Woman kills self after MMS scandal

The West Bengal government has suspended two women teachers in East Burdwan district on the charge of teaching pre-primary students from an English alphabet book consisting of a portion derogatory to the people with a dark complexion.

While presenting the alphabets with corresponding words and images, the book says U is for "Ugly". The illustration printed beside the letter is that of a boy with a dark complexion.

"The book is not part of the textbooks referred by the education department. It was introduced by the school itself. We have zero-tolerance for acts which instil prejudices into the minds of students," Education Minister Partha Chatterjee told reporters here on Thursday.

He said the two teachers of a local municipality-run school have been placed under suspension with immediate effect based on a preliminary investigation and stricter action would be taken against them later.

Though the school is now closed because of the lockdown, the matter came to light when the father of a student of the school was teaching him with the help of that book. He informed other parents and the education department was apprised of the issue, sources said.

Kochi, Feb 6: A 46-year-old Thailand national was allegedly raped by two men here, following which they were arrested, police said on Thursday.

The accused hailing from a north Kerala district have been arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged by the woman.

Police said the accused-- Mohammed Insaf and his friend Ansaruddin from Kondotty in Malappuram district were arrested after recording the statement of the victim.

The woman from Thailand had been a Facebook friend of Insaf for the last seven months after she enrolled her child in a school in Malappuram district.

The woman who came from Bangkok recently to visit her child and was staying in a hotel here.

When Insaf came to meet the woman, he was accompanied by his friend Ansaruddin and both allegedly raped the woman at the hotel room, police said.

All formalities including medical examination of the woman were completed, police said.

The accused will be produced before the court on Thursday, they added.

Kota, Feb 26: At least 24 people died and four others sustained injuries as a private bus carrying a wedding party fell into a river on Kota–Dausa highway in Bundi district on Wednesday morning, police said.

The wedding party with 28 persons on board was headed to Sawai Madhopur from Kota early morning when the driver apparently lost balance of the bus while traversing a bridge near Papdi village under Lekhari police station limits, Lakheri Sub-Inspector Rajendra Kumar said.

The bus, subsequently, plunged into Mej river from the bridge that had no wall or railing, Kumar said.

Thirteen people died on the spot while 10 others succumbed to their injuries on way to hospital, he added.

The deaths include 11 men, 10 women and three children.

The injured were rushed to Lekhari government hospital from where the critically injured are being referred to a government hospital in Kota, the SI further said.

Most of the injured people were rescued with the help of locals in the village, he added.

Mej river is a tributary of the Chambal river in Rajasthan.