Nalanda, Sep 21: A brick kiln contractor allegedly abducted and brutally assaulted a labourer and his wife over a disputed debt of Rs 1,000, killing the labourer, Surendra Manjhi, and burying his body in a pit, police said. The body was later recovered, and raids were launched to arrest the accused on Monday.

The deceased man’s wife, Nauleja Devi, alleged that she and her husband were forcibly taken from their house and assaulted. She also claimed that the accused subjected them to electric shocks inside a house.

Speaking to media, Nauleja said, “We had taken the money and had almost paid all of it, but only Rs 1,000 was left.”

“They came and kidnapped us and beat me and my husband after tying us to a tree. They beat us four times. They almost broke my legs, but somehow I managed to save myself,” she alleged.

“They killed my husband around 4 a.m. Only Rs 1,000 was left to pay. We had already paid the entire Rs 60,000 we had taken from them,” she said.

“Despite us having paid the money, they abducted me and my husband,” she alleged.

Nauleja further alleged that the accused were demanding Rs 7 lakh over the remaining Rs 1,000.

“They were demanding Rs 7 lakh for Rs 1,000. How could we have paid such a huge amount? We had taken this money around four years ago. That is why they were demanding it and killed my husband,” she alleged.

Nauleja claimed that the accused took them to Paparnousa village, where her husband was allegedly killed.

“They took us to Paparnousa village, where they killed my husband. They murdered him in that village itself. Those who killed him were from the Yadav community,” she alleged.

The woman is a resident of Nilkanth Bigha village and said she and her husband had been working at a brick kiln for around a year.

“We were working there at the brick kiln for one year,” she said.

The incident reportedly took place around a week ago.

She further alleged that she and her husband had been working at the brick kiln and named Mukesh Yadav, Manish, Dilkhush and Mauli Devi as those allegedly responsible for the incident.

Police have recovered Surendra’s body and launched raids to trace and arrest the accused. Further investigation into the allegations and circumstances surrounding the death is underway.

New Delhi, Sep 21: In yet another horrifying case of crimes against women and children in the national Capital, a sixth-grade student was sexually assaulted inside a shop in Delhi’s Sadar Bazaar area after she was restrained and her hands and legs were tied, police said on Monday.

The minor had reportedly gone out to purchase stationery when the incident took place.

The incident came to light after police received a PCR call on the night of September 16 regarding the alleged sexual assault of a minor girl by a shopkeeper, officials said.

Following the information, teams from PS Sadar Bazaar, along with ACPs of Sadar Bazaar and the Women Police Station, immediately reached the spot and initiated action.

Police said preliminary facts that emerged during the enquiry indicated that the minor had stepped out of her house at around 11 p.m. to purchase stationery items. During this time, she was allegedly lured into a nearby shop by the accused, where she was restrained and sexually assaulted.

Based on the complaint of the victim, a case was registered at the Women Police Station of North District under relevant sections of law, including provisions related to rape, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and wrongful confinement.

Police said the accused, identified as 56-year-old Maqsood, was arrested. Following his arrest, he was sent to judicial custody on the same day after due legal procedure.

Further investigation is underway.

This comes on the heels of the gang rape and murder of a teenage girl by four persons, including three juveniles, in Delhi, with police saying the accused subsequently abandoned her body in an open area.

Parts of the victim’s decomposed body were later found to have been eaten by stray dogs.

According to police, the incident came to light on September 13 when the girl’s severely decomposed body was discovered near a field along Kushak Road in the Swaroop Nagar area of North Delhi. The condition of the body was such that police could not initially determine the victim’s gender.

Police said the victim was acquainted with the accused and had been travelling with them in a tempo. During the journey, the group allegedly consumed alcohol before the girl was sexually assaulted. She was subsequently stabbed to death, after which her body was allegedly dumped in the open field.

Subsequently, after a thorough investigation, four persons connected with the incident, including three juveniles, were arrested.

New Delhi, Sep 21: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said his party will announce its alliance decision for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections by October 2, while asserting that the party is fully prepared to contest the polls and is working to strengthen the political representation of Muslims in the state. He also suggested that Opposition parties should consider working together.

Speaking to media, Owaisi said AIMIM was preparing for the elections and expressed confidence that the party’s candidates would enter the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

“We will announce whom we will form an alliance with by October 2,” Owaisi said.

He also outlined his party’s objective of expanding its political presence in Uttar Pradesh and argued that the Muslim community should have greater political agency and leadership emerging from within the community.

“We are fully prepared and making preparations, and we hope that this time, God-willing our candidates will win and enter the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Our effort is to ensure that the large number of Muslims living here have political agency and that leadership emerges from within the community. Every community here has its own political leadership, but such a large community has been completely sidelined politically,” he said.

Owaisi’s remarks come ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, for which AIMIM has begun intensifying its organisational and public outreach activities.

The party has indicated that it is open to working with “like-minded” political groups, with Owaisi saying that no single political entity can stop the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alone and suggesting that Opposition parties should consider working together.

Speaking at the Kanpur rally earlier, Owaisi highlighted AIMIM’s preparations for the upcoming elections and said the party would continue working to establish a stronger political presence in the state.

The AIMIM chief’s October 2 deadline provides a specific timeline for the party’s next announcement on possible electoral partnerships.

He has previously indicated that the party is seeking an alliance in Uttar Pradesh, while the details of any such arrangement, including the parties involved and seat-sharing, are yet to be announced.

AIMIM has been stepping up its campaign activities across Uttar Pradesh, with the party focussing on public outreach and political representation. Owaisi has repeatedly raised the issue of what he describes as the political marginalisation of Muslims and has called for greater participation of the community in electoral politics.

The proposed alliance discussions come as political parties prepare for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Owaisi’s latest remarks indicate that AIMIM’s electoral strategy, including whether and with whom it will form an alliance, is expected to become clearer by October 2.