Villagers pelt stones, open fire at police; 2 injured
Muzaffarnagar:Two security personnel were injured when villagers here allegedly opened fire and pelted stones at a police team which had gone to arrest 20 persons accused in Phugana gangrape cases during Muzaffarnagar riots, police said on Thursday. The incident took place in Phugana village on Wednesday, after the villagers opposed the arrest of 20 accused in the five gangrape cases which took place during the riots, Superintendent of Police Rural, Alok Piryadarshi said. The irate mob pelted stones and opened fire at the police in which policeman Amar Singh and home guard Abul were injured, the SP said. An accused, Ajit was arrested yesterday, police said, adding, a case was registered under various sections against one hundred people and 14 people were named for interfering in police action. After the incident yesterday, security has been tightened in the village, he added. A Special Investigation Team had found 22 persons to be involved in the five Phugana gangrape cases. Two accused, Vedpal and Roki had been arrested earlier and after the arrest of Ajit, 19 others are still absconding. Atleast 60 people were killed and thousands displaced during the riots which hit western UP in 2013. (PTI)
Naxal held; Maoist memorial demolished in Chattisgarh
Raipur:A Naxal was arrested by security forces in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Bijapur district, police said on Thursday. Uika Gunda (27) was apprehended from Kumharapara village under Basaguda police station limits last evening, Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela told PTI. A joint squad of Central Reserve Police Force and district police was conducting a combing exercise in Malepalli region, around 450 kms from the state capital. On reaching Kumharapara, they spotted a suspect trying to escape from the spot following which they chased and nabbed him, he said. During interrogation, Uike admitted of being involved in the outlawed movement as ‘sangham member’. He was involved in several offences, including attack on security forces in Basaguda-Sarkeguda (2010), murder, loot, and arson in the region, the ASP said. In a separate incident, a 30-ft tall Maoist memorial constructed in dense forests of Pakhanjore in North Bastar’s Kanker district was demolished by security personnel. A joint contingent of local police and Border Security Force dismantled the memorial in forest area between Mad Pakhanjore and Uliya under Bande police station limits last evening, Kanker Superintendent of Police RN Dash said. “It was the tallest of all Maoist memorials so far we have destroyed in the district,” Dash added. (PTI)
Worker killed in oxygen pipeline explosion at factory
Rajnandgaon:A 50-year-old worker was killed when an oxygen pipeline exploded at a factory in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district, police said on Thursday. The mishap occurred when the victim was opening a valve of the pipeline in Simplex Engineering Factory at Tedesara village under Somni police station limits yesterday, police said. The deceased was identified as Jawahar Singh, a native of Bihar. As per preliminary investigation, Jawahar was working along with other labourers in the plant. While he was opening a valve of the oxygen pipeline, it suddenly went off injuring him grievously on hand and neck, police said. The victim was rushed to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead, they said. The cause of the explosion was yet to be ascertained, police said. (PTI)
Country-made bombs hurled at CPI(M) worker’s house
Kannur:A pregnant woman was injured when an unidentified gang hurled two country-made bombs at the house of a CPI(M) worker at Irivery near Chakkarakkal early on Thursday. According to police, the woman, Athira, was sleeping in the house along with her parents when it was attacked. She was admitted to a private hospital. The house of M K Premrajan, who was Chakkarakkal Unit President of Vyapara Vyvysaya Samithi, was damaged in the attack. One door and nine windowpanes were damaged. Police said a case was registered in this connection and investigation was going on. Bomb and dog squad were rushed to the spot. Police personnel were camping at Chakkarakkal and nearby areas and the situation was under control. CPI(M) alleged that BJP/RSS were behind the attack. Earlier, house of BJP Dharmadom unit Vice-President Rathnavally was attacked on October 5 at Irivery. Several political clashes among CPI(M), BJP and Congress workers had been reported since the last week at Chakkarakkal. (UNI)
Minor boy burnt alive in Bihar for goat’s grazing
Patna:A boy’s goat grazed some of a farmer’s paddy crop. That really got the farmer’s goat. He burnt the boy alive in Bihar’s Rohtas district. Police said Thursday that the gory incident took place in Mohanpur village in Rohtas district. The boy was from Mahadalit community, and died of his burns. Sai Ram, 15, was burnt alive by Arvind Singh alias Kunkun Singh Wednesday evening, Superintendent of Police Chandan Kushwaha said. Kushwaha said a murder case has been lodged against the farmer on the basis of the boy’s father Jiut Ram’s statement. “Police have raided many places to arrest the accused, who has been untraceable and on the run after the incident,” Kushwaha said. Angry over the incident, hundreds of people blockaded roads in protest, demanding immediate arrest of the attacker. (IANS)
2 killed, 5 injured as truck hits two bikes Khandwa
MP:Two children were killed and five others injured when a truck hit two motorcycles on Khandwa-Punasa road near here, police said on Thursdayday. The accident took place last night when the truck first hit a motorcycle on which three persons were riding, causing injuries to them, sub-inspector Reval Singh Bade said. The four-wheeler later hit another motorcycle carrying four persons, including two children who died in the mishap. The deceased were identified as Shoaib (10) and Fiza (7). The five persons who sustained injuries in the mishap were undergoing treatment in a hospital. Enraged over the incident, villagers damaged the truck following which police intervened to pacify them. The truck driver fled from the spot after the mishap, police said adding that a case has been registered in this regard and further investigations are on. (PTI)