Rijiju pays tribute to martyrs at national police memorial
New Delhi: Union minister Kiren Rijiju Monday paid tribute to the police martyrs at a special function organised by the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) here at the national police memorial. In the programme ‘An Ode to Martyrs’, organised by the ITBP, women commando contingent, ski contingent, regular contingent and para troopers saluted the memorial through a march past while a women band presented a special display, a home ministry release said. The programme concluded with the tune ‘Abide with me’. The ITBP guards the Sino-Indian border along the Himalayan frontiers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had dedicated to the nation a refurbished national police memorial here on October 21. The memorial consists of a 30-feet-tall and 238-tonne heavy black granite central sculpture honouring the slain troopers, a museum and a wall of valour bearing the names of over 34,800 martyred personnel. (PTI)
Cop killed by husband, in-laws for property
Ahmedabad: A woman police officer was allegedly hacked to death in Gujarat by her husband and in- laws who were eyeing her property, police said Monday. The incident took place Sunday night at Junagadh town, around 315km from here, they said. The body of Kiran Joshi (41), who was serving as an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) at the Visavadar police station in Junagadh district, was found in a pool of blood at her residence in the Madhuram area Monday morning, they said. In his complaint to the police, Kiran Joshi’s brother Mahesh Joshi has alleged his sister was killed by her husband Pankaj Vegda, brother-in-law Dipak Vegda, mother-in-law Rasila Vegda and father-in-law Bhavani Vegda as part of a conspiracy to grab her property. While Kiran Joshi’s husband is untraceable, the police have started questioning the other three accused named in the complaint, said Deputy Superintendent of Police H S Ratnu. “Kiran was murdered using a sharp weapon at her residence yesterday night. We have found stab wounds on Kiran’s neck and abdomen area,” said Ratnu. In the complaint, Kiran Joshi’s brother Mahesh Joshi has alleged his sister’s husband and in-laws were pressuring the victim to transfer in their names her house as well as some vehicles. “Her husband even took a loan from a bank by mortgaging Kiran’s 35 tola jewellery. Kiran used to pay the EMIs for that loan. “Pankaj and in-laws were asking her to transfer the house as well as some vehicles in their names as these properties were in here name,” Mahesh Joshi told reporters. (PTI)
Kejriwal blames Centre, Haryana for Delhi’s pollution
New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal blamed the Centre, and the governments of Haryana and Punjab on Monday for the severe air pollution in Delhi, alleging that they were not ready to do anything despite the all-out efforts by the Aam Aadmi Party government. “The pollution was in control in Delhi throughout the year, but this time (winters) every year, Delhi has to face severe pollution condition due to the Centre, BJP-led Haryana and Congress-led Punjab governments. “Despite our all-out efforts, they are not ready to do anything. Farmers of these two states are also fed up with their governments,” Kejriwal tweeted. Delhi’s air quality continued to remain in the very-poor category with an overall air quality index of 348 on Monday. Stubble-burning is the major reason for the increase in the pollution level in the National Capital Region in winters. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed farmers from Punjab, who do not burn stubble in fields. (PTI)
Muzaffarpur case: Ex minister’s husband surrenders
Begusarai: Chandrashekhar Verma, the absconding husband of former Bihar minister Manju Verma who had stepped down following allegations of links with the prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal case, surrendered before a court here Monday, officials said. Verma surrendered before the Manjhaul sub-divisional court in Begusarai district where Judicial Magistrate Yogesh Kumar Mishra remanded him in judicial custody till November 6. He has been booked in an Arms Act case registered in connection with the recovery of a huge cache of ammunition from his residence in Begusarai district during a CBI raid. His wife Manju Verma had resigned as the state social welfare minister in August. Over 30 girls were allegedly raped at the shelter home run by Brajesh Thakur, the chief of a state-funded NGO. A case was registered against Chandrashekhar Verma a few weeks after his wife’s resignation and he was recently declared an absconder with notices for surrender pasted on his house by the police. The Supreme Court, while going through a status report of the CBI in the Muzaffarpur shelter home scandal last week, had expressed strong displeasure as no action was taken against Chandrashekhar Verma. (PTI)