Congress faces criticism for fielding Kathua rape case supporter in J&K elections
Jammu: On Monday, Congress announced 19 more candidates for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, including Chaudhary Lal Singh for the Basohli constituency. Lal Singh, a former BJP leader, led a Tiranga rally supporting the accused in the infamous 2018 Kathua rape and murder case of an 8-year-old Muslim girl, which had shocked the nation.
Lal Singh, a former Forest Minister in the PDP-BJP coalition, resigned after national outrage over his support for the accused. His candidacy has drawn criticism from within Congress, and social media has been abuzz with condemnation.
Despite the controversy, Lal Singh has remained an influential figure in his region and was also given a ticket by Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Many within the party, especially Muslim leaders, have expressed concern over the nomination, with some questioning the decision in light of Singh's past actions. The move has also been criticised by other political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, such as Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party, which called it a shameful decision.
Lal Singh, who began his political career with Congress, returned to the party in 2019 after a stint with BJP, during which he founded the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party.
Congress has fielded Chaudhary Lal Singh from Basohli. Lal Singh is the same former BJP minister who courted controversy by supporting some of the accused in the Kathua gang rape case.
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) September 10, 2024
This is shameful to say the least. @priyankagandhi @RahulGandhi @kharge pic.twitter.com/cRp2vSxIXZ
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Man kills woman lecturer, sets car ablaze; dies by suicide in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): A 46-year-old man allegedly killed a woman lecturer by setting fire to the car with her inside, before dying by suicide; his severed body was found by railway police the next day, police said on Tuesday.
The deceased, identified as Ramanjinappa, a resident of Doddaballapura, was a contract worker in the tahsildar’s office, they said.
Police said the man, who was married and had apparently separated from his wife, was in an illicit relationship with a woman identified as Saroja, whose charred body was found inside a gutted car in an isolated area near the Bashetty Industrial Area in Doddaballapura taluk on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Saroja was also married and had a son, police said.
According to police, on Saturday, the man allegedly borrowed a car from an acquaintance, claiming he had a medical emergency and needed to visit a hospital.
Citing preliminary investigations, a senior police officer said the man picked up the lecturer from a bus stop in Devanahalli. The two spent a couple of hours driving around Nandi Hills and nearby areas.
Later, they reached a secluded spot in Doddaballapura, where it is suspected that an argument ensued inside the car, following which he allegedly hit her on the head with a hammer, the officer said.
He then set the car on fire, reportedly using petrol, and is believed to have died by suicide thereafter, police said.
Locals who saw the burning car alerted the police and fire department, who rushed to the spot, extinguished the fire, and found the woman’s body completely charred inside the vehicle, the officer added.
His severed body was found near railway tracks in Bidadi by the railway police on Sunday, he said.
The motive and whether the crime was premeditated or impulsive are under investigation, he said.
Saroja’s husband filed a complaint accusing Ramanjinappa of killing her, police said, adding that a detailed investigation is underway to establish the exact sequence of events.
