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Modi thanks Zelensky for extending help to evacuate Indians from Ukraine

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 In a phone call on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modithanked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for extending support in the evacuation of Indian nationals from the war-torn nation, government sources here said.

“During the 35 minute-long telephonic conversation, the two leaders discussed the evolving situation in Ukraine and Prime Minister Modi thanked President Zelensky for the help extended by the government of Ukraine in evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine,” the sources said.

This was Modi’s second interaction with the Ukrainian leader since Russia began its military assault on Kiev on February 24.

The first conversation took place on February 26.

The Prime Minister is also likely to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday during which he will to seek the latter’s support for a safe passage to evacuate Indian nationals, mostly students, currently stranded in the Ukrainian cities of Sumy, Odessa, Kharkiv and Mariupo, said the sources.

This will also be Modi and Putin’s second conversation since the onset of the war. They earlier spoke on the evening of March 3.

Meanwhile, India has continued sending relief material to the war-torn nation as part of humanitarian assistance via Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft which are deployed for the evacuations of stranded Indians.

disaster

Jaipur tanker blast: Vasundhara Raje meets kin of injured, follows medical protocol

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Jaipur, Dec 23: Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje visited SMS Hospital in Jaipur on Monday to check on the condition of those injured in the Jaipur LPG tanker blast.

In line with medical protocols and to avoid the risk of infection to the patients, she refrained from entering the ICU of the Burn Unit. Instead, she met the families of the injured in the office of Superintendent Sushil Bhati.

Lok Sabha member from Jaipur Manju Sharma accompanied her during the visit.

Raje expressed her empathy with the kin of the injured victims and offered all assistance.

After visiting the families, she said and also posted on X, “I wish to extend my condolences to the families who have lost their members. It was a horrible accident. The doctors are taking care of everyone…”

She said this was a humanitarian issue and not a political matter.

At least 12 people were burnt alive in a catastrophic chain of events that unfolded on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway early on December 20 when a truck crashed into an LPG Tanker taking a U-turn, triggering a fireball that engulfed close to 34 vehicles. Several people were injured with some battling for their lives with severe burn injuries.

“The Jaipur-bound tanker was coming from Ajmer and tried to take a U-turn from the highway to move towards the Agra Road,” said Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph. “While taking the turn, an Ajmer-bound truck coming from Jaipur suddenly appeared and hit it from behind. The collision caused a gas leak and it immediately caught fire. The rest of the mishap took only 10 to 15 minutes.” Over 30 people are in SMS hospital getting treatment for burn injuries. Out of these, many are on ventilators and have sustained over 60 per cent burn injuries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the accident. The Rajasthan government also announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for those injured.

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Crime

Telangana Minister condemns attack on Allu Arjun’s house

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Hyderabad, Dec 23: Telangana’s Minister for Roads and Buildings and Cinematography Komatireddy Venkata Reddy on Monday condemned the attack on the house of Tollywood actor Allu Arjun.

The minister took to ‘X’ to condemn the attack on Allu Arjun’s house in Hyderabad by a group of persons on Sunday over the Sandhya Theatre stampede issue.

“I strongly condemn the attack on the house of film actor Allu Arjun. There is no room for physical attacks in a democracy. No one should act in a way that disrupts peace and order. The matter related to the Sandhya Theatre incident is in court. The law will take its course,” the Minister posted.

Earlier, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy also condemned the attack on the actor’s house. He directed the Director General of Police and City Police Commissioner to take strict action to maintain law and order. He made it clear that no laxity would be tolerated in this regard.

The Chief Minister also asked senior officials to prevent police personnel who are not connected with the investigations into the Sandhya Theatre incident from speaking on the issue.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Vishnu Murthy, was suspended recently following allegations of corruption, Sunday addressed a press conference about the December 4 incident at Sandhya Theatre. He accused Allu Arjun of lacking a basic understanding of the law and also targeted the film industry for criticizing the police department.

Taking serious note of the suspended police official’s action, top officials initiated disciplinary action against him.

Akshansh Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Central Zone, said in a statement that Vishnu Murthy conducted the press meeting without obtaining prior permission from higher authorities or intimating any senior officer. “This action is a clear violation of disciplinary norms. We are forwarding a report against Sri Vishnu Murthy to the Director General of Police (DGP) for initiating disciplinary action. The DGP’s office will investigate this matter and take necessary action,” he said.

“We reiterate that such actions will not be tolerated, and necessary disciplinary measures will be taken against those who violate the conduct rules,” the DCP said.

Vishnu Murthy was previously working as the DSP Task Force at Nizamabad, and later attached to the DGP Office on allegations and subsequently suspended in October 2024.

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Maharashtra

Delhi HC to pronounce today verdict on anticipatory bail plea of ex-IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar

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New Delhi, Dec 23: The Delhi High Court is slated to deliver on Monday its judgment on anticipatory bail plea of sacked Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who allegedly submitted false OBC and PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) certificates and fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limits provided for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) by faking her identity.

As per the causelist published on the website of the Delhi HC, a bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh will pronounce its verdict on December 23.

Earlier on November 28, Justice Singh-led Bench reserved its decision after hearing both sides. It was then clarified that till the judgment is delivered, the interim relief granted earlier to Puja Khedkar shielding her from arrest will continue.

Asking Khedkar to cooperate with the investigation, the Delhi High Court, in an interim order passed on August 12, granted her protection from arrest.

Earlier, a court here had turned down her anticipatory bail plea and asked the investigating agency to find out if anyone from inside the UPSC had helped Khedkar.

Widening the scope of the probe, Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala had asked Delhi Police to investigate if other people recommended by the UPSC have availed quota benefits without entitlement.

The Centre, on September 7, sacked Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect, a month after the UPSC cancelled her selection in government service. Khedkar has been found guilty of faking and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits.

After cancelling her selection, the UPSC also barred her for life from taking the entrance exam after finding her guilty of faking her identity to take the exam multiple times.

In a status report submitted to the Delhi High Court, Delhi Police had contended that former Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Khedkar had submitted two separate disability certificates for her UPSC exam. The disability certificates dated 2018 and 2021 citing ‘multiple disabilities’ were purportedly issued by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital for her UPSC attempts made in 2022 and 2023.

However, as per Delhi Police’s status report, the hospital authorities had denied that the certificates claiming ‘multiple disabilities’ were issued to her by them. It was found that Khedkar availed relaxed criteria for OBC candidates and persons with disabilities.

It then came to light that her father, a former Maharashtra government officer, had property to the tune of Rs 40 crore and that she did not qualify for the non-creamy layer OBC quota.

The UPSC had said that its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) “could not detect her number of attempts primarily because she changed not only her name but also her parents’ names”.

The Delhi High Court also issued notice to Khedkar on an application filed by the UPSC alleging that she committed perjury by swearing a false affidavit and making a false statement in relation to her anticipatory bail plea.

In its application, the UPSC disputed that it did not collect any biometrics (eyes and fingerprints) during Khedkar’s personality test and she made a “false statement” regarding the collection of her biometrics for obtaining favourable orders.

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