Bhavnagar, Oct 6: Seven people travelling to work at the Alang shipbreaking yard were killed after their SUV crashed into a stationary trailer on a service road along the Bhavnagar-Somnath national highway in Gujarat Bhavnagar district on Tuesday.

The accident took place around 10 a.m. near Trapaj village in Talaja taluka, under the jurisdiction of Alang police station.

According to police, the SUV was travelling from Bhavnagar towards Alang when it rammed into the rear of the trailer, which was parked on the service road.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Nitesh Pandey said six people died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries during treatment.

“The trailer was parked on the highway’s service road near Trapaj village when the Bolero, travelling behind it, rammed into its rear. Six people died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries during treatment,” he told media.

The collision left the Bolero completely mangled, with its front portion badly damaged after becoming lodged against the trailer. The force of the impact also pushed the stationary trailer forward.

Rescue efforts were complicated by the extent of damage to the SUV. Police and local rescuers had to force open its doors using iron bars to remove the occupants.

Local reports also said CCTV footage from the area captured the collision. All the occupants were travelling to Alang, where they worked at shipbreaking yards.

Local reports identified the deceased as employees associated with Alang shipbreaking operations, although police had not immediately released a full official list of identities.

Police and emergency ambulance services reached the spot after receiving information about the crash. The bodies were taken to a government hospital for postmortem examinations.

The accident briefly affected traffic movement in the area as police and rescue personnel worked at the site and removed the damaged vehicles.

Police have begun an investigation to establish the circumstances leading to the collision, including how the SUV crashed into the parked trailer.

New Delhi, Oct 6: The Anti-Narcotics Squad of Delhi Police’s South District has seized 265 kg of illegal and banned firecrackers and arrested a 39-year-old man for storing and selling them during the festive season.

Acting on specific information regarding the illegal sale and storage of firecrackers, the police team conducted a raid in Madangir on October 5 and recovered a substantial quantity of firecrackers from the premises.

The accused was identified as Vipin Garg, a resident of Neb Sarai, Delhi. He was apprehended from the spot and arrested in connection with the case.

According to the police, the Anti-Narcotics Squad had been maintaining close surveillance over the illegal sale, storage and use of banned firecrackers in the national capital and had been taking strict action against violators.

Following the receipt of the information, the police team verified the input and conducted a raid at the identified premises. During the operation, Garg was found in possession of a large quantity of firecrackers intended for discreet sale during the festive season.

A total of 265 kg of illegal firecrackers was recovered and taken into police possession. A case under relevant sections was registered at Ambedkar Nagar Police Station, following which the accused was arrested.

The operation was conducted by a dedicated police team and was led by Inspector Anuj Chaudhary, under the close supervision of ACP/Operations Balram Beniwal.

The police said further investigation is underway.

The recovery of the banned firecrackers is expected to prevent their illegal sale and potential use during the festive season. Delhi Police said the action reaffirms its commitment to public safety and strict enforcement against the illegal storage and sale of banned firecrackers.

New Delhi, Oct 6: The Patiala House Court has granted regular bail to self-styled influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj, who was arrested in connection with the alleged assault of the father of a minor activist during a protest at Jantar Mantar.

The court had earlier, on September 15, granted Bhardwaj three weeks’ interim bail with conditions while considering his regular bail plea.

Bhardwaj is accused of assaulting Sanjay Kumar, father of a minor protester, during a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in July.

The Delhi Police had earlier said that the injuries sustained by the complainant were “simple” in nature and were allegedly caused by a steel bracelet.

The FIR invokes relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and provisions relating to criminal intimidation.

During the hearing of Bhardwaj’s bail plea in September, the Patiala House Court had questioned the Delhi Police on whether he had used caste-indicative words during the alleged incident. The prosecution had submitted that the initial complaint did not mention the use of any such language and that the allegation was made subsequently when the complainant’s statement was recorded again, following which provisions of the SC/ST Act were added to the FIR.

Bhardwaj was detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district on September 4, hours after representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) met senior Delhi Police officials and demanded his arrest.

The Delhi High Court had earlier dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by Bhardwaj challenging his arrest in the alleged assault case.

A Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja had rejected the plea after the Delhi Police submitted that it was not maintainable as Bhardwaj had already been sent to judicial custody.

The case had sparked controversy following a purported viral video in which Bhardwaj claimed that he had physically assaulted the father of the minor activist during the Jantar Mantar demonstration and allegedly said that he was let off because of his “political connections”.

Bhardwaj later told the media that he had allegedly acted in self-defence. A separate FIR was also registered against Bhardwaj under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on the complaint of the minor activist, who alleged online rape threats and harassment.