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Hyderabad gang rape: Opposition alleges attempt to shield culprits

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Minor-Rape

The gang rape of a 17-year-old girl by five accused, including the son of a leader of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), has kicked up a storm with the opposition launching a fierce attack on the government for alleged attempts to shield the culprits.

A day after the BJP staged a protest at Jubilee Hills police station, leaders and workers of Jana Sena also staged a sit-in, leading to their arrests.

The protestors demanded immediate arrest and stringent punishment to all the accused. Raising slogans, they demanded justice for the victim.

Security was tightened around the police station in anticipation of more protests by the opposition parties.

The BJP reiterated its allegation that the TRS government is trying to shield the culprits in the May 28 incident. Its MLA M. Raghunandan Rao disputed the police claim that the crime was committed in Innova vehicle and alleged that the sexual assault happened in Mercedes car belonging to the family of a MIM MLA.

He alleged that the police were trying to derail the investigation by protecting the MIM lawmaker’s son and his friends who were inside the Mercedes.

The BJP MLA also showed photographs and videos purported to be that of the MLA’s son in a compromising position with the victim in the car.

He said the police may claim that the girl has given her consent for the sexual act but since she is minor giving consent doesn’t hold as per the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The MLA cautioned the police against tampering with the CCTV footage and other evidence and said he would submit all the evidence available to him to the court at an appropriate time.

Police were reportedly trying to find out how the photographs and videos of the accused reached the BJP MLA.

Meanwhile, police have warned that action would be taken against those circulating photographs and videos which may lead to disclosure of the victim’s identity.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Joel Davis appealed to media to stop revealing direct or indirect content related to the victim which may lead to the identification of the victim.

The police official had told media on Friday night that the victim’s statement and other evidence show that MLA’s son was not involved.

The police have so far arrested three accused including two juveniles in the case and were on lookout for two other accused including a juvenile.

A delegation of BJP leaders called on Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy on Saturday and demanded that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation. They alleged that since children of influential persons were involved in the crime, there was a delay in the investigation.

Ramchandra Rao, who was part of the delegation, said rape culture along with pub culture was growing in Hyderabad. He said BJP wants a safe Hyderabad.

Congress Legislature Party leader Bhatti Vikramarka also alleged that Hyderabad has become a hub of drugs. Slamming the government for treating liquor as a source of revenue, he remarked that Telangana state was not achieved for indiscriminate sale of liquor.

He questioned the delay in investigating gang rape case. The Congress leader alleged that the law and order situation in the state was not under control. He criticised the police for not allowing women leaders of the Congress from meeting Home Minister Mahmood Ali.

Crime

At least 18 killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

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Gaza, Dec 21: At least 18 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on the central and northern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian sources.

Local sources and eyewitnesses reported that Israeli warplanes targeted an apartment in the multi-story “Yaffa” tower in the al-Nuseirat camp, located in central Gaza.

A statement from Al-Awda Hospital in the camp confirmed that eight people were killed and 14 others injured, some seriously, in the attack.

In northern Gaza, Israeli shelling struck a house belonging to the “Khilla” family in Jabalia Al-Balad, killing 10 people and injuring several others, according to the Gaza Strip’s Civil Defence.

The Israeli army has not commented on these incidents.

Also on Friday, the military wing of Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades, announced that one of its fighters had carried out a suicide attack targeting an Israeli force of six soldiers in Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza.

The Israeli army has not issued a comment on this incident.

Earlier on Thursday at least 16 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombings in northern Gaza, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.

At least 10 people were killed on Wednesday night and some others injured when the Israeli aircraft bombed the house of the Al-Najjar family in the town of Jabalia, WAFA said.

Six more people were killed due to Israeli bombing on the house of the Al-Zaytouniya family near the Al-Tabi’in School in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, east of Gaza City, it added.

The Israeli army has not commented on these incidents.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza in retaliation for the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault on southern Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages taken.

As of Friday, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza has risen to 45,206, according to Gaza-based health authorities.

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Crime

Maharashtra: Govt Employee Accused Of Attacking Marathi-Speaking Family In Kalyan Surrenders Before Cops

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The Maharashtra government employee accused of attacking a Marathi-speaking family at Kalyan in Thane district surrendered before police on Friday, a senior officer said.

Akhilesh Shukla (48), an employee of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), his wife Geeta (45) and others have been named in an FIR related to the alleged attack on the family, their neighbour, on December 18 after an argument.

Akhilesh Shukla surrendered before the Khadakpada police, senior inspector Aamarnath Waghmode said.

“We will trace the other accused,” said the police.

Meanwhile, before surrendering, Shukla posted a video on social media in which he claimed his wife was beaten up by family members of the victims.

The police have registered a case against Shukla and his wife Geeta (45) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 74 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), 189 (2) (3) and (5) (unlawful assembly) and others.

According to police, the attack took place around 8.45 pm on December 18, and the accused as well as the victims live on the same floor of a building in Kalyan.

As per the FIR, the victim saw Shukla quarrelling with one of their neighbours over lighting of an incense stick. The victim asked Shukla to maintain peace and not to abuse and insult the entire Marathi-speaking community.

The accused couple got angry on hearing this and beat up the victim and his wife with the help of eight to ten others. They attacked the male victim using some sharp weapon, iron rod, pipes and wooden sticks, and inflicted wounds on his arms, legs and face. The accused also molested his wife and threatened the couple, it added.

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Crime

RG Kar tragedy: Calcutta HC rejects Bengal government’s objections on venue of protests by doctors’ body

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Kolkata, Dec 20: The Calcutta High Court on Friday rejected the state government’s objections on the venue for the sit-in protest by the West Bengal Joint Platform of Doctors, an association of senior doctors, against the default bail granted to two accused of tampering with the evidence in the case of the ghastly rape and murder of a woman junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital within the hospital premises in August.

The single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh on Thursday already gave permission to the doctors’ body to hold the sit-in-demonstration at Doreena Crossing in central Kolkata.

At the same time, the bench gave the opportunity to the administration to furnish its views by Friday on the possible restrictions on the programme.

However, on Friday, the counsel for the state government objected to the venue of the demonstration on grounds of traffic congestion on occasions of Christmas and New Year’s Eve and suggested an alternative location in the area for the event.

However, Justice Ghosh refused to accept the argument and said that when he had already given permission on Thursday for the demonstration to be conducted at Doreena Crossing, there was no reason for the administration to raise objections on the venue.

He advised the state administration to raise a seven-foot tall guardrail around the protest venue and ensure the protesters stayed within the enclosure during the protest period. He also said that under no circumstance, the protest programme can be extended beyond December 26.

He also ruled that the protesters should not make any objectionable comment from the protest venue or do anything that might hamper the festive mood of the city in this part of the year.

Justice Ghosh also ruled that under no circumstance the number of protesters assembling at the venue should exceed 250.

Last week, a special court in Kolkata granted default bail to the former and controversial principal of R.G. Kar Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal as the CBI failed to file the supplementary charge sheet against the two within 90 days from the day of their arrests. Both were accused of misleading the investigation and tampering with evidence while the initial investigation was being carried out by Kolkata Police. Following the development, the representatives of the medical fraternity in the state as well as the victim’s parents accused the CBI of gross incompetence

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