CPI-M led LDF in Kerala holds
sit-in against price rise
Thiruvananthapuram: Taking the anti-price rise agitation to the streets, leaders and workers of the LDF today staged a sit-in before the government secretariat here accusing the Congress-led UDF government of failing to bring relief to people reeling under grim inflationary pressure. Addressing the protesters, CPI(M) stalwart and Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan lashed out at Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, saying he had no time to address basic issues like price rise as most of the time he is preoccupied in settling internal rifts in the ruling coalition. “If you cannot ensure supply of food grains and essentials to people at reasonable price, it is better that you step down,” Achuthanandan said. Senior leaders of the LDF components, including CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI state secretary Pannian Raveendran, are also participating in the protest. (PTI)
College girl alleged gang rape, then retracts
Samastipur: A Bihar college student has alleged that she was gangraped by two young men with a medical test proving the charge to be true, but she later retracted her statement. The 17-year-old student of a local intermediate college from Basudeopur in Samastipur district alleged that she was gangraped by Virender Mahto and Sunil Kumar of her village three days ago, Kalyanpur Superintendent of Police, Varun Kumar Sinha said on Monday. The victim who also lodged an FIR was taken to a hospital for medical examination where it was confirmed that she was raped, Sinha said. The victim, later said that she had a relationship with one the accused and decided to frame both following a dispute over money, the SP said. He said that a five-member medical board headed by Civil Surgeon A V Sahay has been constituted to investigate the gang rape charge. (PTI)
Raid conducted in Muger jail, cellphones recovered
Munger: Altogether five cell phones, four chargers and other incriminating articles were recovered from divisional jail during the raid conducted by the district administration here on Monday. Divisional Officer Mahesh Kumar Das said here that there was concrete information that some inmates in Munger divisional jail were operating their criminal activities like demanding extortion through their cellphones. On the basis of this information, a raid was conducted in jail from where five cell phones, four chargers and other incriminating articles were recovered. ‘An investigation was on to ascertain how cellphones reached under the possession of jail inmates despite high security ring existing there’, Mr Das said adding that stringent action would be taken against those found guilty in making available cellphones and other incriminating articles to the jail inmates. (UNI)
Darul Uloom bans students from using camera phones
Muzaffarnagar: Leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband has issued an order banning its students from using mobile phones with cameras and seized 14 such devices from the hostel. According to deputy Vice-Chancellor Maulana Abdul Khalik, from now on, students may only use simple cellular phone handsets without camera or video features since these are seen as having an adverse effect on their studies. Students at the seminary have been warned that disciplinary action would be taken against anyone found using camera phones. (PTI)
Four youths arrested for
eve-teasing
Muzaffarnagar: Four youths were arrested for allegedly eve-teasing a student when she was travelling on motorcycle with her brother on Delhi-Dehradun highway near Purkhaji town in the district, police said here on Monday. Amit, Surender, Pratap, and Gaurav eve-teased the girl from their car, following which the girl’s brother called up the police, they said. The car got stuck in a traffic jam, where the accused were arrested, they said. (PTI)
20-year-old raped
Jhajjar: A 20-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two youths at Barahi road in Bahadurgarh town, located on the Delhi-Haryana border, around 45 km from here, police said here on Monday. Police have arrested the accused, identified as Anil of Barahi village and Subhash of Bullaheri village, after registering a case of rape against them on the complaint of the victim in this regard. In her complaint lodged with the police, the victim said the accused allegedly abducted her in a car when she was on a stroll at a park located adjacent to her house in Sector-6 at Bahadurgarh late Sunday night. The accused took her to an isolated place on the Barahi road and allegedly raped her. “The medical examination of the victim has confirmed rape hence we have started investigations after nabbing the accused,” said Rajeev Deswal, Bahadurgarh DSP, adding that the accused would be produced before court. (PTI)
Notorious criminal arrested
Jamui: Notorious criminal Ranjeet Mandal was arrested from Sijhauri village under Sikandara police station area in the district late Sunday night. Police said here today that acting on a tip-off, a raid was conducted at a hide-out in Sijhauri village by a joint team of Special Task Force (STF) and local police, leading to his arrest. “Two automatic rifles and 50 live cartridges were recovered from him”, police said, adding that he was wanted since long in connection with kidnapping, extortion and forgery cases at several police stations in Jamui district. He was also wanted by Haryana police, police said, adding that he was being interrogated in connection with pending cases against him. (UNI)
Four friends killed in road mishap
Jaipur: Four persons were killed when their car collided head-on with a Rajasthan Roadways bus in Nagaur district, police said on Monday. The victims were heading to Nagaur from Jaipur to attend a function when the incident occurred on Mundwa road yesterday, police said. Aslam, Sunil, Ajit and Gaurav died on the spot, they said. (PTI)
