23 die in Jammu bus plunge

Jammu (PTI): At least 23 people, mostly labourers from Bihar and Nepal, were killed and 26 injured when the bus they were travelling in plunged into a gorge near Ramban on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

While 12 persons died on the spot, eight succumbed to injury on way to hospital, police said.

Rescue teams rushed to the spot, 157 km from here, and pulled out the dead and injured. The accident occurred around 8 am because of rash driving and it was possible that the driver was drunk, a police spokesman said.

College girl falls to death

New Delhi (PTI): A 19-year-old girl died allegedly after falling off a highrise in southwest Delhi on Saturday night. However, police are yet to decide whether it was an accident or murder.

Neha Kakkar, a BA second year student of Jesus and Mary College who was preparing for the civil services examinations, was found dead on Saturday evening below Kirti Shikhar District Centre in Janakpuri.

The police said according to a witness, Neha, who was on her way to IAS coaching classes, was last seen on the sixth floor of the building. An accidental death case was registered based on the witness’s account.

However, scratch marks on the body raised suspicion that the girl might have been pushed to her death. Neha’s father Chaman Lal, too, alleged that his daughter had been sexually assaulted and murdered as her body bore scratch marks on private parts.

The police are waiting for the post-mortem to decide if it is a case of accident, suicide or homicide.

UP clash

Pratapgarh (UP) (PTI): Two girls were charred to death and over 100 houses set ablaze in a communal clash that broke out on Sunday after a murder accused was gunned down in Gonda village.Ashutosh Pathak, who was out on bail, was killed by unidentified people.

2 Maoists killed

Hyderabad (PTI): Two Maoists have been killed in an encounter with police in Khammam district during a combing operation in a forest.

MP son held

Varanasi (PTI): Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Raghunath Jha’s son Ajit was detained at Mughalsarai railway station on Sunday for travelling on tickets
reserved in his father’s name. Ajit had tickets for AC two-tier in the Delhi-bound Amritsar Mail but was caught in an AC first-class berth. Ajit said he went to his father’s seat to help his mother after the MP got off in Varanasi.

Jharkhand’s 32-year-old home minister Sudesh Mahto tied the knot with a law graduate in a village 47 km from state capital Ranchi. His ministerial colleagues were on the guest list.