Tribal school girl found pregnant; Hostel in-charge suspended
Malkangiri: Close on the heels of similar incidents, a 15-year old tribal student living in a government school hostel, was found pregnant as the district authorities suspended the hostel incharge and the police launched a probe. The girl, a Class 9th student of a school run by the School and Mass Education Department, was staying in a hostel managed by ST and SC Development department at Pedakonda, District Education Officer Manas Kumar Jena said. Hostel superintendent Sabitarani Sarkar was placed under suspension after the matter came to the knowledge of the administration on Saturday, Jena said. The incident came in the backdrop of at least three minor girls being made pregnant in Koraput district and one in Kandhamal in the state over the last two months. While the administration was probing the matter, police has also started investigation into the incident in order to ascertain who was responsible for pregnancy of the girl, the officer said. Police sources said the girl, who had gone to her village during the vacation, was believed to have been involved in a relationship with a boy of the same area and added that the boy has been detained for interrogation. Inspector Rajkishore Dash said investigation is in progress and appropriate action will be taken. (PTI)
Girl charges ex-minister with inappropriate behaviour
Ranchi/Dhanbad: The police have registered an FIR against former Congress minister Mannan Mallick after a minor girl accused him of inappropriate behaviour and assault, the police said on Sunday. The FIR was registered on Saturday night after the 13-year-old girl approached officials of the Child Welfare Committee through an NGO after leaving Mallick’s house at Doranda 15 days ago. The girl from Dhanbad used to stay at the ex-MLA’s house to look after his ailing wife, the police said. She alleged that she was beaten up, subjected to inappropriate behaviour and levelled various other charges against Mallick. The disaster management minister in the erstwhile Hemant Soren ministry was not available for comment. Meanwhile, BJP activists led by Dhanbad Sadar MLA Raj Sinha demonstrated near the Dhanbad collectorate demanding his immediate arrest and also burnt his effigy. (PTI)
Phone calls from jails tracked; contract killer held
Dhanbad (Jharkhand): Tracking phone calls between a jailed father-son duo from various jails led to the arrest of an alleged contract killer here. Interception of mobile phone calls from Dhanbad jail where Iqbal has been lodged and Ranchi’s Hotwar jail where his father Fahim Khan is lodged, led to the detection of a conspiracy to demand extortion or kill railway contractor A K Jha, Deputy Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar said. While Fahim is serving life sentence in a murder case, his son is an accused of killing a railway contractor in 2013. The ‘contract killer’, identified as Rinku Khan alias Amir, was arrested from near Bank More hereSaturday. He was allegedly hired by Iqbal to carry out the plan. During interrogation, the arrested person alleged that Jha had turned down a request by Fahim to take some of his men in Jha’s company. (PTI)