Pioneer in short
Avalanche hits Kashmir's Sonamarg
An avalanche occurred in the Sarbal area of Sonamarg, Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. The Sarbal village is the last village of the Kashmir valley. The mammoth avalanche was caught on camera at the tourist site.No loss of life or damage to properties has been reported so far. Meanwhile, heavy snowfall across Kashmir on Tuesday forced the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and led to the cancellation of all flights at Srinagar International Airport, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded. The snow, which began late Monday night, covered the plains and higher reaches, turning popular resorts like Sonamarg, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam into winter landscapes. National Highway 44 was blocked near the Navyug tunnel at Qazigund and Banihal, while all 58 scheduled flights, including 29 arrivals and 29 departures, were cancelled due to unsafe runway conditions. Train services were also disrupted between Banihal and Budgam but resumed later after track clearance. Tourists expressed mixed reactions: some lamented travel delays, while others enjoyed the extended stay. The J&K Disaster Management Authority issued avalanche warnings for 11 districts, including high-danger alerts above 2,000 metres in Ganderbal.
UP officer resigns, Govt suspends him
Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri staged a dharna outside the district magistrate’s office on Tuesday after the Uttar Pradesh government suspended him for indiscipline following his resignation over new UGC rules. Agnihotri, a 2019-batch Provincial Civil Service officer, had resigned on Monday, citing deep disagreement with government policies, claiming the regulations could foment caste-based tensions and harm the academic environment. Despite police presence outside his residence, Agnihotri and supporters marched to the collectorate, alleging a “well-planned conspiracy” against him. The administration dismissed claims of attempts to detain him as baseless. His suspension order, issued Monday night, attached him to the Shamli DM’s office pending disciplinary proceedings.
Kidnapped youth freed in Jharkhand
The 24-year-old son of a Jamshedpur-based industrialist was rescued by police from Jharkhand’s Hazaribag district early Tuesday, nearly two weeks after his abduction, officials said. Kairav Gandhi, son of Devang Gandhi, Vice-President of the Adityapur Small Industries Association (ASIA), was kidnapped on January 13 while travelling to his office in the Adityapur industrial area. Senior Superintendent of Police (East Singhbhum) Piyush Pandey said Kairav was freed around midnight on the Chauparan-Barhi stretch of the GT Road after sustained police pressure. He was handed over to his family around 4.30 am and was found to be in good health, with no signs of torture. Police said the abductors intercepted Kairav on the Kadma-Sonari link road, forced him into a vehicle bearing a police sticker, and abandoned his car later the same night.
