Three businessmen found dead in car in Delhi’s RK Puram
New Delhi: Three businessmen, aged between 25 and 30 years, were found dead in a luxury car parked in R K Puram area of south Delhi, police said. The deceased have been identified as Nishant, Balwinder and Laxman, who were friends and were involved in event-management business. The bodies of three youths were found in a white-colour Honda City car (DL 4C AB 8076), owned by Balwinder, around 11 PM on Monday night, they said. Police suspect that the death might have happened due to the consumption of some poisonous substance or gas poisoning while chatting in a car. “We have got to know that they were chatting inside the car with the AC on and eating some snacks. As per initial investigation, they might have died due to gas poisoning or consumption of poisonous substance as no injury marks have been found on their bodies. However, other angles are also being investigated,” said a senior police officer. Police is scanning footage of CCTV installed in nearby areas to ascertain what happened to them, he said adding, some vomit marks have also been found inside the car. “The post mortem report is being awaited to ascertain the exact cause of their death and further investigation is on,” the officer added. On the other hand, parents of the deceased are suspecting foul play in the incident and have alleged that they were given poisonous substance by someone. (PTI)
No plans to amend Section 377 till SC decision: Govt
New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday said it has no plans to amend or repeal Section 377 of the IPC, criminalising sex among homosexuals, till the issue is settled by the Supreme Court. “No. The matter is sub-judiced before the Supreme Court. A decision regarding Section 377 of IPC can be taken only after pronouncement of judgement by the Supreme Court,” Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told Lok Sabha in a written reply. He was replying to a question on whether the government proposes to amend or repeal Section 377 of the IPC. The Supreme Court on December 11, 2013 set aside a Delhi High Court judgement decriminalising gay sex and threw the ball into Parliament’s court for amending law. The judgement of the apex court revives the penal provision making gay sex an offence punishable with life imprisonment. The SC is at present hearing a curative petition on the matter. (PTI)
Naxals collecting Rs 140 cr ‘levy’ every year: Govt
New Delhi: Government on Tuesday said it has information that Naxals have been collecting about Rs 140 crore as ‘levy’ from industrialists, businessmen and contractors in Left wing Extremism affected states. “The Left Wing Extremists groups, particularly CPI (Maoist), are reported to extort ‘levy’ from industrialists, businessmen, contractors particularly Tendu patta contractors, transporters, government servants and various illegal mining mafia groups in the Left Wing Extremism affected states. “Though an exact quantification is not possible, a study conducted by the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), Delhi has assessed that the CPI (Maoist) party has been collecting not less than Rs 140 crore annually from a variety of sources,” Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told Lok Sabha in a written reply. (PTI)
1137 teachers sacked over fake degree, invalid documents
Patna: Bihar government today said that the services of 1137 fixed pay teachers in schools have been terminated as they had acquired the job on the basis of fake and invalid documents and initiated action against those responsible for their appointment. This was told by state Education Minister Brishen Patel in Legislative Assembly in reply to a starred question of BJP’s Vikram Kuer. The government under Nitish Kumar had recruited nearly 2.25 lakh fixed pay teachers in schools from 2006 to 2011 to fill in the vacancies of the teachers. Patel said that the state government has initiated action against 147 mukhiyas (village headman) and 27 Panchayat sevaks in connection with such recruitments of ineligible persons as teachers. A total of 35 FIRs have been lodged in different parts of the state in this connection, the minister said. The fixed pay teachers are recruited by panchayats. The recruitments were made to fill the vacancies of teachers in schools and also provide jobs to youths as there was no recruitment for over a decade before 2005 (when Nitish Kumar had assumed power in the state for the first time). (PTI)