Arrest of Arif not an action to harass him: Govt
Guwahati: Government on Saturday said arrest of Arif Majeed, who returned to Mumbai after disappearing in ISIS controlled areas in Iraq, was not an action to harass him, asserting that all such incidents will be taken on a case- by-case basis. “Our intention is not to harass anybody. We will deal all this on a case-by-case basis,” he said on the sidelines of a conference of police chiefs here. The Home Minister said interrogation of Arif is going on in Mumbai. The youth from Mumbai suburb Kalyan, Arif, who until now was believed to have been killed while fighting for militant group ISIS in Syria, was arrested last night hours after he landed in the metropolis. A case has been slapped against ISIS and its operatives under Section 125 of the IPC which deals with waging war against any Asiatic country which has friendly ties with India, entailing maximum punishment of life imprisonment. In May this year, four youths from Kalyan – Shaheen Tanki, Fahad Shaikh and Aman Tandel, besides Arif – had left India to visit holy places in the West Asia, but they disappeared thereafter and since then were suspected to have joined the Sunni extremist group. According to police, the four engineering students flew to Baghdad on May 23 as part of a group of 22 pilgrims to visit religious shrines in Iraq. (PTI)
Boy killed in bomb explosion in Manipur
Imphal:A 10-year boy was killed when a bomb allegedly planted by militants exploded in interior Thoubal district of Manipur on Saturday, police said. The boy was standing on a road while his mother was collecting hay nearby when the bomb exploded killing the boy on the spot, the police said. The boy’s mother heard the explosion and rushed to the spot to see the body of her son. The bomb was allegedly planted by the militants as security personnel including Assam Rifles personnel cross the area very frequently, police said. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the crime, they added. (PTI)
Mizo social worker gets award from largest circulated daily
Aizawl:Sangthankima, a well-known social worker, was on Saturday awarded the ‘Mizo Award’ instituted by Vanglaini, the largest circulated daily of Mizoram. The ‘Vanglaini Mizo Award’ carried a trophy and a cash award of Rs 1 lakh. Former state chief minister and the first recipient in 2011 Brig. Thenphunga Sailo handed over the award. Sangthankima founded an organisation called TNT which set up homes for drug addicts, the mentally challenged, alcoholics and orphans in Aizawl and three district headquarters. At present the TNT home in Aizawl housed 424 children and infants, 254 mentally challenged people and 324 addicts and alcoholics with 68 volunteers. Sangthankima recently received the prestigious Mother Teresa Award in Mumbai. (PTI)
22.5 g heroin seized in Aizawl
Aizawl:Mizoram Excise and Narcotics department officials seized 22.5 grams of heroin from a Myanmarese national at a hotel here, a spokesman of the department said on Saturday. The accused has been identified as one Vanlalsawma who was arrested last night. The contraband was smuggled from Myanmar across the porous international border to be sold in Aizawl, the spokesman said. (PTI)