Hyderabad gang feud escalates, police arrest 21 in murder and attempt to murder cases

Hyderabad: A 20-year-old student from Telangana tragically drowned in St. Louis, Missouri, according to confirmation from the Indian Embassy in Chicago.

The deceased individual has been identified as Kiran Kumar Raju Srinadharaju, a student from Chinna Korukondi village in Kallur Mandal, Hyderabad. In November 2023, Kiran traveled to the United States to pursue a Master’s degree at Saint Louis University.

According to reports, Kiran was swimming with three friends near Sand Hill Town, Missouri, on June 28, when he encountered a distressing accident in an eight-foot pool. Despite efforts by his friends to rescue him, Kiran, who did not know how to swim, drowned. His friends, also unable to swim, could only watch helplessly.

Kiran’s untimely death has deeply saddened his family, who reside in Hyderabad. His father, Laxman Raju, had previously passed away, leaving his grandfather, Krishnamurthy Raju, to oversee the family’s affairs and support Kiran’s education. His body is expected to arrive back in his hometown by Thursday.

Kiran was pursuing a Master’s degree in Computer Information Systems at Saint Louis University, having completed his undergraduate studies at Osmania University. Just three days before the incident, he had shared on LinkedIn that he had obtained a certification in DevOps.

Drowning Incident Claims Life of Indian Student from Hyderabad in Missouri

Kiran Kumar Raju Srinadharaju (20), a promising student from Telangana tragically lost his life in a drowning incident in St. Louis, Missouri. The Indian Embassy in Chicago confirmed the incident.

Kiran,… pic.twitter.com/AB6E8mnLqm

— Sudhakar Udumula (@sudhakarudumula) July 1, 2024

The Indian Embassy in Chicago has expressed shock over the incident and assured us that they are in contact with Kiran’s relatives, who will provide necessary assistance during this difficult time.

In a separate tragic incident, a 25-year-old student from Nacharam, Hyderabad, who had moved to the USA in May 2023 to pursue a Master’s degree at Cleveland State University, was found dead, confirmed the Indian consulate in New York on April 9th.

Mohammed Abdul Arfath had been missing for nearly three weeks, and the consulate had earlier said that it was in touch with Abdul’s family and was working with local law enforcement agencies to locate him. This morning, the embassy said he was found dead.

“Anguished to learn that Mohammed Abdul Arfath, for whom the search operation was underway, was found dead in Cleveland, Ohio. Our deepest condolences to Mohammed Abdul Arfath’s family,” wrote the official handle of the Indian Embassy in New York on X, ensuring a thorough investigation into Mohammed Abdul Arfath’s death.

Arfath’s father, Mohammed Saleem, said they last spoke on March 7, after which Arfath’s cell phone was switched off. Subsequently, on March 19, Mr. Saleem received a call from an unidentified person who said Arfath had been kidnapped by a gang selling drugs and demanded $1,200 but did not mention the mode of payment. The caller also threatened that Abdul’s kidney would be sold by the mafia if the money was not paid.

Several Indian-origin students have passed away in the United States this year. These back-to-back deaths have deeply unsettled Indian students residing in the USA and their families back in India alike. Among those who have tragically lost their lives, the exact causes of death for several other students remain unconfirmed. A tweet was posted by the Indian Embassy in New York on ‘X,’ previously known as Twitter.

HYDERABAD: Kalki 2898 AD, starring Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, and Amitabh Bachchan has made a huge impact at the box office. Directed by Nag Ashwin, the epic sci-fi action film has earned around Rs 555 crore worldwide within just four days of it’s release. Domestically, it minted Rs 302 crore, with Rs 115 crore coming from the Hindi version alone.

Kalki 2898 AD, sets box office records

The makers announced the impressive box office figures on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “555 CRORES & counting…💥 The BIGGEST FORCES are dominating the GLOBAL BOX OFFICE, show no signs of slowing down ⚡️.”

555 CRORES & counting…💥

The BIGGEST FORCES are dominating the GLOBAL BOX OFFICE, show no signs of slowing down ⚡️#Kalki2898AD #EpicBlockbusterKalki@SrBachchan @ikamalhaasan #Prabhas @deepikapadukone @nagashwin7 @DishPatani @Music_Santhosh @VyjayanthiFilms @Kalki2898AD… pic.twitter.com/yoIe3yiLRr

— Vyjayanthi Movies (@VyjayanthiFilms) July 1, 2024

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh reported a massive jump in the film’s earnings on Sunday. He noted, “NUMBERS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS… #Kalki2898AD ROARS, has a ROCKING 4-day extended weekend… Look at the day-wise trends, especially the massive jump on Day 4 [Sun]… Just one word: TERRIFIC… This one’s a BOXOFFICE MONSTER.”

Adarsh emphasized that Kalki 2898 AD has been well-received by moviegoers, avoiding the usual drop-off seen on working days. “Let the truth be told: #Kalki2898AD has found acceptance by moviegoers, else the numbers would’ve crashed and crumbled on Day 2 [Fri] itself, which was a working day… It didn’t… Biz on Sat and Sun reiterate an undeniable fact yet again: Content is KING and audiences are KING MAKERS.”

He added that the film’s success spans across regions: “East. West. North. South. #Kalki2898AD remains an UNSTOPPABLE FORCE… Metros, non-metros, mass pockets – the audience feedback is a big plus and it is this positivity that will carry it forward on weekdays.”

Kalki 2898 AD also made history in North America, becoming the first Indian film to hit $11 million (approximately Rs 90.2 crore) in its first weekend. The makers proudly announced, “For the first time, a film hits $11 MILLION in its first weekend in North America 💥💥 #Kalki2898AD ~ North America ~ $11M & Counting.”

The film has also emerged as the highest-earning Telugu film in Canada. According to Sacnilk, Kalki 2898 AD earned an estimated Rs 85 crore in India on Sunday, surpassing Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, which minted Rs 286 crore in the same timeframe. Jawan was previously the highest-grossing Indian film of 2023.

The Telugu version of Kalki 2898 AD contributed significantly to its total box office collection by collecting Rs 162.1 crore.

Within just three days of it’s release, Kalki 2898 AD became the highest-grossing indian film of 2024. The film achieved the third-highest opening for an Indian movie ever, with a global opening of Rs 191.5 crore. It outperformed the opening day records of hits like KGF 2 and Jawan.

However, RRR and Baahubali 2 continue to hold the top spots, with Rs 223 crore and Rs 217 crore, respectively, on their opening days. With Prabhas also starring in Baahubali 2, Kalki 2898 AD becomes his second-biggest opener.

Hyderabad: A customer discovered a deep-fried plastic cover in their chicken biryani ordered from Mehfil Restaurant’s Manikonda branch in a series of food safety violations. This incident follows a recent complaint in which another customer found a safety pin in a biryani from the same Manikonda Mehfil outlet.

Taking to ‘X,’ formerly known as Twitter, Zelani S (@Zelani_A) expressed dismay, saying, “Yesterday I ordered Chicken Biryani from Mehfil and found a deep-fried plastic cover (completely fried plastic bag) in it. Unfortunately, it was at the bottom of the pack, so I had already eaten half before realizing.” @cfs_telangana was tagged in the tweet, highlighting this incident and the previous complaint about the safety pin found in food from the Manikonda Mehfil outlet.

Yesterday I ordered Chicken Biryani from Mehfil and I received a deep fried Plastic cover(completely fried Plastic bag) in the Biryani, unfortunately it was in the bottom of pack, so I ate first half on top and then realised. @cfs_telangana this is in addition to yesterday… pic.twitter.com/omk3ErX7u1

— Zelani S (@zelani_A) July 1, 2024

Another customer, @AnirudhActor, reported finding a safety pin in his biryani from Mehfil Restaurant in Manikonda on June 29th. This incident comes shortly after bugs were discovered in biryani served at Mehfil’s Kukatpally branch.

Hyderabad City Police replied to the post of @AnirudhActor, stating, “Please WhatsApp Cyberabad police at 8712663061, as the mentioned location falls under their jurisdiction. @GHMCOnline.”

In a separate incident, a customer named Sai Teja warned against ordering from Mehfil’s Kukatpally branch after finding bugs in the chicken pieces. He also shared his dissatisfaction with his refund experience via Swiggy.

Meanwhile, another customer found a strand of hair in their chutney at Chutneys in AS Rao Nagar. Srikhande Umesh Kumar, Founder and President of Know Your Rights NGO, shared the unpleasant experience on social media, mentioning that while the manager acknowledged the issue and replaced the dish, it remained a negative experience.

In response to Srikhande’s complaint, authorities swiftly fined Chutneys Rs. 5,000. The Commissioner of Food Safety in Telangana took action, prompting Srikhande to appreciate their swift response while raising concerns about the TDS water level served at the restaurant.