Putin calls armed rebellion by mercenary chief a betrayal and promises to defend Russia
Moscow (AP): Russian mercenary leader Yevgheny Prigozhin on Saturday denied allegations by President Vladimir Putin that he is betraying his country and called his fighters patriots.
In an audio message on his Telegram channel, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said: "Regarding the betrayal of the motherland, the president was deeply mistaken. We are patriots of our homeland.
He said his fighters would not turn themselves in at the request of Putin, as "we do not want the country to live on in corruption, deceit and bureaucracy."
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Minor boy strangled to death for ransom in UP's Sultanpur
Sultanpur (PTI): A debt-ridden neighbour allegedly kidnapped and murdered an 11-year-old boy boy at Sultanpur, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, Asif alias Sonu, demanded a ransom of Rs 5,00,000 for releasing Osama alias Sahil to repay his debts, Kotwali police station SHO Naradmuni Singh said.
"The incident took place in the Gandhinagar locality of Sultanpur. The victim's father, Mohd Shakeel, said his son went missing on Monday night after he left to attend a wedding procession. Despite searches, there was no trace of the child," the SHO said.
On Wednesday morning, Osama's body with strangulation marks was found at the residence of the accused whom the police arrested, he said.
Asif, who lives in the same neighbourhood as the victim, exploited the trust built between the two families to carry out the crime, the officer said.
The killing of the minor boy has triggered outrage in the area with the residents demanding stringent punishment for the accused.
The victim's family has called for death penalty for Asif.
