Kochi excise squad under lens for botching drug probe
The Hindu
Seizure of crystalline MDMA from a group of youngsters in Kottayam
The Excise Enforcement and Anti-Narcotics Special Squad, Ernakulam, is reportedly in the dock for allegedly ruining a sensitive inquiry into the seizure of crystalline MDMA, a synthetic narcotic drug, from a disparate group of youngsters in Kottayam recently. Excise Commissioner S. Anantha Krishnan has despatched Additional Excise Commissioner, Enforcement, Abdul Rashi to Kochi to record the statements of the errant officers. The nature of the investigation or what the special squad is suspected of having done remains unknown.The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.