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Patil, Bagwe attend
26/11 Mumbai terror attack proceedings
Mumbai, Mar 9 (PTI)
:In a
rare gesture, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil today attended the
proceedings in the 26/11 terror attack case along with Minister of
State for Home Ramesh Bagwe in a special court here. Patil’s visit
assumes significance in the wake of the prosecution opening its
final arguments against lone surviving Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab
and two Indian national Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed.
Unprecedented security measures were undertaken in
view of the ministers’ visit. While Kasab is charged with killing
166 persons in the attack, Sabahuddin and Ansari are facing charges
of drawing maps of targets and passing them on militant outfit LeT
for executing the terror strikes.
Sharmila
released, but fast continues
Imphal, Mar 9 (PTI)
:Civil
rights activist Irom Sharmila, on a fast unto death for more than
nine years demanding repeal of the controversial Armed Forces
Special Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958 from Manipur, was released late last
night but her fast continued. Officials said Sharmila, put at the
jail-converted J N Hospital ward where she was nose-fed, was freed
at around 7.30 pm yesterday. She had been taken to the hospital a
few years back from jail. Immediately after release on completion of
jail term, Sharmila was taken to Porompat area where women
activists, under the ‘Save Sharmila Kanba Lup’ (Save Sharmila
Committee), had been on an indefinite relay hunger strike for the
past one year to press the government fulfill her demand, a
spokesperson of the committee said. Sharmila continued her fast at
the spot, the spokesperson said.She had been similarly released on
completion of jail term in past years, but then again she had to be
re-arrested after two-three days for refusal to withdraw her fast
and as her condition worsened in the absence of hospital back-up.
Sharmila began her fast on November 2, 2000 after ten persons were
killed in firing by Assam Rifles at Imphal airport area while
demanding withdrawal of the AFSPA. The protestors alleged that under
this Act, human rights violation was taking place in Manipur for
years.
Two killed in road
accident
Balrampur (UP),
Mar 9 (PTI):
Two persons were killed and as many injured after being hit by a
truck in Kotwali police area, officials said here today. Ram Lakhan
and Kanhaiyalal, who were travelling on a rickshaw, were killed when
the sand-loaded truck overturned near Bhagwatiganj area near here
yesterday, they said. The injured, including the rickshawpuller have
been admitted to a hospital.
Builder commits
suicide
Ghaziabad, Mar 9
(PTI)
Duped by his friends, a builder allegedly committed suicide in his
house in Abhay Khand in Indirapuram here, police said today.
40-year-old Surender Sharma hanged himself from a ceiling of his
room last night, they said, adding a suicide note was found in his
pocket.The victim in the suicide note has named his five friends —
Gyan Singh, Chander Pal, Amit Bhati, Sanjay Sharmaand Modi —
responsible for him taking the extreme step.
Sharma’s friends allegedly cheated him of Rs 15 lakh.
Unable to bear the loss, Sharma committed suicide. One of the
accused has been arrested, police said, adding efforts are on to nab
others.
Nine people killed, 15 injured in tractor-train collision
Kanpur, Mar 9 (PTI)
:At
least nine people, including eight teenagers, were today killed and
15 others injured when a tractor-trolley, in which they were
travelling, had a collision with a train at an unmanned railway
crossing near Uttaripura in the district. The accident took place
early this morning when the tractor-trolley, on its way to
Jagdishpur from Uddhavpur Nawada, collided with the passenger train
coming from Lucknow to Kasganj at an unmanned railway crossing near
Shivrajpur, about 50 kms from here, police said.
The dead include one woman, four girls aged between
14-18 years and four boys in the age group of 16 to 18 years,
Superintendent of Police (Rural) Lal Bahadur said. Train passengers
were unhurt in the mishap, Public Relations Officer of North-Eastern
Railway Amit Singh told PTI. The impact of the collision was so
severe that the trolley was completely smashed. Condition of four of
the injured is stated to be critical and they have been admitted to
Kanpur Medical College, Kanpur Deputy Inspector of Police Prem
Prakash said.
After the accident, the tractor trolley driver escaped
from the spot, he said, adding efforts are being made to nab him.
Senior railway and police officials have rushed to the spot.
Leopard skins, elephant tusks seized in TN, UP
New Delhi, Mar 9
(PTI):
Wildlife officials have seized four leopard skins and two elephant
tusks from traders in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. Ten persons have
been arrested in connection with the seizures in Tamil Nadu and
Uttar Pradesh that were assisted by NGO, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
The first seizure was made on March 2 in Hosur along the Tamil
Nadu-Karnataka-Kerala border by Tamil Nadu Forest Department
officials.
Two tusks, each cut in two halves, were recovered. Five
traders were apprehended, said Prasenjeet Navgire, Programme
Officer, WTI. On March 3, two leopard skins were seized in Hapur in
western Uttar Pradesh by the state’s Special Task Force. Two persons
were arrested in this connection. The third seizure was carried out
on March 4 by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department in Hosur. Two leopard
skins were recovered. Three persons were apprehended. The gun used
to kill the leopards was also recovered. All the accused have been
booked under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act.If
convicted, the accused may face a maximum prison term of seven years
along with a fine.
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