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Sat, 02 July 2022
Pulitzer-winning J-K scribe stopped at airport
Timeline Refresh
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21:55 Udaipur tailor murder: Curfew relaxed for 4 hrs, 10-hour relief to be given on Sunday
The district administration in Udaipur on Saturday relaxed for four hours the curfew imposed in seven police station areas in the wake of the killing of a tailor, officials said.
Mobile internet services, however, remained suspended.
With the situation gradually returning to normal, the curfew will be relaxed for 10 hours on Sunday, the officials said.
Two men hacked to death a tailor, Kanhaiya Lal, with a cleaver at his shop in the Dhan Mandi area here on Tuesday to avenge an "insult to Islam".
Following the incident, curfew was imposed in areas falling under the limits of seven police stations -- Dhan Mandi, Ghanta Ghar, Hathi Pole, Amba Mata, Suraj Pole, Bhupalpura and Savina.
"Curfew in the city was relaxed from 12 pm to 4 pm today. Relaxation from 8 am to 6 am will be given on Sunday," Udaipur collector Tara Chand Meena said.
The decision to relax the curfew was taken after reviewing the situation, official sources said.
With the peaceful conduct of Friday's Jagannath Rath Yatra, in which thousands participated, the administration decided to relax the curfew on Saturday, they said.
Four people have been arrested in connection with Lal's murder. -- PTI
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21:17 21 IPS officers transferred in Uttar Pradesh
The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday ordered transfer of 21 Indian Police Service officers, including police chiefs of 14 districts.
According to the transfer list released on Saturday, Ayodhya senior superintendent of police Shailesh Kumar Pandey has been given the same post in Prayagraj in place of Ajay Kumar who has been made SP CBCID Lucknow.
Kasganj SP Rohan Botre has been made the new SP Ghazipur. Kannauj SP Prashant Verma has been made SSP Ayodhya.
Commandant of PAC Ghaziabad Rajesh Kumar Srivastava has been made SP Kannauj.
Ghazipur SP Rambadan Singh has been made deputy commissioner of police Gautam Budh Nagar.
Saharanpur SSP Akash Tomar has been made SP of Gonda while Gorakhpur SSP Vipin Tada has been made SSP Saharanpur. Mathura SSP Gaurav Grover has been made the new SSP of Gorakhpur.
Muzaffarnagar SSP Abhishek Yadav has been made the SSP Mathura, Amroha SP Vineet Jaiswal is the new SSP Muzaffarnagar. Amethi SP Dinesh Singh has been made SP of Bijnor.
Gautam Budh Nagar police commissionerate deputy commissioner of police Elamaran has been made SP of Amethi.
Gonda SP Santosh Kumar Mishra has been made SP Mirzapur. Kanpur deputy commissioner of police BB GTS Murthy has been appointed the new SP of Kasganj, deputy commissioner of police Varanasi, Aditya Langhe has been made SP of Amroha while Mirzapur deputy inspector general Ajay Kumar Singh has been posted as DIG PAC Sector Varanasi.
Bijnor SP Ramveer has been posted as Commandant of PAC Meerut, Kanpur deputy commissioner of police Sanjeev Tyagi has been made SP regional intelligence, Ayodhya.
Police Academy Moradabad SP Vijay Dhul has been posted as deputy commissioner of police Kanpur, CBI SP Rahul Raj has been posted as deputy commissioner of police Lucknow. -- PTI
Sanna Irshad Mattoo/Twitter
21:11 Pulitzer-winning J-K scribe stopped at airport
A Pulitzer-winning Kashmiri photojournalist was Saturday stopped from flying abroad by immigration authorities at the airport in New Delhi who cited restrictions imposed on her by the Jammu and Kashmir police.
Sanna Irshad Mattoo was on her way to Paris to attend a book launch event and participate in a photography exhibition when she was stopped by immigration authorities at the Delhi airport.
"Whatever happened today was totally unexpected," she told PTI.
In a tweet, she said, "I was scheduled to travel from Delhi to Paris today for a book launch and photography exhibition as one of 10 award winners of the Serendipity Arles grant 2020. Despite procuring a French visa, I was stopped at the immigration desk at Delhi airport."
"I was not given any reason but told I would not be able to travel internationally," she tweeted.
Karti Chidambaram, son of former union minister P Chidambaram, was among those who reacted on social media.
"Indiscriminate use of LOC (lookout circular). A tool to harass all critics of this regime," he said.
Mattoo alleged the immigration authorities did not give her any reason for stopping her from flying except saying that she could not travel abroad as there were restrictions. -- PTI
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20:49 Taxpayers face issues accessing e-filing portal; Infy taking measures: IT dept
As taxpayers face issues in accessing the e-filing portal, the Income Tax department on Saturday said software provider Infosys is taking "proactive measures" to deal with the 'irregular traffic' on the portal.
"It has been noticed that taxpayers are facing issues in accessing ITD e-filing portal. As informed by @Infosys, they have observed some irregular traffic on the portal for which proactive measures are being taken," the I-T department tweeted.
The new e-filing portal www.incometax.gov.in, launched on June 7, 2021, had a bumpy start with taxpayers and professionals reporting glitches and difficulties in its functioning.
Infosys was given the contract in 2019 to develop the portal.
More recently, the portal faced snags on the first anniversary of its launch and many users complained that they were unable to log in into the portal, while some complained malfunctioning of the search functionality.
The government has paid Rs 164.5 crore to Infosys to build the new income tax e-filing portal. -- PTI
20:32 Kanpur clashes: 2 cops suspended, another removed
Nearly a month after violence broke out after Friday prayers in Kanpur, action was taken against three police personnel.
According to a statement issued from the Kanpur police commissionerate, commissioner of police Vijay Singh Meena has suspended SHOs of Beconganj and Bajaria police stations Nawab Ahmed and Santosh Kumar Singh respectively for dereliction of duty and sent them to police lines.
Apart from this, SHO of Chamanganj Jainendra Singh has been removed from charge and sent to police lines, it said.
Violence broke out in Nai-Sadak, Parade and Dada Miyan crossing areas during a protest call after Friday prayers on June 3 against remarks made by suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Mohammed.
A senior official said on the condition of anonymity that the action against SHO Nawab Ahmed was taken for laxity before and after the violence.
SHO, Bajaria, Santosh Singh has been suspended for patronising one of the accused, Mukhtar alias Baba Biryani, the official said, adding there were allegations against the police station in-charge of Chamanganj, Jainendra Singh. -- PTI
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20:12 Action sought against AAP MLA for engaging people in manual scavenging
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has demanded that AAP MLA Naresh Balyan should be booked for allegedly engaging people in the banned practice of manual scavenging.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader and Uttam Nagar MLA had recently shared four pictures of drain and sewage cleaning as part of monsoon preparedness on Twitter.
"Even though the Delhi Municipal Corporation is not performing its duties, the Delhi government is dedicated to helping the people. Before the arrival of the monsoon, all major drains of the Uttam Nagar assembly constituency are being cleaned by the PWD so that there is no problem of waterlogging in any colony," he said in Hindi.
In the attached pictures, two people can be seen cleaning a drain manually. NCSC chairperson Vijay Sampla responded to Balyan's tweet, saying, "The SC community should not be misused while doing politics. They should remember that manual scavenging is a crime and MLA Naresh Balyan is involved in this crime. @CPDelhi take immediate action on this and inform the NCSC about the action taken as soon as possible."
Defending himself, Balyan said the people were not cleaning sewers but drains, and the work was being undertaken by the public welfare department.
Manual scavenging is a banned practice under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
The Act bans the use of any individual for manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of or otherwise handling in any manner, human excreta till its disposal. -- PTI
19:53 Alt News' Zubair sent to 14-day judicial custody
The chief metropolitan magistrate of Patiala House Court of Delhi on Saturday dismissed the bail petition of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair.
The court sent him to judicial custody for 14 days.
"The bail plea of Mohammed Zubair has been canceled and our application for judicial remand has been accepted. Three new sections have been invoked 201 and 120 of IPC and 35 FCR Act," said Atul Shrivastava, special public prosecutor for the Delhi police. -- ANI
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19:25 Retaining wall of lake collapses amid heavy rains in Maharashtra's Thane
A retaining wall of a lake collapsed amid heavy downpour in Maharashtra's Thane city on Saturday and no casualties were reported in the incident, a civic official said.
The retaining wall of Siddheshwar Talao in Patil Wadi collapsed around 5.15 pm, said Avinash Sawant, the chief of the regional disaster management cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation.
No casualties were reported in the incident, he said.
The portion of the wall that collapsed was 15 feet by 6 feet and the remaining portion of the structure is also in a precarious state, the official said.
Teams of local firemen and RDMC are clearing out the debris in the area, he added. -- PTI
Angry people trying to attack Kanhaiya Lal murder accused in Jaipur/ANI
19:13 Kanhaiya Lal murder accused attacked in court
A group of lawyers Saturday attacked the four accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case, kicking and slapping them and hurling abuses as they were being taken to a prisoner vehicle after being produced in a court in Jaipur.
The clothes of one of the four accused were also torn, and the agitated lawyers raised slogans against Pakistan and demanded the capital punishment for them.
The four accused-- main accused Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, and two others namely Mohsin and Asif -- were produced in a special court in Jaipur amid tight security arrangements.
The court sent the four to police remand till July 12.
There was heavy security deployment on the premises, but as the accused were being taken out of the court, the group of lawyers attacked them before police personnel somehow managed to hustle them into a waiting prisoner transport vehicle.
The lawyers shouted slogans such as "Pakistan Murdabad" and "Kanhaiya ke hatyaron ko fansi Do (hang the murderers of Kanhaiya)". -- PTI
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18:51 India slams USCIRF for 'misrepresenting' facts
India on Saturday slammed the US Commission on International Religious Freedom for its 'biased' and 'inaccurate' comments on the country.
The strong reaction from the ministry of external affairs came a day after the USCIRF alleged 'repression' of critical voices, especially religious minorities and those reporting on and advocating for them in India.
"We have seen the biased and inaccurate comments on India by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
He said the comments reflect a "severe lack of understanding" of India and its constitutional framework, its plurality and its democratic ethos.
"Regrettably, USCIRF continues to misrepresent facts time and again in its statements and reports in pursuance of its motivated agenda. Such actions only serve to strengthen concerns about the credibility and objectivity of the organisation," Bagchi said.
He was replying to media queries on USCIRF's comments on India. -- PTI
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18:37 NIA team in Amravati to probe chemist murder
A team of the National Investigation Agency visited Amravati city in eastern Maharashtra on Saturday for probe into the killing of a chemist after it emerged that the crime might be linked to his social media posts supporting suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma.
The chemist, Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe (54), was killed on June 21, and Maharashtra police have arrested five persons in connection with the incident.
Earlier in the day, a Union home ministry spokesperson tweeted that the probe of the case has been handed over to the NIA.
An NIA team has reached Amravati, said a senior police official in Mumbai.
A team of Anti-Terrorism Squad of state police from Aurangabad is also visiting the city, said an official.
Kolhe's killing had taken place a week before two men hacked to death a tailor in Rajasthan's Udaipur before posting videos online saying that they were avenging an insult to Islam.
The NIA is also probing the killing of the Udaipur tailor, Kanhaiya Lal. -- PTI
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18:23 Gunmen attack anti-polio team in Pakistan; injures one worker
Gunmen have opened fire at a polio vaccination team in northwest Pakistan bordering Afghanistan, injuring a worker, police officials said on Saturday --- the latest attack on vaccination teams in recent years by militants in the restive region.
Unidentified assailants attacked a polio vaccination team in Mir Ali tehsil in North Waziristan tribal district on Saturday, which left a worker named Sher Ali injured, the police said.
Ali was immediately admitted to a local hospital, where he is undergoing treatment, they said.
On Tuesday, three people, including two policemen, escorting an anti-polio vaccination team, were killed when unidentified assailants attacked them in north Waziristan tribal district.
In March this year, gunmen in northwestern Pakistan shot and killed a female polio worker as she was returning home after taking part in the country's latest anti-polio campaign. -- PTI
17:59 Kolkata police issue lookout notice for Nupur
Lookout notice has been issued for suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma after she failed to appear before the Kolkata police for four times over her remarks on Prophet Mohammed, said an officer. -- PTI
17:37 Presidential election: Sinha to address Cong Legislative Party on Sunday
The presidential candidate of the opposition parties Yashwant Sinha would address the Congress Legislature Party on Sunday morning.
Sources in the Congress said Sinha would arrive on Saturday evening and after staying overnight in Bengaluru, he would take part in the Congress Legislative Party meeting at 11 am on Sunday in a private hotel.
The sources added that he would seek the Congress legislators' support for his candidature in the upcoming presidential election.
The Congress and its allies have extended their support to Sinha who would contest against the BJP's candidate Draupadi Murmu. -- PTI
17:19 Udaipur killing: 4 accused in 10-day police custody
An NIA court remanded in 10-day police custody the four accused arrested in the murder case of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal.
Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad were arrested on Tuesday, hours after they allegedly hacked the tailor to death with a cleaver at his shop for extending supporting to now suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma, and posted videos online saying they are avenging an insult to Islam.
The two others, Mohsin and Asif, were nabbed on Thursday night for being involved in the conspiracy.
They were produced before the court here amid tight security arrangements.
"The court ordered police remand till July 12," according to a lawyer.
There were heavy police arrangements on the court premises and several lawyers shouted slogans like "Pakistan Murdabad" and "Kanhaiya ke hatyaron ko fansi do" (give death sentence to Kanhaiya's killers). -- PTI
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17:06 Pak police arrest 9 ISIS terrorists from Punjab province
Pakistani police have arrested nine terrorists, four of them belonging to the dreaded Islamic State terror group, while carrying out raids in different parts of the Punjab province, police said on Saturday.
Acting on a tip-off, the Counter-Terrorism Department of Punjab police conducted raids and arrested nine terrorists.
Of the arrested terrorists, four belong to ISIS and as many are affiliated with different factions of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan while one is a member of the Lashkar-e-Jhanghvi outfit, it said in a statement.
They have been shifted to undisclosed locations for further investigation, the statement said, adding that a huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the arrested terrorists.
Cases have been registered against them under Anti-terrorism Act, it said.
Last week, the CTD arrested 11 terrorists most of them belonging to TTP from Punjab province.
Currently, the military establishment is holding "peace talks" with the TTP leadership.
The military has reassured the political leadership at the Prime Minister's House that no extra-constitutional concessions would be given to the banned TTP in the ongoing dialogue and any deal made with the terrorist group would be subject to parliamentary approval. -- PTI
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17:04 Greens call for stir to save Mumbai's Aarey
The Mumbai police have increased deployment at Aarey forest in light of the protest called by environmentalists against the state government's decision to build a metro car shed at the site, an official said on Saturday.
Environmental organisations have called for a peaceful protest at Aarey forest on Sunday morning and hundreds of Mumbaikars are likely to gather at the picnic point in the area, he said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis overturned the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government's decision to relocate the proposed Mumbai Metro Line-3 car shed from Aarey Colony.
The decision to set up the car shed in the wooded Aarey area was opposed by environmental groups, as it involved cutting down hundreds of trees.
Considering this, the Thackeray government had shifted the car shed site to Kanjurmarg, but it entered a legal dispute.
The city police have increased police deployment at the forest to avoid any untoward incident during the protest, the official said.
The Aam Aadmi Party's Mumbai unit has also extended its support to the protest and has appealed to Mumbaikars to join the demonstration. -- PTI
PC George (centre)/ANI
16:27 Kerala's former MLA George arrested in sexual assault case
Senior Kerala politician PC George was on Saturday arrested in Thiruvananthapuram on the basis of a sexual assault complaint filed by an accused in the solar panel case, the police said.
George was taken into custody by the Cantonment police from a guest house in the state capital where he was being grilled by the Crime Branch in connection with a conspiracy hatched to defame the Kerala Chief Minister in smuggling allegations levelled by gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh.
He has been charged under IPC Section 354 (a) (Sexual harassment). -- PTI
15:39 4 houses collapse in Mumbai due to heavy rain, no casualties
Four houses collapsed in the Chunabhatti area of Mumbai due to incessant rainfall in the city on Friday night.
No injuries or casualties were reported.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde chaired a meeting of the State Disaster Management Department on Friday evening at Mantralaya, Mumbai in the wake of heavy rainfall in Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, India meteorological department has issued an orange alert as heavy rains lashed Mumbai causing waterlogging in several parts of the city.
Train and bus services were badly hit across the city.
Several parts of Mumbai, including Kurla, Chembur, Sion, Dadar and Andheri, witnessed heavy rain.
Another collapse incident took place on the night of June 29 wherein a four-storey building collapsed in the Kurla area of Mumbai, killing a total of 19 people and leaving 15 others injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of those who lost their lives.
The injured would be given Rs 50,000 each. -- PTI
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15:15 NIA to probe medical shop owner's killing in Maha
The Union home ministry on Saturday handed over to the National Investigation Agency the investigation into the killing of a chemist in Amravati in Maharashtra, a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson tweeted that the NIA would probe the conspiracy behind the killing of the chemist, Umesh Kolhe, who was hacked to death on June 21.
The NIA would also thoroughly investigate any involvement of organisations and international linkages, the spokesperson said.
Five persons have been arrested in connection with the killing of the 54-year-old chemist so far. -- PTI
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann
14:59 Punjab CM Mann likely to expand cabinet: Sources
The Bhagwant Mann-led government in Punjab is likely to expand its cabinet soon by inducting at least five MLAs as ministers, party sources said on Saturday.
With the induction of five more ministers, the strength of the Mann-led cabinet will reach 15, including the chief minister.
After the Aam Aadmi Party formed the government following its resounding victory in the 2022 assembly polls, 10 MLAs were inducted as ministers in the Mann-led cabinet.
There are 18 berths in the cabinet, including the chief minister.
At present, there are nine ministers in the Mann-led cabinet.
In May, Health Minister Vijay Singla was sacked from the state cabinet over graft charges.
According to the party sources, a woman and a Hindu face are likely to be part of the cabinet expansion.
There is also a possibility of inducting at least one legislator who is a two-time MLA.
The Aam Aadmi Party had stormed to power by bagging 92 seats in the 117-member Punjab Vidhan Sabha during the state assembly polls. -- PTI
14:39 Alt News' Zubair sent to jail for 14 days
Just In: Delhi court rejects Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair's bail plea, sends him to 14-day judicial custody.
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14:17 Heavy rain lashes parts of Gujarat, NDRF deployed
Heavy rains lashed parts of Gujarat, throwing normal life out of gear and causing flood-like situation in low-lying areas in Surat, Banaskantha and Anand districts, with Palsana taluka in Surat recording 209 mm rainfall in a day till Saturday morning, officials said.
As many as 380 people were shifted to safer places from rainfall-hit villages in Anand district by a team of the National Disaster Response Force deployed by the district administration after flooding in some villages of Borsad taluka caused due to heavy rains on Thursday, they said.
In the 24-hour period that ended at 6 am in Saturday, parts of south Gujarat and Banaskantha in north Gujarat received heavy rainfall, causing flooding in many areas.
Surat city was also affected by the rainfall. Palsana taluka in the district recorded the highest rainfall of 209 mm. Bardoli (125 mm), Olpad (118 mm) and Choryasi (117 mm) were among other talukas of Surat district that received over 100 mm rainfall during this period, as per the government's State Emergency Operation Centre.
Apart from Navsari, Tapi and Valsad districts of south Gujarat, Banaskantha in north Gujarat also received heavy rainfall, especially the talukas of Deodar (190 mm), Deesa (120 mm) and Amirgadh (120 mm), the SEOC data showed.
Several shops in low-lying areas in Deesa town were flooded, which hit normal life. Roads were inundated and underpasses dangerously filled with water, posing challenges in the movement of traffic.
The situation in low-lying areas in Surat city was similar. -- PTI
14:00 Another landslide hits Manipur after Noney tragedy
Another landslide hit near the tragedy site in Manipur's Noney, the Manipur Mountaineering and Tracking Association informed on Saturday.
Fresh teams were deployed on Saturday morning to augment the efforts in the search.
This comes as Manipur is already reeling from a previous landslide that hit Manipur's Tupul general area in which the death toll rose to 24 till now.
The landslide hit on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday near the company location of 107 Territorial Army of the Indian Army deployed near Tupul Railway Station for protection of the under-construction railway line from Jiribam to Imphal.
The North-East Frontier Railway CPRO said the landslide triggered by incessant rains caused damage to the Tupul station building of the ongoing Jiribam -- Imphal new line project.
According to PRO defence, Guwahati, relentless search operations by the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, Territorial Army, State Disaster Response Fund and National Disaster Response Force at the incident site at Tupul, Manipur continue.
The search operations for 12 missing Territorial Army personnel and 26 civilians still continue, the release from PRO Defence, Guwahati said.
Earlier on Friday, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh termed the landslide in Noney district the worst incident in the history of the state. Chief Minister Singh again visited the site to encourage the personnel engaged in rescue operations.
"It is the worst incident in the history of the state. We have lost 81 people's lives of which 18 including a territorial army (personnel) were rescued. Around 55 persons are trapped. It will take 2-3 days to recover all the dead bodies due to the soil," Singh said. -- PTI
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13:45 Five of a family including 2 children found dead in Kerala
Five members of a family including two minor children were found dead in their house at nearby Kallambalam on Saturday morning, the police said.
While the owner of the house was found hanging in a room, the other four members were spotted lying on the ground suspected to have consumed some poisonous substance.
Besides the man, his wife and two children, another woman relative of the household was among the deceased, they said, "Prima facie it is a suspected case of suicide. As per the indications received, the family was worried about some financial issues. But, we can arrive at a conclusion only after a detailed probe," a police official said.
The news of the tragedy came out after one of the close relatives of the family came to the house in the morning, he added. -- PTI
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13:27 Pet dog helps south Kolkata family catch thief
A pet dog helped a family catch a thief in their house in south Kolkata's Kalighat area, and recover the stolen goods, the police said on Saturday.
The incident happened at Jadu Bhattacharya Lane near Kalighat Fire Station, a stone's throw away from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence, they said.
A thief entered the house around 4 am on Friday, breaking the latch of the main door, and after stealing a few items, he was having food from the refrigerator, police said.
Noticing someone was there, the woman of the house woke up and raised an alarm.
Hearing her screams, the others woke up too.
As Prasenjit Chakraborty, a young member of the family, tried to catch the thief, he was attacked with a knife, police said. Soon, their dog Rocky pounced upon the thief.
The dog bit him and kept holding on to his leg until the five-member family overpowered him.
They then called the police who arrested the thief, an officer said.
"It's definitely a brave job. Initial investigation has revealed that the thief, a vegetable seller of the area, was put-up to the job by a neighbour of the family," he said.
"The accused was trying to steal gold ornaments worn by the deity of the household," he said, adding that the neighbour has also been arrested.
Prasenjit, who was attacked by the thief, was taken to the SSKM Hospital where he received 35 stitches on his neck and shoulder, police said.
A case has been filed and an investigation is underway, they said. -- PTI
13:17 Capt Amarinder to merge his party with BJP?
Former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh is likely to merge his party Punjab Lok Congress with the Bharatiya Janata Party after his return from London, where he is recovering after a spinal surgery.
Though there is no word from the party, senior Punjab BJP leader Harjit Singh Grewal on Saturday claimed that a decision in this connection has been made.
Before departing for London, Singh had conveyed his intention to merge his party with the BJP, Grewal said, adding the former chief minister will announce the merger on his return.
Singh, the scion of the erstwhile Patiala Royal family and a two-time chief minister, had floated the PLC after he quit the Congress following his unceremonious exit as the chief minister last year.
The PLC contested the 2022 state assembly polls in alliance with the BJP and the Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyuk).
However, none of the PLC candidates could register a win, with Amarinder himself losing from his home turf Patiala Urban seat. -- PTI
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13:03 Monsoon has covered entire country: IMD
Southwest monsoon has covered the entire country as it brought seasonal rains to Gujarat and Rajasthan, the India meteorological department said on Saturday.
"Southwest monsoon has covered the entire country on Saturday, six days before the normal date of July 8," the weather office said.
The southwest monsoon had its onset over Kerala on May 29, three days ahead of the normal date of June 1.
However, the progress of southwest monsoon, crucial to the farm-based economy, has been sluggish with the country reporting rainfall deficit of eight per cent.
Weather scientists expect the monsoon to pick up pace in the coming months and have predicted well distributed rainfall in July. -- PTI
12:48 BSF hands over infant to Pak after he inadvertently crossed over to India
A three-year-old Pakistani child who inadvertently crossed the International Border was handed over to security personnel of the neighbouring country by the Border Security Force, the officials said on Saturday.
BSF informed that on Friday at about 7:15 pm, troops of 182 Bn BSF, Ferozepur Sector apprehended one Pakistani child aged approximately 3 years while he crossed the border and entered Indian territory.
The said child was unable to reveal anything and was kept under safe custody of BSF, the statement read.
As it was a case of inadvertent crossing, BSF further approached Pak Rangers and at about 9:45 pm, said Pakistani child was handed over to Pak Rangers as a goodwill gesture and on humanitarian ground.
"BSF always takes a humane approach while dealing with inadvertent border crossers," it read. -- ANI
Nupur Sharma
12:42 Amravati chemist killed for backing Nupur Sharma
A 54-year-old chemist was stabbed to death in Amravati city of Maharashtra, with the police suspecting that the accused committed the offence as the victim had allegedly shared a post on a social messaging platform in support of Nupur Sharma, whose remarks on Prophet Mohammed led to nationwide protests and global condemnation.
The chemist, Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe, was killed on June 21, and five persons have been arrested so far in this connection, an official said.
The incident occurred a week before two men hacked to death Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Rajasthan's Udaipur, with a cleaver at his shop before posting videos online saying that they were avenging an insult to Islam.
"Five persons have been arrested in connection with the murder of the chemist and a search is on to trace the prime accused Irfan Khan (32), who runs a NGO," Amravati commissioner of police Dr Aarti Singh said on Saturday.
"Kolhe ran a medical store in Amravati city. He had allegedly shared a post on some WhatsApp groups in support of Nupur Sharma for her comments.
He even mistakenly shared the post in a WhatsApp group in which some Muslims were also members, including his customers," an official of the City Kotwali police station said.
After that, Irfan Khan hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Kolhe and roped in five persons for it. He promised to give Rs 10,000 to them and a safe escape in a car, he said.
The incident occurred between 10 pm and 10.30 pm on June 21, when Kolhe was going home on a two-wheeler after closing his shop, he said, adding that his son Sanket (27) and wife Vaishnavi were accompanying him in a different vehicle.
"When all of them reached near Mahila College's gate, two motorcycle-borne men came from behind and blocked Kolhe's path. A youth alighted from the motorcycle and stabbed Kolhe on his neck with a sharp weapon and escaped from the spot. Kolhe collapsed on the road in a pool of blood. Sanket rushed him to a hospital, where he died," the official said.
Based on Saket's complaint, an FIR was registered and five persons, identified as Muddsir Ahemad (22), Shahrukh Pathan (25), Abdul Thoufique (24) Shoaib Khan (22) and Atib Rashid (22), all residents of Amravati and daily wage workers, have been arrested.
The police have seized the knife used in the crime and obtained the CCTV footages that captured the sequence of events.
Police commissioner Singh said the exact reason behind the murder is being ascertained.
The BJP had on June 5 suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled Delhi BJP media head Jindal after their alleged derogatory remarks against the Prophet led to an outrage in India and Gulf countries.
12:21 Delhi police charges Zubair with criminal conspiracy
The Delhi police on Saturday produced Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair before a court in New Delhi in a case related to an 'objectionable tweet' he had posted in 2018 against a Hindu deity and sought his 14-day judicial custody.
Zubair was produced before the court on expiry of his five-day custodial interrogation. The police told chief metropolitan magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria that he was not required anymore for custodial interrogation.
During the brief hearing, public prosecutor Atul Srivastava also informed the court that police has invoked new provisions -- sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code and section 35 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act -- against Zubair.
After the police application, Zubair moved a bail plea before the court on the ground that he was not required for the investigation any further.
The court is likely to hear the bail application shortly.
Zubair's advocate Vrinda Grover told the court that the phone seized by the police was not of the time the tweets were made.
'Tweet is of 2018, the phone is which I (Zubair) am using presently. I haven't even denied the tweet,' she said.
Zubair was earlier booked under sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) of the IPC.
IPC section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) was also invoked against him later.
12:15 HBO cancels 'The Time Traveler's Wife' after one season
HBO has decided to cancel television writer Steven Moffat's drama series The Time Traveler's Wife after season one.
The show, based on Audrey Niffenegger's novel of the same name, starred Rose Leslie as Clare Abshire, Theo James as Henry DeTamble, Desmin Borges as Gomez, and Natasha Lopez as Charisse.
The six-part drama, written and executive produced by Moffat, told the tale of Clare and Henry and a marriage with a problem: time travel.
Though HBO will not be moving forward with a second season of The Time Traveler's Wife, it was our privilege to partner with master storytellers Steven Moffat and David Nutter.
"We are so grateful for their passion, hard work and care for adapting this beloved book. We also thank Theo and Rose, and the rest of our brilliant cast for their heartfelt performances, which completely captivated audiences," an HBO spokesperson told Deadline.
The series, directed by David Nutter, premiered on May 15 and ran through June 19.
It was backed by Hartswood Films in association with Warner Bros. -- PTI Television.
Rajan Salvi/Twitter
12:05 MVA fields Sena's Salvi for Maha speaker post
Maha Vikas Aghadi has fielded Shiv Sena MLA Rajan Salvi against Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Rahul Narwekar for the Maharashtra assembly's speaker post.
"We have filed the nomination of Shiv Sena MLA Rajan Salvi. Congress had the first claim but we sat down with Shiv Sena and NCP and this decision was taken together," said Balasaheb Thorat, Congress leader on Maharashtra speaker's election.
Elections for the same are to be held tomorrow, July 3. -- ANI
10:42 Smoke in cabin, SpiceJet flight returns to Delhi
A Jabalpur-bound SpiceJet flight returned to the Delhi airport on Saturday morning after passengers claimed smoke in the plane.
According to SpiceJet Spokesperson, smoke was detected inside the plane when the aircraft was passing 5,000 ft.
The SG-2862 flight which took off from Delhi at 6.15 am for Jabalpur, landed back at 7 am at the Delhi airport.
The flight landed safely and deboarded all passengers.
'On July 2, 2022, SpiceJet Q400 aircraft was operating SG-2962 (Delhi-Jabalpur). While passing 5000ft, the crew noticed smoke in the cabin. The pilots decided to return back to Delhi. Aircraft landed safely at Delhi and passengers were safely disembarked,' the Spokesperson said.
Saurabh Chhabra, a Delhi to Jabalpur passenger seated at 12C, told ANI, "Soon after the flight took off, there was a panic situation in the plane as passengers were having trouble breathing inside."
Earlier on June 19, a Delhi-bound Spice Jet aircraft made an emergency landing at Patna airport after there were reports of a technical glitch which prompted fire inside the plane.
All the passengers were safely rescued. -- ANI
10:30 Enjoy Dum Biryani while in Hyderabad, KTR mocks BJP leaders
Poking fun at the delegates who descended in Hyderabad to attend the Bharatiya Janata Party's National Executive meet, Telangana Rashtra Samiti working president and minister K T Rama Rao has asked them to enjoy world famous Hyderabadi Dum Biryani and Irani tea during their stay.
The BJP's NEC began on Saturday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of other bigwigs attending the two-day conclave.
'Welcome the WhatsApp University for its executive council meeting to the beautiful city of Hyderabad. To all the Jhumla Jeevis; Don't forget to enjoy our Dum Biryani & Irani Chai,' Rama Rao tweeted last night.
Posting pictures of some of the flagship iconic initiatives of the state government such as T-Hub 2.0, Kaleshwaram Project, Police Command Control building and Yadadri Temple, he also suggested the leaders to visit those places, take notes and try to implement them in their respective states.
In press release on Friday, KTR, son of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said Prime Minister Modi should study the Telangana model of development, its policies, schemes that could be implemented in BJP-ruled states which are being troubled by double engine.
"Learn from Telangana. 'Aao-Dhekho-Seekho," he told Modi. -- PTI
Droupadi Murmu
09:58 Murmu's chances are better, acknowledges Mamata
Ahead of the presidential election, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Droupadi Murmu's chances of winning the election are better because of developments in Maharashtra.
"Now we know Droupadi Murmu's chances are better because of developments in Maharashtra. We'll go by what opposition parties say," Banerjee said.
The chief minister further said that the opposition could have considered her (Murmu's) name if the Bharatiya Janata Party had discussed it with them before announcing it.
"The BJP didn't discuss with us before announcing their candidate for Presidential elections. They should've taken our suggestions...then we could've considered," she added.
Murmu, who was declared BJP-led NDA's presidential candidate, is a former Governor of Jharkhand and a former Odisha minister.
She will face opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in the presidential contest on July 18.
If elected, she will be the first tribal President of India and the country's second female President.
The elections for the President of India will take place on July 18 and the results will be out on July 21.
The term of present Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind concludes on July 24. -- ANI
09:42 BSF returns 3-yr-old Pak boy who accidentally reached border
A three-year-old Pakistani boy, who inadvertently reached the International Border (IB) in Punjab, has been handed over to his family by the Border Security Force, officials said on Saturday.
The incident was reported in Ferozepur sector of the state at around 7 pm on Friday when the BSF troops noticed a child who stood crying near the IB fence.
The child kept crying and calling 'papa, papa', following which the BSF field commander sought an immediate flag meeting with the Pakistani Rangers so that he could be handed back, they said.
The child was shortly handed over to the Rangers in the presence of his father, the officials said. -- PTI
08:56 Raj Thackeray praises Fadnavis, 'alerts' Shinde
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has extended his best wishes to BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis for being sworn in as the deputy chief minister of the state, further praising him for accepting the junior slot in the government following the order of the party high command despite him being a two-time chief minister.
Notably, Fadnavis had initially denied being a part of the new government and had said that he would support the government from outside.
However, on the word of the party high command, he accepted to join the government as a deputy.
Thackeray denied calling it a 'demotion' of Fadnavis stating that it has been done to with an aim to meet a target.
Taking to Twitter, the MNS chief wrote, 'I won't say anything about you being appointed the deputy chief minister as a promotion or demotion, I would only say this that when a target is to be aimed, the rope of the bow is pulled back with the arrow to hit the target. And this is not considered a demotion.'
Thackeray also extended best wishes to Eknath Shinde for being sworn in as the chief minister and also cautioned him asking him to 'take measured steps'.
'My heartfelt congratulations to you on being sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra. It is indeed a moment of happiness for us. Providence has given you this opportunity. I hope you will prove it with your confidence. Be alert. Take measured steps,' he tweeted.
He also had taken a veiled jibe at Uddhav Thackeray during the Maharashtra crisis saying that 'when anyone misunderstands good fortune as one's personal accomplishment, therein begins the journey of one's decline'.
Though Raj Thackeray has not named Uddhav, however, the timing of the tweet gave an indication of the reference to his brother. -- ANI
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08:41 21 killed as Russian missiles hit Odeassa
At least 21 people were killed and dozens injured when the Russian missile on Friday struck a residential tower and a recreational centre in the southern Ukrainian region of Odessa.
One of the missiles hit the nine-storey residential tower in Serhiivka, killing at least 16 and injuring 38 people, according to The New York Times citing Ukraine's state emergency service.
And then another missile hit a recreational centre, where five people died and one was injured, emergency officials said on Telegram.
The residential tower, which is home to 100 people, has been destroyed on one side, according to the Ukrainian regional military administration.
They were still going through the rubble of the recreational centre, officials said. The missiles struck around 1 am.
The Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, again denied on Friday that Russia was targeting any civilian infrastructure.
"I would like to again remind you of the words of the president of the Russian Federation and commander in chief that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are not working against civilian targets in the course of the special military operation," Peskov said as quoted by The New York Times.
He further said that Russia's target included ammunition and arms depots, plants that manufacture and repair military equipment, and places where 'foreign mercenaries' and 'nationalist elements' are based and trained.
The attack came as Russian troops withdrew from Snake Island after occupying the strategic Black Sea outpost for months.
Snake Island, a tiny piece of land about 25 miles off Ukraine's southeastern coast, sits on a major shipping lane and is an important access point to the key port of Odessa.
As per the report by The Washington Post, 'the Ukrainian artillery, rockets and airstrikes this month pushed the Russians out of the Snake Island', wrote Commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Valery Zaluzhny in a Facebook post.
He also shared a video of missiles hitting the island and claimed a week earlier it had taken out Russian anti-aircraft systems there.
However, Russia denied its systems had been destroyed
'Russian forces tried unsuccessfully to stymie the assault with nighttime fighter jet attacks on the coast of the Odessa region,' the Ukrainian military's southern command said on Facebook.
As the Ukrainian military operation continued, Russian troops remaining on the island 'hurriedly evacuated' the garrison on two speedboats, the statement added.
Taking to Telegram, Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's office said, "On Snake [Island] there are no more Russians," stating further that the Ukrainian Armed Forces conducted a wonderful operation and knocked them out, the report said.
He also thanked foreign allies for weapons that aided the fight. -- ANI
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01:00 Marathi actor alleges molestation in jail
A Marathi actor, who was arrested for allegedly sharing an `objectionable' post against a senior politician, on Friday claimed she was molested while she was lodged in a prison in adjoining Thane district.
The actor got bail late last month, more than a month after being arrested over the controversial social media post.
Speaking to a news channel, she said, "I was molested while I was in jail. I was beaten up and some black poisonous ink was thrown at me."
The TV and film actor claimed her arrest by the police was illegal.
"I was arrested illegally, without a warrant. I had done nothing wrong, still I was treated in such a way,' she said.
The actor had posted a poem in Marathi on her Facebook account, which angered supporters of the veteran politician and subsequently a police complaint was filed. -- PTI
00:51 Metro 3 shed on land proposed by SC: Fadnavis
Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that Mumbai metro line 3 cannot be started until the car shed is prepared and land proposed by the previous MVA government for the purpose is disputed.
"Mumbai metro line 3 cannot be started until the car shed is prepared. Land proposed by the previous government for the car shed is disputed. During our government, 25 per cent of work has been completed on the land proposed by SC and the remaining 75 per cent work can be done immediately," he told the media.
"For the benefit of Mumbaikars, the car shed should only be made on that land proposed by SC in order to start the metro service," he added.
Within hours of assuming office, the new Maharashtra government with Eknath Shinde as Chief Minister and Devendra Fadnavis as the deputy Chief Minister directed the advocate general that its view that the metro car shed be built in Mumbai's Aarey colony itself should be placed before the court. -- ANI
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