A 51-year-old Kerala Catholic priest Robin Vadakkumchery on Saturday was sentenced to 60 years in jail in three different cases of rape and abuse of minor girls.
Four nuns, another priest and one more woman attached to the convent, who were co-accused in the police charge sheet were let off due to lack of adequate evidences.
Thalassery Judge PN Vinod also fined the priest from the Mananthavady diocese in Wayanad district Rs 3 lakh after it was established that he had raped and impregnated a minor girl in 2016.
He was tried under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Published: 16 Feb 2019, 9:23 AM IST
National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah Saturday expressed disappointment over a resolution passed in an all-party meeting in Delhi for not including in it an appeal to maintain calm in the wake of violence in Jammu and tension in other states over the Pulwama terror attack.
"Disappointed the resolution did not include a call for calm. Reports of violence in Jammu & tension in university/college campuses in some states, I would have expected an appeal for calm to have gone with the condemnation & condolences," Omar Abdullah wrote on Twitter.
Published: 16 Feb 2019, 9:23 AM IST
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday cautioned that mischievous elements must not be allowed to use the Pulwama terror attack as "an excuse to persecute or harass people" from the state, saying the pain of the killings of CRPF personnel must not fuel "such diabolical plans".
"Understand the pain and anguish. But we must not allow such mischievous elements to use this as an excuse to persecute / harass people from J&K. Why should they suffer for somebody else's action? We need to be united instead of letting people exploit our fears," Mehbooba wrote on Twitter.
Published: 16 Feb 2019, 9:23 AM IST
A minor fire broke out at the canteen of the Delhi High Court on Saturday, the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) said. A call about the blaze was received at 1.30 pm after which four fire tenders were rushed to the spot, a senior DFS officer said. The fire broke out in the chimney of the canteen and was brought under control by 1.50 pm, he said, adding that no injury or casualty was reported.
Published: 16 Feb 2019, 9:23 AM IST
A court in Muzaffarpur has directed the CBI to conduct an inquiry against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and two senior bureaucrats in connection with the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal.
The special POCSO court here passed the order on Friday on an application filed by an accused, Ashwani, a self-styled medical practitioner who allegedly used to inject the home's inmates with sedatives before they were subject to sexual abuse.
Published: 16 Feb 2019, 9:23 AM IST
Police baton charge to disperse protesters at Nallasopara railway station, protesting against Pulwama attack. Some protesters were demonstrating at railway tracks of the station earlier on Saturday affecting services. Services now resumed at Virar, Nallasopara & Bhayandar
Published: 16 Feb 2019, 9:23 AM IST
We stand with the govt for unity & security of the nation and security forces. Be it Kashmir or any other part of the nation, Congress party gives its full support to the govt in the fight against terrorism.
Published: 16 Feb 2019, 9:23 AM IST
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday announced Rs 11 lakh each for the families of two Bihar troopers who were killed in the Pulwama attack on a Central Reserve Police Force convoy in Jammu and Kashmir.
He also announced a state funeral for Ratan Kumar Thakur, resident of Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district and Sanjay Sinha, resident of Masaurhi in Patna district.
Published: 16 Feb 2019, 9:23 AM IST
An all-party meeting on the Pulwama terror attack has started on Saturday and the Union government is expected to brief top leaders of different parties on steps being taken by it to meet the challenge.
The meeting convened by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was in Kashmir on Friday to take stock of the situation, is being attended by Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Jyotiraditya Scindia of the Congress, Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O'Brien of the TMC, Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena, Jithendra Reddy of the TRS, D Raja of the CPI, Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference, Ram Vilas Paswan of the LJP among others.
The parties will be briefed about the attack in Pulwama and the steps being taken by the government so far, a home ministry official said.
Naresh Gujral of the Akali Dal, Upendra Kushwaha of the RLSP and Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav are among others who are attending the meeting.
Published: 16 Feb 2019, 9:23 AM IST
A group of protesters on Saturday blocked the railway tracks at Nalasopara station in Palghar district of Maharashtra to protest against the terror attack in Pulwama that killed 40 CRPF personnel, officials said.
The protesters got onto the tracks around 8.20 am and started raising slogans against Pakistan, the officials said, adding that train services on the route were affected due to the protest.
In a tweet, the Western Railway (WR) said, "Several protesters have blocked the tracks at Nallasopara due to which train movement has been affected at Nallasopara & beyond. GRP, RPF are making efforts to convince the people & evacuate the tracks & normalize the train movement."
Published: 16 Feb 2019, 9:23 AM IST
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's arrival in Pakistan on his first official visit to the country has been delayed by a day for "unknown reasons".
He was scheduled to reach Islamabad on Saturday but due to a slight change, he will arrive on Sunday, according to the Foreign Office.
However, the programmes of his stay in Pakistan will remain unchanged, it said
Published: 16 Feb 2019, 9:23 AM IST
Train 18 also known as Vande Bharat Express, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, February 15, broke down while on its way from Varanasi to New Delhi. It was being brought back for its first commercial journey. According to a report in the Indian Express, the breaks jammed in the one of the last coaches and there was no power in the four coaches. Engineers on board called up senior officials to report and figure out next course of action.
“Vande Bharat Express was standing 18km from Tundla since 6.30 am. There seems to be disruption due to a possible cattle run over. It wasn't a scheduled commercial run. Commercial ops begin from 17 Feb. After removing obstacle, journey to Delhi resumed around 8.15 am” said a Railway Ministry official.
Published: 16 Feb 2019, 9:23 AM IST
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav paid tribute to Constable Ratan Kumar Thakur and Head Constable Sanjay Kumar Sinha of CRPF who lost their lives in Pulwama attack.
Published: 16 Feb 2019, 9:23 AM IST
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Published: 16 Feb 2019, 9:23 AM IST