In a tragic incident on Sunday in Haryana, a kanwariya lost his life and 13 others suffered burn injuries after their canter-truck came into contact with an overhead electricity wire, according to police reports.
The victims, all kanwariyas (devotees of Lord Shiva), were on their way to Haridwar in Uttarakhand to participate in the kawar yatra, an annual pilgrimage to collect holy water from the Ganga river.
The incident occurred in the Nawada area. Emergency services were called to the scene, and the injured were promptly admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment of burn injuries. Significantly, the authorities also informed that among the injured was Nitin, a 20-year-old resident of Tigaon. 'Due to the severity of his injuries, Nitin was referred to another hospital where doctors, unfortunately, declared him dead,' they added.
Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that earlier, ahead of the commencement of the Kanwar Yatra, an uproar was raised over the directive issued by the authorities of a certain state government demanding that the eateries along the Kanwar routes should display their owners' names. However, the move triggered a massive uproar.
Earlier on Friday, in connection with the case, the Supreme Court too maintained its interim order, staying the directives issued by authorities in certain state governments, which mandated that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route display the names of their owners outside their shops. The hearing on the matter was postponed, with the interim stay order remaining in effect. The top court clarified its stance, emphasizing, "Our order is clear. If someone wants to write their name outside their shop voluntarily, we have not prevented them. Our order was that no one can be forced to write their name."
(With inputs from PTI)
READ MORE | Haryana government issues new transfer and posting orders for IAS officers
READ MORE | Gurugram: 5-year-old boy drowns in housing society's swimming pool, two arrested for negligence