Patna, Oct 14: In a major tragedy, at least 13 children drowned after a boat carrying passengers capsized in the Ganga River near Rampur Shyamchand village under the Raghopur police station area of Bihar’s Vaishali district on Tuesday evening. The search is on for missing passengers.

Even more heartbreaking is the fact that seven of the deceased children belonged to the same family, turning the incident into a huge tragedy for the family and the village.

According to preliminary reports, around 20 to 30 people were travelling by boat to attend a feast in a neighbouring village.

The boat reportedly lost equilibrium after reaching the main current of the Ganga and overturned, throwing passengers into the water.

The accident triggered panic in the area, as cries for help were heard from the river.

Local residents rushed to the spot and began rescue efforts before the district administration, police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams joined the operation. Local divers also assisted in the search.

Seven of the deceased children were reportedly from the family of Rampravesh Rai, alias Raja, a resident of Rampur Shyamchand village.

The deaths have left the affected families and the wider village in deep mourning.

The group was travelling to a neighbouring village, crossing the river and a nearby low-lying waterlogged area locally known as a dhab.

Several children were aboard the boat, while the total number of passengers was estimated at between 20 and 30.

Authorities have been working to establish the exact number of people on board and determine whether anyone remains missing.

Angry residents protested against the district administration following the tragedy.

Villagers alleged that the boat was old and in poor condition and claimed that requests for its replacement had been submitted earlier, but no action was taken by the authorities.

There are also suspicions that the boat may have been carrying more passengers than its holding capacity.

However, the exact cause of the accident and the boat’s condition remain subject to investigation.

Union Minister Chirag Paswan expressed grief over the deaths, describing the incident in Raghopur Diyara, which falls within his parliamentary constituency, as deeply distressing.

Paswan said he had spoken to the District Magistrate to seek details about the rescue operation and discuss assistance for the affected families through the Bihar and central governments.

Paswan also announced that he would visit the accident site to meet the bereaved families and enquire about the condition of the injured.

He added that injured passengers had been sent to NMCH for further treatment.

The Bihar Congress also expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of the children and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families.

The party prayed for peace for the souls of the departed children and strength for their families to cope with the loss.

Further details regarding the final casualty count, the number of missing passengers and the circumstances leading to the capsizing are awaited.

New Delhi, Oct 14: A wide cross-section of the Harvard community on Wednesday expressed concern over the ‘negative public discourse’ and ‘concerted campaign’ against India’s constitutional institutions, in light of the ongoing Delhi protests against the Election Commission and ‘vote chori’, and also dubbed the assertions by the university’s alumni as “alarming and troubling”.

The Harvard Community, including lawyers, policymakers, civil servants, scientists and academicians, has voiced strong opposition to alleged attempts at using Harvard University’s name to lend credibility to a political campaign without appropriate authorisation.

“In moments such as these, silence cannot be an excuse for indifference,” said many Indian citizens associated with Harvard and other famed Universities, who are signatories to this statement.

This comes a day after about 100 Harvard University alumni comprising students, faculty and staff members condemned the crackdown on the CJP-led protests in the national capital on October 10, while alleging police brutality and violation of constitutional rights.

The signatories to the Harvard community statement expressed deep concern over attempts to malign institutions, such as the Election Commission of India, the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice of India, and Parliament.

They also took strong exception to the language used to describe India as being under “siege” and to characterise constitutional authorities as “thieves” or “compromised”.

“This raises serious concerns about the intent to undermine public trust in democratic institutions,” the statement said.

It further said that the law enforcement agencies are expected to undergo fair scrutiny, but sweeping accusations and abusive rhetoric cannot be a substitute for evidence.

It also calls for respecting the Constitution, the rule of law, and civil liberties at all times, not just when it suits one’s interests.

“Our commitment must remain to the Constitution, not convenience; to justice, not selective outrage; and to democratic institutions, not the politics of accusation,” it said.

Notably, a day ago, the Harvard Club of India came out with a clarification that it did not endorse or issue any statement from the University regarding the ongoing protests in Delhi.

The club distanced itself from the reported Harvard alumni letter and said the statement did not represent the organisation’s official position, hinting that it was rather their personal opinion.

New Delhi, Oct 14: In connection with the Jantar Mantar trespassing case, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have been sent to five-day judicial custody on Wednesday, while Ajinkya Shinde was released on personal bond, CJP’s legal affairs head Ratna Singh announced.

The three CJP members were put on preventive arrest for trespassing at Jantar Mantar, which has been de-notified as the designated protest site. They were booked for “trespass, bond violation, obstruction of public official’s duty, etc”.

Das, Ranka and Shinde were produced before a magistrate at Mandir Marg in New Delhi on Wednesday morning.

“Saurav and Ashutosh sent to 5 days judicial custody. Ajinkya released on personal bond. Same grounds of arrest. Got to know that SEM has track record of punishing protesters,” Ratna Singh said in a post on X.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, along with Das and Ranka, in a case related to the October 10 protest, were released after furnishing a bond of Rs 50,000 and on the condition that they will not be involved in any breach-of-peace cases for a year.

This time, Das and Ranka are booked for trespassing and violation of the bond conditions. They are being treated as repeat offenders.

The three CJP leaders were detained on Tuesday morning for crossing police barricades and entering Jantar Mantar, which has been de-notified as the designated protest site.

They were heading to protest against the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of electoral rolls. They were seen raising slogans against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, while trying to breach the police barricades.

Following this, all three were detained.

On October 12, Jantar Mantar was de-notified as the “designated” protesting site, Delhi Police said. New guidelines for protests were issued under Delhi Police Standing Order No. L&O/48/2026.

According to the Delhi Police, the decision was taken based on the recommendations of a Home Ministry committee.

Three new locations in Delhi — Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and East Delhi’s CBD Ground — have been designated for protests.