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India logs 5,233 new COVID-19 cases

08-Jun-2022 218

New Delhi, Jun 8 (PTI) Daily coronavirus infections in India were recorded above 5,000 after 93 days taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,31,90,282, while the active cases rose to 28,857, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

A total of 5,233 infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll climbed to 5,24,715 with seven fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The active cases comprise 0.07 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was 98.72 per cent, the ministry said.

An increase of 1,881 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.67 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.12 per cent, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,26,36,710, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.21 per cent.

The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 194.43 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 one-crore mark on December 19.

The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year.

The seven new fatalities include five from Kerala and one each from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

A total of 5,24,715 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,47,866 from Maharashtra, 69,801 from Kerala, 40,108 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,213 from Delhi, 23,523 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,205 from West Bengal.

The 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 state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

Will shed my blood but never allow division of Bengal: Mamata

08-Jun-2022 375

Alipurduar (PTI) Amid demands for a separate state carved out of Bengal by some BJP leaders, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asserted that she is ready to shed her own blood, if need be, to thwart such attempts to divide the state.

Lashing out at the saffron camp "for trying to fan separatism" in the state, ahead of the general election in 2024, the TMC supremo maintained that all communities in north Bengal had been living in harmony for decades.

"With elections approaching, the BJP is fanning the demands of separate statehood... sometimes seeking Gorkhaland, and at other times a separate state of North Bengal. I am ready to give my blood but will never allow division of the state," Banerjee said, addressing a party meeting here.

In an apparent reference to a purported video by Kamtapur Liberation Organisation leader Jeevan Singha, threatening Banerjee of "bloodbath" if she opposed the demand for a separate Kamtapur, the fiesty TMC boss said such threats do not intimidate her.

"Some people are threatening me, I don't care. I am not afraid of such threats," she added.

SC irked over mining activities continuing without forest clearance in Odisha

07-Jun-2022 400

New Delhi (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday took strong note of continuing illegal mining of minerals by some firms in Odisha without obtaining forest clearance (FCs) from authorities under the garb of status quo orders, and asked the state high court to dispose of such matters in six months.

The top court was irked over the fact that the mining companies, which have not been granted FCs by the Centre and other authorities, are continuing with the illegal excavation of minerals on grounds that the high court has passed the status quo orders with regard to the dispute.

How can the mining be continued without getting forest clearance (from authorities) under the garb of a status quo order from the high court, a vacation bench of justices M R Shah and Aniruddha Bose said.

Anything which has been excavated without the forest clearance is illegal. You cannot be permitted to continue with the excavation or extraction of minerals without the forest clearance. It is unfortunate that high courts are passing such orders of status quo and permitting continuance of mining work, the bench said.

The bench, which was hearing the appeal of M/s Balasore Alloys Ltd of Odisha against the high court's refusal to continue with the status quo order favouring the firm, permitted the company to withdraw its plea.

It said that it would permit the withdrawal but the company cannot be allowed to mine as it does not have the forest clearance to mine as on today and hence, this is illegal and cannot be done.

We have heard the ...counsel. It is not in dispute that the petitioner is not having the forest clearance at this stage. Merely because the application for forest clearance is pending cannot be treated as having obtained the forest clearance permitting the petitioner to carry on the mining activities, it said.

Before parting with the present order, we request, the (Orissa) high court to decide and dispose of all such pending matters, where the order of status quo is continuing since long and the mining activities have been continued under the order of status quo, within a period of six months from today without fail. With this the present SLP is dismissed as withdrawn, it ordered.

It directed the apex court's registry to communicate the order to the chief justice of the high court forthwith for necessary action.

2 held in Jharkhand's Chatra with arms, ammunition

07-Jun-2022 389

Chatra, Jun 7 (PTI) Two persons were arrested with arms and ammunition in Jharkhand's Chatra district, police said on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off, the arrest was made near Morhar river in Pratappur police station area when they were allegedly delivering the arms to members of the banned Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), a senior officer said.

Those arrested have told the police that they were working for notorious gangster Laloo Khan, who was active in Bihar and Jharkhand, he said.

Several cases were pending against the duo in Pratappur and Dhobhi police stations, he added.

Rahul Gandhi visits Moosewala's house in Punjab

07-Jun-2022 434

Mansa (Pb), Jun 7 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the residence of slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in Mansa district on Tuesday to express condolences to his family.

Gandhi, who landed at the Chandigarh airport this morning, drove straight to the singer's native village Moosa here.

Several Congress leaders including Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, former deputy chief minister O P Soni and other party leaders accompanied him.

Security has been tightened outside the residence of Moosewala in the wake of Gandhi's visit.

Moosewala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Mansa on May 29.

Gandhi was abroad when the killing took place and returned over the weekend.

Moosewala, who had joined the Congress December last year, had unsuccessfully contested from the Mansa seat in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.

On Saturday, the parents of Moosewala had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here. Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhgawant Mann had also expressed grief with the family.

Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa had written to CM Mann, urging him to "transfer the murder case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA) so that justice can be delivered to the family at the earliest".

FinMin releases third instalment of revenue deficit grant of Rs 7,183 cr to 14 states

07-Jun-2022 423

New Delhi (PTI) The finance ministry on Monday released the third monthly instalment of revenue deficit grant of Rs 7,183 crore to 14 states.

The Fifteenth Finance Commission has recommended a total Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant of Rs 86,201 crore to 14 states for the financial year 2022-23. This is to be released in 12 equated monthly instalments.

The states receiving this grant are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

"The Department of Expenditure has on Monday released the 3rd monthly instalment of Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) Grant of Rs.7,183.42 crore to 14 States," the ministry said in a statement.

With the release of the third instalment for the month of June 2022, the total amount of revenue deficit grants released to the states in 2022-23 stands at Rs 21,550.25 crore.

Former CPI(Maoist) sub-zonal commander arrested

06-Jun-2022 225

Garhwa, Jun 6 (PTI) A former CPI (Maoist) Sub-Zonal Commander was arrested from a jungle in Jharkhand's Garhwa district, a senior police officer said.

Superintendent of Police Anjani Kumar Jha said a special police team was formed following a tip-off about the movement of the former sub zonal commander Bhanu Singh Kharwar.

Kharwar and his lover made an abortive attempt to flee on seeing the approaching police team but were caught, the SP said on Sunday.

Police recovered one AK-47 rifle, one magazine, 20 rounds of ammunition, one country-made pistol, two live cartridges and seven mobile phones from their possession, Jha said.

The SP said that Kharwar had surrendered under Jharkhand Government's surrender and rehabilitation policy in October 2016.

After he came out of jail in 2020, he again started terrorising villagers and was re-arrested in 2021.

Following his release after one and half months, Kharwar had started recruiting youths to strengthen the organization and engaged in extracting ransom from contractors and terrorizing locals including elected representatives in Ranka, Ramkanda and Chinia, the SP said.

Around 10 Naxal-related and criminal cases were pending against him, the police officer said.

Minor gang-raped in UP's Firozabad, 1 held

06-Jun-2022 490

Firozabad, Jun 6 (PTI) A 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by three men in Firozabad district, police said on Monday.

The accused, who were from the same locality as the victim, took her to a room on Saturday and allegedly raped her, Circle officer (city) Abhishek Srivastava said.

The girl has been sent for medical examination, he said, adding one of the accused has been detained.

Efforts are on to nab the other two accused, the officer said.

Modi has weakened environmental laws in India, posing as eco-champion on world stage: Ramesh

06-Jun-2022 592

New Delhi (PTI) Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of hypocrisy and alleged that while he has weakened all environmental and forest laws in India, he is posing as an eco-champion on the world stage.

Ramesh said this as the prime minister is set to launch the "LiFE (Lifestyle for the Environment)" initiative on World Environment Day.

"Today is World Environment Day, celebrated since 1973. Vishguru is launching LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment). This is maximum hypocrisy, since he's weakening all environmental and forest laws, regulations and institutions at home, while posing to be an eco-champion on world stage!" the former Union minister wrote on Twitter.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera also hit out at the prime minister, saying "his understanding of climate change came out clearly when he loudly proclaimed, 'There is no climate change but only 'our tolerance and habits' have changed".

In a tweet on Saturday, Modi said, "Tomorrow, 5th June is marked as #WorldEnvironmentDay. At 6 PM, the LiFE global movement will be launched. This movement seeks to encourage practices that further sustainable living and environmentally friendly development.

Fire at chemical factory in Delhi, 5 firefighters hospitalised

04-Jun-2022 195

New Delhi, Jun 4 (PTI) Five firefighters were hospitalised after they complained of breathing difficulties during an operation to douse a fire that broke out at a chemical godown in south Delhi's Fatehpur Beri area, officials said on Saturday.

According to the fire department, information about the blaze was received at 9.55 pm on Friday and 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

During the firefighting operation, five Delhi Fire Services personnel complained of breathing difficulties. They were rushed to Fortis Hospital and later referred to the AIIMS trauma centre, the official said.

One of the firefighters was discharged. The others are undergoing treatment and are stable, a senior fire official said.

MP: 12 killed, 35 injured in road accidents

04-Jun-2022 211

Betul/Khandwa/Singrauli (MP), Jun 4 (PTI) Twelve persons, including five women and three children, were killed and at least 35 others were injured, 18 of them seriously, in three separate road accidents in Madhya Pradesh's Betul, Khandwa and Singrauli districts, police said on Saturday.

In Betul, five persons, including two women, were killed and 23 others injured when a speeding tractor-trolley overturned around 12.30 AM on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday on the Kesia-Kanhegaon Road, around 10 km away from the Betul district headquarters, said Chicholi police station in-charge Tarannum Khan.

She said 12 seriously injured persons were referred to the District Hospital after initial treatment at the Community Health Centre at Chicholi.

The persons travelling in the tractor-trolley were returning to Bondri village after attending a marriage function at Imlidhana, she added.

In Khandwa, two children and three women were killed and at least 15 others injured when the tractor-trolley they were travelling in overturned near Dhanora village on the Khirkia-Khalwa road under the Roshani police post on Friday night, said Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Ravindra Vaskale.

He said about 35 people were travelling in the tractor-trolley headed to Medhapani village after attending a function in Harsud.

"The condition of six persons is serious. They are undergoing treatment at the Khandwa District Hospital," Vaskale said.

In Singrauli district, a man and a boy were killed when their motorcycle was hit by a truck near Amrahwa village on Friday evening, said Mada police station in-charge, Nagendra Singh.

He said the boy's mother, who was riding pillion, was injured.

The truck was impounded and further legal action is being taken, he said.

CBI arrests Railways officer, 2 others in bribery case

04-Jun-2022 199

Lucknow, Jun 4 (PTI) The CBI on Saturday said it has arrested an officer of the Lucknow division of the Northern Railways for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 80,000.

Deputy Chief Materials Manager (carriage and wagons) Alok Mishra was arrested on Friday evening along with two others who were identified as Avanish Mishra and Manjit Singh, the Central Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.

A case has been registered against the three arrested accused, unidentified public servants and private persons in the matter, it said.

According to the FIR, the said public servant was demanding and accepting illegal gratification from contractors for awarding contracts and clearing bills, etc. Alok Mishra allegedly directed a private person to bring cash for clearing the pending bills of another person amounting to Rs 70 lakh.

CBI officials laid a trap and caught Alok Mishra when he was receiving the bribe of Rs 80,000.

Searches were conducted in connection with the case at various places in Lucknow. So far, cash worth Rs 32,10,000 has been recovered from the residence of Alok Mishra, the CBI said.

"Incriminating documents and digital devices from the residence of the deputy CMM Mishra were also recovered," it said.

The agency said the arrested accused will be presented before a competent court.

17-year-old returning home from a pub get-together was gang-raped in the Jubilee Hills area.

03-Jun-2022 329

Hyderabad: (AGENCY )A 17-year-old returning home from a pub get-together was gang-raped in the Jubilee Hills area.

Based on a complaint lodged by the victim's family three days ago, police initially registered a case of "outraging modesty." The family grew suspicious after they noticed some minor injuries on her neck, but she reportedly said it was because some boys misbehaved with her after the pub party.

The investigators registered a case under IPC Section 354 and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. They then sent her for a medical examination, where she reportedly told the Bharosa centre officers about the sexual assault.

When leaving the pub, some of the youngsters who'd met her there reportedly approached her, offering to drop her home. "When the car stopped at an isolated location in the darkness, the youngsters violated her one after the other," a police officer said, as reported in The Hindu.

"However, since the crime was committed in the night, the video footage could not give us details," the officer added.

Investigators are now trying to verify if any minors were involved in the alleged gang rape.

Dhami wins from Champawat seat

03-Jun-2022 197

Dehradun, Jun 3 (PTI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday won the bypoll to the Champawat Assembly seat by more than 55,000 votes.

He defeated Nirmala Gahtori of the Congress by 55,025 votes, election officials in Champawat said.

Dhami had to contest a bypoll from the seat to become a member of the state Assembly, which was a constitutional requirement he needed to fulfil within six months of being sworn in as the chief minister.

He had lost from Khatima in the state assembly polls held in February.

Centre will soon arrest Manish Sisodia in 'fake' case to hinder Delhi's progress: Kejriwal

03-Jun-2022 226

New Delhi : (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday claimed the Centre has directed its agencies to arrest his deputy Manish Sisodia in "false" cases to hinder the progress made by the city in the field of education, even as he took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrest all his ministers in one go.

The AAP supremo also said the progress of several important projects of Delhi like Yamuna cleaning and opening of new mohalla clinics has been hampered following the arrest of Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case on Monday. On Tuesday, he was sent to ED custody till June 9 by a court here which noted that his interrogation was required to unearth the alleged larger conspiracy.

Kejriwal said he had learnt about the arrest of Jain from credible sources a few months back and had shared that information (in the public domain) and the same sources have informed him about Sisodia's arrest.

The Centre is fabricating false charges against Sisodia just like they did to arrest Satyendar Jain. The Centre has directed all its agencies to allot all their resources on framing bogus cases to arrest Sisodia," he claimed during a media briefing.

Referring to Sisodia as the pioneer of India's education revolution and perhaps the best education minister of independent India, the chief minister said he is a ray of hope for not just Delhi, but for the children of the entire country.

"It is because of him they are confident that someone can transform their schools too. He has brought fame to India on a global stage and people like him should be transforming schools all over India instead of being sent to jail," he said.

Accusing the Union government of wanting to stop the progress of Delhi's health and education sector by jailing Jain and Sisodia, Kejriwal recalled that even five years ago, over 20 AAP MLAs were arrested by the Centre's agencies, but they all were acquitted in the court of law and the courts had rapped the investigators.

"Today, we take pride in saying that Modi himself has given us a certificate of honesty. Will all the central agencies keep wasting our time by filing cases one by one against us? How will we be able to work like this?" he questioned.

With folded hands, I request the prime minister to consider my humble appeal. Mister prime minister, instead of putting us in jail one by one, please put all the AAP ministers and MLAs in jail at once. Please ask all your agencies to take out investigations against all of us at once only. Get done with it once and for all. Such gimmicks hinder your public interest project," he said.

Exuding confidence that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will "once again get the certificate of the most honest 'deshbhakt' (patriotic) party of India once this slander campaign ends", the chief minister said he does not understand politics.

Some people are saying this is happening in the run up to the Himachal Pradesh polls. Some call it a consequence of our victory in Punjab. We do not understand politics. We do not care for it. We are not scared of going to jail," he said.

He also said the arrests of Sisodia and Jain are a loss to the nation.

"Eighteen lakh children study in our government's schools. Not just the future, but the present of these children was in a misery. I ask the students and their parents, do you think a man like your education minister, a man of the pedigree of Manish Sisodia can ever be corrupt?" he said.

Crediting Sisodia, he said Delhi's Model of Education is not only spreading its wings in India, but all over the globe, and leaders from across the globe are requesting the Delhi government to teach them to run Happiness and Entrepreneurship classes.

"It is because of Manish Ji that an education system from India got fame at the international level. These people want to hinder Delhi's progress in education and healthcare by framing Sisodia and Jain in fake cases. I pledge to not let this system break at any cost. ... All I know is that putting them behind the bars is a tragic loss for the country," he said.

Listing out the implications of Jain's arrest, Kejriwal said his minister was working on cleaning the Yamuna, increasing the number of Mohalla Clinics and supplying drinking water to every household 24x7 here, but now the progress of these projects will get hindered.

"If people who revolutionise governance and make life easier for the public can be judged corrupt, then the parameters of honesty must be in a different paradigm altogether, he said.

Over half a dozen portfolios allocated to Jain have been handed over to Sisodia, according to an official notification.

Citizenship Amendment Act will not be implemented in Kerala, says CM

03-Jun-2022 217

The satates man

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday asserted that his government would not implement the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

Speaking at a function organised to mark the conclusion of his government’s first anniversary celebrations here, he said, “The government has a clear position on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). That will continue.”

The Chief Minister said that “our country works on the principle of secularism as mentioned in the Constitution of India. Nowadays, attempts are being made to destroy secularism. A certain group of people are greatly concerned about this. In a recent incident, a group of people were determining citizenship on the basis of religion. Kerala government has taken a firm stand against this incident.”

He added, “Several surveys are being conducted in different parts of the country to create communal tension among people. But here, a survey has been completed to identify the most impoverished families in our society. Further steps will be taken as part of this survey.”

While speaking at the first anniversary celebrations of the LDF government, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reiterated that the state would not implement Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

“The State government has taken a firm stand that citizenship would not be determined based on religion,” Vijayan added.

Last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said in Siliguri in West Bengal that the law would be implemented once the COVID-19 pandemic has ended.

“We will implement Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on the ground the moment COVID-19 wave ends,” Union Home minister Amit Shah said in West Bengal’s Siliguri city.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 which was passed by the Parliament of India on December 11, 2019, but is yet to be implemented, aims to grant citizenship to those members of the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who faced persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

On December 12, 2019, the CAA was notified and came into force on January 10, 2020. It aims to facilitate the grant of citizenship to migrants belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who had come to India on or before December 31, 2014.

Constable booked for raping woman after spiking drink

02-Jun-2022 204

Kannauj (UP), Jun 2 (PTI) A constable has been booked for allegedly raping a woman at a hotel in Mathura after giving her a drink laced with sedatives, police said on Thursday.

An FIR was registered against constable Shashi Kapoor, who is posted at Iglas police station of Aligarh, on Wednesday in this regard, Superintendent of Police Prashant Verma said.

The FIR was registered at Saurikh police station here, he said.

According to the complaint, the constable gave the 22-year-old woman sedatives and took her to the hotel where he raped her in an unconscious state on May 24.

The woman said the accused constable was known to her and that he visited her place and told her that his wife was not well, adding that she then went with him after which the incident took place.

The victim also alleged that she was threatened by Kapoor, saying that he would make the video of the criminal act viral.

Police is probing the matter.

Kashmiri Pandits protesting but BJP busy celebrating its eight years: Rahul

02-Jun-2022 189

New Delhi, (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday slammed the government over the killing of a Hindu woman teacher in Kulgam, saying Kashmiri Pandits are protesting but the BJP is busy celebrating eight years of Modi government.

His remarks come a day after school teacher Renu Bala was gunned down near her school in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam by terrorists.

Security personnel and civilians are dying in Kashmir and this is the truth and it is not a film, he said.

"In Kashmir, 15 security personnel have been martyred and 18 civilians have been killed in the last five months. Yesterday too a teacher was murdered," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

"Kashmiri Pandits are sitting on a dharna for the last 18 days but the BJP is busy celebrating eight years. Prime Minister ji, this is not a film but it is the truth of Kashmir today," Gandhi also said.