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Mon, 28 November 2022
'Kashmir Files' is vulgar, propaganda: IFFI jury head
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23:52 'Kashmir Files' is vulgar, propaganda: IFFI jury head
Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, the jury head of the 53rd International Film Festival of India, on Monday described Hindi film The Kashmir Files as "propaganda" and "vulgar".
In his speech at the closing ceremony of IFFI 2022, Lapid said he was "disturbed and shocked" to see the film being screened at the film festival.
"All of us were disturbed and shocked by the movie The Kashmir Files. It felt to us like a propaganda and vulgar movie that was inappropriate for an artistic and competitive section of such a prestigious film festival.
"I feel comfortable to openly share this feeling with you since the spirit of the festival can truly accept critical discussion which is essential for art and life", Lapid said.
The Kashmir Files, which was released in theatres on March 11, was part of the Indian Panorama Section at IFFI and was screened on November 22.
Written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Zee Studios, the film depicts the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir following the killings of people from the community by Pakistan-backed terrorists. -- PTI
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23:36 Court acquits man charged for not wearing mask during lockdown
A court in New Delhi has acquitted a man who was not wearing a mask during the lockdown in January 2022 of the charge of disobeying a public servant's order.
The court gave the accused the benefit of reasonable doubt, saying the presumption of knowledge of the order to wear masks cannot be attributed to the accused.
The court was hearing a case registered against Kadir Khan, who was accused of violating the order to wear masks in public places during the lockdown in the national capital.
According to the prosecution, the accused was found "wandering without a mask' in front of Chhatarpur Metro Station on January 7, 2022.
"...In the considered opinion of this court, the prosecution has failed to prove its case against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt. The accused is hereby acquitted of the offence punishable under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code," metropolitan magistrate T Priyadarshini said in a recent order.
The court said the complainant, assistant sub-inspector of police Tribhuvan, did not place on record any newspaper in which the said order or notification was published, nor did he click a photograph of the accused.
There was also no public witness in the present case, the court said. -- PTI
23:12 Lanka arrests 23 Indian fishermen, seizes 5 boats
As many as 23 Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested by Sri Lanka on Monday, Chief Minister M K Stalin apprised the Centre and sought action to secure the release of fishers and their boats from the neighbouring country.
Writing to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Stalin said that 23 fishermen and their five fishing boats were taken into custody by the Sri Lankan Navy on November 28.
"In this year alone, 221 Tamil Nadu fishermen were apprehended by Sri Lankan Navy. The repeated instances of arrests by the Sri Lankan navy are causing severe stress and anguish among the fishermen community in Tamil Nadu who are solely dependant on fishing. The fragile coastal economy is facing a crisis and it needs our support," the CM said.
As of now, 105 fishing boats of Tamil Nadu are under Sri Lankan custody. The fishermen, apprehended in previous instances, were released by Lanka due to continuous efforts of the government, Stalin said.
However, their fishing boats still remained under Sri Lankan custody.
"I therefore request you to take necessary diplomatic initiatives to restrain the Sri Lankan Navy from apprehending our fishermen and also enable the early release of all the fishermen and their fishing boats now under Sri Lankan custody," the chief minister urged the external affairs minister. -- PTI
SP candidate Dimple Yadav
22:43 Railway official suspended after its public address system used to raise slogans for SP candidate
A senior official of the North Central Railway has been suspended after some people used its public address system to raise slogans for Dimple Yadav, the Samajwadi Party candidate for the Mainpuri Lok Sabha bypoll.
On November 26 night, some people entered the enquiry room at Etawah railway station and used the public address system for raising "Dimple Yadav Zindabad" slogan and urging voters to ensure her victory in the December 5 bypoll.
North Central Railway CPRO Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay said that taking note of the incident, Mansa Munda, a senior official of the commercial section who was on duty, has been suspended.
An FIR was registered against 10 people in connection with the matter. Dimple Yadav, the wife of Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, is contesting the Lok Sabha bypoll, necessitated due to the demise of Mulayam Singh Yadav last month. -- PTI
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22:24 Will win 170 seats in MCD polls as per survey: BJP
An internal survey of Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party has shown that the party may win 170 of 250 wards in the MCD polls next month, a senior party leader said here on Monday.
The survey having a sample size of 43,750 voters was conducted between November 13 and November 25, Delhi BJP media head Harish Khurana told PTI.
The elections for 250 wards of Municipal Corporation of Delhi will be held on December 4.
Results will be declared on December 7.
"The survey conducted in all the 250 wards shows that the BJP is going to win 170 seats. There are 150 wards where BJP is in very strong position while there are 20-25 other wards where the party has edge over other parties," Khurana said.
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta had said during campaigning on Sunday that the BJP would win 180 wards in the MCD elections.
Aam Aadmi Party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has claimed that his party will win 200 wards in the MCD polls.
He had also said that the BJP would not win more than 20 seats in the elections.
The BJP in 2017 municipal corporation elections won 181 of the 270 wards where voting was held, routing the AAP and Congress. -- PTI
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21:55 One-year-old girl child is Mumbai's 14th measles victim
A one-year-old girl died in Mumbai on Monday after contracting measles, said a statement by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
According to sources, the baby girl had a 'heart condition'.
The infant's death took the city's official toll from the highly infectious disease to 14.
According to the BMC, 78 new patients with measles were admitted to hospitals on Monday while 49 were discharged on recovery.
On Thursday, a total of 22 cases of measles and nine deaths were reported in Mumbai, an official said earlier.
"Reported cases of measles are increasing. The high-risk area is Mumbai-East. A few other parts of Mumbai have also reported increasing number of cases. A total of 22 outbreaks and nine deaths have been reported (in Mumbai)," BMC's executive health officer told ANI earlier.
21:39 No evidence of 500 mn 'data leak': WhatsApp
A spokesperson of instant messaging and voice-over-IP service WhatsApp on Monday said there is no evidence of a 'data leak' from WhatsApp.
Evidently, Mashable India, a digital media platform, has reported that according to a recent allegation from Cybernews, someone managed to hack into WhatsApp and acquired the personal information of almost 500 million users, which is now purportedly for sale.
"The claim written on Cybernews is based on unsubstantiated screenshots. There is no evidence of a 'data leak' from WhatsApp," the WhatsApp spokesperson said.
The spokesperson has also said the purported list is a set of phone numbers -- and not "WhatsApp user information".
In this development, Cybernews chief editor Jurgita Lapienyte had also tweeted, "There's no evidence WhatsApp has been hacked. The leak might be a scrape but that doesn't mean it's any less dangerous for the affected users."
Mashable India had reported that an actor allegedly advertised the sale of over 487 million WhatsApp users' personal information, including their cell numbers on a hacker site. -- ANI
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21:06 Water cut in parts of Mumbai on Tues-Wed
Some 10 municipal wards in Mumbai are expected to face a severe water shortage on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Andheri East and West the worst-hit, as the municipal corporation has announced a water cut in these parts, reports the Hindustan Times.
Other areas that will face a water cut are Bandra East and West, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Goregaon, Dadar and Govandi.
Explaining the reason for the water cut, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said that various repair works are being undertaken in the Powai and Veravali reservoir area from 8.30 am on November 29 to 8.30 am on November 30.
"Besides the repair works on a 300 mm pipeline in the Powai area, the cross-connection of two 1800 mm pipeline is a major project," said a BMC official. "1800 mm pipelines are huge water pipelines with heavy water pressure. Those pipelines have to be cut for the intersection and for that, the water has to be drained out after the supply is cut," HT has reported.
To find out which areas will face a water cut and the timings, click here.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's roadshow/AAP/Twitter
21:02 AAP, BJP men clash during Kejri's Surat poll rally
A scuffle broke out between supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday during Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's roadshow in Surat city in poll-bound Gujarat.
The incident occurred in Katargam locality in the evening after BJP workers chanted 'Modi, Modi' when the convoy of vehicles in Kejriwal's roadshow was passing through the area.
Kejriwal claimed a stone was hurled when the roadshow was passing.
Deputy commissioner of police (Zone-3), Pinakin Parmar, said Kejriwal was provided Z-plus security in the 4-km roadshow with Central Armed Police Force.
"The rally passed off peacefully. No incident of hurling of stones took place. A minor scuffle broke out between party workers but the police controlled the situation," he said.
"When we were moving, their (apparently referring to BJP) supporters threw a stone at us. I was thinking had they done any work in the last 27 years they would not have needed to throw stones. I would like to tell them it is Kejriwal only who will waive their electricity bills, teach your children, and offer you flowers in place of stones," the AAP national convener said. -- PTI
President Droupadi Murmu
20:44 President Murmu to lay foundation stone of medical college in Haryana tomorrow
President Droupadi Murmu will lay the foundation stone of a medical college to be built at a cost of Rs 1,090 crore in Sirsa district at an event in Kurukshetra on Tuesday, said the Haryana government.
The 539-bed medical college will be built on about 22 acres, added the Haryana government.
President, who is on a two-day visit to the state, will attend the international Gita seminar in Kurukshetra also.
On the occasion, she will also virtually launch the Mukhyamantri Swasthya Sarvekshan Yojana and Haryana e-ticketing projects for all public road transport facilities.
Murmu will address the 18th convocation of NIT Kurukshetra the same day.
The President will interact with ASHA workers, women wrestlers, Olympians, other sports persons as well as girl students on Wednesday, before returning to Delhi.
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20:16 2 NPP, 1 TMC legislators to join BJP in Meghalaya
Two MLAs of the ruling NPP in Meghalaya and one of the opposition TMC resigned from the assembly on Monday, dealing a blow to their parties.
The trio, who also quit the membership of respective parties, announced that they would soon join the BJP, an ally in the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance.
According to assembly commissioner and secretary Andrew Simons, NPP legislators, Ferlin Sangma and Benedic Marak, and TMC's HM Shangpliang submitted their resignations to Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh during the day, which got accepted around two hours later.
Shangpliang, who represented Mawsynram constituency, said all three of them would be visiting Delhi soon to join the BJP.
"We have resigned today to join the BJP. There is a need to work hand in hand with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the development of the state. People in Meghalaya, especially the farmers and the youth, should also support the PM in his endeavour to bring about development in the state," Shangpliang, who had last year quit the Congress to join the TMC, said.
Only a chief minister from the BJP can ensure the welfare of people and the progress of this northeastern state, he added. -- PTI
20:03 Kwatra get 14-month extension as foreign secretary
Foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra has been granted a 14-month extension in the post beyond his date of superannuation on December 31 this year, a personnel ministry order said.
Kwatra had assumed office as foreign secretary on May 1 this year, succeeding Harsh Vardhan Shringla to the post.
"The appointments committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in service to Vinay Mohan Kwatra, (IFS:1988), as foreign secretary beyond the date of his superannuation ie, 31.12.2022 up to 30.04.2024 or until further orders, whichever is earlier," a government order said.
The extension of his tenure comes at a time when India is assuming the presidency of the G-20. India is set to host the G-20 Summit next year.
Earlier, Kwatra was serving as India's envoy to Nepal. -- PTI
19:41 2 men with swords attack Aaftab's van in Delhi
A police van carrying Aaftab Poonawala, accused of killing his live-in partner, was attacked by some weapon-wielding people outside the Forensic Science Laboratory in Rohini where he was taken for a polygraph test on Monday, sources said.
The vehicle was driven out of the spot while the attackers were detained and their weapons seized, the police said, adding the incident took place around 6.45 pm.
Poonawala allegedly strangled Shraddha Walkar, and cut her body into 35 pieces, which he kept in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in Mehrauli in south Delhi, before dumping them across the city over several days.
He was arrested on November 12 and sent to five-day police custody, which was further extended by five days on November 17.
On November 22, he was sent to police custody for four days. The court on November 26 sent him to judicial custody for 13 more days.
19:19 Bench shaped like book of 'Madhushala' installed at Jalsa, Bachchan shares photos
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Monday said a stone bench in the shape of the popular book of poetry Madhushala, penned by his late father and celebrated poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was installed in Mumbai at his residence Jalsa.
The 80-year-old actor took to his personal blog, where he shared several pictures of the bench set up at the lawns of his Juhu-based palatial bungalow.
According to Bachchan, the structure was built in the Polish city of Wroclaw, which had named a square after Harivansh Rai Bachchan in 2020.
"... a bench made of stone in Wroclaw , Poland in the shape of a book - Madhushala .. intricate and most uniquely done .. weighs a ton .. brought from Poland, through the kind offices of the Counsel general India in Wroclaw, Shri Kartikeya Johri , who worked assiduously in putting up the elf statue of Babuji in Wroclaw, a stamp in his honour and now has worked on opening a Research Centre for the study of modern Hindi literature in the name of Babuji - Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Research Institute .. (sic)" the screen icon wrote.
He also expressed gratitude towards the Honorary Consul General of India in Wroclaw Kartikeya Johri for his efforts in bringing the bench to India.
"... how auspicious to have that bench installed today in our lawns at Jalsa .." Bachchan further wrote. -- PTI
19:04 Delhi court awards life term to 5 Jaish terrorists
A Delhi court on Monday awarded life imprisonment to five terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammed for recruiting and training youths for terror activities across the country.
Special judge Shailender Malik awarded the jail term to Sajjad Ahmed Khan, Bilal Ahmed Mir, Muzaffar Ahmed Bhat, Ishfaq Ahmed Bhat and Mehraj-ud-din Chopan after they pleaded guilty in the case.
The judge also awarded a five-year jail term to Tanveer Ahmed Ganie in the case.
The judge noted that all the convicts were in conspiracy with each other to wage war against India.
It said the convicts were "not only members of JeM but they have been supporting/harbouring terrorists/members of JeM by providing them arms/ammunition, logistic supports and explosives."
"The accused were also involved in enticing/ motivating locals of Jammu & Kashmir to go into militancy and arranging funds, etc, for carrying out terrorist acts and therefore they all are liable to be convicted for offence u/s 120B IPC as well as u/s 18 of UA(P) Act," the judge said. -- PTI
18:43 Debt-ridden techie says he lodged false complaint of robbery, killed daughter
A city-based techie who has been arrested for allegedly killing his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, has confessed to have initially gone missing along with her fearing investigation into a false robbery complaint he had lodged, the police said on Monday.
Rahul Parmar, who hails from Gujarat, had gone missing on November 15 along with his daughter Jiya, whose body was found afloat in a lake at Kendatti village, near Kolar, a day later, the police said.
As Parmar's car also was found near the lake, it initially led to suspicion that he too might have drowned, and the police conducted a search for him but in vain.
Parmar, who had reportedly lost his job, told the police that he was facing several financial issues and was in debt.
He is also said to have incurred losses after investing in cryptocurrency.
He lodged the fake robbery complaint to convince his wife about the disappearance of gold jewellery.
However, investigation revealed it to be a false plaint.
As he was summoned for an inquiry in this regard, he disappeared with his daughter after leaving the house under the pretext of dropping her at play-school, a police official said.
Parmar is said to have told the police that he drowned his daughter after smothering her, but failed to end his life and aimlessly travelled by train to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. -- PTI
18:20 Hackers demand Rs 200 cr from AIIMS-Delhi
Hackers have allegedly demanded an estimated Rs 200 crore in cryptocurrency from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi as its server remained out of order for the sixth consecutive day, official sources said on Monday.
It is feared that data of around 3-4 crore patients could have been compromised due to the breach detected Wednesday morning.
Patient care services in emergency, outpatient, inpatient and laboratory wings are being managed manually as the server remained down, the sources said.
The India Computer Emergency Response Team, Delhi police and representatives of the ministry of home affairs are investigating the ransomware attack.
A case of extortion and cyber terrorism was registered by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations unit of the Delhi police on November 25.
Official sources said internet services are blocked on computers at the hospital on the recommendations of the investigating agencies.
The AIIMS server has stored data of several VIPs, including former prime ministers, ministers, bureaucrats and judges.
"Hackers have allegedly demanded around Rs 200 crore in cryptocurrency," one of the sources said. -- PTI
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18:14 RSS meet discusses plans for finalising decisions for 2023
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh held a meeting in Chennai with its leaders and members to finalise decisions for the upcoming year.
The two-day consultative meeting, which concluded on Sunday, discussed issues including enhancing the RSS's outreach among the people and strengthen the implementation of the national education policy.
"This is an internal meeting of the RSS in which several issues, the challenges faced by the organisation, and people-friendly programmes that ought to be implemented next year, were discussed. The discussion will help finalise the decisions for the upcoming year," a senior leader told PTI on Monday.
There was a detailed discussion on last year's activities and the coming year's work for expansion of the RSS at the meeting in which senior leaders of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar participated.
Earlier this month, the RSS postponed its November 6 route march in Tamil Nadu to challenge the Madras high court verdict restricting the march to indoors in an auditorium after the police denied the outfit permission. -- PTI
17:53 Mehbooba Mufti vacates her govt residence in J-K
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday vacated her Gupkar residence and shifted to a private house at Khimber, on the outskirts of Srinagar.
She had been asked by the government to vacate the Fairview official residence she had been using on October 15.
17:35 Leaked WhatsApp data of 500 mn users on sale?
Instant messaging and voice-over-IP service WhatsApp, which is considered a secure platform due to its end-to-end encryption feature, has allegedly had a data leak that compromises almost 500 million users.
Mashable India, a digital media platform, has reported that according to a recent allegation from Cybernews, someone managed to hack WhatsApp and acquired the personal information of almost 500 million users, which is now purportedly for sale.
Allegedly, an actor advertised the sale of over 487 million WhatsApp users' personal information, including their cell numbers on a hacker site.
The listing states that the user data comprises 32 million US users and comes from 84 other nations including Egypt, Italy, Saudi Arabia, France, and Turkey.
The stolen phone numbers can be used for impersonation, phishing, and other fraudulent operations.
Whatsapp's parent company Meta has not yet replied to this update.
As per Mashable India, the WhatsApp user database from the US is being sold for $7,000 which is much higher when compared to rates of user data from the UK and Germany which costs $2,500 and $2,000, respectively.
Reportedly, it's intriguing that no user profiles from India are on the list.
A tiny amount of data that includes user information for 1097 US phone numbers and 817 UK phone numbers was shared by the hacked when cybernews asked for a sample from them, according to Mashable India. -- ANI
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17:19 IAF jawan on watch tower duty in MP ends life with service rifle
An on-duty Indian Air Force jawan allegedly died by suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh on Monday, a police official said.
The incident occurred when he was posted on duty at a watch tower at the IAF station in Maharajpura area of Gwalior and it was detected when his colleague arrived as part of shift change in the morning, city superintendent of police Ravi Bhadoria said.
"He found the deceased on the stairs of the watch tower with his service rifle on his chest. Prima facie, the inspection of the spot and the body of the jawan indicates he committed suicide. He is a resident of Kapurthala in Punjab and his kin have been informed," the CSP said. -- PTI
17:02 Kejriwal's prediction for AAP in Guj polls: 92 seats
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said there is a huge craze for Aam Aadmi Party among women and youth in Gujarat as it vows to tackle inflation and unemployment and claimed the AAP will win more than 92 seats out of total 182 in the next month's Gujarat Assembly polls.
Speaking after interacting with diamond traders in Surat, Kejriwal expressed confidence they will vote for AAP even though they are not saying so openly "due to the fear of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)".
"All our surveys show we are much ahead of BJP in the support of youth and women. I appeal to them to ask all members of their families to vote for AAP. The AAP will form the next government. We will win more than 92 seats," he told reporters.
The campaigning for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections scheduled for December 1 ends on November 29. Polling for the second and final phase will be held on December 5 and the votes will be counted on December 8.
"Inflation and unemployment are the two biggest issues affecting the people, and we are offering time-bound solutions to these issues. No other party is talking about the issues affecting the people," he said.
"There is a huge craze for AAP among women and youth, as we are getting magical results in our survey within these two sections. I would request them to get every vote of your family to broom (AAP's election symbol)," the AAP's national convener said.
He said the people of Gujarat do not love him, state AAP president Gopal Italia or chief ministerial face Isudan Gadhvi but extending support because they feel AAP can resolve their issues and it has delivered it in Delhi and Punjab. "Women are voting for us because for the first time a party (AAP) has come up with an assurance to give them relief from inflation," Kejriwal added.
16:36 Gujarat Model is about 4L Covid deaths: Kharge
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Congress of playing vote bank politics over terrorism, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said his party had sacrificed two prime ministers in the fight against terrorism.
Kharge questioned whether any leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party had fought for the freedom of the country.
"We have done the work to fight against terrorists. To maintain peace in the country, we have sacrificed our leaders. Indira Gandhi sacrificed her life to keep the country united. Rajiv Gandhi was martyred for the unity of the country. Is there a leader in the BJP who at least fought for the freedom of the country?" Kharge asked.
Addressing a rally in Kheda in poll-bound Gujarat on Sunday, the prime minister had said Congress views terrorism from the prism of the vote bank".
He also said, "terrorism was not over yet and the politics of the Congress has also not changed".
"Here (in Congress), we have lost our two famous and world-respected prime ministers to strengthen and unite the country. This is an election of the state Assembly and not of Parliament. We are here before you with the issues affecting the state. It is better if he (Modi) talks about the successes and failures of the state," Kharge said.
On the BJP's poll promise of implementing the Uniform Civil Code in Gujarat, Khrage said it was an attempt to divide society and create controversy for votes.
"They (BJP) are provoking Congress and other leaders to speak up and get angry. Their aim is to provoke us and divide society, but we are not going to fall into their trap," he said.
Slamming Modi for seeking votes in his name and claiming only he contributed to the progress of Gujarat as if there were no leaders before him, Kharge said the prime minister keeps talking about the Congress has done nothing in the past 70-odd years.
"If any party built the country in 70 years, it was Congress," Kharge said, adding, unlike Modi, he does not take credit for the several thousand crore worths of projects sanctioned when he was Union minister.
Attacking the BJP's 'Gujarat model' of development, the Congress president said there were five lakh vacancies in government departments, including that of 28,000 teachers.
"The state's debt is rising sharply. When we went out of power, we left a debt of Rs 10,000 crore. Today it has swelled to Rs 3.40 lakh crore, and is going to increase further to Rs 4.60 lakh crore during the current fiscal," Kharge said.
"The so-called "Gujarat model" is about 4 lakh COVID-19 deaths. They changed three chief ministers in six years. If you change three CMs, it means that you did nothing here. Otherwise, there was no reason to change them," Kharge said.
Shraddha Walker
16:29 Weapon used to chop Shraddha's body found
The Delhi Police has recovered the weapon allegedly used by Aaftab Amin Poonawala to cut the body of his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar, sources said on Monday.
Police have also recovered a ring that belonged to 27-year-old Walkar, which Poonawala allegedly gave to another woman, they said.
"The weapon used to cut Shraddha Walkar's body has been recovered by police," a source said.
The remaining sessions of Poonawala's polygraph test are underway at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Rohini, the sources said, adding that he arrived at the lab at 9:50 am and the sessions began around 11 am.
Poonawala allegedly strangled Walkar, and cut her body into 35 pieces, which he kept in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in Mehrauli in south Delhi, before dumping them across the city over several days. He was arrested on November 12 and sent to five-day police custody, which was further extended by five days on November 17.
Shraddha Walker
16:15 Aaftab gifted Shraddha's ring to a woman. It's been recovered
Update on the Shraddha Walker murder case: The Delhi Police have recovered some weapons that were used to chop up Shraddha Walker's body. Police have also recovered Shraddha's ring that Aaftab had gifted to another woman he invited to his flat.
The remaining sessions of the polygraph test on Aaftab Amin Poonawala, accused of brutally killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar, got underway at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Rohini on Monday, officials said.
Poonawala reached FSL at 9.50 am and the sessions began at around 11 am, they said.
"When the last session was held, there was a health issue due to which some sessions were not satisfactory. Our lab and preparation for the narco test is complete," Head of the Department of Crime Scene Management at FSL, Rohini, Sanjeev Gupta, said.
16:00 Delhi school receives bomb threat in e-mail
The Delhi Police on Monday received an email regarding a bomb being placed on a school campus here in south Delhi, officials said.
A senior police officer said that the email was received on Monday regarding the bomb placed in Indian Public School, Sadiq Nagar.
The local police were informed and the bomb disposal squad, and dog squad rushed to the spot. The school campus was evacuated and a thorough search has been made, police said. However, nothing has been recovered. It seems to be a mischief, the officer said, adding that the details of the email are being checked. PTI
15:56 Guns, coke next to Musk's bed
Elon Musk tweeted this image alongside, saying, "My bedside table."
15:49 Did nothing wrong: Chetan Bhagat after Uorfi Javed slams him
"There's nothing wrong in telling people to stop wasting time on social media platforms," says author Chetan Bhagat, who stirred a controversy by bringing in actor-model Uorfi Javed's name in a televised discussion on the distractions of young men.
Bhagat's response came Sunday evening after Javed criticised him for dragging her name into a conversation at a recent literature festival, saying she is not an author and has nothing to do with literature.
Hitting out at Bhagat on Instagram Stories, the "Bigg Boss OTT" star also shared screenshots of the novelist's alleged viral WhatsApp messages that landed him in trouble during the 2018's #MeToo movement. Bhagat said in response that he hadn't criticised anyone.
"Have never spoken to/chatted with/met/ known someone where it's being spread that I have done so. It's fake. a lie. also a Non issue. (sic) Haven't criticised anyone. And I also think there's nothing wrong in telling people to stop wasting time on Instagram and focus on fitness and career," Bhagat had tweeted.
During the literature gala, the "Five Point Someone" and "2 States" author said social media has become a "distraction".
"Young boys keep watching reels, they are tapping to like photos of girls, they keep writing comments. There are crores of likes. There are Uorfi Javed's photos," he had remarked as the crowd roared with laughter.
"Everyone knows. How do you know this? Is this part of your curriculum? Will it get you a promotion? Will you go and say in the interview 'Sir, I know all of Uorfi Javed's dresses?' So, what's happening is that these things are attracting attention.
"That's not her mistake, she is doing what she is doing to make her career...," he went on to say and added that he wants "to guide people in the right direction".
Javed's said in hard-hitting statement said, "I don't understand one thing. What was the need to bring up my name at a literature festival? I'm not an author. I have nothing to do with literature."
In a video posted on her Instagram Stories, she also referred to old WhatsApp texts that Bhagat had allegedly sent to a woman. "Also you said I'm spoiling the youth, they look at my posts... You are old. As old as my uncles and father. Despite being married, why were you sending texts to girls half your age?" PTI
15:35 China's dangerous protests: 3 things can happen
Protests have burst out spontaneously in a number of Chinese cities. Dissatisfaction with the government's zero-tolerance Covid strategy appears to be the primary catalyst, but there are unprecedented instances of citizens expressing their anger at the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman Xi Jinping.
China is a nation of 1.4 billion people, ruled by an authoritarian government unable to abide dissent.
China has 106 cities possessing populations more than one million, so a few hundred, or even a thousand, people gathering on a street does not yet constitute "mass" protests.
However, a lack of numbers does not detract from their sheer bravery, as these people are willing to be dragged away and detained by this Orwellian police state.
The CCP leadership is no doubt startled, especially after the choreographed triumph of last month's 20th National Congress where Xi was crowned lord of all for at least five more years. His authority was supposed to be paramount, so sudden outbursts in multiple locations will have the CCP concerned.
Perhaps the most important question is how deep does this public anger actually go, and will these protests sustain themselves for long?
It is far too early to make predictions, and it would certainly be a mistake to conclude that these protests echo those culminating in the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989.
Professor William Hurst, the Chong Hua Professor of Chinese Development at Cambridge University in the UK, described the protests as "novel, interesting and potentially quite important".
"They need to be examined in context. Protests since 1989 can be divided into five main strands," according to Hurst. These are labor protests; rural protests; student protests; urban governance protests; and systematic political dissent.
Taking labor protests as an example, hundreds of thousands of laid-off employees from state-owned enterprises, as well as migrant workers, have taken to Chinese streets before. They demand workplace protection, union rights or welfare benefits, but there are minimal cross-regional or cross-strand linkages.
Similarly, rural protests might revolve around things such as corrupt officials or provision of public goods. Student protests have been rare and, if they do occur, might focus on campus or philosophical issues.
Typically, Hurst said, "Each of these has usually been disaggregated locally and separated from the others."
In other words, the five strands tend not to overlap.
Hurst continued: "Generalized political dissent is very rare in its expression, but we've seen it from time to time, as in the Charter 08 movement [a manifesto signed by Chinese dissidents] and other manifestations. Usually repressed quickly and harshly, its impact has mostly been confined to a small set of cosmopolitan intellectuals."
There has been mass ethnic or minority unrest -- obvious examples being Tibetans and Uyghurs - but these generate minimum resonance with the Han population. Indeed, unrest in Tibet and Xinjiang has been harshly repressed since about 2013.
Hurst summarized: "What has happened in the past 24 hours is novel in that protesters have appeared on the streets in multiple cities with apparent knowledge of what is happening in other parts of the country. They're all mobilizing around COVID, but this is refracted through distinct lenses."
For example, workers in Zhengzhou are engaged in labor protests, with zero-COVID acting as a frame of reference for their grievances.
"Finally," Hurst said, "we've seen a few sensational incidents of generalized protest, but in the past 24 hours crowds in at least one or two cities have appeared overtly calling for Xi Jinping to leave office and for the CCP to lose power.
"The protesters in these crowds don't look to be either workers or students. They appear to have mobilized first around COVID and urban governance issues - in particular, in reaction to the fire and failed response in Urumqi two days ago. But they've morphed beyond that."
The academic was referring to a deadly fire in a locked-down building, which has become a lodestone for protest.
Inhabitants of Urumqi had already suffered lockdowns of more than 100 days, and local officials had barred residents inside this building in which ten died.
Indeed, people chanting for Xi to be removed and for the CCP to fall are momentous developments. Not even Hong Kong street protestors in the heady days of 2019-20 were bold enough to call for this.
Hurst noted: "By taking up slogans and frames of generalized dissent, as well as at least implicitly signally solidarity with workers' and students' mobilization, these crowds are crossing a boundary and helping merge four of the five strands/repertoires outlined above. This is what makes the current moment especially interesting and possibly important and dangerous."
Hurst at Cambridge University freely admitted: "The trajectory from here is not certain. I can see at least three possible ways forward, in declining order of likelihood and increasing order of importance/danger."
First off, he predicted: "If we assume no elite backers, the most likely scenario I can see is that the protests fizzle out (as most such movements do in most countries). Having erupted spontaneously in a short period, they will fade away without reaching any climax or denouement."
If elite forces, such as factions opposed to Xi, are at least tacitly behind these protests, this will complicate the situation, however. There is no evidence for this so far, though. "A second possibility is some form of comprehensive and decisive repression. This could take the form of a coordinated and possibly quite violent crackdown (as in 1989), or it could be slower-motion and at least somewhat less bloody (as in Hong Kong in 2019-20).
Either form of repression would be extremely costly for the state, however (both in fiscal and reputational terms). It would not be undertaken lightly, as it would also raise the stakes. It's thus a decidedly second-best option and not as likely as the protests fizzling."
Thirdly, a "much less likely option would be concessions or systemic change. This could range from a relaxation of some zero-COVID measures to genuine political opening of some sort. I very much do not think this is on the cards, and would peg [its] probability as extremely low."
Mallikarjun Kharge called the PM, 'leader of lies'
15:09 What BJP said on Kharge's 'leader of lies' remark
Training his guns at Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Sunday called Congress an "elitist dynastic party" over the derogatory remarks made by party president on PM Modi.
The scathing remark comes after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi terming him a "leader of lies".
"Congress is a party of elitist dynastic philosophy and mentality. The question is whereafter the party that talks about love apologizes or do they support such statements made by the party leaders," said Poonawalla while talking to ANI.
Underlining the derogatory statements made by the party in the 2014 and 2016 elections he said that the Congress party used words like "tu chai beech" and "Chaiwala".
"The Congress party cannot fathom that a person who has come from the poorest circumstances has become the Prime Minister and is taking the country to greater heights," said Shehzad Poonawalla.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla called out the Congress party for insulting the Prime Minister and said that president Mallikarjun Kharge is acquiring the sentiments of Congress's first family.
"This is not a 'Sahyog' rather this is 'Prayog' and 'Udhyog' of abusing Prime Minister Modi personally. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is acquiring the sentiments of congress first family," he said while talking to ANI. Earlier in the day, the Congress chief accused the BJP and its top leaders of resorting to prevarications in order to gain the sympathy of the people.
Kiren Rijiju with PT Usha
14:36 PT Usha elected as President of Indian Olympic Association
Legendary athlete PT Usha has been elected as the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, previously the Union Sports Minister, congratulated the athlete on her election.
"Congratulations to legendary Golden Girl, Smt. P T Usha on being elected as the President of Indian Olympic Association. I also congratulate all the sporting heroes of our country on becoming the office bearers of the prestigious IOA! A nation is proud of them!," tweeted Rijiju.
Earlier, Usha had said that she is filing nomination for the post. "With the warm support of my fellow athletes and National Federations, I am humbled and honoured to accept and file for the nomination of the president of IOA!" PT Usha tweeted on Saturday. Sports Authority of India also retweeted Rijiju's tweet.
14:25 Both Gehlot, Pilot are assets to Congress: Rahul
Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi headed for Ujjain from Indore on Monday, the sixth day of its Madhya Pradesh leg.
The foot march started in the morning from Indore's Bada Ganpati square.
When asked about his views on Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, Rahul Gandhi said, "Both leaders are assets to Congress."
He also said that the decision to contest again from Amethi will be taken after one or one-and-a-half years. At present, his focus is on the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
The son and wife of the victim dispose of the body parts
13:51 Man chopped into pieces for eying daughter
Pandav Nagar killing update:
The police say that the woman and the son killed the victim over suspicion that he was eyeing her daughter and daughter-in law.
The victim is the husband of the woman and the father of the man.
The murder happened on May 30.
The body was chopped into 10 pieces of which six have been recovered so far.
The accused disposed of the body parts over three to-four days and buried the skull, say police.
In a chilling resemblance to the Shraddha Walkar murder case, the Delhi Police on Monday arrested the woman and her son.
The pieces of the body were store in a refrigerator, much like the Walker case.
Police said that the man killed his father with the help of his mother, chopped his body into pieces and kept them in the refrigerator.
The incident took place at Trilokpuri in the national capital.
The body parts were thrown in different areas of Pandav Nagar and East Delhi, officials added.
Police set up a lookout after midnight in front of Chand Cinema and caught the person in the act.
13:19 Emergency Gurjar meet before Rahul enters Raj
Amid the ongoing resistance from the Gurjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti for the Bharat Jodo Yatra to enter the Congress-ruled state of Rajasthan, the party extended an invitation to hold talks with Gurjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti today.
Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will enter Rajasthan on December 3.
Three ministers of the Ashok Gehlot led government in the state will hold talks on behalf government, while many Gurjar public representatives including Vijay Bainsla of Sangharsh Samiti will be present.
The three ministers include Dr. BD Kalla, Rajasthan's Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Ashok Chandna and Rajasthan Minister Rajendra Yadav.
Earlier on November 13, Son of late Gurjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla and Gurjar Arakshan Sangharsh Samithi president Vijay Bainsla called for opposing the Rahul Gandhi led-Bharat Jodo Yatra in the Congress-ruled state Rajasthan.Angry at the Ashok Gehlot-led government in Rajasthan, over not implementing the remaining demands of the Gurjar reservation agreement, Gurjar leader Vijay Bainsla warned against the Congress Party taking out the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
On his way to Jhunjhunu, while offering his prayers in the Bhairon Temple in Ringas, Sikar, Bainsla spoke to reporters and expressed his dissatisfaction with the Rajasthan government.
12:41 Whom do Mallikarjun Kharge call, 'leader of lies'?
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi terming him as a "leader of lies".
The Congress chief accused the BJP and its top leaders of resorting to prevarications in order to gain the sympathy of the people.
Addressing an election rally in Dediapada in Narmada district, Kharge said, "They ask us, especially Modiji and Shah (Amit Shah) what the Congress has done in 70 years. If we have not done anything in 70 years then you wouldn't have democracy in the country.
"A person like you (PM Modi) claims to be poor. I am also poor, am one of the untouchables. People drank your tea, nobody would've had my tea. Then you say that you are poor and somebody abuses you. If you say it for sympathy then people have become smarter now. If you lie once or twice people will hear but how many times will you lie? He's the leader of lies..."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address four public meetings in the state today. He will address rallies in Kutch's Anjar, Jamnagar's Gordhanpur, Bhavnagar's Palitana, Jamnagar's Gordhanpar and Rajkot today.
The Assembly elections in Gujarat are scheduled to be held in two phases on December 1 and December 5, whose results will be declared on December 8.
In the 2017 Gujarat polls, the BJP won 99 seats out of a total of 182 seats. The party has been in power for the last 27 years. -- ANI
Aaftab allegedly chopped up Shraddha's body into 35 pieces
12:22 Shraddha 2.0: Duo chop up man, store in fridge
In a chilling resemblance to the Shraddha Walkar murder case, Delhi Police on Monday arrested a woman and her son allegedly for killing her husband and chopping him into pieces and then storing the bits in a refrigerator.
Police said that the man killed his father with the help of his mother, chopped his body into pieces and kept them in the refrigerator. The incident took place at Trilokpuri in the national capital.
The body parts were thrown in different areas of Pandav Nagar and East Delhi, officials added.
Police set up a watch after midnight in front of Chand Cinema and caught the person in the act.
The case follows in the wake of the sensational murder case in which accused Aaftab Poonawala allegedly killed his live-in girlfriend Shradda Walkar in May this year and chopped her body into 35 parts. He stored the chopped parts in a refrigerator and gradually disposed them off in the forested areas of South Delhi and Gurgaon.
The accused is currently in Delhi Police custody and is undergoing a polygraph test today.
11:53 BJP signalling support for 2002 riots to win Gujarat polls is a dire sign for India
It will communicate to India's 200 million strong Muslim community that India's democracy has no place for even its physical safety, much less its aspirations.
Read the column here.
11:24 'Xi, step down' protests ring out in China
The protests against COVID-19 lockdowns have spread to Beijing even as China reported close to 40,000 coronavirus cases on Monday as authorities scrambled to contain the fresh surge in infections.
For the fifth consecutive day, China reported close to 4,000 cases in the capital city of Beijing. China's National Health Commission said 39,452 new cases were reported on Monday, including 36,304 local asymptomatic cases.
Meanwhile, the protests which broke out in the eastern metropolis of Shanghai during the weekend, have spread to Beijing where hundreds of people converged on Sunday evening near Liangmahe river in the central city.
Crowds carrying lighted candles in memory of those killed in the fire at an apartment block reported under COVID-19 lockdown in Urumqi in Xinjiang shouted slogans against the arbitrary lockdowns by the government to curb the spread of the virus and in solidarity with the weekend protests in Shanghai.
Several diplomats and foreigners watched the protests as they took place close to the diplomatic residential compound in Beijing.
Eyewitness accounts said the protests went on for several hours and the police detained a number of people. Protesters in Shanghai on Saturday and Sunday called on Chinese President Xi Jinping and the ruling Communist Party to step down besides opposing the lockdowns and forcible evictions of people into coronavirus medical shelters.
Student protests also broke out at the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing and Communication University in Nanjing. Photos and videos posted online showed students holding vigils for the Urumqi fire victims and launching protests at universities in Beijing and Nanjing.
In the latest notice, Tsinghua University has informed students that they can go home if they wish ahead of the January spring festival holidays.
In recent weeks, protests have erupted in Guangdong, Zhengzhou, Lhasa, the provincial capital of Tibet and other cities, with participants asking for an end to prolonged lockdowns and Covid tests, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Monday.
The People's Daily, the Communist Party's mouthpiece on Sunday vowed in a front-page commentary to unwaveringly stick with the existing controls to curb the spread of Covid-19, which first broke out in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 and then became a pandemic.
In remarks that appeared to aim at widespread doubts and dissatisfaction, it again touted China's self-claimed victory in controlling the pandemic so far and called on party cadres at all levels to resolutely overcome misunderstandings, slackness and war weariness, the Post report said.
According to the latest estimates about 412 million people were affected by lockdown measures in China, up from 340 million the week before, according to the Japanese brokerage firm Nomura. It added that more than one-fifth of China's total GDP-generating sectors across the country is currently under lockdown. PTI
A posse of policemen at the Batla House in 2008
11:18 PM calls this party, 'well-wishers of terrorists'
Training his guns at Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the party of being "well-wishers of terrorists" and questioning the Batla House encounter in 2008, which was an act of terrorism.
During his address at a public rally in Gujarat's Surat, PM Modi said that the Batla house encounter was an act of terrorism but Congress leaders had questioned it.
"The new generation of Gujarat has not seen the serial bomb blasts of Ahmedabad and Surat. I want to caution them of those who are well-wishers of terrorists. Batla house encounter was an act of terrorism but Congress leaders had questioned it," he said.
Earlier in the day addressing a public meeting at Kheda district PM Modi launched a series of attacks on Congress on the issue of terrorism, saying the Congress, which raised questions on the surgical strike, considers terrorism as its vote bank.
PM Modi said terrorism was at its peak during the Congress rule and the party targeted him instead of terrorists because of vote bank politics.
"Gujarat had long been a target of terrorism. The people of Gujarat were killed in explosions in Surat and Ahmedabad. Congress was at the Centre then, we asked them to target terrorism but they targeted me instead. Terrorism was at the peak in the country.
"PM Modi asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has been acting toward eliminating the menace of terrorism.
"Your one vote in 2014 has created a lot of difference in killing terrorism in the country. Terrorists have to think a lot even before attacking our borders. But Congress questions our surgical strike. The youth of the state, aged up to 25 years, have never seen what a curfew looks like. I have to save them from the bomb explosions, only BJP's double-engine government can do this," he said.
The Prime Minister said Congress considers terrorism as its vote bank, adding that several other parties indulging in appeasement politics also have arisen.
"During the Batla House encounter, Congress leaders cried in support of terrorists. Even terrorism is a vote bank for Congress. It is not just Congress now, several such parties have risen, who believe in politics of shortcut and appeasement," PM Modi added.
Dimple Yadav files her nomination last month
10:48 Why Dimple Yadav's Mainpuri battle may be tough
Winning the Mainpuri bypoll will not be a simple affair for SP's Dimple Yadav unlike the past elections when her father-in-law Mulayam Singh Yadav used to register effortless victories, some local residents feel.
But many are of the view that she will make it, particularly because of the public sympathy for the veteran Samajwadi Party leader who died recently.
The SP had announced the name of Dimple Yadav, wife of party chief Akhilesh Yadav, as its candidate for the Mainpuri parliamentary seat on November 10.
"The bypoll will certainly not be simple for Dimple Yadav as the BJP is making all efforts to snatch the seat from the SP. A large number of BJP leaders are already camping in the city," businessman Dhirendra Kumar Gupta told PTI.
At the same time, Gupta said, the going will not be easy for the saffron party as its candidate Raghuraj Singh Shakya is meeting and greeting the voters as a formality.
Unless the BJP workers don't undertake door-to-door campaigning, it will be tough for Shakya to win, he said.
"There cannot be any comparison between 'neta ji' (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and his son Akhilesh Yadav, as the former knew each of his voters. But the Yadavs are more or less visiting each and every house in the constituency to ensure that they emerge victorious in the bypoll," he said.
Gupta asserted that the bypoll is the battle of 'asmita' (identity) for the Yadav family. The businessman further said that if the local BJP workers fail to make a connection with the voters, then bringing senior leaders, including ministers from Lucknow, for campaigning will have very less impact. For hotelier Hemant Pachauri, the upcoming bypoll is the best possible opportunity for the BJP to breach the SP fortress of Mainpuri due to the absence of Mulayam Singh Yadav or 'neta ji' to his legions of supporters.
"If the SP loses the seat this time, it will prove to be the last nail in their political coffin. When in power, the SP had unleashed hooliganism in the city and people were feeling harassed. Now, the scene has changed.
"This bypoll is a fiercely contested one. At this point in time, it is difficult to say who will win or who has the edge. Things are different this time, especially in the absence of neta ji," he said.
"In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, neta ji had made an emotional appeal to the voters of the constituency urging them to vote for him and he won by a margin of around 94,000 votes with even the BSP supporting him. In the elections prior to 2019, neta ji's victory margin was in lakhs," Pachauri said.
10:20 CAG to audit urban bodies
Indivjal Dhasmana/Business Standard reports: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has decided to audit urban local bodies (ULBs) to bring out the performance of these authorities in the context of the 74th Constitutional Amendment carried out in the early1990s and respective state Acts.
Sources said the audit of the implementation of the Amendment is aimed at a holistic performance assessment of these bodies. The audit, to be carried out in the states, is based on the provisions of the Amendment and the state Acts governing ULBs as well as rules and manuals framed therein.
According to sources, empowerment of ULBs through the creation of a robust institutional framework as well as devolution/transfer of functions, funds and functionaries is a key area of assessment.
They pointed out that financial grants to ULBs are released based on recommendations of the Finance Commission.
"The CAG audit looks into utilisation of such grants," a source said.
According to the 15th Finance Commission and studies conducted by think tanks, barring a few states, most of the state finance commissions (SFCs) have been rendered ineffective and toothless by the state governments, and many have not set up new SFCs after the stipulated five-year period.
10:12 Another day, another polygraph test for Aaftab
Another polygraph test of Aaftab Amin Poonawalla, who has been accused of killing Shraddha Walker and chopping her body into 35 parts, is set to be continued at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Rohini on Monday, according to officials.
The polygraph test held on Sunday could not be completed, despite Aaftab being taken to the FSL office for three days. For the first time for a polygraph on Tuesday evening and after his "ill health," the test on Wednesday was deferred to Thursday. He was again subjected to a third session on Friday.
The second session of the test, which was to be held on Wednesday was deferred after Poonawala reportedly "fell ill".
The second and third sessions were conducted on Thursday and Friday.
His polygraph could not be conducted on Friday also, Delhi Police had said.
"Polygraph test of the accused Aaftab Amin in Mehrauli police station case FIR No 659/22 under section 365/302/201 IPC could not be held today," said Sagar Preet Hooda, IPS, Special Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, Zone II on Friday.
On Thursday, Delhi Police sources told ANI that Aaftab underwent a Perceptual Ability Test (PAT), which is a psychological analysis test, at the Rohini lab.
"Accused has been behaving very normally and smoothly from the beginning. So, it was important to get his polygraph and narco tests done. This is a long process. Even if our custody ends, the narco test could also be done in judicial custody," said a Delhi Police source.
Aaftab is accused of strangling to death his live-in partner Shraddha and chopping her body into 35 pieces. He is also alleged to have preserved the chopped body parts in a refrigerator before dumping them in forested areas in Delhi and Gurugram. -- ANI
09:51 Modi blitzkrieg in poll-headed Gujarat today
Ahead of Gujarat assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address four public meetings in the state.He will address rallies in Kutch's Anjar, Jamnagar's Gordhanpur, Bhavnagar's Palitana, Jamnagar's Gordhanpar and Rajkot today.
As the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections nears completion parties are in the fray putting their heavyweights in the forefront in a bid to attract voters.
"PM Modi is coming again and we expect huge gatherings and people love to see him and listen. We expect to win all seats in Rajkot district," Rajkot BJP president Kamlesh Mirani told ANI.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be conducting elections rallies at four locations in Gujarat.
Home Minister Amit Shah will be in addressing public rallies in the Kheralu, Savli, Bhiloda and Naranpura in favour of the BJP candidates.Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma will also be campaigning for the party.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Bhai Patel, Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sharma, Union Ministers Smriti Irani, and Purusottam Rupala as well as many senior BJP leaders will hold public meetings and road shows at various places.
Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is scheduled to address a press conference in Ahmedabad today. He is also slated to address poll rallies in Mehsana and Ahmedabad. -- ANI
Mass protests are happening across China over its Covid policy
09:44 BBC journalist beaten, handcuffed, held in China
In worrying news around the ongoing mass anti-Covid restrictions protests across China, British Broadcasting Corporation has expressed concern over the treatment meted out by Chinese authorities, to its journalist, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering a similar ongoing protest in Shanghai.
In a statement, BBC showed concern over the reports that its journalist in China, Ed Lawrence was beaten and kicked by the police while he was being arrested.
"The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai. He was held for several hours before being released. During his arrest, he was beaten and kicked by the police. This happened while he was working as an accredited journalist," BBC said.
The BBC said it is very worrying that one of their accredited journalists was attacked in this way whilst carrying out his official duties.
"We have had no official explanation or apology from the Chinese authorities, beyond a claim by the officials who later released him that they had arrested him for his own good in case he caught Covid from the crowd. We do not consider this a credible explanation," the statement added.
Meanwhile, huge protests continue across many cities in China. In an unprecedented show of defiance against the zero-Covid policy, protestors are even heard chanting "Step down, Xi Jinping! Step down, Communist Party," according to a CNN report.
This large-scale protest was apparently sparked by an apartment block fire in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang province, which killed at least 10 people on Thursday and has acted as a catalyst for searing public anger.
09:26 And very briefly, Rahul rides a cycle...
The Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi headed for Ujjain from Indore on Monday, the sixth day of its Madhya Pradesh leg.
The foot march started in the morning from Indore's Bada Ganpati square. A cyclist joined the yatra here and Gandhi was seen riding his bicycle briefly.
Famous Urdu poet Rahat Indori's son Satlaj Rahat also joined the yatra and said he presented to Rahul Gandhi two books dedicated to his late father, including the latter's autobiography.
The yatra, a mass contact initiative of the Congress, will cover a distance of 380 km in the Malwa-Nimar region of western Madhya Pradesh in 12 days before entering Rajasthan on December 4, as per the schedule announced by the party.
The foot march entered Madhya Pradesh on November 23 at Bodarli village in Burhanpur district from neighbouring Maharashtra.
In the last six days, the yatra has completed more than half of its journey in Madhya Pradesh. The march led by Gandhi has so far covered Burhanpur, Khandwa, Khargone and Indore districts in MP.
08:44 Maha villagers hold rally in support of K'taka CM
A group of villagers in Jat taluka in Maharashtra's Sangli district shouted slogans in favour Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and displayed its flags alleging that water, education and healthcare had been neglected for decades.
Maharashtra and Karnataka are in the midst of a renewed verbal tussle on the border issue after Bommai claimed Jat taluka and some "Kannada-speaking" areas of Akkalkot and Solapur for his state.
Residents of Tikondi village in Jat taluka, on the border with Karnataka, said they held the rally on Saturday to express disappointment with Maharashtra authorities for not providing them water and not developing health and education facilities.
They said the Karnataka border was located just three kilometres away, while children go to colleges in Bijapur in the neighbouring state, which is 25 kilometres away.
"We have been facing water issues in more than 40 villages. We have been promised water from Mhaisal project. However, even after four decades, we have not received water," said Somling Chaudhary, one of the residents who took part in the rally.
"There is acute lack of amenities in 40 villages in Jat. We have a school from Class I to IV, but there is only one teacher. There are no doctors in medical facilities here. Just 10-15 per cent people in the village have Marathi as their native language. However, even they don't speak the language," Chaudhary claimed.
A Marathi medium school was opened recently, while a Kannada medium school existed for a long time, he said.
"On Saturday, residents of the village waved the flags of Karnataka state and supported CM Basavraj Bommai and put up a banner with his photo at the main arch of the village. If all the facilities, including water, is provided to us by the Maharashtra government, why would we insist to go there (Karnataka state)," he asked.
A resident said people are ready to get a resolution passed in the gram panchayat to get the village merged into Karnataka.
Mahadev Hadimani, whose wife is the sarpanch of the village, said people of 42 villages are angry as no water being provided to these villages from Mhaisal project.
"There is a water project near Bijapur (in Karnataka) from where some bordering villages in Jath tehsil get water when requested. So the overall sentiment among the locals here is if the Maharashtra government is not able to provide water for all these years, let them go to Karnataka, which at least gives water through canals on request," Hadimani said.
The banner, picture of Bommai were removed by police, he claimed.
When contacted, Sangli Collector Raja Dayanidhi said the banner put up at the arch of the village was removed by the district administration.
When asked if he has spoken to the residents of the village, he said he hadn't, adding local level officials may have spoken to them. -- PTI
08:28 Riots in Belgium, Netherlands after Morocco's WC win
Riots broke out in several Belgian and Dutch cities after Morocco's 2-0 upset win over Belgium at the World Cup in Qatar on Sunday.
Police detained about a dozen people after they deployed water cannons and fire tear gas to disperse crowds in Brussels.
Dozens of rioters overturned and torched cars, set electric scooters on fire and pelted cars with bricks.
Brussels mayor Philippe Close urged people to stay away from the city center and said authorities were doing their utmost to keep order in the streets. Even subway and tram traffic had to be interrupted on police orders.
"Those are not fans, they are rioters. Moroccan fans are there to celebrate," Close said. There were also disturbances in the city of Antwerp and Liege.
"Sad to see how a few individuals abuse a situation to run amok," said Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden.
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