Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday removed the collector of Surajpur district after a video of the IAS officer slapping a man for violating lockdown norms went viral on social media. Ranbir Sharma has been transferred to the secretariat and replaced by Raipur Jila Panchayat CEO Gaurav Kumar Singh.

The IAS Association also condemned the behaviour and wrote on Twitter: “It is unacceptable and against the basic tenets of the service and civility. Civil servants must have empathy and provide a healing touch to society at all times, more so in these difficult times.”

In the almost 3-minute-long video, Sharma was seen slapping a man, identified as Aman Mittal, while enforcing lockdown norms in the district. He was also seen instructing the police officers to beat the man.

Later, while apologising for his action, the district collector said, “He had a fake slip which he claimed was for vaccination. We have to be a little strict with people to ensure that lockdown norms are followed. However, I apologise for my behaviour.”

Mittal said that he was returning home after delivering food to his hospitalised Covid-19 infected grandmother. “My grandmother infected with Covid-19 was admitted to the hospital. I went there to give her food and to get her blood tested…”

NEW DELHI: Responding to a media report about a ‘minor face-off with Chinese troops at Galwan Valley’, the Indian Army on Sunday clarified that no such face-off had taken place in the first week of May.

In a statement, the Army said that the media report in question published on Sunday had been taken note of, and the article seemed to be inspired by sources “trying to derail the ongoing process of early resolution of issues in the region”.

“It is clarified that no such minor face-off has taken place between Indian and Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh in the first week of May 2021 as reported. The article seems to be inspired by sources who may be trying to derail the ongoing process for early resolution of issues in Eastern Ladakh,” the rebuttal said. ANI

After Gujarat declared the outbreak of mucormycosis an epidemic, it has come to light that the 5,800 injections to treat the fungal infection allotted by the Central government for the state has not reached the hospitals.

The highest number of mucormycosis or black fungus cases has been found in Gujarat and more than 500 cases have been reported in Ahmedabad alone. However, relatives of patients in the city, who are rushing from one hospital to another to find Amphotericin B injections required to treat it, are returning empty-handed as the injections have not been delivered to the hospitals by the state government yet.

A board outside the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation-run LG Hospital in Maninagar states that Inj. Liposomal Amphotericin B is to be obtained from the Hospital, but at present the quantity cannot be given if it is not made available by the government. The hospital says that it will provide the injections to representatives in private hospitals once it receives the injections.

This situation has raised questions about how citizens can obtain accurate information on getting the government-allocated injections and why hospitals do not have injections to provide.

At the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, 20 new patients of black fungus are being admitted to Civil Hospital every day and one patient is succumbing to the infection each day. More than 30 patients have died so far. In the last month and a half, more than 120 patients have had to have their teeth and jaws removed, and ten patients have lost their eyes. Across the state, more than 185 patients have had their eyes removed in civil and private hospitals.

Additional Superintendent of Civil Hospital Dr Rakesh Joshi said that the first case of mucormycosis was reported around April 15. “As many as 62-64 patients were admitted and a separate ward was started from May 7. There are currently 371 in eight wards in Civil as well as 60 in two other wards, with a total of 431 patients under treatment. There has been a general decline in the number of patients, but new wards will be started if the number of patients increases.”

So far, 1 percent of hospitalised patients have had their eyes removed and 4 to 5 percent have had their teeth and jaws removed. In 2 to 5 percent of the cases, the fungus has infected the patient’s eyes and brain and caused paralysis.

Baba Ramdev on Sunday withdrew his statements on allopathic and modern medicines after receiving a strong-worded letter from Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan who called his remarks “inappropriate”.

“We do not oppose modern medical science and allopathy. We believe that allopathy has shown immense progress in surgery and the lifesaving system and served humanity. My statement that has been quoted was part of a WhatsApp message that I was reading during a meeting of volunteers. I am sorry if it has hurt anyone’s sentiment,” wrote Ramdev in his letter to the Union Health Minister in Hindi.

“Underlining the demerits of a medical system should not be considered as an attack on it. This is not at all opposed to science. Everyone should be progressive while evaluating themselves. Similarly, some allopathic doctors must not disrespect Ayurveda and Yoga, the Indian medical system by calling it ‘pseudo science’. This also hurts the sentiments of crores of people,” he said.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan asked yoga guru Ramdev to withdraw remarks that seemed to suggest that more people died of modern medical treatments during the Covid-19 crisis than the coronavirus itself.

“The people of the country are very hurt with your remark on allopathic medicines. I have already told about this feeling over phone. Doctors and health workers are like gods for the people of the country for whom they are fighting against the coronavirus on war footing,” Dr Harsh Vardhan said.

His remarks prompted the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to send him a legal notice, demanding a written apology and withdrawal of the statement.

In a video that was widely shared on social media, Ramdev is heard saying at a recent event, “Lakhs of people have died because of allopathic medicines, far more than those who died because they did not get treatment or oxygen.” He also allegedly called allopathy a “stupid and bankrupt” science. The Sunday Guardian, however, cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video.

The IMA had earlier said the Union Health Ministry should take action and prosecute Ramdev under the Epidemic Diseases Act. “Union Health Minister either accept the accusation and dissolve modern medical facility or prosecute him and book him under Epidemic Diseases Act,” it said.

Cheetah is likely to run again in November this year at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, state Forest Minister Vijay Shah said on Sunday. The country’s last spotted cheetah died in Chhattisgarh in 1947 and it was declared extinct in the country in 1952.

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) some years ago prepared a cheetah re-introduction project. The Supreme Court had earlier given its approval to introduce African cheetahs to a suitable habitat in India on an experimental basis.

“We have started the process of creating an enclosure for around 10 cheetahs, including five females, to be brought from South Africa to Kuno in Sheopur district and it is going to be completed by August,” PTI quoted Shah as saying.

Officials from India will be sent to South Africa for sensitisation and training in June and July this year and according to the plan, the transportation of the cheetahs will take place in October and November, he said.

“According to the approved timeline sent to us by the

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change this week, the tentative budget outlay of the ‘Project Cheetah’ is Rs 1,400 lakh for this fiscal,” the minister said.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is going to release the money for the project to Madhya Pradesh and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) at Dehradun next month, Shah added.

An expert from South Africa visited the Kuno National Park on 26 April this year along with scientists from the WII and inspected the facilities and habitat created there for the introduction of African cheetahs. They approved it and now the final process of bringing the cheetah is underway, a forest official said.

Earlier, experts from the WII had visited four places in Madhya Pradesh to look for the best habitat for the introduction of African cheetah in the country last year, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests J.S. Chauhan, told PTI.

The WII team had visited the Kuno National Park in MP’s Sheopur district, the Nauradehi sanctuary in Sagar district, the Gandhi Sagar sanctuary on the northern boundary of Mandsaur and Neemuch districts and the Madhav National Park in Shivpuri district, Chauhan said.

“Madhya Pradesh had in the past been home to cheetahs. The state has a long conservation history…we have the habitat. We also have a successful animal translocation track record,” Chauhan said, referring to the tiger reintroduction programme in the Panna Tiger Reserve in 2009.

Wildlife experts say that Kuno, spread over an area of over 750 sq km in the Chambal region, has a conducive environment for the cheetah. The region has a sizeable population of four-horned antelopes, chinkara, nilgai, wild boar, spotted deer and sambar—a good prey base for the cheetahs.

Cheetah is considered vulnerable under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of threatened species, with a declining population of less than 7,000 found primarily in African savannas.

India’s only twin Olympic medallist wrestler, Sushil Kumar, should have been practising for the upcoming games to get India another medal. But the man is now under arrest in relation to the case of wrestler Sagar Dhankar’ murder.

The two-time Olympic medallist is said to have allegedly thrashed Dhankar, a 23-year-old former junior national champion, to death during a brawl in the Chhatrasal Stadium parking area on 4 May.

Sushil Kumar was arrested along with a co-accused Ajay Kumar from northwest Delhi›s Mundka while he was planning to cross the Delhi border. He was held by the southern range of Delhi Police’s Special Cell. Sushil, along with Ajay Kumar, a physical education teacher, were produced before a Delhi court. The court allowed the Delhi Police to take Sushil Kumar for 6 days of police custody.

Delhi Police said that they have recovered cellphone footage of the incident and initial investigations have revealed that the violence was the fallout of a property dispute. Sagar Dhankar lived in a rented apartment owned by Sushil’s wife. According to the police, Dhankar had been asked to vacate the place by Sushil. In the mobile footage, Sushil and other men can be seen assaulting Dhankar and his friends inside the stadium complex.

According to Delhi Police’s statement on 4 May 4, they received information about a firing incident inside Chhatrasal Stadium late in the night. Delhi Police on reaching the stadium found and seized five vehicles parked inside. One of the cars had a double-barrel gun with seven 12 bore cartridges. Three injured persons had already been taken by a police patrol van to a nearby hospital, where Dhankar succumbed to his injuries.

Since then, Sushil Kumar had been absconding. Delhi Police launched a joint operation to trace him down in five states—Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Sources said that Delhi Police formed at least 15 teams and conducted raids in several parts of Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Uttarakhand to nab the wrestler. As part of the investigation, Sushil Kumar’s last location was traced to Punjab›s Bathinda. A team of the Delhi Police reached there, tracing the mobile number being used by him, which was registered in the name of Sukhpreet Singh Brar, a resident of Bir Road in Bathinda, who was also interrogated by a team of 20 police personnel, headed by ACP Kumar.

Earlier, the Delhi court had refused to grant anticipatory bail to Sushil Kumar, saying he is prima facie the main conspirator and the allegations against him are serious in nature. The court had issued non-bailable warrants against Sushil Kumar and six others. This came days after a lookout notice was issued against the wrestler in the case.

Sources close to Sushil said that he did not run away due to the fear of the police. He was allegedly hiding as he feared a possible revenge by a gang. They said that not paying rent for two months by Sagar was the reason behind the brawl. As per sources close to Sushil, Sagar lived like a caretaker in Sushil’s house. Bringing a friend named Sonu started all the problems, they added.

Sonu allegedly belonged to the Kala Jatheri gang, which is accused of several crimes, including murders. It is believed that due to the murder of Sagar and the assault on Sonu, the Kala Jatheri gang was determined to take revenge from Sushil, who chose to hide to escape its wrath. In Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Punjab, he continuously changed his hideouts. In the meantime, he used 15 SIMs and tried to reconcile with the Kala Jatheri gang.

Delhi Police has filed an FIR in the case under sections 302 (murder), 308 (culpable homicide), 365 (kidnapping), 325 (causing grievous hurt), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 506 (criminal intimidation). It has also been registered under 188 (disobedience to order by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and various sections under the Arms Act.