Uttarakhand: SIT completes Gunjan murder case probe in 3 days, say police
Dehradun (PTI): The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to investigate the murder of the 23-year-old woman who was hacked to death in broad daylight in Dehradun's busy Machhi Bazaar has completed its investigation in just three days, a police officer said on Thursday.
A charge sheet will be filed against the accused, Akash Kumar, in court on Friday, the officer added.
On Monday (February 2), Gunjan Srivastava was allegedly murdered by the accused, who slit her throat with a cleaver.
Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Singh said that the Dehradun police will advocate for a speedy trial of the case and will demand the harshest punishment under the 'rarest of rare' category for the accused who committed this heinous murder.
The SSP said that the post-mortem report, statements of 35 witnesses and physical and forensic evidence collected from the scene have been included in the charge sheet.
Akash and Gunjan worked at different shops in the market and were reportedly in a relationship. Gunjan, however, when she found out that the accused was married, stopped talking to him.
Two days before the incident, Gunjan had filed a complaint with the police regarding harassment by Akash, after which the police began searching for him. However, upon learning that the police were looking for him, he switched off his mobile phone and disappeared from his home and also did not go to his shop.
But two days later, Akash allegedly attacked and killed Gunjan with a cleaver. After the incident, enraged traders closed down Machhi Bazaar, Paltan Bazaar and all the surrounding markets.
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No need for guv: DMK leader Kanimozhi
Chennai (PTI): Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kanimozhi emphasised that the DMK’s demand for the abolition of the governor’s post remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.
"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she said.
When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.
She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.
Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.
"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.
The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.
She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.
She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".
"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.
The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.
The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.
