Another truck driver shot dead by terrorists in south Kashmir
Srinagar, Oct 28: A truck driver was killed by suspected militants on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, police said, a day before a delegation of European Union MPs visits the Valley.
Narayan Dutt, a resident of Katra in Udhampur district, is the fourth truck driver to be killed by militants since August 5 when the Centre abrogated Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 and split the state into two Union Territories.
Dutt was fired upon by the militants in the evening in the Kanilwan area of Bijbehara in the south Kashmir district, a police official said.
He died on the spot, he added.
A senior police official, who was nearby, rushed to the spot and managed to save two other truck drivers who were in the vicinity, police said.
The area has been cordoned off and a hunt launched to nab the attackers, they said.
The attack comes a day before the visit by the delegation of 27 European Union MPs to the state.
The delegation seeks to talk to locals and ask them about their experience after the Centre's decisions.
The government has said the diplomatic outreach will allow EU leaders to "see things for themselves" in Kashmir and help it counter Pakistan's narrative.
Dutt's killing follows a series of attacks by militants on truck drivers and non-locals.
On October 24, terrorists killed two non-Kashmiri truck drivers in Shopian district when they had gone to ferry loads of apples.
On October 14, two terrorists, including a suspected Pakistani national, shot dead the driver of a truck having Rajasthan registration number and assaulted an orchard owner in Shopian district. The driver was identified as Sharief Khan.
Two days later, Punjab-based apple trader Charanjeet Singh was killed and Sanjeev injured when terrorists attacked them in Shopian district.
The same day, a brick kiln worker from Chhattisgarh was shot dead by militants in Pulwama district.
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NCW chief condemns rape-murder of 4-year-old girl in Pune, calls for swift action
New Delhi (PTI): National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has condemned the alleged rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Pune, calling it "deeply distressing" and a "blot on humanity".
The girl was allegedly raped and killed by a 65-year-old labourer, who has a criminal record, in Bhor tehsil of Pune on Friday. The accused allegedly lured the child to a cattle enclosure on the pretext of giving her food. After raping her, he killed her by hitting her with a stone, according to police.
The accused has been arrested.
In a post on X on Saturday, Rahatkar said the incident in the Nasrapur area in Pune was heartbreaking and has shaken society.
"The brutal torture and murder of a four-year-old innocent girl in Nasrapur (Bhor, Pune) is deeply painful, heartbreaking, and shocking. It is a blot on humanity," she said.
She said Pune Rural police has arrested the accused and noted that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar have assured strict action in the case.
Rahatkar said the NCW has taken cognisance of the matter and written to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), requesting the body to ensure necessary and prompt action.
It has also been recommended that the case be pursued under stringent provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and be closely monitored from the filing of the chargesheet to proceedings in a fast-track special court to ensure time-bound justice, she added.
Ensuring justice for the victim and stringent punishment for the accused is a collective responsibility, the NCW chairperson underlined.
In a post on X, the NCW said it has taken suo motu cognisance of the extremely "heinous" incident.
"This heinous crime causes profound pain and outrage, and it highlights serious concerns regarding the safety of young girls," it said.
Strongly condemning this grave "inhuman act", the NCW said such crimes constitute a serious violation of children's rights and raise questions about society's security system.
