Former Aussie spinner MacGill convicted in cocaine case
Sydney, Mar 13 (PTI): Former Australian spinner Stuart MacGill was found guilty of involvement in a cocaine deal on Thursday, but cleared of participating in large-scale drug supply.
A Sydney District Court jury acquitted the 54-year-old leg-spinner of facilitating a one-kg cocaine deal worth AUD 330,000 in April 2021.
However, he was convicted of the charge of taking part in drug supply.
MacGill, who played 44 Tests for Australia, "showed little emotion" as the verdict was read, according to a reports in Australian media.
Hearing of his sentence was adjourned for eight weeks.
The court heard that MacGill introduced his regular drug dealer to his brother-in-law, Marino Sotiropoulos, at a meeting under his restaurant on Sydney’s north shore.
While he denied knowledge of the transaction, prosecutors argued the deal could not have taken place without his involvement.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
