At least eight people were killed and two others injured when the SUV they were travelling in lost control and fell into a roadside ditch in Bihar’s Purnea district on Saturday, officials said.

The local administration is trying to ascertain the identity of the deceased.

“The accident took place around 3 AM on Saturday when the car occupants were going to Nania village in Kishanganj district after attending a ’tilak’ ceremony (initial function of a wedding) in Tarabadi area of Purnea district.

“The driver lost control over the vehicle and it fell into a water-filled ditch beside Purnea-Kishanganj State Highway near Kanjia Middle School,” Baisi Sub-divisional Magistrate Kumari Toushi said.

Eight people died on the spot and their bodies were sent for post-mortem examination, while the two injured were admitted to a nearby hospital where their condition is stated to be stable.

Kanjia Panchayat Mukhiya Samrendra Ghosh told reporters that all the deceased are males.
“The local administration will soon ascertain their identity and the exact cause of the accident,” Circle Officer Raj Shekhar said.

Security forces arrested two ‘hybrid terrorists’ linked to the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit in Sopore area of Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Friday.

The terrorists were arrested at a check point jointly set up by the police, CRPF and Army at Gurseer in Sopore area late on Thursday night, the officials said.

They said incriminating material, arms and ammunition have been recovered from their possession.

Giving details of the arrest, a police spokesman said security forces intercepted two persons coming from Darpora-Delina towards Seer who tried to escape from the spot but were apprehended.

“The arrested duo has been identified as Faizan Ahmad Paul (resident of Shopian) and Muzamil Rashid Mir (resident of Pulwama). Two pistols, two magazines and five pistol rounds were recovered from their possession,” the spokesman said.

He said preliminary investigation revealed that the arrested persons are hybrid terrorists of the LeT and were in search of an opportunity to carry out attacks on security forces as well as civilians including outside labourers.

‘Hybrid terrorist’ is a term coined by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir to describe those ultras who carry out a subversive task assigned to them by their handlers before slipping back into normal life.

They are activated by the handlers on need basis, a tactic that helps them to evade the radar of security forces for little longer than those who join the ranks full time.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday arrived at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh on a two-day visit to the state.

Security has been tightened in view of the President’s visit with paragliding, flying of drones and hot air balloons being prohibited in Lahaul-Spiti and Kullu districts on June 11 when he is scheduled to visit Atal Tunnel Rohtang.

Kovind was received at SAI Ground Dharamshala by Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Assembly Speaker Vipin Singh Parmar, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Sarveen Chaudhary.

MP Kishan Kapoor, MLA Vishal Neharia, Mayor MC Dharamshala Onkar Neharia, Chief Secretary Ram Subhag Singh, Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu, Principal Secretary GAD Bharat Khera, Deputy Commissioner of Kangra Nipun Jindal and Superintendent of Police of Kangra Khushal Sharma were also present on the occasion.

The President will preside over the sixth convocation of the central university in Dharamshala in Kangra district in the evening.

He will visit Atal Tunnel Rohtang, which connects Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti districts, on Saturday. The prestigious tunnel was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 3, 2020.

Flying of drones, hot air balloons and paragliding have been prohibited in Lahaul-Spiti and Kullu districts on June 11, officials said.

Issuing an order under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, Lahaul-Spiti Deputy Commissioner Neeraj Kumar said the prohibitory orders have been issued to avoid any hindrance in the President’s aerial visit and ensure his safety and security.

A 16-year-old boy allegedly shot dead his mother as she stopped him from playing the online game PUBG, police said on Wednesday.

The boy was addicted to the online game and could not take his mother preventing him to play it, so he shot her dead, they said.

Police said they recovered the partially decomposed body of the woman on Tuesday night and sent it for post-mortem. The boy was apprehended.

The minor fatally shot her mother on Saturday and kept the body locked inside a room of their house here for two days before informing his father, an Army personnel posted in West Bengal, about the incident, they said.

His nine-year-old sister was also at home when the incident took place. He allegedly threatened her not to reveal the incident to anyone and used a room freshener to hide the smell of the decomposed body, police said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Qasim Abidi said, “The incident took place in Yamunapuram Colony under PGI police station area. The deceased used to live with her two children at the house. Her husband, who is a JCO (Junior Commissioned Officer), is currently posted in West Bengal.”

“The 16-year-old boy was addicted to online game PUBG. He told us that his mother used to stop him from playing the game, this is why he killed her. The minor used the registered firearm of his father to kill the mother,” he said.

Police said they have recovered the weapon. According to the police, the minor shot dead the mother on Saturday night and took her younger sister to another room. He locked the room where the body was lying.

“On Tuesday evening when the smell of the decomposed body became severe, he informed his father about the incident. The father called the neighbours and they informed the police,” Abidi said. “The boy initially tried to weave a false story around the incident but finally revealed the truth,” he said.