CM Oommen Chandy's car skids off road, falls into drain

February 28, 2016

Kottayam, Feb 28: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy escaped unhurt after the car in which he was travelling skidded and fell into a small road-side drain in the district in the wee hours of today.

The accident occurred at about 2:45 AM at Kanakari in Vaikom-Ettumanoor road when the Chief Minister was on his way to his home town Puthuppally in the district, after attending the function of President Pranab Mukherjee at Kozhikode yesterday.

The Chief Minister's gunman, who was sitting in the front, suffered minor injuries and was treated by the doctors at the guest house here, officials said.

The exact reason for the accident was yet to be ascertained. One version is that the tyre of the car got punctured that led to the car skidding into the drain. Another version is that car driver dozed off.

The Chief Minister continued his journey in the pilot vehicle to his hometowm, Officials said.

Later talking to reporters who met him at his residence in Puthuppally, Chandy said that he escaped without injury as he was wearing a seat belt.

Chandy as usual went to the Church in his village in the morning and offered prayers. Chandy, who visits his constituency on Sundays if there is no other important engagement, also met locals and heard their grievances, official at the Chief Minister's office at Thiruvananthapuram said.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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