The Gujarat government has approved ₹13.02 crore for Phase-II development works at the Shri Yaha Mogi Mataji Temple in Devmogra, a prominent religious site in Sagbara taluka of Narmada district.

The project has been approved by Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and is aimed at improving facilities for devotees while supporting the development of religious tourism in the region.

According to the project details, Phase-II will include the construction of two new toilet blocks, a Dharamshala on the temple trust's land, and renovation of the sanctum sanctorum of Shri Yaha Mogi Mataji Temple.

The development is part of the Gujarat government's phased infrastructure improvement programme for pilgrimage destinations. The state has been investing in facilities intended to make religious sites more accessible and convenient for visitors.

Phase-I already completed

The first phase of development at Devmogra was completed at a cost of ₹11.33 crore. It included a Dharamshala, Central Vista, toilet block, stone entrance gate, parking facilities, pathways and 295 shops.With Phase-II, the focus is shifting towards additional sanitation, accommodation and temple infrastructure.The Shri Yaha Mogi Mataji Temple is particularly significant for the tribal community in the region and attracts devotees to Devmogra. The state government has said such infrastructure development can also contribute to local employment and economic activity through increased visitor movement.The approval comes shortly after Gujarat sanctioned development works worth about ₹133.41 crore across 10 pilgrimage and tourism destinations in eight districts. The broader package includes projects at temples and tourist sites as well as the Greater Gir region.MP/CG Relevance: No direct Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh connection. The story is primarily relevant as a Gujarat religious-tourism and infrastructure development update.

The Karnataka Hakki Pikki Tribal Organisation has urged the Central Government to intervene after nine members of the Hakki Pikki tribal community were arrested in Ivory Coast for allegedly selling herbal oil without the required permission.

The nine tribal members, including six men and three women from Karnataka's Shivamogga and Mysuru districts, have reportedly been lodged in jail for the past four days after being detained by local authorities in the West African nation.

According to local police and community representatives, the group had travelled to Ivory Coast around six months ago as part of their traditional business of selling herbal massage oils, a livelihood that many members of the Hakki Pikki community have pursued across African countries for years.

Arrest Over Business Activity

Police identified the detained individuals as Prabhudev, Nirveni, Shahajan, Shanthi, Girish, Lakshmi, Pappu P, Pappa and Simbran.

The arrests were reportedly made after authorities alleged that the group was selling herbal oil without obtaining the necessary local permissions.

Community leaders said the group was detained while conducting business in Abengourou, located nearly 200 kilometres from Ivory Coast's commercial capital, Abidjan.

Organisation Appeals for Government Intervention

The Karnataka Hakki Pikki Tribal Organisation has appealed to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in Ivory Coast to take immediate steps to secure the release of the detained tribal members and facilitate their safe return to India.

State President of the organisation, Puneeth Kumar R., urged the Centre to intervene diplomatically, stating that the group has been unable to continue its business and remains stranded in prison.

Family Claims Documents Were Available

Speaking from prison to The Indian Express, one of the detainees, Nirveni, said the group was arrested on July 29 despite informing the police that one member possessed the required business-related documents.

According to her, local authorities allegedly did not consider their explanation before taking them into custody.

The group has remained behind bars since the arrest and is unable to return home.

Traditional Livelihood Abroad

Members of the Hakki Pikki tribe have traditionally travelled to several African countries to market herbal oils and other natural products. The business has become an important source of income for many families from the community.

The latest incident has once again highlighted the legal and documentation challenges faced by small traders working overseas.

The Ministry of External Affairs has not yet issued an official statement regarding the arrests or any diplomatic engagement with the authorities in Ivory Coast.

Congress Scheduled Tribe (ST) Cell district president Amit Kol was allegedly stabbed to death by unidentified assailants in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district on Tuesday night. The attack took place near an HDFC Bank branch in the Shanti Vihar area under the Civil Lines police station limits.

According to police, Amit Kol had gone to a nearby shop to buy cigarettes at around 10 pm when three men, who arrived on two motorcycles, allegedly attacked him with sharp weapons.

He sustained multiple stab injuries and was rushed to hospital by local residents, where doctors declared him dead during treatment.

Attack Without Any Provocation

Eyewitnesses told police that the attackers assaulted Amit Kol without any apparent argument or confrontation.

The assailants allegedly stabbed him repeatedly, leaving him critically injured before attempting to flee.

Hearing the commotion, local residents tried to catch the accused. However, the suspects abandoned their two motorcycles at the scene and escaped on foot under the cover of darkness.

Police later seized both motorcycles for forensic examination.

Massive Search Operation Underway

Senior police officials, including Superintendent of Police Dr. Gurukaran Singh, Additional SPs, CSPs and Civil Lines police personnel, reached the crime scene soon after the incident.

A forensic science team collected evidence, while investigators began examining CCTV footage from the nearby HDFC Bank and surrounding establishments to identify the attackers and trace their escape route.

Police are also analysing the registration details of the abandoned motorcycles, technical evidence and mobile location data.

Multiple Angles Under Investigation

Police have registered a case of murder against unidentified persons and launched an investigation.

Officials said they are probing several possible motives, including personal enmity, political rivalry, old disputes and any larger criminal conspiracy behind the killing.

SP Dr. Gurukaran Singh said multiple police teams have been formed to identify and arrest the accused at the earliest.

Anger Among Congress Workers

The murder triggered strong reactions from Congress workers and members of the tribal community, many of whom gathered at the hospital and the crime scene demanding immediate arrests.

Party leaders questioned the law-and-order situation, stating that such a violent attack in a busy urban locality has raised serious security concerns.

Family in Shock

The incident has deeply affected Amit Kol's family.

His father is a serving Madhya Pradesh Police officer and is currently posted as the Station House Officer (SHO) of Rajendra Gram police station in Anuppur district. He is scheduled to retire on July 31, just three days after the tragic killing of his son.

Active in Local Politics

Amit Kol was considered an active Congress leader in Rewa and served as the district president of the party's Scheduled Tribe Cell.

He had also contested the municipal election from Ward No. 4 and was known for his involvement in political and social activities across the region.

Police said the investigation is progressing rapidly, and further action will be taken based on forensic findings, CCTV footage and other technical evidence.

A tribal woman from a remote village in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district died before reaching a hospital after her family was forced to carry her on a cot for nearly two kilometres through muddy terrain due to the absence of a motorable road.

The incident, which occurred on Sunday evening in Nadna (Dihiya) village under the Mangawan Assembly constituency, has sparked fresh concerns over rural infrastructure and emergency healthcare access. A video of villagers carrying the woman on a cot through a muddy path has also surfaced on social media.

The deceased has been identified as Ramkali Rawat, wife of the late Ram Swayamvar Rawat, a resident of Nadna village.

According to local residents, Ramkali was struck by lightning and required immediate medical attention. However, with no proper road connecting the village, family members and villagers had no option but to carry her on a traditional cot across a rough, mud-filled route to reach the nearest accessible point for transportation.

Despite their efforts, the woman died before she could be taken to a hospital.

The incident has once again highlighted the challenges faced by residents of remote villages where poor road connectivity often delays access to emergency medical services.

Following the tragedy, villagers questioned the delay in constructing the village road. According to local residents, ₹5 lakh was reportedly sanctioned from the MLA Local Area Development Fund for road construction in the gram panchayat. However, they claim the project has not been completed. The claim regarding the sanctioned funds has not yet been officially confirmed by the authorities.

Residents said they had repeatedly raised concerns over the lack of basic infrastructure, including road connectivity, but alleged that no effective action was taken.

After the woman's death, villagers demanded a thorough inquiry into the matter and sought accountability from officials responsible for the delayed infrastructure development. They also called for immediate construction of the road to prevent similar incidents in the future.

As of Monday, no official statement had been issued by the district administration or local public representatives regarding the incident.

The tragedy underscores the continuing infrastructure gaps in several rural and tribal regions, where inadequate road connectivity can have life-threatening consequences during medical emergencies.

Bastar Pastor Assaulted Over Conversion Allegations 

A pastor from Odisha was beaten with slippers and punches in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district amid accusations of forced religious conversion; a viral video shows the crowd tearing his shirt.

Retawand, Bastar: Tensions flared in a quiet village under the Bastar police station limits on Sunday after residents allegedly assaulted a pastor from Odisha, accusing him of attempting to orchestrate religious conversions in the region. The man was beaten with fists, kicks, and slippers, a video of which has since gone viral.

The Incident Unfolds

The confrontation took place in Retawand village, where the pastor, a native of Odisha’s Nawarangpur area, had been living with his family for roughly a year and a half. According to initial reports, the situation escalated during a village meeting called by local residents to address suspicions about his activities.

Sources familiar with the matter said that community members had grown wary over the past few months, alleging the pastor was trying to change the faith of tribal families. “A meeting was held on Sunday where the entire village participated, including families who had already converted. The residents asked him to leave,” a local official said, requesting anonymity.

Viral Video Shows Violence

The viral clip, which circulated widely on Monday morning, shows a heated argument deteriorating into physical violence. In the footage, a mob is seen tearing the pastor’s shirt and hitting him repeatedly with rubber slippers and bamboo sticks. The crowd was also heard giving him an ultimatum to vacate the village along with his family immediately.

When the pastor resisted the order, the verbal spat turned physical, leading to the thrashing. Police confirmed that no life-threatening injuries were reported, though the man suffered bruises on his back and arms.

Police Intervention

Local authorities reached the village late Sunday evening after receiving information about the disturbance. A team from the Bastar police station pacified both sides. While the pastor has submitted a written complaint regarding the assault, officials have not registered an FIR yet pending further investigation into the conversion claims.

"We have spoken to both parties. The situation is tense but under control. The pastor has assured us that he will leave the village voluntarily soon," a police officer told reporters. Officials added that no formal arrests have been made so far as they are verifying the authenticity of the conversion allegations.

Background and Community Friction

Bastar has historically been sensitive to religious identities, given its significant tribal population and past incidents of communal friction. This is not an isolated event. Just last week, a similar dispute erupted in neighboring Kanker district, where two communities clashed over the burial of a converted individual, leading to a lathi charge that injured an ASP.

Ground-level cues suggest that the locals in Retawand viewed the pastor’s prolonged stay with suspicion, especially as he was not originally from the area. While freedom of religion is constitutionally protected, Chhattisgarh, like many states, has seen heightened vigilance against forcible conversions.

Looking Ahead

Administration officials remain stationed in the village to prevent any retaliation. The pastor has reportedly agreed to leave Chhattisgarh within the week. Meanwhile, local tribal rights groups have called for a broader inquiry into the presence of outside religious workers in deep forest areas.

For now, the viral video has sparked fresh debate online, but on the ground, authorities are focusing on ensuring a peaceful exit to avoid further polarisation.