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Woman found hanging in house; husband, 5 in-laws booked for dowry death: Police

30-May-2022 631

Fatehpur (UP), (PTI) Six people of the family of a 21-year-old woman's in-laws were booked for allegedly causing dowry death after she was found hanging in her house in the Lalauli police station area of the district, police said on Sunday.

The woman's in-laws were booked on the complaint of the victim's mother who alleged that her daughter was killed after she failed to pay a sum of Rs 1 lakh demanded by her in-laws, police said.

Deceased Kunti's mother alleged that her daughter was first electrocuted and then hanged in the house in the Mainahi Dera village to make the murder look like a suicide, police said.

The police said those who were booked included Kunti's husband Shiv Narayan, her father-in-law, mother-in-law, one brother-in-law and two sisters-in-law.

They said the body has been sent for the postmortem to ascertain the exact cause of death and further action would be taken on the basis of the autopsy report.

India-Bangladesh train services resume after two years

29-May-2022 913

Kolkata, May 29 (PTI) Passenger train services between India and Bangladesh resumed on Sunday after an over two-year gap owing to the pandemic with the flagging off of Bandhan Express from Kolkata station on way to Khulna in the neighbouring country, an Eastern Railway (ER) official said here.

Maitree Express is also scheduled to resume services between Kolkata and Dhaka on Sunday and will travel to the Bangladesh capital on Monday morning on the first journey from here since March 2020, he said.

"Passenger train services between India and Bangladesh, which were stopped for over two years owing to the pandemic, resumed with the flagging off of Bandhan Express from Kolkata station at 7.10 am," ER spokesperson Ekalavya Chakraborty said.

While the Bandhan Express between Kolkata and Khulna runs two days a week, Maitree Express connecting Kolkata with the BangladeshI capital is a five-day service.

Chakraborty told PTI that people on both sides of the border are excited about the resumption of the train services, which are fully booked for the next few days

"With the comfort of train travel and a convenient time schedule along with affordability, people prefer this mode of transport over others such as bus and air," he said.

The trains have a capacity of around 450 passengers and have air-conditioned chair car and executive class categories, he said.

India-Bangladesh train connectivity through West Bengal will receive another boost from June 1 with the inauguration of Mitali Express between New Jalpaiguri and Dhaka, Chakraborty said.

The new service will also boost tourism in northern West Bengal as many travellers from Bangladesh show a keen interest in exploring the Darjeeling Hills and the forests and tea gardens of Dooars in the foothills, he said.

Supreme Court Collegium recommends transfer of six High Court Judges

28-May-2022 504

Statesman News Service

New Delhi Supreme Court Collegium in its latest notification recommended the transfer of six High Court Judges.

This decision was taken at a meeting of the Supreme Court’s Collegium headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana.

The Supreme Court’s Collegium in its notification proposed for transfer/ repatriation of the following Judges.

Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, has been recommended to be transferred to the Patna High Court.

Justice Chitta Ranjan Dash, presently Orissa High Court, Judge has been recommended to be transferred to the Calcutta High Court.

Similarly, Justice Subhasis Talapatra, of Tripura High Court, has been recommended to be transferred to the Odisha High Court; whereas, Justice Lanusungkum Jamir of Manipur High Court has been recommended to be transferred to the Gauhati High Court.

Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has been recommended to be transferred to the Bombay High Court, by the Supreme Court’s Collegium.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has been recommended to be transferred the Delhi High Court, by the Supreme Court’s Collegium.

BJP to go door-to-door to invite Shimla residents for PM Modi’s rally

27-May-2022 541

Statesman News Service

Shimla : Gearing up to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Shimla visit on 31 May a huge success on completion of eight years of NDA government at Centre, the leaders of Himachal Pradesh BJP will go door to door to extend invitations to residents of state capital Shimla for the event.

State BJP chief Suresh Kashyap informed about the decision after a meeting of the councilors of Shimla Municipal Corporation at party headquarters and said prominent party leaders will visit Shimla residents in all wards.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, state Urban Development minister Suresh Bhardwaj, BJP state incharge Avinash Rai Khanna, co-incharge Sanjay Tandon, Shimla MC mayor Satya Kaundal, chairpersons Roopa sharma, Ganesh Dutt, Khushi Ram Balnatha and other prominent leaders will go door to door to distribute invitation to all households regarding PM Modi’s rally.

A target of inviting 300 people from each ward of Shimla Municipal Corporation ward has been set, he added.

Kashyap stated that the party was planning a massive rally on the occasion of the completion of 8 years of Central government and to make it a huge success, the focus is being laid on public mobilisation.

All Chief Ministers in the country whether BJP or opposition parties will witness the programme on national level, and the rally will give a strong message nationally and internationally, he said.

He further stated that being election year as Shimla Municipal Corporation polls and assembly polls to be held in June-July and November-December respectively, the PM’s rally would provide a much needed boost to the party.

UP woman succumbs to burns in suspected dowry death

27-May-2022 366

Pilibhit (UP), May 26 (PTI) A woman succumbed to her burn injuries on Thursday, a day after she was allegedly set ablaze by her in-laws for not yielding to their dowry demands, police said.

An FIR against her husband and other family members was registered at the Jahanabad police station, they said.

According to her family members, she was married to a person from Sajna village in 2021.

The family members alleged that the woman was repeatedly harassed by her in-laws for dowry.

The in-laws were allegedly demanding Rs 2 lakh from the woman's family as dowry.

According to the complaint, the in-laws allegedly poured a flammable liquid on the woman and set her on fire after her family members failed to meet their dowry demands.

Architect of modern India: Cong pays tributes to Nehru on death anniversary

27-May-2022 612

New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) The Congress on Friday paid tributes to Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary with Rahul Gandhi saying the ideas, politics, and vision of India's first prime minister for the nation are relevant even 58 years since his passing.

Nehru, the first prime minister of India, held office between August 1947 and May 1964. He passed away on May 27, 1964.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi offered floral tributes to Nehru on his 58th death anniversary at Shanti Vana here.

In a tweet, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said, "Fifty-eight years since his passing, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's ideas, politics, and vision for our nation are as relevant as they have ever been."

"May the values of this immortal son of India always guide our actions and conscience," he said.

The Congress, in its official Twitter handle, hailed Nehru as a brave freedom fighter, the architect of modern India, a statesman, a visionary, a patriot, and a "true son of Bharat Mata".

"A billion salutes and billion tributes to our first prime minister on his death anniversary," the party tweeted.

Several senior Congress leaders such as general secretary organisation K C Venugopal, party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel also paid tributes to Nehru on his death anniversary.

Hate speech case: Kerala court remands P C George

26-May-2022 563

Thiruvananthapuram, May 26 (PTI) Senior Kerala politician P C George, who was arrested by the police following cancellation of his bail granted in connection with a hate speech case, was sent to judicial remand by a court here on Thursday.

The Magisterial court had on Wednesday cancelled the bail granted to George after the police alleged that the veteran politician, released on bail earlier on May 1 after being arrested for making a hate speech against Muslims in the State on April 29, violated the bail conditions.

Hours after the court cancelled his bail, George was arrested on Wednesday evening.

A team of police officers from Thiruvananthapuram had formally arrested and took him into custody from the Ernakulam AR camp.

George was produced before the court this morning, which sent him to 14 day judicial remand. He was shifted to a district jail here. Police sought the custody of George to examine his voice, his lawyer said. George's son and leader of Kerala Janapaksham, Shone George, questioned the "haste" shown by the police in producing his arrested father before the court early in the morning and alleged the role of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the act.

He alleged that the police acted hastily to put George behind the bars when his plea seeking bail was pending before the Kerala high court and it was due to the political pressure.

The police had arrested George on May 1 after registering a case against him under Indian Penal Code Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) at Fort Police station for allegedly making a communal speech against Muslims while addressing 'Ananthapuri Hindu Maha Sammelanam' here on April 29.

The 70-year-old former MLA had sparked off a controversy by asking non-Muslims in Kerala to avoid eating at restaurants run by the community.

Subsequently, on May 10, another case was registered against him on charges of hate speech.

Palarivattom police booked the former legislator over his objectionable remarks during a speech that he delivered in connection with a temple festival at Vennala in Ernakulam district on May 8.

Kapil Sibal files RS nomination as SP-backed Independent, says he quit Cong on May 16

26-May-2022 668

New Delhi, (PTI) Saying that he had resigned from the Congress last week, Kapil Sibal on Wednesday filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha as an Independent candidate from Uttar Pradesh supported by the Samajwadi Party.

Sibal, whose exit from the Congress is another jolt for the electorally battered party, went to the Uttar Pradesh assembly premises to file his papers with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav and other senior leaders.

A prominent member of the G23, which had sought an organisational overhaul in the Congress, Sibal's tenure as Congress' Rajya Sabha MP ends in July,

"I have filed the nomination as an Independent candidate. I thank Akhileshji for supporting me," Sibal told reporters in Lucknow.

"I resigned from the Congress on May 16 and am no longer a senior Congress leader," he said.

Sibal, who has been vocal in his criticism of the Congress leadership, had called for a non-Gandhi as the new party chief.

"We are all constrained by the fact that we are members of parties and have to abide by the discipline of that party but it is important to have an independent voice," the former Union minister told reporters.

"We want to make a coalition and oppose the Modi government. We want to create an atmosphere in which we can oppose the BJP. I will personally work towards that," he said.

Referring to the 2024 elections, he said there should be an atmosphere where the shortcomings of the Modi government can reach people.

Yadav said Sibal is being supported by the Samajwadi Party.

"Kapil Sibal is a senior leader and a known lawyer. He had been in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and put his point across well everywhere. I hope he will put his views on big questions of rising inflation and China , the SP president, who is also leader of opposition, added.

Sibal's resignation comes close on the heels of Sunil Jakhar and Hardik Patel resigning from the Congress, which recently held a 'Chintan Shivir' in Udaipur.

Elections for 11 Rajya Sabha seats of Uttar Pradesh are underway.

There had been speculation that the SP could field Sibal as a Rajya Sabha candidate. He was the lawyer who secured senior SP leader Azam Khan's bail. Khan had been in Sitapur jail for over 27 months in various cases lodged against him in Rampur.

The SP has a strength of 111 in the 403-member assembly and can send three members to the Upper House of Parliament. The BJP with 255 members can send eight.

All units of AIMIM in Surat dissolved

25-May-2022 574

SURAT

In a sudden move, Gujarat president of All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has dissolved all the units of the party in Surat, sources said on Tuesday.

The development came soon after party leader Asaduddin Owaisi addressed a public meeting in the Limbayat area of Surat city in South Gujarat.

Within 24 hours of his visit, the state unit president dissolved Surat city and district committees, women committees and youth wing.

According to Wasim Qureshi, Surat city committee president of AIMIM, no reason has been given in the letter by the state unit president for dissolving committees. He further said he is taking legal advice on the issue following which, he will come out with his version.

It could possibily be a knee-jerk reaction to a video clip of a party’s office-bearer doing rounds on social media, he said. He can be seen countering the allegations made against him and other senior office-bearers in the party.

IANS could not contact Sabir Kabliwala despite repeated attempts. His letter only states that all committees of Surat city and districts are dissolved and soon new office-bearers will be appointed.

In the said video clip which has apparently rocked the party, Surat youth wing vice-president Saiyed Mazhar Saiyed Qamar is alleging that Surat city president Wasim Qureshi and state unit office-bearer Khurshid Ahmed had approached him last week and requested to donate Rs 3.50 lakh to the party, against which party national leader Owaisi will stop at Zampabazar, where he would get an opportunity to welcome the leader. Of which Rs 2.50 lakh he had given in cash to Qureshi and Ahmed, he claims.

Mazhar claims that he was promised that for this route of the national leader to be changed he will stop at two places in Zampabazar area, and both places he will welcome Owaisi. This will help in increasing his popularity and credibility in his area.

Despite paying Rs 2.50 lakh in advance, Owaisi did not stop in the Zampa bazar. He feels that party office-bearers have cheated in the name of national leaders. He feared those who have cheated are big wigs of the community and the party and that his life is under threat. He has dared to make this public in the larger interest, so in future no one else is cheated in the name of the party or its national leadership.

Party sources also said that no doubt there was a huge gathering in Limbayat, but when Owaisi’s convoy was approaching the venue, at one location, a small group showed black flags, this too has been taken seriously by the party state and national leaders.

The All India Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF) has called for a Bharat Bandh today

25-May-2022 499

The statesmen

The All India Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF) has called for a Bharat Bandh today demanding a caste-based census.

The strike has been called a mark of protest against the Centre for not conducting a caste-based census for the Other Backward Classes (OBC). The Federation is also demanding reservations for the SC/ST/OBC communities in the private sector. Besides, BAMCEF is also protesting against the use of EVMs during elections and the issue of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and National Population Register (NPR).

The other key demands include the implementation of a separate electorate in OBC reservation in Panchayat polls in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, resumption of the old pension scheme, protection of labour rights, and no displacement of tribal people.

BAMCEF also demanded a guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) for farmers.

Several parties including BJP’s ally Janata Dal-United have been demanding a caste-based census in the country. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said that a caste-based census would enable the government to work for the development of various sections of the society.

“We will start it soon and will also ensure it is implemented properly. Once the caste-based Census is done, the government can work for their development,” he said.

Earlier, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai had said that the Government of India has decided as a matter of policy “not to enumerate caste-wise populations other than SCs and STs in the census”.

SpiceJet faces ransomware attack; flights delayed

25-May-2022 389

New Delhi, May 25 (PTI) SpiceJet said it faced a ransomware attack on Tuesday night causing a delay in departure of its flights on Wednesday morning.

"Certain SpiceJet systems faced an attempted ransomware attack last night that impacted and slowed down morning flight departures today (Wednesday)," a SpiceJet spokesperson said.

The airline's IT team has contained and rectified the situation and flights are operating normally now, the spokesperson said.

Amid Gyanvapi row, MNS claims 2 dargahs in Pune built on temple land

24-May-2022 586

Pune (PTI) Amid the Gyanvapi mosque row, the MNS has claimed that two dargahs had been built on the Punyeshwar temple land in Maharashtra's Pune city.

MNS general secretary Ajay Shinde on Sunday said they have launched the 'Punyeshwar Mukti' (free the temple land) campaign, and appealed to people to support the Raj Thackeray-led party's fight in restoring the temple land.

Citing a recent survey of the Gyanvapi mosque, Shinde said government has started waking up in the wake of Raj Thackeray's stand on Hindutva.

"Like Gyanvapi, we are also fighting for the Punyeshwar temple in Pune," he said.

Shinde claimed that a commader of Khilji dynasty ruler Alauddin Khilji had demolished the Punyeshwar and Narayaneshwar temples in Pune and later dargahs were built on the land

Man shot in face during robbery bid in west Delhi

23-May-2022 380

New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) A 35-year-old man was shot in face by four unidentified people who opened fire at him from inside a car in a bid to snatch his gold chain and bracelet, police said on Monday.

Pradeep Singh, who runs a salon, was injured in his cheek and was taken to a hospital.

He was having an ice-cream with his brother-in-law Simar Jeet near Hari Nagar clock tower in west Delhi when the incident happened, police said.

According to police, on Sunday around 11.20 pm, a gang of four people fired a round at Pradeep from inside a car in a bid to rob him of his chain and bracelet.

Singh is now stated to be stable and is out of danger, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Ghanshyam Bansal said, "Multiple teams have been formed and CCTV cameras installed in and around the area are being checked. The data is also being scrutinised. Sources have been deployed."

A case under appropriate section of law has been registered and further investigation is underway to ascertain the identity of the culprits to nab them, he said.

Being between 'devil and deep sea': Chidambaram on states' situation after govt's excise cut on fuel

23-May-2022 555

New Delhi, (PTI) Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday wondered whether the states can afford to give up revenue from VAT on petrol and diesel unless the Centre devolves more funds or gives them more grants, likening their situation to being between the devil and the deep sea .

The former finance minister's remarks come a day after the government announced Rs 8 per litre cut in excise duty on petrol and Rs 6 reduction on diesel.

"The notification on reduction of duty on Petrol and Diesel is now available. FM used the words 'Excise Duty', but the reduction is in Additional Excise Duty which is not shared with the states. Hence, contrary to what I said yesterday, the entire burden of the reduction falls on the Centre. To that extent, I stand corrected," Chidambaram said.

The states are getting very little by way of share of duties on petrol and diesel, he said, noting that their revenue is from VAT on petrol and diesel.

"I wonder if they can afford to give up that revenue unless the Centre devolved more funds or gave them more grants," Chidambaram said.

The situation is like being between the devil and the deep sea , he said in a series of tweets.

Petrol price on Sunday was slashed by Rs 8.69 a litre and that of diesel by Rs 7.05 per litre following the government's decision to cut excise duty on auto fuels, giving relief to consumers battered by high fuel prices that had pushed inflation to a record high.

The Allahabad High Court adjourned the hearing on the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi Mosque issue till July 6.

21-May-2022 718

The Allahabad High Court on Friday adjourned the hearing on the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi Mosque issue till July 6.

After hearing a length petition filed by the Anjuman Intazamiya Masjid of Varanasi and other connected matters, Justice Prakash Padia adjourned the hearing of the case till July 6.

The original suit was filed in the Varanasi district court in 1991, seeking restoration of an ancient temple at the site where the Gyanvapi mosque currently stands.

Counsel appearing on behalf of the temple, Vijay Shankar Rastogi, submitted that the Uttar Pradesh Sri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Act, 1983 passed by the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assemble came into force on January 28, 1983.

He relied upon the definition of the temple mentioned in sub section 9 of section 4 of the Act. The definition states the temple of Adi Vishweshwar, popularly known as the Sri Kashi Vishwanath temple, situated in the city of Varanasi, which is used as a place of public religious worship and dedicated to or for the benefit of or used as of right by the Hindus as a place of public religious worship of the Jyotirlinga.

Rastogi argued that rights of ownership of this temple and its endowment are vested in the deity of Sri Kashi Vishwanath, i.e., Lord Vishweshwar, which is itself mentioned in section 5 of the Act. The ‘Linga’ situated in this temple is ‘Swayambhu’ and also ‘Jyotirlinga’, and the ‘Jyotirlinga’ has a long religious history which has also been mentioned in the Puranas, he said.

It was further argued that the validity of Act had been challenged up to the Supreme Court, which in the case of Sri Adi Visheshwara of Kashi Vishwanath temple, Varanasi, and others vs the State of Uttar Pradesh and others, affirmed the validity of the Act and held that the idol of Lord Shiva in Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges is one of the five Jyotirlingas in India believed to be self-incarnated (Swayam Bhuva).

However due to paucity of time, the arguments could not be concluded on Friday.

On April 8, 2021, the Varanasi court of civil judge (senior division) had ordered a five-member committee comprising two Hindu, two Muslim members and an archaeological expert, to oversee a “comprehensive physical survey” of the centuries-old Gyanvapi mosque complex.

The petitioners challenged the order passed by the Varanasi court in the high court, saying it was illegal and without jurisdiction as the high court had reserved its judgment on the maintainability of the suit pending in the Varanasi court.

The Chief Minister had on May 9 sought a four-week extension of time from the Election Commission on the grounds that his mother was unwell and undergoing treatment.

21-May-2022 780

Ranchi :Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday replied to ECI notice in the office of profit matter in which the poll body had sought an explanation from him as to why he should not be disqualified from office.

The matter pertains to the allotment of the stone mine lease in his favour in the Angara block of Ranchi. The poll panel had issued notice to Soren last month asking him to explain why action should not be taken against him for having a mining lease issued in his favour which “prima facie violates” provisions concerning the Representation of People’s Act.

The ECI had asked him to reply by May 10. The Chief Minister had on May 9 sought a four-week extension of time from the Election Commission on the grounds that his mother was unwell and undergoing treatment.

The poll panel extended the time period for the reply by 10 days.

Earlier in a letter addressed to secretary ECI, Soren had denied all the charges against him.

“At the outset, I deny and dispute all allegations of the BJP about my alleged disqualification for being a member of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly on the ground of a mining lease, obtained by me in May 2021, under the said section 9A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, or any other ground whatsoever.”

ANI

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi paid homage to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi

21-May-2022 439

New Delhi :Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi paid homage to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 31st death anniversary at Vir Bhumi in the national capital on Saturday.

Congress leaders P Chidambaram and Sachin Pilot also paid tribute to the former Prime Minister at Vir Bhumi in Delhi. Rajiv Gandhi took over the charge of the Congress in 1984 following the assassination of his mother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He became India’s youngest Prime Minister at the age of 40 when he assumed office in October 1984.

He served as the Prime Minister of India till December 2, 1989.

Born on August 20 in 1944, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991.

AGENCY IN PUT

India sees single-day rise of 2,323 COVID-19 cases

21-May-2022 408

New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) India's COVID-19 tally increased to 4,31,34,145 on Saturday with 2,323 fresh infections, while the number of active cases came down to 14,996, according to Union health ministry data.

The death toll climbed to 5,24,348 with 25 fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The active cases comprise 0.03 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.75 per cent, the ministry said.

A decrease of 48 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.47 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 0.51 per cent, the ministry said.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,25,94,801. The case fatality rate stood at 1.22 per cent, it said.

The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide inoculation drive have exceeded 192.12 crore.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the 1-crore mark on December 19.

India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore on May 4 and 3 crore on June 23.

The 25 new fatalities include 23 from Kerala and one each from Uttar Pradesh and Mizoram.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that the state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.