A saint belonging to the Juna Akhara, residing in Shanti Bhavan located in the Kankhal police station area of Haridwar, was found dead, said the police on Sunday.

Manoj Nautiyal, Police Station Head, Kankhal Police Station while providing information about the incident, said that the police received information about the incident from Shanti Bhavan’s apartment in Haridwar.

“The saint around 70 years old identified as Sureshanand was found hanging from the flat in Shanti Bhavan’s apartment in Haridwar. He had been living in rent at the flat for the past 5-6 months,” said the official.

The official said that upon receiving the information, the police reached the spot, cut open the outer gate, recovered the body and sent it to the district hospital for a post-mortem examination.

“When we reached the spot, the gate was locked from inside. The fire service team and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team were called. Upon cutting open the door, we found a baba, approximately 70 years old and he was found hanging from a fan,” said the official.

The FSL team which was present at the scene collected evidence.

“Prima facie, it appears to be a suicide. He was a member of the Juna Akhara. The entire matter is being investigated,” said the police.

Further details on the matter are awaited.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Six people died and 22 others were injured when a bus fell into a ditch in Pauri Garhwal district’s Srinagar area on Sunday, officials said.

According to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the accident took place near Dahalchauri where the bus went out of control and fell into a 100-meter-deep gorge.

The bus, with 28 passengers on board, was en route to Dahalchauri from Pauri, they said, adding that five people died on the spot.

Local people also helped in conducting the rescue operation after the accident and the injured were taken to Pauri district hospital.

Eight of the injured have been referred to a higher health center in Srinagar in critical condition.

Pauri District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan reached the spot and conducted a speedy rescue operation under his supervision.

He has directed the officials of the Transport Department to investigate the causes of the accident.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed deep grief over the accident and also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

BJP rushed to placate the outgoing MLA from Karawal Nagar after the ticket from his current seat was given to Kapil Mishra. Mohan Singh Bisht was then given a ticket from Mustafabad in the third list of candidates released on Sunday, ahead of the February 5 Delhi Assembly election.

Mr Bisht, who has won all except one assembly election from Karawal Nagar since 1998, had earlier said, “The BJP thinks they will field anyone and he will win. This is a big mistake. You have challenged the ‘samaj’ (his Uttarakhandi community), not Mohan Singh Bisht. The BJP will lose at least 8-10 seats because of this decision, including Karawal Nagar, Burari, Mustafabad and Gokalpuri.”

Later, Mr Bisht expressed confidence that he would win the Mustafabad seat for the BJP. “I met the national president and things were ironed out. I have assured that I will contest from Mustafabad and win the seat for the party,” Bisht told PTI. The MLA said he and the BJP had considerable support in Mustafabad and he has already attended two public meetings there.

Another protest at the Delhi BJP office voiced resentment over the candidate fielded from Tughlakabad. “Vikram Bidhuri Tum Sangharsh Karo; Modi Se Bair Nahi, Rohtas Teri Khair Nahi,” the protesters, including mostly youngsters, chanted as the party leaders tried to pacify them. In the second list of BJP candidates, Rohtas Bidhuri was fielded from the Tughlakabad seat. 

A similar protest was also held by some party workers outside the Delhi BJP office against Mehrauli candidate Gajainder Yadav after the announcement of the first list of candidates earlier this month.

Mr Bisht is the only candidate announced as part of the third list of BJP candidates for the Delhi polls. In the first and second lists, 29 candidates each were announced. So far, the BJP has announced 59 candidates.

Elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly are scheduled on February 5, the counting of votes for which will be held on February 8. The elections will see the Aam Aadmi Party looking to retain power for the third consecutive term, despite many of its leaders being tainted by various cases. The BJP, out of power in Delhi since 1998, is making all-out efforts to return to the helm.