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A Village Burnt Overnight: Tears, Loss and Survival in Dhamangaon Blaze

  Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...

CP Dr Singal Receives President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service

CP Dr Ravinder Singal

Commissioner of Police (CP), Dr Ravinder Kumar Singal, was awarded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Police Service. This prestigious recognition underlined his remarkable leadership and dedicated efforts in policing, stated a press release of City police. 

Dr Singal, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 1996 Maharashtra cadre, took charge as Nagpur’s Commissioner in February 2024. Since then, he has launched several important initiatives, including anti-drug campaigns, women’s safety programs, and the adoption of modern technology like the Artificial Intelligence-based SIMBA system for crime control, the press release claimed. 

Dr. Singal has also successfully managed large public events and festivals and ensured ensuring safety and security across the city. With a career spanning 28 years, he has served in various key positions in Maharashtra, including in Amravati, Nashik, and Mumbai. He also worked with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, where he coordinated with various international agencies. His efforts have earned him several accolades, including a DGP Medal in 2003 for his handling of the Kumbh Mela in Nashik.


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