Gadhimai: World's biggest ritual slaughter

Motilal Kushwaha had promised the Hindu goddess Gadhimai that he would offer her a male goat if one of his children found a job.
Last year his son was successful -- and on Saturday he was one of tens of thousands of people killing the animals at the temple of Gadhimai in southern Nepal as part of the biggest religious mass slaughter in the world.
"From my village everyone has made a vow [to offer animals]," says Kushwaha from Bariyarpur, a community in Bara district about 60 miles south of Kathmandu. Some, he explains, are glad they have got a son or a daughter, others that a different form of good fortune has befallen them.
The ritual sacrifice of goats, buffaloes and roosters in temples and at home is widespread in Nepal where 80 percent of the population are Hindu.
Some five million people from adjoining districts -- and also from the bordering Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh -- will attend the festival, according to local authorities, although only two days are dedicated to the sacrificial ritual itself.
The slaughter follows a set pattern: on Friday male water buffalo calves are killed while on Saturday attentions switches to goats.
Officials estimate that up to 10,000 buffalo calves and 150,000 goats will be offered to Gadhimai -- the goddess of power -- during the ritual. Watch a CNNi report on the ritual
But these numbers will be much lower than those of 2009, the last time the five-yearly Gadhimai festival took place, thanks to advocacy efforts by animal rights activists. In that year nearly 20,000 buffalo calves were killed, according to temple officials and more than 200,000 goats were slaughtered.
"We object to the cruelty with which animals are treated," says Pramada Shah of Animal Welfare Network Nepal. "There is random hacking of animals in open space. Not all animals have their heads chopped off. Some take up to 40 minutes to die."
The participants -- who hack the animals in an enclosed arena with large knives -- are licensed by the Gadhimai Festival Management and Development Committee. This year about 400 people will kill animals, according to Kushwaha, who is also the committee's secretary.

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two sisters beating up three men, who were allegedly sexually harassing

The incident was captured by a passenger on a mobile phone
A video of two sisters beating up three men, who were allegedly sexually harassing them on a moving bus in India, has gone viral on social media.
The men have been arrested and charged with assault, police said.
Friday's incident, recorded by a passenger on a mobile phone, took place in the northern state of Haryana.
Violence against Indian women has been in the spotlight since the gang rape and murder of a student on a bus in the capital, Delhi, in December 2012.
The attack caused outrage and prompted India to introduce stringent anti-rape laws.
The latest incident happened in Rohtak district when the two students, 22-year-old Aarti and 19-year-old Pooja, were on their way home.
Younger sister Pooja told BBC Hindi that the three young men "threatened us and abused us".
"The men started to abuse me and touch me. I told them 'if you touch me again, you'll get beaten up'. They called a friend on the phone and told him to 'come over because we have to beat up some girls'," Pooja said.
She said they decided to take on the attackers when other passengers did not come to their help.
"No one came forward in the bus to help us. So we took out our belts in self-defence [and hit the men]. If only the other passengers had helped us, we would not have needed to retaliate in this way," she said.
However, the video of the incident shows at least one male passenger repeatedly trying to separate one of the men from the women.
The sisters said the men pushed them out of the bus when it came to a halt after some distance and attacked them again.
They said they retaliated by throwing a brick at the men who then fled.
Police say they received a call from the women on Friday afternoon, and the three men were arrested on Sunday evening.
Senior police official S Anand told The Hindu newspaper that they were contemplating action against the bus driver and his helper.
"The driver was supposed to take the bus to the nearest police station. But he did not do so. The conductor also did not intervene. We are considering legal action against them," he said.
Correspondents say public abuse of women - called "Eve teasing" in India - is rampant in parts of the country.
"Eve teasing" often makes life miserable and even dangerous for women when they go out in public.
Meanwhile, the sisters have received much support on social media and many have been tweeting to praise the #RohtakBravehearts.
Deepti Kaul hoped others would follow the sisters' example:

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Baby found buried on Sydney beach

  Police said they were trying to locate the parents of the baby
Australian police have urged the mother of a baby found dead and buried in the sand at Sydney's Maroubra beach to come forward.
The body, which was discovered by two young boys, was buried under 30cm (12in) of sand, police said.
Police said they could not immediately tell the age or gender of the baby, as the body was badly decomposed. A post-mortem examination will be conducted.
It comes a week after a newborn was found alive in a drain in Sydney.
"Come and talk to us, seek some advice, we need to talk with you," said New South Wales state police commissioner Andrew Scipione. He also asked that anyone who might know the mother to speak to authorities.
'Tragic event'
Police said that the two boys, aged six and seven, discovered the body on Sunday morning while digging in the sand at Maroubra beach.
The baby was a "very small infant child" and had been buried naked, police said.
"The sex and age of the child is unable to be determined at this point due to the decomposition of the body," Police Inspector Andrew Holland told reporters.

Police searched through sand dunes on Maroubra beach on Sunday
"Obviously everyone is upset," he added. "It's a tragic event. Something like this doesn't happen every day and it affects everyone involved."
He said that police were investigating birth, death and marriage records, and visiting local hospitals, to try to locate the parents of the child.
"Police are concerned about the welfare of the mother involved and hope she sought medical assistance," he added.
The two boys who discovered the body are receiving counselling.
On 23 November, cyclists found a newborn baby abandoned in a stormwater drain in western Sydney.
Police said the boy had been left in the drain for five days before he was rescued.
The mother of the boy has been charged with attempted murder. Her case is expected to be heard in court on 12 December.
New South Wales Police Minister Stuart Ayres said the twin cases raised questions about what should be done to help families that are desperate.
"There is no doubt we find ourselves with two cases that are currently under investigation that requires us to think seriously about what we need to help families that are in crisis," he said according to AFP news agency.

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Suspect robs to source funds for musical album

The police in Lagos have arrested two armed robbery suspects who allegedly specialised in robbing motorists on the highway and snatching expensive vehicles. PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects, John Sunday and Onyekachi Oshonu, were arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad on Friday, November 21. Our correspondent learnt that Sunday, 25, and Oshonu, 24, were nabbed in their hideout in Agege, Lagos State at about 10pm. According to the police, information reached the command on same Friday that some robbers had converged on a hideout and were planning to unleash terror on the area. Subsequently, decoy detectives from SARS were said to have bust the hideout and arrested the duo, while other gang members fled. Our correspondent also learnt that a revolver pistol was recovered from the suspects. Speaking with PUNCH Metro, Sunday from Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, said he was a musician, adding that he took to robbery to source funds for his yet-to-be-released album. Sunday added that his brand of music was Reggae. He said, “I am a musician. I sing Tureke Reggae. I was planning to release my first album, but there was no money. It was where I was putting up as a commercial driver that I met Onyeka. We were plying Agege to the Oshodi area. “Later, we met the gang. They told us they were planning to go out, snatch some cars, sell them and make money. So, we joined. We usually robbed with two locally–made guns. We did not have a pistol. We went for the first operation, but we were arrested after the second. “I love music, and I was looking for money to establish myself as a musician.” Meanwhile, Oshonu, who hailed from Enugu-Ezike, Enugu State, added that their guns were with a third member of the gang, identified simply as Oguchi, who was one of the fleeing gang members. “I have gone on only two operations. I don’t use a gun. The gang member who has the two guns has not been arrested yet. I was formerly driving a commercial bus in the Agege area. I just married this year, and I needed to take care of my family,” he said. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, while confirming the arrest, said investigations were ongoing on the matter. He said, “The suspects have confessed to the crime. Further efforts are being intensified to apprehend other gang members who are presently at large. Meanwhile, investigation continues on the matter.” Copyright PUNCH.All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

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4 suspected cultists arrested for allegedly raping girl during initiation

By Dayo Johnson Akure — THE Ondo State Police Command has arrested four suspected cultists for gang-raping a girl in Ondo town, after which they stole her handset. According to the police, the victim (identity withheld) was raped as she was being initiated by the cultists. The command said the rapists were among 14 cultists arrested alongside six suspected robbers, three burglars, one fraudster and four kidnappers terrorising the state. Parading the suspects, the state Police Commissioner, Isaac Eke, said items recovered include N11,000 cash, a Toyota Camry marked FST 48 AC valued at N1.7 million, Scania Lorry marked KWC 232XA, among others. Eke said the Toyota Camry which was stolen at Odode Idanre was recovered in Sapele, Delta State, by police detectives after one Afolabi Abiola took them there. On the cult members arrested, the police chief said they had been responsible for murder, rape and stealing in Owo, Ondo and Akure towns. According to him, the cultists were arrested by a team of Special Anti-Cultist Squad, SACS. Eke said one Alhassan Shittu was duped to the tune of N1.5 million by some fraudsters under the pretext of awarding him a cable contract. He noted that one Jimoh Ogbo of Bako Kwali in Abuja was later arrested and had confessed and mentioned other members now at large. The commissioner said seven suspected robbers used a lorry to block the Lagos/Ore expressway to rob a lorry loaded with 800 cartons of fish. The lorry was later recovered by detectives in Onitsha, Anambra State, adding that two suspects had been arrested in connection with the robbery. Eke added that three burglars were arrested after they stole foodstuff, handsets, laptops and other electronics. On the two policemen shot by suspected robbers, the commissioner said they died in the course of duty. According to him, the deceased were shot when they were deployed to the area following alleged robbery report.

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