LIVE! Now, ask questions to CBI in Sushant case: Raut

LIVE

Tue, 29 September 2020

Now, ask questions to CBI in Sushant case: Raut

Timeline Refresh

23:25 Now, ask questions to CBI in Sushant case: Raut

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government will complete its five-year term, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday while ruling out possibility of mid-term elections in the state.

Raut told reporters that people of the state do not want polls now.

His comment came a day after Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil said that "there will be no option if no combination works out", while replying to a query on possibility of mid-term polls in the state.

"Nobody wants mid-term polls. But one also cannot figure out a solution to instability. Hence, something may happen one fine morning. All will try to see nothing happens. But if no combination works out, then there will be no option," Patil had told reporters, adding that no party wanted polls now.

Addressing media persons in Mumbai, Raut sarcastically said the Election Commission, which announces poll schedule, might have given Patil "some responsibility" and the latter might be having more information in this regard.

"But I take Chandrakant Patil's comments positively. He said people of Maharashtra don't want polls. I am also saying there should be no elections. Hence, the Thackeray government will run for five years and there will be no elections," Raut said.

To a question about former Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey joining the Nitish Kumar-led JD-U after taking voluntary retirement last week, Raut said one has the right to join politics after resigning from service.

"We had no personal enmity with Pandey saheb, who was Bihar DGP. We were against the statements made against Mumbai Police while he was on the post. You don't insult the Mumbai Police," Raut said.

Pandey came under attack from leaders of the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadai government after he sought a CBI probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death at a time when the Mumbai Police was investigating the matter.

"Now, the CBI is here (investing the matter). The entire country is waiting to see what the CBI does in this case. I think Pandey too should wait for some time," the Sena chief spokesperson said.

He also asked news channels "which raised questions over Mumbai Polices probe" to now ask questions to the CBI.

The central agency has been probing the actors death for over a month now.

"Channels questioned us. They should now ask questions to the CBI, Pandey, Nitish Kumar," he said, alleging the charges were part of a conspiracy to defame the Shiv Sena.

The CBI on Monday said it had not reached any conclusion in the death of Rajput and that all aspects are under investigation. -- PTI

23:19 Tharoor continues as head of Par panel on IT

The parliamentary panel on information technology will continue to be chaired by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, whose decisions to summon Facebook executives and take up the suspension of 4G internet services in J&K had drawn criticism from the committee's BJP members, some of whom had even sought his ouster.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in consultation with Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday announced the composition of several reconstituted parliamentary standing committees, with former Union Minister and Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal being made a member of the panel on external affairs.

Badal recently resigned from the Union Cabinet in protest against the farm bills.

According to the list released by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, Tharoor will continue to chair the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology.

A bitter slugfest had broken out between Tharoor and BJP MP and member of the parliamentary panel of information technology Nishikant Dubey over the suspension of 4G services in Jammu and Kashmir and summoning of Facebook executives over alleged misuse of the social media platform for hate-speech.

Besides Tharoor, various other Congress leaders who were critical of the government as chairperson of their respective parliamentary panels have been retained.

Congress leader Anand Sharma will continue to chair the parliamentary panel on home affairs and Jairam Ramesh will remain the head of the panel on environment and science and technology.

The chairperson of all parliamentary standing committees have been retained.

YSR Congress's Vijaysai Reddy has been reappointed the chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce, Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav of Health, TRS's K Keshava Rao of Industry, TMC's Sudip Bandyopadhyay of Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab of Labour.

DMK's Kanimozhi will continue to lead the panel on chemicals and fertilizers and JD(U)'s Rajiv Ranjan Singh will head the panel on energy.

All remaining chairpersons of the parliamentary standing committees, most of who are from the BJP, have also not been changed.

The department-related parliamentary standing committees are constituted for a period of one year and comprise 21 members from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha. -- PTI

23:17 Farm laws will help hoarders: Mamata

Hitting out at the Centre over the contentious farm laws, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday that this legislation would devastate the farmers of the country and help the hoarders.

Addressing an administrative meeting at branch secretariat' Uttar Kanya' in Siliguri, Banerjee said she would speak to officials of the agricultural department and take steps to protect the interest of the farmers.

"The farm laws will devastate the farmers of the country. It will only help the hoarders. We will soon convene a meeting of officials to see what can be done to protect the interest of the farmers," she said.

Banerjee also slammed the Centre's decision to remove cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities as "anti-people and disastrous".

The opposition parties, including Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, have been protesting three farm sector laws enacted by the Narendra Modi government, alleging these are "anti-farmer measures" and will "destroy" the agriculture sector.

The government has, however, asserted that the new laws would free farmers from the clutches of middleman and allow them to sell their produce anywhere they want at a remunerative price.

Reacting to Banerjee's comments, the state BJP accused her party of misleading the farmers.

"The TMC is trying to mislead the farmers of the state. These laws will enable farmers to get a better price. The TMC government itself has passed a law in 2014, by which it has allowed private players in the farm sector," BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said. -- PTI

The AIIMS' forensic chief Dr Sudhir Gupta said on Tuesday the board of doctors has given a conclusive medico-legal opinion in the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput to the Central Bureua of Investigation and that they were on the "same page" with the probe agency in the matter.

A source said the doctors' panel did not find any trace of poison in the actor's viscera, but this information could not be verified further.

On his part, Dr Gupta refused to divulge any details, stating the case is sub judice.

"The medical board of AIIMS has expressed very clearly and conclusively medico-legal final opinion in this case to the CBI. The AIIMS and the CBI are in agreement and on the same page in the matter," AIIMS' forensic chief said.

He added, "We don't confirm any speculation running in the media and request all media to refrain from referring to AIIMS' name in any news content."

These remarks by Dr Gupta come amid conflicting media reports about the contents of the medico-legal opinion.

While some news reports claimed that the expert panel has said there is no proof of poisoning, some others said it has not ruled out murder or homicide.

The CBI had on Monday said it has not reached any conclusion in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput and all aspects are under investigation.

"The Central Bureau of Investigation is conducting a professional investigation related to the death of Sushant Singh Rajput in which all aspects are being looked into and no aspect has been ruled out as of date," a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

Rajput, 34, who made his silver screen debut in the critically acclaimed 'Kai Po Che' seven years ago, was found dead in his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14.

The CBI had taken over the probe from Bihar Police into the alleged abetment to suicide case filed by the actor's father K K Singh in Patna against Rajput's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her family.

K K Singh, in his complaint to the Bihar Police, had alleged that Chakraborty along with her family members had misappropriated Rajput's wealth. The allegation was denied by Chakraborty in TV interviews.

Last week, K K Singh's lawyer Vikas Singh had expressed "helplessness" over the "slow pace" of the CBI probe into Rajput's death.

"The pace of the CBI probe into Sushant Singh Rajput's death has suddenly slowed down and all attention is being diverted to drugs-related issues with the NCB conducting fashion parade of Bollywood stars," the late actor's family lawyer Vikas Singh had alleged on Friday. -- PTI

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi will hold virtual meeting in December, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said here on Tuesday.

Momen made the remarks after the sixth Joint Consultative Commission meeting, which was held virtually in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Momen led the Bangladesh side while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar led the Indian team at the meeting.

He said the two prime ministers will hold a virtual meeting in December.

Momen said he laid emphasis on "early resolution" of the Teesta water-sharing issue apart from resolving water sharing of other common rivers during the meeting.

"We have got positive responses from the Indian side on the issue, he told a media briefing here on the outcome of the JCC talks.

Momen said his meeting with Jaishankar also featured the issue of potential water sharing agreements on six of the remaining trans-boundary rivers - Monu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gomti, Dharla and Dudhkumar.

"Both sides underscored the necessity of early resolution of the Teesta water sharing and early resolution of agreements on sharing of all common rivers," the Bangladesh foreign office said in a statement.

The two sides also agreed to hold the long pending Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) meeting soon at the ministerial level to address outstanding issues on water resources cooperation. "It (JRC meeting) will be held very soon," Momen said.

The two ministers discussed several issues including trade, line of credit and air bubble.

According to the statement, Bangladesh thanked India for the concessions being provided under SAFTA but said various non-tariff barriers and lack of adequate trade facilitation was impeding flow of Bangladeshi products into India, particularly.

Momen requested New Delhi to address issues of accreditation, certification, standardization, port restrictions and developing port infrastructure to enable exports of Bangladesh into India, it said. -- PTI

Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday expressed pain over the death of Hathras gang-rape victim and demanded that Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath ensure the culprits are punished soon.

Deshmukh also took a dig at Adityanath on Twitter, saying it would be better if the BJP chief minister focused on making crime-free city than film city in the northern state so that women feel safe.

The 19-year-old woman, who was brutally gang-raped in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district two weeks ago, died of her grievous injuries at a Delhi hospital on Tuesday morning.

The four men alleged to be involved in the crime have been arrested and will now face charges under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, Hathras SP Vikrant Vir said.

"Pained by tragic demise of the Hathras gang-rape victim. @myogiadityanath Ji, hope the culprits will be put behind bars soon. It would be better if you focus on making Crime free city instead of Film city so that our sisters can be safe, the NCP minister tweeted.

Adityanath had on September 22 unveiled an ambitious plan to set up a film city in Uttar Pradesh and rolled out an open offer to the movie fraternity to come to the state. -- PTI

22:25 Cong to discuss seat-sharing in Bihar on Wed

The Congress on Wednesday will hold internal discussions on the seat-sharing arrangements with like-minded parties for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections.

According to sources, the party has called its Bihar unit chief Madan Mohan Jha and Congress Legislature Party leader Sadanand Singh to the national capital on Wednesday.

The Congress is contesting the Bihar assembly polls as part of the 'Mahagathbandhan' with the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Left parties and some smaller state parties.

The three-phase assembly election in Bihar will start on October 28 and end on November 7, with the results to be declared on November 10.

The sources said the seat-sharing arrangement is not being worked out as the RJD, which is the bigger partner in the alliance, is not ready to offer more than 55 seats to the Congress, which wants to contest on 75 seats out of a total of 243.

The screening committee of Congress for Bihar polls will also meet soon to select the candidates for the upcoming polls. Avinash Pande heads the state's screening panel.

The sources said the Congress, being a national party, is keen to contest on at least 70 seats and talks are on with the RJD leadership.

The Congress had contested the last assembly polls in 2015 in Bihar as part of the Mahagathbandhan with the RJD and the Janata Dal-United.

While the Congress got 41 seats as part of the seat-sharing arrangement in 2015, the RJD and the JDU contested on 101 seats each. -- PTI

21:54 VP Venkaiah Naidu tests COVID-19 positive

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the VP secretariat said.

"The Vice President of India who underwent a routine COVID-19 test today morning has been tested positive. He is however, asymptomatic and in good health. He has been advised home quarantine. His wife Smt. Usha Naidu has been tested negative and is in self-isolation," Vice President secretariat said in a tweet.

The Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested four persons, including Punjab Youth Congress president Birender Singh Dhillon, in connection with the tractor-burning incident near India Gate, officials said.

"Four more persons have been arrested on Tuesday in a case registered at Tilak Marg police station. They have been identified as PYC president Birender Singh Dhillon, Indian Youth Congress (IYC) national general secretaries Harish Panwar and Abraham Roy Mani and IYC secretary Bunty," a senior police officer said.

A total of 10 people, including six on Monday, have been arrested in this connection.

The Congress' youth wing activists on Monday morning set a tractor ablaze near India Gate, a few hundred metres from the Rashtrapati Bhavan and Parliament, to protest the contentious farm laws.

Six of the PYC activists were arrested on Monday and police had also seized two vehicles in the matter.

Police had said that around 20 people carried a tractor on a truck to Rajpath, Man Singh Crossing, unloaded it from the truck and set it on fire.

According to police sources, the Punjab Youth Congress activists entered Lutyens' Delhi along with a Punjab Police car. -- PTI

The civic corporation in Mumbai on Tuesday announced that people not wearing masks will not be allowed entry inside public transport buses, taxis and rickshaws.

Officials said malls, offices, societies etc will paste 'no mask, no entry' stickers as part of measures taken to increase awareness among people about coronavirus outbreak norms involving face coverings.

The decisions were taken in an e-meeting chaired by Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, they said.

Ward offices will convey the decision to taxi and autorickshaw unions as well as the management of other establishments, they added.

Chahal also asked civic officials to enforce fines for mask violations, currently Rs 200, strictly.

Between April 1 and September 26, the civic body has fined 14,000 people in the metropolis for not wearing masks in public and collected Rs 52.76 lakh.

BEST general manager Surendrakumar Bagde said the decision would be implemented strictly on the civic-run metropolitan bus service.

Mumbai is the country's premier hotspot with over two lakh COVID-19 cases, with 8,800 people having succumbed to the infection so far. -- PTI

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said the investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput death case has gone in "different direction".

Speaking to reporters in Pandharpur in Solapur district, Pawar appeared questioning the progress made by the Central Bureua of Investigation in its probe of the case, which was initially probed by the Mumbai Police.

He also ruled out any politics behind the much-talked meeting between Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis last week.

When asked about Union minister Ramdas Athawale's suggestion that Pawar join the National Democratic Alliance in the event of the Shiv Sena not forging ties with former ally BJP, Pawar said nobody takes the RPI-A chief seriously inside as well as outside Parliament.

Speaking on Sushant Singh Rajput case, he said, "It could be because the Central government did not have trust in Mumbai Police that is why the probe in the case was given to another agency (CBI).

"What light they (CBI) have shed on the case, we have not yet seen. Suicide (angle) aside, now strange things are coming to the fore. Now the investigation in the case has gone in different direction," he said, adding that things will become clear once the truth comes out.

The veteran politician was apparently referring the the Narcotics Control Bureau wideninng its probe into alleged Bollywood-drug nexus arising out of the Rajput death case.

Asked about Athawale's comments, Pawar said, "Does his (Ramdas Athawale's) party have a single MLA or an MP? He speaks, gives advice, but nobody takes him seriously, neither in Parliament nor outside".

Athawale had asked the Shiv Sena to reunite with the BJP to form a government in Maharashtra and also suggested a power-sharing formula between the two saffron parties.

Replying to a question on Fadnavis-Raut meeting, Pawar, whose party is part of the Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, said, "If a reporter or an editor of a newspaper takes interview of leaders from different parties, it does not mean that he gets associated with that party".

"When Raut had interviewd me (for Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana'), he had announced that he would intrview chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. Raut had also clarified that he would interview BJP leaders. I don't think there is any need to comment on that," he said.

Pawar said the interview (of Fadnavis) will take place and get published, "but it will not have any effect on politics of the state".

Speaking about Maratha reservation, which was stayed by the supreme court recently, the NCP chief said the Central government and BJP are supporting Rajya Sabha MPs Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje and Chhatrapati Udayan Raje Bhosale, and "they should take lead in resolving this issue". -- PTI

Bypolls to one Lok Sabha and 56 assembly seats spread across 12 states will be held on November 3 and 7, the Election Commission said on Tuesday, but did not announce "at this stage" by-elections to seven assembly constituencies in four others states.

While bypolls to 54 assembly seats would be held on November 3, those for one Lok Sabha seat in Bihar and two assembly seats in Manipur would be held on November 7.

The votes for all the bypolls will be counted on November 10, alongside the counting of votes for the general assembly elections in Bihar.

Before sharing the schedule, the poll panel issued a separate statement on Tuesday to say that it has decided not to announce at this stage" the conduct of by-elections on seven assembly seats across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and West Bengal.

The decision has been taken based on inputs received from the chief secretaries and poll officials in these states, the poll panel said in the release.

While there are two vacancies each in the assemblies of Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, one seat is vacant in the West Bengal legislature.

The term of the legislative assemblies of the four states would end on different dates between May and June next year.

Besides the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha bypoll in Bihar, by-elections are being held to 28 seats in Madhya Pradesh.

Most of these 28 seats fell vacant when rebel Congress members resigned from the party and the assembly to join the BJP.

After the resignations of the Congress members, the Kamal Nath-led government lost majority and the BJP returned to power.

Earlier, the EC had said that bypolls are pending in 64 assembly seats.

But the figure now stands at 63, including the seven seats in four states where the schedule was not announced on Tuesday.

The reason is that the number of vacant seats in some states has changed due to various reasons, including court cases.

"The figures are not static. We go by the number of clear vacancies on a given date," a senior official explained.

Eight assembly seats are going for bypolls in Gujarat, followed by seven in Uttar Pradesh, two each in Odisha, Nagaland, Manipur, Karnataka and Jharkhand, and one each in Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Haryana.

PSU major Oil India Ltd (OIL) on Tuesday said it will likely take overseas experts two more months to kill its damaged well at Baghjan in Assam, where gas has been gushing out uncontrollably for the last 126 days.

Addressing a press conference after the company's annual general meeting, OIL Chairman and MD Sushil Chandra Mishra said it has started taking action against employees responsible for the mishap, which has killed three persons.

"The fire at the well-head has been doused after we successfully diverted the gas on September 13. We are in the process of completely controlling the well and for that, a snubbing unit from Canada is likely to arrive within next three-four weeks," he said.

After the arrival of experts of the Alert Disaster Control with their equipment, it will take another 3-4 weeks to control and kill the well, Mishra said, adding, "a total of about eight weeks will be required to kill the well from now".

The company has spent around Rs 70 crore so far towards foreign experts in their efforts to douse the flame and control the well, the top OIL official said.

On August 17, OIL had achieved the first successful step towards dousing the blaze when it could place the Blow Out Preventer, a very heavy metal cover weighing several tonnes, in its third attempt at the mouth of the damaged gas well.

Assam Commerce and Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary had said in the assembly on September 2 that a team of experts from Canada were on their way to Baghjan and it will take them two more months to douse the flame. -- PTI

Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee on Tuesday said India is among the worst performing economies in the world and the government's economic stimulus was inadequate to tackle the problem.

He, however, said that the country will see a revival in growth in the July-September quarter of the current fiscal.

Speaking at a virtual event, Banerjee said the country's economic growth was slowing down even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

"Indian economy is among the worst performing in the world. The country's economy will see revival in the current quarter (July-September)," he said, adding that economic growth in 2021 is going to be better than this year.

Banerjee, currently a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), said he does not think that India's economic stimulus was adequate.

"India's economic stimulus was limited. It was a bank bailout. I think we could have done more," he said.

The stimulus measures "did not increase consumption spending of lower income people as the government was not willing to put money in the hands of the low income population," he noted.

Talking about inflation, Banerjee said India's growth strategy was closed economy with the government creating lots of demand, which resulted in high growth and inflation.

"India had 20 years of high inflation and high growth. The country benefited a lot from stable high inflation in the last 20 years," he opined.

The eminent economist noted that India needs to be globally more competitive. -- PTI

Noted filmmaker Shekhar Kapur was on Tuesday appointed president of the Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Society and chairman of the institute's governing council, an official said.

FTII Director Bhupendra Kainthola said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has announced that Kapur has been appointed to these posts.

The 74-year-old filmmaker's tenure will be till March 3, 2023, the official said.

Born on December 6, 1945 at Lahore in Pakistan, the critically acclaimed director is known for films like Elizabeth (1998), Bandit Queen (1994) and The Four Feathers (2002).

Shekhar Kapur directed the 1983 film Masoom starring Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Urmila Matondkar. -- PTI

20:04 Trouble in NDA? 'Unhappy' LJP weighs options

Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party is deliberating whether to accept the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance's offer, which has left a section within the regional party unhappy, or go ahead with its plan to fight on 143 constituencies in the elections to the 243-seat Bihar assembly, party sources said.

The party is likely to take a decision in a couple of days, with the nomination for the first phase of three phase-polls set to begin from October 1, they said.

Though there is no official word on the likely seat-sharing formula among the three NDA partners, chief minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal-United, BJP and the LJP, sources said Paswan's party has been offered around 27 seats.

In 2015, it had contested 42 seats and won two.

The JD-U was then part of the opposition alliance which had comprehensively defeated the NDA.

Sources said what has irked LJP leaders is that several seats on which they were keen that the party should contest do not figure among the constituencies on offer.

The LJP has also refuted reports that a few of its six Lok Sabha MPs are opposed to the party walking out of the NDA in the assembly polls and released a video message of its Vaishali MP Veena Devi in which she has favoured fighting on 143 seats.

LJP president Chirag Paswan has been lauding the BJP leadership, indicating that his party will not put up candidates against the saffron party even as it considers contesting on constituencies which will fall in the JD-U's quota.

The sources said the BJP has also offered the party some seats in the state's legislative council.

With the party's patron and Chirag's father Ram Vilas Paswan remaining hospitalised, the party's task to thrash out an acceptable seat-sharing agreement with its allies has become all the more difficult.

Chirag Paswan on Tuesday visited a temple in the national capital to pray for his father's quick return to good health.

The BJP on its part has maintained that the NDA is intact, and all its three partners will fight the Bihar assembly polls together. -- PTI

India cricket captain Virat Kohli on Tuesday hoped that justice would be done to the Hathras gangrape victim, who died of her injuries in Delhi, saying that the incident "goes beyond cruelty".

The 19-year-old woman, who was brutally gangraped by four men in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras on September 14, was brought to a Delhi hospital on Monday for treatment but could not survive.

"What happened in #Hathras is inhumane and goes beyond cruelty. Hope the culprits of this heinous crime will be brought to justice. #JusticeForManishaValmiki," Kohli, who is in the UAE for the ongoing IPL, tweeted.

The gangrape and the victim's death has sparked outrage and protests. All the four men alleged to have committed the crime have been arrested.

The young woman was left paralysed by the attack and her tongue was also cut when the accused attempted to strangle her, Hathras Superintendent of Police Vikrant Vir has stated. -- PTI

19:23 China now says it does not recognise Ladakh

China on Tuesday voiced its opposition to India undertaking infrastructure development for military purposes in the border areas of Ladakh, and maintained that both countries should avoid any activities that might complicate the situation upsetting the consensus reached between them to ease the situation.

"China has not recognised Ladakh Union Territory illegally set up by the Indian side," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a press briefing in Beijing while replying to a question by a western media journalist that India was prioritising construction of high altitude road network on its border with China in the Ladakh region.

It may be recalled that when China first expressed its opposition to India's move to create a separate Union Territory of Ladakh, a day after the state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two union territories on August 5, 2019, the then external affairs ministry spokesperson had said India does not comment on the internal affairs of other countries and similarly expects other countries to do likewise.

"We are opposed to conducting infrastructure development for military purposes in the border area. Based on the two sides' consensus no side should engage in the border areas in any activities that might complicate the situation to avoid undermining efforts by the two sides to ease the situation," Wang said.

To another question on reports that China has carried out massive development of border infrastructure, Wang said reports released by "some institutions" stating that China has built new military bases on its side is "completely false".

"First some institutions once released the so-called information on new military bases or facilities China has built on its side. Such reports are completely false. They are driven by ulterior motives," he said.

"Second China consistently and strictly abides by the agreements signed with the Indian side. We are committed to maintaining peace and stability along the border with India and at the same time we firmly safeguard our sovereignty, territorial integrity and security," he added.

Wang said that for a long time China has been conducting activities on its side of the Line of Actual Control and they have always complied with relevant agreements.

"We hope the Indian side to work for the same purpose, together with China to achieve the cooling of temperature on the ground and to prevent adding complex factors to the concerted efforts by the two sides to ease the situation," he said.

India and China are locked in a nearly five-month-long border standoff in eastern Ladakh. -- PTI

Ministry of Home Affairs statement on Amnesty shutting shop in India. "The stand taken and statements by Amnesty International are unfortunate, exaggerated and far from the truth. Amnesty International had received permission under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) only once and that too 20 years ago Owing to these illegal practices of Amnesty, previous govt had also rejected repeated applications of Amnesty to receive funds from overseas. This had led Amnesty to suspend its India operations once during that period as well.

"Since then Amnesty International has been denied FCRA approval by successive govts since it's not eligible to get such approval. In order to circumvent FCRA regulations, Amnesty UK remitted large amounts of money to 4 entities registered in India, by classifying it as FDI.

"Amnesty is free to continue humanitarian work in India. However, India doesn't allow interference in domestic political debates by entities funded by foreign donations. This law applies equally to all and it shall apply to Amnesty International as well."

Amnesty International on Tuesday said it is halting all its activities in India due to freezing of its accounts and claimed that it is being subjected to an "incessant witch-hunt" over unfounded and motivated allegations.

Amnesty India, in a statement, said the organisation has been compelled to let go of staff in India and pause all its ongoing campaign and research work.

18:33 Kangana's property demolition case on Oct 5

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday adjourned the matter of actor Kangana Ranaut's property demolition till October 5 for written submissions.

The court has asked all parties to file their written submissions by October 5 and after that, the court will pass an order in the matter considering all arguments and submissions.

On Monday, an audio recording of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut was played by actor Kangana Ranaut's lawyer in the Bombay High Court during a hearing on a petition on the demolition of the actor's office in Bandra to show how Raut had allegedly threatened Ranaut to teach her a lesson after her tweets which were critical of the Maharashtra government.

Raut's lawyer told the court that in the said audio recording Raut had not taken the name of the petitioner (Kangana).The High Court was on Monday continuing the hearing on Kangana's plea against BMC challenging demolition work at her Bandra office by the Municipal officers.

HC justice JS Kathawalla had asked Raut's lawyer whether he wants to say that Raut did not say the word 'Haramkhor' as alleged by Kangana's lawyer. Raut's lawyer had said he will file an affidavit in this regard by Tuesday. --ANI

18:26 No bail for Rhea, brother

ASG Anil Singh for Narcotics Control Bureau opposes bail pleas of Rhea Chakraborty, Showik Chakraborty and others.

"All throughout arguments, applicants state that this is connected to Sushant Singh Rajput death case but this investigation has nothing to do with it," says Singh.

"I want to point out that this a drug syndicate and that they are all interlinked. All persons arrested till now, are connected with each other and it is a syndicate. There were regular links and purchasing," says Singh.

Case is being heard before Bombay High Court.

17:37 Adani, Ambani get richer despite Covid impact

The personal net worth of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani rose by 73 per cent to Rs 6.58 lakh crore, helping him retain the title of being the richest Indian for the ninth consecutive year with a wider margin, according to a report released on Tuesday. Ambani, 63, who has been selling stakes in telecom and retail arms lately leading to a strong performance in the Reliance Industries stock price, is also in the top five at a global level, the report prepared by Hurun in association with IIFL Wealth said.

The rankings come at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a deep economic impact on the lives and fears are being expressed about a K-shaped recovery, which will result in more inequalities in the society.

The list identified 828 Indians who are worth over Rs 1,000 crore as of August 31 and made it to the list of richest Indians.

Cyrus Mistry and Shapoor Mistry of Shapoorji Pallonji group, which is seeking nearly Rs 1.78 lakh crore for its 18 per cent stake in Tata Sons, saw a 1 per cent decline in their wealth at Rs 76,000 crore each.

Gujarat-based Gautam Adani, who is diversifying into many businesses, saw a 48 per cent rise in his wealth to Rs 1.40 lakh crore and moved up two places in rankings to being the fourth richest Indian. Hinduja Brothers, who are reported to be in a property dispute, are worth Rs 1.43 lakh crore and were able to retain the second standing despite a 23 per cent reduction, according to the list.

They are followed by HCL's Shiv Nadar and family whose fortunes rose 34 per cent to Rs 1.41 lakh crore. Wipro's Azim Premji slipped two places to fifth in the rankings with fortunes of Rs 1.14 lakh crore. The world's largest vaccine maker Serum Institute of India's Cyrus Poonawalla had a 6 per cent rise in wealth at Rs 94,300 crore and was at sixth place.

D-Mart's Radhakishan Damani and family broke into the top-ten with a 56 per cent rise in wealth to Rs 87,200 crore. Kotak Mahindra Bank promoter Uday Kotak saw an 8 per cent reduction in his net worth to Rs 87,000 crore, slipping one place to being the eighth richest Indian.

17:26 Maha govt bans dandiya, idols limited to 4 ft

Maharashtra Home Department's guidelines for Navratri festivities: People observing festivities to abide by all guidelines issued in view of Covid-19. Idols at home cannot be higher than 2 feet and those at pandals have to be under 4 feet. Garbha and dandiya events will not be held.

Similarly, the West Bengal government has banned cultural programmes at puja pandals and has urged the organisers to stagger the festivities over additional days so that people can participate while maintaining social distancing.

17:17 BSP to ally with RLSP in Bihar

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati announces that the party will fight elections in Bihar in alliance with Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samta Party and other parties. Upendra Kushwaha will be the CM if this alliance gets blessing of people of Bihar in the polls.

ICMR's (Indian Council of Medical Research) second Sero Survey report reveals that a considerable population still vulnerable to COVID-19.

"Since a large portion of the population is yet susceptible, prevention fatigue is to be avoided and 5T strategy (Test, Track, Trace, Treat & Technology) is to be adhered to," says, Balram Bhargava, DG, ICMR.

The second serosurvey report, urban slum and urban non-slum areas had higher SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence than that of rural areas. In the light of the upcoming festivities, winter season and mass gathering, inventive containment strategies need to be implemented by the states. As per the second national serosurvey report, one in 15 individuals aged more than 10 years were estimated to be exposed to Covid-19 by August 2020.

"We all need to ensure that in the coming months, we celebrate 'mask wali puja, mask wali Chhath, mask wali Diwali, mask wala Dussehra, mask wali Eid,' in order to curb the spread of Covid," says Dr VK Paul, Niti Aayog.

17:02 Aftab Shivdasani recovers from Covid

Actor Aftab Shivdasani on Tuesday said he has recovered from Covid-19. Shivdasani, who had tested positive for the virus on September 11, shared the news of his recovery in a statement posted on Twitter and Instagram.

"Hello everyone, I am very happy and relieved to be sharing with all of you that I did my Covid test again and by the grace of God, the reports came negative. I thank you all for the support and good wishes," he said. The 42-year-old urged people to not panic if they contract the virus as most of the cases are treatable.

"Please know that this illness is very treatable and less than 20 percent cases are severe and need hospitalisation. Most of the people recover and need medication at home so please do not panic even if unfortunately you get it," he added. -- PTI

Actor Akshat Utkarsh dies allegedly by suicide at his residence in Mumbai's Andheri area. Case lodged, matter being probed. Body handed over to family after postmortem, the Mumbai Police, said, adding that he was depressed due to lack of work. His family, however, has dismissed the depression narrative, claiming that the aspiring actor was murdered. His body was taken to his native Muzaffarpur by his family on Tuesday. They have alleged police negligience.

The Delhi High Court Tuesday allowed the CBI and ED pleas seeking early hearing on the appeals challenging acquittal of former telecom minister A Raja and others in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case. Justice Brijesh Sethi said the matter will be heard on a day-to-day basis from October 5 at 2:30 pm.

The probe agencies have sought early hearing of their leave to appeal', listed for October 12.

Leave to appeal is a formal permission granted by a court to a party to challenge a decision in a higher court. A special court had on December 21, 2017 acquitted Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others in CBI and ED cases related to the scam. The special court had also acquitted Essar Group promoters Ravi Kant Ruia and Anshuman Ruia, Loop Telecom promoters I P Khaitan and Kiran Khaitan and four others in a separate case arising out of the 2G scam probe. -- PTI

16:21 Manish Sisodia discharged

Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia discharged from Max hospital today after he tested negative for Covid-19. Doctors have advised him to take rest for a week: Office of Deputy CM.

The TN CM held a meeting on Covid today

16:14 Panneerselvam goes into huddle, skips CM-led meet on COVID-19

AIADMK coordinator and Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam was closeted with a section of leaders on Tuesday, skipping a meeting chaired by Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Covid-19, a day after the two crossed swords over who should lead the party in the 2021 assembly elections.

Triggering speculations about the probability of a fresh bout of bickering, the meet at the Greenways Road residence of Panneerselvam here was attended by senior leaders, including deputy coordinator K P Munusamy and Rajya Sabha MP, R Vaithilingam. However, Vaithilingam, also a party deputy coordinator, told waiting mediapersons later that "there is no political significance to the meeting."

Asked on the choice of Chief Ministerial candidate for the next year elections, he said: "Let us see on October 7," adding "there is no confusion" on the matter and AIADMK would "recapture power".

After a stormy AIADMK executive meeting on Monday where the issue of leadership for the polls was discussed, Munsamy had announced Panneerselvam and Palaniswami, joint-coordinator of the party, would announce on October 7 the chief ministerial candidate.

The Serum Institute of India (SII) will produce up to an additional 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses for India and low and middle-income countries (LMICs) in 2021. The company made this announcement taking forward the collaboration between SII, Gavi, Vaccine Alliance and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The expansion follows August's announcement of up to 100 million doses to be delivered by the collaboration and bringing the total now to be delivered by the partnership to up to 200 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

The collaboration will provide upfront capital to SII to help it increase manufacturing capacity now so that, once a vaccine, or vaccines, gains regulatory approval and WHO prequalification, doses can be distributed at scale to LMICs as part of the Gavi COVAX AMC mechanism as early as the first half of 2021, said the company.

Adar Poonawalla, CEO of SII said, "Through the avid support of Gavi and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we will now manufacture and deliver up to an additional 100 million doses of immunogenic and safe-proven future COVID-19 vaccines to India and low- and middle-income countries in 2021."

"This association is in line with our efforts to see that the future vaccines reaches the remotest part of the world providing full immunisation coverage in a bid to contain the spread of the pandemic," Poonawalla added.

The funding will help accelerate the manufacturing by SII for candidate vaccines licensed from AstraZeneca and Novavax, which will be available for procurement if they are successful in attaining full licensure and WHO Prequalification. The vaccines will have a ceiling price of US$3 per dose, a price enabled by investments made by partners such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and SII. - PTI

Hathras District Magistrate Praveen Lakshkar on Tuesday refuted media reports of Hathras gang-rape victim's tongue being chopped off. He informed that all the four accused involved in September 14 gang-rape have been arrested.

"All four accused have been arrested. Under the SC/ST Act, her family has been given the financial support of Rs 10 lakh, in total. Reports of her tongue being chopped off are not true," the DM said. The 19-year-old Dalit woman, who was gang-raped in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, died this morning at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital. -- ANI

15:07 India's Covid recovery rate over 83%

The number of people who have recuperated from COVID-19 in India crossed 51 lakh, improving the national recovery rate to over 83 per cent and outnumbering the active cases by more than 41.5 lakh, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

As much as 73 per cent of the new recovered cases were reported from 10 states and Union Territories -- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Odisha, Kerala, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. Maharashtra topped the list with nearly 20,000 recoveries, while Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh contributed more than 7,000 to the single-day recoveries, the ministry said. The sustained high level of recoveries have led to a further widening of the gap between active and recovered cases, it said.

"Recovered cases exceed the active cases by more than 41.5 lakh (41,53,831). The recovered cases are 5.38 times the active cases. The recoveries are consistently rising," the ministry underlined.

There are 9,47,576 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country presently, which is "merely" 15.42 per cent of the total caseload and "is consistently declining". The daily new recovered cases again exceeded the new infections, the ministry said.

While 84,877 patients recuperated from COVID-19 in a span of 24 hours in the country, 70,589 new infections were reported during the same period, according to the data updated at 8 am Tuesday. The total number of recoveries has touched 51,01,397 pushing the recovery rate to 83.01 per cent as on date. The recovery rate was 82.58 per cent on Monday. -- PTI

Actor Sonu Sood who is often dubbed as the "messiah of migrants" for his philanthropic work during coronavirus induced lockdown, has been conferred with the prestigious SDG Special Humanitarian Action Award by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The 'Dabangg' actor has received the award for selflessly extending a helping hand and sending lakhs of migrants, stranded students across geographies abroad, back to their homes.

Besides that, he has also been providing free education and medical facilities to young children and has been creating free employment opportunities to the needy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The award was presented to the actor at a virtual ceremony on Monday evening.

Expressing his happiness over the honour, the actor said he fully supports the UNDP in its endevaours.

"This is a rare honour. UN recognition is very special. I have done whatever little I have done, in my own humble way, for my fellow countrymen without any expectations. However, to be recognised and awarded feels good," he said. -- ANI

The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday said while assisting victims of terrorism, it is important not to lose sight of their right to get justice for the crimes, which were committed against them.

"Victims of the 2008 Mumbai and 2016 Pathankot terror attacks are yet to get justice," said Vijay Thakur Singh, MEA Secretary (East) at a ministerial meeting of a group of friends of victims of terrorism.

"It's due to the unwillingness and non-cooperative attitude of a particular country. It is important that we must work towards redressing deficiencies in the international efforts to ensure that perpetrators of terrorism are brought to justice," Singh added.

Singh led the Indian delegation in the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism, which took place virtually on Monday.

According to MEA, Secretary (East), highlighted the pain and suffering of the innocent victims of terrorism across the world. She underscored that even amidst the ongoing pandemic, terrorism continues to pose a critical threat to international peace and security.

She highlighted that the acts of terrorism not only violate the rights of individual victims but they also deeply affect the enjoyment of a range of rights by the families of the victims particularly women and children and therefore, measures aimed at addressing the needs of victims of terrorism should specifically factor-in their needs and sensitivities. -- PTI

A tick that carries the Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic fever

14:30 Maha-Guj border on high alert for Congo fever

The Palghar administration on Tuesday asked authorities to remain alert against a possible spread of the Congo fever in the Maharashtra district. The Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), commonly known as the Congo fever, spreads in humans through ticks. The district administration said in the wake of the outbreak of Covid-19, this is a matter of concern for cattle- breeders, meat-sellers and animal husbandry officials, and it is necessary to take timely precautions as there is no specific and useful treatment for the CCHF.

Palghar animal husbandry department's deputy commissioner Dr Prashant D Kamble in a circular said the CCHF has been found in some districts of Gujarat, and is likely to spread to border districts of Maharashtra. Palghar is close to Gujarat's Valsad district. The department has instructed authorities to take all necessary precautions and implement preventive measures.

"This viral disease is transmitted from one animal to another by a specific type of tick...the disease is transmitted to humans through contact with the blood of infected animals and by eating the meat of infected animals," the circular said.

"If the disease is not diagnosed and treated in time, 30 per cent of patients die," it said. The CCHF is a widespread disease caused by a tick- borne virus (Nairovirus) of the Bunyaviridae family. The virus causes severe viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks, with a case fatality rate of 10 to 40 per cent, as per the World Health Organisation (WHO). There is no vaccine available for either people or animals against the disease, it said. Human-to-human transmission can occur resulting from close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons. Hospital-acquired infections can also occur due to improper sterilisation of medical equipment, reuse of needles and contamination of medical supplies, according to the WHO. -- PTI

14:22 6 states to meet on stubble burning on Oct 1

The Environment Ministers of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh will meet on October 1 to discuss and tackle the problem of stubble-burning which causes pollution every year, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said on Tuesday. The virtual meeting will also be attended by the environment secretaries of Delhi and the four neighbouring states along with the members of the pollution control boards and corporations like the NDMC and the DDA, he said.

The Union Environment Minister told a press conference that the meeting will review the work done by the states in the last two years to handle the issue of crop residue burning. At the onset of winter in Delhi, which is October 15 onwards, stubble burning commences and causes pollution throughout the winter season, he said.

"This is not just confined to Delhi, but an air shade which extends to the NCR cities, places in Haryana, UP, Punjab and Rajasthan. Everyone bears the brunt of this air shade. So with the cooperation of all these five states we started tackling this issue in 2016," he added.

For this cause, a virtual meeting of the environment ministers of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh will be held on October 1. Besides the environment ministers, the meeting will be attended by state environment secretaries, pollution control board members and municipal corporations, DDA and NDMC, Javadekar told the media.

In 2016, the PM launched the National Air Quality Index (NAQI). We believe that acceptance of a problem is the beginning of its solution. So, this is a significant meeting. I am confident everyone will participate in the meeting, he said. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan attract attention during the paddy harvesting season between October 15 and November 15. -- PTI

14:16 India looking to store oil overseas in US

India, the world's third-biggest oil importer, is exploring storing crude oil in the US and other commercially viable locations to hedge its supply risks, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday. Also, the country has tied up long-term crude oil supplies from the US, Russia and Angola to diversify its import basket beyond its traditional suppliers in the volatile Middle-East. Speaking at a conference on the 'Energy Security Towards Atmanirbhar Bharat', he said.

India is now importing crude oil from over 30 countries, including from Africa, North and South Americas as well as Southeast Asia. "We are also exploring overseas crude storage facilities in the US and other commercially viable locations," he said. India and the US had on July 17 signed a preliminary agreement for cooperating on emergency crude oil reserves, including the possibility of India storing oil in the US emergency stockpile.

The nation currently stores 5.33 million tonnes (about 38 million barrels) of crude oil in underground storages at three locations on the east and west coast, hardly enough to meet its 9.5 days needs. The International Energy Agency (IEA) prescribes its members to have at least 90 days of stock in the strategic reserves. -- PTI

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday sought to know what happened after the probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death was given to the CBI, and said he is eagerly waiting to know the outcome of the agency's investigation.

Deshmukh's comments came a day after the Central Bureau of Investigation said it has not reached any conclusion in the death Rajput and that all aspects are under investigation.

The CBI started a probe into the high-profile case last month following the Supreme Court's nod.

Earlier, the Mumbai Police had filed an accidental death report and were investigating the matter after Rajput was found dead in his apartment in Bandra area on June 14 this year.

Taking to Twitter, Deshmukh said, "What happened after the Sushant Singh death case probe was handed over to the CBI? People have been asking whether the actor committed suicide or was killed."

"We are also waiting eagerly to know the outcome of the CBI probe," he added.

-- PTI

The Delhi High Court asked the Centre, PCI and NBA on Tuesday as to what steps they have taken on its order to treat as a representation actor Rakul Preet Singh's plea to stop media reports from connecting her with the Rhea Chakraborty drug case and take a decision on it.

Justice Navin Chawla directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Press Council of India and National Broadcasting Association to file status reports indicating all the steps taken by them pursuant to the court's September 17 order to treat the contents of the actor's petition as a representation. The court issued notice to them and sought their replies on a fresh application moved by the actor seeking interim directions to them to ensure that the media does not broadcast any programme or publish any article connecting her with the case.

The court declined to pass any interim directions, but asked the NBA to take up her representation on October 3. It also told the ministry that merely because the probe in the drug case was "sensitive" or "at a crucial stage", the government cannot say it will not look into the alleged false reporting by the media.

The court directed the ministry, PCI and NBA to file their replies to the application and the status reports on action taken before the next date of hearing on October 15. The actor, in her application, has sought an interim order against the media till the time the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Mumbai, completes the investigation in the drug case and files an appropriate report before the competent court. -- PTI

13:19 Opposition against farm laws for no reason: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated six mega projects amounting to Rs 521 crores under the Namami Gange Mission in Uttarakhand.

Speaking about the reforms brought by the Centre recently he said, "Several reforms, related to farmers, labourers and health, were brought during the recently concluded Parliament session. These reforms will strengthen labourers, youth, women, farmers of the nation. But the nation can see how some people are opposing it just for the sake of it."

The Prime Minister also pointed out that now farmers in the country are free to sell their produce to anyone and anywhere at their discretion, but the Opposition does not want that to happen.

"They do not want farmers to sell their produce in the open markets. They want their vehicles to be seized like it used to happen earlier. By burning their equipment (tractor) they are disrespecting farmers today," the Prime Minister said.

"Today these people are misleading farmers over MSP. There will not only be MSP in the country but also the freedom for farmers to sell their produce anywhere. But some people are unable to tolerate this freedom. Their one more medium to earn black money is finished," PM Modi added.

The Prime Minister also slammed the Opposition over defence acquisition by saying, "For years these people (Opposition) didn't do anything to empower our security forces. Air Force kept asking for Rafale but they never listened to them. When our govt signed a contract with France Govt for Rafale aircraft they started having a problem."

"When the world was celebrating International Yoga Day, under India's initiative, they were opposing Yoga in India. When Statue of Unity - commemorating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel- was being unveiled, they were opposing it. None of their tall leaders has visited Statue of Unity so far," he added.

13:05 Sushant NOT poisoned, says forensic report

The Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory in Mumbai on Tuesday said that its report in July on the death of Sushant Singh Rajput had ruled our any kind of poison or organic poisoning.

"Our report had ruled out any kind of poison or organic poisoning," Kalina FSL said. The lab had submitted the report on Sushant Singh Rajput's death to the Mumbai Police in June.

This comes as a panel of doctors from All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), re-evaluating Sushant Singh Rajput's post-mortem and viscera reports submitted their findings to the Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday.

Dr Sudhir Gupta, chairman of AIIMS' Forensic Medical Board, had yesterday said that there is a need to look into some legal aspects for a logical conclusion.

"AIIMS and CBI are in agreement on the Sushant Singh Rajput death case but more deliberations are needed. There is a need to look into some legal aspects for a logical legal conclusion in due course of time. It will be totally conclusive," Gupta told ANI.

On September 7, ANI reported that the AIIMS forensic team had conducted viscera test to check for poisoning in Rajput's death.

Earlier, the CBI on Monday took a special three-member team of doctors from AIIMS to Rajput's Mumbai house for forensic examination and further investigation. -- PTI

At least 351 servitors and 53 employees of Shree Jagannath Temple here have tested positive for Covid-19, an official said. A total of 404 persons engaged in the 12th century shrine have tested positive for the virus, said Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) administrator Ajay Jena. He said the Lord Jagannath's rituals, however, are continuing as usual despite the absence of so many servitors. The Jagannath temple is closed for devotees since March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. -- PTI

Mehbooba Mufti

12:16 Mehbooba Mufti's detention can't be forever: SC

The Supreme Court permits Iltija Mufti and her brother to meet their mother Mehbooba Mufti in detention. Iltija had approached the apex court seeking the release of her mother on Tuesday.

The SC says detention cannot be forever and "some via media" should be explored. The court also said that the PDP leader should place a request to authorities for attending party meetings and asked the J-K administration to respond to Iltija Mufti's fresh plea challenging detention of her mother under the Public Safety Act.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut reacts to his meeting with BJP leader and former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, yesterday.

"Is it a sin to discuss politics? If two political leaders meet they discuss issues related to the country, farm bills, Jammu and Kashmir, China, Pakistan, COVID-19," Raut said.

However, Chandrakant Patil, Maharashtra BJP chief said that if top leaders of two different political parties meet, political discussions do take place. "If they sat together for 2-2.5 hours, they didn't discuss tea-biscuits. But it was inconclusive.

"I said yesterday that Sanjay Raut had asked Devendra Fadnavis for an interview in Saamana and had also said that they'll sit together once before it to see questions-to rule out anything controversial. No political discussion took place as it was never the purpose.

"Be it Farm Bills or any other matter, they (Congress, Shiv Sena, NCP) will fight with each other and break up. Then what will happen next? Mid term election. It is my analysis, it is not necessary that this will happen.

So, as party's state chief, I'd like to clarify that there is no proposal to form govt with Shiv Sena, NCP or Congress. We are playing the role of an active Opposition. We can't form govt with the three but those three can't stay together."

IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on the situation along the LAC with China.

"Present security scenario along our northern frontiers is at an uneasy no war, no peace status.

"The recent induction of Rafales along with other aircraft has provided IAF with substantial practical and strategic capability enhancement.

"Induction of Rafale jets along with Chinook, Apaches and other aircraft fleet provided IAF substantial tactical capabilities.

"Air power will be a crucial enabler in our victory in any future conflict. IAF is resolved to counter any misadventure. Our defence forces are prepared for any eventuality."

Former telecom minister A Raja was acquitted in the case

11:19 Court ruling on CBI, ED plea in 2G case at 4pm

Justice Brijesh Sethi of the Delhi high court will pronounce at 4 pm his order on the pleas by the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate seeking an early hearing on their appeals challenging the acquittal of former telecom minister A Raja and others in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.

The probe agencies have sought an early hearing into their 'leave to appeal' which are listed for October 12.

A leave to appeal is a formal permission granted by a court to a party to challenge a decision in a higher court.

The probe agencies said substantial judicial time of the high court was consumed in hearing arguments in the case and it should be concluded before retirement of the judge on November 30.

Justice Sethi had reserved his order on September 22.

A special court had on December 21, 2017 acquitted Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others in CBI and ED cases related to the scam.

It had acquitted 17 others, including DMK supremo M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal; Vinod Goenka, Asif Balwa; film producer Karim Morani; P Amirtham and Sharad Kumar, Director of Kalaignar TV in the ED case.

On the same day, the trial court had also acquitted former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja's erstwhile private secretary R K Chandolia, Unitech Ltd MD Sanjay Chandra and three top executives of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (RADAG) -- Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair, in the CBI's 2G case.

Swan Telecom promoters Balwa and Vinod Goenka and directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal were also acquitted in the CBI case.

On March 19 2018, the ED had approached the high court challenging the special court's order acquitting all the accused.

A day later, the CBI too had challenged in the high court the acquittal of the accused in the case.

10:47 Amnesty International to halt India operations

Amnesty International says it has been forced to halt its India operations due to "reprisal" from the government.

The watchdog has also accused the government of indulging in a "witch-hunt of human rights organisations."

Amnesty says its bank accounts have been frozen and it's been forced to lay off staff in the country, and suspend all its campaign and research work.

The government is yet to respond to these allegations.

"We are facing a rather unprecedented situation in India. Amnesty International India has been facing an onslaught of attacks, bullying and harassment by the government in a very systematic manner," Rajat Khosla, the group's senior director of research, advocacy and policy, was quoted as saying by BBC.

"This is all down to the human rights work that we were doing and the government not wanting to answer questions we raised, whether it's in terms of our investigations into the Delhi riots, or the silencing of voices in Jammu and Kashmir."

Amnesty has also repeatedly condemned what it says is a crackdown on dissent in India.

The group, which has faced scrutiny by different government agencies over the past few years, says freezing of its bank accounts earlier this month was the final straw.

Read: 'India will take years to recover from what has been done and is being done by the government'

10:32 Will Rhea get bail? Hearing today in Bombay HC

The bail requests of actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik, who have been in jail for nearly three weeks on drugs-related charges linked to the Sushant Singh Rajput investigation, will be heard by the Bombay High Court today.

Five more accused, including Sushant Singh Rajput's employees, are also seeking bail.

Rhea Chakraborty, who dated movie star Sushant Singh Rajput, was arrested on September 9 on charges of organising drugs for him.

On Monday, the Narcotics Control Bureau submitted a statement opposing bail for Rhea Chakraborty and her brother, saying they bought drugs not for their own use but to supply them to Sushant Singh Rajput, which is a more serious offense related to the funding of drugs.

Under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, this is the most serious crime, Narcotics Control Bureau officer Sameer Wankhede has said in his written submission.

Rhea Chakraborty also used her home to buy and store drugs for Sushant Singh Rajput, says the officer, saying she was therefore guilty of harbouring drugs.

INS Viraat, a Centaur Class Aircraft Carrier, is being dismantled at the world's largest shipping recycling industry, situated in Alang.

MoS (IC), Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya says, "Alang is famous for ship recycling because it's in 'Gulf of Cambay' & has the world's best water current."

09:38 India sees spike of 70,589 new Covid cases

India's Covid-19 tally crossed the 61 lakh-mark on Tuesday with a spike of 70,589 new cases and 776 deaths in the last 24 hours.

The country's case tally stands at 61,45,292 including 9,47,576 active cases while 51,01,398 have been cured, discharged or have migrated.

The number of fatalities stands at 96,318, ministry of health and family welfare said today.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided that public events to celebrate Durga Puja will not be permitted this year in the state in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered on Monday that no celebrations would be held on the streets or in pandals.

Similar curbs have also been put in place for Dussehra celebrations, however, the Ramlila performances may be allowed with social distancing norms and a limited audience.

More than 1 million people have died of COVID-19 around the world as of Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally.

09:23 Woman, gang-raped in UP's Hathras, passes away

The 19-year-old Dalit woman, who was raped by four men in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district, has died in All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi.

The woman was gang-raped a fortnight ago, following which she was admitted to the AMU's Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital.

The accused had also tried to strangulate her to death as she resisted their attempt and in the process, she had also ended up biting her tongue and suffering a severe cut on it.

Religious places have reopened in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district after nearly six months, and devotees have been asked to strictly follow all guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In an order issued late Monday evening, district Collector Manish Singh asked devotees and priests to wear masks properly covering the nose and mouth and follow the social distancing norms.

Sanitisers and use of soap will be mandatory at all religious places in the district, the order said.

Devotees will not be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of temples, it said.

People will have to maintain a distance of six feet from each other while attending feasts at religious places, the order said.

Managements of temples and other religious places in the district will have to ensure that all guidelines are followed, it further said.

The district administration has also allowed reopening of the Sarafa night food market in the city only for takeaways, officials said.

The permission to open religious places in Indore comes at a time when there is a surge in COVID-19 cases in the worst-hit district of the state.

The district has till now reported 23,524 COVID-19 cases and 558 deaths due to the disease, as per official data.

-- PTI

The Centre is expected to announce guidelines for the fifth phase of easing of Covid-related restrictions, or "Unlock 5", in the next couple of days as the current phase -- "Unlock 4" -- is due to end on Wednesday.

"Unlock 5" will likely come into effect on the following day -- Thursday, October 1 -- and is expected to stay in place till October 30.

While there is considerable speculation about what will and what will not be reopened, the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in Maharashtra has prepared guidelines to reopen restaurants starting October 1.

Dine-in service at restaurants in Maharashtra -- the worst affected state in the country -- have been shut since the first lockdown in March. Restaurants (outside containment zones) had been "unlocked" by in July, but the state opted against this given the high active caseload and daily increase.

Under "Unlock 4", metro train services have been re-started (in a graded manner) across the country, and social, political, academic, sporting, religious and other functions are allowed with an increased limit of 100 attendees.

Swimming pools and indoor movie theatres, however, remain closed.

Metro services in major cities were reopened in stages with emphasis on cashless, or contactless, travel, social distancing and the use of face masks and sanitisers.

"Unlock 4" also allowed schools across the country -- which had been shut since the first Covid lockdown in March -- to partially reopen from September 21.

Former Union minister and senior BJP leader Uma Bharti, who tested positive for COVID-19 recently, was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Rishikesh.

Ever since the senior BJP leader tweeted about her testing positive for the infection late on Saturday night, the AIIMS management had made arrangements, in-charge of COVID cases at the AIIMS, Madhur Uniyal, said.

Her condition is stable, the official said.

08:17 Rahul Gandhi to interact with farmers today

As farmers and opposition leaders continue nationwide protests against the newly enacted farm laws, Congress president Rahul Gandhi is set to interact with the crop growers at 10 am.

The grand old party interim president has asked all Congress-ruled states to pass laws that would negate the "draconian and anti-farmer" legislations of the Centre, against which several farmers under the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee have been observing 'rail roko' agitation.

The protesters have been squatting on rail tracks since September 24 in Punjab's Jalandhar, Amritsar, Tanda, Mukerian and Ferozepur.

07:43 Worldwide death toll from Covid eclipses 1 mn

The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed 1 million on Tuesday, nine months into a crisis that has devastated the global economy, tested world leaders' resolve, pitted science against politics and forced multitudes to change the way they live, learn and work.

"It's not just a number. It's human beings. It's people we love," said Dr Howard Markel, a professor of medical history at the University of Michigan who has advised government officials on containing pandemics and lost his 84-year-old mother to COVID-19 in February.

"It's our brothers, our sisters. It's people we know," he added.

The bleak milestone, recorded by Johns Hopkins University, is greater than the population of Jerusalem or Austin, Texas.

It is 2 1/2 times the sea of humanity that was at Woodstock in 1969. It is more than four times the number killed in the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

Even then, the figure is almost certainly a vast undercount because of inadequate or inconsistent testing and reporting and suspected concealment by some countries.

And the number continues to mount. Nearly 5,000 deaths are reported each day on average.

Parts of Europe are getting hit by a second wave, and experts fear the same fate may await the United States, which accounts for about 205,000 deaths, or 1 out of 5 worldwide. That is far more than any other country, despite America's wealth and medical resources.

00:34 Bengal Guv-Mamata govt face-off yet again

Opening up a fresh round of battle with the Mamata Banerjee government, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said it has turned West Bengal into a 'police state' and threatened to "look into" Article 154 of the Constitution alleging that his office has been ignored for long by the ruling dispensation.

Article 154 of the Constitution mandates that the executive power of the state shall be vested in the Governor and shall be exercised by him either directly or through officers subordinates to him.

The Trinamool Congress was quick to hit back accusing the governor of "tarnishing his post" and said that he should "take up the post of the state BJP president instead".

Dhankhar slammed the state government for turning down a Raj Bhavan request to increase the budget allocation for it -- an additional Rs 53.5 lakh to meet its everyday expenses.

The governor said he wouldn't allow Raj Bhavan to be compromised and the behaviour of the state government "is unacceptable".

Contending that the TMC government has turned West Bengal into a "police state", Dhankhar said "A police state is the first enemy of democracy. Police state and democracy don't go hand in hand. Police personnel are working as cadres of the ruling TMC."

He also claimed that the police in Bengal are "in servitude of extra-constitutional authorities" and criticised Director General of Police, Virendra for being irresponsible and callous" in his response to a letter from Raj Bhavan.

"If the Constitution is not protected, I have to act. The office of the governor has been ignored for long. I will be forced to look into Article 154 of the Constitution," he said at a press meet.

Keeping up his attack, Dhankhar said that the "electronic surveillance by the TMC government" has forced him to communicate over WhatsApp voice calls.

"Law and order has collapsed completely in the state. Maoist insurgency is raising its head. Terror modules are also operating from this state," the governor, who has been at loggerheads with the TMC government since he assumed office in July 2019, insisted.

The latest flashpoint between the state government and Dhankhar was a letter he had written to DGP Virendra earlier this month expressing concern over the law and order situation in the state.

Following the DGP's one-line reply saying "The police adhere to the path laid down by the law", Dhankhar had asked the state police chief to meet him by September 26.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a letter to the governor on September 26 expressed anguish over his letter to the DGP and urged him to "act within the mandate of the Constitution".

Reminding Banerjee that he was a "stakeholder in matters of governance", Dhankhar said the CM is under the misconception that the post of Governor is a mere "post-office or a rubber stamp". -- PTI

Timeline Refresh

TOP STORIES