LIVE! Mamata asked Shah to repeal EC decision: Suvendu

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Tue, 18 April 2023

Mamata asked Shah to repeal EC decision: Suvendu

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23:25 Mamata asked Shah to repeal EC decision: Suvendu

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday claimed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had dialled Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the Election Commission revoked Trinamool Congress's national party status to request him to repeal the decision.

Adhikari's remarks drew a sharp retort from Bengal's ruling party, which dubbed the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly as a 'habitual liar'.

The EC withdrew the national party status of the TMC, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) last week.

"Yesterday, we saw how Mamata Banerjee had demanded the resignation of Amit Shah. But, after the EC revoked the national party status, she had repeatedly called him to request that the decision be repealed. It, however, did not yield any result," Adhikari said, while addressing a rally at Singur in Hooghly district.

He also reiterated that the TMC would cease to be even a state party in future.

Reacting to Adhikari's comment, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh asserted there is not even an iota of truth in it.

"Suvendu Adhikari is a habitual liar. We have seen how he has earlier brazenly lied about several political developments. His remarks are baseless and don't have an iota of truth. Having a national party status or not is notional. It is not going to impact the growth of the TMC," Ghosh said.

Banerjee had on Monday slammed Shah for 'conspiring to topple' her government before its natural term in office ended, following his remarks last week at a rally, where he claimed that the TMC government in Bengal would not survive beyond 2025 if the BJP wins 35 seats in next year's Lok Sabha polls. -- PTI

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi visited the Matia Mahal market in old Delhi and the Bengali market on Monday and treated himself to popular dishes of these areas.

The Congress leader, who returned to the national capital after two days of campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka, visited old Delhi's Chandni Chowk, which is abuzz with activity during the month of Ramzan.

Gandhi visited a famous sharbat vendor in the Matia Mahal area and other eateries.

He treated himself to fruits and also had a taste of golgappas at Nathu sweets at the Bengali market.

A large crowd gathered around the Congress leader in old Delhi.

The people followed him around in the narrow streets and even raised slogans.

Gandhi has often been seen visiting popular eating joints in Delhi. -- PTI

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22:23 Air India flight lands in Delhi with crack in windshield

Full emergency was declared at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday for a Delhi-bound Air India flight owing to a glitch, a source said.

The flight had 180 passengers on board.

Air India, in a statement, said that its flight AI858 operating on Pune-Delhi route landed ahead of its scheduled time following a minor crack on the aircraft's windshield.

"Full emergency was declared for the Air India Delhi flight from Pune at Indira Gandhi International airport at 5.44 pm on Tuesday due to a glitch. The aircraft was carrying 180 passengers on board," the source said.

"Air India flight AI 858 operating Pune-Delhi on April 18 safely landed in Delhi ahead of its scheduled arrival time, following a minor crack on the right (starboard side) of the operating aircraft's windshield," the airline said.

All passengers and flight crew were safe, it said.

The aircraft will undergo the necessary maintenance procedure, and its windshield will be replaced, Air India added.

After straying out of Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur, male cheetah Oban has ventured into the Madhav National Park in neighbouring Shivpuri district where two tigers were released recently, an official said on Tuesday.

He said a cheetah entering a neighbouring forest is a natural process and there is no plan for the rescue so far.

This is the second time so far this month that five-year-old Oban, one of the eight cheetahs brought from Namibia last year, has strayed out of KNP, which has a core area of 748 sq km, and its surrounding 487 sq km buffer zone.

According to a forest official, Oban is out of KNP since Sunday.

Earlier, he had ventured out of KNP on April 2 and was rescued from Bairad in Shivpuri district four days later.

"Oban's movements were recorded on Tuesday in Madhav National Park (MNP) in Shivpuri district," said KNP's divisional forest officer (DFO) Prakash Kumar Verma.

In March this year, a tiger and tigress were released in MNP in a bid to revive the big cat population in the facility.

When asked if the presence of tigers in MNP may lead to a conflict, Verma said, "There are tigers in the (Madhav) national park, but this will not create any problems, as all animals can protect themselves considering the danger."

While the eight cheetahs from Namibia were brought to KNP on September 17, a streak of 12 was brought from South Africa on February 18 this year. One of them died due to a renal problem.

The country's last cheetah died in Koriya district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947 and the species was declared extinct in 1952. -- PTI

21:57 Cong fields Shettar from Hubli-Dharwad seat

With just two days left for filing of nominations to end for May 10 assembly polls in Karnataka, the Congress on Tuesday announced its fourth list of seven candidates, confirming the ticket to former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who joined the party after quitting the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Shettar has been given the ticket from Hubli-Dharwad-Central assembly segment which he currently represents.

A senior Lingayat leader from north Karnataka region, who had also served as state BJP president, Leader of Opposition, Speaker and Minister in the past, the six-time MLA had joined Congress on Monday, after quitting the BJP over being denied the ticket to contest the assembly polls.

Congress has fielded H D Thammaiah, who recently quit BJP and joined the party, from Chikkamagaluru, where the ruling party's national general secretary C T Ravi is in the fray.

From Shiggaon, where Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is the BJP candidate, Congress has fielded Mohammed Yousuf Savanur.

Sitting MLA Durgappa S Hoolageri has been fielded from Lingsugur, while in Harihar sitting MLA S Ramappa has been denied the ticket and it has been given to Nandagavi Srinivas.

Other candidates named in the fourth list are Deepak Chinchore (Hubli-Dharwad-West) and M A Gopalaswamy (Shravanabelagola). With the addition of seven names and the first three list of 124, 42 and 43 candidates respectively (including in Melukote where it's backing a candidate of a different party), the Congress has so far announced candidates for 216 out of total 224 seats. -- PTI

A special court in Bengaluru on Tuesday rejected Congress leader Vinay Kulkarni's request to enter Dharwad, from where he is the party's candidate for the May 10 assembly polls in Karnataka, over stipulations laid down by the Supreme Court barring his presence in the district.

Kulkarni, an accused in the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yogesh Gowda in 2016, was granted bail by the apex court on the condition that he would not be allowed to enter Dharwad district.

The Additional City Civil and Session Court, Special Court for People's Representatives, had completed hearing on his plea to enter Dharwad on Monday, and announced its judgment today.

The counsel for the CBI had argued before Judge B Jayant Kumar against allowing Kulkarni entry into Dharwad citing that 90 witnesses in the murder case were residing in Bengaluru and the presence of the accused there would be detrimental to the case.

Since he was an influential person, he may pressure the witnesses.

The court was told that it was not possible to provide security to all the witnesses.

One of the conditions imposed by the Supreme Court in its order granting bail to Kulkarni on August 11, 2021 was the restriction on his entry to Dharwad.

The CBI counsel had also submitted that there was provision for filing of nomination for the election through a representative and his presence was not required.

Incidentally, the nomination on behalf of Kulkarni was filed in Dharwad on Tuesday. Senior counsel C H Hanumantaraya had appeared for Kulkarni before the special court and argued that either the CBI or the local police could provide security to the witnesses if there was apprehension that the Congress leader may influence them.

Kulkarni had also claimed that he owned 1,200 cattle and 2,400 goats and his wife and children were finding it difficult to maintain them on their own. -- PTI

D K Shivakumar

21:12 K'taka Cong chief's wealth grew Rs 573 cr in 5 years

Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar and his dependents' wealth grew from Rs 840.08 crore in the 2018 assembly polls to Rs 1,413.78 crore in the 2023 election, showing an increase of 68.29 per cent over the last five years.

The Kanakapura MLA, who is contesting again from the same constituency, filed his affidavit on Monday.

According to the affidavit, he has a movable property worth Rs 251.69 crore which includes Rs 6.75 crore from the Hindu Undivided Family (HUF).

In all, the family has Rs 273.42 crore worth movable property.

Further, the immovable assets of the former minister is Rs 972.65 crore whereas his family has total immovable assets of Rs 1,140.36 crore.

Back in 2018, Shivakumar and his family's movable assets were Rs 101.30 crore and immovable property was Rs 738.78 crore.

The Congress leader has 19 cases registered against him including four income tax related, two by the Directorate of Enforcement and one Central Bureau of Investigation.

All these cases are ongoing.

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20:56 Modi to address civil servants on April 21

On the occasion of Civil Services Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address civil servants in New Delhi on April 21, his office said on Tuesday.

Noting that Modi has constantly appreciated the contribution of civil servants towards nation-building and encouraged them to work even harder, the statement said the programme will serve as an apt platform for him to "motivate and inspire" bureaucrats from across the country so that they keep serving the nation with the same zeal, especially during this crucial phase of 'Amrit Kaal'.

During the event, Modi will confer the "prime minister's awards for excellence in public administration" as well.

The awards have been instituted with a view to recognise the extraordinary and innovative work done by districts and organisations of the central and state governments for the welfare of common citizens.

Exemplary work done in four identified priority programmes will be given awards.

These are: Promoting Swachh Jal through Har Ghar Jal yojana; Promoting Swasth Bharat through health and wellness centres; Promoting quality education with an equitable and inclusive classroom environment through Samagra Shiksha; Holistic development through aspirational district programme -- overall progress with special focus on saturation approach.

Eight awards for these four identified programmes will be given while seven awards shall be for innovations.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday attached properties to the tune of Rs 11.04 crore belonging to Congress MP Karti Chidambaram in the INX money laundering case, an official statement said.

The ED said that out of four attached properties, one is an immovable asset located in Coorg district of Karnataka.

A provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been issued against Karti, the statement said.

Karti Chidamabaram, son of former Union minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, is a sitting MP from Sivaganga Lok Sabha seat in Tamil Nadu and was arrested in the INX case both by the CBI as well as the ED.

The case pertains to alleged illegal gratification received "directly or indirectly" from INX Media Pvt Limited to which the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval was granted during the tenure of his father as Union finance minister in the UPA government.

The Andhra Pradesh Police has invoked the SC-ST Act against a hotel that served food on paper plates with the pictures of Dr B R Ambedkar on those, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) said on Tuesday.

The NCSC received a complaint on July 8 last year through Twitter, alleging that food was served on paper plates with the picture of Dr Ambedkar in a hotel in Konaseema district.

When a protest was staged against this by the members of Scheduled Caste (SC) communities, the hotel owner got an FIR lodged against 18 men.

The police arrested the 18 SC men and sent them to jail.

Police investigated under sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and after finding the allegations against the hotel owner and the paper plate seller to be true, they were arrested.

NCSC chairman Vijay Sampla said during a hearing, police informed the commission that the SC-ST Act and Section 295A of the IPC have been added in the matter in accordance with the commission's instructions.

The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 was enacted by Parliament to prevent atrocities and hate crimes against the members of the SC and ST communities.

The Act is popularly known as the SC/ST Act, PoA or simply, the 'Atrocities Act'.

The FIR against the 18 SC men was also cancelled at the hearing, Sampla said. -- PTI

19:52 32 killed in 2 fire incidents in China

At least 32 people were killed in two separate fire incidents involving a hospital and a factory in China, official media reported on Tuesday.

A hospital's admissions building in Beijing's Fengtai district caught fire at 12:57pm (local time) on Tuesday, leaving 21 dead, state-run China Daily reported.

The fire was extinguished at around 1:33 pm, and the rescue operation lasted until 3:30 pm. A total of 71 patients were evacuated and transferred. The cause is currently under investigation, the report said.

In a separate incident, 11 people died in a factory fire in Wuyi county, Jinhua city in China's eastern Zhejiang province on Monday, the local government said on Tuesday.

The blaze broke out at 14:04 on Monday. Firefighters, police officers and emergency medical personnel rushed to the spot after receiving an emergency call about the incident.

Two rounds of search and rescue operations were carried out by 4 am on Tuesday after the fire was brought under control and 11 bodies were found, the China Daily reported.

The fire was reported to have started in a plant where wooden doors are made, possibly from materials such as wooden doors, paint and packages.

Those alleged to be responsible for the incident have been detained and a more thorough investigation is underway, the announcement added.

The death toll due to sunstroke at the 'Maharashtra Bhushan' award event in Navi Mumbai rose to 14 after the death of a 34-year-old woman while seven patients are undergoing treatment, a civic official said on Tuesday.

The deceased included ten women and four men.

"A 34-year-old woman resident of Virar, identified as Swati Vaidya, was declared dead at MGM Hospital in Vashi, taking the toll to 14," said Panvel Municipal Corporation's Deputy Commissioner Vitthal Dake.

The official revised the number of hospitalised patients to seven from nine stated by him earlier in the day.

"Now, only seven patients remain admitted to different hospitals in Navi Mumbai. Their condition is said to be stable and they are out of danger," Dake added.

He had said that patients are recuperating at MGM Hospital in Kamothe, Vashi civic hospital and Medicover Hospital in Kharghar.

The award ceremony was held in an open ground in Kharghar area in Raigad district on Sunday and was attended by several lakh people, most of them followers of social worker Appasaheb Dharmadhikari who was conferred with the Maharashtra Bhushan Award by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the event.

Dharmadhikari has a massive following in the state due to his tree plantation drives, blood donation and medical camps as well as de-addiction work in tribal areas.

The Opposition has accused the Maharashtra government of insensitivity and questioned the timing of the function, which concluded around noon, amid a rising temperature.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has barred noted business school Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) from offering distance learning and online programmes due to gross violation of norms, an official said on Tuesday.

The UGC has also cautioned potential students against taking admission in any course offered by the institute.

Established in 1981, the institute was accorded university status in 2003.

'Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Maharashtra has not adhered to the UGC regulations and is in gross violations with regard to functioning of the Centre for Internal Quality Assurance (CIQA), quality of Self Learning Material and e-Learning Material (e-LM), nomenclature of Centre for Distance and Online Learning,' UGC secretary Manish Joshi said.

'The institute was not following the fee refund policy promulgated by UGC and numerous continuous complaints being received against the HEI (higher education institution) from various stakeholders in offering Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and online programmes,' he added.

Joshi explained that so far the commission has decided to debar the institute from offering ODL and online programme for January-February 2023, July-August 2023 and January-February 2024 academic sessions.

'It may be allowed to offer ODL and online programmes for academic session beginning in July-August 2024 only pursuant to inspection or on-site visit by UGC and after obtaining necessary approvals from UGC,' he said. -- PTI

Union minister Giriraj Singh on Tuesday targeted Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav for allegedly referring to slain gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad with an honorific, and said he should 'hang photographs of the don in his office'.

"I would suggest that the Bihar chief minister and deputy chief minister should hang photos of the PFI (Popular Front of India) and dons in their cabins," the Begusarai MP said.

"Earlier, Congress leader Digvijay Singh had referred to Osama Bin Laden as Osama ji. They can do anything for votes," he said.

"They have not uttered a word on the murder of Umesh Pal, why are they in pain now?" Singh added.

In controversial remarks, Yadav referred to the slain gangster as 'Atiq ji' during a media interaction.

"It is not the death of Atiq ji, but the death of law that has taken place in Uttar Pradesh," Yadav had said.

Ahmad, 60, and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction Saturday night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj for a checkup. -- PTI

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh police over the killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf when they were being escorted by the police in Prayagraj, officials said on Tuesday.

In its notice to the director general of police of Uttar Pradesh and the commissioner of police of Prayagraj, the commission sought reports from them within four weeks.

The reports should cover all the aspects leading to the killings, copies of medical-legal certificates of the deceased, inquest report, post-mortem report, video cassette/CD of post-mortem examination, site plan of scene of occurrence of the crime, and magisterial enquiry report, it added.

Ahmed and Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night when police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a checkup.

They were brought to Prayagraj from Gujarat and Bareilly prisons for interrogation in connection with the killing of Umesh Pal and his two police security guards earlier this year.

The brothers were in handcuffs when they were killed in full view of camera crews.

The horrifying visuals were circulated widely on social media platforms and television channels.

The last rites of Ahmad's son Asad, who was gunned down in a police encounter in Jhansi on April 13, were performed in Prayagraj just hours before the shooting.

Former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar on Tuesday blamed Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh for rejecting his plea for a ticket in the poll-bound state a day after quitting the party and joined the Congress.

The Congress honoured Shettar, a six-time MLA, by giving him a ticket to contest from the Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency, while the BJP chose its state general secretary (organisation) Mahesh Tenginkai for the same seat.

"When there was a possibility of winning with maximum votes, the question emerged why the ticket was denied. What I saw was, the person whom people respect and call him Santhosh ji, it's B L Santhosh, who is the root cause of all this," Shettar said in a press conference in Hubballi.

Explaining further, Shettar, the former Leader of Opposition, said he fell victim to the game played against him and added the ticket that was announced in his favour was taken back later, he charged.

The BJP gave ticket to Tenginkai who worked for the party organisation. If the party wanted to honour him, it could have made him MLC or given some important post, Shettar, who was also a former Karnataka Assembly Speaker, said.

He claimed that in the 2018 assembly election, Channappa Nimbannanavar was a strong contender from Kalghatgi constituency in Dharwad district but the local leaders revolted.

The party was compelled to field Nimbannanavar.

The veteran leader accused Tenginkai of running a 'whispering campaign' against him over the past six to seven months.

Stating that Santhosh has many 'Maanas Putras' (a person who is treated like a son), Shettar said: "This Maanas Putra (Mahesh Tenginkai) started a whispering campaign with his disciples against me for the past six to seven months."

A staunch RSS man, Shettar was part of the Jan Sangh and BJP for several decades before severing his ties with the party upon his candidature being overlooked for the May 10 election and joined Congress on Monday.

Several attempts were made to persuade him by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Pralhad Joshi to stop him from going out of the party but he remained adamant of contesting the polls at any cost.

Voting will take place in the state on May 10 and the results will be out on May 13. -- PTI

A two-and-half-year-old boy drowned in a pit dug up by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to lay water pipeline near Gollarahatti in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

The pit was filled with water, the police said.

The child's parents alleged that no warning signs or safety measures were taken up near the site by the workers.

Based on the complaint lodged by the parents, the police have registered a case against the BWSSB engineer and contractor.

The Centre and the Gujarat government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that they may file a plea seeking a review of its March 27 order asking them to be ready with original files on the grant of remission to the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case.

A bench of Justices K M Joseph and B V Nagarathna questioned the paroles granted to 11 convicts during their incarceration period and said the gravity of the offence could have been considered by the state.

It said, 'A pregnant woman was gang-raped and several people were killed. You cannot compare victim's case with standard Section 302 (murder) cases. Like you cannot compare apples with oranges, similarly massacre cannot be compared with single murder. Crimes are generally committed against society and the community. Unequals cannot be treated equally.'

'The question is whether government applied its mind and what material formed the basis of its decision to grant remission,' the bench said, adding, 'Today it is Bilkis but tomorrow it can be anyone. It may be you or me. If you do not show your reasons for grant of remission, then we will draw our own conclusions.'

The bench posted the batch of pleas challenging the remission to the convicts in Bilkis Bano case for final disposal on May 2 and asked all the convicts who have not been served notices to file their replies.

It asked the Centre and the state to make its stand clear about filing of a review plea.

On March 27, terming Bilkis Bano's gang-rape and the murder of her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots as a 'horrendous' act, the Supreme Court had asked the Gujarat government whether uniform standards, as followed in other cases of murder, were applied while granting remission to the 11 convicts in the case.

It had sought a response from the Centre, Gujarat government and others on a plea filed by Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped and seven members of her family were killed during the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

Bano has challenged the remission of sentence of 11 convicts in the case.

All the 11 convicts were granted remission by the Gujarat government and released on August 15 last year.

The top court is seized of PILs filed by CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali, Revati Laul, an independent journalist, Roop Rekha Verma, who is a former vice chancellor of the Lucknow University, and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra against the release of the convicts.

Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was gang-raped while fleeing the riots that broke out after the Godhra train burning incident.

Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members killed. -- PTI

Smoke rises from the burning tarmac at Khartoum airport. Abdullah Abdel Moneim/Reuters

16:23 MEA advisory for Indians in Sudan: Don't step out

The Indian Embassy in Sudan on Tuesday issued a precautionary advisory for Indian citizens against venturing out, suggesting to ration supplies as the "situation may continue for a few more days."

"We have come across many instances of looting. All Indian nationals are advised please not to venture out. Please ration your supplies. The situation may continue for a few more days. Please try to take help from your neighbours. Please stay at home and remain safe," tweeted the Embassy of India in Khartoum.

On Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs, in view of the current clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), set up a Control Room to provide information and assistance to Indians.

"In view of the current situation in Sudan, a Control Room has been set up at the Ministry of External Affairs to provide information and assistance," read the MEA press release.

On Sunday an Indian national working in a Dal Group Company in Sudan's Khartoum was hit by a stray bullet.

Atiq Ahmed

15:57 Bomb hurled at Atiq Ahmed's lawyer's home

A crude bomb was hurled near the home of Atiq Ahmed's lawyer in Prayagraj. The police said no casualties were reported.

This morning, Atiq Ahmed's lawyer Vijay Mishra said the gangster had written a letter with instructions to send it to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and the chief justice of India in the case of his death.

"That letter in a sealed envelope is neither with me nor sent by me. It is kept somewhere else and being sent by some other person. I don't know the contents of the letter," said his lawyer.

Atiq Ahmed (60) and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a checkup.

"Atiq Ahmad had said that if there were any mishap or if he was murdered, the letter in the sealed envelope should be sent to the chief justice of India and Uttar Pradesh chief minister," Mishra told PTI.

15:46 NIA gets 7-day custody of Lawrence Bishnoi

Delhi's Patiala House Court on Tuesday granted seven days of custody of Lawrence Bishnoi to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a terror funding to pro-Khalistani outfits-related case.

"Seven days of custody have been granted. The court has also allowed the legal meetings of the council during custody," Advocate Vishal Chopra told ANI.

Special NIA judge Shailendra Malik after hearing the submissions of NIA and defence counsel granted seven days of custody of Bishnoi to the NIA.

Earlier in the day, Principal District and Sessions Judge transferred the case related to Lawrence Bishnoi to the Special NIA court.

NIA sought 7 days of custody of Lawrence Bishnoi to confront one arrested accused Deepak Ranga in the matter.

Amid reports of a split in the NCP, BJP leader and Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said some discussions keep taking place in the corridors of power and such news should be enjoyed.

Thakur was reacting to reports of an imminent split in the Nationalist Congress Party with Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Ajit Pawar joining the ranks of the BJP.

"Some discussions keep taking place in the corridors of power. One should enjoy such news," Thakur told reporters. Thakur was in Mumbai as part of the BJP's outreach efforts in parliamentary seats it had lost narrowly in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"I am confident that people will bless us. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has empowered the poor through various schemes such as housing and cooking gas. Narendra Modi will receive the blessings of the poor, the middle class and traders," Thakur said.

The senior BJP leader said voters have always rejected coalition politics as the political parties forming such an alliance don't have any policy or leadership.

"All corrupt parties are trying to take each other's help. But people have never accepted this 'mahathagbandhan' (coalition of the corrupt) and they never will," Thakur said.

He said the opposition parties were just trying to cover up their corruption, prevent themselves from going to jail and remain politically relevant.

Thakur also slammed the opposition parties critical of the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh over the killing of Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf and the encounter killing of Atiq Ahmad's son Asad. "These leaders never spoke when the same mafia attacked the common people. These leaders used to visit the homes of these mafia for tea and extend protection to them," Thakur charged. -- PTI

The Oreva Group informed the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday that it has deposited with the state legal services authority the entire amount of Rs 14.62 crore to be paid as interim compensation to victims of the Morbi bridge tragedy, as directed by the HC in February.

The suspension bridge collapsed in Morbi town on October 30 last year, killing 135 people. The Oreva Group was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the British-era structure.

The company informed a division bench of Acting Chief Justice AJ Desai and Justice Biren Vaishnav that it has deposited with the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority the entire amount of Rs 14.62 crore to be paid as interim relief to the victims.

The money was deposited in two instalments of equal amounts, it said. The court said the amount shall be disbursed as per the February 22 order of the division bench. In the said order, the court had directed member secretary of the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority to ensure the disbursement in coordination with the District Legal Services Authority and government officials concerned after due verification of the victims.

The state government also informed the court on Tuesday that it has superseded the Morbi municipality as per its April 11 order. The company was directed by the court on February 22, 2023 to pay Rs 10 lakh as interim compensation to the kin of each of the 135 deceased, and Rs 2 lakh to each of the 56 people injured in the accident.

The court had directed the company to double the amount of interim compensation it initially proposed to pay to the families of the deceased and the injured. Jaysukh Patel, the managing director of the company which is into manufacturing of e-bikes, home appliances and clocks, has been named as the main accused in the case and arrested along with nine others who are currently in judicial custody.

The company also proposed to take care of seven children who were orphaned in the tragedy by looking after their education, medical care, residence and ensuring they get settled in their respective profession after completing their studies. PTI

Pic: KBK Graphics

15:10 What the Covid situation looks like...

India has recorded 7,633 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases have increased to 61,233, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

14:54 Ajit Pawar breaks his silence: I am with...

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Maharashtra deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, on Tuesday denied media reports claiming he had the backing of a section of his party MLAs in his rumoured bid to switch over to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"There is no truth in the rumours spread about me. I am with the NCP and will remain with the party. I have not taken the signatures of any MLAs. Now, all rumours must stop," Pawar said.

Earlier today, NCP chief Sharad Pawar dismissed speculation about his nephew's next political move and said no meeting of NCP MLAs has been called by anyone. He also said Ajit Pawar was busy with the party's work and that there was no need for the media to drag the issue.

The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the Maharashtra government's Dharavi project rebidding "deliberately excluded" the previous winner, and asked if the tender conditions were changed to help Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "favourite business group" Adani.

The opposition led by the Congress has been seeking a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe after the Hindenburg Research made a litany of allegations against the Adani Group, including fraudulent transactions and share-price manipulation.

The Gautam Adani-led group has dismissed the charges as lies, and said they comply with all laws and disclosure requirements. In a statement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that as part of the party's 'Hum Adani ke Hain Kaun (HAHK)' series in February it had asked Modi to explain the change in bid conditions that excluded the previous winner of a tender to redevelop Mumbai's Dharavi area and "allowed the Adani Group to win a fresh tender with a much lower bid".

Citing news reports, Ramesh said they have "exposed" in considerable detail how the process was manipulated to help the Adanis.

"The Dubai-based Seclink Technology Corporation emerged as the highest bidder with a bid of Rs 7,200 crore in the original November 2018 tender, outbidding its competitor Adani Infrastructure. That tender was cancelled in November 2020 because of issues related to the transfer of associated railway land," Ramesh said.

A fresh tender with new conditions was issued in October 2022 by the Maharashtra Urban Development Ministry, which came directly under Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, he said.

The Adani Group won this with a bid of Rs 5,069 crore, lower than the original winning bid by Rs 2,131 crore, he claimed.

"The changes in conditions included an increase in the realty experience of the financial partner, which prevented Seclink from rebidding, and an increase in the net worth of the bidder from Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore which restricted the number of bidders. The winner was permitted to pay its bid in installments rather than as a one-time payment as originally specified, which helped the cash-strapped Adani Group meet its payment obligations," Ramesh alleged.

The deadlines for slum redevelopment were extended and penalty for further delay was capped at Rs 2 crore per year, he said.

"Did PM Modi force the BJP-supported Maharashtra government to change the tender conditions so as to exclude the original winner and to once again help his 'favourite' business group? Will even slum-dwellers not be spared by the Modani cash machine," Ramesh asked.

Sharing his statement on Twitter, Ramesh said, "Skeletons keep tumbling out of the Modani cupboard. The Shinde government's Dharavi project rebidding deliberately excluded the previous winner and made it easier for the cash-strapped Adani Group to make payments. Bingo! For Modani, no one is spared." PTI

14:17 No plans to exit business: Go First airlines

India's ultra-low-cost carrier Go First Airlines has refuted rumours that it was planning to exit the aviation business amid a cash crunch.

The company has been battling several operational issues in the recent past owing to a shortage of engines.

Speaking to ANI, a top official of Go First Airlines said, "We have no plans to shed stake or exit the aviation business. Our promoters are committed to the business and are infusing further funds in the form of equity."

The Go First official informed further that the carrier was very confident of receiving Rs 600 crore in the form of promoter equity and bank loan by the end of April.

The official said, "This would help us meet our immediate capital requirements. The Wadia family and the bank will provide Rs 300 crore each." "Promoters have consistently supported the airline from inception and provided liquidity from time to time," the official added. "Covid, as well as the unrest in Russia and Ukraine, affected the supply chain of the aircraft's engine to the company," the official said further.

The aviation industry has been growing at pre-Covid levels but airline companies are facing cash flow and liquidity issues, impeding the smooth running of their daily business.

Currently, Go First is running daily operations with 28 aircraft out of the airline's fleet of 57, with the remaining aircraft grounded due to trouble with engines supplied by American manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.

Representational image

13:57 Mountaineer Baljeet Kaur found alive

Baljeet Kaur, a 27-year-old leading Indian woman climber was found alive on Tuesday, a day after she went missing near Camp IV of Mt Annapurna while descending from the summit point, an official of the expedition organiser said.

An aerial search team located Kaur, who scaled the world's 10th highest peak without using supplemental oxygen on Monday, above Camp IV, Chairman at Pioneer Adventure Pasang Sherpa, was quoted as saying by the Himalayan Times newspaper.

"We are preparing to conduct a long-line rescue to airlift her from above the high camp," he said.

Kaur has been seen descending alone towards Camp IV by the aerial search team, according to Sherpa. The leading Indian woman climber, who was left alone below the summit point, remained out of radio contact till this morning, the report added.

An aerial search mission was initiated on Tuesday morning only after she managed to send a radio signal asking for 'immediate help'.

According to Sherpa, her GPS location has indicated an altitude of 7,375m (24,193ft). She climbed Mt Annapurna along with two Sherpa guides at around 5:15 pm on Monday. At least three helicopters were mobilised to trace her.

In May last year, Kaur, from Himachal Pradesh scaled Mt Lhotse and became the first Indian climber to have climbed four 8000-meter peaks in a single season.

On Monday, Anurag Malu, a resident of Kishangarh in Rajasthan, went missing while descending from Camp III of Mt. Annapurna. Later, it was found that Malu died after falling from 6,000m into a crevasse while descending from Camp IV on Monday, The Himalayan Times newspaper reported.

According to Mingma Sherpa, chairman at Seven Summit Treks, Noel Hanna, the first person from Ireland to reach the summit of K2 during the winter season, breathed his last in Camp IV last night. Efforts are underway to bring their bodies back to base camp, organisers said.

Annapurna is the tenth-highest mountain in the world, standing at 8,091 metres above sea level. It is well known for the difficulty and danger involved in its ascent. PTI

Gangster Atiq Ahmed

13:14 Now, mafia can't threaten anyone in UP: Yogi

"Now mafia cannot threaten anyone in Uttar Pradesh," says UP CM Yogi Adityanath days after gangster brothers Atiq-Ashraf were killed amid police presence. Atiq's son, Asad, was killed in a police encounter earlier.

Yogi Adityanath said, "Before 2017, law and order in Uttar Pradesh was bad and the state was infamous for riots. Earlier there was a crisis for the identity of the state, today the state is becoming a crisis for them (criminals and mafias)."

Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmd and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a checkup.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking direction to the Law Commission of India to prepare a comprehensive report on the Uniform Judicial Code in consultation with high courts order to make judicial terms, abbreviations, norms, phrases, court fee structure and case registration process uniform.

The bench of Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Yashwant Varma on Tuesday asked the petitioner to seek clarification of the Supreme Court order which had "dismissed his plea as withdrawn."

The Bench noted that in the Supreme Court, the same petition was "dismissed as withdrawn" earlier and nothing is written in that order about the petitioner granting liberty to move to Delhi High Court.

The plea was moved by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, a BJP leader, who stated that alternately court may constitute an expert committee to prepare a comprehensive report on the Uniform Judicial Code.

The plea stated that the terminology used by different High courts for different types of cases is not uniform. This non-uniformity causes inconvenience not just to the general public but, in many cases, to the advocates and the authorities as well. -- ANI

Ajit Pawar during his brief tryst with the Dy CM's post

12:59 Now, Ajit Pawar denies rumours of joining BJP

In a tweet, on Monday, Ajit Pawar issued a stout denial of the news reports, saying, "There are some media reports saying that I have convened a meeting of the (NCP) MLAs on Tuesday. This is completely false. I wish to clarify that I have not called a meeting of my party MLAs and office bearers."

The denial of the report in a vernacular daily by the NCP heavyweight comes just days after the BJP's Maharashtra chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule brushed off speculations linking the former to the ruling saffron camp, saying he wasn't aware of any such move.

He further clarified that the Sharad Pawar-led NCP hasn't held any discussions with him in this regard.

"I don't have any information about him joining the BJP or having talks with anyone in the party. He has not held any discussions with me," Bawankule told ANI.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday, "These are baseless rumours. I spoke with him (Ajit Pawar) and other (NCP) leaders this morning."

"If those spreading such canards think that they can weaken the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) by resorting to such ploys, then they are mistaken," the Shiva Sena (UBT) MP added. -- ANI

A letter by Atiq Ahmed with instructions to send it to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and the Chief Justice of India in case of his death is being dispatched to them, the slain gangster-turned-politician's lawyer said on Tuesday.

"That letter in a sealed envelope is neither with me nor sent by me. It is kept somewhere else and being sent by some other person. I don't know the contents of the letter," said his lawyer Vijay Mishra.

"Atiq Ahmed had said that if there were any mishap or if he was murdered, the letter in the sealed envelope should be sent to the Chief Justice of India and the Uttar Pradesh chief minister," Mishra told PTI.

The brothers, both jailed in Prayagraj, were in handcuffs when they were killed in full view of camera crews.

The horrifying visuals were circulated widely on social media platforms and television channels. The last rites of Ahmad's son Asad, who was gunned down in a police encounter in Jhansi on April 13, were performed here just hours before the shooting.

They were brought to Prayagraj from Gujarat and Bareilly prisons for interrogation in connection with the killing of Umesh Pal and his two police security guards earlier this year. Ahmed had moved the Supreme Court for protection, claiming that he and his family have been falsely implicated in the Umesh Pal murder case and he might be killed in a fake encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Police. PTI

Ajit Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray met heatstroke patients in Kharghar

12:28 'Rebellion' only in media: NCP chief on Ajit Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar amid speculations of Ajit Pawar's alleged rebellion: "Ajit Pawar is busy with election-related work. All this talk is only in the media," Sharad Pawar said.

There is buzz over senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar switching sides to join hands with the BJP in Maharashtra. The growing speculation has once again put the spotlight on Ajit Pawar's short-lived alliance with the BJP in 2019 when he took oath as the deputy chief minister but resigned within hours.

From going 'incincommunicado' on April 8 to suddenly cancelling a Pune event on Monday, coinciding with two top BJP leaders from Maharashtra rushing to Delhi, Ajit Pawar's moves have sparked fresh speculation if he will join hands with the BJP.

12:05 Jyotiraditya Scindia tests Covid positive

Union minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia has tested positive for Covid-19 virus. The minister for steel and civil aviation took to Twitter to share the information.

In a tweet on Monday, he said his Covid report has come positive. "I request those who came in contact with me in last few days to take precaution and get their Covid test done," he said.

Scindia did not attend the 'India Steel 2023' event in Mumbai on Tuesday. The event is expected to see discussions on the latest developments, challenges and opportunities in the steel industry. PTI

Pic: Hitesh Harisinghani

12:03 Tim Cook's AMAZING reaction to a 1984 Mac!

As tech giant Apple opened its first retail store in India in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex area today, CEO Tim Cook, was greeted with a blast from the past. An Apple fan had got along a vintage Apple computer which he said he bought in 1984.

"I brought this just to show Apple's journey. I bought this in 1984, and since then, have been using Apple products. This is a 2 Megabytes, black and white computer, but now Apple is making 4K, even 8K, resolution displays, so Apple has come a long way," said Sajid Moinuddin.

Apple fans waited in long queues outside the store several hours ahead of the grand opening at 11am.

Amid loud cheering by the 100-odd staff members and others, Cook emerged from inside the shop to open the doors and personally welcomed guests. The launch of the store in Mumbai will be followed by another one in New Delhi's Saket on Thursday.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to independent Assam MLA Akhil Gogoi in connection with a case related to anti-CAA protests and suspected Maoist links.

A bench of Justices V Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal, however, affirmed a Gauhati High Court order which had set aside Gogoi's discharge in the case.

The lawmaker, who has allegedly been vocal against the Central government during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests, had moved the top court against the February 9 order of the high court allowing the special NIA court in Assam to proceed with the framing of charges against him in one of the two cases.

Earlier, the high court had permitted the NIA to seek framing of charges in the special court against Gogoi and three of his associates in connection with anti-CAA protests and suspected Maoist links.

The high court's order had come on an appeal of the NIA challenging the order of a special NIA court giving clean chit to the four. A high court division bench comprising Justices Suman Shyam and Malasri Nandi had asked the agency to go ahead with framing charges after reopening the case.

Light to moderate spells of rain coupled with thunderstorms and gusty winds are very likely to occur in different parts of Maharashtra during the next 3-4 hours, said the Meteorological Department, Mumbai.

"Thunderstorms accompanied with lightning and light to moderate spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 30-40 kmph are very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Dhule and Nandurbar during the next 3-4 hours," said IMD Mumbai.

Mercury hovered around 40 degrees Celsius in large parts of the country on Monday as the Indian meteorological department predicted heat wave conditions in parts of east India over the next four days and the northwest region over the next two days.

11:39 'Missing' Mukul Roy surfaces in Delhi

Senior TMC leader Mukul Roy said he has reached New Delhi for some personal work, hours after his family claimed that he was "untraceable" since late Monday evening.

Roy told reporters that he reached the national capital but had no specific agenda. "I have been an MP for several years. Can I not come to Delhi? Earlier, I used to come to Delhi regularly," Roy said.

Although Roy has remained tightlipped about the agenda of his visit, the political circles in West Bengal were abuzz with speculations over his next political move.

His son Subhragshu Roy lodged a police complaint, mentioning that his father was untraceable.

Subhragshu had told PTI that his father was "untraceable" and "missing" since late Monday evening. Roy joined the BJP in 2017 following differences with the TMC leadership. He was made BJP national vice president in 2020. He won the 2021 assembly polls on a BJP ticket and later returned to the TMC just a month after the results were announced. Since his return to the TMC, he has remained away from the public glare. Roy quit the post of PAC chairman in the West Bengal assembly last year, citing ill health. PTI

11:36 Deep pockets line up at Apple Store

Apple's first India store opened in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex this morning. Ahead of the opening at 11 am, people stood in queues outside the store.

Tim Cook opened the doors to the Apple Store at BKC

11:22 Tim Cook opens the doors to India's 1st Apple store

Iconic consumer technology company Apple's first retail store in the country became operational on Tuesday with chief executive Tim Cook opening its doors for customers. Excitement levels were already very high over the last fortnight since the Cupertino, US-based company announced its store opening at a mall in the Bandra Kurla Complex business district in Mumbai.

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud begins hearing a batch of petitions seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage.

Arguing against legal sanction to gay marriages, the Centre yesterday termed such requests as "mere urban elitist views for social acceptance".

A court order recognising same-sex marriages would mean a virtual judicial rewriting of an entire branch of law, the centre argued and said the court must refrain from passing such "omnibus orders".

The moment were Atiq Ahmed is shot

11:01 SC to hear plea on probe into Atiq killing on 24th

Supreme Court agrees to hear on April 24 a plea seeking to constitute an independent expert committee under the chairmanship of a former Supreme Court judge to inquire into the killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in police presence.

Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead on April 15 in Prayagraj. The incident took place when the brothers were being taken for a medical checkup. Police arrested three assailants on the spot involved in the crime, who posed as TV reporters.

The three accused have been identified as Sunny Singh, Lovelesh Tiwari and Arun Maurya. The police are also checking the CCTV footage installed at the crime scene and nearby areas.

Several cases of unlawful activities have been registered against the assailants by the UP Police.

Madhuri Dixit introduces Tim Cook to Vada Pav

10:43 India's 1st Apple store opens at 11am at BKC

The anticipation around the opening of India's first Apple store was palpable in Mumbai's Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) on Tuesday, as people were spotted waiting patiently in serpentine queues outside the store.

Apple's Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook on Monday expressed his excitement on Twitter and posted a photograph with his team from the Mumbai store.

He tweeted, "Hello, Mumbai! We can't wait to welcome our customers to the new Apple BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex) tomorrow."

He also posted a photograph of him and the whole team of the Mumbai store, along with the tweet.

Apple's Mumbai store will open at 11 am while the Delhi outlet will be thrown open for customers at 10 am on Thursday. The US tech giant launched its first online store in India in 2020 and was supposed to launch its physical stores soon after but plans were stalled due to the Covid pandemic.

Apple's second outlet in India will be inaugurated on Thursday at Delhi's Saket Mall.

The first-ever brick-and-mortar retail outlets in India will mark a significant expansion of the US tech giant in the country, offering their personalised services and experiences to customers.

Apple is leveraging India's electronics market growth and has been heavily focusing on manufacturing its products in the country.

Apple started manufacturing its latest iPhone 14 models in India, just days after it had a global unveiling. In India, the US tech giant is partnering with the top three global smartphone manufacturers -- Wistron, Foxconn, and Pegatron.

The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) has forecast severe heat wave conditions in one mandal and heat wave conditions in 117 more across the state on Tuesday.

Komarada mandal in Parvatipuram Manyam district is the lone cluster of villages expected to suffer severe heat wave. While heat waves are expected to hit seven mandals in Alluri Sitarama Raju district, 16 in Anakapalli, four in East Godavari, two each in Eluru, Palnadu, Visakhapatnam and Nandyala, six in Gunturu and 10 in Krishna, said the disaster management department in a statement on Monday.

Likewise, four mandals in Krishna district, 13 each in NTR and YSR Kadapa, 12 in Parvatipuram Manyam, five in Srikakulam and 19 in Vizianagaram.

Out of the 117 mandals, Chintur and Nellipaka in Alluri Sitarama Raju district are likely to record 44.7 degrees Celsius and 44 C respectively today.

Though the disaster management department estimated that no severe heat waves would occur on Monday, 14 mandals registered them, five in Anakapalli district, three in Palnadu, two in Eluru and one each in Krishna, Prakasam and Nandyala, including heat waves in 116 mandals.

PSDMA managing director B. R. Ambedkar advised people to be wary of the sweltering weather and take necessary precautions.

People take shelter at a metro station in Kyiv. Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters

10:16 Russia's nuke threat unacceptable: G7

Condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus, the Group of Seven (G7) called it "unacceptable," according to the statement released by G7.

"Condemning President Putin's announcement to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, the G7 Foreign Ministers reaffirmed that Russia's irresponsible nuclear rhetoric is unacceptable," the statement read.

This statement came after the meeting between G7 Foreign Ministers in Karuizawa, Nagano.

"Furthermore, they concurred on reinforcing coordination to prevent and respond to the evasion of sanctions as well as third-party weapon supply to Russia," it added.

Earlier, Putin made a statement about plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in the territory of Russia's neighbour and ally, reported ABC News.

Putin has said the construction of storage facilities for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be completed by July 1, adding that Russia has helped modernise Belarusian warplanes, making them capable of carrying nuclear warheads. -- ANI

Get tested if you have symptoms

10:04 Active Covid cases in India rise to 61,233

India has recorded 7,633 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases have increased to 61,233, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The death toll has increased to 5,31,152 with 11 deaths.

While four deaths were reported from Delhi, one each was reported from Haryana, Karnataka and Punjab while four fatalities were reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.47 crore (4,48,34,859) The active cases now comprise 0.14 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.68 per cent, the ministry said.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,42,42,474 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.18 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. PTI

10:03 Trinamool's Mukul Roy 'missing', says son

A missing complaint regarding TMC MLA Mukul Roy was lodged at Kolkata's NSCBI Airport Police Station by his son last night.

The former railway minister's son Subhragshu told PTI that his father was "untraceable" and "missing" since late Monday evening.

"Till now I am unable to contact my father. He is untraceable," Subhragshu, a TMC leader, said.

Roy's close aides said he was scheduled to fly to Delhi Monday evening.

"As of now we know that he was scheduled to land at Delhi airport at around 9 pm. But he is not traceable," a close aide said.

Roy, a former number two in the TMC, had joined BJP in 2017 following differences with the party leadership. He was made BJP national vice-president.

Roy won the 2021 assembly polls on a BJP ticket and later returned to the TMC after the results were announced.

09:39 IndiGo flight suffers tail strike, pax safe

An Indigo flight 6E-203 from Mumbai flight suffered a tail strike during landing at Nagpur airport. The incident took place on April 14 as flight 6E 203 was on course to Nagpur from Mumbai.

"On 14th April 2023, flight 6E 203, from Mumbai had a tail strike while landing at Nagpur. The aircraft was declared grounded at Nagpur airport for assessment and repairs. The incident is being investigated in detail," IndiGo said in a statement.

No injuries were reported in the incident, the airlines said.

A tail strike occurs when the tail or empennage of an aircraft hits the ground or any other stationary object during take-off or landing

09:28 Maha sunstroke@awards: Two more die, toll 13

The toll from Monday's incident at Navi Mumbai's Kharghar, in Raigad district, where several people suffered heat strokes at a function to confer the Maharashtra Bhushan, the highest civilian award in the state, rose to 13.

Among the 13 now confirmed dead from heat strokes are nine women and four men, the Collector for Raigad district informed on Monday.

"A total of 12 persons are still undergoing treatment at various hospitals while another 35 were discharged on Monday," said Yogesh Mhase, Raigad collector.The deceased were identified as Tulshiram Bhau Wagad, Jayshree Jagannath Patil, Mahesh Narayan Gaykar, Kalawati Siddram Vaychal, Manjusha Krishna Bhombde, Bhima Krishna Salvi, Savita Sanjay Pawar, Swapnil Sadashiv Keni, Pushpa Madan Gaykar, Vandana Jagannath Patil, Meenakshi Mohan Mistry, Gulab Baban Patil and Vinayak Haldankar.

The award ceremony was held at Kharghar in Raigad district on Sunday. At the conclusion of the function, some members allegedly suffered heatstrokes, Maharashtra CM Shinde tweeted earlier.

The ceremony was also attended by Union home minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis.

Earlier, in the aftermath of the incident, Chief Minister Shinde declared Rs 5 lakh as compensation for the next-of-kin of the deceased, adding that the entire medical expenses for those undergoing treatment would be borne by the state government.

"Families of the victims will be given Rs 5 lakh each and we are ensuring proper treatment for those admitted in hospitals," Shinde said.

Former CM Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said the award ceremony could have been planned better.

Amid the controversy over Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama's purported viral video, the British Tibetans have condemned China and its agents for attempting to purposefully tarnish the Tibetan spiritual leader's reputation and have also appealed to the BBC to provide "genuine coverage."

The leaders of the group, Founder and Chair of Global Alliance for Tibet and Persecuted Minorities, Tsering Passang, Dalha Tsering (Tibetan Community UK-Chairman 2018-2020) and Phuntsok Norbu (Tibetan Community UK - Vice Chairman, 2018 - 2020), penned a Joint Letter to the BBC over the coverage the British broadcaster gave to Dalai Lama, over his viral video.

The Tibetan community also organised a gathering outside the BBC building, which is not so far from the Chinese Embassy. Phuntsok Norbu, Tibetan Community UK - Vice Chairman, 2018 - 2020, spoke on the significance of this immediate gathering.

Larter, Tsering Passang read out the trio's joint letter to the BBC and a recent Statement issued by a group of Tibetan leaders and activists from around the world. A group of former leaders of the Tibetan Community in Britain to the BBC's Portfolio Head of Audiences, Digital on April 16, in the joint letter, stated, "As a world-class public-funded media broadcasting house, we were deeply dismayed that the BBC would give so much heed to a few seconds of ill-intentioned "doctored" viral footage, clearly masterminded by CCP agents with the object of defaming our spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama."

They added, "We are writing to draw your kind attention that the Tibetan Community has been deeply hurt by the BBC's recent coverage vis-a-vis His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his genuine compassionate greeting and interaction with an Indian student."

08:53 Maiming India

"The decision to allegedly unburden schoolchildren by deleting the Mughal era from their history curriculum has provoked amusing memes: images of the Taj Mahal complete with captions about its mysterious origins and jokes about gallant medieval Rajput rulers routed by invisible armies. These are good for a giggle, but they run the risk of misleading us into thinking that the Bharatiya Janata Party, in its bigotry, is trying to disappear the Mughal State. That would be a mistake; the Narendra Modi government is not trying to persuade Indians that the Mughals didn't exist," writes Mukul Kesavan. Read the column here.

Nearly a month after the national flag at the Indian high commission in London was pulled down during a protest by pro-Khalistan activists, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the case to investigate the matter, sources said.

According to inputs, the case was handed over to the NIA by the Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalization (CTCR) division of the Ministry of Home Affairs a few days back. The anti-terror agency registered a First Information Report (FIR) based on the orders of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and began its probe.

The agency took over the case from Delhi Police, which registered an FIR in the matter under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and is currently investigating it.

The MHA took the decision to hand over the case to the NIA following a meeting with UK representatives last week, the sources indicated. It is learnt that a special team of the NIA, including a Deputy Inspector General rank officer, may visit London "very soon", said a source privy to the development. -- ANI

Police in California have arrested 17 people in connection with a series of shootings in gurudwaras in Stockton, Sacramento and other locations and seized weapons such as AK-47, handguns, and at least one machine gun in a series of raids carried out over 20 places, the State Attorney General said Monday.

The 17 felony arrests, mostly members of the local Sikh community, were made during a large-scale operation with agents executing search warrants at 20 locations in Northern California on Sunday according to an announcement made by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Yuba City Police Chief Brian Baker, and Sutter County District Attorney Jennifer Dupr.

At a news conference Dupr said, two of the people arrested are mafia members who are "wanted on a number of murders" in India.

The arrested members, said California Attorney General, are part of rival criminal syndicates who are alleged to be responsible for numerous violent crimes and shootings, including five attempted murders, in Sutter, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Yolo, and Merced counties.

Members of these groups were allegedly involved in a mass shooting at a Stockton Sikh temple which took place on August 27, 2022, and a shooting at a Sacramento Sikh temple on March 23, 2023.

During the investigation, law enforcement was able to prevent two additional shootings from occurring, a press release said.

"Today, California is safer thanks to collaboration, determination, and swift action by DOJ agents and our law enforcement partners in Sutter County," said California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

"No family should ever have to worry about drive-by shootings or other forms of gun violence in the neighbourhoods where their children live and play. As a result of this joint law enforcement effort, we're taking guns off the street and putting suspected gang members and their associates behind bars," he said.

"An investigation of this magnitude requires a tremendous amount of time and effort, and especially a lot of personnel," said Sutter County District Attorney General Jennifer Dupr. -- PTI

An Indian climber went missing while attempting to climb the 10th highest mountain- Mt Annapurna in Nepal on Monday afternoon.

A search operation to locate the missing climber identified as Anurag Maloo (34) from Kishangargh of Rajasthan, India has continued since afternoon.

"Search operation is on. He fell into a crevasse while returning from Camp IV this afternoon," chairman of Seven Summit Treks, Mingma Sherpa confirmed ANI.

As per the official from the expedition organizing organization, the climber went missing after he fell down from around 6,000m while descending from Camp III.

Maloo also had abandoned the summit attempt and was on his way back to the camp when he fell into the crevasse this afternoon.

His condition is yet to be known.

The aspiring mountaineer last year had successfully ascended Mount Ama Dablam and was planning to stand atop Mount Everest, Annapurna and Lhotse this season. -- PTI

File image

01:04 Maha to buy 2L vials of Covid vaccine amid spike

The Maharashtra government will buy two lakh vials of COVID-19 vaccines from Bharart Biotech amid a rise in cases, an official said on Monday.

As an exceptional case, the state government issued an order relaxing some conditions for the procurement of the vials of the vaccines, he said.

"As per the order, the Maharashtra government will buy two lakhs of vials of COVID-19 vaccine from the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech at the rate of Rs 341.25 per vial. Administrative approval has been given for the procurement of the vials at total cost of Rs 6.82 crore," he said. -- PTI

The Supreme Court on Monday put a stay on a Uttarakhand high court's order directing the state government to reinstate senior Indian Forest Service officer Rajiv Bhartari as the head of forest force.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Vikram Nath said there shall be stay of operation of the impugned order of the high court dated April 3, 2023.

The top court was hearing a plea by former HoFF Vinod Kumar seeking a stay on the high court's order.

The apex court bench also issued notices to the respondents giving them four weeks to reply. Bhartari, who is due to retire this month, had resumed charge as the HoFF on April 4, just a day after the high court's order set the state government a narrow deadline of less than 24 hours for his reinstatement.

However, Bhartari was kept waiting at the state forest department headquarters in Dehradun for several hours to take charge under one technical excuse or the other.

Immediately after taking over, Bhartari issued transfer orders of a large number of forest department employees.

However, his operational powers were virtually seized as transfer orders issued by him was revoked and he was restricted from taking any policy decisions without the approval of the state government. -- PTI

Representational image/Reuters

00:07 Sudan violence: India asks citizens to stay at home

As Sudanese capital Khartoum continued to witness large-scale violence, the Indian embassy in Sudan issued a fresh advisory on Monday urging Indians not to venture out of their residences and stay calm.

On Sunday, the embassy said an Indian national died in Khartoum after sustaining bullet injuries.

"Based on the latest inputs, the fighting has not Subsided on day two. We sincerely request all fellow Indians to continue stay where they are and not venture outside," the mission said in its second advisory after violence broke out in Khartoum.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said a 24X7 control room has been set up at the ministry to provide information and assistance in view of the current situation in Sudan.

The helpline numbers are 1800118797, +91-11-23012113, +91-11-23014104, +91-11-23017905, +91 9968291988.

Grieving the death of the Indian national, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said the situation in Khartoum remains one of "great concern" and that India will continue to monitor the developments in that country. -- PTI

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