Kochi/Kalpetta, July 10: With the death toll in the Wayanad tunnel road landslide climbing to seven after one more body was recovered on Friday, the Kerala High Court directed the state government to immediately disburse ex gratia compensation to the victims’ families, provide free treatment to the injured and ensure that the bodies of those killed are handed over to their relatives without delay.

One person remains missing, with rescue teams continuing an intensive search at the accident site near Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi, where work on the Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel road project, connecting Wayanad and Kozhikode districts, was underway when the massive mudslide struck on July 7.

Hearing the matter on Friday, a Division Bench comprising Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice A.K.Preeta made it clear that relief measures should take precedence over questions of liability.

On being informed that the bodies of the deceased were being embalmed after post-mortem examinations for transportation to their native places, the Bench orally observed that there should be no delay in handing over the bodies to their families so that the last rites could be performed without unnecessary hardship.

The court also directed that all expenses relating to the treatment and hospitalisation of the injured, including the needs of bystanders attending them, should be borne by the state government for the present.

“Ensure that treatment happens without insisting on any payment till discharge from hospital,” the Bench said, adding that the expenditure could initially be treated as a charge on the project, while the issue of recovering the amount from those ultimately found responsible would be decided later.

The Bench further directed that ex gratia compensation announced by the government for the families of those killed and injured should be disbursed immediately, and sought a fresh status report from the state by next week.

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) informed the court that rescue operations were continuing with excavators and other heavy machinery, although unstable terrain and slushy conditions had necessitated extensive manual search operations in the final stages.

The court was also told that construction activity at the project site had been ordered to stop in May.

The High Court said it would continue to monitor the matter on a weekly basis, with particular emphasis on the prompt payment of compensation and rehabilitation measures.

The directions came as part of the court’s continuing suo motu proceedings initiated after the devastating 2024 Wayanad landslides.

The Bench has now expanded its scrutiny to include the latest tunnel project tragedy, signalling close judicial oversight of both the rescue efforts and the circumstances that led to the disaster.

Even as rescue operations entered another day, the tragedy continued to generate political and administrative scrutiny, with the state government having already announced a high-level expert probe into all aspects of the project and the Kerala High Court now closely monitoring every stage of relief, rehabilitation and the investigation into the disaster.

Guwahati, July 10: Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Friday commended a police team in the Sribhumi district for seizing 30,000 Yaba tablets valued at around Rs 3 crore and arresting three persons in connection with the narcotics haul, reiterating the state government’s commitment to its anti-drug campaign.

Taking to X, the Chief Minister praised the police action with a sharp message underscoring the government’s crackdown on drug trafficking.

“Every shipment has a destination, this one was the police station. Kudos to @sribhumipolice for seizing 30,000 Yaba tablets worth approx ₹3 cr and apprehending three accused,” Sarma posted.

The Chief Minister also used the hashtag #AssamAgainstDrugs, a campaign that has become synonymous with the state’s sustained drive against narcotics.

According to officials, the consignment of Yaba tablets was intercepted during a police operation in Sribhumi district.

Three persons allegedly involved in the smuggling racket were taken into custody, while the contraband, estimated to be worth nearly Rs 3 crore in the illicit market, was seized.

Police have launched further investigations to ascertain the source of the consignment and identify the broader network involved in trafficking the synthetic drug.

The Barak valley region in Southern Assam has often been used as a territory for the movement of narcotics items as the locality is surrounded by interstate borders with Manipur and Mizoram.

It has been considered that a large cache of drugs are transported from the neighbouring states using the Barak valley as a corridor.

Yaba, commonly referred to as the “crazy drug”, is a combination of methamphetamine and caffeine and is widely trafficked across international borders.

Assam, owing to its strategic location in the Northeast, has witnessed repeated attempts by drug smugglers to use the state as a transit route for narcotics.

The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government has intensified its war against drugs since assuming office in 2021, with law enforcement agencies conducting regular raids, destroying seized narcotics and dismantling inter-state and cross-border trafficking networks.

Senior police officials have maintained that anti-narcotics operations will continue across vulnerable districts to curb the menace of drug trafficking and prevent the circulation of psychotropic substances in the state.

The latest seizure adds to a series of major narcotics busts reported from Assam in recent months as security agencies continue to tighten surveillance along key trafficking corridors.

New Delhi, July 9: Delhi Police busted an illegal gambling den operating from a two-storeyed jhuggi in Vikaspuri on Thursday, apprehending four alleged gamblers. The Police team also recovered Rs 74,070 in suspected stake money along with gambling-related material during the raid.

According to the police, the operation was carried out on July 7 after the Special Staff received specific and credible information about an illegal gambling racket being run from Indra Camp No. 4 in Vikaspuri.

Based on the tip-off, a raiding team was formed under the leadership of Inspector Rajesh Maurya and the ACP (Operations), under the overall supervision of senior officers.

The team immediately reached the identified location and conducted a raid. During the operation, four persons were allegedly found actively engaged in gambling, while 16 other individuals were also present at the premises.

Police recovered Rs 74,070, suspected to be gambling stake money, along with satta parchis, a chakri and number charts allegedly used for conducting illegal gambling activities.

During the investigation, police identified Shahid as the alleged kingpin behind the gambling racket. According to officials, Shahid has previously been involved in five gambling-related cases. His associate, Akram, was allegedly responsible for collecting the stake money from gamblers.

Both Shahid and Akram were absent during the raid. Police said efforts are underway to trace and apprehend the duo and ascertain their complete role in the illegal gambling operation.

The four apprehended accused have been identified as Shekhar (24), a resident of Vikaspuri, who is allegedly involved in three previous criminal cases; Sachin (22), a resident of JJ Colony, who has two previous criminal cases against him; Md. Nadeem (31), a resident of Shiv Vihar, who is allegedly involved in one previous criminal case; and Sahil (19), a resident of Uttam Nagar, who also has one previous criminal case.

Police said the recovered items, including the cash, satta parchis, chakri and number charts, have been seized as evidence.

Further investigation is underway to identify other persons associated with the racket and to establish the full extent of the illegal gambling network operating in the area.