Egged On By 'YouTube Tantriks', 3 Men Behead Acquaintance To Get His Skull

In a bizarre and grisly tale of murder, a man was killed and his skull was used for alleged occult practices by four men in the hope of getting crores of rupees on the instructions of two "tantriks", who learnt "black magic from YouTube".

The horror started to unfold when the Ghaziabad Police found a headless body of a man in the Tila Mod area of the city on June 22. He was later identified as Raju Kumar from Motihari in Bihar who used to do odd jobs in the city. After weeks of investigation, the police arrested two men - Dhananjay and Vikas - on August 15. Their interrogation led them to their roommate and an acquaintance of the victim - Vikas alias Parmatma - who allegedly planned the murder.

During interrogation, the accused told police that an aide of Parmatma, Narendra, came in contact with Pawan and Pankaj, who claimed to be 'tantriks'. They allegedly told him that he could get around "Rs 50 crore" if he could arrange and worship a human skull, police said. Narendra spoke to Parmatma who, along with Dhananjay and Vikas, called Kumar to their house and killed him by slitting his throat, the investigation revealed.

They then beheaded him and gave the skull to Narendra who handed it over to Pawan and Pankaj, and dumped the body in the Tila Mod area, said Nimish Patil, deputy commissioner of police, Ghaziabad. Parmatma, Narendra and the two 'tantriks' were arrested today.

Pawan and Pankaj told police that they "watched YouTube videos to learn black magic".

"I saw in the videos that black magic can get one a lot of money," Pawan told reporters.

The accused also revealed that they disposed of the skull in a drain near the Majlis Park metro station in Delhi as they got scared after learning that the police were investigating the case.

- With Inputs from Vipin Tomar.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/dO0PpWJ
via IFTTT

Who Is Your Successor, Mamata Banerjee Was Asked. Her Reply

Amidst the ongoing internal struggle within the TMC between veteran leaders and the younger faction, West Bengal Chief Minister and party chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday said any decision regarding her successor would be made collectively by the party leadership rather than by her personally.

In an exclusive interview with a Bengali news channel News 18 Bangla, Ms Banerjee dismissed notions of individual dominance, asserting, "I am not the party; we are the party. It is a collective family, and decisions will be made collectively."

Asked about her potential successor, Ms Banerjee deflected the question with a counter-query, "Who is your successor?" She went on to clarify that TMC is a disciplined party where no individual will dictate terms. "The party will decide what is best for the people. We have MLAs, MPs, booth workers, this is a joint effort," she said.

On the ongoing debate about prioritising the younger generation or experienced leaders, Ms Banerjee maintained a balanced approach, stating, "Everyone is important. Today's newcomer will be tomorrow's veteran."

While TMC has not officially declared any succession plans, Ms Banerjee's remark comes amidst an ongoing debate over the old guards, considered loyal to Mamata Banerjee, versus the next-generation leaders, considered close to Abhishek Banerjee.

Abhishek Banerjee is TMC's national general secretary and nephew of Mamata Banerjee.

Ms Banerjee did not mince words when addressing the role of political consultants, taking an indirect jibe at I-PAC, which has been working as TMC's political consultant since 2019.

"Some strategists make surveys sitting at home and change them later. They can arrange things but not bring voters. It's the booth workers who know the villages and people who actually win elections," she remarked, adding, "They are like artisans who do their work in exchange for money. But elections aren't won by them."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/XuDVC15
via IFTTT

Shalini Passi To Asha Parekh: "I Can't Stop Looking At You"

Shalini Passi has won the Breakout Celebrity of the Year award at the NDTV 'Indian of the Year Awards 2024'. Shalini received the award from her “inspiration” cinema icon Asha Parekh, and Savita Chhabra, the Founder, Board Advisor and CSR Head of Streax India. After getting the award, Shalini said that she couldn't stop looking at the veteran actress. She said, “I just can't stop looking at you.” 

Shalini Passi added, “Asha Parekh ji has been a great inspiration to me. Not that I have achieved anything in the film world but like her looks, her grace, her dance, her hairdo, her eyeliner, her beauty and everything. I am absolutely obsessed with her. I must say that I have been sending your pictures to my makeup artist for the show and I will personally send you a few of my pictures.Some of my looks are inspired by you. And, it is such a coincidence that I admired you as a kid. And, now, I am getting this award. Right now, I am extremely emotional for this.” She was accompanied by her husband, Sanjay Passi, chairman of the Pasco Group, to the award show. They are parents to a 20-year-old son, Robin Passi.

Shalini Passi has made a mark in the entertainment world with her appearance in Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives. And ever since, Shalini has become a fan-favourite. People want the smallest of details about her life. Do you agree? Today, she runs My Art Shalini and the Shalini Passi Art Foundation, where she helps nurture and promote emerging artists in India—a cause she is deeply passionate about.

Oh, and, not to miss, Shalini Passi is all set to make a glamorous entry to the Bigg Boss 18 house. 

In the promo shared by the makers, Shalini Passi even shared her struggle with being in front of the camera. “I would be scared, run away, and rarely click pictures. To fall in love with the camera is a new experience for me," she said. Read all about it here.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/xkbQiNs
via IFTTT

Watch: Girl Dangles From 60-Foot High Ferris Wheel At Fair In UP, Rescued

"Neeche kar jhula (Bring down the ferris wheel)", shouted someone from the ground.

"Arey Ram Ram (Ram Ram)", shrieked another as a chorus of concern and appeals went up.

This scene played out at a fair in Uttar Pradesh when a 13-year-old girl was spotted dangling from a 60-foot high ferris wheel. After a few heart-stopping moments, and some quick thinking on the part of the operator, the teenager was safely rescued.

The incident, which took place on Wednesday, was reported from Rakehti village in the Nighasan area of Lakhimpur Kheri, nearly 130 km from state capital Lucknow.

As the swing suddenly started moving, she lost her balance and slipped out of her gondola. She was seen hanging on to an iron rod. Shrieks went up. She was stuck on it for a minute, before the operator managed to get the girl down.

Sub District Magistrate Rajiv Nigam said that the girl, who has not been identified, is safe.

The operators did not have the permission to run the giant ferris wheel at the fair. The authorities said an investigation will reveal how the swing was operating without permission.

(With inputs from Prateek Srivastava)
 

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/DNTlZwI
via IFTTT

Lift Crashes In UP Hospital, Mother Falls To Death Hours After Giving Birth

A woman was being shifted from the operation theatre to the general room after she gave birth to a girl at a hospital in Meerut. Thirty-year-old Karishma was put on a stretcher and was taken downstairs, through a lift which fell after the belt snapped. She suffered serious injuries to her head and later died during treatment.

The shocking incident took place today at the Capital Hospital in Meerut's Shastri Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. People stuck in the lift started shouting for help, leading to a commotion in the hospital. Some tried to open the elevator but failed until a team of technicians came to rescue them.

The police said the injured woman was taken to a different hospital but later died due to the injuries. The doctors and the staff fled after angry relatives of the victim vandalised the hospital.

A police post is located in front of the hospital and cops in a few minutes, bringing the situation under control.

The baby girl has been kept in the nursery of another hospital. The woman was admitted to the hospital in the morning for a cesarean delivery.

A case has been registered against the doctor, manager and staff of Capital Hospital in Lohia Nagar police station of Meerut.

The Chief Medical Officer, Meerut, reached the spot and ordered the shifting of 15 patients from the hospital to another medical centre nearby. The Capital Hospital has been sealed by authorities.

The police and the CMO have formed a team to investigate the incident.

With inputs from Shyam Parmar

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/GkbQBeD
via IFTTT

Scientists Reveal Real Face Of Santa Claus After 1,700 Years. See Pics

Scientists have revealed the face of Saint Nicholas of Myra, the real-life bishop who inspired the concept of modern-day Santa Claus. According to the New York Post, the groundbreaking reconstruction comes 1,700 years after the saint's death and was possible by analysing data from his skull. Using advanced techniques, researchers managed to "forensically recreate" the face of Saint Nicholas of Myra, whose penchant for gift-giving prompted the legend of Father Christmas.

In the images, shared on Instagram by the study's lead author, Cicero Moraes, the saint is depicted with a broad forehead, thin lips and a round nose. The 3D images reveal his face to be both "strong" and "gentle," Mr Moraes said, per the outlet. 

Take a look at the images below: 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cicero Moraes (@cogitas3d)

Saint Nicholas of Myra died in 343 AD - long before anyone could snap a photo. He was known for only rewarding well-behaved kids with gifts and inspiring the Dutch folk figure of Sinterklaas. Over time, the character merged with English Father Christmas to become the Santa Claus we know today. 

Despite the saint's popularity, there was no accurate depiction of his until now. Mr Moraes said the 3D images match the early descriptions of Santa Claus in literature, such as the 1823 poem "Twas The Night Before Christmas," which describes his "rosy cheeks," a "broad face" and a "nose like a cherry."

"The skull has a very robust appearance, generating a strong face, as its dimensions on the horizontal axis are larger than average," he said. "This characteristic, combined with a thick beard, is very reminiscent of the figure we have in mind when we think of Santa Claus," he added. 

Also Read | Is Tim Cook Ready To Retire? Apple CEO Says "I Will Do It Until The Voice..."

According to the Post, scientists used the data collected by Luigi Martino in 1950 to reconstruct the saint's face. Studying his remains revealed that the saint suffered from chronic arthritis in his spine and pelvis and a thick skull that likely caused frequent headaches. The scientists said the saint also likely survived off a mostly plant-based diet. 

"We initially reconstructed the skull in 3D using this data," Mr Moraes said. "We supplemented this with the anatomical deformation technique, in which the tomography of a living person's head is adjusted so that the virtual donor's skull matches that of the saint," he explained. 

"The final face is an interpolation of all this information, seeking anatomical and statistical coherence," Mr Moraes added. 

Notably, while Saint Nicholas was initially buried in Myra, or modern-day Turkey, his bones were later moved to Bari, Italy, where they remain today.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/E21gIXZ
via IFTTT

Nepal Joins China's Belt And Road Initiative, Raises Concerns For New Delhi

A significant agreement was signed in Beijing today paving the way for China to make major inroads in Nepal. Seven years after an initial understanding for Kathmandu to be part of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative or BRI, today's agreement lays the framework of how projects will be executed.

Breaking tradition of making New Delhi a Nepalese prime minister's first port of call after election results, KP Sharma Oli chose to visit Beijing instead. He has been in China since Monday to work closely with Xi Jinping and finalise the deal.

China and Nepal have "signed the framework for Belt and Road Cooperation today," Nepal's foreign office said in a post on X today, but shared no further details.

Sources familiar with the agreement have said that today's deal means both countries will not plan and coordinate the details of each project. It also paves the way for China to fund these projects and how exactly each project would be financed by Beijing.

The Government of Nepal and the Government of the People's Republic of China signed the Framework for Belt and Road Cooperation today. pic.twitter.com/6oTlDvTzIe

— MOFA of Nepal 🇳🇵 (@MofaNepal) December 4, 2024

In 2017, Nepal had agreed in-principle to be part of China's mega Belt and Road project - a massive network of roads, transport corridors, airports, and rail lines connecting China with the rest of Asia, Europe and beyond. However, no progress was made in the last seven years because of the lack of a proper framework of executing them. Kathmandu also struggled to find political consensus on the issue. That now seems to have been addressed with today's pact.

China's Belt and Road Initiative, though ambitious, has been a red flag for many countries due to Beijing's suspicious dealings and ulterior motives. Several countries have fallen in a debt trap, often called China's "debt diplomacy" wherein China builds a mega project on credit in a smaller country in terms of economy, and when the country cannot pay back the loan or interest, Beijing either takes over the project for a lifetime or cuts a deal to forward its expansionist agenda.

China's Belt and Road Initiative has also had a history of ignoring the national security concerns and violating the sovereignty of other nations.

Several leaders in Nepal's government and opposition are concerned over debt concerns mounting in an already-stretched economy. Even within Prime Minister Oli's government, there is fierce debate over the potential risks in mega projects executed by China. Nepal Congress, which is a key ally of PM Oli's party, has vehemently opposed any projects funded by Chinese loans.

China had funded the airport project in Pokhra - Nepal's second-largest city - by loaning more than $200 million. Nepal went ahead with the project despite India raising serious concerns and opened the airport last year.

But the airport has had to deal with losses due to lack of international flights. This can partially be due to a slender demand for airlines, but also due to India's refusal to planes using its airspace to do so.

Pokhra, located around 120 kilometers from Kathmandu, is less than 20 minutes from the India border by commercial flight. India had to shut its airspace out of a national security compulsion because Kathmandu ignored New Delhi's concerns that China may use the airport to station its military aircraft and helicopters - a massive national security threat for New Delhi.
 

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/SyZBvjT
via IFTTT