Woman passenger dies after being pushed out of train by TTE
JALGAON: A woman passenger was killed on Thursday as she was run over by an Express train here after being allegedly pushed by an allegedly drunk ticket examiner for trying to board an AC coach while carrying a general class ticket in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district, police said. According to the complaint filed by the woman’s nephew Rahul Purohit with Government Railway Police (GRP), Ujjwala Pandey (38) with a general ticket, was trying to board the AC coach of LTT-Rajendranagar Patna Express (13202), and was stopped by TTE Sampat Salunkhe (staff of Mumbai headquarters). When train started to move, fearing she would miss it, she once again tried to board the AC coach from here with her ten-year-old daughter Palak and was allegedly pushed out by Salunke. Ujjwala lost her balance and slipped into the gap between the coach and platform and was run over by the train, police said. Her nephew had come to see off Ujjwala, who was going to Khandwa. The kin in the complaint also alleged that the TTE was under the influence of alcohol. Fearing angry passengers, Salunkhe initially hid in the pantry car but was driven out by passengers and the deceased’s kin, who took him to GRP station at the railway station. He was arrested under section 304 of the IPC (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and further investigations are on, police added. The TTE has been sent for medical examination to ascertain if he was under the influence of liquor. (PTI)
Pinaka rockets successfully test-fired
Balasore (Odisha): Indigenously developed Pinaka rockets, capable of destroying enemy positions at 40 kms-range with rapid salvos, were on Thursday successfully test- fired thrice from a multi-barrel launcher at an armament base in Chandipur-on-sea, near here. The rockets, which have undergone several tough tests since 1995, have been already inducted into the armed forces and the present trials were conducted with some improvements in the weapon system, defence sources said, adding some more tests are likely to be held. “Three rounds of Pinaka rockets were successfully tested from the proof and experimental establishment (PXE) today at Chandipur,” about 15 km from here, they said. The unguided rocket system is meant to neutralise large areas with rapid salvos. With a battery of six launchers, the system can fire a salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds and neutralise a target area of 3.9 sq km. The rockets, which act as force-multiplier, were developed to supplement artillery guns, the sources said. The quick reaction time and high rate of fire of the system give an edge to the army during a low-intensity conflict situation, they said. The system’s capability to incorporate several types of warheads makes it deadly for the enemy as the rockets could even destroy solid structures and bunkers. In July last year, an advanced, second generation Pinaka Mark II Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher System had undergone successful trials at Chandhan area in Pokhran field firing ranges in western Rajasthan and is in development stage, the sources said. The development and trials of the advanced system will continue and it is expected to enter service very soon, they said. (PTI)
Govt awaiting report on complaint against IPS officer, HM
Bangalore: A day after a section of Karnataka State Reserve Police protested alleging that their ADGP P Ravindranath is being framed on charge of clicking “objectionable” pictures of a woman in coffee shop, government on Thursday said it was awaiting CID report on the case. “The case is now handed over to the CID. We are awaiting the CID report. After getting the report we will take action,” Home Minister K J George told reporters here. An FIR has been filed against Ravindranath for allegedly outraging a woman’s modesty after he tried to click her pictures on his mobile phone at a coffee shop here on Monday. Some KSRP personnel and family members had protested and blocked Hosur road near Adugodi alleging that Ravindranath was being framed and shouted slogans against City Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar and other officials alleging their hand in the action against their chief. Ravindranath had also on Wednesday stormed into Auradkar’s chamber and dared the city police chief to arrest him. George said “….he (Ravindranath) is a good officer, he himself has voluntarily resigned now, he wanted to be arrested. I told him we cannot arrest like that, and we will have to investigate the matter.” (PTI)
Naxal couple forced to undergo sterilisation; surrender
Rajnandgaon: A naxal couple, one of them carrying a reward on his head, surrendered on Thursday after they were allegedly forced to undergo sterilisation by their leaders in insurgency-hit Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh. Sandeep alias Mahendra Kerame (26), an active member of military platoon No. 56 of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) and his wife Sheela alias Lata Gota have expressed their desire to join mainstream and surrendered, Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Shukla said. A native of Rajnandagon district, Sandeep was associated with movement in Gadchiroli region of Maharashtra where he was living along with his relatives in 2011. Subsequently, he was deputed as the gunman of an area committee secretary Pahad Singh in North Gadchiroli Gondia Division (bordering Chhattisgarh), the SP said. Later he was elevated as a member of military platoon No. 56, largely active in Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border. Similarly Sheela, a native of Gyarahpatti village in Gadchiroli joined the banned outfit in 2011 and was inducted into military platoon 56 in the same year, he said. While working in the same wing of the banned outfit, the duo fell in love and eventually married early this year with the permission of their senior cadres. However, when they decided to have children, the senior cadres objected and forced them to undergo sterilisation, following which they quit the organisation, the SP said. (PTI)
ACB arrests PWD engineer for accepting Rs 16,000 bribe
Thane: A deputy engineer from PWD department of Thane Zilla Parishad was on Thursday arrested for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 16,000 from a contractor for passing his bills, ACB said here. Ramesh D Patel, 54, had made a demand of Rs 18,000 from a contractor for passing bills of Rs 9 lakh for road work. After deliberations, the contractor agreed to give a sum of Rs 16,000 to the officer for the clearance. The aggrieved contractor lodged a complaint with the ACB Thane unit officials following which a trap was laid in the PWD office at Murbad. (PTI)