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President’s offer comes amid worldwide concerns about the Sri Lankan crisis| 10 points

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3 years ago

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President’s offer comes amid worldwide concerns about the Sri Lankan crisis| 10 points

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on Wednesday that the country will have a new prime minister and cabinet “within this week,” two days after his brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, stepped down as prime minister. After Mahinda Rajapaksa announced his decision to step down earlier this week, the country, which is on the verge of bankruptcy, has been engulfed in violence. The Rajpaksas, once Sri Lanka’s most powerful political family, are in decline, owing to widespread public outrage and accusations of misgovernance. Meanwhile, human rights organisations have expressed grave concerns about the crackdown on demonstrators. The United States has stated that it is closely monitoring the situation. The Pope has also urged peace.

1. In a televised address on Wednesday, Gotabaya Rajapaksa said, “I am taking steps to appoint within this week a new prime minister who has the confidence of a majority in parliament, who can win over the confidence of the people, and a new Cabinet to control the current situation, to prevent the country from falling into anarchy, and to continue the government’s functions that are at a standstill.”

2. In addition to promising a “young cabinet free of Rajapaksas,” the 72-year-old stated, “I will make way for the new prime minister to present a new programme of work and implement it.” The opposition had previously turned down his invitation to form a unity government. People are struggling to meet basic needs, and Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been blamed for the country’s current economic challenges, which he has linked to international factors.

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3. In the midst of the worst-ever economic crisis, the South Asian country was forced to suspend $7 billion in foreign loans this year, out of a total of $25 billion due by 2026. According to the Associated Press, the country’s total foreign debt is $51 billion.

4. “None of our officers wants to take control of the government.” It has never happened in our country, and it is difficult to do so here,” says the author. According to the Associated Press, Kamal Gunaratne, the Defense Ministry’s top official,

5. According to Navy Commander Nishantha Ulugetenne, Mahinda Rajapaksa is being protected at a naval base in Trincomalee on the northeastern coast. On Monday, tens of thousands of protesters attempted to break into his home, forcing security officials to evacuate the former prime minister and his family.

6. The Central Bank has urged the country to move forward with a stable government. “We need a stable type of government even to make progress on debt restructuring.” There must be a cabinet, a parliament, a prime minister, and a finance minister. It will be difficult for us to make any progress without that kind of administration,” Central Bank governor Nandalal Weerasinghe was quoted as saying in reports.

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7. Security forces have been ordered to shoot those who damage public property amid widespread unrest. To put a stop to the protests, a strict curfew has been imposed. This week, nine people have died, including a lawmaker, and over 200 have been injured.

8. “Authorities in Sri Lanka must immediately revoke emergency regulations and shooting orders that give the police and military excessive powers, and take immediate steps to respect, protect, and fulfil the human rights of peaceful protestors,” said Amnesty International. “The authorities must also refrain from using the state of emergency as a pretext to restrict the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression in the country, including at protest sites like “Gotagogama,” it added.

9. “I address a special thought to the people of #SriLanka, especially the young,” Pope Francis tweeted on Wednesday. I implore everyone to maintain a peaceful attitude rather than resorting to violence. I appeal to all those in positions of authority to listen to the people’s wishes while upholding human and civil rights.

10. While India has announced a $3.5 billion aid package to its crisis-stricken neighbour, it has also denied reports that it is sending troops to Colombo. “The High Commission wishes to refute speculative reports in the media and on social media that India is sending troops to Sri Lanka. “These reports and such viewpoints are also inconsistent with the Indian government’s position,” the foreign ministry said.

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Delhi: Following a failed rape attempt in Cantt, a man kills an 8-year-old child.

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7 hours ago

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December 25, 2024

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Delhi: Following a failed rape attempt in Cantt, a man kills an 8-year-old child.

A 19-year-old man was arrested for kidnapping and murdering an 8-year-old girl in Delhi, attempting to disguise it as suicide. Protests ensued for justice.
A 19-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly kidnapping and murdering an eight-year-old girl, whose undressed body was found tied by the neck to a window grille in an abandoned building inside the Shankar Vihar Military Station in south Delhi’s Vasant Vihar, after what appeared to be an attempted rape, police said.

Investigators said that the accused first strangled the victim and then tied her body by the neck to a window grille using her pyjamas in an attempt to pass off the death as suicide.

Also read | Horrendous but not a crime, says Chhattisgarh HC on man raping 9-yr-old girl’s dead body

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Senior police officers aware of the case said that the suspect was arrested on Tuesday afternoon, adding that he was a neighbour of the victim’s family and that both lived in the servants’ quarters in the residences of Indian army officers in the area.

The case came to light on Monday night when the girl did not return after leaving home to play outside at around 6pm. Officers said that police, the girl’s family, locals and army officials looked for the girl for nearly seven hours, during which the suspect offered his assistance in the search operation.

The girl’s parents and the suspect work as house help at the official residences of Indian army officers, they added.

The suspect first strangled the victim and then tied her body by the neck to the window grille using her pyjamas to pass it off as a case of suicide, they added.

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Also read | Gujarat: Out on bail, accused rapes 70-year-old victim again

He was nabbed from the locality after authorities scanned CCTV footage and found that he was seen leading her away from her house.

Police said that the suspect claimed he only attempted to rape her, but the extent of the assault will only be clear once the victim’s autopsy report comes out.

“Although the accused said that he tried to rape the girl and killed her by strangling her, we are waiting for her autopsy report to confirm sexual assault and the exact cause of death. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’s sections of murder, along with sections under the Pocso Act, have been added to the first information report (FIR),” said a senior police officer, who asked not to be named.

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Giving details of the crime, the officer said that the police control room received a call at 1.11am on Tuesday regarding the missing girl. The call was then transferred to Vasant Vihar police station, a case of kidnapping was registered and police launched an investigation.

Also read | Agra gym instructor poses as RAW agent, rapes Canadian woman of Indian origin after meeting on Tinder

“The team spoke to the girl’s family, who said she was last seen playing outside their house around 6pm. Initially, the family, along with neighbours and army officials, searched for her in the neighbourhood. When she could not be found, the family filed a missing person complaint. The search continued till Tuesday morning. Around 9am, the girl’s semi-naked body was found tied to the window at an abandoned building. The girl’s payjamas were used to hang her,” the officer added.

A second senior officer, who also requested anonymity, said that the vacant building where the crime happened was nearly 400 metres away from the girl’s residence. A few officers’ flats were 20-30 metres away from the abandoned building. Investigators spoke to locals and scanned the CCTV cameras installed nearby, which eventually helped identify the suspect.

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“In one of the footage, the girl was seen walking with him. He was taken into custody, interrogated, and confronted with the CCTV footage after which he confessed to the crime. He said that he lured the girl to the abandoned building and tried to sexually assault her. When the girl screamed, he panicked and strangled her with his hands. He then used her payjamas to tie her body to make it look like a case of suicide,” the second officer added.

A statement issued by Station Commander, Delhi Cantonment, said the army authorities were extending their support in the investigation.

“The local military authorities are extending full support to the grieving family during this difficult time and cooperating closely with the police, who are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family, and we remain in constant touch with them to provide any assistance they may require,” the statement said.

Soon after the girl’s body was found, her family members, along with 50-60 people, gathered at the service road of the NH48 (Delhi-Gurugram highway) near the Shankar Vihar Military Station gate and blocked traffic, demanding justice for the victim. The protesters alleged that the girl was raped and murdered and blamed the authorities for “slow action”.

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The protesters dispersed after senior officers assured them of a quick probe.

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