1. Two Minors, Auto Driver Gang Rape 13-Yr-Old
A 13-year-old girl was gang raped by two minors at an isolated place on the outskirts of Surat, and later raped by an auto driver twice at his house in Surat city, on Wednesday, 6 November, night. The Surat police arrested the auto rickshaw driver on Thursday night, and a search is on for the other two accused.
Police said the 13-year-old resident of Surat had left her house on Wednesday evening without informing anyone at home. The family hails from Jharkhand and had been living on the outskirts of Surat. The girl met two teenagers riding a bike as she was walking on the roadside.
One of them was about 15 years old and another 17, both residents of her neighbourhood. She allegedly told the boys that she had left home and was on her way to Mumbai to become a model, and asked if they could drop her to Surat railway station.
(Source: Indian Express)
2. Rail Services Hit After Goods Train Derails
Fourteen trains were cancelled on Friday while three trains will continue to remain cancelled on Saturday, after a wagon of a goods train derailed between Samalaya and Pilol stations in Vadodara division of Western Railway on its “up” line, on Friday morning.
Multiple short-route intercity trains were cancelled, while long-distance trains were diverted via Dakor and Anand.
Due to the derailment, the trains that will remain cancelled on Saturday include Gandhinagar-Anand memu, Anand-Dahod memu and Vadodara-Dahod memu.
(Source: Indian Express)
3. Pollution Board Issues Notice to Ultratech Cement on Mining
The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has issued a show cause notice to the company UltraTech Cement for suspected violation of norms surrounding environmental clearance provided to it for limestone mining in Bhavnagar district. A farmers body, Khedut Ekta Manch, has demanded the withdrawal of the EC provided to the project as the mine is located within forest areas inhabited by lions and leopards.
“We have issued a notice to UltraTech Cement under Section 31A of The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The company has been given 15 days time to file its response,” a GPCB official told The Indian Express on Friday. Under this section, GPCB can order closure, prohibition or regulation of any industry or operation of process.
The environmental clearance was given to UtraTech Cement in January 2017 for limestone mining in the villages of Talli and Bhambhor in Talaja taluka of Bhavnagar.
(Source: Indian Express)
4. SC Ayodhya Verdict: 6 SRPF Companies Deployed in Vadodara
Six companies of State Reserve Police Force have been deployed in Vadodara in Gujarat on the eve of the Supreme Court's Ayodhya verdict, a senior official said on Friday.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce its verdict on Saturday, 8 November in the politically sensitive case of Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute in Ayodhya. The apex court is likely to pronounce judgment at 10:30 am.
Vadodara police commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot said police presence has been beefed up across the city, though no one has been detained as a preventive measure.
(Source: Business Standard)
5. BCA Requests Guj Govt for Land for Indoor Cricket Stadium
Baroda Cricket Association president Pranav Amin on Friday said the cricket body has requested the Gujarat government to allocate land for construction of an indoor stadium.
"It is necessary to construct this stadium as it is time to prepare for the future. We thought of it after poor performance of the Ranji team," Amin told reporters here.
"This is to ensure interruptions due to the weather are minimised and the game can be played throughout the year. Given how the climate is becoming unpredictable these days with unseasonal rains and extremely high temperatures during the summer, it isn't a bad idea to invest in an indoor cricket stadium in Vadodara," he said.
(Source: Indian Express)
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