Bantwal: Thousands throng to pay homage to murdered Cong leader Jaleel

Kochi, Mar 1:Adheringto a policy of "zero tolerance" towards clergy who sexually exploit minors, Pope Francis has expelled a Kerala priestconvicted of rape from all priestly duties and rights, according to church officials.

Syro-Malabar Church priest Robin Vadakkumchery is currently serving a jail term for impregnating a 16-year-old girl in Mananthavady diocese.

"Vadakkumchery has been dispensed from the exercise of priestly duties and rights. That means he has been reduced to the state of a layman", a Church official told PTI.

He was suspended from priestly duties soon after the news about his crime was reported in early 2017.

A POCSO court in Thalassery last year had sentenced Vadakkumchery to 20 years of Rigorous Imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs three lakh on him.

The priest, 50, was the vicar of the local church in Kottiyur in Kannur district and manager at the school where the victim was studying.

He was arrested two years ago while trying to flee to Canada.

The Vatican's action came two years after Pope Francis made it clear that all bishops should adhere to a policy of "zero tolerance" for clergy who sexually exploit children.

Varanasi, Jan 20: An FIR has been lodged against unidentified persons for a controversial hoarding near the Varanasi railway station. It is worth mentioning here that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is the MP of Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency.

The hoarding near the Englishiya Line crossing read, "Hindu dharma mein ghar vapasi karo... CAA, NRC se chhutkara pao (Get rid of CAA, NRC by converting to Hinduism)".

Inspector Ashutosh Ojha said that the FIR under section 295 A and 505 of IPC has been lodged.

"Investigation has been launched in the case and those involved in putting up the hoarding would be identified soon," he added.

According to sources, a lesser known outfit, Hindu Samaj Party, had placed the hoarding on the busy road.

The outfit's state Vice President Roshan Pandey had made a video viral on social media with his message in which he claimed to have put up the hoarding in response to the protest being staged at Shaheen Bagh, New Delhi.

The hoarding, which also has photographs of some Muslim women wearing saffron pagdi, was removed by the police late Saturday evening.

It came up at a time when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Smriti Irani and other leaders were in Varanasi to address a rally in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act at the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University.

Pandey, along with his supporters, had also tried to stage a sit-in at Lanka to give a call for marching to Shaheen Bagh in Delhi but was prevented by the police.

They were taken in custody and were later released following initial interrogation, said inspector Lanka, Bharat Bhushan.

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 28: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to remove the blocking of roads including state highway along the border of Karnataka in view of lock down to contain the spread of COVID-19.

In a letter sent to the Prime Minister on Friday evening, the Chief Minister said certain actions by the Karnataka Police have resulted in the blocking the Thalassery-Coorg State Highway-30. This road connects Kerala with Coorg in Karnataka via Veerajapettah. This route is a lifeline for flow of essential commodities to Kerala."

"If this is blocked, vehicles carrying essential commodities will have to travel a much longer route to reach our state. Given the situation of national lock down, this will add much more hardship to people," it said.

"You will naturally agree with me that no action impeding the movement of essential commodities should be initiated at this moment of crisis," he hoped.