1. Gauri Lankesh Death: ‘Suspected Shooter Given Pistol on Day of Murder’
The man suspected to have gunned down journalist Gauri Lankesh has told investigators that he was handed the 7.65 mm country-made pistol to kill Lankesh outside her home in Bengaluru on the day of the execution of the murder by a man suspected to be the head of a covert activities unit linked to a radical right-wing group.
Parashuram Waghmare told the Karnataka Police SIT that he handled the pistol only on the day of the murder and on the previous day, when the murder plan was aborted after the journalist arrived home earlier than anticipated.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. Police Say Witness in Kathua Gang Rape, Murder Case Threatened by the Accused
One of the witnesses in the Kathua gangrape and murder case has been threatened by the accused, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Thursday, 14 June, in an application before a court in Pathankot.
SSP (Crime Branch) Jammu, Ramesh Kumar Jalla in the application before the District and Sessions Court, which is hearing the case, alleged that the witness, whose statement was being recorded, was threatened by the accused, defence lawyer AK Sawhney told reporters outside the court.
However, the defence counsel objected to it and termed it as a “sensational application moved to hype the matter in media”.
(Source: PTI)
3. Assets of Railway Caterers Who Allegedly Switched Rail Neer with Cheaper Water Attached
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday, 14 June, said it has attached assets worth Rs 17.55 crore of two catering firms in connection with its money laundering probe into the alleged sale of cheaper packaged water in place of Rail Neer in Rajdhani and other super-fast trains.
The agency said it has issued a provisional order for the attachment of assets under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Ms RK Associates and Hoteliers Pvt Ltd, Ms Satyam Caterers Pvt Ltd and five other firms.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Man Tied to Tree, Wife and Daughter Gang-Raped in Front of Him in Bihar’s Gaya
About 20 armed criminals tied a medical practitioner to a tree and raped his wife and daughter in Bihar’s Gaya district late on Wednesday, 13 June, police said.
The youths forcibly stopped the medical practitioner, travelling with his wife and daughter on a motorcycle, near Sondiha village of the district, tied him to a tree after assaulting him, and then took turns to rape his wife and daughter in a nearby field, police said.
Gaya senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra said 20 youths were detained within two hours of the incident in Konch police station area.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
5. US Feds Bust Tollywood Sex Racket in Chicago
US investigating agencies have busted an international racket trafficking Tollywood and Kannada actresses into America for engaging in commercial sex with Indians on the pretext of performing at Telugu and other Indian conferences.
So far, five people from the Telugu and Kannada film industry were identified as survivors of illegal importation into Chicago for prostitution by a small-time Tollywood production manager couple.
They are Kishan Modugumudi, alias Sreeraj Chennupati, and Chandrakala Purnima Modugumudi, alias Vebha Jayam, both natives of Hyderabad but illegally living in the US.
(Source: The Times of India)
6. VHP a Militant Religious Outfit, RSS Nationalist: CIA Factbook
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has classified VHP and Bajrang Dal as “militant religious outfits” and called RSS a nationalist organisation.
Apart from VHP, Bajrang Dal and RSS, the CIA has included two more outfits under the title — ‘Political pressure groups and leaders’. While Hurriyat has been called a separatist outfit, the Mahmood Madani-led Jamiat Ulema-Hind has been listed as a religious outfit.
(Source: The Times of India )
7. Bengal Lynching Case: Police Book 150 ‘Unknown’ People, Produce Three Arrested in Court
Police on Thursday, 14 June, registered an FIR against around 150 “unknown” people in connection with the lynching of a man suspected of child lifting at Habibpur in north Bengal’s Malda district on 13 June.
Three people arrested earlier were also produced in court. They were remanded in police custody for seven days.
The three — Basu Biswas, Choton Singha and Jiban Haldar — were arrested on the basis of video footage of the lynching, which occurred in Bulbulchandi-Dubapara village. They were booked under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
8. Senior Kashmir Editor Shujaat Bukhari Shot Dead
Senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari, editor of the daily Rising Kashmir, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen Thursday evening, 14 June, as he left his office in Srinagar’s Press Enclave. His personal security officer was also killed in the attack while another security guard was critically injured.
Bukhari was 51. He is survived by his wife Tahmeena, son Tamheed and daughter Duriya.
(Source: The Indian Express)
9. Nearly 5,000 Aadhaar Cards Found in Scrap Dealer’s Shop in Jaipur
Belying government’s claim about security of Unique Identity Number (UID), nearly 5,000 Aadhaar card have been found in a scrap dealer's shop in Jaipur. Somebody had brought a sack full of Aadhaar cards and sold them to the scrap dealer.
Congress leader and ward councillor of 76, Ikramddin Khan said that children informed him about so many Aadhaar cards at the scrap dealer’s shop. He reached there and took them into his possession.
(Source: Deccan Chronicle)