Rivals were envious of his hold in GEB

Police suspect hand of professional killers in the assassination of Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) contractor Narendrasinh Parmar, who was shot dead at Mithakali on Tuesday. Police sources said business rivalry could be the reason behind the murder.

According to sources, police could interrogate two contractors - Lalji Masani and Premaji Oad - to gather more information. Four years back, Masani was the main contractor with the GEB but his monopoly ended as soon as Parmar started taking GEB contracts. Sources said Masani was not happy with Parmar's hold in the business as the deceased was clinching all major contracts.

Traces of poison

Three days after a senior executive of Infosys BPO was found murdered in his Ramaswamypalya house, police now believe that they have enough reasons to suspect the victim’s wife.

Forensic experts, who had conducted a post-mortem examination on Umesh Krishnan, aged 27, have reported that traces of poison were found in his body. This led the police to suspect Honey Mary, who had married Umesh four months ago. Police believe that Umesh might have consumed food laced with poison.

Hong Kong  - Two men have been arrested in Hong Kong for selling unregistered "electronic cigarettes" that promoters claim can help smokers quit the habit, health officials said Thursday.

The arrests came after Hong Kong's Department of Health found the devices which atomise nicotine into an aerosol with no burning involved on sale in a shop in the city's Sham Shui Po district.

The men, aged 52 and 60, were arrested in a raid Wednesday and were later released on bail and ordered to report back to police in May, a department spokesman said.

Officials seized atomisers and smoke cartridges which are widely touted on internet sites as a safe alternative to normal cigarettes.

Nine scrap yards sealed, owners fined; 32 docs given notice for improper handling of waste

A team of Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) on Wednesday raided nine scrap yards in the city and seized more than 1000 kg of bio-medical waste, including injection syringes, bottles and medicines. The scrap yards have been sealed.

Father stabs girl to death for marrying against his wishes

Rio de Janeiro  - A nine-year-old Brazilian girl, who was raped by her stepfather and conceived twins, had an abortion Wednesday, doctors said.

Sergio Cabral of the University of Pernambuco's Amaury de Medeiros Integrated Health Centre said the procedure was successful and the girl was recovering quickly.

Abortion is illegal in Brazil, but the law admits exceptions, allowing it in cases of rape and pregnancies that put the mother's life at risk. Cabral said the abortion was carried out with the consent of the girl and her mother.