TheIndian EXPRESS

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MAHARASHTRA
40-year-old held for rape of minor
PUNE: The Shivajinagar police have arrested a 40-year-old man for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl after sedating her and later threatening to post a video clip of the act on the Internet. Accused Ramzan Mohammed Pathan is a resident of the slum area near Shivajinagar bus stand. Inspector Seema Mehendale, who is the investigating officer, said they were recording the statements of the accused and the complainant to collect more facts in the case. ENS

l THURSDAY l MAY 16 l 2013

ANURADHA MASCARENHAS
PUNE, MAY 15

Study to address blood clotting in soldiers at high altitudes

say altitude above 1,850 m is likely to produce acute mountain sickness and acclimatisation is suggested for those proceeding beyond 2,500 m
hereditary protein S deficiency leading to deep vein thrombosis at high altitude. The patient was a healthy male with no history of medical illness. He had developed severe headache, vomiting and drowsiness when he was deployed at a high altitude (4572 m) region in the eastern Himalayan region. He was in coma. But after weeks of

NAGPUR: Following a court order, an offence under the Atrocities Act was registered at Dhantoli police station Monday against DGP Sanjeev Dayal and three others for allegedly denying promotion to DIG (Prisons) Shashikant Shinde. In a complaint filed on March 4, Shinde had alleged he was denied promotion because he was from a scheduled caste. After police forwarded the case to the home department saying ENS it was an administrative issue, he moved court.

DGP booked in promotion denial case

N a bid to identify young soldiers from plains who face the risk of blood clotting when deployed in high altitudes (4,000 m or more) and provide early solutions, the armed forces have embarked on a multicentric trial. The trial has already detected that changes in cells lead to thrombosis or blood clotting. Major General Velu Nair, dean of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) and one of the coordinators of the study conducted by the DRDO, said nearly 800 healthy volunteers from the plains and now serving in Ladakh were part of the trial. The study Epidemiology of venous thrombosis in

EXPERTS

MAJOR GENERAL VELU NAIR

Dean, AFMC

healthy low landers at high altitudes is pertinent as researchers hope to find reasons for blood clotting in youngsters with no history of medical ailments. It will also help in finding proper medical interventions too. Nair who was working at the Army Hospital (Research and Referral) in New Delhi five years ago had then reported an unusual case of

therapy, the patient stabilised, said Nair. Experts say altitude above 1,850 m is likely to produce acute mountain sickness and acclimatisation is suggested for those proceeding beyond 2,500 m. The study also aims to provide early medical intervention to soldiers likely to face blood clotting. Earlier studies reported in The Indian Journal of Surgery have concluded that soldiers are at a great risk of getting deep venous thrombosis in leg veins at high altitude. As part of the study, Nair along with teams have been visiting soldiers at Ladakh every three months. The medicos conducting health camps carry along with them mobile labs to aid diagnostic tests.

Arunachal chopped off from India map in SSC board book

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
MUMBAI, MAY 15

THE Maharashtra secondary boards Class X textbook on Geography and Economics has omitted a substantial part of Arunachal Pradesh including the district of Tawang from the map of India and shown it asapartofneighbouringChina.IndiaandChinahave a dispute over Arunachal Pradesh with the Chinese making claim on a large part of the district as their own territory. Theerrorhasbeenmadeinthemapprintedinthe chapter India and its Neighbouring Countries. The Geography textbook carries seven large size maps of India. The mistake has, however, occurred in only one map which represents India and its neighbouring countries. The glaring error has been one of many thathavecroppedupintextbooksoftheMaharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. The state government has said it has taken note of the lapse and has asked for clarification from the board. We have sought an explanation from the stateboard,MinisterforSchoolEducationRajendra Darda said. Complaints had also been received of errors in theHistorytextbookoftheboard.Thebookhasgotthe date of the start of World War II wrong. Over 17 lakh students in the state study under the state board. The board had stated that it was planning to upgrade the quality of textbooks in the state after numerouscomplaintswerereceivedaboutmistakesinthe textbooks.

Murmadi sisters death probe heads nowhere

VIVEK DESHPANDE
NAGPUR, MAY 15

THE Bhandara police probing the possible involvement of truck drivers in the death of the three Murmadi sisters have drawn a blank. We questioned truck drivers who took more time than it takes to cover the distance between the two toll posts near Murmadi (on the day the girls were found dead) but found nothing incriminating. They had valid reasons for the delay, Bhandara superintendent of police Aarti Singh said. The sisters aged 10, 9 and 6 were found dead in a well on February 16 after they went missing on February 14. While government doctors who conducted autopsies on the bodies said the sisters were raped and murdered, three forensic tests ruled out rape. Mother of the girls has, meanwhile, left the village to stay with her mother. The woman and her in-laws were not getting along. The woman was dejected after the death of the girls and decided to leave the village for good, Singh said. Father of the victims had died a few years ago after prolonged illness. Police, however, continue to keep a strict eye on relatives suspected of links to the crime. We are also in touch with the mother, Singh said. About handing over the case to CBI, she said, Whenever CBI wants to take over.