₹1 coin used to loot Rajdhani passengers
A one rupee coin did the trick for criminals who looted 20 passengers on board the New Delhi-Patna Rajdhani Express last Sunday.
Four persons suspected to have robbed the passengers between Gahmar and Bhadaura railway stations of Mughalsarai division, were arrested by a joint team of Buxar (Bihar) and Mughalsarai (UP) GRP on Thursday. Two stolen mobiles, wallets , ATM cards and ornaments were recovered from them.
Patna rail SP Jitendra Mishra on Thursday said the arrested persons told their interrogators they had tampered with the railway signalling system by inserting a ₹1 coin between the joint of the tracks. The coin caused the signal post to flash red, forcing train driver to stop, he said.
“A member of the gang, entered the train compartment through the small space around vestibule and opened the doors of the bogies. Thereafter, the other members of the gang barged into the compartment and lay their hands on the belongings of the passengers travelling in A4, B7 and B8 coaches of the train,” East Central Railway’s (ECR) Jitendra Mishra added.
“The criminals had sold the looted ornaments to a Buxar goldsmith for ₹20,000. The goldsmith handed over the valuables to his associate. Police have arrested them,” said the Patna rail SP. received will also be looked into.
The government says its action is bearing fruit with a 21.7 % increase in the filing of income tax returns for 2016-17.
Gross income tax collections grew 16% in 2016-17, the highest in the last five years. Net tax collections after handing out refunds were up by 14%, which is fastest in last three years. Personal income tax receipts were up by 18%, with regular tax assessment rising 25% and selfassessment surging 22%. about 140 odd days. Students hardly get any time to assimilate what they learn.”
UP has nearly 38 public holidays, and there has been nearly 50% increase in public holidays over the past decade.
The state’s teaching fraternity welcomed the idea. “It’s a welcome move. We all used to feel that such holidays hardly left any time for students to learn and teachers to teach,” said Manoj Dixit, head of the public administration department of Lucknow University.
“We tried contacting Lodha but his family said he was out of town,” Singh said. He went to Surat in neighbouring Gujarat a few days ago and was not back. “We will take further action after verifying the documents from the bank,” Singh said. Joshi said Lodha also bought a Land Rover and a motorcycle worth ₹25 lakh in the company’s name.
HT’s repeated calls and messages to Lodha remained unanswered. Minister Narendra Modi, he is the most sought after BJP leader in Delhi municipal polls. His model of governance that seems to be a copy of Modi’s at the Centre is getting noticed even in Bhubaneswar, over 1,200 km from Lucknow. “He is taking decisions quickly. You need leaders like him,” says Tukku, a taxi driver from Puri.
The BJP’s national conclave, to be attended by about 300 leaders, is likely to see party leaders showering encomium on the Prime Minister and Yogi for the party’s unprecedented success in UP. While Modi will be, as usual, the star attraction in Bhubaneswar, party leaders are eagerly awaiting Yogi’s maiden speech at the party forum after becoming the chief minister.
Modi and Shah have set their eyes on unconquered territories, Odisha being one of them, to win 2019 Lok Sabha election. India’s eastern coast disappointed the BJP in the last election, despite a phenomenal jump in its vote share. On landing at Bhubaneswar airport, Amit Shah was offered a garland of 74 lotus - 74 being the majority mark in 147 member assembly.
Shah wants this growth in popular support to translate into seats for the BJP in states such as West Bengal, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The BJP wants to increase its numbers from these states but UP that sent 73 NDA MPs to the Lok Sabha in 2014 remains the party’s electoral backbone. While that explains the importance of a UP chief minister, Yogi’s rapidly growing popularity outside the state could lead to a subtle change in the party’s pecking order. Bhubaneswar could set the tone for that.