South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
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Delhi man arrested for running online racket selling counterfeit Ayurvedic products
Tumakuru (Karnataka) (PTI): Police on Thursday announced the arrest of a 56-year-old man from Delhi for allegedly manufacturing and selling counterfeit weight loss powder and spurious Ayurvedic products via e-commerce platforms using duplicate branding.
The accused, identified as Rajeev Khanna, had been operating the business for around one-and-a-half years, police said.
His sons, Himanshu (29) and Manan Khanna (25), have also been named in the case for allegedly assisting their father in running the racket in Delhi. Both are absconding.
The matter came to light after Dhanalakshmi, owner of Jeeni Company in Yaragunte village, Tumakuru district, filed a complaint at Kallambella Police Station on August 14, 2025, police said.
According to the complaint, R K Traders of Delhi was misusing the trademark of Jeeni Company and selling products online under the same brand name.
She also warned that the sale of such counterfeit products could pose health risks to the public, including children.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case against Rajeev Khanna under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
“During the investigation, the team traced the warehouse where the accused was manufacturing counterfeit products. On March 27, police conducted a raid at a godown in Punjabi Mohalla, Shalimar Bagh area of New Delhi,” Tumakuru Superintendent of Police Ashok K V said in a statement.
During the raid, police recovered counterfeit Jeeni Company products, duplicate Ayurvedic tablets, beauty creams, and Ayurvedic powders commonly used by the public.
The accused was allegedly manufacturing and selling these products through R K Traders, M K Traders, and MHK Traders on e-commerce platforms without required safety precautions or regulatory approvals, the SP added.
The matter was also reported to the Drug Controller in Delhi and the local Shalimar Bagh Police authorities.
“With the assistance of his sons, Himanshu and Manan Khanna, along with others, the accused was manufacturing counterfeit products and selling them online for financial gain,” the SP said.
Police said Rajeev Khanna is believed to have cheated Jeeni Company of over Rs 15 lakh and caused losses worth crores of rupees to other companies.
On March 28, Rajeev Khanna was taken into custody in Delhi and brought to Kallambella Police Station, where he was formally arrested. He was later produced before the Sira court and taken into police custody for further investigation, the SP added.
During interrogation, the accused admitted to filling wheat flour into containers and selling them as “Jeeni Slim Powder” with duplicated labels and packaging.
He also confessed to selling wheat flour in containers labelled as genuine Ayurvedic tablets and powders, police said.
