Nitish mum on meeting
PM during Delhi visit
Patna: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday said he will visit the national capital on December 9 to attend the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s daughter’s wedding reception, but kept everyone guessing on whether he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I will be going to Delhi on December 9 to take part in Jaitley’s daughter’s reception,” he told reporters in reply to a question. When asked about his other engagements including a meeting with the Prime Minister, Kumar said the schedule has not been prepared as to what else he would be doing there and meeting whom. Kumar’s scheduled visit to Delhi next week has assumed significance amid prospects of his likely meeting with the Prime Minister at the reception of Jaitley’s daughter. He said at present he was focusing on the remaining two sittings of the first session of the Bihar state legislature, tomorrow and day after. (PTI)
Man rescued from jaws of
tiger in West Bengal
Canning (WB): A crab hunter was on Saturday brought back from the jaws of a tiger in the Sundarbans, forest department officials said. The 45-year-old man was admitted to a hospital in South 24 Parganas district in a critical condition. Bishtu Bhakta, his wife Shyamali, their 10-year-old son and two others had set out for crab hunting from their Satyadaspur village under Patharpratima police station on December 1. They had a plan to work for seven days in the forest. When they were working in a creek in Benefeli forest today, Bhakta was attacked by a tiger that grabbed him by his neck. However, the animal left him and fled after being chased by other members of the team, the officials said. Bhakta was brought back from the forest and admitted Patharpratima Hospital in a critical condition. His traumatised wife is also not well, the officials said. (PTI)
UP civic polls: Drone cameras used for aerial surveillance
Mathura: Drone cameras were on Saturday used for aerial surveillance during the ongoing panchayat polls here, even as poll authorities took the novel step of posting all poll-related information on WhatsApp. “Voting in three blocks — Mathura, Goverdhan and Farah — ended on a peaceful note as drone cameras were used for aerial surveillance at major polling booths,” District Magistrate Rajesh Kumar said. “WhatsApp also helped us have almost running commentary of the situation,” Kumar said. A voter turnout of 73.62 per cent was recorded in the three blocks. “70.57 per cent polling was recorded in Mathura block, 72.15 per cent in Goverdhan and 78.04 per cent in Farah block,” he said. (PTI)
Jailed Maoist leader on hunger strike shifted to hospital
Berhampur (Odisha): Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, who was on a fast for the past three days in the circle jail here, was admitted to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital as his health condition deteriorated, a jail official said today. “As his condition deteriorated, he was referred to the medical college and hospital as per the advice of the doctor yesterday,” Raghunath Majhi, Senior Superintendent of the jail said. “As he was on fast, we apprehended that he might have suffered from dehydration. His blood pressure has also fallen,” said an attending doctor of the hospital. The 47-year-old founder leader of Odisha Maobadi Party (OMP) had resorted to an indefinite hunger strike from December 3 demanding speedy trial of cases pending against him and his regular production in court during hearing. He also protested against his solitary confinement in the jail. The rebel leader alleged that he was not produced in courts deliberately even when courts fixed dates. It was for the fourth time since his arrest on July 18, 2014 that the Maoist leader launched hunger strike inside the jail. Every time he pressed for almost the same demands. (PTI)
NDMC earns Rs 38 lakh by auctioning stray buffaloes
New Delhi: As part of a drive to check the menace of stray animals, North Delhi Municipal Corporation has earned a revenue of about Rs 38 lakh by auctioning the stray buffaloes caught in the current year. 1939 animals, including cows and buffaloes, were caught between April 1 and October 31 this year. While the cows and calves were sent to Gaushalas (cowpens), the buffaloes were auctioned and a revenue of Rs 38.02 lakh was earned, Commissioner of North Delhi Municipal Corporation P K Gupta, said. The efforts to check the menace of stray dogs have also been strengthened by taking several steps, including the establishment of four sterilisation centres at Rohini, Timarpur, Udyog Vihar and Shraddhanand Marg, a municipal officer said. Two non-government organisations have been given contract to catch street dogs and sterlise them, and a total of 2312 dogs were caught and sterilised upto September 31 this year, he said. The civic body also caught 200 monkeys and relocated them to Bhati Mines reserve. (PTI)
Rajasthan man kills four children after spat with wife
Jaipur: Apparently in a fit of rage after a quarrel with his wife, a man allegedly killed his three minor daughters and a two-year-old son in Churu district of Rajasthan, police said today. According to police, the accused — Gulab Khan had a verbal spat with his wife after which she left the house. “Moments later, Khan, in a fit of rage, slit the throats of his four children with a knife and absconded,” a police official said. Police reached the spot after neighbours informed them about the quarrel and found the bodies of Shehnaz (8), Aarifa (6), Chunki (4), and Babu (2) in a pool of blood. A search for the accused is on, police said. (PTI)
2 held with poppy straw in J&K
Jammu: Two persons were arrested for allegedly smuggling poppy straw and 10 Kg of such material was recovered from their possession in the Rajouri district, police said on Sunday. The duo, who were travelling in a private vehicle from Shopian in Kashmir to Rajouri, were arrested in the Thannamandi area of the Rajouri district, yesterday, a police official said. He said that during the search of a vehicle, poppy straw packed in two bags weighing five Kg each was recovered from the possession of the duo. (PTI)
