The Central Bureau of Investigation has questioned Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh over a complaint filed by Hansraj Chauhan, alleging that the former castrated around 400 of his followers at his Sirsa ashram.

Former Dera follower Chauhan had claimed in a petition that he and 400 others were castrated by doctors at the Sirsa ashram on Ram Rahim's command.

The CBI initiated probe in the matter on a directive, issued by the Punjab and Haryana high court in 2014.

Earlier, police arrested two close aides of the Dera chief to find that their testicles had been removed.

The probe agency had also recorded statements of two doctors for their alleged role in carrying out forced castrations.

Singh is currently serving a 20-year sentence at Rohtak prison after a Haryana court held him guilty in a rape case. -- ANI

A Juvenile Justice Board has held a juvenile guilty of being involved in multiple blasts in Patna and Bodh Gaya in 2013 and sentenced him to three years in a remand home in each of the cases, the National Investigation Agency said today.

The Juvenile Justice Board, Patna, in its first judgment in Patna and Bodh Gaya serial blasts cases, has held guilty the juvenile accused, who was involved in the conspiracy of carrying out explosions in both the places.

The juvenile has been sentenced to three years in a remand home under each case, a release by the National Investigation Agency said.

Multiple blasts at Patna's Gandhi Maidan took place on October 27, 2013 during the 'Hunkar' rally of the BJP's then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, in which six people were killed and 89 injured.

On July 7 that year, the Bodh Gaya temple complex was rocked by a series of explosion just after the morning prayer.

As many as 13 bombs were planted, out of which 10 exploded while three live bombs were defused.

It appeared that the blasts were carried out with an intention to kill people, including foreign pilgrims, especially Buddhists in order to create terror at a place of worship, the NIA, which probed both the incidents, said.

During the investigation, the agency found that the juvenile was involved in the conspiracy of carrying out blasts in both the places.

So far, 11 accused have been arrested in the Patna blasts case. Six have been arrested in the Bodh Gaya explosions case.

Trials in both the cases are in an advanced stage and judgments are expected soon, the NIA said.  -- PTI

The Union Cabinet today cleared revised pay scales for nearly eight lakh teachers and academic staff of higher educational institutions following the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission.

The decision will benefit 7.58 lakh teachers and equivalent academic staff in the 106 universities and colleges which are funded by the University Grants Commission and the Union Human Resource Development ministry and also 329 universities which are funded by state governments and 12,912 government and private aided colleges affiliated to state public universities.

'In addition, the revised pay package will cover teachers of 119 centrally funded technical institutions -- Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institutes of Management, Indian Institutes of Space Education and Research, Indian Institutes of Information Technology and National Institute of Industrial Engineering,' a statement said after the meeting.

HRD minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters that the approved pay scales would be applicable from January 1, 2016.

The annual central financial liability on account of this measure would be about Rs 9,800 crore.

'The implementation of the pay revision will enhance the teachers' pay in the range of Rs 10,400 and Rs 49,800 as against the extant entry pay due to the implementation of the 6th Pay Commission for the pay of teachers. This revision would register an entry pay growth in the range of 22 per cent to 28 per cent,' the statement said.

For state government funded institutions, the revised pay scales will require adoption by the respective state governments.

The Centre will bear the additional burden of the states on account of revision of pay scales.

The measures proposed in the revised pay structure are expected to improve quality of higher education and also attract and retain talent, Javadekar said.  -- PTI

In a major embarrassment for Jammu and Kashmir government, a picture of jailed separatist leader Asiya Andrabi has appeared along with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and some other personalities in a poster on 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign.

The poster aimed at highlighting the women achievers of the country was hoisted at a function held to promote girl education in south Kashmir's Kokernag area.

Andrabi, the pro-Pakistan chief of 'Dukhtaran-e-Millat' (daughters of the nation) organisation, also shares space with Mother Teresa, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, tennis star Sania Mirza and Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi among others.

Andrabi is currently in jail under Public Safety Act for her separatist activities.

She has several cases registered against her including some for hoisting Pakistani flag on August 14 and March 23 -- the Independence Day and National Day of Pakistan, respectively.

No one from the government, including designated spokespersons, could be reached for their comments on this development.

'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' (save girl, educate girl) is one of the prominent campaigns of Prime Minister NarendraModi.  -- PTI

Comparative GDP growth graphic.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologue Rakesh Sinha on Wednesday hit back at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for his remarks in which he seemed to suggest that the organisation discriminated against women.

Downplaying Rahul's remark Sinha invited former's sister Priyanka Gandhi to attend a session and see for herself how women are treated in RSS.

Earlier on Tuesday, Rahul accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-RSS of discriminating against women in their organisations and asked if anyone had ever seen women at any RSS shakha meeting wearing shorts.

Condemning Rahul's statement, Sinha said that former has insulted women by making such remark.

"Rahul Gandhi insulted women by making statements on shorts. Rahul Gandhi does not know anything about RSS. I invite Priyanka Gandhi to attend RSS shakha then only he would get to know about RSS perspective that it respects and treat women equally," Sinha told ANI.

He further said Rahul should not make any observation of such low level discourse without understanding the values of the 90 years old institution.

Rahul during his two-day visit to poll-bound Gujarat drew huge flak for making statement against women in RSS.

"The BJP's main outfit is the RSS. How many women are there in the RSS? Ever seen any RSS 'shakha' (branch) with women wearing shorts? At least I haven't seen any," Rahul said at a meeting in Gujarat's Akota. -- ANI

A sessions court in Mumbai today granted bail to Sameer Kulkarni, arrested for his alleged involvement in the September 2008 Malegaon blast case.

State-owned Air India has taken the delivery of its last Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which will be inducted in its fleet tomorrow. The new plane was delivered to Air India in the presence of its chairman and managing director Rajiv Bansal at the Seattle facility of the US aircraft maker Boeing Co, an airline source said.


Air India currently has 26 Boeing 787-800 planes in its fleet. The national carrier had in January 2006 ordered as many as 68 Boeing aircraft, including 27 B787-800s.


"The 27th and the last Boeing Dreamliner plane will be arriving at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi tomorrow. With the induction of this plane, Air India will complete the acquisition of 27 such planes that it had ordered in 2006," the source said.


Significantly, Air India's entire European operations are carried out with Boeing Dreamliner planes. Most of these planes are on `sale and lease back' mode.


Under the SLB arrangement, the seller of an asset leases it back from the purchaser for a long'"term period and continues to use it without actually owning it.


As part of its fleet upgradation and expansion plans, Air India had in 2006 placed orders with Boeing for 68 aircraft -- 27 Dreamliners, 15 B777-300ERs, eight B777-200LRs and 18 B-737-800s. Of these, the state-run carrier has already taken the delivery of all but three planes. The remaining three planes -- all B777s -- are to be delivered to the carrier early next year.

JUST IN: Petrol pump dealers call off their October 13 strike (ANI)

Just in: One-time close aide of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Mukul Roy, submits his resignation as TMC MP from the Rajya Sabha to vice-president Venkaiah Naidu. Roy has already met finance minister Arun Jaitley and BJPs Bengal in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya.


Roy had said last month that he would resign from the party after Durga Puja, prompting the TMC to suspend him for six years for anti-party activities.

The Trinamool Congress, led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had last week censured him for allegedly hobnobbing with the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and said it was keeping a close watch on him.

I was the first signatory when the TMC was founded on December 17, 1997. I am announcing with a heavy heart and pain that I will resign from the partys working committee today. I will resign as an MP as well as from the partys primary membership after Durga Puja, Roy, a TMC Rajya Sabha member, told a press conference.

The Supreme Court reserves its verdict on the 'living will' in cases of passive euthanasia. The petitioner argued before the court that the Right to die peacefully is part of Right to Life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.


The government yesterday opposed granting recognition to "living will" in cases of passive euthanasia, telling the Supreme Court that it could be misused and may not be viable as a public policy.


The Centre told a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra that a draft bill based on the guidelines for passive euthanasia made by the top court in the Aruna Shanbaug's case and recommendations of the Law Commission were under its consideration.


The Central government on Tuesday opposed the living will in "passive euthanasia" case and told the Supreme Court's five-judge Constitution bench that it could be enormously misused.


The court is now considering the plea of an NGO, Common Cause, to declare 'right to die with dignity' as a fundamental right within the fold of Right to Live with Dignity guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.


A five-judge constitution bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, is hearing the case.

Just in: Anupam Kher replaces Gajendra Chauhan as FTII chairperson. Normally, the FTII chairman has a tenure of three years, but Chauhan completed his tenure after one year and seven months. He stepped down in March this year.


Chauhan's appointment triggered an outbreak of mass protests on the FTII campus by students. Actors from the film fraternity came out in support of the students. Rishi Kapoor had said, "If they don't want you, they don't want you. Pushing for the chairmanship is getting you no where. Let self pride play a role and retire,' while Amol Palekar had said, "This is something we should be talking about and by this we will clearly know that it is a mistake and that he has no credentials. If I would have been in place of Chauhan and I would have seen that my fraternity does not want me, I would have withdrawn.'

Anupam Kher, who has appeared in over 500 films and a recipient of two National Awards, is married to actress Kirron Kher, a BJP MP.

Police invoke stringent MCOCA Act on don Dawood Ibrahim's brother Iqbal Kaskar, gangster Chhota Shakeel and 3 others in extortion case: Official.

This boy grew up to be one of the greatest actor's in the world. It's his birthday today! 

An inquiry report on the September 29 Elphinstone bridge stampede in Mumbai that killed 23 people has blamed heavy rain for the tragedy, officials said today.


The panel, headed by the Western Railway chief security officer, submitted its report to WR General Manager Anil Kumar today after recording statements of 30 commuters who were injured. It has also examined video footage of the incident, officials said.


According to the report, the stampede was caused by heavy rains which forced people outside at the ticket counters to rush to the already jammed staircase for cover. It said the constant flow of passengers arriving at the station compounded the problem. The report said people with heavy luggage lost their balance because of which the stampede may have occurred.


The probe also said none of the witnesses supported the claim of a short circuit on the bridge leading to the chaos.


The probe panel has recommended that passengers be prevented from carrying heavy luggage during peak hours. The movement of commuters, mainly vendors, carrying baskets stuffed with goods during peak hours should also be restricted.


Other recommendations by the panel include relocating the elevated booking office to widen the staircase (the elevated booking office is adjacent to the staircase where the stampede occurred).


An additional staircase can also be provided, the panel has said. It has suggested that officials use a quick mode of communication apart from mobile phones to ensure timely reaction.


Wireless handsets can be provided to station and security staff, the report said. On September 29, 23 people were killed in the rush hour stampede on a narrow overbridge linking Elphinstone Road and Parel suburban stations during heavy rain.  -- PTI

He made light of the Ganga being declared a "living entity", debated BJP's promise of building a Ram Mandir and wondered why the Centre was not withdrawing the Haj subsidy given to Air India.


For his social media commentary, which the Uttar Pradesh Police considered criminal, Zakir Ali Tyagi said he had to spend 42 days in Muzaffarnagar jail with hardened criminals where he had to pay cash even to use the washroom.


The 18-year-old, who was picked up on the night of April 2, was charged under the Indian Penal Code's Section 420 (cheating) and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act (computer related offences).


He was released on bail after 42 days, but the police has added Section 124A dealing with sedition in the charge sheet, lawyer Qazi Ahmed, who argued the bail case, told PTI. However, it could not be independently verified as a copy of the charge sheet was not available.


"I was picked up on the night of April 2 on the pretext of questioning when I returned home from a jalsa (soiree) in a local madrassa. I was told by the police officer that I would be released in a few hours," Tyagi told reporters yesterday.


The Muslim youth, who worked with a transporter in a steel factory in Muzaffarnagar, recounted his ordeal at the Press Club of India. He was brought to Delhi by the Bhim Army Defence Committee, a forum led by noted lawyers like Colin Gonsalves, which takes up cases of alleged injustice against Dalits, minorities and other marginalized groups.


"The night I was picked up, someone who was not in uniform walked into the lock-up and bashed me. He abused me and called me a terrorist. However, the medical report that was produced by the police, which is mandatory in cases of arrests, said I was perfectly fit," Tyagi said.


By the time he walked out on bail, he had lost his job, which earned him Rs 8,000 per month. His employer, who had been supportive, told him he was being forced to reduce his staff due to losses in the wake of implementation of GST. Tyagi is now pursuing a BA course through correspondence from Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut.


The FIR states that Tyagi used a photograph of police officer Akhtar Ali, who was killed in an encounter with criminals in Dadri in 2016, as his Facebook profile picture, which "deceived people".  -- PTI

An asteroid the size of a house is going to narrowly miss Earth this week in an uncomfortable but risk-free flyby. Experts have said the asteroid, called 2012 TC4, is "no danger", not even to satellites above us.The hunk of rock will pass Earth at an altitude of less than 44,000kms, just above the 36,000kms level where satellites orbit the planet, the Independent reports.

Two Garud Commandos of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and as many Lashkar-e-Toiba militants were today killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district, an army official said.


Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Hajin area of Bandipora district early today following information about presence of militants in the area, he said.


The militants opened firing on the security forces, triggering off a gun battle, the official said. The Garud commandos, who were part of the operation for training and experience purpose, were injured in the exchange of fire with the militants, he said.


The injured personnel were evacuated to the 92 Base Hospital here where they succumbed to injuries. They have been identified as Sergeant Milind Kishor and Corporal Nilesh Kumar.


Two militants have been killed in the encounter so far, the official said, adding the slain ultras belonged to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). They have been identified as Ali alias Abu Maaz, a Pakistani militant, and Nasrullah Mir, a local militant. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid said these militants were involved in a number of terror attacks in which security forces personnel and civilians were killed. "It is a big success for security forces," Vaid said. -- PTI

Always on the ball, India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today, assured a Russian man, begging outside a temple in Tamil Nadu's Kancheepuram, that he would be helped. "


Evangelin, your country Russia is our time-tested friend,' she said on Twitter. "My officials in Chennai will provide you all the help."


Left with no money, a Russian youth who is touring Tamil Nadu today started seeking alms at a temple in Kancheepuram, police said. The 24-year-old man decided to seek alms after he could not withdraw money using his bank ATM card as the PIN got locked, police said.


The tourist who has been identified only by his first name Evangelin, came to Kumarakottam Sri Subramanya Swami temple and sat at the gate with his backpack and sought alms using his cap.


The devotees were surprised to see a foreigner seeking alms and alerted the police, an officer said, adding he was taken to a police station where they checked his travel documents.


The police said his travel documents were in order and he had a valid visa till next month. The tourist told police that as a last resort he sought alms since he was left with no money. He could not withdraw money using his ATM card since the PIN got locked, he said.


Police said they gave him some money and asked him to go to Chennai and contact Russian consulate officials for help.  

Update: A group of traders today moved the Supreme Court seeking modification of the October 9 order by which the sale of firecrackers was banned in Delhi-NCR region till November 1.


The traders told the apex court that their licences were revived in pursuance of the apex court's order passed in September 12 and they procured firecrackers for sale during Diwali. A bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi, A M Sapre and Navin Sinha assured the counsel for the traders that it would consult the judge concerned, who had passed the order, for placing their interim application for urgent hearing.


Lawyer Deepak Chauhan, representing trader Rajesh Kalia and several others, said that a huge amount of money has been invested by them after their licences were revived and the recent order of the apex court would cause huge losses to them.


The court, while banning the sale of firecrackers till November 1, had also said that its September 12 order temporarily lifting the stay and permitting sale of firecrackers, would be made effective only from November one.


The court had said that the November 11, 2016 order suspending the licences "should be given one chance to test itself" to see if there would be a positive effect of this, particularly during Diwali. The court, in its last year's direction, had suspended all licenses which permits sale of fireworks, wholesale and retail within the territory of NCR till further orders.


It had said that the November 11 last year order, suspending all licences which "permit sale of fireworks, wholesale and retail within the territory of NCR", was passed by the court keeping in view the situation that had arisen after last Diwali.  -- PTI

The recent Supreme Court order on the right to privacy lays down the correct exemptions which protects Aadhar, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said.

Jaitley, who is in the US to attend the annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank, was responding to a question at the prestigious Columbia University on how the government is planning to handle Aadhar after the recent Supreme Court decision on the right to privacy.

In its judgement in August, a nine-judge bench decreed that that right to privacy is part of the fundamental rights to life and liberty enshrined in the Constitution.

The judgement by many has been interpreted as a setback to the Aadhar card, under which the government collects vital personal information of the citizens.

"I do believe that the Supreme Court judgement on the privacy matter in accordance with the current timing is a correct judgement. It lays down the correct exceptions which protects Aadhar," Jaitley told students.

"Article 21 reads that no person can be deprived of his right to life and liberty without procedures established by the law. That procedure has to be fair and just," he said. Jaitley said that some of the judges also went into what would be the exceptions to the law of privacy.

"The first exception they say is national security. The second exception they say is detection and prevention of crime. And the third exception judges say is distribution of socio-economic benefits," he said. He said the third exception had been carved out specifically to protect Aadhar.  -- PTI

Traders move the Supreme Court seeking a modification of its order banning the sale of firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR region.

In an effort to check alarming pollution level, the Supreme Court on Monday slapped a temporary ban on the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR region during Diwali this year, dealing a blow to the traders and businessmen dealing in them.

Giving out the order, the apex court maintained that its last month's order, which lifted the stay and permitted the sale of firecrackers, would come into effective only from November 1, 12 days after the 'festival of lights'.

The latest order means the SC has "forthwith' suspended temporary licences issued by the police for sale of firecrackers pursuant to the order of September 12.

The order assumes significance as the court observed that "the air quality deteriorates abysmally and alarmingly and the city chokes thereby' due to the adverse effects of bursting of fire crackers.

Update on the marital rape verdict: The Supreme Court today criminalised sex with a minor wife aged between 15 and 18 years, saying the exception clause in the rape law was arbitrary and was violative of the Constitution.


Section 375 of the IPC, which defines the offence of rape, has an exception clause that says intercourse or sexual act by a man with his wife, not below 15 years, is not rape. However, the age of consent is 18 years.


The apex court said the exception in the rape law was contrary to the philosophy of other statutes and violates the bodily integrity of a girl child.


A bench comprising Justice Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta also expressed concern over the prevalent practise of child marriage in the country and said social justice laws were not implemented with the spirit with which they have been enacted by Parliament.


The bench clarified that it has not dealt with the issue of marital rape as it was not raised before it by respective parties. Justice Gupta, who wrote a separate but concurrent verdict, said the age of marriage was 18 in all laws and the exception given in the rape law under the IPC is "capricious, arbitrary and violates the rights of a girl child".


The apex court said the exception is violative of Article 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution. It asked the Centre and the states to take proactive steps to prohibit child marriage across the country. It voiced concern over thousands of minor girls being married in mass wedding ceremonies on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya.  -- PTI

External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj's bestie. The minister, a favourite on social media, tweets this picture saying, @SushmaSwaraj  "This is my friend Medina Sami Khan - a young Indian citizen." 

One in five married men in India have had non-consensual intercourse with their wives and such cases amount to between 9% and 15% of the total rapes in the country, stated a private member's bill tabled in the Rajya Sabha in 2015 by a Congress MP. Non-consensual sexual intercourse between a man and his wife, or marital rape, is not an offence under Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code.

This protects a man from being tried for the rape of his wife. Two years after the bill was moved, the Delhi high court is hearing a clutch of petitions seeking to criminalise marital rape.

The Centre has opposed the petitions saying marital rape cannot be made a criminal offence as it could become something that might destabilise the institution of marriage and could be an easy tool for harassing husbands.

While the petitions in the Delhi high court seek a holistic view, criminalising marital rape per se, the Supreme Court, on the other hand, is hearing a petition on the Constitutionality of Exception 2 of Section 375 of the IPC which states that the rape law would not apply to sexual assault or sexual intercourse by a husband on his wife if she was over 15 years of age.

The petitions in the Delhi high court have been filed by the NGO RIT Foundation, the All India Democratic Women's Association and a marital rape victim.

Senior Supreme Court Advocate Dr Colin Gonsalves, who is representing the RIT foundation, tells Rediff.com that by allowing the decriminalising of marital rape, the government is justifying sexual slavery.

Do read

In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court today said that sexual intercourse with wife below 18 years (or between 15 and 18 years) will be considered rape and will be a punishable offence under the Indian Penal Code. The court said that exception in rape law is discriminatory, capricious and arbitrary and expressed concern over the practice of child marriage. It said social justice laws are not implemented with the spirit they have been enacted. The exception in rape law under the IPC is contrary to other statutes, violates bodily integrity of girl child, the SC said.


Section 375 of the IPC, which defines the offence of rape, has an exception clause that says intercourse or sexual act by a man with his wife, not below 15 years, is not rape. However, the age of consent is 18 years.


A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur had on September 6 reserved its order on the plea while questioning the Centre how Parliament could create an exception in law declaring that intercourse or a sexual act by a man with his wife, aged between 15 and less than 18 years, is not rape when the age of consent is 18.

Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has issued a statement after a stone was thrown at the Australian cricket team's bus late last night in Guwahati. 

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday defended the government for maintaining secrecy over demonetisation before its announcement, saying transparency in this case would have been the 'greatest instrument of fraud'.

Jaitley, who is on a week-long visit to the United States to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, said that announcing this major initiative in advance could have resulted in people buying gold, diamond and land and going through various kinds of transactions with the cash they had.

"Transparency is a very nice word. But transparency in this case (of demonetisation) would have been the greatest instrument of fraud," Jaitley told students of the Columbia University in New York.

The finance minister was responding to a question that why Prime Minister Narendra Modi kept the demonetisation plan a closely guarded secret with only a handful of top officials privy to the move.

"Secrecy was the essence of that decision making (process). I think, one of the greatest success of demonetisation was that the prime minister and the team -- obviously the RBI was involved, the finance minister was involved -- kept it a closely guarded secret," he said.

"Otherwise in a process where a decision is taken, alternate currency is printed, thousands of people involved in the printing do not know why they are doing it, the currency is collected, tabulated and sent to the currency chest and one has to be ready with the alternate currency the moment it is demonetised and still we were able to keep it a closely guarded secret," he said.

Emphasising that the implementation of demonetisation was a 'success', Jaitley said, "There were no single public unrest in its immediate aftermath."

"This was the largest ever currency replacement exercise. There was inconvenience. Television reporters went and provoked people outside the banks, but still people said that though they were feeling the pinch of it, it was a good move and they support it," the minister said.

Demonetisation had a lot of popular support, Jaitley said, adding that as a result of its implementation the government has been able to manage a large part of the cash currency.

"Digital transactions have doubled. A large number of people have joined the tax net," he said. On Goods and Services Tax, he said that it has been the 'smoothest possible transfer' from one taxation system to the other.

He said that the GST which has been by and large running smoothly would throw up situations which are not anticipated.

"These are challenges which a new system throws up," he said, noting that after the GST came into force they realised that there was no provisions for exemption, and only for refunds.  -- PTI