Killer woman let off by court

Tiruchirapalli (PTI): A district sessions court has acquitted a woman who stabbed to death a man in self-defence and to protect her child.

The court said the accused had offered a consistent defence ? that she was compelled to attack the deceased only to protect herself and her child. The woman had only tried to use the “knife in her hand as an armour, but unfortunately it turned out to be a weapon”.

The judge said the place of occurrence itself was enough to prove that she had no choice but to attack. The injury inflicted by her also proved that it was in self-defence. The woman had also surrendered to police.

Chandru, a broker, had demanded from her a commission from the sale of a beauty parlour though he had no role in the deal. She had refused, the defence said.

He had intruded into her house in October 2004 with a knife and threatened to kill her child.

Hospital death damage order

New Delhi (PTI): A consumer court has ordered Delhi’s St Stephen’s Hospital to pay a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to a Delhi Doordarshan staffer whose mother died from an over-exposure to laser rays at the hospital.

Complainant Masood Zafar had admitted his mother, Hazara Zafar Begum, to the hospital in January 2000 after she complained of severe headache and vomiting.

As she developed an acute abdominal pain, the hospital authorities, suspecting gall bladder stone, conducted a laser test. The pain turned severe within a few days and she developed a breathing problem.

The doctors at the hospital finally admitted that excess use of laser had injured her stomach ducts, causing formation of puss and severe pancreatitis.

Hazara Begum died in March 2000.

Quota bill

New Delhi: The controversial amendment bill on reservations for SCs and STs in private educational institutions will be tabled in its “present form” in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The bill will, therefore, neither have a separate clause for OBC reservation nor will it make it mandatory for unaided minority institutions to give reservation to SCs and STs.

DNA data bank

Pune (PTI): The Armed Forces Medical College in Pune will set up a DNA data bank to help identify dead soldiers. The Rs 2-crore project will start functioning within a year. The unit will have the DNA profiles of fighter pilots, bomb disposal squads and personnel engaged in related tasks.

Bhel blast

Bhopal (PTI): Three workers were injured in an explosion at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (Bhel) on Friday. The blast occurred because of a cable flash, sources said.

Pop star Lionel Ritchie will perform at the 50th birthday bash of liquor baron Vijay Mallya in his north Goa palace on Sunday. Several Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities will also be there.