Several BJP leaders, including three ex-MLAs, join JMM ahead of Jharkhand polls
Ranchi (PTI): Several BJP leaders, including three former MLAs, joined the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) weeks ahead of the assembly polls in the state.
The former legislators who switched sides on Monday were Lois Marandi, Kunal Sarangi and Lakshman Tudu. The development also comes barely two days after three-term BJP legislator Kedar Hazra and AJSU Party leader Umakant Rajak joined the JMM.
"We joined the JMM today," Sarangi, the BJP's former spokesperson and ex-Baharagora MLA, told PTI.
Lois Marandi, a former BJP legislator, had in 2014 defeated Chief Minister Hemant Soren by a margin of 5,262 votes from Dumka.
Soon after Lois embraced JMM, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren welcomed her to the party.
"We heartily welcome former BJP Vice President and senior leader respected Lois Marandi Ji to JMM family," Soren posted on X.
In 2019, Soren won the Dumka seat by a margin of 13,188 votes. He, however, vacated the seat and retained the Barhait constituency.
His brother Basant Soren had defeated Marandi by over 6,842 votes in party stronghold Dumka in a bypoll.
Sources said Lois Marandi in a letter to BJP state president Babulal Marandi has drawn his attention to the "neglect" of committed workers like her and rising factionalism in BJP.
She has mentioned how the BJP for the first time won Dumka, considered a JMM bastion, in 2014 since Independence.
Sarangi had in July resigned from the party's primary membership, around a month-and-a-half after stepping down from the post of Jharkhand unit spokesperson.
He sent his resignation letter to BJP Jharkhand unit president Babulal Marandi, citing various organisational and people-oriented issues in East Singhbhum district.
Sarangi had also expressed disappointment with the party leadership's “indifferent approach” despite his efforts to highlight crucial issues.
He had said, "I resigned from the spokesman's post hoping that the party leadership would address the concerns I raised, but nothing has happened yet."
Lakshman Tudu in 2014 had defeated JMM's Ramdas Soren from Ghatshila constituency by a margin of 6,403 votes.
Others who came to JMM-fold include BJP leaders from Seraikela -- Ganesh Mahli, Basco Besra and Bari Murmu.
Three-term BJP legislator Kedar Hazra and AJSU Party leader Umakant Rajak joined the JMM on October 18.
Elections to the 81-member Jharkhand assembly will be held in two phases – November 13 and November 20 – with the counting of votes scheduled for November 23.
Filing of nomination papers for the 43 assembly constituencies going to polls in the first phase began on Monday, with three nominations submitted so far.
In total, 2.60 crore people are eligible to vote in the assembly elections.
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Kerala court sentences man to life imprisonment for doc's murder in hospital
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Kollam (PTI): A teacher convicted in the sensational murder of Dr Vandana Das inside a hospital here was sentenced to life term on Saturday, and the prosecution said it will move an appeal seeking death penalty for the accused. The victim's family also batted for "maximum punishment".
Dr Das was brutally killed inside a taluk hospital in May 2023 by G Sandeep.
Kollam Additional District and Sessions judge P N Vinod sentenced Sandeep to a total of 30 years for various offences under the then Indian Penal Code (IPC) and said that after he serves that period, his life imprisonment for Das' murder will commence.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2.35 lakh on the convict.
Though the prosecution had sought death penalty for the accused during the arguments on sentence, the court was of the view that the case does not fall under the rarest-of-rare category to warrant the maximum punishment.
It was also of the view that there was a chance of the convict getting reformed as he told the court that the rest of his life would be one of repentance, the order on sentence said.
"At the same time, I agree with the stand of the prosecution to the effect that the sentence should commensurate with the gravity of the crime and the sentence should not only be reformative, but should also have a deterrent effect."
"In my view, the said objective can be achieved by directing that the term sentences that will be imposed will run consecutively and life sentence that has to be imposed will commence only after the expiration of terms sentences," the judge said.
After the verdict, special public prosecutor (SPP) Prathap G Padickal told reporters outside the court that he will recommend to the prosecution to file an appeal seeking enhancement of the life imprisonment to death penalty.
The victim's father said that the verdict has come as a relief for the family, but that he cannot authoritatively say whether his late daughter has got justice. He indicated his dissatisfaction with the punishment, saying that steps will be taken to seek its enhancement after discussions with the public prosecutor.
Dr Das' mother said that the family can only wish for the maximum punishment and it was up to the court to decide what sentence should be given. She said that the family will go in appeal, but declined to comment on whether her daughter got justice.
She tearfully said that she wants the convict to suffer the same pain that her daughter underwent "as he stabbed her 27 times".
The court on March 17 had convicted Sandeep for various offences under the IPC, including murder, destruction of evidence and wrongful restraint.
It had also held him guilty under the provisions of the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of violence and damage to property) Act 2012.
Sandeep was brought to the taluk hospital by the police for medical treatment during the small hours of May 10, 2023 and he went on a sudden attacking spree using a pair of surgical scissors kept in the room where his leg injury was being dressed.
A school teacher by profession, he had initially attacked the police officers and another person who had accompanied him to the hospital and then turned on the young Dr Das, who could not escape to safety.
She was stabbed several times and later succumbed to her injuries in a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where she was rushed following the attack.
Dr Das was a native of the Kaduthuruthy area of Kottayam district and the only child of her parents.
She was a house surgeon at Azeezia Medical College Hospital and was working at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital as part of her training.
Sandeep had called the emergency number 112, claiming that his life was in danger. When local police located him, he was standing close by his home, surrounded by local residents and his relatives, and had a wound on his leg following an alleged quarrel.
He was then taken to the hospital for dressing the wound.
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