Pathanamthitta, Jan 11:The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the repeated sexual assault of a teenage girl in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district has registered 29 cases across five police stations in the state and arrested 43 individuals in connection with the case so far.

The victim, reportedly assaulted by around 62 people, has disclosed shocking details that have led to significant progress in the investigation. On Sunday alone, 13 new cases were registered, and six more arrests were made as the SIT analyzed the victim’s diary and her father’s mobile phone, which she had been using.

The arrested individuals include three minors and four students preparing for their Class 12 final examinations next month. The SIT has also identified several accused currently residing abroad. Most of the arrested are aged between 17 and 28.

According to the victim’s statement, she was exploited at various locations, including secluded rubber plantations, vehicles, and other spots within the district. The assaults reportedly began when she was 13 years old and were perpetrated by acquaintances, coaches, senior sportsmen, and others, exploiting her role as a sportswoman. She was taken to various locations in vehicles and subjected to abuse.

The case came to light during a counseling session organized by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) after her teachers reported behavioural changes in her. During the session, she disclosed the extent of her abuse. The CWC then referred the case to the Pathanamthitta district police chief.

In her initial statement, the victim, who is now 18 years old, provided names of 40 suspects, whose contact details were saved on her father’s mobile phone. FIRs have been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The case has drawn widespread attention, reminiscent of other high-profile sexual assault cases in Kerala, including the Suryanelli, Vithura, and Kozhikode incidents.

Kolkata, Jan 13: Two separate public interest litigations (PILs) were filed at a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday over the death of a pregnant woman at Medinipur Medical College and Hospital in West Midnapore district of West Bengal after allegedly being administered with expired Ringer’s Lactated (RL) saline.

The division bench of Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya have admitted both petitions.

The PILs are slated for their first hearing on January 16. One of the two PILs has been filed by a senior advocate of Calcutta High Court Phiroze Edulji.

As per his petition, the same organisation whose saline administration resulted in deaths in Karnataka following which the entity was blacklisted by that state government had supplied these in West Bengal resulting in a death last week.

Hence, Edulji added that there is a requirement to file public interest litigation in the matter.

Last week, five pregnant women were crucially admitted at Medinipur Medical College and Hospital after allegedly being administered expired saline. One of them Mamoni Ruidas (25) died on Friday only. The remaining four were under treatment at the same hospital. Three of them have been shifted to state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College and Hospital in South Kolkata on Sunday night following sharp deterioration in their medical conditions.

The incident raised serious concerns, especially as the expired RL saline allegedly came from Paschal Bang Pharmaceutical Limited, a company earlier banned by the Karnataka government and later by the West Bengal government.

The state health department has formed a 13-member inquiry committee to investigate how expired saline was administered to these patients.

The probe committee is slated to submit its report on the matter on Monday and the same day it will be placed on the table of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

This incident has revived concerns over similar cases in the state’s healthcare system. Notably, in a recent case of financial irregularities at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, its former principal, Sandip Ghosh, was accused of encouraging the use of expired and ineffective drugs on patients for personal financial gains.

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday condemned Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane’s remark on EVMs, describing it as “shocking” and contrary to the inclusive values upheld during India’s freedom struggle.

Stating that targeting any particular community is wrong, Tharoor asserted that everyone is an equal citizen of the country and that’s the only way for the country to progress.

Speaking to Media, Tharoor said, “This kind of thing is quite shocking. In our country, we really have to understand the basic lesson of the freedom struggle, which is that when one set of people said that religion is the basis of their nationhood. They went away and created Pakistan. Mahatma Gandhi onwards, our leader said we have fought for the freedom of everybody. We will create a country for everybody, we will write a constitution for everybody, and everybody will live here with equal rights.”

“I must say that people picking on any one community, whether it’s against Muslims, Hindus, Christians, or any caste, that is all wrong. We are all equal individual citizens of India, and that is the only basis on which our country can progress,” he added.

This comes after Maharashtra’s Fisheries and Ports Minister Nitesh Rane, addressing a Hindu Garjana Sabha in Sangli on Friday, reportedly made derogatory remarks saying, “EVM means, Every Vote against Mullah.”

Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, Brinda Karat also condemned the minister’s remarks and called for the arrest of Rane.

“This is a hate speech and this man should be arrested. This man is a threat to India as this is not the first time he has made such an outrageous communal statement… The fact that he continues as a minister is a reflection of the hypocrisy of the BJP and the RSS… Prime Minister talks of the Constitution and here his minister is destroying the basic foundation of the Constitution through this hate speech, so he must be removed from his post,” Karat said.