New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) After the directives from the Delhi High Court to combat the use of spurious oxytocin in dairy colonies across the national capital recently, the city police and the Drug Control Department conducted a joint raid, busting an illegal manufacturing unit and apprehending its owner, an official said on Sunday.

The accused was identified as Praveen Kumar, who indulged in the illegal manufacturing of veterinary oxytocin injections for the past six months without the requisite license.

“The premises were found stocked with various materials used in the manufacturing process, including empty plastic bottles, crimp caps, sealing machines, and raw materials for oxytocin preparation,” the official added.

The oxytocin veterinary injection is a restricted drug indicated for obstetrical use in cows, sheep, and horses. However, it is widely misused in milch animals to increase milk production, especially in dairies.

According to the Delhi government’s Drug Control Department, on Saturday, acting on the intelligence provided by the Station House Officer (SHO), Bhalswa Dairy police station, was tipped off about illegal manufacturing activities concerning oxytocin.

“A joint team of Drug Control Department and the Delhi Police conducted a raid at the premises in Swaroop Nagar area and uncovered a clandestine operation of manufacturing of oxytocin veterinary injection by the accused Praveen Kumar,” said a senior Drug Control Department official.

The accused also failed to produce any valid drug license or purchase records for the materials used in manufacturing.

“He (the accused) used to manufacture this preparation from a concentrated solution and manually fill in plastic bottles after dilution. These plastic bottles used to be manually sealed with the help of a crimping machine. It was also revealed that the illegal oxytocin was being supplied to various dairy farms without proper documentation. He used to get this oxytocin-concentrated solution from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh as disclosed by him,” the official added.

In the course of the operation, samples of the illicitly manufactured oxytocin were collected for further testing/analysis as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,1940.

“Additionally, a significant amount of oxytocin preparation, along with manufacturing equipment and materials, were seized by the authorities,” said the official.

–IANS

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Panaji, May 13 (IANS) The Opposition parties in Goa have criticised the Central and the state government after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) recently said that acceptance of a ‘revocation certificate’ is ‘under consideration’ to register an Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card.

The MEA in its April 4 memorandum, had said that it had decided to accept a ‘revocation certificate’ instead of a ‘surrender certificate’ as an alternative document.

However, its corrigendum published on April 30 said this is only “under consideration” by the MHA.

Opposition leader Yuri Alemao said: “Once again ‘jumlas’ of BJP stands exposed with MEA backing out on its earlier memorandum creating confusion over the OCI registration. Giving hardship and mental torture to citizens is in the DNA of BJP.”

The INDIA bloc will resolve this issue after coming to power in the coastal state in June, Alemao added.

“It is noticed time and again that BJP always gave step-motherly treatment to seafarers and Goans working abroad. BJP has always insulted and abused our Goans who work abroad to earn their livelihood,” he said.

“I demand that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who was prompt to thank the Central government after the memorandum was issued on April 4, 2024, should now make the government’s position clear,” he added.

Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai said that the BJP has taken a ‘U-turn’ over the OCI issue after the Lok Sabha election held in the coastal state.

“It’s now abundantly clear that the double-engine government had no intention of bringing any relief to the thousands of Goans applying for OCI cards. The MEA’s earlier office memorandum which the Chief Minister had called ‘great news’ has now turned to ‘horrible news’ with the MEA passing the buck to the Home Ministry,” Sardesai added.

Revolutionary Goans Party Chief Manoj Parab said: “Election is over in Goa and BJP’s ‘U-Turn’ politics continues. This time it’s an OCI matter. BJP’s “anti-Goan” stand once again exposed. Be it Mhadei or OCI, the BJP is only betraying Goa.”

–IANS

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Guwahati, May 13 (IANS) At least eight Assam Police personnel fell ill and experienced vomiting and diarrhoea after eating wild mushrooms in the Dhemaji district on Sunday, officials said.

The security personnel were part of the 22nd Battalion and were stationed near Panbari, near Gogamukh, along the Assam and Arunachal Pradesh inter-state boundary, supposedly ate the mushrooms for lunch.

They fell ill around half an hour after eating and were immediately rushed to the Gogamukh health centre.

A senior police officer said all eight security personnel were later rushed to the Dhemaji Civil Hospital. The doctors attending them declared out of danger.

The condition of one security personnel, Siruz Mora, was critical and he was admitted to the ICU at Dhemaji Civil Hospital.

–IANS

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Hyderabad, May 13 (IANS) Two persons were killed by lightning as rains, accompanied by strong winds, lashed parts of Telangana on Sunday.

Trees were uprooted and electricity poles fell at a few places due to strong winds.

The deaths were reported from Medak district, where a man and his grandson were killed. The deceased were identified as Sriramulu, 50, and Vishal, 11.

Five persons were injured in lightning strikes in the Adilabad district.

As electricity was disrupted in some towns and villages after poles collapsed due to strong winds in districts like Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Warangal, Hanamkonda, and Bhupalapally, the arrangements for Monday’s polling were affected.

Kothaguda in Mahabubabad district received 9.25 cm of rainfall. Bhupalapally received 8.5 cm while Gorrakunta in Warangal district recorded 7.4 cm.

The rains also caused damage to the paddy stored at procurement centres.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy enquired about the damage caused by strong winds, rain, and lightning in several districts. He ordered the Collectors of the rain-hit districts and higher officials to be on high alert as the Indian Meteorological Department ( IMD) has warned of heavy rains.

The CM asked the officials concerned to take appropriate action in the areas which bore the brunt of the rains.

He expressed grief over the incident in which two people succumbed to lightning at Pedda Shankarampeta mandal in Medak district and said that the government will extend support to the families of the victims.

The Chief Minister also instructed the authorities to provide better treatment to the injured in the lightning incidents.

He assured the farmers not to worry if their paddy stocks get wet due to rains at the procurement centres. Officials have been asked to buy the paddy with moisture content, piled up in the procurement centres.

The IMD has issued an orange alert for certain parts of the state. There is a possibility of light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by lightning, in several districts of Telangana, including Hyderabad, on May 13.

–IANS

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New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) Several hospitals in Delhi, along with the Indira Gandhi International Airport, received bomb threat emails on Sunday, triggering a panic and sending the security personnel into a tizzy. However, subsequent investigations by Delhi Police revealed the threats to be false alarms.

The fresh incident follows closely on the heels of a similar incident over 10 days ago when over 100 schools across Delhi-NCR received hoax threat emails, prompting widespread police response searches.

On Sunday, bomb threat emails were sent to 21 addresses, prompting the hospitals to notify police, who along with bomb disposal squads conducted extensive searches of all the premises, yet no evidence of any explosives was discovered.

“At around 3.30 p.m. on Sunday, a bomb hoax email was received at GTB Hospital, GTB Enclave. Hospital authorities informed the local police about that email. Immediately, the police swung into action and called the Bomb Disposal Squad at the Hospital and got the checking done at GTB Hospital and Delhi State Cancer Institute (situated within the premises of GTB Hospital). Nothing suspicious was found,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara), Surendra Choudhary.

“I have placed explosives inside the building. They will explode… this isn’t a threat, you have a few hours to defuse the bombs or else the blood of innocent people inside the building will be on your hands,” read the email whose screenshot was accessed by IANS.

“The group called ‘Court’ is behind this massacre,” the email sent around 3.05 p.m. on Sunday read.

In north Delhi, Burari Hospital also received a similar threat, following which the police, accompanied by bomb disposal squads, conducted thorough searches. However, nothing threatening was uncovered.

“An email was received at the hospital regarding a bomb threat. Police and a bomb disposal team conducted searches at Burari Hospital. Nothing suspicious was found,” said DCP (North) M.K. Meena.

“No information regarding the bomb threat email came from Hindu Rao and Aruna Asif Ali hospitals. However, we searched over there too as the email addresses were mentioned in the email. Nothing suspicious was found,” added Meena.

A senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi official said that the Additional Medical Superintendent of Hindu Rao Hospital, nodal officer, exigency officer and security in-charge of the hospital took another round of the hospital premises and a few openings were instructed to be closed.

“Directions to increase security checks at night and increased questioning and inspection issued. OT, Emergency, CCU, and Blood Bank are equipped for any adverse event. The hospital is on high alert for QRT activation. Hospital staff have also been asked to be vigilant,” said the MCD official.

In Dwarka, the Dabri police station received a call reporting a bomb threat email directed at Dada Dev Hospital.

“Police and hospital staff checked the premises of the hospital. But nothing suspicious was found in the hospital,” said DCP (Dwarka) Ankit Singh.

The Security Operations Control Centre at Indira Gandhi International Airport received a threat regarding the presence of an explosive device on the premises. However, upon investigation, nothing was discovered.

“The Security Operations Control Centre at IGI Airport has received a threat email concerning an explosive device within the premises. Enhanced security protocols are now in effect, and safety measures have been intensified. Legal action has been initiated. No suspicious items have been found as of now,” said DCP (IGI Airport) Usha Rangnani, adding: “Please remain calm and disregard any rumours.”

–IANS

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