LIVE! Ex-PDP sarpanch shot dead in Shopian

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Mon, 16 October 2017

Ex-PDP sarpanch shot dead in Shopian

Timeline Refresh

23:42 Items in 28% GST rate slab needs to be pruned: Adhia

The number of goods in the highest 28 per cent GST slab would be brought down and a committee of officers will calculate the revenue impact before going in for further reduction in tax rates, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said today.

"It is required, the fitment of rates which has happened is mainly based on excise and VAT," he said when asked if the GST Council is considering pruning of the number of items in 28 per cent tax bracket.

Goods and Services Tax (GST), rolled out from July 1, has subsumed over two dozen taxes and has transformed India into a single market for seamless flow of goods and services. All goods and services have been fitted in the four-tier GST rate structure of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent.

Adhia said while fitting the goods and services in various tax bracket, the GST Council has taken into consideration only the excise duty and VAT rate applicable on those items prior to GST.

"There are industries where 95 per cent of production used to take place in MSME and all of them used to avail excise duty exemption. So that means the excise rate we have taken for that item is only theoretical in nature and actually we have done a substantial increase in the rate of that item.

"That way it is being pointed out that it is a theoretical rate which has been derived, there is a need for rationalisation. Instead of doing a piecemeal reduction here and there, we do need to look at the entire rate of 28 per

cent," Adhia said at a GST Townhall organised by CNBC TV18.

There is definitely a scope for rationalisation of rates but it will happen only after the fitment committee does a detailed calculations of its revenue impact.

"The fitment committee will have to look at how much revenue we got from this items from excise and VAT earlier before we agree to any further wholesale reduction of rates. If we find that revenue reduction is too much, we may have to do that in stages," he said. -- PTI

23:17 Ex-PDP sarpanch shot dead in Shopian

Terrorists shot dead a former sarpanch belonging to the ruling PDP in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir while the deceased's family members killed one of the assailants in a scuffle during the attack late evening today, police said.

"Three terrorists fired upon and killed ex-panch of PDP Mohammad Ramzan in Shopian," a senior police official said.

He said the family members of the deceased entered into a scuffle with the assailants in which one of the terrorists was killed.

The slain terrorist has been identified as Showkat Ahmad, a local resident, the official said. -- PTI

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today criticised BJP MLA Sangeet Som for questioning the Taj Mahal's place in India's heritage, and said the day was not far when the saffron party would try to change the

country's name to rewrite history.

She also blamed the saffron party of making "divisive statements" with a "political agenda".

Placing the Taj Mahal in the crosshairs of another controversy, Som had yesterday questioned the 17th century architectural marvel's place in India's heritage and said history would be rewritten to erase Mughal emperors from it.

Som, the party's legislator from Sardhana, also distorted history to say it was built by an emperor who had imprisoned his father and targeted Hindus.

Condemning the comment, Banerjee said, "The less we speak about BJP leaders the better. I feel ashamed to speak on the comments made by them. They are not doing any development work. They are only making such divisive statements with a political agenda. We don't believe in dividing people like this."

"What the BJP is practising is not democracy but autocracy. The day is not far away when BJP will try to change the name of this country in order to rewrite history," she said.

The Congress today named Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as head of the party's campaign committee for the November 9 assembly polls, replacing state Congress chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu.

Only three days back, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had named Sukhu as chairman of the campaign committee and made Singh its member.

Gandhi has "approved" the name of Virbhadra Singh as the chairman of the campaign committee for the assembly elections in the state, AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said in a statement.

The campaign committee has already been announced earlier, Dwivedi added.

Singh and Sukhu have been at loggerheads, with the chief minister demanding immediate replacement as the PCC chief ahead of the elections.

However, Singh and Sukhu shared the stage today at a press conference, to show that all was well in the party.

AICC secretary and MLA Asha Kumari has been included in the state election committee as a member.

Singh said the first list of Congress candidates for the assembly polls will be out by tomorrow or Wednesday.

Asked about the differences within the party, Singh said the Congress party in Himachal Pradesh was united and would fight the election together.

On Sukhu, he said the party is now in election mode and there was no need for any changes. Singh was strongly demanding Sukhu's removal and had said he will not contest if Sukhu remains PCC chief.

Sukhu, who joined the press conference towards the end, said though he wants to contest, the final decision will lie with the party high command. He indicated that he may change his seat. He lost the last election from Nadaun.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said Goods and Services Tax was a collective decision of various state governments in which the Centre had a small role to play and the Congress was "an equal partner".

"The Congress is an equal partner in GST decision and it should not spread lies about GST. The decision was not taken by Parliament or Narendra Modi. The decision was made by governments of all political parties, including the Congress governments of Punjab, Karnataka, and Meghalaya," Modi said.

He said the central government was "only the 30th part" in the decision which was taken in consultation with 29 states.

"You are equally responsible for the decision," he said while addressing a huge rally of BJP party workers in poll-bound Gujarat at Bhat village in Gandhinagar.

Modi said he has been in touch with businessmen after the launch of the GST and claimed they like the system because it has freed them from bureaucratic red tape.

He said, as promised, his government reviewed the way the new indirect tax regime was working after three months following which several changes were made to fulfil their demands.

Modi also assured the business community that the government is trying to sort out problems they are still facing.

"I am sure that businessmen of the country need this system, but they demand simplicity. This is being put before the GST (Council) and discussed collectively," he said.

He also tried to assuage the concerns of the trading community about penal action they might face for their past accounting. The prime minister said a "fear psychosis" was being created over the issue.

Modi said businessmen will not need to adjust their past books to synchronise them with the new system. -- PTI

21:22 Flying lanterns banned in Mumbai during Diwali

The Mumbai Police today banned the use of flying lanterns during Diwali festival to avoid any untoward incident.

The ban came into effect from today and will remain in force till November 14, a police official said.

Around three years back, the usage of such lanterns with fire crackers had caused incidents of fire in a couple of highrise buildings in the city, he said.

A flying or sky lantern is a small hot air balloon made of paper, with an opening at the bottom where a small fire is suspended.

According to the official, the lanterns are being banned to prevent any danger to the human life and taking into consideration the safety of the common people.

The ban orders were issued by DCP-Operations Deepak Deoraj. Any person found violating the ban will be booked under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC.

The Bharatiya Janata Party today described the Muslim rule in India as "barbaric and a period of incomparable intolerance", while asserting that its members can hold any opinion they want on specific monuments.

The BJP's reaction came after Sangeet Som, its MLA from Uttar Pradesh, questioned the Taj Mahal's place in history and said the presence of Mughals in India's history is "unfortunate".

Asked about the BJP's stand on Som's comments on the Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife, party spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said the party does not have any view on specific monuments and its members can hold whatever opinion they have.

"But as far as the Muslim, Mughal rule in this country is concerned, that period can only be described as exploitative, barbaric and a period of incomparable intolerance which harmed Indian civilisation and traditions immensely," he told PTI.

Rao also lashed out at All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi after the latter attacked the BJP over Som's comments.

Responding to Som's comments, Owaisi asked if the government would tell tourists not to visit the Taj Mahal.

"Even in the present times, Mulim leaders such as Owaisi exhibit the same level of intolerance as Muslim rulers once displayed," Rao said, in response to Owaisi's remarks.

More than 260 lawmakers in Pakistan, including ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif's son-in-law, were today suspended by the country's election commission for not providing details of their assets and liabilities.

The Election Commission of Pakistan suspended a total of 261 members of the national and provincial assemblies and Senate, the Express Tribune reported.

The suspended lawmakers include Sharif's son-in-law and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz member Captain Mohammad Safdar, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Member of the National Assembly, Ayesha Gulalai, Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yousaf and former National Assembly speaker Fehmida Mirza.

According to the ECP's notification seven senators, 71 MNA, 84 Punjab Assembly members, 50 Sindh Assembly members, 38 Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa members and 11 Balochistan lawmakers have been suspended, the report said.

The ECP's had asked the members of Parliament and provincial assemblies to submit statements of their assets and liabilities and also of their spouses and dependents by September 30, failing which their membership would be suspended.

The poll panel took action under sub-section 42A of the Representation of People Act, which demands the parliamentarians to provide details of all assets and liabilities each year.

It was introduced by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to check rampant corruption, but so far it has proved ineffective.

The law has also been criticised as "toothless" as any suspended lawmaker can get his or her suspension revoked by providing details of assets to the ECP. -- PTI

An inquiry report on the food poisoning incident on-board the Tejas Express train has found no problem with the food quality, and said the unease was triggered after two children vomited "vitiating the air quality in the a/c coach".

The report by a Central Railways team said the quality of the food served on board the premium train was "satisfactory".

It said the first case of uneasiness was reported after two children in a group of tourists from Himachal Pradesh vomited in the air-condition coach.

"The vomiting smell triggered uneasiness in others and then another two children vomited. This further vitiated the air in the coach and then two more children vomited. This triggered uneasiness in their parents," the report stated.

"After this incident, few other passengers of C1, C2, C5, C7 coaches who passed through this coach also complained of uneasiness," the report adds.

A three-member committee comprising senior railway and IRCTC officials was formed yesterday after 26 passengers had taken ill on-board the Mumbai-bound Tejas Express from Goa after breakfast.

The report, accessed by the PTI, also said that another tourist group from Kolkata complained of uneasiness.

The groups tour manager said they had been travelling continuously for the past 16 days in Maharashtra and Goa and were carrying their own cooks and food materials, including fish (Hilsa) from Kolkata, the report said.

"He very clearly and categorically said that there was no problem with food quality," the report added.

It, however, didn't say if the group had had food served on the train or the food they were carrying. It also did not clarify if the smell of the fish triggered the vomiting.

The railways said its officials spoke to 20 passengers and their statements were recorded.

In the conclusion, drawn from the statements of the passengers and officials on duty, the report said, it appears the food served "on Tejas Express was of satisfactory quality". -- PTI

The Samajwadi Party today released a list of its 55-member national executive, headed by party chief Akhilesh Yadav, but the name of Mulayam Singh Yadav was missing from it despite signs of a thaw in the frosty father-son relationship.

The list triggered speculation among political circles as to whether the SP patriarch will remain the party patron, especially after the father and son were seen together at a public event in Lucknow last week.

Asked about the post of SP patron, party spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhury said he was not aware of any such position.

"The party constitution does not have any provision for such a post. I am not aware whether he is the patron or not," he told PTI.

Mulayam Singh Yadav was made the party patron after a bitter feud in the Yadav clan climaxed with his son Akhilesh Yadav snatching the mantle of the party president from him at an emergency national convention on January 1.

Besides Mulayam Singh Yadav, the name of his brother Shivpal Singh Yadav was also missing from the list of national executive members.

After getting re-elected as the SP chief in Agra earlier this month, Akhilesh Yadav had met his father to seek his blessings. Akhilesh Yadav drove down to his father's house on October 7 and spent over half an hour with him.

Before the Agra convention too, Akhilesh Yadav had met Mulayam Singh Yadav to invite him. However, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav had skipped the convention.

The back-to-back meetings between the father and son kindled hopes of party workers of a reconciliation between them.

Apparently to send a message that 'all is well' in the Yadav clan, Akhilesh Yadav had in Agra said that his estranged uncle Shivpal Yadav had blessed and congratulated him over the phone on his re-election.

Shivpal Yadav also congratulated his nephew on Twitter.

Days later, Akhilesh Yadav and his father shared the public space at a function at the Lohia Park in Lucknow to mark the 50th death anniversary of socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia. -- PTI

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh not to pull security forces out of the Darjeeling hills and accused the Centre of "conspiring to destabilise" the state.

Banerjee said she had sent letters to Modi and Singh on the withdrawal of the Central forces.

"I have written to the prime minister and the home minister and asked them not to withdraw the forces from the hills," she told a press conference at the state secretariat in Kolkata after an all-party meeting on Darjeeling.

Describing the withdrawal decision as unilateral and unfortunate, Banerjee said, "The Central government is being run from the BJP party office. It is really unfortunate that the Central government has taken such a bad decision unilaterally to withdraw forces from the hills".

She accused the Centre and BJP of hatching a conspiracy.

"They are conspiring to destabilise Bengal so that violence keeps on occurring," she said.

The Centre has said it will withdraw 10 of the 15 companies in the region, she added.

"Union Home minister Rajnath Singh told me seven companies would be withdrawn. I want to ask why this step-motherly attitude towards Bengal when huge numbers of Central forces are deployed in other states," she said.

Accusing BJP's Darjeeling MP S S Ahluwalia of helping fugitive GJM supremo Bimal Gurung foment trouble in the region, she said the BJP was allowing the hills to "burn for the sake of a seat".

The all-party meeting decided to work together for the restoration of peace in the hills. It was attended by several hill parties excluding the Jan Andolan Party.

The Konkan Railway today said all the passengers who had taken ill after breakfast due to food poisoning on the Mumbai-bound Tejas Express have been discharged from hospital.

The railway made arrangements for the transportation of all the passengers to Mumbai, an official of the Konkan Railway Corporation said.

Yesterday, 26 passengers on the Mumbai-bound Tejas Express from Goa fell ill after breakfast due to food poisoning, according to a senior official of the Konkan Railway.

The train was stopped at the Chiplun station in Maharashtra and all 26 passengers were admitted to the city's Life Care hospital. Konkan Railway Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Gupta had said their condition was not serious.

"All the passengers who complained of nausea have been discharged from the Chiplun-based hospital. We provided accommodation to the passengers in different trains so that they could reach Mumbai today," Konkan Railway Corporation Limited's Public Relations Officer Girish Karandikar told PTI today.

"No patient was admitted in the ICU. They were taken to the hospital for some tests and observation and none of them was serious," Karandikar said.

Railway Ministry's spokesperson Anil Saxena had yesterday said a showcause notice had been served to the catering contractor and "strict action is contemplated" if he is found guilty.

"An inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause. The kitchen, where the food was prepared, was inspected by the Madgaon area officer after the incident and samples, including soup sachets, have been taken for testing," he said.

Tejas Express, one of the premium trains of the Indian Railways, connects Mumbai with Karmali in Goa.

18:00 Of Russia, Taliban and laundered fuel sales

Russia is funding Taliban military operations against Nato in Afghanistan through a covert programme of laundered fuel sales, The Times has learnt from members of the Islamist group and Afghan officials, reports Anthony Loyd from Kabul.

"We sell the fuel on and distribute the money directly to our commanders,' he quotes a Taliban treasurer from Ghazni province as saying.

This man, Loyd writes, 'had been authorised to speak to a journalist as part of the Taliban's efforts to advertise its relationship with international backers, in response to President Trump's decision in August to send 3,800 additional US troops and further funding to the Afghan government.'

You can read the full report here, provided you are a digital subscriber with The Times, London.

Tearing into the Congress in poll-bound Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that the Grand old Party has always given secondary treatment to Gujarat.

Addressing the party workers, Modi said that the BJP has served Nehru's vision of India better than the Congress.

In his speech, he also praised BJP chief Amit Shah for winning several elections for the party.

Here are some highlights of his speech:

- The Congress has insulted heroes who served the nation. The Congress has never focused on service

- The (Congress) party that gave so many leaders to the nation now focus only on spreading lies. They create an atmosphere of pessimism

- The BJP has served Nehru's vision of India better than Congress

- Gujarat has always been a thorn in the eyes for that family. The Congress insulted India's heroes, ill treated Sardar Vallabhai Patel and Morarji Desai

- When results of UP during Lok Sabha elections stunned nation, I had said the 'man of the match' is Amit Shah

- Completion of projects is not Congress party's nature, we are working on projects initiated 40 years ago.

17:05 Talwars walk out of jail

Dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, who have been acquitted in the murder case of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj, today walked out of Dasna jail in Ghaziabad.

The Allahabad high court on Thursday had acquitted the Talwars, whom the Central Bureau of Investigation had accused of the murder of their daughter Aarushi, who was found dead at their Noida home in 2008.

According to reports, as per Section 437 (a) of the CrPC, even after their acquittal, the Talwars will have to furnish a surety to ensure that they will be present in the court in case the state files an appeal in a higher court.

16:56

Fire breaks out at a store in Delhi's Mansarover Garden, twenty fire tenders present at the spot: ANI

16:34 Successful operations have limited insurgency in Kashmir: J&K Police

The Inspector General of Police Jammu and Kashmir Police Munir Khan on Monday said the successful operations of the security forces have limited the number of insurgents in the valley.

"The number of militants has certainly decreased after continuous successful operations. Our main concern is to target the leadership of the militants to stop further recruitment," said Khan, while addressing a press meet.

Talking about the recent attacks by the terrorists, Khan said, "In last three days, we have apprehended three local militants while they were live in action. Arms and ammunition were also recovered."

One militant Rameez Yatoo was arrested from Kulgam and other two local militants, identified as Khursheed Ahmad Dar and Haziq Rather, were arrested from the Kund area of Qazigund.

He added, "Those local militants, who want to come back to the mainstream or surrender, will be given full support."

Commenting on the recent bank robberies in the Marhama village of Anantnag district and Shopian, Khan said the robberies were carried by Hizbul Mujahideen.

"Both the recent bank robberies were carried out by the Hizbul Mujahideen and the militants involved in the bank robberies have been identified, not by any eyewitness but by CCTV," he added.

Further, commenting on the spate of braid-chopping incidents reported from Jammu and Kashmir, Khan said "A proper investigation could not be held because there was no cooperation either from the victim or from their families."

The police have now resorted to use scientific investigation to nab the person, he said. -- ANI

The Janata Dal-United, an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, today asked the Election Commission for 'credible answers' to why it had not announced the dates for Gujarat assembly elections, saying that the agency must not only be impartial but also seen to be so.

General secretary and spokesperson Pavan Varma urged the EC to be impartial in a Tweet, and also expressed concern overgrowing hunger in the country in another post.

'EC must not only be impartial but seen to be so. Why have the dates for Gujarat elections not been announced? We need credible answers,' he tweeted.

In another tweet, he noted India's 'steep fall' in the global hunger index and said it begged the question who the fastest growing economy was working for.

Asked to explain his remarks on the EC, Varma claimed that they should not be seen as a political statement as the Commission was not the 'property of any political party'.

Opposition parties have also questioned the Commission for not announcing Gujarat dates with those for Himachal Pradesh, with some leaders alleging that it was done to help the ruling BJP in the poll-bound state.

Varma said since the dates for the Himachal polls had been announced, it was expected that the schedule for the Gujarat polls would also be declared, but that was not done.

"So I have asked the EC that in order to retain its impartiality, which we all respect, it must provide credible reasons for not doing so. That is a question beyond partisan politics. Democracy is about strength of the institutions," he told PTI.

Asked if he was speaking in his personal capacity or as a JD-U spokesperson, the former diplomat and Rajya Sabha member said he had asked the question as the party spokesperson.

"Apart from that I have asked this question because any political party part of any coalition would like to see the working of an impartial EC," he said. -- PTI

A Delhi court was today informed that the five-star hotel suite where Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar was found dead in 2014 has been de-sealed.

Metropolitan magistrate Dharmender Singh was told by the advocate appearing for the hotel that it has been given possession of the suite, after which the court disposed of the petition.

The court had on October 10 granted six days to the Delhi Police to comply with its earlier order to de-seal the suite after they had submitted that they were expecting reports from the forensic laboratory.

The court had earlier rapped the police for not complying with its order to de-seal the suite.

While the South Delhi hotel has been urging the court to direct the police to de-seal the room, which was sealed for investigation immediately after Pushkar was found dead on the night of January 17, 2014, the court has also been directing the police to do so on several occasions.

Hours after Pushkar was found dead, the suite was sealed for investigation. A first information report was registered by the police on January 1, 2015 against unknown persons under Indian Penal Code Section 302 (murder).

The police was on September 12 directed to de-seal the suite and allowed to take all articles from the room required for its probe, besides filing a compliance report by today.

In this order, the court had noted that a huge financial loss has already been caused to the hotel.

On September 4 too, the court had taken the police to task for its 'lethargic attitude' in its probe into the case and summoned the DCP to explain why more time should be granted for de-sealing the suite.

Similarly on August 19, the court had pulled up the police for delaying the de-sealing of the room and referred to a court order passed on July 21 asking it to do so within four weeks from then. -- PTI

Responding to Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh legislator Sangeet Som's comments questioning Taj Mahal's place in history, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi today asked if the government would tell tourists not to visit the monument.

Owaisi, the Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad, tweeted, ''Traitors' also build Red Fort will Modi stop hoisting Tiranga? Can Modi and Yogi tell domestic and foreign tourist not to visit Taj Mahal?'

The AIMIM chief also said Hyderabad House in Delhi, the venue for the Centre hosting foreign dignitaries, was built by 'traitor'.

"Even Hyderabad House in Delhi was built by 'Traitor' will Modi stop hosting Foreign Dignitaries?' he asked.

Hyderabad House was built by Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam, on a land offered by the British.

Addressing a gathering yesterday at Sisoli village in Uttar Pradesh after inaugurating a statue of 8th century king Anangpal Singh Tomar, Som had also said invaders of India have been glorified in history. -- PTI

Rhetoric will rain down on Gujarat, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said in a 'weather report' ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to his home state today.

Gandhi's dig comes in the wake of speculation that the prime minister may announce a host of sops for poll-bound Gujarat.

'Weather report: Ahead of elections, Gujarat will today have rain of rhetoric,' he said on Twitter, using the phrase 'jumlon ki baarish' in his Hindi tweet.

The Congress vice president also tagged a report headlined 'As Gujarat waits for poll date, state gets projects worth nearly Rs 12,500 crore' with his tweet.

The Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the government of 'putting pressure' on the Election Commission to not announce simultaneous polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

The Congress has alleged that if the Election Commission had announced assembly elections in Gujarat along with Himachal Pradesh, the model code of conduct would come into force with immediate effect, leaving no scope for the BJP to announce any sops for people in Gujarat.

Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held on November 9 and results announced on December 18.

The Gujarat elections have not been announced yet, though Chief Election Commissioner A K Joti has said they will be held before December 18. -- PTI

Suspected cattle smugglers attacked a Border Security Force commanding officer along the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura in the early hours today.

The second-in-command rank officer, Deepak K Mondal, commanding the 145th battalion of the border guarding force is critical and has been air evacuated to Kolkata, a senior official said.

The incident happened at about 2 am near the Belardeppa border post in the Sipahijala district of the state when the officer was allegedly hit by a four-wheeler being used by the smugglers.

He was patrolling the area with his team to check cattle smuggling and other illegal activities along the international border which is 'unfenced' Agartala, he said.

Mondal saw some cattle smugglers and challenged them, he said, adding the officer along with his guard and driver tried to stop them.

"The group of about 25 smugglers were carrying bricks, lathis and machetes. When challenged, the smugglers tried to gherao the officer and the patrol party. Smugglers' vehicle hit the officer from behind and he sustained severe injury to his head and legs and he is critical," he said.

An accompanying Border Security Force jawan fired five rounds from his AK rifle to control the situation, he said adding the area has been cordoned off. -- PTI

IMAGE: Deepak K Mondal. Photograph: ANI

The Delhi high court said on Monday that the Central Bureau of Investigation is showing 'complete lack of interest' in case of Najeeb Ahmed, missing Jawaharlal Nehru University student.

Najeeb has been missing for the past one year and the CBI is not able to find any clue about his whereabouts.

"There is complete lack of interest by the CBI," said the Delhi HC, adding, "There is no result, not even on paper."

The high court had first gone after the Delhi Police to solve the mysterious disappearance of Najeeb and since it was not satisfied with the progress made by the city police in the case, it transferred it to the central probe agency on May 16 this year.

However, the CBI, which had taken over the probe into the case from the city police, remains equally clueless.

Najeeb, 27, a student of MSc Biotechnology, went missing from the Mahi-Mandvi hostel of JNU on October 15, 2016.

His family members are still running from pillar to post to trace him. Najeeb had an altercation with several students, allegedly affiliated to the Bharatiya Janata Party's student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, according to his friends and family. -- PTI

11:56 'Mighty Little Bheem' to debut on Netflix

With Mighty Little Bheem, Netflix Inc, the world's leading internet entertainment service, has announced its first kids original series from India.

Produced in partnership with Green Gold Animation, the series, based on the ever-popular Chhota Bheem, will debut on Netflix worldwide in 2018.

"We are thrilled to work with Netflix and take Mighty Little Bheem, a story based on India's most popular children's character, to an audience across India and 190 countries worldwide. This is an incredible opportunity to bring best-in-class storytelling to young audiences everywhere," Green Gold Animation founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said in a press release.

Andy Yeatman, director of global kids content for Netflix, added in the release, "We're excited to announce an original show that will bring great storytelling, based on one of India's beloved characters, not just to India but to kids and families around the globe."

Bharatiya Janata Party Uttar Pradesh MLA Sangeet Som has praised that state government for 'removing Taj Mahal from the list of historical places'.

Addressing a gathering, he said that wrong history was taught to students till date and 'our government will change history'.

"We're working on bringing our neglected history into textbooks. We're teaching students about Lord Ram, Maharana Pratap and Chhatrapati Shivaji. At the same time, we're removing Babar, Akbar and Aurangzeb from textbooks," Som said.

"I guarantee you history will change," he added.

Talking about Taj Mahal, he said, "Many were sad when Taj Mahal was removed from list of historical places. What history? Its creator wanted to wipe out Hindus from UP and India."

Referring to Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who got the Taj Mahal built, Som said, "It would be unfortunate for our country if our children are still taught the history of such people."

The UP tourism department had recently released a booklet detailing future plans about famous monuments and tours.

While the booklet had mentioned tourist destinations like the Gorakhpur temple, it mysteriously excluded the Taj Mahal. -- with inputs from ANI

10:48 Anatomy of the Doklam faceoff

'Doklam is a wake-up call that our foreign policy is far too militarised and has jettisoned its core agenda of creating a peaceful external environment for India's rapid development through the crucial make-or-break period of the coming 15-20 years,' writes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar, here.

The Talwar couple will continue to visit jail periodically so that medical assistance provided by them to inmates can continue, said Jailor D Maurya of Dasna Jail.

He said there's a strong possibility that the dentist couple would be released from jail today.

"Court has opened after a 2 day holiday, there is a strong possibility of the Talwars being released today," Maurya said.

He said the Talwars 'gave medical service to inmates for free and refused remuneration'.

"If they would've taken it, amount would've been approximately Rs 49,500," Maurya said. -- ANI

The third edition of the Madhya Pradesh government's colourful 'Jal Mahotsav' began in Hanuwantiya on Sunday on a rough note as the venue was hit by a fire episode.

No one was injured in the incident, officials said.

The fire started around 9.30 pm and three fire tenders were rushed to the spot, they said. About five to six tents containing goods were gutted in the fire.

Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan has ordered an inquiry into the matter. He also ordered fire tenders be stationed at the festival venue.

"In such huge programmes, some shortcomings occur. I have ordered to check each and every tent to avert any other untoward incident. Since the incident took place in the beginning of the festival, it gives us a lesson to be more alert," he said.

Tourism Minister Surendra Patwa, who was also present on the spot, said a short circuit in a tent AC might have caused the fire.

The two-and-a-half-months-long water carnival is being held at the picturesque Hanuwantiya Island in the backwaters of Indira Sagar Dam in Khandwa district of the state.

The festival will come to a close on January 2, 2018.

On February 1, 2016, a fire had broken out at a cottage on Hanuwantiya a day before the Madhya Pradesh government's scheduled cabinet meeting on a cruise there.

An Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation officer and a catering manager were placed under suspension after at least 26 people aboard the Mumbai-bound Tejas Express from Goa were taken ill on Sunday after consuming food served by the railways' catering wing, a spokesperson said.

The area officer of the IRCTC in Madgaon and the on board catering manager have been placed under suspension pending a fact-finding committee's report and results of test of food samples, railway spokesperson Anil Saxena said in New Delhi on Sunday night.

The Mumbai-bound passengers complained of uneasiness and nausea after having breakfast served on the train, a railway official said.

They were admitted to a hospital. The Tejas Express, one of the premium trains of the Indian Railways, connects Mumbai and Karmali in Goa. -- PTI

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In another blow to studio mogul Harvey Weinstein, facing sexual harassment and assault charges, French President Emmanuel Macron is moving to revoke the former's Legion of Honour award, reported the Independent.

Legion of Honour award is the France's highest civilian distinction, which was given to Weinstein on March 2012 by from former President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Macron in a televised interview said that, "I have taken steps to revoke the Legion d'Honneur from Weinstein."

Dozens of women have broken their silence this week to accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct -- including Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cara Delevingne, Kate Beckinsale, Lea Seydoux, Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan.

Though Weinstein has 'denied' any 'allegations of non-consensual sex' and has said that he is hoping to get a 'second chance'.

Following the allegation of sexual harassment and assault, the producer has since been fired from his powerhouse studio, the Weinstein Company, his wife, Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman, has announced she's leaving him and he was also voted out from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. -- ANI

Dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, who have been acquitted in the murder case of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj, will be freed from Dasna jail in Ghaziabad today.

Talwars were expected to walk out from Dasna prison on Firday, but the necessary paperwork and the weekend pushed their release to Monday.

The Allahabad high court had on Thursday had acquitted the Talwars, whom the Central Bureau of Investigation had accused of the murder of their daughter Aarushi, who was found dead at their Noida home in 2008.

According to reports, as per Section 437 (a) of the CrPC, even after their acquittal, the Talwars will have to furnish a surety to ensure that they will be present in the court in case the state files an appeal in a higher court.

The jailor of Dasna Jail, Dr Maurya informed that the duo breathed a sigh of relief after the announcement of their acquittal. -- ANI

A Muslim family in Rajasthan's Alwar has alleged that the state police took away their 51 cows on a complaint by few 'Hindu activists' and handed them over to a village gaushala.

However, the police have denied the allegations saying, they have no role in the incident and the locals had driven the cows to the gaushala.

For the past 10 days, the family has been struggling to get back its flock.

The accusations have been leveled by Subba Khan, 45. Khan has also submitted an affidavit at the Kishangarh Police Station as well as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) office. -- As reported by ANI

Representative image.

The Iraqi security forces have begun operations to take over military bases and oil wells from Peshmerga of the oil-rich Kurdish city, asserted the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government Security Agency.

The news agency Anadolu reported that a statement on the Twitter account of the Security Agency stated that Iraqi forces and the pro-government Hashd al-Shaabi militia started from Tuz Khormato which is in the south of Kirkuk to take full action.

As per the statement, the operation is majorly launched to enter the city of Kirkuk to take over the 'K1 Military Base' and oil wells which are under the control of the Peshmerga.

Earlier in 2014, the Kurdish Peshmerga forces took a numerous strategic positions in Kirkuk.

There has been a rise in the tension between Erbil and Baghdad since last month when the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) held a controversial referendum on the independence of the Kurdish region. -- ANI

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit his home state Gujarat today and address a rally of Bharatiya Janata Party workers gathering from across the state.

He will also participate in the Gujarat Gaurav Mahasammelan to be held at Bhat gam near Gandhinagar in the afternoon.

The function will mark the conclusion of 15-day long Gujarat Gaurav Yatra.

The BJP started the yatra from two routes -- one from Karamsad on the first of this month and another from Porbandar on October 2.

BJP president Amit Shah will also be present at the concluding ceremony of the Yatra.

The Gaurav Yatra was meant to highlight the achievements of the BJP government in the state.

The first leg of the yatra started from Karamsad, the native place of Sardar Patel on October 1, and travelled through districts of Central and North Gujarat, whereas the Second leg started on October 2 from Porbandar, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, which passed through Saurashtra and South Gujarat.

Various Union Ministers including home minister Rajnath Singh, I & B Minister Smriti Irani addressed rallies at different places during the yatra.

The yatra covered total 149 constituencies of the state and travelled more than 4,000 km. -- ANI

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