1. Two Missing as Very Heavy Rain Continues in Saurashtra
Two persons were reported missing after being swept away in flooded rivers as torrential rain lashed coastal Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Gir Somnath and Amreli districts over the weekend, taking the number of districts in Saurasthra region to nine which have received 100 percent or more rainfall this season.
According to control rooms in Gir Somnath and Jamnagar, one person each was missing in their districts. While Dinesh Parmar was reportedly swept away in Malan river near Gangda village of Una taluka of Gir Somnath district, Deep Kachhadiya (16) was swept away in a swollen river in Jasapar village of Kalavad taluka of Jamnagar district while they were having a swim. Kachhadiya’s two friends were rescued, said officials of the flood control room in Jamnagar.
The highest rainfall, 204 millimetres (mm) or eight inch, was recorded in Kalyanpur taluka of Devbhoomi Dwarka district late on Saturday night (7 September).
(Source: Indian Express)
2. Probe Ordered After 28-Year-Old Man Found Dead in Police Station
A probe has been ordered into the alleged suicide of a 28-year-old man who was picked up by the Vallabh Vidyasagar police on Friday night (6 September) on charges of house break-in and theft.
Dilipsinh Katara (28), a native of Jesadva in Dahod, was found hanging in the lobby of the Vallabh Vidyasagar police station early Saturday morning (7 September).
“We picked up Dilip Friday night for questioning. No FIR had been lodged against him. Around 6 am, we found his body hanging in the lobby near the bathroom. We assume he committed suicide. We have registered a case of accidental death in the matter and no suicide note was found from the spot,” said DD Shimpi, station in-charge, Vallabh Vidyasagar Police Station.
The family members of Katara, however, alleged that he was tortured by the police which resulted in his death. Dilip was a daily wage labourer who worked in Anand.
(Source: Indian Express)
3. 47 Lakh Students to Take Part in ‘Khel Mahakumbh’ This Year, Says CM Rupani
In the presence of the country’s eminent sports personalities, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani along with Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the 10th edition of ‘Khel Mahakumbh’ in Ahmedabad on Sunday, 8 September.
Along with Rupani and Rijiju, sport stars such as Mary Kom, Gagan Narang, Vishwanathan Anand, Pullela Gopichand and Deepa Malik were present at the event at Sanskardham School of Bopal area in the city.
‘Khel Mahakumbh’ is an initiative started by the then Gujarat CM, Narendra Modi, in 2010. The annual event sees a participation of over 30 lakh athletes every year. The CM said that 47 lakh students will take part in the event this year, with around 1.60 lakh students receiving awards worth Rs 40 crore.
Addressing the gathering, Rupani said government initiatives like ‘Shaktidoot Yojana’ have produced results of beneficiary players from the state winning 337 gold, 208 silver and 108 bronze medals at various levels.
(Source: Indian Express)
4. Rap for Lawyer Who Cited Seniority to Shrug off Case
The Gujarat High Court has criticised a lawyer for not assisting the court in disposing a 25-year-old appeal filed by the state-run Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC). The lawyer, who was the advocate on record for GSRTC in the case, had informed the court that he was now a "senior advocate" and would therefore be unable to appear in the matter.
When the case was called out for hearing, a colleague of the recently designated "senior advocate" sought more time, but the court turned down the request. When the case was called out for a second time, the court was told that since the GSRTC advocate had been designated a "senior advocate", it would not be possible for him to appear in the case or assist the court.
This irked the bench of acting Chief Justice AS Dave which straightaway dismissed the case for "want of prosecution". It criticised the senior advocate, noting that his argument for not assisting the court was meritless.
(Source: DNA)
5. 30-Foot-Tall Dinosaur Replica Built Near Statue of Unity Collapses in a Heap
A 30-feet-tall gigantic model of a dinosaur built near the Statue of Unity in Gujarat's Narmada district collapsed on Sunday.
The under-construction replica of a dinosaur was built at the cost of Rs 2 crore as part of a tourist attraction plan of the Gujarat government. It took a month's time to build the model, which fell to the ground on Sunday. No injuries were reported in the incident.
The incident has raised several questions regarding the viability of the project and the tender that cleared the project in the first place.
The project aims at constructing a number of attractions such as river rafting, a safari park, and several others to attract a large number of people towards the recently-inaugurated imposing 182-metre (597 feet) statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat's Kevadiya. The replica of dinosaurs was part of such tourist attractions.
(Source: DNA)
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