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Journalist, family murdered; hand of mining mafia suspected

[email protected] (THE HINDU)
February 20, 2012

Bhopal, February 20: The brutal murder of a senior journalist and his entire family on Saturday night in Madhya Pradesh's Umaria distict, over 450 km from here, has sent shockwaves across the State with fingers being pointed at the illegal coal mining mafia active in the region.


Journalist Chandrika Rai (42), his wife Durga (40) and their two teenage children — son Jalaj (19) and daughter Nisha (17) — were murdered using a sharp object at their residence, police said. The bodies were found in four separate rooms.


Mr. Rai was a freelance journalist who contributed regularly to the Hindi dailyNavbharat and English daily The Hitavada. He had been writing consistently against the illegal coal mining in the region. He had written a series of articles alleging the involvement of a local BJP leader in illegal mining.


The district is known for the Umaria coalfield under the control of the South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. However, illegal coal mining is also rampant in the region.


“The local illegal mining mafia has resorted to this horrific crime to silence the power of his pen,” said Congress MLA and leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Ajay Singh. “The BJP government gives open protection to the local mining mafia. Recently Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and some of his Ministers were seen sharing the stage with wanted criminals. In such a situation, criminals have no fear of the law and commit such mind-numbing crimes with impunity whenever their interests are harmed.”


The crime came to light when Mr. Rai's brother broke open the door on Saturday evening after he became suspicious on seeing it locked from the outside the entire day.

Linked to abduction?

The Umaria police believe the murders could also be linked to the kidnap of the seven-year-old son of a government official for ransom on Wednesday. He was rescued by the police on Thursday.


“DGP Raut visited the crime scene on Sunday and has ordered an STF probe,” Umaria SP Manohar Singh Jamara told The Hindu. “He also spoke to journalists here and assured them that the criminals would be brought to book as soon as possible. We have constituted a team to look into the crime and assist the STF which will arrive here tomorrow [Monday].”
Land dispute


Another angle the police are investigating relates to a land dispute involving Mr. Rai and another local individual.

murder


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Agencies
March 22,2020

Thane, Mar 22: Eight men were arrested at Kalyan in the district on Sunday as they were found playing cricket during the 'Janata curfew' being observed to check the spread of coronavirus, police said.

They were playing cricket at Kala Talao Maidan in the afternoon, police said.

Police also detained a boy in this connection, an official said.

"Action was taken against them for defying the prohibitory orders issued by the Thane Police Commissionerate.

They also went against the 'Janata curfew' being observed to curb the spread of coronavirus," the police official said.

The Mahatma Phule Chowk Police Station registered an offence against the accused under IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 290 (public nuisance).

They were also booked under the Maharashtra Police Act as well as the National Disaster Act 2005, the official said.

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News Network
July 19,2020

Thane, Jul 19: A 34-year-old man was arrested on Saturday for allegedly killing his wife after picking up a fight as he did not like the food she cooked, Thane police said.

Sachin Godane, a resident of Gaikwad Pada in Ambernath, locked his two children and an aunt in one room of the house on Friday afternoon and brutally beat up his wife Chandrakala (28) with a log and then strangled her, said Assistant Inspector JB Bhoyer of Shivajinagar police station.

Godane has been remanded in police custody for four days, he added. 

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Agencies
April 14,2020

New Delhi, Apr 14: A 35-year-old man has been booked by the police for refusing to eat food at a quarantine centre on the ground that it had been cooked by a Dalit.

Reports said Siraj Ahmad, a native of Bhujouli Khurd village under Khadda police station in Kushinagar district, had returned from Delhi on March 29, and was staying at the quarantine centre at the village primary school along with other four people.

On Friday, village head, Lilawati Devi, in absence of the cook, prepared food in the quarantine centre for all the five people but Siraj refused to eat it.

Police, after conducting investigation, registered a FIR against him under the SC/ST Act on Monday.

The village head had lodged a written complaint with the police on Friday and also informed sub-divisional magistrate Desh Deepak Singh and block development officer Ramakant.

SHO Khadda police station, R.K. Yadav said that a case against Siraj was registered under the SC/ST Act.

Meanwhile, on Saturday evening, Vijay Dubey, the local BJP MLA, went to the house of village head and asked her to serve him food cooked by her.

"Untouchability is a social evil that cannot be tolerated at any cost," he said.

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