Jeweller escapes bomb attack

Mumbai: The city suffered another bomb blast on Monday in Bandra, seriously injuring a person, reports our correspondent. Police, however, ruled out terrorism.

A bomb-laden parcel meant for Vasant Salla, owner of VN Jewellers in Bandra, went off in the hands of Krishna Dev Jha, a guard who was on duty at the time. His hands were ripped off.

The parcel had arrived at the shop last night. As it was addressed to the owner, guards at the shop decided to hand it over to Salla personally. The bomb went off reportedly when Jha was handing the parcel over to Salla.

Jha was rushed to Bhabha Hospital. He lost both his hands and suffered severe burns. Doctors said he was out of danger.

Joint commissioner of police Javed Ahmad allayed the fears of the city that has suffered four blasts in the last four months when he said the explosion could be the result of personal enmity.

“There are no indications that a terrorist group may have been involved in the incident, at least not after preliminary investigations,” Ahmad said. “The incident might be the fallout of personal enmity.”

The blast, which created a big commotion on busy Linking Road, brought back memories of the Mulund train blast of March 13 that had killed 11 people and injured 70.

Angry passengers kill Naxalite

Guntur (PTI): Angry bus passengers killed a Naxalite when members of the People’s War Group set their vehicle on fire at Gamalapadu village in the district on Monday morning.

The state-owned Chilakaluri Peta-Hyderabad bus, carrying 25 passengers, was stopped on the outskirts of the village by the Naxalite group, who placed boulders on the road.

The Naxalites then asked the passengers to alight, smashed window panes and set fire to the fuel tank, police said.

When bus driver K. Sambasiva Rao protested, the Naxalites attacked him with an axe, hurting him seriously.

Irked over the attack on the driver, the passengers, including women, attacked the PWG members killing one of them. The other Naxalites escaped leaving their dead comrade. Some of the passengers also sustained injuries in the scuffle.

The deceased Naxalite has not been identified yet, police said, adding that this was the first incident of its kind when passengers gathered courage to hit back at Naxalites.

Marriage delay sparks suicide

Kolhapur (PTI): A youth from Uttur village in Ajra tehsil burnt himself to death after being depressed for not being able to marry soon.

Santosh Bandu Kumbhar had asked his parents to fix his marriage without waiting for his elder brother, but as it got delayed, he was depressed. He first tried to hang himself from a tree but the branch gave way. He then poured kerosene and set himself ablaze.

Chopper tours

Jammu (PTI): Choppers will soon hover over the Kashmir sky, carrying tourists to various destinations in the Valley, minister of state for tourism Gulam Ahmed Mir said. “Three to four helicopter services are being launched in Jammu and Kashmir to cater to domestic and foreign pilgrim tourists in the Kashmir Valley,” he said.

Collision gadget

New Delhi (PTI): “Raksha kavach”, the indigenously developed mechanism to detect collision-like situations for trains, has been found to be technically suitable to give protection from such rail accidents. The standing committee on railways was told that steps were being taken for the installation of the devices.

Terror ban

Wellington (AFP): New Zealand has listed seven Muslim organisations or individuals as terrorist entities, making it illegal for anyone to support or fund them. The list includes Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Ansar al-Islam, the Special Purpose Islamic Regiment, the Islamic International Brigade and the Sabotage Battalion of Chechen Martyrs. The Lashkar-i-Jhangvi — army of Jang, a region in Pakistan — was responsible for the January 2002 kidnapping and murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl in Karachi.

Train rape

Ferozabad (PTI): A woman was allegedly raped in a moving train by its guard and his two accomplices, official sources said. The guard, who has been placed under suspension, was arrested at Farrukhabad railway station. A case has been registered with the railway police in Tundla.

Animation film lovers will be treated to a five-day French animation film festival. French ambassador Dominique Girard inaugurated the festival in Hyderabad on Monday. As many as 40 films are being screened at the festival.