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Wed, 18 August 2021
Param Bir extortion case handed to Mumbai CID
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22:12 Param Bir extortion case handed to Mumbai CID
An extortion case registered against senior IPS officer Param Bir Singh in Mumbai has been transferred to the Maharashtra police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), an official said on Wednesday.
The Mumbai police had formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the extortion case against Singh and a separate case of similar nature (not related to him), which was being handled by the Unit 9 of the crime branch.
The city police had on July 22 registered an FIR against Singh, a former Mumbai police commissioner, five other police personnel and two more persons for allegedly demanding Rs 15 crore from a builder, the official said.
The FIR was filed on the basis of a complaint submitted by 57-year-old real estate developer Shyamsundar Agrawal at the Marine Drive police station in south Mumbai.
During the investigation, police had arrested two persons -- Agarwal's former business partner Sanjay Punamia and his associate Sunil Jain, he said.
The five cops who were named as accused in the case were DCP (crime branch) Akbar Pathan, assistant commissioner of police Shrikant Shinde, ACP Sanjay Patil, Inspector Asha Korke and crime branch inspector Nandkumar Gopale, he said.
Considering the scope of investigation into the extortion case filed at the Marine Drive police station, its probe has been transferred from the SIT to the state CID, the official said.
Singh faces two more extortion cases in Thane city, where he had served as the police commissioner before being posted in Mumbai.
21:45 Haryana bans the term 'Gorakh Dhanda' in official communication
The Haryana government has banned in official communication the use of expression "Gorakh Dhanda", generally used to describe unethical practices.
The decision was taken by CM Manohar Lal Khattar after a delegation of the Gorakhnath community met him, according to an official statement on Wednesday.
The delegation urged Khattar to ban the use of the expression as it hurts sentiments of followers of saint Gorakhnath.
The CM said Gorakhnath was a saint and using this term hurts sentiments of his followers.
Therefore, the use of the word in whatsoever context has been completely banned, the CM said according to the statement.
Gorakhnath was a saint and a temple dedicated to him is located at Gord village, 20 km from Sonepat.
Aroon Purie
21:02 SC stays defamation case against India Today editor
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a notice and stayed the Delhi high court's order refusing to quash a criminal defamation complaint against India Today editor Aroon Purie in connection with an article published in 2007.
After hearing a petition filed by Purie challenging the high court's order, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana, and comprising Justices Surya Kant and Aniruddha Bose, issued notice to the NCT Delhi and stayed the HC order.
The Delhi high court had, in its order in April 2021, refused to quash the criminal defamation complaint against Purie in connection with an article published in 2007.
Purie then moved the Supreme Court to seek quashing of the case.
-- ANI
20:34 No Covid vaccination in Mumbai on Thurs-Fri
The COVID-19 vaccination drive will remain suspended at the civic and state government-run centres in Mumbai on August 19 and 20 due to shortage of vaccine doses, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Wednesday.
This is for the third consecutive week in August that the civic authority has suspended the drive due to shortage of vaccine doses. Earlier, the civic body had halted inoculation on August 12, 13 and 4.
The BMC in a statement said the vaccination drive will resume on August 21, as a fresh stock of vaccines is expected to arrive on Thursday night and will be distributed to all civic and government-run centres the next day.
Appealing to citizens to cooperate with the administration, the civic body said people of Mumbai are constantly informed about vaccination, depending on the availability of vaccine stock.
20:15 Sensex top gainers and losers
The 30-stock BSE bellwether Sensex dropped 163 points on profit booking August 18. A look at the top five gainers and losers
Representational image
20:00 Taliban release several terrorists from jails
Several terrorists who belong to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have been released from the prisons in Afghanistan after the Taliban took control over the country.
One of the most recognised names is Maulana Faqir Mohammad who is the former deputy chief of the TTP, SAMAA News reported.
Faqir had earlier admitted his close ties to Al Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahiri.
Key Taliban commanders released by the Taliban include Waqas Mehsud, Hamza Mehsud, Zarqawi Mehsud, Zaitullah Mehsud, Qari Hameedullah Mehsud, Hameed Mehsud, and Mazhar Mehsud.
The Taliban have so far released at least 2,300 key TTP commanders and leaders from the prisons of Waziristan, Sargodha, Swat and Bajaur, SAMAA News reported citing a journalist.
In another recent development, member of the Taliban's political office, Anas Haqqani, held a meeting with former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah in Kabul on Wednesday, Tolo News reported.
-- ANI
19:42 Ashraj Ghani is in UAE
Just In: The United Arab Emirates' ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation has confirmed that the UAE has welcomed Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and his family into the country on humanitarian grounds.
Priest Arun Kumar
19:30 Non-Brahmin priests appointed in Madurai temples
Two non-Brahmin priests -- P Maharajan and Arun Kumar -- who were appointed as archakars on August 15, have started working in two sub-temples of Madurai's Meenakshi Amman Temple from Wednesday.
These two priests were appointed under the All Castes Priest Scheme, under which Chief Minister MK Stalin passed an order to appoint priests from all castes in temples managed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE).
Maharajan has been appointed as the priest of Amur Sivakovil at Thiruvathavur and Arun Kumar of Theradi Karuppasamy temple, both of which come under the Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai.
Arun Kumar told ANI, "I have been appointed as a priest for one of the deities in Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple. I finished training as archakar in 2007 and have become a priest under the 'Anaivarum Archagar Aagalam' programme. I've been waiting for this for the last 15 years."
He also thanked CM Stalin for appointing him as a priest.
Also read what noted political analyst N Sathiya Moorthy has to say on the subject, here.
19:21 Centre must ensure safe return of 200 people from WB: Mamata
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that over 200 people from West Bengal are stranded in Afghanistan and the Centre must immediately make arrangements for their safe return.
Briefing mediapersons at Nabanna, the chief minister said, "More than 200 people from Darjeeling, Terai and Kalimpong are stranded in Afghanistan. Our chief secretary has written to external affairs ministry in this regard. The government must immediately make arrangements for their safe return to the country."
Asked about her stance on the Afghanistan crisis and the Government of India's immigration policy, Banerjee said, "It is a sensitive matter. It is the domain of the external affairs ministry. There are several aspects in the matter like Taliban, America, China and Russia. Let the Government of India react."
18:53 Monsoon check
A quick look at the distribution of rainfall across India between Aug 1 and Aug 18, 2021
18:43 No stay on Tripura probe against Abhishek Banerjee
The Tripura high court on Wednesday refused to put a stay on the investigation against Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and five others for allegedly obstructing police officers from performing their duties, and asked the state government to justify within two weeks why the case should not be quashed.
A complaint has been registered in Tripura against Banerjee, MP Dola Sen, West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu, TMC's Tripura leader Subal Bhowmick and two others under section 186 of the IPC for allegedly coming in the way of the police who were carrying out their duties.
Senior TMC leader Subal Bhowmick subsequently filed a plea before the court seeking dismissal of the case and a stay on the investigation against the TMC leaders.
Justice A A Kureshi, while hearing the case, asked the state government to file a reply in two weeks on why the case should not be dismissed, and asked the police to continue with the investigation.
The judge, however, maintained that the police should not submit its final report without consulting the court.
Kiran Kumar, the superintendent of police (SP) in Khowai district, had said that a suo motu complaint was filed on August 10 against the TMC leaders, who "misbehaved" with officers on duty two days ago.
"We booked them on August 10 under Section 186 (obstruction of public servants in the discharge of his public function) and 36 (common intention) of the IPC. The FIR pertains to entry into the Khowai police station. They will be summoned," the SP had stated.
At least 14 leaders and workers of the TMC were arrested in Khowai district on August 8, including those injured in an alleged attack by BJP men the day before, for "flouting Covid-19 norms".
Shortly after, the party's national general secretary, who is also West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew and the de facto number 2 in the party, flew to Agartala from Bengal to meet the apprehended workers in Khowai police station.
Those arrested were later produced before a local court, which granted them bail.
In a video that went viral on social media, the TMC national general secretary was seen raising his finger to enquire why his supporters were arrested "after having faced assaults".
According to the police, the 14 TMC members were nabbed for venturing out after the imposition of night curfew at 7 pm, in violation of the Covid-19 restrictions.
Bhowmik, when approached by reporters during the day, said, "We are happy that the high court has admitted the case. Let the police investigate... the truth will come out."
18:18 The big losers at the markets today
Equity benchmark indices erased intra-day gains and closed in the red on Wednesday as traders booked profit at higher levels.
18:17 Saddened by new low in Parliament: Naidu
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday expressed his anguish over disruptions in parliament and state legislatures and called upon people's representatives to act as "role models" in raising the standards in public life and setting an example for the younger generation.
Speaking after presenting "Sir M Visvesvarya Memorial Award' to MR Jayaram, Chairman, MS Ramaiah Group of Institutions in Bengaluru, the Vice President, who is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, said that he was saddened by the "new low" witnessed in the Parliament recently as also in some legislatures, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Specifically referring to the recent unfortunate events in the Parliament, the Vice President said that he was sad because of the "bad behaviour of some members".
The Rajya Sabha witnessed unprecedented pandemonium on the last day of the monsoon session when a bill related to insurance business was taken up for passage.
Disapproving the disruptive behaviour of some MPs, the Vice President said that assemblies and parliament are meant to debate, discuss and decide and not disrupt. -- ANI
17:59 I was in Afghanistan in 1996 when the Taliban first took power
In the fall of 1996, photographer Alan Chin documented the early days of Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Now that the Taliban has returned to power, Chin revisits the trip - 25 years later - and the images he captured. Take a look here.
17:43 UK to double aid to Afghanistan: Johnson
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday informed that the government has decided to double the humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan amid the Taliban's takeover of the country.
"The UK will double the amount of its humanitarian and development assistance to Afghanistan, bringing it to a total of 286 million pounds," (USD 393.3 million) Johnson said while addressing the house of parliament, Sputnik reported.
Johnson also informed that the UK will also deploy additional 800 troops to support the Afghan evacuation and assured the parliament that the "government will continue this operation for as long as conditions at the airport allow." -- ANI
17:34 Are we being delusional about the Taliban?
Ramesh Srivats on the 'new and improved' Taliban which allows women to work: "If the Nazis had again come to power in 1965, I don't think anyone would have looked at them as some kind of "new, improved, Nazis" or "Hitler 2.0". So, on what delusional basis are we are talking about Taliban 2.0?"
17:10 Anil Deshmukh again skips ED appearance for 5th time
Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh has again skipped appearing before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case stating that he was taking recourse to "lawful remedies" for the protection of his liberty.
This was the fifth time that the 71-year-old NCP minister refused to appear before the ED. Deshmukh sent a three-page reply to the investigating officer of the case through his lawyer saying that the Supreme Court has "made it open for me to take recourse to all appropriate remedies available under CrPC (criminal procedure code) including filing of a quashing petition".
He added that he was taking recourse to legal remedies for the protection of his liberty "within a day or two". Deshmukh added he was a "law abiding citizen" as he requested the agency to record his statement through an electronic medium, till the time "appropriate orders are passed by court(s)". The next step being mulled by the agency was not informed.
17:04 Jaishankar to chair high-level UNSC meeting today
Under India's August presidency, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar is set to chair high-level meetings at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on August 18 and 19.
The first event slated for Wednesday will be an Open Debate on 'Protecting the Protectors: Technology and Peacekeeping' while the second event on August 19, will be a high-level briefing on 'Threats to International Peace and Security caused by Terrorist Acts'.
This meeting comes as the Taliban on Sunday took control of Kabul and installed themselves in the presidential palace in Kabul.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a press release said that both these topics are priorities for India during its UNSC innings.
17:01 SC indicates physical hearing may resume soon
The Supreme Court on Wednesday indicated that physical hearing in the apex court, which is conducting proceedings virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic since March last year, may resume soon.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said that physical hearing in the apex court may start within 10 days.
The bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Aniruddha Bose, said this while hearing pleas against the Bombay High Court verdict in a matter related to tariff order passed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India last year.
The bench said in virtual hearing, sometimes they are unable to see or hear lawyers arguing the matter. We may hear physically after one week or 10 days, the CJI observed.
The top court has been hearing cases through video-conferencing since March last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and several bar bodies and lawyers have been demanding that physical hearings should resume immediately. -- PTI
16:59 TikTok not to lift ban on pro-Taliban content
Video-sharing app TikTok has informed that it will not lift the ban on content promoting the Taliban after it took control of Afghanistan.TikTok also said it had designated the Taliban as a terrorist organization and would continue removing the content promoting it, Sputnik reported.
The Taliban has also been banned from Facebook for several years, with all accounts maintained on behalf of the Taliban removed.
Facebook has also initiated action against posts and accounts affiliated to the Taliban, as the social media giant identifies the outfit as a terrorist organisation under US law, the social media giant's spokesperson told ANI.
Citing global uproar and fear of human rights violations, Facebook also stressed that it will take action as per its own rule and regulation of user engagement, the spokesperson added.
Recently, Twitter also decided to continue to enforce their rules on content concerning the war-torn country and review posts that glorify violence and violate their regulations, a Twitter spokesperson informed. -- ANI
16:31 France evacuated 21 Indians from Kabul: French envoy
Twenty-one Indian nationals were on the first French evacuation flight from Kabul, said Emmanuel Lenain, ambassador of France to India on Wednesday.Lenain said that Elite Gurkhas were ensuring security to this evacuation flight.
"The first French evacuation flight from Kabul yesterday included 21 Indian nationals: the elite Gurkhas who were ensuring security of the French Embassy," Lenain said in a tweet.
France and India are actively coordinating to tackle the Afghanistan crisis, Lenain added.
"As discussed in a call between Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian and External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar, France coordinates actively with India on Afghanistan, especially at UNSC," the ambassador said in a series of tweets.
In a recent development, the Joe Biden administration has frozen about USD 9.5 billion of Afghan reserves to keep cash away from the Taliban after the takeover of the country, The Washington Post reported.
Pic courtesy: @bashirgwakh
16:16 Taliban fire at Afghans hoisting national flag
Members of the Taliban opened fire on people rallying in support of the Afghan national flag in the eastern Nangarhar province, a local source told Sputnik on Wednesday.
Some people were killed and others were injured, the source continued. Meanwhile, Afghan news agency Pajhwok reported that Taliban militants had beaten journalists working for it and the Ariana News broadcaster who were covering the rally. The violence provoked an outrage from the local media.
On Sunday, the Taliban completed their takeover of Afghanistan by entering Kabul, which led to the collapse of the US-backed civilian government. After taking over Afghanistan, the Taliban promised that the media would be able to work in the Central Asian country without interference. -- ANI
16:03 Sensex ends in red after late sell-off
Equity benchmark Sensex dropped 163 points in a volatile session on Wednesday, tracking losses in index majors ICICI Bank, HDFC and Kotak Bank amid mixed cues from global markets.
After scaling a lifetime high of 56,118.57 during the session, the 30-share index turned negative to end 162.78 points or 0.29 per cent lower at 55,629.49. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty declined 45.75 points or 0.28 per cent to 16,568.85.
It touched a record intra-day peak of 16,701.85. Kotak Bank was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 2 per cent, followed by ICICI Bank, PowerGrid, HDFC, IndusInd Bank and Axis Bank. On the other hand, UltraTech Cement, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Nestle India and Bajaj Auto were among the gainers.
15:57 Tryingand Failingto Save the Family of the Afghan Who Saved Me
"In the middle of March, I texted my friend Tahir Luddin, an Afghan journalist who lives in the Washington area, after I saw a video he had posted on Facebook of his teen-age son running on a treadmill. My text was banal, a quick check-in to see how he and his loved ones were faring amid the isolation of the past year.
"How is your family? How are you?' I wrote. "See the pictures of your children on FB. Your son is very tall!!!' Tahir did not reply. At the time, I didn't worry and assumed that he would get back to me. Our communications were sporadic, but our bond was unusual."
The full story here.
15:40 400 booked for molesting Pak YouTuber
Lahore police have booked 400 people who allegedly harassed and molested a YouTuber girl on Pakistan's Independence Day at the historic Minar-i-Pakistan, officials said.
The police got into action following the videos of her harassment and molestation that went viral on social media with calls to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to take action against the culprits.
The incident took place on August 14 when hundreds of youngsters were celebrating Independence Day at Azadi Chowk near Minar-i-Pakistan in Lahore.
In the videos, hundreds of young men can be seen throwing the girl in the air for fun, dragging her, tearing her clothes and molesting her. They also took off her shalwar (trouser) and molested her.
"After the videos went viral on Tuesday, the police approached the girl on the order of the high-ups and persuaded her to register FIR," a senior police official told PTI.
He said the girl was still traumatised and broke into tears while narrating what had happened to her on Independence Day. She said in the FIR that she and six other members of her YouTube channel visited Azadi Chowk to record a video clip of the Independence Day celebrations.
"We were shooting the clip when a good number of youngsters started teasing me. They were joined by more and more. Seeing the suspects harassing me, the security guard of the Minar-i-Pakistan Park opened the central gate to let her enter to take shelter. When I crossed the gate and entered the park, the suspects came after me. They tore my clothes and molested me. They dragged and tossed me up in the air for fun. They also beat my team members, and used abusive language," she said and added the humiliation continued for an hour before some people (of them) finally managed to rescue her.
She alleged that during this shameful incident her cell phone, a gold ring and cash worth PKR 150,000 were snatched as well. The police officer said with the help of video footage the suspects will be arrested soon.
There were reports on social media that the girl was carrying two flags -- a Pakistani and an Indian -- to use them for her TikTok video clip in connection with the Independence Day of both countries. Someone from the crowd raised an objection to this and afterwards this incident took place. The police however did not confirm this social media report. PTI
15:17 No unilateral recognition of Taliban: UK PM to Pak
Any recognition of the new government in Afghanistan should happen on an "international, not unilateral" basis, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told his Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan, as they discussed the unfolding situation in the crisis-torn country.
As part of a series of phone calls with world leaders to push for a coordinated strategy for the crisis in the region, Johnson spoke to Khan on Tuesday afternoon ahead of a call with US President Joe Biden.
It comes ahead of a parliamentary debate in the House of Commons on the Afghanistan crisis after the UK Parliament was recalled from its summer recess for the special session on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister stressed his commitment to work with international partners to avoid a humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan and the wider region, said the Downing Street read-out of the call.
The Prime Minister underlined that any recognition of the new government in Afghanistan to happen on an international, not unilateral basis," the statement reads. "He said that the legitimacy of any future Taliban government will be subject to them upholding internationally agreed standards on human rights and inclusivity," it says.
The two Prime Ministers are said to have agreed for the UK and Pakistani governments to keep in close contact in the coming days on the evolving situation in the region since the Taliban takeover.
In his subsequent call with the US President on Tuesday, Johnson welcomed the US and UK cooperation in recent days to help evacuate British nationals, current and former staff, and others from Afghanistan. The Prime Minister and President Biden agreed on the need for the global community to come together to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. -- PTI
15:00 Will TV anchors apologise: Cong on Sunanda case
After a Delhi court discharged Shashi Tharoor in his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death case, the Congress on Wednesday asked whether the prime minister would apologise for his "intemperate" remarks against him. Congress leaders hailed Tharoor's discharge in the case, and said the truth always wins.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "The truth always wins.The constant abuse, innuendos and slander of our colleague Shashi Tharoor by BJP and its crony TV anchors comes to naught.
"Will the PM now apologise for his intemperate remarks? Will the same TV anchors do a debate and apologise today," he asked on Twitter.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "For seven years my friend and colleague Shashi Tharoor was harassed and subjected to vilification, abuse and mental torture."
"Today, he stands vindicated and the MoSha duo along with their hatchet men stand totally exposed. Jai Ho for the judiciary. All is not lost yet," he said in a tweet.
Tharoor in a statement also said his faith in the Indian judiciary stands vindicated and the ruling brings a "significant conclusion to the long nightmare" that enveloped him. "This brings a significant conclusion to the long nightmare which had enveloped me after the tragic passing of my late wife Sunanda," Tharoor said.
"I have weathered dozens of unfounded accusations and media vilification patiently, sustained by my faith in the Indian judiciary, which today stands vindicated," the former Union minister said. Special Judge Geetanjali Goel earlier pronounced the order discharging Tharoor in the case during a virtual hearing.
Salima Mazari
14:47 Taliban captures Afghan woman governor
Updates on Afghanistan:
-- One of the first female governors of Afganistan, Salima Mazari, who took up arms to fight the Talban and refused to run away, has reportedly been captured by the Talban. Afghanistan has three female governors.
While a lot of the Afghan provinces crumbled without much of a fight, Salima tried to keep Chahar Kint, a district in Balkh Province, away from Taliban control. She had said in an interview that she expected the Taliban to execute her.
-- A Taliban delegation in Kabul met former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Fazal Hadi Muslimyar and others in Kabul.
14:26 The Taliban, then and now
The Taliban's capture of Kabul on Sunday has been remarkably quiet unlike what it happened in 1996 when it stormed the Afghan capital, entered the United Nations embassy and dragged Najibullah -- the former Afghan president who was given sanctuary there after the mujahideen overthrew his government three years earlier in 1993 -- his brother and a couple of other aides into the street.
Najibullah and his brother were tortured, their body organs mutilated before they were hung from a lamp post in Kabul.
That early brutality came to signify the Taliban's first tenure in power from 1996 to 2001 when they were quickly overthrown by President George W Bush's Operation Enduring Freedom.
After Najibullah was murdered by the Taliban, film-maker Mukul Anand remembered meeting the Afghan leader when he shot Khuda Gawah in Afghanistan in a Rediff feature (read it here).
Recalled Ambassador G Parthasarthy, India's former envoy to Pakistan on Tuesday: "I had met Najibullah twice during his meetings with PM Rajiv Gandhi, who was really fond of Najibullah. I found him very interesting and charming."
On Tuesday, August 18, Mullah Baradar, the co-founder of the Taliban and its late leader Mullah Omar's closest aide (some say there were brothers-in- law), returned to Kandahar from exile.
Baradar had been arrested in Pakistan in 2010 and was imprisoned there till 2018 when the Americans sought his release to negotiate with the Taliban.
Initially, Baradar's 2010 arrest was touted as a joint US-Pakistan clandestine operation. It later transpired the ISI, who clearly knew where he was in Karachi, arrested him because Baradar was keen on negotiating peace with the then Hamid Karzai government without Pakistan's involvement, which angered the ISI, the Taliban's early patrons.
Kandahar, an Afghan province close to Pakistan, is where the Taliban took shape and it is not clear whether Baradar will be based there as president.
"Their linkages to Kandahar are interesting," says Ambassador Parthasarathy, "as it is the holy city of the 'Prophet's shroud' to many devout Afghans.
The shroud was brought to Kandahar by Ahmed Shah Abdali from a visit to Bukhara. It was said to have been worn by the Prophet.
"Finally, the only known casualty of the Taliban's first day in Kabul: Zia ul-Haq, also known as Sheikh Omar Khorasani, leader of the Islamic State group in South Asia and the Far East.
Khorasani was arrested in Kabul by Afghanistan's intelligence service last year and held in a Kabul prison. He was executed by the Taliban hours after Talibanis took control of Kabul.
BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi on a Jan Ashirwad Yatra
13:17 Jan Ashirwad Yatra will invite 3rd Covid wave: Raut
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for organising the Jan Ashirwad Yatra and claimed that it could invite the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to the media, the Shiv Sena MP said, "Jan Ashirwad Yatra will invite the third wave. Jan Ashirwad Yatra is performed when there is no need. It will increase the corona crisis in the state."
The Yatra, which is slated to be held between August 16 to 20, is aimed at seeking blessings of the people by the 43 new ministers.
The new Union Ministers have embarked on Jan Ashirwad Yatra as they could not be introduced in Parliament earlier this month due to repeated disruptions by the opposition.
Raut also praised Thackeray for his work during the time of COVID-19. -- ANI
12:40 Will bring back all citizens from Kabul: Scindia
Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has said the central government will make all efforts, like it did in the 'Vande Bharat Mission', to bring back Indian citizens from Afghanistan, which has witnessed re-emergence of the militant group Taliban.
The Vande Bharat Mission was carried out last year to bring back Indians stranded in foreign countries after the suspension of regular international flights following the oubreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indian government will bring its citizens back to their homes from Afghanistan, like we did in the Vande Bharat Mission, through Air India and the Indian Air Force (IAF) planes, whichever way is possible, Scindia told reporters late Tuesday night in Madhya Pradesh's Shajapur, where he reached as part of his 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra'.
Scindia said the Union government had started the evacuation from Afghanistan last Friday. The evacuation process continued for three days. But, when a flight was about to take off on Sunday, NOTAM (a notice to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route) was received following gunshots fired at the Kabul airport, he said.
Following the NOTAM, the airspace over Kabul was closed, so the evacuation process was hindered on Monday, the minister said. Later, an IAF plane went to Kabul on Tuesday and brought back Indian citizens, he said.
"We will leave no stone unturned to bring back all our citizens from Afghanistan. We already did it earlier under the Vande Bharat Mission," the minister said. After starting his 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' from MP's Dewas district on Tuesday morning, Scindia reached Shajapur late at night.
12:30 3 sniffer dogs at India's Kabul embassy come home
Three sniffer dogs, who were a part of the security at the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan along with 150 Indo-Tibetan Border Police were deployed there, returned to India yesterday.
The Indian officials from Kabul landed at Jamnagar, Gujarat yesterday and were brought to Delhi later.
However, the dogs, Maya, Ruby and Bobby, along with a contingent of 99 commandos of the ITBP, landed at the Hindon IAF base in Ghaziabad yesterday.
The security situation in the intervening night of August 15-16 deteriorated sharply and no evacuations became possible then, sources said. The Indian embassy was reportedly also under observation by the Taliban, and the high-security Green Zone - the heavily fortified district that houses most embassies and international organisations - was breached.
12:05 SC orders Army to allow women take NDA exams
Supreme Court orders the allowing of women to take the National Defence Academy (NDA) exam scheduled for September 5th. The Apex Court says that admissions will be subject to the final orders of the court. The Supreme Court also slams the Army for not allowing women to take part in NDA exams. On Army's submission that it's a policy decision, the top court says that this policy decision is based on "gender discrimination".
12:01 Years of torture: Tharoor on Pushkar death verdict
Update: A Delhi court on Wednesday discharged senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death in a luxury hotel here. Special Judge Geetanjali Goel passed the order in a virtual hearing.
Tharoor thanked the judge, and said it was an absolute torture for last seven-and-a-half-years and that it was a great relief.
During the arguments, while police had sought framing of various charges, including 306 (abetment of suicide), senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, appearing for Tharoor, told the court that the investigation conducted by the SIT completely exonerated the politician of all the charges levelled against him.
Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city on the night of January 17, 2014. The couple was staying in the hotel as the official bungalow of Tharoor was being renovated at that time.
Tharoor was charged under sections 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 306 of the Indian Penal Code by the Delhi Police, but was not arrested in the case. He was granted bail on July 5, 2018. PTI
Image courtesy: @abierkhatib
11:58 20 years of loss and despair
The desperation of the Afghan people as America abandons them to the Taliban.
11:54 Justice has prevailed: Tharoor's lawyer
Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, counsel for Shashi Tharoor on the Sunanda Pushkar case: "It was a long battle of 7 years. Ultimately justice has prevailed. He had faith in the judicial system right from the beginning. The charges levelled by the police for abetment to suicide and cruelty were absurd and preposterous.
"Even the most essential ingredients of the offenses were not present in this case. All reports of various medical boards including Psychological Autopsy Reports exonerated Dr Shashi Tharoor from charges of homicide or suicide. The chargesheet filed was without any basis."
11:44 Australia evacuates 26 people from Afghanistan
Australia has evacuated its 26 people out of the Afghan capital of Kabul, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference, the Australian prime minister noted that the country's first rescue flight from Kabul had already landed at a military base in the United Arab Emirates.
"There were 26 people who were on board that flight. That included Australian citizens, Afghan nationals with visas and one foreign official who was working in an international national agency," Morrison said.
The prime minister added that Australia was cooperating with international organisations and other countries in order to maximize the use of all the flights from all countries that either arrive or depart from Kabul.
Australian broadcaster ABC previously reported that Canberra plans to evacuate about 600 people from Kabul, including 100 Australians and the same number of their relatives, as well as 300 to 400 Afghans.
On Sunday, as the US forces move close to finishing their withdrawal, the Taliban completed their takeover of Afghanistan by entering Kabul, which led to the collapse of the US-backed civilian government. This development has left many people trying to leave the country out of fear of reprisals from the radical movement. -- ANI
11:30 Tharoor discharged in Sunanda Pushkar death case
A Delhi Court discharged Congress MP Dr Shashi Tharoor in the Sunanda Pushkar death case. The prosecution had pressed the charges of abetment to suicide and cruelty under sec. 306 and 498A of the Indian Penal Code and alternatively for murder.
Tharoor, who was also present on virtual conferencing while the order was being pronounced, thanked the Court for discharging him of all offences and said "It had been seven and half years and it was a torture. I'm so grateful."
11:14 Escape from Kabul: How I negotiated with Taliban
ThePrint's Nayanima Basu recounts her harrowing last day in Kabul when she had to dodge gunfire, chaos and tackle the Taliban to reach the Indian embassy before being evacuated to Delhi. Read the column here.
10:55 India's Covid cases 35,178; lowest in 4 months
With 35,178 fresh Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours, India's active caseload on Wednesday now stands at 3,67,415 -- the lowest in over four months (148 days).
As per Health Ministry, as many as 440 COVID-deaths were reported in the country in the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 4,32,519. India has also recorded 37,169 recoveries in the last 24 hours. With the highest recovery rate at 97.52 per cent, total recoveries in the country have been recorded at 3,14,85,923.
10:53 IMD issues orange alert for moderate rain in Delhi
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for moderate rain in the capital on Friday, with the revival of the monsoon in northwest India.
The precipitation is expected to bring the maximum temperature down to 32 degrees Celsius in three to four days. Delhi has recorded just 63.2 mm rainfall against the normal of 157.1 mm so far this month as the capital and the adjoining regions in northwest India had entered a break monsoon phase, the second this season, on August 10.
The IMD has now forecast moderate to isolated heavy rain in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi between August 19 and August 23 with the revival of the monsoon. Weather experts said good rainfall in the last 10 days of the month is expected to cover the precipitation deficit in the capital.
Normally, the capital gauges 247.7mm rainfall in August. The IMD had earlier predicted normal rainfall for Delhi this month. -- PTI
10:46 My father, the Param Vir Chakra Hero
August 18 marks the 98th birth anniversary of one of India's bravest sons, Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, who was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his courage and leadership during the 1965 War.
In spite of being wounded in battle, Colonel Tarapore fought for six days before meeting a hero's death on the battlefield.
His daughter Zarine M Boyce remembered her father in this Rediff.com feature. Read it here.
A US plane carrying 640 Afghans to Qatar from Kabul
09:58 US evacuated over 3,200 people from Kabul so far
The United States has so far evacuated more than 3,200 people from Kabul, including 1,100 on Tuesday alone, the White House said, after the Taliban insurgents seized power in Afghanistan.
"Today, US military flights evacuated approximately 1,100 US citizens, US permanent residents, and their families on 13 flights, 12 with C-17 sorties and one with a C-130. Now that we have established the flow, we expect those numbers to escalate," a White House official said on Tuesday.
"We have evacuated more than 3,200 people so far, including our personnel. In addition to these more than 3,200 total evacuated, we have relocated nearly 2,000 Afghan special immigrants to the United States," said the White House official.
Earlier in the day, US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan said the issue of evacuation is being resolved with each successive flight.
"We will be putting 300 passengers on an average military cargo plane heading out of the country...," he added.
"Second, in terms of people being turned away: By and large, what we have found is that people have been able to get to the airport. In fact, very large numbers of people have been able to get to the airport and present themselves," he said.
"There have been instances where we have received reports of people being turned away or pushed back or even beaten. We are taking that up in a channel with the Taliban to try to resolve those issues. And we are concerned about whether that will continue to unfold in the coming days," Sullivan said.
"As things stand right now, what we are finding is that we are getting people through the gate, we are getting them lined up, and we are getting them on planes, but this is an hour-by-hour issue. It is something we are clear-eyed about and very focused on holding the Taliban accountable to follow through on its commitment," he added.
Justice B V Nagarathna
09:39 3 women judges among 9 names cleared by collegium
The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana is understood to have ended the nearly-two-year-long logjam by recommending nine names for appointment as judges in the apex court, sources said.
With the retirement of Justice R F Nariman on August 12, the strength of judges in the top court had come down to 25 as against the sanctioned strength of 34, including the CJI.
Significantly, no appointment has been made after the superannuation of the then CJI Ranjan Gogoi on March 19, 2019.
Sources said that the five-member collegium, which also comprises Justices U U Lalit, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao, has sent three names of woman judges, including Justice B V Nagarathna from the Karnataka high court who could become the first woman CJI.
According to the people familiar with the development, besides Justice Nagarathna, two other women judges picked for the appointment are Justice Hima Kohli, the Chief Justice of Telangana high court, and Justice Bela Trivedi, a Gujarat high court judge.
The collegium is also understood to have selected senior advocate and former Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha for direct appointment from the Bar.
The other names, as per sources, are Justices Abhay Shreeniwas Oka (Chief Justice of Karnataka high court), Vikram Nath (Chief Justice of Gujarat high court), Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari (Chief Justice of Sikkim high court), C T Ravi Kumar (a judge in Kerala high court) and M M Sundersh (also a judge in Kerala high court).
The recommendations, if accepted, will fill all current vacancies taking the working strength to 33.
One additional vacancy would arise on Wednesday, when Justice Navin Sinha retires. -- PTI
09:16 Mumbai's first public EV charging station inaugurated
Maharashtra Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday inaugurated an electric vehicle charging station, set up by the BMC, at a public parking lot in Mumbai's Dadar area, and said EVs are the need of the hour.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in a release, claimed that the station, where seven EVs can be charged at a time, is first of its kind facility to come up at a public parking lot in the state.
According to the release, speaking on the occasion, Thackeray directed the civic body to set up more charging facilities for EVs at various parking lots under its jurisdiction as "environment-friendly electric vehicles are the need of the hour".
"In areas with a high number of electric vehicles, it is necessary to give priority to start charging stations. In this regard, a detailed survey should be conducted and charging stations should be made available in more and more parking lots," he said.
Parking and charging facilities have been made available at the newly set up station which will be open for people round the clock, the release said.
Seven chargers are available at the station and four of them are fast ones which can fully charge an EV in 1 to 1.5 hours. Three slow chargers can charge a vehicle in six hours, the release said.
It said Rs 15 per unit will be collected for charging vehicles. -- PTI
Afghan student studying in India
08:35 Can't live under Taliban: Afghan students in India
Students from Afghanistan studying at Pune University are not willing to go back to their country after the Taliban takeover and want to stay in India.
Afghan students are worried about their stay in India as the situation gets worsen.
The academic courses of these foreign students will get over by the end of this year.
Mujjamil Sabri, a resident from Dai Kundi province of Afghanistan and a student of Politics and Public Administration in Pune University, said that his family is in Afghanistan but he cannot go back as the situation is "very risky".
"America pretends to be helpful, but the truth is different. The situation is worse for those who are working for the Afghanistan Government. Commercial flights are banned. I want to go to my family and stand with them but I cannot because the situation is very risky," he said.
Hommain Bathur, a political student said, "When I get to know that 15 provinces are under Taliban regime, I flew back to India. It's been a month since I have talked to my family. I have applied to UNHCR as a refugee. I will not to go back and live under the Taliban regime."
Farzana Amiri, a student of International Business said, "I had plans about doing business between India and Afghanistan but everything has shattered. If I go back to my country, the Taliban can easily execute me because I am in the media and fighting for the right to education for Afghan women."
The Taliban entered Kabul on Sunday and took control of the presidential palace.
The terrorist group is now everywhere in the capital, walking the streets of Kabul with ease (and with American weapons in hand). -- ANI
Representational pic
00:17 Pak Tiktoker claims her clothes were torn on I-Day
A woman TikToker in Pakistan has alleged that her clothes were torn and she was thrown into the air by hundreds of people who also assaulted her on the occasion of Independence Day here, media reports said on Tuesday.
The complainant, in the First Information Report (FIR) lodged at the Lorry Adda police station, said that she along with her six companions were filming a video near Minar-e-Pakistan on Independence Day on Saturday when around 300 to 400 people "attacked" them, Dawn newspaper reported.
She and her companions made a lot of effort to escape from the mob but to no avail.
"The crowd was huge and people were scaling the enclosure and coming towards us. People were pushing and pulling me to the extent that they tore my clothes. Several people tried to help me but the crowd was too huge and they kept throwing me in the air," she said, adding that her companions were also assaulted.
The Lahore police on Tuesday registered a case against hundreds of unidentified persons for assaulting and stealing from the woman TikToker and her companions at the city''s Greater Iqbal Park on Independence Day.
Her ring and earrings were "forcibly taken", mobile phone of one of her companions, his identity card and Rs 15,000 were snatched, the report said.
"The unidentified persons assaulted us violently," the complainant added.
Lahore DIG Operations Sajid Kiyani ordered the superintendent of police (SP) to take "immediate legal action" against the suspects involved in the incident.
Those who "violated women's honour and harassed them will be brought within the ambit of the law", he said.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media with citizens expressing anger over the actions of the men in the video.
The popular Chinese short video app has been banned several times in Pakistan for allegedly allowing "inappropriate content" on its platform.
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