2 peddlers from Kerala held in Karnataka; drugs worth Rs 4L seized

Nagpur, Feb 19: The Central Bureau of Investigation said that it has arrested a former employee of Union Carbide Bhopal, who was absconding since 2016.

A senior CBI official said on Wednesday that the agency sleuths arrested S I Qureshi from Maharashtra’s Nagpur on Tuesday, who was convicted by a local court here in connection with the Bhopal gas tragedy case.

The official further said that he had been absconding since 2016.

He added that the convict would be produced in a district court.

On December 3, 1984, forty tonnes of methyl isocyanate leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory and settled over slums in Bhopal

A Bhopal court convicted eight people in 2010 to two years each in jail over the gas plant leak that killed thousands of people.

The eight convicted included the Chairman of the Indian arm of the Union Carbide (UCIL) Keshub Mahindra, Managing Director V P Gokhale, Vice-president Kishore Kamdar, Works Manager J Mukund, Production manager S P Chowdhury, Plant superintendent K V Shetty and Production Assistant Qureshi.

The CBI had taken over the Bhopal gas tragedy case on December 12, 1984.

Gonda, Apr 9: A man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of his room as he was missing his wife stuck at her parents' place due to the lockdown, police said.

The incident took place in Radha Kund locality here on Wednesday, they said, adding the deceased has been identified as Rakesh Soni, 32.

As per information, Soni's wife had gone to her parents' place and was stuck there due to the lockdown and he was missing her due to which he committed suicide, Inspector Alok Rao said.

A probe is on in the mater, he said.

Patna, Jul 17: A 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a security guard at the Covid-19 quarantine center of the Patna Medical College Hospital where she was admitted after being rescued from a railway station, police said on Thursday.

The accused, Mahesh (40), was arrested on Wednesday night after being booked under the POCSO Act and other relevant IPC sections by the Pir Bahore police station, according to Arti Jaiswal, the in-charge of the women's police station here.

“The accused is being sent to jail while the victim will be undergoing medical tests on Thursday, as is the norm for all sexual assault survivors," Jaiswal said.

The girl had run away from her home in Nalanda district more than a week ago and reached Barh railway station on the outskirts of Patna to catch a train for Kolkata where her father is a daily wage-earner, police said.

She was spotted by Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel who informed the child helpline. The child helpline personnel, taking note of the girl’s tender age and her disturbed frame of mind, convinced her not to undertake the journey and brought her to the hospital’s quarantine ward for COVID-19 suspects as a precautionary measure, they said.

On the night of July 8, a few hours after the girl's arrival at the hospital, she was caught hold of by the accused inside the bathroom and allegedly raped. The accused also threatened her with dire consequences if she spilt the beans and, as per the FIR, kept harassing her sexually.

She finally decided to speak up when another girl, carrying a mobile phone, was similarly brought to the hospital by child helpline a couple of days ago. Using the fellow inmate’s phone, she narrated her ordeal to the helpline personnel who informed the police.

“Her Covid-19 test report is negative. After her examination, for the sexual assault, by a six-member medical board is over, she will be sent to a shelter home by the child helpline," Jaiswal said.

Meanwhile, state women’s commission chairperson Dilmani Mishra strongly reacted to the incident and said, “We are waiting for the medical reports of the girl. We will ensure that justice is done in the matter.”