Many dead in Kenya shooting spree

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Many dead in Kenya shooting spree

Police officer kills 10 people in shooting rampage near station outside Nairobi, sparking a mass protest in the town.

At least 10 people have been killed in a central Kenyan town after a police officer went on a shooting rampage in three different bars, before surrendering, officials have said.

The shooting spree happened late on Saturday in the town of Siakago, located 150km northeast of the capital Nairobi.

Police said on Sunday that they are investigating the shootings.

"He shot 10 people in bars in Siakago. Apparently he was looking for his girlfriend after he left duty," Charles Owino, a deputy spokesman in the regular police division told Reuters news agency.

"Among the 10 dead were two of his colleagues who were investigating the shootings."

Munene Kamau, a journalist for the Kenya television network, told Al Jazeera that the killings sparked a mass protest early on Sunday outside the police station in Siakago.

'No security'

"These are furious residents demanding answers from the police as to how this incident happened," he said.

"In Siakago there is no security,'' Nyaga Manunga, the father of one of the victims, told the Associated Press.

"Someone can't just shoot 20 to 30 bullets without any reaction from the police."

The officer is said to serve in a branch of Kenya's police system that is attached to its provincial administration which has its own chain of command separate from the regular police system.

Antonin Newite, a local radio reporter, also told the Associated Press that the police officer opened
fire in three different bars, killing one person in each of the first two bars and eight people in the third bar.

He also said that many local residents did not realise what was happening because they mistook
the gunfire for fireworks.

Indian national detained in Russia in bribe case

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Indian national detained in Russia in bribe case

An Indian national has been detained in Russia's southern city of Saratov for allegedly paying bribe worth 100,000 roubles to Immigration Service employee to accelerate process of getting local citizenship.

The bribe worth USD 3,251 (100,000 roubles) was turned down by the employee, after which the Indian national was detained, the Saratov department of the Investigative Committee was quoted as saying by the Itar-Tass news agency.

The offence falls under article of the Russian Criminal Code envisaging punishment for a bribe to a person ex-officio, which entails a prison term up to three years.

The Indian citizen, who has not been identified, has been taken into custody pending trial.

Saratov is the administrative centre of Saratov Oblast and a major port on the Volga River.

Girl, friends killed for 'honour' in Uttar Pradesh

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Girl, friends killed for 'honour' in Uttar Pradesh

A 19-year-old girl and her two friends were allegedly lynched by her uncle and brother in Deoria district, police said.

Bodies of Anita and her two friends Neeta (22) and Sarita (17) were recovered from a pit in Siwan village on November 4, ADGP Brij Lal said.

Anita's uncle Daddan Rajbhar, brother Ghanshhyam Rajbhar and two others, identified as Manoj and Manohar were yesterday arrested in this connection, Lal said.

Daddan, a resident of Aurangabad, said Anita was having an affair with a youth in neighbourhood, he said, adding, the accused suspected that Sarita and Neeta were helping the couple.

The accused lynched the girls and later buried them in a pit, he said.

Indian American hired hitman to kill rape victim

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Indian American hired hitman to kill rape victim

An Indian-origin man accused of raping a New York University law student tried to hire an undercover police officer to kill his victim in exchange for $15,000.

Rajeev Kumar was charged with rape and sodomy in August, after a DNA match linked him to a 10-year-old assault on the student. The 30-year-old is currently in jail serving a five-year probation sentence for an insurance scam, but has denied the sex assault charge.

According to the New York Daily News, Kumar’s scheme to silence his accuser was blown open in a NYPD undercover operation, in which he is believed to have said that he would pay $15,000 for the rubout.

The NYPD carried out the operation following tip-off that Kumar had told fellow inmates at Rikers Islands that he would pay for someone to ‘get rid of his problem’.

The undercover police officer revealed that Kumar didn’t know where the rape victim lived, but he knew what school she graduated from and had her photograph.

It is believed that the photograph was provided to defence lawyer Nelson Schmukler in an evidence file.

Kumar’s inmate information page on the department of correction website confirmed that he is now charged with conspiracy in the first degree.

Boy exposes monster teacher on Facebook

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 Boy exposes monster teacher on Facebook

Nov. 14: The social networking site, Facebook, can do more than just encourage idle chatter among the youth. A student of a city school has used it effectively to expose his teacher’s cruelty.

Siddanth Totla, an Class VIII student of St Paul’s High School in Hyderguda, has posted pictures of the bruises on his body and face which were inflicted by his biology teacher, Mr George, in class, on November 10.

The pictures appear under the caption: George Sir, a teacher or a...Several of Siddanth’s classmates sent in their comments condemning the brutality of the teacher.

Siddanth’s father, Mr Rajendra Totla, a businessman, said, “My son told us that Mr George had beaten him with his hands. I don’t know why the teacher had beaten him up.”

He said his son had to be treated in a hospital and was given psychological counselling. However, somewhat surprisingly, though, he is not keen to pursue the matter.

Mexican mayor-elect abducted, killed

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Mexican mayor-elect abducted, killed

Mexico City, Mexico (CNN) -- The mayor-elect of a municipality in the Mexican state of Veracruz was abducted and killed Monday, the government-run news agency reported.
Gregorio Barradas Mirabete and two other men were forced to get into a blue Hummer sport utility vehicle Tuesday afternoon in the municipality of Juan Rodríguez Lara, the Notimex news agency said. The bodies of the three men were found in neighboring Oaxaca state Monday night, Notimex said.
The other two victims were identified as Omar Manzur and Angel Landa Cardenas.
Officials said Monday night they were still trying to determine the details of what happened.
Fourteen mayors have been killed this year in states throughout Mexico. And a leading gubernatorial candidate in Tamaulipas state, Rodolfo Torre Cantu, was gunned down in June.
The killings are believed to be the work of drug cartels seeking to increase their influence over the towns and municipalities in the areas where they operate.

Blast rocks Karachi; 18 killed, 130 hurt

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Blast rocks Karachi; 18 killed, 130 hurt

KARACHI: At least 18 people were killed and 130 others injured on Thursday when a powerful car bomb destroyed the office of the CID, spearheading the drive against Taliban militants in Pakistan's financial capital near the Sindh chief minister's official residence.

The blast occurred at around 8.20pm at the office of the crime investigation department (CID) located in the heart of Karachi at a short distance from the chief minister's residence and several five-star hotels.

Police and rescue officials said the bomb exploded in the compound of the CID building after an unsuccessful attempt by some militants to break into the two-storey building that was reduced to rubbles by the blast, with nearby houses and offices also feeling the impact of the powerful explosion.

State-run PTV reported that the CID office had been reduced to rubble by the explosion. Most of the dead and injured were police personnel and members of their families, who lived in residential quarters near the CID office.

Geo News channel reported that the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed responsibility for the attack. The TTP said their next target was the president's house in Islamabad.

"Some 10 policemen have been killed in the attack," the Ary channel said.

The blast left a crater about 40 feet (12 metres) across and 12 feet (four metres) deep in front of the CID building.

The explosion was so powerful that its impact was felt some kilometres away on the busy I.I. Chundrigar road with offices reporting broken windows and panes.

The PTI correspondent, who was sitting in an office building some 1.5 kilometres away, had to take cover as the impact of the blast shattered the windows and AC panes.

Television channels reported the casualties between 15 and 18, but rescue officials said they were still trying to clear the debris of the building.

Channels showed footage of the blast site with rescue workers carrying people on stretchers into ambulances, dazed civilians stumbling in the street and a mass of twisted metal.

The CID office is located in a lane close to the CM's residence and in the vicinity of two five star hotels on the Main PIDC road.

Raju FDs in BNP Paribas fake

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Raju FDs in BNP Paribas fake

HYDERABAD: BNP Paribas bank on Tuesday certified that the so called fixed deposits worth more than hundred crore rupees that were shown by Raju and Co of Satyam Computers were indeed fake and that such a money was never deposited with them.

"The fixed deposit receipts and the amounts given in the documents pertaining to their bank, that were seized by the CID last year in the multi-crore Satyam Computers scandal, were all fake," A Sebastian, BNP Paribas bank's Hyderabad branch manager told the local court which is trying the Satyam case.

The sleuths seized confirmation letters from various banks, including ICICI, HSBC, BNP Paribas and City Bank on bank balances and fixed deposits of Satyam Computers that were allegedly used to inflate financiers.

Sebastian told the court that the CBI had approached the BNP Paribas bank to certify genuineness of the set of documents seized (on current account statements, FD receipts and letter heads) and after verification they found the documents were not issued by their bank.

The fixed deposit numbers and the amount given in the documents did not match with the bank records at Hyderabad, but they were shown as issued by the Mumbai branch of BNP Paribas. On verification it was found that the documents did not belong to either Hyderabad branch or to its Mumbai branch and even the balance amount in the accounts did not match either.

The documents including the letter heads contained the Mumbai bank address, and it also had the e-mail ID of former Chief Executive Officer of the bank who in fact had left the bank in 2002. The signatures also did not belong to any of the officials.

The trial court here examined the banker in connection with the alleged fake bank documents and fixed deposit receipts of Satyam Computers Services Limited (SCSL) which the CBI said were forged by Satyam accused.

Satyam firm maintained five current accounts and a fixed deposit at BNP Paribas Hyderabad branch only and they did not have any other account anywhere in India with BNP Paribas, the banker said.

Two of the current accounts were operated by the company in Indian Rupee while the remaining was operated in foreign currency of USD, Euro and Swiss Franks, the bank official said.

However, the defence counsel objected saying how could a Hyderabad branch manager be a witness to the verifications and certifications given by the bank's Mumbai officials and wanted the Mumbai bank official be made as witness. The Magistrate BVLN Chakravarti, asked the CBI to produce the BNP Paribas Mumbai official and posted the matter to November 22 for cross examination.

Three Sikhs in Pak charged in girl's killing

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Three Sikhs in Pak charged in girl's killing

Islamabad: Pakistani police have registered a case against three Sikh men for allegedly killing a teenage girl, officials said today.

Police in the central city of Nankana Sahib booked Sardar Mitha Singh, Sardar Gulzar Singh and Sardar Sunail Singh after Sardar Lal Singh submitted a written complaint in which he alleged the trio had killed his 14-year-old daughter Kiran.

Lal Singh alleged his daughter was killed two weeks ago after he refused to marry her to the son of one of the accused.

He said his daughter's body was hanged from a ceiling fan in an attempt to pass off her murder as a suicide.

Officials said no arrests had been made so far in connection with Lal Singh's complaint.

Godhra man held for planting Ajmer bomb

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Godhra man held for planting Ajmer bomb

JAIPUR/AJMER: Suspects in the 2002 post-Godhra riots appear to be in the crosshairs of the Rajasthan Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS). The ATS arrested a second man from Gujarat, in the Ajmer dargah blast case late on Wednesday, two days after it caught Harshad Bhai Solanki, also an accused in the Best Bakery case, from a village in Vadodara.

The ATS said Mukesh Vasani, an anti-cow slaughter activist, was picked up from Godhra. The ATS said he had conducted a recce of the dargah three days before planting explosives at the famous Sufi shrine. Three persons had died and 15 injured in the blast that occurred on October 11, 2007.

Sources said Vasani was helped in the planting of bomb by a woman whose name has not been revealed by the ATS. Sources said police were probing whether Mukesh too had a role in the Best Bakery case. Over a dozen Muslims had died when the Bakery was burned down on March 1, 2002 following post-Godhra riots in Gujarat.

The ATS has so far arrested five men, including senior RSS functionary Indresh Kumar, in the dargah case. Mukesh was on Thursday produced before an Ajmer court and remanded in police custody till November 6. The two arrests have left many surprised as the ATS in its dargah chargesheet has not mentioned the names of the two suspects.

The ATS had recently launched a search for Swami Aseemanand, another alleged mastermind in the dargah blast, in Dangs area of Gujarat. It is suspected that Mukesh was in close contact with Aseemanand, who was heading a campaign against cow-slaughter.

Vasani had allegedly joined Hindu hardliners after the Sabarmati train carnage at Godhra in 2002 and later got close to Sunil Joshi and Swami Aseemanand, both key plotters in the Ajmer blast.

Joshi had allegedly given Vasani the responsibility of planting bombs. "He came to Ajmer before the blast and went to dargah several times to see the security system and pick the right place to plant the bomb. Vasani stayed there for three days before the blast and planted the bomb at at a place where hundreds of devotees had gathered at the shrine for roza on October 11, 2007," said an ATS source.

Man arrested with heroin worth Rs 8cr

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Man arrested with heroin worth Rs 8cr


NEW DELHI: In yet another reminder of how illegal cartel operating out of Afghanistan and entering India through Pakistan is funding terror activities, the special cell of Delhi Police arrested a former Amritsar airport employee on Wednesday with heroin worth Rs 8 crore.

The accused, 23-year-old Sanjeev Kumar, told the police that he 'collected' his supplies of drugs from the Indo-Pak border and supplied them to his African handlers, who sent it either to southeast Asia or to the western markets.

According to sources, Kumar had been involved in the trade ever since he came out of jail in 2008 after being arrested by the Punjab Police in a murder case. The cops have recovered around 4kg heroin from the accused.

Shibesh Singh, additional DCP (special cell), said that on Wednesday inspector Satender Sangwan arrested the accused after receiving an information that a drug supplier would deliver a consignment of heroin to his counterpart near the Akshardham Temple in east Delhi.

CPI-M workers held for slapping woman poll official

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CPI-M workers held for slapping woman poll official

Alappuzha: Three CPI-M workers, including a local committee sceretary, today surrendered before the police in a case of alleged slapping of a woman presiding officer during the Civic polls held last month.
Charge against them was that they slapped the woman presiding officer at a booth in S L Puram Government High school at Marrarikulam in the district on October 25, police said.
The partymen also allegedly snatched ballot boxes and created trouble following a dispute over bogus voting.
The accused S Radhakrishnan, CPI-M Kannichikulagara Local Committee secretary, and party workers Ramesan and Sajeev, were remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a local court here.
Three CPI-M activists had been already arrested by the police in connection with the incident.
The Congress leaders in the district had earlier taken up the matter with the National Commission for Women, he added.

Indian accused of stabbing ex-girlfriend 27 times in Dubai

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Indian accused of stabbing ex-girlfriend 27 times in Dubai

A 41-year-old Indian computer programmer has denied in court the charge of premeditatedly attempting to murder his ex-girlfriend, who claimed he stabbed her 27 times.

According to a news report, prosecutors accused the man, identified only as MN of repeatedly stabbing the 23-year-old Filipina, identified as MS with knife and also attacked her two Indian workmates when they tried to save her, a 'Gulf News' report said.

"I did not have any intention to kill her. The incident happened so suddenly and I did not pre-plan the whole matter... besides I was under the influence of liquor," MN said, pleading not guilty before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

According to the charge sheet, MN repeatedly stabbed her with a medium-sized kitchen knife. The computer programmer was charged with the victim MS premeditated murder attempt and causing her ten per cent permanent disability.

He was also arraigned with assaulting the Indian workmates identified as, 37-year-old EK and 45-year-old BC, and drinking liquor, the report said.

The defendant contended before Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad in courtroom four yesterday: "I am not guilty... I consumed alcohol prior to the assault. I am seeking a swift judgement."

However, Presiding Judge Abdul Jawad said the court will assign a lawyer to defend MN when it reconvenes on November 11. The Filipina testified that the incident happened some time after she jilted her ex-boyfriend and decided to leave him because he was married and due to religious differences.

"I broke up with him because we couldn't marry... he had earlier threatened to kill me if I ditched him.

On August 4, 2009, he walked into the company where I worked as a receptionist.

I told him that I would speak to him later because he was drunk... suddenly he faced me and took out a knife and started stabbing me," MS claimed.

Prosecution records said workmates intervened upon hearing MS's cries.

EK and BC were injured while saving the girl.

Indian-origin teacher admits having sex with two teens

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Indian-origin teacher admits having sex with two teens

An Indian-origin woman teacher in Britain has admitted having sex with two 15-year-old male students, a media report said.

37-year-old Hina Patel, who worked as a supply teacher at Birkdale High School, near Southport, met the two teenagers at her home, where they had "full sexual intercourse," 'Daily Mail' reported.

In fact, she met the boys for sex sessions at her home in nearby Hightown over several weeks between February 1 and March 18 this year, a local court heard.

Patel pleaded guilty on Tuesday to two charges of abusing her position of trust by sexual misconduct with the two boys, whose identities have not been revealed because of their age, the report said.

She was suspended when the allegations emerged earlier this year. Her responsibilities included setting work and behaviour management.

After the hearing at North Sefton Magistrates' Court, Gary Loveridge, the head teacher of the Birkdale High School, said: "I am appalled she used her position in such a way. We are relieved we found out at such an early stage.

"But it just shows how you have to be very vigilant and your processes have to be robust."

Patel's counsel Patrick Williamson, however, told the court that its powers were insufficient for sentencing Patel because of the offence.

The chairman of the bench, Caroline Spencer, bailed Patel on condition she did not contact the boys or any pupils from the school which has 930 students, aged 11 to 16 at the all-boys comprehensive.

She will be sentenced on November 22 at Liverpool Crown Court.

Indian woman kidnapped in Nigeria's troubled oil-rich region

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Indian woman kidnapped in Nigeria's troubled oil-rich region

An Indian principal of a school in Nigeria's restive southern delta region, was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen who sped off with her after killing her driver and a police escort.

Lakshmi Tombush, the principal of Mobil Pegasus Schools in Akwa Ibom State, was kidnapped on Thursday but the kidnappers are yet to establish contact with her family or demand ransom, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said in a report.

The school she works for is sponsored by oil firm ExxonMobil in the poor region where militants are running a campaign against foreign companies, demanding a better distribution of oil revenue.

The gunmen blocked the principal's car early morning on Wednesday in Eket, before killing a policeman attached to her as well as her driver, leaving their bodies abandoned in the vehicle.

Akwa Ibom State Police Command spokesman ASP Onyeka Orji was quoted as saying by the agency that police was already on the trail of the kidnappers and that investigation was in progress.

Scores of kidnappings have occurred in the troubled oil-rich region in recent years. A school bus with 15 children onborad was hijacked last month in the region, and the school children were rescued after a police operation.

Tombush serves with the Pegasus Schools, funded by Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), for staff children.

CBI raids construction company official; recovers 40 lakhs

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CBI raids construction company official; recovers 40 lakhs

CBI recovered Rs 40 lakhs and some gold, among other items from the house of a construction company official here, following which the accused was taken into three-day CBI custody.

A team of Cental Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from Dehradun raided the house of S C Sharma, Zonal Manager of National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC) and also searched his bank accounts and recovered Rs 40 lakh and gold worth Rs 6 lakh and some documents.

"Three persons, including the main accused Sharma, were arrested and later produced before the magistrate who sent two in judicial custody," SHO Indirapuram Rajesh Dwedi said.

He said Sharma was sent into CBI custody for three days for further investigation.

CBI denied to divulge further details except that they raided the house on a complaint against the accused of taking bribe from some one.

NRI detained with Rs 25-crore heroin

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NRI detained with Rs 25-crore heroin

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sleuths on Wednesday recovered five kilogram of heroin worth Rs 25 crore in the international black market from an NRI at the Rajasansi International airport here.

The NRI, one Hardeep Singh, was cornered when he was about to take Air India’s Amritsar-Toronto flight. He had recently arrived from Canada and was staying at a private hotel in Jalandhar for the past few days.

The heroin was not detected by the Customs Departmen’s x-ray scanners. Hardeep was in the queue to board the aircraft when the DRI officials detained him and on checking, found the heroin in his suitcase cavities.

Airport sources said there were lapses on the part of the Customs Department as his baggage was cleared for boarding.

Hardeep hails from Hoshiarpur and investigations are on if he had carried narcotics to Canada earlier as well.

Melbourne rape suspects 'in India'

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Melbourne rape suspects 'in India'

Melbourne: Victoria Police on Friday confirmed that two men they want to question over a vicious rape that took place in Melbourne earlier this month have fled to India last Sunday.
"Police will liaise with Indian authorities in relation to the investigation," The Age quoted a police spokeswoman, as saying.
Sexual crimes squad detectives were told a man forced a 36-year-old woman into a silver car containing another man in Oakleigh, in Melbourne's southeast, in the early hours of October 3.
Police said that victim was driven to a location where she was physically and sexually assaulted before she passed out. She later found herself partially clothed and bleeding on North Road.
Police released security video footage of one of the men allegedly involved in the attack visiting a petrol station. The car's bonnet, which bore a distinctive pattern, was later found abandoned.
Detective Acting Sergeant Sean Martin said the attack was vicious in the sense that the woman was punched in the face and eye, suffering an abrasion, bruising and bleeding as well as being sexually assaulted.

Life sentence awarded to woman, son

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Life sentence awarded to woman, son

Bijnor: A fast track court here has awarded life sentence to a woman and her son for murdering a police constable over a money dispute.

The Fast Track Court Judge Beena Chaudhary sentenced Omwati and her son Sanjeeva to life imprisonment yesterday under section 302 (murder) of the IPC.

According to the prosecution, Omwati, resident of Sherpura Amirpur village of the district, had borrowed Rs 1.5 lakh from constable Ram Prakash.

When the constable, who hailed from Aligarh district, asked for his money, Omwati with the help of her son Sanjeeva murdered him in 2006 and threw his body in a well which was later discovered by the police.

Teen pleads guilty in Garg’s killing

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Teen pleads guilty in Garg’s killing

Melbourne, Oct. 22: A 16-year-old Australian boy on Friday pleaded guilty in a children’s court for his involvement in the stabbing of Indian student Nitin Garg, who died earlier in 2010, in a case that shocked Indians.
The teenager has been charged with committing a robbery by stealing Garg’s mobile phone and making a false statement to the police in which he denied that his friend had killed the Indian.
The young boy pleaded guilty in a children’s court on Friday, a report said. He will appear in court again in November. The youth’s friend and co-accused, another 16-year-old, has been charged with murdering Garg. The boy charged with murder indicated in court that he planned to plead not guilty at the next committal hearing.