MP: 16-yr-old boy rapes, brutally kills woman in Rewa
Rewa (PTI): A 16-year-old boy allegedly raped a 58-year-old woman and murdered her by gagging and hitting her brutally in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district, a crime suspected to the fallout of a mobile phone theft two years ago, police said on Sunday.
The incident took place on the night of January 30 in Kailashpuri village under Hanumana police station limits.
The boy allegedly stuffed a plastic bag and a cloth into her mouth, dragged her to an under-construction part of the building where she resided, hit on her head and other body parts with a sickle and also caused injuries to her private parts with a stick, an official said.
The woman's family had accused the boy of stealing a mobile phone two years ago and the boy wanted to take revenge for it, he said.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vivek Lal said an information was received on February 1 that the body of a 58-year-old woman was lying at an under-construction building.
The police and forensic team reached the spot and it was found the woman was brutally murdered by an unidentified person, he said.
On the basis of tip-off from informers and the investigation, the police zeroed-in on the boy living in her neighbourhood.
The woman's family members also expressed suspicion on the boy, who used to come their house to watch television two years back, the official said.
Her family had then accused him of stealing a mobile phone which led to enmity between the boy and the family, the police said.
The boy wanted to take revenge because of the embarrassment he faced in the village following the theft charge, the official said.
On January 30, when the victim's son and husband were out of station, the boy entered her house. He allegedly overpowered the woman sleeping on a cot and when she tried to scream, he stuffed a polythene bag and a cloth into her mouth, the police official said.
He then tied a plastic bag on her face using a rope and wire and dragged her to an under-construction part of the building, Lal said.
After tying her to a door, the boy allegedly hit the woman repeatedly and raped her when she became motionless after being suffocated, the official said.
He also hit on the victim's head, hands, throat and chest with a sickle and caused injuries to her private parts with a stick, Lal said.
The boy later fled after taking away Rs 1,000 cash and jewellery kept in the woman's house, he said.
"After being detained, the boy admitted to the crime during interrogation," the official said.
He was sent to a juvenile home and a case was registered against him under various Indian Penal Code Sections including 302 (murder), 376 (rape), 460 (lurking house-trespass or house-breaking by night) 380 (theft) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of an offence), the police added.
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Defamation complaint: You cannot be touchy in politics, says SC
New Delhi (PTI): You cannot be "touchy" in politics, the Supreme Court observed while hearing Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan's plea relating to a criminal defamation proceeding initiated against him.
Murugan approached the apex court last year, challenging a September 5, 2023, Madras High Court order in which it had refused to quash the proceeding against him on a complaint filed by Chennai-based Murasoli Trust for his alleged defamatory statements during a December 2020 press conference.
While agreeing to hear his petition on September 27 last year, the top court stayed the proceeding against Murugan that was pending in a special court in Chennai.
The apex court had also sought the Trust's response on his plea challenging the high court order.
When the matter came up for hearing before a bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan on Friday, the counsel appearing for Murugan said, "Where is the question of defamation in this case?"
The lawyer appearing for the Trust sought an adjournment in the matter.
"You cannot be touchy in politics," the bench observed.
"Put up after four weeks at the request of the counsel for the respondent," the apex court said.
Murugan had earlier approached the high court, challenging the proceeding initiated against him.
The high court had noted in its order that according to the Trust, Murugan made the statements "with an ulterior motive to degrade and tarnish the reputation of the Murasoli Trust in the eyes of the general public".
"While dealing with the quash petition, this court cannot go into the merits of the case or the disputed questions of fact. This court has to merely go by what is alleged in the complaint and prima facie find out as to whether the offence is made out," the high court had said.
"In an offence of defamation, the statements have to be tested only from the point of view of a common prudent man, who comes across the defamatory statements made," it had said.
While dismissing the petition, the high court had directed the trial court to dispose of the case within three months.
"It is left open to the petitioner (Murugan) to raise all the grounds before the trial court and the same will be considered on its own merits and in accordance with law," it had said.
