10 pilgrims killed in road mishap
Jhansi: At least 10 pilgrims including five women were killed and 12 others injured when a truck collided with two tractor-trolleys in Math area of the district late last night.Police sources here today said the villagers of Bhojod in Math area were going to a Mata temple in Ratangarh area in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh when the accident occurred.The incident happened at around 2230 hrs when the tractor-trolleys were stationed near a temple in Math.The deceased have been identified as Rameshwar(50) Ashok(50), Sri Ram(42), Meera Devi(45) Prema Devi(45), Santoshi Devi(36), Urmila(40), Oshika(12) and Vickey(13).One body is yet to be identified.The injured have been admitted to the Jhansi Medical College hospital where condition of four is stated to be critical.Meanwhile, local people in protest against the accident and demanding compensation for the deceased families had blocked the highway after the incident and it was cleared after the intervention of the police. (UNI)
2 Pak intruders shot dead by BSF
Amritsar: Two suspected Pakistani intruders were shot dead here by security personnel in the early hours today as they were trying to smuggle in heroin worth Rs 60 crore into India, a day after 24-kg of the contraband was seized following a similar operation near the border. Confirming the killing of two intruders at border outpost Rattan Khurd, Border Security Force (BSF) DIG RPS Jaswal said that an AK-47 assault rifle, too, was recovered from the intruders along with 12-kg of heroin. Jaswal said that the duo were challenged by BSF personnel and were repeatedly asked to surrender, but they ignored the warnings and kept marching towards Indian territory while firing at the troops. That invited retaliation from the jawans and, during the exchange, the intruders were shot dead, he said. Thereafter, after undertaking a comprehensive search at the spot, BSF recovered the drugs and the weapon from near the bodies of the two intruders, who are yet to be identified. BSF said it may investigate who the Indian contacts were for whom the intruders had brought the drug consignment and the rifle. (PTI)
Man freed of charges of kidnapping, sexually assaulting minor
New Delhi: A man, accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, has been a acquitted by a Delhi court after the minor said they were in love and she voluntarily eloped with him. Additional sessions judge Renu Bhatnagar acquitted the Uttarakhand native of the offences under sections 363 (kidnap) and 366 (kidnapping to compel for marriage) of the IPC and section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court also rejected the testimony of one of the witnesses who deposed against the accused. “Since the girl has refused that the accused had taken her or made physical relations with her, it is futile to record the statement of remaining one witness as he is not an eye witness. The other witness number 4 (mother of the girl) is also hostile,” it said while acquitting the accused. According to the prosecution, a complaint was lodged by the girl’s father, a Delhi resident, alleging that on the intervening night of July 21-22, 2014, his daughter went missing while the family members were asleep. He informed the police the next day and she was found a few days later with the accused in Dehradun, it said. However, after the girl was found, her father refused to pursue the case or take action against the accused, the court noted. During the trial, the accused denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty. (PTI)
Delhi businessman arrested for stagging ‘own’ kidnapping
Bijnor: Police have arrested a Delhi-based businessman for allegedly stagging his own abduction and demanding a ransom of Rs 5 lakh from his in-laws here. Accused Anis and his cousin brother Shoiab were nabbed last night as their calls were under surveillance and later traced to Kanth railway station, Dhampur CO Harendra Yadav said. According to the police, Anis planned his own kidnapping to demand a ransom of Rs 5 lakh from his in-laws as he had “suffered losses in business”. Earlier on Friday night, there were reports of Anis’s kidnapping from Nindadu area while he was returning from Amroha after collecting money, Yadav said. His wife, Rehana, received a call at her maternal home for a ransom of Rs 5 lakh, Yadav said. His call was traced which led to his arrest, he said, adding the investigation is underway. (PTI)
Youth lynched in Purnea
Purnea: A youth was lynched in violence over a petty dispute at Baniyapatti village under K Nagar police station area in this district late last night.Police said here today Vivek Kumar, a native of Baniyapatti village had dispute with some people over a minor issue. The tension was brewing between Vivek and local people of Baniyapatti village and it reached flash point when he was attacked by them with lathis.Vivek sustained serious injuries and died before being rushed to a local hospital’, police said adding that the body had been sent for postmortem. (UNI)