Crime and Accident

New Delhi, August 20: Four persons, including two women, have been arrested in the national capital for allegedly cheating people on the pretext of supplying domestic helps and stealing articles from their houses, police said today. Raj Kumar (31), Narayan Sahu (26), Urmila Kujur (23) and Neetu Kujur (19) were caught following investigations into a complaint filed by one Dr P K Malik, they said.

Malik claimed that the placement agency Premi Agency had promised to supply a domestic help and had taken Rs 8,000. They arranged one for the complainant on August 18.

Kaushmabi, August 20: A man allegedly shot at a woman in the district today before turning the gun on himself and committing suicide after her parents turned down his marriage proposal. Ahmad alias Chandu (28) shot himself after firing at his friend Nidhi Srivastava (22) with his licenced gun here, police said.

While Ahmad died on the spot, a seriously injured Nidhi was rushed to hosptial where her condition was stated to be critical, they said. Ahmad and Nidhi were in love but their parents did not agree to their marriage plans, they said.

—PTI–

Panvel (Maharashtra), August 20: At least 22 children sustained burn injuries when their school bus caught fire in Panvel town in Maharashtra’s Raigad district today morning, police said.

The private mini-bus was ferrying 38 children to C.K.T. High School in Panvel, nearly 60 km from Mumbai, and caught fire at about 6.50 a.m. Many of the children, going to school after a 10-day break on account of swine flu, were trapped inside the burning bus.

“Preliminary reports indicate that the mini-bus caught fire due to a short-circuit but investigations are on,” said a police official.

Guwahati, August 20: In yet another glaring case of ragging in Assam, two college students here have been arrested for harassing girls fter authorities filed a formal complaint with the police.

Hridyananda Baruah, a student of B.Com final year at the K.C. Das Commerce College in Assam’s main city of Guwahati, and Anjan Bujarbaruah of the Guwahati Commerce College, were arrested late Wednesday following a formal complaint by college authorities.

Lucknow, August 20: Two people were killed and 18 others injured in separate road accidents in Fatehpur and Jalaun, police said here. In Fatehpur area, two people were killed and 12 others injured when a bus in which they were travelling overturned near Bajrangpur last night.

Srinagar, August 20: The security forces on Thursday killed two militants in separate encounters in Kupwara district of North Kashmir.

Acting on a tip off, security forces launched a search operation at Khangund village, 95 kms from here, in the wee hours to flush out hiding militants, official sources said.

The ultras opened fire on the search party and in the ensuing gunbattle a militant was killed.

Another militant was killed in a separate operation by security forces at Bangus valley of Handwara, 80 kms from here, this morning, the sources said.

New Delhi, August 20: With the arrest of six persons, including two earlier booked in kidney racket cases, Delhi Police today claimed to have smashed a gang involved in cheating people by promising to arrange blood for patients at two prominent city hospitals.

The arrests came following investigations into a complaint filed by Vinod Kumar who alleged that he was cheated by some persons promising blood for Rs 2,000 per unit at Safdarjung hospital for his two-year-old ailing daughter.

Navi Mumbai, August 20: At least 10 children sustained burn injuries when their school bus caught fire in Panvel Town in Maharashtra’s Raigad district Thursday morning, police said.

The private mini-bus proceeding to C.K.T. High School in Navi Mumbai, about 30 km from Panvel, caught fire at about 6.50 a.m.

The children, going to school after a 10-day break on account of swine flu, were trapped inside the burning bus.

“Preliminary reports indicate that the mini-bus caught fire due to a short-circuit but investigations are on,” said a police official.

Mumbai, August 20: Last night, the Kherwadi police along with Food and Drugs Association (FDA) raided a godown in Maharashtra Nagar and seized 238 sacks of rice, each weighing 50 kg and costing approximately Rs 2 lakh.

This rice, released by Bhartiya Khadya Nigam, Borivli, was meant for the midday meal of a school, but the FDA got a tip off that it was to be resold in the market.

“Godown owner Ramesh Ghanchi (28) and shop owner Raja Patel (50) have been arrested under Essential Commodities Act.

“They will be produced before the Bandra court today,” said a police official.

Sirsi, August 20: Leopard skin worth Rs two lakh and teakwood worth Rs one lakh was seized from two persons in Dandeli forest area near here today.

Police stopped the duo during a routine vehicle check and found them carrying the skin and teakwood, following which they were arrested.

—Agencies

New Delhi, August 19: An aspiring chartered accountant was killed on his 19th birthday in the national capital when a blueline bus hit his motorcycle, police said today. The incident took place in Adarsh Nagar of north-west Delhi at around 9:30 pm when Rahul, a resident of Jehangirpuri, was returning home with his friend Saurav when his bike was hit by the bus plying between Anand Vihar and Jehangirpuri.

“They were hit from side and Rahul got crushed. He was taken to a hospital but was declared brought dead,” a senior police official said.

New Delhi, August 19: Relatives and friends of victims, not professional gangs, were behind the majority of kidnapping cases in the national capital this year, police said today. Out of 21 cases of kidnapping for ransom reported in the national capital this year so far, in 19 cases the accused were either relatives or business associates or friends.

This was disclosed by Delhi Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal at a press conference here. “It is not that professional gangs are involved in kidnappings in the city,” he said.

Gorakhpur, August 19: A girl allegedly raped criminally assaulted by two men, including a GRP sleuth, at Gorakhpur railway station, sources said today.

The incident came to light, when the victim’s family lodged a case with the GRP police here last night.

On August 17, GRP sleuth and another man, identified as Abhishek Dubey, had outraged the modesty of the girl, when she was about to embark a Delhi bound train.

Abhishek has been nabbed, while a search for the another was on.

The girl has been sent for medical examination.

–Agencies

New Delhi, August 19: Nearly 150,000 women and children are trafficked from South Asia every year, “most of them from, via and to India”, says a new report that also underlines how the economic meltdown has heightened the risk of child sexual exploitation.

India is the main destination of “alarming flows” of crossborder trafficking in South Asia, says the study by global child rights group ECPAT International, supported by the Body Shop International.

“In India, the majority of trafficking in underage girls for sexual exploitation happens within the country,” it says.

Suri, August 19: A 25-year-old software engineer from here, who was sent for training by a Chennai-based company, was found dead in a London hotel, his father said today.

The engineer Kaji Wasim Aktar’s father Kaji Abdul Mokib said he was informed at his residence here by the London police of the death of his son late yesterday.

The London police informed him that it would take three days to complete the investigation, after which the body would be sent to India, he said.

Mokib said his son had left for London on July 6 for training and was also scheduled to go to Paris.

Varanasi, August 18: Police today unearthed an illicit LPG cylinder filling unit here seized LPG cylinders and instruments used for refilling them.

SP city, Vijay Bhushan said that acting on a tipoff CO Kotwali along with a team raided a place in Badi Piyari area under Chowk police station and 33 LPG cylinders were seized, which were kept on four trolleys and the instruments used for refilling the LPG in empty cylinders.

During the raid it came to light that the trolley pullers were engaged in the trade of refilling the empty cylinders.

Kannur, August 18: A 62-year old man travelling by the Mumbai-Thiruvananthapuram Garib Rath Express died in the train when it reached here today.

Muahmmadkunji (62), heading for his home town Thrissur, was suffering from high fever after boarding the train in Mumbai, one of his relatives, who travelled with the deceased, said.

Their plan was to get down here and take him to hospital.

However, by the time the train reached here, Muhammadkunji breathed his last, police said.

Railway authorities and police made arrangements for taking the body to the home town of the deceased

Faizabad, August 18: A special court here awarded life imprisonment to six persons today in connection with the kidnap and murder of a Dalit property dealer in March 2006.

Special judge of Faizabad Gangster Court, R S Yadav, found all the six accused guilty of kidnapping and killing Ramesh Kumar over a dispute of property and handed down the prison term.

Orissa, August 18: A contract worker of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) today died of electrocution when he came in touch with an electric wire in Coke oven department here.

Ganesh Panigrahi (28), working as a mechanic under a private contractor Auto Project Pvt Ltd engaged by RSP for modernisation, died in the accident, the police said.

Leaders of Hind Mazdoor Sabha affiliated Rourkela Thika Sramika Sabha had demanded compensation from RSP and the contractor concerned.

The union also demanded enough safety measures for the contract workers to avoid such accidents in future.

Jaipur, August 18: The Sawai Maan Singh Medical College and Hospital here today suspended 18 second year students for ragging their juniors, Principal Ashok Pangariya said.

Nearly 25 first year students were forcibly boarded on a bus and taken to Barkat Nagar by their seniors, Pangariya said and added that as soon as the matter came to the notice of the college administration, police and district administration were informed.

“A police team then raided the PG Hostels at Barkat Nagar and rescued the first year students, before they were ragged.

Chennai, August 18: The Madras High Court today granted bail to the suspended Director and Protector of Emigrants R Sekar, who was arrested last month for allegedly collecting illegal gratification for providing emigration clearance.

In his order, Justice K N Basha directed Sekar to execute a bond for Rs 25,000 with two sureities for like amounts to the satisfaction of the designated Principal Special Judge for CBI cases. The judge also directed him to report daily to the police for 15 days and thereafter as and when required.

Chennai, Aug 18: Two consignments containing fake mobile phones valued at Rs 85 lakh, imported by a Delhi-based company, have been seized by officers attached to the Air Cargo Intelligence Unit here.

The goods were declared as ‘Chinese Mobile Phones’, a release from the office of the Commissioner of Customs said here today.

On examination,the consignments were found to contain fake mobile phones and accessories of popular brands like ‘Nokia’ and ‘Sony Ericsson’.

Out of 3,188 mobile phones imported, 2,200 were found to be fake and fabricated, the release added.

—Agencies

Salem, August 18: A Fast Track court here today sentenced three persons to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of a woman early this month.

According to prosecution, the three murdered the woman for refusing to have sex with them on August eight and buried the body in a cemetery. Police exhumed the body the next day and arrested them.

The Fast Track Judge A Arul Raj said the prosecution had proved the case beyond doubt and sentensed the three.

—Agencies

New Delhi, August 18: An official of the birth and death department of Municipal Corporation of Delhi has been suspended after blank certificates, allegedly with his signature, were found in one of its office in west Delhi.

Sub-registrar T C Nautiyal was suspended today by the MCD’s West Zone Deputy Commissioner S C Kohli after he found four signed blank certificates from Citizen Service Bureau in Ashok Nagar, a statement from the MCD said.

Jammu, August 18: Security forces have recovered 15.5 kgs of explosive, including 14 kg RDX, from a forest area in Poonch district today, police spokesman today said.

Acting on a tip off, security forces and police launched a search operation in forest area of Rattan Pathri in Poonch district and recovered 14 kgs of RDX, 1.5 kgs of explosives, 13 under barrel grenade launchers, he said.

No one was arrested in this connection, he added.

—Agencies