Rajasthan: Wall of marriage hall collapses in Bharatpur, 24 dead; owner booked

May 11, 2017

Jaipur, May 11: In a tragic incident, 24 people, including four children, were killed and 30 injured when a wall of a marriage hall collapsed during a heavy storm in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan on Wednesday night.

The dead included eight women and four children, officials said.

While 22 people died instantly when the wall near which they had taken shelter collapsed due to a thunderstorm, two others died later in the night, police and district officials said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed pain at the loss of lives in the incident and announced Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. The PM also announced Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is likely to visit Bharatpur.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Anil Tank said the marriage homeowner was today booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

He said a survey of all the marriage homes and gardens in Bharatpur will be conducted to review safety and security measures.

District Magistrate NK Gupta said that the incident, which occurred in Annapurna Marriage Home located on Sewar road, was triggered due to a thunderstorm and rainfall in the district.

A marriage function was going on in the hall when the storm hit the area, police said.

People took shelter under a shed attached to a wall which collapsed suddenly, Inspector General of Police Alok Vashishtha told PTI.

He said the entire structure of the wall and the shed collapsed and they got trapped.

Superintendent of Police Anil Tank said the wall was nearly 90-feet long and 12-13 feet in height.

Several food stalls were set up adjoining the wall. A tin shed was also attached to a portion of the wall.

"The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals immediately and treatment was administered. One injured has been referred to SMS Hospital in Jaipur,' he said.

The weather suddenly changed and heavy winds started blowing last night which led to the incident at Sewar Road.

The bodies have been shifted to a mortuary and post-mortem will be conducted today, police sources said.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje condoled the deaths and gave necessary instructions to officers concerned for proper treatment of the injured.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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