Cat stranded on Kochi Metro Rail pillar rescued
Kochi (PTI): A cat that was stranded on a pillar of the Kochi Metro Rail was rescued after several attempts by animal lovers and Fire and Rescue Service officials here on Sunday, officials said.
According to Fire and Rescue Service officials, the cat’s presence on a pillar near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Metro Station at Kaloor was first noticed by auto rickshaw drivers operating in the area.
Officials said an attempt was made on Thursday to rescue the cat, but the animal could not be spotted.
On Saturday, following news reports about the stranded cat, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) began efforts to rescue it.
However, the animal moved into gaps in the girder, and a technical issue with the hydraulic crane forced them to suspend the operation.
Later, Fire and Rescue Service personnel made another attempt in the evening, and Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) authorities provided support by shutting off the electrical connection for over 15 minutes. However, that attempt also failed as the feline could not be spotted.
Officials left food atop the pillar for the cat to survive. By then, animal lovers had reached the spot and had requested that authorities continue the rescue operation.
Interestingly, auto rickshaw drivers named the cat "Subash" after a character in the Malayalam movie 'Manjummel Boys' who was trapped in the Guna Caves in Tamil Nadu.
Later, after KMRL’s daily operations ended on Saturday night, a fresh attempt was launched around midnight to trace and rescue the cat.
Officials said two personnel, equipped with a rescue box and nets, reached the top of the pillar at around 1 am on Sunday, spotted the cat, and rescued it.
As the cat was brought down, a large crowd gathered at the spot and raised slogans in support of the authorities.
The feline was later shifted to an animal rehabilitation centre, officials said.
An officer with the Fire and Rescue Service at the Gandhi Nagar station said this was the third time a cat had been rescued after being stranded on a Metro pillar.
"It might have entered from the station, as we don’t see any other possibility, considering the height of the pillar. To save a life, we continued the operation, in which Metro authorities also cooperated," he said.
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Delhi: Father, son held for killing 19-year-old woman in suspected honour killing
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.
The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.
"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.
On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.
Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.
"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.
Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.
During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.
The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.
Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.
Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.
A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.
Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.
"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.
