Crime file: Indian astrologer accused of raping woman in Australia; TN man arrested for raping teen daughter's classmate, and more
Indian astrologer accused of raping woman in Australia
Melbourne: A 29-year-old Indian astrologer has been accused of raping a woman in Australia after he claimed to have diagnosed her with a 'black magic curse'.
Venkatesha Kodandappa is facing eight charges of rape and indecent assault over allegations that he raped a client at his office in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong in January.
He appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court for a committal hearing Friday where he pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape and four counts of indecent assault, the AAP news agency reported.
The astrologer was committed to stand trial on charges of raping the woman after diagnosing her with a 'black magic curse'. Police allege the astrologer told the woman she had a black magic curse and would need to have sex with a stranger to be cured. The court heard he then offered to cure her for free.
A police summary stated she refused his offer on two occasions before the alleged rape, according to an ABC News report. The court heard he later told her it was part of a prayer ceremony and he did it to clear her sins. Kodandappa will stand trial in the County Court.
Next: TN man arrested for raping teen daughter's classmate
TN man arrested for raping teen daughter's classmate
Namakkal (TN): A man was arrested here on Friday for allegedly raping his teenaged daughter's classmate at their residence in the city last week.
Police said the 16-year-old girl had gone to her friend's house here on February 1 to enquire about a lesson. Her father told her his wife and daughter had gone out,invited her in and reportedly gave her some cold drinks after which she claimed she lost consciousness.
The girl said that when she woke up she found her dress torn and alleged she had been sexually assaulted.
Police said she went to school the next day and told her friend and her classmates of what had happened.They asked her why she had not informed her parents while her friend taunted her.
The girl then suddenly fished out a blade and slashed her left wrist, following which she was rushed to a hospital, where she is under treatment.
Following investigations, the man was arrested today, police said.
Next: 16-year-old boy booked for molesting three minor girls
16-year-old boy booked for molesting three minor girls
Thane: A 16-year-old boy from Bhiwandi was booked by Thane district rural police on Friday for allegedly molesting three minor girls between four and six years, the police said tonight.
Police sub-inspector S B Bamne of Bhiwandi taluka police station said the accused, who is a resident of Shelar village, took the three girls to a vacant room in the village and allegedly molested, after which they were threatened with dire consequences if they revealed anything to anyone.
The father of the victims kept quiet and did not wish to complain to the police fearing that his family could be targeted. However, when he came to know that villagers came to know about the teenage boy's act, he went to the police station Friday and lodged a complaint, the police said.
The police are on the look out for the boy who has been booked under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Sexual Harassment to Children Act of 2012, the police said.
Next: Teenager raped, killed in Jharkhand
Teenager raped, killed in Jharkhand
Jamshedpur: A 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped and strangulated to death in Chiria under the Chiria Police Station of Manoharpur block in the adjoining West Singhbhum district, police said Thursday.
The girl was raped and strangulated before the culprit dumped her in a nearby well, said the Chiria Police Station officer-in-charge Prabhu Sahay Ekka.
The girl's naked body was recovered Wenesday and sent for postmortem, he said, adding that the body bore injury marks including the face.
Though it could not be ascertained whether there was more than one person involved in the crime, an FIR has been against unidentified people and police have started conducting raids to trace the culprits.
Meanwhile, a strong resentment was prevailing among the villagers particularly among the women, who have threatened to take to the streets if the culprit was not apprehended soon.
Next: Army jawans stab train passengers in Assam
Army jawans stab train passengers in Assam
Rangia: Three Army jawans allegedly stabbed two passengers in a train when they protested against defence personnel occupying all seats with their belongings at the Rangia railway station in Assam's Kamrup district Thursday.
The Government Railway Police (GRP) here said they took into custody the three jawans and the Military Commanding Officer from the Army's Red Horns Mountain Division here was interrogating them.
The three accused jawans from the 3rd Sikh LI regiment have been identified as Subedar Balwant Singh and Sepoys Bhupinder Singh and G Singh, GRP sources said.
The jawans had boarded the NJP-Moriani Siphung passenger train at New Jalpaiguri this morning and allegedly occupied all seats of the general compartment by force with their belongings, bags and boxes compelling other passengers to travel standing.
Despite new passengers boarding the train at every station along the route and requesting them to clear the seats, the jawans refused to do so, the sources said.
When the train reached Rangia station and a large number of daily passengers boarded the train here, an altercation ensued when they asked the jawans to take their belongings off the seats, they said.
Suddenly the jawans allegedly took out their knives and stabbed two passengers injuring one of them seriously, the GRP sources said.
The seriously wounded was identified as Kameswar Kalita and has been admitted to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital. The chief of Military Police alleged before the media that trouble began when the passengers beat up the three jawans and snatched away their belongings.
Passengers who commute daily by the train complained that there is no security arrangement on board leading to such incidents at regular intervals.
Next: Constable murders colleague over affair with wife
Constable murders colleague over affair with wife
Parbhani (Maha): A Police Constable on Friday allegedly murdered his colleague whom he suspected of having an affair with his wife.
The accused, Sayyad Aref Farooque, has been arrested, police said.
Farooque attacked his colleague Khanderay Solgir (40), attached to Nanalpeth police station, with a sword in full public view as soon as he came out of the police chowki this afternoon here in Central Maharashtra, they said.
Solgir, who suffered serious wounds, died on the spot. Police said illicit relationship between Farooque's wife and the deceased led to the murder.
Next: Court says three-year-old girl raped but acquits man
Court says three-year-old girl raped but acquits man
New Delhi: A Delhi Court has concluded that a three-year-old girl was raped but acquitted the accused by refusing to accept her testimony and evidence that the man she identified as the perpetrator of the crime was the offender.
Despite holding that "the infant girl had been brutally raped" in October 2012, the court said "the element of tutoring (her) cannot be ruled out completely."
Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhat said reasons giving rise to doubt that the victim may have been tutored by family members arise from the fact that she was unable to give any details about the identity of the accused or the incident one month and 20 days after the crime before the magistrate.
However, the judge said six months later the toddler gave all the description about the incident and also identified the accused before him.
"The record of proceedings of the magistrate shows that the mother of the prosecutrix had accompanied her to the chamber of the magistrate and the magistrate had tried to make her comfortable but even then the prosecutrix could not say anything about the incident of rape or the identity of the assailant.
"This had happened just after about one month and 20 days of the incident and during all this period, she was with her parents and hence no occasion for her to be under any fear.
Even otherwise, there is nothing on record that the assailant has scolded or threatened or beaten her either before the incident or after it. "This gives rise to a doubt that she may have been tutored how to depose in the court.
How could she describe the incident in court and identify the accused when she could not say anything before the magistrate"? the court said.
It also pulled up the magistrate and police for procedural lapses leading to "shaky" and "doubtful" evidence and said "there is no convincing or credit worthy evidence on record to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the accused had done it".
The sessions judge said "thus I don't find any clinching, credible and trustworthy evidence on record to hold the accused guilty. The prosecution has failed to prove the guilt of the accused.
The evidence produced by the prosecution is shaky, doubtful and not inspiring confidence. "Evidence on record does show that the infant girl had been brutally raped but there is no convincing or credit worthy evidence on record to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the accused had done it."
According to the prosecution, the incident took place on October 6, 2012, when accused Surjeet Kumar had lured the child near her house and took her to a secluded place and allegedly raped her.
The child was rescued when someone saw her crying near a booster pump and informed her parents and was taken to Safdarjung hospital for medical aid. A case of rape was registered at Naraina police station.
Kumar, who was arrested in a kidnapping case 15 days after the rape incident, himself disclosed to the police officials that he had earlier raped a minor girl, police said. However, during the trial, he denied his involvement in the rape case and claimed he was falsely implicated.
Next: Man held for raping sister-in-law
Man held for raping sister-in-law
Agartala: A rape accused, who had violated his sister-in-law has been arrested, at Murabari village in Gomati district of Tripura on Friday. Police said Biswajit Bhowmik, who had been absconding after the incident, was apprehended yesterday from Joalikhamar village of the same district and being interrogated by police.
Bhowmick allegedly raped his sister-in-law on Sunday night and was at large ever since. The woman, admitted to Tripura Sundari hospital on Sunday, was taken to the Agartala Government Medical College next day, Police said.
The ruling CPI-M and opposition Congress both condemned the incident and called for exemplary punishment for him.
Next: ITBP Jawan arrested on rape charge
ITBP Jawan arrested on rape charge
Rewari: A jawan of the Indo Tibetan Police (ITBP) was arrested for allegedly raping a college student, police said on Friday.
The accused Deepak was yesterday produced in a court at Narnaul, which remanded him in judicial custody. The victim, a resident of Bajad village was allegedly enticed by Deepak when she was on her way to college on January 16, police said.
He took her to an unidentified place where she was kept and repeatedly raped by the accused for over a fortnight, they said. However the girl somehow got out of Deepak's clutches and reached Bajad on February 3 and then narrated things to her parents who had lodged a missing report, said police.
Subsequently a complaint of rape was lodged following which police got the girl medically examined in the civil hospital at Narnaul, they said.
A case of abduction and rape was registered and the accused was nabbed, police said.
Next: MP Health Officer held for sexual harassment
MP Health Officer held for sexual harassment
Bhopal: A 55-year-old health officer of Madhya Pradesh government has been arrested on the charges of sexually harassing a 37-year-old woman health worker at a clinic here, police said on Thursday.
'The accused Dr R S Parihar was apprehended Wenesday after the woman filed a complaint against him for allegedly making indecent gestures at her at the dispensary they are attached to', said ADG, Mahila Thana (women police station), Aruna Rao.
Police said the victim produced audio and video recording of the alleged incident that had happened on January 24. "Parihar began taking an undue interest in the victim after the death of her husband.
He even promised her to arrange a house on rent", Rao said quoting the complaint. On January 24, Parihar asked the victim to stay at the clinic for some work and allegedly outraged her modesty, police said.
Next: Woman killed over dowry by husband and in-laws
Woman killed over dowry by husband and in-laws
Etah (UP): A married woman was allegedly killed by her husband and in-laws for dowry in Hinaula village in Awagarh area here, police said on Friday.
Geeta (28), who got married to Gaurishankar last year, died Thursday under mysterious circumstance and the matter came to light when her in-laws wanted to cremate her body, police said.
The police reached the spot and stopped her husband and in-laws from cremating her body and sent it for post mortem, they said.
An FIR in this regard was registered by victim's brother Pravendra against Gaurishankar and his family members, who are absconding, said police.
Next: Wife to be tried for assaulting husband with toast and butter
Wife to be tried for assaulting husband with toast and butter
London: In a bizarre court case in the UK, a wife has been accused of assaulting her husband with toast and butter and nearly tearing off his ear for not doing chores.
Julie Ann Evans of Cinderford, Gloucestershire, will stand trial in July after a court heard that she allegedly tore off her husband's ear during a dispute last year.
She admitted before the magistrates that she poured water over her sleeping husband James, threw toast at him, and rubbed butter in his face.
Julie, however, has denied almost tearing his ear off, which required 13 stitches, The Citizen reported. "She was married to James Evans and they are now divorced.
He came home from work after being away and he needed to work from home but his wife kept asking him to do things for her," prosecutor Theresa Perry was quoted by the daily as saying. "He fell asleep on the sofa – he has multiple sclerosis – and Mrs Evans woke him by pouring water on him.
He pretended to be asleep," she said. "The next morning she started an argument and threw her toast at him. He left, as he felt she was being petty. She grabbed a handful of butter and smeared it over his face.
He tried to rub some of it back on her. She is alleged to have cut his ear during the struggle which allegedly followed," Perry said.
At Cheltenham Magistrates' Court on Thursday, Julie initially admitted two charges of common assault, committed on July 12 and 13, 2013.
But when District Judge Joti Bopa-Rai heard from the Crown that James' ear was injured, she asked the Crown Prosecution Service to consider charging James with the more serious charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
"I am going to invite the Crown to have a look at it. It is something I am going to keep an eye on," Bopa-Rai said. To the fresh charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, Julie Evans pleaded not guilty and there will be a trial over that matter later this year.
Next: AP: excise inspector arrested in disproportionate assets case
AP: excise inspector arrested in disproportionate assets case
Hyderabad: An Inspector of Prohibition and Excise Department in Krishna district has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau for possessing disproportionate assets.
ACB release said it had got a tip-off against Y Jaya Raju, the accused, attached to Excise station in Vuyyuru of Krishna district, following which searches were conducted at his and his relatives' residences here and other parts of the state on February 4.
Searches revealed that he possessed five buildings, two plots of land, gold and silver articles, bank deposits, etc, collectively worth about Rs 1.08 crore on paper, but worth more than Rs 3 crore in the market, the release said.
Next: Australian police charged with rape while on duty
Australian police charged with rape while on duty
Brisbane: Two Australian police officers were on Friday charged with raping a woman while on duty in a case Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said was a blow to the force's reputation.
The men, aged 28 and 29, were each charged with five counts of rape, one count of assault with intent to commit rape, and with deprivation of liberty.
Neither entered a plea when they faced the Mackay Magistrates Court this morning, with both of them granted bail. It is alleged they raped the woman in Mackay, 970 kilometres north of Brisbane, on Sunday morning. She filed a complaint on Monday which sparked an internal investigation.
Stewart said the constables were arrested yesterday evening and had been suspended.
"I am legally unable to comment on matters before the court," he said, but admitted the incident was "a blow" to the force. "We work in a society where the consent and support of the community is paramount. "Whilst certainly there is the right of the accused to the presumption of innocence, it's certainly disappointing that conduct like this would even be contemplated."
Next: Man sentenced to life for raping minor
Man sentenced to life for raping minor
Erode (TN): A women's court here has sentenced a 31-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping a 11-year-old girl two years back.
The prosecution case was that the man had lured the girl to an isolated spot on Sept 28, 2012, while she was playing with her friends, raped her and then fled.
The girl informed her parents the same night, who then filed a complaint with police. The man was arrested a few days later and a charge sheet filed against him.
Women's Court Judge Sarvamangala yesterday sentenced Loganathan to life imprisonment and also ordered him to pay a fine of Rs 1.10 lakh to the court, of which Rs one lakh would be given to the girl.
