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Tue, 25 April 2017
Sharad Yadav meets Sonia amid talks of joint Prez candidate

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23:24   Sharad Yadav meets Sonia amid talks of joint Prez candidate
Senior Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav today met Congress president Sonia Gandhi amid talk of a joint presidential candidate being put up by the opposition.

Gandhi, who has emerged as the central force in uniting various parties on the issue, spent some time discussing the current political situation.

However, Yadav, whose name is among one of the probable candidates, termed the meeting as a mere 'courtesy call'.

"It was merely a courtesy call," he said.

Hectic negotiations are on among opposition parties for putting up a joint presidential candidate to replace incumbent Pranab Mukherjee.

Gandhi has met several opposition leaders, including Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja, in the recent past over the issue.

Sources said the Opposition is trying to put up a united face and jointly fight the presidential poll even though the numbers have tilted in favour of the National Democratic Alliance after Uttar Pradesh assembly election results.

The sudden flurry of opposition activities comes in the wake of the BJP's winning streak in states since the formation of the Narendra Modi government in 2014.

It currently has governments in 13 states and is a junior partner in the ruling alliance in Jammu and Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh.

Some feel that the opposition unity for contesting may well turn out to be a precursor to an anti-NDA front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. -- PTI
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22:26   UP govt announces Rs 30 lakh compensation to 2 CRPF jawans
The Uttar Pradesh government tonight announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs 30 lakh to each of the two CRPF jawans from the state who fell to Naxal bullets in Chhattisgarh.

The decision was taken at a meeting of state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, which also condemned the Sukma attack and expressed condolences for the soldiers who laid down their lives for the country.

"Rs 30 lakh compensation will be given to kin of CRPF personnel who were martyred in the Sukma attack," UP minister Shrikant Sharma told mediapersons after the meeting. -- PTI
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21:44   TN govt gives Rs 20 lakh to families of CRPF martyrs
A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com reports:

The Tamil Nadu government has announced ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh each for the family of four Central Reserve Police Force personnel from the state who were martyred in an attack by Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Monday. 

The bodies of the four martyrs are being airlifted to Tiruchi and Madurai by the Indian Air Force.

Chief Minister K Palaniswamy condoled the death of M Padmanaban, N Senthil Kumar, N Thirumurugan and P Azhagupandi and expressed his sympathies with their families.
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21:19   'Unhappy' Rajnath asks CRPF DG to stay put in Chhattisgarh
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today directed acting chief of the Central Reserve Police Force and a top security officer to stay put in Chhattisgarh to ensure coordinated 'targeted' operations against the Naxals, apparently unhappy over the functioning of the paramilitary force.

The home minister's directive came as he was apparently unhappy over the functioning of the CRPF which has faced reverses in the recent past.

He has conveyed to the CRPF brass to resolve some 'inherent' problems like weaponry, logistics and intelligence gathering mechanism to ensure lethality and better results by avoiding casualties in anti-Naxal operations, sources said.

The home minister asked acting director general of the CRPF, Sudeep Lakhtakia and senior security advisor in the home ministry, K Vijay Kumar to stay put in Chhattisgarh to ensure coordinated operations against the Naxals, they said.

The two officers will stay in Chhattisgarh till a robust anti-Naxal operation is carried out against those involved in the killing of 25 CRPF personnel yesterday, official sources said.

Lakhtakia and Kumar will ensure targeted action, based on pin-pointed intelligence, by the security forces against the Naxals, the sources said.

Kumar is a former chief of the CRPF and he is credited for elimination of forest brigand Veerappan in 2004 in Tamil Nadu.

The home minister today said in Raipur that the government will review its strategy on battling the Naxalites. -- PTI
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21:10   Punjab CM announce Rs 5 lakh for kin of martyr
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the Punjab soldier who was among the 25 Central Reserve Police Force personnel killed in the Sukma Naxal attack.

The compensation amount will be handed over to the family of the martyred soldier, Inspector Raghbir Singh, an official spokesperson said in Chandigarh.

Inspector Singh, a native of village Sathiala in Amritsar district, was part of the 74th Battallion of CRPF, which was targeted in one of the worst ever Maoist attacks in Burkapal area of south Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.

Expressing grief at the 'senseless act' of violence, Chief Minister Singh urged the central government to work on a comprehensive policy to deal with the Naxal problem. -- PTI
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20:36   Jharkhand CM announces Rs 5 lakh for kin of Sukma martyr
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today announced that the state government would give Rs five lakh to the family members of a Central Reserve Police Force jawan who was one of those killed by Maoists in Chhattisgarh.

The jawan was identified as Ashish Kumar Singh, who was from Garhwa district of Jharkhand.

The government initially announced that it would give Rs two lakh to the family but later increased the amount to Rs five lakh, an official release said. -- PTI

IMAGE: Family members and relatives mourn the death of CRPF jawan Ashish Kumar Singh. Photograph: PTI Photo
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19:28   CBI files FIR against its former chief Ranjit Sinha
The Central Bureau of Investigation has lodged a corruption case against its former director Ranjit Sinha.

Sinha is accused of influencing probe into the coal block allocation scam.

The decision to investigate Sinha comes nearly three months after the Supreme Court had ordered constitution of a special investigation team to probe the allegations of "abuse of authority" prima facie committed by the 1974 batch Indian Police Service officer to scuttle the probe in coal block allocation cases.

A special bench headed by Justice M B Lokur had given its verdict based on the report by a special judicial panel, which held that prima facie there was an attempt to influence investigation into the scam by Sinha.

"We are prima facie satisfied that Ranjit Sinha had abused his position as CBI director and it must be probed," the Supreme Court had said.
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18:43   Naxals were armed with rocket launchers, AK-47s: Survivor
"The villagers came first, and then the Naxalites, dressed in black. They were some 300 Naxalites, all wearing black," a jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force said. 

The jawan was among those injured in the Naxalite attack that took 25 lives in Chhattisgarh on Monday.
Some of the Maoists carried rocket launchers, the jawan, who did not wish to be named, said.
Another injured jawan, Sher Mohammad Khan, told PTI the Naxalites also carried AK-47s, SLRs and other automatic weapons.
The two men, who were in a 99-strong CRPF team carrying out a sanitisation exercise for an under-construction road in Chhattisgarh, are now being treated in a hospital in Raipur.
"They first sent the villagers to check our location. The villagers weren't carrying arms, (so) how could we fire at them," the unnamed CRPF man asked.
"We retaliated. We also killed many Naxals," he added.
Khan said there were women in the group of Naxalites that attacked the CRPF team in Sukma.
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18:36   China bans Islamic baby names in Muslim-majority Xinjiang
China has banned dozens of Islamic baby names in the country's largest Muslim-majority Xinjiang province as a part of its crackdown on alleged religious "extremism", Radio Free Asia has reported.

The RFA, citing a Chinese Communist Party's document titled 'Naming Rules for Ethnic Minorities, said that Islam, Quran, Mecca, Jihad, Imam, Saddam, Hajj, and Medina are among dozens of baby names that have been banned in the province.

A police official was quoted, as saying that a baby registered with such names would be barred from the "hukou" household registration system that gives access to healthcare and education.

"You're not allowed to give names with a strong religious flavor, such as Jihad or names like that. The most important thing here is the connotations of the name ... it mustn't have connotations of holy war or of splittism Xinjiang independence," the official added.

A spokesman for the exiled World Uyghur Congress group, Dilxat Raxit, said Beijing continues to suppress traditional Uyghur culture by controlling the naming of Uyghur children.

The Human Rights Watch described the move as the latest in a slew of new regulations restricting religious freedom in the name of countering "religious extremism."
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17:40   Govt urges Oppn not to politicise Sukma attack
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh on Tuesday urged the opposition not to politicise the gruesome attack by the Naxals on the Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district and assured strict action by the government.


"It is not right to comment on this issue now, especially without knowing any facts. It is not right to comment on judiciary and its decision, they know best and some action will be taken. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has taken 'suo moto' cognizance on this issue. I request the opposition not to add politics in this serious and grave matter," Singh told ANI.


As many as 25 CRPF personnel were killed and six others injured in the encounter with the Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Sukma yesterday.


The attack took place on personnel of the CRPF's 74th Battalion as they were assisting the local population in road building activity in the district.


The Centre, earlier in the day, assured action against the perpetrators of the 'cold-blooded murder' in Sukma.Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Centre and state government would work together to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.


Singh, who paid homage to the jawans during a wreath laying ceremony in Raipur today along with his deputy Hansraj Ahir and Chief Minister Raman Singh, said this cowardly and unfortunate act exposes desperation and frustration.


"It is a cold blooded murder by the extremists. The Centre and state governments will work together and take action in this regard," Rajnath told a joint press briefing with the Chief Minister here.


Condemning the attack, the Home Minister said that the sacrifice of the jawans would not go in vain.


He further said that the Centre if needed would review and also revise the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) strategy, adding a meeting of officials of various state governments has been called on May 8.
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17:16   Wipro Q4 profit up marginally, co announces bonus shares
Wipro today posted a marginal increase in its consolidated profit at Rs 2,267 crore for the quarter ended March. The country's third-largest software services firm had registered a profit of Rs 2,257.3 crore in the year-ago period, as per Indian accounting norms. The total income stood at Rs 15,033.8 crore in the said quarter compared to Rs 14,312.7 crore in the year-ago period, up over 5 per cent. The company, which competes with the likes of TCS and Infosys, has said it will issue bonus shares within the next two months.
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17:14  
A joint operational doctrine for the Army, the Navy and the Airforce to effectively deal with India's security challenges released.
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16:26  
West Bengal govt will give Rs 5 lakh to family, job to a family member (of CRPF jawans who lost their lives): CM Mamata Banerjee. 
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16:04   Odisha deploys 4-tier security, seals border with Chhattisgarh
Apprehending an influx of Maoists from Chhattisgarh a day after the carnage in Sukma, the Odisha police today sealed the border with the neighbouring state and sounded a high alert in Malkangiri district. Though the Maoist ambush yesterday took place about 45 km from Malkangiri and close to Maharashtra border, the Odisha Police deployed its elite anti-Maoist Special Operation Group (SOG), District Voluntary Force (DVF) and jawans of the CRPF and the BSF to ensure there was no influx of ultras in Odisha, state DGP K B Singh said. Singh said there was every possibility of Maoist ultras preferring to take shelter in Odisha as Maharashtra has already sealed its border with Chhattisgarh.


"The central forces and state police have been told to undertake area domination exercise and flush out Maoist rebels, if any," the DGP told reporters. Malkangiri Superintendent of Police (SP) Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said, "We have sounded a high-alert in the border areas. The whole district has also been put on extra vigil."

Monitoring has been intensified in all entry and exit points at the bordering areas. Besides, instructions have been given to police officers and combing police parties to coordinate with their counterparts in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh, he said.

A similar alert was also sounded along the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB), the police said. As many as 300 heavily armed Maoists ambushed a CRPF contingent yesterday and killed 25 troopers in Chhattisgarh.


Image: Bullet casings recovered from the site of the encounter at Sukma
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15:57   The Maoist commander behind the slaugher of CRPF jawans
Sanjay Bragta @SanjayBragta tweets: Maoist commander "Hidma" of Palori behind #sukmaattack killing 25 CRPF personnel, responsible 4 Jheeram Ghati (32) & Dantewada (76 ) killing. 
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15:31   A Raja talks about the blind men and the elephant at CBI court
2G accused and former union minister A Raja makes his final rebuttal arguments before the Special CBI court headed by Judge OP Saini. Click here for a summary of his statement made to the court. 
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15:09  
Tamil Nadu: HC orders the govt not to open any Tasmac liquor shops for the next three months after the Opposition DMK filed plea on the govt's attempt to circumvent the SC order.
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14:45   We will continue to wail over coffins without CRPF reform: Lt Gen Panag
Lt General HS Panag, who was vilified and viciously trolled recently for criticising the Indian army for using a "human shield" to protect themselves from stone pelters in Kashmir's Budgam district, weighs in on the CRPF operations in Naxal strongholds.

The former General Officer Commanding of the Northern Command, who has served in J-K for 40 years, tweeted today in the wake of the Naxal attack on CRPF jawans. The attack in Sukma, Chhattisgarh left 25 jawans dead and six injured.

Lt Gen Panag said, the CRPF is too poorly trained and led to conduct counter insurgency operations in the Red Corridor.

He said the CRPF was sitting ducks for better trained and motivated insurgents. "If we do not bring about urgent reforms we will continue to be inefficient and suffer casualties. The CRPF needs to be officered and trained by the Indian Army. Bravery and martyrdom must be respected but must not be used to prevent questioning inefficiency which also leads to gross exaggeration.

"What I have given was my assessment as Central Army Commander in 2008. The situation still remains the same. Current deification of security forces and linking them to nationalism is preventing reforms. If we do not reform we will continue to wail over coffins!"

At least 25 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed and six wounded in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Monday, the deadliest attack by Naxalites targeting security forces this year.

The Naxalites mounted the assault around 12.25 pm in Kalapathar area of south Bastar region, one of the worst-hit by Left-wing extremism in the country.

The area is close to the Chintagufa-Burkapal-Bheji axis, the hotbed of Naxal violence which has seen a number of such attacks in the past resulting in high casualties.


Image: Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh and Home Minister Rajnath Singh pay their respects before the coffins of the 25 CRPF jawans in Raipur.
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14:21  
POCSO court grants bail to former UP minister Gayatri Prajapati and his two accomplices in a rape case.
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14:18   Raman Singh, BJP have an understanding with Naxals: Digvijaya shocker
Congress senior leader Digvijaya Singh's shocker in the wake of the Sukma Naxal attack killing 25 CRPF jawans.

Digvijaya said that Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh and the BJP have an understanding with Naxals. "That is why they win polls there," he said.

The Congress Party on Monday described the encounter by Naxals as extremely unfortunate and called on the Narendra Modi-led NDA government to initiate appropriate counter action.  

Addressing the media in New Delhi, party spokesman Manish Tiwari said, "Extremely unfortunate. Hope government will act with alacrity. Hope government initiates appropriate action against people responsible for attack."

Tiwari's statement came shortly after Chhattisgarh's Chief Minister Raman Singh called for an emergency meeting of senior civil and law enforcement officials to discuss the encounter killing that took place in the Chintagufa area in the state's Sukma district, a Maoist-dominant area.

The attack took place on personnel of the 74th Battalion of the CRPF as they were assisting the local population in road building activity in the district.
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14:05   Sena harps on Bhagwat for Prez, says RSS HQ second seat of power
The Shiv Sena today said that the RSS headquarters has become the "second seat of power" in the country and it does not deem anybody fit for the president's post except Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party, which has had strained ties with ally BJP, had earlier also suggested that Bhagwat be made the next President of India.

However, Bhagwat had dismissed such suggestions and asserted that even if his name is proposed, he "will not accept it".

The Sena said that the ambitions of some strong contenders for the president's post may have got derailed post the apex court order in Babri case and wondered if some "new calculations" were made when senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi called on Bhagwat last week.

Notably, top BJP leaders L K Advani, Joshi and Uma Bharti will be tried for criminal conspiracy in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case as the Supreme Court last week allowed a CBI plea for restoring the charge against them.

The Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', today said, "Advani and Joshi are BJP veterans. Their contribution in the formation and rise of the party is immense."
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13:57   'Reasonable to anticipate more Maoist attacks'
Former Central Reserve Police Force director general and senior security advisor in the home ministry K Vijay Kumar, who has rushed to Chhattisgarh following the killing of 25 CRPF men in Sukma on Monday, speaks with Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore about the morale of the jawans after the Maoist attack and explains with numbers why Naxals are fighting a losing battle. But he refused to comment on why the CRPF is without a DG for the last two months, a period in which Naxals ambushed CRPF jawans twice in Sukma, on March 11 and April 24, killing 37 jawans. Read the interview here.
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13:50  
AIADMK faction led by O Panneerselvam demands removal of VK Sasikala's portraits from the party headquarters in Chennai.
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13:49   Aamir accepts award for Dangal from RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat
Superstar Aamir Khan, who never appears at award functions made an exception and accepted the award for 'Dangal' at the Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Awards, from none other than RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

It may be recollected that in 2015, Aamir had said his wife Kiran Rao felt unsafe in India following the increasing instances of intolerance in the Narendra Modi government.

Aamir was present at the ceremony with Nitesh Tiwari, writer-director of one of the biggest blockbusters of 2016.

"It's a very big honour for me and Nitesh. I thank Didi and everyone from the bottom of my heart for the respect that this film has been given," Aamir said and added, "This has only been possible because of the wonderful story that Nitesh has written. I would also like to say that whatever I am today, the whole credit goes to all the writers whose films I have worked in."

The 'PK' star was invited by Lata Mangeshkar to attend the Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Awards, held to commemorate her father's 75th death anniversary and it was also when the legendary singer started singing in films. Aamir last attended an award show 16 years ago at the Academy Awards when 'Lagaan' was nominated in the Best Film category. 
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13:11  
At a glance. The airlift plans for the mortal remains of the 25 CRPF jawans killed yesterday.
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13:08   IAF to transport mortal remains of 25 CRPF martyrs
The Indian Air Force will transport the mortal remains of the 25 CRPF bravehearts who were killed by Naxalites in an ambush in Sukma, Chhattisgarh, on April 24.

According to an official note, one C-130 aircraft will transport three martyrs to Pathankot, two to Jaipur and four to Delhi, another C-130 will transport two martyrs to Bagdogra, one to Kolkata, four to Patna and two to Varanasi. One AN-32 aircraft will transport three martyrs to Tiruchirappalli and one to Madurai, while an MI-17 V5 helicopter will transport one martyr to Rewa, one to Jaspur, and one to Geruwa.
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12:46   Delhi seeks Mallyas custody from UK: Indias extradition success rate is just 36%
The government seeks custody of liquor baron Vijay Mallya from the UK, but Indias success rate at extradition has been no more than 36% over 15 years, according to this report by Factly.in, a data journalism portal. This means India managed one extradition of every three sought.

Read full report HERE
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12:21   PETA urges PM Modi to ban meat from serving at government functions
Animal Right Organisation PETA has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban meat from being served at all government or government-sponsored meetings and functions.

The group asked the government to take cue from the German environment minister Barbara Hendricks who banned meat from being served at her ministry's meetings and events.

It said that the meat production is one of the leading causes of climate change.

Quoting a report published by the Worldwatch Institute in 2009, it said that 51 per cent of worldwide greenhouse-gas emissions may be attributable to agriculture, specifically to businesses that raise cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, camels, and pigs for food.

"I hope you'll agree that India should also set a good example where environmental conservation is concerned by eliminating animal-derived foods from the menus of all government or government-sponsored meetings and functions," it added.

Describing Prime Minster Modi as a role model for leading a compassionate, healthy, and environmentally friendly eating lifestyle, the organisation said, "It's time for the entire Indian government to follow your lead and protect the environment by eliminating animal-derived foods from its meals."
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12:01  
Victims of Malegaon blast case to challenge the bail given to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur in the Supreme Court.
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11:50   Centre, state on same page in tackling Naxals: Rajnath
HM Rajnath Singh and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh reviewing the situation in the state at a meeting in Raipur.

Rajnath Singh, who arrived in the state capital, Raipur, along with MoS Home Hansraj Ahir to pay tribute to the slain CRPF jawans, said the government was reviewing the anti-Naxal operations in the state and has called for a review meeting on May 8. "Naxals will never succeed and the attack shows their desperation. The jawans's sacrifices would never be forgotten. The Centre and the state government were on the same page on anti-Naxal operations," the Home Minister said.

At least 25 CRPF personnel were killed and seven wounded in Chhattisgarhs Sukma district on Monday, the deadliest ambush by Naxalites of security forces this year.

The nearly 100-strong CRPF patrol providing security for road construction work came under fierce gunfire from Maoist guerrillas occupying vantage positions, inflicting heavy casualties on the personnel.


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11:34   In memoriam
Internationally acclaimed sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik pays tribute to the martyred CRPF jawans killed by Naxals in an ambush in Sukma yesterday.

Pattnaik tweets: @sudarsansand I am deeply pained on the death of our #CRPF jawans in #NaxalAttack at #Sukma. One of my SandArts for the Heroes.
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11:26  
In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Home Minister Rajnath Singh pays tribute to the slain CRPF jawans. With him were MoS Home Hansraj Ahir and CM Raman Singh.
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11:23   Sadhvi Pragya granted bail on surety of Rs 5 lakh
The National Investigation Agency on April 3 had submitted a closure report in the 2007 Ajmer bomb blast case, giving a clean chit to four persons including Sadhvi Pragya and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Indresh Kumar, saying no prosecutable evidence was found against them.

Following this, the court granted Sadhvi Pragya bail today. The Sadhvi has to submit her passport to the NIA and appear in court when summoned. She was given bail on a surety of Rs 5 lakh. Her lawyer said the proof against Sadhvi Pragya is only circumstantial. She has been in jail since October 2008 and has never been granted bail in the case.

The NIA had submitted the closure report to a special court hearing NIA cases which awarded life imprisonment to Bhavesh Patel, 39, and Devendra Gupta, 41, on March 22. The agency said that it could not find any 'strong evidence' against Indresh Kumar, Sadhvi Pragya, Rajendra and Ramesh alias Prince.
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11:17   2008 Malegaon blasts: Sadhvi Pragya gets bail
2008 Malegaon blast case: Bombay HC grants bail to Sadhvi Pragya on a bail of Rs 5 lakh. The court rejected the bail of another prime accused Lt Col Prasad Purohit's application.

Both are the prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case. In February, the court had reserved its order on the bail petition filed by Purohit. The duo had moved the High Court after a special court, which hears terror cases probed by the National Investigation Agency, quashed their bail pleas.

Purohit was held in November 2008 on charges of allegedly procuring RDX to carry out the blast and hatching the conspiracy. Concluding its arguments, the NIA had said prima facie there was sufficient amount of evidence to suggest the former military intelligence officer played a key role in executing the blasts.

Six persons were killed and scores injured in a blast at Malegaon, a Muslim-majority town in northern Maharashtra, in September 2008.
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11:09   Home Minister, CM pay tribute to CRPF jawans killed in Sukma
Home minister Rajnath Singh reaches Raipur to pay tribute to the 25 CRPF jawans slain in a Naxal attack yesterday. Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh is also there. The attack took place between Burkapal-Chintagufa area in south Bastar, the worst Maoist violence-affected district area of the state. President Pranab Mukherjee, PM Narendra Modi yesterday expressed their condolences.

Rajnath Singh on Monday night briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the attack.  CM Raman Singh also held an emergency meet at his official residence in Raipur with senior administrative and police officials.

The chief minister took details of the incident in the wake of the attack. He directed the officials to make every necessary arrangement so that the bodies of troopers reach their native places as early as possible, according to the officer.

He also directed to provide best possible medical assistance to the injured personnel admitted in the two hospitals in Raipur.
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10:48   'Go to Pakistan': Elderly Muslim man humiliated by youth in Delhi metro
In yet another shocking case of religious discrimination, an elderly Muslim man was denied a seat in Delhi metro by a group of youth, who hurled slurs and abuses at him over his appearance.

The incident took place in the violet line of Delhi Metro where the young men turned down the request of a senior citizen of vacating a seat and told him to go to Pakistan if he wishes to get a seat in the coach.

The incident came into view after women's right activist Kavita Krishnan unfolded this shameful incident in her Facebook post.

According to the post, the National Secretary of AICCTU, Santosh Roy, intervened and came forward in support of the old man.

When Roy asked the young men to apologise to the man, they refused and also held Roy by his collar and allegedly told him to "Go to Pakistan".

Finally, when a guard entered the compartment at the Khan Market station. A complaint was filed at the Pandara Road police station where they were taken.

A few days later, when Roy visited the police station he came to know that the elderly man had decided not to pursue the complaint.

"The elderly gentleman had given a written statement that he accepted the apology from the two young men and that he had forgiven them keeping in mind their young age," Krishnan added.


Representational image.
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10:31   Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance author dies
Robert Pirsig, the author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, died on Monday. He was 88. Pirsig, who had been institutionalised for a while after being diagnosed schizophrenic in the 1960s, died of natural causes, a statement issued by his publisher William Morrow & Co said.
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10:27   Sensex climbs 168 pts on RIL earnings; positive global cues
The benchmark BSE Sensex climbed almost 168 points in early session today as sentiments rose with Reliance Industries' better-than-expected fourth quarter earnings numbers which were announced yesterday. This apart, a firming trend in other Asian markets, taking strong cues from the US and European markets following Emmanuel Macron's first round presidential election win in France, boosted trading sentiments.
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09:57   My son killed five Naxals, I'm proud of him: CRPF
The mother of CRPF constable Sher Mohammed, who was injured in the Naxal attack says she is proud of her son. "My son killed five Naxals. I'm proud of my son. The entire village is praying for him," said Fareeda.
Seven jawans were injured in the attack yesterday, which left 25 dead.
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09:45   Mortal remains of slain CRPF jawans reach Chhattisgarh police camp
Bodies of the 25 CRPF jawans killed by Naxals in an ambush in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district are being brought to the Chhattisgarh Armed Forces camp in Mana.

The Naxals mounted the assault around 12.25 pm in the Kalapathar area of south Bastar region, one of the worst-hit by Left-wing extremism in the country.

The area is close to the Chintagufa-Burkapal-Bheji axis, the hotbed of Naxal violence which has seen a number of such attacks in the past resulting in high casualties.

The incident occurred near Burkapal village within Chintagufa police station limits, Sukma Additional Superintendent of Police Jitendra Shukla said.

While 11 bodies were recovered first, 12 were found during combing operations. A jawan succumbed to his injuries while being evacuated by air, the officer added.

An injured jawan, brought to a hospital in Raipur, said the CRPF patrol was attacked by around 300 Maoist guerrillas.

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09:32   Day 3: Dinakaran's grilling continues
After an eight-hour long grilling of the ousted All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader TTV. Dinakaran by the Crime Branch office of the Delhi Police on Monday, his interrogation over the case involving bribing of an Election Commission official to get the party's 'two-leaves' symbol will continue today.

Dinakaran's lawyer has been asked to appear in the Crime Branch office at 11 am today, while his Personal Assistant Janardhanan has been summoned at 2 pm. Dinakaran was called in at 5 pm on Monday, which stretched over to a long eight-hour interrogation after which the leader was seen leaving the crime branch post midnight.

It is being said that the Crime Branch is trying to get to the core of the issue and believes a nexus is at work, which is run by a higher authority.

Ergo, the grilling continues without any signs of stopping.

Earlier on Sunday, Dinakaran was cross examined along with his 'friend' Mallikarjuna and PA Janardhanan, sources state.

They were quizzed about the money trail of the alleged bribe. Also the matter of Dinakaran staying over with Mallikarjuna for around 10 days after an FIR was filed against him, was also brought up during the interrogation.

On Saturday, Dinakaran was given a set of questions by the Delhi Police in connection with the case.
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09:23   'Aadhaar is very dangerous for the Indian nation'
"By taking fingerprints, iris scans and other details of citizens, the State is becoming the custodian of its people. The State can use this data according to its whims and fancies, which is not good in a democracy. When the State looks at all the activities of its citizens, it becomes a police State," says Communist Party of India leader Binoy Viswam, who has moved a petition in the Supreme Court questioning the introduction of Section 139 AA of the IT Act to link Aadhaar cards with PAN cards. Read the interview to Shobha Warrier here.
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09:17   CRPF, which lost 25 jawans, is without a full-time chief
The Central Reserve Police Force that leads anti-Maoist operations across the country has been headless for almost two months.

The paramilitary wing lost more than two dozen of its men on Monday to an ambush by the communist guerillas in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district- the second attack on the CRPF in the area within 40 days.

"Why is a force of 300,000 personnel headless for two months?" asked Prakash Singh, former director general of BSF. "Where is the leadership for the force? When this government took over, (home minister) Rajnath Singh made a grand announcement about a policy to deal with the situation.

Three years later, where is that policy?" The patrol team of 99 personnel was on a road-sanitisation operation. "The CRPF party had left their camp around 5.30am. While patrolling the road they took a break around 10.30am. That's the time they noticed some villagers approach them. The villagers had cattle with them and soon moved away. It now appears they were a Maoist patrolling party to assess the number of CRPF personnel and their weapons,'' top sources in the ministry of home affairs said. 
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09:02   DMK leads bandh in Tamil Nadu today, in support of drought-hit farmers
After staging protests in the national capital for 41 days, Tamil Nadu farmers reached Chennai on Tuesday to participate in the state-wide bandh in support of drought-hit farmers. 

Led by the opposition party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham, the strike has been called to pressurise the state government and Centre to fulfill the demands made by the farmers. The ruling AIADMK government, on the other hand, has described the shutdown as politically motivated.

Farmers are demanding a slew of drought-relief measures, including loan waivers for all farmers, inter-linking of rivers, pensions for farmers and the setting up of a Cauvery management board. Many trade unions, farmers bodies, local vegetable bodies and even film stars have pledged solidarity with the farmers, and will participate in the bandh. 

Tamil Nadu farmers had called off their strike in the national capital on Sunday, after meeting Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. Palaniswani, who had ensured the protesters that their demands will be met, confirmed yesterday that he has taken up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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08:51   Army canteens withdraw Patanjali amla juice
The Canteen Stores Department, the retailing entity selling consumer goods to the armed forces, has suspended the sale of a batch of Patanjali Ayurvedas amla juice after it failed to clear a laboratory test.

The Haridwar-based ayurveda firm, promoted by yoga guru Ramdev, however, blamed an Uttarakhand government department for the fiasco.

Defence ministry sources said a show cause notice has been served on the company after the juice failed the test carried out at West Bengal Public Health Laboratory in Kolkata.

The sources said that as per procedure, the CSD has immediately suspended the sale of the particular batch and sent a show cause notice to the company to examine the deviations and explain them.

They said further action will be taken on receipt of reply from the firm.
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07:59   Dinakaran cracks before cops, confesses to meeting middleman in bribery case
AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dinakaran has confessed to meeting Sukesh Chandrasekhar, the arrested middleman in the EC bribery case, under the impression that he was a high court judge, police said.

Dinakaran, who is being grilled by the Delhi Police, had so far maintained that did not know Sukesh nor had he met him.

The leader, who is accused of trying to bribe an Election Commission official in a bid to retain the 'two-leaves' symbol of AIADMK, however, denied having paid any money to Sukesh in this regard, police said.

On sustained quizzing, Dinakaran said he had met Sukesh, who had posed as a high court judge and sought to help him in the matter, police sources said.

However, he denied paying money to the middleman, the sources said, adding the Crime Branch officers also confronted Dinakaran and Sukesh.

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00:25   Trump calls for sanctions against North Korea
United States President Donald Trump on Monday called for United Nations Security Council sanctions against the nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes of North Korea, terming it as a very big problem.

"The status quo on North Korea is unacceptable. The (UN Security) Council must be prepared to impose additional sanctions on North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programme," Trump told ambassadors of countries on the UN Security Council during a working luncheon in the White House.

North Korea, he said, 'is real threat' to the world.

"It is a big world problem," he added.

Noting that it has been left unattended for a long time, Trump said it is time to resolve the North Korean problem.

"It is now time to solve the problem," he said. -- PTI

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