Kochi woman, sons killed in Australia house fire

June 2, 2012

KochI/Melbourne, June 2: A woman from Thevara, Ernakulam, and her two sons were charred to death in a house fire at their Clayton South home in Melbourne early on Friday.

The bodies of Anitha (37), wife of George Philip, and her sons Philip George (Unni) (10) and Mathew George (6), were found in a back room of the house in Clayton South suburb. Australian media reported that the incident could be a case of murder-suicide, since detectivies have found a note, purportedly written by the woman, from the family's car. It was earlier suspected that a short-circuit could have sparked the blaze.

Anitha's neighbours tried to break into the house on seeing the fire around 1 am, but were unsuccessful. Firefighters entered the house after dousing the blaze 40 minutes later, and found the bodies.

Police were now investigating whether the house fire was deliberately lit. Arson and explosives chemists and crime scene detectives inspected the scene.

The woman's husband, George Philip, who was on a vacation at his home near Mundakkayam, had left for Australia on Friday morning from Nedumabassery airport, unaware of the tragedy.

Anitha's father C K Mathew of Chellapilliyil House in Thevara was informed who said he received a call on Friday morning from the Australian police, apprising him of the incident. They asked him to mail the photographs of the deceased.

"We don't know what had happened. But we couldn't believe the news. Officials from Australian police and other departments spoke to us over phone. They asked us to send a photo of my daughter and two grandchildren," said Mathew. He would be going to Melbourne to attend the funeral services of his daughter and grandsons.

Media reports quoted a close friend Jeanette Pereira as saying that the community was shocked at the incident. "She was a very good lady, a very good mother. The children were very quiet. She looked after them well," she said.

George Philip has been working as an IT consultant for the past seven years. The family was in Canada before shifting to Australia. The boys, Philip and Mathew, were in Preparatory and Class IV, respectively, in Cleyton South's St Peter's Primary School. where 260 students gathered for a prayer service for the departed souls on Friday morning.

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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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News Network
June 5,2020

Jun 5: A young woman was forced to drink liquor allegedly by her husband after which he along with four friends assaulted, burnt her with cigarette butts and raped her in front of her five year-old son, police said on Friday.

All the five, who were taken into custody earlier, have been arrested. The shocking incident occurred in the state capital last night.

The incident came to light after the 25-year-old woman, approached police and complained against her husband and his four friends.

A case has been registered against the five accused for kidnapping, assaulting and gangrape.

Since the incident took place in front of the child, a case under Protection of children from sexual offices Act has also been charged against the accused.

Meanwhile, State health and family welfare minister K K Shailaja asked the state police chief to take stringentction against the culprits as "such cruelty happened in front of her child."

The Kerala State Women's Commission on its own registered a case and sought report from the Thiruvananthapuram Rural SP.

She managed to escape from there and pleaded for help from a young man, who saw in heran inebriatedstate, and took her to her house and informed police.

The man later told some television channels that she was crying, had injuries on her face and pleaded for help.

Police have recorded the statement of the woman, who was admitted to a government hospital here and later discharged.

She had also stated that the men had tortured her using cigarette butts.

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News Network
July 17,2020

Ahmadabad, July 17: The Gujarat high court has ordered the Bharuch superintendent of police to investigate and produce a 14-year-old girl before the court, who has allegedly eloped with a man. Ironically, the man was convicted two years ago on Pocso charges for eloping with another minor girl in 2016.

The high court has asked the government to file an application for bail cancellation of the convict because he has indulged in a similar offence after having come out on bail.

The case involved one Dilip Padhiyar (24) from Uchchhad village in Jambusar taluka of Bharuch district.

He was punished with 10 years in jail in December 2018 by a special court for kidnapping a 16-year-old girl in 2016. He was prosecuted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and for rape and kidnapping charges. He got away with a 10-year-imprisonment because the girl was over 16 years and she had not alleged rape. However, Dilip Padhiyar was held guilty of statutory rape, abduction as well as under provisions of Pocso Act.

Dinesh Padhiyar got regular bail from the high court pending his appeal challenging his conviction in January 2019. In November 2019, he eloped with another minor girl.

Her father approached the high court complaining that though an FIR was registered with Vedach police station, the police have not made any effort to trace his minor girl. It was also contended in the habeas corpus petition that Padhiyar is a habitual offender.

Petitioner's advocate Imtiyaz Kureshi said that looking at the past of Dinesh Padhiyar, the high court asked the state government to initiate proceedings for cancellation of his bail.

The bench headed by Justice Sonia Gokani instructed HC's registry to treat the bail cancellation application as an urgent matter.

The high court has ordered Bharuch SP to produce the girl before the court by July 20, and in case she cannot be traced by then, he will have to submit an action taken report.

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