Indian Sub-continent

India: 16-year-old raped in UP's Muzaffarnagar

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Mar 4 (PTI) A minor girl has allegedly been raped when she was out in the fields to relieve herself in Bhopa village here, police said Monday.

The accused, Tinu (22), forced the 16-year-old girl to go along with him in nearby sugarcane fields where he allegedly raped her, they said.

Based on a complaint lodged by the girl's father, a case was registered against the accused who is absconding, police said, adding that the girl was sent for medical examination.

India: Women abducted, gang-raped in Rajasthan's Baran

Kota (RJ), Mar 4 (PTI) Five people have been booked for allegedly abducting and raping a 40-year-old married woman in Rajasthan's Baran district, police said Monday.

The woman was waiting for a bus at Chadba town bus stand on February 23 when the alleged incident took place, SHO, Chabda police station, Tarachand said.

On the directions of the Superintendent of Police, Baran, a case was registered against Hemraj Meena, Mahipal Meena, Ramkaran Meena, Phralad Meena and Puran Meena, who all are from Bhilwara Neecha village, he said.

India: Congress, JDS hold 2nd round of talks on seat in Karnataka

Bengaluru, Mar 4 (PTI) The Congress-JD(S) ruling coalition in Karnataka Monday held the second round of talks on the tricky issue of seat sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, with Congress saying they were moving "in the right direction."

The two parties had begun formal talks last week with the JDS insisting that 12 of the total 28 Lok Sabha seats be conceded to it, but party supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda indicated Sunday that they were ready to compromise.

India: BSP's Kaiser Jahan and Jasmir Ansari join Congress

Lucknow, Mar 4 (PTI) Former BSP MP Kaiser Jahan and a former MLA of the same party, Jasmir Ansari, Monday joined the Congress along with their supporters in the presence of UPCC president Raj Babbar here, a party spokesperson said.

Jahan, former Sitapur MP, and Ansari, former Laharpur MLA, expressed their faith in the leadership of party president Rahul Gandhi and the policies of the party, spokesman Brijendra Kumar Singh said.

Welcoming them into the party fold, Babbar said the Congress will form the government at the Centre after winning the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

India: Debt-ridden farmer commits suicide in Maharashtra

Mumbai, Mar 4 (PTI) Inability to repay bank loan and poor output from agriculture fields allegedly drove a 35-year- old farmer to commit suicide Monday in Beed district of Maharashtra, police said.

The farmer, Mahadev Rambhau Bhosle, was found hanging from a mango tree through a rope in the early hours in village Khardewadi in the district, around 375km from here in the arid Marathwada region, an official said.

Bhosle was spotted hanging by some onlookers, who alerted his family members, he said.

India: NDA 40 seats in Bihar "wishful thinking": Shatrughan Sinha

Patna, Mar 4 (PTI) Disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, who was a notable absentee at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Sunday rally here, said Monday the claim by NDA leaders of winning all 40 seats in Bihar is nothing but "wishful thinking".

On his absence from the rally where Modi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan appeared together and sounded the Lok Sabha poll bugle in Bihar, Sinha said, "I was neither called nor I was interested in attending it."

IAF claims to down Pakistani military drone in Bikaner

New Delhi, Mar 4 (PTI) A Sukhoi-30 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force on Monday shot down a Pakistani military drone in Bikaner sector of the Indo-Pak border using an air-to-air missile, government sources said.

The Pakistani drone was detected by a ground-based radar station and minutes later one of the Sukhoi-30 jets deployed in the area to keep an eye on Indian air space shot it down, they said.

The Pakistani military drone was targeted at around 11:30 AM in Bikaner-Nal sector in Rajasthan, the sources said.

India: Amit Shah flags off 'NaMo Rath'

New Delhi, Mar 4 (PTI) Ahead of the general elections, BJP president Amit Shah Monday flagged off 'NaMo Rath'-- a store on wheels selling merchandise inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The saffron coloured fleet of mini-trucks with huge photos of Modi will tour the nation selling 'NaMo' (Narendra Modi) t-shirts, coffee mugs, caps, face masks, key chains among other merchandise, a party leader said.

India: Woman raped by six in UP; FIR registered

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Mar 5 (PTI) A 23-year-old woman was reportedly abducted and raped by six persons at Dudhli village here, police said Tuesday.

According to a complaint filed by the victim's family, the woman had gone to a wedding function on Sunday when the six men came in motorbikes and took her away. They later gang raped her.

The victim was also threatened not to reveal about the incident to anyone, police said.

An FIR has been registered in the case, they said.

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