Archives for January 2022

Pune: Three persons have been arrested and two minors detained for allegedly beating up a 20-year-old man and forcing him to eat biscuits thrown on the ground in Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune district, police said on Thursday.

A video of a person purportedly assaulting the victim with a belt and later others joining him in the attack and then forcing him to eat biscuits thrown on the ground went viral on social media on Thursday.

The incident took place on Tuesday in Thergaon, a suburb of Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial township.

As per the Wakad police, one of the accused was angry with the victim for calling him by his name and not using the word ‘bhai’. This led to the entire episode.

“He was made to eat biscuits thrown on the ground and beaten up. We have registered a case against five accused. Three accused are adults, while two are juveniles,” he said.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has dismissed a plea by a Muslim girl student seeking permission to wear hijab (head scarf) and full sleeve dress in the Student Police Cadet project as per her religious obligation, saying such a waiver in the state police’s programme will significantly affect secularism in the state.

The Student Police Cadet (SPC) Project is a school-based youth development initiative that trains high school students to evolve as future leaders of a democratic society by inculcating within them respect for the law, discipline, civic sense, empathy for vulnerable sections of society and resistance to social evils.

In its order, the State Home Department said the government, after careful examination of her representation “is fully satisfied that the demand of the complainant is not considerable.” “Also, if such a waiver is considered in the Student Police Cadet project, similar demands will be made on other similar forces, which will significantly affect the secularism of the state.

Therefore, it is not appropriate to give any indication such that the religious symbols are highlighted in the uniform under the Student Police Cadet project”, it said.

The girl filed the petition with the state government after the Kerala High Court rejected her plea seeking to be attired in full-sleeves and headscarf (hijab) for Student Police uniform.

The Court, however, had directed that she was free to submit a representation before the government narrating her grievance raised in the writ petition.

She submitted the representation before the state government in compliance with the judgment of the high court.

The student had moved the court after the faculty of the Student Police Cadets informed her that wearing head scarf and full sleeve dress according to Islamic beliefs would not be allowed.

London: An India-born vicar, who grew up in a leprosy hospital in Bangalore where his mother was a nurse, has been consecrated as Bishop in the Church of England with a staff, or crozier, made of Indian rosewood.

The Right Reverend Malayil Lukose Varghese Muthalaly, known as Saju, aged 42 became one of the youngest Bishops when he was consecrated during a Eucharist service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London by the Archbishop of Canterbury on Tuesday.

“I have been preparing for this service very much aware of what a great privilege it is that people around the world are praying for this moment. There is a very strong sense of the wider church affirming this calling,” said Rt. Rev. Saju.

Two of his four children, Zipp and Abraham, joined him for prayers during the service this week.

While he has started work towards his new role, he will be formally installed and known as Bishop of Loughborough only after a Welcome Service with guests and representatives of the diocese at Brockington Church of England Academy in Enderby, Leicestershire, on February 5.

The service in London marked the feast day of the conversion of St. Paul the apostle, and an insightful sermon was preached on that topic by Dr Selina Stone, tutor and lecturer in theology at St. Mellitus College.

“I absolutely loved the service There were so many people there cheering you on from here in Leicestershire and from Dubai, from India and other parts of the world, Rev. Saju told the BBC.

Rev. Saju has previously spoken about how he was born in India and spent the first half of his life there, around the beautiful backwaters of Kerala and then Bangalore. He has spent the last 21 years in England, where he arrived during a gap year and fell in love with Katy, now his wife.

“I sensed the call to live and work in England. And now, Loughborough feels like home. Our experience is that Leicestershire people are so welcoming, he said.

On his priorities for his new role in the East Midlands region, the reverend added: The first year I want to just spend time with as many people as I can. I am a stranger to this place, there’s a lot to learn and a lot to listen to.”

He also revealed his early to bed, early to rise routine, which includes lots of reading and reflecting. With his four young children, aged between eight and 12, he enjoys playing cricket, which he believes is among the most beautiful contributions the English have made to the world.

As a sporty person, he also enjoys running and has completed a few marathons.

Saju, whose appointment as Bishop in the Church of England was approved by Queen Elizabeth II in November last year, was educated at the Southern Asia Bible College in Bangalore, and trained for the ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He served his title at St. Thomas’, Lancaster, in the Diocese of Blackburn and was ordained Priest in the Church of England in 2009.

Previously, Saju was appointed Associate Vicar at St. Thomas’, Kendal, and St. Catherine’s, Crook, in the Diocese of Carlisle, north-west England, in 2011. He has served at St. Mark’s, Gillingham and St Mary’s Island in the Diocese of Rochester since 2015 initially as Priest-in-Charge, before being appointed Vicar in 2019.

New Delhi, Jan 27: The National Commission for Women asked Delhi Police on Thursday to immediately arrest all the accused responsible for allegedly abducting and sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman who was then paraded by her attackers on the streets of east Delhi’s Kasturba Nagar with her hair chopped, face blackened and a shoe garland around her neck.

In a letter to Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana, NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma said the victim must be provided with best medical treatment and also, necessary measures must be taken for safety and security to the victim and her family.

As per the provision 357-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the victim is entitled for the compensation as per the Victim Compensation Scheme of the State.

“Therefore, the process of compensation must be expedited so that the victim can get financial assistance as per her requirement,” she said.

Sharma called for arrest of all the accused.

“The Commission is distressed with the abysmal alleged incident and the cruelty perpetrated on the victim is highly condemnable in strongest possible words. You are, therefore, required to look into the matter and ensure that all the accused are arrested immediately and booked under the relevant/appropriate provisions of the law,” she said.

Sharma also said that the probe must be completed in a time bound manner as per the order and guidelines laid down by the Ministry of Home Affairs (Women Safety Division) that mandates that the police has to complete the investigation in relation to rape within two months.

“In order to facilitate the State police to monitor compliance, in this regard MHA has also, provided an online portal called Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO) for monitoring the same. The investigation must be accomplished in a time bound manner. The action taken must be apprised to the Commission within 48 hours,” she said.

The victim was allegedly abducted, sexually assaulted and paraded by her attackers on the streets of east Delhi’s Kasturba Nagar with her hair chopped, face blackened and a shoe garland around her neck, police said on Thursday. Four people have been arrested.

The incident took place on Wednesday afternoon. The woman was at her husband’s home in Anand Vihar when the accused who lived near her mother’s place in Kasturba Nagar abducted her, police said, describing the incident as the result of personal enmity.

Mahasamund: A 14-year-old girl died of electrocution and another one suffered burn injuries when a flagpole on which the national flag was hoisted came in contact with a live wire while they were removing the pole in Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh, officials said on Thursday.

The incident took place on Wednesday – when the Republic Day was celebrated – at a government-run hostel for tribal girls , following which the district administration suspended the hostel superintendent and ordered a probe into it, they said.

“It happened around 5 pm on Wednesday at Pre-matric Scheduled Tribe Girls’ Hostel in Patewa village,” a police official said.

“When the two inmates of the hostel, identified as Kiran Diwan and Kajal Chauhan, were removing the long iron pole on which the national flag was hoisted, it accidentally fell on a high-tension electricity line that passes through the hostel premises, causing them electric shock,” he said.

While Diwan, a Class 9 student, died on the spot, Chauhan (15), who is in Class 10, sustained burns, he said.

An accidental death report was registered in connection and further probe is underway, he added.

The injured girl was shifted to Tumgaon health centre where her condition was said to be out of danger, officials said.

Meanwhile, Mahasamund Collector Nilesh Kumar Kshirsagar immediately suspended the hostel superintendent, Aishwarya Sahu, for her alleged negligence that led to the incident, an official statement said.

The collector has ordered an inquiry into the incident and instructed to provide better medical treatment to the injured girl, it said.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has expressed grief over the incident and directed that compensation of Rs 4 lakh under provisions of RBC (Revenue Book Circular) and Rs 1 lakh under Chhatra Durghatna Beema Yojana be provided to the family of the deceased student, the release said.

Mumbai: Equity benchmark Sensex tanked over 1,100 points or 2 per cent in opening trade on Thursday, tracking losses in index-majors Titan, Wipro and HDFC twins amid a weak trend in the Asian markets.

The US Federal Reserve’s indication to raise interest rates soon and persistent foreign fund outflows weighed on market sentiment, traders said.

The BSE gauge was trading 1,155.61 points or 2 per cent lower at 56,702.54 in early trade. Likewise, the Nifty declined 329.15 points or 1.91 per cent to 16,948.80.

Titan was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding 4.06 per cent, followed by Wipro, Dr Reddy’s, HDFC Bank, Tech Mahindra and Infosys.

On the other hand, Maruti and NTPC were the gainers. Equity, forex and bullion markets were closed on Wednesday on account of Republic Day.

On Tuesday, the 30-share BSE Sensex finished 366.64 points or 0.64 per cent higher at 57,858.15. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty rose 128.85 points or 0.75 per cent to close at 17,277.95.

The US Fed on Wednesday indicated that it may raise interest rates in March to fight inflation. Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo were trading with deep losses in mid-session deals.

Stock exchanges in the US ended on a mixed note in the overnight session.

Meanwhile, international oil benchmark Brent crude rose 0.93 per cent to USD 89.12 per barrel.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net sellers in the capital markets, pulling out Rs 7,094.48 crore Tuesday, as per provisional data.