New Delhi, Nov 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed deep sadness over the loss of lives in the Saudi Arabia bus accident involving several Indian Umrah pilgrims and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured.

A passenger bus carrying several Indian Umrah pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker early Monday morning near Medina, the Indian mission in Jeddah confirmed.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Deeply saddened by the accident in Medinah involving Indian nationals. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured.”

“Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance. Our officials are also in close contact with Saudi Arabian authorities,” he added.

In the wake of the accident, the Consulate General of India in Jeddah has set up a 24/7 control room and released helpline numbers for those seeking assistance.

Preliminary unconfirmed media reports indicate that most of the pilgrims are from Hyderabad. Given the intensity of the explosion caused by the collision, casualties are feared.

According to unconfirmed media reports, the bus was travelling from Mecca to Medina, with pilgrims heading to the holy city after completing their rituals in Mecca. All passengers were reportedly asleep when the crash occurred.

Rescue operations are underway, and local residents have rushed to the scene to assist those severely injured. The exact number of casualties has not yet been officially confirmed.

Further updates are awaited.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy also condoled the loss of lives in the horrific accident involving a bus carrying Indian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

The state government has also set up a control room in Hyderabad to provide information and assistance to the families of the accident victims.

Chandigarh, Nov 17: The Haryana Police, under their recently launched ‘Operation Trackdown, have, in 11 days, arrested more than 3,000 criminals, said officials, adding that this has reinforced the state government’s firm commitment to ensure safety and dismantle organised crime syndicates.

According to a statement released by Haryana Police, the intensive operation, launched on November 5, has now completed its 11th day, further tightening the grip of law enforcement across the state and instilling fear among criminal elements. On the 11th day alone, police arrested 96 notorious offenders involved in various crimes. With this action, the total number of arrests made under Operation Trackdown has reached 3,172.

These arrests include 610 individuals involved in serious and heinous crimes, while the number of criminals arrested in other cases has risen to 2,562. Providing further details, IG Rakesh Arya stated that on November 15, police made eight arrests in seven murder cases and one attempt-to-murder case. Additionally, 29 arrests were made in 23 cases, and 27 criminals were apprehended in 22 cases registered under the Arms Act for illegal weapons possession. In total, 67 offenders were sent to jail in connection with 54 serious cases.

To intensify the crackdown, history sheets were opened for 19 accused individuals on November 15, bringing the total number of criminals with newly opened history sheets to 150. This growing figure underscores the Haryana Police’s dedication to eliminating crime and reflects the operation’s highly effective results in advancing the goal of making Haryana a crime-free state.

In a significant development under the ongoing campaign, Karnal Police arrested four notorious criminals involved in cases of snatching and firing. Acting on the instructions of the Haryana Director General of Police, Karnal Police recorded two major achievements as part of Operation Trackdown, a special initiative aimed at curbing organised crime across the state. By demonstrating promptness, vigilance, and proactive strategy, the district police strengthened law and order through the arrest of four wanted criminals implicated in serious offences.

The first major action pertained to a robbery and snatching incident. On November 13, the accused and his accomplices robbed the complainant, Kamaljeet, who was walking along the canal bank toward the village of Kalri Nanhera. A case (number 650) was registered at Indri Police Station. Acting swiftly, a team led by Sub-Inspector Sumit Kumar, under the supervision of Inspector Vipin Kumar, Station House Officer of Indri, apprehended the accused, Yogesh, son of Dan Singh, a resident of Nauratha, Indri, Karnal.

It was reported that Yogesh is a hardened and highly skilled criminal. Besides the robbery case, he faces eight additional cases registered at Indri Police Station under various serious sections, including theft and offences related to the Arms Act. After extensive interrogation, Yogesh was produced before the court and subsequently remanded to judicial custody in the district jail.

Karnal Police also achieved another breakthrough in the CNG petrol pump firing case. Under the guidance of the Superintendent of Police, Karnal, and through continuous surveillance under Operation Trackdown, a team from Gharaunda Police Station, acting on credible information, arrested three wanted accused. These individuals had created panic by firing indiscriminately following a minor altercation with a CNG pump employee in Gharaunda on the night of October 13, before fleeing the scene.

The arrested individuals were identified as Jitendra, son of Satpal (Panipat); Sachin alias Ricky, son of Harish Bhardwaj (Shivah, Panipat); and Deepak, son of Karamveer (Jatal, Panipat). A case was registered against them under Section 109(1) of the IPC and relevant provisions of the Arms Act in case number 624 at Gharaunda Police Station. All three were taken on production warrants for detailed interrogation.

The main accused, Jitendra, already has four serious cases registered against him, including attempt to murder, rioting, and fraud. After interrogation, all three accused were produced before the court once again and sent to the district jail.

Mumbai: A 27-year-old French tourist was allegedly molested in Khar on November 8, prompting swift action from the Khar police, who arrested the accused within 24 hours.

The complainant, who was staying in Bandra West, was walking along a road in Khar West around 9 pm when an unknown man on a two-wheeler stopped near her and molested her. She filed a complaint on Saturday, after which the police registered a case under Section 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Given that the victim is a foreign national, the police formed special teams to trace the accused. After examining CCTV footage, conducting technical analysis, and acting on information from an undercover informant, the police arrested Sunil Vaghela, 25, a resident of Dharavi. The two-wheeler used in the crime has also been seized.