Firozabad: Railway over-bridge collapses; rescue operations under way

Rs 2-Crore Robbery Accused Killed In Firozabad Encounter; ASP Anuj Chaudhary Survives Close Call

During the exchange of fire, Ramgarh SHO Sanjeev Dubey was injured, while ASP (Rural) Anuj Chaudhary narrowly escaped after a bullet struck his bulletproof jacket

UP on an unstoppable path of growth under CM Yogi Adityanath: Industry Minister Piyush Goyal

LUCKNOW: The third edition of the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show (UPITS-2025) concluded on Monday with a grand closing ceremony in the presence of Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, as the chief guest on the final day. While congratulating the Uttar Pradesh government on the event's resounding success, the Union Minister said that UPITS reflected the economic, industrial, and cultural potential not only of the state but of India as a whole. He urged a collective commitment to promote indigenous products, encourage entrepreneurship, and realize the vision of a Viksit India by 2047. Highlighting transformation in Uttar Pradesh over the past eight years, the Union Minister attributed it to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the decisive governance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying the state was now on an unstoppable growth trajectory. He emphasised that a secure business environment and robust infrastructure had made Uttar Pradesh emerge as the preferred destination for investors. The Minister highlighted UPITS 2025 as unique in its inclusivity, bringing together ministers, government officials, industry representatives, entrepreneurs, exporters, MSMEs, women entrepreneurs, and startup founders. When all stakeholders come together, it creates the perfect synergy, which is the true secret behind Uttar Pradeshs development journey, remarked the union minister. Referring to GST Savings Festival which commenced from September 22, the minister noted that the reduction in taxes on everyday items was a significant gift for consumers during Navratri. He described September 22nd as a historic milestonethe largest reform since independence, the impact of which would be felt for decades. He said that India now stood as the fourth-largest economy in the world and would soon become the third-largest, with substantial foreign exchange reserves. Goyal added that Indian passports are now symbols of respect and trust, and that developed nations worldwide are eager to establish free-trade agreements with India. Referring to the situation in Uttar Pradesh prior to 2017, Goyal stated that the state was in the grip of an atmosphere of fear and crime. Traders felt unsafe, half of Noida's projects remained incomplete, and many factories had shut down. However, the scenario transformed after Yogi government came to power. Law and order were strengthened, investor confidence returned, and a new era of inclusive development began when the people of Uttar Pradesh voted the BJP to power in 2017 with a two-thirds majority. Goyal highlighted that Uttar Pradesh was the first state to establish a separate Ministry for Export Promotion. The One District One Product (ODOP) scheme has expanded to over 750 districts nationwide, with more than 1,200 products gaining global recognition. Today, whether visited by the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Union Minister, or foreign Ambassador, ODOP products are proudly presented as gifts, boosting the morale of entrepreneurs, he stated. Referring to Unity Malls, envisioned by Prime Minister Modi, Goyal said these malls were being developed in every state. In Uttar Pradesh, three malls would be established in Lucknow, Agra, and Varanasi, showcasing ODOP products from all 75 districts of the state and across India. Those malls would serve as platforms for women entrepreneurs and young people, opening up new avenues of opportunity. Emphasising Prime Minister Modi's definition of Swadeshi, Goyal urged citizens to pledge to purchase indigenous products wherever possible. He explained that Swadeshi represents goods made with the blood and sweat of Indian people, produced on Indian soil. While companies, investments, and technology can come from abroad, production and employment should remain in India. Goyal said that UPITS had provided a vast platform, giving Uttar Pradeshs products global recognition. From glassware from Firozabad, brass work from Moradabad, Banarasi sarees, Lucknow chikankari, to Agras leather products, the event has showcased the states craftsmanship to the world. He emphasised that UPITS is not just an exhibition but a living example of Uttar Pradeshs new industrial policy, and that the recent reduction in GST rates will further boost local consumption, benefiting all participants.

Supreme Court allows Ram Leela at school ground, stays Allahabad High Court interim stay

The Supreme Court on Thursday permitted the continuation of Ram Leela celebrations at a school ground in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, setting aside an interim stay imposed by the Allahabad High Court.

'We Don't Approve But...': SC Allows Ramleela Festivities On School Ground In UP's Firozabad

The top court also pulled up the petitioner Pradeep Singh Rana for not moving with his complaint earlier and filing the case only after the festivities began on September 14

SC stays Allahabad HC order barring Ramleela festivities in school ground in Firozabad

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Allahabad High Court order which barred holding of Ramleela festivities in a school ground in Firozabad district of Uttar Pradesh. A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh allowed the festivities to continue subject to the condition that no inconvenience is caused to students. Although we don't approve of holding religious festivities in school grounds but this Ramleela has been going on for past 100 years and festivities for this year began on September 14, the bench noted while staying the paragraph in the high court order which barred holding of the festivities. It issued notice on the plea filed by Shree Nagar Ram Lila Mahtosav to the Uttar Pradesh government and asked the high court to direct the district administration to submit a proposal for another site in the future. The bench asked the high court to hear the Shree Nagar Ram Lila Mahtosav on the next date of hearing along with other stakeholders and submit a proposal for another site. The top court also pulled up the petitioner Pradeep Singh Rana for not moving with his complaint earlier and filing the case only after the festivities began on September 14. This Ramleela has been going on for 100 years and you also accept this fact. Then what prevented you from moving the courts in advance and stopping the festivities. Neither you are a student nor you are parents of the students, what interest you have in stopping the festivities, the bench told the PIL petitioner. The PIL petitioner submitted that it was only after they started constructing a concrete wall that he had approached the high court for stay of the festivities.

Indore group to burn 11-headed Surpanakha effigy with faces of accused women on Dussehra

BHOPAL: Come Dussehra and it would not just be the effigies of ten-headed demon king Ravan, which will be burnt in Indore to mark the victory of good over evil. In a development, which might generate controversy in the coming days, an 11-headed giant-size effigy of Surpanakha (sister of Ravan) will be burnt this year in Indore on Dussehra by Paurush a group working for the cause of men who are victims of wives abuse. Each head of the giant effigy will have representative faces of women who are either accused or have already been convicted by courts for killing their better halves or children in various parts of the country. In the centre of the 11 faces will be Indores Sonam Raghuvanshi, who along with alleged lover Raj Kushwah has recently been charge-sheeted by Meghalaya Police for plotting the May 23, 2025 honeymoon killing of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi. The other ten faces will include Harsha Padiyar, who is accused of abetting photographer husband Nitin Padiyars alleged suicide in Indore in January 2025, and Hansa Patel of MPs Dewas district who was allegedly involved in the murder of husband Pravin Patel. The effigy will further have faces of Muskan Rastogi, who is accused of murdering her husband with her lovers help in UPs Meerut in March 2025, and Ravita Kashyap, who with her lovers help allegedly strangled husband Amit Kashyap to death in the same western UP district in April 2025. The other faces include Shashi Devi (Firozabad, UP) who is accused of poisoning her husband to death with her lovers help in July 2025, Nikita Singhania (Jaunpur, UP) who is accused of abetting AI engineer husband Atul Subhashs suicide in Bengaluru in December 2024, Sushmita Dev (Delhi) who allegedly murdered husband Karan Dev with her lovers help in July 2025, and Gudiya Devi who allegedly murdered husband Vijay Chauhan in Mumbai in July 2025. Two women who are accused of killing their children too will have their representative faces on the heads of the Surpanakha effigy, including Suchna Seth who allegedly killed her four-year-old son in Goa and transported the body in her luggage, and Priyanka Savita, a widow convicted in July this year by a court in central UPs Auraiya district for mercilessly killing her three children in June 2024. Surpanakhas effigy will reportedly be paraded through the city in a procession before being burnt at Indores Mahalaxmi Nagar Mela Ground at 6.30 pm on Dussehra. Already banners and posters of this first-of-its-kind Surpanakha Dahan event have been put up in some parts of Indore, and announcements inviting commoners to attend are being made. All that matters is the destruction of evil, irrespective of whether its male or female. The event is being organized with this theme in mind. Ravan symbolizes evil during his time, but in the modern world, such Surpanakhas also symbolize evil and destruction, Paurush organizations head Ashok Dashora said.

India will not bow down to US tariffs: Baghel

FIROZABAD (UP), Aug 29: Union Minister SP Singh Baghel today said that India is not going to bow down to the tariffs of America and the country will move forward by becoming self-reliant with the use of startups, Make in India and indigenous goods. The union Minister, who came to express condolences to the victims family in the case of murder of a teenager in Rajawali area, directed the officials to work out the murder and arrest the accused soon. [] The post India will not bow down to US tariffs: Baghel appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Kanwar Yatra turns tragic: Four pilgrims die in stampede amid uncontrolled influx of devotees

BHOPAL: At least four devotees from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Chhattisgarh have died in the past two days during the massive Kanwar Yatra at Kubereshwar Dham in Madhya Pradeshs Sehore district, as authorities struggled to manage the overwhelming influx of pilgrims. The victims include Jaswanti Ben (56) from Rajkot, Gujarat, and Sangita Gupta from Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, who reportedly died in a stampede on Tuesday, just hours before the main procession led by religious preacher Pradip Mishra began at midnight. The same day, two more devoteesChatur Singh (50) from Gujarat and Ishwar Singh (65) from Rohtak, Haryana, collapsed and died, likely due to heart complications after being trapped in suffocating crowds amid humid weather. The fatalities occurred as over 2.5 lakh devotees from across India descended upon the religious site, overwhelming infrastructure and leading to a complete breakdown of basic amenities, including drinking water, food, and sanitation. Traffic chaos compounded the crisis, with the Indore-Bhopal Highway gridlocked since Tuesday night, leaving vehicles stranded for hours. Despite official restrictions on heavy vehicles and alternate routes, enforcement was either poorly executed or ignored entirely. Madhya Pradesh cabinet minister Govind Rajput acknowledged the lack of preparedness, stating, Such a massive crowd wasnt expected, which has actually led the system to fall short. I urge the administration to take control and ensure that such a tragedy doesnt repeat. Meanwhile, former MP minister and Congress MLA Rajendra Singh questioned accountability, asking, Who will take the responsibility for the deaths which happened at the Kubereshwar Dham in the last two days? Will the authorities or those associated with the religious event, who is to be held responsible for it? The incident has raised serious concerns over crowd management at large religious gatherings, with calls for stricter safety measures to prevent further tragedies.

Close to 3500 of over 60,000 new recruits in UP police drop out of training

LUCKNOW: After going through the rigours of the recruitment during the biggest ever recruitment drive to appoint 60,244 constables in UP Police, over 3568 candidates selected have left the job at the onset. After the selection process for 60,244 posts, comprising 48195 for men and 12049 for women, under -- Recruitment 2023 -- was completed, 3568 candidates did not even join the job. Over 100 candidates joined the department but resigned after participating in the initial sessions of training. The recruitment process commenced in December 2023 with a plan to induct 20 per cent women, leading to 12049 female candidates in the police force. Initially, the examination for the recruitment was held in February 2024, but had to be cancelled due to the paper leak. The process restarted in August 2024, and the exam was conducted. Approximately 50 lakh candidates applied for this exam. However, at the time of examination in August 2024, about 30 per cent of the aspirants did not appear in the exam. The final result of the exam was declared on March 13, 2025. On June 15, in the presence of Amit Shah, appointment letters were distributed to the selected candidates at a grand event in state capital, Lucknow. From June 21, a month-long JTC (joining Training Course) of the selected candidates started and it culminated in their main training beginning at the Recruitment Training Centres (RTC) from July 21. Finally, at the time of joining, instead of 48,195, only 45,055 men joined, and instead of 12,049 women, only 11,621 female candidates joined the training. Out of 60,244, only 56,676 candidates joined. The remaining 3568 candidates distanced themselves from the police job. Former DGP and DG Training Sukhkan Singh feels that when the youngsters are jobless, not joining even after being selected is beyond understanding. There could be several reasons for this. When such candidates do not join, the positions that remain vacant are re-advertised. The recruitment process for those positions is started afresh. According to an officer associated with the training claimed that a few candidates had resigned after joining the training. The number of such candidates is reported to be more than 100. A few of them were selected for the post of Village Development Officer. Meanwhile, there were a few people who could not bear the rigors of the training. A candidate from Deoria district in eastern UP quit simply because he could not wake up at 5 am in the morning. He was appointed in the Ghazipur district. Initially, his father tried to convince him, but when it didn't work, the candidate went to the SP office and submitted his resignation. Similarly, trainee constable Tarun Kumar committed suicide by jumping from a three-storey barrack in Firozabad Police Line on July 23, 2025. In Bulandshahr Police Line on July 26, 2025, trainee constable Bhupendra attempted suicide by consuming a poisonous substance. He was referred to a higher centre in critical condition. A resident of Hathras, Bhupendra had returned from home just a day before. Meanwhile, over 9,000 constables, comprising 5,914 men and 3,533 women are receiving training across 10 training institutes (ATC, PTC, and PTS). Additionally, 4,302 candidates, comprising 2,800 men and 1,502 women are receiving training across all commissionerates. Meanwhile, in the Agra zone, there are 3,250 men, in Bareilly zone, there are 2,800 men and 1,900 women, in Gorakhpur, there are 3,348 men and 1,005 women, and in Kanpur zone there are 1,986 men and 1,104 women. Similarly, in Lucknow zone, there are 3,380 men and 600 women, in Meerut zone, there are 3,048 men, in Prayagraj 3,051 men, and in Varanasi, 3,355 men and 605 women are undergoing training. Meanwhile, in the PAC battalion, 12,407 men and 1,533 women are undergoing training. This includes training for 284 men and 161 women who are dependents of deceased personnel.

In UP Horror, Wife Poisons Husband Twice, Lover Involved In Murder Plot

In a shocking incident in Firozabad's Ulau village, a young man named Sunil succumbed to poisoning, allegedly administered by his wife and her lover.

Meat Found on Kanwar Yatra Route in Firozabad, Situation Under Control: Police

According to police, the meat pieces were allegedly thrown from the flyover above the yatra route

Meat pieces found on kanwar yatra route in Firozabad, situation under control: Police

FIROZABAD: Panic briefly gripped parts of Firozabad on Sunday evening after pieces of meat were allegedly found on the kanwar yatra route near the Kotla crossing here, officials said. According to police, the meat pieces were allegedly thrown from the flyover above the yatra route. However, swift action by the local police and administration helped prevent any untoward incident, they said. Some miscreants threw meat remains from the Kotla crossing flyover onto the road below. Understanding the sensitivity of the matter, the police team on the spot immediately got the area cleaned, said Sanjul Pandey, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Uttar police station. He added that to maintain calm, police personnel showered flowers on the passing kanwariyas. No kanwariya was harmed or disturbed by the incident.The situation remains completely peaceful, and the Yatra continues smoothly, he said. Security has been tightened in the area, and an investigation is underway to identify those behind the incident, police added.

Election Commission Holding Regular Dialogue With Parties: CEC On Criticism From Opposition

Firozabad (UP), Jul 5: With opposition parties accusing the Election Commission of ignoring their concerns, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday asserted that the poll panel maintains a regular dialogue with political parties and 5,000 such meetings have been held in the past four months, beginning from the assembly level. Replying to queries from reporters in Firozabad, where he came to attend a private programme, Kumar said that after voters, political parties are the next important stakeholders for the [] The post Election Commission Holding Regular Dialogue With Parties: CEC On Criticism From Opposition appeared first on Daily Excelsior .