Indian family goes missing during road trip in US, two found inside SUV submerged in river

Agencies
April 17, 2018

New Delhi, Apr 17: An Indian family went missing in the US last week while travelling from Oregon to California. According to The Washington Post, after a week-long search for them, bodies of two of the family members were found inside their SUV, which was submerged in Eel River, on Sunday.

The bodies were later identified as those of Sandeep Thottapilly and his 9-year-old daughter Saachi. Two days before the recovery of their body, the investigators had also found the body of Sandeep’s wife Saumya, reported The Washington Post. There is, however, no clue about the whereabouts of their son, Siddhant.

The report further said that a poster shared on social networking website Facebook suggested that the vehicle in which the family travelled was a 2016-make Honda Pilot, maroon or burgundy in colour.

"At approximately 11:30 AM a boating team noticed a gasoline smell emitting from the water approximately 1/2 mile north of the reported crash site (downstream). The searchers began to probe the water and located a vehicle submerged approximately 4-6 feet beneath the water," California's Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

Soon thereafter, search divers entered the water and were able to feel what they believed to be a person inside of the vehicle. Visibility was extremely poor and divers noted the vehicle was encased in a large amount of sediment from the river current, a media release said.

Recovery efforts continued for several hours and at approximately 6:30 PM the vehicle was partially removed from the Eel River by use of a tow truck. This provided searchers the ability to conduct a visual inspection of the inside of the vehicle.

"Searchers subsequently recovered the bodies of Sandeep Thottapilly and Saachi Thottapilly from inside the vehicle," the Sheriff Office said adding that the autopsies are expected to be performed this week as part of the coroner's investigation into the incident.

According to the San Jose Police Department, the Thottapilly family was supposed to have arrived to visit a friend in the San Jose area on April 6 but did not make it as scheduled. The family was last heard from in the town of Klamath, Del Norte County, on April 5. Sandeep grew up in Surat in Gujarat and settled down in the US over 15 years ago.

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News Network
November 3,2024

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Bengaluru, Nov 3: In a heart-wrenching discovery, acclaimed Kannada film director Guruprasad, celebrated for his impactful films like Mata and Yeddelu Manjunatha, was found dead in a Bengaluru apartment on Sunday. 

The 52-year-old filmmaker, known for his work with deep social messages, is believed to have died two days prior in a suspected case of suicide, although authorities are still investigating to confirm the exact cause.

The decomposing body was discovered hanging from a ceiling fan in a flat in Madanayakanahalli after neighbors alerted the police due to a strong odor. Bengaluru Rural Superintendent of Police CK Baba confirmed the incident, stating that an investigation is underway. A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) joined the police at the scene to gather evidence.

Guruprasad, a respected figure in Kannada cinema, directed thought-provoking films such as Yeradanesala and Director Special and had also appeared in small roles in more than ten films. The film industry mourns the loss of a director who used cinema as a platform for social awareness.

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News Network
November 12,2024

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The UN humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon has warned that the “picture of life in Lebanon remains grim,” highlighting an "alarming" level of human suffering and significant humanitarian consequences due to the ongoing Israeli carnage.

Imran Riza, the UN Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), provided a stark overview of the Arab country's dire circumstances in a statement released on Monday.

“The current picture of life in Lebanon remains grim. Yesterday, airstrikes reportedly killed 23 people, including seven children, in the village of Aalmat in Mount Lebanon,” Riza said on X.

An airstrike in the city of Tyre on the same day resulted in the tragic deaths of five siblings from a single family, all of whom had special needs, according to his statement.

He added that in the last week, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 241 individuals and left 642 others injured in Lebanon, as reported by the Ministry of Health.

“In the past month, more than 185,000 people have fled their homes in their search for safety within the country, bringing the total to over 870,000 people internally displaced,” Riza said

The UN official highlighted that numerous individuals, including the elderly and those with health issues, are staying behind while witnessing the ruins of their ancestral homes.

He urged for the swift safeguarding of civilian people and infrastructure, emphasizing the necessity to uphold international humanitarian law and end the ongoing violence.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli forces bombed a house in the town of Maydoun in Bekaa on Monday night, killing three people and destroying the house.

Earlier, Israel bombed the northern town of Ain Yaaqoub, killing at least 14 people.

The killings came as Israeli military continued to pound Lebanon, bombing shops selling electrical appliances in the southern city of Tyre and carrying out air raids on the towns of Shamshtar in eastern Baalbek and Roumine in southern Nabatieh.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said Israeli attacks killed at least 54 people across the country on Monday.

Israel’s merciless attacks continue despite calls from the UN Security Council for an immediate ceasefire and directives from the International Court of Justice urging measures to prevent genocide and alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and Lebanon.

In Lebanon, at least 3,243 people have been killed and 14,134 others wounded in Israeli attacks since the war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023.

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah opened a support front for Palestinians in Gaza only a day after the Israeli regime unleashed its genocidal war on the besieged territory.

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News Network
November 3,2024

Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta has called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the alleged embezzlement of Waqf properties. This demand follows findings from the Anwar Manippady committee's report, which reveals that while 54,000 acres of land are registered with the Waqf Board, approximately 29,000 acres have been misappropriated.

Capt. Chowta emphasized the need for a thorough investigation, stating, “A comprehensive probe should be conducted based on this report. Those who have illegally encroached on these properties must be held accountable.”

He challenged the Congress party, suggesting that if they genuinely care for the Muslim community and underprivileged women, their members should actively participate in the Joint Parliamentary Committee discussing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024. This participation is essential to ensure that Waqf properties are used effectively for community welfare.

The MP criticized the notices served to farmers in Honvada village, Vijayapura, which stated that nearly 1,200 acres of their ancestral land was being reassigned to the Waqf Board. He expressed that this issue arose while the NDA government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is working on amendments to the Waqf Act. He accused the Congress-led state government, particularly Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, of trying to enforce outdated 50-year-old notifications about Waqf properties. After the farmers raised concerns, Minister M. B. Patil clarified that the confusion was due to an error in the gazette.

Chowta alleged that Congress members in the Joint Parliamentary Committee are obstructing proceedings and causing disruptions. He expressed suspicion that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah might have instructed Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan to implement these outdated notifications regarding Waqf properties. As a result, he demanded the Minister's resignation.

He accused the Congress party of exploiting Muslim voters for the past 75 years without making substantial efforts for their welfare. Furthermore, he highlighted that the BJP is launching a campaign against land jihad, pointing out that the Waqf Board controls one of the largest land banks after the Defence and Railways sectors. Finally, he urged citizens to check the revenue records (RTC) of their land ownership to verify its status.

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