5 stories you must read today, October 7: From Haryana ADGP’s suicide to Jaffar Express derailment in Pakistan and more

A Haryana-cadre IPS officer was found dead in his residence in Sector 11 of Chandigarh on Tuesday afternoon, in what appears to be a suicide. The officer, Y Puran Kumar, a Haryana Police ADGP, died of a single bullet shot from his official weapon. Puran Kumar, a 2001-batch IPS officer, was earlier posted as additional director-general of police (ADGP, Rohtak range) and was transferred as inspector-general, Police Training Centre, Sunaria in Rohtak, on September 25. According to senior police officials, Puran Kumar died on the spot and an investigation is underway. Read more

Several passengers were injured on Tuesday after an explosion struck a railway track in Pakistan’s southwestern Sindh province, causing five bogies of a train to derail. The Jaffar Express was on its way to Peshawar when it was hit by the explosion near Somarwah, close to Sultan Kot in Sindh’s Shikarpur district. This is the third time since August that the Jaffar Express, which operates between Quetta and Peshawar been derailed due to sabotage. Read more

The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) on Monday sealed and took possession of the late business tycoon Subrata Roy’s Sahara Shahar. The sprawling 170-acre complex housed Roy’s palatial residence, luxury guesthouses, a helipad, a petrol pump, theatres and auditoriums. The land was leased to Sahara India for 30 years in 1995 by the Uttar Pradesh government. Citing alleged violations of the agreement’s terms and conditions, the LMC had earlier issued a notice to the company to vacate the premises. Read more

Folk singer Maithili Thakur could contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections from the Benipatti or Alinagar seat in Mithilanchal. Maithili first gained popularity at the age of 12, when she launched a YouTube channel, where she would sing Maithili and Bhojpuri songs. Over the past decade, she gained attention performing at events both in India and abroad, including some attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She was earlier made the ‘State Icon’ of Bihar by the Election Commission of India to promote voter awareness. Read more

Pope Leo will travel to Turkey and Lebanon in late November, the Vatican announced on Tuesday. Pope Leo will visit Turkey from November 27-30 before heading to Lebanon from November 30 to December 2. This will be the first foreign visit of Pope Leo, who became the head of the Roman Catholic Church in May this year. In his first international visit, Pope Leo is expected to speak about the plight of Christians in the Middle East and to make appeals for peace across the region. Read more