Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the road accident near Shitla Mata Temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior, and announced financial aid to the families of the deceased and injured.

Twelve people were killed, while over 25 were injured after a truck rammed into shops near Shitla Mata Temple early on Sunday.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said, “Distressed to learn about the loss of lives due to a mishap in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. My condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured.”

“An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000,” the PMO added.

The incident occurred at around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday when the truck lost control while descending a slope near the historic Shitla Mata Temple, located 18 kilometres from the district headquarters.

“Approximately 50 people were struck by the vehicle, resulting in at least 12 deaths. More than 25 others, including two police personnel and several children, have sustained injuries,” an official said.

According to eyewitnesses, the truck was loaded with sacks of paddy and lost control while descending a hill and crashed into shops near the temple.

Upon receiving news of the accident, police teams arrived at the scene and transported the injured to the hospital. About five individuals remain in critical condition. The bodies of the deceased have been taken to the Jaya Arogya Hospital in Gwalior.

The tragedy occurred during the auspicious festival of Navratri, when hundreds of thousands of devotees visit the historic Shitla Mata Temple. Typically, the route passing by the temple is closed to large vehicles during this period; hence, an investigation is underway to determine who allowed the truck to enter.

Officials have stated that they are probing who authorised the truck’s entry and whose negligence led to this incident.

An investigation is underway, and further details are awaited.

Four accused have been named in a supplementary chargesheet filed before a National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court in Haryana’s Panchkula in connection with a grenade attack carried out near a Women Police Station in Sirsa in 2025, officials said.

The NIA filed a supplementary chargesheet before the NIA Special Court on Saturday against four accused, namely Rajbir Singh alias Fouji, Ved Parkash alias Pamma, Jiwanjot Singh Grewal alias Jyoti and Chirag Thakral, in connection with the grenade attack near a Women Police Station in Sirsa on November 25, 2025 (RC-24/2025/NIA/DLI), according to the officials.

The case, originally registered as FIR No. 710/2025 dated November 26, 2025, at Police Station Civil Line in Sirsa, was re-registered by NIA on December 30, 2025, as RC-24/2025/NIA/DLI.

Earlier on May 24 this year, the investigating agency had filed a chargesheet in the case before the NIA Special Court in Panchkula, against nine accused, including Pakistani nationals Shahzad Bhatti and Sohail Ahmad alias Sohail Baloch, officials said.

“The supplementary chargesheet details the conspiracy and the individual roles of the 4 accused, along with the supporting evidence collected during further investigation. It charges them under sections 61(2) r/w 109 and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, sections 5 and 6 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908, and sections 18, 18B and 20 of the UA (P) Act, 1967,” the NIA said in a statement.

The investigators revealed that Rajbir Singh alias Fouji acted as the India-based coordinator of the cross-border network, working in coordination with foreign-based handlers for the collection and movement of weapons/hand grenades and narcotics in India.

Additionally, Chirag Thakral, Jiwanjot Singh Grewal alias Jyoti and Ved Parkash alias Pamma used to work under the directions of Rajbir Singh and played a key role in facilitating the movement of explosives used in the grenade attack at the Women Police Station in Sirsa, officials said.

“The attack was carried out by members of the Shahzad Bhatti network, acting pursuant to an organised conspiracy, with the intention of causing harm to police personnel and of creating terror and fear among the general public. NIA’s investigation has traced the conspiracy in the case to foreign-based handlers operating a cross-border terror network,” the NIA said.

It mentioned that further investigation in the case is continuing to identify and apprehend the other persons involved in the conspiracy and to unearth the complete cross-border terror network behind the attack.

Lucknow, Oct 17: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday took a jibe at the previous Samajwadi Party (SP) government in the state, saying that the SP and education are like the “two banks of a river who can never meet”.

The Chief Minister was addressing the Teachers’ and Graduates’ Conference in Lucknow.

Attacking the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party, CM Adityanath said: “The ‘Saifai Syndicate’ used to undermine the recruitment process and create an identity crisis (for the youth). People from Uttar Pradesh were even refused rooms in hotels for being associated with the state.”

“During the ongoing Sharadiya Navratri, various events are taking place. Durga Pujas are being organised, Ramlilas are being performed, and there is an atmosphere of celebration today, but before 2017 there used to be chaos and unrest,” he alleged.

Alleging that curfew and riots had become a part of the state, CM Adityanath said mothers used to be concerned about their daughters’ safety till they returned home from school.

“Today, there is celebration, not unrest. Daughters are safe; and should anyone dare to compromise their safety, the police have the perfect ‘remedy’ waiting at the very next street corner,” he remarked.

“An atmosphere of security has paved the way for investment, which consequently led to employment opportunities. We have provided government jobs to 9.5 lakh youths, while another 65 lakh youths have secured employment through investments in the private sector,” he added.

The Uttar Pradesh CM asserted that no one can raise a question about a single recruitment that has taken place in the past nine-and-a-half years, under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led double-engine government.

“There is complete transparency, fairness and honesty. A spirit of honouring the talent of Uttar Pradesh’s youth is evident,” he said.

CM Adityanath remarked: “The Samajwadi Party and education are like the two banks of a river—they can never meet!”

Likening the SP to that of a crocodile, the Chief Minister said: “If they (SP) claim they want to do something for education, it is akin to a crocodile coming to the riverbank and saying, ‘Climb onto my back; I will carry you safely to the other side’. That is precisely the situation with the ‘Samajwadis’—they are enemies of education who cannot be trusted.”

“They (SP) are the ones who created an identity crisis for the youth and have wreaked havoc on the education system,” he said while emphasising that crisis in the education sector means crisis for the society and the country.

“SP’s goons used to take over the educational institutions. The (SP government) did nothing for the benefit of teachers, since education and youth were never on their agenda. In contrast, we have provided free cashless medical treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh per family every year to teachers and education staff (in Uttar Pradesh),” CM Adityanath added.

The Chief Minister also asserted: “Today, Uttar Pradesh is not in need of identity, instead those who created an identity crisis for the state are the very ones now struggling for an identity of their own.”