Father strangulates daughter
Ahmednagar: A 17-year-old girl in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra was allegedly killed by her father who was against her friendship with a boy studying with her in a college here, police said on Sunday. Jamkhed police station inspector Pandurang Pawar said they suspected it to be a case of ‘honour killing’. The incident took place in Chondi village, the native place of state minister Ram Shinde, who demanded stringent punishment for the accused. The deceased’s father and two maternal uncles were arrested in connection with the incident, Pawar said. The girl used to frequently chat with the boy over phone and go to college with him on his two-wheeler, he said. Her father Pandurang Shreerang Saygunde, 51, asked her several times to discontinue her friendship with the boy but the girl failed to heed his advice, he said. On March 23, Saygunde, in a fit of anger, allegedly throttled his daughter to death at their home in Chondi village, located around 60 km from here, Pawar said. (PTI)
Four injured after train derails
Patna: Four people were injured on Sunday after at least 13 coaches of Chapra-Surat Tapti Ganga Express train derailed in Bihar, officials said. The train that runs between Bihar and Gujarat derailed near Gautam Sthan railway station, a railway official said. Rescue operation was on, the official said. (IANS)
ITBP trooper shoots self
Srinagar: An Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) trooper shot and killed himself with his service rifle in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar district on Sunday, police said. The constable, identified as Ramphul Meena, shot himself inside a camp in Solina area of Srinagar city. “He was shifted to hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival. A case has been registered in this incident,” police said. On Saturday, ITBP Sub-Inspector Chander Mani shot and killed himself inside a camp in Tangmarg area of Baramulla district. To address the issue of security forces committing suicide, counsellors have been engaged in the state. Counsellors have cited long duty hours in hostile environment, continued separation from families, lack of recreational facilities and poor command and control have been cited as the main reasons for such incidents. (IANS)
Militant module busted in Punjab
MOHALI: A militant module has been busted and five of its “highly radicalised” youths arrested in Punjab, police said Sunday.The accused were allegedly planning to kill Hindu leaders and members of Dera Sacha Sauda, as per a State Special Operations Cell, Punjab police, release here. One .32 bore pistol (along with magazine and four live rounds) and 15 letter pads of ‘Babbar Khalsa International’ have been recovered from the arrested, the release said. “They are planning to kill specific targets including Hindu leaders and members of Dera Sacha Sauda, who were allegedly responsible for incidents of sacrilege/desecration,” said Assistant Inspector General, SSOC, Varinderpaul Singh. The arrested youths were radicalised over social media by suspected persons based in Europe, he said, adding they were planning to commit various violent acts to disturb peace and communal harmony in the state. A police case has been registered in Mohali. “These highly radicalised youth were in (the) process of mobilisation of funds, and already had procured weapons. They were planning to arrange weapons training in Jammu and Kashmir. “They were in touch with militants including Jagtar Singh Hawara of Babbar Khalsa who is in jail, Ranjit Singh Pakhoke, active member of Khalistan Tiger Force, residing in Germany,” Singh said. Police said further investigation was underway. (PTI)
Transgenders get married
Raipur: Eight years ago, when Saloni, a transgender, fell in love with Gulam Nabi Ansari and the couple continued their relationship, they faced opposition from their families and were ridiculed by people. But, the couple’s joy knew no bounds when they tied the knot at a mass wedding function held for transgenders here in Chhattisgarh on Saturday. “If you want something from the bottom of your heart, the entire universe conspires to get it for you,” said 33-year -old Saloni, evoking a line from Shah Rukh Khan-starrer film “Om Shanti Om”. She was among 15 transgenders who got married at the function, said to be the first such event for the community in the country. It was conceived by Raipur-based transgender and social activist Vidya Rajput and her team. Both Saloni and Ansari hail from Nagpur district in Maharashtra. “Initially, we decided to keep our relationship a secret. When we told about it to our families, they did not accept it, which is a common problem for transgenders,” the couple told PTI. In 2014, the Supreme Court recognised transgenders as a “third gender” and ensured they enjoy constitutional rights and freedom, following which the couple decided to live together openly. (PTI)
It’s me, not my ghost: Sushma
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is known for her prompt replies on Twitter, on Sunday clarified that it was her who sent out the tweets and “not her ghost”. The Minister’s response come on a question raised by Twitter user Samit Padhy, a software engineer. “Certainly it’s not Sushma Swaraj who is doing this tweets. Some PR guy is doing his/her duty for what they being paid for,” Samit said in his tweet. In response, Sushma Swaraj said: “Rest assured – it’s me, not my ghost.” Last week, when a Twitter user asked the Minister why she calls herself a “Chowkidaar”, Sushma Swaraj said in a tweet: “Because I am doing ‘chowkidari’ of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad.” (IANS)