Petrol price cut by 16 paise, diesel 14 paise
New Delhi, Apr 15: Petrol price on Thursday was cut by 16 paise per litre and diesel by 14 paise -- the fourth minor reduction in rates in three weeks that followed six months of relentless price increases.
Petrol now costs Rs 90.40 per litre in Delhi, down from Rs 90.56, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.
A litre of diesel comes for Rs 80.73 per litre as against Rs 80.87 previously.
Rates have been reduced across the country and vary from state to state depending on the local incidence of taxation (VAT).
Fuel prices were reduced for the first time in six months on March 24 after international oil prices fell on the prospect of speedy recovery in consumption getting clouded by the second wave of COVID-19 cases.
In all, rates were reduced on three occasions, the last being on March 30. They had remained on freeze thereafter as global rates edged up.
In three reductions, petrol price has come down by 61 paise per litre and diesel by 60 paise. After Thursday's price cut, the total reduction comes to 67 paise in case of petrol and 74 paise on diesel.
Despite bouts of rate freeze, prices had gone up by a record Rs 21.58 per litre on petrol since the government raised excise duty in March last year. Diesel prices had increased by Rs 19.18 a litre.
In Mumbai, the petrol price was cut to Rs 96.83 a litre on Thursday from Rs 99.98, while diesel rates were reduced to Rs 87.81 from Rs 87.96, the price notification showed.
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11-year-old dies by suicide after sexual assault in Bareilly; accused arrested
Bareilly (UP) (PTI): A 26-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl, who later died by suicide due to trauma, police said on Wednesday.
The post-mortem report confirmed sexual assault and multiple injuries on the minor's body, including bite marks and nail scratches. The cause of death was found to be hanging, they said.
According to ASP (South) Anshika Verma, the incident came to light on 27 April, when the girl, a Class 8 student, was found hanging at her home in Deoria Abdullaganj village under the Mirganj police station area. Initially, the family reported the death as suicide and was reluctant to pursue police action.
"The autopsy report changed the course of the investigation. It confirmed sexual assault and noted severe physical trauma. The cause of death was confirmed as hanging," Verma said.
A breakthrough in the case came from the statement of the victim's younger sister, who told police that the accused, Zeeshan (26), a resident of the same village, frequently loitered near the minor's school and allegedly gave her small sums of money to keep his interactions with her a secret, she said.
Police said that on the day of the incident, the accused allegedly lured the minor and assaulted her. Distressed by the incident, the child later took her own life while her mother was away, police said.
"Based on technical surveillance, CCTV footage, and statements from the family, we established Zeeshan's involvement. He was arrested near the Mirganj weekly market on Tuesday," they said.
