A man on Tuesday killed his father over land dispute in Injra village of thesil Jand. Amir Shehzad attacked his father Sattar Ali with a pistol killing him on the spot. On Sunday, a mother was killed by his son in Uchari village.
Meanwhile, a shepherd Ahmad Khan was also killed by some unknown persons. However, the reason for the murder could not be known.
ROAD ACCIDENT: Four persons were injured in a road accident, when their car (LRG-6730) was hit by a damper near Tarbela chowk on main GT road.
In another incident, Qaisar Mehmood resident of Mirza village injured by his uncle Mohammad Riaz, while Nazar Hussain sustained injuries when he was allegedly attacked by three persons Akbar Khan, Muhammad and Karim Khan over house construction dispute.
Such as Mehmood Khan, his son Qazi Ali and wife were also injured by their rivals Ghulam Farid, Nasir and Babar.
10 OUTLAWS HELD: Attock police have arrested 10 outlaws — Muhammad Saleem, Abidur Rehman, Muhammad Yaqoob, Sikandar, Wahid Gull, Awal Khan, Liaqut Ali, Javed Iqbal, Zahid Ali and Nawaz Hussain, and recovered seven pistols, a revolver, 16 bullets and 2.1 kg Hashish from their possession in separate strikes in different areas of the district.—Correspondent
Saturday, November 14, 2009
A harrowing tale of bonded labour, rape
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Lahore district and sessions judge to probe the accusations made by a woman who gave a blow-by-blow account of the ordeal she and her family experienced during 18-year captivity of an influential family in Gujranwala.
The bench comprises Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi and Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad.
Punjab Inspector-General Ziaul Hasan was also directed to provide protection to the victim and her family who managed to escape from their captors some time back.
The apex court took suo motu notice of an application filed by Zohra Bibi who alleged that she and her family members had been working in the poultry farms, cattle farms and agricultural lands of a Gujranwala-based powerful family of Faisal Khalid Cheema for the past 18 years in return for only two meals a day.
She said that her daughters, who were often sexually assaulted, worked as maidservants at Cheema’s place or in the houses of his relatives.
She said her 13-year-old daughter, Saadia Gul, was raped by a relative of the Cheema family. She said when she lodged a complaint with the police, the powerful family had her daughter badly beaten up by a local hooligan who also raped the girl.
She said the court could make her daughter undergo a medical check-up to determine if she had been raped.
She alleged Cheema and his brother gang-raped a minor girl, Samina, daughter of her brother-in-law, Faiz Ahmad. She added that another minor girl, Marya, was badly beaten up when she resisted Cheema. She said her other daughter, Nadia, was dragged away in front of her and raped by Cheema’s brother and his cousin in their room.
She recalled that her son was kidnapped nine years ago by Cheema who made the boy work as a servant at the house of his relative in Islamabad.
She said that while some members of her family managed to escape in Ramazan, others were still held in captivity by the Cheema family.
She said that when her brother-in-law lodged a complaint with the Gujranwala district and sessions judge, he was arrested by police on the premises of the court and later tortured by the Cheema family for 16 days in police custody.
She said that he was later arrested on theft charges and his bail petition was still pending with a local magistrate.
She said that her family member, Shaukat, told her outside the courtroom that he was under tremendous pressure from the Cheema family who still held in captivity his son, daughter-in-law and son-in-law.
However, Asif Khalid Cheema, son of Faisal Khalid Cheema, denied Zohra’s allegations.
The Supreme Court bench directed the Lahore district and sessions judge to complete the probe by Dec 11. They also directed the Gujranwala magistrate to decide Faiz’s bail application without being influenced by the Supreme Court proceedings.
____________________________________________END_______________________________________________________________________
Ninety-seven women killed for ‘honour’ in five months
( 749 cases of rape, 57 of gang rape and five of incest were reported only in Punjab.—File photo)
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Monday that 90 women had been killed in the name of honour in Punjab and seven in the NWFP during the first five months of the current year.
Figures provided to the assembly in response to a question showed that the number of cases of torture against women in the two provinces stood at 3,183 between January and May, 2009.
During the same period, 299 women were killed in Punjab and 74 in the NWFP in cases of domestic violence. There were 11 cases in which acid was thrown on women in Punjab. Six cases of Vanni were reported in Punjab and three in NWFP.
An astounding number of 749 cases of rape, 57 of gang rape and five of incest were reported in Punjab, while in the NWFP the number of rape cases was 10, gang rape 3 and incest 1.
aIn cases of harassment at the workplace, 57 women were sexually assaulted in Punjab (none in NWFP), while 22 women suffered physical violence in the NWFP but no such cases were reported in Punjab.
The bench comprises Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi and Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad.
Punjab Inspector-General Ziaul Hasan was also directed to provide protection to the victim and her family who managed to escape from their captors some time back.
The apex court took suo motu notice of an application filed by Zohra Bibi who alleged that she and her family members had been working in the poultry farms, cattle farms and agricultural lands of a Gujranwala-based powerful family of Faisal Khalid Cheema for the past 18 years in return for only two meals a day.
She said that her daughters, who were often sexually assaulted, worked as maidservants at Cheema’s place or in the houses of his relatives.
She said her 13-year-old daughter, Saadia Gul, was raped by a relative of the Cheema family. She said when she lodged a complaint with the police, the powerful family had her daughter badly beaten up by a local hooligan who also raped the girl.
She said the court could make her daughter undergo a medical check-up to determine if she had been raped.
She alleged Cheema and his brother gang-raped a minor girl, Samina, daughter of her brother-in-law, Faiz Ahmad. She added that another minor girl, Marya, was badly beaten up when she resisted Cheema. She said her other daughter, Nadia, was dragged away in front of her and raped by Cheema’s brother and his cousin in their room.
She recalled that her son was kidnapped nine years ago by Cheema who made the boy work as a servant at the house of his relative in Islamabad.
She said that while some members of her family managed to escape in Ramazan, others were still held in captivity by the Cheema family.
She said that when her brother-in-law lodged a complaint with the Gujranwala district and sessions judge, he was arrested by police on the premises of the court and later tortured by the Cheema family for 16 days in police custody.
She said that he was later arrested on theft charges and his bail petition was still pending with a local magistrate.
She said that her family member, Shaukat, told her outside the courtroom that he was under tremendous pressure from the Cheema family who still held in captivity his son, daughter-in-law and son-in-law.
However, Asif Khalid Cheema, son of Faisal Khalid Cheema, denied Zohra’s allegations.
The Supreme Court bench directed the Lahore district and sessions judge to complete the probe by Dec 11. They also directed the Gujranwala magistrate to decide Faiz’s bail application without being influenced by the Supreme Court proceedings.
____________________________________________END_______________________________________________________________________
Ninety-seven women killed for ‘honour’ in five months
( 749 cases of rape, 57 of gang rape and five of incest were reported only in Punjab.—File photo)
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Monday that 90 women had been killed in the name of honour in Punjab and seven in the NWFP during the first five months of the current year.
Figures provided to the assembly in response to a question showed that the number of cases of torture against women in the two provinces stood at 3,183 between January and May, 2009.
During the same period, 299 women were killed in Punjab and 74 in the NWFP in cases of domestic violence. There were 11 cases in which acid was thrown on women in Punjab. Six cases of Vanni were reported in Punjab and three in NWFP.
An astounding number of 749 cases of rape, 57 of gang rape and five of incest were reported in Punjab, while in the NWFP the number of rape cases was 10, gang rape 3 and incest 1.
aIn cases of harassment at the workplace, 57 women were sexually assaulted in Punjab (none in NWFP), while 22 women suffered physical violence in the NWFP but no such cases were reported in Punjab.
Murder of newly-wed couple suspected
The couple found dead in their apartment on Saturday morning after first night of their marriage were buried in the Sakhi Hasan graveyard on Sunday.
Mohammad Azeem, 28, and Beenish, 27, were classmates studying in the NED University. They were to host their valima on Saturday night. Though the postmortem examination report has been sealed and kept secret, SP North Nazimabad Naeem Shaikh told Dawn that according to the initial opinion of the medico legal officer, who conducted the bride’s autopsy, her jaw and nose had fractures and the fists clinched which suggested she posed resistance.
The MLO was confident that it was a murder, said the SP.
Hospital sources said there were no marks of recent injuries on Azeem’s body, nor was there any sign suggesting his death from a serious injury. However, they said, a sample of his nails had been sent for a chemical examination.
The SP said there had been no progress towards a clue to the culprits so far as we did not interview any of the bereaved family members, who were in a state of shock and mourning. “The investigation plan has been kept ready and we will hopefully solve the mystery soon,” he said. The couple had done their graduation and Azeem was employed by the Siemens Pakistan.
Police have registered an FIR against unknown suspects on the complaint of Danish Zaheer, the bride’s brother.
Mohammad Azeem, 28, and Beenish, 27, were classmates studying in the NED University. They were to host their valima on Saturday night. Though the postmortem examination report has been sealed and kept secret, SP North Nazimabad Naeem Shaikh told Dawn that according to the initial opinion of the medico legal officer, who conducted the bride’s autopsy, her jaw and nose had fractures and the fists clinched which suggested she posed resistance.
The MLO was confident that it was a murder, said the SP.
Hospital sources said there were no marks of recent injuries on Azeem’s body, nor was there any sign suggesting his death from a serious injury. However, they said, a sample of his nails had been sent for a chemical examination.
The SP said there had been no progress towards a clue to the culprits so far as we did not interview any of the bereaved family members, who were in a state of shock and mourning. “The investigation plan has been kept ready and we will hopefully solve the mystery soon,” he said. The couple had done their graduation and Azeem was employed by the Siemens Pakistan.
Police have registered an FIR against unknown suspects on the complaint of Danish Zaheer, the bride’s brother.
Killer Night
We drove up to the local beach, me and my boyfriend Roy Manson. He stopped his 2003 Night Blue Lexus convertible then Roy and I stepped out. We gently closed the car doors in unison and Roy grabbed the cooler from the truck before we slowly walked down to the beach. I smiled at Roy this was our 7th date so far.
We sat down close to the tide and gazed up at the thousands of stars in the night sky. There weren’t any buildings around here so nothing prevented us from really enjoying the beautiful night sky, and each others company. Roy got out two bottles of beer from the cooler. He cracked both of them open before handing me one.
"You know Roy, This is so romantic!" I said and took a drink of beer. I looked at Roy’s eyes glittering in the moonlight.
"Only the best for you." Roy smiled, "You’re nothing like my old girlfriend. She was always grumpy and demanding and snapped for no reason. She was a killer on my patience. But I handled it." Roy chugged down half his beer.
"Wait wasn’t she murdered? It was in the newspaper a few weeks ago wasn’t it?" I looked at Roy I hoped it wasn’t too emotional for him to remember. I took quite drinks at my beer waiting for him to say something.
"Yeah it’s a shame." Roy finally said with a sigh, "She was annoying but she didn’t deserve that. I hear she was beaten to death, and the police say that by the looks of things it was done by someone she knew. They never did find the killer though"
Now I was a bit creeped out myself. I cuddled a bit closer to Roy. With him here with me it was a lot more comforting. He looked at me with a comforting look and we both finished our beers.
The wind then picked up. Roy and I had left our jackets back in the Lexus. I told Roy that I’d go get them. He nodded saying that he’s a bit cold too. I got up and trekked back over to the Lexus thinking about Roy and how cute he is. He was a great boyfriend. I reached for our coats when a beer bottle smashed into my skull. I fell on the ground and bled to death.
"You’re annoying too. You talk too much!" was the last thing I heard.
The police arrived about an hour later. They looked around for evidence. All they found was the beer bottle with my blood on it and the Lexus still parked there, apparently all the information relating to the owner, including picture id was forged. They questioned Roy but he claims he broke up with me for weeks now.
Roy was at my funeral. He saw me in my casket and get put in the ground. He spoke a few words of grief to my parent. When the funeral was over he drove off in his new fire red Mustang and a new girl in the passenger seat
We sat down close to the tide and gazed up at the thousands of stars in the night sky. There weren’t any buildings around here so nothing prevented us from really enjoying the beautiful night sky, and each others company. Roy got out two bottles of beer from the cooler. He cracked both of them open before handing me one.
"You know Roy, This is so romantic!" I said and took a drink of beer. I looked at Roy’s eyes glittering in the moonlight.
"Only the best for you." Roy smiled, "You’re nothing like my old girlfriend. She was always grumpy and demanding and snapped for no reason. She was a killer on my patience. But I handled it." Roy chugged down half his beer.
"Wait wasn’t she murdered? It was in the newspaper a few weeks ago wasn’t it?" I looked at Roy I hoped it wasn’t too emotional for him to remember. I took quite drinks at my beer waiting for him to say something.
"Yeah it’s a shame." Roy finally said with a sigh, "She was annoying but she didn’t deserve that. I hear she was beaten to death, and the police say that by the looks of things it was done by someone she knew. They never did find the killer though"
Now I was a bit creeped out myself. I cuddled a bit closer to Roy. With him here with me it was a lot more comforting. He looked at me with a comforting look and we both finished our beers.
The wind then picked up. Roy and I had left our jackets back in the Lexus. I told Roy that I’d go get them. He nodded saying that he’s a bit cold too. I got up and trekked back over to the Lexus thinking about Roy and how cute he is. He was a great boyfriend. I reached for our coats when a beer bottle smashed into my skull. I fell on the ground and bled to death.
"You’re annoying too. You talk too much!" was the last thing I heard.
The police arrived about an hour later. They looked around for evidence. All they found was the beer bottle with my blood on it and the Lexus still parked there, apparently all the information relating to the owner, including picture id was forged. They questioned Roy but he claims he broke up with me for weeks now.
Roy was at my funeral. He saw me in my casket and get put in the ground. He spoke a few words of grief to my parent. When the funeral was over he drove off in his new fire red Mustang and a new girl in the passenger seat
Mysterious Mother
It had rained so heavy last night, she keeps dozing, and the warm bed had kept her sleepy. Suddenly Susan heard the doorbells ring, who could it be? She ponders. By the time, she got to open the door it had been quite a while. She reaches for the door and open it but there was no one around. Her gate was closed, who ever it be, must have left and gone. She could not explain to herself so she though must have been some newspaper’s boy. She was about to close her door when she hears a cry. She nearly have a shock - she try to listen again, yes! She was correct. Someone did cry but whom? She walk towards the gate and to her utter surprise and fear she could not believe, a basket in which lays the most beautiful baby she ever came across. Moments after that, is the busiest time of her life from calling the police to informing her parents. No one could explain about the child appearing in her life, but amazingly among that was the letter that someone had wrote and put near the baby. It was clearly written, in clean handwriting that whoever had put the baby in her gate had done it intentionally not just randomly. The mother’s wish as the police had presumed is someone who had known her and knows for sure that Susan was capable and the right mother for the child. But still, the police are taking all precaution and the right action by searching for the mother. The child as of now been kept in the hospital but sooner or later it had to be taken for adoption if no one show up to claim it, and Susan was being contact by the authority informing her about the situation. She was their first priority as the letter had address to her alone. But Susan had questions and they have to be answered. From the letter to the mysterious mother, everything had happened so sudden. At one point, she wanted to let everything go away from her life but at the same time she gets so trilled as to find the real mother. Who could have been? She searches her mind as to get the result. Her co-workers friend, no! it could not be one of them. She has not seen anyone being pregnant. Her neighbor’s, not them, cannot even guess among the people in the locality in which she was living. She needed help and that too quick before the time limit given by the authority expires for her. She consulted her parents and they were clueless about it, in fact they had their own point of views about her considering the child’s adoption. They present to her that it is not easy to raise a child alone and being a single parents is real hard especially if the child was not your own. Susan wanted to listen to her parents but she cannot brush away the baby’s either. She decides to herself, even if she could not solve the mystery mother she will take the child as her own to care and love. In the district administrator’s office after completing all the necessary papers for adopting the baby, as she hold it in her hand she felt so new inside of her. The arriving of the baby brings so much joy and happiness in her quiet and lonely life. For once, life has a meaning to her after so many years, she felt wanted now. Weeks passed, and she has been busy being a mother. Cannot cope with all the work alone, she hires a maid for helping her caring for her child while she is working. One day, as they were clearing her old room for the maid to move in, she came across her old school diary. Flipping the papers, one page caught her attention; in there she had written about one junior girl she met while returning home from school. As she keeps turning the page one by one, she found she did not note down anything more about that girl. That night, she could not sleep; she was trying to remember the girl name. Yes!! Namlee was her name. She was a rich girl, planning to shift to a new school the next year. But she was having a rough time with her life. Could it be her the mother’s of the child. She never could understand.
Witches House
Haunted houses are usually described as large, old bungalows inhabited by ghosts but, unlike such haunted houses, I came to know of an apartment which was inhabited by witches. It was located opposite my granny’s house.
The exterior was quite rundown, and according to people, weird noises occasionally come from inside. There was a very tall tree that loomed beside that building which was bent and almost covered the balcony of the flat.
My friends and I were very curious about it. We wanted to explore it to see for ourselves if the stories we had heard were myths or facts. Thus, we planned to go into this haunted house. We carried some necessary things with us: torches, a magnifying glass for inspection of trails and a metal rod each for personal safety.
At midnight, we left our houses while our families were sleeping peacefully. As decided, I met Rashid at midnight. The night was cold and dark. There was a full moon in the sky.
The flat looked quite desolate in the moonlight. The front door’s polish was peeling off and the doorknob was rusty. So it was easy for us to break through. With just a push the door creaked open and we stepped inside.
What we saw amazed us! Unlike other haunted houses, this house was unusually clean. The marble floor was sparkling and the furniture was polished. There were fire brackets built on the walls.
As we stepped on the marble flooring, I felt a surge of excitement in me. I wondered why it was so clean. I was also scared to go further into the house. There were three doors in different directions of the house.
I went towards one while Rashid moved to the other. I turned the doorknob of the first room and the door opened. As soon as I saw the state of the room, a chill ran down my spine. There were cobwebs everywhere. Spiders were crawling on the walls and the paint was peeling off. Oil lamps lit the room. Three rusty cauldrons were set up on logs of burning wood were emitting a smelly gas. All three contained a bubbling green potion. Many unusual herbs and plants were scattered on the dusty floor. Just then, I heard the scream of Rashid. I ran to him in the next room and saw his face white with fear. Bones were scattered everywhere and the smell of rotten flesh pervaded the room.
While Rashid calmed himself, I made my way towards a book lying on the floor. It was ragged, old and torn.
“Come and look at this,” I called Rashid. “I wonder what it says.”
Snatching the book, Rashid opened it. “Rashid, don’t,” I said, but he began to read it aloud, “The witches, supreme of all creatures, the ones with the superb power and the ones who can overpower humans.”
“How dare they,” I protested, but was interrogated by a raspy, frightening voice, “How dare humans step into our sacred place, how dare they! Humans go away, run or you will be doomed forever! Ha! Ha! Ha!” the voice echoed with laughter.
We were so stunned and horrified that before the laughter had ended, we ran out from the room and fumbled over the furniture to get to the main door. We heard someone running after us… at last we made our way out and were on the street. We breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God, we got out of the witches’ house before the witches could have us for dinner,” Rashid said.
“I agree,” I replied and wishing farewell to each other, we made our way towards our homes, to be greeted by cosy beds. Nobody believes that we ever made a trip to the witches’ house but we cannot forget their laughter and threats!
Sara's house by Steve
ok its not the scariest story here but here goes. my cousin Kuku lived in a house that was claimed to have been the murder place of over 13 people. ok there was a mother of 11-12 and her husband was in the army. about 4 of the kids had died of typhoid i think 1 died from falling down the stairs, and the rest drowned in the creek or was murdered in a massacre from the war. there was a man that Sara (the mother) was having an affair with after all her children died and he was later put to death in all chains because he murdered his wives (Sara & another person) Sara's husband came home to an empty house and dropped to his knees when he saw 12 caskets in the family room. my cousin could see the people and later in the year me and 2 of my cousins (one that lived in the house) crossed the creek and on the other side of the corn field and we found an ancient burial ground and we kinda got scared so we went back and i remember running after thinking i heard "leave my kids alone!!" all of my facts are researched from my cousin and so i can tell you im not lying. after researching we also found that what i heard was real. but instead of it being the mother..it was the father.
Haunted School Or Not?
I am now 13. i was 10 when this happened. i went to a school called Sent Marry school everyone one said it was haunted. one day me and my friend was going to get something for the teacher as we were walking past we saw a little door it was really dark i dared my friend to go in there she did. she came out screaming. she was shouting red eyes red eyes. i said what red eyes she fainted. next day i went 2 see her in hospital she couldn't remember anything. a few weeks after we walked passed the same door . she just stood there we heard a really big BANG, she fell she went back up and said she could remember everything we looked inside the door then the door slames shut. then a hospital bed came fliying down the steps then we heard a ambulance going past. 2 days after the head teacher was found dead in the little door we looked in with a needle in his arm.so was it a school or a hospital?
Mom found guilty of murder in 'Baby Grace' case
(From CNN)
A Texas woman accused of killing her toddler daughter and dumping the body in Galveston Bay has been found guilty of murder by a jury in Galveston, Texas.
Kimberly Dawn Trenor, 20, showed no emotion as the verdict was read late Monday. Trenor had pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence in the case, but pleaded not guilty to the capital murder charge.
She received a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
The body of Trenor's daughter, Riley Ann Sawyers, was found in October 2007 in a large blue plastic container on an uninhabited island in Galveston Bay.
Two-year-old Riley Ann's case drew national attention after a fisherman found her body. Authorities didn't know her identity, and police dubbed her "Baby Grace."
After authorities distributed composite sketches of the girl nationwide, Sheryl Sawyers, the girl's paternal grandmother, contacted police from her Ohio home to say the drawing resembled her granddaughter. DNA testing confirmed the child's identity.
According to an affidavit, Trenor told police Riley had been beaten and thrown across a room and that her head was held under water before she died on July 24, 2007.
Another piece of evidence shown to the jury during the trial was a page of Trenor's journal where she talked of beating the child, according to CNN affiliate KTRK.
"I just kept hitting her with the belt again and again. I don't know how long, but I remember her trying to get away and me knocking her back down," the journal said.
Trenor's husband, Royce Clyde Zeigler II, 25, also faces capital murder and evidence tampering charges, but is being tried separately.
A court date has not been set in that case.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Feed Widow OF Marine Suing Feds and D.A.
On Thursday, Sommer filed a multimillion-dollar suit in federal district court in San Diego, California alleging fraud, false imprisonment, violation of her civil rights and other tortious conduct on the part of the federal and state agencies and individuals involved.
She is seeking $20,000,000 in damages and other relief including a court order that murder charges can never be refiled against her.
Sommer was arrested in November 2005 and charged with poisoning her husband, Todd, 23, an active duty Marine who died at their home on the Miramar base nearly four years earlier. Sommer was tried and convicted in San Diego in January 2007. The district attorney presented evidence at trial that tissues recovered from Todd Sommer at autopsy showed high levels of arsenic in his liver and kidneys.
The trial judge threw out the murder conviction and ordered a new trial in late 2007 after finding that her attorney, Robert Udell, committed tactical errors which deprived her of a fair trial.
Sommer continues to claim that the tissues tested were contaminated in the government lab. While awaiting a new trial, her new attorney, Allen Bloom, requested that the state search for more tissues that may have been recovered from Todd Sommer and never tested for the presence of arsenic. In early 2008, the government did, indeed, find some tissues preserved in paraffin and sent them to an independent lab for testing. When the results came back negative for the presence of arsenic, Sommer was immediately released from the San Diego County jail where she had spent about a two and a half years.
The district attorney dismissed the first-degree murder charge for the time being but wants the right to bring charges in the future should new incriminating evidence arise. The current dismissal is “without prejudice.” Sommer wants the district attorney to dismiss “with prejudice” which means she could never be charged again. Another hearing on that issue is scheduled for this Friday in San Diego state court.
Since April 2008, Sommer has been re-establishing herself. She is now enrolled in college, has custody of her four children, and plans to work with the Innocence Project. Her youngest child, Christian, is the son of Todd Sommer. Christian, now 9 years old, was not quite two when his father died.
Sommer is suing the United States of America, three NCIS Special Agents Rob Terwilliger, Rick Rendon, and Mark Ridley, the Naval Medical Center in San Diego County, the Medical Examiner’s Office of San Diego County, Glenn N. Wagner (chief medical examiner in San Diego), the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and Deputy District Attorney Laura Gunn who handled the trial in 2007.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Five Dead and Town Warned to Lock Its Doors
"I think people do need to lock their doors and take precautions," Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols said today at a news conference according to the Bloomington Pantagraph. "Until we find this person, we consider them armed and dangerous."
Found dead in the family massacre were Raymond and Ruth Gee, approximately 46 and 39 years old, and their three children ages 11 to 16. Their youngest, 3-year-old Tabitha, survived the attack in the family's Beason, Ill., home and was taken to a hospital.
Police have called the Gee family murders a "brutal homicide."
Beason Postmaster Jodie Duncan, who knew the older children well, said no one in this tiny town of 300 knows what to think at this point.
"They're on edge," she said of the town's residents. "I think until the community gets more information as to what's going on, they're on edge." Rural mail carrier Harry David Edwards, who has delivered mail to the town's residents for more than 30 years, told ABCNews.com that he had heard it was one of the children's grandfathers who found the bodies Monday afternoon after not being able to reach the family.
"To take out kids and the whole family like that," he said, "I don't know."
Police said the bodies were found around 4:30 p.m. Monday after receiving a 911 call about a possible shooting at their 2150th Avenue home.
The children were identified as Justina Constant, 16, Dillon Constant, 14 and Austin Gee, 11.
"They were all good kids," Edwards said.
5 bikini baristas at Everett stand charged with prostitution
EVERETT, Wash. -- Five baristas of a local bikini coffee stand are accused of engaging in prostitution while on the clock.
Police spokesman Robert Goetz said the five employees of Grab-N-Go Espresso were charged with prostitution and violating the city's adult entertainment ordinance following a two-month undercover investigation
Goetz said no sex was involved; however, the women, ages 18 to 24, engaged in groping and other sexual acts - including exposing their breasts and privates and licking whipped cream off of each other - in exchange for money.
Police launched the investigation after receiving dozens of complaints regarding bikini baristas' allegedly lewd behavior.
The women are expected to be arraigned in municipal court in the upcoming weeks.
On Thursday morning, the stand's owner said the charges are false.
Because the charges are misdemeanors, the women have not been taken into custody and the coffee stand remains open.
Meantime, the Everett City Council is considering a tougher lewd behavior ordinance. Talks began after the city received some 50 complaints in the past six months about some local bikini baristas
"They'll flash you for extra money or they'll let you stick money on their underpants," said resident Kay Gourley.
Mayor Ray Stephanson said the new ordinance will address such lewd behavior.
A Murderer on the Loose?
For two days, neighbors have been anxiously awaiting news of a suspect or arrest, but to no avail. Police blocked off the road leading up to the home, now turned crime scene, and investigators have been spotted searching for evidence as far away as the town of Chestnut, 6 miles away,according tolocal media reports.
The supervisor of the local township, Ken Hutchison, told a TV station that residents who are accustomed to the area's slow pace, are now frightened at the thought of a killer at large. "It's a tiny rural community, and everyone is wondering how it could happen here."
Betty Poston, 76, grew up in Beason and says she never thought she'd live to see something like this in her town. "Everybody always gets along," she told a reporter. "Neighbors helping neighbors. That's just the kind of town we are."
At a news conference Wednesday morning, Nichols said autopsy results had shown that none of the victims had been shot, contrary to previous speculation. But he wouldn't discuss exactly how the victims died.
On Edge After Family Murdered
Raymond and Ruth Gee and 3 Children Killed, Police Tell People to Lock Their Doors
The tiny farming town of Beason in central Illinois is ordinarily quiet. With its perfectly planted trees, sprawling miles of corn fields, and the patches of flowers around the small homes, this quaint town of 250 would seem like a perfect slice of Americana.
But by Tuesday, all the residents were digesting shocking news: A couple and three of their children were found murdered inside their home Monday afternoon.
Logan County Sheriff Steven Nichols called the killings the."brutal homicide of an entire family" . He declined to discuss how the victims were killed or a possible motive today.
But residents have been asked to be on the lookout for a gray pickup truck with chrome exhaust pipes that was seen in the area on Sunday night. , according to ABC affiliate WICS in Springfield,III.
Nichols issued a stern warning to the town.
"Since we don't have the suspect in custody, lock your doors; consider this person armed and dangerous."
Among the deceased family members are Raymond "Rick" Gee, 46; Ruth Gee, 39; Justina Constant, 16, Dillen Constant, 14; and Austin Gee, 11.
A sixth member of the family, 3-year-old Tabitha Gee, survived the attack and was airlifted to a hospital in nearby Peoria. She is listed in stable condition and being cared for by her grandmother.
Police discovered the bodies Monday afternoon after responding to a call about possible shots fired at the Gee's home.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Room with a dead good view
Few people would choose to spend their nights in a cemetery surrounded by gravestones, tombs and ivy.
But one Sheffield couple have - and they are not goths.
When Sally Rodgers and Martin Bullock saw a house advertised for rent in Sheffield General Cemetery, they jumped at the chance.
The Victorian cemetery which contains the graves of 87,000 people has two entrances - one on Cemetery Road and another near Ecclesall Road.
Sally and Martin live on the Ecclesall Road side, just through the Egyptian Gateway - a massive columned entrance with a big brass gate.
Just through the gateway is a door marked Private. This is Sally and Martin's house.
BBC Radio Sheffield's Howard Pressman visited the couple in their new home in August 2009. They had been looking for a house to rent in Sheffield for a while when they saw this one advertised in the Sheffield Star.
"It just popped up. We never would have thought we would live in a cemetery. We thought we'd just go and have a look out of interest but then we loved it!"
One of the stipulations of the rental agreement was that the tenants also had to take on the role of part-time cemetery warden, but that did not dissuade Martin:
"We had to have an interview to be a warden as part of the deal but it's only seven hours a week - checking the cemetery is ok and keeping it tidy.
"They probably conducted interviews because they didn't want goths or people who were into death. They wanted people who were interested in the cemetery and looking after it. I've done caretaking jobs before, and I'm interested in history and archaeology.
"The building is Grade II listed - it's a little castle. Being the warden is a small price to pay to live here."
As well as the two main rooms the strange little house has a shower and a small kitchen, plus of course gravestones outside the door. The couple were redecorating the small house when Howard Pressman visited. Between coats of sunny yellow paint Sally showed him a particularly interesting part of the house.
"I think the building used to be two different rooms with separate outdoor entrances but to make it habitable they added this little enclosed bridge between the two rooms - it's like a shed stuck out over the river.
"There's a port hole looking on to the River Porter and a lovely tree. That's my favourite bit."
Sally and Martin could have chosen any other house in Sheffield - so why did they choose one which had gravestones outside the door?
"It's Grade II listed, it's Egyptian-esque, it's set in 16 acres of Victorian cemetery," says Martin. "What other chance in life are you going to get to live like that?
"Sheffield cemetery is gorgeous - it's not active as a graveyard at the moment, it's a park. There are two chapels in back garden, all Sheffield's glitterati are buried here and it's off the busy shopping area of Ecclesall Road."
When asked if the idea of dead bodies outside the door puts them off, Martin laughs: "No, that's ok - there are dead people on the streets!"
Sheffield General Cemetery opened in 1836 as one of the first commercial cemeteries in Britain. It contains one of the deepest single grave plots in the UK, holding the bodies of 96 paupers.
In 1978 the Cemetery was closed for burial and half the site was demolished to create a green space. It is now a conservation area, listed on the English Heritage Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
Five of family die in ‘haunted house
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Miri’s Hunger
Helen Oyeyemi’s eerie third novel features a young woman who has a strange eating disorder and lives with her twin brother and widowed father in a haunted house across the street from a cemetery full of unmarked graves. On the surface, this setup might appear best suited to the young adult fiction market, but Oyeyemi (who was born in Nigeria and educated in England) knows that ghost stories aren’t just for kids. And “White Is for Witching” turns out to be a delightfully unconventional coming-of-age story.
Miranda — or Miri, as she’s called — suffers from pica, a disorder that compels her to eat foreign objects. “She crammed chalk into her mouth,” her brother explains. “She hid the packaging at the bottom of her bag and threw it away when we got to school. But then there’d be cramps that twisted her body, pushed her off her seat and lay her on the floor, helplessly pedaling her legs.” The novel was published in Britain as “Pie-kah” (the pronunciation of Miri’s affliction), a less sensational title that grounds the narrative in the girl’s sad psychic state rather than in its supernatural elements.
After his wife, who works as a photo journalist, is killed on assignment in Haiti, Miri’s father takes sole control of the family’s ancestral home in the southeastern coastal town of Dover, which the couple have converted into a bed-and-breakfast. But the house — which has its own spirited personality — has other ideas. It frightens off the hired help and even insists on narrating some of the story. (“One evening she pattered around inside me . . . and she dragged all my windows open, putting her glass down to struggle with the stiffer latches. I cried and cried for an hour or so.”) Another spectral presence, known as Goodlady, may be a figment of Miri’s active imagination.
Everything changes when a new housekeeper, a Yoruba woman named Sade who has “tribal marks” scarred on her face and practices juju in the kitchen, isn’t scared off. In fact, she stays even when Miri goes away to college and her brother takes up an internship in South Africa. At Cambridge, Miri befriends an African adoptee named Ore, and at that point the novel begins to lose focus.
For a while, Ore’s story takes center stage. Subplots abound (including attacks against Kosovan refugees and violent happenings at an Immigration Removal Center), but they rarely advance the main plot or refer back to Miri’s life in any meaningful way. Throughout, however, the theme of displacement, both cultural and personal, recurs. Miri’s illness — the “pie-kah” of the British title — provides a clue as to how the apparently disparate story elements relate. Could it be that England, as a body, is systematically rejecting its foreign population? Perhaps a statement is being made about English xenophobia. What’s more likely is that Oyeyemi’s story is suffering ever so slightly under the weight of a political agenda.
As in Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” or Chris Abani’s “Song for Night,” the super natural elements of “White Is for Witching” serve to remind the characters — and Oyeyemi’s readers — of horrifying historical circumstances. Although she may rely on some too familiar narrative ploys, Oyeyemi clearly appreciates that some crimes (like slavery or genocide or, in this case, institutional racism) are so heinous that the conventions of realist fiction seem woefully inadequate to describe them. She makes us glad to suspend disbelief.
WIFE MURDER
The information regarding the triple murder was given to police by the couple’s only son, Amin Gulgee, who lives in an adjoining portion of the house.
“Maidservant Aasia’s son had been coming for the past five days, asking why his mother had not returned home, but was being given unsatisfactory answers by the security guards. On Wednesday, Amin came to know that the man had been asking about his mother,” Niaz Khosa, a senior police official, told Dawn.
Amin entered his parents’ house from his portion of the premises and saw that a television in the living room was switched on. Then he broke the glass pane and saw his father’s body, Niaz Khosa added.
Before that, Amin had called a DSP, a friend of his, who advised him that this being his parents’ house, he could break the lock and get inside.
After finding his father’s body, Amin informed the SHO of the Boat Basin police station.
Amin told police that he had been wondering for the past five days why the gate of his parents’ house was locked and their car was not parked inside. He said he then pacified himself with the thought that they were away from home.
However, another police official quoted Amin Gulgee as saying that he had not gone to the parents’ place because of a tiff with them.
The body of Gulgee was found in the living room, that of his wife in the kitchen and the body of their servant was found in a small room adjacent to the kitchen, DIG Investigation Manzoor Ahmed Mughal told Dawn.
He said not a single valuable was missing from the house. “All valuables, including cash, jewelry and all of his paintings, are inside the house.”
The DIG ruled out an armed break-in. Recalling the scene, Mr Mughal said brushes and paints were found scattered all over the place.
The DIG pointed out that instead of rope, the “murderer used a cloth to strangulate the victims”. He said the bodies had decomposed and were sending out an unbearable stench.
Standing on the street outside, this reporter also felt the stench.
Capital City Police Chief Azhar Ali Farooqui told journalists waiting outside the house that three servants were unaccounted for and a car belonging to the couple was missing.
In reply to a question whether the police were treating the couple’s son Amin Gulgee as a suspect, the CCPO replied that at this stage he could make no comment.
POST-MORTEM: The bodies were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for post-mortem.
Dr Abdul Razzak Shaikh, a medico-legal officer, said he had seen signs of two wounds probably inflicted with a blunt weapon. However, he said, the wounds were not such as could have caused death. He said Gulgee’s tongue was sandwiched between the teeth, suggesting that he might have been strangulated.
However, instead of a rope, a cloth had been used, the doctor said. He estimated that the bodies were three to five days old.
The post-mortem of Zareen Gulgee and Aasia, the maidservant, were carried out by Dr Nasreen, another medico-legal officer.
Dr Nasreen said her conclusion was that the two women had been struck in the back of their head at least thrice in each case. However, she added, as the bodies were in a bad shape, the medico-legal report had been held back.
Fahmi, Gulgee’s sister, reached the house after learning about the incident. She said that three days ago, Gulgee had taken her out for a dinner. But since then he had not been attending phone calls.
The perturbed sister, in her 70s, was at a loss for words when asked as to who might have been behind the murder.
Yacoobali G. Zamindar, a close friend of Gulgee, told Dawn he had been with the artist and his wife last week at a fund-raising dinner.
“The couple also danced on the occasion,” recalled Mr Zamindar. He said his acquaintance with the Gulgees went back 30 years.
“The couple were very devoted to welfare work. Mrs Gulgee was a member of the SOS children’s village of Sindh.”
Apart from Amin, the couple had a daughter settled in London.
Relatives and friends visiting Gulgee’s Clifton residence had a difficult time in getting through the police guards posted at the entrance.
Among visitors to the house was a man cradling his little daughter in his arms. Tayyab, son of the slain servant Aasia, said that he had been coming to the place since Friday in search of his mother.
Witnesses to barbarism
This special issue includes a number of short stories and poems, each a moving elegy on the Gujarat tragedy. Along these poems and short stories we find an abridged version of a report compiled by a social worker, Pernika Kakodkar. It is a heart-rending account of those young boys and children who fleeing from their burning houses, escaped from the bloodthirsty rioters and somehow reached relief camps. In the camps at Ahmadabad alone, they number more than 30,000. They are terrorized little souls not yet able to forget what they had seen. They have harrowing tales to tell of their kith and kin burnt alive. So many of them were fated to witness their sisters raped and then thrown into the fire. A 14-year-old boy, Javaid Husain, narrated how the rioters ripped the belly of his pregnant cousin and threw the child in the fire. “This horrible scene,” he said, “is fixed in my memory. I can’t sleep.”
Yasmeen Sikander Khan is 12 years old. She said: “At times I feel that my mother is calling me. I see the burnt house and I am reminded that it is the house where my mother was burnt. They did not spare my mother. Along with others they burnt her, too. This camp has also been attacked several times by them. Almost every day there is a bomb blast outside the camp. Also, the police fire at the camp.”
Raishma Bano is an 11-year-old girl now living in the Shah Alam Relief Camp. She says that her mohalla was first raided by the police, who arrested all the male members of the locality. Next morning, the rioters, armed with swords and knives came on trucks. Then she narrated how a 16-year-old girl was raped by 10 rioters. “We saved ourselves by fleeing. Even now I feel terrified. I am afraid that they will attack this camp, too. I don’t talk to any man here. Perhaps they are here in the guise of guards. Who knows?”
Shahid Khan, who is 14 years old, is staying in the Darya Khan Relief Camp. He claims to be an eyewitness to the murder of distinguished Muslim leader, an ex-MLA, Ahsan Jafri. “We lived next to him. He was a well-known leader. A large number of people had taken refuge in his house, considering it as safe. I was peeping from a window of my house. “Kill me,” he was saying to the crowd, “but let these people go.” The crowd asked him to chant Jai Siya Ram. But he did not respond to it. Thereupon, they took a burning tyre and put it around his neck. One rioter drove his sword into his belly. I shuddered and dared not see more.” Then he added. “I just can’t sleep.” Then he felt angry. “They have looted our house. Now, I feel that I should go there and kill them all.”
The magazine includes an article by Majid Husain, who is the son-in-law of Mr Jafri. He tells us that the police commissioner, Mr Panday, had assured Jafri that a guard would be provided to him for safety. But he did not keep his promise. Even Sonia Gandhi’s phone call to him went unheeded. The police did reach there, but only after Jafri and 150 others, mostly women and children who had taken refuge in his house, had been killed.
Lalita Panikar has, in her article, expressed her concern and grief at the active participation of Hindu women in the Gujarat bloodshed. She has traced this female activity to the times of the Babri Masjid’s demolition when Uma Bharati had gone there in the guise of a man. Lalita says that on the basis of this action, the lady won for her a place in Sangh Parivar.
Lalita has expressed her horror on the assertion of a female Karya Sewak, Chandrawati, who declared on the occasion of her arrival in Ayodhya: “We have come her to shed blood. By erecting the temple, we mean that the mullahs will be hanged.”
Syed Mohammad Mehdi, writing on Wali Deccani, has referred to the declaration made by the standard-bearers of the Ram Mandir that there will be a final round between the Hindus and Muslims. He has quoted a doha from Tulsi Das, saying that every thug, thakur and thief chants Ram Ram. But the favour of Ram can only be won by those who believe in love. And Mehdi retorts: “Of course, there will be a final round, but not between Hindus and Muslims. It will be between two other forces. On the one side will be thugs, thakurs and thieves chanting Ram Ram. On the other side will be those believing in love and enjoying the favour of Ram. And that will be the day when the mazar of Wali will be rebuilt.
Shamim Hanafi has talked of a big gathering of writers in Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and other languages, including Ashok Bajpai, Rajaendra Singh Yadav, Geetanjali and Sudhir Chandra, along with a number of journalists, intellectuals and social workers. They gathered in the Ghalib Academy to protest against Muslims’ killings in Gujarat. Nukkar Natak staged a protest play on the occasion. Then, with candles in their hands, they went to Ghalib’s mazar and paid homage to the poet.
It was all very good. But, asks Shamim Hanafi, which mazar is the next target of Sangh Pariwar? Ghalib’s or Amir Khusrau’s.
And then we see George Fernandes delivering his infamous speech in the parliament: “Why are they referring repeatedly to the ripping of the bellies of pregnant women? Is it something new?” he asks and says, “it has happened so many times in the past.” And Syed Shahnawaz Husain, a minister sitting by him, is smiling.
One more glimpse was presented by Shamim Gopal Menon’s documentary, Genocide in the Land of Gandhi, sub-titled, Hai Ram.
A correspondent from the BBC asks a viewer, “What is your reaction?”
“It was a free play of death. Who can give his reaction to his own death?”
The viewers with ashen faces stand up and get out silently one by one.
Yasmeen Sikander Khan is 12 years old. She said: “At times I feel that my mother is calling me. I see the burnt house and I am reminded that it is the house where my mother was burnt. They did not spare my mother. Along with others they burnt her, too. This camp has also been attacked several times by them. Almost every day there is a bomb blast outside the camp. Also, the police fire at the camp.”
Raishma Bano is an 11-year-old girl now living in the Shah Alam Relief Camp. She says that her mohalla was first raided by the police, who arrested all the male members of the locality. Next morning, the rioters, armed with swords and knives came on trucks. Then she narrated how a 16-year-old girl was raped by 10 rioters. “We saved ourselves by fleeing. Even now I feel terrified. I am afraid that they will attack this camp, too. I don’t talk to any man here. Perhaps they are here in the guise of guards. Who knows?”
Shahid Khan, who is 14 years old, is staying in the Darya Khan Relief Camp. He claims to be an eyewitness to the murder of distinguished Muslim leader, an ex-MLA, Ahsan Jafri. “We lived next to him. He was a well-known leader. A large number of people had taken refuge in his house, considering it as safe. I was peeping from a window of my house. “Kill me,” he was saying to the crowd, “but let these people go.” The crowd asked him to chant Jai Siya Ram. But he did not respond to it. Thereupon, they took a burning tyre and put it around his neck. One rioter drove his sword into his belly. I shuddered and dared not see more.” Then he added. “I just can’t sleep.” Then he felt angry. “They have looted our house. Now, I feel that I should go there and kill them all.”
The magazine includes an article by Majid Husain, who is the son-in-law of Mr Jafri. He tells us that the police commissioner, Mr Panday, had assured Jafri that a guard would be provided to him for safety. But he did not keep his promise. Even Sonia Gandhi’s phone call to him went unheeded. The police did reach there, but only after Jafri and 150 others, mostly women and children who had taken refuge in his house, had been killed.
Lalita Panikar has, in her article, expressed her concern and grief at the active participation of Hindu women in the Gujarat bloodshed. She has traced this female activity to the times of the Babri Masjid’s demolition when Uma Bharati had gone there in the guise of a man. Lalita says that on the basis of this action, the lady won for her a place in Sangh Parivar.
Lalita has expressed her horror on the assertion of a female Karya Sewak, Chandrawati, who declared on the occasion of her arrival in Ayodhya: “We have come her to shed blood. By erecting the temple, we mean that the mullahs will be hanged.”
Syed Mohammad Mehdi, writing on Wali Deccani, has referred to the declaration made by the standard-bearers of the Ram Mandir that there will be a final round between the Hindus and Muslims. He has quoted a doha from Tulsi Das, saying that every thug, thakur and thief chants Ram Ram. But the favour of Ram can only be won by those who believe in love. And Mehdi retorts: “Of course, there will be a final round, but not between Hindus and Muslims. It will be between two other forces. On the one side will be thugs, thakurs and thieves chanting Ram Ram. On the other side will be those believing in love and enjoying the favour of Ram. And that will be the day when the mazar of Wali will be rebuilt.
Shamim Hanafi has talked of a big gathering of writers in Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and other languages, including Ashok Bajpai, Rajaendra Singh Yadav, Geetanjali and Sudhir Chandra, along with a number of journalists, intellectuals and social workers. They gathered in the Ghalib Academy to protest against Muslims’ killings in Gujarat. Nukkar Natak staged a protest play on the occasion. Then, with candles in their hands, they went to Ghalib’s mazar and paid homage to the poet.
It was all very good. But, asks Shamim Hanafi, which mazar is the next target of Sangh Pariwar? Ghalib’s or Amir Khusrau’s.
And then we see George Fernandes delivering his infamous speech in the parliament: “Why are they referring repeatedly to the ripping of the bellies of pregnant women? Is it something new?” he asks and says, “it has happened so many times in the past.” And Syed Shahnawaz Husain, a minister sitting by him, is smiling.
One more glimpse was presented by Shamim Gopal Menon’s documentary, Genocide in the Land of Gandhi, sub-titled, Hai Ram.
A correspondent from the BBC asks a viewer, “What is your reaction?”
“It was a free play of death. Who can give his reaction to his own death?”
The viewers with ashen faces stand up and get out silently one by one.
The honour girl
She came to my bank situated in a college premises at least several times in a month. She had an aura of simplicity, grace and dignity about her.
She was not very beautiful, but her mediocre beauty was refined by her fine facial features, wheatish complexion with a tinge of whiteness, big black eyes, long hair that she always covered with a white duppatta.
As she entered, she greeted everyone with Assalam-o-Alaikum in a soft low tone, placed the books in a corner, gracefully walked up to the counter, picked up a savings deposit slip, confidently filled in all the details, submitted it to the cashier, waited quietly and patiently for the return of the counter foil which she placed in her note-book folder and left, bowing her head and muttering Allah Hafiz almost inaudibly.
There was something unusual about her that we all noticed. Like other students, she was neither accompanied by a friend nor by any elderly lady. She never came in with a group of classmates. Though alone, she was not hesitant to approach any male staff if the three female officers were too busy with other clients. Her queries were simple and official. She would ask for the balance in her account or the profit paid by the bank; would the bank remain open if the college was closed? Could she deposit her money on bank holidays? Once, she quite innocently asked if the bank published examination results and, if so, could she get a copy? Though we were amused at what we considered a silly question, yet her serious innocence evoked a simple nod with a meek “No.”
It was for over a year now that she had been coming to the bank. As the conduct of her account was only deposit and withdrawal for payment of college fees, it was just a matter of ordinary book-keeping procedure. However, the cashier had one complaint: she never deposited the amount in round figures and though it was never more than four digits in rupees, yet it was always with some paisas, at times even in odd figures such as Rs1,246.50. As a commercial bank in the private sector dedicated to service, we could not ask her to round up the amount to an even figure for the convenience of our computation.
Everything, of course, was computerized,. Still, the possibility of an error in posting could not be ruled out, and this irked the cashier. Once, he requested her to round up the figure. All she did was add 50 paisas more to make it Rs1,247. The cashier accepted the amount but remained uneasy. After continuing for sometime, he approached me with the problem of this particular account. I asked him to send her to me the next time she came.
Though she came only twice a month, her timings were uncertain. I prayed that she came on a lean day and on one such day, the cashier brought her to me with the cash pay-in slip. She greeted me with Assalam-o-Alaikum. I replied with a nod. As I was busy on the phone, I asked her to take a seat with a wave of my hand. I looked at her while attending the phone and was simply disarmed by the animated but sober innocent look in her eyes, her confident yet humble appearance and her respectful posture with arms folded over her duppatta that she had wrapped around her. When I had finished with the call, I addressed her.
“Beti, for over a year, you have been depositing the amount in odd figures. Can’t you make it, say, like Rs1,250 or Rs1,200?”
She shook her head in negation without uttering a word.
“Can you explain?” I asked in a beseeching tone.
“Uncle,” she said, looking straight at me, “I cannot take out even a single rupee from the amount I put in the account. I can only add a few paisas I save.”
“You are like my daughter. If there is a problem I can help,” I said.
“Thank you, uncle. But we’ve vowed to do it on our own,” she said with a feeling of honour.
“It won’t be any obligation,” I insisted. “I’ll just add a few rupees and even paisas to make it even so that we avoid a posting error.”
“It’s very kind of you, uncle; but myself and no one of our family would like it because it will be charity. My father works hard day and night, and would be hurt and feel degraded. He works hard and saves one-fourth from his daily earnings and without taking a rupee out if it, gives me all of it. He says he wants me to be a doctor.”
“That’s quite noble of him. He is a great man. What does he do?” I asked.
Without hesitation or a second thought, and with an air of praise and pride, she instantly said, “He is a rickshaw driver.”
Stunned by her boldness, I stood up and bowed my head respectfully, without looking into her eyes as she said, “Allah Hafiz,” and confidently walked away.
She was not very beautiful, but her mediocre beauty was refined by her fine facial features, wheatish complexion with a tinge of whiteness, big black eyes, long hair that she always covered with a white duppatta.
As she entered, she greeted everyone with Assalam-o-Alaikum in a soft low tone, placed the books in a corner, gracefully walked up to the counter, picked up a savings deposit slip, confidently filled in all the details, submitted it to the cashier, waited quietly and patiently for the return of the counter foil which she placed in her note-book folder and left, bowing her head and muttering Allah Hafiz almost inaudibly.
There was something unusual about her that we all noticed. Like other students, she was neither accompanied by a friend nor by any elderly lady. She never came in with a group of classmates. Though alone, she was not hesitant to approach any male staff if the three female officers were too busy with other clients. Her queries were simple and official. She would ask for the balance in her account or the profit paid by the bank; would the bank remain open if the college was closed? Could she deposit her money on bank holidays? Once, she quite innocently asked if the bank published examination results and, if so, could she get a copy? Though we were amused at what we considered a silly question, yet her serious innocence evoked a simple nod with a meek “No.”
It was for over a year now that she had been coming to the bank. As the conduct of her account was only deposit and withdrawal for payment of college fees, it was just a matter of ordinary book-keeping procedure. However, the cashier had one complaint: she never deposited the amount in round figures and though it was never more than four digits in rupees, yet it was always with some paisas, at times even in odd figures such as Rs1,246.50. As a commercial bank in the private sector dedicated to service, we could not ask her to round up the amount to an even figure for the convenience of our computation.
Everything, of course, was computerized,. Still, the possibility of an error in posting could not be ruled out, and this irked the cashier. Once, he requested her to round up the figure. All she did was add 50 paisas more to make it Rs1,247. The cashier accepted the amount but remained uneasy. After continuing for sometime, he approached me with the problem of this particular account. I asked him to send her to me the next time she came.
Though she came only twice a month, her timings were uncertain. I prayed that she came on a lean day and on one such day, the cashier brought her to me with the cash pay-in slip. She greeted me with Assalam-o-Alaikum. I replied with a nod. As I was busy on the phone, I asked her to take a seat with a wave of my hand. I looked at her while attending the phone and was simply disarmed by the animated but sober innocent look in her eyes, her confident yet humble appearance and her respectful posture with arms folded over her duppatta that she had wrapped around her. When I had finished with the call, I addressed her.
“Beti, for over a year, you have been depositing the amount in odd figures. Can’t you make it, say, like Rs1,250 or Rs1,200?”
She shook her head in negation without uttering a word.
“Can you explain?” I asked in a beseeching tone.
“Uncle,” she said, looking straight at me, “I cannot take out even a single rupee from the amount I put in the account. I can only add a few paisas I save.”
“You are like my daughter. If there is a problem I can help,” I said.
“Thank you, uncle. But we’ve vowed to do it on our own,” she said with a feeling of honour.
“It won’t be any obligation,” I insisted. “I’ll just add a few rupees and even paisas to make it even so that we avoid a posting error.”
“It’s very kind of you, uncle; but myself and no one of our family would like it because it will be charity. My father works hard day and night, and would be hurt and feel degraded. He works hard and saves one-fourth from his daily earnings and without taking a rupee out if it, gives me all of it. He says he wants me to be a doctor.”
“That’s quite noble of him. He is a great man. What does he do?” I asked.
Without hesitation or a second thought, and with an air of praise and pride, she instantly said, “He is a rickshaw driver.”
Stunned by her boldness, I stood up and bowed my head respectfully, without looking into her eyes as she said, “Allah Hafiz,” and confidently walked away.
MAN-EATERS OF INDIA
From as early as 1906 Corbett had started receiving requests to assist where tiger attacks took place.
Both the Indian villagers themselves and the British would petition for his assistance, with a typical villager request reading something like this:
"We, the public, venture to suggest that you very kindly take trouble to come to this place and shoot this tiger and save the public from this calamity. For this act of kindness the public will be highly obliged and will pray for your long life and prosperity."
Habitual killers:
But, no matter how much prayer went into it, Jim Corbett would never kill a tiger where he felt the animal was not a proven habitual killer. One or two attacks did not make it 'proven' and Corbett firmly believed that most tiger attacks were due to misfortune or a tigress protecting her cubs, rather than a true man-eater on the prowl.
Over a thirty-five year period Jim Corbett agreed to hunt and kill another eleven tigers on top of Champawat. Together these animals had killed approximately 1,300 people. He noted that, from his observations, tigers were responsible for daytime human kills only. Kills done at night were normally the result of a leopard attack. At the age of 63 Jim Corbett shot his last tigress. After tracking her for days he finally lured her within shooting range by imitating the call of a male.
The naming of Corbett National Park:
Jim Corbett was instrumental in creating the park which now carries his name. He did this with the help of Sir (later Lord) Malcolm Hailey, Governor of the United Provinces in the early '30s. When the park was ready to open to the public, Hailey had already left India, and the authorities named it 'The Hailey National Park', the first of its kind in India.
Many years after Jim Corbett's death the Indian government made the decision to change the name of its first park to Corbett National Park. In itself this created a source of debate.
Supporters believe the renaming was the best tribute to a great man and that there is no one better qualified to bear that name than Jim Corbett.
Others point out that though he was an ardent conservationist, Corbett was also involved with the Kenyan-based Safariland hunting company. During the period from 1948 to 1951 he was a director of the company in a land which offered some of the best hunting grounds in the world.
Outfitters like Safariland employed dozens of professional hunters and guides. These people looked after the game using rigid and strict standards, but there is some evidence which suggests their practices also helped ensure the future of much wildlife.
Cutting nose of Ex-wife
LAHORE, April 3: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Sayed Zahid Husain on Friday sought a complete report on the action taken against the person who chopped off the nose of his former wife in Pakpattan.
The chief minister took a suo motu notice on a newspaper report stating that an elderly man, Muhammad Husain, had chopped off the nose of his former wife, Fatima, after failure to force her into prostitution.
The chief justice summoned Assistant Advocate-General Fawad Malik and directed him to submit the report on the action taken against the man and medical treatment given to the victim on April 10. The Pakpattan district police officer was also directed to appear in person on April 10.
The chief minister took a suo motu notice on a newspaper report stating that an elderly man, Muhammad Husain, had chopped off the nose of his former wife, Fatima, after failure to force her into prostitution.
The chief justice summoned Assistant Advocate-General Fawad Malik and directed him to submit the report on the action taken against the man and medical treatment given to the victim on April 10. The Pakpattan district police officer was also directed to appear in person on April 10.
Woman’s nose, ear chopped off over ‘honour’
LAHORE, Sept 8: Two people allegedly chopped off nose and an ear of a woman over ‘honour’ in Marghzar Colony of Hanjarwal on Tuesday.
The victim, (L), wife of Nazir Ahmed, complained to police that Kalay Khan, husband of her sister, along with his accomplice Allah Yar, chopped off her nose and an ear and escaped.
According to initial police investigations, the accused suspected that (L), mother of five, had developed relations with a man of the area.
The accused had a quarrel with (L) over the issue a couple of days back.
The injured was admitted to the Services Hospital.
Police have arrested Allah Yar and were looking for the main accused.
The victim, (L), wife of Nazir Ahmed, complained to police that Kalay Khan, husband of her sister, along with his accomplice Allah Yar, chopped off her nose and an ear and escaped.
According to initial police investigations, the accused suspected that (L), mother of five, had developed relations with a man of the area.
The accused had a quarrel with (L) over the issue a couple of days back.
The injured was admitted to the Services Hospital.
Police have arrested Allah Yar and were looking for the main accused.
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