Two Kolkata school girls dead after alleged joint suicide

Kolkata: Two teenaged girls were found dead in the courtyard of an 18-storey apartment block in a posh housing complex in the southern fringe of Kolkata on Tuesday, police said.

Police suspected that Sabiba Chandana and Neha Panjari, both aged 15 and students of class IX of the same school, committed suicide by jumping from the roof of the building. However, no suicide note was found.

"A scream sound came at 6 am, it was heard by the guard. When he came here, he found that the dead bodies of two girls was lying here... police investigation is going on," said Sujay Chandra, Deputy Commissioner, South, Kolkata Police.

While Sabiba was a resident of the housing complex off EM Bypass under East Jadavpur police station, Neha had come to visit her, police said.

The incident occurred 11 days after a woman and her two daughters jumped to death from a 36-storey building in a suspected suicide pact. According to police, they were suffering from depression after the recent death of the woman's husband.

(With inputs from PTI)

Indian hospitals hire bouncers to deter attacks

New Delhi: Pradeep Kumar, a muscular man in shades and tattoos, pulls up on a motorcycle, ready for his job as a bouncer. Not at a nightclub, but at another workplace where violence is common in India: a hospital.

He and his burly colleagues keep the emergency and labor rooms from filling up with patients' often agitated relatives and friends. The bouncers are polite, yet so tough-looking that people think twice about ignoring their orders.

"These guys look like they walked right out of an action movie," said Pawan Desai, who brought his 4-year-old daughter to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for treatment for a cut on her hand.

Working in an Indian hospital can be dangerous. In April, a week before DDU hired the bouncers, friends of an emergency-room patient punched a doctor in the face and broke his nose before going on a rampage with hockey sticks, swinging at windows, lights, furniture and medical staff.

The medical staff at DDU, a government hospital, had faced nearly one attack a month and had gone on strike 20 times over six years demanding better security. Since the hospital replaced its middle-aged, pot-bellied guards with bar bouncers, bodyguards, and wrestlers sporting muscles and tattoos, "there hasn't been a single incident," said Dr. Nitin Seth, the doctor who was injured in April.

"These guys do a good job controlling the crowds," he said.

Thousands of attacks occur in Indian hospitals every year, said Dr. Narendra Saini, spokesman for the Indian Medical Association.

In January, a man in the southern city of Chennai was charged with using a sword to hack to death a surgeon he held responsible for his pregnant wife's death during surgery. Three months later, a mob at a Delhi hospital beat up six doctors in retaliation for supposed sexual misconduct after the medical staff unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate a female patient using CPR.

When someone dies in the hospital, relatives often start blaming - even attacking - doctors. At expensive private hospitals, families feel especially cheated, Saini said. "They expect their patient to live because that's what they paid for."

The DDU Hospital guards, a team of 21 split across three shifts, cover the busiest areas of the campus, especially the emergency and labor rooms.

People who come in with pregnant or trauma patients "are most likely to lose their cool," Kumar said. "That's why we try not to let in more than one per patient."

The only way to prevent a bad situation from getting worse is to keep people moving and not let crowds collect at all, said Dr. Promila Gupta, the hospital's medical superintendent. "I think what works for our new guards is that the (patients') relatives are afraid of them because of their good physique," she said.

Despite the tough image, Kumar and the other guards are a soft-spoken bunch. "We don't let anyone in unless they need to be there, and we know how to be polite about it," he said.

"First we talk nice," said bouncer Amarjeet Singh. "If they don't listen, troublemakers are taken to the Casualty Medical Officer's room to sort things out, and if that doesn't work, police from the nearby post are called in to get them evicted.

"In any case, we are not allowed to rough anyone up," he added.

Few Indian hospitals can afford this kind of security. The generally overcrowded and understaffed government facilities often don't even have the resources they need to save lives, said Dr. Saini of the Indian Medical Association.

Dr. Prithvi Madhok, a former surgeon at some of Mumbai's top hospitals, has studied the rash of doctor assaults in India and said hiring better security will not solve the underlying problem.

"As a society, we are just not trained to be patient. We don't wait for our turn, or let things go through their due process," he said.

Madhok said patients or their attendants turn violent because they think they can get away with it. Attacking a doctor might be a serious crime, "but in my several years of practice, I have never seen anyone get booked for it," he said.

Seth, the DDU doctor, is glad that the new guards are serving as a deterrent.

"These guys save lives too," he said. "Just as doctors here are always ready to save a patient, these bouncers are here to save us doctors."

From: NDTV

Woman police officer, journalists charged with abetment to suicide after teen kills herself

Jalandhar: The Punjab government today ordered a First Information Report or FIR to be registered against a woman police officer after a college student, Shivali, committed suicide in Jalandhar a day ago. The police officer, Balwinder Kaur, along with two local journalists has been charged with abetment to suicide.

Shivali, an under-graduate student at the SD College in Jalandhar, jumped before a train near the Domoria bridge after she was stopped and questioned by a police team when she was going in a car with a boy, according to reports. The police team, led by Ms Kaur, allegedly forced the boy and girl out of the car and questioned them.

The boy was also made to do squats on the road. Eye-witnesses to the incident had said the girl was humiliated by the police team in full media glare. The girl had reportedly objected to the harassment and had asked the local media not to take her photographs.

After the suicide, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had asked Inspector General of the Jalandhar zone, Gurpreet Deo, to conduct a thorough inquiry into the circumstances leading to the suicide of the teenager Shivali.

"The matter has been examined and it has been decided that suitable disciplinary action against the Inspector Balwinder Kaur for her general misconduct and specifically misconduct in the present instance be initiated," said a press release by the Punjab government today.

"It has been decided that an FIR under provisions of Section 306 IPC for abetment of suicide of Ms. Shivali against Inspector Balwinder Kaur, photojournalist Brijesh Kumar and Cameraman Ravi may be registered," it added.

(With inputs from IANS)

Ragging caught on camera in Andhra Pradesh college

New Delhi: A college in Andhra Pradesh failed to take any action after videos surfaced showing students being kicked and pushed around; some are seen on camera being ordered to inflate condoms into balloons.

The National Institute of Technology (NIT) says the videos were taken in February this year. Officials say this was not a case of ragging, but a perverted celebration of a birthday. The videos were broadcast on a local television channel yesterday.

The management of the college says the CD was given to the police, which did not file a case against any student seen because the incident did not involve juniors being exploited by older students. Technically, therefore, this was not a case of ragging, said the police.

The management of the college says that at the time, it had offered counselling sessions to students who were involved in or disturbed by the incident.

The college insists that it has a committee made up of teachers and students who monitor cases and complaints of ragging.
 

West Bengal: Vice-Principal allegedly hits student, nine stitches on his head

Kolkata: The Vice-Principal of Don Bosco School, in Bandel, West Bengal, has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a student of Class 4 so badly that he needed nine stitches on his head.

The student, Ishan Das, had taken a can of foam spray to school. He was holding the can in his hand when the Vice-Principal Subir Mondal seized it and allegedly hit the boy's head with the can. Shocked teachers of the school rushed the profusely bleeding boy to a hospital nearby where he was given the stitches.

Ishan's parents immediately filed a police complaint. The police at once arrested Mr Mondal.

From: NDTV

150 Indian students in Britain may be sent home soon

LONDON: An estimated 150 Indian students out of a total of 600 impacted in some form could be in danger of immediate deportation from Britain after the immigration authority, the United Kingdom Border Agency, revoked London Metropolitan University's licence to admit or teach anyone from outside the European Union.

Legal experts believe LMU, the first British university to be stripped of its right to sponsor foreign student visas , is bound to challenge UKBA's order in court. Its chancellor Malcolm Gillies confirmed the university has sought legal advice on the matter.

However, pupils who did not possess valid student visas will be served with orders to leave Britain immediately.

A UKBA enforcement team thinks up to 500 of the nearly 3,000 overseas students affected by the action against LMU fall into the category of having no right to be enrolled at this university. A UKBA source told media, "They either have lapsed student visas, the wrong type of visas that don't allow them to study here or are studying without any visas."

The source warned, "Some will be raided, detained and removed, others will be firmly asked to leave or risk being thrown out." It is also unclear whether LMU will refund fees to the de-recognised students. It is said to be consulting lawyers on how much it is obliged to pay.

Students who don't fall foul of the visa regime have been granted 60 days to find places at other British universities . Gillies said LMU would lose nearly £30 million in tuition fees without non-EU students.

The diplomatic mission has posted an advisory on its website — www.hcilondon .in — asking concerned students to get in touch for assistance . It reiterated to TOI it is ready to take up cudgels for those who have done nothing wrong.

Body of BBA student with head missing found in Delhi

New Delhi: The body of a 23-year-old Bachelor of Business Administrative (BBA) student, with the head missing, was found near a railway track here, police said Sunday. Police suspect suicide attempt while victim's family claim murder.

Parts of Paras Bhasin's body were found scattered near east Delhi's Pandav Nagar railway track Saturday afternoon.

His father Sanjeev Bhasin said: "My son left home at around 3.30 p.m. Saturday and around 4.15pm we received a call about his death from an unknown number."

"I rushed to the Pandav Nagar track with my family and informed police," said Sanjeev.

Police said victim's body parts have been sent to Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital for post-mortem while his head is still to be recovered.

"Initial investigation suggests that it was a suicide attempt as victim's body parts were received within 100 metres radius. In 90 per cent cases it happens when someone comes in contact with a speeding train," said a police officer.

However, the victim's family claim that it is a cold-blooded murder and they suspect the hand of the family of his girlfriend, whom he alleged married secretly.

"Paras secretly married a girl, who belongs to a rich family and currently stays in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, in May against the wishes of her father," said Uday Bhasin, victim's brother.

"The girl's father used to threaten Paras to end up the relationship. He also used to call my father to warn Paras," alleged Uday.

Uday said that despite the threats, they married but the girl is living with her family and Paras was living with us as he wanted to disclose their relationship after completing his studies and starting a business, said Uday.

Police said that we are investigating from all possible angles whether it was a suicide or there is any foul play in the case.

From: NDTV

St Stephen's won't let Unmukt Chand take his exams; MS Dhoni tweets support

New Delhi: India's latest cricket sensation 19-year-old Unmukt Chand, denied permission to appear for first year BA examinations by his college St Stephens, has found support in Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

"Marks for sports takes back seat attendance for now takes centrestage. This shows how much importance sports has in INDIA. Sad to hear," Dhoni wrote on his Twitter page.
Unmukt too had a say on the issue and talking to NDTV he said,"I think it's really important for the institution to promote sports and those specially who are sports people should be allowed to sit for the exams or should be helped by their teachers and attendance is a very important part because sports people, they have to go for their competitions and everything so that's why they won't be coming to school or colleges regularly. It's really important for the colleges and schools to support these children so that by this way even the children will want to study and they might have a liking for study if the college supports."

He also said that Indian skipper's support was much welcome and that his voice would lend much wanted weight.

The under-19 hero said,"Definitely, Dhoni's support will help because he's a big guy, and obviously an influential guy and if he says that then he definitely means it I also feel that if schools and colleges do support sports people and probably their interests also increase in studying and they'll would also want to study more."

Unmukt, who played a crucial knock of 111 not out in the final against Australia last Sunday to lead India Under-19 team to the World Cup glory, has been barred from taking the second semester exams because of low attendance.

The college demands a minimum of 33.33 per cent of annual attendance under sports quota.

Meanwhile, St. Stephen's Principal Valson Thampu while talking to NDTV has categorically said that rules are rules and they must be abided by.

He said,"Rules have to be applied. This isn't the answer to promote sports culture. It's a question of working within the system."

He also said that the college was more than happy to help candidates like Unmukt Chand.

Thampu said,"The college will be happy to help Unmukt but the fact of the matter is he never brought up this problem before it was too late. All my colleagues are only too happy to help any sports candidate."

Responding to a question on the laws that exist, Thampu was in favour of flexibility but he also said that India must become a law-abiding nation first.

He responded saying,"Laws are not written in stone; must respond to emerging situation. One important aspect of education in India must be abiding by the law; we must become a law abiding nation."
While some of the former alumni, including a breakaway alumni association, slammed the college for failing to look after the interests of sportspersons, the St Stephen's College Alumni Trust jumped to the defence of the Principal.

The Trust said in a statement that Unmukt's attendance was a matter beyond the discretion of the college principal and the matter rested with the Vice Chancellor.

"Unmukt's attendance is beyond the discretion vested in the Principal of the College to condone, and such condonation can only be given by the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University," they said.

However, the body also advised the University and colleges to "revisit" their guidelines to offer better support to sportsperson to enable them pursue competitive sports.

"It is also an opportune time for the University to consider further delegation of powers to College Principals and/or otherwise provide for liberal use of such discretionary powers without compromising minimum educational requirements in exceptional cases," they said.
Sports Minister Ajay Maken too talked to NDTV on the matter and was quite obviously in favour of sportsperson in general and Unmukt in particular.

He said,"On one hand take sportsperson of international repute and then on the other make them choose between sports and studies. Cannot put students of sports who have excelled in sports in same bracket as others. Need separate norms for such sports persons. Will take up matter with both St Stephen's and Delhi University VC."

Responding to Maken's statements, Thampu told NDTV that studies must be given some importance regardless of what field one eventually chooses.

Thampu retorted saying,"We have many examples in the college where outstanding sportspeople have 85% attendance. Spurious culture is emerging where it is believed if you are good in sports, it is OK to neglect to studies. Principals must be give discretionary powers to help such candidates; that doesn't exist at this point in time."

Former Indian cricketer and alumni of St Stephens college Kirti Azad said it was unfair to punish a player who was representing the country.

"When I was representing my country, I used to get special attention for all of that. Unmukt has won the World Cup for us. He is a good young man, he has secured good marks. Penalising him is really unfair on the part of the college," Azad said.

The university mandates that a student should pass 50 per cent of all exams in both semesters combined to be promoted. Support for Unmukt came from Indian cricket captain M S Dhoni who lamented that attendance takes centrestage and sports takes back seat.

"This shows how much importance sports has in India. Sad to hear," he tweeted.

Meanwhile, Indian Premier League commissioner, Rajeev Shukla put the ball in Unmukt's court by stating that the BCCI can't interfere in the varsity's rules of attendance.

"It's purely their own decision, their own procedures and they go by that. We can't interfere in that. BCCI can only request the college authorities," Shukla told reporters outside Parliament.
(With PTI Inputs)

Joy ride rope snaps at Kolkata amusement park, 15 students injured

Kolkata: 15 school students were injured, six seriously, when the connecting rope of a "swirl ride" snapped in a reputed amusement park at Salt Lake in Kolkata today.

Nicco Park, where the incident occurred, is a popular landmark in the city and is similar to the famous Appu Ghar, an amusement park in Delhi.

According to reports, there was chaos till police arrived at the site. Angry relatives of the victims blamed the authorities for the incident, alleging poor maintenance at the park. "The locals informed police who immediately came to the spot, rescued the injured and sent them to hospitals. The park officials did nothing to help them," a man, who came to the park with his son, told IANS.

Officials, though, cited overcrowding on the slide as the reason for the mishap.

Deputy Commissioner (HQ) of Bidhannagar commissionerate Subrata Banerjee said that the six injured students, all minors, were admitted to the Calcutta Heart Research Centre.

(With inputs from Agencies)

One killed for taking on eve-teasers; police delay taking victim to hospital

Indore: Beaten up by two men who he confronted for misbehaving with his sister, 19-year-old Ravi Dangi bled to death while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. By his side was a police station full of cops who recorded his statement rather than rush him to hospital in one of their vehicles.

On August 21, Ravi and his friend Ankit Agarwal, also 19, both first year students of B Com, took on two men who were misbehaving with Ravi's sister. The eve-teasers, attacked Ankit and Ravi with knives. They then ran away.

"They were teasing his sister and he tried to stop them. He also asked why they were doing this, but they instead stabbed him. One of their names is Sanju, I don't know the other one's name," a friend of the boys said.

A third friend rushed Ankit and Ravi to the Rajendra Nagar police station nearby in the hope, he said, that the police would take them to the hospital.

The police instead summoned an ambulance that took 40 minutes to reach. In that period, the police recorded their statements even as Ravi steadily bled. He died on the way to the hospital.

The two attackers are still at large; the police has registered a case.

She lost parents to militancy; 15 yrs on, harassment drove her to suicide

Raksha Sharma was barely 2 years old when militants in Doda, Jammu & Kashmir, killed her parents in 1997. She grew up in an orphanage in Jammu, and wanted to become an engineer.

On Tuesday, Raksha hanged herself in her hostel room in Punjab’s Jalandhar district after two youths posted an obscene illustration and crude remarks about her on Facebook.

Police said the men would humiliate her for having lived in an orphanage, threatened to disfigure her face with acid, and gave her mobile phone number to others who harassed her constantly.

“She was so happy that she had got admission to Mehar Chand Polytechnic, one of the best in Punjab,” said 17-year-old Snehlata, the youngest of Raksha’s six siblings. Raksha was a second-semester student of the diploma course in computer engineering. Hostel residents and college authorities described her as a cheerful, smiling girl.

“Raksha, me and Bhawna, our eldest sister, were brought to an ashram run by SOS Children’s Villages in Jammu by our maternal uncle Hari Kishan after militants killed our parents in 1997,” Snehlata said. “Our father was a small farmer. The militants suspected he was a police informer.”

Rakesh Jinsi, national director of SOS Children’s Villages, expressed shock and surprise at Raksha’s suicide. “She could have spoken to her sisters or to us... She had called her friends at the ashram on August 14, and told them she would be coming to Jammu soon,” Jinsi said.

In her suicide note, Raksha accused two men — Deepak Saini and Lovepreet — of pushing her to death. Her cell phone was found below her hanging body. One of her classmates who declined to be identified said Raksha had been irregular in class and seemed upset, but had not told her anything. 

Polytechnic principal Jagroop Singh said Raksha had skipped her second semester exams in May-June, and had not been attending classes.

One of the last people to see Raksha alive was Rukhsana, a Master’s student of zoology. “I left the hostel for my home in Kathua on Tuesday afternoon, and Raksha came to see me off. She asked me when I would return,” Rukhsana said. “After I left, I called her to ask her to check if I had remembered to lock the almirah in my room, and she sounded fine even then.”

Rukhsana said though Raksha called her ‘Didi’ and they had their meals together, Raksha was not particularly close to anyone in the hostel, and preferred to spend time with herself.

Deepak and Lovepreet, both of whom graduated from the polytechnic this year, have been remanded in judicial custody. Both men belong to Jalandhar, and have been charged under IPC Section 306 (abetting suicide). Police have seized the mobile phones of both men and Raksha, and Lovepreet’s laptop.

In suicide note, student blames Facebook comments

Jalandhar, Punjab: Raksha Sharma, a student of computer engineering at the MCM Polytechnic College in Jalandhar, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in her hostel room on Tuesday morning. In that room was a suicide note. The 20-year-old blames two former students of the same college-both male- for harassing her and posting comments on Facebook that distressed her.

Based on the note, the police have arrested the two boys, who say they are not guilty.

Raksha was orphaned when her parents were killed in 1997 by militants in Jammu. A local orphanage affiliated to an NGO SOS Village has been looking after her over the years and was her guardian.

"I haven't spoken to her in three months, and she even considered me as her brother. I don't know how my name has come up in her note. I am ready for any investigation," says Luvpreet Singh, 21 years old, one of the accused.

The other boy admits that he posted comments but says she had responded online to his remarks, and did not seem agitated. "I feel bad she killed herself but I am not responsible," says Deepak Saini , 21 years old.

"We would speak to her very often and check about her studies, but she never mentioned this harassment to us. We are really shocked," says Prasanjeet Das, the Director of the SOS village Jammu.

The police say they found no computer in Raksha's room but will go through her Facebook account to verify the allegations in the suicide note.


From NDTV
 

Mumbai college student kidnapped, murdered by his friend

Mumbai: A 20-year-old college student was kidnapped and murdered by his friend in Naigoan on the outskirts of Mumbai on Sunday, police said today. The accused has confessed to the crime and has been arrested.

Ganesh Sriram, a second year student of Thakur College in Kandivali, stayed in a rented accommodation at Mira Road. According to the police, his neighbourhood friend Kalpesh Soraj, 25, moved into his flat 10 days ago. On August 12, Kalpesh reportedly took Ganesh to Naigoan on the pretext of meeting a friend and then kidnapped him with the help of his accomplice Ravindra Kumar.

The duo murdered him on the same day and then made ransom calls to Ganesh's father Ramchandra Sriram, police said. They reportedly demanded Rs. 8 lakhs but later settled for Rs. 3 lakh and asked him to come to Kandivali railway station on Tuesday.

Ganesh's father, who is a civil contractor at Tarapur nuclear plant, contacted the police. A team of cops followed him and first nabbed Ravindra, who came to collect the ransom amount. Based on his inputs, they later arrested Kalpesh for the murder and kidnapping.

Maharashtra to adopt Sibal's CET model from 2013: Minister

Jalna: Maharashtra will adopt the single common entrance test (CET) model for admissions to engineering colleges, including IITs and NITs, from 2013, state technical education minister Rajesh Tope said on Monday.


"A proposal in this regard has been prepared and will soon be presented to the state Cabinet for its approval," Tope told a press conference.

The new format suggested by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal for admission to all centrally funded engineering institutions IITs, NITs, IIITs etc proposes one common entrance test, the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), which will replace the old IIT-JEE and AIEEE.

"Maharashtra government will give 50 percent weightage to marks scored by students of both English and non-English medium schools in their class XII exam", Tope said.

The minister also said that day and night classes had been initiated for the minority communities at stat polytechnic colleges.

Referring to deficient rain condition in the district, Tope said that the government will initiate measures to tackle the situation and ensure that agricultural power connection are not disconnected by the state utilities.

(Agencies)

Pune's North East community says don't target us

Pune: Over the past four days, at least 10 students and professionals in Pune have been attacked; they all belong to the north eastern part of the country.  The police have arrested nine people for these attacks that have happened in Pune Camp, Hadapsar and Kondwa areas, but the students feel that is not enough. These professionals and students have now formed an umbrella association - the North East Students Forum, and have met top police officials in the city requesting them to provide security to the community.

Many of them feel they are being targeted as a fallout of the violence in Assam that left at least 70 people dead and 4 lakh homeless. "We don't really know why this is happening. The attacks seem to be because of misunderstanding as all north east students bear the same physical features," says Rock Lungleng the convenor of the newly formed group. He also added that though initially they were terrified after the spate of attacks, they feel just a little more secure after meeting police officials.

Police sources say the attackers were possibly instigated after watching a doctored MMS clip which is being circulated in the city. One attacker surrendered before the police and reportedly told them he go furious after watching the MMS clip and he regretted his action.

The police also suspect it is this same clip that triggered the violence in Mumbai last Saturday.

The Pune police are now on the lookout for the source of the alleged doctored clip.

Nearly 10,000 students and professionals from north eastern states live in Pune.

From NDTV