LIVE! Cash, drugs worth Rs 750cr seized in Gujarat: CEC

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Wed, 30 November 2022

Cash, drugs worth Rs 750cr seized in Gujarat: CEC

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23:49 Cash, drugs worth Rs 750cr seized in Gujarat: CEC

Record seizure of cash, jewellery and drugs worth Rs 750 crore has been made by the Election Commission of India, said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Wednesday.

"Till date, we have seized cash, jewellery, and drugs worth Rs 750 crore in Gujarat," said Rajiv Kumar in an exclusive interview with ANI.

Thursday is the first phase of elections in Gujarat in which voting will be held on 89 assembly seats.

Kumar said, in the 2017 elections in Gujarat, material worth Rs 27 crore was seized.

To date, this recovery has been worth Rs 750 crore.

Cash worth Rs 27 crore and liquor worth Rs 15 crore have been seized.

It may be recalled that alcohol is banned in Gujarat.

Drugs worth Rs 60 crore have been seized.

Kumar added that the increase in the seizure is due to the strictness of the Election Commission, even on Wednesday a big seizure is going on in Vadodara.

There is a possibility that it will be a seizure of around Rs 450 crore.

Kumar said that freebies worth Rs 171 crore have been seized in Gujarat. DRI, Income Tax, ATS Gujarat, and police, all worked very diligently, he further stated. -- ANI

Y S Vivekananda Reddy

23:29 SC transfers murder trial of AP CM's uncle Vivekanand Reddy to Hyderabad

The Supreme Court has transferred the high-profile murder trial of Y S Vivekananda Reddy, a minister in undivided Andhra Pradesh, to a special court in Telangana, after taking note of allegations by the deceased's widow and daughter about influential people attempting to scuttle the trial in his home state.

Vivekananda Reddy was the brother of the late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and uncle of incumbent AP CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

He was found murdered at his residence in Pulivendula, the constituency now represented by his nephew, on the night of March 15, 2019, weeks before the state assembly elections.

A bench of Justices M R Shah and M M Sundresh said in an order passed on November 29 that there was substance in the allegation about not getting a fair trial at Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, and directed the trial to be transferred to a special CBI court in Hyderabad.

"The petitioners being daughter and wife of the deceased have a fundamental right to get justice as victims and they have a legitimate expectation that criminal trial is being conducted in a fair and impartial manner and uninfluenced by any extraneous considerations," the bench said.

The bench accepted the arguments made by senior advocate Sidharth Luthra on behalf of the two women that it was a fit case to transfer the trial and further investigation of the larger conspiracy and destruction of evidence to a state other than the state of Andhra Pradesh.

"As per the settled position of law, justice is not to be done but justice is seen to have been done also. As per the settled position of law, free and fair trial is sine qua non of Article 21 of the Constitution. If the criminal trial is not free and fair and if it is biased, judicial fairness and the criminal justice system would be at stake, shaking the confidence of the public in the system,' the bench said. -- PTI

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22:47 Mumbai's Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro-3 corridor tunnelling work completed

The tunnelling work of the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro-3 corridor was completed 100 per cent on Wednesday while the overall project is 76.6 per cent complete, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation said in Mumbai.

The tunnelling work was completed after the final breakthrough at the Mumbai Central Metro Station.

The line 3 of Mumbai Metro which will have a 33.5 km underground route will connect south Mumbai with the western suburbs, and is expected to reduce the burden on the suburban local trains.

Robbins-made TBM Tansa-1 machine completed its most challenging drive of 837 meters from Mahalaxmi Metro Station to Mumbai Central Metro Station up line in 243 days using 558 concrete rings, an official release stated.

"It was with great pleasure that I witnessed the final breakthrough today. It marks 100 per cent tunnelling of Metro-3 corridor," said Ashwini Bhide, managing director of MMRC.

The tunnelling below Mumbai's heritage precincts, in close proximity of old dilapidated buildings and the existing Metro line, railway lines and water bodies with different and sometimes difficult geological conditions has been a daunting task, the release said. -- PTI

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22:29 IS announces death of leader al-Qurashi in battle

The Islamic State group on Wednesday said that its leader Abu Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi has been killed in battle and announced a replacement.

Hashimi al-Qurashi is said to have been killed, according to the spokesman for the terrorist group, Abu Omar al-Muhajir, reported Danish media TV2 Play.

Al-Muhajir, an Iraqi, however, without elaborating on the date of his death or the circumstances said that Al-Hashemi was killed in battle in a voice message on Telegram.

Speaking in an audio message, the spokesman identified the group's new leader as Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi.

Abu Hasan al-Hashemi al-Qurashi was named in March as the third leader since IS was founded.

It happened after the extremist group's former leader blew himself up in February to avoid being captured by US soldiers.

Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi was named as Islamic State leader after the death of former leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. -- ANI

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22:19 Gurjar meeting with Raj govt postponed, scheduled tomorrow

A three-member committee of ministers, which has been constituted to assuage concerns of the Gurjars ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, will hold the talks with the members of the community on Thursday.

The meeting that was scheduled on Wednesday was postponed and it was fixed for Thursday morning, Gujjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti leader Vijay Bainsla said.

"It'll be our last meeting, after which we will decide our next strategy."

On Tuesday, two rounds of meetings were held, during which both parties reached a consensus on several aspects.

However, some issues that remain unresolved will be taken up on Thursday.

Five communities under the Most Backward Classes, including Gujjars, have been demanding a resolution to the problems faced in getting a 5-per-cent quota in jobs and educational institutions, scholarships, promotion-related issues in jobs, budget for Devnarayan Board constituted for welfare of these communities and withdrawal of police cases against the protesters during the Gujjar agitation. -- PTI

Ravish Kumar, the Ramon Magsaysay award-winning journalist with NDTV, has resigned.

His continuance at the Prannoy-Radhika Roy-founded NDTV remained a matter of intense speculation ever since it became known that the Adani group was taking over the network.

Announcing the news in an email to employees today, NDTV CEO Suparna Singh said, 'Ravish has resigned from NDTV and the company has agreed to his request for his resignation to be effective immediately.

'Few journalists have impacted people as much as Ravish. This reflects in the immense feedback about him, in the crowds he draws everywhere...'

'Ravish has been an integral part of NDTV for decades, his contribution has been immense, and we know he will be hugely successful as he embarks on a new beginning.'

That last time, we agree with wholeheartedly!

Riteish Deshmukh and his wife Genelia

21:27 Maha to probe loan to Riteish-Genelia firm

Maharashtra minister Atul Save on Wednesday said a probe has been ordered to check if there was any irregularity on the part of cooperative banks in providing loan to actor Riteish Deshmukh and his wife Genelia Deshmukh's agro-processing company.

Last month, the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in Latur district had alleged that the agro processing company, Desh Agro Pvt Ltd, got a Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation plot out of turn in their hometown Latur during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

State BJP leaders had also alleged that the company applied for a loan on October 4, 2021 with the Pandharpur Urban Cooperative Bank and the bank approved the loan of Rs 4 crore on October 27.

It applied for a loan with the Latur District Central Cooperative Bank and a loan of Rs 61 crore was approved on October 27.

It took a loan of another Rs 55 crore from the bank on July 25, 2022.

"Our (BJP's) Latur district president (Gurunath) Mage had written a letter (raising the issue). I don't know anything about the MIDC, but I have ordered an inquiry to check if there was any irregularity on the part of the banks," Save, state cooperative minister, said. -- PTI

A special court in Chennai on Wednesday summoned DMK Lok Sabha MP A Raja to appear in person in connection with the disproportionate assets case.

The case is related to the 2015 disproportionate assets case in which the Central Bureau of Investigation's chargesheet indicted Raja, now representing the Nilgiris parliamentary constituency.

As per the chargesheet filed against Raja in August 2022, as a Union minister in 2007 he had allegedly granted infrastructure status to a Gurugram-based real-estate firm to build a hotel in Kancheepuram district in exchange for money.

The chargesheet alleged that the real-estate firm routed the payment of Rs 4.56 crore to Raja through a company named Kovai Shelters Private Limited belonging to a close aide of the former Union minister. Raja's relatives are also the directors of the firm.

The CBI had charged him with amassing assets worth Rs 5.53 crore disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The case was transferred to a special court that hears cases against MPs and MLAs in Chennai, and it came up for hearing on Wednesday. -- PTI

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20:37 Mumbai records 15 new measles cases, tally rises to 323

Mumbai on Wednesday recorded 15 new measles cases and zero fatalities, the civic body said.

It took the tally of cases recorded in Maharashtra's capital since the start of the year to 323.

The case tally in the state so far this year rose to 724.

Fifteen patients have succumbed to the viral infection, which affects children the most, in Maharashtra this year.

All 15 fatalities have been reported in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region -- 11 in Mumbai, three in Bhiwandi and one in Vasai-Virar.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation plans to start `outbreak response immunisation' from December 1, it said in a release. -- PTI

A former bureaucrat has approached the Election Commission over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's speech at an election rally in Gujarat in which he said that perpetrators of violence were "taught a lesson" in 2002, asking the poll watchdog to ascertain the veracity of the remarks and take action if true.

In a letter to the EC, former Union secretary EAS Sarma has referred to the remarks of Shah made the election rally in Mahudha town of Kheda district a few days ago.

In the rally, Shah had alleged, "During the Congress rule in Gujarat (before 1995), communal riots were rampant. Congress used to incite people of different communities and castes to fight against each other. Through such riots, Congress had strengthened its vote bank and did injustice to a large section of the society."

Shah claimed that Gujarat witnessed riots in 2002 because perpetrators became habitual of indulging in violence due to the prolonged support they received from the Congress.

"But after they were taught a lesson in 2002, these elements left that path (of violence). They refrained from indulging in violence from 2002 till 2022. BJP has established permanent peace in Gujarat by taking strict action against those who used to indulge in communal violence," the Union minister had said. -- PTI

Mumbai police's cyber cell sleuths were shocked to find that four Africans arrested from Pune for allegedly running a job racket possessed a database of 2 lakh email IDs and more than one lakh mobile phone numbers, a staggering resource they used to commit online fraud.

The four accused, including two women, are nationals of Zambia, Uganda, Namibia, and Ghana.

All of them had come to India on the student visa and at least three of them were found to be overstaying as their visas had expired, an official said on Wednesday.

The police launched the investigation after a man approached the cyber cell in BKC in Mumbai claiming he was duped of Rs 26 lakh between April and July by fraudsters under the pretext of offering a job in the US.

The police tracked down the four accused to Pune by picking up the technical trail left behind by one of them who had used his (Wifi) router to access the Internet, the official said.

The accused are in the age group of 22 to 32 years.

"The investigation revealed the accused possessed a database of 2 lakh email IDs, 1,04,000 mobile phone numbers of people which they were using to dupe people," the official said. -- PTI

19:43 WhatsApp bans 2.3 million accounts in October

Instant messaging and voice-over-IP service WhatsApp on Wednesday said the firm banned over 2.3 million accounts in the month of October, according to a spokesperson of WhatsApp.

In another statement, it said as many as 811,000 of these 2.3 million accounts were proactively banned, before any reports from users.

A WhatsApp's spokesperson in a statement said, "WhatsApp is an industry leader in preventing abuse, among end-to-end encrypted messaging services.

Over the years, we have consistently invested in Artificial Intelligence and other state-of-the-art technology, data scientists and experts, and in processes, in order to keep our users safe on our platform.

The spokesperson said, "In accordance with the IT Rules 2021, we've published our report for the month of October 2022. This user-safety report contains details of the user complaints received and the corresponding action taken by WhatsApp, as well as WhatsApp's own preventive actions to combat abuse on our platform."

As captured in the latest monthly report, WhatsApp banned over 2.3 million accounts in the month of October, according to the spokesperson.

In a statement released by the firm, 2,685,000 WhatsApp accounts were banned from the instant messaging service between September 1 and 30 this year.

As many as 872,000 of these accounts were proactively banned, before any reports from users. -- ANI

No-frills airline Go First on Wednesday announced inducting the 55th A320 neo aircraft and also expects to increase the number of flights as it will soon receive serviceable engines from P&W.

Now, the carrier has 60 aircraft, out of which 55 are A320 neos and 5 are A320 ceos.

However, at least 25 planes are on the ground, mainly due to the non-availability of Pratt & Whitney engines that power its A320 fleet.

In a release on Wednesday, the airline said it has inducted the 55th A320 neo aircraft.

It has placed firm orders for delivery of 144 Airbus A320 neo aircraft as part of expansion plans.

"Go First has also received confirmation from Pratt and Whitney of delivery of serviceable engines soon and the same will be immediately put into service within December 2022 and will certainly help to cater the growing demand for domestic travel.

"With the induction of many serviceable engines, Go First expects to increase the frequency and number of flights to provide improved connectivity to its passengers and to regain its market share," the release said. -- PTI

Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday questioned actor Vijay Deverakonda in connection with the funding of the film Liger.

According to sources, Vijay was questioned in a case related to an alleged Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 violation.

Vijay was recently seen in a sports action film Liger alongside Ananya Panday which failed to impress the audience at the box office.

Backed by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, the film also stars Ramya Krishnan.

Vijay underwent mixed martial arts training in Thailand while he prepared for his character in Liger.

The film was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi. -- ANI

Chandrashekhar Azad

18:13 Chandrashekhar Azad visits Rampur, extends support to SP candidate

Azad Party national president Chandrashekhar Azad visited Rampur on Wednesday to extend his support to the Samajwadi Party candidate for the December 5 by-election in the assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

Azad garlanded a statue of BR Ambedkar and visited senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan at his house.

The assembly bypoll in Rampur Sadar was necessitated due to the disqualification of Khan following his conviction in a hate speech case.

The Samajwadi Party has fielded Khan's close aide Asim Raza from the seat.

Talking to reporters, Azad said, "Democracy and (future of the) youth are in danger today. Unemployment and inflation are increasing. Farmers are not getting fair price for their crops, they are in danger. Women are in danger."

He claimed the people of Khatauli, Rampur and Mainpuri will teach a lesson to the "arrogant" government.

"People will make them (BJP) realise that the public is the master. At the moment, they (BJP) consider themselves to be the master," Azad said. -- PTI

Unfazed by the widespread criticism of his comments against the Hindi film The Kashmir Files, Israeli director and IFFI international jury chair Nadav Lapid said he stands by his remarks as he "knows how to recognise propaganda disguised as a movie".

Reacting to the backlash he received for calling The Kashmir Files a "vulgar" and "propaganda" movie, Lapid said making bad films is not a crime, but the Vivek Agnihotri directorial is "crude, manipulative and violent".

"Making bad films is not a crime, but this is a very crude, manipulative and violent propaganda film," Lapid said in an interview with Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz.

According to the filmmaker, he felt it was his "duty" to speak his mind as the head of the international jury.

"The truth is that I also couldn't help but imagine a similar situation that might happen one day soon in Israel, and I would be happy that in such a situation the head of a foreign jury would be willing to say things as he sees them. In a way, I felt it was my duty to the place that invited me," he said. -- PTI

Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad will go under the knife at Singapore on December 5 for a kidney transplant, his son and Bihar deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said on Wednesday.

The RJD heir apparent made the disclosure at a rally in Kurhani assembly segment, where the disqualification of the party's MLA Anil Sahani has necessitated a by-poll, which, incidentally, is also scheduled for December 5.

"Lalu ji wanted to be here, but he is in Singapore where he will undergo a kidney transplant on December 5. He has, however, asked me to convey his message to you that he wants the BJP to be defeated," said Yadav, whose party is backing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD-U in Kurhani.

"Lalu ji has asked me to remind you all that his poor health is to be blamed on the vendetta politics of the BJP, which has forced him to spend a long time in jail," said Yadav. -- PTI

The growth rate in the production of eight key sectors slowed down to 0.1 per cent in October against 8.7 per cent in the same month last year, according to the official data released on Wednesday.

In September, the core sectors' output growth stood at 7.8 per cent.

The production growth of eight infrastructure sectors -- coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity -- was 8.2 per cent during April-October this fiscal, compared to 15.6 per cent a year ago.

In October, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, and cement output recorded negative growth rate.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde

17:14 Panel to probe why mega projects are leaving Maha

The Maharashtra government will form a three-member committee headed by a retired judge to probe how big ticket industrial projects chose destinations other than the state in the last three-four months, a state minister announced on Wednesday.

State industries minister Uday Samant also said that a White Paper will be released soon to bring out facts in the matter.

The Eknath Shinde-Bharatiya Janata Party government in Maharashtra, formed on June 30 this year, has been facing the Opposition's fire over the shifting of mega projects out of the state.

In September, Vedanta-Foxconn's Rs 1.54 lakh crore semiconductor plant, earlier proposed to come up in Pune, moved to Gujarat.

In October, the state lost one more big project to Gujarat after a consortium of European aviation firm Airbus and the Tata group selected Vadodara for its Rs 22,000-crore project to manufacture military aircraft.

"A noise is being made for politics that these projects preferred destinations other than Maharashtra (only in the last three-four months since Eknath Shinde became the chief minister)," Samant told reporters.

"But ignoring (that noise), this must be probed (that how did the companies go out of Maharashtra). Therefore, a committee will be formed. The three-member panel will be headed by a retired judge and two retired senior bureaucrats," he said. -- PTI

That's another image of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Ujjain's famous Mahakaleshwar temple.
Earlier, he had visited Omkareshwar temple and performed the Narmada puja during the Bharat Jodo Yatra which is now in Madhya Pradesh.

16:56 Guessed who the politician is?

Did you guess who is this leader praying at a temple?

If you have, congratulations!

If you haven't, the person is Rahul Gandhi.

He visited the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, yesterday.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann

16:27 Gujarat too will have free electricity: Punjab CM

Exuding confidence in the victory of Aam Aadmi Party in the Gujarat polls, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said that the northwestern state will give free electricity from March.

His remarks came while addressing a press meeting in Ahmedabad. "AAP had promised in Delhi to give free electricity, at that time opponents said how will you do it, and we did it. The same was the case in Punjab. In Gujarat too we will give free electricity to people from March," said CM Bhagwant Mann.

He also highlighted that the people of Punjab will soon get zero electricity bills. "I have got 25000 bills in total. You can check it. 61 lakh people have got zero bills out of 75 lac meters in Punjab. By January 71 lakh people will get zero bills in Punjab," he added.

He also made a jibe at the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and said, "When I first came to Gujarat, I thought will get to learn something from the Gujarat model. The highways were okay but as soon as we leave the highways, I got to see the real Gujarat model. We do not say we will give you 15 lac rupees in your account, we say, we will give benefits to people which will save their 30000 rupees."

He also slammed the opposition and said, "We will form the government here in Gujarat. People say we are the B Team of the BJP, some say we are the B team of Congress. But, We are the 'A team' of 130 crore people."

The campaign for the first phase of Gujarat elections concluded on Tuesday with the ruling BJP and other political parties making hectic efforts to woo voters on 89 seats spread over 19 districts of Kutch, Saurashtra and South Gujarat. The campaigning ended at 5 pm on Tuesday ahead of the first phase of polling on December 1. -- ANI

15:59 No bail for NCP leader Nawab Malik

A special court in Mumbai on Wednesday refused bail to former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in a money laundering case linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

Special judge R N Rokade rejected Malik's bail plea. A detailed order will be available later.

The court on November 14 reserved his order on Malik's bail plea after hearing lengthy arguments put forth by both sides.

The Enforcement Directorate arrested the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader in February this year. He is in judicial custody and currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city.

The NCP leader had sought bail pleading there is no predicate offence against him to prosecute him for money laundering. The probe agency, however, opposed the bail stating the case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Dawood Ibrahim and his henchmen is considered a predicate offence. PTI

Tulsidas Lakhani from Porbandar has many grievances and a long wishlist of tasks the government must accomplish. Almost 400 km away in Gujarat's principal town Ahmedabad, Vinod Gopal echoes his frustration.

In a state where the BJP remains the dominant force and enjoys unqualified support from a big chunk of people, Lakhani and Gopal may sound like voters looking for change. But they are not.

"There must be a strong government. Which other party could have revoked Article 370 or built a Ram temple in Ayodhya. We vote for the party and not any candidate. There is no alternative to Modi or the BJP," Lakhani, who is in his 80s, told PTI.

The lack of economic growth in the coastal town of Porbandar is problematic, he said.

The Maharana Mill, which gave employment to many is closed, an old soda ash factory that boosted business in the local marker is no longer generous with bonus, and study and employment opportunities are limited for children.

However, Lakhani lauded the BJP for strong law and order in the town once marked by crimes. In Ahmedabad, Gopal, an auto parts dealer, said business remains 'manda' and price rise pinches.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is synonymous with his party across his home state, is a good "seth" (master)," he said.

"Supervisors working under him may or may not be good. But you don't leave the 'seth' because of supervisors," he stated.

The two voters belong to a segment of the electorate which may be unhappy with the BJP's government in the state for a variety of issues but will still vote for the party as they believe it remains their best bet.

The opposition appears to be missing in a big swathe of the state's urban region cutting across cities like Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Surat, Porbandar and Vadodara.

According to poll watchers, the Congress remains a shrinking force in these areas while the Aam Aadmi Party has been able to make an impression, especially in Surat and its neighbourhood, but still has a long way to go.

Issues of price rice, complaints about the rising cost of edible oil and cooking gas cylinders are brought up in virtually every conversation. Unemployment crops up often with many voters of the view that the government is not doing enough in the education and health sectors.

However, many of them, like Gopal and Lakhani, continue to repose faith in the BJP, which has been in power uninterrupted since 1998. The ideological and cultural agenda of the party is a big plus cited by them.

With opposition votes looking fragmented, the BJP has gone all out to consolidate its supporters. Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have been holding public meetings across the state. Shah has also been camping in the state to fine-tune the party's campaign and public outreach.

He has repeatedly expressed confidence that his party will break all records while Modi has exhorted voters to better the best ever best tally of 127 seats it had won under in 2002 when he was chief minister.

Both the Congress and the AAP have also claimed they will get a majority in the 182-member assembly. The state will go the polls in two phases on December 1 and 5. The votes will be counted on December 8. -- PTI

A video grab of the student calling out the teacher

15:19 Not serious, BJP minister on teacher's Kasab barb

Karnataka Minister of School Education and Literacy BC Nagesh reacting to the recent controversy following an assistant professor allegedly referring to a student as "Kasab", felt that it is "not so serious".

He also sought to know why names from a particular community became a national issue, but names like "Ravana" or "Shakuni" which are so commonly used for referring, does not become an issue at all.

"It is unfortunate, the incident shouldn't have taken place, the teacher should not have used that name. But I also feel that it is not such (a) serious thing, because we use the name of Ravana for many students many times, we also use the name of Shakuni many times, but that doesn't become an issue at all," Nagesh said.

Speaking to reporters, he said, "Why is it that the name of (a person) who belongs to a particular community becomes an issue? I don't know. Though the issue has been taken seriously and action has been taken against the teacher. But, why some names become a national issue, I cannot understand."

On Monday, a video showing an assistant professor in Manipal calling a student by the name Kasab, and the student countering it, had gone viral. Later, the professor tendered an apology. The video had gone viral on social media, and the university has debarred the faculty from classes.

Nagesh's comments came amidst Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's "Ravana" barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which triggered a political slugfest between Congress and the BJP.

Taking a swipe at Modi at a rally in Behrampura area of Ahmedabad city on Monday, Kharge had said the prime minister asks people to vote looking at his face in all elections. "Are you 100-headed like Ravan," he had said. PTI

14:56 Former Chinese president Jiang Zemin dies

Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin has died. He was 96.
Chinese state media reported that Jiang Zemin died from leukemia and multiple organ failure in Shanghai at 12:13 pm today, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Jiang was handpicked to lead China after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, serving as president from 1993 to 2003.

14:40 Govt to release Q2 GDP data at 5.30 pm today

The government will release the gross domestic product for the July-September (the second quarter) period of the current financial year at 5.30 pm on Wednesday.

The National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation will come out with the data on the quarterly estimates of the July-September period.

GDP is derived as the sum of the gross value added (GVA) at basic prices, plus all taxes on products, less all subsidies on products. The total tax revenue used for GDP compilation includes non-GST revenue as well as GST revenue.

The country's gross domestic product (GDP) for the April-June quarter (Q1) of the ongoing financial year 2022-23 rose 13.5 per cent, as per provisional estimates released by National Statistical Office (NSO) on August 31, 2022.

According to the government data, the GDP had expanded by 20.1 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2021-22. Nominal GDP or GDP at current prices in Q1 2022-23 is estimated at Rs 64.95 lakh crore, as against Rs 51.27 lakh crore in Q1 2021-22, showing a 26.7 per cent growth, against 32.4 per cent in Q1 2021-22. -- ANI

Bilkis Bano on Wednesday challenged the remission of sentence and release of convicts in the 2002 rape and murder case filing a plea before the Supreme Court.

The top court said it will consider listing the matter for hearing.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha took note of the submissions of lawyer Shobha Gupta that the victim herself has challenged the grant of remission and release of the convicts, and the matter be listed for hearing.

She said that Justice Ajay Rastogi, who was part of the bench which had heard other similar pleas against the remission, was now part of a Constitution Bench hearing.

"The review has to be heard first. Let it come before Justice Rastogi," the CJI said.

When the counsel for Bano said let the matter be heard in open court, the bench said, "Only the court concerned can decide that."

The CJI said that he would take a call on the issue in the evening.

Doctors recovered 187 coins when they performed surgery on a patient suffering from vomiting and abdominal discomfort.

Doctors at Hanagal Shree Kumareshwar Hospital and Research Centre in Bagalkot say that they recovered 187 coins from the stomach of a patient who was admitted here following complaints of vomiting and abdominal discomfort.

"He was suffering from a psychiatric disorder and had been swallowing coins for the last 2-3 months. He came to the hospital complaining of vomiting and abdominal discomfort," said Dr Eshwar Kalaburgi, one of the doctors who performed the surgery.

After he complained of stomach ache, his relatives rushed him to Hangal Sri Kumareshwar Hospital.

The medicos carried out his X-ray and performed an endoscopy, said the doctor, adding, the patient had swallowed a total of 187 coins. 56 coins of Rs 5, 51 of Rs 2, and 80 of Rs 1. Harijan had swallowed coins of various denominations weighing a total of 1.5 kilogram over a period of two to three months, said the doctor.

A young cancer survivor

13:21 Why more boys than girls have cancer in India

More boys than girls with cancer in India are being diagnosed with the disease and the probable cause for this is gender bias in society, according to a study published in The Lancet Oncology.

The researchers collected individual data of children aged 0-19 years with cancer extracted from the hospital-based records of three cancer centres in India between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2019.

They also used data from two population-based cancer registries: PBCRs in Delhi between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2014 and Madras Metropolitan Tumour Registry between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2017.

The researchers from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and Cancer Institute (WIA) Chennai calculated the male to female sex ratio from the three hospitals in the context of the ratio in the corresponding PBCRs.

This ratio allowed them to see how many boys with cancer were seeking treatment for each girl seeking treatment. The team separately analysed the male to female ratios of patients undergoing stem cell transplant which is a comparatively expensive procedure used in cancer care.

"We observed that among nearly 11,000 patients registered in the PBCRs, there was significant skew in favour of boys for getting diagnosed with cancer. Similarly, among the 22,000 children with cancer enrolled in the three hospitals, we saw that more boys were seeking treatment than girls," said Professor Sameer Bakhshi, from Department of Medical Oncology, AIIMS New Delhi.

12:50 Someone had to speak up: Israeli filmmaker

Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, whose remarks on the film, The Kashmir Files at a film festival have raised a storm, says he stands by them and said "someone has to speak up".

Lapid, the head of the international jury at the International Film Festival of India in Goa, said at the festival's closing ceremony that the Vivek Agnihotri-directed film was "propaganda and vulgar".

He said the jury was "disturbed and shocked" at the screening of the film.

"It seemed to us like a propagandist movie inappropriate for an artistic, competitive section of such a prestigious film festival," he added.

The remarks sparked a huge row, with many accusing the award-winning filmmaker of being insensitive towards the suffering of Kashmiri Pandits, who were forced to flee the Valley at the height of militancy in the 90s.

People also wondered how someone from a community that faced the horrors of the Holocaust could make such remarks.

Speaking to Israeli news website Ynet over the phone, Lapid said, "It's crazy, what's going on here. It's a government festival and it's the biggest in India. It's a film that the Indian government, even if it didn't actually make it, at least pushed it in an unusual way. It basically justifies the Indian policy in Kashmir, and it has fascist features," he said, according to a rough translation of the interview in Hebrew.

He said there are claims that the move captured dimensions hidden by intellectuals and the media.

"It is always the same method -- that there is the foreign enemy, and there are traitors from within."

The movie, which was promoted by leaders of the ruling BJP, has been a commercial success, but has also faced allegations of fanning communal sentiments.

Following Lapid's remarks, a section of social media users and public figures also said he had "called out propaganda".

The filmmaker's remarks have also drawn strong criticism from Israel's diplomats in India, with envoy Naor Gilon saying that Lapid "should be ashamed" and demanding his apology.

Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has stressed that states should promote education in Hindi or regional languages in technical, medical and law fields so that the country can utilise the talent of non-English speaking students.

Underlining the importance of education in Hindi and regional languages, Shah said students can develop an original thought process with ease if they study in their mother tongue and this encourages research and innovation. Technical, medical, and law -- all should be taught in Hindi and regional languages.

All state governments should take initiative to properly translate the curriculum of these three fields of education into regional languages, Shah said in an interview to PTI.

Suggesting that education in the mother tongue is easier and faster, Shah said, "It will promote the country's talent in higher education. Today we can use only five percent of the country's talent but with this initiative, we would be able to use 100 percent talent of the country."

He said this five percent comes from an English background, while adding that he has nothing against English as a language.

"It is that 'maulik chintan' (original thinking) of a student can be easily developed in his mother tongue and there is a strong connection between maulik chintan and anusandhan (research)," Shah said.

Talking about his observations on History education, Shah said he has appealed to students to study 300 (Jannayak) people's heroes who were not given their due by historians and thirty such empires who ruled in India and established a very good model of governance.

Till when we will make a hue and cry about what others have written about our history and distortions in it. Students of our country should research our actual history," he said.

The BJP-led governments at the Centre and in states have been holding programmes on various historic icons and their contribution to the freedom struggle and development of the country.

The party sees this as part of his ideological exercise to recall the contribution of native personalities including many who were allegedly not given due credit. PTI

Dr Prannoy Roy, the man who gave India news, not noise

12:11 NDTV shares continue to rally for 5th day

Shares of NDTV continued to rally for the fifth day running on Wednesday, further climbing 5 per cent to hit its highest permissible trading limit for the day.

NDTV founders Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy have resigned as the directors of promoter group vehicle RRPR Holding Private Limited as the Adani Group neared takeover of the television channel.

The stock climbed 5 per cent to Rs 447.70 -- its upper circuit limit -- on the BSE in morning trade.

At the NSE, it jumped 5 per cent to 446.30, its highest permissible trading limit for the day. In five days, the stock has rallied 24.74 per cent. RRPR, which has been acquired by the Adani Group, held 29.18 per cent stake in the news channel.

The Roys, however, still hold a 32.26 per cent stake in NDTV as promoters and have not resigned from the board of the news channel.

In a stock exchange filing late on Tuesday, New Delhi Television Ltd said the two have resigned as directors on the board of RRPR Holding Private Limited (RRPRH) with immediate effect.

Prannoy Roy is the Chairperson of NDTV and Radhika Roy is an Executive Director.

The board of RRPR Holding has approved the appointment of Sudipta Bhattacharya, Sanjay Pugalia and Senthil Sinniah Chengalvarayan as Directors on its board with immediate effect, NDTV said. PTI

12:01 Give us measles vaccine, asks doctors

Taking note of the rising cases of measles in Malappuram, the Indian Academy of Paediatricians stepped in and appealed for vaccination amid the reportedly alarming hike in the cases.

The officials informed that the Malappuram district was the worst hit.

"As of now, all states are facing measles outbreak. In Kerala, Malappuram the most affected. 160 cases of measles reported in the dist. So far there hasn't been any mortality due to measles in the district," said Dr Jose Ouseph, State President of Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Kerala.

His remarks came in the wake of the declining rate of immunization for measles after the pandemic. "There is a chance of it spreading in the coming days. So, we're pushing for maximum vaccination coverage in the affected areas," Dr Jose added.

On November 24, The World Health Organization(WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday (local time) said that measles immunization had dropped significantly since the coronavirus pandemic began, resulting in a record high of nearly 40 million children missing a vaccine dose last year.

"There is now an imminent threat of measles spreading to different regions around the world as COVID-19 has led to a steady decline in vaccination coverage and weakened surveillance of the disease," said WHO and CDC in a joint report.

Measles is one of the most contagious human viruses and is almost entirely preventable through vaccination. However, it requires 95 per cent vaccination coverage to prevent community outbreaks. "A record high of nearly 40 million children missed a measles vaccine dose in 2021," read the joint report.

In another development in the Shraddha Walker murder case, accused Aaftab Poonawala's most recent girlfriend said she was in shock after hearing about the horrific act.

She said she had no clue that human body parts were kept inside Aaftab's Chhatarpur residence when she visited him there twice after the murder.

She also informed the police that Aaftab had gifted her a ring on October 12.

As per sources, the ring in fact belonged to Shraddha.

The police recovered the ring from Aaftab's new partner and recorded her statement.

As per reports, Aaftab's partner is a psychiatrist by profession.

Aftab never looked scared, she said. She also informed that he often used to tell her about his Mumbai home.

Aaftab and his new girlfriend came in contact through an online dating app.

The police said that Aaftab was in contact with about 15 to 20 girls through different dating sites.

During the course of the investigation, the police traced his Bumble app record and found out about a girl who had come in contact with Aftab through the app on May 30, about 12 days after Shraddha's murder.

Aaftab's psychiatrist friend said that his behaviour seemed normal, even very caring and she said that she never felt that his mental state was not ideal. She also informed that Aftab had a collection of different varieties of deodorants and perfumes and he often used to give her perfumes as gifts.

She added that Aaftab used to smoke a lot of cigarettes and also used to roll his cigarettes himself but often used to talk about giving up smoking soon.

As per police sources, Aaftab's new partner is undergoing counselling as she was found to be in a state of shock following the emergence of the details of the Shraddha murder case.

11:25 Queer lawyer in SC asks for gender equality

A queer lawyer practicing before the Supreme Court has written to the Chief Justice of India requesting for the appearance slips at the Supreme Court to include an additional column for mentioning people's pronouns so that they may be correctly used in the Court's orders or judgments. The letter, sent on November 26 via email, was written by Rohin Bhatt.

Executive Chairperson of biopharmaceuticals Biocon Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has expressed grief over the sudden demise of Vikram S Kirloskar.

Kirloskar, Vice Chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor passed away on Tuesday at the age of 64.

The cause of death was not immediately known.

"Devastated with Vikram's shocking demise. He was such a dear friend who I will hugely miss. I share the pain and unconsolable grief of Gitanjali Manasi n the family. May he rest in eternal peace. Om Shanthi," Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw tweeted attaching a selfie with late Kirloskar.

The last respects can be paid at Hebbal Crematorium, Bengaluru today at 1 pm.

Vikram S. Kirloskar was the 4th Generation member of the Kirloskar Group which started in 1888.

Kirloskar Group manufactures pumps, engines and compressors and other related products. He was President of the industry body Confederation of Indian Industry during 2019-20.

Representational image

11:11 Scientists awaken 48,000-year-old zombie virus!

French scientists have revived a 48,500-year-old zombie virus buried under a frozen lake in Russia until now!

According to New York Post, French scientists have sparked fears of yet another pandemic after reviving the "zombie virus".

New York Post is a daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. New York Post has quoted a viral study which is yet to be peer-reviewed.

"The situation would be much more disastrous in the case of plant, animal, or human diseases caused by the revival of an ancient unknown virus," reads the "viral" study.

According to the preliminary report, global warming is irrevocably thawing enormous swathes of permafrost -- permanently frozen ground that covers one-quarter of the Northern Hemisphere.

This has had the unsettling effect of "releasing organic materials frozen for up to a million years" - possibly deadly germs included.

"Part of this organic matter also consists of revived cellular microbes (prokaryotes, unicellular eukaryotes) as well as viruses that remained dormant since prehistorical times," the researchers write.

According to the New York Post, scientists have, perhaps strangely, revived some of these so-called "zombie viruses" from the Siberian permafrost in order to investigate the awakening critters.

The oldest, Pandoravirus yedoma, was 48,500 years old, a record age for a frozen virus returning to a form where it may infect other creatures.

This breaks the previous record of a 30,000-year-old virus identified in Siberia by the same scientists in 2013.

The new strain is one of 13 viruses described in the study, each with its own genome, according to Science Alert.

While the Pandoravirus was discovered at the bottom of a lake in Yukechi Alas, Yakutia, Russia, others have been discovered everywhere from mammoth fur to Siberian wolf intestines.

Scientists discovered that all of the "zombie viruses" have the potential to be infectious and hence pose a "health danger" after researching the live cultures.

They believe that COVID-19-style pandemics will become more common in the future as melting permafrost releases long-dormant viruses like a microbial Captain America, as per New York Post. -- ANI

10:59 Match at 00:30 IST

Poland and Argentina face off.

10:56 Match at 20:30 IST

The Tunisia vs France match goes live.

10:55 Match at 20:30 pm

Australia vs Denmark today

10:49 Fifa matches in the next 24 hours

It's Saudi Arabia vs Mexico early tomorrow.

10:36 Did Amit Shah just compliment Rahul Gandhi?

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has downplayed AAP's challenge in Gujarat polls, claiming Arvind Kejriwal's party may not even open its account, and said the BJP state unit's announcement of setting up anti-radicalisation cell is a good initiative that can be considered by other states and the Centre.

In an interview to PTI, Shah described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity, all-round development of Gujarat during his tenure as the state chief minister and the implementation of zero appeasement policy as the main reasons for people repeatedly reposing faith in the BJP over the last 27 years.

"The BJP will register an unprecedented victory in Gujarat. People have full faith in our party and our leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi," said Shah, who has been crisscrossing the state and addressing five rallies a day in the run-up to the two-phase polls on December 1 and 5.

On the question of AAP entering Gujarat assembly elections, the BJP leader said, "Every party has a right to contest elections, but it is up to people whether they accept the party or not.

"AAP is nowhere in the mind of the people of Gujarat. Wait for election results, maybe AAP's name would not figure in the list of successful candidates," he said.

While the Congress has been the BJP's principal rival in Gujarat, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (APP) has undertaken an aggressive campaign in Modi's home state.

On Congress, Shah said, "It is still the main opposition party, but the party is going through a crisis, and its impact is visible in Gujarat as well."

Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, Shah said sustained efforts are a must in politics. "I have always been of the view that politicians need to be hard working and it is good when someone works hard. But in politics only sustained efforts show results. So let's wait and see," he said.

Shah, who has been talking about issues of national security in the campaign for the state election, said they are important in every assembly poll.

The Opposition has accused the BJP of raising national issues like terrorism in state elections to divert the people's attention from governance-related concerns.

Is the security of Gujarat associated with national security or not? Security of Gujarat and national security are not different issues. And if the country is not secure, how can Gujarat be secure? Therefore, national security is a major issue in all state assembly polls.

"Being a border state, the people of Gujarat are sensitive about national security. We cannot afford to have national security impacted at any one location in the country," he said while replying to a question.

With the Opposition often accusing the government of misusing investigative agencies against its political rivals, Shah said there is an independent and neutral judiciary in the country, and "if there is any misuse of investigative agencies, then they can approach the judiciary".

The United States Senate on Tuesday passed legislation granting federal protections to same-sex and interracial marriages in the US.

The Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act in a vote of 61-36, with 60 votes needed for passage, according to CNN.

The bill requires the US federal government to recognise a marriage between two individuals if the marriage was valid in the state where it was performed.

According to US media, it also guarantees recognition of marriages between states through the full faith and credit clause of the US Constitution.

However, the bill does not require US states to issue marriage licences contrary to their laws.

In a statement, US President Joe Biden said the Senate's approval of the Respect for Marriage Act is a bipartisan achievement, showcasing that Republicans and Democrats together support the right of LGBTQ and interracial couples to marry.

"With today's bipartisan Senate passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, the United States is on the brink of reaffirming a fundamental truth: love is love, and Americans should have the right to marry the person they love. For millions of Americans, this legislation will safeguard the rights and protections to which LGBTQI+ and interracial couples and their children are entitled," Biden said.

"It will also ensure that, for generations to follow, LGBTQI+ youth will grow up knowing that they, too, can lead full, happy lives and build families of their own," he added.

Biden said he will sign the legislation if it passes the House of Representatives and is sent to his desk.

The legislation was crafted through bipartisan collaboration and amended to provide religious protections for organisations that do not wish to provide goods or services to celebrate same-sex marriages.

The bill also contains provisions to prevent it from being used to diminish or repeal protections such as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The House passed the bill in July, placing the legislation on track to be signed by US President Joe Biden.

The Senate passed the bill in its so-called 'lame duck session' between Election Day earlier in November and the new class of lawmakers taking office in January.

While Democrats will retain their majority in the Senate, they are set to lose control of the House.

Lawmakers are also slated to consider government funding legislation, the National Defense Authorisation Act, Ukraine aid and other legislative priorities before the end of the year. -- ANI

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party received Rs 614.53 crore as contributions, more than six times the funds garnered by the opposition Congress during fiscal year 2021-22.

The Congress received funds to the tune of Rs 95.46 crore, according to Election Commission data.

The Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal, received Rs 43 lakh as contributions during the period while the Communist Party of India-Marxist, which is in government in Kerala, received funds of Rs 10.05 crore.

The West Bengal assembly polls were held in March-April, 2021.

In Kerala too, assembly election were conducted in April, 2021.

The four national parties had recently filed their latest contributions reports to the Election Commission which made the documents public on Tuesday.

The Representation of the People Act stipulates that parties submit an annual report of contributions of over Rs 20,000 received from individual donors and entities.

Besides individuals and entities, electoral trusts also contribute to parties' kitty.

Electoral trusts, including Prudent Electoral Trust, have been major contributors to the BJP's kitty.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which is in power in Delhi and Punjab and is a recognised state party in three states, has reported to the poll panel that it received Rs 44.54 crore during the financial year 2021-22.

It has shown an expenditure of Rs 30.30 crore in its latest audit report submitted to the commission in October this year.

Besides Delhi and Punjab, it is a recognised state party in Goa. -- ANI

Vikram S. Kirloskar, Vice Chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor passed away on Tuesday at the age of 64.

"We are extremely saddened to inform the untimely demise of Mr. Vikram S. Kirloskar, Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor on 29th November 2022," a company statement informed about the demise.

"At this time of grief, we request everyone to pray that his soul rests in peace. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. Last respect can be paid at Hebbal Crematorium, Bengaluru, on 30th November 2022 at 1 pm," the statement added.

The statement did not mention the cause of death.

Vikram S. Kirloskar was the 4th Generation member of the Kirloskar Group which started in 1888. Kirloskar Group manufactures pumps, engines and compressors and other related products.

Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy, founders and promoters of NDTV, resigned as directors on the Board of RRPR Holding Private Limited, a promoter group vehicle of NDTV, the company said in a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges on Tuesday.

RRPR Holding, the promoter group vehicle of NDTV, holds 29.18 per cent stake in NDTV, which is being taken over by the Adani group, owned by businessman Gautam Adani.

'NDTV's promoter group vehicle RRPRH has approved Prannoy Roy & Radhika Roy's resignation following a meeting held on November 29,' the statement read.

'RRPRH has approved Sudipta Bhattacharya, Sanjay Pugalia & Senthil Sinniah Chengalvarayan as new directors on Board with immediate effect,' the statement added.

Earlier in August this year, Vishvapradhan Commercial Private Limited (VCPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited (AMNL) which is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL), exercised the rights and acquired 99.5 per cent of the equity shares of RRPR Holding Private Limited, a promoter group company of NDTV.

Following this, Adani Group decided to make an open offer to acquire the next 26 per cent state stake in NDTV, which will take the group's total stake to 55.18 per cent, enough to take the ownership right of NDTV.

Earlier in October, the Adani Group informed both exchanges, BSE and NSE, that its indirect subsidiary, Vishvapradhan Commercial Pvt Limited (VCPL), had made an open offer to the public shareholders of New Delhi Television Ltd.

However, the Roys hold a 32.26 per cent stake in NDTV. -- ANI

A purported video of a woman sharing stage with a man and later hitting him with slippers during an event hosted by the Hindu Ekta Manch went viral on Tuesday.

The incident took place in south Delhi's Chhatarpur where the Manch organised a 'Beti Bachao Mahapanchayat'.

The event was organised to demand justice for Shraddha Walker who was brutally killed by her live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala.

The organisation, however, said neither the woman nor the man is associated with it.

In the video, the woman with her face covered can be seen climbing the stage and talking about her plight at the programme.

She then started hitting the man standing near her with slippers.

Others present on the stage intervened and tried to pacify her and she was taken off the stage.

The Hindu Ekta Manch clarified that it was a personal dispute and both the parties were related.

"It was a personal dispute. The man is not associated in any way with the Hindu Ekta Manch. The matter was resolved immediately. No police complaint was filed," Hindu Ekta Manch worker Laxman Singh said.

Giving further details about the incident, he said the women's daughter and the man's son recently got married in a court.

"The respective families were unhappy about the match, but later agreed and even exchanged sweets. But I do not know why she went on the stage. As the event was for women, we allowed her to speak. The man, who is a social worker, assisted her, but she started assaulting him," Singh said. -- PTI

Representational image

00:27 Delhi court grants bail to 8 in PFI case, pulls up cops

A court in New Delhi has pulled up the Delhi police for not being able to justify how eight people, arrested in a case against the Popular Front Of India, carried out unlawful activities since they were in custody when the offences were claimed to have been committed.

Granting bail to the accused on November 28, additional sessions judge Sanjay said, "Nothing could be shown to prove that the accused people were involved in unlawful activity from the date of declaring PFI as unlawful organisation till their arrest in the present case."

The court noted that the Popular Front Of India was banned on September 28 and records show that at the time of the ban on PFI, the accused were already in custody.

Four were released from Tihar Jail on the night of October 2 and another four on October 4.

They were arrested at 6.51 am on October 3 and 5.10 am on October 5, it said.

"The investigating officer has not been able to show sufficient incriminating material against the accused persons collected during the probe that as to when accused persons were in custody from September 27, 2022, and remained in Tihar Jail till October 4 or 3, 2022, then how the accused persons have carried out such activities which are aimed at advocating, abetting or inciting/assisting any unlawful activity of the unlawful organisation," the court said. -- PTI

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