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Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Extensive legwork, technical leads: How Pune Rural police solved a case of rape and murder of 2-year-old girl in 48 hours
On February 15, 2021, a 25-year-old labourer from a remote village in the hilly region of the Pune district left home for work at around 9 am. The labourer was given the work to chop some large logs of wood next to a dam. Back home were his wife and three children — two daughters aged three and two, and a two-month-old son. His mother had gone to a nearby reservoir to catch fish to be sold in the local market. At around 12 pm, he got a call from a man from his village, saying his two-year-old daughter had gone missing, the police records show. A brutal rape and murder What followed was an extensive search conducted across eight villages in the area, as senior police officers also joined the operation. The police received the first lead when a rickshaw driver told them he had dropped a man and a girl of that description to a location in a neighbouring village. A woman from a neighbouring village further pointed the police in the direction where the man was seen taking the girl. A day after she had gone missing, the girl was found dead in a cement pipe next to a bridge on a road connecting two villages. Autopsy revealed that the girl had been brutally raped and murdered. The police, which had registered a kidnapping case, added the provisions related rape of minor, murder, destruction of evidence and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. After the first lead Abhinav Deshmukh, who was the superintendent of police for Pune Rural at the time, formed eight teams and launched an extensive probe. The teams started working on the preliminary description of the suspect, and combed remote hamlets in hilly regions spread across over a dozen villages. Some of these hamlets did not even have motorable approach roads. After their extensive legwork, the police received a possible location where the suspect could have been hiding. Subsequently, working on technical leads and ground-level police work, the investigation team found out that the suspect was hiding at a brick kiln on the outskirts of a village in the Mahad taluka of the state's Raigad district. Within 48 hours after registration of the case, the Pune Rural police arrested Sanjay Baban Katkar, 38, a brick kiln labourer. Katkar had been hiding in a small hut at a brick kiln on the outskirts of Nate village in Mahad. After his arrest, Katkar denied any link to the case, but confessed to the crime following sustained interrogation. He also showed the police where he had disposed of the victim's body and the location where he had dumped his jacket, which he was wearing at the time of committing the crime. The police probe showed that Katkar worked at a brick kiln near the victim's village and had kidnapped her from her house while passing through the area. During the fact-tracked trial of the case in a Special Court for Pocso cases, as many as 16 prosecution witnesses were examined along with circumstantial evidence gathered by the investigation team, including the results of DNA analysis. In the judgment pronounced in the last week of February 2022, the court sentenced Katkar to death under Section 6 of the Pocso Act. Sushant Kulkarni is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express in Pune with 12+ years of experience covering issues related to Crime, Defence, Internal Security and Courts. He has been associated with the Indian Express since July 2010. Sushant has extensively reported on law and order issues of Pune and surrounding area, Cyber crime, narcotics trade and terrorism. His coverage in the Defence beat includes operational aspects of the three services, the defence research and development and issues related to key defence establishments. He has covered several sensitive cases in the courts at Pune. Sushant is an avid photographer, plays harmonica and loves cooking. ... Read More
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Anwar: My visit to Singapore enhances cooperation between two countries
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed optimism that his visit to Singapore today will enhance cooperation between Malaysia and the republic, bringing mutual benefits to both nations. Anwar said that during his visit, he met with his counterpart, Lawrence Wong, as well as President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. "We discussed key bilateral matters, including border issues, maritime affairs, renewable energy, and initiatives such as the Asean Power Grid. "We also reviewed ongoing projects, including the Johor Baru–Singapore Rapid Transit System Link, which is set for completion by late 2026, and the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone, which is expected to boost regional growth. "InsyaAllah, this visit will bring significant benefits and further enhance cooperation between Malaysia and Singapore across various strategic sectors. "May the friendship between both nations continue to be strengthened for our shared prosperity." Anwar was in Singapore to attend the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue. Last year, Singapore was Malaysia's second-largest trading partner globally and the largest within Asean. Bilateral trade grew by 8.9 per cent to RM396.22 billion comprising RM230.86 billion in exports to Singapore and RM143.73 billion in imports.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Special Olympics RI Summer Games begin Friday
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — Special Olympians from around Rhode Island will show off their skills this coming weekend as they compete in the annual Summer Games. This year's games will be held May 30-31 at URI's Kingston campus and June 1 at St. George's School in Middletown. It's Special Olympics Rhode Island's biggest sporting event of the year. Wednesday was 'Truck Day,' the unofficial start of the Summer Games. A trailer loaded up with equipment and supplies left the Special Olympics RI headquarters in Smithfield and was escorted by police down to URI. The Torch Run ceremony at the R.I. State House starts at 1 p.m. on Friday, May 30, followed by the Opening Ceremony at Meade Stadium at 7 p.m. However, competition begins earlier in the day with bowling at 10 a.m. Other events include track and field, soccer, powerlifting and swimming. See a full schedule of events here. SCHEDULE: Special Olympics RI 2025 Summer Games WPRI 12 is a proud sponsor of Special Olympics Rhode Island, and we'll have live coverage Friday on 12 News and right here on Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
SIU investigates Department of Defence over mask tender corruption claims
President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed a new proclamation authorising the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate allegations of maladministration in the affairs of the Department of Defence and to recover any losses suffered by the State. Proclamation 260 of 2025 authorises the SIU to investigate serious maladministration, focusing on irregularities linked to Bid Number CPSC-UB-M-013-2021 for the supply and delivery of surgical mask elastic loops. 'The SIU probe will examine whether the procurement and contracting were made in a manner that was not fair, competitive, transparent, equitable, or cost-effective or in violation of applicable legislation, guidelines, or instructions from the National or Provincial Treasury. 'This includes the department's or the State's unauthorised, irregular, or wasteful expenditure. Furthermore, the SIU will seek to establish if there was any misappropriation of unidentified payments received by the department,' said the SIU in a statement today. The probe will also look at any irregular, unlawful, or improper conduct by officials or employees of the department, its suppliers or service providers, or any other person or entity implicated. The SIU said the proclamation covers allegations of unlawful and improper conduct that occurred between March 1, 2021 and May 23, 2025, as well as any related activities before March 1, 2021 and after the date of the proclamation that are pertinent to the matters under investigation or involve the same persons, entities or contracts. Beyond investigating maladministration, corruption and fraud, the SIU is committed to identifying systemic failures and recommending measures to prevent future losses. In line with the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996 (SIU Act), the SIU will refer any evidence of criminal conduct uncovered during its investigation to the NPA for further action. Under the SIU Act, the SIU is also authorised to initiate a civil action in the High Court or a Special Tribunal in its name to address any wrongdoing identified during its investigation resulting from acts of corruption, fraud or maladministration. – Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hi Dubai
27-05-2025
- Business
- Hi Dubai
UAE and Oman Sign Agreement to Develop Al Rawdah Special Economic Zone
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, witnessed the signing of a landmark agreement to develop and operate the first phase of the Al Rawdah Special Economic Zone in Oman's Al Buraimi Governorate. The deal was signed in Muscat during a high-level UAE delegation visit led by Sheikh Hamdan, reflecting the deepening economic cooperation between the UAE and Oman. The agreement was signed by Eng. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Dheeb, Deputy Chairman of Oman's Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ), and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, on behalf of Mahadha Development Company, an Emirati-Omani joint venture. DP World is the majority partner in the project. Mahadha Development Company will develop infrastructure, master planning, and facilities for the zone, which will initially cover 14 square kilometers with plans to expand to 25 square kilometers. The zone's strategic location connects it directly to key ports in Oman and the UAE, including Sohar and Jebel Ali, enhancing logistics and market access across Gulf, Asian, and African trade routes. The zone aims to foster diversified economic activities such as manufacturing, logistics, pharmaceuticals, and food processing, while supporting Oman Vision 2040 and Dubai's Economic Agenda D33. It is expected to attract foreign direct investment, boost industrial output, and create thousands of jobs over time. This initiative follows record non-oil trade between the UAE and Oman in 2024, reaching AED 56 billion, signaling a growing partnership. DP World's four decades of expertise in free zone development positions the Al Rawdah project as a key driver for regional trade and economic growth. News Source: Emirates News Agency
