LIVE! Mukhtar Ansari gets 5-yr jail for death threat to trader

LIVE

Fri, 15 December 2023

Mukhtar Ansari gets 5-yr jail for death threat to trader

Timeline Refresh

File image

23:57 Suspected explosive found in J-K's Rajouri

Security forces on Friday found some suspected explosive material during a cordon and search operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, officials said.

Troops of Rashtriya Rifles and police started the operation in Darra, Nili, Mangota villages of Thanamandi, during which some suspicious object was spotted under a rock, they said.

They found an IED-like object with Under Barrel Grenades also lying alongside it.

The area is under cordon while the material will be examined through bomb disposal squad, the officials said.

This is the second recovery of explosives in Rajouri.

An IED-like material was found from Hill Top area of Darhal in Rajouri on December 2 which was destroyed on the spot. -- PTI

File image

23:53 CR, WR to operate block for FOB girder launching, Gokhale bridge work in Mumbai

Central Railway will operate a special traffic and power block in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday to launch girders of a 5-metre wide foot overbridge at Thane station, an official said.

The block will start at 10:10pm on Saturday and end at 3:40am on Sunday, a CR release informed.

"The girders will be launched using 140-ton capacity cranes. Due to the block, nearly two dozen Up and Down direction mail-express trains will be diverted on alternate lines and will arrive 10 to 15 minutes later than their scheduled time," it said.

"Suburban services on Thane-Vashi/Panvel will remain affected due to the block. Suburban trains will remain cancelled on UP and DOWN Trans-Harbour lines during the block period," the release added.

Meanwhile, Western Railway also announced a 3-hour traffic and power block for construction work of Gokhale bridge at Andheri station in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

The block on all lines will be between 1:40am and 4:40am.

Due to this block, eight suburban services will be cancelled, while four other trains will be regulated, WR said. -- PTI

Mukhtar Ansari

23:22 Mukhtar Ansari gets 5-yr jail for death threat to trader

A special court in Varanasi on Friday sentenced gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari to five-and-a-half year's imprisonment for death threat to a coal trader in 1997.

Along with the imprisonment, the MP-MLA court of Ujjawal Upadhyay also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on Ansari after convicting him for threatening to kill Mahaveer Prasad Ranguta, the victim's counsel Vidhan Chandra Yadav said.

Ansari had threatened to blast Ranguta, a Varanasi resident, and his house in January, 1997, Yadav said.

The court completed the hearing in the case on December 5 but reserved its judgment.

The bench convicted Ansari and announced the quantum of punishment on Friday, he added.

Ansari attended the court proceedings via video conferencing from Banda jail, Yadav said.

Ansari, who is an accused in several cases, is lodged in Banda jail since 2021 after being brought from a Punjab Jail.

According to information provided by UP police headquarters, Mukhtar has 65 cases, including that of murder, extortion, and criminal conspiracy lodged against him at several police stations across the state.

He has been convicted in seven of these cases. -- PTI

23:05 SIT starts probe into Disha Salian death case

A special investigation team of the Mumbai police started probe into the alleged suicide of Disha Salian, former manager of late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, an official said in Mumbai on Friday.

Additional commissioner of police (North) Rajiv Jain is heading the SIT.

Senior inspector of Malvani police station Chimaji Adhav and his team are conducting the probe which is being supervised by deputy commissioner of police Ajaykumar Bansal, the official said.

People related to the case were being questioned, he added.

Salian (28) was found dead on June 8, 2020, days before Rajput (34) was found hanging in his flat in suburban Bandra in Mumbai.

According to police, Salian committed suicide by jumping from a high-rise building in suburban Malad.

Her father Satish Salian had written to police stating that he did not suspect any foul play in his daughter's death. Maharashtra deputy chief minister and home minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced that an SIT would be formed to probe the case in the winter session of the state legislature last year.

Some political leaders had alleged that Salian was murdered and sought to drag the name of MLA Aaditya Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, into the case. -- PTI

A 20-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped by two drivers in a moving bus coming to Jaipur from Uttar Pradesh, the police said on Friday.

The incident took place in the intervening night of December 9 and 10 when the private bus was en route to Jaipur from Uttar Pradesh, they said.

The victim, travelling from Kanpur to Jaipur, was sitting in the cabin, the police said.

She was raped by the drivers identified as Arif and Lalit inside the cabin, they said. Bhagwan Sahay Meena, the SHO of Kanota police station, said that Arif has been arrested is currently in judicial custody.

Lalit managed to escape and is being searched, he added.

The station house officer said that there were a few passengers inside the bus while the victim was inside the cabin, which was closed from inside. -- PTI

Sagar Sharma, one of the two men who had jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber and set off smoke canisters, maintained for some years a diary in which he often wrote Inquilab Zindabad on top of the page and at one stage talked about "dying for the nation".

"I have given my life to the nation. I have taken a step towards freedom. Now the turn will come to die for the nation. I have already rested a lot," he wrote in Hindi on June 13, 2015.

Sharma (28), a resident of Ramnagar in Lucknow, maintained the diary from 2015 to 2021, keeping it along with his books that included crime novels and a Hindi translation of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf, police officials said.

Family members of Sharma gave the diary to the local police who then handed it over to their Delhi counterparts investigating Wednesday's security breach in Parliament.

The diary entries are not regular.

It included his thoughts on society, poems and couplets by revolutionaries and freedom fighters.

In one such entry, Sharma wrote "Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai, dekhna hai zor kitna baazu-e-qaatil mein hai" -- a couplet that was made famous by Ram Prasad Bismil as a war cry during the British rule. -- PTI

A 22-year-old woman was shot dead allegedly by a man she was once friendly with in Narsinghpur district in Madhya Pradesh, a police official said on Friday.

She was shot in the head late on Thursday night near the railway station in Narsinghpur while she was returning home, Gotegaon police inspector Subhash Baghel told PTI over phone.

"She was rushed to a health centre where she was declared dead on arrival. We have arrested Devendra Patel (23) for the crime. As per preliminary probe, the woman was friendly to the accused at one point of time but then parted ways," he said.

"Patel was angry after she stopped communication with him and had also warned the woman over her closeness with another man," he added.

Meanwhile, the woman's kin blocked the road in the area during the day seeking strict action against Patel.

They said the state government must demolish his house.

The MP government has been demolishing houses of those held for various types of crimes, which has often been touted as "bulldozer justice". -- PTI

File image

21:35 Manipur: 19 victims of ethnic clashes laid to rest 8 months after death

Eight months after they were killed in ethnic violence in Manipur, the remains of 19 people belonging to the Kuki Zo community were laid to rest in the state's Kangpokpi district on Friday.

Friends and relatives of the deceased attended the mass burial organised by the Committee on Tribal Unity at Phaijang village.

Bodies of 87 other members of the tribal community will be buried on December 20 in Churachandpur district, convenor of the Joint Philanthropic Organisations Laldawnlian Varte said.

Remains of the 19 victims had been lying in morgues for almost eight months in Imphal.

They were finally given an "honourable" burial, the organisers said.

Many houses in the Kuki majority district hoisted black flags as markets and business establishments were closed and public transport was off the roads following a 12-hour shutdown called by the COTU to mark it as mourning day.

On Thursday, 60 bodies were airlifted to Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts after being shifted from the morgues of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences and the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal Valley.

Of those 60, nineteen were laid to rest during the day in Kangpokpi district, while 41 others were sent to Churachandpur.

"There are 46 bodies lying at Churachandpur district hospital. On December 20, those 46 bodies will be buried along with 41 others brought to the district from Imphal," the JPO convenor said. -- PTI

File image

21:14 Bulldozers out in MP: 10 meat shops, homes of 3 accused demolished

Ten shops selling meat illegally in Ujjain and the Bhopal houses of three persons allegedly involved in the attack on a Bharatiya Janata Party functionary were bulldozed by the Madhya Pradesh administration, officials said on Friday.

The action in Ujjain came after Chief Minister Mohan Yadav asked authorities to clamp down on selling of meat in the open, they added.

The shops were demolished in Ujjain's Nagjhiri area during the day, an official said, adding that all those running such establishments without authorisation have been asked to down shutters or face action.

In Bhopal, the houses of three persons, identified as Farukh Raeen, Bilal and Aslam, were demolished, a local official said.

Raeen is the main accused in a case connected to the attack on BJP functionary Devendra Thakur following announcement of assembly poll results of Bhopal Madhya seat, which was won by the Congress' Arif Masood.

Raeen and some others allegedly slashed Thakur's palm with a sword, the official said.

Raeen was arrested along with four others in the case and charged with attempt to murder.

He has a total of 14 cases, including under the stringent National Security Act, against his name, the official added. -- PTI

Gangster Dawood Ibrahim/File image

20:56 Uddhav Sena leader seen with Dawood aide, probe begins

Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced probe by a Special Investigation Team into a dance party where gangster Dawood Ibrahim's aide and 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Salim Kutta and a Shiv Sena-UBT leader were allegedly present together.

Sudhakar Badgujar, the leader in question, denied the allegations while speaking at a news conference in Nashik.

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Nitesh Rane raised the issue in the assembly here through a point of information, displaying a photo where Badgujar, the Nashik city unit chief of the Sena-UBT, and Salim Kutta are seen dancing.

"I also have a video of this party. This Salim Kutta is out on parole and was partying with a leader of Uddhav Thackeray's party. Action should be taken against him," said Rane.

Minister Dadaji Bhuse, who belongs to the rival Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, demanded action against Badgujar saying that it was an anti-national act, while BJP MLA Ashish Shelar said there should be a thorough probe and Badgujar should be arrested. -- PTI

20:37 Maoist held in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur

A 50-year-old Maoist was arrested on Friday in Narayanpur district in Chhattisgarh, a police official said.

Dasru Korram was the 'jantana sarkar' president under the 'Aamdal area committee' of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, the official added.

He was involved in 16 incidents of Left Wing violence, including murder, attempt to murder, loot, arson, firing and IED blasts against security forces in the last 23 years in Narayanpur and Dantewada, the official said.

Korram, who was held by a joint team of the District Reserve Guard and the Indo Tibetan Border Police, carried a reward of Rs 10,000 on his head, he added. -- PTI

Jagdeep Singh, a former police constable and a former participant in reality TV show America's Got Talent, was among three who were arrested with 500 grams of heroin, said the police on Friday.

Heroin was recovered from an SUV driven by Singh in in Tarn Taran district, a senior police official said.

Jagdeep alias Deep Singh and two others were arrested by the state special operation cell of the Punjab police, the official said.

Singh is said to be the tallest Sikh in the world at 7 feet 6 inches.

He has appeared on America's Got Talent multiple times. -- PTI

Mahendra Singh Dhoni/File image

20:03 HC convicts ex-IPS officer in Dhoni's contempt plea

The Madras high court on Friday imposed a punishment of 15 days' simple imprisonment on retired IPS officer G Sampath Kumar in a contempt of court case filed by former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

A division bench comprising Justices S S Sundar and Sunder Mohan found Sampath Kumar guilty of committing criminal contempt.

"However, taking into consideration the credentials of the respondent (Sampath Kumar), as projected by him in his written statement as well in the reply affidavit, this court, showing lenience, restricts the punishment for a period of 15 days."

"Even though a request is not received from the side of the respondent, this court is inclined to exercise its power under section 19 (3) of the Contempt of Courts Act and suspend the execution of punishment imposed on the respondent by this court, for a period of 30 days" (to enable him file an appeal).

In his contempt petition, Dhoni sought to punish Sampath Kumar for the remarks made by him against the judiciary in his written statement filed in response to a Rs 100 crore defamation suit.

Dhoni had moved the court in 2014 against the former cop for having named the popular cricketer in the Indian Premier League betting scam.

In its order, the bench said Sampath Kumar has consciously made an attempt to scandalise and to lower the authority of this court and the Supreme Court.

It was established that an affidavit or any pleading that was presented by a party before the court was an act of publication.

Sampath Kumar, by his specific words, has attacked the judiciary indecently with an intention to scandalise and undermine the dignity and majesty of this court as well as the apex Court, the bench added. -- PTI

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik with his former aide V K Pandian (right)

19:37 Pandian will not contest upcoming elections in 2024: BJD

Ending all speculations on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's close aide, V Karthikeyan Pandian, the ruling Biju Janata Dal on Friday clarified that the former IAS officer is unlikely to contest the upcoming elections for Lok Sabha and state Assembly in 2024.

This clarification was issued by BJD senior vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra at a press briefing after the party's state executive committee meeting Bhubaneswar.

"Pandian has given clarification today that he will not contest in the upcoming elections," Mishra said.

However, Mishra said that there is no issue if Pandian decides to contest elections.

Replying to a question, Mishra said that there was a misinformation campaign regarding Pandian contesting the elections.

He has announced to work for the people of Odisha with full dedication, the BJD leader said.

"After so much rumours, Pandian today cleared his stand on contesting elections. He has said that he will not contest elections. Though there is no problem if he decides to contest, but people should refrain from spreading rumors," Mishra said. -- PTI

A scene from 1983 film Masoom

19:17 'Tujhse Naraz Nahi Zindagi' singer Anup Ghosal dies at 77

Bengali singer Anup Ghoshal, who is mostly known for the Tujhse Naraz Nahi Zindagi number from the 1983 film Masoom and immortalised the songs in several Satyajit Ray's musicals died in Kolkata on Friday, his family said.

Ghoshal was 77.

He had been hospitalised for the past several days at a private hospital in south Kolkata for old age ailments and died due to multi-organ failure at 1.40 pm.

Ghosal, who had successfully contested the 2011 assembly polls from Uttarpara seat on the Trinamool Congress ticket, left behind two daughters. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condoled his death.

A prolific singer, Ghosal proved his versatility in the songs of Kaji Nazrul Islam, Rabindranath Tagore and modern Bengali songs.

As a playback singer, he had been associated with Ray's Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne and Hirak Rajar Deshe.

Directors like Tapan Sinha also used his voice in their films. -- PTI

Rhea Chakraborty

19:02 Sushant death: Rhea challenges CBI lookout circular

Rhea Chakraborty has moved the Bombay high court challenging the lookout circular issued against her by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with its probe into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Rajput was found dead in his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14, 2020, and his father had, in July that year, lodged a complaint with Bihar police accusing Chakraborty, the actor's then girlfriend, and her kin of abetting his suicide.

In her plea, Chakraborty sought for the circular to be quashed and in a separate application sought temporary suspension of the circular as she has to travel abroad for a professional event.

On Friday, her counsel Abhinav Chandrachud submitted to a division bench led by Justice AS Gadkari that it has been almost three years since the FIR was lodged by the CBI and the lookout circular issued but till date there has been no other progress.

The CBI has never issued any summons to Chakraborty and has not even filed its chargesheet, her counsel told court.

Advocate Shriram Shirsat, appearing for the CBI, said the agency has filed its affidavit in reply to the plea.

The bench then sought to know if Chakraborty had travelled abroad before. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a mass gathering of two lakh women from various walks of life here on January 2.

The meeting has been titled Sthree Shakthi Samgamam and is organised by the Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party to congratulate PM Modi for successfully passing the Women's Reservation Bill in both houses of Parliament, party's state chief K Surendran said on Friday.

This event will be the first of its kind, not only at the state level but also nationally, following the historic passage of the bill, Surendran told reporters.

Women from diverse backgrounds, including Anganwadi teachers, ASHA workers, entrepreneurs, MGNREGA and neighbourhood network workers and social and cultural activists will participate in the event at Thekkinkadu ground Thrissur.

"The prime minister will participate in the programme, and the objective is to showcase Kerala's greetings to the PM under whose leadership the Women's Reservation Bill was passed," he said. -- PTI

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal

18:21 Over 5 cr cases pending in courts, 80K of them in SC: Law minister tells LS

Over five crore cases are pending in various courts of the country, including 80,000 in the Supreme Court, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.

In a written reply, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said as of December 1, out of the 5,08,85,856 pending cases, over 61 lakh were at the level of the 25 high courts.

The district and subordinate courts accounted for over 4.46 crore cases, he said.

The minister also noted that the overall sanctioned strength of the Indian judiciary was 26,568 judges.

While the sanctioned strength of the top court is 34 judges, 1,114 is the sanctioned strength of the high courts.

The district and subordinate courts have a sanctioned strength of 25,420 judges. -- PTI

A court in Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday sentenced Bharatiya Janta Party MLA Ramdular Gond to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment for the rape of a girl nine years ago, setting the stage for his disqualification from the Uttar Pradesh assembly.

According to the Representation of the People Act, a lawmaker sentenced to imprisonment of two years or more shall be disqualified "from the date of such conviction" and remain disqualified for another six years after serving time.

Ahsan Ullah Khan, the additional district and session judge of the MP-MLA court in Sonbhadra, also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Gond which would be used for the rape survivor's rehabilitation.

Special public prosecutor Satyaprakash Tripathi said the court held the MLA from Duddhi assembly constituency guilty on December 12.

Before the pronouncement of the verdict, Gond's lawyer urged the court for minimum punishment.

He also assured the court that Gond would take complete care of the family of the rape survivor.

Giving detail of the case, Tripathi said the incident took place on November 4, 2014, and a case was registered against Gond under sections 376 (rape), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 5L/6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

His wife was the gram pradhan at the time of the incident, he added. -- PTI

Former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao who underwent hip replacement surgery was on Friday discharged from the hospital.

A source close to him said Rao would be going to his residence at Nandi Nagar in Hyderabad from the hospital.

The BRS chief on December 8 successfully underwent an operation of left total hip replacement at the private super-specialty hospital in Hyderabad following a fracture due to a fall at his residence.

BRS MLC and Rao's daughter K Kavitha in a post on 'X' said after a successful surgery, her father was discharged from the hospital on Friday.

Thanking the doctors, nurses and staff she said, "All the warmth and love we received from across the country during this difficult time was very heartwarming to KCR garu and the entire family. To all the BRS family my gratitude & love."

KCR is expected to recover in six to eight weeks, the hospital authorities then said.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and some of his cabinet colleagues, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, superstar Chiranjeevi and actor Prakash Raj were among several leaders and prominent persons who called on Rao at the hospital. -- PTI

17:05 Gainers and losers in the Sensex pack

Rising for the third day running, the 30-share BSE Sensex on Friday jumped 969.55 points or 1.37 per cent to settle at its record closing high of 71,483.75.

During the day, it surged 1,091.56 points or 1.54 per cent to 71,605.76, its all-time intra-day high level.

The Nifty climbed 273.95 points or 1.29 per cent to settle at its new closing high of 21,456.65. During the day, it zoomed 309.6 points or 1.46 per cent to hit its record intra-day peak of 21,492.30.

HCL Technologies was the biggest gainer in the Sensex pack, rising 5.58 per cent, followed by Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys, State Bank of India, Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel, NTPC and Wipro.

In contrast, Nestle, Bharti Airtel, Maruti and ITC were among the laggards.

File image

17:02 Anonymous caller threatens to kill UP judge's son

The police in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, have booked an unidentified man for allegedly threatening to kill the district judge's son, an officer said on Friday.

According to the complaint, district judge Ashok Kumar had received the call on December 10 on his WhatsApp.

"The anonymous caller said that he was a resident of Kotwali Sadar police station area and threatened to kill my son in an encounter," the complaint read.

Superintendent of police S Anand said that an FIR was lodged in the matter on Thursday.

"The case is being investigated. We are in touch with the chief administrative officer of the civil court regarding the security of judges and their families," said the SP. -- PTI

Lalit Jha (second from left) being taken to Patiala House court in New Delhi./ANI on X

16:47 Parl breach accused Lalit Jha sent to 7-day police custody

A Delhi court on Friday sent Lalit Jha, arrested in the Parliament security breach case, to seven-day police custody for his sustained custodial interrogation.

Special judge Hardeep Kaur remanded Jha in Delhi police's custody after the public prosecutor said he was the mastermind of the incident and was required to be questioned to unearth the entire conspiracy.

The court passed the order on an application filed by the city police which sought his custody for 15 days. -- PTI

File image

16:33 No change of guard ceremony on Saturday: Rashtrapati Bhavan

There will be no change of guard ceremony on Saturday due to the scheduled guard of honour for the Sultan of Oman, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said on Friday.

Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tarik will pay a state visit to India on December 16 on his first trip to the country to explore avenues for future collaborations for regional stability and prosperity.

"The change of guard ceremony will not take place tomorrow (December 16, 2023) at Rashtrapati Bhavan due to the scheduled guard of honour for the Sultan of Oman," the president's office said in a statement. -- PTI

The Supreme Court on Friday deferred the hearing for January 4, 2024, of the habeas corpus petition filed on behalf of Nikhil Gupta, accused by the United States of conspiring to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a India designated terrorist, against his arrest and ongoing extradition proceedings in the Czech Republic.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and S V N Bhatti observed that Gupta has to approach the concerned court for relief, which is in the Czech Republic.

As per the plea, Nikhil Gupta is currently detained in the Czech Republic while awaiting extradition to the United States in connection with the case there for allegedly being involved in a foiled plot to murder Pannun.

"You have to go before the court, which is outside India. Go over there. We are not going to have an adjudication over here. The person detained has not given the affidavit. If there is a violation of any law, etc., you have to go to court over there," Justice Khanna said.

Senior Advocate C A Sundaram, appearing for the petitioner, said that he is only pressing for relief for adequate consular assistance as he is an Indian citizen.

Justice Khanna said, "This is an extremely sensitive matter for the Ministry of External Affairs. It's for them to decide."

When the bench inquired about who filed the plea, Sundaram said that the plea had been filed by a family member of Nikhil Gupta.

Justice Khanna said that the bench hadn't had the time to read the case file as it was received late and adjourned the hearing.

Sundaram requested an in-chamber hearing on the next date.

Justice Khanna said that the request would be considered at the next hearing.

"We will have this on January 4, after vacations. We will decide the next date. Serve copy to the central agency," the bench ordered.

The plea said Gupta, 52, was in Czech Republic on a business exploration trip when he was detained illegally on June 30 at Prague airport and remained in solitary confinement for about 100.

The plea stated, 'The circumstances surrounding his arrest were marked by irregularities, with no formal arrest warrant presented, and the apprehension executed by self-claimed US agents rather than local Czech authorities.'

The plea sought direction from the Supreme Court that the Union of India intervene in extradition proceedings pending before the Extradition Court in Prague, Czech Republic, to ensure that Gupta is guaranteed a fair and transparent trial.

Gurpatwant Pannun is a designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship.

The plea narrated in detail the manner in which Gupta was allegedly detained at the airport after he had crossed the immigration counter.

The plea alleged that he was denied consular access, the right to contact his family in India, and the freedom to seek legal representation.

He claimed that he is a devout Hindu and vegetarian and alleged that he was subjected to forced consumption of beef and pork during his detention in Czech custody, which he said was a direct violation of his religious beliefs.

The plea further sought direction from the Indian Embassy in the Czech Republic to extend all cooperation to Gupta pending his illegal detention and incarceration in the Czech Republic.

The plea also stated that Gupta and his family have sent multiple representations to different Indian government authorities, seeking immediate assistance and intervention.

'Despite representations, emails, letters and phone calls both to the Ministry of External Affairs of India and to the Indian Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic, there has been no action or involvement by the Respondent Department in the current matter. There have been numerous procedural violations threatening the fundamental rights and even the most basic human rights of the petitioner, and the same,' the plea said.

'Moreover, the petitioner is aggrieved by the blatant negligence and omission of the respondent department in handling the petitioner's case with the due care and caution needed,' the plea added.

As per the US Justice Department indictment, Indian national Nikhil Gupta is currently in custody and has been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Czech authorities arrested and detained Gupta on June 30, pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic.

The US Justice Department had claimed that an Indian government employee, who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to allegedly carry out the assassination of Panun, which was foiled by US authorities.

The US Justice Department claimed that Gupta is an associate of CC-1 (an unidentified person who directed the alleged plot), and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1.

The indictment claims CC -1 directed the assassination plot from India. -- ANI

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced in the assembly that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) would be set up in the next two days to probe arson during the Maratha quota stir in Beed district where homes of two Nationalist Congress Party MLAs were torched as he vowed not to spare anyone involved in the violence.

The agitation seeking reservation for the Maratha community in jobs and education had turned violent as protesters torched the homes of NCP MLAs Sandeep Kshirsagar and Prakash Solanke in Beed, central Maharashtra, in October-end.

Solanke's home was also vandalised.

Fadnavis, who is also the home minister, said people involved in the incident will be prosecuted.

He was responding to the calling attention raised by Kshirsagar whose house in Beed city was torched during the agitation.

Fadnavis said, "Actionable evidence is available to prosecute suspects. Although the investigation (launched after the incident) has progressed, I will set up an SIT with the approval of the house."

NCP (Sharad Pawar group) MLA Jayant Patil, a former state home minister, said police could have fired in the air to stop arsonists.

"An accused person's name is Pappu Shinde. Why did the local police not arrest people who have criminal background? At least firing in the air (by the local police) could have deterred some of them (violent protesters)," Patil said.

Fadnavis said no one involved in the unlawful act will be spared.

"No need to politicise the issue. Whoever is involved, will be prosecuted. We will spare none, I give you my word," said the Deputy chief minister.

Giving the sequence of events on October 30, he said, "A mob of 5,000 people had gathered in Majalgaon (a town in Beed district) and another 1,500 people in Beed city. The Superintendent of Police (of Beed) had first gone to Majalgaon with police force. Later, violence broke out in Beed city and this prompted the SP to take the force back to the city."

During the quota agitation, the protesters had set ablaze the first floor of the Majalgaon Municipal Council building. -- PTI

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde

15:01 Shiv Sena pleas: SC gives Maha speaker time till Jan 10

The Supreme Court on Friday granted 10 more days to Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul to decide the cross-petitions filed by the rival factions of the Shiv Sena seeking disqualification of each other's MLAs.

The top court, which extended time till January 10, next year, had earlier asked the speaker to decide the disqualification pleas by December 31.

"The speaker has indicated that the proceedings will be closed on December 20 and the speaker had sought a reasonable extension of time. Bearing in mind the time limit laid out earlier, we grant extension of time till January 10, 2023 for the speaker to deliver judgment," a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said.

The top court was hearing two petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena and the Sharad Pawar bloc of the NCP, seeking a direction to the speaker to expeditiously decide disqualification proceedings against some MLAs.

The bench had on September 18 directed the speaker to spell out the time table for adjudication of the disqualification petitions against Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena MLAs owing allegiance to him who had tied up with the BJP to form a new government in June 2022.

14:26 SC refuses to stay survey of Mathura mosque

The Supreme Court refused to stay Allahabad high court's December 14 order which allowed the primary survey of the Shahi Idgah complex adjacent to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura by a court-monitored three-member team of advocate commissioners.

"The Supreme Court has refused to stay the proceedings and the Supreme Court has fixed the matter so far as challenge to the transfer order is concerned on 9th of January...The high court order will continue and the high court will proceed with the matter and there is no stay by the Supreme Court," said Vishnu Shankar Jain, the lawyer for the Hindu side.

Earlier, the Allahabad high court has given a key decision in the ongoing Shri Krishna Janambhoomi case, after it approved the conduct of a scientific survey on the Shahi Idgah complex at Mathura.

The survey will be conducted in the same manner in which it has been done at the Gyanvapi Temple in Varanasi.

The court on Thursday appointed an advocate commissioner and gave in-principle approval for surveying the Shahi Idgah complex.

The modalities of the commission of advocates for the survey will be decided on December 18.

After the Allahabad HC approved a survey of the Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura, Vishnu Shankar Jain, the lawyer for the Hindu side, called the decision a landmark judgment.

He said that the modalities for the survey would be decided on December 18.

The survey will be conducted in the same manner in which it has been done at the Gyanvapi Temple in Varanasi.

Jain further added that to know the actual position, an advocate commissioner is required.

Vishnu Shankar Jain, the lawyer for the Hindu side, said, "Allahabad HC has allowed our application where we had demanded a survey of Shahi Idgah Masjid by the advocate commissioner. The modalities will be decided on December 18. The court has rejected the arguments of Shahi Idgah Masjid. My demand was that in Shahi Idgah Masjid, there are a lot of signs and symbols of the Hindu temple, and to know the actual position, an advocate commissioner is required. It's a landmark judgement by the court." -- ANI

The Army station in Jorhat, Assam

14:01 ULFA-I claims responsibility for Assam blast

ULFA (Independent) on Friday claimed responsibility for the blast near the gate of the army station in Assam's Jorhat district.

The 'mild blast' had occurred on Thursday night in a dustbin near the army gate in the town's Lichubari area, a defence spokesperson said.

Bomb experts have reached the spot and are ascertaining the explosives used in the blast, the spokesperson said.

There was no casualty or damage due to the blast, the third such incident near security establishments after Tinsukia and Sivasagar since November 22.

A massive search operation has been launched in the district and also in adjoining areas of Jorhat to nab the culprits.

Security has been tightened and patrolling intensified across Upper Assam districts.

ULFA(I), in the statement claiming responsibility for the blast, said the indigenous people had no cause to panic as the outfit is not against them but are carrying out the blasts due to the alleged efforts by the Director General of Police GP Singh to establish the outfit's demand as a "law and order problem and not a political issue".

The DGP or the Assam police is yet to respond to ULFA(I)'s allegation.

On Sunday, ULFA(I) had in an e-mail "claimed responsibility for the two recent blasts in Tinsukia and Sivasagar" which was carried out in response to the 'arrogance' of Singh.

A grenade blast took place near an army camp at Dirak in Tinsukia on November 22 following which one person was arrested but the police did not confirm the details of the sound of an explosion heard near a CRPF camp on December 9.

Following ULFA's earlier statement, the DGP had posted on 'X' that every personnel of Assam Police, Army & CAPF take oath under the National Flag to protect the integrity and sovereignty of the country.

"We are committed to wipe out the remnants of terrorism that impedes growth of our state. And for that, if we have to sacrifice our life, we shall not hesitate, nor shall we waver from our determination to use full might of law against those who stand in path of our state's growth, progress and development", he said.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said he along with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis were scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the evening but the meeting got postponed.

Pawar was speaking with journalists on the Vidhan Bhavan premises in Nagpur, where the winter session of the state legislature is underway.

The deputy CM said they have received a message from the Union home minister that he won't be able to meet them on Friday evening on account of some important work. Pawar said Shah has asked them to visit him on Monday or Tuesday.

We have sought his time on Monday, he said.

Pawar said CM Shinde and the deputy CMs discussed five key issues, including onion and ethanol, in the cabinet meeting on Thursday. We were supposed to meet the Union home minister in this context, he said.

Farmers in Maharashtra are upset after the Centre banned onion exports till March 31, 2024, to increase domestic availability and keep prices in check. It has also banned the use of sugarcane juice and sugar syrup' for ethanol production in the 2023-24 supply year to maintain sugar availability for domestic use and to keep prices under check.

The deputy CM said 24-25 other important issues were also discussed in the cabinet meeting.

13:14 Bhajan Lal Sharma sworn-in as new Rajasthan CM

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Bhajanlal Sharma was sworn-in as the chief minister of Rajasthan, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders, in Jaipur.

BJP leaders Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa also took oath as deputy chief ministers.

A first information report (FIR) registered under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the Parliament security breach on Thursday revealed the insights of the case and showed the meticulous planning done by the accused.

The FIR mentioned that the pair of sports shoes used by one of the accused, Sagar Sharma has a cavity created by cutting the inside sole of the left foot shoe.

While the thickness of the sole of shoes is also increased by affixing an additional rubber sole at the bottom to support the cavity.

In the pair of sport shoe of Manoranjan D a cavity is found created by cutting the inside sole of left foot shoes.

The inside sole of the right foot shoe was also found partly cut.

The thickness of the sole of shoes was also found increased by affixing additional rubber sole at the bottom to support the cavity.

The two used wet canisters of creative color smoke which were burst by the alleged Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D inside the Lok Sabha well area.

Further two partly torn and damaged pamphlets were recovered.

The first one containing printed slogan 'Jai Hind' in English and a picture of fist in tricolor and a slogan in Hindi, whereas the second pamphlet had a slogan in English on Manipur issue.

Further information regarding bursting of crackers and detention of two more suspects namely Amol Shinde and Neelam who were found involved in the similar activities outside the gate no 2 and 3, of Parliament House.

During the preliminary enquiry, both these persons found to be associates of Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D who were handed over by the Parliament Security staff.

The four used canisters of creative color smoke and one unused canister of creative color smoke were recovered.

All these canisters are bearing warnings always wears goggles and gloves, never use indoor or enclosed spaces and do not take on airplanes.

Further instructions on the canisters read: 'Remove protective cap facing color smoke away from you a pull ring sharply to side, drop smoke immediately and retreat to safe distance. The canisters were made in China.From the contents of the complaint, evidence collected, preliminary inquiry conducted at the spot, perusal of DD entries, inspection of the spot and other material available, prima facie a case under sections 186/353/452/153/34/120-B IPC and Sections 16 and 18 UAP Act is been registered'.

The FIR also mentions the instructions of senior officers that further investigation of the case is to be carried out by Special Cell, and accordingly, the FIR along with the complaint be sent to DCP/HQ, Special Cell through a special messenger.

In an astonishing security breach during Zero Hour in Parliament on Wednesday afternoon, two men, Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan, both carrying canisters that emitted yellow smoke, jumped from the visitors' gallery into the Lower House. -- ANI

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and other leaders have turned up for the swearing-in ceremony of Rajasthan CM-designate Bhajanlal Sharma, in Jaipur. Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa will also be sworn in as deputy chief ministers of the state.

Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel and Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami can also be seen at the venue of the swearing-in in Jaipur.

12:32 Former T'gana CM KCR discharged from hospital

Former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao who underwent hip replacement surgery was on Friday discharged from the hospital.

A source close to him said Rao would be going to his residence at Nandi Nagar in Hyderabad from the hospital.

The Bharat Rashtra Samiti chief on December 8 successfully underwent an operation of left Total Hip Replacement at the private super-specialty hospital in Hyderabad following a fracture due to a fall at his residence.

KCR is expected to recover in six to eight weeks, the hospital authorities then said.

(Left) Shekhawat and Gehlot at the swearing-in

12:25 Rivals Gehlot, Shekhawat chat away at Sharma's swearing-in

Outgoing chief minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot reached the swearing-in ceremony of the new chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and sat next to "rival" Gajendra Singh Shekhwat.

Gehlot has been repeatedly targeting Union minister Shekhawat, accusing him of being involved in the Sanjivani Credit Co-operative Society 'scam'.

Shekhawat, in turn, has filed a defamation case against Gehlot in Delhi.

They were seen talking together as they waited for the oath-taking ceremony to begin.

Gehlot also warmly met former leader of the opposition Rajendra Rathore and former deputy leader of the opposition Satish Ponia.

Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, who was among the frontrunners for the CM post, was also on the dais sitting next to Shekhawat.

At least two policemen were killed and as many as injured after militants attacked a regional police headquarters in a former Taliban stronghold in northwest Pakistan on Friday, three days after terrorists killed 23 soldiers in the same region.

The attack occurred at the Police Lines in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Tank district, the Dawn newspaper reported.

A terrorist blew himself up in a suicide bomb and that the huge attack was thwarted, the newspaper quoted Tank district police officer Iftikhar Shah as saying. He said that all contingents present in the Police Lines were evacuated safely and that a search operation was underway after alerts of the presence of more militants in the area.

The attack was claimed by a new militant group, Ansarul Jihad.

The attack comes days after at least 23 soldiers were killed and more than 30 others injured after militants belonging to the Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a newly formed militant group that is an affiliate of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), stormed a compound used by the military in Dera Ismail Khan.

Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned soon after they met for the day as opposition MPs raised slogans demanding Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement on the Parliament security breach.

As soon as the Lok Sabha met at 11 am, opposition MPs held up placards and raised slogans.

Most of them trooped into the Well, raising slogans seeking the resignation of the Union home minister and his presence in the House.

The opposition MPs have been demanding a discussion on the security breach that took place two days ago. They are also seeking action against the Bharatiya Janata Party MP who authorised the passes for the two people who jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors' gallery on Wednesday.

Rajendra Agrawal, who was chairing the proceedings on Friday, adjourned the House till 2 pm.

Rajya Sabha proceedings were also adjourned till 2 pm amid protest by the Opposition parties after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar rejected their notices to suspended the scheduled business of the day to discuss the security breach in Parliament.

Soon after the listed papers were laid on the table, the Chairman informed the House that he had received 23 notices regarding the 'serious situation' arising from Wednesday's Parliament security breach.

Dhankhar said investigation on the incident is underway and it will be taken to a logical conclusion.

"I unable to persuade myself to allow the notices," he said, which led to a protest by Opposition parties.

Some of the opposition parties also raised the issue of suspension of Trinamool Congress member Derek O'Brien from the House for the remaining part of the Winter session scheduled to conclude on December 22.

Amid protest, the Chairman adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm. -- PTI

The Mumbai police's crime branch, which is probing the Mahadev betting app case, has summoned actor Sahil Khan and three others to record their statements on Friday, an official said.

A special investigation team (SIT) of Mumbai police has been formed to probe alleged illegal transactions between certain financial and real estate firms in the state and the promoters of the controversial Mahadev betting app, the official said.

The size of the scam is about Rs 15,000 crore, as per the first information report (FIR).

An SIT official said an investigation is underway against Khan and 31 other individuals in connection with the Mahadev betting app case.

The probe involves examining their bank accounts, mobile phones, laptops, and all technical equipment.

The crime branch has summoned Sahil Khan, his brother Sam Khan, Hitesh Khushlani and one more accused person, he said.

They have been asked to remain present before the officials of SIT at Mumbai crime branch, the senior police official said. Sahil Khan, known for films like Style' and Excuse Me', has become a fitness expert. -- PTI

Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty surged to all-time high levels in early trade on Friday amid an optimistic trend in global markets after the US Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged and signalled rate cuts next year.

Continuous foreign fund inflows into the equity markets also fuelled the rally in stocks.

The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 339.36 points to 70,853.56, its all-time high level, in early trade. The Nifty climbed 115.45 points to reach its record peak of 21,298.15.

Among the Sensex firms, JSW Steel, Infosys, Tata Steel, HCL Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services, Sun Pharma, Tata Motors and Reliance Industries were the major gainers.

Nestle, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and UltraTech Cement were among the laggards.

In Asian markets, Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong were trading with gains.

The US markets ended higher on Thursday.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 3,570.07 crore on Thursday, according to exchange data.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.55 per cent to $77.03 a barrel.

"Wall Street experiences an early Christmas as the Fed hints at easing interest-rate policy in 2024. Nifty is poised to surge into uncharted territory, with a trading range of 20,500-21,500," said Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities Ltd.

The BSE benchmark jumped 929.60 points or 1.34 per cent to settle at 70,514.20, its all-time closing high on Thursday. The Nifty rallied 256.35 points or 1.23 per cent to settle at a record closing peak of 21,182.70. -- PTI

10:56 Parliament breach: 2 more from Rajasthan held

The Special Cell of Delhi Police, conducting an investigation into the Parliament security breach case, has detained two more people following their suspected association with five arrested in the case.

The detained persons are identified as Mahesh and Kailash, both residents of Rajasthan and have an alleged association with a social media group called 'Justice for Azad Bhagat Singh'.

During the interrogation of the Counter Intelligence Unit of the Special Cell, it came to light that Mahesh was also going to be part of the attack team but for some reason he was stopped by his family members.

Apart from that, Mahesh has also helped Lalit Jha, the fifth accused and mastermind, burn the mobile phones of his associates after he reached Rajasthan's Kuchaman from Delhi.

On the other hand, last night, senior police officials, including two Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCP) and Additional Commissioners of Police, interrogated Lalit Jha, during which he narrated the whole incident to officials.

According to sources, during interrogation, it came to light that preparations for the attack were being made months ago.

An entry pass was necessary for entry into Parliament; hence, it was not available. Lalit had asked everyone who could arrange the pass so that they could easily enter Parliament.

From hotel in Rajasthan Lalit was continuously keeping an eye on ongoing developments and police movements through news channels.

According to sources, to unearth more details in the case, the Special Cell of Delhi Police has formed six teams that will go to the locations linked with the accused in Lucknow, Mysore, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Haryana.

Apart from that, the accused will also be taken separately to different locations for cross-verification and identification of evidence, as the Special Cell has had custody of the accused for seven days.

The investigation also revealed that two pairs of shoes were made on special order in Lucknow, as the accused discovered that shoes do not get checked in Parliament and this can be an easy way to carry the smoke canister inside the parliament. -- ANI

10:26 Jha's NGO friend grilled for hours in Bengal

Police have questioned a friend of Lalit Mohan Jha, a key accused in the Parliament security breach incident, for hours in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, an officer said.

A team from Barrackpore Police Commissionerate visited Nilakahya Aich's Halisahar residence on Thursday and asked him about his acquaintance with Jha during the days when the accused was working for an NGO, he said.

"We talked with the person for hours to know about his friendship with Jha. We got information about him from Delhi Police," the officer told PTI.

Aich, who is an undergraduate student at a college in West Bengal, has received a video of the security breach at Parliament from Jha soon after the incident, police said.

"We have checked Aich's mobile phone and noted down certain information, which may be vital in our investigation," the police officer said.

Jha, the key accused in the Parliament security breach incident, was arrested on Thursday evening, Delhi Police sources said.

Jha, accompanied by a man, reached the Kartavya Path Police station in the national capital where he was handed over to the Special Cell.

In a major security breach on the anniversary of the deadly 2001 Parliament terror attack, two persons on Wednesday jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors' gallery, shouted slogans and released yellow smoke from canisters that triggered panic and chaos in the House. -- PTI

10:11 Want it to end, but...: US on Isarel-Hamas war

The White House said on Thursday that it wants the Israel-Hamas war to end 'as soon as possible' but also clarified that Washington won't be dictating terms and Tel Aviv has the right to take it 'as long as they feel' to eliminate the Hamas threat.

US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said that the war could end if Hamas Head in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar surrenders and releases the hostages.

Addressing the press briefing on Thursday, Kirby said, "We all want it to end as soon as possible...it could end today if Sinwar did the right thing and laid down his arms and surrendered and gave the hostages back...that doesn't look likely right now."

The White House official further said that the war was started by Hamas and that Israel has the right and responsibility to continue it to protect its people.

"This war that Hamas started and Israel has a right and responsibility to continue to conduct this war and protect their people and protect their nation...how long that's going to take I can't predict," Kirby said.

He added, "We are not dictating terms to the Israelis about how long it has to take. It has to take as long as they feel they need to take to be able to eliminate this threat, but obviously, we all want it to be over as soon as possible." -- ANI

Lalit Jha, the fifth accused and mastermind in Parliament security breach case, has burnt the mobile phones of his associates along with his friend Mahesh after fleeing to Rajasthan's Kuchaman, said police sources.

Ahead of the incident, all four accused had handed over their mobile phones to Jha so that crucial investigation details cannot get into police hands as they were anticipating their arrest.

In Kuchaman, Jha met his friend Mahesh, who got him a room for the night. Both of them had met through Facebook, as revealed by Jha during his interrogation.

However, Delhi police are verifying all the claims made by Jha.

Jha was also present outside the parliament and captured the video of two of his accomplices with the intent to publicise it.

Ahead of Jha's arrest, with the help of technical surveillance, police first detained Mahesh's cousin Kailash, who told them that Mahesh and Lalit had gone to Delhi.

Later, when Jha returned, he was arrested.

According to the Delhi Police, "Lalit Jha came to the police station on his own, after which the police arrested him and started the interrogation." -- ANI

The Special Cell of the Delhi Police will be recreating the scene of Wednesday's Parliament security breach by taking the accused to the Parliament complex on Saturday or Sunday, sources said.

According to sources, the accused will be taken to the Parliament to recreate the scene of the crime. This will help the police to find out how the accused entered the Parliament building with colour spray and how they executed their plan, sources from the Special Cell said.

Sources said that the Special Cell will be escorting the accused from the gate of the Parliament premises to inside the building to recreate the scene of the incident intricately.

The Special Cell team has not been able to recreate the scene after the arrest on Thursday as the proceedings of the Parliament were in progress. The team is trying to recreate the scene on Saturday or Sunday when the Parliament will not be in session.

According to sources, the Special Cell team will also be taking the accused to their flat in Gurugram where they used to meet.

The Special Cell team has also prepared a list of 50 mobile numbers on which the accused had dialled in the last 15 days, sources said.

The police are calling these numbers to take their identities.

Sources said that the Special Cell is trying to determine whether only six to seven accused were involved in the incident or they were getting help from other people as well. -- ANI

Actor Shreyas Talpade, suffered a heart attack after finishing a shoot in Mumbai on Thursday.

As per a source close to the actor, "Shreyas, 47, was shooting for Welcome to the Jungle and in the evening he suffered a heart attack and underwent angioplasty. He is fine now."

Shreyas is admitted to Belle Vue Hospital in Andheri West, Mumbai.

Meanwhile, he is gearing up for Welcome to the Jungle.

Welcome 3 is being directed by Ahmed Khan.

The star cast of the film also includes Akshay Kumar, Disha Patani, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sanjay Dutt, Rajpal Yadav, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Mika Singh, Rahul Dev, Mukesh Tiwari, Sharib Hashmi, Inaamulhaq, Zakir Hussain, and Yashpal Sharma.

The film is the third instalment of the hit franchise Welcome which starred Feroz Khan, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar and Paresh Rawal in the lead roles. -- ANI

File image

01:02 AMU student booked for making 'derogatory' remarks against Prophet

A class 12 student of an AMU-run college in Aligarh was booked for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammed, officials said on Thursday.

The action was taken after a classmate of the accused lodged a complaint against him with the Aligarh Muslim University authorities on Tuesday, a senior varsity official said, adding both the students were Muslims.

The complainant was having a discussion with some students in his hostel room when the accused joined them and allegedly started insulting the Prophet.

He turned aggressive when asked to stop, according to officials.

AMU Proctor Mohammad Waseem told PTI that a case under Sections 295 A (outrage religious feelings), 504 (provoke breach of peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code was registered against the accused at the Civil Lines Police Station. -- PTI

File image

00:37 Ahead of Ram temple, Ayodhya airport gets nod

Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Thursday issued the aerodrome license for the upcoming Ayodhya airport.

The airport has been developed at a cost of around Rs 350 crore by the Airports Authority of India.

On Thursday, AAI said the airport has been granted an aerodrome license in public use category for all weather conditions.

"The airport has 2,200m long runway with complete Aeronautical Ground Lights infrastructure and is supported by DVOR & Instrument Landing System which allows the aerodrome to accommodate flights at night and during low visibility/RVR 550m," AAI said in a series of posts on social media platform X.

DVOR refers to doppler very high frequency omni range which helps in navigation of aircraft and RVR refers to runway visual range.

"The much-awaited Ayodhya Airport will have a terminal building with an area of 6,500 sqm, equipped to handle 600 passengers during peak hours and 10 lakh passengers annually," AAI said in a release.

The Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport at Ayodhya has an extended runway suitable for A-321/B-737 type aircraft operations.

AAI chairman Sanjeev Kumar received the licence from DGCA chief Vikram Dev Dutt.

On Wednesday, IndiGo said it will operate the inaugural flight from the national capital to Ayodhya airport on December 30 and the commercial services will commence from January 6.

"The inaugural flight from Delhi will arrive in Ayodhya on December 30, 2023. Subsequently, commercial operations for a direct flight will commence between Delhi and Ayodhya from January 6, 2024, followed by tri-weekly flights between Ahmedabad and Ayodhya from January 11, 2024," the airline had said. -- PTI

00:25 Eleven senior IPS officials in TN shunted

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday shunted eleven senior IPS officials in the rank of director general of police, additional DGP and inspector general of police.

Among them, DKalpana Nayak, ADGP crime against women and children, Chennai, has been posted as member secretary TN Uniformed Services Recruitment Board, Chennai, Maheshwar Dayal, ADGP, on return from study leave and on compulsory wait, has been posted as ADGP Prisons, while Amaraesh Pujari DGP prisons, has been posted as chief vigilance officer, TN Newsprint and Papers Limited. -- PTI

File image

00:19 HC takes cognisance of orders to kill man-eater big cat

The Uttarakhand high court on Thursday took suo motu cognisance of permission given by the forest department to kill an unidentified man-eater big cat in the vicinity of Bhimtal.

The order came after the animal killed two people in the area recently causing panic among the locals.

Hearing a PIL, the division bench of Justice Sharad Kumar Sharma and Justice Pankaj Purohit held that cameras should be installed to identify the attacking predatory animal and cages should be set up to catch it.

And if all fails, then it should be tranquilised and sent to a rescue centre, they said.

"When the identity of the predator is not yet known, then how were the orders to kill it passed," the court asked.

The court heard the case after taking suo motu cognisance of the order of the Chief Wildlife Warden to kill the big cat that mauled to death two women in Bhimtal.

Under Section 11A of the Wildlife Protection Act, an animal can be killed after fulfilling certain conditions.

It must be chased away from the area, then tranquilised and kept in a rescue centre and finally, the last and drastic order to kill it should be passed, the court said. -- PTI

A pro-Vidarbha statehood activist and journalist on Thursday shouted slogans to highlight problems of farmers in the press gallery of the Maharashtra legislative assembly in Nagpur when house proceedings were on.

Activist Prakash Pohare said he came to the press gallery of the assembly, which is having its winter session in Nagpur, as a representative of farmers to draw the attention of the house towards their problems.

Senior MLA Chetan Tupe, who was in the Chair at the time of the incident, ordered an inquiry into the episode after BJP chief whip Ashish Shelar raised the issue in the house and also referred to the December 13 security breach in the Lok Sabha.

A video showed Pohare, who is also the editor of a Marathi daily, walking out of the press gallery after shouting slogans with police accompanying him.

Talking to reporters outside the Vidhan Bhavan complex, Pohare justified his action, saying no one was raising issues of Vidarbha farmers and suicide by cultivators in the region in eastern Maharashtra.

The activist, a supporter of statehood for Vidarbha, said he has been coming to the Vidhan Bhavan for the last 5 to 6 days, but there was no mention of issues related to the region in the legislature. -- PTI

Timeline Refresh

TOP STORIES