35 Bangladeshis arrested
New Delhi: Thirty five persons mostly women and children were arrested on the Indo-Bangladesh border inside Bangladesh while being trafficked to or through India, according to reports. Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) rescued 35 people while being trafficked to India. The rescued Bangladeshis include 14 women and three children, the reports said. Being tipped off a team of BGB launched a drive in Charer Math area along the border and rescued the 35 Bangladeshis while they were being trafficked to India at night. However, the human traffickers fled the scene after sensing the presence of the BGB team. The rescued Bangladeshi people hail from different areas of Narail, Bagerhat, Gopalganj and Khulna districts. Later, they were handed over to Benapole Port Police Station who produced them before a court. Along the porous Indo-Bangladesh border, it is common for young girls to get mislead into sexual trafficking. Poverty coupled with poor education, lack of livelihood opportunities and abysmal health care make women and girls often fall easy victims to traffickers in such areas.
Nitish calls Paswan expert in political somersault
Khagaria (Bihar): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday took potshots at LJP President Ramvilas Paswan for making pre-poll alliance with the BJP and said he was an expert in making political somersault. “He (Paswan) not only in India but also in Pakistan never used to forget to mention that he had quit NDA over 2002 Godhra riots. But, he has now joined the BJP and is singing paeans to Narendra Modi the man behind the 2002 massacre,” Kumar said at an election rally at Parbatta here. “Kisi ne eisa palti maar neta kabhi dekha nahi (nobody has seen such an expert leader in doing such sharp somersault),” he said taking a jibe at LJP chief who hails from Khagaria. Making fun of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, the chief minister said “he has been saying in his every election meeting that Nitish is no factor in the present Lok Sabha elections. If this is so where is the need for him to take my name everywhere?” Accompanied by rebel RJD MLA Samrat Chaudhary, Kumar said that Chaudhary had made a valid point before Election Commission as to how Lalu Prasad facing conviction in a fodder scam case was heading a political party. Kumar regretted that opponents were running away from “mudda” (issues) during campaigning and seeking votes in the name of caste, creed, community and emotional issues. (PTI)
Joint operation with Bengal likely to track down maoists: DGP
Dumka (Jharkhand): Jharkhand Police suspects that a Maoist squad led by top Naxal leader Prabil Da could be behind the landmine blast in the district that left eight police and poll personnel dead even as it decided to launch a joint operation with West Bengal Police to track down the ultras. “We are in touch with the West Bengal police and ready for a joint operation,” Jharkhand Police Chief Rajeev Kumar told reporters here on Friday suspecting that the Maoist squad led by ‘Prabil da’ could be behind the attack. Three additional police companies will be deputed to Dumka to step up anti-Maoist operation, he said. The ultras had first fired indiscriminately on a vehicle before blowing up the bus carrying the victims yesterday. The rebels looted five INSAS rifles, 25 magazines and about 550 bullets, the DGP said. Stating that he himself took stock of the security preparations before commencement of the polls, Kumar said accountability would be fixed after looking into lapses, if any. “Our strategy was implemented during the first two phases of polling, which passed off peacefully,” he said, adding that a probe would be instituted to look intoThursday’s Maoist attack. He said that the relatives of the deceased would be given compensation. Re-polling would be held in two booths as the EVMs being carried by the personnel were damaged in the attack, Kumar said. (PTI)
Giriraj Singh granted anticipatory bail
Patna: BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Friday got some relief as a Patna court granted him anticipatory bail in connection with charges for his alleged hate speeches during election campaign. Patna District and Sessions Judge Birendra Kumar granted bail to Singh in the context of an FIR lodged at Patna airport police station on April 21 under provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1950 and Indian Penal Code(IPC). Singh, a former minister in the Nitish Kumar government, had stoked controversy during an election meeting in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district on April 19, saying that those who opposed Narendra Modi should go to Pakistan. Singh’s advocate Janardan Rai argued before the court that his client has already submitted his reply to the show cause to the competent authority and that his assertions were not aimed at any particular caste or community. Three FIRs have been lodged against him. (PTI)
