Infant killed in cracker explosion in Kolhapur

A two-month-old girl was killed in a cracker blast at a house at suburban Vikram Nagar last night, police said today. The incident took place in the house of one Shankar Mahadev Kumbhar, who dealt in crackers. Kumbhar's daughter Shashikala was in her parents' house with her two-month-old child Priyanka, who was thrown out of the cradle by the impact of the blast, they said

The powerful blast also damaged the house and a portion of it collapsed, police added.

Gutka worth Rs 2.15 lakh seized in Kolhapur

Police today seized gutka, banned in Maharashtra, worth about Rs 2.15 lakh at Kurundwad town in this district and arrested one person in this connection.

Acting on a complaint by District Food and Drug Official Y S Yadhav that gutkha was being brought to Jaisingpur town in this district from Mankapur in neighbouring Belgaum, police swung into action and seized the consignment, police said.

One Anil Appa Khot of Jaisingpur was nabbed. The matador in which gutka was being transported was also impounded, police added.

12 nominations filed today for KMC elections

Twelve candidates filed their papers today on the third day of filing nominations for the 77-member Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections scheduled for October 23.

Former standing committee chairman and sitting corporator Uday Phalke was among those who filed their nominations today, a KMC spokesman said.

A total of 60 aspiring candidates have filed their papers so far, the spokesman said. The last date for filing of nominations is October 6.