A unique and emotional farewell to a car in Gujarat’s Amreli district has captured the attention of many. A Gujarati family recently held a funeral ceremony for their “lucky car,” a 12-year-old Wagon R, spending a hefty Rs 4 lakh on the event attended by 1,500 people.

The ceremony involved a 15-foot deep pit, where the vehicle was placed with rituals. The Wagon R, decorated with marigold garlands and rose petals on the roof, was lowered into the pit with people capturing the unusual sight on their devices.

Sanjay Polara, the car’s owner, shared with the Times of India that the vehicle had brought prosperity and respect to his family over the years. “I bought this car nearly 12 years ago, and it brought prosperity to the family. Apart from seeing success in business, my family also gained respect. The vehicle proved lucky for my family and me. Hence, instead of selling it, I gave it a samadhi at my farm as a tribute,” Polara said.

Polara shared that he intends to plant a tree at the burial site as a tribute, symbolising the car’s significance for future generations. The tree will stand as a reminder that the family’s “lucky car” lies beneath it.

In preparation for the ceremony, Polara sent a four-page invitation to approximately 2,000 people from his village. The invite read, “This car has been like a family member since 2006, and it brought us good fortunes. We gained prosperity, and our reputation in society was elevated. We want this car in our memory forever, and that’s why we have planned a samadhi (burial) of this car,” as reported by TOI.

As the video went viral, netizens quickly saw the humor in it and shared their reactions. One person wrote, “Archeological survey will be excavating wagonr in year 3024.” Another user quipped, “people in future are gonna trip on this.” A third user wrote, “This happens only in India.” (Indian Express)

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Twenty-seven people, including nine children, have died in a massive fire that broke out at a gaming zone in Gujarat’s Rajkot on Saturday evening, said officials. 

“The bodies are completely charred and it is difficult to identify them,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Vinayak Patel said. The owners of the gaming zone have been detained by the police.

“A very sad incident took place today. This is the first time in Rajkot’s history that a fire in a gaming zone has led to the deaths of people, including children. The focus is on rescuing as many as possible. The government will act against people whose negligence led to this tragedy,” said Darshita Shah, MLA, Rajkot West. A ₹ 4 lakh compensation has been announced for the families of the victims.

“Extremely distressed by the fire mishap in Rajkot. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. Prayers for the injured. The local administration is working to provide all possible assistance to those affected,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

“I am deeply anguished to learn of the loss of lives in a fire accident at a gaming zone in Rajkot, Gujarat. My heart goes out to the families who have lost their near and dear ones including young children. I pray to the Almighty for the speedy recovery of those being rescued,” President Droupadi Murmu said.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has instructed officials to prioritize arrangements for immediate treatment of the injured. He will be visiting the site tomorrow morning.

“Instructions have been given to the Municipal Corporation and the administration for immediate rescue and relief operations in the fire incident in the game zone in Rajkot. Officials have also been instructed to prioritize arrangements for immediate treatment of the injured,” Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said.

“The gaming zone is owned by a person called Yuvraj Singh Solanki,” Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava said.

“I cannot ascertain the reason behind the fire. It’s a matter of investigation. We will speak to fire brigade officials to discuss what action should be taken,” he added.

A fire officer earlier told ANI that, “The reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained. The attempts to douse the fire are underway. We have not received any message of missing persons. We are facing difficulty in the firefighting operation because the temporary structure has collapsed and due to wind velocity

“We will then be able to find out the exact number of casualties inside the zone (after fire is controlled). We will also investigate the cause of the fire, and a message has been issued to all the gaming zones in the city to shut down,” he said. (NDTV)

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Sri Lankan authorities have revealed that one of the four Sri Lankans arrested in India this week for suspected links to ISIS is the son of a notorious underworld figure, Newsfirst reported.

The suspects, detained by Indian authorities, are 33-year-old Mohammad Nusrat from Periyamulla, 27-year-old Mohammad Nafran from Grandpass, 35-year-old Mohammad Farish from Maligawatte and 43-year-old Mohammad Rashdeen from Kotahena.

Among them, 27-year-old Mohammad Nafran has been identified as the son of Niyas Naufer, also known as ‘Potta Naufer,’ a notorious criminal sentenced to death for the murder of High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya in 2004. 

Further investigations revealed that Nafran, a school dropout, began frequent travel to India to purchase clothing materials for resale in Sri Lanka. 

In 2017, he was arrested by Sri Lankan Police on charges filed under the National Gem and Jewellery Authority Act. 

The four ISIS suspects were apprehended in Ahmedabad on Monday, following a bomb threat uncovered by local authorities. Indian media reported that the terror activities were reportedly targeting the city’s airport as well as the Narendra Modi Stadium, currently hosting Indian Premier League matches.

The Hindu reported that the arrested Sri Lankans were alleged members of the National Thawheed Jamaath, the organisation accused of carrying out the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka. 

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India’s Gujarat state is in talks with chipmakers in Japan, South Korea and the United States for investments in the state, its top minister said on Thursday, in pursuit of India’s ambitions of becoming a chipmaker for the world.

Semiconductor manufacturing is one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s key business agendas but initial bids to offer $10 billion in incentives to the chipmaking industry have floundered, with some proposals stalled or cancelled.

Gujarat, which is Modi’s home state and one of India’s major industrial hubs, has recently held investment talks with some chipmakers, and officials have visited Japan to meet some executives from the chips industry there, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel told Reuters in an interview.

“We continue to hold investment talks with semiconductor companies in Japan, South Korea and the U.S.,” he said, without disclosing names of the companies citing “non disclosure agreements”.

India’s chipmaking ambitions, first laid out in 2021, have suffered setbacks and the country does not yet have any semiconductor manufacturing plants.

Taiwan’s Foxconn backed out of a $19.5 billion chips joint venture with India’s Vedanta, saying “the project was not moving fast enough”. Foxconn and Vedanta have since decided to go solo, and billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries is also exploring opportunities.

Gujarat has also held talks with Foxconn over a semiconductor plant, and U.S. memory chip firm Micron Technology Inc is also building a chip assembly and testing facility in the state.

Patel’s comments come ahead of the biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit next week in which the state expects to secure investments in sectors including renewable energy, electric vehicles and electronics manufacturing.

The summit is expected to draw a record number of foreign and domestic investors to the western state in what is seen as Modi’s big push to promote investment in the country just months ahead of national elections, in which he will seek a third term.

India is increasingly becoming a sought after investment destination, especially as companies look to diversify their supply chain beyond China.

Tom Bailey, head of ETF Research at HANetf, said India was at an advantage due to its large size and an increasingly educated population.

“The moves are emblematic of the rise of the so-called ‘China plus one’ supply chain diversification strategies of multinationals,” he said. (Reuters)

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