1. Seven, Including Three Women, Arrested for Lynching Dalit Youth in Tamil Nadu
Police arrested seven people including three women on Friday, 14 February, on charges of lynching a 24-year-old Dalit in Villupuram district. Police produced them before a Tindivanam court, which remanded them in judicial custody. The victim was identified as R Sakthivel from Karai village, a worker in a petrol bunk in the district.
Police said R Theivannai, 26 from Karai village lodged a complaint with Periyathachur police station on Wednesday stating that she received a call from her brother Sakthivel's mobile that a mob was assaulting him after tying his limbs near Boothurmalai in the district.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. Head Constable Shoots Dead Wife, 3 Others at In-Laws’ Home
A Punjab Police head constable allegedly opened fire in his in-laws home at a village in Dharamkot, Moga, with his service weapon early Sunday, 16 February, leaving his wife and three members of her family dead. His 10-year-old niece was also injured in the firing.
The incident took place in Said Jalalpur village around 6.30 am. Moga police said that head constable Kulwinder Singh, who was posted with the tear gas unit at Moga Police Lines, “lied” to get an AK-47 rifle issued from the armoury early Sunday, claiming he had been put on duty with the anti-drug Special Task Force (STF) and needed the weapon for a raid.
He then reached his in-laws’ home in the village, where his wife Rajwinder Kaur and son Manpreet Singh were present, and began shooting incessantly. Rajwinder (45), his mother-in-law Sukhwinder Kaur (65), brother-in-law Jaskaran Singh (38) and sister-in-law Inderjit Kaur (33) died on the spot. He then also allegedly opened fire at his niece Jashanpreet Kaur (10), who was rushed to Moga Civil Hospital.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. 19-Year-Old Gunned Down by Cousin in Meerut Hate Crime
A 19-year-old woman’s cousin shot her dead on Saturday, 15 February, in presence of her brother for having a relationship with a neighbour in their village in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district, police said on Sunday.
Police superintendent Avinash Pandey said the cousin, Prashant, shot her twice before fleeing the murder scene. He added during interrogation, the woman’s brother, Tushar, said that they were upset with her over her relationship. Tushar, Prashant and their friend Salman had attended a birthday party and consumed before the woman was killed.
Pandey said the three then came to the woman’s house, where they again had liquor. “...thereafter Prashant pumped two bullets into her...They took her inside a room and cleaned the blood where she was shot. Later, they informed police, three hours after the incident to project it a case of murder by unknown assailants,” said Pandey.
A police team that rushed to the scene detained Tushar, and other members of the family. During interrogation, they confessed to murdering the woman, Pandey added.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Teacher Held for Trying to Abduct Toddler From Safdarjung Flat
A private school teacher was caught red-handed when she tried to abduct a nine-month-old girl from an apartment in South Delhi’s Dafarjung Enclave on Saturday,15 February.
According to the police, the woman was caught after the household help of the family alerted the neighbours. The incident was reported on Saturday afternoon. when the toddler was playing with her grandmother, Anita Mittal, at Arjun Nagar Apartment
Mittal said the woman rang their door bell around 12.30pm and as soon as she opened the door, the accused attacked her with a knife, leaving a deep gash on her cheek. “My granddaughter was in my arm at that time. The woman snatched her away from me and tried to run. However, our household help heard me scream and caught hold of her,” she added.
(Source: The Times of India)
5. Odisha Man Hacks 4 Relatives to Death Over Land Dispute
A 22-year-old man allegedly killed four members of his family, including two children, and surrendered before the police in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, police said.
The incident took place at Patrapali village under Bonai police station limits when the accused Kalu Munda killed his elder brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew on Saturday, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Bonai, Abakash Routray said.
The incident was suspected to have taken place over a land dispute, he said.
The deceased were identified as Kande Munda (27), his wife Sumi Munda (25), daughter Malani Munda (7) and son Mara Munda (5), police said.
The two brothers had a heated argument when Sumi Munda tried to intervene and stop her husband.
Kalu Munda who left the spot returned after some time with an axe, and called out his brother. As soon as Kande Munda came out of the house, his younger brother attacked him with the axe killing him on the spot, the police officer said.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
6. Youth Killed in Celebratory Firing at Marriage Ceremony in Bhavnagar
A youth was killed while another was injured after being hit by a bullet fired in celebrations at a marriage ceremony in Pacchegam village of Bhavnagar district in Gujarat on Sunday, 16 February.
Priyarajsinh Jadeja, the victim was watching dandiya-raas (folk dance of Gujarat) at the wedding ceremony of his cousin Dharmarajsinh Gohil, when he was hit in the head by a bullet, fired to celebrate the marriage at 12:15 am in Pachhegam village in Vallabhipur taluka of Bhavnagar district. An injured Jadeja was rushed to Sir Takhtasinhji General Hospital in Bhavnagar city but he succumbed to the bullet wound while undergoing treatment, police further said,
Police said that 20-year-old Jadeja was a resident of Pippardi village in Lodhikha taluka of Rajkot district and was doing farming after dropping out of school after Class X. “Jadeja had come to Pacchegam to attend marriage of Dharmarajsinh, son of his paternal aunt and was watching dandiya-raas when Vishwarajsinh Gohil alias Bhailu indulged in celebratory firing. The gunshot hit Jadeja in head and it proved fatal,”said Manish Makwana, police sub-inspector of Vallabhipur.
(Source: The Indian Express)
7. Driver Held for Raping 4-Year-Old in School Bus
The Panchkula police Saturday, 15 February, arrested the driver of a school bus for allegedly raping a four-year-old girl inside the vehicle. The incident took place Friday. The child is admitted to a hospital in Panchkula and is said to be stable.
“The accused will be presented in the court on Sunday. We will seek his remand to question him further and find out if any other person might have abetted him in the crime”, said Neha Chauhan, in-charge of Women Police Station, Panchkula.
In a complaint received late Friday, the girl’s aunt had alleged that the child was raped in the school bus on her way back. A medical examination was conducted during the night and the report is yet to come. As many as four suspects were rounded up and an FIR was registered under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Though the Panchkula Police has not made any statement regarding the confirmation of rape, sources said that rape has been confirmed by the doctors after the medical examination of the child.
(Source: The Indian Express)
8. Man Kills Daughter Over ‘Suspicious Character’ and Use of Mobile Phone
A Chhattisgarh man allegedly killed his 20-year-old daughter since he doubted her ‘character’ and was against her using a mobile phone, police said on Sunday, 16 February, claiming to have solved the murder of Sulochana Diwan, whose body was found near a drain outside the Mahasamud city on 1 February.
“We have arrested the accused Santosh Diwan, who killed his daughter on 31 January and have booked him under section 302 of IPC,” Jitendra Shukla, SP Mahasamund told Hindustan Times.
The SP said they first suspected Diwan’s hand in the murder of his daughter while questioning his friend.
“We questioned Chovaram, a close friend of the deceased, who revealed that the accused doubted her character and was against her use of mobile phone. Subsequently, we quizzed her father who tried to mislead the police, but later broke down and confessed to having bludgeoned his daughter to death with a stone,” Shukla said.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
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