Three of a family including 8-year-old boy found murdered in Bengal's Murshidabad district
Murshidabad (WB): Three members of a family, including an eight-year-old boy, have been murdered by unidentified miscreants in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, a senior police officer said here on Wednesday.
The bodies of Bondhu Gopal Pal, a 35-year-old primary school teacher, his wife Beauty and son Angan were found lying in a pool of blood inside their residence on Tuesday in Jiaganj area of the district, the officer said.
"Prima facie, it seems that the Pal family was murdered by unidentified miscreants on Monday night. After locals did not see them at the puja pandal on Vijayadashami, they visited the Pal residence, only to find the door bolted from inside.
"The locals then informed the police and the bodies, lying in a pood of blood, were recovered. An investigation has been initiated in the case," the officer said.
According to locals, the Pal family had moved to Jiaganj around six years ago.
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NIA court to complete framing of charges against 2010 hand-chopping case accused on May 15
Kochi (PTI): A special court here will complete proceedings for framing charges against the prime accused in the 2010 hand-chopping case involving professor T J Joseph, in which PFI activists were accused of attacking him at Muvattupuzha.
Ernakulam Special Court for NIA cases judge P K Mohandas, on April 30, heard the arguments of counsel for accused Savad and Shafeer C and decided to proceed with framing charges against the duo.
A group chopped off Thodupuzha Newman College professor Joseph's right hand in July 2010, accusing him of religious blasphemy in a question paper he had prepared.
The case, later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), resulted in the conviction of 19 accused.
The first accused, Savad, who allegedly chopped off Joseph’s palm, was arrested in Berram in Mattannur, Kannur, in January 2024, where he had allegedly been hiding under the pseudonym Shajahan.
The NIA also arrested Shafeer, who allegedly arranged shelter and provided logistical support to Savad at Chakkad and Mattannur in Kannur since 2020.
On April 30, the court heard the counsel for the accused and the NIA prosecutor on framing charges against the duo.
"On going through the documents and evidence in the case and on hearing the counsel for the accused and the prosecutor, I am of the opinion that there are grounds for presuming that the first accused has committed offences punishable under provisions of the IPC, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and that the second accused has committed offences punishable under the IPC and the UAPA, and there are materials for framing charges under these provisions against the accused," the court said.
The court directed that Savad be produced and Shafeer, who is on bail, appear before it on May 15 for recording their pleas as part of the charge-framing process.
After framing the charges, the court will schedule the trial in the case.
