Rajkot, Oct 16: Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rajkot, have removed a sharp metal pin lodged in the small intestine of a 12-year-old girl through endoscopy, avoiding the need for major surgery.

The girl, who had been experiencing persistent abdominal pain after accidentally swallowing the object, was discharged the day after the procedure.

A resident of Junagadh district, the girl had swallowed the pin accidentally a few days before being brought to AIIMS Rajkot.

Her family initially took her to Junagadh Civil Hospital and a private hospital, where an X-ray revealed a metallic object in the upper abdomen. They subsequently approached AIIMS Rajkot for further treatment.

The girl was examined at the General Surgery outpatient department, where doctors conducted further investigations in view of her continuing abdominal pain.

An X-ray showed that the sharp metal pin was lodged in the duodenum, with the first part of the small intestine beyond the stomach, at the junction of its second and third portions.

Doctors decided to remove the object through endoscopy to prevent prolonged retention from causing injury or other complications.

The procedure was performed by a senior team of doctors, and the anaesthesia team supported the procedure and administered anaesthesia.

During endoscopy, the medical team located and safely removed the sharp metal pin from the duodenum. The procedure was completed without an abdominal incision or major surgery, and the girl’s condition remained stable.

Following the procedure, doctors monitored her condition and reported no complications. She was started on a liquid diet six hours later, after which her diet was gradually returned to normal.

As her recovery progressed satisfactorily, she was discharged the following day. The doctors also advised parents to remain alert to the possibility of children accidentally swallowing small objects, including pins, coins and toy parts, while playing.

They cautioned against treating such incidents as harmless, even when a child does not immediately show symptoms.

Parents should not attempt to induce vomiting or remove a swallowed object themselves, but should seek medical attention promptly so that doctors can determine its location and provide appropriate treatment.

AIIMS Rajkot has endoscopy facilities to manage such cases, with treatment determined by the patient’s condition and the assessment of specialist doctors.

Varanasi, Oct 15: A massive explosion triggered the collapse of a two-storey building in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi on Thursday, leaving two people injured and a woman trapped under the debris, officials said.

The incident took place in the Paigambarpur area under the Sarnath police station area of Varanasi.

According to preliminary information, an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit was operating inside the house. The explosion is suspected to have occurred due to highly inflammable materials on the premises.

Two people were injured in the incident and have been taken to hospital for treatment, while efforts are underway to rescue a woman trapped under the rubble.

Speaking to media, DCP Rajesh Pandey said: “Information was received at 5 p.m. that a two-storey building had collapsed. Upon reaching the spot, we found firecrackers scattered around the place, so it is being considered that the incident took place due to the explosion of firecrackers.”

He said that according to locals, a woman is trapped under the debris and a rescue operation is currently underway to pull her out.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to reach the site immediately and expedite relief operations, NDTV reported.

Further, CM Adityanath has instructed officials to ensure proper medical treatment for those injured. The officials have also been directed to contact the families of the injured and provide them with all possible assistance.

In August, eleven people were killed, and five others suffered serious injuries after an explosion ripped through an illegal firecracker manufacturing and storage facility in Chilla Shahbazi village, under the Pipri police station area in UP’s Kaushambi.

The UP government had then announced a reward of Rs 25,000 each for three absconding suspects wanted in connection with the blast.

Superintendent of Police Satyanarayan Prajapat announced a reward of Rs 25,000 each for information leading to the arrest of three absconding accused – Shakeel, Kahaksha Bano, and Adil, said an official statement.

Earlier, as part of action against the accused in the firecracker factory explosion, the police arrested the main accused, Naushad, following an encounter on the Terah Mile-Syed Sarawan road in the Charwa police station area, an official said.

New Delhi, Oct 15: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to take the issue of circulation of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM) on social media platforms seriously, while indicating that it would suggest measures to address the problem.

A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran made the observations while hearing a plea seeking criminal action against social media intermediaries for allegedly failing to report child sexual abuse material to the authorities, as required under the law.

The Justice Pardiwala-led Bench asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, whether the government had filed its response in the matter.

SG Mehta informed the top court that the Centre had filed its reply along with suggestions on tackling the problem. Counsel appearing for the petitioner also referred to concerns relating to the dark web, prompting the Solicitor General to assure the Supreme Court that the Centre was taking the matter seriously.

Stressing the gravity of the issue, the bench said it was a “very, very serious matter” and asked the Centre to deal with it seriously and study the top court’s forthcoming order.

As per the case status reflected on the official website of the apex court, the matter has been tentatively listed for further hearing on December 10.

The proceedings stem from an application filed by Just Rights for Children Alliance (JRCA) seeking effective implementation of the Supreme Court’s September 23, 2024, judgment in Just Rights for Children Alliance v. S. Harish, which dealt with the obligations of social media intermediaries to report suspected offences involving child sexual abuse material.

In its previous hearing on September 24, the Supreme Court had granted the Centre the “last opportunity” to file its counter-affidavit and an action-taken report detailing the steps taken to implement the directions issued in the 2024 judgment and curb the circulation of CSEAM on social media platforms.

It had also directed the Centre to explain the measures taken to implement its 2024 judgment and the safeguards proposed to prevent future lapses by social media intermediaries. It had further asked the Centre to serve a draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for dealing with CSEAM cases before the next hearing.

Under its 2024 judgment, the Supreme Court clarified that compliance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, would not absolve social media intermediaries of their statutory obligations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. It held that intermediaries must report the commission or likely commission of offences under the POCSO Act not only to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), but also to the Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU) or local police, in accordance with the applicable statutory provisions.

The matter has also drawn the attention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Earlier in the day, NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo flagged the continued delay in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions, saying that the 2024 judgment remained to be implemented. In a post on X, Kanoongo questioned why social media companies were allegedly resisting mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse to the police and raised concerns over the circulation and monetisation of such material on online platforms.

The NHRC has separately taken cognisance of media reports alleging that paid advertisements on Instagram promoted child sexual abuse material and directed users to Telegram channels where such content was allegedly being offered for sale.