LIVE! Javed Akhtar can be proceeded against: Court

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Wed, 26 July 2023

Javed Akhtar can be proceeded against: Court

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23:46 Centre issues directions for blocking 3,470 URLs this year: Govt

The central government issued directions for blocking 3,470 URLs in 2023 under provisions of the IT Act, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

Section 69A of the IT Act provides power to the central government to issue directions to block any information if it is necessary to do so in the interest of sovereignty and integrity, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order, Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

"The Central Government has issued directions for blocking of 6,096, 6,775 and 3,470 URLs in the year 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively," the minister added.

He was specifically replying to a question on orders served by the government to social media platforms to take down content, hampering the digital safety of citizens since 2021.

The policies of the government are aimed at ensuring an open, safe and trusted and accountable internet for all digital nagriks, he said.

The IT Act penalises various offences relating to computer resources, including tampering with computer source documents (section 65), dishonestly or fraudulently damaging computer systems (section 66), identity theft (section 66C), cheating by impersonation (section 66D), the minister said. -- PTI

Lyricist Javed Akhtar

23:31 Javed Akhtar can be proceeded against: Court

A court in Mumbai while issuing summons to lyricist Javed Akhtar in a case filed by actor Kangana Ranaut has held that there was sufficient ground to proceed against him for the offence of criminal intimidation.

However, no case is made out against him on charges of extortion, the court said.

Metropolitan magistrate (Andheri court) R M Shaikh on July 24 issued the summons against Akhtar, asking him to appear before the court on August 5.

Ranaut had filed a complaint against Akhtar for alleged "extortion and criminal intimidation".

The court, while issuing summons, said no case of extortion was made out against the lyricist.

Asking a person to give a written apology will not come under the definition of "valuable security" as defined under section 30 of the Indian Penal Code because no legal right is created, extended, transferred, restricted, extinguished or released," it said.

"As far as other offences levelled against the accused are concerned, on the basis of averments in the complaint, verification of the complainant and statement of her (Ranaut's) sister Rangoli Chandel," the court said.

"I have come to the conclusion that there are sufficient grounds to proceed against the accused for offence under IPC section 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (gestures or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman)," the court said. -- PTI

Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation has suspended the flying licences of two IndiGo pilots for violating safety norms as the aircraft they operated suffered a tail strike while landing at the Ahmedabad airport last month, according to a senior official.

The senior official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Wednesday said the licence of the Pilot-In-Command has been suspended for three months and that of the co-pilot for one month.

An IndiGo aircraft operating the Bengaluru-Ahmedabad flight on June 15 had suffered a tail strike while landing at the Ahmedabad airport, following which DGCA had launched a probe into the incident.

The regulator had also ordered grounding of the two pilot till investigation into the incident was completed.

"On 15.06.2023, an Airbus 321 aircraft was involved in a tail strike while landing at Ahmedabad. DGCA investigation has revealed that the crew carried out the landing in deviation from established SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)," the official said.

The official also said both the crew members were issued show cause notices by the regulator. -- PTI

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22:59 Indian mission in London issues urgent alert over fraud calls to diaspora

The high commission of India in London has issued an urgent alert after receiving reports of fraudulent calls being made to members of the diaspora and Indian students in the UK demanding money.

India House in London said it has been brought to their attention that the phone numbers associated with the mission are being copied for criminal and extortionate activities.

The Metropolitan police has been made aware of the issue but meanwhile there is growing concern that genuine callers with urgent business with the high commission would be blocked from use of the official phone lines.

"We have been informed that some criminal and anti-social persons are attempting to spoof the High Commission's telephone numbers to call persons of Indian origin/students from India to threaten them with legal or other consequences and demand money purportedly on behalf of the High Commission or Government of India agencies," reads the alert issued by the Indian high commission in London on Tuesday.

"Please be assured that no-one from the high commission will be calling members of the public over the telephone to demand money for Government purposes. Please report any such calls that you receive to your local police after noting the number and any details that the callers leave with you," the statement adds.

The Indian mission in London had issued a similar alert to members of the diaspora amid reports of fraudulent and extortionate calls in April this year.

Flood situation continued along Hindon and Yamuna floodplains in Noida and Greater Noida, impacting 17 villages where over 3,100 people have been displaced and moved to shelter homes while nearly 1,600 hectares of land was submerged, officials said on Wednesday.

Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma and Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M visited some of the impacted villages and reviewed the situation at shelter homes set up by the administration for accommodating the displaced people.

The district also witnessed heavy rain showers early in the day, prompting the administration to order the closure of all schools on Wednesday.

While floodplains along Hindon and Yamuna rivers were impacted, water-logging was also reported in several areas and roads of the twin cities.

Additional DM Atul Kumar said the flood situation appeared static on Wednesday as both Yamuna and Hindon overflowed but were below their danger marks, even as police, administration and PAC personnel were engaged in rescue and relief works.

Presently 17 villages are affected in all the three tehsils of Sadar (Noida), Dadri and Jewar of Gautam Buddh Nagar.

At present 3,355 persons are affected across the district and 3,137 persons have been displaced, Kumar, also the nodal officer for flood relief works, said.

He said 21 flood posts have been created across the district, while eight medical teams with anti-venom medicines and 10 beds at the district hospital along with necessary medicines are ready in case of any requirement. -- PTI

Ninety-eight students died by suicide in the past five years in higher education institutions, including central universities, IITs, IIMs, NITs and IISERs, according to the Union ministry of education.

Twenty cases of student suicides have already been reported in higher education institutions in 2023 so far.

These include nine cases from central universities and seven from IITs.

The data was shared by Union Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar in response to a written question in the Rajya Sabha.

The minister informed that the majority of the suicide cases being reported in the last four years were from engineering institutions.

According to the data, of the 98 students who died by suicide, the maximum cases were from IITs (39), followed by NITs (25), central universities (25), IIMs (4), IISERs (3) and IIITs (2).

In terms of year-wise breakup, the government data shows that 20 student suicides were reported in these institutions in 2023 so far, 24 in 2022, seven each in 2021 and 2020, 19 in 2019 and 21 in 2018.

In a separate question on category-wise suicides, the data revealed that of the seven cases in IITs this year, two students were from SC and one from OBC categories.

Of the nine cases in central universities, six were from SC, ST, OBC and the minority communities.

No suicides were reported from IIMs, SPAs and IISERs from these categories in the past two years. -- PTI

22:02 J-K police arrest PhD scholar in terror bust

With the arrest of a PhD scholar of the Central University of Kashmir, the police on Wednesday said to have busted a terrorist recruitment module in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Two terrorist associates linked with Hizbul Mujahideen (HM)/Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) were also arrested in the case, the police said.

"Acting on specific information generated by the Kulgam police, a search was launched for a code-named person @Dr Sabeel who was motivating, funding and providing logistic support to the gullible youth of Kulgam and adjoining areas to recruit them into terrorist ranks," a police spokesman said.

He said special teams were constituted to track and search for the suspect.

"After systemic efforts, one suspected vehicle was zeroed in. When the credentials of the vehicle were sought, it came to fore that the vehicle was being used by Dr Rubani Bashir, a resident of Ashmuji, Kulgam," the spokesman said.

He said a checkpoint was established at Ashmuji and Bashir was apprehended.

During questioning, he disclosed his code name as Dr Sabeel, a PhD scholar from the Central University of Kashmir, and has also applied for job as assistant professor there.

"Dr Rubani Bashir @ Dr Sabeel also disclosed that he has been associated with Jamat-e-Islami (JeI) from his student days and he has been its member in student wing Islamic Jamat-ul-Tulbha (IJT) for 14 years and later on has been a full-fledged member of JeI.

"His basic modus operandi was to work for proscribed terrorist organizations HM/JeM behind the curtain. He used to identify the youngsters, motivate them, fund them and then make them ready to join terrorist organizations," the spokesman said.

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21:41 Editors Guild on fact-finding mission on media coverage of Manipur violence

The Editors Guild of India on Wednesday said it was putting together a team of senior journalists for a fact-finding mission to document the coverage of the ethnic clashes in Manipur in the local and national media.

In a statement, the Guild voiced its "deep concern" over the "discernible bias" in the coverage of the ethnic clashes that broke out in Manipur on May 3.

"The primary aim of the team will be to provide an impartial and accurate analysis of the reporting of clashes, by both local and national media, and foster greater self accountability and reflection on press' conduct," the statement said.

The Guild said it has observed that rather than upholding objective and fact based reporting, there has been a discernible bias in the coverage.

"This biased reporting is leading to further divisions and violence in the already strife-torn state of Manipur," it said.

The Guild has also appealed for financial support for the fact-finding mission from journalists and the civil society. -- PTI

21:27 Mumbai schools and colleges shut on Thursday

In view of the Indian meteorological department (Mumbai) issuing a red alert (extremely heavy rainfall warning) for Mumbai city and suburbs from 8pm today till tomorrow afternoon, the Mumbai municipal corporation (BMC) has announced a holiday for all municipal, government and private primary, secondary and higher secondary schools and all colleges in Mumbai city and suburbs, on July 27, 2023.

In a tweet, the BMC said it requests all citizens to stay alert, stay indoors and kindly follow instructions from the administration.

Kevin Spacey

21:17 Actor Kevin Spacey cleared of sexual assault charges in UK

Hollywood star Kevin Spacey was on Wednesday cleared of all charges in his sexual assault trial in London, where the jury returned not guilty verdicts for nine sexual offence charges relating to four men between 2001 and 2013.

The actor, who turned 64 on Wednesday, had denied the allegations against him and was in tears as the verdicts were read out.

Outside Southwark Crown Court, he made a brief statement thanking the jury for the not-guilty verdicts.

"I imagine that many of you can understand that there is a lot for me to process after what has just happened today, Spacey told reporters.

"But I would like to say that I am enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts carefully before they reached their decision, and I am humbled by the outcome today," he said.

Thanking his legal team and courthouse staff, the Hollywood star walked away a free man after a four-week-long trial.

The jury rejected the prosecution's claims that Spacey had "aggressively" grabbed three men by the crotch and had performed a sex act on another man while he was asleep in his flat.

The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) issued a statement saying: "The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges."

The court heard from multiple witnesses, including singer Elton John and his partner David Furnish who spoke in favour of Spacey. Others gave testimony to accuse the actor of improper sexual conduct during his time as Artistic Director at The Old Vic Theatre in London.

Spacey, best known for films like American Beauty and The Usual Suspects and for the political drama series House Of Cards, had denied all the allegations and broke down in court as he spoke of the toll they had taken on his life and career.

His defence team had labelled the prosecution's case against him as "weak" and accused some of the complainants of being motivated by the lure of a monetary settlement.

21:03 Modi opens IECC, names it Bharat Mandapam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre complex and unveiled its new name --Bharat Mandapam.

Modi unveiled the name of the new complex through a drone in the presence of Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and other ministers.

The revamped IECC complex was developed as a national project at a cost of about Rs 2,700 crore and has a campus area of approximately 123 acres.

The IECC will host the G20 summit in September under India's presidency.

The summit will be attended by heads of states of 20 nations including the US, the UK and China among others.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by around 3,000 guests including Cabinet ministers, captains of industry, film personalities and others.

The IECC complex is India's largest MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) destination.

In terms of the covered space available for events, the complex finds its place among the top exhibition and convention complexes in the world.

It comprises multiple modern facilities, including convention centres, exhibition halls and amphitheatres.

Earlier in the day, Modi performed "pooja" at the redeveloped complex and interacted with the workers who were involved in the construction of the complex and felicitated them. -- PTI

The weather bureau, which had earlier issued an orange alert for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, and Palghar districts for Thursday, at night upgraded it to a red alert for the financial capital, Raigal, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

"The weather bureau has predicted heavy rain in Mumbai and suburbs with the possibility of very heavy rain at isolated places, and the possibility of occasional strong winds reaching 45-55 kmph in the next 24 hours," as per the daily weather forecast issued on Wednesday morning.

Amid the orange alert on Wednesday for Mumbai, the island city and suburbs have been receiving heavy downpours since morning.

Uddhav Thackeray and Ajit Pawar (right)/File image

20:32 Uddhav praises Ajit Pawar, says he works honestly

Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray president Uddhav Thackeray has praised Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar as an honest and able administrator and said he handled his departments very well when he was part of the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

Thackeray, who headed the MVA government (November 2019 to June 2022), had met Pawar at his office here last week after the latter joined the Eknath Shinde-led government as a deputy chief minister on July 2 following a split in the Nationalist Congress Party.

Pawar was deputy chief minister in the Thackeray cabinet and handled the key finance department, among others.

In the Shinde-led government too, the rebel NCP leader has been entrusted with the finance and planning department.

"He (Ajit Pawar) works honestly. He handled administration and his department well (under MVA regime). And I thought in the existing quackery (apparently referring to the Shinde government) if something good can be done by this man," the former CM said in an interview whose first part was published in Shiv Sena-UBT mouthpiece Saamana on Wednesday.

During the last week's meeting, Thackeray had asked Pawar to do good work for people as he now has the keys to the treasury in his role as the state finance minister. -- PTI

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20:17 Human heart flown from Nagpur to Pune for transplant into air warrior

A harvested human heart was "expeditiously' sent from Nagpur to Pune on Wednesday morning to be transplanted into a recipient admitted to the Army Institute of Cardio-Thoracic Sciences, said a defence release.

The vital organ was sent through a green corridor created by the civil administration before being transported to Pune, over 700 km away, on an Indian Air Force AN-32 aircraft in the "most expeditious' manner, it said.

The recipient is an "air warrior and the flying time was around 90 minutes", said an official.

A green corridor is created with the aim of expediting organ transplants and saving lives.

For a green corridor, the traffic department collaborates to transport a vital organ in less than 60 to 70 per cent of the time that is usually taken to go from one place to another. -- PTI

Jagdish Tytler

19:38 Anti-Sikh riots: Delhi court summons Tytler on Aug 5

Nearly 39 years after three people were killed and a gurudwara was set afire in Pul Bangash area during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, a Delhi court Wednesday summoned former union minister and Congress leader Jagdish Tytler on August 5, saying "sufficient material" was available on record to proceed against him in the case.

Additional chief metropolitan magistrate Vidhi Gupta Anand, who took cognisance of the charge sheet against Tytler, noted that the public prosecutor for the CBI placed reliance on the statements of eyewitnesses who specifically stated during further investigation that they had seen the accused at the spot where the incident occurred.

The CMM noted the prosecutor, citing eyewitnesses, said Tytler was leading and inciting the mob carrying deadly weapons which committed the alleged offences.

The prosecutor said the accused in the case blatantly violated the restrictions that were in force under Section 144 CrPC.

"Upon perusal of the statements of eye-witnesses... as well as statements of other witnesses, site plans prepared by the IO (investigating officer) and other material brought on record by the investigating agency, this court finds that sufficient material is available on record to proceed further with the matter," the judge said while taking cognisance of the of the third supplementary charge sheet filed in the case. -- PTI

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19:36 UP headmaster suspended after video showing his obscene acts goes viral

The headmaster of a government primary school in Visheshwarganj area Bahraich of Uttar Pradesh has been suspended for allegedly indulging in obscene acts in front of students in a drunken state, an official said on Wednesday.

In a purported video, Durga Prasad Jaiswal, posted at Shivpur Bairagi Primary School in Visheshwarganj block, can be seen sleeping naked in school in an inebriated condition, much to the embarrassment of the students.

The officials said the veracity of the video which went viral is yet to be ascertained.

Agitated parents and villagers claimed that Jaiswal has often indulged in obscene acts in front of the students.

They said the headmaster takes off his clothes in class and rests.

Embarrassed by these antics, the girl students have stopped going to school, they said.

Acting on the complaint, the Basic Shiksha Adhikari ordered an inquiry by the block education officer after which Jaiswal was suspended.

"We got a complaint against Durga Prasad Jaiswal, primary school teacher and headmaster in Shivpur Bairagi Basik School of Visheshwarganj block, that he comes to school in an inebriated state. A video of the same also surfaced recently. However, the video is yet to be verified. He was suspended on July 24 on the basis of a preliminary inquiry conducted by the block education officer," BSA Avyakt Ram Tiwari said. -- PTI

The rupee fell 13 paise to settle at 82.01 (provisional) against the US dollar on Wednesday due to an elevated crude prices in international markets and month-end dollar demand from importers.

Positive cues from the domestic equity market and inflow of foreign funds provided support to the rupee, even as investors traded cautiously ahead of US Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, forex traders said.

According to Anuj Choudhary, research analyst at Sharekhan by BNP Pariba, the rupee declined "as traders adjusted their positions ahead of the FOMC decision tonight and month-end dollar demand from importers". -- PTI

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18:59 Cloudburst strikes HP again, houses washed away

A cloudburst in Rampur sub-division of Shimla district washed away a school, five houses and agricultural land, while the National Highway 5 near Jhakri and Joeri areas was blocked due to a landslide, officials said on Wednesday.

Rampur sub-divisional magistrate Nishant Tomar said about 20 sheep and goats and some cows were swept away following the cloudburst in Kandhar village in Sarpara panchayat on Tuesday and landslide has blocked the Shimla-Kinnaur road.

He said machines are deployed at the landslide site, but shooting stones are obstructing the restoration work.

However, so far no casualty has been reported and immediate relief has been provided to the affected people, he said.

The houses which were completely damaged belonged to Surender Kumar, Vijay Nand, Mohan, Narendra and Sangat Ram.

Two vehicles were crushed under a rock that slid down following rains in Sunda village near Rampur but the drivers and the passengers were rescued.

Since the onset of monsoon on June 24, about 652 houses have been completely damaged in Himachal Pradesh, while 6,686 were partially damaged besides 236 shops and 2,037 cow sheds, according to the data of the state emergency response centre.

The local meteorological office has issued an 'orange alert' for heavy to very heavy rains at isolated places in the state on July 26, 27 and 28, and cautioned against landslides, flash floods, mudslides and increased runoff in rivers.

The MeT has also issued 'yellow warning' of heavy rain on July 29 and predicted a wet spell in the state till August 1.

It cautioned of moderate to high risk of flash floods in Chamba, Kangra, Shimla and Sirmaur districts. -- PTI

A team of Gujarat police on Wednesday arrested a person from Bihar's Muzaffarpur district for allegedly tampering with the Aadhaar cards of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Muzaffarpur's senior superintendent of police Rakesh Kumar said Arpana Dubey alias Madan Kumar was arrested from Sadatpur area of the district.

"The accused hails from Gariba Gaon village in the district. He was pursuing his graduation from a college in Sadatpur locality in Kanti police station area," said the SSP.

The visiting police team was assisted by the local police, following "information that there were attempts to tamper with the Aadhaar cards on the website and the IP address was traced to the accused", he said.

The accused is understood to have changed the dates of birth of the two leaders, among other things, and misused the tampered Aadhaar cards, he added.

The police team from Gujarat has taken Dubey along for further investigation and action, the officer said. -- PTI

18:12 Stay on Gyanvapi survey extended till Thursday

The Allahabad high court on Wednesday extended the stay on a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises by the Archaeological Survey of India till Thursday.

After hearing a plea by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, which manages the mosque, against the ASI survey, Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker posted the matter for further hearing on Thursday.

The court ordered that the stay on the ASI survey will continue till then.

The hearing of the case will resume at 3:30 pm on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the matter was heard by the court in the morning session and hearing resumed at 4.30 in the evening.

During the hearing in the evening, ASI officials were also called to the court.

Arguments in the matter were presented by the mosque management committee and the Hindu side.

17:50 Sensex top gainers today

Benchmark Sensex bounced back 351 points while Nifty closed above the 19,750 level on Wednesday following buying in capital goods, banking and oil shares amid fresh foreign fund inflows.

From the Sensex pack, Larsen & Toubro jumped over 3 per cent.

ITC, Reliance Industries, Sun Pharma, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank, Infosys and State Bank of India were the other major gainers.

Infrastructure major Larsen and Toubro on Tuesday posted a 36 per cent rise in net profit to Rs 3,116.12 crore for the June quarter, mainly aided by the execution of a healthy order book in its projects and manufacturing portfolio.

Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tech Mahindra, Asian Paints and Titan were among the major laggards.

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17:18 Heavy rain in Mumbai; orange alert for city tomorrow

Incessant heavy rain lashed Mumbai on Wednesday, slowing down road traffic but services of suburban trains remained normal with slight delays.

The weather bureau has issued an orange alert for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, and Palghar districts for Thursday predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places, civic officials said.

Amid the orange alert on Wednesday for Mumbai, the island city and suburbs have been receiving heavy downpours since morning.

Mumbai city received 61.19 mm of rainfall between 8 am and 4 pm, while eastern suburbs and western suburbs recorded 34.53 mm and 40.68 mm of rainfall, respectively, in the same period.

The intensity of rain was more in the suburbs in the morning hours while the island city received intermittent heavy showers in the afternoon.

Andheri subway, an underpass between Andheri and Jogeshwari railway stations, was closed for traffic a couple of times since morning due to waterlogging, but other areas in the metropolis didn't report any major inundation during the day. -- PTI

Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani

17:10 No Waqf Board has authority to expel community from a religion: Smriti Irani

Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday said no Waqf Board in the country has the authority to expel a person or a community from a religion, remarks that come amid a row over the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board passing a resolution describing the Ahmadiyya community as non-Muslims.

Prominent Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Tuesday backed the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board's stance on the Ahmadiyya community, claiming that this is the "unanimous position" of all Muslims.

Asked about the issue, Irani said, "I only want to say that all Waqf Boards come under the Act of Parliament. No Waqf Board can act contrary to the dignity of Parliament and violate laws made by it. No Waqf Board has permission that it changes a fatwa into a government order."

"No Waqf Board has authority, under the Act of Parliament, that it expels a person or a community from a religion. We have sought a reply from the Andhra Pradesh chief secretary. We have requested him to put the facts before us because the Ahmadiyya Muslim community had appealed to the Minority Affairs Ministry," she told reporters outside Parliament.

The minister said she is awaiting the response of the state chief secretary.

Asked about Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind backing the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board's stance, Irani said, "No non-state actor has authority to violate an Act of Parliament."

With the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board passing a resolution calling the Ahmadiyya community kafirs and non-Muslims, the minority affairs ministry had written a strongly-worded letter to the Andhra Pradesh government, calling the board's resolution a "hate campaign", which "could have ramifications across the country". -- PTI

16:49 BJP submits 'DMK Files-II' to TN governor

Tamil Nadu BJP on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to Governor RN Ravi alleging the ruling DMK's 'benami' links.

In its memorandum the TN unit of the BJP has alleged "3 scams for a value of Rs 5,600 crore," vis-a-vis "benami" links to "DMK."

Its memorandum to Governor Ravi is titled 'DMK Files-II', as a follow up to 'DMK Files-I', which it had released on April 14 this year.

National Commission for Women member Kushboo Sundar said on Wednesday that she was heading to Udupi in Karnataka to look into the issue of alleged recording of a video of a female student in a paramedical college washroom by her fellow students.

An FIR has been registered against three girl students of the college, identified as Shabhnaz, Alfiya and Aleema, over the incident.

They have been suspended from the college -- Netra Jyothi Institute of Allied Health Sciences -- for allegedly filming a fellow student using a mobile phone inside a washroom.

The NCW member said the incident was "extremely saddening".

The issue has also triggered a political row, with the Bharatiya Janata Party announcing a statewide protest on Thursday demanding the arrest of the three Muslim students involved in the filming of a Hindu girl.

In a tweet, Kushboo Sundar said, "Heading to Udupi to look into the issue where girls were filmed in a washroom by their fellow girl college mates. It is extremely saddening to see children indulging in such activities. As a @NCWIndia member, I will be looking into the matter, speaking with the students, meeting the cops and visiting the college too. Nobody can play around with the dignity of women." -- PTI

16:13 Govt moves SC for extension to ED chief Mishra

The Centre on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking extension of term for Enforcement Directorate Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra.

SC posted the hearing for July 27.

SK Mishra's term will end on July 31 as ED director as per the Supreme Court judgment.

While on the subject of Mishra's extension, do read this article on Rediff.com: Why did govt give ED boss 3 extensions?

15:57 Delhi court summons Jagdish Tytler on August 5

A Delhi court on Wednesday summoned Congress leader Jagdish Tytler on August 5 in connection with the Pul Bangash killings during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vidhi Gupta Anand passed the order after taking cognisance of a charge sheet in the case.

The CBI had on May 20 filed a charge sheet against Tytler in the case.

Three people were killed and a gurdwara was set ablaze in the Pul Bangash area here on November 1, 1984, a day after the then prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards.

In its charge sheet filed before the court, the CBI said Tytler 'incited, instigated and provoked' the mob that had assembled at Pul Bangash Gurdwara in Azad Market on November 1, 1984, that resulted in the burning down of the gurdwara and killing of three Sikhs -- Thakur Singh, Badal Singh and Guru Charan Singh.

The agency has invoked charges under Sections 147 (rioting), 109 (abetment) read with 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), among others, against Tytler, the CBI said. -- PTI

Delhi's Special Court sentences former Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda to four years imprisonment in a case relating to irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Chhattisgarh. His son Devender Darda, M/S JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd's Director Manoj Kumar Jayaswal were also sentenced to four years imprisonment.

The court also sentences ex-coal secretary H C Gupta, two senior public servants KS Kropha and KC Samria for three years jail term in the same case. -- ANI

14:44 Cops won't be taken on contract: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said in the state assembly that police personnel will not be taken on contract.

Fadnavis, who is also the state home minister, said he will give a detailed statement on the matter.

Raising the issue in the House, state Congress chief Nana Patole said, "You (the government) are recruiting police personnel on a contract basis. Your ministers are also on contract. When they take a briefing (from officials), they twist answers which is why questions take time to be answered. Give pointed replies."

Responding to this, Fadnavis said no ministers are on contract.

"If you want to come on contract then we will think about it. Nowhere are police personnel taken on contract and it will not be done. I will give a detailed statement on it," the deputy CM said.

In a bid to overcome the shortage of constables in the Mumbai Police force, the state government has given the nod to outsource 3,000 personnel from the Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC).

The state home department issued an order to this effect on Monday. -- PTI

When they will the opposition have the guts to discuss atrocities against women in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Bihar, Union minister Smriti Irani asked in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday as opposition party MPs created an uproar over the situation in Manipur.

Irani's blistering attack came during Question Hour when Amee Yajnik of the Congress asked whether women ministers would speak on Manipur.

The Congress MP had been asked by the chair to ask a supplementary on a question on the performance of Indian universities when she brought up the Manipur issue.

At this, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar ticked her off saying, "It will not go on record. It is indecorous conduct, it is misconduct. It is abuse of your power."

A combative Irani also got up and countered Yajnik.

"I take strong objections to this because women ministers and women politicians have spoken not only on Manipur, but also on Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Bihar. Tell me when will you have the guts to discuss Rajasthan. When will you have the guts to discuss Chhattisgarh, when will you have the courage to discuss what is happening in Bihar...," Irani said

"When will you have the courage to tell us how women are raped in Congress-ruled states. When will you have the guts to tell how Rahul Gandhi put Manipur on fire. Do not cast aspersions on women ministers in this cabinet," she said amid loud cheers by the treasury bench MPs who were on their feet.

The opposition and treasury benches have exchanged heated notes ever since the Monsoon session began on July 20.

While the opposition has been demanding a discussion on Manipur violence, the ruling BJP is seeking a discussion on atrocities against women in Congress-ruled states.

Both the ruling and opposition members have given several adjournment notices in support of their demands. -- PTI

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13:39 Concerned about 'petty' police complaints: OTT industry

Online content creators, directors and producers have flagged issues around 'petty' objections against their shows, multiplicity of forums for filing complaints, and criminal sanctions under Indian regulations as impacting their ease of doing business.

They aired their grievances in a regulatory impact assessment study that was released last week. Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), the industry body of digital services firms, and think tank The Dialogue jointly released the second volume of their impact assessment study, focused on the part-III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

As many as 103 stakeholders including digital platforms providing over-the-top (OTT) streaming services submitted their inputs for the report.

Though the experts and industry stakeholders appreciated the government's aim to preserve the rule of law on the content streamed by OTT platforms, they noted that the IT Rules seemed unsuitable to them due to certain legal and Constitutional questions.

A majority of content creators and producers have noted that the multiplicity of legislation and directives not just leads to compliance uncertainties but also raises questions around the authority of the agencies that form these policies.

Most of the OTT platforms have also highlighted the infeasibility of criminal liability associated with creative laws, which according to them, lead to self censorship and unwarranted economic burden.

However, the study added that the constitution of the office of grievance officer and clear delineation of their duties provided under the Rules had ensured greater accountability from the platforms.

The experts also praised the regulations under Part 3 of the IT Rules 2021, for getting operationalised smoothly.

Part III of the IT Rules has provisions to regulate digital news publishers and OTT platforms and publishers of curated content -- such as YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ Hotstar -- that have a physical presence in India or conduct systematic business activity of making content available in India.

The rules were laid down by the ministry of electronics and information technology, but the ministry of information and broadcasting has the power to govern the content streamed online.

The study found a majority of experts calling out the need to re-evaluate the definitions of objectionable content marked as half-truths, indecency, causing annoyance, etc under part-III of the IT Rules, 2021, to preserve online free speech and promote creative freedom.

"Over the last one decade, India's content regulation space has progressed rapidly and the IT Rules, 2021, marked a significant milestone in the platform regulation ecosystem. The ongoing deliberations for the new IT Act provides an important opportunity to address new aspects through greater research and multi-stakeholder dialogues, which will ensure that our policies continue to remain rights-enabling as well as innovation-friendly,' said Kazim Rizvi, founding director at The Dialogue.

The platforms have also noted that the grievance redress mechanisms prescribed under the IT Rules should be the sole platform for filing complaints and all central and state government authorities must be prohibited from creating any other forum for it.

The content creators, producers and directors unanimously raised critical concerns on 'petty' police complaints filed by individuals and groups to ban movies and series streamed online.

-- Sourabh Lele/Business Standard

The Bombay high court has stayed any further proceedings to be initiated on an FIR filed against Baramati Agro Ltd, a firm controlled by Ntionalist Congress Party MLA Rohit Pawar, on charges of alleged disobedience of order passed by a public servant.

Rohit Pawar is the grandnephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar and nephew of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

The company's executive director, Subhash Gulave, had filed a petition in the HC, seeking to quash the FIR registered pursuant to a complaint lodged by Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Ram Shinde, who lost to Rohit Pawar in the 2019 assembly elections from Karjat-Jamkhed constituency.

A division bench of Justices N W Sambre and R N Laddha in its order passed on July 21 said it would hear the plea on September 11.

Till then further proceedings shall remain stayed, the court said.

As per the plea, in September 2022, a decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting that the crushing season for 2022-23 would start on October 15 and appropriate criminal action would be initiated against erring factories.

Shinde in his complaint to the sugar commissioner alleged the Baramati Agro started sugarcane crushing on October 10, 2022 itself. The sugar commissioner appointed a special auditor to probe the charges.

Gulave in his plea claimed the auditor appointed had given a factual report stating there was no irregularity.

However, he was suspended and a new inquiry officer was appointed to conduct a probe into Shinde's allegations, the petition said.

In December 2022, the second auditor submitted a report confirming the allegations made by Shinde.

Gulave in the plea said the company was not given the auditor's report and that it came to know of the contents after a show cause notice was issued to the firm in March 2023.

After that, an FIR was registered by the police under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, the plea said. -- PTI

A case has been registered against a man for assembling people at a spot on the Samruddhi Expressway where a bus fire claimed 25 lives, and installing a 'mahamrutyunjay yantra' and reciting mantras to prevent accidents, police said on Wednesday.

Hamid Dabholkar of the Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, an anti-superstition group, had objected to it and demanded police action into the matter.

Twenty five people were charred to death after a private bus caught fire on the Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra's Buldhana district on July 1.

On July 23, Buldhana resident Nilesh Adhav gathered some people at the accident site at Pimpalkhuta in Sindkhedraja area of the expressway and installed a 'mahamrutyunjay yantra' and recited the 'mahamrutyunjay japa', as per the police.

Adhav claimed on social media that due to the 'mahamrutyunjay yantra', no accident will take place within five-km stretch and misled the people, the police said.

The Buldhana police on Monday registered a case against Adhav under provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013 and a probe was on into it.

Notably, more than 80 people have lost their lives in road accidents over the last six months on the Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra, an official earlier said. -- PTI

12:23 Speaker accepts Cong's no-confidence motion

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla accepts the no-confidence motion against the government moved by the Opposition.

The Motion was brought to the House by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi. -- ANI

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon on Wednesday as Opposition parties continued to protest on the Manipur issue.

Rajya Sabha proceedings were also adjourned till 12 noon amid sloganeering by members of opposition, treasury benches.

In the Lok Sabha, the protests began soon after the House paid tributes to soldiers who had died in the Kargil war.

Opposition members sought to raise the issue of violence in Manipur with some displaying placards during Question Hour. Some members were also heard shouting slogans such as 'We want justice'.

Speaker Om Birla told the protesting members that all issues can be discussed and urged them to uphold the decorum of the House.

He also wondered whether the Opposition did not want to discuss the Manipur issue.

Amid the din, three questions and their supplementaries were taken up during Question Hour that lasted less than 20 minutes.

As the protests continued, proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon.

Earlier in the morning, Birla paid tributes to those who died in the Kargil war on the occasion of the 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas.

The House also stood in silence briefly as a mark of respect for the departed souls. -- PTI

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11:20 Railways closer to introducing sleeper-class Vande trains

The Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) and Russian firm JSC Metrowagonmash (TMH) have resolved their differences and formed a joint entity for the award of 120 Vande Bharat trains, ending months of uncertainty their disagreements had created.

RVNL informed the stock exchanges on July 18 that a share-purchase agreement had been signed among three companies. The joint venture had emerged as the lowest bidder for the manufacturing and maintenance of sleeper Vande Bharat trains in March.

The agreement has been signed among RVNL's subsidiary Kinet Railway Solutions (the joint entity responsible for building the trainsets), RVNL, JSC Metrowagonmash, and JSC Locomotive Electronic Systems.

While RVNL will hold a 25 per cent stake in the entity, JSC Metrowagonmash will hold 70 per cent and JSC Locomotive 5 per cent, the disclosure by RVNL said.

The mega contract was clouded when TMH, the Russian giant that owns Metrowagonmash and the railways-owned firm had disagreements on shareholding. Sources said RVNL had sought a larger share in the new entity than was initially agreed upon by the two companies. This the Russian company refused, and, in turn, didn't submit the bank guarantee of Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion) required for activating the contract.

The shareholding pattern in the agreement is in line with the previous commitments made by both the firms, an official aware of the matter said.

Earlier this year, the consortium had made a bid of close to Rs 58,000 crore (Rs 580 billion) for manufacturing 200 Vande Bharat trains, with the cost to manufacture one train set at Rs 120 crore (Rs 1.2 bililon).

This was seen as aggressive, considering that the railways' own estimate per train was Rs 130 crore (Rs 1.3 billion).

The consortium will have to manufacture 120 trainsets at the Railways' Marathwada Rail Coach Factory, Latur, Maharashtra.

The second-lowest bidder, which in this tender is a joint venture of Titagarh Wagons and state-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel), will manufacture 80 trainsets at the Integral Coach Factory. These trains will be maintained for 35 years.

Titagarh-Bhel had to match the price of the lowest bidder to win the contract, which was much below their bid of Rs 139 crore (Rs 1.39 billion).

The tender comprises a Rs 26,000 crore (Rs 260 billion) payment on the delivery of the trains, while Rs 32,000 crore (Rs 320 billion) is expected to be paid to the winning bidder for maintenance.

Vande Bharat trains are running with solely a seating facility, which limits their ability to undertake long-distance journeys.

This order will also take the railways one step closer to introducing sleeper-class Vande Bharat trains, an announcement Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made recently.

-- Dhruvaksh Saha/Business Standard

The Allahabad high court on Wednesday resumed hearing a plea against a district court order directing the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a survey to determine if the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi was built upon a temple.

After hearing arguments in the matter on Tuesday, Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker had posted it for further hearing on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, which manages the mosque, moved the high court, a day after the Supreme Court halted the ASI survey till 5 pm Wednesday, allowing time for the mosque management committee to appeal against the lower court's order.

The counsel for the committee, senior advocate SFA Naqvi, prayed for early hearing of the case before Chief Justice Diwaker stating that there is an urgency as the apex court's order will expire on Wednesday.

The chief justice said he will hear the matter if the parties have no objection.

Vishnu Shankar Jain, the counsel for the respondent (Hindu side), submitted that in the Ram Mandir case, a survey was conducted by the ASI and the same was accepted by the high court as well as the Supreme Court.

The mosque is located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and Hindu litigants in the district court had sought the survey to determine whether a temple existed at the same spot earlier.

The Varanasi district court on Friday ordered the ASI to conduct a survey using technologies like ground penetrating radar and excavations, if necessary.

The apex court's Monday order to pause the survey came while the ASI team was inside the mosque complex.

In the wake of heavy rains over the last few days, the Tansa and Vihar lakes, the key sources of potable water for Mumbai, started overflowing on Wednesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

Out of the seven reservoirs that supply water to Mumbai, the Vihar, Tansa and Tulsi lakes have overflown so far.

The Vihar lake, located in Mumbai's Sanjay Gandhi National Park, overflowed at 12.48 am, while the Tansa lake, located in neighbouring Thane district, overflowed at 4.35 am on Wednesday, the BMC said.

'Tansa lake, among the 7 lakes that supply water to Mumbaikars, has started overflowing today (July 26, 2023) at 4.35 am,' the civic body tweeted.

The Tulsi lake overflowed on July 20 following heavy rains in the city and suburbs.

Mumbai receives 3,800 MLD (millions of litres per day) water from the seven reservoirs -- Bhatsa, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Tansa, Modak Sagar, Vihar and Tulsi, located in Mumbai, Thane and Nashik districts.

Notably, the BMC imposed a 10 per cent water cut here from July 1, after the level of lakes supplying water to Mumbai went down due to inadequate rainfall at that time in their catchment areas.

The Powai lake in Mumbai also started overflowing earlier this month, but its water is not used for drinking purpose, BMC officials said.

Consequent upon the Tansa lake overflowing, a discharge of 1,100 cusecs (cubic foot per second) of water has been started from the reservoir, said a release by Thane district authorities.

It said the water storage in Vihar and Tulsi lakes was 100 per cent, while it was 99.91 per cent in Tansa, 87.69 per cent in Modak Sagar and 67.95 per cent in the Middle Vaitarna reservoir.

In the Barvi dam in Thane district, the water storage was 80.76 per cent, while in the Bhatsa dam it was 61.72 per cent, the release said.

In Palghar district, the water storage in Dhamni dam was 92.35 per cent, and 100 per cent in Kavdas and Wandri reservoirs. Besides, the water storage in the Upper Vaitarna reservoir in Nashik was 52.14 per cent, the release said. -- PTI

10:25 Cong, BRS MPs move no-confidence motions in LS

JUST IN: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi files a no-confidence motion against the government in Lok Sabha.

Bharat Rashtra Samiti MP Nama Nageswara Rao has also filed a no-confidence motion against the government.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Manish Tewari has given adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha, demanding to discuss the Manipur situation.

In the Rajya Sabha, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Tiruchi Siva, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha, Congress MPs Rajeev Shukla and Ranjeet Ranjan and Aam Aadmi Party MP Ragha Chadha have given suspension of Business Notice under rule 267 and demand discussion on the Manipur situation. -- ANI

10:22 Bow to memory of Kargil martyrs: Prez Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said all the countrymen remember the victory achieved by the extraordinary valour of the country's armed forces on the glorious occasion of 'Kargil Vijay Diwas'.

The Indian Army had launched a fierce counter assault to push back Pakistani forces that had stealthily occupied important heights in Ladakh in 1999.

Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed to mark India's win over its neighbour.

'Today, on the glorious occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, all the countrymen remember the victory achieved by the extraordinary valor of our armed forces. On behalf of a grateful nation, I pay tribute and bow to the memory of the fighters who paved the way for victory by sacrificing their lives to protect the country. Their heroic stories will always inspire generations to come. Jai Hind!' Murmu tweeted in Hindi. -- PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday visited the Kargil War Memorial in Dras and paid tributes to soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the 1999 war.

Singh laid a wreath at the memorial.

He also visited the tombstones near the memorial placed in memory of the fallen soldiers.

The minister will interact with Army officers and jawans before returning to New Delhi.

The Indian Army had launched a fierce counterassault to push back Pakistani forces that had stealthily occupied important heights in Ladakh in 1999.

Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed to mark India's victory over Pakistan. -- PTI

09:25 'Shocked and horrified' by Manipur video: US

The United States is 'shocked and horrified' by the video of an extreme attack on two women in Manipur and supports the Indian government's efforts to seek justice for them, a senior Biden administration official has said.

The video showing two women being paraded naked and molested by a group of men on May 4 in Kangpokpi district surfaced on July 19, attracting condemnation countrywide.

"We were shocked and horrified by the video of this extreme attack on two women in Manipur. We convey our profound sympathies to the survivors of this act of gender-based violence and support the Indian Government's efforts to seek justice for them," Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department, told reporters at his daily news conference on Tuesday.

Patel was responding to a question asked by a Pakistani reporter on the violence in Manipur.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself noted that such violence against women is shameful in any civilised society, Patel said.

"And as we have previously stated, we encourage a peaceful and inclusive resolution to the violence in Manipur and encourage authorities to respond to the humanitarian needs and protect the lives and property of all groups," Patel added.

In his first public comments on the situation in Manipur, Prime Minister Modi last week expressed pain and anger over the incident, saying it has shamed 140 crore Indians and asserted that the guilty will not be spared even as the Congress party termed his remarks 'too little, too late'.

More than 160 people have lost their lives, and several have been injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.

Meanwhile, the small Manipuri diaspora in the United States has sought an immediate end to violence in the state and the imposition of the President's rule, which it said is important to restore law and order in Manipur. -- PTI

The Congress party on Tuesday called for a meeting of its Lok Sabha MPs in the party's parliamentary office at 10.30 am Wednesday.

The Congress has also issued a three-line whip for its Lok Sabha MPs to be present in the Parliament today.

Significantly, the Opposition parties have decided to move a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led central government in the Lok Sabha today. -- ANI

The Opposition parties have decided to move a no-confidence motion against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary said.

Opposition members have resorted to protests and sloganeering in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, forcing repeated adjournments of the two Houses since the commencement of the monsoon session of Parliament on July 20.

"Opposition parties will be bringing a no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha against the government tomorrow," Chowdhary, Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, told ANI on Tuesday.

"Today, it has been decided that we would not have any other alternative but to resort to a no-confidence motion because the government is not accepting the demand of the opposition to have an elaborate discussion with the Prime Minister on Manipur. He should make a statement on the Manipur violence as he is our leader in the parliament," he said.

The Congress leader further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been declining the opposition's 'hard-pressed demand'.

"...But he (PM Modi) has been declining our hard-pressed demand. However, it was an innocuous demand. Nonetheless, the Prime Minister has not been considering our demand. That is why we thought of bringing a no-confidence motion. Where the opposition's argument...the allegations against the government are believed to be answered by the Prime Minister himself," he said.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have faced adjournments over opposition demands for a detailed discussion on the situation in Manipur and a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The government has said it is ready for discussion on Manipur but the opposition parties are pressing for discussion under a rule which also entails voting. -- ANI

Passengers across the country were inconvenienced when the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation's website and mobile application crashed Tuesday morning, leaving officials scrambling to fix the glitch.

Officials said the glitch was due to "technical reasons" which were later resolved, but not before it caused chaos among passengers, many of whom complained that while money was deducted from their accounts, the tickets were not booked.

Adding to the woes of the passengers, the unreserved ticketing system used for purchasing tickets through Automatic Ticket Vending Machines also developed an undisclosed problem.

Several people faced problems in booking tickets since morning.

Some of them said they also faced issues while booking tickets through the IRCTC's ticketing partners.

"Due to technical reasons, the ticketing service is not available on IRCTC site and app. Technical team of CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems) is resolving the issue," the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation tweeted.

It also advised passengers to book their tickets on platforms like Amazon, MakeMyTrip, among others.

According to officials, the IRCTC website had a technical issue from 2.56 am to 1.28 pm.

The website is working normally from 1.28 pm, they said.

Some passengers claimed when they tried to book tickets through the IRCTC website and mobile application, the money got deducted from their accounts, but their tickets were not booked. -- PTI

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00:57 DGP, GOC discuss Kashmir security situation

Director general of Jammu and Kashmir police Dilbag Singh and General Officer Commanding of Army's 15 Corps Lt General Rajiv Ghai on Tuesday discussed measures to counter the new tactics adopted by Pakistan to push drugs, arms and terrorists into the valley.

Lt Gen Ghai called on Singh at the latter's office in police headquarters in Srinagar.

"During their discussion, strengthening and augmenting of security measures in order to counter the new tactics of terrorists including infiltration, pushing of drugs and arms being adopted by Pakistan were discussed," a police spokesman said after the meeting.

The DGP and the GOC discussed various important aspects relating to the prevailing security scenario of the valley, the spokesman said.

Singh lauded the synergy among different forces which he said has contributed immensely in foiling the ill intentions of Pakistan and the terrorists sent by it.

The officers stressed the need for sharing of intelligence between the forces on a regular basis, and also stressed on conduct of joint operations to comb out the remnants of hidden terrorists. -- PTI

Cars submerged after flood in Hindon river, in Noida/ANI

00:33 350 cars at Ola yard in UP submerged in flood water

Around 350 cars of online cab aggregator Ola parked at a dump yard in Greater Noida were submerged as water overflowing from the swollen Hindon river entered the low-lying area, the police said on Tuesday.

While PTI could not immediately contact Ola for its response, the police said the dump yard is located in the floodplains of the Old Sutiyana village in the Ecotech 3 area.

Pictures and videos of the dump yard, purportedly showing hundreds of cars submerged by the floodwater, also surfaced on the Internet.

"In the village, there is a dump yard of Ola's car. The vehicles recovered during the time of COVID-19 pandemic or those vehicles which got damaged are kept at this yard. The number of these vehicles is around 350. It is built on the land of a person named Satpal. There is a boundary wall around the dump yard, whose caretaker is Dinesh Yadav, who was present on the spot," the police said in a statement.

"The caretaker informed the police that these vehicles are currently parked in the dump yard. The high-level management of Ola was informed about water filling in the dump yard and given a notice by the police to vacate the yard in view of the rising water level of the Hindon river," they added.

Ola officials have been contacted for further proceedings in connection with the dump yard being submerged, the police said.

District administration officials said hundreds of people in the Hindon's floodplains have been impacted by the overflowing river and moved to shelter homes. -- PTI

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