Crimes Files: Passengers Stranded As Lorry Catches Fire on NH-65

 Nalgonda: Holiday-makers heading home for Dasara were stranded in a 3-km-long jam on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada National Highway-65 near Chityal when an overspeeding lorry caught fire after hitting a culvert on Friday morning.

The cement-loaded lorry was headed to Hyderabad from Kodad and the driver lost control of the vehicle after one of the tyres burst, causing the accident at about 7 am.

Hundreds of vehicles slowed to a crawl for nearly four hours. Normal traffic flow resumed at 11 am after police removed the damaged lorry to the roadside.

According to the police, the fire spread to the lorry's petrol tank, creating panic among road-users. The lorry driver abandoned the vehicle after it caught fire. Fire safety personnel from Chityal arrived at the location and extinguished the flames.

The highway was particularly busy due to the large number of people from Hyderabad travelling to their hometowns for Dasara celebrations.

Adilabad: Passengers aboard an RTC non-stop bus en route to Sircilla from Karimnagar briefly panicked on Friday when the driver suffered a seizure while driving. The incident occurred near Geethabhan, close to the Karimnagar bus stand. The driver managed to safely stop the bus. The driver was immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Boy injured in attack by stray dogs

A seven-year-old boy named Mahonnath suffered severe injuries after being attacked by stray dogs while playing alone in front of his house in the industrial area of Jangaon district headquarters on Friday. Passersby chased away the dogs and alerted the boy’s parents.

Mahonnath was initially taken to the MCH Hospital in Jangaon for treatment. Due to the severity of his injuries, he was transferred to the MGM Hospital in Warangal, where his condition is reported to be serious.

Authorities are investigating the incident, and local residents have expressed concerns over the increasing stray dog menace.

Mogulaiah's government allotted land vandalised

Padma Shri recipient Darshnam Mogulaiah approached the Hayathnagar police after unidentified miscreants vandalised the compound wall of a government-allotted plot. Charges under criminal trespassing and damaging property were registered, said the police.

Mogulaiah, popularly known as ‘Kinnera Mogulaiah’ was awarded the Padma Shri in 2022 for his efforts in preserving the traditional art form of the Kinnera, a unique folk musical instrument. Lauding his efforts, the government allocated 600 yards of land parcel at Survey no 159 in Hayathnagar limits.

Inspector P. Nagaraju Goud said that when Mogulaiah visited the premises along with a worker and found the precast compound wall damaged on one side. It is suspected that some unidentified persons were behind the act. A case is filed and the probe is underway to identify the accused.

1 held for duping water board staff

A criminal case has been registered against one Arra Saikumar for allegedly extorting money from S. Vamsikrishna, a tanker driver working for the Water Board. Sairam contacted Vamsikrishna claiming to be part of the Water Board and demanded Rs 20,000 saying that the latter's tanker was operating against board rules.

Initially, Vamsikrishna paid Rs 3,000 after which he realised he had been tricked and reported the matter to the police. An inquiry found that Saikumar was not associated with the Water Board and had been using its name to extort money.

Water board officials thwart encroachment bid

A person attempted to encroach upon 86,886 sq ft of land owned by the water board located in O&M Division No. 7 of Mahindra Hills. When the Water Board officials tried to install fencing, a local person blocked them claiming ownership of the land.

In response, the vigilance team and the general manager of the water board visited the site which led to an altercation. On the complaint of the officials, the police intervened. The local mandal revenue officer confirmed that the land belonged to the water board.

Officials submitted relevant documents to the Tukaramgate police station and warned strict action would be taken if any such acts were repeated in the future.