Latest news with #Odisha
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Girl, 15, is gang-raped on her way back from birthday party before escaping only to be sexually assaulted by truck driver who offered her a lift in India
A 15-year-old girl was abducted and gang raped on her way back home from a birthday party, only to be sexually assaulted again by a driver who offered her a lift after she escaped. Police say the girl was initially taken by three men on Sunday in south Odisha's Malkangiri, India, and driven 10 to 15 kilometres from the town, where she was allegedly tortured and raped. After fleeing, she attempted to return home and was picked up by a truck driver on the Malkangiri-Jeypore highway at Bijaghati. But her ordeal was far from over when the man reportedly raped her as well. Residents are said to have rescued the girl after spotting her with the driver. She later reported the incident to the police. The teenager's parents had lodged a missing persons report after she failed to return home from the party. Four suspects have been arrested and identified as Manoj Harijan, Rohit Kumar Hial, Bira Bhartia, and the driver, Sobham Singh, who local media reports is 26 years old. Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Vinodh Patil said: 'All four persons involved in the crime have been arrested.' Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik condemned the incident and warned about the uptick in violence against women in the area. The girl was initially taken by three men in south Odisha's Malkangiri, India, and driven 10 to 15 kilometres from the town, where she was allegedly tortured and raped He said: 'A disturbing wave of crimes against women is gripping Odisha… 'This surge in sexual assaults reflects a troubling erosion of law enforcement. When the various ranks of the police face interference and political pressure, accountability weakens - and women and girls pay the price first.' He also spoke about how the area has been added to a list of places where American employees must seek approval before travelling. 'Without urgent and decisive police action and political will backing it, this problem will only grow', he added.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Posts accusing Rahul Gandhi of 'insulting Hindu festival' use misleadingly edited speech
A misleadingly clipped video of Rahul Gandhi purportedly showing him calling a major religious festival a "drama" has circulated in posts accusing the opposition leader of insulting Hindus. Gandhi was in fact criticising a local Indian state government, saying it was serving the interests of billionaires over its own people. "Rahul Gandhi, standing on the soil of Odisha, called the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath a 'drama'!" reads part of the Hindi-language caption of a Facebook video shared on July 11, 2025. The video shows Gandhi standing at a podium and saying: "When the Jagannath Yatra takes place in Odisha, the chariot of the Jagannath Yatra comes out, hundreds of thousands of people watch it and follow it and then a drama takes place." It was shared after a deadly stampede marred the annual Rath Yatra festival honouring the Hindu deity Lord Jagannath, which was held in eastern Odisha state (archived link). At least three people were killed and around 50 others injured in the early hours of June 29, with the Times of India reporting that eyewitnesses blamed the chaos on poor planning and arrangements for VIPs (archived link). The clip was also shared in similar Facebook, Threads and X posts targeting the opposition Congress party's leader. "The Supreme Court should take cognisance of the insult of the Hindu faith and Lord Jagannath by this heretic and strict action should be taken against this heretic," read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "When will action be taken against this corrupt stupid man? How long will he keep roaming around the country and keep talking nonsense, keep playing with the sentiments of Hindu believers?" The video, however, has been misleadingly edited. Clipped video A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the misleadingly edited video led to a longer version published on the verified YouTube channel of News 18 Odia on July 11 (archived link). Its description states that Gandhi was speaking at Congress' "Save the Constitution" rally in Odisha's Bhubaneswar city, part of a national campaign to bolster support for the opposition party. The segment used in the false posts can be seen at the video's 32-second mark. The falsely shared clip omits Gandhi explaining what he meant by "drama". "When the Jagannath Yatra takes place in Odisha, the chariot of the Jagannath Yatra comes out, hundreds of thousands of people watch it and follow it and then a drama takes place -- the chariots are stopped specifically for Adani and his family," he says, referring to Indian billionaire Gautam Adani. The Adani Group chairman took part in the Rath Yatra with his family on June 28 (archived link). The pulling of giant chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings from the Lion's Gate of the Shree Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple 2.5 km (1.5 miles) away -- a key ritual in the Rath Yatra -- had been delayed by a day, according to India's The Telegraph newspaper (archived link). The newspaper said the opposition Congress party accused the Odisha state government, run by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of deliberately delaying the ritual so the Adani family could take part. In response, Odisha law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan accused the opposition of trying to "politicise the issue". Gandhi goes on to say in his speech: "This alone reveals the true nature of the Odisha government. This is not the Odisha government and it is also not the government of poor people. "It doesn't serve the people of Odisha, but rather a handful of billionaires like Adani. Their aim is to seize your land, your forests, and your future." His remarks were also reported by The Indian Express, The Print, PTI and Times of India (archived here, here, here and here). AFP has debunked other false posts targeting the opposition leader here.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Old photo of plane wreck falsely linked to Indian Air Force crash in July
A decade-old photo of a jet wreckage has resurfaced in posts falsely claiming it depicts an Indian Air Force Jaguar training aircraft that crashed during a routine operation in the northwestern Rajasthan state on July 9. The June 3, 2015 AFP photo of the old disaster was taken in the eastern Odisha state. "Air Force's Jaguar fighter jet crashes in Churu, two pilots martyred," reads a Hindi-language Facebook post shared on July 9, 2025. The Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed a jet crashed in the Churu district of western India's Rajasthan state during a routine training mission on July 9, killing two pilots onboard (archived link). The post shares a breaking news graphic with a photo of a plane wreck in a field surrounded by people. Hindi-language text repeats the claim. The same image circulated across Facebook, Threads and X on the day of the crash. However, reverse image searches found the photo is of a different crash in 2015. The photo was published by BBC in a February 27, 2019 report about misinformation circulating during rising tensions between India and Pakistan (archived link). It is credited to AFP and captioned, "Wreckage of an Indian Air Force jet. Photo: June 2015." Keyword searches found the same photo in AFP's archives, published on June 3, 2015 (archived link). The caption reads, in part, "Onlookers look at an Indian Air Force advanced jet trainer aircraft (A 3492) which crashed in a paddy field at Kudurasahi in Mayurbhanj district, some 365 kms north of Bhubaneswar on June 3, 2015". Mayurbhanj disrict in the eastern Odisha state is more than 1,340 kilometres (835 miles) from Churu (archived link). The same photo was used in reports by local outlets The Hindu and The Telegraph about the 2015 crash, which said the accident occurred due to a technical glitch and both pilots were able to eject in time (archived links here and here).
The Independent
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Indian student's self-immolation after sexual harassment complaint sparks national outrage
A 20-year-old student in India set herself on fire at her college campus after alleging sexual harassment by a professor, an incident that has prompted national outrage and calls for an inquiry from political leaders. The woman, a second-year undergraduate studying education at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, Odisha, self-immolated on Saturday, moments after leaving the office of the college principal. She suffered over 90 per cent burns and was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Science in Bhubaneswar, where she died late on Monday night. Her father, speaking to local media, accused the college of conspiring against his daughter. 'My daughter was killed,' he said in Hindi, breaking down on television. 'She always raised her voice in college, so they targeted her. Everyone forced her to die. Is this not murder?' He claimed that his daughter had complained of sexual harassment by Sameer Ranjan Sahoo, the head of the education department, accusing him of demanding sexual favours and threatening to ruin her career. 'She didn't open up completely but said the accused was pressuring her,' he said, reported India Today. Mr Sahoo has been suspended and arrested, with a local court placing him under 14 days' judicial custody. The student had formally approached the college's Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), naming Mr Sahoo and claiming that the principal, Dillip Ghosh, and other college authorities failed to act on her initial complaints. The ICC is said to have promised action, but the family say none was taken. She had also approached the police and even met her local MP, but the family say the alleged harassment continued. Mr Ghosh was suspended as principal by the college on Sunday, and arrested on Monday when the student was still in critical condition in hospital. Local opposition leader Bhakta Charan Das, the Odisha Congress Party chief, announced a state-wide shut-down on 17 July to protest the 'collapse of the justice redressal system'. Thousands attended the student's cremation in her home village on Tuesday, including the local state legislator from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Pratap Sarangi, and other officials. Mohan Charan Majhi, Odisha's chief minister, expressed his condolences and vowed 'strict action' while offering £18,500 in compensation for the family. The case has triggered a political storm in Odisha and beyond. Former chief minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) party leader Naveen Patnaik blamed the BJP-led state government, calling the girl's death 'institutional betrayal' and a result of 'planned injustice'. 'She went from pillar to post for justice but was failed by the very system meant to protect her,' Mr Patnaik wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 'She did not die due to injuries alone, but because the state left her alone in her struggle.' National opposition leader Rahul Gandhi called the student's death 'an organised murder by the system' and said those meant to protect her 'kept breaking her'. In a sharply worded post on X calling out prime minister Narendra Modi, he added: 'Whether in Odisha or Manipur, the daughters of the nation are burning, breaking, and dying. And you [prime minister Narendra Modi] remain silent.' Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Mr Gandhi was politicising the incident, stating that the welfare of women was a top priority for the BJP-led central government. In response to the public outcry, the University Grants Commission (UGC), a statutory body under the education ministry, has set up a fact-finding team led by Raj Kumar Mittal. The panel will examine the circumstances of the student's death, review the college's compliance with regulatory norms, and assess the effectiveness of anti-harassment mechanisms. Other members of the committee include UGC joint secretary Ashima Mangla, Gujarat University vice-chancellor Neerja Gupta, and former UGC member Sushma Yadav. The panel has been asked to submit its report by 22 July. The UGC said the committee would visit the college, engage with students, staff and administrators, and assess the safety measures and institutional culture related to student welfare. Meanwhile, the victim's family continues to demand answers. 'Why was she called alone to the principal's office? What happened inside? Why were we not informed?' her father asked while speaking to ANI. 'I request the government to acknowledge that my daughter didn't die, she was killed, and everyone should be charged with murder," he said.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Researchers discover 'hotspots' of dangerous issue in fishing industry: 'Not every fisherman is aware of the dangers'
When we think of plastic pollution in the ocean, we might think of discarded bottles and other litter, or even microplastics like nurdles. But one of the major components of this plastic problem is actually "ghost nets" or "ghost gear" left behind by commercial fishing vessels. Researchers surveying the coast of India collected thousands of pounds of this ghost gear between 2021 and 2024, highlighting the problem, The Times of India reported. The survey vessels MFV Matsya Shikari and MVF Matsya Darshini of the Fishery Survey of India have spent several years going up and down the coast near Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, trawling the bottom of the ocean. They have recovered 5,562 kilograms (12,262 pounds, or over six tons) of ghost fishing gear, including nets, ropes, containers, and covers. Researchers discovered 15 "hotspots" where trash was heavily concentrated. Nets commonly wear out every eight to 10 months, and it's not uncommon to lose them. "If stuck in a rock while fishing, we pull the net out, but it tears, and the torn bit goes underwater, choking olive ridley turtles and fish," said Surada Satyanarayana, general secretary of Visakha Dolphin Boat Operators Welfare Association, per the Times of India. Indeed, left-behind gear is a hazard for marine life, entangling and strangling a wide range of creatures. It can even snare boat propellers and cause severe damage, costing people money. Because nets snare on rocks and coral and because plastic doesn't decompose, nets can stay on the bottom, disrupting the ecosystem for essentially forever. "Not every fisherman is aware of the dangers of ghost nets," said Satyanarayana. "However, some of them collect and hand over the ghost nets at collection centers for such items." Those collection centers are one of the biggest ways officials fight the problem. Local civic authorities run collection centers to gather and recycle worn-out and damaged fishing gear, rather than having fishers leave it in the ocean. But public awareness is critical to ensure these programs are used. "They need to be encouraged to recover ghost nets for proper disposal. Public awareness through communication can be a powerful tool to tackle the ghost nets menace," said GVA Prasad, scientist at FSI-Visakhapatnam, per the Times of India. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
