Pak frees 30 Indian prisoners
Islamabad: Pakistan on Monday released 30 Indian prisoners, including 27 fishermen, in a goodwill gesture ahead of the country’s Independence Day. “This is a humanitarian gesture to mark the country’s Independence Day on August 14,” the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “This is in line with Pakistan’s consistent policy of not politicizing humanitarian issues. It is our hope that the Indian side will also reciprocate in a similar manner,” it added. The Indian fishermen were arrested for intrusion into Pakistani waters for illegal fishing and were freed from a prison in the port city of Karachi. Pakistan and India routinely arrest fishermen who cross water boundaries for illegal fishing, but the two neighbours have not yet reached an agreement on maritime boundaries. (PTI)
Two sisters die after falling from ferris wheel in Ambala
Ambala: Two sisters died after falling off a ferris wheel from a height of 45 feet when the their seat overturned unexpectedly, police said on Monday. Anjli (18) and Deepmala (25), along with a few members of their family, had gone to ride the ferris wheel on the occasion of Teej festival at Hathikhana Temple ground in Ambala cantonment on Sunday evening, they said. The sisters sat on a two-seater car of the giant ferris wheel and they fell on the ground when it overturned. They were taken to civil hospital with serious head injuries and were declared brought dead by doctors there, police said. After the incident, the manager of the fair fled. A case has registered against him on charge of gross negligence, SHO of Ambala Sadar police station, Vijay Kumar said. Police have started probe into how the fair organisers had managed to install swings at the site without taking any permission either from temple committee or from district administration. The guilty would be nabbed soon, the police said. (PTI)
Student loses portion of finger, panel to probe ‘negligence’
New Delhi: A Class 6 student of Delhi’s prestigious St Columba’s School lost a portion of his right hand’s ring finger when it got stuck in a door, following which his parents accused the school authorities of negligence. The school administration formed a three-member fact finding committee on Monday to probe the issue after a group of parents staged protest outside the school premises. “I got a call from the school on Friday that there is a cut on my son’s hand and he needs to be taken to the hospital. Neither the school officials made any effort to rush him to get medical aid nor I was informed that the injury was this serious,” the student’s mother told PTI. “When I took him to a hospital later, the doctor asked us for the lost portion of the finger. I called up the school who later tried to find out the portion and by the time the cut part was brought to the hospital, the doctor informed us it was not possible to stitch back the portion now and this will be a permanent deformity,” she added. The mother accused the school authorities of showing a “lackadaisical attitude”. The incident was caused after two boys pushed him towards the foyer door which resulted in his hand being caught in it and thus the portion being cut. The school has no idea about who were those two boys and no action has been taken yet, she said. The school authorities said a probe committee has been formed. (PTI)
TRS MP’s son held on charges of sexual harassment: Police
Hyderabad: Ruling TRS MP D Srinivas’ son Sanjay was arrested on charges of sexually harassing 12 students of his college in Nizamabad, police said on Monday. Sanjay was arrested when he appeared before Nizamabad Assistant Commissioner of Police M Sudarshan on Sunday after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the high court recently. He presented himself for interrogation in response to a notice and after questioning he was arrested, the police said. He was produced before a local court which remanded him to judicial custody till August 24, they said. “Sanjay has been accused by 12 girls of sexual harassment and indecent behaviour on the college premises and other places,” Sudarshan told PTI. Earlier this month, 12 BSc students of the college complained to state Home Minister Nayini Narsimha Reddy that Sanjay had harassed them and misbehaved with them. A case was registered against him following the complaint, the police said. Sanjay subsequently went absconding even as he had applied for the anticipatory bail which was later dismissed by the high court. (PTI)