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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Agencies
February 26,2020

Kota, Feb 26: At least 24 people died and four others sustained injuries as a private bus carrying a wedding party fell into a river on Kota–Dausa highway in Bundi district on Wednesday morning, police said.

The wedding party with 28 persons on board was headed to Sawai Madhopur from Kota early morning when the driver apparently lost balance of the bus while traversing a bridge near Papdi village under Lekhari police station limits, Lakheri Sub-Inspector Rajendra Kumar said.

The bus, subsequently, plunged into Mej river from the bridge that had no wall or railing, Kumar said.

Thirteen people died on the spot while 10 others succumbed to their injuries on way to hospital, he added.

The deaths include 11 men, 10 women and three children.

The injured were rushed to Lekhari government hospital from where the critically injured are being referred to a government hospital in Kota, the SI further said.

Most of the injured people were rescued with the help of locals in the village, he added.

Mej river is a tributary of the Chambal river in Rajasthan.

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News Network
January 15,2020

New Delhi, Jan 15: The CBI has booked 17 individuals and companies, including three Mumbai-based senior Customs officials, for allegedly being part of a money laundering racket using over-invoiced import of diamonds worth more than Rs 156 crore, official said on Tuesday.

The case was referred to the CBI after a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence probe found alleged involvement of Customs officials in the conspiracy, they said.

The DRI probe had alleged that Hong Kong-based businessman Girish Kadel had imported rough diamonds from Switzerland to Hong Kong in the name of his four companies.

Kadel, who had business interests in India, had exported some of these diamonds to India through 14 consignments in the name of two companies Antique Exim Pvt Ltd and Tanman Jewels showing over-invoiced value of Rs 156.28 crore.

The DRI had found during revaluation that actual value of the consignment was Rs 1.03 crore instead of falsely declared value of Rs 156.28 crore, they said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that Kadel used Import Export Codes (IECs) of Antique Exim Private Ltd and Tanman Jewels through his aide Atul Paldecha for siphoning off the money outside India through import of over-valued diamonds, the officials said.

Rough diamonds were imported at "highly exaggerated value" to siphon off excess foreign exchange overseas to cover the differential cost of other imports and park money abroad for unlawful activities.

It is alleged that the then Commissioner APSC Mumbai, Vinay Brij Singh, influenced subordinate officers to give favourable report, they said.

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Agencies
May 27,2020

Mumbai, May 27: "Crime Patrol" actress Preksha Mehta has committed suicide. She was 25.

Preksha took her life by hanging from a ceiling fan on Monday night at her residence in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, reports timesofindia.com.

The actress reportedly left a suicide note but it does not mention why she decided to end her life. As per reports, Preksha went into depression due to lack of work amid the lockdown.

Her last few social media posts hint at mental agony she was going through. In her last Instagram story, Preksha wrote: "Sabse bura hota hai sapno ka mar jaana" (the worst thing is the death of your dreams)."

Apart from "Crime Patrol", Preksha has appeared in TV soaps like "Meri Durga" and "Laal Ishq".

This is the second suicide by a TV actor during the ongoing lockdown, when all shooting activity has come to a halt for two months now. A few days ago, actor Manmeet Grewal took his life by hanging from the ceiling fan at his Mumbai home. Reportedly, the actor was in a financial crisis and had run into huge debts.

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