Latest news with #ex-Army
Time of India
21 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Year-round rations help boost tiger force morale, curb poaching: Similipal director
Bhubaneswar: Providing rations to the 800-strong protection force throughout the year, the only reserve in the country to do so, has helped raise motivation levels and reduce poaching cases, authorities of Similipal Tiger Reserve said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Started last year, the initiative costs the forest department Rs 1.8 crore annually. "While the initiative has significantly reduced poaching, it has also improved staff attendance and morale. The protection team, comprising Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) personnel, ex-Army members and protection assistants, has shown improved commitment to their duties through the unique measure. Monthly, we spend around Rs 1,800 per personnel towards ration costs. The field personnel are able to get better nutrition, keep fatigue at bay, maintain energy and work on a timely basis. There is hardly any instance of unauthorised leave," said Similipal field director Prakash Gogineni. Authorities said Similipal used to report at least five poaching and attempted poaching cases a month, which has now dropped to one. "Apart from sincerity, loyalty and raised motivation levels of staff because of free rations, the use of technology, especially AI and infra-red cameras, introduction of all-terrain vehicles and firearms, have helped check poaching incidents," Gogineni added. Wildlife officials said there is not a single patch in the 2,750sq km area of Similipal which is inaccessible now, thanks to technology, staff welfare and high-end vehicles. In monsoon, the wildlife wing used to deploy a separate strategy for foot patrolling as most of the forest routes were inhospitable. Now, the situation has changed. "In all the anti-poaching and STPF camps, there are cooks and mess leaders who plan the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now An experienced staffer among them does the cooking. They stock up the groceries for a week. Since it is hilly terrain, groceries have to be brought in small trucks to the camps. When the forest department was not providing rations, the field staff used to get tired while negotiating the hilly terrain," said a wildlife officer. Each STPF team has 25 personnel, comprising 5 from STPF, 5 ex-Army and 15 protection assistants, who are not regular employees. Mostly, they carry out patrolling along the footpaths in the deep forest where poachers operate. However, each team has been provided with a specialised ATV. They carry walkie-talkies but the control room or their base camps receive distress calls from the field personnel in case of lightning or if they are attacked by poachers, wildlife officials said.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Ex-Army soldier who drugged, raped minor faces charges
A 48-year-old ex-Army soldier who was convicted of drugging and raping a juvenile family member is facing federal charges that he failed to register as a sex offender and lied on a U.S. passport application. From June 2021 until May, Ricardo Marlon Blenman, aka 'Ricardo Marlon Thompson, ' allegedly used an alias and lied to evade law enforcement and registering for his sex crimes in Arizona, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Blenman was born in Panama and became a U.S. citizen in 1990. He is being held at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu after a successful motion by the U.S. Department of Justice to have him held without bail. Blenman is barred by a state protective order from having any contact with his three children or their mother until Sept 27, 2027. In July, the state Department of the Attorney General asked the public for help finding Blenman, a 'convicted sex offender who failed to register his address, ' according to a statement. As a U.S. Army soldier stationed on Oahu in 2018, Blenman was accused of sexually abusing a child between 2014 and 2017. According to federal court records, Blenman was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting the victim four times in Italy and Hawaii. He was convicted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice in 2018 of aggravated sexual contact, assault consummated by battery, and administering a drug /intoxicant, and sentenced to three years in federal prison. Blenman is a 'covered sex offender and is required to register under the sex offender registration program ' of any jurisdiction or be included in the National Sex Offender Registry based 'on an offense against a minor, ' according to court records. He moved to Oahu in 2021 and failed to register as a sex offender, at one point listing his ex-wife's address in Ewa Beach. He was charged by federal criminal complaint May 28 with failing to register as a sex offender and making a false statement in application and use of passport. Blenman was arrested June 2 and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Tuesday. On April 7, the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security Service was contacted by the state Department of the Attorney General for help revoking Blenman's passport. He did not have the 'conspicuous identifier on his passport, as required, ' according to court records. 'Upon further discussion with an investigator from the Hawaii State AG's office, it was revealed that on April 13, 2018, Blenman was convicted in a General Military Court Martial for sex crimes he committed in the state of Hawaii and Vicenza, Italy, between 2007 and 2017, ' according to the court records. The conspicuous identifier is a statement printed inside the passport book of a person who has been convicted of a sex crime against a minor, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. After he was convicted of sexually assaulting the child, Blenman was sentenced to a reduction of rank, to the pay grade of E-1, 36 months confinement and dismissed from the military service with a dishonorable discharge. He was imprisoned at the Joint Regional Correctional Facility, in Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Blenman signed a form acknowledging that he was required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act as a sex offender, within 72 hours, in any 'state, territory, or tribal nation, in which he will reside, be employed, carry on a vocation, or be a student.' In April 2021, Blenman, using the last name 'Thompson ' signed an International Megan's Law Notification form with the Puerto Rico Police Bureau acknowledging that he had to register as a sex offender. He did not register, allegedly used a fake address and left Puerto Rico without notice, leading the government to issue an arrest warrant. On a June 29, 2021, passport application, Blenman allegedly did not mention he used another name and identity. Thompson is the name listed on his birth certificate prior to becoming a U.S. citizen. He has 'provided false or misleading information ' to law enforcement officials regarding his 'residential addresses on multiple occasions, ' according to the court records. Blenman was arrested in January 2024 for fourth-degree misdemeanor sexual assault. His next state court appearance in that case is scheduled for July 9. ONLINE DIRECTORY To view an online directory of Hawaii's registered sex offenders and other covered offenders and to sign up for email alerts, go to.
Daily Record
10-06-2025
- Daily Record
Orkney Assassin Michael Ross' lawyer hopes Prime Video documentary will lead to 'new evidence'
The Orkney Assassin: Murder In The Isles has been released on Prime Video to mark the anniversary of Shamsuddin Mahmood's death in a Kirkwall restaurant in 1994. Michael Ross' lawyer is optimistic that the new documentary on Prime Video will unearth fresh evidence. Three decades have gone by since the murder of 26-year-old Shamsuddin Mahmood, who lost his life while working at the Mumtaz Restaurant in Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands. He was tragically killed by a masked assailant who brazenly entered the eatery and made a swift departure following the fatal shooting, leaving witnesses in disbelief. Ross, who faced police scrutiny at age 15, managed to dodge arrest for 14 years until his conviction as an ex-Army sniper in 2008. Prime Video has rolled out a special documentary that includes insights from journalists, past detectives, the family of Ross, and those present at the scene. Ross's lawyer elaborated on the compelling motivations behind their participation in the Prime Video project. "The basis for us taking part in this was one, to ensure it was a balanced documentary," he said. "I appreciate at the end of the day that Michael is a convicted killer and of course, this is not a case of no documentary would be doing its job if it simply presented all one side unless you could provide completely overwhelming evidence, as has happened in the past. This is not one of those cases. "But we were very much of the view that the passage of time either means that there's somebody on the island that knows more than they said at the time. "There are people who were scared at the time, the passage of time might have taken that away or people who have a guilty conscience that they didn't come forward. "And one hopes that those people would at this stage. That would strike as new evidence, that would be people who didn't come forward, to explain what happened, who saw what happened, who knew what happened, who knew exactly who it was that pulled the trigger." In the time since his conviction, Ross has consistently maintained his innocence regarding the murder of Mahmood when he was just 15 years old. "You still have someone who claims he is innocent, who has never given up that he is innocent, who is still fighting to prove his innocence," he said. "He could have made his life a lot easier by saying 'I did it.' A lot more chance of parole then, a lot more chance of getting out earlier."
Daily Record
08-06-2025
- Daily Record
Orkney killer Michael Ross' mum breaks down after quizzing him on horrific murder
The Orkney Assassin examines the shocking case of Michael Ross The mother of Michael Ross, the man incarcerated for the 1994 slaying of a Bangladeshi waiter in Orkney, crumbled into tears during a recent documentary about the crime, reports the Scottish Daily Express. The poignant scenes in The Orkney Assassin show Moira Ross breaking down as she recalls asking her then-teenage son if he was behind the murder. Speaking to the documentary team, she said: "I remember him coming home with the detective. He was just his normal self. "All he wanted to do was come down and have a biscuit and something to eat because he'd been starving when he was being questioned at the police station. So he was hungry." Moira carried on: "Then he went up to his room and sat there and I did go up and ask him, I said, 'Did you shoot that man?' And he said , 'No.'" "And I just can't get over the look on his face when I asked him that." Deeply moved, Moira shed tears as her spouse, ex-police officer Eddy Ross, sat nex to her with a tearful demeanour. Ross was merely 15 when Shamsuddin Mahmood, aged 26, was fatally shot by someone masked in Mumtaz Restaurant in Kirkwall amidst diners, which included children. Mahmood's previously worked on the island the year before, and his untimely demise stirred considerable trepidation in the Bangladeshi community concerning small-town relocations for fear of similar tragedies. Following police detention and questioning, the youngster was subsequently let go. The case baffled the authorities for years, with former soldier Ross eventually being convicted of the murder and given a 25-year sentence in 2008. In a dramatic turn of events, ex-Army sniper Ross tried to escape the courtroom after the guilty verdict was announced, nearly succeeding before he was caught. Police later discovered a stash of weapons in a car park nearby, in a vehicle rented by Ross. The Orkney Assassin, which launches on Prime Video today (June 8), provides new insights into the shocking 31 year old cold-blooded murder. From Ross' parents, who firmly maintain his innocence, to eyewitnesses, journalists, police detectives, and legal representatives involved in the case at the time, The Orkney Assassin examines all aspects of the case. The Orkney Assassin questions whether Mahmood's tragic death was a racist attack or even a professional hit as the evidence is reevaluated. Despite his conviction, Ross has always insisted he is innocent, with the campaign group J4MR - Justice 4 Michael Ross attempting to overturn the verdict and claiming it's a massive miscarriage of justice. Ross is currently serving his sentence at HMP Shotts in Lanarkshire and has made three attempts to escape from prison since his incarceration began.
Indian Express
04-06-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
‘Sadda Pind Bikau Hai' — a satire on the system in protest against drug menace in a Bathinda village
On Tuesday, locals at Bhai Bakhtaur village in Bathinda district displayed a rare show of unity — 'something never witnessed earlier'. They gathered in large numbers and stood by farmer Lakhbir Singh, who put up a banner reading 'Sadda Pind Bikau Hai' (Our Village is Saleable) — a symbolic protest against the drug menace which, they say, is destroying their community. 'It's a satire on the system in protest against the drug menace. Otherwise, no one can dare buy our village,' Lakhbir told the assembled villagers. The brutal assault on an ex-Army man Ranbir Singh, who is in his mid-40s, allegedly by Kuldeep Singh and Gurpreet Singh, both having prior drug-related criminal records, on May 31 triggered strong resentment among villagers, and the banner turned out on June 1. Singh, who earned respect among villagers for motivating youths to quit drugs and embrace sports, suffered serious leg injuries and underwent surgery on June 3. Police, however, suspect old hostility between the accused persons and Ranbir. However, on the contrary, locals see the assault as an attempt to silence voices challenging the drug network in the area. In a video message posted on social media, Lakhbir questioned the system and condemned the 'impunity with which drug smugglers operate.' Soon, the 'Sadda Pind Bikau Hai' banner became 'a symbol of rural frustration and resistance,' Lakhbir said. Bathinda SSP Amneet Kondal said police acted promptly, arresting both accused within 24 hours. 'No one will be allowed to threaten or harm citizens, especially those who are up against the crime,' the SSP said, acknowledging Ranbir's courage in encouraging youths to quit drugs, which reportedly angered the peddlers. The attackers were booked under serious charges, including attempted murder, unlawful restraint, and grievous hurt. The SSP said, 'Punjab Police is actively cracking down on drug networks, including demolishing illegal properties of identified drug peddlers, and encouraging citizens to report drug-related activity with assurance of confidentiality.' On June 2, Lakhbir posted a video, thanking the police for their swift action. However, in another video the same evening, he alleged that Kotfatta police station SHO Manish Kumar threatened him for speaking out. Lakhbir alleged that the SHO even warned him of getting his dope test done. 'I am ready for any such tests,' Lakhbir said in the video, holding his four-month-old daughter. The SSP said, 'In one video, he praised police action, while in another video… I sent an officer to his place to counsel him. I will also meet him to allay his fears.' Meanwhile, Bathinda police posted on X their official response under the hashtag #YudhNashianVirudh. 'A resident of village Bhai Bakhtaur recently shared a video on social media alleging that he was threatened by the SHO of police station Kotfatta. Taking immediate and serious note of the incident, Bathinda Police officials reached out to the individual and assessed the situation. SSP Bathinda personally spoke to him and assured him that appropriate action would be taken against the concerned officer. Contact numbers of the Bathinda SSP and the SP (Rural) have also been shared with him for reporting any drug-related information directly.' Based on the charges levelled by Lakhbir Singh, SHO Manish Kumar was told to report to the police lines, while Jaswinder Kaur was posted as the new Kotfatta SHO. Political reaction Replying to a question about Bhai Bhaktaur village in Bathinda putting itself on sale over the failure of the government to stop drug peddling, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said there cannot be a bigger slap on the face of the AAP government and proof of the defeat in the so-called 'Yudh', than an entire village putting itself for sale as the drug peddlers are having a field day there. 'Bhai Bhaktaur village is not an exception but an example of how drugs are freely available in Punjab, irrespective of the Punjab government's claims,' he said. The PCC president said not only are the peddlers selling drugs, but they also dare to beat up an ex-serviceman who was opposing the sale of drugs, and the state government should hang its head in shame. BJP's Punjab media head Vineet Joshi blamed the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for 'failing to control the drug crisis'. 'The day the ex-serviceman was attacked, three overdose deaths were reported in different villages of Punjab. Youth are dying and the government is doing little,' he alleged. Joshi, however, praised the courage of villagers like Lakhbir and Ranbir Singh, saying, 'They represent the spirit of Punjab that refuses to surrender to addiction and fear.'
