Local BJP leader killed in Madhya Pradesh; party cries foul
Barwani (MP), Jan 20 : A BJP leader was found dead in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh Sunday morning, with the police suspecting that he was murdered.
The death of Manoj Thakre (48) came to light three days after another BJP leader was shot dead in Mandsaur, prompting the party to claim that its leaders were being targeted.
Balwadi, where Thakre's body was found, is around 100 km from the district headquarters.
"The body had injury marks on the face and around the neck," said district Superintendent of Police Y D Bhutia. "He had gone out for morning walk in hazy weather.
Local police got the information around 6.40 am that a body had been spotted, and within two minutes they reached the spot," the SP said.
Prima facie it appeared that Thakre was killed by unknown persons, she said. A Special Investigation Team headed by an additional superintendent of police has been formed to investigate the killing, she said.
"We have picked up some people and are questioning them," Bhutia added.
Former state minister and BJP leader Antar Singh Arya's son Vikas told reporters that the killing was fall-out of a "political rivalry", but did not elaborate.
On Saturday, the BJP had submitted petitions to officials in every district seeking improvement in the law and order situation, claiming it had deteriorated under the newly-elected Congress government.
Prahlad Bandhawar, chairman of the Mandsaur Municipal Council, was shot dead Thursday. According to the police, one Manish Bairagi allegedly shot him over a financial dispute.
Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted Sunday that it was "a matter of grave concern that BJP leaders are being killed".
"Congress is taking it lightly and seeking to make a cruel joke of the incidents," Chouhan said, pointing out that Thakre, a popular BJP mandal president, was killed in the very district to which home minister Bala Bachchan belongs.
Bachchan could not be contacted for reaction.
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UP: Fake IAS officer marries woman, flees with Rs 15 lakh dowry
Gorakhpur (UP) (PTI): A newly married man fled with the Rs 15 lakh given to him as dowry by the bride's family, and it came to light later that he was an alleged serial scammer, police said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Pritam Kumar Nishad from Etawah, allegedly posed as an IAS officer to deceive the woman into marrying him. He is currently absconding with his sister, and a case has been filed against him for cheating, dowry harassment, and forgery, officials said.
According to the police, the woman's family claimed that they spent nearly Rs 30 lakh for the wedding that was solemnised on March 11.
The match was arranged through a matrimonial group, where the accused introduced himself as an IAS officer, sharing purported interview clips, office visuals, and photographs with politicians to gain the family's trust.
Despite initially claiming he would marry without dowry, the accused allegedly demanded Rs 15 lakh shortly before the engagement. The bride's family paid Rs 10 lakh in cash during the engagement and the remaining Rs 5 lakh on the wedding day, the police said.
The fraud came to light on Saturday after the woman reached Etawah, and a wedding attendee informed the family that the accused was not a civil servant. When her relatives visited the address provided by him, they found her in a small rented room, while the accused and his sister had fled, the police added.
The woman has also alleged that the accused planned to take her to Goa and sell her, and accused him of inappropriate behaviour.
The police suspect that the accused may have been involved in multiple such marriages in the past. Based on a complaint lodged at the cantonment police station, an FIR was registered on Saturday evening.
Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Kaustubh said efforts are underway to arrest the accused.
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