Amaravati, Sep 23: Four students died after being hit by a train in Andhra Pradesh Srikakulam district, officials said.

Another student was injured in the incident that occurred near Tekkali.

According to police, the students were walking on the track and failed to notice the approaching Rajya Rani Express and were mowed down. Body parts were seen strewn on the track.

The deceased were identified as Visakha Rao, Dileep Kumar, Shiva, and Sarath Kumar. They were coming to Tekkali from Naupada by walking on the track.

Tekkali Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) and police officers examined the scene.

Another student, Salmon Raju, was injured in the incident. He was admitted to a government hospital in Tekkali.

According to locals, the victims were studying intermediate (classes 11 and 12) and were aged between 16 and 17 years.

A police officer said they have registered a case and launched an investigation.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep shock over the deaths of four students.

He termed the incident and conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

The Chief Minister inquired about the incident and gathered details from officials. Officials said that the accident occurred because the students failed to notice the approaching train.

They informed the Chief Minister that another student was injured and is currently undergoing treatment at the Tekkali District Hospital.

The Chief Minister directed that Salmon Raju be provided with advanced medical care and instructed officials to extend support and assistance to the affected families.

YSR Congress Party President and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed shock and deep grief over the train accident.

He said the deaths of Visakha Rao, Dilip Kumar, Siva and Sarath Kumar were extremely tragic and conveyed his heartfelt condolences to their families.

He said the pain of parents and family members losing young children was beyond words and prayed that God grant them the strength and courage to endure the profound loss. He also prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls.

Jagan Mohan Reddy sought the best possible medical treatment for the injured student and wished him a speedy recovery.

He urged the state government to stand by the bereaved families in every possible way and extend all necessary assistance and support to those affected by the tragedy.

Patna, Sep 23: JDU national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan has said that the Bihar government has taken action against social media sites on which Jamui’s molestation victim’s video was circulated.

He added that action is being taken against 120 social media accounts that revealed the victim’s identity.

Ranjan was speaking to media in relation to the recent statement by Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Jamui’s molestation case, where the latter said that “a criminal has no caste.”

Ranjan explained that if one examines the Chief Minister’s claim through data, it is clear that arrests in criminal cases have nothing to do with caste or religion. “If you have committed a crime, the police will not spare you,” he said.

He added that through the Jamui incident, Bihar has sent a strong message that such actions will not be spared.

“Action is also being taken against the social media sites on which the video was circulated. Action has been taken against 120 social media accounts,” he said.

Ranjan further stated that those who made the video, those who circulated it, those who displayed it on their platforms, and those who misbehaved with the minor girl are all being investigated thoroughly.

“Five of the accused have been arrested; the other two will be arrested soon. The state police have shown that criminals are going to face very tough times,” he concluded.

BJP chief spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo also reacted to the matter, saying: “How could one judge a criminal by their caste? I have never heard that criminals, rapists have a certain caste.” Commending the Bihar Police, he said the authorities took immediate and strict action against the culprits, made arrests, and two personnel were injured in the encounter. All of the accused were arrested, including minors.

Expressing that what happened to the girl was shameful and heartbreaking, Shahdeo said the National Commission for Women also took cognisance. A team from the commission is reaching the incident site. The Chief Minister has also announced that all the accused will be punished through a fast-track court. He criticised RJD, saying the party was looking for caste in this matter and had brought shame to the state.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Abhishek Dutt said that encounters were done after the molestation had already happened. “Encounters are done after the murder happens. Encounters are done after the crimes are committed. Who saves these criminals before the crimes are committed?” he asked.

He added that when the media pressures and everything comes out in public, the accused are easily found, evidence is found, and the encounter is done.

“What happens in the remaining 365 days?” he asked.

Continuing, Dutt said that if crime is given importance throughout the year, if there is no communal divide, and if strong actions are taken against all criminals, then there will be change.

“If vigilance is maintained before the crime happens, then no one will dare to commit such a heinous crime,” he said.

New Delhi, Sep 23: Congress leader Abhishek Dutt on Wednesday reacted to Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) shifting classes online following the alleged gang rape of a minor in Delhi’s Aastha Kunj Park, saying the move sends a ‘big message’ about women’s safety in the national capital.

“When LSR College shifts classes online over women’s safety, it sends a clear message that women are not safe in Delhi,” Dutt said.

The remarks came as Lady Shri Ram College for Women cancelled regular classes on Tuesday and shifted them to online mode for Wednesday following the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl at a park nearby, with the college administration stating that the safety of its students remained its top priority.

Speaking to media, Dutt said, “There is a big message for the country. LSR College is one of the top colleges in the world and its alumni are spread across the country. When LSR College shifts classes online over women’s safety, it sends a clear message that women are not safe in Delhi.”

“Sadly, the people who raped the minor girl posed as police officers. The way several private individuals were seen carrying police batons at Jantar Mantar shows that the fear of the law has disappeared from the minds of criminals. Most Delhi Police officers are deployed for the security of VIPs, while the safety of ordinary people is being neglected,” he added.

Dutt also reacted to Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu’s direction to create a dedicated ‘Pink Force’ for women’s safety, questioning the existing deployment of women personnel and policing infrastructure in Delhi.

“The LG makes political statements. First, the LG should tell us how many women personnel are there in the Delhi Police. How many metro stations are there in Delhi, and do they have adequate policing? There is a shortage of around 12,000 security personnel in the Delhi Police. At least 50 police personnel remain deployed at the LG’s residence. Merely making statements will not achieve anything,” he said.

“The LG should immediately review the security provided to all MPs, MLAs, former MLAs and BJP leaders in Delhi, where anywhere between two and 50 police personnel have been deployed with them. If the Delhi Home Minister, the Union Home Minister, the Delhi Chief Minister, MLAs and MPs are not safe, then expecting the safety of ordinary people is a distant prospect,” Dutt added.

On Tuesday, Sandhu directed the police to draw up a dedicated force on the lines of the Goa Police’s Pink Force, with women personnel deployed at identified hotspots, particularly during vulnerable hours.

The move came amid four separate cases of alleged rape or sexual assault involving minors reported across Delhi in about 10 days.