Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is in charge of the BJP’s Bihar unit, on Tuesday reached the Chhinamastika temple in Ramgarh’s Rajrappa, around 75km from Ranchi. Fadnavis said he was at the temple to pray for his party and ally Janata Dal (United)’s success in Bihar. As the temple has been closed since March, Fadnavis offered his prayers to the goddess outside the locked entrance gate of the sanctum sanctorum.

Fadnavis later went to take the blessings of Boriya Baba. He stayed for more than an hour at the baba’s ashram.

A BJP leader from Ramgarh, who was with Fadnavis, said this was a crucial time for the Maharashtra leader who is seeking success for his party in Bihar. He said both in Maharashtra and Bihar, Fadnavis’s prestige was at stake.

Pinki Devi Gautam Dey

24-year-old woman found dead

The dead body of a 24-year-old married woman, Pinki Devi, was found lying in a pool of blood at her home at Haldi Patti in the Dhansar police station area of Dhanbad on Tuesday morning. Devi’s husband Devendra Kumar Verma, 30, and their two sons, aged six years and four years, are missing.

Policemen investigate the murder of the woman in Dhanbad on Tuesday. Gautam Dey

The incident came to light when the woman’s landlord went to her house as her children had not turned up for tuition classes.

Police have sent the dead body for post-mortem at Patliputra Medical College and Hospital and launched a search for the husband and children.

Missing youth’s body found hanging from tree

The body of a missing youth was found hanging from a tree in Murramkala on Tuesday night. The deceased was identified as Deepak Kumar, 25, a resident of Kedla.

He was staying at his maternal uncle’s home in Patratu Basti, Dipnagar, and had been missing for the past three days.

The body has been sent for post-mortem.

FIR order against 28 mukhias

Dhanbad deputy commissioner Uma Shankar Singh on Tuesday instructed the mukhias of 28 panchayats to submit the utility certificate with regard to the construction of toilets in all homes in their areas within a week, failing which FIRs would be lodged against them and their financial powers seized.

Singh said that during a review on Tuesday by the state drinking water and sanitation department, officials from Ranchi expressed displeasure over the non-completion of toilet construction work.

Rajesh Kumar Singh, deputy commissioner, Bokaro, at a news conference. Telegraph picture

Prohibitory orders in Bermo ahead of bypoll

Prohibitory orders were imposed in Bermo in view of the upcoming Assembly bypoll on November 3.

“The model code of conduct has become effective in the Bermo subdivision from Tuesday afternoon after the Election Commission of India’s announcement,” said Rajesh Kumar Singh, deputy commissioner, Bokaro.

The code will be effective till the end of the election process. Campaigning within 100m of a polling station will be considered a violation of the code. The use of a sound amplifier will be prohibited from 10pm to 6am. Government-owned guest houses cannot be used for any political activities or meetings.

The Bokaro administration is ensuring that Covid-19 norms are respected. Voting will be held in 468 polling booths. Polling agents aged above 55 years will not be deployed at the booths, while voters who have tested positive for the coronavirus can vote through postal ballot. In one polling booth, a maximum of 1,000 residents can vote.

The Bermo seat became vacant following the death of MLA Rajender Prasad Singh on May 25.

24 discharged from Covid treatment center in Dhanbad

Twenty-four people were discharged from the dedicated Covid-19 health centre at Zonal Training Institute of the Railways at Bhuli on Tuesday after being tested for the coronavirus. Dhanbad deputy commissioner Uma Shankar Singh said those discharged have been provided health kits and instructed to remain in home quarantine for the next 14 days.