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Tue, 20 February 2018
US top court snubs challenge to California gun waiting period

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23:41  
JUST IN: Aam Aadmi Party MLA Prakash Jarwal detained in connection with alleged assault of Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash
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23:26   No Chinese warship near Maldive waters: Govt sources
No Chinese warship has been deployed close to the waters of the Maldives since political turmoil broke out in the island-nation, and India continues to have a significant presence in critical sea lanes in the Indian Ocean region, government sources today said.
           
They, however, said a Chinese destroyer and a frigate had crossed into the Eastern Indian Ocean through the Sunda Strait and exited the Indian Ocean through the Lombok Strait while heading towards the South China Sea a few days ago.

The sources also rejected media reports quoting Chinese website sina.com.cn that 11 Chinese warships had entered the East Indian Ocean amid a constitutional crisis in the Maldives.

The sources said India currently has a significant naval presence in the Indian Ocean region, adding Indian Navy has deployed one warship each in East of Indonesia, Malacca Strait, Gulf of Oman and Gulf of Aden.

India has also deployed a warship next to the waters of Sri Lanka, another one between Bangladesh and Myanmar and one between the Seychelles and Mauritius.

-- PTI
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22:52   US top court snubs challenge to California gun waiting period
In a blow to gun rights activists, the US Supreme Court on Tuesday turned away a challenge to Californias 10-day waiting period for firearms purchases that is intended to guard against impulsive violence and suicides. 

The courts action underscored its continued reluctance to step into a national debate over gun control roiled by a series of mass shootings including one at a Florida school last week. 

One of the courts staunchest conservatives, Justice Clarence Thomas, dissented from the decision to reject the case and accused his colleagues of showing contempt toward constitutional protections for gun rights.

The justices also declined to take up a separate gun case involving a National Rifle Association challenge to Californias refusal to lower fees on firearms sales and instead use some of the fee money to track down weapons owned illegally. 

The gun rights groups and individual gun owners who challenged the waiting period had argued that it violated their right to keep and bear arms under the US Constitutions Second Amendment. The challengers did not seek to invalidate the waiting period for everyone, just those who already owned guns and passed a background check. 

The US Supreme Court has not taken up a major firearms case since issuing important gun rulings in 2008 and 2010 that established an individual right to own guns for self-defense. 

The United States has among the worlds most lenient gun laws. 
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22:16   Donald Trump Jr to inaugurate Tower B of Trump Tower tomorrow
US President Donald Trump's son Donald Trump Jr will tomorrow inaugurate 'Tower B' of Trump Towers, developed by Panchshil Realty in Pune. 

The tower is located at upscale Kalyani Nagar.

Comprising of two striking glass facade towers of 23 stories each, with 46 single-floor 5 BHK residences starting at Rs 15 crore, Trump Towers Pune is international, having
been crafted in accordance with the design and development standards of the global real estate brand Trump, stated a media release issued by Panchshil Realty.

Trump Jr will launch the Trump Tower B which is ready for occupation with all the necessary certificates in place, it said.

-- PTI
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21:49   Shatrughan now fires Nirav Modi salvo at Modi govt
Dissident BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha fired a fresh salvo at the Modi government today over the presence of scam-tainted diamantaire Nirav Modi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Davos.

In a series of sarcastic tweets, the Patna Sahib MP scoffed at the government's claim that Nirav was not part of the prime minister's delegation to the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, last month.

"Dear sir, in many official functions, including my own Patna University centenary celebration, I, the sitting MP of Patna, was not allowed (along with luminous alumni Yashwant Sinha and others) to be on the dais with the PM, since we were not on the list approved by PMO", Sinha said.

He was referring to the function held in October last year which was attended by the prime minister.

"According to our ministry, Nirav Modi was not invited to Davos. But he was very much with you on the dais. I just want to be enlightened. Was the ever so vigilant PMO sleeping this time. Or did it dive deep like always into the kundli of Nirav and still allowed him to be with you and your august group. Do enlighten the nation please," Sinha tweeted.

The BJP leader has been attacking the party and its government for quite some time now.

His outpourinigs on the social media, in the aftermath of the Punjab National Bank scam, have been particularly caustic.

"India must be the only country where the responsible people at the top do not come out with proper explanations that the nation needs and deserves. Almost as if the citizens do not matter. Even Donald Trump faces hard interviews. But here interviews are only (given) to sarkari darbaaris (government sycophants)".

-- PTI
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21:17   Bank frauds set to rock Parliament, Cong to talk to other parties
The multi-crore PNB bank fraud and the Rotomac issue is set to rock the second leg of Parliament's Budget Session with the Congress saying it would talk to other like-minded parties and demand answers from the government on the state of the banking sector in the country.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said his party would not let go of the issues till the government gives a satisfactory response.

The second leg of the Budget Session of Parliament is slated to commence from March 5.

He said the Congress would demand answers from the government not just on the Rs 11,400-crore Punjab National Bank fraud involving diamond merchant Nirav Modi and the Rotomac fraud issue, but on the credibility of the entire banking sector.

"The second part of the budget session is starting and the Congress will talk to other parties which have concern over the country's banking sector and will demand answers from the government on the issue," Tewari told reporters.

"Till the time the government addresses the issue, we will not leave it there," he said, adding all political parties which are hurt by 'malgovernance' will come together in Parliament on the issue and ask the government to break its silence.

-- PTI
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21:13  
JUST IN: CBI arrests Vipul Ambani and four other senior executives of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi's companies in Rs 11,400 cr scam.
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20:52   Kamal Haasan to launch his political party, unfurl its flag on Wednesday
Actor Kamal Haasan arrived in Madurai to a rousing welcome on the eve of the launch of his political party on Wednesday even as DMK Working President M K Stalin appeared to take a dig at film personalities taking a plunge into politics saying paper flowers which do not have fragrance will bloom during a season but they will wither very soon.

Kamal will begin his political journey from his birth place Kamuthi in neighbouring Ramanathapuram district on Wednesday and reach Madurai in the evening. The party flag will be hoisted in the evening in Madurai when the idea behind the flag will be detailed, he said.

Kamal called on DMK president M Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence to seek his blessings. Stalin was also present then.
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20:39   Puri, Sidhu to receive Canadian PM at Amritsar airport
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu will receive Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Sri Guru Ramdas International Airport in Amritsar tomorrow.

Later on, Sidhu would also accompany the Canadian premier on a visit to the Golden Temple and the Partition Museum, said an official spokesman.

On the directions of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Sidhu would receive the Canadian prime minister at both the places, he said.

At the airport, Sidhu would be accompanied by the Commissioner of Police S S Srivastva and Deputy Commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha.

At the Golden Temple, the visiting dignitary would be accompanied by Puri, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs and Sidhu, Punjab's cultural affairs and tourism minister.

At the Partition Museum, Lok Sabha MP from Amritsar Gurjeet Singh Aujla would accompany Sidhu.

Trudeau will pay obeisance at the Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikh shrines, tomorrow.

The Canadian prime minister is on week-long visit to India. Trudeau is accompanied by wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and three children -Ella-Grace, Xavier and Hadrien.

-- PTI
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20:12   Maldives Parliament extends emergency for 30 days
The Maldives' Parliament today extended the state of emergency by another 30 days, approving President Abdulla Yameen's recommendation.
         
Only 38 MPs were present for the vote, which took place hours before the state of emergency was due to expire, despite 43 lawmakers being needed for the vote to take place as required by the constitution, Maldives Independent news website reported.

All 38 were from the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives and they all approved the extension, it said.

The opposition had boycotted the vote.

The state of emergency will now end on March 22.

-- PTI
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19:53   'Introspect': Arun Jaitley's advice to auditors over PNB scam
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday hit out at auditors and supervisory agencies, asking them to "introspect" to avoid cases of financial wrongdoing. 

"Also what were auditors doing? If both internal and external auditors have looked the other way and failed to detect, then I think CA professionals must introspect. Supervisory agencies also must introspect (about) what are the additional mechanisms they have to put in place," Jaitley said. 

His comment comes in the backdrop of the Rs 11,300 crore Punjab National Bank fraud, for which Nirav Modi, his wife, brother, and business partner Mehul Choksi were booked by the CBI on January 31.

The minister also drew attention to the responsibility of the state to "chase those who cheat the banking system."

Jaitley also singled out bank managements for being unable to "utilise authority effectively and in the right manner."
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19:35   Delhi CS 'assault' case: Central IAS officers' body demands arrest of perpetrators
The central IAS officers' association today termed as "criminal" the alleged assault on Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash and demanded immediate arrest of the perpetrators.

The association strongly condemns the assault on chief secretary, Delhi, it said.

"It's a criminal, cowardly and deplorable act and an assault on the Constitution. We stand by our colleagues in Delhi and demand immediate arrest of the perpetrators of such a shameful act," said the association of Indian Administrative Service officers working across the country.

It supported a resolution of the Delhi IAS association and demanded immediate action against the perpetrators involved in the incident.

A total of 5,004 IAS officers are working across the country.

Prakash was allegedly assaulted by a few AAP MLAs at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence last night. The incident took place in the presence of the chief minister and his deputy Manish Sisodia.

The chief minister's office has dismissed the accusation as "bizarre and baseless". 

-- PTI
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19:01   open fire on security personnel near Awantipora Air Force Station
Terrorists pened firing on security forces near an Air Force station in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, defense sources said.
          
"There has been a firing incident at Malangpora, near the Awantipora Air Force station," they said.

The details of the incident are being ascertained and the security forces have cordoned off the area to track down the terorrists, they said.
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18:38   Cape Town now faces dry taps by July 9
Residents of drought-stricken Cape Town received good news today when city officials said they now face losing piped water to their homes by July 9 -- a month later than last forecast.

But Capetonians are not yet out of the woods. If drastic consumption reductions are not achieved by so-called "Day Zero" -- the last day of normal water supply -- people will have to queue at 200 standpipes for daily rations of 25 litres (6.6 US gallons).
The city, which attracts millions of tourists every year, has enforced strict waste controls including prosecuting homeowners who use significantly more than the current 50-litre daily limit.

The previous forecast for "Day Zero" was June 4.
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18:02   Nirav Modi's photo in Davos proves nothing: Amit Shah
BJP president Amit Shah addressing a meeting debunks the conspiracy theorists about any possible connection between Nirav Modi and PM Modi.  "Nirav Modi's photo in Davos proves nothing. Even you people are sitting with me and if one of you commits a crime will you make me liable too? As far as Nirav Modi case is concerned Centre has taken it seriously and already seized more than 5000 crore assets."

The Congress released a picture of Nirav Modi with the business delegation accompanying the prime minister to Davos at the World Economic Forum meet last month.

Dubbing Nirav Modi "Chhota Modi two" and Lalit Modi "Chhota Modi one", Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala asked if the billionaire jewellery designer had a tip-off that prompted him to leave the country.

"Billionaire Nirav Modi steals Rs 12,000 crore right under the nose of the Modi Government and flees the country. Ironically, Nirav Modi was later spotted with PM Modi in Davos," Surjewala said, adding, "Has it become the norm for letting people run away with public money? Who is responsible?"
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17:47  
CBI questions eight executives of Nirav Modi's firms, 10 of Gitanjali group; searches Nirav Modi's farm in Alibag. 
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17:47  
CBI questions eight executives of Nirav Modi's firms, 10 of Gitanjali group; searches Nirav Modi's farm in Alibag. 
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17:29   Rotomac owner being questioned, not detained: CBI
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday negated reports of the detainment of Rotomac Global Pvt Ltd owner Vikram Kothari, saying the latter is being questioned.


Two CBI teams on Monday raided Kothari's residence in Kanpur and interrogated the Rotomac pens' owner and his wife Sadhana Kothari. The agency has also sealed residential premises and an office of the Rotomac directors in New Delhi.


The CBI said the loan default would touch Rs 3,695 crore, including the interest. Further details are awaited. -- ANI
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17:12   Secret behind perfect alignment of Egypt's Pyramids decoded
Ancient Egyptians may have used the autumn equinox to align the Great Pyramid of Giza almost perfectly along the four cardinal points, a study has found. The autumn equinox occurs halfway between the summer and winter solstices, when Earth's tilt is such that the length of the day and night are almost the same.


The Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed about 4,500 years ago, under the orders of Egyptian pharaoh Khufu. It is the largest of the three pyramids - standing about 138 metres - on the Giza Plateau and was considered a "wonder of the world" by ancient writers.


"The builders of the Great Pyramid of Khufu aligned the great monument to the cardinal points with an accuracy of better than four minutes of arc, or one-fifteenth of one degree," according to Glen Dash, an engineer who studies the Giza pyramids.


The pyramid of Khafre (also located at Giza) and the Red Pyramid (located at the site of Dahshur) are also aligned with a high degree of accuracy, Dash noted.


"All three pyramids exhibit the same manner of error; they are rotated slightly counterclockwise from the cardinal points," Dash wrote in a study published in the Journal of Ancient Egyptian Architecture. PTI
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17:06   No credit exposure, pending litigation against Kothari: Kotak Mahindra Group
The Kotak Mahindra Group on Tuesday clarified the absence of any credit exposure or pending litigation against Rotomac Pens owner Vikram Kothari or any faction of the Rotomac Group.Furthermore, the bank stated that as per the instructions given by the Enforcement Directorate, current accounts of Kothari and Rotomac Group of companies have been debit frozen.


The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday registered a case against Rotomac Global Pvt. Ltd, its directors Vikram Kothari, Sadhana Kothari and Rahul Kothari and unknown bank officials on a complaint from Bank of Baroda.


The complaint alleged the conspirators in the latest case have cheated a consortium of seven banks, by siphoning off bank loans to the tune of Rs 2,919 crore (principal amount).


Earlier in the day, two teams of the CBI raided Kothari's residence in Kanpur and interrogated him and his wife.The agency also sealed a residential premise and an office of Rotomac directors in New Delhi. The CBI said the loan default would touch Rs 3,695 crore, including interest.  -- ANI
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17:04   On AAP vs Delhi Chief Secretary tussle, Rajnath says 'deeply pained'
Home Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted about the issue saying, "I am deeply pained by the happenings involving the Chief Secretary of the Delhi government. The civil servants should be allowed to work with dignity and without fear".

lhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash was allegedly manhandled by two MLAs of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party at Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence.

Prakash has accused MLA Amanatullah Khan of manhandling him in a meeting convened by Kejriwal on Monday.

The Aam Aadmi Party, in a statement, has denied the allegations.

The Aam Aadmi Party has been slammed by the opposition parties. 

"It clarifies how AAP is involved in malpractices and corruption. If something good happens Kejriwal and his MLAs take credit and if it's something bad onus falls on government. 

"Is tarah se haathapaai karna! Koi gundagardi hai kya? (To indulge in such fights, what hooliganism is this?)", said Sandeep Dikshit of the Congress.
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17:03  
Milind Deora @milinddeora Hosted a lunch reception for @DonaldJTrumpJr in New Delhi. Don is a sociable & smart businessman who's committed to deepening Indo-US ties. Grateful to my illustrious co-hosts Shobhana Bhartia & Deepak Parekh
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16:10   Ahead of his state-tour tomorrow, Kamal Haasan met CECs
Veteran Tamil actor Kamal Haasan will kick off his state-wide tour tomorrow with the launch of his political party and its "guiding principles" in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. To ensure he doesn't trip up even before he begins his foray into politics, Haasan has been meeting the three former Chief Election Commissioners in Chennai -- TN Seshan,  N Gopalaswami and TS Krishnamurthi. He asked them tough questions aimed at understanding the nuances of registering the party, its symbol and manifesto, filing of income tax returns, and every kind of detail that a debutante politician should know. The answers or rather the tonality of the answers were positive. The actor told the CECs that he wanted to understand the depth of the institution of democracy from them. And who better than guardians of democracy? 
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15:35  
Income tax notice for Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi's wife, Anita,  for the Rs 6.5 crore purchase of jewellery at a Nirav Modi outlet.
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15:24   Virat-Anushka embrace is setting love goals
When your husband becomes the second batsman in the history of cricket to cross the 900-point mark concurrently in Tests and ODIs, it's yet another reason to celebrate. Virat Kohli instagrammed this warm picture with Anushka Sharma, writing, "My one and only!"

Virat and Anushka tied the knot in December in what was easily the biggest wedding of the year. See Rediff.com's coverage on the mega wedding.
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15:17   Earthquake of 3.3 magnitude hits J-K
A medium intensity earthquake measuring 3.3 on the Richter Scale today hit Jammu and Kashmir, an official of the MeT department said. The epicentre of the quake was in Jammu and Kashmir, he said. "Earthquake of magnitude 3.3 occurred at 12:41 pm today with epicentre in Jammu and Kashmir at a depth of five km," he said. No damage to property or casualty was reported, police said. -- PTI
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14:03   More trouble for Mehul Choksi
The Delhi High Court today directed the police to investigate cheating allegations levelled against Gitanjali Gems promoter Mehul Choksi in an FIR lodged in 2016 by the owner of one of its retail franchises.


A bench of Justice Mukta Gupta asked the police to file a report on the matter while noting that the probe was on a standstill as the complainant and the accused were trying to negotiate a settlement. The bench, however, said that the interim protection from any coercive action granted to Choksi in April last year will continue.


The diamond merchant had approached the high court for quashing of the FIR lodged against him for allegedly cheating an engineer's firm in 2016.
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13:41   Kejriwal calls crisis meeting after babus go on mass strike
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is holding a crisis meeting even as babus in the capital go on strike over the alleged assault on the Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash.

"We are going on a strike with immediate effect, we are with our Chief Secretary, until they (those at fault) are not arrested we will not get back (to work). We have urged the LG to take legal action be taken against those responsible. This is like a constitutional crisis; we have never seen such a thing happen in the past many years," DN Singh, Delhi Administrative Subordinate Services President on the alleged assault of Anshu Prakash.

Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash was allegedly manhandled by a few AAP MLAs at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, an official said, even as the chief minister's office dismissed the accusation as "bizarre and baseless".

The incident took place last night, a top official said.

Prakash was called by Kejriwal regarding the issue of advertisements, which were not being released, the official said. However, the Aam Aadmi Party claimed he had been called for a discussion on rations.

"There was a heated exchange at the meeting last night. During the argument, two-three AAP MLAs manhandled him... the CS's spectacles also got broken," alleged a senior IAS official, who did not wish to be named.

After the incident, the chief secretary met Lt Governor Anil Baijal last night and apprised him of the incident, he added.

The IAS officers association met Baijal today and raised the issue before him.

"The allegation of assault is totally bizarre and baseless," a senior official of the chief minister's office (CMO) said. 
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13:01   Was the PMO sleeping? Shatrughan questions Nirav Modi's Davos pic
Shatrughan Sinha needles the government on Nirav Modi's presence on the podium with the PM at Davos.

"Dear Sir. In many official functions, including MY OWN Patna University Centenary Celebration, I, the sitting MP of Patna, was not allowed (along with luminous alumni Yashwant Sinha & others) to be on the dias with the PM, since we were not on the "list" approved by PMO. According to our Ministry, Nirav Modi was not invited to Davos!! But he was very much with you on the dias. I just want to be enlightened!! Was the "ever so vigilant PMO" sleeping this time? Or did it dive deep like always into the "Kundli" of Nirav and  till allowed him to be with you & your August group. Do enlighten the nation please!"


Nirav Modis picture with the CEO delegation posing with the prime minister was tweeted by both the Ministry of External Affairs and PMO Twitter handles. The MEA wrote: Together we can! PM narendramodi with Indian CEOs present at the World Economic Forum working hand-in-hand towards a brighter future for the country."


The government launched a high-decibel damage control exercise, with ministers claiming that Nirav Modi was not a part of the PMO delegation but just happened to get into the picture.
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12:40   Moody's places PNB under review for downgrade
Following the biggest scam in the country's banking sector to the tune of Rs 11,340 crore at state-run Punjab National Bank, Moody's today placed the lender under review for downgrade. The agency has a Baa3/P-3 rating on the Delhi-based lender now while it has a Baa3 rating on its foreign currency issuer rating. The bank overall has a Baa2 rating with a stable outlook now from Moody's.


The review for downgrade will focus on: (1) the timing and quantum of the financial impact of the fraudulent transactions, (2) any management actions taken to improve the capitalization profile of the bank, and (3) any punitive actions taken by the regulator on the bank, Moody's Investor Service said.


"The primary driver for today's rating action is the risk of weakening standalone credit profile of PNB, as a result of a number of fraudulent transactions" through fake letters of undertakings issued by the bank to other lenders worth USD 1.8 billion over the past many years, Moody's said. The scam came out into the open on 14 February 2018, when it informed the stock exchanges.
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12:31   SC to hear plea against Nirav Modi on Feb 23
The Supreme Court today agreed to hear a Public Interest Litigation seeking "immediate deportation" of Nirav Modi, the main accused in the Punjab National Bank scam, on February 23.


A bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra will hear the PIL filed by lawyer Vineet Dhanda.


Dhanda, in his PIL, also sought action against the PNB top officials involved in the alleged 11300 crore fraud.


The petitioner also asked the top court to direct the Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India to frame guidelines for grant of loans more than Rs 10 crore while demanding a committee of experts to document details of bad debts in the country.


This is the second petition after advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, filed a plea in the top court seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into the banking fraud.


Niravi Modi and Gitanjali Gems Chairman and Managing Director Mehul Choksi, who are the main accused in the over Rs 11,300 crore scam left India in January.


Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation are probing the matter and conducting searches and raids at various locations linked with Nirav Modi and Gitanjali Gems.


The scam was started in 2011 and was detected in the third week of January this year, after which the PNB officials reported it to the concerned agencies. -- ANI
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11:58   Delhi Chief Secy says he was assaulted by AAP MLAs
Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash (pictured) says he has been assaulted by AAP MLAs at CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence last night. This incident allegedly took place in the presence of the Delhi CM. Kejriwal office says Chief Secretary is playing into the hands of L-G Anil Baijal and the charges are ludicrous.

 
Prakash then went straight to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal's residence to complain about "misconduct and abuse" by the lawmakers, including Amanatullah Khan, a controversial politician who has been in trouble with the law in the past.

The IAS officers' association has called an emergency meeting to discuss a response to what they call the assault on a bureaucrat. The officers' body is reportedly demanding a police case against the Chief Minister and the two AAP MLAs.
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11:36   The man fighting for women in the military
Advocate Kush Kalra filed a Public Interest Litigation against the Territorial Army's discriminatory rule that prevented women from joining the TA, an organisation of gainfully employed, physically able Indian citizens for voluntary military service.


As a result of the PIL, the court paved the way for women's entry to the Territorial Army after 70 years. Kalra 30, has also filed a PIL against the discrimination faced by married women being inducted into JAG, the legal branch of the army.


So far, he has filed six PILs on gender discrimination against the army and navy, including the bar on admitting girls into Sainik Schools, discrimination faced by women in the army education corps and engineering services -- and also in some branches of the navy.


Kalra tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih why he takes up the causes he does and why the military needs to change with the times.

Read the interview here.


Image: Kush Kalra (left) presents a book written by him to Attorney General K K Venugopal, under whom he interned for a month in 2012.
Kalra has received the Youth Award from the ministry of youth affairs and has published 13 books on law. He has practiced as an advocate in the Delhi high court for 5 years.
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11:28   'Men are not allowing their wives to watch PadMan'
"I held a pad for the first time two years ago, and that's how I thought it was important that people are aware.

"The fact that women do not have enough resources to buy sanitary products is worrying. Women have to face so much -- they are not allowed in temples, in their own kitchens! They are made to sleep in the verandah. We should get rid of this.

"And periods are not taboo. We were shooting with a local guy; he ran away when he was asked to hold a pad! He said, 'Humare yahan paap ko haath nahi lagaate! (We don't touch sin!)' This is the kind of mindset people have. We have to break it."


Read Akshay Kumar's interview to Rajul Hegde/Rediff.com.
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11:17   BJP questions proximity between Amit Mitra, Mehul Choksi
The BJP on Tuesday hit back at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for cornering the Centre in connection with the PNB bank fraud case and questioned the proximity between state finance minister Amit Mitra and Mehul Choksi, the co-accused in the 11,300 crore scam.


West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh told ANI and clarified that Nirav Modi was invited by an organisation to Davos and was not a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's delegation, as alleged by the Opposition.


"Nirav Modi was invited by an organisation to Davos. He wasn't part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's delegation. The Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) is writing a letter to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley about it when her own minister Amit Mitra knows Mehul Choksi. He was invited to Bengal Business Summit 2017-18. What right do they have to blame BJP?," he said on Monday.


File pic: West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra
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11:12  
Capt Amarinder Singh @capt_amarinder Look forward to meeting Canadian Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau in Amritsar on Wednesday. I'm hopeful that this meeting will help strengthen the close Indo-Canadian business ties as well as the deep-rooted people-to-people relations between our two countries.
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11:03   Security forces bust terror hideout, arms and ammunition recovered
The Special Operations Group in Kupwara, busted a terrorist hideout in Jammu and Kashmir's Lashtiyal village. On Monday night, based on specific information, the army's 41 Rashtriya Rifles and the Central Reserve Police Force 98 Bn collectively, seized large cache of arms and ammunition from the village's forest area under the jurisdiction of Kupwara Police Station.


The recovered material includes 2 kgs of the Improvised explosive device (IED), three UBGL shells, 15 rounds of pistol, 335 rounds of AK and seven detonators. A case has been registered under the Indian Arms Act at PS Kupwara.An investigation is in progress. -- ANI
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11:00   PNB scam will collapse like 2G, Bofors: Nirav Modi's lawyer
The lawyer of businessman and the main accused in Punjab National Bank  scam Nirav Modi on Tuesday said that case against his client will collapse just like the 2G scam and the Bofors matter.


Speaking to ANI, Vijay Aggarwal said that probe agencies will not be able to prove charges against Nirav Modi in the court of law.


"Like 2G Scam and Bofors matter this case will also collapse. Agencies are making noises in the media but they will not be able to prove the charges in a court of law. I am sure Nirav Modi will not be found guilty," the lawyer said.


The alleged fraudulent transactions to the tune of over Rs 11300 crore were made through letters of understanding issued by the PNB.


Nirav Modi and Gitanjali Gems Chairman and Managing Director Mehul Choksi have been accused in the case.


Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation are probing the matter and conducting searches and raids at various locations linked with Nirav Modi and Gitanjali Gems.


The scam was started in 2011 and was detected in the third week of January this year, after which the PNB officials reported it to the concerned agencies. -- ANI
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10:58   India successfully test-fires nuclear capable Agni-II
The Strategic Forces Command on Tuesday test-fired Agni II medium-range nuclear-capable missile from Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.


The missile has a strike range of more than 2,000 km.


The launch comes one week after India test successfully fired indigenously developed surface-to-surface nuclear capable Agni-I (A) ballistic missile from Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast at 8.30 am.


On February 6, the 'Strategic Forces Command of the Indian Army conducted the test as part of their training exercise', said Defence sources.


The medium range single stage missile was launched from the mobile launch complex-IV of Integrated Test Range situated at Abdul Kalam Island formerly known as Wheeler Island. -- ANI
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10:54   CBI refuses to disclose expenses incurred to bring back Mallya, Modi
The CBI has refused to share details of expenses incurred to bring back to India fugitive businessmen Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya, claiming immunity from disclosures under the RTI Act.


Pune-based activist Vihar Dhurve had approached the agency seeking details of expenses incurred by the government to bring back Mallya, wanted in India on charges of Rs 9,000-crore fraud and Modi, who is facing a money laundering probe. Both Modi and Mallya have denied allegations of wrongdoings.


Mallya had fled the country in March, 2016 after the CBI diluted its lookout circular against him. The agency has sent its team multiple times to London to pursue an extradition case against the embattled liquor tycoon.


The RTI application was forwarded to the CBI by the Finance Ministry. The agency transferred it to the Special Investigation Team looking after these cases. In its response to the RTI plea, the CBI said it is exempt from making any disclosures under the RTI Act through a government notification of 2011.


According to Section 24 of the RTI Act, a few organisations are exempt under the transparency law. However, the Delhi High Court had earlier underlined that organisations listed under Section 24 cannot claim exemption from disclosure if the information pertains to "allegations of corruption and human rights violations". -- PTI
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10:22   Fitch places PNB on 'Rating Watch Negative'
Fitch places Punjab National Bank on 'Rating Watch Negative' reflecting possibility of downgrade following the Rs 11,500 crore fraud. Fitch says it will review the rating after the fraud impact is clear.


However, stocks staged a comeback in early trade with the BSE Sensex gaining over 157 points and the Nifty recapturing the 10,400-level on buying by investors in metal, capital goods, teck and IT stocks amid a mixed trend at other Asian Markets.


The 30-share Sensex recovered by 157.24 points, or 0.46 per cent, to 33,931.90 in opening trade. The index had lost 522.81 points in the previous two sessions.


Sectoral indices led by metal, capital goods, tech and IT were trading in the green with gains of up to 0.75 per cent. The broad-based NSE Nifty went up by 23.95 points or 0.23 per cent to 10,402.35.


Tata Steel rose up to 1.5 per cent in early trade after reports suggest the steel maker was leading bidder for debt-ridden Bhushan Steel. IT stocks TCS, and Infosys also advanced up to 1.7 per cent on a weaker rupee. Banking stocks ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and Yes Bank gained on value buying after recent losses.


Bharti Airtel, HDFC Ltd, L&T, M&M and ONGC also rose up to 1.4 per cent. However, Punjab National Bank, embroiled in the Rs 11,300 crore scam, remained weak and shed another 3.31 per cent while Gitanjai Gems lost 9.91 per cent. Brokers said buying by domestic institutional funds and investors amid a mixed trend at other Asian bourses improved the market sentiment. -- PTI
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09:47   Mamata criticises BJP for 'boasting' about new party office
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday slammed the BJP for ''boasting'' about its new party office in Delhi and said a political party should be ''humble'' in its approach.
''They (BJP) are boasting about inaugurating the world's largest party office. They should be ashamed of it. A political party should be humble in its approach and should not behave arrogantly,'' the Trinamool Congress supremo told a public meeting in Baharampur.
People do not like to see a political party sitting on crores of rupees, the chief minister said adding that political parties should not be proud of money power as democracy and the voice of the people can never be purchased.
With an area of over 1.70 lakh sq.ft, the new BJP headquarters in Delhi was bigger than the office of any other political party in the world, party president Amit Shah had said.
The BJP was quick to hit back at Banerjee, saying it had not built the party office by siphoning off public money in the name of chit funds.
''We have built the party office with our own funds. Our ministers did not siphon off public money in the name of chit funds,'' state BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu said.
West Bengal was rocked by chit fund scams a few years back and the names of certain TMC leaders had also figured in those.
Banerjee also accused the BJP-led central government of helping fraudsters swindle public money and alleged that a conspiracy was hatched in this regard ahead of demonetisation in November 2016.
She mocked the central government for asking people to link Aadhaar to their bank accounts while ''some others are running away with crores of rupees. People live in misery, while they (BJP) build grand offices".
It was ''India's misfortune'' that it was being ruled by a party like the BJP, she said.
 
Referring to the alleged fraud at the Punjab National Bank, the chief minister said, "If you keep money in banks, it will be taken away. If you dig deeper, you will find out that not only PNB, but any other bank is also being looted. Who gave them (fraudsters) protection -- the government has to answer." -- PTI
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09:20   Snap ties with TDP if required: Andhra BJP to central leadership
The Andhra Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has suggested to its central leadership to break ties with the Telugu Desam Party before the latter does it, but felt the TDP was "not in a position" to walk out of the alliance now, a state minister said.
            
The state BJP also suggested that a public meeting be held in which Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would place "all facts" before the people about what the Centre did for the state in the last four years, he said.
            
"These were the two options we gave to our central leadership. The BJP loses nothing if it breaks the alliance with the TDP," state Endowments Minister P Manikyala Rao told reporters in an informal chat in Amaravati.
            
"The bond should be broken, if required, before the TDP does it," he said.
            
He, however, felt that the TDP was "not in a position" to sever ties with the BJP now.
            
The BJP and the TDP that share power both at the Centre and in the state have been at loggerheads ever since the Union Budget was presented on February 1. 

The TDP, which is unhappy over the allocation of funds to the state, had attacked the Centre for doing "injustice" to AP.
           
The minister said efforts were on to hold the public meeting with Jaitley, possibly in Vijayawada, to explain the quantum of financial assistance the Centre has granted to the state. -- PTI
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08:57   CBI refuses to disclose expenses incurred to bring back Mallya, Modi
The Central Bureau of INvestigation has refused to share details of expenses incurred to bring back to India fugitive businessmen Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya, claiming immunity from disclosures under the RTI Act.
Pune-based activist Vihar Dhurve had approached the agency seeking details of expenses incurred by the government to bring back Mallya, wanted in India on charges of Rs 9,000-crore fraud and Modi, who is facing a money laundering probe.
Both Modi and Mallya have denied allegations of wrongdoings.
Mallya had fled the country in March, 2016 after the CBI diluted its lookout circular against him.
The agency has sent its team multiple times to London to pursue an extradition case against the embattled liquor tycoon.
The RTI application was forwarded to the CBI by the Finance Ministry. The agency transferred it to the Special Investigation Team looking after these cases.
In its response to the RTI plea, the CBI said it is exempt from making any disclosures under the RTI Act through a government notification of 2011.
According to Section 24 of the RTI Act, a few organisations are exempt under the transparency law.
However, the Delhi high court had earlier underlined that organisations listed under Section 24 cannot claim exemption from disclosure if the information pertains to "allegations of corruption and human rights violations". -- PTI 
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08:31   Trump Jr arrives in India; Indo-Pacific ties, realty projects on agenda
United President's son Donald Trump Jr today arrived in India to officially launch Trump Towers in Gurugram and Kolkata.

Trump Jr will also hold a closed-door meeting with top industrialists in the national capital.
The luncheon meeting at Birla House will be hosted by Congress leader Milind Deora and business leaders Deepak Parekh and Shobhana Bhartiya, sources said.
Donald Trump Jr will also attend another high-profile closed-door business event in Mumbai, which will be hosted by the Bombay Club.
While only 20 top business leaders have been invited, sources have confirmed that Sunil Bharti Mittal will be in attendance.
Rest of the names on the list are protected due to security reasons. Also, no political leaders from Delhi are on the list. 

According to ANI, Trump Jr. will also deliver his maiden speech in India where he will speak on "Reshaping Indo-Pacific Ties: The New Era of Cooperation" at a global business summit on Friday. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will also be present, will speak at the summit on the topic of "Preparing India for the Future."-- PTI 

Photographs: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com
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00:08   Trump slams Oprah, dares her to run for president
US President Donald Trump today took a swipe at the American TV icon Oprah Winfrey, calling her "very insecure" and daring the billionaire talk show host to challenge him in 2020 so he can "expose and defeat" her.

Trump's diatribe came after the 64-year-old Winfrey in a TV show interviewed several Michigan voters about the president's first year in office.

The talk show queen asked the voters about the president's tax plan, his reported reference to "shithole countries" and about America's eroding reputation around the globe.

Trump claimed that Winfrey posed "biased and slanted" questions to the panel on the news programme.

"Just watched a very insecure Oprah Winfrey, who at one point I knew very well, interview a panel of people on 60 Minutes," Trump said in a tweet.

"The questions were biased and slanted, the facts incorrect. Hope Oprah runs so she can be exposed and defeated just like all of the others!" he said.

Winfrey accepted the Golden Globes' Cecil B DeMille Award for lifetime achievement last month, and gave an acceptance speech that explored issues of race and gender among other hot social and political topics.

Her speech gave rise to speculation of a potential presidential bid in 2020, but Winfrey has denied any such plans.

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