Elephant stuck in pit in Kaziranga, critical

A female elephant was today seriously injured when she got stuck in a deep muddy pit in Kaziranga National Park.

The elephant was grazing with other members of the herd near the Boishamari camp in northern side of Kohora range when she got stuck in the pit, Park officials said.

The animal fell down, broke her hip and could not make any further movement.

She was suffering from pain and the other members of the herd tried to pull her out, the officials said.

The elephant was crying in pain and patrolling park employees informed veterinarians who reached the spot and injected pain killers and medicines.

Veterinarians attending on her said her health condition was deteriorating and it was difficult to move her out of the pit.

Abducted girl rescued near Assam-Nagaland border

Guwahati, Dec 6 : A girl abducted by an unidentified gunman Wednesday from Assam’s Sivsagar district was rescued from near the Assam-Nagaland border Thursday morning, police said.

“The class VIII girl was rescued today (Thursday) morning from Rangajan area along the Assam-Nagaland border. The girl was not hurt by the abductor and was handed over to her family by the police,” said Sivsagar Superintendent of Police Bijoy Kuligam.

A man Wednesday hijacked a school van with 11 children on board at a gun-point near Sivasagar district’s Nazira area. He escaped with a girl student in a tea garden along the Nagaland border.

Although 10 children along with the van-driver were rescued after the vehicle was recovered by the police, one student was missing till late Wednesday night.

“We have launched an operation in and around the area. Nagaland police were also helping us in search of miscreant who abandoned the girl and managed to escape. We hope to nab him in a day or two,” Kuligam said.

Accorduing to police, the man had an altercation with some youths at a tea stall near Nazira Tiniali and ran away after they chased him. He stopped the school van passing by the area and asked the driver to drive towards Simaluguri on the Assam-Nagaland border.

He later got down near the Santak tea estate and vanished in the garden with the girl.

The anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) led by Paresh Baruah in an emailed statement to the media Wednesday denied their involvement in the matter and urged the youth to release the girl unharmed immediately.

Assam: Drunk teacher ties noose on child to show hanging to class IV students

A primary school teacher in Sonitpur district of Assam tied a noose around a student's neck to show the class how freedom fighters were hanged prompting the district administration to order an inquiry.

Sonitpur Deputy Commissioner Lalit Gogoi told The Indian Express that the district elementary education officer was asked to investigate and submit a report by Monday. "It is a strange case and we are taking some drastic action tomorrow," Gogoi said.

According to local reports, Dhiren Kakati, the teacher, tied a noose around a student of Class IV and almost pulled the knot when some children raised an alarm out of fear. Some even ran away. The incident occurred at Kongkalbhangi Prathamik Vidyalaya, about 30 kms west of Tezpur, the Sonitpur district town. The teacher was explaining Class IV students a lesson "Swadhin Bharat" when he did his "practical" demonstration on how the British hanged freedom fighters.

When parents went to school to find out, Kakati confirmed he had shown them "practically" how freedom fighters were hanged.

Two other teachers reportedly protested their colleague's action but found that he was drunk.

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