Passenger train services to Tezpur resumes
Guwahati: Passenger train services in the newly gauge converted Rangiya Junction – Rangapara North – Dekargaon section of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) in northern Assam resumed on Saturday. The services resumed with the running of Kamakhya – Dekargaon Intercity Express from Kamakhya station here at 1600 hours and the New Jalpaiguri – New Bongaigaon passenger train would be extended up to Dekargaon from Sunday. Last week, the NFR had announced of starting passenger train services in the section, connecting the northern town of Tezpur, by January 15 next. Various organizations had been demanding resuming of train services in the section, which were stopped for gauge conversion work. The 144.48 kilometre recently-converted broad gauge section will have 17 stations besides Rangiya Jn. and Rangapara North. (UNI)
Chinese, Indian troops jointly celebrate New Year at Bumla
Kolkata: Indian and Chinese troops jointly celebrated New Year at Bumla on the India-Chinese border in Arunachal Pradesh in sub-zero temperatures, a defence ministry release said Friday. “Against a backdrop of clear blue sky and sub-zero temperatures, the New Year ringed in a rare bonhomie between Indian and Chinese troops at 16,000 feet, amidst friendly handshakes as soldiers on either side greeted each other and their families,” said the release. The joint new year celebrations saw a get together of soldiers from both sides. “The Indian and Chinese troops jointly celebrated arrival of the year 2014 at Bumla in a meeting organized by the Eastern Command’s Tawang garrison under Gajraj Corps. It is the first time that uniformed personnel from both sides got together at Bumla amidst a cordial atmosphere,” it said. Women officers from both sides also participated in the joint celebrations. The delegations re-affirmed their commitment in maintaining peace and tranquility along the borders as per Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement (BPTA) and the recently concluded Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA). The meeting concluded with exchange of sweets. (IANS)
Rhino strays out of Kaziranga Park
Guwahati: An adult rhino that strayed out of Kaziranga National Park (KNP) into the fringe villages led to panic among the people, as the pachyderm killed several domestic animals and also charged at Forest department elephants and guards. Local reports said the rhino was spotted near villages of Mihimukh viewing point of the Park in Kohora range since this morning. It attacked and also killed a few domestic animals that were grazing in the fields. On being informed, Forest personnel arrived at the scene, along with three forest department elephants to scare away the rhino. They also shot bullets in the air to scare the animal back into the forest. However, the rhino charged at the forest department elephants and guards, though no one was injured. It was finally sent back into the Park core area in the noon hours. The spot where the rhino had strayed out was near the tourist route. (UNI)
Irate locals torches house of accused murderer
IMPHAL: Angry local residents of Oinam Sawombung in Imphal West on Saturday torched the house of Oinam Tenden, the accused in the murder of his nephew, Oinam Sharif, 12, whose corpse was found near the Imphal Barrage on December 28. The police arrested accused Tenden on Friday after seven days of commitment of the crime. Hours after his arrest in connection with the murder, the angry locals stormed the house of the accused and set it on fire around 9 am. Besides, the family of the accused has been cast out from the locality as a punishment. The dead body of the victim was lying unclaimed at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) mortuary for the past week. However, the family and the joint action committee (JAC) calling for justice in the killing had claimed it on Saturday following which his last rites were held. (NNN)
Assembly hearing on four defected NCP MLAs on Jan 30, 31
Itanagar: The much-awaited assembly hearing on the petition for disqualification of four NCP MLAs who defected to Congress in Arunachal Pradesh over a year ago has been fixed on January 30 and January 31, assembly secretariat sources said on Saturday. The petition seeking disqualification of the defected NCP MLAs who joined Congress in October 8, 2012 was filed by Peoples Party of Arunachal under the Anti-defection Law. The state unit of NCP too had sought the disqualification of the four MLAs and wrote to Speaker Wangling Lowandong on November 13 last year as per the directive of its central leadership. The four MLAs are Techi Kaso, Alo Libang, Bamang Felix and Ralom Borang. PPA president Nikh Kamin welcoming the speaker’s move said the court of the speaker after perusing submissions of the two parties had served hearing notices to the defected NCP MLAs, including the CLP leader and Chief Minister Nabam Tuki and the petitioners. The NCP in its petition had said the speaker should use his statutory power and uphold Article 191(2) of Constitution and the Members of Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on ground of defection rules) 1987 against the four MLAs. (PTI)
Policeman gets 10 years in jail for raping tribal woman
Nalbari (Assam): A police official was today sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment for raping a tribal woman at his official quarters. The Nalbari District Session Judge Nirmali Talukdar sentenced Anandabazar police station’s Officer in-charge Saidur Rahman after he was convicted of raping the woman while serving as the Sub-Inspector of Tamulpur police station on April 19, 2010. A case was filed against Rahman by the victim at Tamulpur police station later on. The official was also fined Rs 10,000 and an additional six months’ rigorous imprisonment in case of default in payment. (PTI)