IANS/PTI
Youth succumbs to injuries, toll in Shopian firing climbs to 3
Srinagar, Jan. 31 (PTI): The death toll in the alleged Army firing on a mob in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir today rose to three after a critically injured youth succumbed to injuries. Rayees Ahmad, who was among the nine persons injured in the Army firing last week, succumbed to injuries at a hospital here this morning, police said. The Army opened fire on a stone-pelting mob on January 27. The Army claimed it had opened fire in self defence after seven of its personnel were injured. The state government has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.
Tremors jolt north India but no damage due to quake’s high depth
New Delhi, Jan. 31 (IANS): Tremors across north India on Wednesday, following an earthquake in the Hindu Kush region, created panic among people but its high depth averted any damage, said Met Department officials. The earthquake, measuring 6.2 on the Richter Scale or “moderate”, which is strong enough to cause considerable damage, occurred at the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border at 12.36 p.m. and lasted for a few seconds. According to the Centre for Seismology of the India Meteorological Department, tremors were felt in Jammu and Kashmir, northern Rajasthan, Harayana, Punjab, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, but damage of life and property was averted due to high depth of the origin. In Srinagar, some reports said a flyover being built suffered damage.
Goa school principal booked for beating student
Panaji, Jan. 31 (IANS): The principal of a Catholic-run school in Goa has been booked for allegedly assaulting a 13-year-old boy who was caught in the classroom talking out of turn, police said on Wednesday. Police Inspector Kapil Naik said a First Information Report had been filed against the principal of Loyola High School. The complaint says that on January 27, the student was punished by his teacher for speaking to a classmate during a lecture and was made to stand outside the classroom. The principal who was on his rounds later beat him, which resulted in internal haemorrhage and bleeding. The boy is currently in hospital undergoing treatment. The principal was not available for comment despite efforts made to contact him.
Shabir Shah’s bail plea rejected
New Delhi, Jan. 31 (IANS): A court here on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah in a money laundering case. Shabir Shah, with alleged hawala dealer Muhammad Aslam Wani, are facing trial in the money-laundering case. The Enforcement Directorate in September filed a chargesheet against the two under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Shah was arrested on July 25 on charges of money laundering in a case dating back to 2005 in which Wani, who was picked on August 6 this year, had reportedly confessed that he had passed on hawala money amounting to Rs 2.25 crore to him. The ED submitted that the Arms Act conviction was a triggering point to take action under PMLA. Both Shah and Wani have denied the charges against them.
Five persons were killed and five went missing when a boat capsized in Bihar’s Patna district on Wednesday, police said. The accident took place near Mastana ghat in Fatuha when hundreds of people had gathered for a dip in the Ganga river on the occasion of Maghi Purnima. A total of 15 people were on the boat when it capsized. Five people swam to safety. The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the victims.
Hyderabad police have arrested two men for allegedly duping a businessman of Rs 1.20 crore by selling him a fake diamond. Mohd Ather Siddique (52) and Mohd Salam Khan (39), who are in the pearls and gems business, were arrested from Abids area based on a complaint filed by the businessman. The cheap material resembling the diamond was used for making buttons. As per the investigation, Siddique and Khan had suffered losses in their business and needed money, so they hatched the plan to pass off a fake diamond as a real one. Further probe is on, commissioner Rao said.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislator Yogendra Mahto is set to lose his membership of the state assembly as a court on Wednesday convicted him and awarded three years’ imprisonment in a coal theft case. The Ramgarh district court delivered judgment in the 2010 coal theft case. Mahto is at present legislator from Gomia assembly seat. He is a resident of Ramgarh district and had a coke plant. In 2010, the Ramgarh police had lodged a coal theft case as illegal coal was recovered from his coke plant. He will be second legislator of the current assembly to lose membership after being convicted by a court. As per the constitutional provisions, if a legislator or member of Parliament is convicted and awarded at least two years’ imprisonment, then he/she will lose membership of the assembly/ Parliament.
Rescue workers today fished out the body of passenger of the ill-fated government bus that fell into a canal in Murshidabad taking the toll in the tragedy to 43. Search is on for more bodies as relatives of about five missing persons have sought help apprehending that they may have boarded the bus and the exact number of passengers is yet to be known, a senior district official told PTI. The state government has already handed over the compensation package of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of each of those killed and Rs one lakh for those gravely injured. Other injured would get a compensation of Rs 50,000. Meanwhile, the state government has decided to ban drivers of state-run buses from using mobiles while driving, following the bus tragedy.
