Couple held in Goa for killing 5-year-old girl to 'end' their woes
Panaji, March 8 (PTI): A couple has been arrested in Goa for allegedly killing a 5-year-old girl from their neighbourhood and burying the body in their backyard, an official said on Friday.
Accused Babasaheb Alar (52) and his wife Pooja (45) have told the police that an occult practitioner had advised them to "sacrifice" a kid to “end” their woes, the official said.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Ponda) Shivram Vaigankar told reporters that the parents of the child had complained that she went missing on Wednesday.
CCTV footage showed that the kid entered the house of the accused but did not come out, said Vaigankar. During interrogation, the childless couple confessed to killing the girl on the advice of a person practising black magic, he said.
The couple believed that "sacrificing a child" would bring an end to their problems, the official said. They also told police that they had buried the body in their compound, the official said.
The two have been booked for murder and destruction of evidence, he added.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
