Palakkad: One more Maoist believed killed; death toll touches 4
Palakkad: One more Maoist is suspected to be dead in the ongoing operation by the specialised Thunderbolt squad near Attapady here, police said on Tuesday.
A top police official told PTI that the one who died on Tuesday was injured in the gunfight the previous day, taking the toll to four. Three suspected Maoists, including a woman, were killed in the operation on Monday.
"It seems like one more member of the insurgents was found dead. We are waiting for the confirmation. But there are also reports of firing at the inquest team members from the forest," the official said.
Opposition Congress on Tuesday alleged in the Assembly that the ruling Left has made it as a policy to eliminate the insurgents instead of bringing them to justice.
With the current operation resulting in the death of four Maoists, the total toll, since the government came to power in 2016, has gone upto seven.
"We are opposing the ideologies of Maoists. But we cannot agree to the fake encounters to kill them," Opposition Congress Leader Chennithala told media.
He had earlier told the Assembly that during the previous Congress-rule, they had captured two wanted Maoists -- Rupesh and Shina -- instead of killing them in fake encounters.
"When a Left government is ruling, such alleged encounters are taking place. While we were in power, we captured them instead of killing them," Chennithala said.
A suspected Maoist leader C P Jaleel was killed early in March this year in an exchange of fire with police personnel at a resort in Wayanad which lasted several hours.
Two other Maoists were also killed in a similar encounter in 2016. The state leadership of the CPI told media that it was too early to confirm whether it was a gunfight or a fake encounter.
The bodies of the killed insurgents would be brought to Thrissur by Tuesday evening and a postmortem would take place on Wednesday, police said.
A bomb disposal squad and top police officials are still in the forest. The special team was combing the area after a tip-off about Maoist presence in the area. Kerala Thunderbolts is an elite command force of the Kerala Police under the India Reserve Battalion.
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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.
