Woman set ablaze on halted train at railway station

October 21, 2014

Kasargod, Oct 21: A woman suffered critical burns inside the compartment of a halted train at the Kannur railway station here on Monday morning in a suspected attack by an unidentified person. She succumbed to the burns at the Government Medical College, Kozhikode, at 8.30 p.m.

The police identified the victim as Pathutti alias Khadeeja, 45, wife of Hassan, Velliyil House at Kondotti in Malappuram.

She was first rushed to a government hospital here and from there to the Kozhikode hospital.

The incident took place inside the 13th compartment of the Kannur-Alappuzha Executive Express stationed on Platform No.1 of the railway station around 4.30 a.m.

The police said that an unidentified person poured liquor on her and set her on fire while she was sitting inside the compartment.

After the attack, she ran out of the compartment with her clothes on fire.

Some passengers at the station saw a person fleeing from the compartment and crossing the tracks towards the eastern entry of the railway station. The Railway Police said that they had got some clues about the person. The police recovered a bottle of liquor from the compartment.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel at the station said that no other passenger was inside the compartment when the incident took place as she boarded the compartment immediately after the train was stationed on the platform half-an-hour before its departure at 5 a.m. The incident took place in the dark as the lights inside the compartment were yet to be switched on by the maintenance staff.

The RPF said that some people at the station heard the woman arguing with a person before the incident took place.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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