Everest climber turns homeward

Chandigarh: Sukhwinder Kaur, the 34-year-old mountaineer who had to abandon her climb to Mount Everest, is returning home to Muktsar on Wednesday. She has reached Kathmandu, reports our correspondent.

Her insistence to carry on despite requests from her team leader had reportedly set alarm bells ringing in the mountaineering fraternity in Nepal. The Project Himalaya expedition website said despite the problems she faced after climbing above 7,400m, Sukhwinder was refusing to come down for fear of insult from her family.

“We have established contact with her twice since yesterday and she is coming back,” a family member said over phone.

Sukhwinder had spoken to Paramjit, her friend and partner on various expeditions, twice since yesterday.

“She is fine and there is no problem with her. She is also not feeling unwell as we were informed earlier. She also spoke today,” a relative said. Her associates in Muktsar, however, said Sukhwinder has suffered frostbite.

The climber will address the media on her return to Muktsar. “There is a strong smell of foul play which only Sukhwinder can reveal. She has hinted that she could have carried on but for some inexplicable reasons was asked to return,” the relative added.

Police bullets kill teenager

Jaipur (PTI): A 14-year-old boy was killed when police opened fire to control a mob that attacked a police station in Dholpur district on Monday.

The mob pelted stones and set several government vehicles ablaze after news spread that an arrested man had hanged himself inside the police station.

The police fired 12 rounds when it failed to control the angry residents of Kanchanpur village in which the boy, identified as Devendra Gujar, was killed, inspector-general of police (law and order) Nawdeep Singh said.

Tension gripped the village as soon as news spread that one Rambabu, who was arrested with four persons for allegedly being involved in illegal liquor peddling, has died inside the police station.

According to Singh, Rambabu, who was taken out of the lock-up for the morning ritual, hanged himself from a tree on the police station premises.

The Bharatpur range inspector-general rushed to the spot with additional police force to control the situation.

Daughter beheaded

Ghaziabad (PTI): A man allegedly beheaded his 14-year-old daughter to appease the gods in Bagpat district, 70 km from here.

Harbans killed his daughter at their home and escaped with her head. The girl’s mother was injured while trying to stop her husband. She said an occultist, Feru Singh, had instigated Harbans who wanted to become rich.

Cops die in blast

Nagpur (PTI): A sub-inspector and two constables were killed when suspected Naxalites triggered a landmine blast in Gadchiroli district on Monday. A police party was visiting the Angara area to collect information about an awareness programme going on there, when the blast took place.

Airport scare

Mumbai (PTI): An unclaimed baggage triggered a bomb scare at the Chhatrapati Shivaji domestic airport in Santacruz on Monday afternoon. As soon as the luggage was spotted, the entire area was cordoned off and the bomb detection and disposal squad summoned.

Rapist held

B>lhoshiarpur (PTI): A youth has been arrested for the alleged abduction and rape of a girl in Chintpurni in Himachal Pradesh. The girl from Lehi Kalan said Balbir Singh of Halluwal had abducted her at dagger-point on May 31 and kept her in a hotel where she was raped several times. She was later sent home.

Arms smugglers

Mumbai: Police on Monday arrested three persons in connection with a shipment of smuggled arms seized at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in May, reports our correspondent. They said the arms were sent by Malaysia-based underworld don Chhota Rajan’s key associate Bharat Nepali.

‘Killer’ son

Ahmednagar (PTI): A youth allegedly killed his parents and then committed suicide by consuming poison at Ranjangaon on Sunday. Yogesh Varpe had hit them with a hammer.

The Andhra Pradesh government has launched a drive to enrol children of 5 to 11 years into schools. About 4.23 lakh children have been found to be out of schools for socio-economic reasons.