Kabul(AP): Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has taken to Twitter to say his flight from Kabul on August 15 was done to save Afghanistan's capital from bloodshed. He says his security personnel advised the secret departure, which opened the gates of the city to a Taliban takeover.

Ghani also denies widespread allegations of corruption and claims he left the country with millions of dollars. He says there should be an independent investigation.

Ghani's sudden departure has been widely criticized both in Afghanistan and abroad. Washington blamed Ghani's flight and the government's collapse for a Taliban takeover ahead of a negotiated deal.

Prominent Afghan political figures who stayed behind say they had expected to meet with Taliban political leaders the following day to continue negotiations.

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Gorakhpur (UP)(PTI) Police on Tuesday arrested four persons and detained a boy in connection with the killing of a teenager at a school here, officials said.

The arrested accused have been identified as Dayanand alias Chhotu, Hrithik Roshan alias Roshan, Uday alias Kishan Kumar and Deepak, all residents of Pipraich police station area here and aged 19-20, the police officials said.

The detained minor will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, they said.

Police recovered a country-made pistol and a motorcycle allegedly used by the accused in the commission of the crime, they added.

Superintendent of Police (North) Gyanendra Nath Prasad said the arrests were made following sustained investigation and technical surveillance, and further legal proceedings were underway.

According to police, Sudhir Bharti (17), a class 11 student, was shot dead by the accused on December 26 over old enmity and a dispute triggered by social media posts in the playground of a school in the Pipraich area here.

Based on the complaint filed by Bharti's family, a case was registered under sections 103(1) (punishment for murder) and 61(2) (party to a criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant provisions of the Arms Act.

According to eyewitnesses, Bharti was in the playground when he had an argument with a person from the same neighbourhood.

The argument escalated and the accused shot him with a country-made pistol, killing him on the spot, they said.