News in brief from across Gujarat

– The Ahmedabad Rural Court has granted bail to accused Ripal Panchal, who allegedly, while in an inebriated condition, rammed his Audi car into over five vehicles on Bopal Ambli Road. The accused was apprehended at the location of the incident on Monday and was presented in court today, which granted him bail on a bond of ₹15,000.

– Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Maharashtra’s new Chief Minister. The ceremony is likely to be held on December 1. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance achieved a massive victory in the recent state assembly polls, with the BJP securing 132 seats and its allies Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) winning 57 and 41 seats, respectively.

– The Himatnagar Nagar Palika has demolished around 70 illegal encroachments on government land near the Hathmati Canal amid heavy police presence. The local body had issued notices to the encroachers 15 days ago, instructing them to clear the encroachments voluntarily. However, when no action was taken, the demolition drive was conducted using JCB machines. Additionally, the UGVCL disconnected the electricity connections that had been illegally acquired by the encroachers.

– Allegations have surfaced regarding the death of an accused in the custody of Gomtipur police in Ahmedabad. The deceased individual, Darshan Chauhan, passed away late last night while being taken to the hospital for medical check-ups along with seven others. These individuals had been apprehended under the Prohibition Act for allegedly consuming alcohol.

– A fire broke out at the Old Secretariat, i.e., Dr. Jivraj Mehta Bhavan, in the state capital Gandhinagar. The fire started in Block-1 of the building, housing the Labour and Employment office. The fire brigade swiftly responded to the scene, working to bring the blaze under control. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but preliminary reports suggest that a short circuit may have triggered the blaze.