India reports 27 Covid deaths in 24 hrs, highest in 6 months

In the last 24 hours, India reported 27 Covid-19 deaths, the highest single-day fatalities in the past six months, according to official figures issued by the Union Health Ministry on Saturday.

The last time India recorded 20 or more Covid deaths was on October 15, 2022.

The country’s overall death toll has now increased to 5,31,091.

According to the data, Delhi reported six deaths, followed by four in Maharashtra, three in Rajasthan, and one each in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

The figure also includes six deaths that were reconciled by Kerala.

Also in the same period, there were 10,753 fresh cases, taking the number of active infections to 53,720, the Ministry figures revealed.

The daily and weekly positivity rates were recorded at 6.78 and 4.49, respectively.

Since the pandemic first erupted in early 2020, India has so far reported a total of 4,48,08,022 Covid-19 cases.

The active caseload now comprises only 0.12 per cent of the total infections, and the national recovery rate has been recorded at 98.69.

The number of people who have recovered from the disease rose to 4,42,23,211, and the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19.

“The nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive has administered 220.66 crore vaccine doses so far,” the data stated.

(IANS)

Rajnath calls up Nitish over humiliation of Galwan martyr’s father

Patna, March 1 (IANS) In wake of the alleged humiliation of a Galwan martyr’s father in Bihar’s Vaishali, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called up Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and expressed anguish over the incident.

He also asked the Chief Minister to take action against officers who misbehaved with the father.

Nitish Kumar himself revealed the incident in the Assembly on the third day of the Budget session on Wednesday. While BJP MLAs including Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha were walking out from the house on this issue, he asked them to stay in.

“The Defence Minister has called me and he was concerned about it. I have assured him about the investigation. I have directed Bihar Police to investigate the matter and take action if any police officer is involved in misbehaviour with the father of Galwan martyr’s son,” he said.

Despite the Chief Minister’s assurance, Sinha walked out from the Assembly.

Galwan martyr Jay Kishore Singh’s father Raj Kapoor Singh is facing charges of encroaching on a piece of land belonging to the state government and some portion of fellow villager Harinath Ram. Vaishali police booked him under the SC/ST Act as well as under extortion (‘rangdari’) apart from land encroachment acts.

Singh’s son Nand Kishore alleged that the SHO, Jandaha, Vishvanath Ram came to his house in Kajari Bujurg on Sunday night and humiliated his father, used abusive language against him and dragged him into the police van.

Nand Kishore also claimed that as the SHO and the complainant are from the same community, the former has taken the side of the latter.

DGP R.S. Bhatti directed the Vaishali police to constitute a team to investigate the incident. The district police was also directed to submit the report in a time bound manner and take necessary action if any official was involved in misbehaving with the martyr’s father.

Complainant Harinath Ram had registered two FIRs in 2019 and January 23, 2023 against Singh for encroaching his land as well as the government road to building a monument for his martyred son.

During the police investigation, the officials said that it was found that Singh has encroached on the land of the complainant as well as the government property and due to the monument, the road was blocked and villagers were facing problems. Hence, Jandaha SDPO Poonam Keshri visited the village and gave Singh 15 days to remove the monument from the government as well as the land belonging to Harinath Ram.