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Sat, 27 July 2024
One dead, 2 missing in Delhi coaching centre flood
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23:52 Student dead, 2 missing in Delhi coaching centre flood
A student was found dead and two others were missing after the basement of a building housing a popular civil service coaching centre was flooded following heavy rain in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area on Saturday, officials said.
According to the Delhi Fire Department, a call about waterlogging was received from the Rau's IAS Study Circle at about 7 pm.
"A total of five fire tenders were rushed to the site. The basement was full of water," an official said.
The body of a female student was retrieved from the site during the rescue operation by the NDRF, local police and fire department, the officials said.
However, two students are still missing.
The rescue operation is underway, they said. -- PTI
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22:51 Cauvery, Krishna rivers flow above danger mark
The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre has urged people living in low-lying areas along eight rivers on the Krishna and Cauvery basins, which have recorded severe water level (above danger line), to be on high alert.
As of Saturday, in Krishna basin, the water level in River Ghataprabha at the Gokak falls station in Belagavi, River Kumudvati in Kuppelur station in Haveri and River Tunga in Shivamogga, Mahishi and Chikkamagalur districts is way past its danger level.
In the Cauvery basin, River Hemavathi at Bettadamane station in Chikkamagalur, River Harangi at Mukkodlu station in Kodagu and River Cauvery in Kollegal station in Chamrajnagara are likely to flood low-lying areas.
Except for River Harangi, water levels of all other rivers are consistently rising due to torrential rains in the basin areas.
Meanwhile, district collector of Chamarajnagara, Shilpa Nag C T, issued a flood alert to low-lying villages -Mullur, Dasanpur, Old Hampapur, New Hampapur, Old Angalli, Yadakuri, Dhangere, Harale, Agrahara, and Sarguru-, as more than 1,70,000 cusecs of water is being released into River Cauvery, from the Kabini and Krishnarajasagar reservoirs.
Care centres for those affected as well as sheds for cattle have been put up in higher places, the circular stated.
Public were asked to call emergency numbers 7892979473 and 8224252329 in case they needed immediate help.
The torrential rains in most parts of Karnataka during this monsoon have resulted in 57 per cent excess rainfall for the state so far, said C P Patil, director of India meteorological department, Bengaluru. -- PTI
22:37 Tech lead of Kerala financial firm held for embezzling Rs 20 crore
The Kerala police arrested a 40-year-old woman, who was the tech lead in a well-known financial institution for allegedly embezzling around Rs 20 crore from the company over a period of five years.
The police said Kollam native Dhanya Mohan, has been accused of siphoning off Rs 19.94 crore since 2019 by diverting funds through the loan application of a Thrissur-based non-banking financial company where she had been working in a senior position for nearly two decades.
She was working as an assistant general manager and tech lead at Manappuram Comptech and Consultants Ltd, the IT product and services arm of the Manappuram Group.
The fraud came to light after the institution was recently alerted about a huge transaction through her account during an audit.
"We received the complaint from the company on July 23. We had started the investigation and as we were zeroing in on the accused who had absconded, she surrendered at a police station in Kollam district on Friday evening," a senior police official from Thrissur told PTI on Saturday.
It seems like she created fake online accounts in the loan app of the bank and transferred money to her five personal accounts over the years, the official said.
"The company is alleging that they lost Rs 19.94 crore. We checked the accounts and found suspicious transactions and registered the case," the official said.
The police said recently, in an audit, the company detected huge transactions and sought explanation from her to which she didn't have any satisfactory answers. -- PTI
22:13 Seven die, 150 sick after diarrhoea break-out in MP's Mandla
Seven persons, including five women and a child, have died and 150 have taken ill due to diarrhoea and water-borne diseases in the past ten days in Madhya Pradesh's tribal-dominated Mandla district, officials said on Saturday.
District epidemic control officer Dr Yatindra Jharia said four persons in Devraha Bahmani village of Ghughri block and three from Madhopur village under Bichhia block lost their lives due to diarrhoea, mostly caused by food and water contamination.
The seventh person, a resident of Madhopur village, died during treatment at the district hospital on Friday.
About 150 people have become sick because of diarrhoea and water-borne diseases in the two blocks, he said.
Some patients from the Ghughri block have been referred to the district hospital for treatment.
Jharia said health teams are trying to bring diarrhoea under control in these areas besides spreading awareness. -- PTI
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21:52 Boy injured as pressure IED planted by Maoists goes off in Chhattisgarh
A 10-year-old boy was injured on Saturday in the explosion of a pressure IED planted by Maoists in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, the police said.
Hidma Kawasi was grazing goats near Pidiya Murumpara village when he accidentally came into contact with a pressure IED connection, triggering a blast and causing serious injuries to his hand and leg, an official said.
The injured boy is a resident of Mutvendi village.
Kawasi was administered the preliminary treatment at the Mutvendi CRPF camp and subsequently referred to the Bijapur district hospital, the official said.
Maoists often plant Improvised Explosive Devices along roads and under-construction roads and also on dirt tracks in forest areas to target patrolling security personnel in interior pockets of the Bastar region.
Civilian casualties have occurred in such blasts in the region, which comprises seven districts, including Bijapur, in the past, the police said. -- PTI
PM Narendra Modi and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu/ANI Photo
21:39 Male resumes Indian Dornier, helis for evacuations
The Maldives has resumed using a Dornier aircraft and two helicopters gifted by India for medical evacuations after the two countries reached an understanding over the repatriation of Indian military personnel operating the three aviation platforms in the archipelagic nation, media reports said on Saturday.
President Mohamed Muizzu, known for his pro-China stance, has thanked India for enabling the resumption of medical evacuation services with civilian aviation personnel from India.
The Maldives National Defence Force told local media that the provision of medical evacuation through the Dornier flight and helicopters has resumed, this time with the civilian crew sent from India, news portal Edition.mv reported.
The two medical emergencies were carried out on Friday night, according to a post on X by the MNDF.
The Dornier aircraft and the helicopters were earlier operated by Indian military personnel and were stopped soon after President Muizzu took oath last November.
President Muizzu rode to power banking on the 'India Out' sentiment and had pushed for the repatriation of Indian military personnel from his country making a demand to this effect within hours of his swearing-in. -- PTI
21:12 More than 5 cr ITRs filed so far this fiscal
The income tax department on Saturday said more than 5 crore I-T returns have been filed on the e-filing portal, an 8 percent increase over last year.
It further said that Infosys has been instructed to ensure uninterrupted services and the company has assured uninterrupted services during the e-filing peak period.
"More than 5 crore ITRs for AY 2024-25 have already been received on the e-filing portal of the Income Tax Department till 26th of July 2024. This is 8 percent more than the ITRs filed in the preceding year," the department posted on X.
Over 28 lakh ITRs were filed on July 26 itself. It said Infosys is the technology partner of ITD for operating the e-filing portal.
In 2023-24 fiscal, over 8.61 crore ITRs were filed. -- PTI
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20:53 Security forces launch search operation in J-K's Reasi
Security forces conducted a search operation in Jammu's Reasi district on Saturday.
The operation was jointly conducted by the Army and police personnel in Dadooa Village.
Meanwhile, a group of two to three armed personnel coming from Pakistan side crossed the Line of Control and fired on a forward Army post from close proximity while taking advantage of bad weather and poor visibility in Machhal Sector in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district.
One intruder was killed in the exchange of fire while one Indian Army soldier injured in the encounter succumbed to his injuries.
The public relations officer (defence), Srinagar, said, "Taking advantage of bad weather and poor visibility along the Line of Control in Machhal Sector, a group of two to three armed personnel crossed the LC and fired on a forward Army post from close proximity. Alert troops responded vigorously and in the ensuing exchange of fire, one Pakistani intruder has been killed along with the recovery of weapons, ammunition and war-like stores."
"Identification and affiliation of this Pakistani national are being ascertained," PRO said. -- ANI
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (right) at the Niti Aayog meeting/ANI Photo
20:42 Mamata spoke full time, mic wasn't switched off: FM
Refuting allegations made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that Mamata spoke her full time and her mic was not switched off in between at the NITI Aayog's governing council meeting on Saturday.
The controversy erupted when Mamata walked out of the meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and claimed that she was unfairly stopped midway in her speech despite being the sole representative of the opposition.
Soon after her claims, the Centre issued a rebuttal saying that her statement was "misleading".
Sitharaman, who was present in the meeting, in a post on X said, "She (Mamata) spoke her full time. The screen in front of our tables kept showing the time. A few other CMs spoke beyond their allotted time. On their own request, extra time was allowed without any fuss. Mikes were not switched off, not for anybody, particularly, not for CM, WB. Mamata ji has chosen to spread falsehood. I was happy she attended."
"Was happier when she said she is speaking for Bengal and in fact for the entire opposition. I may agree or disagree with what she had to say. But now with her saying baseless things outside, I can only conclude that she is making an effort to keep I.N.D.I alliance happy." -- PTI
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20:17 Nipah test results of four more contacts negative, says minister
Test results for four more contacts of the 14-year-old boy, who succumbed to Nipah virus here recently, have returned negative, Kerala health minister Veena George said on Saturday.
The boy from Malappuram, who was undergoing treatment for Nipah infection, died on July 21.
At present, eight persons are under treatment and there are 472 persons in the contact list, she said.
Of them, 220 persons belong to the high-risk category, the minister said in a statement after attending a Nipah review meeting held at the Malappuram Collector's Conference Hall via online.
So far, a total of 836 persons were given psychological support services, George added. -- PTI
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20:02 Jharkhand arms seizure case: NIA chargesheets 23rd accused
The National Investigation Agency on Saturday chargesheeted 23rd accused in a Maoist arrest and arms seizure case in Jharkhand.
Pradip Singh Chero, a resident of Jharkhand, is the 23rd accused to be chargesheeted in the case.
The Jharkhand police had originally chargesheeted nine people before the NIA took over the investigations in June 2022 and filed five supplementary chargesheets between August 2023 and July 2024.
NIA investigations have exposed the involvement of various naxal armed cadres and over ground supporters in the case. Chero has been chargesheeted under various sections of Indian Penal Code, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act as part of the conspiracy by the proscribed Maoist outfit to attack security forces in Jharkhand to avenge the arrest of their top commander, Prashant Bose.
The attack took place in February 2023 in Peshrar area, district Lohardaga, Jharkhand.
At that time, a large number of Maoist cadres, led by regional commander Ravindra Ganjhu, had assembled in the forest area of Bulbul, Lohardaga, to hatch the conspiracy to attack the security forces. -- ANI
PM Narendra Modi with CMs, Lt. Governors and special invitees representing 20 states and 6 UTs at the 9th NITI Aayog meeting, in New Delhi/ANI Photo
19:43 CMs of 10 states skip Niti Aayog meeting: CEO
As many as 10 states and UTs did not participate in the ninth Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, its CEO BVR Subrahmanyam said on Saturday.
The meeting was attended by 26 participants including Chief Ministers and Lt Governors of UTs, he said while briefing the media.
The absentees were Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Puducherry, he said adding "It is their loss if they did not participate."
Regarding West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who walked out of the meeting, Subrahmanyam said her request to speak before lunch was accepted although her turn would have come in the afternoon going in the alphabetical order of the states.
The NITI Aayog CEO further said that when her time was up, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh just tapped the mic and she stopped speaking and walked out.
Although officials of West Bengal government continued to attend the meeting, he added.
About Bihar, he said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar could not attend the meeting as he was busy with an assembly session in the state. -- PTI
19:22 Chandrashekhar's party to contest in by-elections to 10 UP assembly seats
Lok Sabha MP Chandrashekhar on Saturday said his Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) will contest in the by-elections to 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh as he hit out at the BJP-ruled state government over unemployment, paper leak and law and order issues.
The date for the bypolls has not been announced yet.
However, the Samajwadi Party and Congress have announced that they will contest together under the INDIA bloc.
The ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has also begun its preparations, according to their leaders.
The seats fell vacant after nine assembly members, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, were elected to Lok Sabha while SP MLA from Sisamau Irfan Solanki was disqualified after he was sentenced to jail in a criminal case.
Addressing a public meeting at Sarai Nayat under Phulpur assembly constituency in Prayagraj, Chandrashekhar said, "On the strength of the blessings given to us by the people of Nagina, we will contest the by-elections to all 10 assembly seats."
"Hooliganism is going on in the state. At some places, people are made to write their names on carts and at other places people are beaten with sticks for demanding their rights," he said. -- PTI
18:57 Two inmates injured in attack in Tihar jail
Two inmates lodged in the Tihar jail in Delhi were injured in an attack inside their wards by another inmate with a sharp-edged weapon, officials said on Saturday.
The victims were taken to the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, from where they were discharged after treatment, a Delhi police officer said.
The incident took place inside jail number 9 on Friday.
The officer said both the inmates, Lovely (22) and Lavesh (22), are lodged in the case of the murder of a man in South Delhi's Ambedkar Nagar.
Both inmates suffered serious injuries, the officer said.
The attackers are identified as Lokesh, Nitin, Himanshu and Abhishek.
During the inquiry, it was discovered that Lovely and Lavesh had allegedly killed Lokesh's brother in Ambedkar Nagar in 2022, another officer said. -- PTI
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18:37 6 cops among 15 hurt after police clash with tribal students in Jharkhand
Over 15 people, including six police personnel, were injured in a clash between the law enforcers and tribal students in Jharkhand's Pakur district, police said on Saturday.
The incident took place on Friday night when a police team reached the KKM College campus for an investigation into an abduction case.
A group of students from a tribal hostel on the college premises allegedly protested the entry of police into the campus, which snowballed into a clash between the police and the students, they said.
The state Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that tribal students, who were scheduled to stage a protest rally against Bangladeshi infiltration in Maheshpur area of the district on Saturday, were brutally beaten up by the police.
The saffron party demanded action against the police personnel involved in the incident.
Students of the hostel claimed that about 10 inmates were brutally beaten up by the police and they are undergoing treatment at local hospital in Pakur.
A student alleged that police forcefully entered the college campus, despite their objection.
"They (police) also spoke about our proposed rally and said students should not indulge in politics," the student said, requesting anonymity. -- PTI
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18:16 Two men, accused of stabbing constable, held after brief encounter in MP
Two men, accused of stabbing a police constable, were arrested in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain after a brief encounter, in which one of them sustained a bullet injury, an official said on Saturday.
The injured police constable is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital, he said.
The encounter took place under Neelganga police station on Friday night, superintendent of police Pradeep Sharma said.
"Three persons, accused of looting, fled after being intercepted during checking on Thursday night. Two policemen chased and caught them. But one of the accused stabbed police constable Akash. The accused then escaped from the spot," Sharma said.
On Friday night, the police received a tip-off that the accused were coming near Sawrakhedi.
The police traced them, but the accused again tried to flee.
As the police started chasing them, the accused fired at the police team and one of the accused sustained a bullet injury in his knee in the retaliatory firing, he said.
Another accused was also injured as he fell from the motorcycle on which he was trying to escape, Sharma said.
The accused were nabbed, the SP said, adding that both of them have past criminal records. -- PTI
17:58 Kamala Harris officially announces presidential bid
Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday officially signed her forms, declaring her candidacy for the post of President of the US and voiced confidence that she would win the high-stakes election on November 5.
"Today, I signed the forms officially declaring my candidacy for President of the United States. I will work hard to earn every vote," 59-year-old Harris, who is of Indian and African origin, said on X.
"In November, our people-powered campaign will win," the presumptive Democratic Party candidate said, referring to her electoral battle with former president and the Republican Party's nominee Donald Trump.
Harris launched her presidential campaign last Sunday, hours after President Joe Biden, 81, withdrew from the race for a second term.
She is, however, yet to be officially declared as the presidential candidate by the Democrats.
If elected on November 5 to succeed President Biden, Harris -- the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother -- would not only be the first woman, but the first Indian-American, the first Asian, the first Black woman and the first person of Jamaican descent to ascend to the office. -- PTI
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17:53 Woman Maoist carrying Rs 8 lakh reward surrenders in Maha's Gadchiroli
A woman Maoist booked for a murder and an attack on security forces and carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh surrendered before the police and CRPF in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district on Saturday, officials said.
Rina Narote, alias Lalita, was a commander of the 'Tailor Team' and was responsible for logistics in the entire Gadchiroli Division of the CPI-Maoist, the police said in a release.
The 36-year-old Maoist, a resident of Gadchiroli, is named in a murder case and an attack on security personnel, it said.
The Maharashtra government had announced a reward of Rs 8 lakh for her capture.
She surrendered before police and Central Reserve Police Force officials, it said.
The police said Narote will receive Rs 5.5 lakh under the policies of the Centre and state for the rehabilitation of surrendered Maoists. -- PTI
17:24 Pak woman who wanted to marry for third time murdered by brothers
A Karachi woman was allegedly murdered by her brothers on Friday as she wanted to get married for the third time, Pakistan-based ARY News reported, citing the police.
The police said that the woman, who was allegedly slain, had previously lost two of her husbands and had expressed her desire to get married for the third time, ARY News reported, citing police reports.
This irked her brothers, all residents of Bahadurbad in Karachi, who killed her after an argument.
The woman is survived by eight children, ARY News reported, citing police reports.
The police found 30 bore pistol and two shells from the crime scene.
A police official said that further investigations are underway, ARY News reported.
Earlier that day in Gul Town, a woman's legs were chopped by her father and uncles for filing divorce to end an abusive marriage, Geo News reported. -- ANI
Bollywood star Ranveer Singh
17:09 Ranveer Singh to headline 'Uri' director Aditya Dhar's next film
Bollywood star Ranveer Singh is teaming up with filmmaker Aditya Dhar for his next feature film, the makers announced on Saturday.
The untitled film will feature an ensemble cast that also includes Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal and R Madhavan.
Dhar, best known for his 2019 directorial debut Uri: The Surgical Strike, will also produce the movie along with brother Lokesh Dhar through their banner B62 Studios, and Jyoti Deshpande of Jio Studios.
Jio Studios announced the movie and the star cast of the movie on their official Instagram account.
"This is what movie dreams are made of! Helmed by#RanveerSingh, directed by #AdityaDhar, this much-anticipated collaboration between #JioStudios and #B62Studios is all set to dazzle you with a stellar cast like never before," the post read.
According to the makers, the film has started shooting.
"This one is for my fans, who have been so patient with me and been clamouring for a turn like this. I love you all, and I promise you, this time, a cinematic experience like never before." -- PTI
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16:50 Security beefed up along Muzaffarnagar kanwar route
Along with the teams of local police, Rapid Action Force, the district administration has also deployed commandos of Anti Terrorism Squad of Uttar Pradesh police along the kanwar route to avoid any untoward incident.
"ATS commandos have been posted at Shiv chowk in Muzaffarnagar where kanwariyas from Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and different districts of UP will pass while returning from Haridwar and performing parikrama. Sensitive places near Shiv Chowk have been handed over to ATS commandos to avoid any untoward incident," senior superintendent of police Abhishek Singh told reporters on Saturday.
He said a team of RAF, six teams of PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary) and ATS commandos have been deployed in the district for security. Kanwar yatra began on Jul 22. -- PTI
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16:27 Jorhat-Delhi daily flight likely from October
A daily flight between New Delhi and the eastern Assam town of Jorhat would start in October, Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi said.
SpiceJet will operate an 189-seater plane on the route under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN, he said.
In a statement, Gogoi said the information was shared with him by Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu.
At present, Jorhat has air connectivity to Kolkata, Dibrugarh and Tezpur, and IndiGo operates the flight. -- PTI
NC chief Farooq Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and others at a meeting/ANI Photo
15:54 J-K Opposition parties' August 7 meeting postponed
A meeting of Jammu and Kashmir's Opposition parties next month to discuss several issues concerning the Union Territory, including the delegation of more powers to the lieutenant governor, was postponed on Saturday, senior Communist Party of India-Marxist leader MY Tarigami said.
No fresh date for the meeting, originally scheduled for August 7, has been finalised.
Tarigami said the meeting was postponed after National Conference president Farooq Abdullah expressed his inability to attend the meeting.
"National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah expressed his inability to attend the meeting scheduled for August 7 in Jammu and suggested its postponement. As such, this meeting is postponed," Tarigami said.
The meeting was called to discuss issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir, including the amendments to the Transaction of Business of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Rules, 2019. -- PTI
15:50 MP horror: Boy rapes sis after watching porn, kills her
The police probing the April 24 rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa, have found that her teenage brother sexually assaulted her after watching a pornographic video on mobile and then killed her, following which his mother and his two elder sisters helped in the cover-up, an official said.
The police cracked the case and detained the victim's 13-year-old brother, their mother and sisters aged 17 and 18 after interrogation of 50 people, intense questioning of the accused persons and on the basis of technical evidence, he said on Saturday.
Providing details of the case, superintendent of police Vivek Singh said, "A nine-year-old girl was raped and strangulated to death under Jawa police station limits on April 24, following which the police had registered a case and started a probe."
"The body of the victim was recovered from the courtyard of her house where she was sleeping at the time of the incident," he said. -- PTI
15:24 MP horror: Boy rapes sis after watching porn, kills her
The police probing the April 24 rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa, have found that her teenage brother sexually assaulted her after watching a pornographic video on mobile and then killed her, following which his mother and his two elder sisters helped in the cover-up, an official said.
The police cracked the case and detained the victim's 13-year-old brother, their mother and sisters aged 17 and 18 after interrogation of 50 people, intense questioning of the accused persons and on the basis of technical evidence, he said on Saturday.
Providing details of the case, superintendent of police Vivek Singh said, "A nine-year-old girl was raped and strangulated to death under Jawa police station limits on April 24, following which the police had registered a case and started a probe."
"The body of the victim was recovered from the courtyard of her house where she was sleeping at the time of the incident," he said. -- PTI
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15:10 Woman Maoist carrying Rs 13 lakh bounty surrenders in Chhattisgarh
A woman Maoist carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 13 lakh in three states surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Kabirdham district on Saturday, a police official said.
Hidme Kowasi alias Ranita (22) was active as part of the MMC zonal committee and Gondia-Rajnandgaon-Balaghat division's Tanda/Malajkhand area committee member of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, the official said.
"She carried a bounty on her head of Rs 5 lakh each in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra as well as Rs 3 lakh in Madhya Pradesh. She was involved in 19 incidents of Maoist violence in Balaghat in MP and three acts of violence in Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district in Chhattisgarh," he said.
She laid down arms citing disappointment with atrocities committed by senior Maoists and the inhuman and hollow Maoist ideology, the official said, adding she would be given Rs 25,000 as financial aid and other facilities under the state government's rehabilitation policy. -- PTI
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14:46 Goods train derails in Maha's Palghar; authorites say local network not hit
Four coaches of a goods train derailed near Boisar railway station in Maharashtra's Palghar district on Saturday, officials said.
The derailment however has not impacted local trains which are running on time, CPRO, Western Railway said.
"Four coaches of a goods train derailed near Boisar railway station in Palghar. Railway officials are present at the spot. Due to derailment, there is no impact on local trains, they are running on time," CPRO, Western Railway said.
Further details are awaited.
On July 26, two wagons of a goods train on its way to Angul derailed near Bhubaneswar railway station in Odisha. -- ANI
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14:26 Uddhav Sena workers protest over torn Uddhav poster in Maha's Akola
Workers of the Shiv Sena-UBT blocked a road in Akola in Maharashtra on Saturday morning after a poster wishing its chief Uddhav Thackeray on his birthday was found torn, a police official said.
The poster was put up at the main post office square, the City Kotwali police station official said.
"Shiv Sena-UBT workers blocked the main road in the area in protest. Some of them were detained and traffic was normalised soon," he said. -- PTI
The sketches of 3 terrorists released by J-K police/Courtesy J-K Police on X
14:02 Doda attack: Police release sketches of 3 terrorists
Jammu and Kashmir police on Saturday released sketches of the three terrorists responsible for the recent killing of four soldiers, including a captain in Doda district, and announced a cash reward of Rs 15 lakh on their heads.
Doda in Jammu region has been rocked by several terror incidents since June, which is being seen by security agencies as an attempt by Pakistan-based terror handlers to revive terrorism in the hilly district.
Releasing the sketches of three terrorists, a police spokesman in Doda said they are moving in the upper reaches of the district especially in Dessa forest where an army captain and three soldiers were killed in a gunfight during an anti-terror operation on July 16.
The J-K police announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh on each of these three terrorists, the spokesperson said, appealing to the general public to provide information about them and assured that the identity of the informer will be kept a secret.
The police shared over a dozen phone and mobile numbers, including that of senior police officers and control room for people to reach out. -- PTI
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13:39 Maoists torch two trucks in Jharkhand's Latehar
Two coal-loading trucks were torched allegedly by members of Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee, a Maoist splinter group, in Jharkhand's Latehar district, the police said on Saturday.
The incident took place at Tasu panchayat under Herhanj police station area around 1 am on Saturday.
Latehar superintendent of police Anjani said the incident was carried out by TSPC and a drive has been launched against the members of the organisation, involved in the crime.
Around 15-20 members of the organisation allegedly stopped the vehicles at Laat village and they were set on fire, a driver of the vehicle said.
The TSPC extremists also left a pamphlet at the incident site, threatening that organisational action will be taken if work of coal transportation was done without managing them, the police said. -- PTI
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee speaks to media after walking out of NITI Aayog meet/ANI on X
13:13 Stopped from speaking at Niti, Mamata walks out
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee walked out of the NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi on Saturday as she said she was stopped from speaking "after just five minutes".
She also slammed the Union Budget for 2024-25, calling it "biased".
"I have come out boycotting the meeting. (Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister) Chandrababu Naidu was given 20 minutes to speak. The chief ministers of Assam, Goa, Chhattisgarh spoke for 10-12 minutes. I was stopped from speaking after just five minutes. This is unfair. From the opposition side, I was the only one here. I attended the meeting because cooperative federalism should be strengthened," she said.
"Even the budget.... This is political, biased Budget. I said, why are you discriminating against other states? NITI Aayog has no financial powers, how will it work? Give it financial powers or bring the Planning Commission back," the Trinamool Congress supremo told reporters after she came out of the meeting. -- PTI
12:57 Student killed, 14 injured as pickup van rams into truck in UP's Ballia
A school student was killed and 14 were injured when their pickup van rammed into a truck parked in the Phephana area of this Uttar Pradesh district on Saturday morning, an official said.
The victims, aged between 12 and 17 years, were from a private school, Ballia district magistrate Praveen Kumar said.
According to the police, the driver of the overspeeding pickup van lost control of the vehicle, which collided with a truck parked on the roadside near Kapuri Narayanpur village on the Ballia-Phephana road.
The deceased student was identified as Yash Pratap Singh (16), the DM said.
All the injured were rushed to the district hospital, he said, adding that the condition of two is critical.
Senior police and administrative officers visited the hospital. -- PTI
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar/File image
12:28 NDA ally Nitish skips NITI Aayog meeting
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar did not attend the NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi on Saturday, officials said.
The state was represented at the meeting by deputy chief ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, they said.
The cause for Kumar's absence from the crucial meeting could not be known immediately.
"This is not the first time that the CM is not attending the NITI Aayog meeting. The CM did not attend the meeting earlier as well, and Bihar was represented by the then deputy CM. This time also both the Dy CMs went to attend the meeting," JD-U spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said.
"Besides, there are four Union ministers from Bihar who are members of the Aayog and they will be present in the meeting. There is nothing to say on this," he added.
The ninth governing council meeting of the Aayog discussed the 'Vikshit Bharat@2047' document with an aim to make India a developed nation.
The council, the apex body of NITI Aayog, includes all CMs, Lt Governors of Union territories and several Union ministers.
PM Modi is the chairman of NITI Aayog. -- PTI
12:00 Malayalam actors among 4 injured in car accident during film shoot in Kerala
Four people, including Malayalam actors Arjun Ashokan and Sangeeth Prathap, were injured while shooting for a stunt scene in the port city early on Saturday, the police said.
The incident occurred on MG road in Kochi by 1.30 am.
While shooting a chase scene of the upcoming film titled Bromance, the car in which the actors travelled crashed into two bikes parked in front of a hotel and toppled, they said.
Three persons in the car including Ashokan, Prathap and a food delivery agent standing on the road suffered minor injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital.
The condition of the four is said to be stable now. -- PTI
11:49 Man accused of killing woman in B'luru PG arrested
The Bengaluru police have arrested the prime suspect in the murder of a 24-year-old woman at a paying guest accommodation here on July 23.
Abhishek was arrested in Bhopal where he fled after committing the gruesome murder of Kriti Kumari.
"Yes, he has been arrested," a senior police officer told PTI on Saturday.
On Friday, the video of the chilling incident went viral.
According to police, Abhishek had sneaked into the PG accommodation and killed Kriti Kumari from Bihar.
The victim was staying with another woman.
In the video, the man is seen walking into the corridor of the paying guest accommodation holding a polythene bag. He then knocks on the door and, later, drags a woman out. The victim resists the attack but is soon overpowered by the murderer, who slits her throat and runs away.
Hearing the loud noise, other women in the building come to the spot, but could not save her.
"Kriti Kumari was working in a private company in the city," a police officer said. -- PTI
11:34 Soldier killed, 4 injured as Army foils BAT attack in JK
An Army personnel was killed and four others, including a captain, were injured as the Indian Army on Saturday foiled an attack by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) in Kamakari sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, military sources said.
A Pakistani intruder was also killed in the exchange of fire, they added.
The BAT generally comprises special forces personnel of the Pakistan Army and terrorists.
"Action by Border Action Team has been foiled by alert Indian Army troops on Saturday morning in Kamakari sector," one of the sources said.
"One Pakistani intruder has been killed," he added.
Two intruders managed to return to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) amid the intense gunfight that lasted for hours, the sources said. -- PTI
11:09 Modi to chair NITI Aayog meet amid Oppn boycott
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the 9th NITI Aayog's Governing Council meeting on Saturday, with a focus on making India a developed nation by 2047.
The meeting is set to take place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, an official release from the government think tank said.
Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin along with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab and Delhi governments have said they will also boycott the meeting.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is set to attend the meeting, said she felt their voices should be raised on a common platform.
This year's theme of NITI Aayog's meeting is 'Viksit Bharat@2047', with a central focus on making India a developed nation. The Governing Council Meeting will discuss the Approach Paper for the Vision Document on Viksit Bharat @2047.
The meeting aims to foster participative governance and collaboration between the Centre and State Governments, enhancing the quality of life for both rural and urban populations by strengthening the delivery mechanisms of government interventions.
The meeting will also see detailed deliberations on the role of states in achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat @2047. India is on track to become the world's third-largest economy, with GDP crossing USD 5 trillion and aspirations to reach a USD 30 trillion economy by 2047.
09:51 3 soldiers injured in exchange of fire in J-K's Kupwara
Three Army personnel were injured in an exchange of fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on Saturday, officials said.
"Some exchange of fire took place near the Kumkadi post in Trehgam sector of the north Kashmir district," one of the officials said.
He added that three Army personnel were injured in the firing.
Further details are awaited as the operation is ongoing, the officials added. -- PTI
09:36 Airfares fly as long holiday week drives demand
Deepak Patel/Business Standard
The average economy-class fare on major routes in the country around the long Rakshabandhan weekend in August has jumped by up to 46 per cent amid high demand.
The long weekend falls between August 15 and 19, with Independence Day on Thursday (August 15) and Rakshabandhan on Monday (August 19).
According to Ixigo's data, reviewed by Business Standard, the average fare for the Bengaluru-Kochi route is Rs 3,446 for the August 14-20 period, and it is 46.3 per cent higher than the corresponding period last year. The average fare for the Bengaluru-Mumbai route is Rs 3,969 for the August 14-20 period -- 37.6 per cent higher than in the corresponding period last year.
Industry sources say a significant number of planes in India continue to be grounded due to engine issues, supply-chain problems, or financial difficulties.
IndiGo, India's largest carrier, said on Friday about 70 of its 382 planes were grounded.
Therefore, the number of flights has not increased at a fast rate, leading to a lack of capacity growth on various major routes.
For example, the number of flights per week on the Bengaluru-Kochi route in August this year is almost the same as last year.
Similarly, the number of weekly flights on the Bengaluru-Mumbai route has reduced by 4.8 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to 472 in August, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
"Long weekends tend to attract higher air fares ... The capacity increase has been limited in Indian skies and such long weekends lead to specific sectors seeing a sudden spurt, which is beyond the capacity added by airlines," Ameya Joshi, an aviation researcher and founder of the aviation blog Network Thoughts, told Business Standard.
The number of flights between Delhi and Pune has remained at about 160 per week and has not increased between August last year and this year, according to Cirium.
The average fare for the Delhi-Pune route was Rs 5,257 for the August 14-20 period -- 22.6 per cent higher than in the corresponding period last year.
Jyoti Mayal, president of the Travel Agents Association of India, told Business Standard as the demand was growing, Indian carriers were finding it hard to get enough planes to accommodate the travellers' rush.
"The industry is facing serious challenges in scaling up capacity to match the demand. The airfare for flights operating between Udaipur and major cities such as Delhi, Jaipur, and Mumbai has seen a notable increase and on the occasion of Rakshabandhan, the flight fares have nearly doubled," she noted.
09:04 Building collapses in Navi Mumbai's Belapur
A four-storey building collapsed in Navi Mumbai's Belapur area early on Saturday and two persons were rescued, while a search operation is underway to find another one feared trapped under the rubble, an NDRF official said.
The incident occurred around 5 am in Shahbaz village, he said.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation's fire brigade personnel rescued two persons after the building collapse and efforts are on to safely bring out another one, who is feared trapped under the debris, the official said.
Further information is awaited. -- PTI
08:42 Trump was indeed struck by bullet, confirms FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday confirmed that former United States president Donald Trump was indeed struck with a bullet in the ear during an assassination attempt on July 13, clearing up conflicting accounts about what caused the former president's injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.
"What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subject's rifle," the agency said in a statement.
The statement from the FBI marked the most definitive law enforcement account of Trump's injuries and followed ambiguous comments earlier in the week from Director Christopher Wray that appeared to cast doubt on whether Trump had actually been hit by a bullet.
Wray testified earlier this week that there was still "some question" about what grazed Trump's right ear during the assassination attempt at his rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month, reported CBS News.
The shooting at Trump's rally on July 13 shocked the nation, resulting in the death of one attendee and leaving two others seriously injured. The assailant, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, allegedly fired a shot that grazed Trump's ear from a rooftop position with a clear line of sight to the stage.
The FBI swiftly labelled the incident as an act of domestic terrorism and an attempted assassination, although the motive behind Crooks's actions remained unclear.
Earlier on Friday, Republican Ronny Jackson of Texas, who served as physician to former President Donald Trump at the White House, said that Trump was hit by a bullet in his right ear.
Jackson wrote in a memorandum to "concerned citizens of the United States" that was shared on social media that he has continued to monitor Trump's health following the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
"The would-be assassin fired multiple rounds from a relatively close distance using a high-powered rifle, with one bullet striking the former president, and now the Republican nominee for president, in his right ear," Jackson stated, according to CBS News.
He said he has reviewed Trump's medical records from Butler Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for a "gunshot wound to the right ear," and agreed with the initial assessment and treatment from the medical staff at the hospital.
"There is absolutely no evidence that it was anything other than a bullet," Jackson wrote. He said that Trump is "rapidly recovering" from the wound and doing "extremely well."
Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray/File image
00:54 Former Gondia MLA Kuthe returns to Uddhav Sena
A month after quitting the Bharatiya Janata Party, former Gondia MLA Rameshkumar Kuthe on Friday returned to the Shiv Sena-UBT with his supporters.
Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray reinducted Kuthe and his younger brother Rajkumar Kuthe in the party at a function at Thackeray's residence `Matoshree' in Mumbai, a party source said.
Rameshkumar Kuthe, an OBC leader who had won from Gondia assembly constituency in 1995 and 1999, quit the Shiv Sena and joined the BJP in 2018, but resigned from the saffron party last month citing dissatisfactory treatment.
His return to the Sena-UBT is expected to give a boost to the party in the district ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections. -- PTI
File image
00:44 Tension at Bengaluru rly station over meat shipment
Tension prevailed at the Bengaluru City Railway Station when a consignment of meat weighing about three tonnes loaded in about 150 cartons reached here from Jaipur in a train on Friday night, railway sources said.
Puneeth Kerehalli, a cow vigilante, earlier jailed on murder charge, claimed it was dog meat.
However, meat dealer Abdul Razzaq, who had ordered the meat, dismissed the charge.
The consignment was ordered legally and it is not dog meat but sheep meat, he said.
"We have legal documents to prove it. One can see the tail of the animal that was slaughtered. It's sheep and not dog," the meat trader said.
He alleged that Kerehalli wanted to make money by levelling false accusation.
Due to the commotion, a large number of people gathered there, and seeing the situation, police have been deployed. -- PTI
File image
00:43 Gruesome details emerge from CCTV footage showing woman being stabbed in Bengaluru
Two days after a woman from Bihar was found murdered with her throat slit in a paying guest accommodation at Koramangala here on July 23, CCTV footage of the said incident emerged on Friday purportedly showing gruesome details of the crime.
According to the police, the assailant sneaked and killed 24-year-old Kriti Kumari on July 23 night.
The murderer has not been arrested yet.
The police sources said the victim was staying with another woman. A few days ago, Kriti Kumari's roommate had moved out of the paying guest accommodation. It is suspected that she had gone to stay with her boyfriend.
On July 23, the woman returned to the PG to stay with Kriti Kumari.
Sources suspect that the assailant had doubts that Kriti Kumari could be instrumental behind the change of her roommate's mind.
The footage shared by the police shows that the man walked into the corridor of the paying guest holding a polythene bag.
He then knocked on the door and dragged the woman out.
The victim resisted the attack but was soon overpowered by the murderer, who slit her throat and ran away. -- PTI
00:33 President Murmu's Jul 29 visit to Maharashtra postponed
President Droupadi Murmu's visit to Maharashtra on July 29 has been postponed, the state legislature informed on Friday.
The President was scheduled to attend the centenary celebrations of the Maharashtra Legislative Council and address legislators.
She was to release a book on the need and importance of the upper house of the state legislature as well as present best legislator and best speech awards. -- PTI
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