Girls at shelter home in Bihar allege rape, killing
Muzaffarpur: Girls of a government-funded shelter home here have alleged that one of their fellow inmates was beaten to death and buried at the premises of the facility, and several were raped. Following the allegations, the Bihar Police has launched a probe and dug up the grounds of the shelter home, but are yet to find the body. Muzaffarpur SSP Harpreet Kaur said, “We are carrying out the excavation based on the statement given by one of the girls. The spot has been identified by her.” More than 40 girls are lodged at the shelter home and medical reports suggest that more than half of them may have had sexual intercourse at some point of time, she said. The SSP said, “Nothing noteworthy has so far been found from the site during the excavation. However, the area of excavation might be enlarged after further examination of the girl who made the allegation.” (PTI)
JNU gets Japanese language teachers’ training centre
New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) will now be providing training to those aiming to become Japanese language teachers with the setting up of a new centre at the varsity. India and Japan on Monday signed a memorandum of cooperation in the field of Japanese language promotion in the country. Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India and Ashok Kumar Chawla, Advisor (Japan), Ministry of External Affairs, shared the agreement and announced the launch of the first Japanese course. “The language is very different from other foreign langauges and it is very important to have trained teachers for the purpose. Hence, the centre has been set up,” Hiramastsu said. (PTI)
HC grants bail to Kerala priest accused in rape case
Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday granted bail to a Christian priest arrested for allegedly abusing a married woman in Pathanamthitta district. Johnson V Mathew, a counsellor of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church, was arrested from Kozhencherry in the district on July 13. He was charged under Section 354 (outraging modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. Johnson Mathew, the third accused in the rape case, involving three more priests of the church, moved the high court seeking bail after a magistrate court in Thiruvalla had turned down his plea. Granting bail, Justice Rajavijayaraghavan directed the priest to surrender his passport, cooperate in the investigation and not to enter the limits of the police station where the victim resides. The Crime Branch probing the case had earlier arrested Job Mathew, the vicar of a local church. The two other priests, accused in the case, have moved the Supreme Court seeking anticipatory bail. (PTI)
Not mandatory for students to go for military education: Govt
New Delhi: There is no proposal to make it mandatory for students to undergo military education for three years after clearing class 12, the government said on Monday. Subhash Bhamre, minister of state for defence, said this in a written response to a question in Rajya Sabha. He was responding to a question on whether the government proposes to make it mandatory for students after class 12 to take compulsory military education for three years before they are appointed in government jobs and armed or para-military forces. Responding to another question, Bhamre said that in 2017, a preliminary enquiry (PE) was conducted by the CBI against 13 Civilian Academic Officers (CAOs) of the National Defence Academy in Pune, including two from the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, following allegations of erroneous academic performance indicators score and work experience for their selection and appointment. (PTI)
Channel stringer, driver missing after boat capsizes
Kottayam: A stringer of a Malayalam news channel and his car driver have reportedly gone missing as a country boat carrying them capsized in a lake near Vaikom in the district on Monday, police said. Mathrubhumi channel’s Kottayam staff reporter K B Sreedharan and cameraman Abhilash, who were also in the boat, were rescued by local people in another boat, they said. Police, firemen and local people have launched a search for the stringer, Saji and Bibin. The mishap occurred as the scribes were returning after covering flood-related news in the district which is experiencing heavy rain. (PTI)