Non-bailable warrant issued against UP minister
Lucknow: A non-bailable warrant has been issued against an Uttar Pradesh minister accused of taking policemen hostage in 2007.According to officials, Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Barabanki Sarvajeet Singh issued the non-bailable warrant against Minister of State for power Yaseer Shah.The warrant was issued after the minister refused to be present during hearings in a court with regard to a case lodged at the Nanpara police station in 2007.Despite repeated summons, the minister refused to be present at the court, after which the CJM on Friday issued the warrant against him.Warrants were also been issued against 32 other people, who along with the minister were accused of taking policemen hostage in 2007.Following the court orders, Superintendent of Police of Bahraich, R.L. Verma asked the police officials concerned to ensure that the court orders be complied with and the accused be presented before the court on May 12, the next date of hearing.The minister is accused along with others to have taken policemen, of the Nanpara police station, hostage after they arrested a village leader with a large cache of drugs. (IANS)
Girls at hostel allege sexual exploitation, staff ‘removed
Balrampur: An unidentified youth allegedly tried to molest a girl student at a school hostel in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district, sparking protest by inmates who claimed that they were being sexually exploited by outsiders in connivance with the staff. “On the complaint of the inmates, hostel in-charge Shiv Charan and warden Monica have been removed,” Additional District Magistrate Keshavdas said on Saturday. An FIR has been registered and the inquiry handed over to Sub-divisional magistrate and circle officer, the ADM said, adding that stern action would be taken against those found guilty. The incident took place late on Friday night at the hostel of a school run in the traditional “Ashram system” in Dehat area here, police said. They said the girl raised an alarm after the accused attempted to molest her. Hearing her cries, other students came to the spot and tried to overpower him. During the scuffle, two other inmates were injured, police said, adding the accused managed to escape. Following the incident, the girls staged a protest at the hostel gates. The girls alleged that the inmates were being sexually exploited by outsiders in connivance with the hostel staff, they said said. The students also demanded that they be sent back home, they added. (PTI)
4-year-old girl found murdered, rape suspected
Chandigarh: A four-year-old girl, who had gone missing since Firday, was found dead here on Saturday with police suspecting the victim may have been raped before being killed. “The child has been found murdered. We cannot confirm at this stage if she was raped also, which will be established only after the postmortem examination,” Chandigarh’s SSP, Sukhchain Singh Gill said today, after parents of the victim and locals staged protest here. The body of the girl was found this morning at colony number 4. The minor had gone missing since yesterday evening, after which her parents had filled a missing complaint with the police. The situation in the colony was tense and heavy police force has been deployed to maintain law and order as the girl’s parents and other locals have been protesting since this morning against the incident. The family has alleged that police failed to take action on time. The colony residents raised slogans against the police and the forces faced a tough time to deal with the situation. “We are trying to maintain law and order situation in the area,” ASP Parvinder Singh said. (PTI)
Loo for VIPs while the students are ignored
Ahmedabad: Senate members of the Gujarat University here alleged that the varsity’s authority paid no heed to students’ demand of hygienic toilets for them while it spent over Rs 3 lakh on a lavish washroom for VIPs. Senate member Parthivraj Kathvadia said a students’ representative group from the varsity met Senate members recently to put forth their demand for better toilets as the present ones are in dilapidated condition. “Gujarat University authorities built a protocol toilet by spending Rs 3.50 lakh to be used by dignitaries like Governors or Chief Ministers during their visit, but they are not listening to students’ demand of hygienic washrooms,” Kathvadia told. He alleged that the university authorities gave two hoots to the plight of more than 1,000 students. There are already three lavish washrooms in chambers of Registrar, Vice Chancellor and Pro-vice Chancellor, he said. A team of National Assessment and Accreditation Council recently visited the university and recommended authorities to build hygienic toilets and also pointed out at the dilapidated condition of women washrooms, said Kathvadia, who is the city youth Congress president. Vice chancellor M N Patel, however, admitted that a VIP toilet has been built, but also said funds have been sanctioned to build 300 new toilets for students. (PTI)