New Delhi, Sep 18: In a bid to augment railway capacity and improving train operations, Indian Railways on Friday said it has approved the doubling of the Chouk-Karjat railway section (10.86 km) of Central Railway at a cost of Rs 497 crore.

Indian Railways also approved the construction of the 38.21 km new rail line between Mukutban (Adilabad) and Gadchandur in South Central Railway at a cost of Rs 493 crore.

The Central Railway project has been approved for doubling, tripling, quadrupling, flyover and bypass works aimed at augmenting the capacity of the railway network, according to an official statement.

The Chouk-Karjat section forms part of the Panvel-Chouk-Karjat route, which is an important corridor for both passenger and freight movement.

On completion of the project, the section is expected to facilitate five additional passenger trains in each direction per day.

The project is also expected to support additional freight traffic of 18.35 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA). It will also help reduce the detention of freight trains.

Meanwhile, Mukutban in Yavatmal district and Gadchandur in Chandrapur district are important industrial and mining centres, serving several cement plants, coal mines of Western Coalfields Ltd. and nearby limestone mines.

The new rail line will strengthen rail connectivity to these industrial clusters and facilitate more efficient movement of freight, said the statement.

The new rail line will provide a shorter and more efficient rail route, reducing travel distance, transportation time, and associated costs.

It will also provide an alternative route to decongest the existing Wardha-Manikgarh section, supporting smoother movement of freight traffic.

The project is expected to support 6.08 MTPA of freight traffic, along with two MEMU trains in each direction per day after commissioning.

The freight traffic is expected to include coal and coke, cement, sponge iron, metal scrap, iron & steel, fertilisers and foodgrains, among other commodities.

The new line will provide direct connectivity between the coal and cement cluster and the Majri-Nanded route, facilitating shorter leads for coal, cement and RMSP traffic towards Jalna, Parbhani, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and other destinations in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Noida, Sep 18: A massive fire broke out on the fourth floor of a garment company in Noida’s Sector 63 area on Friday, triggering panic in the locality.

Eight fire tenders were deployed to the spot, and firefighters brought the blaze under control after around one-and-a-half hours of sustained efforts. No casualties were reported in the incident.

According to officials, the fire broke out at a garment company located at F-463, within the jurisdiction of the Sector 63 police station. Flames and thick smoke were seen emanating from the fourth floor of the building, following which the Fire Department was alerted.

As soon as the information was received, fire service teams rushed to the location and launched a firefighting operation. Considering the intensity of the blaze and the presence of garment-related materials inside the premises, firefighters took immediate measures to prevent the flames from spreading to other parts of the building and nearby areas.

Firefighters sprayed water from different directions to contain the flames and prevent the situation from worsening.

After approximately one-and-a-half hours of firefighting efforts, the blaze was brought under complete control. Following the operation, fire service personnel conducted a thorough inspection of the premises to ensure that there were no remaining flames or pockets of smoke that could lead to a rekindling of the fire.

Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of Gautam Buddh Nagar, Pradeep Kumar, said that the fire department received information about a blaze on the fourth floor of a garment company located at F-463 in Sector 63.

“Immediately after receiving the information, the fire service team reached the spot. Eight fire tenders were used to extinguish the fire. After approximately one-and-a-half hours of firefighting, the blaze was brought under control,” he said.

The CFO confirmed that no casualties were reported in the incident.

According to the preliminary assessment, a short circuit is suspected to have triggered the fire. However, officials said the exact cause of the blaze and the extent of damage to the property and materials could be determined only after a detailed investigation.

A fire department team inspected the site after the blaze was extinguished and collected the necessary information as part of the ongoing assessment.

The incident caused concern among people in the surrounding area, although prompt action by the fire service personnel helped prevent the fire from spreading further. The authorities are continuing to assess the circumstances that led to the incident.

New Delhi, Sep 18: A 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and murdered by four persons, including three juveniles, in Delhi, with police saying the accused subsequently abandoned her body in an open area.

Parts of the victim’s decomposed body were later found to have been eaten by stray dogs.

According to police, the incident came to light on September 13 when the girl’s severely decomposed body was discovered near Jaipal Rana’s field along Kushak Road in the Swaroop Nagar area of north Delhi. The condition of the body was such that police could not initially determine the victim’s gender.

Police said the victim was acquainted with the accused and had been travelling with them in a tempo. During the journey, the group allegedly consumed alcohol before the girl was sexually assaulted. She was subsequently stabbed to death, after which her body was allegedly dumped in the open field.

Investigators said stray dogs had eaten parts of the body, while one of the victim’s hands was found detached from the rest of the body.

Police said the girl’s family had not lodged a missing person complaint. During questioning, her relatives reportedly told investigators that she would sometimes leave home and return after staying away for several days.

A case was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Since there were no apparent eyewitnesses and the identities of the suspects were initially unknown, police began examining CCTV footage from the area.

Investigators analysed footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras installed along the suspected crime scene and adjoining routes. During the exercise, police noticed a tempo moving in the vicinity around the relevant period. However, its registration number could not be identified clearly because of poor visibility and darkness.

The investigators subsequently tracked the vehicle’s movements through footage from several locations. A night-long operation was conducted during the intervening night of September 15 and 16, following which the suspected tempo was traced.

Police then identified and questioned its driver. The investigation eventually led to the apprehension of four persons allegedly connected with the incident, including three juveniles.

The adult accused has been identified as Shivam, alias Sudama, alias Chuchu, a resident of Khadda Colony, police said. The three juveniles apprehended in connection with the case are aged 16 and 17.

According to police, two knives allegedly used during the crime, clothes purportedly worn by the accused, and the tempo have been recovered.

Further investigation is underway to establish the sequence of events, ascertain the individual roles of those apprehended and verify the forensic and technical evidence, police said.