Police constable recruits save boy's life during Chithirai festival
Some of the police constable recruits who were deployed for bandobust duty for Chithirai festival in Madurai acted swiftly and saved the life of a young boy who had suffered accidental electrocution at Tallakulam on May 11.
Amid a sea of devotees, the boy collapsed after he suffered the electric shock. The police constable recruits - N. Chandramohan and T.R. Chinthanaivalavan - administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a life-saving technique. As they realised that an ambulance could not reach the spot as it was teeming with hundreds of thousands of people, the two, along with two of their colleagues E. Saranraj and L. Siman, carried the boy on their shoulders and rushed him to the Government Rajaji Hospital, finding way amid the crowd.
Commissioner of Police J. Loganathan on Wednesday honoured the recruits for their timely and courageous intervention that got him prompt medical attention to save the boy's life.
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Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Key moments from the closing arguments at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial
NEW YORK — A jury will begin deliberations on Monday over the fate of Sean 'Diddy' Combs after hearing wildly differing views from prosecutors and a defense lawyer over whether he engaged in sex trafficking for two decades. Key moments from the closing arguments at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial Two prosecutors insisted that he had coerced, threatened and sometimes viciously forced two ex-girlfriends to have sex with male sex workers to satisfy his sexual pleasure. They cited multiple acts of violence he carried out against them as proof that they had no say. A defense lawyer then mocked the government's closing argument and warned that prosecutors were employing a novel approach to sex crimes that risked turning the swinger lifestyle that Combs and his girlfriends enjoyed into potential crimes for all Americans. Combs, 55, the founder of Bad Boy Entertainment, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges in the trial, which continues Monday when the judge will read instructions on the law to jurors before they begin deliberations. Here are key moments from closing argument on Thursday and Friday: Prosecutors triggered headlines last week that they had backed off or eliminated claims of arson and kidnapping against Combs when they said they were removing instructions on the law regarding them to be given jurors on Monday in response to the judge's request to streamline the case for the jury. 'The Government is no longer planning to proceed on these theories of liability so instructions are no longer necessary,' prosecutors wrote in a letter to the judge. But when Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik launched closings on Thursday, she gave the allegations of arson and kidnapping a starring role in her first sentences, naming them before any others. 'Over the last several weeks, you've learned a lot about Sean Combs. He's the leader of a criminal enterprise. He doesn't take no for an answer. And now you know about many crimes the defendant committed with members of his enterprise: Kidnapping of one of the defendant's employees; arson by trying to blow up a car; forced labor, including of an employee the defendant repeatedly sexually assaulted; bribery of a security officer to keep damning evidence against the defendant buried; and of course, the brutal crimes at the heart of this case — sex trafficking,' she said. The arson claim stemmed from evidence that Slavik said showed Combs was behind the firebombing of rapper Kid Cudi's Porsche in 2012. The kidnapping allegation also related to Cudi. Slavik said Combs kidnapped an employee to join him when he broke into Cudi's home after learning the rapper was dating his girlfriend. Attorney Marc Agnifilo in an at-times folksy presentation spared few theatrics in mocking the government's case against Combs as overreach, saying hundreds of agents poured into Combs' residences in Miami and Los Angeles to seize hundreds of bottles of baby oil and Astroglide lubricant. 'I guess it's all worth it because they found the Astroglide. They found it in boxes, boxes of Astroglide taken off the streets. Whew, I feel better already,' he said, before adding: 'The streets of America are safe from the Astroglide!' From the start, Agnifilo tried to portray prosecutors as unjustly targeting Combs after a former girlfriend of nearly 11 years — Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura — sued him in November 2023. She testified for four days in the trial's first week. The lawsuit was settled for $20 million the next day but she touched off a criminal probe with her allegations of being subjected to hundreds of drug-fueled 'freak-offs' in which she alleged she was forced to perform sexually for days with male sex workers while Combs watched, filmed and directed the action. A woman who testified under the pseudonym 'Jane' also testified during the trial that she experienced 'hotel nights' similar to 'freak-off' in a relationship with Combs from 2021 until his arrest. Agnifilo maintained the prosecution was an unjust attack on a prominent and wildly successful Black entrepreneur. 'They took Astroglide and they took baby oil, and that ends up being the evidence in this case, because his businesses are outstanding. There's nothing about the businesses to find. There's nothing about the businesses to make into a criminal case,' he said. Agnifilo tried to cast the case for the jury as an attack on everyone's bedroom and the secrets of one's sex life. 'They go into the man's bedroom. They go into the man's most private life. Where is the crime scene? The crime scene is your private sex life. That's the crime scene,' he said as he stood before jurors, who were largely expressionless as they took occasional notes and watched the closings. The lawyer said it was not uncommon that Combs liked to film sexual events with his girlfriends, calling it 'sort of typical, you know, homemade porn' and adding that 'I don't think by any stretch of the imagination this is the only man in America making homemade porn.' Still, he said, investigators "take yellow crime scene tape, figuratively, and they wrap it around his bedroom. Crime scene — your bedroom, your hotel rooms, where you go with your girlfriends. Crime scenes. A lot of yellow tape.' Then, he gave a nod to the 50th anniversary of the movie 'Jaws,' resurrecting a classic line from Hollywood history when he said: 'We need a bigger roll of crime scene tape, because that's just not going to be enough.' Just after Agnifilo told jurors that it 'takes a lot of courage to acquit,' he ripped the government's case a final time in stark terms, saying the trial was 'very different" from any other trial. 'I think that the evidence shows, and you can conclude, that the government targeted Sean Combs,' he said, noting that nobody complained to the government to instigate a probe, but investigators instead began their work a day after Cassie filed her lawsuit. After the jury left the room at the conclusion of Agnifilo's four-hour summation, his statement about targeting drew an outcry from the prosecutor, Slavik. When the jury returned, Judge Judge Arun Subramanian noted the remark Agnifilo had made about targeting Combs and told jurors that 'the decision of the government to investigate an individual or the decision of a grand jury to indict an individual is none of your concern.' Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey got the final word with a rebuttal presentation to jurors, telling them: 'The defendant is not a god.' She said that Combs in his mind 'was untouchable." She noted that one former personal assistant even described him as a 'god among men.' 'For 20 years, the defendant got away with his crimes. That ends in this courtroom,' she said. 'He is a person. And in this courtroom, he stands equal before the law. Overwhelming evidence proves his guilt. It is time to hold him accountable. Find him guilty.' This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
India Gazette
5 hours ago
- India Gazette
Odisha: Second phase of Baripada Rath Yatra begins amid devotion and tradition
Mayurbhanj (Odisha) [India], June 29 (ANI): The second phase of the Baripada Rath Yatra in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district resumed on Sunday, drawing thousands of devotees to the streets as the sacred chariots of Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath continued their journey. Steeped in devotion and distinguished by tradition, the Baripada Rath Yatra, also known as the Dwitiya Srikhetra in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, began on Saturday, a day after Rath Yatra in Puri. The Baripada Rath Yatra, celebrated a day after Jagannath Puri's Gundicha Yatra, features a unique tradition where women exclusively pull the chariot of Goddess Subhadra. This year, the pulling of the sacred chariots of Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath began on Saturday. The second phase of the chariot journey resumed on Sunday. Devotees thronged the streets, and the atmosphere turned electric with traditional music, rituals, and spiritual fervour. Thousands of women, dressed in traditional attire, came forward to participate, reflecting a harmonious blend of devotion and empowerment. As the three majestic wooden chariots settled at their final destination, Baripada reaffirmed its place as a vibrant cultural heartland, where faith meets tradition, and women take the lead on sacred ground. Meanwhile, the Odisha police reported a heavy influx of vehicles towards Puri on Sunday morning. 'Today, on June 29, 2025, since early morning, there is a very heavy inflow of vehicles towards Puri. Citizens may face a waiting time of more than 2 hours. This should be considered when planning to visit Puri,' posted Odisha Police on X. Earlier in the day, Odisha Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi were suspended for negligence of duty following the stampede during the Jagannath Rath Yatra, which claimed the lives of three people and injured 6-7 others. The incident occurred during the world-famous Rath Yatra in Puri, as overcrowding led to the unfortunate demise of three devotees. Expressing deep sorrow, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced a financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased devotee. The Chief Minister ordered a detailed administrative inquiry under the supervision of the Development Commissioner and instructed the transfer of the District Collector and SP. Chanchal Rana has been appointed as the new District Collector, while Pinak Mishra has taken charge as the new Superintendent of Police. The Chief Minister reaffirmed that Rath Yatra is a source of pride for Odisha and assured strict action against those responsible for the mishap. He emphasised that such incidents must not recur, ensuring the safety and sanctity of the festival in the future. During the annual Rath Yatra, a massive crowd of devotees pull the holy chariots of the three deities - Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Shubhadra, which are taken to the Gundicha Temple, a short distance from the Jagannath Temple. The three deities spend a week at the Gundicha Temple before returning to Jagannath Temple. This year, the Rath Yatra commenced on Friday. (ANI)
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
Porn, alcohol and lack of control in families: Madhya Pradesh DGP on increase in rapes; says police alone can't curb rapes
Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Kailash Makwana said on Sunday (June 29, 2025) that the police force alone cannot curb rape incidents while claiming that various other factors, like pornography, internet and alcohol, are causing a decline in morality in society, leading to an increase in cases of sexual assault. Mr. Makwana made the remarks after holding a review meeting for Simhastha Kumbh Mela, slated to be held in 2028, with top officers in Ujjain. He went on to claim that earlier children used to listen to parents and teachers, and 'vulgarity is now being served on the internet'. 'The way pornography is being served on the internet, the minds of children are getting distorted. There are many reasons behind the increasing incidents of rape. I think it includes internet, mobile phones, availability of pornographic material and alcohol. Today, through mobile phones, someone is connecting from somewhere to someone else. There are many such reasons for the decline of morality in society. It is not possible for police alone to deal with it,' the DGP said, responding to questions from reporters. Mr. Makwana added, 'Today, no one is able to keep an eye on each other in a house. Earlier, children used to obey teachers and parents and there was a shame of [elders'] sight but now many limits have broken and the way obscene content is being served on the internet since childhood, it is definitely distorting their (children's) minds. This is the reason why these incidents have increased.' The State has seen a rise in the cases of sexual assault in recent years, with the Government informing the State Assembly that 7,294 rape cases were reported in 2024 with an average of about 20 cases per day across Madhya Pradesh. The figures showed a more than 19% increase from 6,134 cases of rape in 2020, the Government had said during the last Budget session in March. The Home Department statistics, presented in response to a question from Congress MLA Pankaj Upadhyay, had also showed an increase in the rape cases in tribal regions, with Jhabua, a community-dominated district, seeing an increase rate of 168 percent, highest in the State. Over the last five years, the cases from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community saw a 26% rise, 24% from general categories, 20% among the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and 10% from Scheduled Castes (SCs), the data showed.
