Chandigarh, Jan 10: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Friday said it has recovered a pistol and heroin dropped by Pakistani drones along the border fence in Punjab.

The BSF said that in two operations, the troops achieved significant success in thwarting cross-border smuggling attempts involving Pakistani drones.

In the first operation, a packet of heroin weighing 520 grams, dropped by a Pakistani drone, was recovered from Khanwal village in Amritsar District.

In the second operation, a PX5 Storm pistol 30 bore along with an empty magazine was recovered from a farming field ahead of the border fence near Rajatal village, also in Amritsar district.

These recoveries highlight the BSF’s prompt action and the alertness of its troops in foiling such smuggling attempts, ensuring the security of the nation, the paramilitary force added.

In 2024, the BSF Punjab Frontier, as a border guarding force, recovered 294 drones, a substantial increase from 107 drones in 2023. Additionally, approximately 283 kg of heroin was seized, four Pakistani intruders were neutralized, and 161 Indian smugglers along with 30 Pakistani nationals were apprehended from the border.

Beyond operational successes, the BSF Punjab also undertook numerous civic action programmes, including medical camps, blood donation camps, pre-recruitment training for defence forces and public outreach initiatives, all of which received widespread acknowledgement and support from the local population.

The year 2024 has been exceptional for the BSF Punjab Frontier, showcasing remarkable achievements in securing the nation’s borders.

With strengthened surveillance and determined efforts against smuggling and drone threats, the BSF Punjab remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the nation against all the threats and challenges, said the officials.

Punjab shares a 553-km barbed-wire fenced international border with Pakistan which is under the vigil of the BSF Punjab. The drug network operates along the Afghanistan-Pakistan-India route.

New Delhi, Jan 9: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed worry regarding listing of cases in some High Courts, particularly, the Allahabad High Court, where it said that the process of filing and listing of cases has collapsed.

“In some of the High Courts, we don’t know what will happen. Allahabad HC is one of the High Courts which really one should be worried about. Unfortunately, filing has collapsed, listing has collapsed, nobody knows which matter will be listed,” the Supreme Court remarked.

The observation fell from a Bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh as it dealt with an application filed by Abbas Ansari, son of late gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing on Abbas Ansari’s behalf, submitted that despite an apex court order for expeditious hearing, no effective hearing took place before the Allahabad High Court on his prayer for interim protection in a writ petition against an ex-parte government order declaring a piece of land an evacuee property (government property).

Sibal added that while other co-owners secured interim relief from the Allahabad HC, Abbas Ansari’s plea for interim protection was not taken up for hearing at all.

After hearing the contentions raised, the Justice-Kant led Bench ordered that the matter be listed earliest before the Allahabad High Court and in the meantime, directed parties to maintain status quo in respect of the disputed site.

In an earlier round of litigation, Sibal had contended that the Uttar Pradesh authorities, after taking physical possession of Abbas Ansari’s plot, have started construction of some dwelling units at the site under the Awas Yojana.

Thereafter, the apex court had requested the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad HC to take up the application for interim stay moved by Abbas Ansari “as early as possible” and in any case on November 4, 2024.

In its October 21 order, it said, “We request the Allahabad High Court to take up the application out of turn, if so required, so that the prayer of the petitioner for interim protection can be appropriately adjudicated.”

As per Abbas Ansari’s petition, his grandfather purchased a share in Plot No. 93 located at village Jiainau of Lucknow through a registered sale deed in 2004. The said property was allegedly gifted by him to his wife Rabia Begum, who then bequeathed the same through a registered will to Abbas Ansari and his brother Umar Ansari.

In 2020, a Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Lucknow passed an order declaring the plot an evacuee property and dispossessing the Ansari brothers.

Challenging this, Abbas and Umar Ansari moved a writ petition before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court.

In the Supreme Court, Abbas Ansari stated that though their writ petition was listed repeatedly, no interim stay was passed in their favour, as was done in the case of other affected persons.

Recently, a Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan expressed “shock” after it was told that the bail application of a murder accused has been pending before the Allahabad High Court for the past four years.

The Justice Pardiwala-led Bench asked the apex court registry to forward its order to the Chief Justice of Allahabad HC for his consideration.

It said: “We are shocked to learn from the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner that the bail application filed by the petitioner in the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad bearing Criminal Miscellaneous Bail Application No. 40542 of 2020 is still pending as on date.”

Tirupati, Jan 9: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday visited the stampede spot in Tirupati that claimed the lives of six devotees and pulled up officials for failing to make proper arrangements for the distribution of tokens for an annual event at Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.

Soon after landing at Renigunta Airport, the Chief Minister drove to Vishnu Nivasam and later to Padmavati Park, where two separate incidents of stampede took place.

Accompanied by ministers, he went around the two places and asked officials including the District Collector, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Executive Officer, Joint Executive Officer and police officials why they failed to anticipate a huge turnout of devotees and accordingly make arrangements.

Visibly unhappy with the officials, the Chief Minister inquired about the incident and the arrangements made by the TTD and district administration for the distribution of tokens for the Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam.

The Chief Minister asked TTD Executive Officer Shyamala Rao why he did not use technology and took other steps for crowd control for the smooth conduct of the token distribution.

CM Naidu told TTD officials to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in future. The Chief Minister later visited TTD-run SVIMS Hospital and called on the injured.

He assured them that the government would extend all possible help.

A total of 48 persons were injured in the stampede. They were initially shifted to SVR Ruia Hospital. Of them, 35 were shifted to SVIMS Hospital for better treatment.

Meanwhile, police registered two cases in connection with the stampedes at Padmavati Park and Vishnu Nivasam.

Earlier, Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad, who is in charge of Tirupati district, visited the SVIMS hospital along with his cabinet colleagues and announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh each for the families of the deceased.

State Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Irrigation Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu and Information and Public Relations Minister K. Parthasarathy visited the hospital.

The bodies of the deceased were being sent to their home towns after autopsy. The deceased were identified as S. Lavanya (38), Kandipalli Santhi (33), G. Rajini (47) (all from Visakhapatnam), Malliga (50) of Tamil Nadu), Buddeti Naidu Babu (55) of Narsipatnam and V. Nirmala (55) from Kerala.