LIVE! Issue stapled visas to Tibetans: Tharoor

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Fri, 28 July 2023

Issue stapled visas to Tibetans: Tharoor

Timeline Refresh

23:33 India should start issuing stapled visas to Tibetans: Tharoor

Amid a row over China issuing stapled visas to a few sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday said India should simply start issuing stapled visas to anyone applying for an Indian visa from Tibet.

India on Thursday described as 'unacceptable' China issuing stapled visas to a few sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh and asserted that it reserves the right to 'suitably respond' to such actions.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India has lodged its 'strong protest' with the Chinese side on the matter and there should be no discrimination on the basis of domicile or ethnicity in the visa regime for Indian citizens.

Tagging a media report on China issuing stapled visas to some Indian sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh, Tharoor tweeted, 'Enough is enough. Instead of frustrating our sportsmen and every other Arunachali seeking a Chinese visa, we should simply start issuing stapled visas ourselves, to anyone applying for an Indian visa from Tibet.'

'And say we will continue to do so until the disputed border between Tibet and India is settled,' the former minister of state for external affairs said.

People familiar with the matter said the visit of a 12-member team of Wushu players to China's Chengdu to compete at the World University Games was called off on Wednesday night as three players from Arunachal Pradesh in the group were given stapled visas.

The decision to put on hold the team's travel was taken after the government examined the matter.

In the past too, there were instances of China issuing stapled visas to Indians from Arunachal Pradesh that drew sharp reactions from New Delhi.

China has been laying claims over Arunachal Pradesh, saying it is part of Southern Tibet.

In April, India rejected outright China's renaming some places in Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the state is an integral part of India and assigning 'invented' names does not alter this reality. -- PTI

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23:31 Several WR long-distance, suburban trains delayed

At least 10 long-distance and 20 suburban trains were delayed on the Western Railway network on Friday after several core signalling cables were damaged during civil work underway at Virar station in neighbouring Palghar district of Maharashtra, an official said.

During piling work on platform number 2 and 3 at the north-end of the station, 12 core signalling cables got damaged, leading to point and signals not functioning at the site, WR chief public relations officer Sumit Thakur said.

"Two points have been restored and work is underway on other points. The additional railway manager and three signalling officials have rushed to the site to ensure speedy restoration work," Thakur said.

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22:49 Mumbai police launches 13 cyber cells

Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar on Friday said the force was aiming to provide training in cyber crime investigation to every personnel to curb the menace.

He was speaking at an event in which 13 special cyber cells were launched with the support of State Bank of India under 'Project Cyber Shield'.

The digital world has reached every home, every street, every person, every vendor and continued to grow, he said, adding that technology cuts both ways, bringing ease in daily operations and also throwing up risks.

Criminals have found better, greener and easier pastures in the world of cyber crime, especially with regard to bank transactions, the commissioner said.

Along with the police, which has the responsibility of registering such crimes, probing them and bringing the accused to justice, it is also for the banking sector to ensure the system becomes more secure, Phansalkar said.

It is not just 13 police stations, we aim at training every constable and officer of Mumbai Police in the field of the cyber crime and cyber investigations because this fear is wide open, the volume is increasing and we need to tackle it with all our might," he said.

Mumbai police already has a cyber unit in each police station and it is necessary to build capacities to effectively curb the menace of cyber crimes, including sextortion, blackmail and cheating, he said, adding that SBI would support the training mechanism for each police station.

Former army chief general M M Naravane Friday said the involvement of foreign agencies in the Manipur violence 'cannot be ruled out', as he flagged the 'Chinese aid to various insurgent groups'.

General Naravane (retd) said instability in border states is bad for the country's overall national security.

He was responding to questions on the protracted violence in Manipur while interacting with journalists at the India International Centre on the topic 'National Security Perspective'.

"I am sure that those who are in the chair and responsible for taking whatever action is due to be taken are doing their best," General Naravane (retd) said.

"The involvement of the foreign agencies, not only I say, cannot be ruled out but I will say they are definitely there, especially Chinese aid to various insurgent groups."

The former chief of the army staff said the Chinese aid has been helping these groups for years and will continue to do so even now.

On a question about the role of drug trafficking in the ongoing violence in the northeastern state, General Naravane (retd) said drug smuggling has been there for a very long time and the amount of drug which has been recovered has only increased over years.

"We are just a little remote from the Golden Triangle (the area where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet). Myanmar is always in a state of disarray and military rule. Even at the best of times in Myanmar, the government only had control over the central Myanmar not really on the peripheral bordering state whether with India or with China or with Thailand. So drug trafficking has always been there," he said.

He added, "There will probably be agencies or other actors in the game who benefit from the violence and who would not want a situation of normalcy to get on because while this instability is there, they stand to benefit."

"That might be one of the reasons why we are seeing this continuance of violence in spite of all the efforts, which I am sure have been put in by the state and the central governments to bring it down," he said.

General (retd) Naravane was also asked a variety of questions related to army recruitment scheme Agnipath, restructuring in the Indian defence sector and the China-India skirmishes at the Galwan valley.

Talking about Agnipath, he said only time will tell whether it is a good scheme or not.

"Agnipath was launched after a great deal of deliberations. Many people say that it was launched due to financial and pecuniary reasons. That is also going to have an impact but the fact is that we need a young army," he said.

When asked to give reasons behind the violent clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan valley in May 2020, he said it is something he is not able to make out.

"Post-Galwan, that is the first thing that we used to ask each other -- why did China do this."

"Was it a localised action or did it have sanctions or blessings from the higher-ups? When the whole world was grappling with Covid, why did it undertake such a misadventure? I say misadventure because finally it had to go back but we are really not being able to fathom what the reason was. Or was it a combination of many factors including the creation of two union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh," General Naravane said. -- PTI

22:14 Accused dies by suicide in Mumbai lock-up

A 28-year-old man, arrested in a case of assault, allegedly committed suicide inside a police lock-up in Mumbai on Friday morning.

Deepak Shivaji Jadhav was found hanging inside a lock-up at the Borivali police station around 8.10 am, said an official. He was rushed to a hospital where the doctors declared him dead, the official added.

Jadhav, a resident of suburban Borivali, had been arrested on Wednesday on the charges of `voluntarily causing grievous hurt by a dangerous weapon' and other offences under the Indian Penal Code.

The crime branch of Mumbai police is conducting further probe, the official said.

21:49 Cong set to win Rajasthan polls: Sachin Pilot

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday said the BJP's double-engine governments have failed in states like Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Manipur, and claimed that his own party will win the coming assembly polls.

Ahead of the Rajasthan Assembly polls in a few months, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Pilot, a former deputy CM, appear to have put their power tussle on hold.

Pilot said the Congress will succeed on the basis of its policies.

He claimed that a victory by a huge margin was certain because the government and the party organisation are working together.

"Double-engine governments of the BJP have failed in many states, including Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Manipur," Pilot told reporters in Tonk district.

He was apparently referring to the assembly election defeats suffered by the Bharatiya Janata Party in recent months, and the persisting ethnic violence in BJP-run Manipur.

BJP leaders use the term 'double-engine government' when their party is in power both in the state and at the Centre.

"The Congress will form its government in all four states in the upcoming assembly election," the Tonk MLA said, referring to Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan.

Pilot was on a two-day visit to his home district, where he laid the foundation stones for a food park and other projects.

He said the Congress has always worked for the progress of farmers.

He referred to the three central agri-marketing laws that were repealed in 2021, following a long farmers' protest.

"If these black laws had not been withdrawn, the mandi system would have completely collapsed. Farmers and traders would have been ruined," the Congress leader said.

He alleged that government agencies were being misused by the BJP.

Pilot claimed BJP leaders will try to get votes by misleading people, giving provocative statements and inciting public sentiments. -- PTI

Courtesy: Vice President on Twitter

21:26 Dhankhar's all-party meet on Parl logjam fails

Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday reached out to various parties to break the deadlock in Parliament.

The Rajya Sabha has been witnessing repeated disruptions ever since it met for the monsoon session on July 20.

The house has not been functioning normally amid the uproar caused by opposition members seeking a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Manipur violence and a discussion under Rule 267.

"Chairman Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar convened an all-party meeting in his chamber today in an attempt to break the deadlock in the Upper House," the Vice President's office said and shared pictures of the interaction.

Representatives of various parties, including Leader of the House Piyush Goyal, Congress deputy leader in the House Pramod Tiwari and chief whip Jairam Ramesh, besides leaders of the BJD, NCP and other parties were present during the meeting.

However, no solution to end the stalemate in the House could be reached, sources said.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday urged the police to develop a standard operating Procedure (SOP) for probing cases of 'love-jihad' in the state.

The root cause of 'love jihad' is forceful religious conversions, Sarma claimed in his address to the superintendents of police at a convention in Bongaigaon.

"Besides, an act will be implemented soon in the state through which the marriageable age will be legally fixed for all communities, multiple marriages will be stopped and more legislative steps will be taken so that when arrests are made for violating the norms, the accused do not get bail," Sarma said.

''There are some vintage acts that have come to our notice. We will repeal them as it comes in the way of taking action against child marriage,'' he said.

The chief minister has been claiming that the triple murder case in Golaghat where a 25-year old Muslim man killed his Hindu wife and her parents on Monday was a case of 'love jihad', a term used by right-wing groups to allege that Muslim men lure Hindu women to convert through marriage.

He also claimed there have been many tragic incidents of suicide by girls who have been victims of 'love jihad'.

Sarma had earlier claimed on Thursday that there will be peace in the country if Hindu and Muslim men marry women of their respective communities.

The chief minister told the convention that another operation to combat child marriages in the state will be launched in September and legislative backing will be given to ensure prosecution of the accused held for polygamy and child marriages.

Sarma urged all SPs of the state to be prepared for more arrests in September as there will be another round of action against child marriage then.

''Whenever a child marriage comes to our notice we will have to prosecute the accused under POCSO as it is a secular Act and does not deal with any religion," he said.

The POCSO Act applies equally to all citizens of all religions who commit sexual offences against children.

Sarma said crime against women in Assam has drastically come down to 14,030 cases in 2022 as against 29,046 cases in 2021, which is much below the annual average of 27,240 cases between 2017-21. Crimes against children in the state have also come down to 4,084 as against 5,282 in previous years.

High profile cases must be tried in special courts, special public prosecutors must be engaged and charge sheets must be filed within the stipulated period to serve as a deterrent in future, he added. -- PTI

20:54 Maharashtra Cong leaders meet Sharad Pawar

Senior Maharashtra Congress leaders on Friday met Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar to discuss the political situation in the state.

The proposed meeting of the opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in Mumbai could be held in the last week of August or first week of September, a Congress leader who attended the meeting said afterwards.

The meeting was held at the Y B Chavan Centre in south Mumbai.

State Congress chief Nana Patole, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and senior leader Naseem Khan were present at the meeting.

From the Nationalist Congress Party's side, its state unit chief Jayant Patil and MLAs Shashikant Shinde and Rohit Pawar (Sharad Pawar's grand-nephew) were also present.

The meeting was held against the backdrop of the Congress not staking claim to the post of the Leader of Opposition in the assembly after Ajit Pawar and his supporters broke away from the Sharad Pawar-founded party and joined the government early this month.

Speaking afterwards, Naseem Khan said the meeting of the INDIA alliance will be held in Mumbai at the end of August or in the first week of September.

Patole said nearly 100 leaders will attend the INDIA alliance meeting and Pawar had spoken with Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray about the same over phone.

"We, as members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), are committed to ensure the success of the meeting in Mumbai," he said.

The MVA was strong and united and it will hold rallies across the state after the rainy season is over, Patole added.

"The MVA will work on seat-sharing adjustments and finalisation of candidates by holding discussions among the three partners (Sharad Pawar-led NCP, Congress and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena)," he said. -- PTI

20:10 DGCA slaps IndiGo with Rs 30 lakh fine

Aviation watchdog DGCA has imposed a Rs 30 lakh fine on IndiGo for certain systemic deficiencies with respect to documentation pertaining to operations, training and engineering procedures.

IndiGo witnessed four tail strike incidents on A321 aircraft within a span of six months this year, following which the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) carried out a special audit of the airline.

In a release, the regulator said that during the audit, it reviewed the airline's documentation and procedure on operations, training, engineering and FDM programme.

FDM refers to Flight Data Monitoring.

During the special audit, certain systemic deficiencies were observed in IndiGo's documentation pertaining to operations/training procedures and engineering procedures.

A show cause notice was issued to the airline and DGCA said the carrier's reply "was reviewed at various levels and was not found satisfactory".

"Subsequently, DGCA has imposed a financial penalty of Rs 30 lakh on IndiGo Airlines and also directed them to amend their documents and procedures in line with DGCA requirements and OEM guidelines," the release said.

OEM refers to Original Equipment Manufacturer.

Chhota Rajan

19:45 Chhota Rajan acquitted in Datta Samant murder case

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai on Friday acquitted gangster Chhota Rajan in a case related to the 1997 murder of trade union leader Datta Samant for want of evidence.

There was nothing on record to prove that Rajan -- whose real name is Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje -- hatched the conspiracy, the court said.

The gangster, however, is not likely to be released from jail anytime soon as he is facing trial in dozens of cases in various cities.

Samant, who organised the 1981 textile mill workers' strike in Mumbai, was shot dead on January 16, 1997, while travelling in his Jeep to his office in Pant Nagar in suburban Ghatkopar. The assailants, who came on a motorbike, fired 17 rounds.

The prosecution claimed that Rajan hatched the murder conspiracy.

But special judge B D Shelke said in the verdict on Friday that nothing was produced to prove that Rajan hatched the conspiracy.

"The material witnesses have turned hostile. They do not support the case of the prosecution. The testimony of other witnesses is not sufficient to prove the charges against the accused," the court said.

In the first phase of the trial, the judgment was pronounced in July 2000.

In the case against Rajan, gangster Guru Satam and Rajan's trusted lieutenant Rohit Verma were shown as absconding accused and their trial was separated.

Rajan was arrested in October 2015 from Bali in Indonesia. Later, the CBI took over all the cases registered against him.

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19:09 AI Delhi-Paris flight returns after tyre burst

A Paris-bound Air India flight returned to the national capital shortly after the take-off on Friday afternoon, following a sighting of suspected tyre debris on the runway after departure.

In a statement, the airline said the flight landed safely at Delhi airport at 1418 hours.

"Flight AI143 operating Delhi-Paris on 28 July 2023 air-returned shortly after take-off, following the Delhi ATC's information to flight crew about suspected tyre debris sighted on the runway after departure," it said.

Sources in the know said the aircraft had apparently suffered a tyre burst and that there were more than 200 passengers onboard the plane.

According to the Flight Radar app, the airplane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, circled over Charkhi Dadri in Haryana, about 100 km from Delhi, for about 40 minutes before landing safely at the Delhi airport.

The airline said the aircraft is undergoing necessary checks, and alternate arrangements are being planned for the passengers of AI143.

The high court of Karnataka on Friday issued notice to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on a petition seeking his disqualification from Varuna assembly constituency alleging election malpractice.

The notice is returnable by September one, Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav ordered and adjourned the hearing.

The petition 'blames' the election manifesto of the Congress party which promised five guarantees and termed them as corrupt practices amounting to bribery and also undue influence under Section 123(2) of The Representation of the People Act.

The petition alleged that Siddaramaiah had breached the provisions of the Constitution and the rules and guidelines under the Representation of People Act.

The petition also claimed that 'the said guarantees are in the nature of offer and promises made by the candidate and by the Indian National Congress party. This was done with the consent of the respondent (Siddaramaiah). They are in the form of gratification to the electorate of Varuna constituency and with the object of directly inducing the electorate to vote for the Congress party candidate namely the respondent. The consideration was the vote in favour of the Respondent as a gratification with the motive and reward'.

The election petition filed by K M Shankara, a private citizen from the constituency, came up before the single-judge bench of Justice Yadav.

The petitioner alleged that Siddaramaiah during the recently concluded Assembly Elections indulged in corrupt practice during the election period. -- PTI

18:12 SC to hear fresh PIL on lynching of Muslims

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea filed by a women's organisation seeking directions to states to take immediate action in consonance with a 2018 verdict of the apex court to effectively deal with incidents of lynching and mob violence against Muslims by cow vigilantes.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and JB Pardiwala issued notice to the Centre and the DGPs of Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana seeking their responses to the plea.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), an organisation linked to the Communist Party of India, pleaded against referring the matter to high courts for adjudication.

"If that happens, then I will have to go to various high courts. But what will the victims get? Compensation of two lakhs after ten years. This is despite the 2018 verdict in Tehseen Poonawala case regarding mob violence. What remedy do I have, where will I go?" Sibal said.

He said the last time he had moved the apex court he was asked to approach the high courts concerned.

The bench then told him it was issuing notice to the parties concerned on the petition.

The plea, filed through advocate Sumita Hazarika and Rashmi Singh, sought urgent intervention of the apex court in view of the "alarming" rise in cases of lynching and mob violence targeting Muslims despite clear guidelines and directions issued by the top court in 2018 with regard to cow vigilantes.

A Dalit woman has alleged that she was raped by two men at a hotel in the Jalupura area in Jaipur, police said on Friday.

The woman, 30, filed a complaint with the police alleging that she was taken to the hotel by the accused on the pretext of making a reel to earn money, but was raped there, Station House Officer Anil Kumar Jaimini said.

The alleged incident took place on July 23, he added.

An FIR under section 376D (gang-rape) of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was lodged against the two men -- Vivek Sharma and Lokesh Sharma, the SHO said, adding investigation in the case is underway.

Another police officer said the accused are said to be known to the woman.

The medical examination of the woman has been done and her statement will be recorded in the court, he said. -- PTI

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17:25 Couple sells 8-month old baby to buy iPhone to make reels

A couple allegedly sold their eight-month-old son in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district to buy an iPhone for making reels, the police said on Friday.

The incident happened in Panihati's Ganganagar area near Kolkata, and the police said they have already arrested the mother and are looking for the father who is on the run.

The incident came to light after locals got suspicious of the couple as they could not see the baby for weeks, and reported the matter to the police, a senior officer said.

"We have arrested the mother and started looking for the father who has been absconding after the incident was reported to us. The couple sold the infant to someone, and purchased an iPhone 14 to make reels (short video clips for social media)," he told PTI.

"The mother has also admitted that they spent the money that was earned by selling the baby to travel to places like Digha and Mandarmoni," he added.

The incident happened a month ago, but was reported to the police on July 24, the officer said.

"We have started an investigation and are looking for the father," he said.

The mother is being interrogated, the police said, adding that they are also searching for the couple who bought the baby. "We will also book them as this is illegal," the officer said.

The Manipur police has got in touch with the two women who were paraded naked in May and then sexually assaulted, and was in the process of recording their statement, officials said in Imphal on Friday.

They said keeping in mind the situation arising out of ethnic clashes that broke out in the state on May 4, a team of women officials and personnel from the Manipur police was formed to probe the case.

The officials said the team had met the family members as well as the two women and the process of recording their statements has begun.

The process of identifying eyewitnesses and recording their statement has also begun, they added.

According to top government sources in New Delhi, the cases pertaining to the sexual assault was likely to be handed over to the CBI.

Over 71,000 cases are pending in various high courts for more than 30 years, Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.

The House was also told that over 1.01 lakh cases which are more than 30 years old are pending in lower courts.

In a written reply to a question, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said that as on July 24 this year, 71,204 cases were pending in high courts for more than 30 years. Similarly, 1,01,837 cases were pending for over 30 years in district and subordinate courts.

On July 20, he had told the Upper House of Parliament that cases pending in various courts in the country have crossed the five-crore mark.

Meghwal had said over 5.02 crore cases were pending in various courts -- the Supreme Court, 25 high courts and subordinate courts.

"As per data retrieved from the Integrated Case Management System (ICMIS) by the Supreme Court of India, as on July 1, there are 69,766 cases pending in the Supreme Court.

"Total number of cases pending in the high courts and the district and subordinate courts as on July 14 are 60,62,953 and 4,41,35,357 respectively, as per information made available on National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)," he had said.

The minister told Lok Sabha on Friday that the vacancy of judges is not the sole reason for the increased pendency of cases in courts.

Pendency of cases in courts can be attributed to several factors which include availability of physical infrastructure and supporting court staff, complexity of facts involved, nature of evidence, co-operation of stakeholders, including the Bar, investigation agencies, witnesses and litigants and proper application of rules and procedures. -- PTI

A United Kingdom-based Indian-origin women's group organised a silent protest march here to register their protest against the violence in Manipur.

The Women of North East India Support Network (WNESN) organised a group of men and women in face masks to signify silence and carried placards outside the Indian High Commission.

The group then marched towards Parliament Square to conclude their protest at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi opposite the House of Parliament complex on Wednesday evening.

"Together we marched in solidarity to share the pain and anguish of our two Kuki-Zo sisters of Manipur who were paraded naked and gang-raped," WNESN said in a statement.

The group was formed in 2020 during the pandemic as a community-based women's support network.

Their silent march came in the wake of a video from Manipur last week of two tribal women being paraded naked, which sparked shock and outrage.

A top government functionary said in New Delhi on Thursday that the CBI will probe the case of sexual assault on the two Manipuri women and that no effort will be spared to ensure stringent action against the accused in all heinous crimes in the state hit by ethnic violence. -- PTI

16:12 DGCA imposes Rs 30 lakh fine on IndiGo

Aviation watchdog DGCA has imposed a Rs 30 lakh fine on IndiGo for certain systemic deficiencies with respect to documentation pertaining to operations, training and engineering procedures.

In a release, the regulator said that during the audit, it reviewed the airline's documentation and procedure on operations, training, engineering and FDM programme.

FDM refers to Flight Data Monitoring.

During the special audit, certain systemic deficiencies were observed in IndiGo's documentation pertaining to operations/training procedures and engineering procedures.

A show cause notice was issued to the airline and DGCA said the carrier's reply "was reviewed at various levels and was not found satisfactory".

OEM refers to Original Equipment Manufacturer. -- PTI

The opposition slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre on Friday over the extension of the tenure of Enforcement Directorate (ED) chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra till September 15, alleging that this was done with "ulterior political motives" and was aimed at targeting the leaders of the INDIA bloc with "false cases" to weaken the alliance.

The Supreme Court on Thursday extended Mishra's tenure till the midnight of September 15 in larger "public and national interest", after the Centre asserted that his continuity is necessary in view of the ongoing FATF peer review and attempts by India's neighbours to ensure that the country gets into the "grey" list.

The top court, which initially made a sharp observation and asked "are we not giving a picture that there is no other person and the entire department is full of incompetent people", subsequently relented and accepted the Centre's request for extending Mishra's tenure, but for a month less than what was sought.

Addressing a joint press conference outside Parliament, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Jha alleged that Mishra was given the extension despite an illegality.

"It has been done for ulterior political motives. There is talk on the corridors of power that there will be an attempt to break the INDIA alliance by resorting to lies. We know about this and we want to tell this to the government," he said.

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav said the Supreme Court asking whether there is "no other person and the entire department is full of incompetent people" was telling.

"There is an attempt to oblige one person and there is a conspiracy to trap opposition leaders in false cases," he alleged.

The Congress's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Pramod Tiwari, also referred to the apex court's observation and wondered why Mishra was given an extension for only a month and a half and what would happen in this period.

"They (BJP) did everything to destabilise governments in Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand, but failed politically. Now, they are using agencies and want to slap false cases on opposition leaders.... INDIA has come to the fore and is saying BJP gaddi choro (quit power)," he said. -- PTI

A former judge has been booked for making sexually coloured remarks against a senior woman television journalist through social media, police said on Friday.

Former sub-judge S Sudeep made the objectionable remarks in a recent Facebook post while criticising her weekly TV show, a satirical news analysis programme.

His Malayalam FB post triggered widespread protest on social media platforms as several netizens came out to criticise his remarks.

Cantonment police here told PTI that the case was registered under IPC Section 354 A (iv) (making sexually coloured remarks) and Section 67 of IT Act.

"A notice was served to the accused to appear before the investigating officer next week," a senior police officer said. -- PTI

The Delhi High Court on Friday gave interim bail to former Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda, his son Devender and businessman Manoj Kumar Jayaswal, who were sentenced to four years in jail in a case related to irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Chhattisgarh.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma issued notice and sought the Central Bureau of Investigation's response on appeals filed by the three men challenging their conviction and sentence in the case.

The high court also asked the CBI to file its response to the convicts pleas seeking suspension of their four-year jail term.

The Dardas and Jayaswal, who were on bail during the trial, were taken into custody on July 26, immediately after the trial court passed the sentencing order.

The CBI counsel opposed the plea for suspension of the sentence and said they will file a detailed reply.

The high court has listed the matter for further hearing on September 26. -- PTI

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said Indian companies can now go in for direct listing on foreign exchanges as well as on the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) bourse in Ahmedabad.

The nod, which came after three years of announcement as part of the Covid relief package, will enable domestic companies to access foreign funds by listing their shares on various exchanges overseas. A proposal regarding this was first floated as part of the liquidity package announced during the pandemic in May 2020.

"A direct listing of securities by domestic companies will now be permissible in foreign jurisdictions. I'm also pleased to announce that the government has taken a decision to enable direct listing of listed and unlisted companies on the IFSC exchange. So, this is a major step forward. This will facilitate access to global capital and better valuation, Sitharmanan said here.

The minister was speaking at an event to launch AMC Repo Clearing and a corporate debt market development fund to help deepen the corporate bond market.

Further, she called for a regulatory impact assessment so that regulated entities in particular and the markets in general can better understand the fallout of their decisions.

She also asked financial market regulators to focus on the quality, proportionality and the effectiveness of their decisions so that companies find further ease in doing their business.

Urging large municipal bodies to tap the debt market for their funding needs, Sitharaman said the government has been and will continue to incentivise cities to improve their credit ratings so that they get better pricing for their bonds. -- PTI

A 34-year old man who went missing from his rented home in Pathanamthitta district one-and-a-half years ago was traced in a village near Thodupuzha in Idukki district, police said on Friday.

Noushad was traced from Thommankuthu near Thodupuzha by police, a day after his 25-year old wife, Afsana, was arrested in connection with his missing case.

She had given a statement to the police saying that Noushad was killed and his body was buried.

According to the police, Noushad, hailing from the Kalanjoor area of Pathanamthitta district, went missing from his rented house in November 2021. Thereafter, he had been staying as a labourer at a farm in Thommankuthu.

Talking to reporters in Thodupuzha, Noushad said that he left the home as he was scared of his wife.

He alleged that he was beaten up by some people called by his wife.

Afsana was arrested by the police in Koodal, Pathanamthitta, on Thursday after she gave a misleading statement to the police.

Based on the woman's statement that Noushad was killed and buried by her, police had taken Afasana to certain places to recover his body.

The police, which had been investigating the missing case based on Noushad's father's complaint, summoned her to the Koodal station two days ago after she claimed that she had seen Noushad recently. -- PTI

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday dared the opposition to defeat the government bills on the floor of the house if they believe they had the numbers in the Lok Sabha.

Joshi's sharp riposte came after the opposition objected to the government taking up legislative business at a time when the no-confidence motion was pending before the Lok Sabha.

"They have suddenly brought the no-confidence motion, does that mean no government business should take place," the minister told reporters outside Parliament.

"If they have the numbers, they should defeat the bills on the floor of the House," the minister said.

Joshi had posed the same challenge to the opposition inside the House earlier in the day.

Opposition MPs are also planning to travel to Manipur over the weekend to express their solidarity with the people of the strife-torn state.

"Let them go. What ground zero report? We are ready to place everything on the floor of the house if they allow discussion. If they want to discuss, if they want the truth to come out, then there is no better place than the floor of the house," Joshi said.

The opposition said the government pushing legislative business dealing with policy matters at a time when the Lok Sabha was in the process of taking up a no-confidence motion against the Union government, was a "travesty" and against "probity and propriety."

RSP member N K Premachandran, quoting from M N Kaul and S L Shakdher's Practice and Procedure of Parliament, said: "When leave of the House to the moving of a motion has been granted, no substantive motion on policy matters needs to be brought before the House by the government till the Motion of no Confidence has been disposed of."

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had on Wednesday accepted the no-confidence motion submitted by Congress member Gaurav Gogoi and said that he would decide on a date to take it up for discussion after consulting leaders of all political parties in the House. -- PTI

Vernon Gonsalves

14:22 SC grants bail to Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira

The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, noting that they have been in custody for five years.

A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sudhanshu Dhulia said Gonsalves and Ferreira shall not leave Maharashtra and surrender their passports to the police.

It also directed the two activists to use one mobile each and let the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case, know their addresses.

The activists had moved the top court against a Bombay high court order rejecting their bail pleas.

The case pertains to the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which according to the Pune police was funded by Maoists.

The inflammatory speeches made there led to violence at the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune the next day, the police had alleged.

Here's an interview Vernon gave Rediff.com 10 years ago.

Popular cough medicine brands are likely to go off shelves as India's drug regulator cautions against the use of medicines containing an opiate called pholcodine.

The opiate has been linked to severe allergic reactions in people who undergo surgeries with general anaesthesia later on.

These have manifested as drop in blood pressure, loss of blood circulation, abnormal rhythm of the heart, closing up of airways, and low oxygen levels.

Pholcodine is an opioid cough suppressant (antitussive) that is used for the management of dry cough in both children and adults. The chemist's lobby has asked its members -- roughly 1.2 million retail chemists across the country -- to advise patients to get a substation drug from their doctors in case anyone carries a prescription for a drug containing pholcodine.

Speaking to Business Standard, Rajiv Singhal, general-secretary of the All Indian Origin Chemists & Distributors (AIOCD), an umbrella organisation of chemists in the country, said AIOCD has issued an advisory to chemists against sharing brand names that contain pholcodine.

"According to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, chemists cannot substitute a doctor's prescription, and therefore, we have instructed our members to ask the patient to get a doctor substation. Chemists will soon start returning to companies the stock lying with them," he said.

Singhal estimated that stocks worth Rs 10 crore to Rs 12 crore would be in circulation in the market. Companies, on their part, have started to discontinue the sales of such medicines.

Mankind Pharma said its cough syrup Tedykoff has been discontinued since February.

Drugs Controller General of India Rajeev Raghuvanshi issued an advisory to doctors, medical professionals, and patients using pholcodine-containing cough syrups and cold medication after the World Health Organization raised an alarm on the safety of cough and cold remedies containing pholcodine.

WHO highlighted the risks of anaphylactic reactions associated with the prior use of pholcodine-containing products. The global agency said that people who have consumed pholcodine-containing cough and cold remedies within the last 12 months before undergoing surgical procedures involving general anaesthesia with neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) may be susceptible to severe allergic reactions.

The DCGI has asked doctors to advise patients to stop taking pholcodine-containing cough syrups and cold remedies and suggest an alternative to treat their symptoms.

"The matter was referred to the Subject Expert Committee (Antimicrobial & Antiviral) to seek expert opinion on the safety alert published by WHO on prior use of pholcodine-containing cough syrups and cold remedies and risk of perioperative anaphylactic reactions to NMBAs for any regulatory interventions required in the matter," the DCGI letter said.

"To verify whether the patients scheduled to take general anaesthetics (NMBAs) have taken pholcodine-containing cough syrups in the previous 12 months and also be aware of anaphylactic reactions in such patients," Raghuvanshi said in the advisory.

He advised consumers/patients to 'exercise caution' when considering the use of pholcodine-containing cough and cold remedies and consult doctors or pharmacists for alternative treatment options.

"If you have taken pholcodine-containing cough and cold remedies within the past 12 months and are scheduled for a procedure involving general anaesthesia, it is essential to report this information to your health care professional before the procedure," informed DCGI.

-- Sohini Das/Business Standard

In a breach of protocol, an AirAsia flight took off from the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Thursday without taking Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on board, though he was waiting at the airport lounge, official sources said.

The protocol officers of the Governor have lodged a complaint at the Airport police station, a police officer told PTI requesting anonymity.

According to sources, Gehlot was supposed to fly to Hyderabad on Thursday afternoon from Terminal-2 from where he was to visit Raichur by road to attend a convocation.

As soon as the AirAsia flight arrived, Gehlot's luggage was loaded in it. However, there was said to be a delay in Gehlot reaching the terminal, the sources added.

By the time he could reach from the VIP lounge to take the flight, the plane took off for Hyderabad, sources said.

The Governor had to take another flight after 90 minutes to reach Hyderabad, the sources added.

Meanwhile, the Governor House officials were tight-lipped on the issue.

AirAsia officials were not available for comment.

An official of the Bangalore International Airport Limited, which operates KIA, said, "We usually do not comment on airline related matters. Please check with AirAsia." -- PTI

The Maharashtra government has decided to confer the first 'Udyog Ratna' award on veteran industrialist and chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, Ratan Tata, state Industries minister Uday Samant has said.

Awards for young entrepreneur, woman entrepreneur and Marathi entrepreneur will also be given, Samant announced in the state legislative council on Thursday.

"Just like the Maharashtra Bhushan award, which is presented to distinguished persons, the state government has decided to confer the Udyog Ratna award to Ratan Tata," said on Thursday.

He said a meeting was held regarding this by a committee comprising Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar and him as the industries minister. -- PTI

A dreaded gangster, wanted in at least 30 criminal cases, was shot dead near a temple in Jharkhand's Dumka district in the early hours of Friday by men who were dressed as 'kanwariyas', the police said.

Amarnath Singh, a resident of Jamshedpur, went to Basukinath temple in Dumka along with his family to offer obeisance in the holy month of 'Shravan' when the gunmen shot him from point blank range, they said.

The incident happened near Nandi Chowk around 12.45 am, said Dumka's Superintendent of Police (SP) Amber Lakra. Six empty cartridges were found at the spot, he said, adding that the post-mortem would reveal the exact number of bullets he received.

Around 30-40 criminal cases were pending against Singh, most of which were registered in Jamshedpur, the SP said. The gunmen are yet to be identified.

They took advantage of the ongoing 'Shravan Mela' and executed their plan by dressing up like 'kanwariyas', Lakra said.

Millions of devotees, known as 'kanwariyas', undertake the 'Kanwar Yatra' every year during the month of 'Shravan' to fetch holy water from the Ganga and carry them on their shoulders for kilometres to offer it to Shiva temples. The 'kanwariyas' usually dress in saffron outfits.

"It seems the incident is an outcome of gang rivalry," the SP said, maintaining that an investigation is underway.

12:51 Parliament adjourned for the day over Manipur

Both houses of Parliament have adjourned for the day.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned following protests by MPs over the Manipur issues.

In the Rajya Sabha, too, chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday abruptly adjourned proceedings of the House for the day after a spat with TMC leader Derek O'Brien.

Dhankhar adjourned proceedings after he was interrupted by the TMC leader over the issue of non-admission of notices given by opposition members under rule 267 to discuss the Manipur situation.

As many as 47 MPs from parties ranging from Congress to Left, to TMC and DMK had given notices under the rule that calls for suspension of the listed business and taking up the issue being raised.

Dhankhar said he has already agreed to a short duration discussion on the issue and asked members to discuss the issue under that rule.

He thereafter went on to say how the behaviour of MPs in the Upper House is viewed by the outside world.

At this point, Derek O'Brien stood up to press for the motion that opposition parties have been seeking to move since the start of the monsoon session of Parliament last week.

He thumped the desk to make his point, an act which Dhankhar termed as "theatrics."

"Show respect to the chair," he said. "Don't thump the desk."

As Derek O'Brien continued to make his point, the chairman adjourned the proceedings for the day.

The House will now meet on Monday, July 31. -- PTI

The Karnataka cabinet has decided to hike price of Nandini milk by Rs three per litre from August 1.

Nandini is the brand name of products of Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF).

The decision was taken on Thursday in the cabinet meeting in view of the demands of the milk producers.

Defending the move, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Friday that Karnataka is selling milk at the lowest price whereas in the other states it is much higher.

"The milk (toned) that costs Rs 39 will be sold at Rs 42 per litre. Elsewhere it is sold between Rs 54 and Rs 56 per litre. In Tamil Nadu the price is Rs 44 per litre," the Chief Minister said.

Commenting on the decision, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said, "We have to give money to the farmers (milk producers). Today in the entire country it's (toned milk) Rs 56 per litre. In our state people are getting at a very less price."

He also said the government had decided to hike milk price by three rupees to help farmers. -- PTI

The Congress on Friday asked the Union government whether a consensus between India and China on the border dispute has been reached, pouncing on the foreign minister's claim that more than "mere pleasantries" were exchanged between the two countries leaders in Bali last November.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also asked whether Chinese troops from Depsang and Demchok in Ladakh will now be withdrawn.

His questions came a day after the External Affairs Ministry claimed that more than mere courtesies were exchanged between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China President Xi Jinping at Bali G20 Meet in November 2022.

"Ever since Prime Minister's public clean chit to China on June 19th, 2020, the Modi government has been acting as if it is being tough on China, and that there have been no compromises or meaningful conversations between PM Modi and President Xi Jinping while Chinese troops remain in violation of previous LAC agreements," Ramesh said on Twitter.

On November 16, 2022, he said, the Modi government characterised a dinner conversation between the two leaders at Bali as just an "exchange of courtesies."

On July 25, 2023, he claimed that a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement mentioned an "important consensus" reached by PM Modi and President Xi in Bali.

"On July 27, our Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that more than mere courtesies were exchanged at Bali. Is this a consensus or a concession by PM Modi? Will Chinese troops finally withdraw from Depsang and Demchok where they have blocked Indian patrols for more than three years," Ramesh asked.

Meanwhile, he claimed that economic relations between the two countries are proceeding "as if the Chinese incursions in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh never even happened."

"So much for 'lal aankh'!" the Congress leader said.

The Congress has been critical of the government's handling of the border dispute with China. -- PTI

Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud will not be holding court on Friday as he is unwell.

A bench headed by the CJI was to hear several important cases, including the case related to two women being paraded naked in strife-torn Manipur, on Friday.

"Hon'ble Chief Justice of India will not be holding Court on July 28, 2023 (Friday). Hence, sitting of Bench comprising Hon'ble Chief Justice and Hon'ble Manoj Misra in Court No.1 stands cancelled," the SC said in a statement.

The matters listed before this bench will not be taken up for hearing and stand adjourned, it said, adding urgent mentioning of cases can be done before a bench headed by Justice S K Kaul, the senior-most judge of the apex court.

The CJI was unavailable on Wednesday as well.

The CJI-led bench was to peruse the reply of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) which on Thursday told the SC that the probe into the case of the two women being paraded naked in Manipur has been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The MHA, in an affidavit filed through its Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, also urged the top court to transfer the trial in the case outside Manipur for its conclusion in a time-bound manner. Seven people have been arrested in the case so far.

The sexual assault of the two women came to light last week after a video of the incident went viral online.

The SC took note of the incident on July 20 and said it was "deeply disturbed" by the video and the use of women as instruments for perpetrating violence was "simply unacceptable in a constitutional democracy".

CJI Chandrachud had directed the Centre and the Manipur government to take immediate remedial, rehabilitative and preventive steps, and apprise the top court of the action taken.

11:38 Mumbai's Modak Sagar is 4th lake to overflow

Modak Sagar lake, one of the seven reservoirs that supply potable water to Mumbai and its suburbs, has started overflowing following incessant rains in the catchment area, an official said on Friday.

The Modak Sagar lake built on the Vaitarna river in neighbouring Thane district started overflowing at 10.52 pm on Thursday night, he said.

This is the fourth lake, after Vihar, Tansa and Tulsi, to overflow this monsoon season.

Thane District Information Officer Manoj Sanap said that after it started overflowing, two gates of the dam were opened to release 6,000 cusecs of water.

Tulsi lake located in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park was the first to overflow this year. It started overflowing on July 20.

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.

According to the civic administration, the aggregate water stock of these reservoirs on Friday morning was 68 per cent.

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 the metropolis also started overflowing earlier this month, but its water is not used for drinking purpose, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials said.

In Thane district, the Barvi dam is about to reach its full capacity. The water level of the dam at 7 am on Friday was 71.40 metres, while the overflow level is 72.60 metres, an official said.

Mumbai Police have arrested a 47-year-old professor for allegedly sexually harassing a woman doctor on a Delhi-Mumbai flight, an official said on Friday.

The incident took place on Wednesday, he said.

The 24-year-old victim and the accused were seated next to each other on the flight, which took off at 5.30 am from Delhi, the police official said.

"In her complaint, the woman doctor said that the accused touched her inappropriately some time before the flight was about to land at the Mumbai airport," he said.

An argument broke out between the two passengers, following which the victim informed the flight's crew members, who intervened. After the flight landed at the Mumbai airport, they went to Sahar police station, he added.

Based on the complaint filed by the victim, a case of sexual harassment was registered against the professor and he was arrested, the police official said.

The accused was produced in a court, which granted him bail, he said, adding that a probe was on. -- PTI

11:13 Quake jolts Arunachal; no casualty or damage

An earthquake of magnitude 4.0 on the Richter Scale hit Arunachal Pradesh on Friday morning, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).

No casualties or damage to properties have been reported so far, officials said.

The quake had an epicenter north of Pangin in Siang district.

"Earthquake of magnitude 4.0, occurred on 28-07-2023, 08:50:36 IST, Lat 30.01 and Long: 98.48, Depth 10 Km, Location: 221 Km NNW of Panging, Arunachal Pradesh, India," the NCS said in its Twitter handle.

Earlier on July 22, an earthquake of magnitude 3.3 on the Richter scale hit Tawang district in the northeastern state. -- PTI

Amid continuous rainfall, which has led to waterlogging in several parts of Mumbai, the India Meteorological Department has forecasted heavy to very heavy rainfall and occasional gusty winds in Mumbai for today, said a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official.

"Today's Weather forecast @ 0800 hrs: Heavy to very heavy rainfall in the city and suburbs, with the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places. Occasional gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph are very likely," said a BMC official.

According to BMC Today's High Tide: 0808 hrs - 3.46 mtr 1908 hrs - 3.20 mtr. Low tide:1350 hrs -2.52 mtr. Next Day- (29.07.2023) 0203 hrs - 1.15 mtr."

Meanwhile, Modak Sagar Lake, one of the seven lakes supplying water to Mumbai, started overflowing last night at 10.52 pm, said a BMC official.

According to BMC officials rainfall recorded in 24 hours from Palghar district for July 28 (from yesterday 8 am to today 8 am), Vasai: 138 mm, Jawhar: 336.33 mm, Vikramgad: 221 mm, Mokhada: 234.75 mm, Wada: 129.25 mm, Dahanu: 224.8 mm, Palghar: 116.3 mm, and Talasari: 80.50 mm. Meanwhile, The Total rainfall recorded is 1480.9 mm, and the average rainfall recorded is 185.1 mm.

Two security personnel, including an Army jawan, were injured in a gun-battle with militants in Manipur's Bishnupur district, officials said.

The gunfight broke out in Phoubakchao Ikhai area, around 50 km from state capital Imphal, on Thursday morning and continued for around 15 hours till late at night, when the insurgents fled the area.

At least one house in nearby Tera Khongsangbi was set on fire during the shootout.

As the two sides were engaged in the shootout, the police personnel intervened to disperse the mobs, they said.

The injured Manipur Police commando has been identified as 40-year-old Nameirakpam Ibomcha. He has sustained splinter injuries on his right leg and right ear in a mortar blast, a police officer said.

The Army jawan belongs to Kumaon Regiment but is yet to be identified, he said.

"Drone flown over the area captured footage of the militants carrying some of their comrades. But it is not yet clear whether those insurgents were injured or killed in action," he said.

Ethnic violence between the Kuki and Meitei communities broke out in Manipur nearly three months ago, killing over 160 people since then, and injuring hundreds.

The violence erupted on May 3 after 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 mainly in the hill districts. -- PTI

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that central govt is "working in a biased manner."

"Even today he (PM) did not make any announcement on ERCP (Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project). He is not raising the issues of people...No Confidence Motion is being brought by the Opposition but he has kept 'Maun vrat' on the issue of Manipur. We all want that there should be a discussion on this... The central government is working in a biased manner. As elections are approaching, there will be more such political speeches rather than talking about development works," said Pilot.

The prime minister on Thursday laid the foundation stone and dedicated a series of transformative development projects in Sikar, Rajasthan.

The projects unveiled encompassed diverse sectors, aimed at empowering farmers, bolstering agriculture, advancing medical infrastructure and preserving Rajasthan's rich cultural heritage.

Furthermore, speaking on the BJP's demand to unveil the 'red diary', Pilot said, "the BJP has no issue left to talk about. They failed at the Centre. They failed in Rajasthan as the opposition. They are involved in quarrels. I believe that the Congress will form governments in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday exchanged jibes over the red diary that a sacked state minister claims records financial misdeeds of the CM and his colleagues.

Addressing a rally in Sikar, Modi called the diary a product of the loot ki dukan run by the Congress.

After the event, Gehlot accused the prime minister of real loot for selling the red (cooking gas) cylinder for Rs 1,150, complaining also about the price of red tomatoes.

Congress MLA Rajendra Gudha had tried to table a red diary in the assembly, a day after he was sacked as a minister for criticising his own government's record on law and order.

Ex-minister Gudha had claimed that Gehlot had asked him to retrieve a red diary from the home of Congress leader Dharmendra Rathore during a raid there by the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department in 2020.

09:25 HC rejects gangster Ravi Pujari's bail plea

A single judge bench of the high court of Karnataka headed by Justice Srinivas Harish Kumar has dismissed the bail plea filed by gangster Ravi Pujari alias Raviprakash in a case registered at a police station here.

Though the bail plea was rejected, the HC observed that the government prosecutor will be held responsible for the delay in the trial.

The government prosecutor has failed to cross-examine the witnesses even though the trial court framed the charges long ago. Witnesses were to be called and brought before the court by the government prosecutor, the judge observed on Thursday.

The trial court shall complete the trial within one year. If the trial is not completed within a year, the government prosecutor will be responsible, the judge said.

The advocate for Pujari argued before the court that "Despite the order of the High Court, the trial has not started. Even after two and a half years since the court order, not a single witness has been examined. If the trial is delayed in this regard, the public will lose faith in the judiciary."

The government advocate pointed out that 107 cases were pending against Pujari in Karnataka, 20 in Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat and Rajasthan. As the accused was being taken to different states for investigation, there is a delay in the trial of the current case.

In the current case, it is alleged that on the instructions of Ravi Pujari, 17 of his henchmen tried to kill relator KS Samiullah and his friends of Shabnam Developers between January and February 15, 2007 with the intention of instilling fear in the real estate industry and extorting money from realtors.

A case was registered against the accused under IPC Sections 302, 307 and Arms Act Sections 3 and 25. The case was split as the five accused including Ravi Pujari were absconding. The rest of the accused in the case were acquitted. Pujari had approached the HC seeking bail in this case.

Ravi Pujari was extradited from Senegal and brought to India on 21 February, 2020 in pursuance of the order passed by the I Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Bengaluru in the case filed by the Tilak Nagar police station. He has been in custody ever since and faces multiple cases in several states across India. -- PTI

China is providing technology and equipment to Russia, which is engaged in war with Ukraine, according to a report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, United States.

The report titled, "Support Provided by the People's Republic of China to Russia," said that China has become the most important trading partner of Russia after trade with Western countries plunged in 2022.

"The customs records show PRC state-owned defence companies shipping navigation equipment, jamming technology, and fighter-jet parts to sanctioned Russian Government-owned defence companies," the report read.

"Russia has continued to acquire chips through circuitous routes, with a large portion flowing through small traders in Hong Kong and mainland PRC, according to the foreign press," it further added.

China's buying has been spurred by steep discounts on oil and is providing Moscow much-needed revenue particularly after the Group of Seven (G-7) imposed a USD 60 price cap on Russian crude in December 2022, it said.

The report was mandated by the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, passed by Congress, and was released by House Intelligence Committee Democrats

According to the report, Russian imports from China have increased by 13 per cent to USD 76 billion in 2022, and its exports to the PRC increased by 43 per cent to USD 114 billion. Total bilateral trade between the PRC and Russia hit a record high level of USD 190 billion in 2022, which is a 30 per cent increase from 2021.

China is also providing supertankers and insurance coverage to move Russian Urals crude to PRC ports, as Moscow seeks vessels for exports after a G-7 oil price cap restricted the use of Western cargo services and insurance.

It is difficult to ascertain the extent to which the PRC has helped Russia evade and circumvent sanctions and export controls. Russia has turned to the PRC for critical components, according to PRC firms involved in the shipments, which has provided some measure of protection against the adverse effects of sanctions and export controls, the report read.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden-led administration has repeatedly raised concerns with China over its companies selling non-lethal equipment to Russia for use in Ukraine, but US officials say they have seen no signs so far that China has provided weapons or lethal military aid to Russia, as per CNN.

Image only for representation

00:14 Landslide blocks a lane of Mumbai-Pune Expressway

A fresh landslide occurred on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway near Kamshet tunnel on Thursday night, affecting the movement of vehicles, an official said.

Vehicular traffic towards Mumbai was affected due to the landslide which took place at around 8 pm, he said.

Highway police personnel were on the spot and efforts were on to remove the debris on the busy 6-lane road, said the official.

One of the three lanes towards Mumbai was closed to remove the debris and mud, he said.

Earlier in the afternoon, Mumbai-bound vehicular movement was shut for more than two hours near Adoshi tunnel due to a block (suspension of traffic) implemented to remove stones and boulders which had rolled down the hills.

The highway police blocked traffic on the Mumbai-bound arm of the busy carriageway from 12 noon till 2 pm. Vehicles were allowed on the road from 2.30 pm onwards.

On July 23, another landslide amid incessant rains near the Adoshi tunnel had disrupted traffic between the Talegaon-Urse section of the expressway.

The 95-km expressway connecting the two major cities of Maharashtra -- Mumbai and Pune -- passes through the Sahyadri mountain ranges and is dotted with tunnels. -- PTI

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