Minor Murdered In Rajasthan, Body Chopped Into Pieces, 1 Arrested: Cops

A 20-year-old man allegedly murdered a minor girl, chopped her body into pieces and stuffed them in plastic bags here, police said on Sunday.

According to police, the possibility of the nine-year-old girl being raped before the murder has not been ruled out and accused Kamlesh, a school dropout, is being interrogated.

The girl was missing since March 29. Her chopped body parts were found at an abandoned house in Mavli area on Saturday night, they said.

Some local residents had complained of a foul smell emanating from the abandoned house, police said, adding that the victim lived in the same neighbourhood.

Superintendent of Police Vikas Sharma said the accused resided near the victim's house. 

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Siddaramaiah's Chief Ministerial Ambitions In Karnataka Revealed By His Son

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's son Dr Yatindra Siddaramaiah on Saturday expressed his wish to see his father become the Chief Minister again.

Speaking at Malavalli in the Mandya district, MLA Yatindra said, "Being a son I want to see my father becoming Karnataka Chief Minister once again. Of course, my father has said that he wants to become the Chief Minister again. He will take the state on the path of further development."

"Siddaramaiah's second constituency is still not finalized," he added.

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has expressed his intention to contest in Varuna and Kolar constituencies, but the constituencies are not finalized yet.

His statement has confirmed the ongoing tussle between Siddaramaiah and state Congress chief DK Shivakumar.

The leadership tussle between former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state Congress chief DK Shivakumar is "pushing the party towards darkness", said a senior leader of the party.

The fight for the chief ministerial post in the upcoming Assembly election in the state in May continues to deepen with the war of words flaring up from both the Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar factions.

The war has put the senior Congress leaders in a spot of bother about the present shape of the party. According to most of the party leaders, infighting has already become a "nightmare" for many Congress leaders.

The BJP has marked its entry into the political crisis surrounding Congress as BJP state president Nalinkumar Kateel tweeted, "Party workers from @siddaramaiah and @DKShivakumar who have disturbed the sleep of many in their party due to the illusion of CM. Disillusioned. The people of the state know that the weak high command is unable to fix the internal conflict, and if power is given to him, conflict is guaranteed."

According to a Congress source, the second list of Congress candidates will also be released soon.

Soon after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the Karnataka Assembly elections, Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday alleged that the ruling BJP has made the election system corrupt and hoped that the Election Commission would conduct free and fair elections.

"BJP has made the election system corrupt. They have started "Operation Lotus". They spend lots of money. The Election Commission should conduct the election in a free and fair manner. We hope they will do it," Siddaramaiah said.

However, welcoming the Election Commission's decision to hold a single-phase Assembly election in Karnataka on May 10, the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly said that his party was prepared for the polls.

"We had expected that the elections would be declared yesterday or today. I welcome that this election is happening in a single phase," he added.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the Karnataka Assembly polls.

"The notification for the elections to the 224-member Assembly would be issued on April 13 and that the last date for filing nomination papers would be April 20. The nomination papers would be scrutinised on April 21 and that last date for withdrawal of nominations would be April 24," Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday while addressing a press conference in New Delhi.

The counting of votes will be done on May 13.

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Bengal Gang-Rape Probe Disrupted By "State Team": Child Rights Body Chief

NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo on Saturday alleged that members of the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) disrupted his investigation into the gang rape of a girl at a school in Malda district.

Priyank Kanoongo reached the girl's house with his team from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in Gazole police station area around 8.50 am, but WBCPCR chairperson Sudeshna Roy was already present there.

Mr Kanoongo came out of the house within minutes, and told reporters, "The state team was disrupting our investigation." Soon, a verbal spat broke out between the state and the central teams. BJP workers, who were waiting outside the house, started protesting, triggering tension in the area.

Sudeshna Roy claimed that they did not stop the NCPCR team from investigating the case, but Mr Kanoongo was trying to politicise the issue.

A class 6 student was allegedly gang-raped by some outsiders at her school on March 18. Three people were arrested in connection with the incident, according to police.

Later, Mr Kanoongo and his team visited the school where the incident took place.

The NCPCR was investigating the case after BJP MLA Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhury filed a complaint, sources said.

Mr Kanoongo on Friday alleged that he was roughed up by police officers when visiting the house of a girl in Kolkata's Tiljala area who was killed by a neighbour earlier this week.

Police, however, rejected the allegation and said officers had cooperated with him, and it was Mr Kanoongo who "misbehaved" with them.

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Amit Shah Shown Black Flag By Congress Workers In Mizoram

Union Home Minister Amit Shah was shown black flags by Congress party workers during his visit to Mizoram's capital Aizawl to inaugurate development projects on Saturday.

The opposition party was protesting against the disqualification from Parliament of its national leader Rahul Gandhi recently after conviction in a defamation case.

Leaders of the state state congress and functionaries of various frontal organisations held peaceful demonstration to extend solidarity to Gandhi.

The protesters carried placards and waved black flags as the Union Home Minister entered Lammual or Assam Rifles ground to address a public meeting.

They also shouted slogans demanding justice to Mr Gandhi.

The protesters alleged that the BJP was targeting Mr Gandhi to defend business tycoon Adani.

They also accused the BJP of suppressing freedom of speech and said that the party ruling the federal government "feared exposure of its wrong doings" and hence was trying to divert pubic attention.

Mr Shah was on a day-long visit in Mizoram on Saturday, during which he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of various development projects worth Rs. 2,414 crore, including a new Assam Rifles headquarters complex and Laldenga Cultural Centre.

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Cops Seek Brain-Mapping Of Haryana Ex Sports Minister In Sex Harassment Case

The Special Investigation Team, constituted to probe the allegations of sexual harassment against Sandeep Singh, the ex-Haryana sports minister, on Saturday submitted an application for brain-mapping of the accused, police said.

The application was submitted by the police to the district court in Chandigarh on Saturday.

"An application for brain mapping of the accused by SIT has been filed by Chandigarh police in the district court. It is under consideration," Ram Gopal (DSP), PRO Chandigarh Police said.

Gopal said that Chandigarh Police had registered a case, and constituted an SIT in this connection.

"It is part of the investigation. I can't say anything on this," Gopal added.

Last year in December, a junior woman athlete coach, alleged that the then sports minister harassed her from February to November last year, through repeated messages on social media, touched her inappropriately and also threatened her in messages. The minister, however, denied any wrongdoing.

The Khaps of Haryana had been demanding that the BJP-led government in the state sack Singh.

Chandigarh Police registered an FIR against Singh under sections 354, 354A, 354B, 342, and 506 of the IPC and initiated an investigation.

Amid allegations, Singh on January 1 said that he had handed over the responsibility of the Sports Department to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar pending the investigation.

He added that the allegations against him were made to spoil his image.

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Delhi Reports 416 Fresh Covid Cases In A Day, Highest In Over 7 Months

Delhi recorded 416 fresh Covid cases on Saturday, the highest in over seven months, with a positivity rate of 14.37 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department.

Also, one Covid-related death was reported, stated the department's latest bulletin that had two additional sections to describe the fatality -- "Primary cause of death is Covid - zero; primary cause of death is not Covid. Covid finding is incidental - one".

It mentioned that the death count now stands at 26,529. The health department did not share a bulletin on Friday.

The death count due to the infection stood at 26,526, according to the Thursday bulletin.

Delhi had recorded 295 coronavirus cases on Thursday with a positivity rate of 12.48 per cent. On Wednesday, the city had logged 300 cases, the first time since August 31, and two deaths while the positivity rate had mounted to 13.89 per cent.

On August 31, the city had logged 377 cases.

Delhi had recorded 214 cases with a positivity rate of 11.82 per cent on Tuesday, 115 cases with a positivity rate of 7.45 per cent on Monday, 153 cases with a positivity rate of 9.13 per cent on Sunday and 139 cases with a positivity rate of 4.98 per cent on last Saturday.

The Delhi government is keeping an eye on the spurt in Covid cases in the national capital and is "prepared to face any eventuality", Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said on Friday.

Only three deaths have been reported over the last four-five days. In all three patients, co-morbidities were "very severe" and it has been assessed that the fatality was due to co-morbidities and perhaps Covid was "incidental", but one can't say that, he had said.

Addressing reporters after chairing a review meeting on the Covid situation in Delhi, Kejriwal had said there was no need to worry for now and that the city government was taking all required steps.

Delhi has witnessed an increase in the number of fresh Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in the figure of H3N2 influenza cases in the country.

The number of fresh cases had seen a decline over the last few months in Delhi, and it had dropped to zero on January 16, the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic.

With the fresh cases, the city's Covid tally has increased to 20,10,312. The data showed that 2,895 Covid tests were conducted on Friday.

Ninety-five of the 7,986 beds are occupied in dedicated Covid hospitals in the city, while 717 patients are in home isolation, the health department said. The number of active cases of the infection currently stands at 1,216, it added.

Amid a gradual increase in the number of Covid cases in Delhi, medical experts say the new XBB.1.16 variant of the virus could be driving the surge.

However, they maintain that there is no need to panic and people should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get booster shots of the vaccines.

They also say this rise in the number of cases could be a result of more people getting themselves tested for Covid as a precaution when they actually get infected with the influenza virus and develop fever and related symptoms.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said the rise in the number of influenza cases is due to the Influenza A sub-type H3N2 virus.

The H3N2 virus is leading to more hospitalisations than the other sub-types. The symptoms include a runny nose, persistent cough and fever.

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Ashok Gehlot's "Cops Should Ask Amit Shah" Retort To "Frame Modi" Comment

Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot has dared Home Minister Amit Shah to name the officers of a central agency who the BJP leader alleged had put pressure on him to frame his party colleague and the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in a fake encounter case.

Mr Gehlot said if the Delhi Police can ask Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to give details of women in Jammu and Kashmir who have alleged sexual harassment, the same cops can surely ask Mr Shah to give the names of the officers who wanted him to frame Narendra Modi before he became Prime Minister in 2014.

During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Mr Gandhi had alleged  "women were still being sexually assaulted" in the Union Territory. After the yatra ended and 45 days later, a Delhi Police team knocked on Mr Gandhi's doors thrice in five days, which the Congress termed unprecedented harassment. The Congress alleged the cops won't do any such thing if BJP leaders gave controversial comments at public events.

"What did the women tell Rahul Gandhi in Kashmir? That they have been abused, harassed. And what happened after that - Delhi police arrived at Rahul Gandhi's door. Rahul said he will respond to the cops' notice, but the police again arrived at his home," Mr Gehlot told NDTV.

"So will the Delhi police also send a notice to Amit Shah for saying that the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) was putting pressure on him to frame Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an alleged fake encounter case in Gujarat when he was being questioned by the probe agency during the Congress-led UPA government. That's why I am asking, will the Delhi Police question Amit Shah like they questioned Rahul Gandhi? I think they should," Mr Gehlot said.

Mr Shah yesterday at the 'News 18 Rising India' programme alleged the CBI had put pressure on him to frame PM Modi in a fake encounter case in Gujarat back when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power. The Home Minister was replying to a question on the opposition's allegations that central agencies have been sent to harass them frequently with false cases.

"The CBI put pressure on me to frame Modi ji (when he was Gujarat Chief Minister) in a fake encounter case during the Congress government," Mr Shah said.

The BJP has also often cited alleged misuse of central agencies when the Congress was in power.

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