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Fri, 14 June 2024
2 women dead in wall collapse in Mumbai
Timeline Refresh
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23:52 2 women dead in wall collapse in Mumbai
Two women died after the wall of a three storey house collapsed in Antop Hill in Mumbai on Friday, a civic official said.
The incident took place in Punjab Galli at 9:25 pm and a search operation at the site was underway, he said.
"A wall portion of the second and third floor of the ground plus upper three floor hutment partially collapsed. Some of it is hanging precariously. Two women, identified as Shobadevi Mourya (45) and Zakirunissa Shaikh (50), were rushed to Sion Hospital where doctors declared them dead on arrival," the official said. -- PTI
23:30 Nagpur cops conduct mock drill at RSS headquarters
More than 50 personnel from various units of the Nagpur police on Friday carried out a mock drill at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters in Nagpur, an official said.
The deputy commissioner rank police official said the drill started at 8pm and went on for about an hour. The personnel involved included those from the Quick Response Team (QRT), he said.
The drill was a regular one to monitor the security apparatus and check on the law and order situation, the official added.
The drill was held on Monday since Bakri Eid will be celebrated on Monday, the official added. -- PTI
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22:49 Passengers jump off train over rumours of fire
Some passengers of the Sasaram Intercity Express jumped off the train over rumours of a fire breaking out Friday evening and were hit by a goods train on the adjacent track, officials said, adding it might have caused 'some casualties'.
The incident occurred around 8 pm at the Kumandih railway station in Dhanbad Division, its Divisional Railway Manager said.
"We don't have the confirmed number of deaths but I have come to know that some casualties are there. We are trying to gather more information," he told PTI.
21:52 Mumbai college students move HC over hijab ban
Nine students have moved the Bombay high court challenging a directive issued by their college imposing a ban on hijab, burka and naqab in the classroom.
In their petition, the girls said the ban imposed by the Chembur Trombay Education Society' s NG Acharya and DK Marathe College was 'arbitrary, unreasonable, bad-in-law and perverse'.
A bench headed by Justice AS Chandurkar will hear the petition next week.
As per the plea, on May 1, a notice along with a message was circulated on the college's WhatsApp group, which includes faculty members and students, imposing a dress code restriction on burka, naqab, hijab, badges, cap and stole.
The petitioners, who are second and third year degree students, said such a directive was 'nothing but colourable exercise of power'.
The naqab, burka and hijab are an integral part of the petitioners' religious belief and imposing a ban on it was violative of their fundamental rights, the plea contended.
The petitioners initially requested the college management and principal to withdraw the restriction on naqab, burka and hijab and allow it 'as a matter of right of choice, dignity and privacy in the classroom'.
They also raised their grievance against the notice with the chancellor and vice chancellor of the University as well as University Grants Commission requesting their intervention 'to upkeep the spirit of imparting education to all citizens without discrimination'.
However, when they did not get any response, the students filed a petition in HC, the plea said, adding the notice was issued without any authority of law and was hence bad-in-law, null and void.
The plea sought the high court to quash the notice. -- PTI
21:45 Mirwaiz Farooq appeals to Kashmiri Pandits to return to homeland
It is time to reconcile and rebuild the broken bonds, Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said on Friday as he appealed to the Kashmiri Pandits to return to their homeland.
In his address at the Friday congregation at the historic Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area here, he felicitated the Kashmiri Pandit community on the occasion of Mela Kheer Bhawani.
Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits paid obeisance at the Mata Kheer Bhawani temple at Tulmulla in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district on Friday. Mela Kheer Bhawani -- an annual event at the Kheer Bhawani temple dedicated to Rangya Devi -- is also celebrated in other shrines and temples in Jammu and Kashmir to mark 'Zyeth Atham' or 'Jyeshtha Ashtami'.
A large number of Kashmiri Pandits left their homes and fled the valley in 1990 in the wake of the eruption of militancy in the region.
The Mirwaiz said the community should return to their homeland which awaits them.
"Today is Mela Kheer Bhawani and I would like to felicitate our Kashmiri Pandit community on this occasion. I would also once again ask them to return to their homeland which awaits them and live here as they did in the past in our common and shared heritage. It is time to reconcile and rebuild the broken bonds. We owe it to our next generation," he said.
Referring to the incident of two people allegedly consuming liquor during a shikara ride in the Dal Lake here, the Hurriyat chairman said the 'outrageous incident has shocked us all'.
Police have registered a case into the incident and two people have been arrested.
"Thankfully some action has been taken against it by the authorities. But, the onus of preventing such incidents lies equally on us individually and as a society. Being a tourist place, all kinds of visitors will come here.
"It is for us to ensure that the ethos of Kashmir based on the values and principles of Islam stays intact. We have to be aware of it all the time and consciously work towards preserving it, especially those people who are directly or indirectly associated with tourism," the Mirwaiz said.
He expressed hope that they will continue to play an active role in 'preserving our moral and religious character'.
The Hurriyat Conference chairman demanded an investigation into the death of a youth allegedly while in police custody earlier this month in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.
The incident should be investigated and the accused punished, he said.
The Mirwaiz also said dismissal of government employees from the service adds to 'distress among people'.
"Such measures only add to the mistrust and only deepen the chasm," he added. -- PTI
20:47 Sunetra Pawar 'ready to accept central ministry'
Set to be elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha, Sunetra Pawar, wife of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar, on Friday said she will be happy to accept any offer of berth in the Union Council of Ministers and strive to make most of the opportunity.
She said her party Nationalist Congress Party is doing an introspection of her loss in the Baramati Lok Sabha seat in Pune district and will take corrective measures post the analysis.
Sunetra Pawar lost to her sister-in-law and NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar MP Supriya Sule in the western Maharashtra constituency.
On Thursday, she filed her nomination papers in Mumbai as the NCP candidate for a Rajya Sabha bypoll in the state. Since she is the only candidate in the fray, Sunetra Pawar is set to be elected unopposed to the Upper House of Parliament.
She was accorded a grand welcome by local NCP unit when she arrived in Pune.
Asked by reporters if she will accept an offer of berth in the central ministry, she said, "Of course, if given a chance, I will surely seize the opportunity."
The NCP, headed by Ajit Pawar, a Bharatiya Janata Party ally, currently has no representation in the new BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre which was sworn-in on Sunday last.
The NCP turned down the BJP's offer to accommodate senior leader Praful Patel as a minister of state with independent charge in the new NDA government.
Sunetra Pawar said during campaigning in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, a stronghold of the Pawar family, she received tremendous response from people, but ultimately voters' verdict has to be accepted.
"We are doing an introspection (of the loss in Baramati) of what exactly happened and after the analysis, corrective measures will be taken," she emphasised.
Sunetra Pawar thanked the NCP's senior leadership and party workers for giving her an opportunity to enter the Rajya Sabha. -- PTI
20:39 Annamalai calls on Tamilisai, praises her hardwork
Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party president K Annamalai visited party leader Tamilisai Soundararajan in Chennai on Friday and said her political experience is providing impetus for the party's growth.
After calling on Soundararajan at her residence here, Annamalai, in a post on X, said he was extremely happy in visiting 'Akka Tamilisai', a senior leader who functioned efficiently as the party's Tamil Nadu unit chief.
Soundararajan, when she led the party in the state resolutely said that lotus will bloom in Tamil Nadu and worked hard to achieve it. Her 'political experience and her advice is continuously providing an impetus for the party's growth', Annamalai said.
In a post on X, Soundararajan said she was happy to meet Annamalai.
Annamalai's visit comes days after a war of words between supporters of Soundararajan and the Saffron party's state unit chief in the social media following BJP's electoral drubbing in Tamil Nadu.
Also, senior leader and Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to her during the swearing-in ceremony of N Chandrababu Naidu as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister. A video clip of their conversation became a political talking point.
Putting speculation to rest, Soundararajan said on June 13: 'Yesterday as I met our Honorable Home Minister Sri @AmitShah ji in AP for the first time after the 2024 elections he called me to ask about post poll follow-up and the challenges faced.'
'As I was elaborating, due to paucity of time with utmost concern, he advised me to carry out the political and constituency work intensively which was reassuring. This is to clarify all unwarranted speculations,' she said.
Soundararajan contested from the South Chennai Lok Sabha seat. She lost the election to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Tamizhachi Thangapandian.
Her alleged comments on 'criminal elements' in the BJP and that 'the party would have won had there been an alliance with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam' were among the triggering factors.
Annamalai's supporters opposed such remarks and hit out at her, using memes as well in social media, for jumping the gun.
Annamalai himself had pointed to the possibility of a win for the opposition in Tamil Nadu (AIADMK, BJP) in a number of constituencies if the votes of Saffron party and that of the AIADMK were added up, which showed that the winner had scored less than the opposition's combined score.
However, he did not appear to have favoured an alliance with the AIADMK.
Subsequently, AIADMK leader S P Velumani too had spoken on the probability of victory in a number of seats had there been an alliance with the BJP.
Later, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami had again ruled out the scope for an alliance with the national party. -- PTI
20:05 Rajat Sharma sues Cong leaders for defamation
Veteran journalist Rajat Sharma on Friday claimed before the Delhi high court that he was defamed by Congress leaders Ragini Nayak, Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera over use of 'abusive language' during his show on the Lok Sabha elections result day.
Sharma's counsel urged the court to grant ex parte relief by ordering removal of the alleged offensive tweets and videos against him on social media and restraining the political leaders from making allegations against him.
The lawsuit came up for hearing before a vacation bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna who, after hearing arguments on behalf of Sharma, reserved the order on the interim prayer.
"Arguments heard. Order in chamber," the judge said.
Sharma, the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Independent News Service Private Limited (INDIA TV), was also present during the hearing.
The controversy arose after Nayak accused Sharma of abusing her on national television during a debate on the show on the counting day of 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Sharma's counsel said while the debate was happening on the channel on the evening of June 4, the day when election results came, the Congress leaders started tweeting only on June 10 and 11.
Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing Sharma, contended that a clip of the show was being circulated in which an abuse had been inserted whereas the original footage does not contain any such content.
He also played the video clip for perusal of the court.
"There is no abuse. Six days after the live show they tweet that this anchor has used abuse against this lady. They held a press conference on June 11. On June 4, she did not say there was any abuse. She did not hear it on that day," the senior lawyer submitted.
"The program is live telecast. They had no grievance till June 10th night, for six days. Surely defendant nos. 4-6 (Congress leaders) are having friends, followers and family members who would have pointed out if they heard. They got into some design (against Sharma)...," Singh argued.
Urging the court to grant an ex-parte injunction, the lawyer contended that personal reputation of the journalist was involved and immediate orders are required in such cases.
He prayed that the tweets be taken down immediately as their presence on social media is causing loss to the journalist's reputation earned in the last four decades.
"This was a live show and millions of people were watching it. If it remains there, people will keep on abusing him. The balance of convenience lies in favour of the plaintiff (Sharma). It should be removed immediately. I (Sharma) am not known for shouting or abusing anyone. I am known for my civilized behaviour," Sharma submitted. -- PTI
Sharma's counsel urged the court to grant ex parte relief by ordering removal of the alleged offensive tweets and videos against him on social media and restraining the political leaders from making allegations against him.
The lawsuit came up for hearing before a vacation bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna who, after hearing arguments on behalf of Sharma, reserved the order on the interim prayer.
"Arguments heard. Order in chamber," the judge said.
Sharma, the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Independent News Service Private Limited (INDIA TV), was also present during the hearing.
The controversy arose after Nayak accused Sharma of abusing her on national television during a debate on the show on the counting day of 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Sharma's counsel said while the debate was happening on the channel on the evening of June 4, the day when election results came, the Congress leaders started tweeting only on June 10 and 11.
Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing Sharma, contended that a clip of the show was being circulated in which an abuse had been inserted whereas the original footage does not contain any such content.
He also played the video clip for perusal of the court.
"There is no abuse. Six days after the live show they tweet that this anchor has used abuse against this lady. They held a press conference on June 11. On June 4, she did not say there was any abuse. She did not hear it on that day," the senior lawyer submitted.
"The program is live telecast. They had no grievance till June 10th night, for six days. Surely defendant nos. 4-6 (Congress leaders) are having friends, followers and family members who would have pointed out if they heard. They got into some design (against Sharma)...," Singh argued.
Urging the court to grant an ex-parte injunction, the lawyer contended that personal reputation of the journalist was involved and immediate orders are required in such cases.
He prayed that the tweets be taken down immediately as their presence on social media is causing loss to the journalist's reputation earned in the last four decades.
"This was a live show and millions of people were watching it. If it remains there, people will keep on abusing him. The balance of convenience lies in favour of the plaintiff (Sharma). It should be removed immediately. I (Sharma) am not known for shouting or abusing anyone. I am known for my civilized behaviour," Sharma submitted. -- PTI
Arundhati Roy
19:54 Delhi LG okays prosecuting Arundhati Roy, J-K prof under UAPA
Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena has accorded sanction to prosecute author Arundhati Roy and a former professor in Kashmir under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly making provocative speeches at an event in Delhi in 2010, Raj Niwas officials said on Friday.
The FIR against Roy and former Central University of Kashmir professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain was registered following the orders of the court of metropolitan magistrate, New Delhi, they added.
There was no immediate reaction from Roy and Hussain.
The FIR in the matter was registered on a complaint made by Sushil Pandit, a social activist from Kashmir, on October 28, 2010.
"Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena has sanctioned the prosecution of Arundhati Roy and former professor of international law in Central University of Kashmir, Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain, under section 45 (1) of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case," a Raj Niwas official said on Friday.
Last October, the LG had granted sanction to prosecute them under section 196 of CrPC for commission of offences punishable under different sections of the Indian Penal Code: 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).
Roy and Hussain had allegedly made provocative speeches at a conference organised under the banner of 'Azadi - The Only Way' on October 21, 2010, at LTG Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, Delhi.
"The issues discussed and spoken about at the conference propagated the separation of Kashmir from India," said the official.
Those who delivered speeches at the conference included Syed Ali Shah Geelani, SAR Geelani (anchor of the Conference and prime accused in the Parliament attack case), Arundhati Roy, Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain and Varavara Rao.
The complainant filed a complaint under Section 156(3) of CrPC before the metropolitan magistrate court, New Delhi, who disposed the complaint on November 27, 2010, with the directions to register an FIR.
Accordingly, an FIR was registered and investigation was carried out, they said.
19:44 Aunt moves HC challenging Pune teen's detention
A paternal aunt of the teenager allegedly involved in the Pune Porsche car crash that killed two IT professionals last month has moved the Bombay high court claiming the boy was in 'illegal' detention and sought his immediate release.
The woman, in her habeas corpus (produce the person) plea, has sought immediate release of the 17-year-old boy, who is currently lodged at an observation home in Pune.
The petition said no matter from what perception this unfortunate incident is looked at, it was an accident and the person who was said to be driving the vehicle was a minor.
The petition, filed on June 10, came up for hearing before a division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande on Friday.
A habeas corpus petition is filed to ensure a person under arrest is brought before a court which determines whether the detention is legal.
Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar, representing the Pune police, challenged the maintainability of the petition and argued the boy was in legal custody in the observation home.
Senior advocate Aabad Ponda, representing the petitioner, sought the urgent release of the boy.
After the arguments, the bench posted the hearing on the plea for June 20.
The woman, in her habeas corpus (produce the person) plea, has sought immediate release of the 17-year-old boy, who is currently lodged at an observation home in Pune.
The petition said no matter from what perception this unfortunate incident is looked at, it was an accident and the person who was said to be driving the vehicle was a minor.
The petition, filed on June 10, came up for hearing before a division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande on Friday.
A habeas corpus petition is filed to ensure a person under arrest is brought before a court which determines whether the detention is legal.
Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar, representing the Pune police, challenged the maintainability of the petition and argued the boy was in legal custody in the observation home.
Senior advocate Aabad Ponda, representing the petitioner, sought the urgent release of the boy.
After the arguments, the bench posted the hearing on the plea for June 20.
Representational image
18:59 Marriage made in heaven, done by the UP police
From getting the invitation cards printed, doing the kanyadaan and arranging a feast for more than 500 guests, the Shahjahanpur district police took care of everything at the wedding of a 20-year-old woman whose father recently committed suicide.
Mahima's mother Guddi Devi would have found it difficult to hold the ceremony. She has three other daughters and a 12-year-old son.
Unable to pay a bank loan, her husband Ram Asrey, 42, an auto-rickshaw driver, killed himself in April.
Baraatis were welcomed by police personnel, said Shahjahanpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashok Kumar Meena, who performed the kanyadaan along with SHO Dayashankar Singh at the wedding on Thursday.
The expenses for Mahima's wedding was borne by the police, he told PTI on Friday and added that the 500 baraatis were welcomed at the marriage venue by police personnel.
The SP said after the marriage was over, gold and silver jewellery and gifts such as a mobile phone, a washing machine and furniture were given to Mahima.
Mahima, a Dalit, tied the nuptial knot with Manoj Kumar of Etmadpur village.
Meena said Asrey, a resident of Kamal Nainpur village, hanged himself on April 16 as he was unable to pay a bank loan.
When the SHO of Kanth police station, Dayashankar Singh, went to Mahima's house, he came to know about the incident, the SP said.
Meena said after Singh told him about the family and its financial condition, "we decided arranged everything for her marriage".
The police printed the wedding invitation cards and invited relatives of the bride, the SP said and added that on June 12, policemen reached the village of the groom to apply 'tilak'.
Devi said after the death of her husband, everyone was worried about Mahima's marriage.
"In such a situation, the police came forward and helped us," she said.
18:39 HC restrains CID from arresting Yediyurappa
Karnataka high court on Friday restrained the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) from arresting former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in connection with a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case registered against him.
It also directed the veteran BJP leader to appear before the CID, which is probing the case, on June 17.
A Bengaluru court on Thursday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Yediyurappa in the case registered against him under the POCSO Act on March 14 this year.
The Special Investigation Team of the CID had moved the First Fast Track Court seeking an arrest warrant against him since he failed to appear for questioning on Wednesday.
Yediyurappa had sought time to join the probe.
According to reports, the veteran BJP leader has gone to an 'undisclosed' location in New Delhi.
According to police, Yediyurappa has been booked under the POCSO Act and Section 354 A (Sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that he molested her daughter during a meeting on February two this year, at his residence in Dollars Colony in Bengaluru.
Yediyurappa, who has denied the charge and said he would fight the case legally, had filed two separate petitions in the High Court, seeking anticipatory bail and quashing of the first information report (FIR).
The high court, which adjourned the hearing for two weeks, during the hearing observed that the 81-year-old Yediyurappa is now in the sunset of his life and it is not appropriate to arrest him.
Noting that Yediyurappa had sent a letter to the police volunteering to appear for inquiry on July 17, Justice Krishna S Dixit said, 'the court cannot jump to the conclusion that a case is made out for arrest or detention or for custodial interrogation of the petitioner who happens to be the former Chief Minister of the state and in the late evening of his life with ailments natural to that age.'
Senior Advocate C V Nagesh appeared for Yediyurappa and argued that the latter had been served notice under 41 (a) of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and, hence, there was no requirement for his arrest.
Nagesh also cited Supreme Court verdicts and requested the court to grant anticipatory bail.
On behalf of the Government, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty appeared and tried to convince the court by saying Yediyurappa skipped two notices served by SIT.
Shetty also said that an arrest warrant was necessary since Yediyurappa is not in Karnataka, adding that without a warrant other state police would not support them to take the accused into custody.
Nagesh countered this by arguing that Yediyurappa had already appeared for questioning, given his voice sample and completely cooperated with the police.
On the other hand, the advocate appearing for the victim, senior Advocate Balan told the court that the police did not investigate the case properly and hence the arrest was needed.
He also said the accused is highly influential and to protect the evidence from being tampered with, it is necessary to take him into custody and continue the investigation.
Nagesh drew the attention of the court regarding other cases filed by the victim's 54-year-old mother, who passed away recently, against her own son and husband.
The victim's brother had filed a petition in the court earlier this week alleging that though the case was registered on March 14, no progress has been made in the investigation. The petitioner prayed that Yediyurappa should be arrested and interrogated.
After the Sadashivanagar police registered the case in March, the Karnataka Director General of Police Alok Mohan had issued an order transferring it to the CID for further investigation.
In April, the CID collected the voice sample of Yediyurappa after summoning him to the office. -- PTI
It also directed the veteran BJP leader to appear before the CID, which is probing the case, on June 17.
A Bengaluru court on Thursday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Yediyurappa in the case registered against him under the POCSO Act on March 14 this year.
The Special Investigation Team of the CID had moved the First Fast Track Court seeking an arrest warrant against him since he failed to appear for questioning on Wednesday.
Yediyurappa had sought time to join the probe.
According to reports, the veteran BJP leader has gone to an 'undisclosed' location in New Delhi.
According to police, Yediyurappa has been booked under the POCSO Act and Section 354 A (Sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that he molested her daughter during a meeting on February two this year, at his residence in Dollars Colony in Bengaluru.
Yediyurappa, who has denied the charge and said he would fight the case legally, had filed two separate petitions in the High Court, seeking anticipatory bail and quashing of the first information report (FIR).
The high court, which adjourned the hearing for two weeks, during the hearing observed that the 81-year-old Yediyurappa is now in the sunset of his life and it is not appropriate to arrest him.
Noting that Yediyurappa had sent a letter to the police volunteering to appear for inquiry on July 17, Justice Krishna S Dixit said, 'the court cannot jump to the conclusion that a case is made out for arrest or detention or for custodial interrogation of the petitioner who happens to be the former Chief Minister of the state and in the late evening of his life with ailments natural to that age.'
Senior Advocate C V Nagesh appeared for Yediyurappa and argued that the latter had been served notice under 41 (a) of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and, hence, there was no requirement for his arrest.
Nagesh also cited Supreme Court verdicts and requested the court to grant anticipatory bail.
On behalf of the Government, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty appeared and tried to convince the court by saying Yediyurappa skipped two notices served by SIT.
Shetty also said that an arrest warrant was necessary since Yediyurappa is not in Karnataka, adding that without a warrant other state police would not support them to take the accused into custody.
Nagesh countered this by arguing that Yediyurappa had already appeared for questioning, given his voice sample and completely cooperated with the police.
On the other hand, the advocate appearing for the victim, senior Advocate Balan told the court that the police did not investigate the case properly and hence the arrest was needed.
He also said the accused is highly influential and to protect the evidence from being tampered with, it is necessary to take him into custody and continue the investigation.
Nagesh drew the attention of the court regarding other cases filed by the victim's 54-year-old mother, who passed away recently, against her own son and husband.
The victim's brother had filed a petition in the court earlier this week alleging that though the case was registered on March 14, no progress has been made in the investigation. The petitioner prayed that Yediyurappa should be arrested and interrogated.
After the Sadashivanagar police registered the case in March, the Karnataka Director General of Police Alok Mohan had issued an order transferring it to the CID for further investigation.
In April, the CID collected the voice sample of Yediyurappa after summoning him to the office. -- PTI
18:31 Aamir's son's debut film doesn't drop on Netflix
YRF Entertainment's Maharaj did not premiere on Netflix on Friday as scheduled after the Gujarat high court stayed its release following a petition by members of a Hindu sect who claimed the film would hurt their religious sentiments.
The film, in which Aamir Khan's son Junaid Khan makes his debut, is based on an 1862 libel case between a Vaishnavite religious leader and a journalist, Karsandas Mulji, who alleged in an article in a Gujarati weekly that the godman had sexual liaisons with his women devotees.
Maharaj caught the attention of social media users on Wednesday with hashtags such as "Boycott Netflix" and "Ban Maharaj Film" trending on X.
On Thursday, Aamir Khan was also trending on the social media platform.
Responding to a petition by members of Pushtimarg, a Vaishnav sect of Hinduism, the Gujarat high court stayed the film's release on Thursday.
A single-judge bench of Justice Sangeeta Vishen passed the order against the film and issued notices to the Centre, Netflix and Yash Raj Films.
The court has posted the matter for further hearing on June 18.
YRF and Netflix are challenging the stay order, said a trade insider.
"The matter is in court. Maharaj is based on a real-life case. It is adapted from Saurabh Shah's book titled Maharaj. The author has also come out to say that the film does not vilify the Vaishnav community or the religion.
"It is about a social reformer who brought about a positive change in society. The makers are hopeful for a positive outcome on this," the trade source said.
The mortal remains of the 45 Indians at the Kochi airport
17:52 IAF plane carrying Kuwait fire victims reaches Delhi
A special IAF flight carrying the mortal remains of the deceased in the fire tragedy in Kuwait, arrives at Palam Technical Airport, Delhi, from Kochi.
A C130J aircraft carrying the bodies of 45 Indians, who died in the incident two days ago in Kuwait's Mangaf, landed at the Kochi international airport around 10.30 am.
Thirty-one bodies were received at the Kochi airport by Central and state ministers, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The remaining 14 bodies were sent to Delhi in the same aircraft as a domestic flight from Kochi, airport authorities said.
The special IAF aircraft had taken off for Kochi from Kuwait on Friday morning. At least 49 foreign workers were killed and 50 others injured in the fire on Wednesday at the seven-storey building where 196 migrant workers were staying in the southern city of Mangaf. PTI
17:30 Wholesale inflation rises to 15-month high
The wholesale inflation rose to a 15-month high of 2.61 per cent in May, as heatwave conditions pushed up prices of food items, specially vegetables, and on costlier manufactured products. The wholesale price index (WPI) based inflation has been rising for three months in a row. It was 1.26 per cent in the previous month and (-) 3.61 per cent in May 2023.
17:14 Modi talks 'peace and humanity' to Zelenskyy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday conveyed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting that India believes in a "human-centric" approach and that the way to peace is through "dialogue and diplomacy".
Modi met Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Italy's Apulia region. The prime minister described the meeting with the Ukrainian president as "very productive" and said India is eager to "further cement" bilateral relations with Ukraine.
"Had a very productive meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. India is eager to further cement bilateral relations with Ukraine," Modi said on 'X'.
"Regarding the ongoing hostilities, reiterated that India believes in a human-centric approach and believes that the way to peace is through dialogue and diplomacy," he said.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the two leaders reviewed bilateral relationship and exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine.
"Furthering India-Ukraine partnership! PM @narendramodi met President @ZelenskyyUa of Ukraine on the sidelines of the 50th G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy," he said on 'X'.
"The leaders reviewed bilateral relationship and exchanged views on situation in Ukraine. PM conveyed that India continues to encourage peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy," he said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra were part of Modi's delegation at the talks. It is learnt that Zelenskyy briefed Modi on various aspects of the conflict.
17:07 Sheena Bora's bones untraceable, CBI court told
The bones and remains allegedly of Sheena Bora that were recovered by police in Raigad in Maharashtra are not traceable, the prosecution told a Central Bureau of Investigation court that is conducting the trial in the case.
The prosecution made this revelation on Thursday during the deposition of a forensic expert doctor from state-run JJ hospital in Mumbai's Byculla area. The court is currently recording the testimony of the forensics expert who had first examined the bones recovered by Pen police in 2012 from the spot where Sheena Bora's burnt body was buried.
Indrani Mukerjea is the prime accused in the murder case of her daughter Sheena Bora. The 24-year-old was allegedly killed in April 2012, as per police, while the murder came to light in 2015.
On Thursday, special public prosecutor CJ Nandode told court the articles (bones and remains of victim's body), which were referred and examined by the witness (forensics expert), are not traceable despite diligent search. Nandode further told court the prosecution intends to proceed with further chief-examination of the witness without showing the articles to her as they are untraceable.
The CBI court adjourned the matter to June 27 for further recording of evidence after defence advocates said they have no objection to prosecution's request. -- PTI
16:40 What Modi discussed with Sunak at G7
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met his British counterpart Rishi Sunak and reaffirmed his commitment to further strengthen the India-UK strategic partnership in the third term of the NDA government and reviewed the progress made in the ongoing FTA negotiations.
The two leaders greeted each other with a warm hug as they met on the sidelines of the 50th G7 Summit at the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia in Apulia.
"It was a delight to meet PM @RishiSunak in Italy. I reiterated my commitment to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the third term of the NDA Government," Modi posted on X soon after their meeting. "There is great scope to deepen ties in sectors like semiconductors, technology and trade. We also talked about further cementing ties in the defence sector," Modi wrote.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal described the meeting between the two leaders as "fruitful." "The two leaders took stock of bilateral relations in areas of defence and security, trade and economic collaboration, critical and high technology sectors and people to people connect. They discussed implementation of Roadmap 2030 and progress made in ongoing FTA negotiations," Jaiswal posted on X.
Sunak and Modi last met in person at the G20 Summit in New Delhi last September, when they had agreed to accelerate the FTA talks with the hope of signing off before India's general election. However, the trade talks are now expected to resume only after a new UK government is elected on July 4.
The India-UK FTA negotiations, which opened in January 2022, are aimed at significantly enhancing bilateral trade currently worth around 38.1 billion pounds a year as per official statistics from earlier this year. Modi's meeting with Sunak followed his talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.
He is attending the summit on the invitation of Italian President Georgia Meloni and will address an Outreach session on Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and the Mediterranean alongside leaders of other invited countries and Pope Francis. PTI
16:15 Delight to meet Rishi Sunak: PM
PM Narendra Modi shared this picture writing on X: "It was a delight to meet PM @RishiSunak in Italy. I reiterated my commitment to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the third term of the NDA Government. There is great scope to deepen ties in sectors like semiconductors, technology and trade. We also talked about further cementing ties in the defence sector."
16:12 Modi meets Ukrainian prez Zelenskyy on G7 margins
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of G7 summit in Italy's Apulia region. It is learnt that Zelenskyy briefed Modi on various aspects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Modi had met Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the previous G7 summit in Hiroshima in May last year as well. India has been maintaining that the conflict in Ukraine must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. PTI
Representational image
15:54 Muslim woman allotted flat under CM scheme in Vadodara, residents protest
The 44-year-old mother says the protests first began in 2020 when the residents wrote to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), seeking her house allotment to be invalidated. Read the report here.
15:37 Modi, Macron discuss bilateral partnership
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal tweets, "PM Narendra Modi met President Emmanuel Macron of France on the sidelines of the 50th G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy. The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen partnership including in areas of defence, nuclear, space, education, climate action, digital public infrastructure, critical technologies, connectivity and culture. They also exchanged views on key global and regional issues."
15:34 Modi meets Sunak
Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with UK PM Rishi Sunak in Apulia, on the sidelines of G7 Summit. The two leaders share a hug as they meet.
15:28 PM meets Macron on sidelines of G7 Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met French President Emmanuel Macron and believed to have discussed ways to further bolster the bilateral ties and exchanged views on global issues.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Bari in the southern resort town of Italy. It is Prime Minister Modi's first foreign trip after assuming office for a third time this month.
The two leaders last met in January when the French President visited India to attend the 75th Republic Day of India.
During their last meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed their shared vision for bilateral cooperation and international partnership, outlined in Horizon 2047 and other documents from the July 2023 Summit. Horizon 2047 Roadmap sets an ambitious and broad-ranging course for the bilateral relationship for 2047, the centenary year of India's independence. PTI
15:11 NEET scam is Vyapam 2.0, but PM silent: Cong
Stepping up its attack on the government over the NEET exam issue, the Congress on Friday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" on the matter and asserted that only a Supreme Court-monitored forensic probe can safeguard the future of lakhs of young students.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that the Modi government has started "covering up the NEET scam" through Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the National Testing Agency (NTA). "If the paper was not leaked in NEET then -- why were 13 accused arrested in Bihar due to paper leak? Did the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Patna police not expose the payment of Rs 30 lakh-Rs 50 lakh to the education mafia and organised gangs involved in the racket in exchange for papers?" he said in a post in Hindi on X.
"Has NEET-UG cheating racket not been busted in Godhra, Gujarat? In which three people are involved including a person running a coaching centre, a teacher and another person and according to Gujarat Police, transactions of more than Rs 12 crore have come to light between the accused?" Kharge said.
"If according to the Modi government, no paper was leaked in NEET, then why were these arrests made," he asked. "What conclusion is drawn from this? Was the Modi government trying to fool the people of the country earlier or now? The Modi government has crushed the aspirations of 24 lakh youth," Kharge said.
Twenty four lakh youth appear in NEET exam to become doctors, and work hard day and night for one lakh medical seats, he said.
"Out of these 1 lakh seats, around 55,000 are in government colleges where seats are reserved for SC, ST, OBC, EWS categories. This time the Modi government has misused the NTA and has massively rigged the marks and ranks, due to which the cut-off for reserved seats has also increased," the Congress chief alleged. It appears that a game of grace marks, paper leaks and rigging was played to deprive meritorious students from getting government admission at concessional rates, Kharge said. -- PTI
The charred skeleton of the bus
14:48 'Terrorists kept firing even when bus fell in gorge'
Terrorists kept firing at the bus even after it fell into the gorge, Neelam Gupta, who was one of the 41 injured in the attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, said, recalling the June 9 incident.
Nine people were killed in the attack on the vehicle that was carrying pilgrims from the Shiv Khori temple to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra.
The 53-seater bus veered off the road due to indiscriminate firing by the terrorists and fell into the gorge near Teryath village in the Poni. The pilgrims were from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.
Neelam was in the bus along with her husband Devi Prasad Gupta, son Prince, daughter Palak, sister Bittan, relative Dinesh Gupta and friend Deepak Kumar Rai, and they all returned home in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district on Thursday night after undergoing treatment in Jammu. Besides them, Rajesh Gupta, the eighth from the district who was injured in the attack, is still admitted at the Jammu hospital and his condition is critical.
He is Neelam Gupta's brother.
The terrorists were targeting the bus driver and the vehicle overturned and fell into the gorge, said Devi Prasad Gupta, a resident of Bhikharipur village.
"We left for Jammu on June 4 by train. Our plan included visiting the Maa Vaishno Devi shrine on June 9, the day our bus was attacked," he said.
Neelam Gupta said even after the bus fell into the gorge, the terrorists kept firing. It seemed that their target was to kill everybody on the bus, she said.
The passengers were scared and lay low to avoid being hit by bullets, she said and added that, "after sometime, when the firing stopped and we were sure the terrorists left, those injured were slowly taken out from the bus by locals".
In some time, security personnel also arrived at the spot and those hurt were taken to hospital in ambulances, Neelam Gupta, who suffered a fracture in her left leg, recalled.
Devi Prasad Gupta said he still has pain in his left ribs and hands. The administrative and police teams of Gonda district reached Jammu to assist us and we are thankful to them, " he said. PTI
14:19 Water reaching Delhi reducing continuously: Atishi
Delhi Water minister Atishi on Friday said water production in the national capital is decreasing continuously as less water is reaching the Yamuna river in the national capital.
The AAP dispensation has been alleging that Haryana has not been releasing Delhi's share of water.
"Due to less water reaching Yamuna, water production in Delhi is continuously decreasing. Under normal circumstances, 1005 MGD of water is produced in Delhi, but it has been continuously decreasing since last one week," she said in a post on X in Hindi.
"Due to reduced production, there is water shortage in many parts of Delhi. Everyone is requested to use water very economically," she said.
Sharing figures, the minister said the water production on June 6 was 1,002 million gallons per day (MGD) which declined to 993 MGD the next day and 990 MGD on June 8.
It was 978 MGD on June 9 and 958 MGD the next day. On June 11, June 12 and June 13, it stood at 919 MGD, 951 MGD and 939 MGD respectively, the minister added. Delhi has been grappling with a water crisis. PTI
14:00 Massive fire at Kolkata mall, evacuation on
A massive fire broke out on the third floor of a shopping mall in the southern part of Kolkata on Friday, prompting authorities to evacuate the building, an official said.
Ten fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze which broke out at the mall in Kasba area around 12.15 pm, he added.
"As of now, there is no report of any injury. Firefighting operations are underway. Some firefighters have entered the building wearing oxygen masks," the official told PTI. The entire area was engulfed in smoke and traffic movement in front of the mall has been regulated, a senior officer of Kolkata Traffic Police said.
Kannada actors Darshan and Pavithra
13:22 Biryani not served to Darshan in custody: K'taka HM
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday denied reports that "royal treatment" was being given to Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and his associates at a police station in Bengaluru, where they are held after their arrest in connection with a murder case.
He said Darshan is being given similar treatment as given to any other accused, adding that neither 'Biryani' was served nor special facilities were being provided to him.
"I will instruct the police to take necessary measures in the interest of the public, but we should also let them investigate freely. It is not possible for police to give Biryani and royal treatment to the accused. It is not done and it should not be done," Parameshwara told reporters.
"On hearing such (complaints) from you (media), I inquired. They (police) said, no such facilities are being given and it will not be done. How other accused are treated, he (Darshan) is also treated in the same way. There is no mercy.... They (police) should be given free hand. I have also inquired with the (Bengaluru Police) Commissioner," the Minister said.
He was responding to a question on reports of police causing inconvenience to the public near Annapoorneshwari Nagar police station, where Darshan is held, by restricting movement of people nearby by blocking roads, and not allowing even school vans and ambulances to pass by.
13:11 CBI probe into NEET: SC seeks Centre's response
In a significant development amid a raging row over the NEET-UG, the Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre and the NTA on a plea seeking a CBI probe into allegations of question paper leak and other irregularities in the exam.
A vacation bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, which was hearing a PIL filed by Hiten Singh Kashyap, also sought responses from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Bihar government within two weeks.
It said the PIL will also be taken up with other pending ones on July 8, when the top court will start functioning after the summer vacation. The Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) had on Thursday told the Supreme Court they had cancelled the grace marks given to 1,563 candidates who took the examination for admission to MBBS and other such courses.
They will have the option to either take a re-test or forgo the compensatory marks awarded to them for the loss of time, the Centre had said. The examination was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres and around 24 lakh candidates appeared for it.
The results were expected to be declared on June 14 but were announced on June 4, apparently because the evaluation of the answer sheets was completed earlier. There have been allegations of question paper leaks in states like Bihar and other irregularities in the prestigious exam. -- PTI
12:36 SC issues notices on NTA's plea on NEET-UG row
The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to private parties on a plea of the National Testing Agency seeking transfer of cases pending in various high courts on the NEET-UG row to the top court to avoid multiplicity of litigation.
A vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta took note of the submission of the National Testing Agency's (NTA) counsel that several pleas, seeking cancellation of the National Eligibility cum Entrance TestUnder Graduate, 2024 on the allegations of question paper leak and other malpractices, are pending in several high courts.
Issue notice, the bench said, adding they will be taken up for hearing on July 8. The NTA, meanwhile, said it wanted to withdraw three other petitions, which were seeking transfer of cases from high courts to the top court, as they pertained to grant of grace marks to 1,563 candidates on account of loss of time during the examination on May 5.
12:31 HC seeks police stand on Bibhav Kumar's bail plea
The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the city police's stand on the bail plea of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar in the case pertaining to the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal.
A vacation bench of Justice Amit Sharma issued notice on the bail plea and asked the Delhi Police to file a status report. Kumar, presently in judicial custody, allegedly assaulted Maliwal on May 13 at Kejriwal's official residence. He was arrested on May 18.
The Tis Hazari court had on June 7 refused to grant him bail, saying he was facing "grave and serious" charges and that there was an apprehension that he could influence witnesses. Kumar's first bail plea was dismissed on May 27 by another sessions court which said there appeared to be no "pre-meditation" by Maliwal in lodging the FIR and that her allegations could not be "swiped away".
12:26 Kuwait fire: Mortal remains handed over to families
The mortal remains of the victims of the fire incident in Kuwait have been handed over to their families at Cochin International Airport.
A special Indian Air Force aircraft carrying the mortal remains of the Indian victims in the fire incident in Kuwait arrived at the Cochin International Airport this morning.
Union Minister of State Singh VK Singh who rushed to Kuwait on Thursday is onboard the flight carrying the bodies. Union Minister Suresh Gopi and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan were among those who were present at the airport.
Kerala Ministers Veena George, P Rajeev, K Rajan and Roshi Augustin were also present at the airport to receive the mortal remains.
The mortal remains arrive at Kochi
12:03 Never-ending loss: Pinarayi on Kuwait tragedy
The mortal remains of the Indian victims in the fire incident in Kuwait arrive at Cochin International Airport.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday acknowledged the efforts on the part of the Government of India and that of Kuwait in their intervention following the fire tragedy in Kuwait in which 45 Indians lost their lives.
A special aircraft of the Indian Air Force carrying the bodies of Indians killed in the June 12 Kuwait building fire landed in Kerala's Cochin International Airport earlier today.
Speaking to reporters before the flight's landing, the Chief Minister said, "It is a never-ending loss for the families... The Government of Kuwait has taken effective and impeccable measures. It is expected that the follow-up will be flawless. When it came to know about the disaster, the Government of India also intervened in a proper manner."
11:42 Kejriwal's bail plea to be heard on June 19
A Delhi court on Friday fixed for June 19 the bail plea of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam. Additional Sessions Judge Mukesh Kumar adjourned the matter after the ED sought time to file reply in the matter.
The judge, meanwhile, fixed for Saturday an application filed by Kejriwal seeking directions to allow his wife to join through video conference the proceedings of the medical board constituted to determine Kejriwal's health condition and treatment. The judge directed the jail authorities concerned to file a reply in matter.
"Application has been moved by the accused seeking directions to allow his wife to join medical board. Before passing any order I deem it appropriate to call for reply from jail superintendent concerned. The application be kept for tomorrow," the judge said.
During the proceedings, the ED requested the court to adjourned the matter till June 25. The judge, however, said he would consider the accused's convenience for the next date of hearing, not the probe agency's.
"The accused is in judicial custody (JC), and not in your (ED's) custody. If he wants some convenience, you do not have any role in that. You have no role to play. He is in JC. I will consider his convenience, not yours," the judge said. A Delhi court had on June 5 dismissed Kejriwal's application seeking interim bail on medical grounds in the case.
The Porsche accident occurred a month ago
11:20 Pune again! Drunk driver injures 4 in auto
Four persons were injured after one wheel of an SUV, driven by a drunk 21-year-old, came off following an accident and hit an auto in Pune, an official said on Friday.
The incident took place at Jagtap Dairy Chowk in the Pimpri Chinchwad area, he said. Police said the injuries of the victims are non-life threatening and they are being treated in a hospital. It is a drunk-driving case and a case has been registered against the driver, the official said. Citing preliminary information, he said that the young man at the wheel lost control of the vehicle which hit a barricade.
A wheel came off the SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) due to the impact and hit an autorickshaw. Four persons travelling in the auto were injured, said Vishal Hire, assistant commissioner of police from Pimpri Chinchwad. The man has been booked under the Indian Penal Code and Motor Vehicles Act, he said.
About a month ago, two techies were killed after a Porsche driven by a 17-year-old minor, who the police claim was drunk, rammed the vehicle into a two-wheeler in Pune's Kalyani Nagar area. PTI
The mortal remains of the Kuwaiti fire horror
10:53 IAF plane reaches Kochi as mourning families wait
Around 35 ambulances and nearly an equal number of police vehicles lined up outside the import cargo terminal of the Kochi International Airport at Nedumbassery, as near and dear ones waited to receive the mortal remains of those killed in the recent fire at a building in Kuwait.
Families of 23 Keralites who lost their lives in the tragic fire accident in Kuwait on Wednesday huddled together in a silent testament to the grief they bear. Officials could be seen exchanging hushed words, subdued by the enormity of the grief surrounding them.
Separate seating was arranged for the families near the podiums where the caskets would be placed to pay their respects. State ministers K Rajan, P Rajeeve, and Veena George were seen coordinating and discussing the arrangements with the officials and consoling the families.
Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan and BJP state chief K Surendran also met with the families. Union Minister and BJP leader Suresh Gopi also arrived at the airport to receive the bodies. PTI
The IAF plane at Kuwait airport earlier
10:40 IAF plane from Kuwait lands in India
IAF flight carrying mortal remains of Indians who died in Kuwait fire incident lands at Cochin International airport.
10:33 What Modi aims to do at the G7 meet in Italy...
After landing in Italy's Apulia to participate in the G7 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he is looking forward to engaging in productive discussions with world leaders.
He said that they aim to address global challenges and foster international cooperation for a brighter future.
"Landed in Italy to take part in the G7 Summit. Looking forward to engaging in productive discussions with world leaders. Together, we aim to address global challenges and foster international cooperation for a brighter future," PM Modi posted on X.
Notably, India is participating in the summit as an Outreach country.The summit is taking place at the luxurious Borgo Egnazia resort in Italy's Apulia region from June 13-15. PM Modi is attending the summit at the invitation of Italian PM Giorgia Meloni. -- ANI
10:09 IAF plane with 45 Kuwait fire victims heads to Kochi
A special IAF aircraft carrying the mortal remains of 45 Indians killed in the tragic fire incident in Kuwait took off for Kochi on Friday morning. At least 49 foreign workers were killed and 50 others injured in the fire on Wednesday at the seven-storey building where 196 migrant workers were staying in the southern city of Mangaf.
"A special IAF aircraft carrying mortal remains of 45 Indian victims in the fire incident in Kuwait has taken off for Kochi," The Embassy of India in Kuwait posted on X. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, who coordinated with Kuwaiti authorities to ensure swift repatriation, is onboard the aircraft. Meanwhile, the Public Prosecution in Kuwait ordered the provisional detention of a citizen and some expatriates on charges of manslaughter and accidental injury as a result of negligence in security and safety measures to prevent fire, the Arab Times newspaper reported.
Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has ordered authorities to provide compensation to the families of each of the 49 deceased persons. Kuwait Fire Force on Thursday said the deadly fire was caused by an electrical short circuit. PTI
10:04 External Affairs Ministry did good job to help in Kuwait, says Gopi
Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi on Friday said that the External Affairs Ministry did a "wonderful" job in coordinating the efforts to ensure treatment of the Indians injured in the Kuwait fire tragedy which claimed at least 49 lives.
The Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum also said that he has cancelled his other programmes for the day and would be going to the international airport here to receive the bodies of the Malayalees who died in the Kuwait fire tragedy.
Meanwhile, Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan told reporters in Kochi that the bodies of 23 Malayalees, 7 Tamilians and one person from Karnataka would be received here, before the flight carrying the mortal remains of the other Indians who died in the fire goes to Delhi.
Rajan said that arrangements have been made for public display of the mortal remains at the airport and thereafter, they would be sent to the families by ambulances that have been arranged by the Department of Non-Resident Keralites' Affairs (NORKA).
He said that if extra ambulances for transporting the bodies of the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka natives were required, the Health Department was ready to arrange it.
"We have also arranged a pilot vehicle for each of the ambulances," he said. Rajan also said that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other state ministers would be arriving at the airport here.
Kerala minister Veena George
09:52 Unfortunate! Kerala min on govt refusal for Kuwait
Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Friday said that it was "unfortunate" that the Central government did not permit her to travel to Kuwait to coordinate in assistance for the people from the State affected in the tragic fire mishap in the Gulf country.
"It is very unfortunate that we did not get the consent (to travel to Kuwait). More than half of the people who died were from Kerala. The majority of the people who are under treatment are also from Kerala," George told reporters at the Cochin International Airport today.
The Kerala State government had convened an emergency Cabinet meeting on Thursday and announced that George along with State Mission Director (NHM) Jeevan Babu would urgently travel to Kuwait to coordinate efforts related to the treatment of those from the State who sustained injuries as well as oversee the repatriation of the bodies of the deceased.
A massive fire erupted in a six-storied building in Mangaf city in Kuwait on Wednesday, killing at least 48 people. Out of the 176 Indian workers in the housing facility, 45 died and 33 are hospitalized, the Indian embassy said.
The victims include 23 from Kerala, seven from Tamil Nadu, three from Uttar Pradesh, two from Odisha, and one each from Bihar, Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Haryana.
"The Embassy did not give us the exact data on the number of seriously injured people. The data that we have collected from there is that a total of 7 people have been admitted to the hospital and 4 of them are from Kerala, but this is not officially declared. The purpose of my visit (to Kuwait) was that I wanted to be with the injured and bring their needs to the attention of the Central Government," George said today.
09:39 HP bypolls: BJP fields all 3 Independent MLAs
Three independent MLAs who resigned from the Vidhan Sabha and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party after voting in its favour in the Rajya Sabha elections earlier this year have been fielded from their respective assembly constituencies in the bypoll for these seats.
The names of Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur), Hoshiyar Singh (Dehra) and K L Thakur (Nalagarh) figure in the list of BJP candidates issued on Thursday. The bypolls will be held on July 10.
These three Independent MLAs, along with six Congress rebels, had voted in favour of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the February 27 polls.
Mahajan won the election. These MLAs resigned from the house on March 22.
However, their resignations were accepted by Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on June 3 after the by-elections to the six seats, vacated by the Congress rebels, and Lok Sabha elections were held.
The Congress had won four and BJP two out of the six seats that voted in the bypolls, results of which were declared on June 4.
Despite the setback in the bypolls on the six assembly seats necessitated by the disqualification of Congress MLAs, the BJP has again taken the risk of fielding all three Independents.
Both the BJP and the Congress have already appointed incharge for the assembly bypolls on the three seats.
K L Thakur is a two-time MLA from Nalagarh -- he won in 2012 on a BJP ticket and in 2022 as an Independent.
Hoshiyar Singh is also a two-time MLA from Dehra. He won the assembly elections in 2017 and 2022 as an Independent while Ashish is a first time MLA from Hamirpur. -- PTI
RSS leader Indresh Kumar
09:34 Those who became arrogant...: RSS leader on LS poll
In hard-hitting remarks on the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls, RSS leader Indresh Kumar on Thursday slammed the ruling BJP for "arrogance" and the opposition INDIA bloc for being "anti-Ram".
Speaking at the 'Ramrath Ayodhya Yatra Darshan Poojan Samaroh' at Kanota near Jaipur, the RSS national executive member did not mention the rivals by name but suggested that the poll outcome reflected their attitudes.
"The party which did the bhakti (of lord Ram) but became arrogant was stopped at 241 but it was made the biggest party," he said, in an apparent reference to Narendra Modi-led BJP which got 240 seats in the Lok Sabha seats.
"And those who had no faith in Ram, they together were stopped at 234," he said, apparently referring to the INDIA bloc.
"See the 'Vidhan' of Ram Rajya in democracy; those who did 'Bhakti (worshipped) of Ram but gradually turned arrogant, that party emerged as the biggest party, but the vote and power that should have been given was stopped by God due to their arrogance," he said.
"Those who opposed Ram, none of them was given power. Even all of them together were made number two. God's justice is true and enjoyable," he said.
"Those who worship Ram should be humble and those who oppose Ram, the Lord himself dealt with them," he said.
He said Lord Ram does not discriminate and does not punish.
"Ram does not make anyone lament. Ram gives justice to everyone. He gives and will keep on giving. Lord Ram was always just and will remain so," he said.
Kumar also said Lord Ram protected people and did good to Ravana too.
The remark came days after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that a true 'sevak' does not have arrogance and serves the people by maintaining 'dignity'. -- PTI
09:17 Modi arrives in Italy's Apulia for G7 Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Apulia, southern Italy, to attend the Outreach session of the G7 Summit and hold bilateral talks on a wide range of issues with world leaders on Friday.
"The Prime Minister of India has arrived at Brindisi Airport in Italy to participate in the G7 Summit," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a video message from the airport.
"Tomorrow (Friday) is a packed day for him. We have several bilateral meetings with world leaders lined up. He will also be addressing the Outreach session of the G7 Summit," he said.
During his day-long visit, Modi will be participating in a summit session entitled Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa-Mediterranean to be hosted by Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and joined by Pope Francis.
The Pope is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Modi, who has a series of meetings scheduled with the world leaders on the sidelines of the summit being held at the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia.
"I look forward to meeting fellow world leaders and discussing a wide range of issues aimed at making our planet better and improving lives of people," said Modi, in a departure statement on Thursday evening.
He said he was "glad" that his first foreign visit in his third consecutive term as Prime Minister was to Italy for the G7 Summit.
"I warmly recall my visit to Italy for the G20 Summit in 2021. Prime Minister Meloni's two visits to India last year were instrumental in infusing momentum and depth in our bilateral agenda. We remain committed to consolidate the India-Italy strategic partnership, and bolster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean regions," his statement reads.
"During the discussions at the Outreach session, the focus would be on artificial intelligence, energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean. It will be an opportunity to bring greater synergy between the outcomes of the G20 Summit held under India's Presidency and the forthcoming G7 Summit and deliberate on issues which are crucial for the Global South. I am also looking forward to meeting other leaders participating in the summit," he added.
India hosted the G20 Summit in New Delhi last September, which was also attended by the world leaders gathering at the Apulia meet being held under the Italian presidency. The Italian Prime Minister, Georgia Meloni, will welcome Modi as the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy on Friday.
In her opening address on Thursday at the meeting of the G7 leaders -- US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel --she said southern Italy was chosen as the venue to send a strong message to the Global South. -- PTI
08:33 Centre denies permission to Kerala min to visit Kuwait
Kerala Health Minister Veena George has claimed she was denied permission by the Union Government to travel to Kuwait. The purpose of the visit was to coordinate relief efforts for Keralites affected by a tragic fire incident in the Gulf nation, she said.
"What we just sought from the central government was the permission to travel to Kuwait to stand with our people affected by the tragedy and coordinate activities there. That permission is denied," George told reporters on Thursday night.
The fire incident has claimed the lives of 49 people, with 40 of them being Indians. Out of these, 23 are from Kerala.
The state government had decided to send George to Kuwait to help with the relief efforts, including treatment for the injured and the repatriation of the deceased.
George reportedly waited for hours at the airport, hoping for permission from the Ministry of External Affairs. -- PTI
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01:24 4 U'khand forest workers killed while extinguishing fire in wildlife sanctuary
Four forest workers were killed and four were injured while extinguishing a fire at the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary under the Civil Soyam Forest Division in the Almora district of Uttarakhand, officials said on Thursday.
The deceased were identified as Binsar range forest 'beat' officer Trilok Singh Mehta, 'fire watcher' Karan Arya, Provincial Armed Constabulary Jawan Puran Singh and daily wage worker Diwan Ram, they said.
According to Civil Soyam forest divisional officer Dhruv Singh Martolia, the incident occurred around 3.45 pm when eight forest workers were sent to extinguish a fire that had broken out at the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Martolia said that as soon as the team got down from their vehicle, the fire escalated due to strong winds and four of the workers were charred to death.
Meanwhile, the other workers were injured and rushed to Haldwani Base Hospital for treatment.
In a post on X, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "Very heartbreaking news has been received about the death of 4 forest workers due to forest fire in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. In this hour of grief, our government stands with the families of the deceased and is committed to provide all possible help. An ex-gratia amount of Rs 10 lakh has been announced to the families of each deceased." -- PTI
01:05 Bihar MP Pappu Yadav gets bail in extortion case
A court in Bihar on Thursday granted bail to independent MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav in an extortion case lodged against him earlier this week.
Yadav got bail from the court of chief judicial magistrate, Purnea, in the case lodged on June 10 at Mofussil police station.
Emerging from the court, Yadav denied the allegation by a local businessman that soon after being declared elected from the Purnea Lok Sabha seat, the MP had demanded Rs 1 crore.
"I have never suffered so much of mental torture. It is all part of a conspiracy against me. I will move the Supreme Court and file a defamation suit against the businessman and police officials who appear to have connived with him," said Yadav, who had pulled off a sensational victory in the elections, wresting the seat from two-term sitting JD-U MP Santosh Kushwaha. -- PTI
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00:53 UP bride refuses to marry after finding groom drunk, smoking marijuana
A bride refused to marry her groom allegedly after she found him abusing in an inebriated state and smoking marijuana during the marriage function, the police said on Thursday.
The people of the bride's side held the groom, Tehsildar Gautam, his father Jaiprakash and grandfather Meva Lal hostage and demanded to return Rs 8 lakhs spent on the wedding preparations, they said.
Pinky, daughter of Sheela Devi, resident of Fattupur area of City Kotwali police station area, was to be married to Gautam, resident of Jayarampur of Jaunpur district.
When the wedding procession arrived on Wednesday night, the groom was in an inebriated state and was hurling abuses from the stage, they said.
According to the bride's mother Sheela Devi, when some people saw this and reached the stage, the groom got down and left.
He was then seen smoking marijuana behind the stage. -- PTI
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00:42 Himachal cop who alleged pressure by seniors goes missing
A head constable working in Himachal's Sirmaur has gone missing after he alleged that he was being pressured by senior officers and victims in a rioting case to go against the law, his wife told the police.
In a video released online, Jasveer Saini said, "I am also a human, I am so depressed and I wish to resign, I do not wish to live and can commit suicide but would talk to my family members before taking any step as I have young children".
On June 8, three people were beaten by some people from Punjab near Kala Amb in Sirmaur district.
The altercation occurred as one of the victims, the driver of a tractor did not give way to the accused's car, the police said.
The police had registered a case under Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (causing hurt) 147 (rioting), 148 (armed with deadly weapons) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code were registered against the accused.
Saini in the video alleged that the victims were pressuring him to add Section 307 (attempt to murder) in the FIR against the accused.
He said that per the rules, Section 307 could not be added as the injuries are simple and the section could only be added based on the doctor's report. -- PTI
Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
00:31 PIB fact check unit busts fake news in 134 videos
The government on Thursday claimed to have busted fake news carried in 134 videos across 12 YouTube channels, having cumulative subscribers running into several lakhs.
The Press Information Bureau's Fact Checking Unit said the YouTube channels in question carried videos making misleading claims such as payouts to the tune of Rs 51,000 to meet expenses of daughter's wedding, benefits totalling Rs 2.5 lakh to ration card holders and fake news regarding Covid vaccines.
The videos were hosted by YouTube channels NitiGyan4U, KLOnlineStudy, Sarkari Khabar 21, Media Tak, NewsWave_429, onlinejobRK among others.
"The thumbnail of a YouTube channel named onlinejobRk claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that Jan Dhan account owners will get Rs 10,000 post his win in the 2024 General Elections. This claim is fake. Beware of Fake News," the PIB fact check unit said in a post on X.
The YouTube channel AM News YT had claimed that the Chief Justice of India had snatched the elections from Modi. -- PTI
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