Man publicly assaulted, called ‘Pakistani’, dies by suicide; Journalist accused, police launch hunt
Latur: A 30-year-old man in Maharashtra's Latur allegedly died by suicide after being publicly assaulted and called a “Pakistani” during a road rage incident. The accused, reportedly a local journalist, is currently absconding.
According to the FIR registered by MIDC Latur Police Station, the incident occurred on the night of May 3. The victim, Amir Pathan, was allegedly attacked by the motorist, who identified himself as a journalist and questioned whether Pathan was from Kashmir or Pakistan. The assault was reportedly filmed by the assailant, who threatened to circulate the footage on social media.
Pathan’s wife, Samrin, who works as a deputy manager in a private bank in Dharashiv, said she was on a phone call with her husband when the incident occurred near Sanvidhan Chowk. She overheard the confrontation and heard her husband pleading and screaming in pain. Rushing to the spot, she noted the registration number of the assailant’s car — MH24 BR 7008 — but the accused had fled the scene by the time she arrived.
In her statement, Samrin said that the threat of public humiliation left her husband deeply traumatised. “He said he was an Indian, but the accused insulted him, calling him a Pakistani. He feared the video would be made public,” she recounted. The next day, Pathan was reportedly seen repeatedly checking the internet to see if the video had surfaced.
On May 4, while the family was preparing to attend a wedding, Pathan stayed back. When his family returned home, they found him hanging by a dupatta. He was rushed to a private hospital and later referred to the government hospital, where he was declared dead.
Based on Samrin’s complaint, police registered a case of abetment to suicide on May 5. However, the FIR has so far listed the accused as an "unknown person." Samrin’s father, Attaullah Pathan, expressed dissatisfaction, stating, “We gave the police the car number and name, but they still booked an unknown person.”
“There was no suicide note,” confirmed Latur SP Somay Munde. “We have registered a suicide abetment case based on the wife’s statement. Investigations are ongoing and efforts are being made to trace the accused.”
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Austrian police detain suspect in case of rat poison found in baby food jars on supermarket shelves
Vienna (AP): Police in eastern Austria say a 39-year-old suspect has been arrested after rat poison turned up in some HiPP baby food jars on supermarket shelves in central Europe.
HiPP, which recalled some of its baby food jars in Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic after the case came to light last month, said in a statement Saturday it was “greatly relieved” by the arrest, and would provide further updates as verified details come in.
The Burgenland State Criminal Police Office, under the direction of prosecutors, said a probe was launched after poison turned up in a baby food jar purchased at a supermarket in the city of Eisenstadt on April 18.
It said the suspect was being questioned, and that no further details would be immediately provided. The Burgenland public prosecutor's office has announced an investigation into suspected “intentional endangerment of the public.”
The Austrian Press Agency reported that an expert report on the toxicity of the poison was pending. A total of five tampered baby food jars were seized before they could be consumed, APA reported.
Authorities said previously they believe the tampering occurred in 190-gram (6.7-ounce) jars of baby food made with carrots and potatoes for 5-month-olds that were sold from SPAR supermarkets in Austria.
HiPP responded by recalling all of its baby food jars sold at SPAR supermarkets — which include SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR and Maximarkt stores — in Austria as a precaution. Vendors in Slovakia and the Czech Republic also removed all of the brand's baby jars from sale.
The company said the recall was not due to any product or quality defect on its part, and said the jars left its facility in “perfect condition.”
Police said a customer at the time of the discovery had reported that a jar appeared to have been tampered with, but no one had consumed the baby food.
