SC rape ruling

New Delhi, Sept. 15: The Supreme Court has said that those who rape minors deserve no leniency, no matter how poor, backward or illiterate they may be.

The apex court set aside a Karnataka High Court order reducing the sentence of an 18-year-old. The high court had reduced the sentence on the ground that the accused was young, belonged to the backward Vaddara community and was illiterate.

Toilet duty

Sonepat (PTI): A minor in this Haryana district has been asked to clean toilets of a civil hospital after being convicted of murder. The court sent the boy to two years in a juvenile home and fined him Rs 1 lakh. The boy had shot dead the brother of a girl he had tried to tease.

Fire & recall

Ghaziabad (PTI): Around 269 sacked police recruits have been recalled because their services had been terminated by “mistake”. The recruits were among the 6,500 constables fired on Tuesday by the Uttar Pradesh government for alleged irregularities in recruitment.

‘Fake’ medal

Nagpur (PTI): A farmer who tried to sell a gold medal he got from the government was told it was made of sub-standard silver and had gold polish on it. Dadaji Khobragade had received the Krishi Bhushan Award 2005-06 for developing a new variety of rice.

Graft doctor

Bhopal (PTI): A cardiologist has been sentenced to five years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 5 lakh for corruption and amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income. P.C. Manoria, cardiology head at Gandhi Medical College, was found to have assets worth Rs 57.23 lakh.

Blast kills 2

Bangalore (PTI): Two persons were killed in a blast in Mysore on Saturday while repairing an oil tanker without taking the necessary precautions. They were welding a part of the tanker when it developed a crack and exploded, tossing them 30 feet in the air. Two others were injured in the explosion.