubin Solkar argued that Ayub has been languishing in jail for over a decade. The prosecution has said it would examine 800 witnesses, and not a single witness has been examined yet, his plea contended. 

His plea claimed that he is innocent and implicated in the case. Moreover, the prosecution has no evidence against him except his own confession which he said was not given voluntarily.