Woman asphyxiates kids, hangs self
Surat: A 32-year-old woman allegedly asphyxiated her three children to death using a pillow before committing suicide by hanging herself at her residence in Rander area here on Wednesday, police said. The incident took place in Shilakeh Complex where Vandana Sharma was found hanging in her bedroom, while the body of her three children — Muskan (7), Alatika (4) and Shivankar (2) who was deaf and dumb, lay on the bed, they said. According to police, the milkman informed the watchman about Sharma not opening the door, following which cops were called and the incident came to light. Sharma, after smothering her three children with a pillow in their sleep, cut her wrist and then hanged herself, police said. In her suicide note, Sharma stated that she was frustrated due the illness of her son Shivankar and that was the reason behind her committing suicide, police said. Sharma’s husband works with the ABG Shipyard Ltd company here and was on an official tour. Police have registered a case and further investigation in the matter was on. (PTI)
Kashmir valley receives fresh snowfall
Srinagar: Several places in Kashmir valley, including tourist resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam, on Wednesday received fresh snowfall even as other parts of the valley were lashed with rains since early morning. The Gulmarg resort in north Kashmir had received five inches of snow and 4.0 mm rainfall, an official at the Divisional Commissioner’s office here said. He said four inches of snowfall was received in north Kashmir’s remote Gurez area while six inches of snowfall was received at south Kashmir’s Sedow area and five inches at Hirpora area. The mountainous Sonmarg-Zojila-Gumri road along the Srinagar-Leh highway recorded around six to ten inches of snowfall, he said. He said the vehicular traffic has been suspended on north Kashmir’s Bandipora-Gurez road, Kupwara-Tangdhar road and on south Kashmir’s Kokernag-Simthen road due to snowfall in the area. Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Asgar Hassan Samoon reviewed the preparation in view of rain and snow forecast, he said. (PTI)
Four drown as bus falls into canal
Lucknow: Four people, including two doctors, on Wednesday drowned when a private bus in which they were travelling fell into a canal here, police said. The bus of a private dental college, carrying four people, fell in Indira canal in Chinhat area after its driver lost control over the vehicle due to fog while negotiating a sharp turn, Trans-Gomti SP Deepika Garg said. Bodies of the two doctors and the cleaner have been fished out from the canal, while the bus driver’s body is yet to be recovered, she said. (PTI)
Two quacks arrested
Bulandshahr (UP): Two quacks have been arrested for running illegal nursing homes in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district, police said here on Wednesday. A health department team yesterday raided a nursing home and a pathology lab being run by an unregistered doctor at Chola area here and seized medicines and equipment, they said. Another quack was held during a raid at his clinic in Narora area, officials said. (PTI)
Woman raped by godman
Bulandhshar (UP): A woman was allegedly raped by a godman to whom she had gone for some treatment here, police said on Wednesday. The woman was alone with the godman for treatment when he allegedly raped her at an isolated place here on Tuesday, they said. A case has been registered in this regard and search is on to nab the accused, police said. (PTI)
Bear attacks man
Srinagar: A 37-year-old man was critically injured by a bear in Anantnag district in south Kashmir on Wednesday, a police spokesman said. A wild bear strayed into village Kralwani-Vailoo in Kokernag, 70-km from here, and attacked Abdul Rashid Khokhar outside his house in the wee hours. The spokesman said Khokhar raised an alarm attracting the attention of his family and neighbours who chased away the bear into the forest. The man was admitted to hospital, he said. (PTI)
Children fall sick after eating Jatropha seeds
Munger: Eleven children were taken ill after eating Jatropha Curcas seeds at Rampur residential school in Bihar’s Munger district, an official said. All the children were admitted to a primary health centre under Jamalpur police station area where their condition was stated to be out of danger, Civil Surgeon of the PHC Dr Jagat Prasad said. The children had plucked the seeds from a nearby school compound and consumed it yesterday. Jatropha Curcas is a poisonous, semi-evergreen shrub whose seeds can be used to produce a high quality bio-diesel fuel. (PTI)