Top stories on 12 July in a capsule
Ranchi police recuses 3rd baby that was sold by Mother Teresa house
The Ranchi police on Thursday rescued third baby from Sidmega district that was being sold by the Missionaries of Charity’s shelter home, Nirmal Hriday in the controversial racket that questions the Christian charity body in the state. The police moreover said that there is a fourth kid that was sold as per the statements of the nun and the staffer who were arrested. "Of the four children allegedly sold (by the shelter home), the third child was rescued today from Simdega. A few people have been detained for questioning in this regard," Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police Anis Gupta told news agencies.
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Amit Shah slams opposition’s speculations of JDU-BJP break up
Slamming the opposition parties that predicted the BJP-JDU alliance break up in the state of Bihar, BJP Chief Amit Shah on Thursday said the opposition is making unnecessary assumptions regarding the same. Making his first visit to the state since Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ditching old friend RJD, Shah, in an address to party workers in Patna said, “All speculation in this regard about differences and infighting over seat sharing is unfounded and nothing of that sort will happen.” The leader added that both the parties will contest elections together and win all of the 40 seats.
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The state of Assam is on high alert on Thursday after two persons were found dead within 24 hours leading to suspicions of a serial killer being on the loose. Both the victims identified were found dead in trains bound for the state. While one of them was a 21-year-old Radha Kumari, a student of Assam Agriculture University in Dibrugarh-Rangiya Express on Tuesday, another 48-year-old Lalima Devi’s deceased body was found in Avadh-Assam Express on Wednesday. The modus operandi was similar in both the murders as the killer used the traditional Assamese towel- gamcha to strangulate the two. “Investigation is on to ascertain if there is a link between the two murders. Prima facie, strangulation is suspected to be the cause of death,” Jorhat Superintendent of Police, Vaibhav Nimbalkar reportedly told news agencies.
One of the priests accused in the Kerala Orthodox Church sex scandal on Thursday surrendered before the Deputy Superintendent of Police office in Kollam on allegations of being charged with rape of a 34-year-old woman. 40-year-old Father Job Mathew of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in Kottayam, along three other priests, were charged with abuse after the victim’s husband, describing her ordeal complained to a church official, an audio clip of which went viral. Fr Mathew, in particular, was aware of the victim’s condition and used her confession to blackmail her and exploit her. The Kerala High Court on Wednesday slammed the accused calling them ‘predators’, while rejecting their anticipatory bail. Fr Mathew is reportedly under the custody of Crime Records Bereau, but there has been no official statement yet no the same.
6 dead, 5 injured in poisonous gas leak at steel plant in Andhra Pradesh
At least six people were killed and five were severely injured in an incident of a poisonous gas leak in a private steel factory owned by a Brazilian company Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district on Thursday evening. As per police reports, the gas leak was detected at 5.30 PM at the Gerdau Steel India Ltd factory on the outskirts of the town as reported by a news daily Hindustan Times. "As per preliminary information, two workers died on the spot and four others in the hospital. Carbon monoxide is the main gas used for reheating process and its leak caused the mishap," District Superintendent of Police G Ashok Kumar told news agency PTI. Gerdau is a leading producer of long steel in the USA and one of the largest suppliers of special steel in the world.
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Child Trafficking: 108 children rescued from a train in Jharkhand
The Jharkhand police on Thursday rescued 108 children in two coordinated raids at the Bokaro & Ranchi railway station in Jharkhand from Kerala bound Dhanbad-Alappuzha Express. The raid was conducted following an info by State Info Bureau & Child Welfare Committee regarding child trafficking. A senior police official said that in Bokaro, the boys were made to disembark a Kerala-bound train around noon. Another group of children, who were travelling in a separate coach in the train, were rescued from Ranchi railway station around 3.30 pm, he added. Six adults, who were accompanying the children, claimed that they were on their way to a madrassa in Telengana from Jamtara district, Bokaro Superintendent of Police (SP) Kartik S said.
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Jayant Sinha challenges Rahul Gandhi for an open debate
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha on Thursday challenged Congress president Rahul Gandhi for a live debate on Ramgarh lynching case. Sinha had last Thursday welcomed seven cow vigilantes, convicted for lynching a Muslim meat trader in Ramgarh in June last year. The convicts went to Sinha’s residence their release from jail on bail. Following which Gandhi had said the felicitation of convicts was ‘disgusting’ and sought support for a petition that seeks withdrawal of Sinha’s Harvard alumni status. "Shri Rahul Gandhi ji has taken the attack against me to a personal level. He has condemned my education, values and humanity. I challenge him to a live debate in Hindi or English on the Ramgarh lynching case," Jayant Singa said in a statement.
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Sec 377 Day 3: Improper medical care, societal pressure on LGBTQ, SC observes
The Supreme Court on Thursday continued its hearing over the decriminalization of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and debated over the stigma and discrimination attached to the community. The five-judge bench observed that the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) community do not receive proper medical care and societal pressure leads to marriage with the Opposite sex. Hearing the petitions, Justice Chadrachud also highlighted that the Mental Healthcare Act says there should be no discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation. “So Parliament itself now recognises that that sexual orientation cannot be a ground for discrimination,” he added. The top court will now resume proceedings on Tuesday.
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BJP-Congress clash over Tharoor's Hindu Pakistan remark
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor found himself in a tight spot over his ‘Hindu Pakistan’comment after both the BJP and the Congress came out all guns blazing. Tharoor at an event in Thiruvananthapuram had said had said that if the BJP comes to power in 2019, India will turn into a 'Hindu Pakistan.' "The party will write a new Constitution which will pave the way for a nation, much like Pakistan, where rights of minorities are not respected, Tharoor was quoted my news agencies on Thursday. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra expressed his displeasure and demanded an apology from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. The Congress however took a very balanced approach with its spokesperson, Randeep Surjewala, clarifying that the party represents India’s civilizational values of pluralism and diversity. "All Congress leaders must realize this historic responsibility while choosing words to reject BJP’s hatred," Surjewala said during a press conference on Thursday.
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Bollywood screenplay writer Ravishankar Alok commits Suicide
32-year-old Bollywood screenplay writer Ravishankar Alok allegedly committed suicide on Wednesday by jumping off the terrace of his residential building in seven bungalows area at Andheri in Mumbai. He was the Screenplay writer and assistant director of Nana Patekar-starrer 'Ab Tak Chappan' (2004). Alok had last worked with director and screenwriter, Sudhir Mishra on his film Daas Dev. A guard at an adjacent building found Alok in a pool of blood when he rushed to the spot after hearing a loud thud. An ambulance was immediately called. Police arrived later. The writer's brother who lived with him was not at home at the time when the incident took place. Versova police were unable to find a suicide note, as per a report in news agency PTI. The society's watchman informed that Alok's parents had been staying with him for a couple of days. They had recently left for their hometown Patan.
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Police hints serial killer behind murders of two women in Assam
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1 among 4 priests in Kerala Orthodox Church sex scandal surrenders
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