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Thu, 23 March 2023
Newborn baby sold after delivery in Jharkhand town
Timeline Refresh
Navjot Kaur Sidhu
23:56 Sidhu's wife diagnosed with stage 2 cancer, pens heartfelt note for him
Former cricketer and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu's wife, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, revealed that she has been diagnosed with stage 2 cancer and underwent surgery on Thursday.
Navjot Kaur Sidhu shared the news on Twitter, as she penned a heartfelt note for her husband who is serving a one-year sentence at Patiala Central Jail after being convicted in a road rage case.
"He is in the prison for a crime he has not committed. Forgive all those involved. Waiting for you each day outside probably suffering more than you. As usual, trying to take your pain away, asked for sharing it. Happened to see a small growth, and knew it was bad," tweeted Navjot Kaur Sidhu.
"Waited for You, seeing you were denied justice again and again. Truth is so powerful but it takes your tests time and again. KALYUG.Sorry, can't wait for you because it's stage 2 invasive cancer. Going under the knife today. No one is to be blamed because it's GODS plan:PERFECT," she tweeted.
On May 19, last year, Sidhu was sentenced to one year of imprisonment by the Supreme Court in the three-decade-old road rage case.
The Supreme Court allowed the review application on the issue of sentence against Sidhu, saying, "We have allowed review application on the issue of sentence. In addition to the fine imposed, we impose a sentence of imprisonment of one year to be undergone by respondent Sidhu."
The order was delivered by a bench of justices AM Khanwilkar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul. -- ANI
23:27 Newborn baby sold after delivery in Jharkhand town
A newborn baby boy was allegedly sold by his mother after delivery in Jharkhand's Chatra district, the police said on Thursday.
The deputy commissioner of Chatra, Abu Imran received information about the sale of the newborn baby.
The DC informed the SP about the matter and police immediately swung into action and recovered the new born within 24-hours from Bokaro district, sub-divisional police officer (Chatra), Avinash Kumar.
Addressing a press conference here, the SDPO said police arrested 11 people including Asha Devi, the mother of the newborn baby.
Kumar said police recovered Rs 1 lakh from the possession of Asha Devi. Asha Devi's arrest led police to arrest a Sahiya didi identified as Dimple Devi.
Based on the lead provided by Dimple Devi, police apprehend the other accused and recovered the baby from Bokaro, the SDPO said. -- PTI
23:17 Go First ops at Delhi airport to remain suspended for 2 hours on Apr 1
Budget airline Go First's flight operations at Delhi airport will be suspended for two hours on April 1, following an order by the aviation security regulator BCAS related to a violation in September last year.
According to an order, dated March 16, passed by the civil aviation ministry, the airline's security programme will remain suspended from 1200 hours to 1400 hours on April 1 and the carrier has also been asked to take suitable action to minimise the impact of the suspension on the passengers.
There was no immediate comment from Go First.
According to a senior ministry official, the suspension of the security programme means that there will be no flight operations and the latest directive is a kind of warning for the violation.
On September 24, 2022, Go First's Delhi-Mumbai flight returned from the taxiway due to a technical snag.
There were 95 passengers onboard and they were shifted to a parked aircraft by the airline's ferry buses, without permission/ intimation to agencies concerned, including CISF, as per the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.
In September 2021, BCAS had passed an order prohibiting ramp-to-ramp transfer of passengers as well as their baggage. -- PTI
22:49 IndiGo plans to have 350 aircraft in its fleet next fiscal
No-frills airline IndiGo is expecting to fly 100-million passengers and is planning to have 350 aircraft in its fleet in the next fiscal, according to a presentation by the airline at the analysts/investors meet on Thursday.
At the same time, the airline is looking to end the current fiscal with around 306 planes in the fleet with the passenger volume estimated at over 85 million.
The number of destinations is expected to go up to 115, with around 10-15 destinations likely to be added in the network during the year, as against 104 in FY23, as per the presentation.
While demand continues to be strong in the March quarter of the ongoing fiscal, external variables such as volatility in forex and fuel, global supply chain disruption as well as inflationary cost pressures (are) impacting performance.
On the capacity side, the airline projects it to be in mid-teens compared to the estimated over 18 per cent in the current fiscal, as per the presentation.
The airline, in the presentation said, it aims to boost economic growth, social cohesion and mobility in the country by developing its own model with affordable air connectivity and on time service, among others, across the domestic and global markets.
The government is looking to increase number of airports in the country to 220 by 2025 from 140 (as on February 28) and invest $11.8 billion to construct new Greenfield airports and develop existing Brownfield airports over a four year period, coupled with regional connectivity scheme UDAAN, which connects small cities with big cities, the airline said in the presentation. -- PTI
22:29 Accenture to sack 19,000 employees in next 18 mths
Information technology services and consulting firm Accenture will lay off 2.5 per cent or 19,000 employees over a period of the next one and half years, the company said in a regulatory filing.
Accenture currently employs over 7 lakh people and is estimated to have the largest employee base of 3 lakh people in India.
"While we continue to hire, especially to support our strategic growth priorities, during the second quarter of fiscal 2023, we initiated actions to streamline our operations and transform our non-billable corporate functions to reduce costs. Over the next 18 months, these actions are expected to result in the departure of approximately 19,000 people (or 2.5 per cent of our current workforce)," the company said in a regulatory filing.
Over half of these departures will consist of people in Accenture's non-billable corporate functions, the filing said. -- PTI
22:16 Naveen, Mamata resolve to make federal structure 'strong, permanent'
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said they had resolved to make the federal structure of the country "strong and permanent".
The statement came after a much awaited meeting of the two chief ministers held at the conclusion of Banerjee's three-day visit to Odisha.
Addressing reporters at the end of the meeting at Naveen Niwas -- Patnaik's residence -- with Banerjee beside him, the Odisha CM said, "We resolved to make the federal structure of the country permanent and strong. There was no other political discussion."
Banerjee seconded Patnaik and said, "I strongly support what Naveen ji said and I appreciate this."
However, speculation remained rife that the meeting was part of Banerjee's plan to form an opposition front with regional players minus the Congress.
Earlier both Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and Uttar Pradesh's backwards' leader Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi party had last Friday said the two parties would stay away from both the Congress and BJP.
TMC had also announced it would hold talks with other regional parties in their bid to take on the BJP in the crucial 2024 elections though it officially continued to deny any plans for a "third front', separate from the Congress-led broad coalition. -- PTI
Parineeti Chopra
22:01 Parineeti Chopra, Raghav Chadha clicked together, set tongues wagging
Actor Parineeti Chopra and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha have become the talk of the town after the two were spotted hanging out in Mumbai recently.
The duo was papped outside a high-end restaurant in Mumbai on Wednesday night.
The duo was twinning in white and grabbed everyone's attention with their meeting.
Parineeti and Raghav were clicked by shutterbugs on Thursday afternoon as well.
Parineeti, who wore a casual black tee with black jeans, also greeted the paps with a smile on her face.
Their appearances together have sparked rumours that the two might be dating.
If reports are to be believed, Parineeti and Raghav studied together at the London School of Economics and have been friends for a long time now. Parineeti and Raghav also follow each other on Instagram.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Parineeti will be seen sharing screen space with Diljit Dosanjh in 'Chamkila'. Helmed by Imtiaz Ali, the film revolves around two popular Punjabi singers Amarjot Kaur and Amar Singh Chamkila. While Parineeti will be essaying the role of Amarjot, Diljit will be seen as Chamkila. Amar Singh Chamkila and his wife Amarjot Kaur were assassinated on March 8, 1988, along with the members of their musical band. Raghav Chadha is a member of the Rajya Sabha from Punjab.
-- ANI
21:36 Class 5 Delhi student gang-raped, school peon held
A class 5 student was allegedly gang-raped by a 54-year-old peon working in her Municipal Corporation of Delhi-run school and his three accomplices after sedating her, the police said on Thursday.
The peon, identified as Ajay, has been arrested, they said, adding efforts are being made to nab his associates.
The police said Ajay, a native of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh who lived in Ghaziabad, was working as a peon at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi-run school for the last 10 years.
The Delhi Commission For Women has issued a notice to the city police and the MCD in connection with the incident.
According to the police, the incident took place on March 14.
Since the incident, the girl had stopped going to school and also skipped her final exams.
The MCD said in a statement that show cause notices to the principal of the school and the class teacher have been issued for not taking a prompt action ie, not informing the higher authorities immediately.
The incident came to light when the student's teacher contacted her brother and enquired about her absence from the final exams.
Her brother informed the teacher about the incident, police said.
As per the complaint, the accused took the girl to an unknown place from the school, sedated her with some unknown substance and committed gangrape with his associates, the police said.
Deputy commissioner of police (East) Amrutha Guguloth said the principal of the Ghazipur school along with her fellow teachers reported the incident to the police on Wednesday. -- PTI
21:31 Bombay HC directs Sangli court to hear Raj Thackeray's plea
The Bombay high court on Thursday quashed an order of a court in Sangli district which had rejected the discharge application of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray in a 2008 case related to a protest organised by his party's workers.
A single judge bench of Justice Amit Borkar directed the sessions court at Islampur in Sangli district in southeast Maharashtra to hear the discharge application afresh.
The MNS chief was arrested on October 21, 2008, in Ratnagiri district in connection with an agitation launched by his party against north Indians residing in Maharashtra.
The regional party had claimed north Indians deprived the "sons of the soil" from getting employment in the state.
Following Thackeray's arrest, riots broke out in Mumbai, Jalgaon, Aurangabad and various other parts of the state.
Several cases were registered against the 54-year-old MNS leader and his supporters.
One such FIR (first information report) was registered in Sangli district for unlawful assembly and breach of peace, and Thackeray had filed a discharge application in 2013 before a magistrate's court there.
The magistrate's court had rejected the application and summoned Thackeray to appear before it for framing of charges.
The MNS president then moved the sessions court which also turned down his review application seeking discharge from the case.
Thackeray challenged the order in the HC, saying there was lack of proper reasoning in the sessions court order rejecting his discharge application.
The HC, accepting his contention, set aside the sessions court order.
Discharge is a pre-trial stage that comes after a chargesheet has been filed in a case, but before charges are framed by the court concerned against an accused.
Under this legal remedy, an accused is entitled to be discharged from a case if the evidence provided to the court is not sufficient to prove the offence.
21:11 4 held over foot march in support of Amritpal Singh in Raipur
Four persons were arrested on Thursday, a day after a rally was taken out in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur by a group of people allegedly in support of wanted pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh, an official said.
Based on the examination of CCTV footage and video clips of the statements given by people involved in the rally, a first information report was registered at Civil Lines police station in Raipur, Raipur senior superintendent of police Prasant Agrawal said.
Four Raipur residents, identified as Diler Singh Randhawa (46), Manindarjeet Singh alias Mintu Sandhu (40), Harinder Singh Khalsa (44) and Harpreet Singh Randhawa alias Chintu (42), were arrested for allegedly taking out a foot march in support of Amritpal Singh, he said.
The four have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505(1)(b) (with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquillity), SSP Agrawal said, adding that further investigation is underway. -- PTI
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20:52 Def min to buy Rs 3700 cr BEL equipment for IAF
The defence ministry on Thursday signed two contracts worth over Rs 3,700 crore with Bharat Electronics Limited for radars and receivers, which will enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force.
The first contract worth over Rs 2,800 crore pertains to the supply of Medium Power Radars 'Arudhra', and the second, at an overall cost of around Rs 950 crore, relates to 129 DR-118 radar warning receivers.
Both projects are under 'Buy Indian DMM (Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured)' category.
The projects are aimed at enhancing surveillance, detection, tracking and electronic warfare capabilities of the air force.
"These essentially embody the spirit of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and will help facilitate the realisation of the country's journey to achieve self-reliance in defence manufacturing," the Indian Air Force said in a statement.
MPR (Arudhra) radar has been indigenously designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and will be manufactured by BEL.
Its successful trials have already been conducted by the IAF.
It is a 4D multi-function phased array radar with electronic steering in both azimuth and elevation for surveillance, detection and tracking of aerial targets.
The system will have target identification based on interrogations from co-located identification friend or foe system. -- PTI
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19:54 NIA grills Gwalior man over suspected PFI links
A team of the National Investigation Agency on Thursday questioned a man suspected to having links with the banned outfit Popular Front of India in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, a senior police officer said.
On September 27 last year, the Centre had banned the PFI for five years for allegedly having links with global terrorist organisations such as the ISIS and trying to spread communal hatred in the country.
An NIA team had come to question a person in connection with a case.
Officers of the team interrogated the suspect in the Bahodapur area of Gwalior and left.
The local police extended full cooperation to them, Gwalior SP Amit Sanghi said.
He did not provide further details.
The NIA team quizzed the man, whose identity was not revealed, for around two yours, said police sources.
The central agency has arrested or detained several PFI members across the country after the organisation was proscribed. -- PTI
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19:36 LS passes Rs 45L cr Budget 2023-24 without debate
Lok Sabha on Thursday approved the Union Budget envisaging an expenditure of around Rs 45 lakh crore for the fiscal year starting April 1 without any discussion, as the Opposition continued to create ruckus over demand for a JPC probe into allegations against the Adani Group.
The Lower House of Parliament took up the Demands for Grants and Appropriation Bills after two adjournments as the ruling and Opposition MPs engaged in a matching duet over demands for an apology by Rahul Gandhi and the Adani issue.
Most of the second leg of the Budget Session has been washed out due to the protest by both sides and it was one of the rare occasions when the Budget was passed without any discussion.
Soon after the Lok Sabha reassembled at 6 pm after two adjournments, Speaker Om Birla put the Opposition's cut motion or amendments to the government spending plan to vote which was rejected by voice vote.
This was followed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman moving the demands for grants for 2023-24 and relevant Appropriation Bills for discussion and voting.
Birla applied guillotine and put demands for grants of all ministries for voting.
The demands were passed as the Opposition MPs trooped into the Well of the House shouting slogans.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present during the passage of Budget for 2023-24.
The entire exercise was over in 12 minutes completing two-third of the parliamentary approval for the Budget for 2023-24.
The Finance Bill 2023, which contains tax proposals that Sitharaman had moved while presenting the Budget on February 1, will now be taken up by the Lok Sabha possibly on Friday.
All the budget-related bills will be transmitted to Rajya Sabha, which cannot make any changes but only return them to the Lok Sabha after discussion as they are classified as 'money bills' requiring approval of the Lower House only.
The current Parliament session is scheduled to end on April 6.
There is speculation that the duration of the session may be curtailed after completion of the budgetary exercise. -- PTI
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19:17 Covid: No rise in hospitalisation or deaths, says govt
Amid a gradual rise in daily COVID-19 cases, the Union health ministry said on Thursday that the XBB.1.16 subvariant of Omicron might be the dominant virus strain in the country but there has been no reported increase in the rate of hospitalisation or death so far.
Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said 344 samples have tested positive in the last three months -- January, February and March -- for XBB.1.16 after whole genome sequencing.
The subvariant has been found in states such as Maharashtra (105), Telangana (93), Karnataka (57), Gujarat (54) and Delhi (19).
"Omicron and its sub-lineages continue to be the predominant variant. No evidence of an increase in hospitalisation and/or mortality has been reported," Bhushan said.
He said XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.16 are variants of interest and under intense scientific scrutiny but they are not a "cause of immediate concern".
India has reported an uptick in daily coronavirus cases over the past week.
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala and Karnataka are among the states reporting a rise in the cases, according to the health ministry.
On Thursday, the health ministry data showed the country recorded 1,300 new coronavirus cases, the highest in 140 days.
It showed that the active cases in the country have increased to 7,605.
On March 13, India reported 444 new COVID-19 cases while the active cases stood at 3,809. -- PTI
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18:57 Yet another witness turns hostile in 2008 Malegaon blast case
Another witness in the 2008 Malegaon blast case was declared hostile after he did not support the prosecution's case on Thursday.
The hostile witness had initially given statements under CrPC 161 and 164 when ATS was initially investigating the case.
According to the prosecution, this is the 30th witness to turn hostile in the case.
In November last year, the 29th witness had turned hostile in the case.
This person had given statements to the Anti-Terrorist Squad in 2008 about accused Lt Col Prasad Purohit and Sudhakar Chaturvedi.
Previously, the 28th witness turned hostile on November 5 after he told the special National Investigation Agency court that he does not remember the statement he had given to earlier investigative agency -- Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad.
This witness had reportedly given a statement against the sitting Bhopal MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and another accused, identified as Dayanand Pandey, of this case during the initial investigation done by Maharashtra ATS.
However, on November 5, he came before the special NIA court and was confronted with the facts of his statement.
He said that he doesn't remember what he had said in his statement to Maharashtra ATS earlier.
He told the special NIA court that he is 75 years old and that is why it is difficult for him to remember what he had said in his statement. -- ANI
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18:37 Five Maoists held after gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma
Five Maoists were arrested following a gunfight with security forces in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday, a senior police official said.
The face-off took place around 11.30 am in the forest of Kottalendra village under Errabor police station limits, he said.
Acting on a specific input about the presence of Naxalites in Kottalendra in a bid to carry out a major attack on National Highway-30 (connecting Sukma town to Konta), a joint team of personnel from Konta and Errabor police stations and District Reserve Guard was dispatched in the area, Sukma superintendent of police Sunil Sharma said.
When the patrolling team was cordoning off the forest area near Kottalendra, an exchange of fire broke out between the two sides, he said.
After they found the security personnel zeroing in on them, the Maoists escaped from the spot, he said.
"Five Naxalites were apprehended from the spot while trying to flee," Sharma added.
Four-five Maoists sustained injuries in the encounter but their colleagues managed to drag them inside the forest, he said.
The search operation was still underway in the area, he added. -- PTI
18:23 Lok Sabha rejects cut motion by voice vote
Just In: Lok Sabha rejects cut motion on Demands for Grants for 2023-24 by voice vote.
Details soon.
18:11 Amritpal was building private militia, say officials
Fugitive radical preacher and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh had been targeting drug addicts and rogue ex-servicemen to help him build a gang that could be easily transformed into a terrorist outfit, officials in Chandigarh said on Thursday.
Giving details of his journey and plans that he was likely to execute at the behest of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, they said Amritpal Singh, upon his return from Dubai, started a drug de-addiction centre at his village Jallupur Kehra in Punjab's Amritsar district.
In a simultaneous operation, he along with his men started looking for ex-servicemen who had been retired from the Army for bad behaviour so that they could be used for imparting arms training, the officials said.
Immediately after his return last year and he taking over the Waris Punjab De outfit after the death of actor-activist Deep Sidhu, Amritpal Singh had a cover of two private security officers, and by early this year, the number had gone up to 16.
The surprising part was that seven of his personal security officers were youngsters, who had joined his drug de-addiction centre for rehabilitation, the officials said, adding that during their stay there for treatment they had been imparted training.
The youngsters, admitted at the de-addiction centre, were brainwashed and pushed towards gun culture and also incited to choose the path of slain terrorist Dilawar Singh, who blew himself up and killed former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, they said.
Targeting rogue ex-servicemen was beneficial for the pro-Khalistan preacher as they already had arms licences which could help his organisation to evade the law, the officials said. -- PTI
18:06 BJP wins mayor, deputy mayor election in home district of Cong chief Kharge
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday won the election to the post of mayor and deputy mayor in the home district of Congress president M Mallikarjun Kharge.
The BJP's victory comes ahead of the Assembly elections in Karnataka due by May.
Vishal Dargi, who got 33 votes, defeated Congress candidate Prakash Kapanur in the mayoral election by one vote.
Shivanand Pisti defeated his Congress opponent Vijayalakshmi , who secured 32 votes, with the same margin to become deputy mayor. -- PTI
Pic: KBK Graphics
17:30 Sensex halts 2-day gaining streak
Equity benchmark Sensex declined 290 points in a volatile session to settle below the 58,000 mark on Thursday due to a sell-off in banking, financial and IT stocks amid a mixed trend in global equities.
Besides, heavy selling in index heavyweight Reliance Industries added to the pressure, traders said. After rallying for two straight days, the 30-share BSE Sensex fell 289.31 points or 0.50 per cent to settle at 57,925.28, with 16 of its constituents posting losses. During the day, the index witnessed a high of 58,396.17 and a low of 57,838.85.
17:29 Mock drills at hospitals soon as Covid cases rise
Amid the spike in influenza cases in the country and the uptick in Covid-19 cases over the past couple of weeks, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Thursday said a mock drill will be done soon in all the states and Union Territories to assess their preparedness to meet the twin threats to public health.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital on Thursday, Bhushan said, "India on Thursday recorded 1,300 new Covid cases, the highest in the last 140 days. We will get a fresh round of mock drills done in all states and UTs in order to assess their individual Covid preparedness." Earlier, on December 27, a mock drill was conducted at hospitals across the country to test their Covid preparedness.
The Union Health secretary informed further that India, for now, was accounting for just 1 per cent of the global Covid cases.
"Only about 1 per cent of the global Covid cases are being reported in India as of now. The overall active cases currently stand at 7,600 while 966 cases, on average, are being reported on a daily basis. In the second week of February, we recorded only about 108 daily cases on average. But the average daily count has since gone up to 966," the Union Health secretary said. -- ANI
Rahul Gandhi with his mother Sonia Gandhi in February
17:04 Rahul Gandhi's conviction: What happens next...
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will not be disqualified as a member of parliament if the appellate court stays the conviction and suspends the two- year jail term awarded to him by a Surat court in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his alleged "Modi surname" remarks, legal experts said on Thursday.
Senior lawyer and constitutional law expert Rakesh Dwivedi referred to the apex court's 2013 and 2018 judgements in the Lily Thomas and the Lok Prahari matters respectively and said suspension of sentence and stay of conviction were necessary to escape disqualification as a lawmaker under the Representation of the People (RP) Act.
"The appellate court can suspend the conviction and the sentence and grant him bail. In that case there will be no disqualification," he said, adding "However the politicians must choose their words carefully to avoid getting entangled with law."
The debate over possibilities of Gandhi being disqualified as an MP must take note of the legal position enumerated in the apex court judgements and the relevant provisions of the RP Act, he said. A former senior official of the Election Commission and an expert on electoral laws who did not wish to be named was of the view that to prevent being disqualified as a lawmaker, Gandhi also needs to get his conviction stayed.
He said suspension of sentence was different from suspension of conviction. "The position as per the Lily Thomas judgment, a conviction which carries a sentence of two years or more will automatically result in disqualification. In a later judgment in the Lok Prahari case, the apex court said on appeal if the conviction is suspended, the disqualification will also remain suspended," he said.
He said the Congress leader will have to get a stay on conviction also from a higher court. P D T Achari, former Lok Sabha Secretary General and Constitution expert, said the disqualification period begins as soon as the sentence is announced. He said Gandhi is free to appeal and if the appellate court stays the conviction and the sentence, then the disqualification will remain suspended. The disqualification continues six years after the sentence is completed or served.
"That means the disqualification will last for eight years (in case he is disqualified)," he said, adding that a disqualified person can neither contest, poll or vote for a certain period. He was of the opinion that disqualification arises out of sentence, not conviction alone. "Therefore, if the sentence has been suspended by the trial court itself, that means his membership does not get affected. The disqualification has not come into effect," he said.
16:53 Shinde sacks Sanjay Raut as parl party leader
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has sacked Sanjay Raut as the leader of its parliamentary party and appointed Lok Sabha MP Gajanan Kirtikar as his successor.
In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Shinde, who is chief leader of the Shiv Sena, said Kirtikar has been appointed as the leader of the Shiv Sena Parliamentary Party.
Shiv Sena leaders on Thursday felicitated Kirtikar at the parliamentary party office located on the third floor of the Parliament building. Of the 18 Shiv Sena members in the Lok Sabha, four have their loyalties with Uddhav Thackeray, who lost control of the party to Shinde. Shinde had split the Shiv Sena last year accusing Thackeray of compromising with the core ideals of the party and joining hands with arch rivals Congress and NCP to form the government in Maharashtra.
Last month, the Election Commission recognised the Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena and allocated the name and the poll symbol to it. The Shiv Sena has three members in the Rajya Sabha Sanjay Raut, Anil Desai and Priyanka Chaturvedi who owe their allegiance to Thackeray. PTI
Pic: KBK Graphics
16:40 Stay masked, Covid figures are rising
India has been witnessing an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the country recently.
16:31 Rahul's surname remark was political comment: Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday claimed the judiciary is under pressure and the Modi surname remark over which a Gujarat court sentenced Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail was just a "political" comment.
But at the same time, the Congress veteran said he has faith in the Judiciary and the right verdict will come in time an apparent reference to the possibility of a higher court overturning the ruling. Gehlot alleged that the BJP government at the Centre was also misusing agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.
"Today there is pressure on Judiciary, pressure on Election Commissions, ED, Income Tax, CBI, which are premium agencies and their credibility used to be huge, are being misused. When such an atmosphere prevails, such rulings are madeevery ruling (faisla) is influenced," he said.
"I have full faith in judiciary that the right decision will be taken in the coming time," the chief minister said. A court in Surat in Gujarat on Thursday sentenced Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks. The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma, which held Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500, also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court, the Congress leader's lawyer Babu Mangukiya said.
"We have seen for 40-50 years, how many such comments Vajpayee ji, Advani ji must have made but that time was different, this time is different. In those days there were no such court cases," Gehlot said.
"Rahul Gandhi's comment also means that the people with Modi surname think that Modi is our man, he will save us," he said, adding, "This was a political comment."
Gehlot said PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the NDA government do not pay attention to the issues of unemployment, inflation and violence raised by Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra but instead are focused on taking revenge.
15:58 Uddhav, Fadnavis exchanges smiles en route to Assembly
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and former CM Uddhav Thackeray were seen having a conversation on their way to Vidhan Sabha today.
15:48 Haryana woman who sheltered Amritpal nabbed
Haryana Police have arrested a woman who allegedly harboured Amritpal Singh and his associate Papalpreet Singh at her home in Kurukshetra district, an indication that the pro-Khalistan preacher might have fled Punjab.
In another development, Punjab police arrested a man who was allegedly part of the private security setup of pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh. Tejinder Singh Gill, a resident of Mangewal village in the Khanna area of Ludhiana district, was deputed in the security of Amritpal Singh. Haryana Police said the from Shahabad area.
"We have nabbed the woman, Baljit Kaur, who harboured Amritpal and his associate Papalpreet Singh at her home in Shahabad on Sunday. The woman has been handed over to Punjab Police," Kurukshetra Superintendent of Police Surinder Singh Bhoria told PTI over phone.
Last month, Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of the Amritsar city, and clashed with police for the release of one of the radical preacher's aides.
Last week, Punjab Police launched a crackdown against him and his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'. Amritpal Singh, however, gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in Jalandhar district. PTI
15:48 Haryana woman who sheltered Amritpal nabbed
Haryana Police have arrested a woman who allegedly harboured Amritpal Singh and his associate Papalpreet Singh at her home in Kurukshetra district, an indication that the pro-Khalistan preacher might have fled Punjab.
In another development, Punjab police arrested a man who was allegedly part of the private security setup of pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh. Tejinder Singh Gill, a resident of Mangewal village in the Khanna area of Ludhiana district, was deputed in the security of Amritpal Singh. Haryana Police said the from Shahabad area.
"We have nabbed the woman, Baljit Kaur, who harboured Amritpal and his associate Papalpreet Singh at her home in Shahabad on Sunday. The woman has been handed over to Punjab Police," Kurukshetra Superintendent of Police Surinder Singh Bhoria told PTI over phone.
Last month, Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of the Amritsar city, and clashed with police for the release of one of the radical preacher's aides.
Last week, Punjab Police launched a crackdown against him and his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'. Amritpal Singh, however, gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in Jalandhar district. PTI
Pic: @INC
15:24 Words deadlier than weapons: Rajnath on Rahul
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi should take the Surat Court judgement as a learning that "words are deadlier than weapons."
"Rahul Gandhi should accept that the harm or injury through words is deeper than those made by a sword. I would say we all should learn from this incident make sure we don't cross the line while speaking in public," Rajnath Singh told ANI.
BJP leader and former law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also hit out at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for questioning the court's order by reportedly noting that several judges hearing the matter were changed. The former minister asked whether the party "want to keep even the judiciary in its pocket."
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said that the party will fight the judgement as per law. "He has been granted bail. We knew from the beginning because they kept changing judges. We believe in law, judiciary and we will fight against this as per law," Kharge told ANI.
Just after the verdict, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi quoted Mahatma Gandhi and said that his religion was based on truth and non-violence. "Truth is my God, non-violence the means to get it- Mahatma Gandhi," tweeted Rahul Gandhi. -- PTI
There is no mask mandate in any state in India
15:08 349 samples of new Covid variant XBB1.16 in India
A total of 349 samples of COVID-19's XBB.1.16 variant, which might have been behind the recent rise of coronavirus cases in the country, have been detected, according to INSACOG data.
These 349 samples of the variant have been found in nine states and Union Territories.
The highest number of cases due to this variant has been found in Maharashtra at 105, followed by Telangana 93, Karnataka 61 and Gujarat 54, according to INSACOG data accessed by PTI.
XBB 1.16 was first found in January when two samples tested positive for the variant. In February, 140 samples of the XBB 1.16 variant were found. In March, 207 XBB 1.16 variant samples have been found till now, according to INSACOG data. India has been witnessing an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the country recently.
On Thursday, India logged 1,300 new coronavirus cases, the highest in 140 days, while the active cases have increased to 7,605. The death toll has increased to 5,30,816 with three deaths. One death each has been reported by Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra, the data updated at 8 am stated. Former AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria said on Wednesday that the new XBB.1.16 variant could be driving the recent rise.
However, he emphasised there was no need for panic as long it does not cause severe illness and death.
According to him, new variants will keep coming as the virus keeps on mutating over time and the XBB 1.16 is sort of a 'new kid on the block'. The XBB.1.16 is a recombinant lineage of the virus and is a descendent of the XBB lineage of COVID-19.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting and called for maintaining vigil and precaution amid a spike in influenza and coronavirus cases in the country in the past two weeks. He stressed the need to enhance genome sequencing and adhereing to Covid-appropriate behaviour, an official statement said. PTI
Pic courtesy: @INC
15:03 Rahul will appeal Gujarat court ruling: Cong
The Congress on Thursday said former party chief Rahul Gandhi will file an appeal against a Gujarat court verdict holding him guilty in a 2019 criminal defamation case, and alleged that the government was after him for speaking the truth and bringing to light its "misdeeds".
A court in Surat sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail in the case, filed on a complaint by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi for his alleged remark, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?"
The court also granted Gandhi bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court, his lawyer Babu Mangukiya said.
While Rahul Gandhi, who was present in court, later quoted Mahatma Gandhi on truth and non-violence, a host of Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, spoke out angrily on the matter.
"My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God, non-violence the means to get to it -- Mahatma Gandhi,'' Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi soon after the court verdict.
In another tweet, he paid tributes to freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru on their martyrdom day, saying they have learnt fighting fearlessly for the country holding on to truth and courage from these brave sons of Mother India.
In a tweet in Hindi, Kharge said, "Coward, dictatorial BJP government is incensed at Rahul Gandhi and Opposition because we are exposing their misdeeds and demanding a JPC." "Under its political bankruptcy, the Modi government sends police, ED and imposes cases on political speeches. We will appeal in the higher court," he said.
Saying that an appeal will be filed in the matter, Kharge slammed the BJP. If they point one finger at others there are four fingers pointed at them also, he told reporters. "We knew such a thing could happen... they kept changing judges. But we have faith in the judiciary and will fight as per the law." Priyanka Gandhi also took to Twitter to back her brother and attack the BJP.
"A scared machinery of power is trying to suppress the voice of Rahul Gandhi through 'saam, daam, dand, bhed' (every trick in the book)."
"My brother has never been afraid, nor will he ever be. He has lived his life speaking the truth, will continue to speak the truth, will continue to raise the voice of the people of the country," she said in a tweet in Hindi.
Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "This is new India, If you raise your voice against injustice, then ED-CBI, police, FIR will be imposed. "Rahul Gandhi ji is also being punished for speaking the truth, for raising his voice against a dictator." -- PTI
14:46 'Xi visit to have no impact on India-Russia ties'
Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov on Thursday refuted claims by media experts that Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Russia will harm Indo-Russian strategic ties.
He said in a tweet that there is a lot of analysis making various claims about Xi Jinping's Russia visit. Indian experts say that Russia-China ties will affect Russia-India strategic alignment. The Russian envoy seemed to shrug it off calling it "wishful thinking".
"Profusion of analysis these days of the outcomes of Xi Jinping's Russia visit. The impression as though various reputable Indian experts almost dream of Russia-China ties harming Russia-India strategic alignment. A wishful thinking case in point," Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov tweeted on Thursday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping was on a three-day visit to Russia from March 20 to 23. Xi, in Moscow, met with President Putin, a state visit that highlighted their nations' close ties amid the war in Ukraine which was closely watched by Kyiv and its Western allies.
Xi Jinping told President Putin that he was convinced that Putin enjoyed the Russian people's support ahead of a presidential election scheduled for next year, it reported.
Speaking at informal talks at the start of Xi's state visit to Moscow, Putin also said that Russia was "slightly envious" of China's rapid development in recent decades. Meanwhile, Ukraine and the United Kingdom had called on the Chinese leader to use his influence and press Moscow to end the war. The UK said that China should back up its support for the respect of territorial integrity and demand that Russia end its war in Ukraine.
"We hope President Xi uses this opportunity to press President (Vladimir) Putin to cease bombing Ukrainian cities, hospitals, schools, to halt some of these atrocities that we are seeing on a daily basis," UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman said as Xi and Putin met in Moscow. Kyiv expects China to use its influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said.
"Ukraine is following the Chinese President's visit to Russia closely," Nikolenko said in a statement to Reuters shortly after China's Xi arrived in Moscow for talks with Putin. "We expect Beijing to use its influence on Moscow to make it put an end to the aggressive war against Ukraine." Talking about Xi's visit to Russia, Putin said that they have high expectations from this trip. He also stated that this is a great opportunity for Russia to meet with my good old friend with whom we enjoy the warmest relationship.
He recalled Xi's 2010 visit and said, "I made acquaintance with Comrade Xi Jinping in March 2010 when he visited Moscow as head of a high-level Chinese delegation. Our first meeting was held in a very business-like and at the same time sincere and friendly atmosphere."
14:11 Maruti Suzuki to hike prices of model range from April
Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday said it will increase prices of its model range in April to partially offset the impact of "overall inflation and regulatory requirements".
The auto major, however, did not share the quantum of the price hike it intends to implement from next month. The company continues to witness increased cost pressure driven by overall inflation and regulatory requirements, the auto maker said in a regulatory filing.
While the company makes maximum effort to reduce cost and partially offset the increase, it has become imperative to pass on some of the impact through a price increase, it added.
The company has planned this price increase in April, 2023, which shall vary across models, Maruti Suzuki India stated. Already several automakers, including Honda Cars, Tata Motors and Hero MotoCorp, have announced increase in prices from April.
The Indian automobile industry is currently working to make their products meet the second phase of BSVI emission norms. From April 1, vehicles will need to have an on-board self-diagnostic device to monitor the real-time driving emission levels.
Picture courtesy @INC
14:10 BJP: Does Cong want complete freedom to abuse?
The BJP Thursday asserted that the law will take its course if Rahul Gandhi abuses people and slammed the Congress over its criticism of his conviction in a defamation case, asking whether the opposition party wants "complete freedom" for him to "abuse" others.
BJP leader and former law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for questioning the court's order by reportedly noting that several judges hearing the matter were changed.
Making such comments show that the party does not believe in the judiciary, he said and asked, "Does it want to keep even the judiciary even in its pocket."
Asked whether Rahul Gandhi will be disqualified from the Lok Sabha, Prasad said it is for Speaker Om Birla to decide. A court in Surat in Gujarat on Thursday sentenced Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks. The case was filed against Gandhi for his alleged "how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?" remarks on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi.
Prasad said Gandhi insulted people with Modi surname with his comments, asserting that it is very much defamatory. His lawyers argued before the court before the verdict was given, he said, noting that a similar case against the Congress leader is also proceeding at a court in Patna filed by BJP leader Sushil Modi. Prasad accused Gandhi of insulting people by citing their caste.
In a swipe at Gandhi for his comments after the conviction that he believes in truth and non-violence, he asked if this means insulting people by targeting them for their surname. "Does Congress want Rahul Gandhi to have complete freedom to abuse people? There is rule of law in the country and it will prevail," he said, alleging the former Congress president has a history of making defamatory comments and unfounded allegations.
"The law of India has it that if an individual or an organisation has been defamed with scurrilous statements, scandalous comments, abuses or any defamatory remarks, then he has a right to seek redress. But the Congress party has an objection. It wants complete freedom for Rahul Gandhi to throw abuses," Prasad said. PTI
The Hindenburg report has accused Adani of stock manupulation
13:49 New, big report soon, announces Hindenburg
Hindenburg Research, whose report into India's Adani Group triggered a massive sell-off and decline in share prices, says another 'big' report is coming. "New report soon -- another big one," Hindenburg research wrote in a tweet on Thursday, without offering any other details.
In January, days ahead of a $2.5 billion share offering by Adani Enterprises, Adani Group stocks saw a steep decline after investment research firm Hindenburg Research published a report accusing the conglomerate of engaging "in a brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over the course of decades'.
Consequently, the Supreme Court noted that in view of the "safety of investors', a committee was to be set up to assess whether the larger regulatory mechanism needs changes.
13:31 Kejriwal backs Rahul, alleges conspiracy
The Aam Aadmi Party Thursday came out in support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after he was sentenced to two years in jail in a defamation case, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleging that a conspiracy was being hatched to 'eliminate' non-Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and parties by prosecuting them.
A court in Gujarat's Surat held Gandhi guilty of defamation for his 2019 'Modi surname' remarks.
It also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court.
'A conspiracy is being hatched to eliminate non-BJP leaders and parties by prosecuting them. We have differences with the Congress, but it is not right to implicate Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case like this.
'It is the job of the public and the opposition to ask questions. We respect the court but disagree with the decision,' Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said opposition forms the core of democracy and dissent should not be stifled.
'Respectfully disagree with court verdict against Rahul Gandhi. Opposition forms the core of democracy. Dissent should not be stifled. India has a strong tradition of critique. Attempt to reduce this to the viewpoint of one ideology, one party, one leader is unconstitutional and undemocratic,' he tweeted. -- PTI
13:00 Amritpal case: Internet curbed only in 2 places
The Punjab government Thursday extended the suspension of mobile internet and SMS services in Tarn Taran and Ferozepur districts till Friday noon while lifting the curbs in Moga, Sangrur, Ajnala sub-division in Amritsar and a few areas in Mohali.
Mobile internet services in the rest of Punjab resumed on March 21.
According to an order issued on Thursday by the state home affairs department and justice, the curbs on mobile internet services have been extended in Tarn Taran and Ferozepur districts "in the interest of public safety, to prevent any incitement to violence and to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order".
"It is directed that all mobile internet services, all SMS services (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except the voice calls, in the territorial jurisdiction of Punjab shall continue to remain suspended from March 23 (1200 hours) to March 24 (1200 hours) only in the districts Tarn Taran and Ferozepur in continuation of this office order number 1821 dated March 21," it said.
Broadband services were not suspended so that banking facilities, hospital services and other essential services are not disrupted, said the order. The Punjab authorities last week suspended Internet and SMS services in the state following the police crackdown against elements of 'Waris Punjab De,' headed by radical preacher Amritpal Singh.
The elusive preacher, however, gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in the Jalandhar district. With the Khalistan sympathizer continuing to remain untraceable, police have said that efforts were on to nab the fugitive. PTI
12:43 My god is truth, Rahul reacts to conviction
In the aftermath of his conviction in a 2019 case, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi quotes Mahatma Gandhi. "My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my god and non-violence is the means to attain godhead," Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
A court in Surat today sentenced Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his Modi surname remarks.
The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma, which held Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500, also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court, the Congress leader's lawyer Babu Mangukiya said.
As per the Representation of the People Act, a person sentenced to imprisonment of two years or more shall be disqualified "from the date of such conviction" and remain disqualified for another six years after serving time. Gandhi was present in the court when the verdict was pronounced.
12:20 Police detains medical store owner for conducting surgery, patient dead
A medical store owner was on Thursday detained for allegedly conduction surgery on a person who later died, police said.
A Rehman, who runs a medical store in the Khejuri area, had on Wednesday operated on Munna Gupta suffering from hydrocele after which his condition deteriorated and he died in the evening, SHO of Khejuri police station Bindeshwari Pandey said.
Based on the complaint of Gupta's son, an FIR was registered against Rehman and he was detained, he said. The body of the victim has been sent for post-mortem and a detailed probe into the matter was underway, the police official said. PTI
12:13 Amritpal gang members brought to Amritsar court
Seven associates of 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh were brought to Amritsar's Baba Bakala court on Thursday amid heavy police presence.
They were sent to police custody till March 23. These seven people were arrested in connection with an FIR registered related to the Ajnala incident last month, in which Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh and his supporters carrying swords and guns, had stormed a police station, and they were remanded to police custody till March 23.
12:06 Padma Shri to 'birdsong man'
President Droupadi Murmu presents the Padma Shri to Mangala Kanta Roy for Art. One of the oldest living folk musicians of West Bengal, he is known for producing unique birdcalls through the musical instrument 'Sarinda'.
11:53 Court sentences Rahul to 2 yrs in jail, grants bail
A court in Surat in Gujarat on Thursday sentenced Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his Modi surname remarks.
The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma, which held Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500, also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court, the Congress leader's lawyer Babu Mangukiya said.
Gandhi was present in the court when the verdict was pronounced. -- PTI
11:50 Mazar-like structure coming up illegally off Mumbai coast removed
A 'mazar' like structure being constructed unauthorizedly off the coast of Mahim in Mumbai was on Thursday removed by district collectorate, civic and police personnel, an official said.
Mumbai City Resident Collector Sadanand Jadhav told PTI the "mazar' and the structure around it had come up illegally on revenue department land.
A six-member team was formed for its demolition with the help of personnel from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Mumbai police, he added.
"The BMC provided machinery for demolishing the illegal structure and Mumbai police gave security," Jadhav informed. Other officials said the team set up by the collector had visited the site in the morning, after which demolition procedures began.
Incidentally, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray had warned about the structure in his 'Padwa Melawa' speech at Shivaji Park on Wednesday evening. PTI
11:42 Padma Bhushan for Kumar Mangalam Birla
President Droupadi Murmu presents the Padma Bhushan to Kumar Mangalam Birla for Trade and Industry. He is the Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, which has a legacy of over a 100 years. One of the first Indian groups to venture abroad, it has acquired widespread global presence.
11:41 Padma Shri for Rakesh Jhunjhunwala
President Droupadi Murmu presents Padma Shri to Rakesh Jhunjhunwala (Posthumous) for Trade and Industry. An investor, trader and philanthropist, he was known for his unique investment style and astute market predictions.
11:39 Rahul held guilty; punishment is jail or fine or both
Update: A court in Surat in Gujarat on Thursday convicted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his Modi surname remarks. The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma held Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code section 504, which deals with intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace.
Gandhi was present in the court when the verdict was pronounced. The case was filed under IPC sections 499, 500 (for criminal defamation), and 504 on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi. These sections invite a jail term of up to two years or fine or both.
The case was filed against Gandhi for his remark, 'how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?' The Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad made the remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The court had last week concluded hearing final arguments from both sides and set March 23 to pronounce its judgment in the four-year-old defamation case. PTI
11:18 Guj court holds Rahul guilty in defamation case
Gujarat court holds Congress leader Rahul Gandhi guilty in 2019 criminal defamation case over Modi surname remarks.
11:07 Pawar calls Oppn meet today to discuss EVM issues
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has called a meeting of leaders of opposition parties on Thursday to discuss the Rural Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).
The meeting will be held at Pawar's residence on Thursday evening. In a letter written to all opposition leaders, the NCP chief said that he proposes to convene a meeting of all political parties who have doubts about the efficacy of the Rural Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).
This development comes after the Chief Election Commissioner promised to respond to the doubts raised by some civil society activists and political parties.
Pawar stated that the meeting has been called in the interest of free and fair elections and to listen to the views expressed by eminent IT professionals and cryptographers.
There are some very pertinent questions been raised in the Report by CCE. The report contains views of eminent Information Technology professors, cryptographers and retired government officials.
The civil society submitted a letter to Election Commission of India in May 2022 and another reminder after two weeks (Annexure 3). ECI did even acknowledge their letter. The doubts regarding the possibility of manipulating EVM are being raised even by the common man now, Pawar said. -- ANI
Stay masked
10:53 Covid cases in India highest in nearly 5 months
India logged 1,300 new coronavirus cases, the highest in 140 days, while the active cases have increased to 7,605, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.
The death toll has increased to 5,30,816 with three deaths. One death each has been reported by Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra, the data updated at 8 am stated. The daily positivity was recorded at 1.46 per cent while the weekly positivity was pegged at 1.08 per cent. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.46 crore (4,46,99, 418).
The active cases now comprises 0.02 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.79 per cent, the ministry said. A total 92.06 crore tests for detection of Covid has been conducted so far with 89,078 tests being conducted in the last 24 hours.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,60,997, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.65 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. PTI
The cheetah Elton roams in Kuno
10:49 Elton and Freddie come to India
Two male coalition cheetahs identified as Elton and Freddie have been released in the free-ranging area in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park successfully on Wednesday. "Both are doing well and are healthy," tweeted Kuno National Park.
On March 13, a male cheetah Oban and a female cheetah Asha hunted a chital (deer) at an open forest in Kuno National Park within 24 hours, officials had said.
Speaking to ANI, Sheopur DFO, Prakash Kumar Verma said that both the cheetahs have gone hunting within 24 hours, and both are blending into the environment of the forest. "There are enough animals in the forest for their hunting, the water system is also smooth. The male cheetah Oban was released in the open forest yesterday morning and the female cheetah Asha in the evening," Divisional Forest Officer Prakash Kumar Verma had said. Similarly, other cheetahs will also be released from the enclosure one by one, officials informed.
10:38 Rahul in Surat ahead of verdict in defamation case
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reached Surat in Gujarat on Thursday, where a court will deliver its verdict in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks.
Senior state Congress leaders, including GPCC president Jagdish Thakor, legislature party leader Amit Chavda, senior leader Arjun Modhwadia, AICC in-charge of Gujarat Raghu Sharma, were at Surat airport to receive Gandhi.
A huge number of party functionaries assembled at various spots in the city as a show of strength and support for Gandhi, with posters extolling him as 'Sher-e-Hindustan' (lion of Hindustan) and placards declaring that the "Congress will not bow before the dictatorship of the BJP" on display.
The case was filed against Gandhi for his remark 'how come all thieves have Modi as the common surname'. A complaint was lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi. The Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad made the alleged remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
10:15 Verdict in 'Modi surname' case against Rahul today
A court in Surat in Gujarat on Thursday will deliver its verdict in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his "Modi surname" remarks, party leaders said.
The case was filed against Gandhi for his alleged how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname? remarks on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi.
The Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad made the alleged remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma had last week concluded hearing final arguments from both sides and set March 23 to pronounce its judgment in the four-year-old defamation case, Gandhi's lawyer Kirit Panwala had said.
Gandhi had last appeared before the Surat court in the case, filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (dealing with defamation), in October 2021 to record his statement. PTI
09:59 'Question Amit Shah': Jairam writes to CBI chief
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has written to Central Bureau of Investigation director Subodh Jaiswal asking the probe agency to question Home Minister Amit Shah over his remark describing the Conrad Sangma government in Meghalaya in its previous term as corrupt, and to investigate that claim.
In his letter to Jaiswal, Ramesh stated that Shah in his public speech on February 17, 2023, said the then government of Meghalaya 'was the most corrupt government in the country'.
"Amit Shah is also the Home Minister of India. In his capacity as the home minister, he would surely have had access to information and facts that led him to this conclusion," he said.
For some inexplicable reasons, the home minister, who is also the former national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, has failed to act upon the information about the corrupt practices and instances of the then Meghalaya government, Ramesh said in the letter dated March 21 which he tweeted Thursday.
'Therefore, in the highest national interest, we urge you to summon Shri Amit Shah and ask him to submit all the information and facts that led him to the stated assessment and investigate the matter,' he said.
'We also urge you to investigate if the home minister of India was under any undue duress from his party or other forces, to suppress the information related to the corruption of Meghalaya, in order to enable his party BJP to support the same chief minister after the recent Meghalaya elections,' the Congress leader said.
Tagging his letter to Jaiswal on Twitter, Ramesh said, he has written to the director of CBI, asking the probe agency to question the Union home minister further on his 'categorical assertion' that Conrad Sangma's government in Meghalaya was the most corrupt in the country.
'That of course did not prevent the BJP from supporting the same Conrad Sangma again,' Ramesh added. -- PTI
09:24 2 IndiGo flyers held for unruly behaviour on board
Two passengers on board a Dubai-Mumbai IndiGo flight were arrested for allegedly hurling abuses at crew and co-passengers in an inebriated condition, a police official said on Thursday.
They were placed under arrest after the flight landed in Mumbai on Wednesday and were granted bail by a court Mumbai, the official said.
"The two accused are from Nalasopara in Palghar and Kolhapur. They were returning after working for a year in the Gulf and started celebrating by consuming liquor they had brought from a duty-free shop," he said.
"When co-flyers objected to the ruckus, the two abused them as well as the crew that intervened. One of them was drinking while walking down the aisle. The crew took away their bottles," the official added.
They have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 336 (for endangering life and safety of others) and 21,22 and 25 of Aircraft Rules, the Sahar police station official said.
As per officials, this is the seventh incident this year when a case has been filed for unruly behaviour by flyers.
On March 11, a man was arrested for smoking in the lavatory and trying to open the emergency exit of a London-Mumbai flight. -- PTI
09:19 Pro-Amritpal Singh rally in Raipur; notice served to organisers
A rally was taken out on Wednesday in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur by a group of people in support of absconding pro-Khalistan activist Amritpal Singh, leading the police to serve a notice to the organisers of the event which had no prior permission from authorities.
The rally, a foot march which started from Telibandha and comprised a small group of people visibly belonging to the Sikh community, culminated in front of the Aam Aadmi Party office located in nearby Panchsheel Nagar, police said.
The demonstrators also burnt an effigy of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, a senior leader of the AAP, which rules the northern state.
After the police learnt about the rally, which was taken out without prior permission from authorities, a notice was issued to the persons who had organised the event, Raipur Senior Superintendent of Police Prashant Agrawal told PTI.
He did not provide further details.
Talking to the media, a protester, who identified himself as Diler Singh, said Amritpal Singh was innocent and accused the Punjab government and security agencies of falsely implicating him.
Amritpal Singh was fighting against addiction and keeping youth away from it and also uniting them with religion, he said.
Asked about the rally, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel told reporters in assembly premises that the local administration has been keeping an eye on the issue.
Talking to mediapersons, senior Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Brijmohan Agrawal termed the incident as very unfortunate and said the rally was taken out at a time when the assembly is in session in the state capital.
The Khalistani separatist, who heads the Waris Punjab De, is on the run since the Punjab police launched a massive manhunt for the outfit's members.
Amritpal Singh was on the radar of the Punjab police after he and his armed followers stormed a police station in Ajnala last month to release one of his aides. -- PTI
08:34 Parl logjam: RS Chairman calls floor leaders' meet
With the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Opposition insisting on their demands, an early solution to the impasse in Parliament seems unlikely as the two Houses meet on Thursday in the second week of the second part of the budget session after a day's break.
Rajya Sabha Chairman has called another meeting of floor leaders at 10 am on Thursday as part of consultations to break the logjam.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday that if the government is serious to allow Parliament to function, party leader Rahul Gandhi should be allowed to respond to BJP's allegations against him.
With the BJP insisting on apology from Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in UK, Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Wednesday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking action against Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh over his alleged defamatory remarks about the former party chief.
'On March 13, when the Parliament was called into session and the members were assembled in the House, Rajnath Singh addressed the Lok Sabha and without offering any advance notice, made defamatory statements against Rahul Gandhi who is a Member of Parliament,' Tagore said in his letter to Birla.
'Rajnath Singh has clearly violated Rule 352 (ii) and Rule 353 of the LS Rules and the matter has to be taken up for action against him on priority,' he added.
The Congress leader also said that Rajnath Singh, while making defamatory and undignified statements has neither provided any source from where he had gathered the information nor has he presented any documentary or likewise evidence to support his claims against Rahul Gandhi.
'Such blatant character assassination of Rahul Gandhi is not only being allowed but encouraged since Rahul Gandhi has not been given any opportunity to defend himself or refute the allegations raised against him,' he added.
Congress Lok Sabha MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also earlier on March 13 requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to expunge the statement of Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Pralhad Joshi against Rahul Gandhi.
On his part, Gandhi has written to the Speaker seeking permission to speak in the House to respond to the allegations levelled at him by the BJP.
'I had written to you on March 17 seeking your permission to respond to totally baseless and unfair charges hurled at me by senior ministers in the Lok Sabha. I am making such a request again. I am seeking this permission under the conventions of Parliamentary practice, the constitutionally embedded rules of natural justice and Rule 357 of the Rules and Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha,' Gandhi said in his letter to the Speaker. -- ANI
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