Himachal Pradesh

New Delhi/Shimla, Oct 7 (PTI) Former CBI director Ashwani Kumar allegedly committed suicide by hanging at his residence in Shimla on Wednesday, officials said.

The body of Kumar (69), a 1973-batch IPS officer, was found hanging at his residence in Brockhurst, near Chhota Shimla, in the evening, they added.

Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Kundu, Shimla Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohit Chawla and other senior police officials reached the spot.

A forensic team has also reached the spot.

Rohtang (HP), Oct 3 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the strategically important all-weather Atal Tunnel, which reduces the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km and the travel time by four to five hours, at Rohtang in Himachal Pradesh.

Atal Tunnel, built by the Border Roads Organisation, is the longest highway tunnel in the world.

Shimla, Sep 3 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Jal Shakti Minister Mahender Singh Thakur said he tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, four days ahead of the monsoon session of the assembly.

Singh, 70, in a Facebook post urged people who came in his contact recently to quarantine themselves and get tested for the dreaded disease.

The legislator from Mandi's Dharampur assembly segment said he had got himself tested after observing primary symptoms. The seven-time MLA expressed hope that he would be cured soon.

Shimla, Jul 23 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, his family members and staffers at his residence and office will remain under home quarantine for a week despite testing negative for COVID-19, a senior official said on Thursday.

Thirty-six samples were taken from Thakur's residence at Oakover here and 27 from the state secretariat on Wednesday after a deputy secretary at his office and a BJP leader from Mandi tested positive for COVID-19.

Shimla, Jun 7 (PTI) Twenty-nine COVID-19 patients in Himachal Pradesh recovered on Sunday, taking the recovery rate in the hill state to 54 per cent, officials said.

A total of 223 patients have been cured of the virus in the state so far.

The state also reported 11 fresh cases with four in Kangra, two each in Chamba and Hamirpur and one each in Mandi, Shimla and Bilaspur, they said.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state stands at 412 while six people have died of the disease.

Shimla, May 27 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh BJP president Rajeev Bindal resigned from his post on Wednesday within four-and-a-half months of his appointment, saying he was doing so to ensure a proper investigation into the case of alleged corruption by a Health Department official.

In a resignation letter sent to BJP president J P Nadda, Bindal said he was tendering his resignation on high moral grounds as some people were dragging the party's name in the alleged corruption by the health official.

Shimla, May 20 (PTI) A 56-year-old man was arrested for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district on Wednesday, police said.

The man was arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged by the girl's mother, Kullu Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh said.

In her complaint, the woman alleged that her neighbour sexually assaulted her minor daughter when she was alone at home, he said.

Shimla, May 2 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday allowed liquor vends to operate in the state from May 4, the day the third phase of the coronavirus lockdown begins.

Himachal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Bhardwaj told reporters that the decision was taken during a state cabinet meeting on Saturday.

Giving some relaxations, the Union government had on Friday extended the lockdown by two weeks till May 17. The second phase of the nationwide lockdown will end on Sunday.

Shimla, Apr 18 (PTI) Twenty-nine policemen were quarantined in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district on Saturday after a man, who engaged in an altercation with them at a checkpost a few days ago, tested positive for coronavirus, an official said.

Thirteen policemen were posted in Halti Barrier, 11 in Sihunta police station and five homeguard jawans in Sihunta of Chamba district, Director General of Police Sita Ram Mardi said.

Hamirpur (HP), April 9 (PTI) The Gaddis (nomads) of Himachal's Chamba areas have started returning to their native places after getting special permission from authorities amid curfew restrictions in the state to contain spread of coronavirus.

The nomads were preparing to go to their homes when they received the new of lockdown and subsequent curfew on radio.