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Tirupati . lucknow . cuttack . patna NEARBY India records 89,019 fresh 4 poll personnel suspended in cases, highest in 6 months Assam for ‘lift’ in BJP vehicle Re­polling ordered at a booth in Ratabari constituency 713 more deaths Highest single SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT as surge continues NEW DELHI/GUWAHATI Rakesh Tikait’s convoy day vaccine The Election Commission attacked in Rajasthan for 23rd day has suspended four polling JAIPUR/GHAZIABAD Special Correspondent coverage personnel, including a pre­ Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Chennai Rakesh Tikait’s convoy was siding officer and an armed India recorded the highest More than 36.7 lakh escort officer, besides order­ allegedly attacked in COVID­19 vaccine doses Rajasthan’s Alwar district on single­day rise in coronavi­ ing a re­poll at a booth in rus cases in six months with were administered in the southern Assam’s Ratabari Friday. He was on his way to last 24 hours, the highest address a farmers’ rally in 89,019 new infections in a Assembly constituency, af­ single day coverage till now, Bansur. A group of people span of 24 hours, taking the ter electronic voting ma­ the Union Health Ministry allegedly pelted stones at COVID­19 tally of cases to chines (EVMs) were found in the cavalcade, damaging the 1,23,91,129, according to the said on Friday. Of the a vehicle linked to a BJP can­ rear windscreen of his car. State Health Departments 36,71,242 vaccine doses, didate contesting the adjoin­ Mr. Tikait, who escaped and Ministries on Friday. 33,65,597 beneficiaries were ing Patharkandi seat. unhurt, blamed ‘BJP goons’ The single­day rise in cas­ vaccinated for the first dose Both constituencies are in was returning from 149­Indi­ who found armed escort of­ for the attack. es is the highest recorded and 3,05,645 beneficiaries Karimganj district. ra MV School under the Ra­ ficer Luhit Gohain guilty of received the second dose of NORTH & EAST Ī PAGE 4 since September 8, 2020, Officials said the polling tabari constituency, about leaving the stranded polling DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD while the death toll in­ the vaccine. Ī Page 10 personnel were unaware 70 km away. party behind and not ensur­ creased to 1,64,141 with 713 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD they had — after their car ing its safe arrival at the new fatalities, the highest broke down near Nilamba­ EVM seals intact destination. since December 3, data up­ ber 3. The number of people crossed the 20­lakh mark on tober 29, 90 lakh on Novem­ zar, 20 km short of district The seals of the EVMs were Mr. Paul did not take calls. dated at 11.45 p.m. showed. who have recuperated from August 7, 30 lakh on August ber 20 and surpassed the headquarters Karimganj — found intact, but the EC de­ But his party members said As many as 89,855 new in­ the disease surged to 23, 40 lakh on September 5 one crore­mark on Decem­ taken a lift in a vehicle regis­ cided to conduct a re­poll at the Opposition had blown a fections were recorded in a 1,15,67,060. The case fatality and 50 lakh on September ber 19. tered in the name of Mad­ the polling station con­ “minor” incident out of pro­ span of 24 hours on Septem­ rate stood at 1.33%, the data 16. It went past 60 lakh on humita Paul, the wife of cerned. The panel also portion. ber 8, while 541 daily deaths stated. September 28, 70 lakh on CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 Patharkandi BJP candidate sought a report from the were registered on Decem­ India’s COVID­19 tally had October 11, 80 lakh on Oc­ MORE REPORTS Ī PAGE 10 Krishnendu Paul. The team special general observer, CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 Two attackers of BJP leader killed in Pulwama I-T searches on premises of Stalin’s kin 10 civilians injured sence of terrorists in the re­ ice said. Amid charges of cash for polls, offices of former Minister, aides raided across T.N. sidential house of Nawaz The police identified the in clashes after Ahmad Dar in Dhobi Mohal­ slain militants as Junaid Ah­ Sangeetha Kandavel “These groups and indivi­ were in Chennai, Coimbatore, la of Kakapora. They were mad Nengroo from Prichoo R.Sivaraman duals are involved in busi­ Karur and Thanjavur. A total the encounter CHENNAI/ TIRUCHI given an opportunity to sur­ in Pulwama, Suhail Nisar nesses ranging from running of 28 premises were covered Special Correspondent render. However, they start­ Lone and Yawar Ahmad Wa­ The Income Tax (I­T) Depart­ distilleries and breweries, real under Section 132 of the I­T Srinagar ed firing indiscriminately. ni, both residents of Khrew ment on Friday knocked on estate, local financing, solar Act. CBDT officials said sever­ Three militants, including Later, all the three trapped in Pampore. the doors of V. Sabareesan, power EPC to handling cash al incriminating materials on the two persons who at­ terrorists were killed,” In­ “Preliminary investiga­ the son­in­law of DMK presi­ of politically exposed persons tax evasion had been found. tacked the house of a BJP spector General of Police tion revealed that the terror dent M.K. Stalin, a few of his for the ongoing election. Part Sources said the premises leader on Thursday, were (IGP) Vijay Kumar said. attack on a BJP leader’s associates and former Tran­ I­T officials searching V. of these groups and indivi­ of two of Mr. Sabareesan’s killed in an operation of the A jawan walking past the The police said it tactfully house was jointly carried sport Minister Senthil Balaji. Sabareesan’s house in duals are alleged to have been close aides, Bala of G Square security forces in south encounter site. * NISSAR AHMAD rescued five civilians taken out by Srinagar and Pulwa­ Searches were conducted at Chennai. * KARUNAKARAN M. actively assisting in political Realtors Private Limited, and Kashmir's Pulwama on Fri­ hostage by the trapped ter­ ma­based terrorists of the over five places in Chennai, cash distribution. Searches Karthik Mohan, son of DMK’s day. Around 10 civilians, in­ “Just after the attack on rorists. “During the encoun­ Lashkar­e­Taiba and Al­ including Mr. Sabareesan’s re­ partment said the searches on have been conducted to verify Anna Nagar MLA M.K. Mohan, cluding a woman, were in­ the BJP leader in Srinagar’s ter, a stray bullet hit a wo­ Badr,” Mr. Kumar said. sidence in Neelankarai on three different groups and a and unearth such activities were also searched. jured in clashes near the Nowgam, the police acted man in her leg. Her East Coast Road. few individuals by its Chennai too,” the agency said. encounter site. on a lead regarding the pre­ condition is stable,” the pol­ CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 Late in the evening, the De­ Directorate were continuing. The premises searched CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC ‘4th wave in Delhi; no lockdown plans’ Drugs beat BMWs this Special Correspondent COVID­19 in the Capital. “less serious” than the pre­ New Delhi The city recorded 3,594 vious ones, Mr. Kejriwal said Chief Minister Arvind Kejri­ fresh COVID­19 cases on Fri­ any decision on lockdown poll season in Assam wal on Friday said the Delhi day, the highest daily count will be taken “after due con­ government was not plan­ since December 4 last year, sultation with the public”. Narcotics worth ₹34 crore seized ning any lockdown in the taking the tally to 6.68 lakh. wake of the ‘fourth wave’ of Terming the latest surge DETAILS ON Ī PAGE 3 RAHUL KARMAKAR crystalline GUWAHATI methamphetamine, 4.22 kg Elections in Assam have of heroin, 1 kg of morphine often been associated with and 252.85 gm of brown the doling out of ‘BMWs’, a sugar. The surveillance coded contraction for teams also recovered blanket, money and wine. 3,02,188 methamphetamine Going by the seizures by capsules and pills of other various enforcement narcotic substances. agencies, the ‘BMWs’ “The seizure of drugs appear to have lost was highest in eastern out to narcotic Assam,” State drugs during Nodal Officer the ongoing Rahul Das poll. said. Between Most of the February tea 26, when plantations the model are in eastern code of Assam. conduct came For Excise and into force, and Revenue Intelligence March 31, the illustration: officials, this could enforcement and Sreejith be a disturbing regulatory agencies Ravikumar trend, as other parts seized cash, illegally of Assam have been transported liquor and notorious for drug other items worth a record trafficking. These include ₹110.83 crore. the Barak Valley, used by Officials said there was dealers on the Myanmar­ nothing unusual about Mizoram­Bangladesh axis seizing cash, liquor and to illegally transport other valuables during the heroin, methamphetamine campaign phase. What and high­codeine cough stumped them was the syrups. seizure of narcotic Western Assam’s Dhubri substances worth more district is also a conduit. than ₹34.29 crore. “The seizure of cannabis Freebies of the in eastern Assam is not intoxicating kind, such as unusual since it is grown in Indian and foreign brand parts of southern cigarettes and tobacco Arunachal Pradesh and products, also touched a Nagaland. It is the other record value of ₹14.91 crore. substances confiscated in The drugs seized the area that we are more included 6,892.82 kg of worried about,” an Excise cannabis, 10.27 kg of official said.