QCrime: SC Urges Harsher Penalty for Child Rape, Girl Raped & More

QCrime is your daily doze of crime stories making headlines across the country.

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1. SC Tells Govt to Consider Harsh Penalty for Child Rape

The government has assured the Supreme Court a special law will be considered in the light of a PIL plea calling for the castration of men involved in the rape or other forms of sexual abuse of infants and children, as a move to check the spurt in such barbaric crimes, reports The Tribune.

The SC Women Lawyers Association had filed a PIL contending that in addition to the jail term prescribed under the existing law, there is a need for making chemical castration mandatory, as reported by The Tribune.

You can read the full story here.

2. Punjab: Bisleri Manufacturer Caught for Rs 20-Crore-Tax Evasion

The excise and taxation department of Punjab has detected tax evasion of almost Rs 20 crore by Bisleri’s mineral water manufacturer, Asian Lac Health Food Private Limited, reports Hindustan Times.

<p>A team of officials was sent to the neighbouring state. The district excise and taxation commissioner, Ambala, reported that the Haryana branch of the firm had shown receipt of stock transfer of only Rs 6.5 crore, which meant that stock transfer of about Rs 33 crore was bogus. Since bottled water is taxable at the rate of 14.3%, the tax component on this bogus transfer alone works out to Rs 4.71 crore</p>

Anurag Verma, excise and taxation commissioner, Punjab

Read the full story here.

3. Mentally-Ill Girl Sexually Assaulted Twice

A 22-year-old mentally-ill girl from Lokmanya Nagar area in Thane was allegedly gang-raped by four men, shortly after she was sexually assaulted by another man.

According to police, the incident had taken place when the victim’s mother sent her to a flour mill around 8 pm. However, instead of going to the mill, the victim went to the house of her sister’s neighbour, who is a fruit-seller by profession. “The man, who was alone at home, took her inside and then sexually assaulted her. He also threatened her with dire consequences if she revealed it to anybody,” said Gajanan Kabdule, police spokesperson, Thane.

Later, on her way home, an autorickshaw driver offered to drop her and asked her to get into the vehicle. “The driver took her to a secluded place near Lok Manyanagar bus stop and called his three friends there. All of them consumed liquor and also forced her to drink it. Thereafter, they pushed her into a stationary tempo parked nearby and raped her, in turns,” he added.

All the five accused have been arrested.

You can read The Quint’s complete report on the incident here.

4. Hyderabad: 79 Children Rescued from Child Labour

The police have arrested seven people and rescued 79 children, 56 of them below 12 years, from a bangle-making unit while conducting a cordon and search operation in Hyderabad. The police found that the children were being made to work for long hours and were housed in tiny dwellings, reports The Hindu.

You can read the report here.

5. Teenager Found Dead with Partially Burnt Body, Honour Killing Suspected

The partially burnt body of a 17-year-old boy was found under a heap of straw on the bank of a canal in Punjab, reports the Hindustan Times. The police suspect his death to be an honour killing.

Avtar Singh was reportedly in a relationship with classmate Sukhwinder Kaur of Kuharka village. ON January 9, Avtar was invited to Sukhwinder’s house. It is suspected that her family knew about their relationship and murdered him.

Avtar’s body was found without his legs. Investigations continue. 

Read the complete story here.

6. Bengaluru: Middleman Robbed of Rs 1.35cr Black Money

A man has alleged that Rs 1.35 crore of black money was stolen from him by miscreants, according to a report inThe Times of India.

Lathif, a middleman, has alleged that five men had waylaid him on the Kalasipalya Road and took away Rs 85 lakh from him. After returning to the lodge, two men came to his room, attacked and threatened him before fleeing with Rs 50 lakh he had kept in a cover.

Read the whole story here.

7. Ambernath: Couple Set Kids, Themselves on Fire

A garment factory labourer Sanjay and his wife reportedly set themselves and their two children ablaze in their home at Ambernath.

Sanjay and his son succumbed to their injuries, while his wife and daughter are fighting for thier lives. 

<p>The mother and daughter are on ventilator support. They are severely burnt, almost 100%, and very serious.</p>

Dr T P Lahane, dean of JJ Group of Hospitals to <i>The Times of India.</i>

The police suspect marital problems as the cause of the extreme step.

Read the full story here.

8. Man, Son Shot Dead Over Suspected Gang Rivalry

A 43-year-old man and his son were allegedly shot dead by a group of men outside their residence in Southwest Delhi.

The deceased, identified as Vinod, was an owner of a dairy farm at Shikarpur village in Chhawla, and his teenage son Kamal, ran a vegetable shop.

The incident is suspected to be the fallout of a long-standing rivalry between gangs in the area, fighting for supremacy over land.

Check the complete story here.

9. Kochi: Man Wanted for Many Thefts Arrested

Kochi Police have arrested a dreaded criminal during a probe into a robbery case, in which a Kochi metro contractor was threatened to pay Rs 50,000. The criminal also forcibly took the victim’s car key and money from his pocket, reports The Hindu.

The police found out in their interrogation that the arrested criminal was also wanted for a murder and several theft cases.

Read the complete story here.