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Amit Bathla

Articles by Amit Bathla

‘It was never a love jihad case’: Complainant on bid to abduct in Uttarkashi

A 40-year-old man, the complainant in a police case now at the centre of tensions in Purola – a case that he says is being given a communal colour.

Purola town in Uttarkashi has remained tense since an abduction attempt on a 14-year-old girl on May 26. (ANI)

india news

Updated on Jun 18, 2023 06:21 AM IST

ByAmit Bathla

Purola tensions latest gash in communally scarred Uttarakhand

But the tension in Purola isn’t just an isolated case in Uttarakhand which has a 13.9% Muslim population according to the 2011 census.

The gathering of over four people has been barred in Purola. (ANI)

india news

Updated on Jun 16, 2023 11:46 AM IST

ByAmit Bathla, Purola (uttarkashi)

Uttarakhand: ‘Mahapanchayat’ against ‘love jihad’ incidenot allowed amid tension

Heavy police forces deployed in Uttarkashi to maintain law-and-order after “Mahapanchayat” call against alleged “love jihad” incidents.

A few right wing activists staging a symbolic protest at Purola stadium after failing to hold mahapanchayat. (HT Photo | Rajeev Kala)

india news

Updated on Jun 16, 2023 01:10 AM IST

ByAmit Bathla, Purola (uttarkashi)

No mahapanchayat against ‘love jihad’ as Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand’s Purola

With heavy barricading, several vehicles on way to the mahapanchayat were stopped by the police at Naugaon with heavy barricading in place at various points approaching Purola

cities

Updated on Jun 15, 2023 07:50 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla

Purola tension: Uttarakashi admin denies permission for June 15 maha panchayat

The Uttarakhand Police said that action will be taken against people who will try to take law into their hand

The Uttarakhand Police said that they are committed to ensure the security of law-bound citizens. (File)

cities

Updated on Jun 13, 2023 08:00 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla

Muslim leaders to hold mahapanchayat over ‘targeting’ community in Uttarakhand

The interfaith tensions trace back to May 26 after two men, a Muslim and a Hindu, allegedly tried to abduct a 14-year-old girl.

Members of Bhairav Sena Sangathan burn an effigy during a protest in Uttarakhand, in Dehradun on Sunday. (ANI Photo) (ANI)

india news

Updated on Jun 12, 2023 04:48 AM IST

ByAmit Bathla, Dehradun:

IMA passing out parade: Sudanese cadet graduates with mixed emotions

On Saturday, a total of 374 cadets successfully passed out from portals of IMA, with the passing out parade being reviewed by army chief General Manoj Pande.

On Saturday, a total of 374 cadets, including 42 from foreign countries, successfully passed out from the portals of IMA (Virender Singh Negi)

india news

Updated on Jun 11, 2023 08:49 AM IST

ByAmit Bathla, Dehradun

U’khand village tense after two held over bid to abduct minor

The protest on Monday — which was supported by local Vyapar Mandal (market union) by observing a bandh — turned violent after some protesters attacked shops

On May 27, the two accused were arrested. (Representational image)

india news

Updated on May 31, 2023 12:05 AM IST

ByAmit Bathla

Won’t stop them, says Haridwar SSP on wrestlers’ plan to immerse medals in Ganga

Haridwar SSP Ajai Singh said people immerse gold, silver, and ashes in Ganga and wrestlers can immerse their medals if they want to.

Haridwar SSP Ajai Singh said 15 lakh pilgrims are visiting Haridwar to take a holy dip in Ganga on the occasion of Ganga Dussehra on Tuesday and the wrestlers were free to come too (PTI)

india news

Updated on May 30, 2023 03:50 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla, Sandeep Rawat

Ex-PM VP Singh’s granddaughter files domestic violence complaint in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand DGP has ordered Dehradun SSP to probe the allegations levelled by Adrija Manjari Singh, granddaughter of former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh

The complainant alleged that she had given a complaint at Dehradun’s Rajpur police station and reached out to the police several times but no action was taken. (Representative Image)

cities

Updated on May 16, 2023 04:47 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla

FIR against Uttarakhand minister for thrashing man on road in Rishikesh: Police

The FIR was registered at the Rishikesh police station under sections 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the IPC

The minister’s PSO Gaurav however had an altogether different account of the incident. (Screengrab from the video)

cities

Updated on May 03, 2023 06:18 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla

Tyuni fire incident:Probe team denies any negligence by fire dept

The four children were sleeping when fire engulfed the house of retired government official Sita Ram Joshi, according to the police.

Four children were killed when a gas cylinder caught fire and exploded inside the multi-storey house largely made of wood in Dehradun’s Tyuni area on Thursday evening. (HT)

cities

Updated on Apr 10, 2023 11:55 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla I Edited by Shilpa Ambardar, Dehradun

3 months on, Joshimath families await permanent resettlement

At last count, 868 residential buildings and other structures developed cracks in the first week of January.

At least 296families are living in temporary shelters. (AP)

cities

Updated on Apr 04, 2023 01:26 AM IST

ByAmit Bathla, Dehradun

1,000 houses damaged due to Uttarakhand railway project work: Locals

The project passes through five districts – Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag and Chamoli.

The 125.20 km-long Rishikesh-Karnaprayag broad gauge rail line is an ambitious project of the Narendra Modi government, estimated to cost more than <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>16,200 crore. (HT)

cities

Updated on Mar 31, 2023 04:33 AM IST

ByAmit Bathla, Ajay Ramola, Dehradun

Rishikesh-Karnaprayag railway line: Houses damaged due to blasting work

Pauri Garhwal resident Anil Dutt Tiwari said the round-the-clock blasting began in 2019 and has also affected their sleep and overall mental health

The project has been described as a game changer for connectivity in the Garhwal Himalayas. (HT PHOTO)

cities

Published on Mar 30, 2023 04:41 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla, Ajay Ramola

Uttarakhand govt sets aside ₹1,000 crore in budget for relief ops in Joshimath

The Uttarakhand government on Wednesday presented ₹77,407.08 crore budget for 2023-24, with a provision of ₹1,000 crore for relief measures in crisis-hit Joshimath.

Labourers demolish a building in Joshimath. (AP)

india news

Updated on Mar 16, 2023 01:08 AM IST

ByAmit Bathla, Dehradun

Uttarakhand assembly speaker suspends 15 Congress MLAs for ‘unruly behaviour’

The Congress legislators created a ruckus in the House and two of them climbed on the assembly secretary’s table protesting the Speaker’s decision to turn down a breach of privilege motion moved by the opposition party.

Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan. (ANI)

cities

Updated on Mar 14, 2023 06:00 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla

Congress stages protest during assembly budget session in Gairsain

As chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami arrived at the Vidhan Sabha campus, Congress legislators yelled “Pushkar Dhami weak hai, tabhi to paper leak hai,” slogans

Congress legislators sit on the stairs of Vidhan Sabha house in Gairsain (Rajeev Kala/HT Photo)

cities

Published on Mar 13, 2023 03:32 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla

Uttarakhand govt forming schemes to lure doctors amid scarcity

tarakhand health department in December last year had come up with an attractive new scheme ‘You Quote We Pay’ to overcome the shortage of specialist doctors in the state.

There are only 515 regular specialist and super-specialist doctors against 1,254 sanctioned posts in Uttarakhand (Representative Photo)

cities

Published on Feb 24, 2023 05:46 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla

Panel of experts says cracks have reappeared in Joshimath

The experts concluded that Joshimath remains susceptible to subsidence due to eco-tectonic, geomorphic, and climatic elements

Cracks appeared in Joshimath due to land subsidence. (ANI)

cities

Updated on Feb 22, 2023 04:51 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla

Locals report fresh cracks on Badrinath highway, BRO says ‘not new’

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which has been keeping a watch on the developments said the cracks found on the highway at various spots are “not new” and wouldn’t affect the upcoming Badrinath yatra

A ten feet deep pit near railway building in Joshimath was filled with stones and concrete by BRO (HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Feb 21, 2023 06:04 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla

More houses develop cracks in Joshimath

Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti convener Atul Sati said cracks have been found in houses almost daily and the state government is papering over the continuing crisis

Officials said five houses developed cracks in the Singh Dhar ward. (PTI)

cities

Updated on Feb 08, 2023 10:35 AM IST

ByAmit Bathla

Dehradun school owner rejects allegations of ‘anti-national activities’

The owner of the school has said that he will file defamation suits against the people and organisations who are raising such allegations

The Uttarakhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) chairperson Dr Geeta Khanna inspected the school in Dehradun on Saturday. (Representative Image/Twitter/Uttarakhand SCPCR)

cities

Updated on Feb 05, 2023 05:25 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla

Uttarakhand man’s fingers, genitals allegedly chopped off by son

The incident happened more than a month ago but the police said they received a complaint only recently and they are still trying to find out the motive behind the crime

The father alleged that his son had also threatened to kill him. (Representative Image)

cities

Updated on Feb 01, 2023 09:01 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla

396 ad hoc postings to Uttarakhand assembly secretariat from 2001 to 2022 illegal: Expert Panel

All 396 ad hoc appointments to Uttarakhand assembly secretariat made from 2001 to 2022 are “unconstitutional”, an expert committee has found, but only 228 such appointments made since 2016 have been cancelled so far

india news

Updated on Jan 30, 2023 12:14 AM IST

ByAmit Bathla

No new cracks since Jan 20, say officials; Joshimath residents disagree

“Our survey has been completed. We are reconciling the data,” Chamoli district magistrate Himanshu Khurana said. “If there are any changes, they would be minor.”

There has been no new damage to property at Uttarakhand’s Joshimath town since January 20 (PTI)

india news

Updated on Jan 29, 2023 07:11 AM IST

ByAmit Bathla, Dehradun

Uttarakhand police to enforce ‘Gangster Act’ against cow smugglers

In 2017, following instructions of then chief minister Trivendra Rawat for forming a special squad to keep in check the “increasing number of cases of cow smuggling and cow slaughter” in the state, two ‘govansh sangrakshan squads (cow protection squads)’– one each for Kumaon and Garhwal regions– were formed

According to data shared by the police department, approximately 600 people were arrested and around 300 cases were registered since 2017 for cow slaughter and smuggling (PTI Photo)

cities

Updated on Jan 28, 2023 08:46 PM IST

ByAmit BathlaAmit Bathla

1st house collapse in crisis-hit Joshimath

Dinesh Lal, the owner of the house, said he has been living with his family in a primary school in Singh Dhar since the first week of January, when their house developed major cracks and became uninhabitable.

The house which collapsed in Joshimath on Sunday. (HT Photo)

india news

Updated on Jan 24, 2023 01:14 AM IST

ByAmit Bathla

Hidden scars of sinking town: Anxious residents battle psychological trauma

The turbulence and uncertainty about the future are causing insomnia and anxiety among the affected people, who are presently putting up in camps and other places, said mental health doctors camping in the historic town.

Joshimath: Residents shift their belongings from an 'unsafe' building, at the land subsidence affected area in Joshimath, Sunday evening, Jan. 22, 2023. (PTI Photo)(PTI01_23_2023_000031B) (PTI)

cities

Published on Jan 23, 2023 07:54 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla I Edited by Shilpa Ambardar, Dehradun

Joshimath: Govt says Helang bypass work can restart if technical agencies permit

The Uttarakhand government has decided to write to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to consult the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, on resuming the work on Helang-Marwari bypass

The Chardham all weather road project aims to provide all-weather connectivity to four major Hindu shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri located in the upper Himalayas of Uttarakhand. (Representative Image/PTI)

cities

Updated on Jan 21, 2023 03:51 PM IST

ByAmit Bathla

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Amit Bathla

A 40-year-old man, the complainant in a police case now at the centre of tensions in Purola – a case that he says is being given a communal colour.

But the tension in Purola isn’t just an isolated case in Uttarakhand which has a 13.9% Muslim population according to the 2011 census.

Heavy police forces deployed in Uttarkashi to maintain law-and-order after “Mahapanchayat” call against alleged “love jihad” incidents.

With heavy barricading, several vehicles on way to the mahapanchayat were stopped by the police at Naugaon with heavy barricading in place at various points approaching Purola

The Uttarakhand Police said that action will be taken against people who will try to take law into their hand

The interfaith tensions trace back to May 26 after two men, a Muslim and a Hindu, allegedly tried to abduct a 14-year-old girl.

On Saturday, a total of 374 cadets successfully passed out from portals of IMA, with the passing out parade being reviewed by army chief General Manoj Pande.

The protest on Monday — which was supported by local Vyapar Mandal (market union) by observing a bandh — turned violent after some protesters attacked shops

Haridwar SSP Ajai Singh said people immerse gold, silver, and ashes in Ganga and wrestlers can immerse their medals if they want to.

Uttarakhand DGP has ordered Dehradun SSP to probe the allegations levelled by Adrija Manjari Singh, granddaughter of former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh

The FIR was registered at the Rishikesh police station under sections 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the IPC

The four children were sleeping when fire engulfed the house of retired government official Sita Ram Joshi, according to the police.

At last count, 868 residential buildings and other structures developed cracks in the first week of January.

The project passes through five districts – Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag and Chamoli.

Pauri Garhwal resident Anil Dutt Tiwari said the round-the-clock blasting began in 2019 and has also affected their sleep and overall mental health

The Uttarakhand government on Wednesday presented ₹77,407.08 crore budget for 2023-24, with a provision of ₹1,000 crore for relief measures in crisis-hit Joshimath.

The Congress legislators created a ruckus in the House and two of them climbed on the assembly secretary’s table protesting the Speaker’s decision to turn down a breach of privilege motion moved by the opposition party.

As chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami arrived at the Vidhan Sabha campus, Congress legislators yelled “Pushkar Dhami weak hai, tabhi to paper leak hai,” slogans

tarakhand health department in December last year had come up with an attractive new scheme ‘You Quote We Pay’ to overcome the shortage of specialist doctors in the state.

The experts concluded that Joshimath remains susceptible to subsidence due to eco-tectonic, geomorphic, and climatic elements

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which has been keeping a watch on the developments said the cracks found on the highway at various spots are “not new” and wouldn’t affect the upcoming Badrinath yatra

Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti convener Atul Sati said cracks have been found in houses almost daily and the state government is papering over the continuing crisis

The owner of the school has said that he will file defamation suits against the people and organisations who are raising such allegations

The incident happened more than a month ago but the police said they received a complaint only recently and they are still trying to find out the motive behind the crime

All 396 ad hoc appointments to Uttarakhand assembly secretariat made from 2001 to 2022 are “unconstitutional”, an expert committee has found, but only 228 such appointments made since 2016 have been cancelled so far

“Our survey has been completed. We are reconciling the data,” Chamoli district magistrate Himanshu Khurana said. “If there are any changes, they would be minor.”

Dinesh Lal, the owner of the house, said he has been living with his family in a primary school in Singh Dhar since the first week of January, when their house developed major cracks and became uninhabitable.

The turbulence and uncertainty about the future are causing insomnia and anxiety among the affected people, who are presently putting up in camps and other places, said mental health doctors camping in the historic town.

The Uttarakhand government has decided to write to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to consult the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, on resuming the work on Helang-Marwari bypass

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