Cong slams govt over fuel prices
New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday slammed the Centre over rise in fuel prices, saying the BJP is back to “fleece” the people. Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the petrol prices in Delhi on June 22 were Rs 69.93 per litre and went up to Rs 70.40 per litre on June 30, a rise of Rs 0.47 per litre. He also compared the diesel prices, saying they were at Rs 63.78 per little on June 22 and rose to 64.22 per litre on June 30, a hike of Rs 0.44 per little. “BJP back to fleece people! Rising Petrol-Diesel Prices in past 8 days burdening middle class and farmers! (sic)” Surjewala tweeted. In another tweet, Surjewala also hit out at the NDA government at the Centre and the LDF government in Kerala over farmers’ miseries in the state. “Post 2018 floods in Kerala, farmers miseries abound as State and Central Government apathy continues unabated (sic),” he said. “Tea production down by 120 lakh tonnes. Rubber production down by 15,000 tonnes. Pepper, Banana & Nutmeg crops suffering too (sic),” Surjewala said, adding, “Wake up call!” (PTI)
4 TN fishermen injured
Pudukottai: Four Tamil Nadu fishermen were seriously injured after they were attacked by Sri Lankan naval personnel while fishing in the island nation’s territorial waters, police said. They were part of a group of 1,200 fishermen, who had put out to sea in 150 boats from here on Saturday. Other fishermen rescued the four, brought them ashore last night and got them admitted to a government hospital. Police said the boat crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line and was fishing near the island nation when a Sri Lankan naval boat patrolling the area rammed their vessel. The personnel on board attacked them with stones, bottles and sticks, they said. One of the fishermen suffered a hip fracture, while the other three had extensive hand injuries, Kumaresan, Assistant Director of Fisheries, said. (PTI)
German woman missing
Thiruvananthapuam: A German woman, who had come here in March, has gone missing from here, police said Sunday. The foreigner, in her 30s, is identified as Liza, they said. A senior police source told PTI that they received a complaint in this regard last week and an investigation was on. “Police have received a letter from the German Consulate that she is missing. A probe has begun. She came here in March,” sources said. A case was registered and a probe on and further details cannot be divulged at this moment, the source added. The report of the alleged missing of the German woman has come a year after the brutal killing of a 33-year-old woman tourist from Latviya had rocked the state. The Latvian woman had gone missing under mysterious circumstances from nearby Kovalam on March 14 last year. Her highly decomposed and headless body was recovered from a mangrove forest at nearby Thiruvallam on April 21. Two drug peddlers were arrested in this regard later. (PTI)
Woman forest officer injured
Hyderabad: A woman forest officer was injured in an attack by a leader and workers of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district on Sunday. The TRS leader and his followers, including farmers rained blows with sticks on Forest Range Officer (FRO) C. Anita standing on a tractor. The incident occurred in Sarsala village in Kagaznagar ‘mandal’ (block) when a group of Forest Department personnel reached there to make preparations for ‘Haritaharam’, a plantation programme of the state government. When the Forest officials reached the village in a tractor to begin their work to level the ground, Zilla Parishad Vice Chairman K. Krishna Rao and his followers tried to stop them. Rao entered into an argument with the officials. Even as Anita was explaining that they were following the instructions of the government, she was attacked with sticks. The Forest Range Officer suffered bleeding injuries before other officers and police could intervened. She was admitted to a hospital. Police said they wil identify and arrest the attackers. Krishna Rao is the brother of local TRS MLA K. Konappa. (IANS)
Chopper scare for Alwar MP
Alwar: The BJP MP from Alwar had a narrow escape when a helicopter carrying him appeared to have lost control for a while and started rotating in the air before landing in the Rajasthan district on Sunday, police said. There were strong winds in the morning when the helicopter carrying Lok Sabha MP Balak Nath arrived to land on the helipad in Kotkasim area, 190 km from Jaipur, the police said. The pilot, however, managed to control the helicopter after it rotated four-five times in the air. The chopper could not land and returned to Delhi, Kotkasim police station incharge Rajkumar said. Nath later came to Kotkasim from Delhi by road to attend an annual religious programme, an aide of the parliamentarian said. (PTI)
Woman attacked by NRI son
Phagwara: A 58-year-old widow, who was assaulted and seriously injured by her NRI son in a village near here early this month, died in a Jalandhar hospital, police said Sunday. A resident of Phagwara’s Jagjitpur village, Krishan Kaur had been attacked on June 9 by her son Jaswant Singh with a spade and had suffered critical wounds, requiring her hospitalisation, they added. Rawal Pindi Police Station House Officer Resham Singh Sunday said Jaswant Singh was already arrested earlier for various penal offences, including the attempt to murder, but after the woman’s death, the police added section 302 of the IPC for murder. Jaswant is settled in Qatar’s capital Doha and had come home for a few days, he said. Inspector Singh said Jaswant had a property dispute with his mother. On her refusal to divide the property as per his wishes, Jaswant Singh allegedly attacked his mother with sharp-edged agricultural implement ‘kahi’ (spade) on June 9 night at their home, when the woman was living alone, said the SHO. The woman was first admitted in a hospital here, but was later referred to Jalandhar hospital where she died Saturday. (PTI)
2 labourers dead after cave-in
Kota: Two labourers were buried alive after a cave-in when they were digging soil from a river bank in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district on Sunday, police said. The two men were digging soil from the Choti Kali Sindh river bank when one of the walls of the deep ditch collapsed in the afternoon, Gangdhar police station incharge Surjeet Singh said. The deceased have been identified as Phool Singh (22) and Ishwar Singh (25), both residents of Kalukheda village in the district, the officer said. Ishwar Singh was found dead on the spot, while Phool Singh succumbed to injuries on way to the hospital. The bodies have been handed over to the family, the police said. A case has been registered under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the officer added. (PTI)