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Tue, 30 April 2024
2 Indian spies expelled from Aus in 2020: Media
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23:59 68 new incidents of forest fire in Uttarakhand
The fire raging in the forests of Uttarakhand intensified on Tuesday with 68 new incidents reported over the last 24 hours while two fire watchers were injured trying to extinguish the flames.
According to the daily bulletin on forest fires issued by the forest department in Dehradun, most of the incidents occurred in the Garhwal region where 44 new fires were spotted followed by Kumaon from where 17 incidents were reported and seven from wildlife areas.
88.46 hectares of forest area was affected in the incidents.
Since November 1 last year, there have been a total of 721 incidents of forest fires in the state in which 902.5575 hectares of forest area has been destroyed.
Two fire watchers, one each in Bhawali range under Nainital forest division and Kosi range in Almora forest division engaged in extinguishing forest blazes were also injured during the firefighting operations.
Additional Chief Conservator of Forests (Forest Fire and Disaster Management) Nishant Verma said the efforts to extinguish the fire are continuing on a war footing. -- PTI
23:56 2 Indian spies expelled from Aus in 2020: Media
Australia expelled two Indian spies in 2020 for allegedly trying to "steal secrets" about sensitive defence projects and airport security, the Australian media reported on Tuesday.
While The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald said two Indian spies were booted out, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation did not mention any number.
There was no immediate comment from Indian officials on the Australian media reports.
"Indian spies were kicked out of Australia after being caught trying to steal secrets about sensitive defence projects and airport security, as well as classified information on Australia's trade relationships," the ABC report said.
The so-called foreign "nest of spies" disrupted by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation in 2020 was also accused of closely monitoring Indians living in Australia and developing close relationships with current and former politicians, it said.
The reports came a day after The Washington Post named an Indian RAW official for allegedly plotting to assassinate Sikh extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil last year. -- PTI
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23:36 Two minor girls go missing in Navi Mumbai; kidnapping case filed
Two minor girls engaged in rag-picking in Navi Mumbai have gone missing and police suspect they have been kidnapped, an official said on Tuesday.
The girls, aged 17 and 15, were engaged in rag-picking to earn a livelihood in Nocil Naka and Rabale areas and were missing since April 28, police said.
An official at the Rabale police station said an FIR under section 363 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered on Monday night against an unidentified person on the basis of a complaint by the mother of one of the missing girls. Efforts were on to trace them, he added. -- PTI
23:20 Congress appoints Devender Yadav as interim chief of Delhi unit
The Congress on Tuesday appointed former MLA Devender Yadav as interim president of its Delhi unit, days after Arvinder Singh Lovely resigned from the post while criticising the alliance with AAP and statements of Congress candidates in the national capital.
Yadav, who won from the Badli assembly constituency in Delhi in 2008 and 2013 and lost to Ajesh Yadav of AAP in 2015, is currently the All India Congress Committee's Punjab in-charge.
"My heartfelt thanks to Sh Kharge ji, Smt Sonia Gandhi ji, Rahul Gandhi ji, KC Venugopal ji and Smt Priyanka Gandhi ji and all senior leaders of the Congress, for the faith they have bestowed in me yet again!" Yadav said in a post on X.
"Will try my best to tread the coveted and ideological vision party has laid for me and give my 100 per cent!" he said.
According to a statement issued by the party, "Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed Yadav as the interim president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect."
Yadav will continue in his role as AICC in-charge for Punjab, the statement added. PTI
Prajwal Revanna/File image
22:52 SIT notice to Revanna, Prajwal in sexual abuse case
Janata Dal-Secular MLA HD Revanna and his son Prajwal Revanna, the incumbent MP from Hassan, who have been booked for alleged sexual harassment, have been issued notices by the Special Investigation Team on Tuesday, official sources said.
They have been asked to appear before SIT for investigation, they said.
A case was registered at the Holenarsipura police station in Hassan district on Sunday, based on a complaint by a woman who worked in Revanna's house.
The father-son duo was booked under IPC sections 354A (sexual abuse), 354D (stalking), 506 (threat) and 509 (insult caused to the modesty of a woman).
The FIR was referred to the SIT, led by B K Singh, additional director-general of police, Criminal Investigation Department, formed to probe the alleged sex scandal involving Prajwal Revanna, after several explicit videos were in circulation. -- PTI
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22:50 Air India likely to extend suspension of Tel Aviv flights till May 15
Air India is likely to extend the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv till May 15 amid tensions in the Middle East, airline sources said on Tuesday.
On April 19, the airline said Tel Aviv flights will remain suspended till April 30. It operates four weekly flights between the national capital and the Israeli city.
The sources said the services will remain suspended, likely till May 15.
There was no official statement from Air India on extending the suspension of the Tel Aviv flights.
Tensions remain high in the Middle East due to the conflict between Israel and the Hamas group.
After nearly five months, the Tata group-owned carrier had recommenced the services to the Israeli city on March 3. -- PTI
22:05 Congress fields Raj Babbar from Gurgaon LS seat
The Congress on Tuesday announced the candidature of senior party leader Raj Babbar from the Gurgaon Lok Sabha seat.
With this, the Congress has announced candidates for all the nine seats it is contesting in Haryana, which sends 10 members to the Lower House of Parliament.
The Kurukshetra seat is being fought by the Aam Aadmi Party, a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, of which the Congress is also a part.
Babbar has been fielded against BJP veteran and Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh.
Polling for all seats will be held on May 25 in the sixth round of the seven-phase general elections. -- PTI
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21:40 Election to Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat deferred to May 25
The elections to the redrawn Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, which was slated to go to polls on May 7, was postponed to May 25 by the Election Commission.
This comes after several leaders including Jammu and Kashmir BJP unit chief Ravinder Raina, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari, People's Conference leader Imran Ansari and others had approached the Election Commission requesting for rescheduling of polls to the seat due to adverse weather condition.
The Election Commission had asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to immediately submit a detailed report on road conditions, weather and accessibility to the region which covers parts of South Kashmir and areas in Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region.
The official notification said that the polls will be held on May 25.
Former chief ministers of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah (National Conference) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP) had urged the Election Commission last week not to postpone the polls.-- PTI
A view of West Bengal's Raj Bhavan in Kolkata/ANI Photo
21:31 Bengal Raj Bhavan, state secretariat get threat mails
The West Bengal state secretariat, Raj Bhavan and the Indian Museum here on Tuesday received emails threatening to blow off the buildings using explosives, a senior official of the state Home department said.
The Detective Department of the Kolkata police has started an investigation into the matter.
The email was sent by persons who identified themselves to be belonging to an alleged terror outfit "Terrorizers 111".
"Hello, we are a Terrorist group called "Terrorizers 111". We must inform you, that we have placed multiple explosives devices inside your building....," the email said.
Tuesday's threat email was received less than a week after similar communications were sent twice to the city airport. Both the emails to the airport later turned out to be hoax.
Security has been beefed up in the state secretariat, Raj Bhavan and the Indian Museum.
According to the officer, the mail was also sent to senior government officials of other state governments and also those working in Parliament.
"We have beefed up security and an investigation has been started. But the mail like the earlier ones seems to be a hoax," the officer said, adding that they were in touch with the central government as well as other states' police departments. -- PTI
21:03 Cong workers hold sit-in, demand Gandhi family member as Amethi candidate
Congress workers in Amethi in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday held a sit-in, demanding that the party name a member of the Gandhi family as its candidate from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat.
The constituency goes to polls on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase general elections.
Only three days are left for the filing of nomination papers but the Congress is yet to declare a candidate for the seat, the party's district spokesperson, Anil Singh, said.
Leaders and workers, including Congress district president Pradeep Singhal and former district president Yogendra Mishra, were gathered at the party office here with posters reading "Amethi maange Rahul Gandhi. Amethi Maange Priyanka Gandhi (Amethi wants Rahul Gandhi or (his sister) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra)".
"People of the constituency and Congress workers want a member of the Gandhi family as their candidate. We want Rahul Gandhi to contest from Amethi to bring back its lost honour," Singh said.
The demonstrators demanded that the Congress immediately declare a candidate in Amethi and that its nominee be from the Gandhi family. -- PTI
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
20:46 Patnaik files nomination from Hinjili assembly seat
Ruling Biju Janata Dal president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday filed his nomination papers for the Odisha assembly elections from Hinjili seat in Ganjam district.
Accompanied by ministers and party leaders including his close aide VK Pandian, the chief minister reached the sub-collector's office at Chhatrapur and submitted his papers for the sixth time seeking re-election from the Hinjili assembly segment.
Patnaik has earlier been elected as a legislator from the Hinjili assembly seat five times in a row since 2000.
Hinjili will go to the polls on May 20.
Along with Hinjili, Patnaik, this time will also contest from Kantabanji in Bolangir district.
Patnaik had won the Hinjili seat for the first time in 2000 by a margin of 29,826 votes. In 2004, his winning margin increased to 42,642 and in the 2009 and 2014 elections, it went up to 61,773 and 76,586, respectively.
In 2019, he won the seat by a margin of 60,160 votes.
In all these elections, Patnaik's vote share has never dropped below 65 per cent, official sources said. -- PTI
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20:27 Meta's functioning worse than govt dept: HC
The Delhi high court on Tuesday remarked that the functioning of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, was worse than that of a government department as it failed to properly respond to media group TV Today Network's plea against the blocking of its Instagram page Harper's Bazaar India.
Pulling up the tech giant, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said if the complaint of the media house is not decided, the court will make prima facie observation that the social media platform was taking TV Today's counsel in circles. You are far worse than a government department.
"Please be careful. You have to be alive to the situation. Your system is not working. Your system does not work. It has to work," the bench said and added that Meta should put its house in order or else the court might pass an order castigating it.
The court was hearing a plea by TV Today Network Pvt Ltd which has come against the blocking of its Instagram page on a third party's complaint that its copyright was violated. -- PTI
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20:19 Waqf Act not applicable to Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute: Hindu side
Countering the argument Muslim side in the Krishna Janmbhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute at Mathura in the Allahabad high court, the Hindu side on Tuesday said the provisions of Waqf Act will not apply as the property in dispute is not a waqf property.
It said the suit is maintainable and its non-maintainability can only be decided after the leading evidence.
The matter is being heard by Justice Mayank Kumar Jain on applications moved by Muslim side regarding maintainability of suit.
Counsel for the Hindu side, Rahul Sahai, while replying to the arguments raised from Muslim side, submitted that the provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 will not apply to the matter.
He submitted that the religious character of the place or structure has not been defined in the Places of Worship Act.
Its religious character can only be decided by evidence, which can only be decided by the civil court. -- PTI
19:54 Punjab ex-MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy quits Congress
Former Punjab MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy quit the Congress on Tuesday, days after expressing "displeasure" over being denied the party's ticket from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat.
In his resignation letter to the Congress' Punjab chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Goldy said he was "upset" by the state leadership and resigning from the party's primary membership.
Goldy shared his resignation letter in a Facebook post.
A former MLA from the Dhuri seat, Goldy held was an aspirant for the Sangrur constituency in the Lok Sabha elections.
However, the Congress named three-time MLA Sukhpal Khaira from the seat.
On April 16, Goldy expressed his displeasure over denial of the party ticket and urged the high command not to "betray anyone".
He said the party had made a "commitment" to him during the 2022 Sangrur bypoll that he would be fielded in the 2024 elections.
In 2022, Goldy unsuccessfully contested the assembly polls from Dhuri and the bypoll for the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat. -- PTI
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19:42 HC reserves order on plea by ex-PFI chief for release in UAPA case
The Delhi high court on Tuesday reserved order on a plea by former Popular Front of India chairman E Abubacker seeking his release in an UAPA case being probed by the National Investigation Agency.
Abubacker, who was arrested by the agency during a massive crackdown on the banned organisation in 2022 and is currently in judicial custody, sought bail on merits as well as medical grounds.
"Heard. Reserved for judgement," said a bench of justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain after the counsel appearing for Abubacker and the National Investigation Agency concluded their submissions.
According to the NIA, the PFI, its officer bearers and members hatched a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for committing acts of terror in various parts of the country and were conducting training camps to indoctrinate and train their cadre for this purpose.
The counsel appearing for Abubacker contended that there was no material to sustain the NIA's case against him under anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. -- PTI
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19:39 Manipur: Women stop Army from taking seized arms
The Army was stopped from taking away the arms and ammunition they seized in Manipur's Bishnupur district on Tuesday by women-led protestors, officials said.
During patrolling in the Kumbi area in the early hours, personnel of the Army's 2 Mahar regiment intercepted two SUVs, they said.
"On seeing the Army personnel, the occupants of the two vehicles fled, leaving behind their arms," an official said. A while later, 'Meira Paibis' -- civilian group of Meitei women -- gathered at the spot, and demanded that the weapons be handed over to them, he said.
They also demanded that no weapons be confiscated till the conflict, which broke out in May last year, is over, he added.
Hundreds of women blocked the road and prevented the Army convoy from leaving the area, officials said.
To disperse the mob, the Army fired in the air but that too bore no result, they said. -- PTI
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18:54 Villagers to be mobilised for opposing BJP candidates, says SKM leader
Villagers in Punjab will be mobilised for opposing BJP candidates who come to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, Samyukta Kisan Morcha leader Harinder Singh Lakhowal said on Tuesday.
Farmers will continue to ask questions BJP leaders and show them black flags for not agreeing to their demands, Lakhowal said.
BJP candidates and leaders have faced protests from farmers at several places during their poll campaign.
Its Faridkot candidate Hans Raj Hans, Amritsar nominee Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Dinesh Babbu in Gurdaspur and Preneet Kaur in Patiala have faced farmers' protests.
Farmers under the Samyukta Kisan Morcha banner have said that they will oppose the BJP and ask people to "punish" the saffron party in the elections.
Lakhowal told reporters in Chandigarh that a lakh posters of a questionnaire will be put up in Punjab's villages.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which spearheaded the 2020-21 farmers' stir against the now-repealed farm laws, has already prepared an 11-point questionnaire for farmers to pose questions to BJP leaders. -- PTI
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18:28 K'taka sex scandal: Cong workers protest in Hubballi, taken into custody
Eleven Congress workers were taken into preventive custody on Tuesday following an altercation between them and JD-S cadres here in connection with the alleged sex scandal involving Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, police said.
The Congress workers staged a protest in front of Denissons Hotel where the core-committee meeting of the JD-S party was held to recommend the suspension of Prajwal Revanna from the party.
The JD-S cadres, who were also present there, raised slogans against the Congress government for allegedly leaking the videos and degrading the dignity of women, police said. Tense moments prevailed outside the hotel and police had to intervene to bring the situation under control.
"Immediately, we made preventive arrest of the protesters and cleared them from the scene. Around 11 Congress workers were taken into preventive custody and the situation was brought under control," a senior police officer said.
The JD-S on Tuesday suspended Prajwal Revanna from the party with immediate effect over an alleged sex scandal involving him.
The suspension came minutes after the party core committee recommended his suspension to its national president and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, who is also Prajwal's grandfather. -- PTI
18:07 Another NEET aspirant ends life in Kota, 9th death since Jan
A 20-year-old NEET aspirant allegedly hanged himself in Kota days before appearing for his third attempt at cracking the exam.
"Sorry papa, I couldn't do it this year as well," a note found in the room said.
This is the ninth case of suspected suicide by a coaching student in Kota since January.
The number of student suicides in the coaching hub stood at 26 in 2023.
Rajasthan native Bharat Kumar Rajput was found hanging from the ceiling fan on Tuesday morning, the police said.
They said a one-line suicide note was recovered from the room saying "Sorry papa, me is saal bhi nahi kar paya' (Sorry papa, I couldn't do it this year as well)."
Rajput had taken the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test twice before and was scheduled to appear for his third attempt on May 5, Jawahar Nagar sub-inspector Gopal Singh said. -- PTI
18:02 President Murmu to visit Ayodhya tomorrow
President Droupadi Murmu will visit Ayodhya on Wednesday, according to a PIB release issued on Tuesday.
During her stay in Ayodhya, the President will have darshan and aarti at Hanuman Garhi Temple, Ram Temple, and Kuber Teela.
She will also do the Saryu pujan and aarti, stated the release.
17:56 Union minister Piyush Goyal files nomination from Mumbai North LS seat
Union minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday filed his nomination papers from the Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat.
Accompanied by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Goyal submitted his nomination papers before the returning officer in Bandra.
This is the first time that Goyal is contesting the Lok Sabha poll.
He is currently the Leader of House in the Rajya Sabha.
Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Goyal claimed the Congress is a "failed" party without any leadership or policy.
The Congress has so far not announced any candidate from the Mumbai North seat.
CM Shinde said Goyal's victory is assured, as he highlighted the work done by the state government in the last two years and by the Narendra Modi-led dispensation at the Centre in 10 years. -- PTI
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha
17:41 Raghav Chadha undergoes eye surgery, will join poll campaign once better: Bharadwaj
Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday said AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has undergone a major eye surgery in the UK and will join the party's Lok Sabha poll campaigning once he feels better.
He added that the MP had developed a serious eye ailment which could have led to blindness.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, too, said Chadha will campaign for the party for the general assembly elections.
Chadha, AAP's MP from Punjab, has been missing from the party's election campaigning.
"Raghav Chadha has undergone a major eye surgery in the UK. It is said that his condition was serious and there was a possibility of blindness. As soon as he gets better, he will come back to India and join us in the election campaigning," Bharadwaj said.
On a question about Chadha joining the election campaign, Mann said, "He will definitely campaign." -- PTI
17:16 Delhi court dismisses bail pleas of Manish Sisodia, says stage not right
A Delhi court on Tuesday dismissed the bail pleas of former deputy chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia in the corruption and money laundering cases lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the ED in relation to the alleged excise scam.
Special judge for CBI and ED, Kaveri Baweja, denied the relief, saying the stage was not right to grant the bail.
The court had reserved the order after hearing arguments from the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate as well as the counsel appearing for Sisodia. -- PTI
Rajnath Singh files his nomination papers from Lucknow
16:53 Rajnath compares Modi with Ahilyabai Holkar
Congress is a "sinking ship" with a hole in the bottom, and no power in the world can stop it from sinking, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday.
He was addressing public meetings in Khandwa and Badwani district of Madhya Pradesh.
In a veiled dig at the Gandhi family, the Defence Minister said, "After independence, Mahatma Gandhi said as democracy has been established in the country, it is the time to dissolve Congress, but the leaders of Congress ignored Mahatma Gandhi's request."
"I think the people of this country have made up their mind to fulfil what Mahatma Gandhi said about Congress, and they (people) will definitely wipe out Congress from the country," he said.
He also praised the BJP government for bringing "25 crore" people out of poverty in the last 10 years.
"Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Manmohan Singh, all of them committed to ending poverty, but all of them failed. But the Modi government was able to bring 25 crore people out of poverty," he added.
On the allegations levelled by Opposition of 'Democracy under threat' amid the developments in Surat and Indore, the Defence Minister pointed out that the Congress candidate was elected unopposed 20 times in the past.
PM Modi with TN BJP chief K Annamalai
16:26 Our performance in S India will be historic: BJP
The BJP on Tuesday claimed that its performance in south India, a region where it has traditionally struggled outside Karnataka, will be historic and accused the Congress of running a campaign full of blatant lies and misinformation.
BJP leader and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who contested against incumbent MP and Congress candidate Shashi Tharoor from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, said history will be made on June 4 when votes for the Lok Sabha polls are counted.
The BJP has performed extremely strongly in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and its overall tally from south India will be closer to 60 this time, he claimed. The region has a total of 131 Lok Sabha seats.
The BJP had won 29, including 25 in Karnataka, of those in 2019, drawing a blank in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Polling in Kerala and Tamil Nadu are over.
The BJP is in a tight fight in nine seats in Kerala and people will witness a dramatic change in the political landscape in Tamil Nadu as it will emerge as a principal second pole there, he said. He also accused the Congress of running a campaign full of blatant lies, misinformation, deepfake videos and bizarre economic proposals. It has become so desperate that it is misleading voters that the BJP will change the Constitution, he said.
Such a claim has come from a party that has amended the Constitution the maximum number of times, he added.
Amid police action by several BJP-ruled states besides the Delhi Police, which reports to the Centre, in the case of morphed videos of Home Minister Amit Shah to give the impression he promised to end the reservation for disadvantaged Hindu communities, the Union minister blamed the Congress for it and said the party is doing what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had warned about deepfakes long ago. Law has stringent provisions against promoting deepfakes, he said. PTI
16:03 Victim a nymphomaniac due to repeated rape, accused denied bail: HC
The Bombay High Court has denied bail to a man accused of repeatedly raping a girl since she was 10 years old, noting the victim has become a "nymphomaniac" due to the ordeal of the horrendous crime.
A single bench of Justice Prithviraj Chavan in the judgment on Monday, while dismissing the bail plea filed by the accused, said the crime is not only shocking to the conscience of a prudent man but also obnoxious.
The high court in its order verbatim quoted the 27-page diary written by the victim describing her ordeal and said "words will fall short to describe her mental, psychological and physical state and the impact of the ordeal she had undergone at the hands of the accused."
"The crime alleged to have been committed by the applicant is not only shocking to the conscience of any prudent man but is also obnoxious. Due to such horrendous crime, the victim has turned out to be a nymphomaniac," the high court said.
The parents of the victim claimed the accused and his wife took advantage of the fact that the girl's father was working in Dubai. They claimed that they learnt of the crime only when they discovered the victim's diary from her room in 2021, when she was 17 years old. The girl had eloped with a boy following which her parents had rummaged through her room. In the diary, the victim claimed the accused man started raping her since she was in the 4th standard and his wife was aware of it. She had claimed that the accused used to give a tablet that would apparently sexually arouse her.
The girls' parents, after going through the diary, lodged a police complaint against the man and his wife in 2021. The wife was granted bail by a special court. But the man's bail was rejected, following which he approached the HC seeking bail. The high court noted that the wife of the accused had intentionally aided and abetted the illegal acts and appears to be equally guilty.
The HC bench also noted that as per the girl's diary, she informed about the alleged rape to her mother long back but due to social stigma, the latter had not taken any action. In most cases, sexual abusers are persons well known to the child, the high court observed. The HC said granting bail to the accused would tantamount to further aggravating and festering the victim's wounds which are still fresh in her mind, body and soul. PTI
15:46 Ghar mein ghus ke vs dossiers: PM on terror attacks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said Indian government's approach on tackling terror has seen a sea change compared to what was followed during the Congress regime.
"During the Congress regime, the news headlines were of India handing over another dossier to Pakistan about terror activities. Some of our friends in media used to clap after such any such dossier was sent," Modi said at an election rally in Maharashtra's Latur. "Today, India doesn't send dossiers. Aaj Bharat ghar mein ghus ke marta hai (Today India kills terrorists on their own turf)," Modi said.
Modi also claimed that the INDIA bloc has come up with a "formula" whereby the parties in the opposition alliance will get the PM's post for one year each if they come to power." -- PTI
Congress holds a presser on the sex scandal
15:34 Prajwal's driver gave sex videos to BJP leader
Prajwal Revanna's former car driver Karthik and BJP leader G Devaraje Gowda accused each other of leaking the alleged sleaze videos of the JD(S) Hassan MP which has caused a big embarrassment to the regional party.
Prajwal is the grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and nephew of former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy. JD(S) suspended him today over the row.
The Karnataka government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) of IPS officers led by Additional Director General of Police B K Singh to probe the alleged sexual harassment of many women by Prajwal, who is said to be in Germany currently.
An FIR has already been registered against Prajwal as well as his father Revanna at the Holenarasipura police station in Hassan district for allegedly sexually harassing their former cook.
In a video message on social media, the driver said that he worked with Prajwal Revanna for the last 15 years but it has been a year since he has not been with him. "The reason (for distancing from Prajwal) was that my land was taken away and my wife was beaten up. I was mentally tortured. Because my land was taken away, I came out of the job and started my fight (to get back land)," Karthik said in the message.
He said he had approached G Devaraje Gowda for justice as had been fighting against the Deve Gowda family. Devaraje Gowda had fought the 2023 assembly election from Holenarasipura assembly constituency on the BJP ticket and lost to Revanna. In the meantime, Prajwal Revanna had brought a stay order to prevent me from releasing any sleaze photos or videos, Karthik said.
"Devaraje Gowda told me to hand over the photos and videos which he promised to hand over to the judge to help vacate the stay. Trusting him, I gave him a copy, which he used," the driver claimed.
"Other than Devaraje Gowda, I did not give this video to Congress leaders or anyone else. I did not give the videos and photos to Congress leaders because they were quite close to Prajwal. Hence, I approached Devaraje Gowda, but he too cheated me," Karthik alleged. "Since the BJP and the JD(S) have forged an alliance," Karthik said Devaraje Gowda had written to his party high command not to give ticket to Prajwal pointing to his conduct.
Rejecting the charges, Devaraje Gowda told reporters in Bengaluru that Karthik had been hanging around with the Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Hassan constituency Shreyas Patel. He said that neither the JD(S) nor the BJP would release the videos as it would go against the NDA alliance's candidate.
"If there was someone benefiting from this, it was Congress. Only for his political gain, the Congress candidate (Shreyas Patel) has mortgaged the modesty of women seen in the videos," Devaraje Gowda said.
He said he is waiting for the SIT to serve him a notice where he will release important documents. The BJP leader said the Congress leaders will fall in the ditch they had dug for others. PTI
14:55 It's time to punish Sharad Pawar: PM
A day after terming Sharad Pawar as a wandering soul, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday continued his attack on the NCP (SP) leader, saying he did not do much for farmers while being the Union agriculture minister, and added that it was now time to punish him.
He taunted the opposition Congress, saying it was not able to field even 275 candidates in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, and appealed to people not to waste their vote by supporting the grand old party.
Modi was addressing a rally at Malshiras in Solapur district to drum up support for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar contesting from the Madha Lok Sabha constituency in the district.
Targeting Pawar without mentioning his name, Modi said, "Fifteen years ago, a stalwart leader had come to contest an election here. It is being said that he took an oath before a setting sun that he will bring water to the drought-affected region here. Was he able to bring water here? Do you remember? So time has come to punish him. Since then, the leader could not muster the courage to contest the election from here."
"Be it in Vidarbha or Marathwada, the sin of depriving people from water has been happening for years now," he alleged.
"The Congress got an opportunity to rule the country for 60 years. While other countries in the world transformed themselves in those 60 years, the Congress failed to even bring water to farms," Modi said.
"Till 2014, there were approximately 100 such irrigation projects in the country that remained stalled for years. Of these, 35 projects were from Maharashtra alone...See the kind of betrayal these people have done with Maharashtra," he said.
The PM added that it was his life's mission to provide water to every household and farm. "After coming to power in 2014, I put all my might into completing the stalled irrigation projects. Today, of these 100 projects, 66 projects have been completed," he said.
14:30 UP will gift all 80 seats to Modi: Yogi
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday asserted that polling held in the 191 Lok Sabha seats so far indicate another term for the Narendra Modi government, with 400 seats for the BJP-led NDA.
He claimed that Uttar Pradesh will "gift" all 80 constituencies in the northern state to Modi.
"Polling held in 191 Lok Sabha seats so far indicate another term for the Modi government, with 400 seats for NDA," Adityanath said, while addressing an election rally in Baharampur Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal in support of BJP candidate Nirmal Kumar Saha.
Elections are being held across the country in seven phases for the 543-seat Lok Sabha. Polling has been conducted in two phases on April 19 and 26, with the next phase scheduled on May 7.
Taking on the Trinamool Congress dispensation in West Bengal, Adityanath sought to assure that the perpetrators of crimes in Sandeshkhali or clashes between groups of people on Ram Navami celebrations in the state will be brought to book by BJP.
"Had such incidents taken place in Uttar Pradesh, I would have taught the perpetrators such a lesson that their next seven generations would not have dared to even think of doing any such thing," the Uttar Pradesh chief minister asserted. "I have come to give the guarantee of development without any discrimination," he added. PTI
14:17 Fake videos sold in 'mohabbat ki dukaan': Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said rivals who are unable to take on the BJP-led government are misusing technology to circulate fake videos on social media.
"Now their condition is such that as their lies aren't working, they are using my face and with the help of artificial intelligence, selling fake videos in their "mohabbat ki dukaan. This shop of lies must be shut down, Modi said. Opponents are using artificial intelligence to distort quotes of leaders like me," Modi said, addressing an election rally in Dharashiv district of Maharashtra.
Modi also spoke of his government's emphasis on popularising millets across the world.
"I will ensure that millets reach dining tables across the world," Modi said. Millets were on menu at the state dinner hosted for him by US President Joe Biden, he added. "Our government's mission is also to make India self-reliant in oil seeds production," he said. "The ongoing Lok Sabha elections are about the country's self-respect," Modi said. "Will a weak government, which can collapse any moment, build a strong nation," he asked. PTI
13:55 They wanted me to join BJP: Tharoor
"I am here with the people of Thiruvananthapuram. I believe this term will be mine again. At the end of all of it, as far as returning to a Western country is concerned, that chapter is over. That train has left the station," says Dr Shashi Tharoor.
"I have no property in the world other than a flat in Thiruvananthapuram. I have decided to build a permanent house for my mother and me here and name it after her birthplace.
"My permanent address is going to be Thiruvananthapuram. It started as my karm bhoomi, but now it is my home," the sitting MP tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih and Nikhil Lakshman. Watch the interview here.
And the first part of the interview here.
Ajit Pawar with his wife Sunetra, the candidate from Baramati
13:51 Wasn't compelled to join NDA: Ajit Pawar
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said that his decision to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance was not a compulsion or a compromise, adding that his idea of development aligns with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In a candid conversation with ANI during which he shared his thoughts in the lead-up to his floating a rival NCP alliance with his loyalists and eventually joining the ruling NDA in the state as the deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar said, "There was no compulsion and neither was it compromise. I always think about development. Who is driving the country's development today? It is PM Modi. I worked against him in 2014 and 2019 (Lok Sabha elections), but if you see today, and as PM Modi, himself said yesterday (on the campaign trail in Maharashrtra), we accomplished the same amount of work in one year as was done in the 10 years under (former PM) Manmohan Singh. He has also been working for the upliftment and well-being of the poor and backward sections. In the last 10 years, not one allegation has been levelled against PM Modi."
Triggering another seismic event in the landscape of Maharashtra politics on July 2, last year, the nephew of NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar floated a rival faction, which joined the BJP-led NDA. Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister for the fifth time.
Claiming that the Opposition bloc--INDIA--had no prime ministerial face, he said there was no one who could rival PM Modi on the yardsticks of leadership and popularity.
"More than 65 per cent of people in the country are saying that they want PM Modi to return for a third term. There was a lot of talk around Nitish Kumar (rivalling PM Modi for the country's most powerful post) in 2019 but he is with the NDA now. Presently, the Opposition has no one to take on PM Modi. There is simply no comparison between him and Rahul Gandhi," the NCP leader said.
The deputy CM said the ruling 'Mahayuti' (alliance of the BJP, the Shiv Sena under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar's NCP) was formed to take the agenda of 'development' of the state forward.
"Everyone (in his NCP faction) took the decision (to join the NDA) collectively. It wasn't motivated by a desire to be ministers but to take the agenda of the development of Maharashtra forward. I have said this time and time again that the decision was for the sake of development and nothing else," Ajit Pawar said.
He added that people across the country have made up their minds to bring the BJP-led NDA under PM Modi back for a third term at the Centre. -- ANI
13:41 Patanjali ads case: SC pulls up Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority
The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority for inaction in the misleading advertisements case involving Patanjali Ayurved Limited.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the explanation offered by the body, a bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah observed it appeared that the licensing authority got activated to take action in accordance with the law only after the apex court's April 10 order.
"Be honest to the court if you want sympathy and compassion ," the bench observed.
The top court said its main concern is whether the licensing body took action in accordance with the law in the matter.
The bench has posted the matter for hearing on May 14.
While hearing the matter on April 10, the apex court came down heavily on the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority for inaction and said it was not going to take it lightly as the body appeared to have kept its 'eyes shut deliberately'. -- PTI
13:01 Prajwal case: Uncle HDK says Cong destroying family
Janata Dal (Secular) and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy alleged on Tuesday that Congress party was manipulating facts to destroy the image of his family amid the controversy over the 'obscene' video case against his nephew and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna.
On being asked if Revanna will be expelled from the JD(S) Kumaraswamy said, "...We are not going to protect him, we will take severe action but the government's responsibility is more".He further said more information will be provided after Core Committee meeting of the JD(S).Kumaraswamy said that his party and the family are not responsible in any capacity for the actions undertaken by Revanna, who is the grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch Deve Gowda.
"This is the manipulation of Congress to destroy the image of our family. What is the role of Dewegowda Ji or me? We are not responsible for all those things. This is the individual issue of Prajwal Revanna. I am not in contact with him (Prajwal Revanna). It is the responsibility of the government to bring him before the law. Morally we have decided to make some decisions," Kumaraswamy told reporters.
Kumaraswamy further said that he is not seeking any protection for Prajwal Revanna but it is for the Karnataka government to bring the facts and present truth into the issue.
"We are not going to take any protection, we will take severe action but the government's responsibility is more. Not only as an uncle but as a common man of the country we have to move further. This is a shameful issue, I am not protecting any person. We have fought against these kinds of illegal things. This is a serious issue. Who is running the government, they have to expose the real picture and the ground reality has to be exposed by the government and not me," Kumaraswamy said.
Prajwal Revanna was booked in an alleged sexual harassment case on April 28 following complaints by his former housekeeper. The case has been registered under sections 354A, 354D, 506, and 509 of the IPC on charges of sexual harassment, intimidation and outraging the dignity of a woman.
Congress supporters protest against Prajwal Revanna
12:28 JD-S suspends Prajwal Revanna after sex horror
MP Prajwal Revanna, grandson of former PM HD Deve Gowda, suspended from Janata Dal (Secular) over sex scandal.
Yesterday, JD-S leader HD Kumaraswamy said the party has decided to suspend Prajwal Revanna, his nephew and Hassan MP who is a Lok Sabha poll candidate in the current elections, over allegations of his sexual abuse of several women.
The former chief minister also sought to distance JD-S's alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the case, amid attacks by the ruling Congress seeking their response on the issue.
12:20 Guess what Lalu's daughter Rohini Acharya is worth?
RJD president Lalu Prasad's daughter Rohini Acharya, who is contesting the elections from Saran Lok Sabha seat as a Mahagathbandhan nominee, has movable and immovable assets worth Rs 15.82 crore, according to the affidavit filed by her.
Her husband has movable and immovable assets worth Rs 19.86 crore. Acharya filed her nomination papers from Saran Lok Sabha seat on Monday. She was accompanied by her father, the RJD supremo, and mother, former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, brother and party heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, former state minister Tej Pratap Yadav and sister Misa Bharati.
Saran will go to polls in the fifth phase on May 20. According to the affidavit filed by her to the returning officer along with her nomination papers, Acharya declared she has movable assets worth Rs 2.99 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 12.82 crore. Her husband has movable assets worth Rs 6.92 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 12.94 crore. She has Rs 20 lakh cash in hand, whereas her husband has 10 lakh cash.
Acharya has five bank accounts and gold jewellery worth Rs 29.70 lakh and silver jewellery worth Rs. 3.85 lakh. Her husband has seven bank accounts and gold jewellery worth Rs 23.40 lakh and silver jewellery worth Rs 2.80 lakh.
According to her affidavit, her postal address is 208, Kautilya Nagar, MP/MLA Colony, Patna, while she also has a commercial property worth Rs 68.62 lakh in the state capital.
Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi
12:15 Admiral Dinesh Tripathi takes over as new navy chief
Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi received the Guard of Honour at the South Block in Delhi. He took charge as the new Indian Navy chief today from Admiral R Hari Kumar.
12:02 BJP will be lucky to cross 150 seats: Manish Tewari
0ut and about for a morning stroll by the Sukhna Lake, former Union Minister and the Congress' Lok Sabha candidate from Chandigarh, Manish Tewari caught up with locals, engaged with them and also exchanged greetings as part of his campaign for the general elections on Tuesday.
Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of his campaign, the senior Congress leader said, "Me and my campaign team decided to take a walk by the Sukhna Lake this morning, meeting and engaging with locals while we were at it. We received a lot of love and affection from the people here. There's a culture of fitness here in Chandigarh and we decided to be a part of it and promote physical activity in the interest of staying fit and healthy."
Scoffing at the BJP over its campaign slogan of 'Abki Bar 400 Paar' (this time, more than 400 seats), Tewari said, "The BJP will be wiped out in the South and will be down to half (of what it accrued in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections) up North. They should consider themselves lucky to even cross 150 seats this time. Coming June 4, the ruling party at the Centre will be taken by a nasty surprise as the INDIA bloc will form the government."
The former Union Minister is up against BJP's Sanjay Tandon from the prestigious seat, which serves as the administrative capitals of both the Punjab and Haryana governments.
Polling in Chandigarh is scheduled to be held on June 1.
Accusing the BJP of peddling lies through its social media platforms, amid the controversy over an alleged fake video claiming that the ruling party at the Centre is against reservations, the Congress leader said, "BJP runs a factory on social media that churns out lies and canards (against the Opposition). No one can compete with them when it comes to selling lies. So, for them to accuse someone else of spreading lies, is baseless and unfounded."
On the claim by former NDA ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), that it came under greater scrutiny of the central investigating agencies since it exited the ruling alliance at the Centre, Tewari said, "It is true that BJP fights elections on the strength of the three agencies at its disposal--Income Tax, ED (Directorate of Enforcement), and the CBI. It's unfortunate that such blatant misuse of the central probe agencies is being overlooked by the Election Commission."
The Akalis partnered with the BJP-led NDA during the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Punjab, but the tie-up failed to produce the desired the electoral dividend. -- ANI
Latur gets water once in 15 days
11:54 'No water, rivers dry... what's PM doing for Maha!'
The Congress on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ignoring the plight of farmers in Marathwada, and also asked what is his vision to address water scarcity in that region.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to the prime minister ahead of his rallies in Marathwada region of Maharashtra.
"Why has the PM ignored the plight of Marathwada's farmers? What is the PM's vision to address water scarcity in Marathwada? Why has the export ban only been lifted on Gujarat's white onions?" Ramesh said in a post on X.
Elaborating on what he said were "jumla" details, Ramesh said that in the first half of 2023, the Marathwada region accounted for the highest number of farmer suicides in Maharashtra.
"As many as 685 farmers took their own lives in Marathwada and the State Agriculture Minister's home district, Beed, reported the highest number of deaths at 186. Now, after suffering from drought conditions for the last four months, the Marathwada region has been hit by unseasonal rains and hailstorms, causing severe crop losses, The ruling BJP government has not declared this event a national disaster or announced any relief measures," Ramesh said.
"This is no surprise from a government that has also "failed" to care for the Godavari river, which is considered the lifeline of Marathwada," he said. "Although 88 crores were allocated for the cleaning of the river in 2022, there has been no tangible improvement in water quality. Similarly, Manjra river that passes through Latur has also been neglected," he claimed.
"What are PM Modi and the BJP doing to protect Marathwada's farmers from drought and natural disasters? What is their vision to prevent farmer suicides?" he said.
Ramesh further said that more than 600 villages and 178 hamlets in Marathwada have become dependent on water tankers amidst an acute drinking water shortage.
"Most of Maharashtra is facing a water shortage this year but Marathwada has been the worst affected with drinking water reservoirs only at 19 per cent capacity, compared to 40 per cent last year," he said.
In Latur, water availability has come down to once in 15 days, he noted. "Instead of trying to address this catastrophe, BJP leaders have shirked responsibility, played the blame game, and failed to address allegations of widespread corruption in the implementation of relief and support schemes," Ramesh alleged.
"What is the PM's vision to tackle water scarcity in Marathwada," he asked. He also raised the issue that since December 2023, onion farmers in Maharashtra have been reeling from the Modi government's ban on onion exports.
"During the cultivation season, the state was hit with unsatisfactory rainfall and water crises, and most farmers were only able to produce 50 per cent of their usual crop. When onions were finally harvested, farmers were faced with an arbitrary export ban which led to devastatingly low sale prices," Ramesh said. As a result, farmers have racked up significant losses in the last five months," he said.
"To add insult to injury, yesterday, the Modi Sarkar allowed the export of white onions which are primarily grown in Gujarat. Maharashtrian farmers, who primarily grow red onions, have been left out. Can PM Modi explain why his government is playing favourites? Why have they so callously neglected Maharashtra's onion farmers?" Ramesh said.
11:14 6.7 Million Indian Children Have Zero Food
An international study published in Lancet Discovery Science a year ago has suddenly became a hot topic of discussion in India.
The study was conducted using the health surveys across 92 low-income and middle-income countries at various times between 1993 and 2021.
The study says India has the highest rate of 'Zero-Food' children after Guinea and Mali at 19.3% while the figures for the so-called poorer countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan are 5.6% and 9.1%.'Zero-Food' children is described as those who have not consumed any food in a 24 hour span.
Though the study used data from the Union health ministry's National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the ministry condemned it as 'malicious and a deliberate attempt to sensationalise fake news'.
What does the study actually expose?
"While we might squabble about whether the term zero-food is the most appropriate for what was being measured, it does not take away from the fact that there are massive deficits in India in infant and young child feeding, and compared to other countries which are even poorer, we perform poorly," Dr Dipa Sinha, assistant professor of economics at the School of Liberal Studies, Dr B R Ambedkar University, Delhi, tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier.
Read the interview here.
11:10 Modi Is being outnumbered and out-rallied
"This time Modi has no emotive message to take to the stump.Muscular nationalism doesn't work against the backdrop of China's successive inroads into Indian territory.
"Rising prices is a sore point that cuts across class and caste barriers; unprecedented levels of unemployment has the youth in a ferment.
"This has reduced the BJP campaign to a laundry list of recycled grievances and thinly veiled communal appeals, neither of which are working as well as they have in the past," argues Prem Panicker.
Read the column here.
Ramadev, with the MD, Balkrishna
11:08 Patanjali Foods gets show cause notice for GST dues
Patanjali Foods has been served a show cause notice by the GST intelligence department, asking the company to explain why input tax credit worth Rs 27.46 crore should not be recovered from it.
The Ramdev-led Patanjali Ayurved Group firm, which is mainly into the edible oil business, has received the notice from the Directorate General of GST Intelligence, Chandigarh Zonal Unit, according to a regulatory filing made by the company on April 26.
"A show cause notice is received by the company... requiring the company, its officers and authorised signatories to show cause as to why input tax credit amounting to Rs 27,46,14,343 should not be recovered (along with interest), and why penalty should not be imposed...," the company said.
The department has cited Section 74 and other applicable provisions of the Central Goods and Services Act, 2017 and Uttarakhand State Goods and Services Act, 2017 read with Section 20 of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Act, 2017.
"As of now the authority has only issued a show cause notice and the company will be taking all necessary action to defend its case before the authority," Patanjali Foods said. "... expected financial implications cannot be determined till the completion of the proceedings," the company added.
Last week, Patanjali Foods had said it will evaluate a proposal to acquire the non-food business of promoter group Patanjali Ayurved. In a regulatory filing, Patanjali Foods informed that its board has discussed the initial proposal received from Patanjali Ayurved Ltd for a sale of the latter's non-food business undertaking to the company. -- PTI
10:46 Teen raped, parents sell kids from rape for Rs 4L
A 17-year-old girl from Maharashtra's Palghar district was allegedly raped by two persons on different occasions under the pretext of marriage following which she became pregnant and had two children, police said on Tuesday.
Based on the girl's complaint, the police on Sunday registered a case against 16 persons, including the two alleged rapists, the victim's parents and two doctors, on various charges, they said.
Some persons have also been detained, the police said without giving more details. According to the complaint filed by the girl, who is a resident of Nallasopara area, two persons lured her since 2021 on the promise of marriage and allegedly raped her repeatedly on separate occasions, an official from Achole police station said.
The girl became pregnant and had two children, he said, adding that both the persons later abandoned the victim and the children.
One of the alleged rapists took the victim to Amravati when she was pregnant, concealed her identity and got her delivery done at a hospital there before abandoning her and the child, the official said.
Eight of the accused, including the girl's parents and uncle, took Rs 4 lakh from one of the alleged rapists through an acquaintance and handed over the victim's girl child to a person for sale, he said.
The accused in the case also include two women doctors of hospitals where the victim delivered the children and an advocate, whose role is not specified in the FIR.
The case has been registered against the 16 accused under Indian Penal Code sections 376 (rape), 376(2)(n) (aggravated sexual assault), 317 (exposure and abandonment of child under 12 years by parent or person having care of it), 363 (kidnapping), 372 (selling minor for purposes of prostitution) and 34 (common intention).
They have also been booked under relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Juvenile Justice Act, the police said, adding that a probe was on into the case. PTI
Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad
10:31 Why Congress cant afford Rahul Gandhi to sit out Amethi contest
"In 2019, after the Congress' second consecutive debacle in the Lok Sabha election, Rahul Gandhi wrote an open, four-page letter, explaining his decision to resign as party president. Numerous people will have to be made accountable for the failure of 2019, he wrote, adding how he "personally fought the prime minister, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the institutions they have captured". At times, I stood completely alone and am extremely proud of it, he wrote further.
Essentially, Rahul's letter suggested that he did his best but his party colleagues -- plus institutions like the judiciary, the media and the election commission -- let him down. What he didn't mention in that letter was the one act that undermined the Congress' bid for power, making it look like a party that had conceded defeat before the battle and was looking for self-preservation.
It was his decision to contest from Wayanad, apart from Amethi, the constituency he represented for three terms in the Lok Sabha. The impression of the then Congress president feeling unsafe in his family bastion and looking to ensure his entry into the Lok Sabha from a safer seat was damaging -- both in terms of voters' perception and the morale of party workers and supporters.
Read the column here.
Sikh extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun
09:52 Unsubstantiated: MEA on Post's Pannun report
A day after The Washington Post named an Indian official for allegedly plotting to eliminate Sikh extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, India on Tuesday said the report made "unwarranted and unsubstantiated" imputations on a serious matter.
The newspaper, citing unnamed sources, named a RAW officer in connection with the alleged plot to assassinate Pannun.
"The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
"There is an ongoing investigation of the high level committee set up by the Government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others," he said.
Jaiswal was responding to media queries on the report. "Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful," Jaiswal said.
In November last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun, a Sikh extremist on American soil.
Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. On December 7, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Parliament that India instituted an inquiry committee to look into the inputs received from the US in the case as the matter has a bearing on national security. -- PTI
09:39 Pakistan to get $1.1bn bailout package from IMF
The International Monetary Fund has approved an immediate disbursal of USD 1.1 billion to Pakistan as part of a bailout package and said the country needs to take tough measures to bring its economy back on track.
A decision in this regard was taken by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board as it completed the second and final review of Pakistan's economic reform programme supported by the IMF's Stand-By Arrangement (SBA).
With this development, the disbursements under the SBA reached around USD 3 billion. IMF's Deputy Managing Director Antoinette Sayeh said, "Given the significant challenges ahead, Pakistan should capitalize on this hard-won stability, persevering -- beyond the current arrangement -- with sound macroeconomic policies and structural reforms to create stronger, inclusive, and sustainable growth." Continued external support will also be critical, she said.
Achieving strong, long-term inclusive growth and creating jobs require accelerating structural reforms and continued protection of the most vulnerable through an adequately-financed Benazir Income Support Program, the IMF official said.
Priorities include advancing the reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and ensuring that all SOEs fall under the new policy framework, strengthening governance and anti-corruption institutions, and continuing to build climate resilience, she added. PTI
09:30 BJP's manifesto has vanished: Chidambaram
Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday said that the manifesto of the BJP for the Lok Sabha polls has vanished without a trace after it was announced. On the other hand, Congress manifesto received popularity because of its welfare promises.
In a post on X, P Chidambaram said, "Congress' manifesto is based on three driving principles: work, wealth and welfare. There is nothing in the BJP's manifesto that is comparable to the Congress' Manifesto. That is why PM Modi and other BJP leaders do not speak about their manifesto. The BJP's manifesto vanished without a trace. The Congress' manifesto has left a deep impression on the minds of the people and has become a talking point among millions of people of the country."
Chidambaram, who heads the Congress manifesto committee, said that his party's poll document has an inclusive approach and that it only talks about the poor."Speaking at Solapur, Maharashtra, Prime Minister said that SC, ST, OBC and the poor have the first right on the country's resources PM Manmohan Singh said the same thing in his speech to the National Development Council in November 2006 Dr Manmohan Singh had added minorities, women and children to that list why has PM Narendra Modi forgotten minorities, women and children? Are there not poor minorities, poor women and poor children?" he asked.
He further said that the correct formulation would be that the poor have the first claim on the nation's resources.
"The Congress recognizes that despite development there is a significant number of poor people in the country. Hence, the 'pivot to the poor'. Congress' manifesto has the policies that will lift the poor, increase their incomes, and reduce the alarming inequalities in India," Chidambaram said.
Chidambaram was the chairman of the Congress Manifesto Committee for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Jitu Patwari. Photograph: ANI Photo
08:51 Indore candidate withdrew nomination after 'threats and torture': Patwari
Congress' Indore Lok Sabha candidate Akshay Bam was 'threatened and tortured' following which he withdraw his nomination, the opposition party's Madhya Pradesh chief Jitu Patwari has claimed while targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Bam withdrew his nomination on Monday, which was the last day for the process.
"Three days ago, IPC section 307 (attempt to murder) was added to an old case against Bam. He was threatened. He was tortured in different ways for the whole night. And today he has withdrawn his nomination," Patwari alleged at a rally in Shivpuri on Monday.
Bam, his father Kantilal and others are accused in a case that was registered in October 2007.
On April 5 this year, the victim filed an application in the court of the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) seeking adding of section 307 after alleging that one of the accused had fired on him.
The plea was accepted on April 24 and Bam and his father have been asked to appear in a sessions court on May 10.
"What is the message in all this? Don't people from Indore have the right to use their vote? If you believe in democracy, please stand up against this dictatorship. This is not just about Congress and BJP. Anyone who wants to vote, and keep reservations and the Constitution strong must stand up," Patwari said.
Something similar happened in Surat in Gujarat, he added.
In Surat, BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was declared elected unopposed last week after Congress nominee Nilesh Kumbhani's form was rejected over irregularities in signature of proposers.
Patwari said the BJP is praising itself but what was the mistake of the people of Surat who wanted to elect an MP with the power of their vote.
Referring to leaders of various parties, including the Congress, joining the BJP, he alleged the ruling dispensation was misusing official machinery.
"Democracy and the Constitution are under threat," he asserted. -- PTI
Photo: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
08:32 India taking it seriously: US on 'assassination plot'
India is taking the allegations regarding the assassination plot of Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States seriously, the White House has said but refrained from commenting on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe into the matter and the criminal case filed by the Department of Justice.
The remarks by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday came amid an investigative media report claiming that a Research and Analysis Wing official identified as Vikram Yadav was involved in the assassination plot of Pannun in the US and the move was approved by the then Indian spy agency chief Samant Goel.
Pannun is one of the main leaders of the Khalistan movement and the legal advisor and spokesperson for Sikhs for Justice, which aims to promote the idea of a separate Sikh state. The Indian government has declared Pannun a terrorist.
Replying to questions on the report by The Washington Post, Jean-Pierre said an investigation is underway and the Department of Justice (DOJ) is running a criminal investigation.
"So anything specific to that I would have to refer you to the DOJ," she said.
The White House press secretary asserted that India is an important strategic partner of the United States and 'we are pursuing an ambitious agenda to expand our cooperation in several areas'.
About the investigative report on alleged the assassination plot, Jean-Pierre said, "We've been really consistent about that and have laid that out multiple times, whether it's a meeting here with the prime minister or a meeting abroad."
"This is a serious matter and we're taking that very very seriously. The Government of India has been very clear with us that they are taking this seriously and will investigate," Jean-Pierre said.
"We expect accountability from the government based on that. But we are going to continue to raise our concerns. That's not going to stop. We're going to continue to raise our concerns directly, with the Indian government," the press secretary added.
The alleged plot to kill Pannun in the US coincided with the June 18 fatal shooting of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey in Canada's British Columbia province in June last year. That operation was also linked to Yadav, according to Western officials.
Both plots took place amid a wave of violence in Pakistan, where at least 11 Sikh or Kashmiri separatists living in exile and labelled terrorists by the Narendra Modi government have been killed over the past two years, the report said.
Senior Indian government officials named in the Washington Post report did not respond to it seeking comment, the daily said.
However, when asked about the investigation into the allegations made by the US in the Pannun case, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last week, "We have set up a high-level committee. The committee is looking into information that was shared by the American side with us, because they also equally impact our national security."
The high-level committee is looking into those aspects and that is where it is right now, Jaiswal said in New Delhi on April 25.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on April 1 had said that India's national security interests are involved in its investigation into the alleged involvement of a government official in the assassination plot aimed at Khalistani extremist Pannun.
The Washington Post reported that the Biden administration has refrained from making charges against Yadav. -- PTI
The remarks by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday came amid an investigative media report claiming that a Research and Analysis Wing official identified as Vikram Yadav was involved in the assassination plot of Pannun in the US and the move was approved by the then Indian spy agency chief Samant Goel.
Pannun is one of the main leaders of the Khalistan movement and the legal advisor and spokesperson for Sikhs for Justice, which aims to promote the idea of a separate Sikh state. The Indian government has declared Pannun a terrorist.
Replying to questions on the report by The Washington Post, Jean-Pierre said an investigation is underway and the Department of Justice (DOJ) is running a criminal investigation.
"So anything specific to that I would have to refer you to the DOJ," she said.
The White House press secretary asserted that India is an important strategic partner of the United States and 'we are pursuing an ambitious agenda to expand our cooperation in several areas'.
About the investigative report on alleged the assassination plot, Jean-Pierre said, "We've been really consistent about that and have laid that out multiple times, whether it's a meeting here with the prime minister or a meeting abroad."
"This is a serious matter and we're taking that very very seriously. The Government of India has been very clear with us that they are taking this seriously and will investigate," Jean-Pierre said.
"We expect accountability from the government based on that. But we are going to continue to raise our concerns. That's not going to stop. We're going to continue to raise our concerns directly, with the Indian government," the press secretary added.
The alleged plot to kill Pannun in the US coincided with the June 18 fatal shooting of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey in Canada's British Columbia province in June last year. That operation was also linked to Yadav, according to Western officials.
Both plots took place amid a wave of violence in Pakistan, where at least 11 Sikh or Kashmiri separatists living in exile and labelled terrorists by the Narendra Modi government have been killed over the past two years, the report said.
Senior Indian government officials named in the Washington Post report did not respond to it seeking comment, the daily said.
However, when asked about the investigation into the allegations made by the US in the Pannun case, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last week, "We have set up a high-level committee. The committee is looking into information that was shared by the American side with us, because they also equally impact our national security."
The high-level committee is looking into those aspects and that is where it is right now, Jaiswal said in New Delhi on April 25.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on April 1 had said that India's national security interests are involved in its investigation into the alleged involvement of a government official in the assassination plot aimed at Khalistani extremist Pannun.
The Washington Post reported that the Biden administration has refrained from making charges against Yadav. -- PTI
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01:43 Bhopal airport gets threat mail to blow up flights
Madhya Pradesh police on Monday registered a case in connection with an email sent to Raj Bhoj airport in Bhopal and other airports with a threat to blow up flights, a police official said.
On the complaint of Bhopal airport authorities a case under Indian Penal Code section 507 (criminal intimidation) and Aircraft (Security) Rules was registered, Bhopal deputy commissioner of police (Zone 4) Sunder Singh Kanesh said.
"The case was registered at Gandhi Nagar police station. Efforts are on get those involved in sending the threat mail," the DCP said.
Gandhi Nagar police station inspector Sunil Kumar Maihar said a probe had begun.
Planes were searched at the airport in Bhopal after the email was received but nothing suspicious was found, sources said. -- PTI
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01:04 23 Maoists surrender before security forces in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada
At least 23 Naxalites, including seven women, surrendered before the security forces in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada on Monday, a senior police official said.
The Maoists, who were part of the Bhairamgarh area committee of the Maoists in south Bastar, laid down arms before the police and officials of the Central Reserve Police Force, Dantewada superintendent of police Gaurav Rai said.
They were impressed by the police's rehabilitation drive 'Lon Varratu' and disappointed with the hollow Maoist ideology, he said.
Of the surrendered cadres, Sonu Madvi (40) was the vice-president of Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Mazdoor Sangthan under the Hurrepal Panchayat, Paro Madvi (38) was the vice-president of the Krantikari Mahila Adivasi Sangthan and Parvati Barsa (33) headed its finance team, the official said. -- PTI
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00:51 EC records seizures worth Rs 1,309 cr in TN
The Election Commission of India and the Income Tax department officials made seizures worth Rs 1,309.52 crore in Tamil Nadu since the Model Code of Conduct came into force on March 16 for the April 19 general elections, Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo said on Monday.
Of the total sum, cash amounting to Rs 179.91 crore and precious metals valued at Rs 1,083.78 crore were confiscated.
In addition, liquor worth Rs 8.65 crore, narcotics of market value Rs 1.36 crore and freebies (voter inducements) worth Rs 35.8 crore were also seized, Sahoo said in a release in Chennai. -- PTI
MP Congress president Jitu Patwari (left)/ANI Photo
00:33 MP Cong chief, MLA booked for posting rape victim's kin pics on social media
The police on Monday registered a case against Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari and party MLA Vikrant Bhuria for allegedly disclosing the identity of family members of a 11-year-old victim of gang rape by posting their pictures on social media, an official said.
Patwari and Bhuria, the MLA from Jhabua, and their supporters met family members of the rape survivor at a village under Jobat police station limits on Sunday.
"Patwari and Bhuria visited the village to meet the rape victim's family members on Sunday afternoon. They later shared the pictures of the victim's family members on their X account in violation of the directives of the Supreme Court," said superintendent of police Rajesh Vyas.
Based on a complaint, they were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, he said.
The tribal girl was allegedly raped by two boys, in the age group of 14 to 18 years, in a field in a village under the Jobat police station area of Alirajpur district on Friday, according to the police. -- PTI
00:30 Manufacturing licence of 10 Patanjali arm products suspended
The manufacturing licence of 10 Patanjali's Divya Pharmacy products has been suspended, according to an order issued by the Uttarakhand drug licensing authority.
The order was issued earlier this month taking cognisance of complaints about misleading advertisements of these products by the firm in violation of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act and the Drugs and Cosmetic Act.
The firm did not provide the information sought from it regarding the products and the explanation offered by it in its defence was not satisfactory, the authority said in its order.
Divya Pharmacy products whose manufacturing licence has been suspended include Swasari Gold, Swasari Vati, Bronchom, Swasari Pravahi, Swasari Avaleha, Mukta Vati Extra Power, Lipidom, BP Grit, Madhugrit and Madhunashini Vati Extra Power, according to the order -- PTI
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