J-K crime branch to probe supply of e-challan devices to traffic cops
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir crime branch has registered a case and begun probe into the supply of hand-held e-challan devices to the traffic police at a cost 14 times higher than the market price. The FIR was registered against unidentified officials of the state police and Jammu and Kashmir Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Limited (SICOP) for alleged fraud in the supply of 30 hand-held e-challan system, a crime branch official said. According to the official, some officials of SICOP and the state police headquarters were allegedly involved in the manipulation of the relevant tender and thereby causing a huge loss to the exchequer. The tender for purchase of the devices was issued in 2016. SICOP emerged as the lowest bidder and agreed to supply the equipment from a Noida-based company at a cost of Rs 20,100 per piece. However, after the purchase order was issued by the police headquarters in March last year, the tender formalities were changed and the machines were purchased from a Hyderabad-based company at a cost of Rs 2,21,350 per piece. An internal inquiry showed that the tender conditions were violated by changing the vendor without any authorisation. According to the FIR, SICOP had claimed that the Noida-based vendor had refused to supply the e-challan machines to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, but during preliminary inquiry it was found that the company had written no such letter. The crime branch official said the devices supplied by the Hyderabad-based firm to SICOP costs only Rs 27,500 per piece, but it was billed to police at Rs 2,21,350 per piece. It is alleged that the supplier in connivance with some officials of SICOP and the state police has manipulated the process and supplied the equipment at 14 times higher the price. The crime branch, which registered the case in Jammu, has seized files and tendering documents regarding the case and has called officials of the two private firms. (PTI)
Youth held for ‘sexually assaulting’ minor in Tamil Nadu
Erode: A 21-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl in the district, police said. The matter came to light after the 17-year-old girl, a native of Sivagiri village, was found pregnant by doctors at the Erode government hospital, where she had gone for treatment, they said. Upon enquiry, the girl told the parents that Shanmugam, with whom she was in love, had sexually assaulted her a few months back. Subsequently, the victim’s parents lodged a complaint against the youth and a case was registered against him under POCSO Act. Investigation is on, police said. (PTI)
Woman, two sons killed in MP
Bhopal: Unidentified assailants killed a woman and her two sons and critically injured her husband in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district on Saturday, police said. The victims were attacked with an ax when they were sleeping in the night, but the reason for the criminal act is not yet known. Sub-Divisional Officer (Police), Santosh Dehariya told IANS on Sunday that some miscreants attacked Bhura Adivasi (40) and his family – wife Sapna (35) and sons Dou (8) and Suraj (5) in Hirapur village. The police is investigating the matter. (IANS)
Andhra policeman’s body taken out of canal
Vijayawada: The body of a police sub-inspector who was washed away in a canal in Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna district was retrieved on Sunday, police said. Rescue workers found the body of Kota Vamsidhar (33) in Krishna Eastern Bank (KEB) Canal, about 20 km from the place where his car plunged into the canal on Saturday. The officer and his mother Kota Lakshmi (55) were on their way to his village Ismail Begpet in Krishna district to attend a marriage. The car fell into the canal after hitting the wall of a bridge near Papavinasanam village. While the officer’s mother was rescued by locals, he was washed away. According to the police, there was heavy flow of water in the canal due to recent rains. The officer was working at Ramachandrapuram in East Godavari district. (IANS)
Jharkhand farmers leave for Israel
Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das said on Sunday that a 26-member farmers’ team left for Israel on a four-day trip to study farming techniques. “You (farmers) are going to Israel on the pious day of Raksha Bandhan with an aim to increase farmers’ income. Learn Israel’s technique of farming and adopt it in our state and share the experience with others,” Das said while seeing off the team. “Israel is smaller than Jharkhand area wise but the country’s per capita income is more than India due to farming. We should always learn from a place where something better is happening.” The farmers will learn dairy farming, production of vegetables and fruits, drip irrigation and other things. The team is being led by Agriculture Secretary Pooja Singhal. (IANS)
4 militants arrested in J&K
Srinagar: The security forces said on Sunday that four newly recruited militants were arrested with arms and ammunition in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district. “They were arrested in the upper reaches of Kalaroos forests in Handwara while they were attempting to exfiltrate across the Line of Control (LoC),” a Defence Ministry statement said here. “Upon receiving a tip-off about the militants being guided by three Al Badr terrorists, the Army in a joint operation with the police laid an ambush and trapped them.” After a brief gunfight, the militants surrendered. ” (IANS)