Five arrested over Japanese tourist gang rape
KOLKATA: Five people have now been arrested for repeatedly gang-raping and extorting money from a young Japanese tourist held hostage for nearly a month in a basement close to a famous Buddhist shrine in India, officials said on Sunday. The 22-year-old’s ordeal began in Kolkata, capital of West Bengal state, where she was befriended by three local men shortly after arriving on November 20, one of the city’s top police officers told AFP. The men, one of whom spoke Japanese, first managed to persuade her to withdraw around $1,200 dollars in cash before travelling with her to the holy shrine of Bodh Gaya in the neighbouring state of Bihar. There she was then handed over to two brothers who locked her in a secluded underground room and repeatedly raped her for nearly a month. The two brothers, who were working as tourist guides, were arrested on Friday and taken to Kolkata where they appeared in court late Saturday. A magistrate ordered that they be remanded in custody until January 9 so the victim can take part in an identification parade.(PTI)
Cops crackdown on bars, gambling and video parlours
Mumbai:Mumbai Police have raided seven commercial establishments since December 31 night and arrested as many as 110 people for allegedly carrying out illegal activities and violating rules, and rescued several bar girls. While Mumbai was celebrating the New Year’s eve, the Social Service (SS) branch of city police raided three bars at Nagpada, Ghatkopar and Mulund areas where obscene acts were being performed by the bar girls. “A total 76 people, including managers and supervisors of the bars, were arrested and the girls were rescued,” Deputy Police Commissioner (Enforcement) Pravin Patil said on Sunday. On the same night, an illegal video parlour was raided in Kurla and two persons working in the premises were held. Some DVDs and DVD players were recovered, he said. On Friday night, the SS branch raided a gambling house in Nagpada and arrested 11 people, while a lottery centre in Ghatkopar was stormed and seven persons were held. (PTI)
Man trampled to death
by elephant
Dhenkanal (Odisha):A 70-year-old man was trampled to death by wild elephants at a village in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district on Sunday, forest officials said. The victim, identified as Birabara Parida of Rasasing village, was trampled when a herd of jumbos were passing through the area, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Pradipta Sahu said. Earlier in the morning, a male elephant calf was found dead in village Baulapur near Brahamani river, 20 kms from here. Forest officials suspect the calf, aged around two years, might have been killed during fight within the herd of elephants. The death of Parida in jumbo attack, second such incident within one week, triggered protest by locals who staged a road blockade and damaged a jeep belonging to forest department, sources said. On December 28, Hemant Boral (50), a farmer of Rasasingh under Dhenkanal Sadar forest range, was trampled to death by a wild elephant, they said. (PTI)
Woman PWD engineer found dead near home
Gopeshwar: A 22-year-old woman working as a junior engineer in the PWD here was found murdered under an unoccupied tin shelter near her residence. The victim, who lived along with her mother in PWD residential quarters, was found murdered yesterday, Chamoli SP Sunil Kumar Meena said on Sunday. She had gone out on Friday evening to buy something and did not return. When she did not come back for too long, her mother informed her father who then informed the police and a search was launched, he said. A murder case has been lodged at Gopeshwar against an unidentified person in connection with the incident but no one has been arrested so far.(PTI)
SP MLA convicted in murder case, faces disqualification
Jalaun:Ruling Samajwadi Party MLA from Charkhari, Kaptan Singh Rajput, has been held guilty along with his brother by a local court here in a 13-year-old murder case and faces disqualification. Special Judge (anti dacoity) Sanjay Kumar convicted the SP MLA and his brother Laxman Singh yesterday after which they were sent to jail. The quantum of punishment is likely to be pronounced on Monday. According to the prosecution, Kishan was attacked and killed by Kaptan and his brother on April 20, 2002. An FIR was lodged against Kaptan, Laxman and nine others in this connection. An MP or MLA faces disqualification on conviction by a court in a criminal offence with a jail sentence of two years or more. (PTI)