Youth gets death for rape, murder

June 1, 2012

vishwanathan

Alapuzzha, June 1: Viswarajan, 22, accused in the raping and killing of 34-year-old R. Smitha, a native of Koippallykarayma near Kayamkulam, was awarded the death penalty by the Mavelikkara additional district and sessions court-II on Thursday.


The verdict was pronounced by judge A. Badharudheen after a nearly two-month-long trial. The trial started on April 9. Hearing the verdict, Vishwarajan who had a hint of a smile on his face, bowed his head without any signs of remorse.


Additional public prosecutor S. Ramanan Pillai who was appointed by the government for the victim said that apart from the death penalty for murder, Vishwarajan had been awarded six months rigorous imprisonment for illegal detention and a Rs1 lakh fine as well.


“If the fine is not remitted, he would have to bear an additional six months of rigorous imprisonment. The court has observed the case as being the rarest of rare. The verdict will help to spread the message about the consequences of an assault against women,” he said.


The incident relating to the case happened on October 24, 2011, at 7 p.m while Smitha was on her way home from work. She was working with a private shop in Kayamkulam as a saleswoman.


Vishwarajan who was in an inebriated condition, hid near Smitha’s home and raped her. He then abandoned an unconscious Smitha in a marshy area. The incident took place just 200 m away from Smitha’s home. Viswarajan, a native of Oachira was living with his relatives whose home was near Smitha’s.


Following the incident, the investigation team led by the then Kayamkulam circle inspector A.N. Shanihan submitted a report before the court.


As many as 38 witnesses appeared before the court during the course of the trial. Shanihan told dc there was no hurdle in the way of the investigation. The mobile phone which was found at the spot of the incident was the turning point in the investigation, he recalled.


“The main significance of this case was that the majority of witnesses who appea-red before the court were women,” he pointed out.


A police officer who accompanied Vishwarajan from Poojappura central prison said that he had tried to break out of jail by jumping out of the prison building. This resulted in Vishwaraj-an fracturing his leg. Vishwarajan was brought to court from the Poojappura central prison at 10 am and returned to Poojappura at 2.30pm in a police van. The court pronounced the verdict by 11.15 am.


Security was tightened in the court premises. Advoca-te G. Madhu who appeared for Vishwarajan said to media persons that the verdict would be challenged in a higher court.


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Agencies
January 6,2020

New Delhi, Jan 6: A blind student who is pursuing research in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was also attacked by the mob that perpetrated violence in the University yesterday.

"I thought that the mob which came yesterday would disperse after raising a few slogans but they indulged in violence. They were targeting ABVP students. They beat me with sticks and rods. When I went to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, I came to know that there are many other injured students there," Surya Prakash, the blind student pursuing research in the University told ANI.

"I talked to my family members. They are really worried about the situation here. I qualified in the National Eligibility Test (NET) last year but I want to study and hence I am continuing research in JNU. How can we do anything in this atmosphere of fear? I am receiving calls from anonymous numbers threatening me not to come in front of the media. They are saying that as I am blind, I would become the face of this case," he added.

Another PhD student, Santosh Bhagat recounted his experience.

"In the evening at around 7 pm, many masked men entered the hostel. They had rods and sticks in their hands. We tried to go out but the attackers had entered the premises by then. I locked my room from inside but the attackers broke the door and entered my room and attacked me. They pushed me from the first floor and I fell down and sustained an injury. Later, I took shelter at one of the Professor's flat. Later, I was taken to the AIIMS Trauma Cantre," Bhagat said.

On Sunday evening, more than 30 students of the university, including JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh, were injured and were taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre after a masked mob entered the JNU and attacked them and professors with sticks and rods.

The JNU administration and political leaders, cutting across political lines, condemned the attack on students and urged the police to take action against the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, the situation remained tense but peaceful outside JNU on Monday morning as the university guards maintained a strict vigil at the gate, checking I-cards of all those entering the university.

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Agencies
July 28,2020

Noida, Jul 28: A doctor admitted at a private hospital in Noida has been accused of sexually harassing a patient in his isolation ward, where both were undergoing treatment for COVID-19, the police said.

The 20-year-old woman, in her complaint to the police, alleged that the incident took place on Monday and based on that a case was filed at the local expressway police station, they said.

A senior police official said an investigation is underway and there might be lapses on part of the hospital which allegedly admitted a man and a woman in the same isolation ward, in violation of the norms.

The woman and the doctor had tested positive for coronavirus last week, according to officials.

"The woman was in the isolation ward of the private hospital. There was a man, a medical practitioner, who too was infected with coronavirus and was sharing the ward with her," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Noida, Ranvijay Singh said.

He said the woman alleged molestation and upon being informed, the police immediately lodged a case and initiated a probe into the matter.

"There appears to be some irresponsibility on part of the hospital too. We are communication with the medical departments to check whether the patients were being kept in accordance with the guidelines," Mr Singh said.

He said the accused is still in isolation but the police will reach out for his statement following due protocols of COVID-19.

"All necessary action will be taken as per the truth that will emerge after a thorough investigation," Mr Singh said.

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News Network
March 12,2020

Mar 12: Three women were arrested for allegedly administrating fake coronavirus vaccines to villagers in Maharashtra's Jalna district, police said on Thursday.

The police on Wednesday arrested Beed residents Radha Ramnath Saamse, Seema Krishna Andhale and Sangeeta Rajendra Avhad, who allegedly posed as doctors and healthcare workers, an official said.

The trio met villagers of Pipalgoan in Ambad tehsil, informed them about a vaccine that could protect them from coronavirus and administered it to gullible locals, he said.

Some villagers informed Dr Mahadev Munde, a medical officer at a rural health centre, about this, after which a complaint was lodged, the official said.

Fake vaccines and bottles, which were seized from the accused, have been sent to the state health department, he said, adding that a case of cheating has been registered against the trio.

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