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Tue, 22 October 2019
Pact on Kartarpur corridor may be inked on Thurs

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23:17   61.13% voting in Maha assembly polls, less than 2014 turnout
The Maharashtra assembly polls held on Monday saw a voter turnout of 61.13 per cent, a dip from the 63.20 per cent recorded in 2014, election officials said on Tuesday.

The final polling figure was released late Tuesday evening.

The highest turnout, of 83.93 per cent, was reported in the Karveer assembly seat in Kolhapur, while the lowest was in south Mumbai's upmarket Colaba area at 40.11 per cent.

In the lone Lok Sabha bypoll held in the state, in Satara, the voter turnout was 67.15 per cent, the officials said.
Rural areas of the state fared better, with voters there showing more enthusiasm than their urban counterparts, the officials said.

Polling began at 7 am and ended at 6 pm on Monday, though many who were in queue at polling booths at the time were allowed to cast their votes.

-- PTI
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22:47   Pact on Kartarpur corridor may be inked on Thurs
India and Pakistan have deferred by a day the signing of an agreement to operationalise the Kartarpur corridor due to logistical issues, and the deal is now expected to be sealed on Thursday, official sources said.
  
The ministry of external affairs on Monday said India would be ready to sign the agreement on the corridor on Wednesday.

They said a joint secretary-level officer in the Union Home Ministry will meet Pakistan officials at zero point near the site of Kartarpur corridor on Thursday and sign the MoU on India's behalf.

Initially, the two sides agreed that the pact will be signed on Wednesday.

The corridor will connect the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Punjab with the gurdwara at Kartarpur, just about four km from the international border, located at Narowal district of Pakistan's Punjab province.

India is going ahead in signing the pact though it was strongly opposed to Pakistan's decision to levy a service charge of $20 on each pilgrim. 

India and Pakistan had planned to open the corridor in early November before the year-long celebrations to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism who spent more than 18 years at the Kartarpur gurdwara.

In a statement, the external affairs ministry on Monday said the government has taken the initiative to put in place state of art infrastructure and open the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor on the auspicious occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak so that pilgrims from India and those holding Overseas Citizen of India Card can undertake visit to the Kartarpur Sahib shrine in Pakistan. 

The foundation stone for the Kartarpur corridor was laid in Punjab's Gurdaspur district by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu last November.

-- PTI
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22:12  
Congress will hold a protest across the country from the first week of November against the central government over the economic situation.
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21:58   2 suspects in Kamlesh Tiwari case arrested
Two suspects in Kamlesh Tiwari murder case, Ashfaq Shaikh and Moinuddin Pathan, arrested by Gujarat ATS. 

The president of a little known Hindu Samaj Party, Kamlesh Tewari, was found murdered at his home in Naka Hindola area of Lucknow on Friday.

Probe into the killing has revealed that one of the main accused, identified as Ashfaq Shaikh had made a detailed plan to carry out the murder. Ashfaq, who worked at a pharmaceutical company, allegedly forged his colleague Rohit Solanki's Aadhar to join Tiwari's outfit.

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21:41   Modi likely to visit Saudi Arabia on Oct 29
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Saudi Arabia on a day-long visit on October 29 to participate in an annual investment forum to be held there, official sources said on Tuesday.
 
Modi's visit comes months after Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman paid a visit to India in February.

Modi will attend the third edition of the Future Investment Initiative, an annual investment forum being held on October 29-31.
Saudi Arabia had said last month that it is looking at investing $100 billion in India in areas of petrochemicals, infrastructure and mining among others, considering the country's growth potential.
Saudi Ambassador Dr Saud bin Mohammed Al Sati had said India is an an attractive investment destination for his country, the world's biggest oil exporter, and it is eyeing long-term partnerships with New Delhi in key sectors such oil, gas and mining.

-- PTI
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21:39   170 cases of fake news on social media, maximum in Assam: NCRB data
A total of 170 cases of "fake news on social media" were registered across the country in 2017, with Assam recording the maximum number of 56, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau.
 
Uttar Pradesh registered 21 such cases, falling under cyber crime offences category, during the year, according to the government data, released after a delay of more than one year.
Madhya Pradesh recorded 17 such cases, while Odisha, Kerala and Maharashtra registered 13, 12 and 11 cases respectively in 2017, the NCRB said.
Next in the list was Telangana (eight), followed by West Bengal (seven), Haryana (five), and Delhi (four), the data showed.
Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu registered three cases each in this category, while Himachal Pradesh and Punjab had two each during the period.
Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Uttarakhand registered one case each of fake news on social media, while other states and union territories had none, according to the data.
 
-- PTI
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21:12   Ashok Malik appointed policy advisor in MEA with rank of additional secy
Ashok Malik, former press secretary to the president, has been appointed policy advisor in the ministry of external affairs with the rank of additional secretary, an order by the Department of Personnel and Training said on Tuesday.
  
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Malik, a distinguished fellow in the Observer Research Foundation, as policy advisor in the ministry of external affairs on contract basis, the order said.
His pay and allowances will be as of an additional secretary rank officer in the government of India, for a period of two years "with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier by temporarily upgrading a post of Director in the Indian Foreign Service Grade IV of IFS to Additional Secretary level in the ministry", it said.
Malik was press secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind for a two-year term which ended earlier this year.

-- PTI
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20:48   'Shameful that UP tops in crime against women'
It is "shameful" that Uttar Pradesh tops the list of states in cases of crime against women, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Tuesday and lamented the poor law and order in the state.
Priyanka Gandhi, who is in her mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi's parliamentary constituency Rae Bareli to attend a three-day party meet, told reporters that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should do something to address the matter.
"The state is at the top in crime against women. It is shameful and the chief minister must do something about it," she said.

In a tweet later, the Congress leader said, "The highest number of crimes against women in the country is taking place in UP. More than 56,000 a year and this does not include incidents that are not reported (to police). Is this data not serious enough for the chief minister to take cognizance."
Priyanka Gandhi's comments came in the backdrop of the National Crime Records Bureau data for 2017 released on Monday that stated that the maximum number of crimes against women were registered in Uttar Pradesh.
According to the report, over 3.5 lakh cases were registered against women, of which the maximum cases were registered in Uttar Pradesh (56,011), which is also the country's most populated state.
During the workshop, Priyanka Gandhi, along with the newly appointed office-bearers of the state unit of the party, will formulate ideas to reach out to grassroots level and connect with the common man, sources said.
-- PTI
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20:41   3 JEM terrorists killed by security forces
Three Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists have been killed in the Tral area of south Kashmir in an encounter with security forces, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbag Singh said on Tuesday.
 
The terrorists were allegedly responsible for the killing of two brothers, hailing from the Gujjar community, in Kashmir in August this year, he said.

-- PTI
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20:27   Forget exit polls' predictions, Cong will form govt: Selja
Ignoring exit polls' predictions of a landslide victory to the ruling BJP in the October 21 Haryana assembly elections, Haryana Congress president Kumari Selja on Tuesday insisted that her party will form the next government in the state.
  
I can say this with confidence that the Congress party is going to form the next government in Haryana, she said, adding her party will win more than 45 of the 90 assembly seats.

Asked what makes her feel so confident, Selja said her assessment is "based on the feedback" she received from candidates throughout the state. 

And also the way the BJP has run this (poll) campaign, refusing to focus on issues relating to the people of Haryana" gave her that confidence, she said, adding "somewhere there is an admission of their own failures and I think the people have sensed that.

She said the BJP diverted the people's attention to national issues and did not talk of issues like unemployment, economy, farmers' distress, deteriorating law and order.

On the exit polls predicting the BJP's landslide victory in Haryana, Selja said she does not believe in such predictions. 

There were some people showing opinion polls with the same content even before the voting took place, she told reporters.

All that I know is that the Congress will win polls and form government in Haryana," she said. 

-- PTI
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20:00   Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee reaches Kolkata
Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee received a rousing welcome at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport when he reached Kolkata on Tuesday evening for the first time since winning the global award to meet his mother.

He was received by Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim and several senior ministers of the state government.

People from all walks of life carrying posters, pictures and placards gathered at the airport to welcome Banerjee. Slogans of 'Bharater Gorbo (pride of India) Abhijit Banerjee' echoed in the airport.

Flower petals were showered on him by many who had gathered at the airport, where there was tight police security.

Banerjee, an Indian-born American professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has won the Nobel Prize in economics for 2019 jointly with French-American Esther Duflo, his wife and Michael Kremer of Harvard University for "experimental approach to alleviating global poverty".

Banerjee will be at his paternal home in the city, where his mother Nirmala Banerjee, an economist in her own right stays. He will be in the city on October 23 and leave in the early hours of October 24. 

-- PTI
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19:23   Malaysian PM defends J-K remarks at UN, says told PM Modi the same thing
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad on Tuesday defended his comments on Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, which were critical of India.

"This is what I raised to Modi when I met him at Vladivostok, and my speech is an extension of our stand, that we do not want to see violence erupt. Instead, any dispute, conflict among nations must be settled via negotiation, arbitration or court of law," Mahathir said. 

This comes after Malaysia had to face a backlash from Indian Twitter users after a hashtag movement 'BoycottMalaysia' started trending urging Indian citizens not to travel to Malaysia.

The hashtag started trending after the Malaysian PM's comments on Kashmir in his speech during the 74th UNGA session.

Mahathir further said that Kuala Lumpur is not taking sides in the India-Pakistan conflict and demanded both parties to negotiate and refrain from using violence.

When asked if he expected any repercussions on Malaysia's trade with India, Mahathir responded in the negative.

"I have already spoken to Modi. If there are any unsatisfactory feelings within Modi, he can contact me, but to date, no calls," he said when asked if New Delhi has expressed any displeasure with him.

-- ANI
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19:00   Modi congratulates Trudeau on second term
PM Narendra Modi congratulated Canada's Justin Trudeau on securing a second term in power. The PM told his Canadian counterpart on Twitter, "India and Canada are connected by shared values and a strong commitment to democracy as well as plurality."

Election results show Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party will return to power, but as a minority government in Canada after Monday's general election, according to CBC News and CTV News.

The victory ensures that Trudeau will serve as prime minister for a second term.

Trudeau spoke to a cheering crowd in Montreal about his victory.

"From coast to coast to coast, tonight Canadians rejected division and negativity. They rejected cuts and austerity. They voted in favor of a progressive agenda and strong action on climate change," he said. "We will make life more affordable, we will continue to fight climate change, we will get guns off our streets."

Trudeau was sworn in as prime minister in November 2015. He is the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and is the first child of a Canadian prime minister to be elected to the office.
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18:09  
Union cabinet meeting to be held at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg tomorrow.
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17:58   Satya Pal Malik frontrunner to be J-K's 1st L-G
Incumbent Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik has been tipped to be appointed as the new Lieutenant Governor once the state is formally classified as a Union Territory on October 31.

Sources said that while other names have also been considered for the top post, Malik is the clear frontrunner and the final decision will be made soon. The government, they said, feels that Malik is the best available choice as he understands the present scenario well and has been steering the state for well over a year now.

The state was divided into two union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh when the government stripped it of its special status and the reorganisation act will come into effect on October 31. The swearing-in ceremony of the new L-G is likely to take place on the same date.

Officials said it was still under governments consideration whether any of the five advisors to Governor would be retained or not.

Once J&K becomes a UT, the Centre will be in direct control of law and order and police through the L-G, while land will be a subject under the elected government there. Land -- the rights in or over it - will be with the elected government of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, unlike in Delhi where the L-G exercises control.
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17:52   Amit Shah to celebrate Diwali during 4-day visit to Gujarat
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a four-day visit of Gujarat from October 25 to dedicate and lay foundation stones of various projects in his Lok Sabha constituency Gandhinagar.

He is expected to celebrate Diwali and Gujarati New Year on October 27-28 along with his family in his home state,
a senior BJP leader said.

On October 25, Shah would distribute financial assistance to beneficiaries of various government schemes at a
programme to be held at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, said Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani on Tuesday.

As per a government release, Shah would allot houses built by the Gandhinagar Urban Development Authority to
beneficiaries at the same venue.

He would then head to nearby Kalol town, which is part of his Lok Sabha seat, to inaugurate a bridge and also lay the foundation stone of an office for Kalol APMC.

The BJP chief will distribute kits to disabled people in Kalol and address people at another programme there.

On October 26, Shah would dedicate various projects, including an overbridge, at a function in Bopal area on the
outskirts of Ahmedabad city.

Later, he would reach Sanand in Ahmedabad district to lay foundation stone for various projects and distribute
financial assistance to government beneficiaries, said Vaghani.

Vaghani said Shah will celebrate Diwali and Gujarati New Year with his family on October 27-28 in the state.

-- PTI
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17:38   Chinmayanand case: SIT submits status report to Allahabad HC
The special investigating team  probing the alleged rape case filed by a law student against Swami Chinmayanand on Tuesday submitted a status report in the Allahabad high court in a sealed cover.

A division bench of Justices Manoj Mishra and Pankaj Bhatia has slated the matter for further hearing to November 28. The matter is being monitored by the High court on the directions of the Supreme Court.

The 23-year-old law student had earlier testified before a local court that she was repeatedly raped and blackmailed by the BJP leader for over a year, following which he was arrested last month.

The woman, along with her three friends, was also arrested by the SIT on charges of extortion.

According to the SIT, she and her friends allegedly demanded Rs 5 crore from Chinmayanand, failing which they had threatened to leak a video of him getting massages from her.

All the accused are currently in the judicial custody in connection with the case.

In a recent turn of events, Chinmayanand sent a letter to the police demanding that the Uttar Pradesh Gangster Act be applied on the four accused, including her father.

-- ANI
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17:14   Fitch warns of Rs 3.5 lakh cr shortfall in banks
Banks would face a capital shortfall of about USD 50 billion (about Rs 3.5 lakh crore) in the event of a systemic crisis in the non-banking financial company (NBFC) sector, according to a study by global rating agency Fitch.


"The credit profiles of the state-owned banks would come under significant pressure, and the weakest -- including those with Viability Ratings in the 'b' range -- would face heightened solvency risks without capital injections from the government," according to a stress test conducted by Fitch Ratings. 


The stress test examines the potential impact on banks of liquidity pressures in the NBFC sector developing into widespread failures. "We assume that 30 per cent of banks' NBFC exposure becomes non-performing. We view this as close to a worst-case scenario, but the figure also reflects the proportion of the sector that we believe is characterised by riskier business and financial profiles. We also assume 30 per cent of banks' property exposure becomes non-performing, due to tight liquidity and weak sales," it said. 


The property development sector is particularly reliant on NBFC financing, it said, adding that these defaults would reverse recent progress that banks have made in reducing their non-performing asset ratios. The study estimated that the banking system's gross NPA ratio would rise to 11.6 per cent by 2020-21 from 9.3 per cent at 2018-19. Increased credit costs and a weaker economic environment would result in significant losses over the next two years, it said. -- PTI
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16:52   Nothing personal: Edulji on differences with Vinod Rai
A member Diana Edulji on Tuesday said there were serious differences within the Vinod Rai-led panel like there would be in a democratic organisation but there was nothing personal in any of their public showdowns.


COA, which ran Indian cricket for 33 months, will demit office on Wednesday with former India captain Sourav Ganguly taking over as the BCCI president. "It was a good experience and a long journey, didn't think that the journey would last so song, but I am happy with the end result that elections and office-bearers are coming back and BCCI will be run by them now," Edulji, a former India captain, told reporters after the final COA meeting. 


Edulji and former CAG Rai often disagreed publicly on key issues, most notably over the appointment of national coaches, both men and women. Edulji said she had no regrets. 


"We have (had) our differences, and we have aired it also openly.. in any organisation that works. I have been always batted on the front foot but nothing personal, it was just (on) principals those stands were taken and that's it. "I have always called spade a spade and don't hold back. It was a great learning experience handling BCCI and I hope I can do something more after I finish my cooling period," she said. She said that Ganguly becoming president is a welcome development. -- PTI
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16:07   Nobel winner urges aggressive economic changes
Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee on Tuesday flagged concerns about banking crisis in India and called for aggressive changes to deal with the situation. There is a need to bring in important and aggressive changes to deal with the crisis, he said during interactions with media in New Delhi.


Banerjee said there is need to bring down stake of the government to below 50 per cent in banks so that the decisions are taken without fear of Central Vigilance Commission. The banking system has been afflicted by the scourge of high NPAs for nearly five years now, which has led to networth erosion and discovery of scams in the sector, with the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank (PMC) being the new addition. 


Earlier in August, the Central Vigilance Commission had constituted the Advisory Board for Banking Frauds headed by former Vigilance Commissioner T M Bhasin to examine bank fraud over Rs 50 crore and recommend action. 


On August 30, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that the profitability of public sector banks was improving as the total gross non-performing assets of public sector banks came down to Rs 7.9 lakh crore at end-March 2019 from Rs 8.65 lakh crore at end-December 2018. -- PTI
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15:28   BSF spots three drones along Indo-Pak border
BSF personnel posted in Punjab's Hussainiwala sector have spotted three drones along the India-Pakistan border, officials said on Tuesday. Though there were reports that Border Security Force troops fired at the drones coming from the Pakistani side on Monday night, there was no official confirmation. 


Earlier this month, drones were sighted by residents of Basti Ram Lal, Tendi Wala and Hajara Singh Wala villages, following which the BSF was put on alert. --  PTI
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15:13   Modi to address BJP workers in Varanasi on Oct 24
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address BJP workers in Varanasi constituency on October 24, the day the result of two state assembly elections will be announced. 


In a tweet, Modi urged all workers to join the interaction and asked them to share any suggestion or question they may have on his NaMo app. The prime minister represents Varanasi constituency in Lok Sabha.


Exit polls have predicted a massive win for the BJP in the assembly polls in Maharashtra and Haryana, and rout for the Congress, the main opposition in the two states. -- PTI
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15:07   Aadhaar-social media link: SC transfers all cases to itself
The Supreme Court on Tuesday transferred to itself all cases related to the linkage of social media profiles with Aadhaar pending in different high courts and also asked the Centre to submit its report in January to check social media misuse. 


A bench of justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, while allowing the transfer petition of Facebook, asked the registry to place all connected matters before the chief justice of India for listing before an appropriate bench in last week of January 2020. 


The top court also asked the Centre to submit its report in January on the notification of rules by which social media misuse can be checked and liability could be fastened on intermediaries to decrypt messages. The bench's order came after Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for Tamil Nadu, dropped his opposition to Facebook's plea seeking transfer of all cases pending in different high courts to the apex court. 


Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, clarified that its is not a ploy to breach the privacy of individuals but it is an attempt to protect national security and sovereignty. The attorney general then intervened and said a terrorist cannot claim his right to privacy. Mehta also rubbished the claim of some petitioners, who alleged that the draft rule under consideration of the government, which would enable authorities to fasten liability on intermediaries to trace the originator of a particular message or a content, is government's ploy to "trample individual's privacy". -- PTI
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14:48   PMC Bank scam: Depositors stage protest in Mumbai
Many scam-hit Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank account holders staged a protest at Azad Maidan here on Tuesday. The protestors raised slogans and held placards which read 'Black Diwali, Save Us' and 'Innocents are losing life'.


"16 lakh families for the past one month have been requesting the government to give our money back and help us. Six people have died and one girl has committed suicide but the government is not taking us seriously. The government can take decisions overnight. The decision to cut the Aarey forest was taken overnight. The RBI officials should also be punished as they were auditing regularly and this scam has been happening over a period of 10 months," a protestor told ANI.


Kurjot Gill, another account holder said: "We are fighting for financial freedom here. The government should address our issues. We want our money back."


Jaimal Singh Pawar sat on a hunger strike demanding help from the government."I am on a hunger strike and will not end it till the government extends help to us. My family had an account in this bank including me. I am unable to take out my own money. We are tired of protesting every day, we want a complete decision today," said Pawar. -- ANI 
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14:35   PM joked about my anti-Modi statements: Banerjee
Nobel Prize winner Abhijit Banerjee, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said on Tuesday that an important point for India is to create a bureaucracy which takes the views of the people into account. He said the  Prime Minister started by cracking a joke about how the media is trying to trap him into saying anti-Modi things. "He has been watching TV, he has been watching you guys, he knows what you are trying to do," Dr Banerjee said, chuckling. 


Terming his meeting with Modi as a unique experience, Banerjee said that the prime minister spoke on governance and bureaucracy.


"It was a privilege to have this meeting with the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister was kind enough to give me quite a lot of time and to talk a lot about his way of thinking about India which was quite unique," he said.


"He (Modi) talked about the way he sees governance in particular...and how it, therefore, creates structures of elite control over the governance process," Banerjee added.


The renowned economist revealed how the Prime Minister is taking steps to reform the bureaucracy."He also very nicely explained how he is trying to reform bureaucracy to making it more responsive to understand ways in which people's views need to be taken into account and expose them more to the reality on the ground," Banerjee said.


"I think it was a very important point for India to have a bureaucracy that lives on the ground and get its stimulus from how life is on the ground. Without that, we get an unresponsive government," he signed off. -- ANI 
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14:17   J-K: Pak violates ceasefire in Balakote sector
Pakistan on Tuesday violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LOC) in the Balakote sector of Mendhar. Yesterday, Pakistan had violated ceasefire in Qasba and Kirni sectors in Poonch. Further details are awaited. 
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14:00   ED arrests close aide of Iqbal Mirchi in land deal case
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday arrested Humayun Merchant, a close aide of late gangster Iqbal Mirchi and seized his property in connection with an alleged land deal case.


The investigating agency had earlier questioned former union minister and senior NCP leader Praful Patel in alleged connection with the case.The ED has identified the benami assets of Mirchi, who was declared as one of the 10 foreign drug kingpins by the US. 


Investigation revealed that Iqbal Mirchi has amassed various properties in India, UAE, and the UK from the proceeds of crime.The agency has already arrested Mirchi's associates, Haroun Yousuf and Ranjit Singh Bindra under Prevention of Money Laundering Act and got their remand for 5 days on October 12. -- ANI


Image: Gangster Iqbal Mirchi
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13:37   Team priority; no liking, disliking anyone: Kohli
There is no liking or disliking anyone, said India skipper Virat Kohli adding that it is the team which is the top priority for him.


"You can reflect at the end of your career and say these are my numbers but if you are a part of the champion team, you will have those memories forever. And having made impactful performances in a team which wins a lot leaves you with friendships and relationships that last you for a lifetime," Kohli said during the post-match press conference here on Tuesday.


"The guys are not desperate, obviously you feel disappointed that you do not start, but eventually they all understand that all we are trying to do is win Test matches for India. There is no liking or disliking towards anyone, it is purely based on what the team wants and what is the best thing for the team to do. That is the reason we have won 31 Tests already. We do not want to stop here and we want to keep improving," he added.


India won the third Test against South Africa by an innings and 202 runs. The team was only two wickets away from the victory on day four and did not take much time to secure the win.


On the third day, India bowlers clinched 16 wickets to dismantle the South African batting line-up. Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami picked up five wickets each in both the innings combined.Kohli praised the fast bowlers saying: "These guys are relentless and they running into just to pick wickets. They are bowling areas that make batsman uncomfortable. The focus was on the spin but it was the pacers who have done the damage." -- ANI
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13:18   Tejpal rape case: Victim cross-examined by defence for 2nd day
The woman who lodged a sexual assault case against Tehelka magazine founder Tarun Tejpal was cross-examined by the defence counsel for the second consecutive day in a Goa court on Tuesday. She appeared before the court for the first time on Monday for the trial, which was being held in-camera. 


District Judge Shama Joshi in Mapusa town of North Goa was hearing the case against Tejpal lodged by his former colleague, who was cross-examined by the defence counsel on Tuesday. Tejpal was present during the trial. 


Later, Tejpal's lawyer Rajiv Gomes said the cross-examination will continue on Wednesday also. A Supreme Court bench in August asked the Goa court to complete the trial in the case, preferably within six months, and refused Tejpal's plea to quash the FIR filed against him. Tejpal allegedly sexually assaulted the complainant inside an elevator of a five-star hotel in Goa in 2013.
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12:44   Vadra discharged after brief hospitalisation
Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra was admitted to a Noida-based private hospital for a night after he complained of back pain, sources said on Tuesday. Vadra, who is married to Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, was admitted to the Metro multi-speciality hospital in Noida on Monday, where he stayed overnight. He was discharged on Tuesday, sources said. 


Vadra underwent some tests and after treatment and medication, was discharged from the hospital, they said. Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday left for a three-day visit to her Rae Bareli, where she will participate in a workshop organised by the Uttar Pradesh unit of the party. -- PTI
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12:42   J-K, Ladakh govt staff to get salaries as per 7 pay commission from Oct 31
The goverment employees of the new Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh -- will get salaries and other benefits as per the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission from October 31, officials said on Tuesday. 


The Union Home Ministry has issued the necessary orders in this regard. Home Minister Amit Shah has approved the proposal of payment of all 7th CPC allowances to the government employees of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh, which shall come into existence from October 31. -- PTI
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12:27   Armed can give fitting reply to those casting evil eye on India: Rajnath
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that Indian Armed forces have the capability to give a befitting reply to those who try to cast their evil eye on the country.Singh also asserted that India has never been offensive and attacked any country in the world.


"India has never been offensive. India has never attacked any country in the world. India has never even acquired even an inch of land by force. But our armed forces have the capability to give a befitting reply to those who try to cast their evil eye on India," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Navy Commanders' Conference.


The Defence Minister lauded the Indian Navy for their commitment to indigenisation."I am very happy that the Indian Navy is progressing fast on indigenisation. Also, a high percentage of indigenous items have been installed. I congratulate the Navy for their success," Rajnath said.


Stressing on the need for India to become a leading exporter in defence equipment, Singh said, "I have seen that the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force) are making efforts to reduce dependency in defence imports and making India a leading exporter in defence items. These efforts will continue." -- ANI
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12:17   Healthy interaction: PM on Nobel Laureate meet
PM Narendra Modi meets Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee. The prime minister tweeted this picture and wrote, "Excellent meeting with Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee. His passion towards human empowerment is clearly visible. We had a healthy and extensive interaction on various subjects. India is proud of his accomplishments. Wishing him the very best for his future endeavours." 


Dr Banerjee, who received the Nobel in economics for 2019 has been a vocal critic of the Centre's economic policies for a while now. Dr Banerjee had assisted the Congress in formulating the NYAY scheme, ahead of the national election this year. The scheme promised to give Rs. 72,000 a year to each of the 20 per cent families in the poorest of the poor category. Dr Banerjee shares the Nobel with his wife Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer.
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12:04   Infosys in damage control mode stock slips
Software major Infosys said on Tuesday it has engaged law firm Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and Company to conduct an independent investigation on two complaints by some employees about unethical measures to boost profits.


An anonymous group calling itself 'ethical employees' alleged in a letter to the board of Infosys and the US Securities and Exchange Commission that company's Chief Executive Officer Salil Parekh and Chief Financial Officer Nilanjan Roy took disturbing unethical measures to boost profits and short-term revenue.


The complainants said they have emails and voice recordings to substantiate the claims.


"These complaints are being dealt with in an objective manner," said Chairman of Infosys Ltd Nandan Nilekani.


"The undated whistleblower complaint largely deals with allegations relating to the CEO's international travel to the United States and Mumbai," he said in a statement.


Nilekani said the company's statutory auditors Deloitte India has also been completely updated on this matter post the board meeting of October 11.
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11:33   RIL jumps nearly 2%; m-cap again hits Rs 9 lakh cr mark
Shares of Reliance Industries (RIL) on Tuesday gained nearly 2 per cent, with its market valuation hitting the Rs 9 lakh crore mark once again, after the company posted a record quarterly net profit of Rs 11,262 crore. The scrip jumped 1.57 per cent to Rs 1,437.65 -- its record high -- on the BSE. 


On the NSE, it rose 1.44 per cent to Rs 1,436.85. With this, the market capitalisation (m-cap) of the company reached Rs 9,00,000.39 crore. 


The country's most valuable company on Friday posted a record quarterly net profit of Rs 11,262 crore as a steady rise in the share of its consumer businesses of retail and telecom countered lower earnings from traditional petrochemical and refining segment. -- PTI
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11:13   Infosys plunges 16% on whistleblower complaint
IT services firm Infosys on Tuesday plummeted 16 per cent on concerns over a whistleblower complaint which alleges that two of the company's top executives were indulging in unethical practices to increase short-term revenue and profits. The scrip plunged 15.94 per cent to Rs 645.35 on the BSE. On the NSE, it tanked 15.99 per cent to Rs 645. 


Infosys on Monday had said the whistleblower complaint has been placed before the audit committee as per the company's practice, and that it will be dealt with in accordance with the company's whistleblowers policy. 


According to reports, the complaint by a group that calls itself "ethical employees" had alleged CEO Salil Parekh and CFO Nilanjan Roy were indulging in "unethical practices" to boost short-term revenue and profits. 


"The whistleblower complaint has been placed before the audit committee as per the company's practice and will be dealt with in accordance with the company's whistleblowers policy," Infosys said in a statement. 


In a statement on Tuesday, Infosys Chairman Nandan Nilekani said the company's audit committee will conduct an independent investigation on whistleblower allegations. 


The committee began consultation with independent internal auditors EY, and has retained law firm, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. to conduct an independent investigation, Nilekani noted in his statement to the stock exchanges. -- PTI
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11:04   UNICEF ropes in Ayushmann to battle child sex abuse
Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana has joined hands with UNICEF and Ministry of Women and Child Development to raise awareness and speak up against sexual abuse of children. 


Ayushmann has boarded the ministry's key initiative, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act with an aim to make people aware of the protection and legal support that the Act offers against child sexual abuse. The actor, who recently shot a video for the same cause, said people need to be more vigilant about such cruel offences and raise their voice by reporting it to the authorities.


"As a socially conscious citizen, I would always want to spread the word on matters that are important to our country and matters that need urgent attention. The POCSO is a hugely important step taken by the ministry to make people aware of the protection and legal support that the act offers against child sexual abuse," the actor said in a statement.  
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11:00   Heavy rains may batter Kerala, K'taka, IMD issues Orange alert
Karnataka and Kerala are battling floods as rivers flowing through the states have swelled up after heavy downpour in the region. This is due to the North-East monsoon becoming active over the states.


The IMD has issued an orange alert for heavy rains in these states, directing the state administrations to step up action.


An orange alert by the IMD means "be prepared to face any situation arising out of severe weather condition".


According to the weather forecast agency, river Ghatprabha at Gokak falls in Belgaum district of Karnataka at 6 in the morning was flowing at 542.02 meters, which is above its danger level of 542.00 meters.


Krishna at Navalgund in Dharwad district of Karnataka is also flowing above the danger level. It is flowing at 565.95 meters, above its danger level of 564 meters.


In Kerala, river Pamba at Thumpamon and river Kaveri at Palakdavu are also flowing above their danger mark. The former is flowing 10.55 meters above its danger level of 10 meters and the latter is flowing 0.73 meters above its danger mark of 6.9 meters.


The districts which have got an IMD alert include Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargod. -- ANI


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10:51   Army defuses three mortar shells along LoC in Poonch
The Army has defused three live mortar shells fired by Pakistan troops along Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said on Tuesday. With the safe defusal of the mortar shells by Army engineers, a tragedy has been averted in Karmara village of Poonch district, they said. Pakistan has been resorting to heavy mortar shelling along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir for the past over one month. -- PTI
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10:40   Chidambaram gets bail, but Diwali in jail
The Supreme Court has granted former finance minister P Chidambaram bail in the INX Media corruption case registered by the CBI. He has been granted bail on a surety of Rs 1 lakh. However, he will remain in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate in Tihar jail. 

Chidambaram was arrested in connection with the graft case on August 21 by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which has recently chargesheeted him and others, including his son Karti and some bureaucrats, for causing loss to the exchequer by allegedly committing offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.
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10:31   Trudeau set to lead Canada's next government: Exit polls
Justin Trudeau is expected to serve another term as Canada's prime minister as Liberals are winning a plurality of seats in Parliament, according to CBC News.


The Liberals were leading or elected in 146 out of 304 electoral districts that had reported results by about 10:30 p.m.According to CBC's projections, the Liberals take most of the seats in Atlantic Canada which is considered as a stronghold for the party.


The projections indicated that the Liberals are keeping six of seven seats in Newfoundland and Labrador but are expected to losing St. John's East to the NDP's Jack Harris.


The Canadian Parliament has 338 seats and the party that wins the majority of those seats - 170 or more - forms a majority government and can easily pass legislation. But the polls predict no party will win a majority this election. In that scenario, the parties must team up to form a government and pass legislation. Canadians cast their ballot on Monday. -- ANI
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10:09   Nobel winner Abhijit Banerjee to meet PM today
Nobel Laureate Dr Abhijit Banerjee will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. Dr Banerjee, who received the Nobel in economics for 2019 has been a vocal critic of the Centre's economic policies for a while now. 

Dr Banerjee had assisted the Congress in formulating the NYAY scheme, ahead of the national election this year. The scheme promised to give Rs. 72,000 a year to each of the 20 per cent families in the poorest of the poor category. Dr Banerjee shares the Nobel with his wife Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer.
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09:57   From 2021, no Assam govt jobs for those with more than 2 children
The Assam Cabinet on Monday decided that no government jobs will be given to persons having more than two children after January 1, 2021.
 
The important decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held late Monday evening that also adopted a New Land Policy, which will give three bighas of agricultural land to landless indegenous people and half a bigha for constructing a house.
A communique from the chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal's public relations cell stated that those having more than two children will not be considered for government jobs with effect from January 1, 2021 as per the small family norm.
In September 2017, the Assam assembly had passed the 'Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam' that specified that job candidates with two children only would be eligible for government employment and the existing government staff were to strictly follow the two children family norm. -- PTI
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09:16   'Shutdown in city': Delhi cab driver dupes US man of Rs 90,000
A 45-year-old taxi driver was arrested for allegedly duping a US national of $1,294 (more than Rs 90,000), police said on Monday. 
 
George Vanmeter, who reached the IGI airport on October 18, was allegedly convinced by the driver-- Ram Preet, a resident of Geeta Colony -- and his accomplices that there was a shutdown in the city due to festivals.
The victim was then taken to a fake travel agency where he was made to re-book his tour plan.
In his complaint, Vanmeter alleged that the taxi driver offered to take him to a hotel in Paharganj, where he had a booking, but later stopped near a road blocked by police barricades. 
"He told the tourist that the roads are closed due to the festive season and took him to a fake tour agency in Connaught Place. The staff there told him that the city was closed and even connected him to an alleged representative of the hotel in Paharganj who told him that the property was closed," said Eish Singhal, DCP (New Delhi). 
Not convinced, Vanmeter boarded an auto-rickshaw whose driver too reiterated that the hotel was closed due to a shutdown in the city.
"The accused then took the tourist to another fake tour agency in Gole Market where the staff helped the man book hotels in Jaipur and Agra," said Singhal.
Vanmeter paid the money and went to Agra.
The fraud came to light after he reached Agra and called the Paharganj hotel asking for a refund. 
A case of cheating was registered at the Mandir Marg Police Station. 
"We have arrested the taxi driver from his house in Geeta Colony. The other accused are absconding," police said. -- PTI  
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09:11   Pak's support for terror obstacle in talks with India: US
The United States has said it supports a direct dialogue between India and Pakistan as outlined in the Shimla Agreement, asserting that the "chief obstacle" to talks remain Islamabad's continued support to extremist groups that engage in cross-border terrorism.
 
"We believe that direct dialogue between India and Pakistan, as outlined in the 1972 Shimla Agreement, holds the most potential for reducing tensions," Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice G Wells told Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
She said during 2006-2007 backchannel negotiations, India and Pakistan reportedly made significant progress on a number of issues, including Kashmir.
"History shows us what is possible," Wells said on Monday in a prepared statement submitted to the Congressional subcommittee on the eve of the hearing "Human Rights in South Asia: Views from the State Department and the Region".
"Restarting a productive bilateral dialogue requires building trust, and the chief obstacle remains Pakistan's continued support for extremist groups that engage in cross-border terrorism," she said.
The United States, Wells said, welcomes Prime Minister Imran Khan's recent unambiguous statement that terrorists from Pakistan who carry out violence in Kashmir are enemies of both Kashmiris and Pakistan. 
"Pakistan's harbouring of terrorist groups like Lashkar-e- Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammed, which seek to foment violence across the Line of Control, is destabilising, and Pakistani authorities remain accountable for their actions," she said in a warning to Pakistan.
"We believe the foundation of any successful dialogue between India and Pakistan is based on Pakistan taking sustained and irreversible steps against militants and terrorists in its territory," Wells said. -- PTI
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08:59   Trump slams Hillary for calling Tulsi Gabbard Russian agent
Declaring that Democratic presidential aspirant Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is "not a Russian agent", United States President Donald Trump on Monday slammed his 2016 election rival Hillary Clinton for making such a "wild allegation" against the lawmaker from Hawaii.
 
"I don't know Tulsi, but she's not a Russian agent," Trump said.
"I don't know Jill Stein. I know she likes environment. I don't think she likes Russians. If she does like them, I know she's not an asset," Trump told reporters in response to a question during his Cabinet meeting at the White House.
 
"These people are sick. There's something wrong with them," Trump said.
 
"Hillary Clinton, I don't know if you've heard of her, she's the one accusing everybody of being a Russian agent. Anybody that is opposed to her is a Russian agent. That's a scam that was pretty much put down," he said.
 
In fact, Trump said that Clinton's comment would help the presidential campaign of Tulsi.
 
"I think that Tulsi Gabbard probably got helped quite a bit by this there," Trump said.
 
Last Friday, Gabbard slammed Clinton as "queen of warmongers" after the former US Secretary of State alleged that the Democratic election hopeful was being "groomed" by the Russians as the third-party candidate for the 2020 presidential elections.
 
Gabbard (38), who declared her presidential bid last year, is a favourite of the Indian-Americans mainly because of her being a Hindu.
 
The unprecedented war of words between the two US politicians erupted Friday when Clinton during an interview appeared to be floating a conspiracy theory that the Russians are "grooming" Gabbard to be the third-party candidate in the presidential elections.
 
"I'm not making any predictions but I think they've got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate," Clinton said, in an apparent reference to Gabbard.
 
"She's the favourite of the Russians. They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far," she told David Plouffe's "Campaign HQ" podcast. -- PTI
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08:48   Support Art 370 move, but concerned over J-K: US
The Trump administration has said while it supports India's development agenda behind the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370, it was concerned over the current situation in the Valley.
 
It said it was closely monitoring the situation in the state following India's August 5 decision.
The Indian government has argued that its decision on Article 370 was driven by a desire to increase economic development, reduce corruption and uniformly apply all national laws in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in regard to women and minorities, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice G Wells told Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee.
"While we support these objectives, the US State Department remains concerned about the situation in the Kashmir Valley, where daily life for the nearly eight million residents has been severely impacted since August 5," Wells said in a prepared statement submitted to the Congressional subcommittee on the eve of the hearing "Human Rights in South Asia: Views from the State Department and the Region".
The US State Department, she said, has closely monitored the situation in Jammu and Kashmir following India's August 5 decision to abrogate Article 370 provisions of the Constitution and bifurcate the state into two Union Territories.
"While conditions in Jammu and Ladakh have improved, the Valley has not returned to normal," Wells said on Monday, adding the State Department has raised concerns with the Indian government regarding the detentions of local residents and political leaders, including three former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir. 
"We have urged Indian authorities to respect human rights and restore full access to services, including internet and mobile networks," she said.
 
Postpaid mobile service has been restored in the valley, but internet access remains intermittent, Wells said.
She said both foreign and local journalists have extensively covered developments in Kashmir, but many have faced challenges in access and reporting due to security restrictions. -- PTI
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01:16   SC verdict on Chidambaram's bail plea today
The Supreme Court is scheduled Tuesday to pronounce judgment on former finance minister P Chidambaram's plea challenging the Delhi high court verdict denying him bail in the INX Media corruption case.

Chidambaram was arrested in connection with the graft case on August 21 by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which has recently chargesheeted him and others, including his son Karti and some bureaucrats, for causing loss to the exchequer by allegedly committing offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.

Chidambaram is presently in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the INX Media money laundering case.

The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017 alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007, during Chidambaram's tenure as the finance minister.

Thereafter, the ED lodged a money laundering case in this regard in 2017.

The 74-year-old senior Congress leader approached the apex court challenging the September 30 verdict of the high court which had dismissed his bail plea in the INX Media corruption case, filed by the CBI, saying the probe was at an advanced stage and the possibility of his influencing the witnesses cannot be ruled out.

A bench comprising justices R Banumathi, A S Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy would also pronounce its verdict on the CBI's plea challenging the findings of the high court which had said that Chidambaram was not a 'flight risk' and cannot tamper with the evidence.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and A M Singhvi, appearing for the senior Congress leader, had argued in the top court that Chidambaram should be granted bail in the case as he was neither a 'flight risk' and nor there was any possibility of him tampering with the evidence.

They had also argued that there were no allegations against Chidambaram that he or his family members had ever tried to influence any witnesses in the case.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for CBI, had opposed his plea seeking bail and said that he had tried to influence and intimidate witnesses related to the case.

Terming Chidambaram as a 'flight risk', Mehta had argued that he has wherewithal to flee the country and can easily survive in any foreign nation.

He had told the bench that 14 accused, including Chidambaram and his son Karti, have been chargesheeted in the case and offence of forgery has also been made out during the probe.  -- PTI

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