(Eds: combines related series) New Delhi, Jun 23 () As COVID-19 fatalities in India crossed the 14,000 mark, the Centre on Tuesday said the country has one death from the disease per lakh population and the mortality rate is among the lowest as against the global average of 6.04 while there was no let up in the surge in new cases. The country recorded 14,000 plus coronavirus cases for the fourth straight day as Delhi, the second worst affected state, witnessed the biggest single-day jump of 3,947 infections to take its tally to 66,602. With the Union Health Ministry crediting India's low COVID-19 mortality rate to timely detection of cases, extensive contact tracing and effective clinical management, the recovery rate also steadily improved and it was nearly 57 per cent. A total of 2,48,189 patients recovered so far, while there were 1,78,014 active cases, according to the ministry data. During the last 24 hours, a total of 10,994 COVID-19 patients have recovered. Till date, 14,011 people have died in India due to the viral infection with 312 fatalities reported in 24 hours till Tuesday 8 am, while 14,933 new cases took the total case load to 4,40,215. India is in the eighth position in the global death count of 472,541. The US accounts for the highest number of deaths totalling 120,402. "Our aim is to work towards keeping a low mortality. The number of people infected is not important as long as the mortality is low," AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria told . He also said that considering the size of the country's population the absolute number of cases will be high as compared to other countries whose population is less. "The focus and the effort from the very beginning has been on saving lives by early identification, building COVID-19 related infrastructure, ensuring oxygen support facility is available even at a district level and effective implementation of clinical management protocols." Citing the World Health Organisation(WHO) Situation Report 154 dated June 22, the Health Ministry said the United Kingdom has registered 63.13 coronavirus-related fatalities per lakh population, while in Spain it is 60.60, Italy 57.19, the US 36.30, Germany 27.32, Brazil 23.68 and Russia 5.62. "In India, early detection of cases, timely testing and surveillance, extensive contact tracing coupled with effective clinical management have helped to check case mortality," the ministry said in a statement. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR), a total of 71,37,716 samples have been tested up to June 22 with 1,87,223 samples being analysed on Monday. In some concern for the central forces, COVID-19 cases in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and the two other federal forces of National Security Guard(NSG) and National Disaster Response Force( NDRF) have shot up to over 2,981 with 85 new infections being reported on Tuesday, official data showed. These forces, as per the latest data accessed by , have recorded 23 deaths due to the pandemic. The CAPFs are the Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF), the Border Security Force(BSF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police(ITBP), the Central Industrial Security Force(CISF) and the Sashastra Seema Bal(SSB). Of the total 14,011 deaths reported in the country so far, Maharashtra accounted for the highest 6,283 fatalities. The other states reporting more than 500 deaths(number in brackets) are Delhi(2,233), Gujarat(1,684), Tamil Nadu (794), West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh with 569 each and Madhya Pradesh(521), according to the morning update of the Health Ministry. Maharashtra also accounted for the highest number of 135,796 cases. Taking a cue from the Tamil Nadu government, Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu said the state authorities might have to impose a lockdown in the city, after consulting experts, if the coronavirus cases continued its upward trend. Chennai was back under intense lockdown from last Friday till June 30 after the state capital witnessed a massive surge in cases. "If the situation continues like this, in the days to come we may have to think about lockdown," he told reporters. Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy also favoured that Bengaluru be put under lockdown for 20 days. "Bengaluru will become another Brazil," the JD(S) leader tweeted, cautioning that sealing some areas would not serve any purpose. India is the fourth worst-hit nation by the pandemic after the US, Brazil and Russia. Till Monday evening, Bengaluru had reported 1,398 coronavirus cases including 67 deaths and 411 discharges. In the neighbouring state of Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the situation was becoming "grave". The COVID-19 tally touched 3,503 with 141 new cases being reported. The state has been witnessing a spike of over 100 cases for the fifth straight day. The country's first coronavirus case was reported in Kerala on January 30. Tamil Nadu reported 2,000 plus cases for the seventh successive day and over 2,500 cases for three consecutive days. The COVID-19 tally mounted to 64,603 as 2,516 more people tested positive including a maximum of 1,380 from Chennai. Chennai's share in the state count was 44,205. A new quarantine strategy confining an estimated 7-8 lakh people to homes is expected to cut down chances of transmission of the coronavirus in Chennai, according to a top official of the city civic body. The Home Quarantine Monitoring System (HQMS) has been taken up in the city with about 4,500 volunteers assigned to help and monitor those under 14-day quarantine in all 15 zones of the corporation, said Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Commissioner G Prakash. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, meanwhile, requested Lt Governor Anil Baijal to scrap the system requiring every COVID-19 patient to visit a government-run centre for clinical assessment. He said the national capital has been reporting nearly 3,000 cases every day and it is not feasible for every patient to undergo clinical assessment at COVID quarantine centres. Delhi is the second worst affected state after Maharashtra in caseload as well as in death count which climbed to 2,301 after 68 fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours, according to state authorities in the evening. PLB KND BUN VGN UD KSU NES GMS GSN GSN GSN

India has 1 COVID-19 death per lakh population, 6.04 globally, says Centre; no let up in surge in new cases

Hyderabad,Jun 28 () The Telangana government on Sunday said that a strategy to control the spread of COVID-19 cases in the city following a sharp rise in infections, including a proposal to reimpose a lockdown, would soon be finalised. "Chief Minister Sri K Chandrashekhar Rao has decided to finalise the strategy to contain the spread of coronavirus in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation jurisdiction in the next three to four days," an official release said. Rao said the government would examine all relevant issues and take a necessary decision as several issues have to be considered if it decides to re-impose lockdown in GHMC limits. "If lockdown is imposed, it should be implemented strictly and totally. There should be a day long curfew with one or two hour relaxation to buy the essentials," the release quoted him as having said. Rao, who held a meeting with Health Minister E Rajender and officials, said there was no need to be anxious about the number of COVID-19 cases in the city as the government has made all arrangements to provide treatment to those affected. "We have kept thousands of beds ready in both government and private hospitals and colleges. Patients who are in critical condition are treated in the hospitals. Asymptomatic patients are given treatment in their homes," Rajender said. Observing that the spread of the virus was similar across the country, he said the death rate in Telangana was lesser than the national average. Special Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) Shanta Kumari said that while the national average COVID-19 death rate was 3.04, it is 1.52 in Telangana. Rajender also said several health officials and medical experts sought re-imposition of lockdown for 15 days under the GHMC limits. Noting that a lockdown has been re-imposed in Chennai and other cities were also thinking along similar lines, Rao said the Health department also proposed it. But re-imposition of lockdown would be a major decision and people and the government machinery, including police, should be ready for it, he said. The state Cabinet also needs to be convened, he said. "Let us examine the situation keenly for two to three days. If need be, the Cabinet will be convened to discuss proposals for the lockdown, alternatives and other related issues and a decision will be taken," Rao said. As of Saturday, the number of COVID-19 cases in the state was 13,436, with a majority of them being reported from GHMC and its neighbouring districts. SJR SS RAVINDRANATH SS RAVINDRANATH

COVID-19 spread: Telangana govt to decide strategy for Hyderabad including re-imposing lockdown

(Eds: Adds reaction of V-P to similar incident in TN) New Delhi, Apr 17 () Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said he was "deeply disturbed" by news reports that people in Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu had opposed funerals of doctors who died of COVID-19 fearing it could further spread the disease. Such incidents are a blot on the society's consciousness, he said.Citing a newspaper report, he said there was a delay of 36 hours in the funeral of the Meghalaya doctor."Such incidents are a blot on the society's consciousness and of great concern for all of us, irrespective of party, religion and region," he said in a Facebook post.The "unfortunate behaviour" from the locals forced Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to finally intervene in the matter and help resolve it, Naidu said.The vice president said the physician's body lay for several hours in the hospital he had founded after attempts to bury or cremate him were unsuccessful due to local resistance."Further distressed to know about a similar incident in Chennai, where locals resisted cremation of a doctor hailing from Nellore following his death in a city hospital. "Saddened to learn that the body had to be shifted to an alternative place for cremation with the help of police and other authorities," Naidu later said on Twitter. He felt that there is an urgent need to educate the people and remove misconceptions on COVID-19 to prevent such inhuman incidents in the future.The vice president has shared his concerns on the issue with the home secretary and the director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).He said it is a matter of deep anguish that such incidents occurred in spite of an advisory being issued by the central government in March for the management of dead bodies infected with novel coronavirus."I urge all citizens to be empathic and respond compassionately, not react irrationally, especially during these testing times," Naidu said.People must act responsibly and not believe in rumours, the vice president said.The need of the hour is to create greater social awareness among the general public by various stakeholders, he opined."Doctors and the medical fraternity are risking their lives to save us during the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to respect them and lend our support in these testing times," he said. NAB ANBANB

Opposition to COVID-19 victims' funeral in Meghalaya, TN blot on society's consciousness: Naidu

(Eds: combining related stories) New Delhi, Jun 21 () India crossed another grim milestone of four lakh COVID-19 cases on Sunday recording the addition of one more lakh in just eight days including the latest biggest single-day spike of 15,413 cases amid renewed concerns over the rapid rise in new infections in the country. The spike in cases has been marked by new peaks in daily numbers(over 12,500) for four consecutive days to take the country's tally to 4,10,461 while the death toll rose to 13,254 with 306 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data. However, there has been a steady improvement in the recovery rate with around 55.48 per cent of the COVID-10 patients being declared virus free. The number of recoveries stood at 2,27,755 while there were 1,69,451 active cases, the data showed. One patient has migrated. India took 64 days to cross the 1-lakh mark from 100 COVID-19 cases, another fortnight to reach two lakh cases and then in another ten days it went past the 3-lakh mark. Also, it took 18 days for the cases to double to the current tally from 2,07,615 that was registered on June 3. The country witnessed a surge of 2,19,926 coronavirus infections from June 1 till 21 with Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh being the top five states that accounted for the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, an analysis of the official data showed. Tamil Nadu,(2,532), Kerala(133) and Odisha(304) were among the states which reported a record single-day spike of fresh cases on Sunday. The first case in India was recorded in Kerala on January 30. Harvard Global Health Institute Director Dr. Ashish Jha has expressed concern over how quickly the new coronavirus cases are rising in India, and said when populous states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh get hit hard, the country could see a "large increase" in virus infections and deaths. "Right now I'm concerned by how quickly the number of new cases are rising. India's density may be contributing to this and we've seen high rates of spread in some of the larger metro areas like Mumbai, Delhi and also Chennai," Jha told in New York in an email interview. "But what concerns me most is major population areas --such as in Bihar and UP-- that have not yet gotten hit very hard. When they do get hit we will likely see a large increase in the number of cases and deaths, which we need to prepare for." "Given the lag between infection, onset of symptoms and death, I expect numbers to continue to rise in the coming weeks and months," he said, as he stressed that the "trajectory" of cases is "very concerning" in India. The renowned health expert noted that the number of cases in India may be higher than what the data suggests because while testing has been improving, it has not been rolled out in a way that will capture all low-symptomatic patients. According to the Health ministry, the number of samples being tested everyday continues to grow. In the last 24 hours, 1,90,730 samples were tested, while the total number analysed so far is 68,07,226, it said in a statement. Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal, Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and other senior officials, a day after the national capital saw a record single-day spike of 3,630 coronavirus cases. Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan was also present. Delhi, which recorded 3,000 cases on Sunday to take the total to nearly 60,000, inched closer to another hotspot Mumbai which accounted for 65,265 infections. As several Indian companies work on testing of potential drug candidates on COVID-19 patients, drug firm Hetero said it has received approval from regulator DCGI to launch investigational antiviral drug Remdesivir for the treatment of the infection. Domestic pharma firm Glenmark Pharmaceuticals had on Saturday launched antiviral drug Favipiravir, under the brand name FabiFlu, for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 at a price of about Rs 103 per tablet. Hetero's generic version of Remdesivir will be marketed under the brand name 'Covifor' in India. The drug will be available in 100 mg vial (injectable) which has to be administered intravenously in a hospital setting under the supervision of a healthcare practitioner, it said. Asked about the price of the drug, Hetero Group of Companies MD Vamsi Krishna Bandi told it will be in the range of Rs 5,000-6,000 per dose. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a reference to COVID-19 when he said the world is feeling the need for yoga more than ever due to the pandemic and that the ancient Indian practice is helping a large number of patients across the globe in defeating the disease. The coronavirus specifically attacks the respiratory system and 'pranayama' or breathing exercise helps in strengthening the respiratory system the most, Modi said in his message on the sixth International Day of Yoga. "If our immunity is strong, it is of great help in defeating this disease. For boosting immunity, there are several methods in yoga, various 'asanas' are there. These asanas are such that they increase the strength of the body and also strengthen our metabolism," he said. The first "Sunday shutdown" during the 'Unlock' phase with an exception only for hospitals and allied health services brought Chennai and suburbs to a standstill while the city's civic body said its fever camps to help detect coronavirus cases have evoked tremendous response from the people. It was a virtual curfew with deserted roads, bridges and intersections totally blocked by police using barricades and with the exception of police, sanitary workers and health personnel of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) most others stayed indoors. Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of cases at 1,28,205, followed by Tamil Nadu at 56,845, Delhi at 56,746, Gujarat at 26,680, Uttar Pradesh at 16,594, Rajasthan at 14,536 and West Bengal at 13,531, according to the Health ministry's data. The other states with over 10,000 cases were Madhya Pradesh(11,724) and Haryana(10,223). Of the total 13,254 deaths, Maharashtra accounted for the highest 5,984 followed by (number of deaths in brackets) Delhi (2,112), Gujarat (1,638), Tamil Nadu (704), West Bengal (540), Madhya Pradesh (501), Uttar Pradesh (507), Rajasthan (337) and Telangana (203). Other states accounted for the remaining fatalities. ASK YAS NAB VGN VIJ AKT RRT GVS AAM GSN GSN GSN

India's COVID-19 tally crosses 4 lakh with highest single-day spike of 15,413 cases, fresh concerns over rapid rise

(Eds: Combines related stories) Hyderabad, May 11 () Telangana government on Mondaydisfavoured resumption of passenger train services at thisjuncture, saying it would lead to movement of people and poseproblems in testing them for COVID-19 and quarantining as thestate saw a spike in fresh cases taking the tally to 1,275.The day also saw more than 280 Indian nationals strandedin the USA and UAE arriving by Air India flights at theinternational airport here as part of the Vande Bharat Missionto repatriate such people from foreign countries. As many as 79 people tested positive for the virus onMonday while 50 were discharged as the active cases stood at444, a COVID-19 bulletin said. Though the number of cases showed a decline since earlythis month, it's been on the rise during the last few days andall the 79 fresh cases were from the Greater HyderabadMunicipal Corporation (GHMC), the hotbed of the virus spreadin the state.Participating in the video conference held by PrimeMinister Narendra Modi to discuss coronavirus containment andlockdown exit plans, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao urgedhim not to resume the passenger train services and said theimpact of COVID-19 has been more in major cities, includingDelhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. Rao asked Modi "not to revive the passenger trainservices, which were stopped as part of preventive measures tocontain spread of coronavirus in the country," an officialrelease said. As many as 15 trains are to be operated by the Railwaysfrom Tuesday on the Rajdhani route from Delhi to all the majorcities, including Secunderabad here, in the country. Rao told Modi that resumption of passenger trainservices at this juncture would lead to movement of peoplefrom one destination to another. Nobody knows who is going from where to where. It is notpossible to conduct tests on everyone. It is also difficult toput all those who travelled by trains under quarantine. Hence,passengers trains should not be allowed to ply, he said. The chief minister also strongly favoured stategovernments allowing migrant workers to return to their nativeplaces, besides rescheduling the loans of states and raisingFiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) limits. Observing that no revenue is being earned in view of thevirus spread and consequent lockdown, he said no statewas in a position to repay loans. Rao stressed that lockdown regulations be strictlyimplemented in containment zones and there be no laxity. Separately, he instructed officials to plan a strategy onthe road ahead with COVID-19 remaining in existence, anotherrelease said. The plan should take into account various aspects,including resumption of economic activity, implementation ofrelaxations in zones (such as green and orange) andactivities which should not be allowed, it said. As part of the Vande Bharat mission, Air India flight AI1617 carrying 118 people from San Francisco in US via Mumbailanded at the GMR-led Rajiv Gandhi International Airport herein the morning. Flight AI 1920from Abu Dhabi landed at 8.50 pm with 170 passengers, airportsources said. To facilitate the arriving passengers and aircraft crew,the airport has kept the international arrivals and the entirestretch right from aerobridge to arrivals ramp fully sanitisedand fumigated.The airport also enforced the social distancing amongpassengers right from the aerobridge to across the terminal,the sources added.Meanwhile, police said cases had been registered against44 fruit traders for not following social distancing norms andfor not wearing masks at the Gaddiannaram fruit market here. SJR VVK GDKVS VS

Spike in COVID-19 cases in T'gana; CM Rao urges Modi not to resume train services now

<ul><li>The ICMR has started conducting rapid survey in five containment zones in Hyderabad.</li><li>The samples are being collected in Miyapur, Tappachabutra, Adibatla, Chandanagar and Balapur.</li></ul> The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in collaboration with the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) on Saturday began a rapid survey in five containment zones in Hyderabad to understand the Coronavirus infection among the urban population in Telangana. The ICMR and NIN teams with the help of the state government officials will collect 100 samples on Saturday and Sunday. Assisted by personnel from the health department, district administration, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, ASHA workers and police, the teams were collecting samples in Miyapur, Tappachabutra, Adibatla, Chandanagargar and Balapur zones. Under the random survey, 100 samples will be collected from each zone. "We are collecting samples from one person from every randomly selected house after collecting all the data about the number of members in the household and their health status," a NIN official said. The ICMR has selected 13 hotspot cities in the country for the rapid survey to know the spread of Covid-19. Hyderabad is one of the hotspot cities. Since Hyderabad-based NIN is one of the ICMR institutes, it was also roped in to conduct the survey. The serum samples will be sent to the National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT), Chennai and the results are likely to come after two weeks. Officials involved in the survey said the samples were not being taken from suspects but from houses picked randomly. For the rapid survey, 10 teams and five coordinators from ICMR-NIN are supported by the state health authorities, district administrations of Hyderabad and Rangareddy, GHMC, district medical personnel and grassroot level health functionaries. NIN Director R. Hemalatha said the rapid survey was aimed at monitoring the trends of community transmission of Covid-19, if any, among the urban population. This is part of the ICMR's district level sero-surveillance survey that was taken up in Jangaon, Kamareddy and Nalgonda wherein 1200 samples were collected for analysis in the first phase. Under the first phase, ICMR covered 69 districts in 21 states across the country, including three districts in Telangana, and the results are awaited. "In the current phase, similar surveillance survey is proposed in 13 hotspot cities in India of which Hyderabad happens to be one. In the city, five containment zones have been selected randomly and 500 adults with 100 per containment zone will be randomly covered in the study," NIN researchers said. "While this ends the first phase of the study, ICMR proposes to carry out four more rounds of survey in the coming months at different time points in the same rural and urban clusters. This initial phase would serve as a baseline to determine the sero-prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) infection in the community, while the subsequent rounds would help to monitor the trends of infection among the population of the select zones. The study findings will be useful to guide in designing and implementing appropriate public health preventive measures," said Dr Hemalatha. Earlier, NIN in association with the state government had taken up a house-to-house survey in 30 villages across Jangaon, Kamareddy and Nalgonda districts as part of the community based sero-surveillance. Researchers say since SARS-CoV-2 causes asymptomatic infection, sero-surveillance is strongly recommended for active case finding, testing and contact tracing. Surveillance of antibody-based sero-positivity indicates the extent of the spread of the infection in the given population and forms the basis for strengthening public health mitigation measures. Household based studies can generate evidence on the role of asymptomatic and mild infections in transmission. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/four-more-deaths-169-fresh-covid-19-cases-in-telangana/articleshow/76098080.cms">Telangana reports 169 Coronavirus cases, its biggest single day spike</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/telangana-government-allows-all-shops-to-re-open-in-hyderabad/articleshow/76057672.cms">Telangana government allows all shops to re-open in Hyderabad</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-cases-in-hyderabad-telangana-news-and-updates/articleshow/74823424.cms">Telangana Coronavirus cases</a>

ICMR starts rapid survey in Hyderabad's five containment zones

Protests continue to surge across India against the rape of 19-year old Dalit girl from the <keyword id="6390895" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="hathras">Hathras</keyword> district in Uttar Pradesh. Congress workers are holding a candlelight march near India Gate against the alleged gang-rape. Protests also errupted in other parts of the country, like Pune, Chennai and Kolkata. after the brief detainment of <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> and <keyword id="12587" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Priyanka-Gandhi">Priyanka Gandhi</keyword> Vadra by the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police. Meanwhile, Seema Kushwaha — who fought on the behalf of the rape victim in the landmark Nirbhaya case — may also be roped into defend the Hathras victim. "The family of the alleged gang-rape victim called me to Hathras as they want me to stand as their legal counsel. I'm not being allowed to meet them as administration says it will affect law and order situation," she told ANI. UP Police claims Hathras victim was not raped A senior Uttar Pradesh police officer said on Thursday said the forensic report has revealed that the 19-year-old Hathras woman who succumbed to her injuries at a Delhi hospital was not raped. Citing a forensic science laboratory (FSL) report, ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said the cause of her death is an injury on the neck and trauma resulting due to it. "The report of the FSL has also come. It says clearly that samples did not have sperm. It makes clear that there was no rape or gang rape," Kumar said. "Even the woman in her statement to police did not mention about rape but talked about 'marpeet' (beating) only," he said. "For disturbing social harmony and create caste violence, some persons wrongly presented facts," the UP police officer said. "Police took immediate action in the case and now we will identify those who tried to disturb social harmony and create caste violence," the ADG added, stressing that people "distorted facts" in the media. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi detained for violating Section 188 on their march to Hathras Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have been detailed by the Uttar Pradesh police their way to Hathras for violating Section 188 of the Disaster Management Act. It cites disobedience which causes danger to human life, health or safety or causes or tends to cause riot or affray. Violation of Section 188 can lead to an imprisonment term up to 6 months or a fine up to 1,000 rupees. As he was being arrested, Rahul Gandhi reportedly tripped amid the melee as he was being detained by the police. <div type="image" title="rahul gandhi arrest2" msid="78426053" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Rahul Gandhi seen tripping in the process of being detained by the UP Police on his way to Hathras&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The group of Congress workers was still around 140 kilometers away from Hathras when the arrest occurred. The Gandhi's were on the way to visit the family of the 19-year old gang rape victim.. The rushed cremation of the victim has led to a surge in protests across the country. As the two Gandhi's were being taken away, Congress workers were seen blocking the road to keep the police van from leaving, which ensued in the UP police using force to clear the way. They have been taken to the Buddh International Circuit guest house. NCW seeks explanation from UP Police on urgency to cremate body of Hathras gangrape victim <ul class="inte_common"></ul>The National Commission for Women (NCW), in a statement, said it is shocked at the brutal gangrape of a 20-year-old woman in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh who died in Delhi after fighting for life for two weeks. The incident underlines the grim state of women in the society, it said. The commission said it also came across a disturbing report on police officials cremating her body in the middle of the night without the permission and presence of her family members. It has been reported that the victim's body was cremated at 2:30 am by the police without the presence of any family member. "The victim's family had reportedly appealed to the District Magistrate for taking her body home for performing the last rites, however the police went ahead with the cremation while most of her family members were away," it said. "The commission has now written to Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh seeking an explanation on the urgency to cremate the body of the victim in the middle of the night that too in the absence of her family. NCW has asked the administration to send a reply on the same at the earliest," it said. Congress convoy to Hathras stopped in UP —Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi proceed on foot Vehicles of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who were on their way to Hathras to meet the family of the Dalit gang-rape victim, were stopped in Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida on Thursday, party officials said. <div type="twitter" handle="ANINewsUP" handlename="ANI UP" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/706717125369470976/C-CLFqhC_normal.jpg" favoritecount="503" retweetcount="115" status="Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with Congress workers walks along the Yamuna Expressway, after her vehicle was stopped… https://t.co/BJH2t8gltG" createdat="1601540406000" id="1311581642146816000"></div> The convoy was stopped near Pari Chowk, prompting party workers and senior leaders to proceed on foot, with some functionaries saying they will walk down to Hathras. Around the same time last year, we were fighting for the Unnao daughter and the situation in UP has not changed in a year, Priyanka Gandhi told reporters as she started walking on the expressway. The Uttar Pradesh government, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath must take responsibility for women safety in the state and ensure atrocities against them are stopped, she added. After Hathras, another gangrape victim dies in UP's Balrampur A 22-year-old Dalit woman died after allegedly being raped by two men in Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur district, succumbing to critical injuries on the same day as the teen from Hathras in the state who breathed her last in a Delhi hospital two weeks after she was gangraped. Both the women died on Tuesday and were cremated on Wednesday. The two men accused of assaulting the woman from Balrampur have been arrested, police said amid outrage over the death of the 19-year-old Dalit woman from Hathras. The Balrampur victim's mother told reporters on Wednesday night that the rapists broke her daughter's legs and back, a charge denied by the police. "My daughter had gone to take admission in a college on Tuesday. On her way back, three-four persons abducted her, took her to their room, gave her an injection and raped her. They later sent her back on an e-rickshaw, which dumped her outside our house. They broke her legs and back. She could not stand or talk," the woman said. Quoting the victim's family members, Balrampur Superintendent of Police (SP) Dev Ranjan Verma said the woman worked in a private firm and returned home on Tuesday in a serious condition. She looked dazed and had a cannula, medically known as Vigo and used for administering an injection or other fluids in the body, inserted in her hands. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but died on the way, the SP said. When the matter was reported to the police by the hospital, her parents alleged she was gangraped, he added. Acting on the family's complaint, police identified the accused as Shahid and Sahil and arrested them. About the mother's allegation that the woman's legs and back were broken, Verma said, "It was not confirmed in the post-mortem. We contradict this news." She was cremated on Wednesday after the post-mortem in the presence of her family members, the police said. The district magistrate and the SP, along with the mahant of the Devipatan temple, Mithilesh Nath Yogi, visited her home on Thursday morning, met the family members and condoled her death. "The family members were assured that the accused will be given a strict punishment in accordance with law. A letter sanctioning a financial assistance of Rs 6,18,450 was handed over to them by the mahant. The amount will be sent to the victim's mother's bank account by the afternoon," a statement issued here said. The mother has demanded a compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job for her son. "My daughter wanted to become a lawyer but she was killed. The same fate should await the culprits. We want justice. My son should be given a government job and we should get at least Rs 25 lakh as compensation," she said. Safdarjung Hospital releases autopsy The autopsy of the 19-year old victim of the Hathras gang rape reveals that she was tortured, strangled and suffered from a cervical spine injury. However, the final diagnoses does not mention rape. It reads, "Alleged post-strangulation with cervical spine injury with sepsis with cardiopulmonary arrest." Instead, ‘rape and strangulation’ have been noted under the ‘<a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/hathras-gang-rape-autopsy-report-shows-victim-was-strangled-suffered-cervical-spine-injury-2303696">medical history</a>’ section. The report adds that the victim was given CPR and ‘despite all resuscitative efforts’ was declared dead at 8:55 am on Tuesday, September 27. Section 144 in Hathras, borders sealed The district administration in Hathras has imposed Section 144 in the area and has banned the entry of all 'outsiders' including media persons in Boolgarhi Village where a 19-year-old Dalit girl was gang-raped and later passed away. District Magistrate Praveen Lakshkar said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT), set up to probe the incident, has reached the village and is interacting with the family and other people to record their statements. "They do not want any disturbance and hence, all entry of outsiders has been stopped," he said. The District Magistrate further said that he had no information of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra reaching Hathras to meet the bereaved family. NHRC issues notice to Yogi government on Hathras incident The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of the Hathras incident of the rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit girl and has issued a notice to the Yogi Adityanath government. The Commission has directed the state government to provide adequate protection to the family of the deceased, keeping in view the gravity of the matter and also the aspect of the witness protection as there is apparent rift between two communities. The government has been asked to respond to the notice within four weeks. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="78421883" title="Hathras rape case: NHRC directs UP government to provide adequate protection to victim's family" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> 80 people detained over Hathras gangrape protest Delhi Police on Wednesday detained at least 80 persons who staged a protest over the Hathras gangrape case. This includes 36 men and 44 women. "Today around 11.30 pm, members of different parties - AIDWA, DSDU, AISA AIMSS - tried to reach UP Bhawan, SP Marg to stage a protest demanding harsh punishment for accused persons in Hathras gangrape case. We have detained 80 people in this connection," said a senior police officer. Police said that as the protestors have violated order u/s 144 CrPC in force and other laws regarding Covid-19, FIR u/s 188 IPC, 3 Epidemic Act &amp; 51(b) Disaster Management Act, PS Chanakyapuri has been registered against the protesters. Yogi announces ₹ 25 lakh aid for victim’s family Amid an uproar over the cremation of the body of a Dalit gang-rape victim early on Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath spoke to the 19-year-old woman's father in Hathras district and offered his condolences. He also announced a compensation of ₹ 25 lakh to the bereaved family, apart from a job to one of its members. The family would also be given a house. The victim's father sought the harshest punishment for the four accused arrested for the crime reported on September 14. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Avanish Awasthi said that the Chief Minister assured the woman's father of the most stringent action against the culprits and all possible help to the family. Yogi sets up SIT to probe Hathras incident The Yogi Adityanath government on Wednesday set up a Special investigation Team (SIT) to probe the Hathras incident. The SIT, according to official sources, will comprise home secretary Bhagwan Swaroop, DIG Chandra Prakash and IPS officer Poonam. The SIT will submit its report at the earliest. The Chief Minister, sources said, has decided to send the case to a fast track court in order to ensure justice to the victim. All four accused have already been arrested. PIL filed in Supreme Court seeking CBI probe in Hathras gang-rape and murder A PIL was filed in the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking a CBI probe or SIT investigation under a sitting or former Supreme Court or High Court judge in the gruesome gang-rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district. The PIL has been filed by social activist Satyama Dubey and advocates Vishal Thakre and Rudra Pratap Yadav. The petitioners urged the apex court to pass appropriate order for a fair investigation - either by the CBI or the SIT under a sitting or retired judge of Supreme Court or High Court - and transfer the case to Delhi, as Uttar Pradesh authorities had failed to take certain actions against the accused. The plea said the victim was first raped and then brutally assaulted, and according to a medical report, her tongue was chopped and her neck and back bones broken by the accused, who belonged to an upper caste. The victim succumbed to her injuries at Safdarjung hospital in Delhi. The petitioner said on September 14, the accused persons raped and brutally assaulted the victim when she was in the fields to collect fodder for her cattle. It also said that the police have said the victim's cremation was being carried out as per the wishes of the family, which was not true, and the police personnel set fire to the body of the deceased, even as media persons were banned, as per the information received, said the plea. The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Wednesday also wrote to Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde to urge the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the gruesome gang rape and murder of a Dalit woman in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district. Hathras victim cremated, police denies coercion The 19-year-old Dalit woman from Hathra was cremated early Wednesday in her village amid tight security. "The police have forcibly taken the dead body, and my father along with them for cremation. When my father reached Hathras, he was immediately taken (to the crematorium) by the police," the victim's brother told the media. However, Hathras police have denied the charges and has issued a notice saying the coercion being talked about on social media is canard. It said: "The family cremated the body with due rituals under the supervision of police and administration." The victim, who was paralyzed after being allegedly dragged on the field by her attackers on September 14, died at the Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday after battling for life for a fortnight. Her mortal remains reached the Boolgarhi village around midnight and the cremation was done at 3 a.m. There was tension as the victim's mortal remains reached the village and people tried to block the ambulance from moving ahead. Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikrant Veer denied any 'urgency' by the police in holding the cremation at night even though cremations do not normally take place after sunset. He added that the cremation was done by the family as usual after the body reached Boolgarhi village. The SP claimed that the situation is calm in the village, but heavy police force has been deployed. The woman was allegedly raped in a Hathras village by four men, who were later taken into custody. Initially she was rushed to the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Aligarh, but on Monday night had to be shifted to the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi after her condition deteriorated. She was in a critical condition and on ventilator support. (With inputs from IANS and PTI)

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