Himachal sends 25,000 blankets to quake-hit Nepal
Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has provided relief in the form of 25,000 blankets, amounting to Rs.1 crore, to the people in earthquake-hit Nepal, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said here on Wednesday.Nepal has been facing a catastrophe after a massive earthquake and thousands of people require humanitarian assistance, the chief minister was quoted as saying in a statement.Singh said the people of India were with the people of Nepal in this hour of distress.The death toll in the powerful earthquake that rocked Nepal on Tuesday has reached 65. As many as 8,151 died in the April 25 quake and 17,866 people were injured. (IANS)
SIT arrests two youths for posing as dummy candidates
Indore: Two youths were arrested for allegedly impersonating candidates of the Madhya Pradesh Pre-Medical Test (PMT) conducted in 2009, police said on Wednesday. Brijesh Aghari (28), a resident of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh and Ashish Uttam (27), belonging to Jabalpur, allegedly appeared for Amar Singh Meda and Ravindra Dulavat at the examination respectively, said Special Investigation Team (SIT) ASP, Indore, Devendra Patidar. He said both Meda and Dulavat passed the test for MBBS course and the former secured admission in state-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College here, adding that the duo was apprehended recently. PMT is conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) which is under the scanner for alleged scam in various recruitment and appointment examinations. The SIT has been probing the alleged irregularities in PMT, under which hundreds of students secured admission in MBBS courses by fraudulent means through racketeers who procured dummy candidates for them in return of huge premium. (PTI)
Joining BJP was a mistake : Manjul
Kolkata: Terming his joining the BJP a ‘mistake’, former Trinamool Congress minister Manjul Krishna Thakur on Wednesday requested West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to forgive him and take him back into the party. “Earlier I had applied to the party (TMC) leadership to take me back to the party fold. Just like any other normal human being I too commited a mistake and requested the party leadership to forgive me. Today I met the speaker Biman Banerjee and party leader Partha Chatterjee,” he told reporters. Thakur had in a letter to TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee last month accepted his ‘mistake’ of leaving the party and appealed to be taken back. Asked whether he wanted to get back his ministerial portfolio, Thakur said “I can’t comment on this matter. I just want to return to my party and forget the mistakes. I want to work for the people. I had then taken the step after being misguided by BJP.” State BJP president Rahul Sinha refused to comment on the recent developments. Thakur had resigned as minister of refugee relief and rehabilitation department and along with his son Subrata had joined BJP just ahead of the February 13 bypolls in Bongaon Lok Sabha seat. Manjul, who hails from Matua community – a vote bank which holds the sway in Bongoan area, had then accused the TMC government and party of functioning in a ‘whimsical’ way. Later on, Subrata was given a BJP ticket to contest from Bongaon seat against his aunt, TMC candidate Mamata Bala Thakur. Mamata Bala had registered a massive victory in Bongaon polls handing a humiliating defeat to BJP and Subrata Thakur. (PTI)
‘No ban on cell phones in police stations for general public’
New Delhi: There is no ban on bringing devices such as mobile phones and pen drives to police stations in the national capital, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Minister of State for Home, Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said Delhi Police has reported that there is no ban on bringing mobile phones, pen drives etc by common people at police stations to the places which are accessible to the general public such as Reporting Room, Sakraman Kaksh, Women Help Desk etc. “There is no inconvenience to public or common men going to police stations for registration of FIRs as no such ban is exercised at the places which are accessible to general public like Reporting Room, Women Help Desk etc,” he said in reply to a written question. The Minister also said that Delhi Police follows a zero tolerance policy toward corruption. The various steps to improve transparency include eFIR, web-based police clearance certificate, advertisements of helpline numbers 1064/9910641064. (PTI)
Man murders wife in full public view
Tamilnadu: In a bizarre incident, a man hacked to death his wife in full public view over frequent domestic squabble at Kariyapatti, here on Wednesday.Police said the deceased R.Azhagu Meenal (56) was hacked to death by her husband Ramalingam (60), this morning when she was walking on the Kariyapatti-Kallikudi road enroute to the Office of Tamilnadu Electricity Board, where she was working as a sweeper. The woman, who sustained multiple cut injuries died on the spot.Ramalingam surrendered before the Kariyapatti police. The body was removed to government hospital for post-mortem. Further investigations were on. (UNI)