Patna, Sep 26: Kishanganj police have arrested one person and launched a search for others after a video allegedly showing a young woman being assaulted and verbally abused near Tulsia Halt railway station in the Dighalbank police station area was sent to Superintendent of Police (SP) Santosh Kumar.

According to police, the video was received on the SP’s WhatsApp at around 12:30 a.m. on September 25.

The SP immediately directed the technical team to examine the footage.

The preliminary investigation indicated that the incident had taken place near Tulsia Halt railway station, police said.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was subsequently constituted under the leadership of Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO)-02, and raids were launched at suspected locations to identify and apprehend those allegedly involved.

Police said the video appears to be approximately four to five months old.

The footage allegedly shows several youths taking a young woman into a house, followed by an altercation in which she was allegedly subjected to verbal abuse and physical assault.

After receiving the video, the SP directed a police team to inspect the suspected location and ordered immediate action.

Based on the technical examination of the footage and other Intelligence inputs, police initially identified several suspects.

They were identified as Afsar alias Hati, son of Tajmul and a resident of Mustafaganj; Zuber Khan, son of Md Basir and a resident of Shripur; Mizan alias Salman, son of Jahagir and a resident of Dahibhanga; Kamil, son of Ashauddin and a resident of Muharar Toli; and Shahnaz, son of Sabir and a resident of Janirpasti Dahibhanga.

Police said preliminary verification indicated that some of the identified suspects are currently living outside Bihar.

Afsar alias Hati is reportedly residing in Gujarat, Zuber Khan in Haryana, Mizan alias Salman in Karnataka and Kamil in Punjab.

Efforts are underway to verify the whereabouts of the remaining suspects.

Police said the woman has been identified and her statement has been recorded during the investigation.

According to her statement, she had gone to the railway station to meet a friend when she was allegedly noticed by some youths from nearby villages.

The youths allegedly made objectionable remarks and assaulted her.

Police said a village-level panchayat meeting was subsequently held in the presence of the village Mukhiya in an attempt to resolve the dispute.

Based on the woman’s complaint and statement, an FIR has been registered, and further investigation is underway.

Police are also examining the roles of other individuals who may have been involved.

Acting on the evidence gathered during the investigation, Kishanganj police arrested one of the named accused, identified as Shahzad, aged around 21, a resident of Shabbir Tola, Jagir Dahibhat, under Dighalbank police station.

Shahzad was arrested in Dighalbank and is currently being interrogated, police said.

Meanwhile, raids are continuing at suspected hideouts to apprehend the other accused.

Investigators are using technical evidence as well as human Intelligence to trace those allegedly involved in the incident.

SP Santosh Kumar said that all individuals found to be involved would face legal action in accordance with the law after their roles are established during the investigation.

New Delhi, Sep 26: The Special Staff of Central District Police, under Operation Kavach, has arrested a 36-year-old man for possessing and selling prohibited medicines illegally from a medical store near Turkman Gate.

The accused has been identified as Afsan, a resident of Chandni Mahal, Delhi. Police said 14 bottles of codeine syrup, 55 tablets of Alprazolam (Alzomac) and 43 capsules of Spasmed were recovered from his possession.

According to police, the action followed secret information received by the Special Staff on September 25 regarding the illegal possession and sale of prohibited medicines at a medical store near Turkman Gate.

Acting on the information, a dedicated police team conducted a decoy operation at Al Madina Medicos, Shop No. 2293, near Two Bhai Hotel, Turkman Gate. A decoy customer was sent to the shop to purchase codeine syrup.

The suspect sold one bottle of codeine syrup to the decoy customer without asking for a valid doctor’s prescription. Following the pre-decided signal from the decoy customer, the police team raided and searched the premises.

During the search, the prohibited medicines were recovered from the accused. A Drug Inspector was called to the spot, and the recovered medicines were seized as per the prescribed procedure.

Police said the Special Staff team had been tasked with developing Intelligence and taking strict action against persons involved in the illegal sale and distribution of narcotic or prohibited substances as part of efforts to curb organised crime.

The team comprised SI Naresh, HC Mohit, HC Munesh, HC Vikas, HC Inderjeet, Constables Ajay and Lokesh, and ASI Dev Kishan. The team worked under the supervision of the In-charge, Special Staff, Central District, and the overall supervision of ACP/Operations, Central District, Padam Singh Rana.

Police said secret informers had been deployed in the area to gather information about the illegal sale of prohibited medicines. The specific information subsequently led to the decoy operation and arrest of the accused.

Afsan was taken on one-day police custody remand for further investigation. During interrogation, he was questioned about the source, procurement and distribution of the prohibited medicines.

A case has been registered under FIR No. 463/2026 under Sections 22/25 of the NDPS Act at Chandni Mahal Police Station, dated September 25.

Police said the accused has no previous criminal involvement. Efforts are underway to identify other persons involved in the supply chain and to trace the source of the recovered medicines.

Further investigation is in progress to identify and apprehend other accused persons and dismantle the network involved in the illegal sale and distribution of prohibited medicines.

Lucknow, Sep 26: The death of Ram Govind Chaudhary, former Leader of the Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader, has sent shockwaves through political circles in the state.

A senior SP leader, former Uttar Pradesh minister and a former eight-time MLA, Ram Govind Chaudhary, passed away on Friday while undergoing treatment at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow at the age of 73.

SP President Akhilesh Yadav visited Metro City Apartments in Nishatganj, Lucknow, on Saturday and paid his last respects by placing the Samajwadi Party flag on Chaudhary’s body. Akhilesh appeared emotional during the visit.

Leaders and supporters from various political parties, including Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh, also visited Chaudhary’s residence to pay their respects.

Akhilesh Yadav described Chaudhary’s death as a major loss for the socialist movement and the party.

“Ram Govind Chaudhary was a leader of the socialist movement and belonged to the generation when socialism was establishing its identity in the early days,” he said.

The SP President said Chaudhary had dedicated his entire life to the socialist movement and spent his political career in struggle.

“He was a very effective voice. His demise has been a loss to the socialist movement. The Samajwadi Party has suffered a huge loss. All of us socialists stand with his family in this hour of grief,” Akhilesh said.

Ketki Singh, BJP MLA from Bansdih in Ballia, also expressed condolences on Chaudhary’s passing. She said his death was an irreparable loss for the entire region and Uttar Pradesh.

Despite ideological differences, Singh said Chaudhary had been like a guardian to her in politics. She added that his contributions to public service, grassroots struggles and socialist ideology would always be remembered.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh said, “Ram Govind Chaudhary belonged to Baghi Ballia, a strong political centre known across the country as a hub of socialist politics, from where Chandra Shekhar Ji emerged. As the state president of the Samajwadi Party, a minister in the Akhilesh Yadav government and an eight-time MLA from Ballia, his contributions have been exemplary.

“The passing of Ram Govind Chaudhary is a great loss to the politics of Uttar Pradesh and the socialist movement. On behalf of the Aam Aadmi Party, Arvind Kejriwal Ji and my colleagues, I pay my tribute to him. I pray to God to grant his soul a place at His feet and give strength to his family, loved ones and all those who have been deeply affected by his demise to bear this loss.”

UP Transport Minister, Dayashankar Singh, also visited Chaudhary’s residence and paid his respects. A stream of political leaders, supporters and acquaintances continued to arrive at the residence, where an atmosphere of mourning prevailed.

Chaudhary’s political journey began in student politics. Hailing from Ballia district, he entered the Uttar Pradesh Assembly for the first time after winning the Chilkhar Assembly seat in the 1977 elections.

Between 1990 and 1991, he served as Minister of Horticulture and Food Processing in the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led government.

After winning the 2012 Assembly elections from Bansdih, he was given charge of the Basic Education and Social Welfare departments in the Akhilesh Yadav-led government.

In the 2017 Assembly elections, Chaudhary again won from Bansdih and was subsequently appointed Leader of the Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, a position he held from 2017 to 2022.

He also served as National Secretary of the SP and played a key role in the party organisation.

During his long political career, Chaudhary remained one of the prominent SP leaders in Purvanchal politics.