Murder

Three police officers were found guilty of destroying evidence and sentenced to five years in prison.

The victim, who belonged to a Muslim nomadic tribe, was found in a forest near Kathua city in January 2018.

The case sparked widespread anger and made headlines when Hindu right-wing groups protested over the men's arrest.

Eight people, including a former government official, four policemen and a minor, were charged in connection with the crime. One of them has been acquitted and the minor is set to be tried separately.

Mohamed Noor shot Justine Ruszczyk Damond as she approached his patrol car to report a possible rape behind her Minneapolis home in July 2017.

He said the shooting was a mistake.

In court, Ms Damond's father, John Ruszczyk, called the killing "an obscene act by an agent of the state".

"Justine's death has left me incomplete - it is as if I have lost a limb or a leg," he said in an impact statement.

Ms Damond's fiancee, Don Damond, read an emotional statement addressed directly to her.

Nusrat Jahan Rafi, 19, was doused with kerosene and set on fire on the roof of her Islamic school on 6 April, days after filing a complaint.

Headmaster Siraj Ud Doula, targeted in the complaint, is among those charged.

Police say he ordered her murder from prison when she refused to withdraw her accusations against him.

They described the preparations for the killing as being like a "military plan".

The case sparked mass protests in Bangladesh and shone a spotlight on the vulnerability of victims of sexual assault and harassment in the country.

On March 15^th, community leaders at Four-Mile Kandis Market reported to police a missing person using the Lae police emergency toll free number.

Three-Mile police attended and were told that a man and his wife had gone to their garden early in the morning, at about 5.30am, but the husband returned alone at around 10am and reported that his wife had gone missing.

A search conducted by the community proved to be unsuccessful.

Police gave them until the next day to continue searching or to wait and see if she returns home.

He appeared at the Lorengau District court on March 8^th.

28-year-old Sorou James of Derembat village was arrested by police after he allegedly killed a Gabriel Kirah, also from the same village, on December 30^th, 2011.

He was charged with wilful murder for allegedly hitting the deceased on the back of his head with a timber, causing instant death.

Police also alleged he carried the deceased’s body to his house, tied a rope around his neck and hung him on the verandah to make it look like a suicide.

Paul Karuka, 21, of Kivori-Kui in Kairuku District of Central Province, is the alleged murderer of James Ikupu, 32, of the same village. Karuka is a year 12 student at Mainohana Secondary School in the Central Province.

It was alleged that on December 22nd, 2018, village youths, including the suspect and victim, were consuming alcohol. The suspect and the victim were cousin brothers. Whilst drinking a fight broke out between the youths and the suspect allegedly murdered the victim.

Karuka went into hiding after he allegedly committed the crime.

Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Crimes and Commander of the Investigative Task Force (ITF) in Mendi, Hodges Ette, alleged that the defendant, who is a local policeman, negligently and without lawful reasons discharged a firearm resulting in the pellet which ricocheted and caused the death of another person.

The policeman, Constable Moses Snow of Kware village in Nipa, and attached to Nipa Police Station, was arrested and charged for the murder of the youth. The incident occurred last weekend.

19-year-old Joe Raphael, 20-year-old Micah Raphael and 27-year-old Bokomo Manlem were sentenced to life in jail for killing a police reservist, George Misang, in Kandrian last year.

The three pleaded guilty to killing 54-year-old police reservist George Misang on 4 September 2017.

From Paon village in Kandrian, the three were involved in a fight that night after consuming homebrew when the deceased came across them.

Lua Iru and Wari Varage were arrested on April 8 after they allegedly killed a man on April 6 while fighting over a disputed land.

The man they allegedly killed intervened to stop the fight after they used fence posts to attack each other.

The deceased was struck on the back of his head. He felt pain to his head and was coughing up blood when he was taken to the Kupiano Health Centre.

He was later taken to the Port Moresby General Hospital but died on the way.

Jimmy Somo of Gomena village pleaded guilty before the Lae National Court to attacking Kove Gomena, which led to his death.

Gomena died on 5 March 2016 from injuries inflicted by his biological brother, Sep Gomena and Somo.

The deceased that day armed himself with two bush knives and was acting violently. In the course of this, he was said to have cut the baby who was then sleeping in a bilum.

In retaliation, men from the community charged at the deceased, who dropped the bush knife and surrendered to them.