Category: India

Social media users, including Opposition MPs, have accused Finance Minister Nirmal Sitharaman of making insensitive remarks without addressing the issue of toxic workplaces.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s remarks on the death of a 26-year-old chartered accountant, allegedly due to work pressure, has sparked a row. The minister has said people need inner strength to handle pressure and this can only be achieved by divinity.
Several social media users, including leaders from the Opposition, have termed the remarks insensitive.

Addressing an event at a Chennai medical college, Ms Sitharaman referred to Anna Sebastian Perayil’s death without mentioning Ernst & Young, where she was working. “Our children go to colleges and universities for education and come out with flying colours. A company, without mentioning its name, it’s a partnership. There, a woman who had studied CA well (was) unable to cope with the work pressure. Two-three days ago, we received news — she died unable to cope with the pressure,” she said.

“What should families teach — whatever you study and the job you do, you should have the inner strength to handle that pressure and this can be achieved through divinity only,” she said. “Believe in God, we need to have God’s grace. Seek God, and learn good discipline. Your Atmashakti will grow only from this. The inner strength will come only with growing Atmashakti,” the Finance Minister added.

“Educational institutions should bring in divinity and spirituality. Then only will our children get the inner strength, it will help in their progress and that of the country. That is my strong belief,” the minister said, according to news agency PTI.

The remarks sparked a row, with social media users accusing the Finance Minister of making insensitive remarks without addressing the issue of toxic workplaces.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, Rajya Sabha MP from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), hit out at the Finance Minister’s remarks.

“Dear Nirmala Sitaraman ji, Anna had (the) inner strength to handle the stress that came with pursuing a gruelling Chartered Accountancy degree. It was the toxic work culture, long work hours that took away her life which needs to be addressed. Stop victim shaming and at least try to be a little sensitive, am sure god will be the guide if you seek.”

CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar accused the Finance Minister of “belittling and demeaning everyday struggles of working people across the country”. “Over-work, inhuman working conditions, pervasive unemployment and lack of social security are creating stress and insecurity among workers, particularly the younger sections of our workforce across occupations. Instead of addressing these structural concerns, the finance minister’s advice to ‘rely on God’ is bizarre and insensitive,” he said in a statement.

Besides the Opposition leaders, several social media users found the remarks insensitive and said the government should address the toxic work culture in many organisations.

Anna Sebastian Perayil’s death has sparked a nationwide conversation on how toxic workplaces are affecting the well-being of employees.

The matter came to light after Anna’s mother Anita Augustine wrote to Ernst & Young India Chairman Rajiv Memani and said her daughter had died just four months after she joined the company and flagged a work culture that “seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the very human being behind the role”.

“Anna would return to her room utterly exhausted, sometimes collapsing on the bed without even changing her clothes, only to be bombarded with messages asking for more reports. She was putting in her best efforts, working very hard to meet the deadlines. She was a fighter to the core, not someone to give up easily. We told her to quit, but she wanted to learn and gain new exposure. However, the overwhelming pressure proved too much even for her,” she wrote.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/nirmala-sitharaman-anna-sebastian-ernst-young-need-gods-grace-to-row-over-ministers-remark-on-ey-staffs-death-6629398

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York on Monday.

This was the second meeting between the two leaders in about a month. PM Modi had visited Ukraine on August 23 and reiterated India’s willingness to contribute in all possible ways to facilitate an early return of peace in the Ukraine conflict.

PM Modi had visited Ukraine at the invitation of President Zelenskyy in first ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine since diplomatic relations were established between the two countries in the year 1992.

A joint statement issued following PM Modi’s visit to Ukraine had said that both Leaders expressed mutual interest in working towards elevating bilateral relations from a comprehensive partnership to a strategic partnership in the future.

They reaffirmed their commitment to further developing bilateral ties for the benefit of the peoples of both countries based on mutual trust, respect, and openness.

The statement had said that PM Modi and President Zelenskyy reiterated their readiness for further cooperation in upholding principles of international law, including the UN Charter, such as respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states. They agreed on the desirability of closer bilateral dialogue in this regard.

“The Indian side reiterated its principled position and focus on peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy, as a part of which, India has attended the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, in June 2024. The Ukrainian side welcomed such participation by India and highlighted the importance of high-level Indian participation in the next Peace Summit,” the statement had said.

“Prime Minister Modi reiterated the need for sincere and practical engagement between all stakeholders to develop innovative solutions that will have broad acceptability and contribute towards early restoration of peace. He reiterated India’s willingness to contribute in all possible ways to facilitate an early return of peace,” it added.

Russia and Ukraine have been engaged in conflict for over two years.

A joint statement issued by Quad leaders after their meeting hosted by US President Joe Biden on September 21 said that they stand for adherence to international law and respect for principles of the UN Charter, including territorial integrity, sovereignty of all states, and peaceful resolution of disputes.
“We express our deepest concern over the war raging in Ukraine including the terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences. Each of us has visited Ukraine since the war began, and seen this first-hand; we reiterate the need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with international law, consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. We also note the negative impacts of the war in Ukraine with regard to global food and energy security, especially for developing and least developed countries,” the statement said.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-modi-meets-ukraine-president-zelenskyy-in-new-york-6634557

Jabalpur: A video of a snake hanging from an iron grip inside a coach of Jabalpur-Mumbai Garibrath Express has gone viral on social media.

The incident reportedly occurred near Kasara station in Maharashtra on Sunday morning.

West Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Harshit Shrivastava told PTI that authorities are currently coordinating with Central Railways to verify details of the sighting.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/snake-found-hanging-in-garibrath-express-coach-3201895

The new facility, named ‘Shakti,’ will specialise in advanced sensing, advanced communications, and high-voltage power electronics, making it one of the world’s first multi-material fabrication plants focused on national security.

India will set up its first national security semiconductor fabrication plant, aimed at producing chips for military hardware and critical telecommunications and electronics, under a transformative collaboration with the United States. This ambitious joint project was announced following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in Wilmington on September 22.

Both leaders hailed the India-US semiconductor fabrication partnership as a “watershed arrangement,” as detailed in a joint fact sheet released after their discussions. The initiative will be supported by the India Semiconductor Mission and will involve a strategic technology partnership among Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the US Space Force.

Anna Sebastian Perayil, the 26-year-old CA, passed her Chartered Accountancy exams in 2023 and worked at the EY Pune office for four months died in July.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday called on colleges and universities to impart stress management lessons to students. Her rationale was that this will help in increasing the students’ inner strengths.

Sitharaman’s comment came in the wake of death of a 26-year-old CA professional employed with Ernst & Young (EY), a Big 4 accounting firm. Anna Sebastian Perayil, the 26-year-old CA, passed her Chartered Accountancy exams in 2023 and worked at the EY Pune office for four months died in July.

In a letter to EY India chairman Rajiv Memani, Perayil’s mother attributed her daughter’s death to excessive workload, which drained her “physically, emotionally and mentally.” While addressing an event at a private medical college, she alluded to the death of the young CA, without naming the victim or the company.

“Was discussing about an issue that is on newspapers for the past two days. Our children go to colleges and universities for education and come out in flying colours. A company, without mentioning its name, its a partnership. There, a woman who had studied CA well, unable to cope with the work pressure, 2-3 days ago, we received a news — she died unable to cope with the pressure,” Sitharaman said.

She added that even if educational institutions impart good education and ensure jobs to students via campus recruitments, they should teach certain things, along with that, which are taught in the family.

“What should families teach — whatever you study and the job you do, you should have the inner strength to handle that pressure and this can be achieved through divinity only,” she said.

“Believe in God, we need to have God’s grace. Seek God, learn good discipline. Your Atma shakthi will grow only from this. The inner strength will come only with growing Atma shakti,” the Finance Minister said.

FM Sitharaman added that educational institutions should bring in divinity and spirituality, then only will children get the inner strength. The central government stepped into the matter and said that it will investigate the work environment at the Big 4 accounting firm.

Source: https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/seek-god-learn-good-discipline-nirmala-sitharaman-on-ey-employee-death-congress-reacts-446997-2024-09-23

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi today convened a high-profile roundtable with top American technology CEOs, focusing on innovation, collaboration, and India’s growing tech space. The meeting, held at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel, was part of PM Modi’s three-day visit to the United States, with its second leg in New York.

Hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Engineering, the roundtable saw participation from leaders of companies specialising in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, and biotechnology.

The roundtable was attended by prominent CEOs like Google’s Sundar Pichai Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Adobe’s Shantanu Narayen.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Prime Minister Modi said, “Had a fruitful roundtable with tech CEOs in New York, discussing aspects relating to technology, innovation, and more. Also highlighted the strides made by India in this field. I am glad to see immense optimism towards India.”

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement that the roundtable focused on cutting-edge sectors, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum computing, biotechnology, and semiconductor technologies.

“The CEOs participated in a deep dive with Prime Minister on the evolving technology landscape at a global level and how these cutting-edge technologies are contributing to the well-being of people around the world including in India. They touched upon how technology is being leveraged for innovations, which have the potential to revolutionize the global economy and human development,” the MEA said in a statement.

On Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Prime Minister stressed that India’s policy is to promote ‘AI for All’, underpinned by its ethical and responsible use.

PM Modi also reassured the CEOs of India’s strong commitment to protecting intellectual property and fostering a conducive environment for technology-led innovation. He encouraged the business leaders to capitalise on India’s growth trajectory, pointing to the nation’s potential to become the third-largest economy globally.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/google-to-nvidia-pm-modis-roundtable-meet-with-15-tech-ceos-at-mit-6627633

India is investigating the business practices of US streaming giant Netflix’s local operations, including allegations of visa violations and racial discrimination, according to a government email sent to a former executive. The details of investigation were included in a July 20 email, reviewed by Reuters, which was written by a home ministry official to Netflix’s former director of business and legal affairs for India, Nandini Mehta, who left the company in 2020.

“This is regarding visa and tax violations concerns regarding the business practices of Netflix in India,” wrote Indian official Deepak Yadav from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) of the home ministry in New Delhi.

“We have received certain details in this regard w.r.t (with respect to) the stated company’s conduct, visa violation, illegal structures, tax evasion and other malpractices including incidents of racial discrimination that the company has been engaged in while conducting its business in India,” he added.

In an emailed statement, Ms Mehta said she is pursuing a lawsuit in the US against Netflix for alleged wrongful termination as well as racial and gender discrimination – charges the company denies.

Ms Mehta said she welcomed the investigation and hopes the authorities make their findings public but did not elaborate on the allegations made by the government.

Mr Yadav declined to comment, saying he was not authorized to speak to the media. The FRRO and Home Ministry did not respond to Reuters queries.

A Netflix spokesperson said the company was “unaware of an investigation by the Indian government.”

The  official’s email shows growing scrutiny of Netflix in India, where it has roughly 10 million users and which it considers a growth market where companies target affluent people in the nation of 1.4 billion people.

Over the years, the US streaming giant has developed more local content featuring Bollywood actors.

It has also often faced heat in India over its content deemed insensitive by some users. This month, it was forced to add new disclaimers to an Indian series about a plane hijack after social media outrage and government anger over what they said was Muslim hijackers being shown as Hindus.

SEEKING DOCUMENTS, US LAWSUIT

While it is known that Netflix has since 2023 faced an Indian tax demand – which is challenging – the existence of a broader investigation into allegations including visa compliance and racial discrimination has not been previously reported.

The government’s email did not elaborate on which agencies are looking at issues concerning Netflix. The FRRO works closely with home ministry’s Intelligence Bureau, the domestic intelligence agency, and is the main agency looking into foreigners’ visa compliance and permissions to visit so-called “sensitive” regions.

Last year, India accused Chinese smartphone player Vivo and its Indian affiliates of breaching visa rules by visiting certain “sensitive” regions without permission.

The FRRO also acts as a liaison in matters related to foreigners with other government offices.

Ms Mehta worked at the company’s Los Angeles and Mumbai offices from April 2018 to April 2020, her LinkedIn profile shows.

The government email asked her to provide “details/documents” as she was a former legal executive of the company.

While it remains unknown who introduced the laddu in the temple, records show the prevalence of it from as early as 1790 AD

The Tirumala Laddu, long cherished by devotees, is now at the centre of an unsettling controversy. Days after Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that the ghee used in preparing the sacred offering contained beef tallow and lard, a storm of unanswered questions has erupted. Were these laddus with adulterated ghee samples ever distributed to the public, or were they rejected before reaching devotees? And how did the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) laboratory — responsible for testing every consignment — not detect this alleged contamination?

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/how-tirumalas-laddu-became-the-temples-sacred-offering-101726931507316.html

Arvind Kejriwal said that despite serving as the chief minister of Delhi for over a decade, he is yet to purchase his own house in the city

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, who stepped down as the chief minister on September 17, on Sunday said he will vacate the CM’s official residence at 6, Flagstaff Road in Civil Lines as soon as the Navratri begin, in the first week of October.

Kejriwal has been living at the CM’s official residence since 2015, after the AAP won absolute majority in the Delhi assembly and he was elected chief minister for the second time.

Speaking at a public gathering at Jantar Mantar, Kejriwal said that despite serving as the chief minister of Delhi for over a decade, he is yet to purchase his own house in the city.

“In a few days I will be leaving the CM’s bungalow. Today, after 10 years since I became CM, I don’t even have a house in Delhi. Many people tell me what kind of a man you are, you remained CM for 10 years, you could have built 10 bungalows in 10 years,” Kejriwal said.

“I have not earned anything in 10 years, I have only earned your love and blessings. And the result of this love is that today when I am leaving the official accommodation, so many people in Delhi are offering me their houses, without rent. After Pitru Paksha (a 16-day period in the Hindu calendar) ends, and as soon as the Navratras start, I will leave the CM residence and come to any of your houses and start living with you,” he said.

In response, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said Kejriwal is trying to “mislead” the people by trying to project that he is making a sacrifice by leaving the residence. “Previous CMs also left their official bungalows without drama. But Kejriwal doesn’t do anything without drama as he believes that he can fool the people all the time,” he said.

Meanwhile, a Public Works Department (PWD) official, on condition of anonymity, said that as per convention, a chief minister should move out of the CM’s official residence within two-three weeks of his/her resignation being accepted.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/will-vacate-delhi-cm-s-official-house-when-navratri-starts-kejriwal-101727028096556.html

After the roundtable meeting of prominent CEOs of Tech Companies with PM Narendra Modi, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that PM Modi has been focussed on transforming India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a roundtable with the CEOs of leading American tech companies, where he emphasised India’s growth prospects and discussed initiatives to foster bilateral collaborations across various sectors.

After the meeting, Pichai said, “It is Digital India vision. He (PM Modi) pushed us to continue making in India, designing in India. We are proud to now make our Pixel phones manufactured in India. He is really thinking about how AI can transform India in a way that benefits the people of India. He challenged us to think about applications in healthcare, education, agriculture and he is also thinking about the infrastructure of India – be it data centres, power, energy and investing to make sure that India can transition.”

Pichai also mentioned Google’s India plans and investment in AI expansion.

“We are proud to be partnering with India. We are robustly investing in AI in India and we look forward to doing more. We have set several programs and partnerships. He has always challenged all of us to do more, more for India. Now, he is asking us to do the same with AI. He has a clear vision, both in terms of the opportunity that AI will create but he wants to make sure ultimately AI is there to benefit the people of India and he has a clear vision that it should all be in the service of the people of India. He is challenging us to do more,” Pichai added.

PM Modi In US: Tech Roundtable

The meeting took place at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on Sunday during the second leg of Modi’s three-day US visit. It saw the participation of CEOs of 15 major US-based firms working on cutting-edge technologies such as AI, quantum computing and semiconductors.

The above posts are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to complaints and grievances against the firm on social media. From not returning the deposit amount to closing tickets raised by customers without resolving their issues, unsatisfied customers have raised issues galore against the firm. The Free Press Journal reached out to Colive for a reply, but the firm has not responded.

Aggrieved customers lashed out at Colive, a firm or start-up providing “tech enabled shared living spaces” that is into the business of providing rental homes and PGs via their app, for allegedly duping customers of their deposit amounts. Several customers took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and claimed that Colive was issuing post-dated cheques to refund the deposit amounts but the cheques would “bounce off” due to lack of money in the firm’s account.

Sanket salot (41), a Bengaluru based working professional, narrates his experience and the ordeal he had to go through in getting his deposit money back from Colive after using the firm’s app. Sanket lived in Colive Signature Tower from October 2023 to March 2024, the PG accomodation that he got using the Colive App.

“Firm Forcing Customers To Accept Post-Dated Cheques”

Sanket and several other people who lived in Colive PG have alleged that the firm forces the customers to accept deposit amount only in the form of post-dated cheques.

An 18-member committee has been formed to draft a bill titled ‘The Right of Women to Menstrual Leave and Free Access to Menstrual Health Products,’ aimed at improving the work-life balance for women.

Karnataka government is planning to propose paid menstrual leave for women in both private and public sectors with an aim to improve work-life balance for women. The government is looking to propose six days of paid menstrual leave a year for women to address the physical and emotional challenges they face during menstruation.

An 18-member committee has been formed to draft a bill titled ‘The Right of Women to Menstrual Leave and Free Access to Menstrual Health Products,’ aimed at improving the work-life balance for women.

“We are reviewing the proposal and have scheduled a meeting with the committee members. This initiative aims to support the female workforce, as women face significant physical and emotional fluctuations throughout their lives. The leave will be flexible, allowing women to choose when they need time off,” Labour Minister Santosh Lad said.

Lad will meet committee members to discuss the recommendations following which they will be put out for consultation with the public, companies and other stakeholders.

These 3 States Already Have Paid Period Leave Plan

If passed, Karnataka will be the fourth state to offer menstrual leave after Bihar, Kerala, and Odisha. The state has established an 18-member committee to draft the bill, focusing on the well-being of working women.

Bihar introduced its policy in 1992, allowing women two days of paid menstrual leave every month. In 2023, Kerala extended menstrual leave to female students in all universities and institutions, along with up to 60 days of maternity leave for female students over 18.

The Odisha government in August introduced a one-day menstrual leave policy for women workers in both the state government and the private sector. During the district-level Independence Day celebration in Cuttack, new Odisha CM Pravati Parida said women workers would be allowed to take the leave on either the first or second day of their menstrual cycle. The one-day menstrual leave policy will be effective immediately.4

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/six-paid-period-leaves-per-year-karnataka-govts-plan-to-improve-womens-work-life-balance-article-113551287

The bench said the State cannot abdicate its constitutional and statutory responsibility of payment of compensation by arguing that its role was limited to initiating acquisition proceedings.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has said when acquisition of land for public purpose is undertaken under the power of eminent domain of the government much against the wishes of the landowners, this is coupled with a bounden duty and obligation on part of the government body to ensure that the compensation or awarded amount is paid as declared by the statutory award at the earliest.

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said the omission or lapse to complete such an exercise before taking possession of the land could be said to be in contravention of the mandate of Section 38(1) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

The court also said Section 38 of the 2013 Act indicated that the payment of full and final compensation to land owners is a precursor to taking possession of the land sought to be acquired from such persons.

The bench said the State cannot abdicate its constitutional and statutory responsibility of payment of compensation by arguing that its role was limited to initiating acquisition proceedings.

It also said any delay in the payment of compensation to the landowners after taking away ownership of the subject land from them is in contravention to the spirit of the constitutional scheme of Article 300A and the idea of a welfare State.

In its decision on appeal by Ultra-tech Cement Ltd related to payment of supplementary award to landowners for their land in Solan, the bench said, “It is regrettable that the State of Himachal Pradesh, being a welfare state, did not ensure payment of compensation to the Respondent Nos 1-6 before taking possession of their land.”

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/state-under-bounden-duty-to-pay-compensation-in-land-acquisition-cases-at-the-earliest-supreme-court-3201372

Tirumala Laddu row: A day after the TTD initiated legal action against the firm, the employee refuted the allegation that fish oil was used to prepare ghee.

An employee of AR Dairy Food Private Limited – a Tamil Nadu-based company in the dock for allegedly supplying adulterated ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams for Sri Venkateswara Temple prasadam – has called the allegations against the firm “absurd”.

A day after the TTD initiated legal action against the firm, the employee refuted the allegation that fish oil was used to prepare ghee. He said the charge was absurd because fish oil was more expensive than ghee.

The intelligence report says “900 Kuki militants, newly trained in use of drone-based bombs, projectles, missiles and jungle warfare have entered Manipur from Myanmar… grouped in units of 30 members each,” sources said

The Security Adviser to the Manipur government today for the first time publicly confirmed they have received an intelligence report that alerted about the entry of “900 Kuki militants” trained in jungle warfare and use of weaponised drones to Manipur from neighbouring Myanmar. The intelligence report cannot be taken lightly, Manipur Security Adviser Kuldiep Singh told reporters today.

The intelligence report was sent to all Senior Superintendents of Police in the districts along the India-Myanmar border in southern Manipur, top intelligence sources told NDTV, requesting anonymity. The report, sent on Thursday, mentioned that “900 Kuki militants, newly trained in use of drone-based bombs, projectles, missiles and jungle warfare have entered Manipur from Myanmar”, the sources said.

The “Kuki militants” are believed to be grouped in units of 30 members each and at present are scattered in the periphery, the intelligence sources told NDTV, adding they may launch multiple coordinated attacks on Meitei villages in the last week of September.

The lawyer and her partner claimed that they were subjected to torture and sexual abuse when they visited the station on September 14 to file a road rage complaint.

A woman lawyer and her Army Major fiance were allegedly brutally assaulted by cops at Bharatpur police station in Odisha.

The lawyer and her partner claimed that they were subjected to torture and sexual abuse when they visited the station on September 14 to file a road rage complaint.

While addressing the press on September 19, the lawyer alleged that two female officers began beating her while holding her ears.

“I kept requesting them not to do this. Then they started dragging me through the corridor of the police station and I was trying to fight back. Meanwhile, a lady constable tried to strangle me and I bit her hand. Then they tied my hands behind my back with my jacket and a lady constable tied my legs and locked me in a room,” the woman said.

She broke down and recounted,

“Then a male officer came and tore my blouse and started kicking my breasts. Around 6, he came and opened his pants and flashed his penis while I was screaming for help.”

A few days after the incident, the Orissa High Court took note of the incident and released the woman on bail.

She was arrested on charges of assaulting the police and vandalising police property. The Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of the police station claimed that while on patrol duty around 3:30 AM, she received a call reporting that a young man and woman were causing a disturbance at the police station.

It was alleged that couple used abusive language and assaulted the ASI as well as other police staff. As per the first information report (FIR), the lawyer bit a female officer, causing an injury to her hand.

However, the woman refuted all such allegations against her and informed the High Court that she and her partner were brutally assaulted and that the police had refused to register their complaint. Additionally, it was stated that both individuals were illegally detained in lockup for several hours.

The Court was informed that a co-ordinate bench had directed the transfer of the woman to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, where she was receiving treatment.

While granting bail to the couple, the Court reportedly warned against the use of standardised rejection slips by magistrates when denying bail.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) took suo motu cognisance of the incident on September 17 after the video surfaced on social media.

The Commission has sought urgent disciplinary action in the matter.

In response to the nationwide outrage over the incident, the Odisha Police suspended five officers on September 19, including the Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) of the Bharatpur Police Station.

Source: https://www.barandbench.com/news/orissa-high-court-bail-woman-lawyer-torture-odisha-police-station

The police said it appears that the body parts have been kept inside the refrigerator for around 2-3 days. The area near the crime scene has been sealed and further investigation is underway.

The dismembered body of a 26-year-old woman was discovered in a refrigerator in Bengaluru’s Vyalikaval area, police reported on Saturday.

The victim, identified as Mahalakshmi, had been cut into multiple pieces, and her remains were found inside the fridge in a one-bedroom apartment where she lived alone.

The police suspect the murder took place about 2 to 3 days ago. Senior officers arrived at the scene and sealed off the area. A forensic team and a dog squad were deployed to assist in the investigation.

Authorities are gathering evidence and examining the crime scene for further clues.

“There is a one BHK house within the Vyalikaval Police limits. The body of a 26-year-old girl was found cut into pieces and stored in a refrigerator. Prima facie, the incident did not occur today; it appears to have happened 2-3 days ago,” Sathish Kumar, the Additional Commissioner of Police (West Zone), said.

“We have identified the girl, but let us complete the investigation,” he added.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/cities/bengaluru/story/woman-body-cut-into-multiple-pieces-found-inside-fridge-in-bengaluru-2604173-2024-09-22

The new Council of Ministers announced by the party comprises Sultanpur Majra MLA Mukesh Ahlawat, a new entrant, besides ministers Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Imran Hussain.

New Delhi: Chief Minister-designate Atishi will be sworn in along with her new Council of Ministers during a ceremony at the Raj Niwas on Saturday afternoon that will see AAP form the government in Delhi for the fourth time in a row.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi will take the oath of office at 4:30 pm, officials have said.

The new Council of Ministers announced by the party comprises Sultanpur Majra MLA Mukesh Ahlawat, a new entrant, besides ministers Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Imran Hussain.

Atishi will be the 17th female chief minister of the country.

The officials at the lieutenant governor’s office on Friday evening said President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Atishi as the chief minister of Delhi from the date of her being sworn in and has also accepted Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation.

The President has also cleared the appointment of five ministers, they added.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/delhi/atishi-to-take-oath-as-delhi-chief-minister-at-430-pm-on-september-21-3200030

As per reports in a section of international media, Bulgarian company Norta Global owned by Jose was involved in the financial transactions for the supply of the pagers to Hezbollah.

Thiruvananthapuram: Relatives of a Keralite whose Bulgarian firm is reportedly linked to the pagers that exploded in Lebanon have maintained that they are in the dark about the reports.

There are media reports that a Bulgarian firm run by Kerala native Rinson Jose, 39, was involved in the financial transactions for purchasing the pagers that exploded in the middle-eastern country.

Jose, who hails from Mananthavady in Wayanad district, is learnt to have visited his home around ten months back. He has Norwegian citizenship.

Jose’s relative Thankachan told the media that the family was not aware of any links of Jose with the pager deal.

“Jose left Kerala for a job and studies ten years back. He last visited home last November and returned in January. We were told that he was working for a firm. We are not aware of any company he is running. He had contacted the family a few days ago but did not mention anything about the fresh developments. We firmly believe that Jose is not involved in any illegal acts,” Thankachan said.

Local sources said that Jose worked with some private firms in Bengaluru for a few years before going abroad.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/kerala/family-in-the-dark-after-reports-link-keralites-firm-to-exploded-pagers-in-lebanon-3200031

The bus, which was engaged in election duty, was carrying a total of 35 BSF personnel when it skidded off road in the Brell Waterhail area of Budgam and fell into a deep gorge, an official said.

Srinagar: At least four paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) personnel died, and dozens more were injured after a bus they were travelling in skidded off the road and plunged into a gorge in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Friday.

The bus, which was engaged in election duty, was carrying a total of 35 BSF personnel when it skidded off road in the Brell Waterhail area of Budgam and fell into a deep gorge, an official said. In the incident four BSF jawans died while more than two dozen were injured.

Soon after the incident, reports said, police, administration and local volunteers rushed to the spot and pulled the injured BSF personnel from the bus.

Around 30 injured were shifted to various medical facilities in Budgam and Srinagar, where condition of six among them is stated to be critical. In addition to the injured BSF personnel, a civilian driver also suffered injuries in the incident.

In the purported videos of the incident which surfaced on social media, locals can be seen assisting in rescuing the injured.

The tragic incident comes three days after an army vehicle slipped off the road and fell into a deep gorge in border Rajouri district of Jammu region in which four soldiers were injured.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/jammu-and-kashmir/four-bsf-jawans-on-poll-duty-die-dozens-injured-in-road-mishap-in-jks-budgam-3199890

Gadkari also said that as long as untouchability and notions of social inferiority and superiority persist, the work of nation-building can not be said to be complete.

Pune: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said the biggest test of democracy is that the ruler tolerates even the strongest opinion against him, and it leads to introspection.

Writers and intellectuals should express themselves fearlessly, the senior BJP leader said at a book release function at MIT World Peace University here.

“The biggest test of democracy is that the king tolerates the strongest opinion against him and introspects over it,” said Gadkari.

In India, there is no problem of difference of opinion but “there is a problem of lack of opinion”, he said.

“We are neither rightist, nor leftist. We are opportunists. It is expected from writers and intellectuals that they express their opinions without any fear,” he added.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/test-of-democracy-is-king-tolerates-dissent-introspects-gadkari-3200258

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday rebutted the claims made by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu over the ongoing controversy on the preparation of Tirupati Balaji prasadam laddoos, saying that no violation took place under his government and the entire controversy is unwarranted.

Accusing Naidu of doing pity politics in the name of god, the former CM said that the ghee which is used to prepare the laddoos is procured NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) certified companies and then thoroughly tested. The process of ghee procurement is totally transparent, Reddy said.

He further informed that apart from these lab tests, Tirumala Tirupathi Devastanam (TTD) also conducts its own round of tests thrice to check the quality of ghee. The same process is being followed for years.

The former AP CM also stated that he will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, explaining how Naidu “twisted the facts” on the issue.

“Ultimately, at the end of the day, I myself am writing a letter to the Prime Minister. I am also writing a letter to the Chief Justice of India. I am explaining to them as to how Chandrababu Naidu twisted the facts and why action should not be taken against him for having done so,” he noted.

The YSRCP chief further accused Naidu of using god for political gains and insulting Lord Venkateshwara Swamy. He said that Naidu alleged ghee adulteration in Tirupati prasadam laddoos to divert attention from his 100 days governance in Andhra Pradesh.

“This is a diversion politics. On one hand, people are expressing their anger at Chandrababu Naidu’s hundred days rule. They are demanding what happened to their “Super six” (poll promises). In order to divert people’s attention, this concocted story,” he said.

The ghee adulteration allegations are atrocious, he said, and asked is it fair to play with sentiments of crores of devotees across world.

The fiancée of an Army officer, who was reportedly assaulted at a police station in Bhubaneswar, has accused the inspector-in-charge (IIC) and another officer of “sexually harassing and molesting” her.

Sharing her distressing account with the media, she stated that this happened on the morning of September 15, and claimed she was “wrongfully thrown into jail.”

“I don’t know what happened, they put him in the lockup. When I raised the voice that they cannot put an Army officer in custody as it is unlawful, two female officers started physically assaulting me. I kept pleading to them to stop but they didn’t,” she alleged on Thursday.

The woman further alleged that the police woman dragged her through the corridor, and when the officer tried to grab her neck, she fought back and bit her hand.

The police personnel then put her in a room after tying her hands and legs, she alleged. “After some time, a male officer opened the doors and kicked on my breasts several times and left,” the woman added.

Anna Sebastian Perayil, a chartered accountant (CA) from Kerala who worked at EY’s Pune office, allegedly died due to work pressure.

Amid an uproar over the death of a 26-year-old employee at tax consultancy major Ernst&Young (EY) allegedly due to work pressure, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday suggested a 40-hour work week. Anna Sebastian Perayil, a chartered accountant (CA) from Kerala who worked at EY’s Pune office for four months, died this July. Her mother, Anita Augustine, wrote to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani this month, flagging the “glorification” of overwork at the multinational consulting firm.
Taking to his official X account, Mr Tharoor, who is a Member of Parliament from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram, said Anna passed away after a cardiac arrest, following “four months of deeply stressful seven-day weeks of 14 hours a day” at the Big Four accounting firm.

He said he had a “deeply emotional and heartrending” conversation with her father, Sibi Joseph.

“He (Anna’s father) suggested, and I agreed, that I raise the issue of legislating, through Parliament, a fixed calendar for all workplaces, whether in the private sector or the public, that would not exceed eight hours a day, five days a week,” Mr Tharoor said.

“Inhumanity at the workplace must be legislated out of existence with stringent punishment and fines for offenders. Human rights do not stop at the workplace,” the Congress MP wrote.

He also said he will raise the matter at the “first opportunity” during the next session of Parliament, which is expected to be held in December.

“Advised Her To Quit”: EY Employee’s Father

Anna Sebastian Perayil’s father spoke to the media this week and said she had to work through the night, till 12.30 am.

“We advised her to quit, but she insisted that this stint would provide valuable professional exposure,” Siby Joseph said.

He also claimed the issue of extreme work pressure was mentioned before the senior officials of the EY, but no action was taken.

“She had complained to the assistant manager, but they insisted on working even at night,” he said.

The family alleged that the company responded only after her mother’s letter went viral.

“We are not planning to move legally, but we don’t want anyone else to face the same fate. We don’t want the newbies joining such corporate companies to face similar situations,” Mr Joseph said.

Anna’s mother, Ms Augustine, had also said in the letter that no one from the company had attended her funeral, which the family found deeply hurtful.

EY On Employee’s Death

As the issue snowballed, EY on Wednesday issued a statement saying it was deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian’s “tragic and untimely” passing in July 2024.

It said it works with about 1,00,000 people at its member firms in India and that Anna had worked at one such firm –  S R Batliboi – for four months.

“Since the death, EY has been in touch with the family, helping them but it is only now that her family has chosen to write to the company, complaining about the “excessive workload”, the accounting giant said.

EY India Chairman On Anna Sebastian Perayil’s Death

EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani also issued a statement on Thursday and said the fact that no one from the company attended the funeral is alien to their culture and that he “would not rest” until the objective of nurturing a harmonious workplace is accomplished.

In a statement posted on LinkedIn, Mr Memani said that, as a father, he could understand the anguish of the woman’s mother.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ey-anna-sebastian-perayil-shashi-tharoors-40-hour-work-week-pitch-after-ey-employees-death-6614259

The death of a 26-year-old Ernst & Young employee, Anna Sebastian Perayil, has sparked outrage after her mother’s emotional letter went viral, raising concerns over work pressure within the company.

Ernst & Young India chairman Rajiv Memani on Thursday denied the claims of “work pressure” behind the death of a 26-year-old employee — Anna Sebastian Perayil — in July this year.

The incident came to light after Anna’s mother wrote a gut-wrenching letter to the head of Ernst & Young India which went viral on social media and sparked a massive outrage.

Speaking about the issue, Memani said that Anna was allotted work like any other employee and also denied the possibility that work pressure could have claimed her life.

“We have around one lakh employees. There is no doubt each one has to work hard. Anna worked with us only for four months. She was allotted work like any other employee. We don’t believe that work pressure could have claimed her life,” The Indian Express quoted Rajiv Memani as saying.

Memani also condoled Anna’s death and termed it an irreparable loss for Ernst & Young India and all of its employees.

“Anna was a part of the Audit team at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global, in Pune for a brief period of four months, joining the firm on 18 March 2024. That her promising career was cut short in this tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us. While no measure can compensate for the loss experienced by the family, we have provided all the assistance as we always do in such times of distress and will continue to do so,” he in a statement released on Wednesday.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/ey-india-employee-anna-perayil-death-chairman-rajiv-memani-denies-work-pressure-claim-2602925-2024-09-19

Jayesh Jain, from Indore, revealed how overwork impacted both his health and professional life.

Days after the tragic death of a 26-year-old Ernst & Young (EY) consultant Anna Sebastian allegedly due to “work stress”, a former Deloitte employee has come forward to share his own experience of toxic work culture in India’s corporate sector. Jayesh Jain, from Indore, recounted his own experience, saying he could “totally understand what Anna would have gone through.”

Posting a series of screenshots on X, Mr Jain revealed how too much work impacted both his health and professional life. “With the EY case getting some attention, I want to share my experience at Deloitte,” he wrote. “I’m attaching screenshots of chats with a teammate where we discussed work and our health at 5 AM.”

The screenshots, timestamped as early as 5 AM, reveal the gruelling work schedule, with employees enduring 20-hour shifts but only able to log a maximum of 15 hours.

One message from 5:12 AM read, “I was also sitting here with a lot all the time for FI-HI doubts.” At 4:08 AM, Mr Jain’s colleague said, “Bahot ho gaya” (That’s enough), and later suggested to “turn off the laptop”. Another message from 5:07 AM shows Mr Jain’s colleague saying, “I will definitely file a complaint.”

The ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday (September 19) claimed that laboratory reports have detected adulterated oil containing “beef tallow” in the ghee used for making the world-renowned Tirupati prasadam.

This added more fuel to the fire after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused the previous YSRCP government of using animal fat for making the consecrated laddus, which are distributed to crores of followers who visit the Lord Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala.

This is not the first time questions have been raised on the prasadam distributed at the Tirumala temple. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has, in the past, harshly criticised the alleged severe compromise in its quality.

Over the years, there were no procedures at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) — the board that manages the hill shrine — to test the cheese quality from which ghee is made for the laddus. But, the board has now set up a new sensory perception laboratory, where staff is being trained to carry out quality checks in Mysuru.

“Be aware if you are flying with Air India,” is what an Indian-American CEO said after his “far from pleasant” experience on 15-hour non-stop Chicago-Delhi Flight. Anip Patel, CEO of CaPatel Investments, spent Rs 5.27 lakh for a one-way first-class ticket. He took to Instagram to share his nightmarish experience, raising questions about the airlines’ $400 million refurbishment programme.

Patel recorded everything he endured on the Air India flight on video and later shared it on social media. He started the video with the words, “Come with me on the worst first-class cabin I ever been on. This is Chicago to Delhi non-stop Air India. It was $6300 one-way for 250,000 miles. Look at how gross this is,” as he showed around the “broken, dirty” first-class cabin.

“There was hair in there, things moving in every compartment, everything was ripped, or ruined or had little do on it. I understand regular wear and tear but this was next level guys,” Patel continued.

The woman spoke about the attack on her and her fiance, an army officer, on Thursday after being discharged from AIIMS Bhubaneswar

The fiancé of an army captain, who was assaulted and arrested by the Bhubaneswar police on September 15, on Thursday said she was allegedly beaten, kicked and dragged through the corridors before a police inspector also molested and flashed her.

The woman, who runs a restaurant in Bhubaneswar, spoke about the incident on Thursday shortly after being discharged from AIIMS Bhubaneswar where she was being treated for several injuries including dislocation of her jaws.

The woman, who was arrested by the police on charges of assaulting them, was released on bail on orders of the Orissa high court on Wednesday. The high court will take up her plea to cancel the first information report (FIR) filed against her and the army officer on September 26.

After she walked out free, the army officer on Wednesday filed a formal complaint against the personnel at the Bharatpur police station.

The woman, a lawyer who runs a restaurant in Bhubaneswar, said shortly after she closed her restaurant at about midnight on Sunday, she and her fiance were waylaid by a group of people who started fighting with them.

“Somehow, we managed to escape from there and went to Bharatpur Police Station to file a case. There was nobody except a woman police constable who was sitting at the reception. We requested her to register the complaint as there were several youths in the vehicle and they might follow us at any time and so police patrolling would be helpful for us. However, instead of registering my complaint, she misbehaved with me,” she said.

When she identified herself as a lawyer, she alleged, the woman constable got angry and misbehaved with her.

“In the meantime, a police patrolling vehicle with several cops including female police reached the police station. Then two female officers started pulling my hair and began thrashing me. When I pleaded with them to stop, they dragged me through the corridor of the police station. While one of them was throttling me, I bit her hand. They removed my jacket and tied both my hands with it and they used a scarf to tie both my legs and threw me into a room,” she said.

“Later, a male officer came and continuously kicked on my chest after removing my bra. Then the inspector of the police station came, unzipped his trousers, flashed his genitals and taunted me if I wanted to have a physical relationship with him. He also molested me,” the victim said.

The state government has already ordered a probe by CID into the case and suspended five police officers including inspector Dinakrushna Mishra.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/cop-also-flashed-me-army-officer-s-fiance-alleges-sexual-assault-in-odisha-101726763964046.html

The flurry of activity is driven by Indian buyers eager to secure permanent residency under Greece’s Golden Visa Programme before significant regulatory changes took effect on September 1.

Greece has witnessed a remarkable 37 per cent surge in property purchases by Indian investors between July and August. This flurry of activity is driven by Indian buyers eager to secure permanent residency under Greece’s Golden Visa Programme before significant regulatory changes took effect on September 1.

Launched in 2013, Greece’s Golden Visa programme offers residency permits in exchange for property investments, making it an attractive option for non-EU citizens. Its initial €250,000 (Rs 2.2 crore) threshold was one of Europe’s lowest, drawing significant investment and boosting Greece’s real estate market.

However, the surge in demand pushed up property prices, particularly in high-demand areas like Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos and Santorini. To address this, the Greek government raised the investment threshold to €800,000 (approx ₹ 7 crore) for properties in these regions, effective September 1 2024.

Sanjay Sachdev, Global Marketing Director of Leptos Estates, noted an “unprecedented rush” of Indian homebuyers in recent months. “Many investors purchased under-construction projects with handover periods of six-twelve months,” said Sanjay Sachdev, as per MoneyControl.

Many invested in properties under construction, with completion timelines of six to twelve months. Leptos Estates reported selling out its available residential stock in Greece due to this surge.

Effective September 2024, the revised Golden Visa programme seeks to:

– Temper rapid price increases

– Promote equitable development

– Direct investment towards less saturated areas

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/indian-investors-rush-to-buy-greek-properties-ahead-of-golden-visa-rule-changes-6601066

Gurugram accident: Shocking video shows the moment biker collided with SUV

A disturbing video of a 23-year-old biker, who died last week after being hit by a SUV driving in the wrong direction on the Golf Course Road near Belvedere Park, DLF Phase II in Gurugram, has gone viral on social media. The video was captured on the victim’s friend’s GoPro camera.

In the video, the victim, identified as Akshat Garg, can be seen taking a right turn on Gurugram’s Golf Course Road when he collided with the Mahindra XUV 300 car – which was driving in the wrong direction. Garg was thrown off his bike behind the car.

According to the police, the incident took place around 5:45am on Sunday when Akshat Garg and his friend were on their way on different motorcycles to meet a group of riders at Ambience Mall after departing from DLF Downtown. While Garg was riding his motorcycle with safety gear, including helmet and gloves, his friend was following him on another motorcycle from a distance of approximately 100 feet, the police said.

The police informed that the car also had a political party sticker on it.

“Neither the car driver nor Garg had any chance to avoid the collision…The impact flung Garg above the car, and his motorcycle was mangled beyond recognition,” a police officer said.

Following the incident, commuters gathered and alerted emergency services immediately. Garg was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he was declared dead, the police said.

The police arrested the car’s driver, identified as Kuldeep Kumar Thakur, on the spot. According to the police, the accused is a Delhi resident who owns a firm that handles social media campaigns for elections.

An FIR was registered against Thakur under several sections, including 106 (causing death by negligence), 281 (rash driving), 324(4) (mischief causing damage of over ₹20,000), and 166 (compensation after a motor vehicle accident) of the Motor Vehicles Act at DLF Phase-II police station.

Thakur, who was later granted bail, told the police that he was driving as per Google Maps.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/gurugram-news/gurugram-accident-shocking-video-shows-the-moment-biker-collided-with-suv-101726793394451.html

Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, which won the prestigious Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival, is finally seeing the light of the day in India.

The award-winning film All We Imagine as Light, directed by Payal Kapadia, is set to begin its Oscar-qualifying run with a theatrical release in Kerala. The film, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes earlier this year, tells the story of two nurses from Kerala living in Mumbai and exploring their desires.

Written and directed by Kapadia in her narrative directorial debut, All We Imagine as Light follows Prabha, a troubled nurse who receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband, and Anu, her young roommate seeking intimacy with her boyfriend. A trip to a beach town allows them to confront their desires. The film stars Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Hridhu Haroon, all hailing from Kerala.

Spirit Media, founded by Baahubali actor Rana Daggubati, has acquired the Indian distribution rights for the Malayalam and Hindi-language film. The movie will be released in limited cinemas in Kerala starting on September 21, marking its qualifying run for consideration as India’s candidate in the Oscars’ international feature category.

“We are proud to be able to bring this incredible film to audiences in India, starting with Kerala, where the two leading characters of the story are from,” Daggubati told Variety.

“Indian cinema has a rich legacy of storytelling, and this film captures the Indian experience through characters speaking multiple languages coming from different parts of the country with similar shared dreams to a metropolis like Mumbai,” he added.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/payal-kapadia-cannes-winner-all-we-imagine-as-light-begins-oscar-qualifying-run-kerala-theatrical-release-101726797424626.html

Miss India Worldwide 2024: Dhruvi Patel aspires to be a Bollywood actor and UNICEF Ambassador.

Dhruvi Patel, a Computer Information System student from the USA, has been declared the winner of Miss India Worldwide 2024, the longest running Indian pageant outside of India.

Dhruvi aspires to be a Bollywood actor and UNICEF Ambassador.

“Winning Miss India Worldwide is such an incredible honour. It’s more than a crown – it represents my heritage, my values, and the opportunity to inspire others on a global scale,” Dhruvi said after her crowning in Edison, New Jersey.

Lisa Abdoelhak from Suriname was declared the first runner-up, while Malvika Sharma from the Netherlands was adjudged the second runner-up in the same race.

According to Dausa ASP Lokesh Sonawal, the girl is stuck at a depth of 35 feet in the borewell. He said her condition is stable, and she has been supplied with oxygen.

A rescue operation is underway in the Bandikui area of Rajasthan’s Dausa to save a two-year-old girl who fell into an open borewell while playing on Wednesday.

The toddler is expected to be rescued from the borewell by 11-12 am today.

After the local administration learned of the incident, a rescue operation was immediately launched.

According to reports, Dausa District Collector Devendra Kumar, Dausa Superintendent of Police Ranjita Sharma, officials from the Water Supply Department, and the local administration reached the spot as the rescue operations began.

News agency ANI has shared visuals of the rescue operation. The footage shows a team of NDRF personnel at the site, with cranes deployed to assist in rescuing the girl.

Shailender Singh had received non-surgical treatment and remained symptom-free for years.

New Delhi: A 45-year-old man, who lived with a bullet lodged dangerously close to his heart for 16 years, has finally undergone a successful surgery to remove it at a private hospital.

Shailender Singh, a resident of Kanpur, was shot in 2008 and came to Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket with chest pain and coughing up blood, according to the hospital statement.

Over the years, Singh had sought multiple opinions from specialists in Kanpur, but due to the bullet being lodged near the vital structures, including his heart and lungs, doctors advised against surgery, the statement said.

Singh received non-surgical treatment and remained symptom-free for years.

Elaborating on the case details, Dr. Shaiwal Khandelwal, Associate Director of Thoracic Surgery at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, who removed both the bullet and the damaged section of Shailender Singh’s lung, said, the patient remained asymptomatic until the last year when he developed left-sided chest pain and began coughing up blood (hemoptysis). The quantity and frequency of blood in his cough progressively increased.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/bullet-lodged-near-heart-for-16-years-man-undergoes-successful-surgery-3196323

Delhi chief minister-designate Atishi urged the public to report any unsafe buildings or construction issues to prevent further tragedies.

Three people were killed and 14 others got injured after a two-storey building collapsed in Delhi’s Karol Bagh area on Wednesday morning, police said.

The incident occurred at around 9 am in Bapa Nagar, a densely populated neighbourhood in central Delhi.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central), M. Harsh Vardhan, said, “Information about the collapse of a building was received at Prasad Nagar Police Station. A two-storey structure on a plot of around 25 square yards collapsed.”

The cause of the collapse is still under investigation, but the building’s age and the recent heavy rains in the city are suspected to have played a role.

Delhi chief minister-designate Atishi expressed her condolences and directed swift action to aid the victims.

“This incident is tragic,” Atishi wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “I have instructed the District Magistrate to provide all possible help to those affected, and ensure that the injured receive prompt treatment. Investigations into the cause of the collapse are underway.”

The drone was navigated to a safe area over the sea and carried out a controlled ditching at sea off Chennai, it stated.

The Indian Navy said that a MQ-9B Predator High Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft (HALE RPA) encountered a technical failure on Wednesday, after which the aircraft was navigated to a safe area over the sea and carried out a controlled ditching at sea off Chennai.
“A High Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft (HALE RPA) leased by the Indian Navy operating from INS Rajali, Arakonnam (near Chennai) encountered a technical failure at about 1400 hrs whilst on a routine surveillance mission which could not be reset in flight,” the Ministry of Defence said

Later, the drone was navigated to a safe area over the sea and carried out a controlled ditching at sea off Chennai, it stated.

“A detailed report has been sought from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM),” it added.

Delhi’s LG proposes September 21 for Atishi’s oath as CM, following Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation. AAP aims for electoral success ahead of elections.

Lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena has proposed September 21 (Saturday) as the date for administering the oath of office to chief minister-designate Atishi, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday resigned as the Delhi CM and handed the baton to senior party colleague Atishi, who staked claim to head the next state government with just a few months to go for the assembly elections.

In a letter to the LG, Atishi said that the AAP legislative party elected her as their leader, and requested that a date for the oath-taking ceremony be fixed, according to the party functionaries.

Officials aware of the development said that Saxena has sent a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, proposing September 21 as the day for Atishi to take oath.

“The LG has moved the letters to the President/Union home ministry, proposing September 21, 2024 as the date for swearing in Atishi as the CM. No date for swearing-in has been proposed by Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi,” an official said.

The official said that Kejriwal’s resignation has been forwarded to the President for acceptance, but a notification about it was not issued till the time of going to print.

According to the rules, a final notification is issued after Rashtrapati Bhavan accepts the resignation.

When asked if she was ready to take oath on September 21, as proposed by the LG, Atishi said: “We have not received any official information as yet.”

On the matter of forming a new Cabinet, Atishi in her letter to the LG, said she will give the names of other ministers who will be sworn in soon.

Under Article 239AA (5) of the Constitution, the President appoints the Delhi chief minister, and state ministers are appointed by the President on the advice of the CM. After the President accepts the resignation of a sitting CM, they continue as a caretaker CM unless a new head is appointed if the assembly has not been dissolved.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/delhi-lg-proposes-sept-21-for-atishi-s-oath-ceremony-101726683774156.html

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court against disqualified IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accusing her of perjury and attempting to manipulate judicial system.

The UPSC claimed that Khedkar filed false documents to gain favourable outcomes in her case.

All District Health Officers (DHOs) in Tamil Nadu are instructed to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspected cases of Nipah

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said, “We have found that the death of a student in Malappuram was due to Nipah virus. 26 of the 175* contacts of this person are in the high-risk category. 13 of the 26 persons have tested negative. We have started house surveillance. We have taken all measures to ensure that the virus is not spread. There are isolation bays for those found infected. We have requested ICMR for their help.”

Tamil Nadu to enhance surveillance at Kerala border

It has been observed that a 24-year-old Male from Wandoor in Malappuram district, Kerala, died from Nipah infection on September 9. In this regard, all District Health Officers (DHOs) in Tamil Nadu are instructed to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspected cases of Nipah (fever with altered sensorium, seizures, and/or headache within their jurisdiction).

Additionally, DHOs should sensitize both Government and Private medical practitioners, ensuring the timely notification of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) cases to the District Surveillance Officers via the IDSP-IHIP portal.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/nipah-virus-kills-student-in-keralas-malappuram-tamil-nadu-to-enhance-surveillance-at-border-article-113425419 

In the incident, the hosepipe of the train engine was damaged which acts as braking system while the train is operating on air pressure.

In the incident, the hosepipe of the train engine was damaged which acts as braking system while the train is operating on air pressure.

A team of RPF, GRP and Kotwali Police reached on the spot. An FIR was lodged at Sadar Kotwali of Ghazipur by junior railway engineer Nishant Kumar Singh agianst unknown miscreants.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/big-rail-accident-averted-delhi-bound-swatantra-senani-express-hits-wooden-log-dodges-derailment-article-113425721

Ganesh festival: More than 7,500 idols immersed in Mumbai on last day

Mumbai, More than 7,500 idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Gauri were immersed in Mumbai as of Tuesday evening as devotees in the city and the rest of Maharashtra bid farewell to their beloved elephant-headed deity. No untoward incident was reported anywhere during the immersion, said officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation . Of the idols immersed in the sea, lakes and artificial ponds in the city by 6 pm, 7,227 were household Ganapatis, 300 belonged to `sarvajanik mandals’ and about 50 were of Goddess Gauri. Of these, 2,880 idols were immersed in artificial ponds. The immersion procession of `Lalbaugcha Raja’, a famous `sarvajanik’ Ganesh in central Mumbai who draws lakhs of devotees during the festival, reached Chinchpokli around 6.30 pm while on its way to Girgaum chowpatty or beach. BEST, the civic bus service, has diverted buses on several routes on account of immersion processions. Western Railway and Central Railway would be running special late night trains for the convenience of devotees returning home after immersion processions, officials said. More than 24,000 police personnel have been deployed on the streets for security and crowd management. Thousands of household and ‘sarvajanik’ Ganesh idols will be immersed at 204 artificial ponds across the city, along with 69 natural water bodies like Girgaon, Dadar, Juhu, Marve and Aksa beaches. The BMC has deployed more than 12,000 employees and set up 71 control rooms to manage the processions. It has also posted 761 lifeguards and deployed 48 speed boats at the beaches as a safety measure, and citizens have been advised to avoid entering deep waters. It has also cautioned citizens about blue button jellyfish and stingrays while immersing idols in the sea. Police are also using drones for surveillance at key immersion sites such as the beaches at Girgaon, Dadar, Bandra, Juhu Versova and Madh Island, and also at Powai lake. They would also be monitoring the footage of 8,000 CCTV cameras. The State Reserve Police Force, Quick Response Teams, Riot Control Police, Home Guards and Maharashtra Security Force have also been roped in, officials said. More than 2,500 traffic police personnel are ensuring smooth movement of vehicles across the city. Some roads have been closed for traffic. For efficient coordination, 192 control rooms have been established across various administrative divisions, and 66 observation towers have been erected to monitor key areas. To promote eco-friendly celebrations, the BMC has introduced a QR code providing information on nearby artificial ponds. Citizens can scan the code or visit https://portal.mcgm.gov.in for directions to these ponds via Google Maps.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/ganesh-festival-more-than-7-500-idols-immersed-in-mumbai-on-last-day-101726582141380.html

The Supreme Court saw intense exchanges during its ongoing suo motu hearing on the Kolkata rape-murder case on Tuesday. As the session was nearing its conclusion, a senior counsel filed an interlocutory application demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Expressing his displeasure, Chief Justice Chandrachud firmly responded, “I will have you removed from the court.”

As the court was about to conclude its session for the day, a senior counsel filed an interlocutory application calling for the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Responding to the counsel, CJI Chandrachud expressed his disapproval of the application’s political nature.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud intervened and said, “This is not a political forum, you are a member of the bar, we don’t require your affirmation to what we say. What you say has to abide by the rules of legal discipline. We are not here to see what you feel about a particular political functionary or the other, that is not out concern. We are specifically dealing with the grievances of doctors. If you ask me to direct that the Chief Minister should resign that is not part of the Court’s remit.”

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/will-remove-you-from-court-cji-chandrachud-rebukes-lawyer-seeking-mamata-banerjees-resignation-over-rg-kar-case-article-113432324

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath praised PM Modi on his 74th birthday, highlighting India’s growth under his leadership and launching various initiatives in Varanasi.

VARANASI Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday hailed Narendra Modi as the “sarathi” (charioteer) of India’s Amrit Kaal” as he extended his wishes to the PM on his 74th birthday. The CM also performed a special puja and havan at Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Later, he distributed ‘prasad’, including a 74-kg laddu, on the temple premises, said an official statement.

“Under the PM’s leadership, India, once among the most backward nations, has become the fifth-largest economy in just ten years, and is on track to become the third-largest within the next three years,” said Yogi who was in the PM’s Lok Sabha constituency to celebrate the occasion.

The CM highlighted Modi’s tireless efforts and visionary leadership in bringing prosperity to 140 crore Indians, emphasising initiatives like ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’. He also launched Swachhata Hi Seva campaign-2024 at the Rudraksha Convention Centre here on Vishwakarma Jayanti (Anant Chaturdashi) which also fell on Tuesday.

Yogi said transformation of Kashi since 2014 is visible to all. “Just as Kashi has undergone a remarkable change, so has Uttar Pradesh and the entire nation,” he said.

“Before 2014, anarchy was at its peak and the country’s security was in danger. There was a complete lack of trust among people for the government. Terrorism, separatism, extremism and Naxalism were at their peak in the country. Corruption defined the then government. The youth were unemployed and businesses were in a disarray,” the CM added.

“India was not among the leading nations in the world back then but stood in the back row. It was unable to fulfill its needs. Forget about connectivity in rural areas, even basic facilities were not available. Governments of that time indulged in extreme appeasement and conspired to prevent the nation from rising to its full potential,” Yogi said.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/country-changed-under-pm-in-last-10-years-yogi-on-modi-s-birthday-101726626136597.html

Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said it is the BJP’s responsibility to ensure jobs for Agniveers from Haryana.

Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said it is the BJP’s responsibility to ensure jobs for Agniveers from Haryana, who are not retained after their four-year tenure in the armed forces under the Agnipath scheme, as he hit out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for “playing politics” over the short-term military recruitment plan.

Addressing a rally in Loharu in Bhiwani district of Haryana, which goes to the polls on October 5, Shah accused the Congress of spreading fake narratives.

“They claimed that Agniveer soldiers would have neither work nor pensions. But I want to tell you that under the Agniveer scheme, soldiers are receiving 20% reservations in police services… If any Agniveer returns, he will not be without a job and the BJP takes responsibility for this,” he said.

Targeting Gandhi, Shah said: “The Congress, especially Rahul ‘Baba’, is playing politics. I want to tell Haryana’s youth that ‘Hooda and company’, whose job is to spread lies, are saying what will happen to Agniveers later.. .but what I say, I do it.” He was referring to former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

The Agnipath scheme was introduced by the central government on June 14, 2022 for short-term induction of personnel in the armed forces. It seeks to recruit soldiers for only four years, with a provision to retain 25% of them in regular service. Those recruited under the new scheme are called Agniveers.

The government said replacing the legacy system would lower the age profile of the armed forces, ensure a fitter military and create a technically skilled war fighting force capable of meeting future challenges. But the decision sparked widespread protests and forced a concerted outreach by the government to scotch apprehensions about the scheme.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/will-give-jobs-to-agniveers-after-serving-in-army-amit-shah-101726605609877.html

Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the government is talking to both the Meitei and Kuki communities in strife-torn Manipur to restore normalcy.

Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the government is talking to both the Meitei and Kuki communities in strife-torn Manipur to restore normalcy and has begun fencing the country’s border with Myanmar to check infiltration. He also said the Centre will “very soon” make an announcement for carrying out the decadal census in the country.

The home minister was addressing a press conference in Delhi on the achievements of the 100 days of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA 3.0 government. He was accompanied by information and broadcasting (I&B) minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Barring three days of violence last week, the overall situation in Manipur has been calm and the government has been working to restore peace in the restive Northeastern state, Shah said.

“There was peace in the last three days and I am hopeful that we will be able to control the situation. We are holding talks with both communities. It was ethnic violence and unless there is dialogue between the two communities, no solution could be found,” he said. “We are talking to the Kuki and Meitei groups. We have prepared a roadmap to take different initiatives for the situation in Manipur.”

Though the Centre and the BJP-led Manipur government are yet to share details of the talks, top officials aware of the matter said the Centre’s representatives have been holding meetings with legislators from both Meitei and Kuki communities. “In the past two-three months, backdoor meetings have been held in Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati. Naga MLAs representatives are working with the Intelligence Bureau and Centre’s interlocutor to bring the representatives together at neutral places (not in Manipur). The talks are on,” a senior Manipur official said, requesting anonymity.

Shah said in the first 100 days of the Modi 3.0 government, work on fencing the India-Myanmar border, which is the root cause of the problem, has begun. On February 6, the Centre had announced that the entire 1,643-km-long border with Myanmar would be fenced.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/peace-talks-on-with-both-manipur-groups-amit-shah-101726606232848.html

India on Tuesday announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day visit to the United States from September 21 to 23. He will be taking part in the fourth edition of the Quad Leaders’ Summit hosted by President Joe Biden.

On September 21, Modi will take part in the Quad Leaders’ Summit at Wilmington, Delaware. India has agreed to host this summit next year following the request of the US side, the government said.

The Collegium resolution recommends the appointment of Justices Indra Prasanna Mukerji, Suresh Kumar Kait, GS Sandhawalia and Tashi Rabstan as Chief Justices of various High Courts.

The Court clarified that the order would not apply to cases where such actions are required to clear unauthorised construction.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday passed an interim order banning authorities from demolishing properties using bulldozers (often termed ‘bulldozer justice’) of those suspected of criminal activities, without first seeking the court’s permission.

The Court clarified that the order would not apply to cases where such actions are required to clear unauthorised construction.

A Bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan said that this order will continue at least till October 1, when the Court will hear the matter next.

“Till next date there shall be no demolitions without seeking leave of this court. However such order would not be applicable for unauthorised constructions on public streets, footpaths, abutting railway lines, water bodies or public spaces,” the Court ordered.

The Bench was hearing two pleas Court seeking directions to the Central government and States to refrain from bulldozing homes or shops of accused in criminal proceedings as an extra-legal punitive measure.

In the previous hearing, the top court had criticised such a trend, and said that it would issue guidelines to tackle such issues of “bulldozer justice.”

Notably, it had appreciated the stand taken by the State of Uttar Pradesh which said that demolition can be done only if a structure is illegal.

Today’s order was passed despite strong objections by Solicitor General of India (SG) Tushar Mehta.

Mehta argued that the Court is being swayed by a false narrative that such demolitions are illegal and being used to target only one religious community (Muslims).

“Give us instances, we will give answers on how it was not illegal demolitions. We have to demolish all outside narratives … Only because one community is building narrative through them. Let them bring one instance of illegality. Affected parties don’t come because they know it was illegal and they got notices, and they come in PIL,” he said.

The SG’s submissions were opposed by Senior Advocates CU Singh and MR Shamshad (representing petitioners), who told the Court that the demolitions are continuing and the issue is grave.

SG Mehta sought an adjournment, but the petitioners’ counsel urged the Court to adjourn it to a short date.

“We will say, till the next date of hearing no demolitions without leave of this court. We are not on one community … We are only on streamlining directions, so no one can misuse the law and indulge in any Constitutional infirmity,” Justice Viswanathan eventually proposed.

Justice Gavai added that the government could file a comprehensive affidavit explaining its contentions. He also reiterated that the executive arm of the government cannot play the “judge” while carrying out bulldozer justice.

SG Mehta protested against any interim order to restrict demolition activity, arguing that the Court should not go by the narratives raised by the petitioners.

“Till (October) 1st you can stay your hands?” Justice Gavai asked, before the Bench passed its interim order.

SG Mehta maintained that the interim order would prevent authorities from carrying out necessary duties.

“This is the magnitude. I cannot tell municipalities. I have nothing to say. Your lordships have prevented statutory authorities from exercising their rights!” he said.

Source: https://www.barandbench.com/news/supreme-court-no-bulldozer-demolitions-without-permission

As the AAP legislature party elected Kejriwal’s handpicked successor Atishi as its leader following his resignation as CM, the Bharatiya Janata Party said changing the face of the chief minister will not change the character of the Aam Aadmi Party.

New Delhi: The Delhi unit of BJP on Tuesday attacked Aam Aadmi Party’s chief minister-designate Atishi, claiming her parents had signed a mercy petition submitted to the President for Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

“Not just a corrupt government, but an anti-national government will now operate” in Delhi, BJP’s Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva said.

Arvind Kejriwal has pushed Delhi “to anarchy after announcing Atishi Marlena’s name. There’s a reason behind it… A mercy petition was submitted to the President for Afzal Guru and her parents signed it,” he alleged.

Hitting back, AAP’s Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh alleged that the BJP is the “biggest anti-national in India”.

The BJP formed a government in Jammu and Kashmir with the PDP which called Afzal Guru a “martyr”, he claimed.

As the AAP legislature party elected Kejriwal’s handpicked successor Atishi as its leader following his resignation as CM, the Bharatiya Janata Party said changing the face of the chief minister will not change the character of the Aam Aadmi Party.

BJP leaders said AAP would have to answer the corruption allegations against its government.

“‘Chehara badalane se AAP ka charitra nahi badalega’ (changing the face does not change AAP’s character)… Considering Kejriwal’s 10 years of corruption, whoever is the CM will have to tell people how they looted the people of Delhi,” Sachdeva said.

“They have indulged in corruption in every department and now the people will give them an answer for that corruption,” he said.

By admitting that Kejriwal “will remain the real CM”, Atishi has revealed herself to be a “dummy” CM, Sachdeva further alleged.

Hitting out at Kejriwal, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonwalla said, “Earlier we had a chief minister operating from jail who then became a chief minister on bail. Now it is being said that a proxy chief minister, a lame duck, is being brought at the helm”.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/delhi/bjp-attacks-atishi-says-she-will-operate-corrupt-and-anti-national-government-3194957

Saleem Ahmed Bhatti, Block Medical Officer (BMO) Government Primary Health Centre Manjakote, said all the injured were admitted to PHC Manjakote, after which later on they were referred to 150 General Hospital, an Armed Forces hospital in Rajouri.

Four Army personnel were injured after an army vehicle met with an accident in the Manjakote area of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, officials said.

Saleem Ahmed Bhatti, Block Medical Officer (BMO) Government Primary Health Centre Manjakote, said all the injured were admitted to PHC Manjakote, after which later on they were referred to 150 General Hospital, an Armed Forces hospital in Rajouri.

Haryana chief electoral officer (CEO), Pankaj Agarwal said on Tuesday that Haryana police, along with other agencies have seized 3,26,017 litres of illegal liquor worth Rs 9.82 crore, over Rs. 4.73 crore in cash while other agencies have seized more than 3,26,017 litres of illegal liquor worth over Rs. 9.82 crore.

Haryana police and various other agencies have seized a total of Rs 26.82 crore worth of illegal liquor, narcotics, cash, and valuable items since August 16, when the model code of conduct (MCC) came into force in the poll-bound state.

Haryana chief electoral officer (CEO), Pankaj Agarwal said on Tuesday that Haryana police, along with other agencies have seized 3,26,017 litres of illegal liquor worth Rs 9.82 crore, over Rs. 4.73 crore in cash while other agencies have seized more than 3,26,017 litres of illegal liquor worth over Rs. 9.82 crore.

Stating that narcotics worth Rs 6.76 crore was seized by various agencies, Agarwal said that the state police and other agencies have also seized valuable metals (gold, silver etc.) worth more than Rs 3.10 crore.

SECURITY BANDOBUST

The train was stopped in time by bystanders, preventing a major accident. Bhadauriya was quickly rescued from the tracks by the police and taken to the hospital.

Etawah (UP): BJP’s Etawah MLA Sarita Bhadauriya fell onto the railway tracks while vying to wave the green flag for the Agra-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express here on Monday.

Purported videos of the incident surfaced on social media.

The incident occurred amidst a crowded platform as the train arrived around 6 pm. The 61-year-old second-term BJP lawmaker was among a host of people holding the green flag as they stood at the platform, the video showed.

Following the virtual inauguration of the Vande Bharat train by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the train, numbered 20175, was flagged off by the Rail Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu from Agra.

When contacted by PTI, BJP’s Etawah unit treasurer Sanjeev Bhadauriya said, “The MLA was helped off the track and she then waited for some time at the platform for the flag-off event.”

“Later she consulted doctors and is resting at her home now. She did not suffer any visible physical injuries. If there is any internal injury, it is yet to be confirmed,” Bhadauriya said.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttar-pradesh/bjp-mla-falls-on-rail-track-while-flagging-off-vande-bharat-train-in-up-3193393

The Court was hearing a case where the insurance company said it was not liable for an accident involving a truck in respect of which there was an agreement to transfer ownership.

The Allahabad High Court recently held that an insurance company would remain liable in a motor accident case even when a transfer of ownership has not been recorded with the transport authorities [The New India Assurance Company vs Permanent Lok Adalat and Another].

Justice Subhash Vidyarthi noted that Section 157 of the Motor Vehicles Act (MV Act) provides that upon transfer of ownership of a vehicle, the certificate of insurance and the insurance policy shall be deemed to have been transferred in favor of the person to whom the motor vehicle is transferred with effect from the date of its transfer.

“The deeming fiction provided by the statute means that even if the insurance policy is not transferred in fact, the insurance company would become liable under the policy to the transferee of the vehicle. Therefore, the intention of the legislature is to make the insurance company liable immediately, in spite the transfer having not been recorded in the records of the transport office. The intention of the legislation is to include the transferees liberally and not to exclude them strictly,” the Court said.

The Court was hearing a petition filed by the New India Assurance Company Limited against the decision of a Permanent Lok Adalat in a motor accident case involving a truck.

Govind Gupta, the registered owner of the truck, had submitted an insurance claim after the repair of the vehicle. However, the insurance company rejected it on the ground that the vehicle already had been transferred to another person Sanjeev Kumar, subject to the condition that the new buyer would pay the bank’s installments.

The insurance company said the vehicle was being driven by Kumar’s (buyer) driver when it met with the accident and was not in Gupta’s (original registered owner) possession.

The vehicle had not been officially transferred but there was an agreement to sell between Gupta and Kumar

The Lok Adalat held that such an agreement would not affect the adjudication of the dispute and ruled in Gupta’s favor.

The insurance company then moved the High Court, arguing that Gupta was not entitled to make any insurance claim in respect of the transferred vehicle.

However, the Court said Gupta had merely entered into an agreement for the transfer of ownership at a future point in time, after repayment of the entire loan taken for purchase of the vehicle.

Section 157 of the MV Act is attracted when the owner of the vehicle transfers the ownership of the motor vehicle, the Court said although it noted that the same was yet to happen in the present case.

The Court then took note of a Supreme Court decision in which an insurance company had been held liable to indemnify the transferee even though the insurance policy had not been transferred in their name.

Taking note of the fact that Gupta continued to remain registered owner of the truck and had a contract of insurance for it, the Court said,

“In the absence of the ownership of the vehicle having been transferred, the petitioner (insurance company) would continue to be liable under the contract of insurance entered between the appellant and the registered owner (Gupta) of the vehicle.”

Thus, the Court upheld the decision of the Lok Adalat to allow Gupta’s claim.

Source: https://www.barandbench.com/news/insurance-company-liable-motor-accident-transfer-ownership-not-done-allahabad-high-court

After a recent death from the Nipah virus, 175 people have been put on a contact list says Kerala health minister Veena George

Kerala health minister Veena George stated that 175 people in Malappuram district have been included in the contact list related to the Nipah virus outbreak, reported news agency ANI.

Out of the 175 who were in contact with the recent Nipah case, 74 are healthcare workers. 126 people are on the primary contact list, out of which 104 are considered to be high-risk. 49 others are categorised under secondary contact.

Ten people on the list are currently receiving medical treatment at Manjeri Medical College Hospital. The health minister also said that 13 individuals were being tested and their results were awaited.

On September 9, a 24-year-old man died after being infected by the Nipah virus. The state, which has dealt with several Nipah virus outbreaks since 2018, recorded its first death due to the virus on July 21, 2024.

According to a PTI report, Nipah virus antibodies had been found in bats in Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts. Fruit bats are natural hosts of the virus and can spread it to humans after which person-to-person transmission is possible.

This has been the second death this year due to the Nipah virus, which the World Health Organisation defines as a priority pathogen because of its potential to cause an epidemic. There is no vaccine and no specialised treatment to cure it.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/nipah-virus-outbreak-175-people-in-contact-list-says-kerala-health-minister-101726503487955.html

Opposition leaders criticized the Modi government over the ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy, calling it a BJP gimmick. They argue it cannot be implemented without multiple constitutional amendments, which the NDA coalition lacks the majority to pass.

Opposition leaders lashed out at the Narendra Modi government on Monday amid efforts to implement the ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy. Members of the Congress, TMC and CPI dubbed it a BJP ‘gimmick’ that could not be executed by the current NDA coalition.

“One Nation, One Election is not possible under the present Constitution. It requires at least five constitutional amendments. Modi does not have the majority to put those constitutional amendments in either in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha,” said former Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

In recent years, low-carb, high-fat diets have gained immense popularity as a weight loss strategy. From Atkins to keto, these diets promise rapid weight loss and improved health. However, new research warns that this trendy eating pattern may actually increase your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in the long run.

The study by Australian scientists uncovers a surprising link between low-carb diets and an increased risk of diabetes. Researchers from Monash University and RMIT University followed over 39,000 adults for nearly 14 years to investigate this relationship.

The study, published in the journal Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews, found that people who adhered to a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, and high-protein diet had a 20% higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to those who ate a more balanced diet. This finding challenges the commonly held belief that cutting carbs is universally beneficial for metabolic health.

“Eating food high in saturated fats can lead to weight gain but we know they also lead to insulin resistance which is one of the causes of Type 2 diabetes independently of weight gain,” explains Distinguished Professor Barbora de Courten in a media release.

Before you rush to restock your pantry with pasta and bread, however, it’s important to understand the nuances of this research. The relationship between low-carb diets and diabetes risk isn’t as straightforward as it might seem at first glance.

The researchers used a scoring system called the low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) score to measure how closely participants followed a low-carb eating pattern. A higher LCD score meant a person ate fewer carbohydrates and more fat and protein. The study divided participants into five groups based on their LCD scores.

Interestingly, the group with the highest LCD scores (meaning they ate the fewest carbs) consumed about 37.5% of their calories from carbohydrates. In contrast, the group with the lowest LCD scores got about 55.4% of their calories from carbs. To put this in perspective, many popular low-carb diets recommend getting less than 26% of calories from carbohydrates, which is even lower than the highest LCD score group in this study.

So why might a lower-carb diet increase diabetes risk? The answer likely lies in what people eat instead of carbohydrates. In this study, those with higher LCD scores tended to eat more saturated fat and less fiber. They were also more likely to be overweight or obese, smoke, and be less physically active – all known risk factors for Type 2 diabetes.

When the researchers accounted for body mass index (BMI) in their analysis, the relationship between LCD score and diabetes risk disappeared. This suggests that the increased risk of diabetes associated with low-carb diets may be largely explained by differences in body weight.

“For people who don’t have diabetes, a balanced diet is the best choice,” de Courten says. “We need to remember that not all carbohydrates are equal. The kind of carbs you want to avoid are refined sugars such as soft drinks, juices, white rice, white bread and replace them with unprocessed carbs rich in fiber like grains, brown rice and legumes.”

“And eat more of healthy mono- and poly-unsaturated fats such as avocados, nuts, olive oil and fatty fish like salmon.”

This study serves as a reminder that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition. While low-carb diets may be effective for short-term weight loss, their long-term impacts on health are still being understood. As always, a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight remain the cornerstones of diabetes prevention.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/low-carb-diets-diabetes-risk/?nab=0

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh today congratulated the Assam Rifles for what he said was the arrest of a “Burmese national” who is allegedly a member of the Myanmar-based insurgent group Kuki National Army (Burma), or KNA(B).
The Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO-GHQ), however, said the man being referred to by the Chief Minister as a member of the KNA(B) is a registered refugee, who fled from the conflict in Myanmar.

“I really appreciate the activities of the Assam Rifles who arrested one Burmese national, KNA(B). As a Chief Minister I have been continuously saying since the beginning that the present crisis in Manipur has a foreign hand. Some people believe it, some don’t. I appreciate the Assam Rifles for apprehending the foreign national,” Mr Singh, who belongs to the ruling BJP and the valley-dominant Meitei community, told reporters in the state capital Imphal today.

His comment drew sharp criticism from the KSO, whose spokesperson told NDTV that the young man who the Chief Minister called a KNA(B) member was indeed from Myanmar, but registered in the official records along with his thumb prints and other details as a refugee. The KSO spokesperson said the Assam Rifles knows the man is a registered refugee.

The Assam Rifles and the Manipur Police have not given a statement on the matter.

AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal will resign as Delhi CM, prompting a search for his successor ahead of upcoming assembly polls. Key contenders are being discussed.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held a key meeting on Monday to decide on a new Delhi chief minister, with its national convener Arvind Kejriwal set to officially resign from the post, churning the Capital’s political landscape ahead of the assembly polls early next year.

AAP’s 12-member Political Affairs Committee (PAC), the party’s highest decision-making body, met at Kejriwal’s residence in the evening to deliberate on his successor, a day after the 56-year-old announced his resignation from the post.

“He [Kejriwal] held one-on-one discussions with each leader and sought feedback on his replacement. Since he met everyone separately, no one knows about the discussions held with other leaders,” Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said after the 90-minute meeting.

He added that a meeting of the AAP’s legislative party is set to take place on Tuesday at 11:30am. The legislative party consists of elected lawmakers, and their leader is appointed as the CM. The AAP currently has 60 MLAs in the 70-member assembly.

“Tomorrow [Tuesday], the legislative party meeting of AAP will be held, and the CM will take this discussion into the second phase,” the Greater Kailash legislator said.

Kejriwal is set to meet Lt Governor VK Saxena at 4.30 pm on Tuesday and tender his resignation, people aware of the matter said.

“Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will resign on Tuesday… and the entire process (of putting his successor in office) will be completed within a week,” Bhardwaj said.

Rajya Sabha MP and the party’s general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak hinted that the party might soon announce the next CM. “The next chief minister of Delhi will be decided within the next 1-2 days. A legislative party meeting will select one,” he said.

Although the AAP remained tight-lipped on the identity of the replacement, people aware of the matter said Delhi ministers Atishi, Bharadwaj, Gopal Rai and Kailash Gahlot were among the contenders for the post, with speculation also rife that Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal might be selected to head the government. Two other names doing the rounds were the party’s Dalit faces — Rakhi Birla and Kuldeep Kumar.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, two AAP leaders said the next CM will likely be from among the cabinet ministers. Other than the CM, the Delhi cabinet currently has five ministers – Bharadwaj, Atishi, Rai, Gahlot and Imran Hussain.

A third leader, however, did not rule out the possibility of a surprise pick. “There is speculation that a Dalit leader might be named as the next CM,” this person said, requesting anonymity.

On Monday morning, hours before the PAC meet, Kejriwal met with Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha m discussing, among other issues, the new CM , party officials indicated.

“The next CM will be a sitting MLA and not an MP or an office-bearer,” one of the officials said, asking not to be named.

Addressing party workers on Sunday, Kejriwal said he would resign from the post in two days and return only if he won the people’s mandate in the high-stakes Delhi assembly polls. He made the announcement two days after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the excise policy case. He also ruled out former deputy CM Manish Sisodia taking over the post. Sisodia is also an accused in the excise policy case and was granted bail by the SC on August 9, after 17 months of incarceration.

This is not the first time Kejriwal has quit the post. In 2014, he resigned after just 49 days in office in a coalition government with the Congress, only to come back with a stunning victory in which his party swept 67 of the 70 assembly seats in the 2015 assembly polls.

A former Delhi assembly official said that, according to rules, the CM has to submit their resignation to the LG, who forwards it to the President. A notification is issued after the resignation is accepted. After this, whoever is elected as the leader of the legislative party is appointed as the CM, the official added.

“In the legislative party meeting, the name of the new chief minister (either MLA or non MLA) is proposed by MLAs. The MLAs unanimously or with majority decide to name a CM-elect. The CM-elect has to submit a letter signed by the MLAs to LG, staking claim to form the new government,” the official said.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/talks-on-for-cm-pick-kejriwal-to-quit-today-101726511437442.html

SEBI Whole Time Member Kamlesh C Varshney passed the order after it found insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations of collusion and misconduct against NSE and its top brass.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has dropped proceedings against former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Chitra Ramkrishna, former Vice Chairman Ravi Narain, former Group Operating Officer Anand Subramanian and four other former senior NSE executives in the co-location scam [Order in the matter of NSE and Others (Co-location)].

SEBI Whole Time Member Kamlesh C Varshney passed the order after it found insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations of collusion and misconduct against NSE and its top brass.

SEBI in its order emphasised that “there are no new evidences in the current proceeding” beyond a 2023 report from the Indian School of Business (ISB).

It found that the available evidence did not meet the ‘preponderance of probability’ standard required to prove collusion or connivance between OPG Securities (OPG) and NSE officials.

“Due to the absence of sufficient material/evidence/objective facts on record in this case, the test of ‘preponderance of probability’ fails to produce enough justification for establishment of collusion/connivance between OPG and its directors with Noticees,” the Court said.

This decision was rendered following a January 2023 ruling by the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) which had overturned SEBI’s April 2019 order directing NSE to disgorge ₹625 crore.

The co-location facility, introduced by NSE in 2009, allowed brokers to place their servers within NSE’s data centers for a fee, providing them with access to market data a fraction of a second before other participants.

The controversy surfaced in 2015 when whistleblowers alerted SEBI to preferential access issues. The SEBI committee found that NSE’s data dissemination architecture was vulnerable to manipulation and market abuse, leading to investigations of 15 stockbrokers including OPG Securities.

In 2019, SEBI directed NSE to disgorge ₹624.89 crore and imposed a six-month ban on accessing market. However, following NSE’s appeal, SAT reduced the disgorgement amount to ₹100 crore.

SEBI had also directed OPG Securities to disgorge ₹15.75 crore with interest, but this directive was later set aside and the matter was remanded back to SEBI for reassessment.

The SAT also instructed SEBI to re-evaluate the case within four months, focusing on recalculating the disgorgement amount, reassessing allegations of collusion, investigating claims of crowding out other market participants and determining penalties for any concealment or destruction of evidence.

SEBI’s mandate mainly included examining whether OPG and its directors had gained an unfair advantage through secondary server access or by crowding out other traders.

SAT had previously ruled that simply logging into the primary server first did not confer an unfair advantage, thereby narrowing SEBI’s investigation scope.

Subsequent to the SAT order, the market regulator issued fresh notices against NSE and others in May 2023. Throughout the proceedings, SEBI provided the noticees with access to documents and opportunities for cross-examination.

Despite these opportunities, it found no substantive evidence against NSE or its former executives. The exchange defended its co-location practices by explaining that the secondary server was intended solely as a backup in case of primary server failure and that any misuse was addressed through disciplinary actions against errant traders including those from OPG.

Source: https://www.barandbench.com/news/co-location-scam-sebi-drops-charges-against-nse-chitra-ramkrishna

The complainant, Jitendra Chaudhary, discovered upon landing in Jaipur that someone had opened his check-in bag, stolen the money, and improperly re-locked the bag.

Unidentified people sole Rs10 lakh from a passenger’s checked-in bag on a Mumbai-Jaipur Air India Express flight last month.

The incident occurred on August 27. Upon his return to Mumbai, the victim filed a complaint with the Sahar police station, leading to an FIR being registered on September 15 against unidentified individuals for alleged theft. The complainant, Jitendra Chaudhary, 34, discovered upon landing in Jaipur that someone had opened his check-in bag, stolen the money, and improperly re-locked the bag.

According to the FIR, Chaudhary, a businessman living in Thane, was travelling to his native place in Jaipur. He had checked in a purple bag at Mumbai Airport, Terminal 2, completing all procedures. He was travelling on an Air India Express flight that departed at 6.55pm. Upon landing in Jaipur at 9pm, Chaudhary found that the bag’s zipper had been tampered with. When he opened the bag, he discovered that his clothes were disarranged and a yellow bag containing Rs10 lakh was missing.

The Medical Counselling Committee, MCC, is expected to release the NEET PG Counselling 2024 schedule soon. When released, the MCC NEET Round 1 counselling schedule will be available on the MCC official website at mcc.nic.in. Once released, the dates of Round 1 counselling registration, seat allotment result, reporting dates, and other information will be shared.

The operation against terrorists was launched on Friday night after the army and police received input about terrorist presence in Tapper village, just a couple of km away from the National Highway

Three terrorists were killed on Saturday morning in an overnight encounter with security forces in Baramulla district, police said.

The operation against terrorists was launched on Friday night after the army and police received input about terrorist presence in Tapper village, just a couple of km away from the National Highway. The killing comes four days ahead of the first phase of assembly elections in J&K. At least 40 assembly segments will go to polls in J&K on Wednesday.

The army and police officers on the spot said the search operation is still in progress.

“Based on specific intelligence input regarding the presence of terrorists, a Joint Operation was launched by #IndianArmy & @JmuKmrPolice on the intervening night of 13-14 Sep 24 in general area Chak Tapar Kreeri, Baramulla. Contact was established and a firefight ensued,” Army’s Chinar Corps posted on X on Saturday morning.

Later, the army said three terrorists were killed, which is a blow to the terrorist network in the area. “Three terrorists have been neutralised by the security forces in the ongoing operation. Weapons and warlike stores have been recovered. The #Chinarcorps have dealt some crippling blows to the terror network in North Kashmir over the past few days with significant recoveries and elimination of terrorists, inspiring confidence and assurance for upcoming events scheduled in the region. Operation is in progress,” the Indian Army wrote on X.

Inspector general of police Kashmir Range Vidhi Kumar Birdi, who visited the spot, said the operation was launched after they got specific inputs about militant presence in the area. “The bodies have been spotted near the encounter site and operation is still underway.” He said the terrorists won’t be allowed to disrupt polls in J&K. “The forces are on high alert and terrorists won’t be allowed to hamper the poll process,” he said, adding that only after investigation motto of the terrorists’ presence would be known in this area.

Baramulla to go for polls on Oct 1

The killings come after three terrorists were killed on August 29 in Kupwara following the start of preparations for the assembly elections last month when dates of elections, which are held in three phases, were announced by the Election Commission of India in August. The seven assembly segments of Baramulla district will go to polls on the third phase of elections on October 1.

On Saturday, two army soldiers were killed and two more were injured in an encounter in Kishtwar after police and the army had launched a search and cordon operation in the Naidgham area in the Chatroo, which connects Kishtwar with the Kashmir Valley. The area where the operation took place last night is surrounded by dense forests with minimal presence of security forces and is close to the Kokernag and Daksum forest range, where forces have conducted search operations in the past.

NC, Cong blame BJP rise in terror attacks

The National Conference (NC) and Congress blamed the BJP government for the spike in the attacks and encounters, especially when the BJP claimed the situation had been peaceful in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370.

“Only 24 hours ago in Doda where Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a gathering, we lost two soldiers, including an officer. In north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the encounter is still in progress. Prime Minister talks about families to mislead people. He must speak on the current situation. When Article 370 was removed from J&K, they told the people of the country the gun in Kashmir was because of Article 370 and gun culture would end after abrogation of Article 370. Now, after five years of abrogation, encounters are still taking place,” NC vice president Omar Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a political rally in south Kashmir.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/3-terrorists-killed-in-encounter-with-security-forces-in-baramulla-101726333025772.html

A Mumbai-based actor complained about being harassed by the Andhra Pradesh police during the rule of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government.

Three IPS officers in Andhra Pradesh, one of Director-General rank, another Inspector General and a third of Superintendent rank, have been suspended following the complaint of a Mumbai-based actress, alleging her illegal arrest and detention. P S R Anjaneyulu (DG Rank), Kanthi Rana Tata (IG Rank) and Vishal Gunni (SP Rank) are the three senior officers who have been suspended.

A Mumbai-based actor complained about being harassed by the Andhra Pradesh police during the rule of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government on the complaint of a YSR Congress leader who had accused her of scamming him in a land-related case. The actor and her family members were arrested earlier this year.

She accused the police officials of threatening her with dire consequences during the previous government if she did not withdraw a case she earlier filed against a top executive of a corporation in Mumbai.

The Andhra Pradesh police probed the allegations and issued orders of suspension against the 1992, 2004 and 2010 batch officers, alleging procedural lapses, dereliction of duty and misconduct. The officers were suspended under Rule 3 (1) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969.

P S R Anjaneyulu, who was a state intelligence chief back then, has been charged with calling over Kanthi Rana Tata and Vishal Gunni and directing the arrest of the actress on January 31, even before the FIR was booked on February 2. The suspension order says Mr Anjaneyulu is accused of abusing his authority and official position, to fast-track the investigation without adequate scrutiny, which the order says is “connivance and misuse of power”. The order states the act of Anjaneyulu amounts to grave misconduct, misuse of official position and dereliction of duty.

Kanthi Rana Tata, the former Vijayawada commissioner, has been charged with failing to properly supervise the investigation and issuing orders for arresting the actress on oral instructions from his superior on January 31 even before the FIR was filed two days later.

He had reportedly ordered the booking of tickets for the police officers to fly to Mumbai for the arrest just an hour after the FIR, without proper written orders or due diligence.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/andhra-pradesh-news/3-senior-andhra-cops-suspended-for-illegally-arresting-mumbai-actor-6574753

To address this issue, the ISA has launched the Mission Brain Attack campaign, aimed at educating both the public and healthcare providers in rural and urban areas about brain stroke.

In India, one person suffers a brain stroke every four seconds, yet public awareness remains alarmingly low. According to Dr Arvind Sharma, secretary of the Indian Stroke Association (ISA), even some general physicians and neurologists are not fully informed about the latest treatments for brain strokes.

To address this issue, the ISA has launched the Mission Brain Attack campaign, aimed at educating both the public and healthcare providers in rural and urban areas about brain stroke. Dr Nirmal Surya, president of ISA, emphasized the importance of the first 4.5 hours following a stroke, often referred to as the golden hours for treatment.

Addressing media, he explained that high blood pressure, high sugar levels, and cholesterol are the three main risk factors for strokes. He advised individuals with a family history of strokes, particularly those with these risk factors, to remain vigilant.

“Managing weight, controlling cholesterol, and quitting smoking and tobacco use are essential preventative measures,” Dr Surya added. He further noted that every minute, an average of three people experience paralysis due to a stroke.

Timely intervention within the first few hours—especially at a hospital equipped with a CT scan and a neurologist—can significantly improve a patient’s chances of recovery. Paralysis, linked to stroke, is now the third leading cause of death globally.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/health/major-concern-every-4-seconds-one-brain-stroke-in-india-experts-blame-lack-of-awareness

Pertinently, she advised young advocates to avoid frivolous litigation and not let themselves be used by busybodies to harass litigants or the State.

Ahead of its debut, the Indian Railways announced the renaming of the ‘Vande Metro’ service to ‘Namo Bharat Rapid Rail’ on Monday, September 16. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off India’s first Namo Bharat Rapid Rail besides several other Vande Bharat trains during his visit to Gujarat today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mentioned this in his Independence Day speech this year and the government is committed to implementing it, sources said.

The idea of One Country One Election — under discussion for long in the corridors of parliament — will be implemented during the current tenure of the Narendra Modi government, sources have said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mentioned this in his Independence Day speech this year and the government is committed to implementing it, sources said.
The government has already formed a committee under the chairmanship of former President Ramnath Kovind, which has submitted its report. The panel has recommended simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies as a first step, which would be followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days.

It is likely that the Law Commission will also recommend it soon. The Commission is likely to recommend that all three tiers of government — Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies like municipalities and panchayats — have simultaneous polls starting 2029 and a provision for unity government in cases like hung house or no-confidence motion.

In his Independence Day address last month, PM Modi had made a strong pitch for “One nation, one election”, contending that frequent polls were creating hurdles in the country’s progress.

“The nation has to come forward for ‘one nation, one election’,” he had said.

The BJP had also promised “One Nation One Election” in its manifesto and government sources said they are hopeful that there will be consensus among all parties to implement it, sources said.

The Opposition, though, has staunchly opposed the idea sofar, red-flagging the constitutional issues.

The challenges to its implementation would involve syncing electoral cycles with minimum disruption to governance and there is no clarity dealing with the breaks that would be involved in bringing all states in the same timeline. There is also a marked lack of clarity in the way forward in cases involving dissolution of Houses, President’s Rule, or even a hung Assembly or Parliament.

AAP leadership would be looking to choose a prominent leader who can articulate the party’s position on key issues and has wide acceptability among the party ranks.

With Arvind Kejriwal announcing that he will resign as Delhi Chief Minister soon and return to office only after the people’s verdict on the allegations of corruption against him, the big question is who in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will get the top job.
Assembly polls in Delhi are due in February next year, even though Mr Kejriwal yesterday demanded that the election be held in November along with the Maharashtra polls. Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, too, has said he will go to the people and return to the top office only after re-election. This effectively means that the top leaders of AAP are not in the race for the Chief Minister’s post.

Even though this Chief Ministerial stint will only be for a few months, the AAP leadership would be looking to choose a prominent leader who can articulate the party’s position on key issues and has wide acceptability among the party ranks.

Here are five leaders who can make the cut

Atishi: Delhi Minister Atishi, holding key portfolios such as education and PWD, is one of the key contenders. An Oxford University alumnus and a Rhodes scholar, Ms Atishi has worked extensively in the AAP’s flagship exercise to overhaul education in Delhi’s schools. An MLA from Kalkaji, the 43-year-old became a minister after Mr Sisodia was arrested in a corruption case linked to Delhi’s now-scrapped liquor policy. When Mr Kejriwal and Mr Sisodia were behind bars, Atishi articulated the party’s position. On August 15, Mr Kejriwal chose her to hoist the tricolour at Delhi government’s Independence Day event. While Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena foiled the plan, it was clear that the AAP leadership places a lot of faith in Ms Atishi.

Raghav Chadha: A member of the AAP’s national executive and political affairs committee, Mr Chadha is a Rajya Sabha MP from the party and one of its top faces. Mr Chadha has earlier worked as a chartered accountant and has been in the AAP since its inception. He has been an MLA from Rajinder Nagar and played a key role in the AAP’s thumping victory in Punjab in the 2022 state polls. The 35-year-old is among the most prominent young politicians in the country and is known for articulating AAP’s position on key issues in Parliament.

Kailash Gahlot: A lawyer by profession, Mr Gahlot is among the senior members of the AAP government in Delhi and holds key portfolios such as transport, finance and home affairs. The 50-year-old leader is MLA from Delhi’s Najafgarh constituency since 2015. An advocate who has practised in both Delhi High Court and Supreme Court, he has served as a member executive in the high court bar association between 2005 and 2007.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/arvind-kejriwal-resignation-aap-who-will-replace-arvind-kejriwal-as-delhi-chief-minister-5-faces-in-focus-6575337

The six new Vande Bharat Express trains, launching today, will enhance connectivity across India with routes including Tatanagar-Patna, Deoghar-Varanasi, Tatanagar-Berhampur, Bhagalpur-Dumka-Howrah, Gaya-Howrah, and Rourkela-Howrah. Most services will operate six days a week, with varying schedules and exceptions.

Tatanagar-Patna Vande Bharat Express Details 

• Operation: Six days a week
• Schedule: Departing Tatanagar at 6:00 AM, arriving in Patna at 1:00 PM. The return journey leaves Patna at 3:00 PM and reaches Tatanagar at 11:00 PM.
• Journey Time: Approximately 7 hours

Deoghar-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express

• Operation: Six days a week, excluding Tuesdays
• Route: Via Kiul-Gaya, with a stop at Nawada
• Schedule: Details of departure and arrival times will be announced closer to the launch.

Tatanagar-Berhampur Vande Bharat Express

• Operation: Six days a week, excluding Tuesdays
• Significance: This will be the fourth Vande Bharat Express service for Odisha.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/six-new-vande-bharat-trains-to-be-flagged-off-today-check-routes-fare-timings-article-113360281

The movement for justice in the R.G. Kar Hospital case belongs to the common people of Kolkata: the masses

Whatever the legal and political outcome in the rape-murder of an on-duty doctor at the R.G. Kar Hospital, the public response to the incident is being seen as the biggest mass movement Kolkata has witnessed post-Independence, with only a couple of outcries that still remain in people’s memory, one of them being when the tram fare was raised by one paisa.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/rg-kar-hospital-rape-murder-case-what-kolkata-is-witnessing-is-its-biggest-mass-movement-post-independence/article68641466.ece

The gunfight began after security forces launched a cordon and search operation following information about the presence of terrorists in a village.

An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in a village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Sunday morning.

A top terror group commander is said to be trapped among the three terrorists trapped in the village.

The gunfight began after security forces launched a cordon and search operation following information about the presence of terrorists in the village, PTI reported, citing an unidentified official.

Based on the tip off, a joint search operation was launched by the police and Army in the Pathanateer area near Gursai top in Mendhar sub-division on Saturday evening.

According to the official, the search party came under fire from the hiding terrorists, triggering a gunfight.

An intermittent exchange of fire is on between both sides, the official said, adding that reinforcements were rushed to the area.

The encounter comes a day after three terrorists were killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in Baramulla district.

The operation against terrorists was launched on Friday night after the army and police received input about terrorist presence in Tapper village, just a couple of km away from the National Highway.

The killing comes four days ahead of the first phase of assembly elections in J&K.

Inspector general of police Kashmir Range Vidhi Kumar Birdi, who visited the spot, said the operation was launched after they got specific inputs about militant presence in the area.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/jk-encounter-breaks-out-in-poonch-top-commander-among-3-terrorists-trapped-101726370302629.html

Union minister Nitin Gadkari said he told the opposition leader who approached him that he was raised with certain principles and convictions.

Union minister for transport and national highways Nitin Gadkari revealed on Saturday that he was approached by one of the senior opposition political leaders with the prime ministership offer ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but he “simply rejected” it.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari. (File Photo)
Union minister Nitin Gadkari. (File Photo)
Addressing media fraternity during a journalism awards function in Nagpur, Gadkari said: “I told the leader that I am a man who follows one ideology and conviction. I am in a party which has given me everything which I never even dreamt of. No offer can entice me.”

Although he didn’t delve into the details of the incident, he hinted that a particular senior opposition politician approached him ahead of the 2024 general elections when it was believed that the BJP might not secure an absolute majority and could need support from a few opposition parties to form government.

“I flatly told him that I was raised with certain principles and convictions, and I would not compromise on them,” he added.

He encouraged the media to adopt the same level of conviction in their profession, stressing that this commitment should be passed on to future generations of journalists.

However, he expressed regret over the increasing number of “supari” journalists in the field, accusing some of misusing the Right to Information (RTI) Act for blackmailing and personal gain. Gadkari pointed out how some journalists have used unethical means to acquire luxury items, including Mercedes cars.

During his speech, Gadkari shared an incident from his time as a minister, where a journalist allegedly used RTI to blackmail officials in the Public Works Department (PWD). “One of my officers informed me about this blackmail. I told him, ‘When that journalist comes to your office, lock the door and give him a good thrashing.’ And they did. After that, the publication he worked for stopped circulating,” Gadkari recounted.

He also shared another story from Marathwada, where a government official was harassed by a journalist demanding advertisements. He said the journalist even went as far as filing a police complaint accusing the official of misconduct.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/was-approached-by-opposition-leader-for-prime-ministership-says-nitin-gadkari-101726324922049.html

The former principal of Kolkata’s RG Kar College and Hospital and the station house officer (SHO) who initially investigated the rape and murder of a trainee doctor have been arrested by the CBI

The former principal of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and the station house officer (SHO) who initially investigated the rape and murder of a trainee doctor have been arrested by the CBI for allegedly misleading investigators and trying to hide evidence.

With their actions, the former principal Sandip Ghosh and the police officer allegedly tried to sabotage the investigation into the rape and murder case, which had sparked outrage across the nation.

The arrests came hours after protesting doctors returned from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s house without meeting her after she denied their request to live-stream the meeting.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been questioning Sandip Ghosh over alleged financial irregularities pertaining to the medical college. Ghosh and the senior cop – Abhijit Mondal – are also accused of delay in filing the FIR in the rape-murder case.

The 3rd charge sheet states that Prajwal sexually assaulted the woman multiple times between February 2020 and December 2023, besides filming the assault and hiding his face in the video. He used the videos to then threaten the victim and sexually assault her later too.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has filed a third chargesheet against former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, accusing him of raping a former party functionary multiple times over a four-year period.

The charge sheet runs into 1,691 pages and includes 120 witnesses.

According to the chargesheet seen by DH, Prajwal sexually assaulted the woman multiple times between February 2020 and December 2023, besides filming the assault and hiding his face in the video. He used the videos to then threaten the victim and sexually assault her later too.

The SIT has detailed four different incidents of rape at two locations — Revanna’s residence Channambika Nilaya in Holenarasipura and the MP’s office in Hassan.

Prajwal has been charged under IPC sections 376 (2)(N), 354 (A)(1)(2), 506, 354(B), 354(C), 201, and Section 66(e) of the IT Act.

The chargesheet notes that the woman, who was an elected member of the JD(S) at that time, visited Prajwal’s office sometime in January and February 2020 to seek seats in the BCM girl’s hostels run by the Backward Classes Welfare Department.

Prajwal took her to an upper-floor room on the pretext of talks. Threatening to shoot her husband dead, he forced her to remove her clothes and then groped her. He went on to rape her and film it on his phone, according to the charge sheet.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/sit-lists-prajwal-revannas-sexual-assaults-on-ex-jds-functionary-in-third-chargesheet-3190516

Amarjot is the brother-in-law of Amritpal Singh, who is lodged in a prison in Assam’s Dibrugarh district under the National Security Act.

“In a pan-Punjab crackdown in connection with the 2023 violent attack by a pro-Khalistani mob at the Indian High Commission in Ottawa (Canada), the NIA on Friday seized several incriminating documents and digital devices during searches at 13 locations,” it said.

The searches were conducted in the districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Patiala, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Tarn Taran and Moga, said the statement issued by the NIA.

The target locations were connected with accused Khalistani leader Amarjot and his associates, it added.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/nia-raids-multiple-locations-in-punjab-associated-with-amritpal-singhs-relative-gadgets-documents-seized-article-113333320

“This court has allowed the investigation to continue. However, we direct that the chargesheet shall not be filed without the permission of this court,” said the order by a single-judge bench

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has granted pre-arrest bail to a Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force who is facing rape charges. The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday filed a first information report (FIR) after a woman Flying Officer gave a complaint, alleging rape by the Wing Commander.
“As the petitioner who is serving as Wing Commander… and in case of his arrest his reputation as well as the service career shall be jeopardised,” the bail order stated.

The high court ordered the police not to file a chargesheet in the case without its permission. “This court has allowed the investigation to continue. However, we direct that the chargesheet shall not be filed without the permission of this court,” said the order by a single-judge bench.

The high court ordered the Union Territory administration’s Additional Advocate General to file a status report by the next date of hearing. It said the Wing Commander should be released on bail if he is arrested. The high court told the accused Wing Commander to meet the investigating officer from September 14 to 16, and whenever needed thereafter.

The accused has to give a surety of ₹ 50,000, cannot leave Jammu and Kashmir without the permission of his Commanding officer, and cannot contact any prosecution witness, the high court said.

In her complaint, the 26-year-old Flying Officer said she has been suffering harassment, sexual assault and mental torture for the last two years.

The officer has said that at a New Year party at the officers’ mess on December 31, 2023, her senior asked if she had received the gift. When she said she had not, the Wing Commander said the gifts were in his room and took her there. When she asked where his family was, he said they were elsewhere.

The Flying Officer alleged her senior then forced her into oral sex and molested her. “I repeatedly asked him to stop doing it and tried to resist it in all ways possible. Finally, I pushed him and ran away. He said that we would meet me on Friday again when his family leaves,” she has said.

The Flying Officer said it took her a while to register what happened to her. “I was afraid and didn’t know what to do as there were instances before also wherein I was discouraged to report. He visited my office post this incident… He behaved as if nothing happened and there was no sign of remorse in his eyes,” she said.

The woman officer said she reached out to two other women officers and they guided her to file a complaint. “I can’t describe (the) mental agony, being an unmarried girl who joined forces and was treated in such (a) heinous manner,” she said.

Following her complaint, she said, a Colonel-rank officer was ordered to investigate the incident. The Wing Commander was made to sit down with her twice in January this year to record the statements, she has alleged. She has said she objected to the senior officer’s presence and later the investigation was closed to “hide mistakes of administration”.

She then filed a fresh application to the internal committee and it met two months later. “The bias of Stn (Station) authorities to aid the sexual offender was very heart-breaking for me,” she has said, alleging that a medical examination was not done till she insisted multiple times.

“IC (internal committee) did not do its job properly as directions had come from higher formation to keep the result as neutral. Everyone was aiding the sexual offender,” the Flying Officer has said. “I requested for interim relief and requested for leave multiple times but I was denied leave each time,” she said, alleging that her requests for a different posting for herself or the Wing Commander were not heeded either.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/iaf-wing-commander-accused-by-junior-flying-officer-of-rape-and-forced-oral-sex-gets-pre-arrest-bail-6558379

Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi cleared up the confusion over Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s ability to sign official files, emphasising that the Supreme Court’s recent order has not altered prior conditions.

Senior lawyer and Arvind Kejriwal’s counsel in the liquor policy case, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, on Friday said that there was misinformation going on that the Delhi Chief Minister cannot sign any files while he is out on bail and pointed out that the top court has made no changes to the previous order passed on July 12 in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case.

Singhvi’s response came hours after the Supreme Court granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi liquor policy case, even as judges differed on the legality of his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

“There is misinformation going on that he (Arvind Kejriwal) cannot sign any files. Today’s order doesn’t add a comma or a full stop to the order already passed on July 12 in the PMLA case. That order says Kejriwal holds no portfolio. He doesn’t actually sign any files at all. The only category of files he must sign and does sign are the ones which have to go to the Lieutenant Governor,” Singhvi said while speaking exclusively to India Today TV.

“The Supreme Court order of July 12 made this distinction where it said that Kejriwal can sign all files that have to go to the Lt Governor. The one that are others, his ministers sign. It is political to suggest that he cannot function. All I would say is that an elected Chief Minister should not be removed using such tactics,” he added.

The senior advocate also pointed out that as Arvind Kejriwal is out of jail, there will be no governance crisis in Delhi.

“Now that he is out of jail, his ministers are signing files and he can also sign the files for the Lieutenant Governor, I don’t think governance is any issue at all,” Singhvi said.

While granting bail to Arvind Kejriwal, the bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan retained only two bail conditions that he shall remain present before the trial court on each and every date of hearing, unless exempted and fully cooperate in expeditious conclusion of the trial.

It decided to do away with the conditions that the Chief Minister cannot go to the Delhi Secretariat or sign files.

However, the relief in this case cannot be enforced, as a bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna had previously, on May 10 and July 12, 2024, imposed specific conditions. It was made clear that any changes or recall of these conditions can only be made by a larger Constitution Bench.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/arvind-kejriwal-bail-conditions-abhishek-manu-singhvi-aap-delhi-liquor-policy-case-2599494-2024-09-13

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said that India and China have agreed to work together to create conditions for the improvement of bilateral ties.

China on Friday said troops have disengaged at four places in eastern Ladakh, including Galwan Valley, and that the border situation is generally stable and under control between the two countries.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said India and China have agreed during their meeting in Russia to work together to create conditions for the improvement of bilateral ties.

“On September 12, Director Wang Yi met with India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in St. Petersburg. The two sides discussed progress made in recent consultation on border issues and agreed to deliver on the common understandings reached by leaders of the two countries, enhance mutual understanding and trust, create conditions for improving bilateral ties and maintain communication to this end,” Mao said.

On a question of whether India and China were close to a breakthrough to revive the bilateral ties, which have been frozen for over four years due to the military standoff in eastern Ladakh, Mao said Chinese and Indian militaries have realised disengagement in four areas.

“In recent years, front-line armies of the two countries have realized disengagement in four areas in the Western sector of the China-India border, including the Galwan Valley. The China-India border situation is generally stable and under control,” she added.

Her comments come a day after external affairs minister S Jaishankar said roughly 75 per cent of the “disengagement problems” with China are sorted out but the bigger issue has been the increasing militarisation of the frontier.

At an interactive session at a think-tank in Geneva, Jaishankar said the Galwan Valley clashes of June 2020 affected the “entirety” of India-China ties. He also asserted that one cannot have violence at the border and then say the rest of the relationship is insulated from it.

He pointed out that India and China have been engaged in negotiations for the since 2020 to find a solution to the outstanding issues.

“Now those negotiations are going on. We made some progress. I would say roughly you can say about 75 per cent of the disengagement problems are sorted out,” he was quoted as saying by PTI. “We still have some things to do.”

Ajit Doval and Wang Yi meeting

NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi held talks in the Russian city of St. Petersburg on the sidelines of a conclave of national security advisors of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) nations on Thursday.

Doval and Wang are the Special Representatives for the India-China border talks mechanism.

In a statement after their meeting, ministry of external affairs said India and China have agreed to work with “urgency” and “redouble” their efforts to achieve complete disengagement in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh.

The MEA said the meeting between Doval and Wang provided an opportunity to review the recent efforts towards finding an early resolution of the outstanding issues.

“The meeting gave the two sides an opportunity to review the recent efforts towards finding an early resolution of the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control, which will create conditions to stabilise and rebuild bilateral relations,” the MEA said.

Relations between the two Asian countries have been at a six-decade low since the face-off on the LAC began in April-May 2020.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/china-says-troops-disengaged-at-4-places-including-galwan-valley-after-jaishankars-75-statement-101726277677001.html

Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: A local court on Friday turned down CBI’s appeal to conduct a narco-analysis test on the prime accused Sanjay Roy.

Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: A Kolkata court on Friday turned down the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) appeal to conduct a narco-analysis test on the prime accused in the rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar hospital, Sanjay Roy. According to officials, Sanjay Roy had initially agreed to take the test, but later refused to give his consent.

Sanjay Roy, who was arrested on August 10 in connection with the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, was produced before the Sealdah Court for a closed-door hearing – a day after the CBI appealed to the city-based court seeking permission to conduct the narco test on Roy.

The CBI was planning to conduct the narco test on Sanjay Roy to cross-check his version in the case.

What is a narco test?

1. A narco test, or a narco-analysis test, is conducted by injecting a drug called ‘sodium pentothal’ into the accused’s body, which takes them to a hypnotic or sedated state in which their imagination is neutralised.
2. In the hypnotic state, the accused is believed to be incapable of lying and is expected to give information that is true.
3. The drug, sodium pentothal, used in the test, is a fast-acting, short-duration anaesthetic used in larger doses to sedate patients during surgery. It is also often referred to as a “truth serum”.
4. Under a 2010 ruling by the Supreme Court of India, narco-analysis tests cannot be conducted without the accused’s voluntary consent. While the test holds legal validity, the courts only grant limited admissibility depending on the circumstances under which it is conducted.
5. In India, narco-analysis was first used in 2002 in the Godhra train burning case in Gujarat.

Kolkata rape-murder case

On August 9, the body of a trainee woman doctor was found in a semi-naked state in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College. A day after the incident, the Kolkata police arrested the main accused, Sanjay Roy, after he was seen entering the building around the estimated time of the crime in a CCTV footage, and his Bluetooth headphones were found near the crime scene.

Union minister and BJP election in-charge for Jammu & Kashmir G Kishan Reddy said that the last prime ministerial visit to Doda was in 1982.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda on Saturday to address a public rally for the upcoming assembly election.

Union coal and mines minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) election in-charge for Jammu & Kashmir G Kishan Reddy said this will be the first visit by a prime minister to Doda in the last 42 years.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold his first election meeting in Doda tomorrow. This will be a significant event as it marks the first visit of any Prime Minister to Doda in 42 years. The last prime ministerial visit to Doda was in 1982,” Reddy was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

PM Narendra Modi, who is the star campaigner of the BJP, will address an election rally at Doda Sports Stadium. This will also be Modi’s first rally after the announcement of assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir by the election commission on August 31. Modi will also visit Srinagar on September 19.

Voting in the J&K assembly election will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1. Eight assembly constituencies in three districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban district will vote in the first phase on September 18. At least 16 seats in south Kashmir will also go to polls on the same day.

The BJP has fielded Gajay Singh Rana from Doda and Shakti Raj Parihar from Doda West seat.

After Doda, the prime minister will head to Kurukshetra to address his first first rally ahead of next month’s Haryana Assembly elections. Polling in Haryana will take place on October 5.

The counting of votes for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana will take place on October 8.

High alert sounded
A high alert has been sounded in the entire Doda region ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.

On Friday, a gunfight with the terrorists erupted on Friday in the Pingnar area of Chatroo in the adjoining Kishtwar district. Two Army personnel were killed and two others were injured.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/narendra-modi-in-jammu-and-kashmir-assembly-elections-doda-rally-september-14-kurukshetra-haryana-101726273450046.html

The Commission of Inquiry was mandated to make inquiry with respect of the causes and spread of the violence and riots in Manipur

A three-member Commission of Inquiry formed last year to investigate the series of violence in Manipur has been now given time till November 20 by the Centre, according to a notification issued by the Union home ministry on Friday.

The Commission of Inquiry, headed by former chief justice of the Gauhati high court, Ajai Lamba, was set up on June 3, 2023. The panel , also comprising retired IAS officer Himanshu Shekhar Das and retired IPS officer Aloka Prabhakar, was mandated to make inquiry with respect of the causes and spread of the violence and riots targeting members of different communities, which took place in Manipur since May 3, 2023.

Punjab police on Friday on Friday claimed to have cracked the Wednesday night’s Chandigarh grenade blast case, which it claimed was masterminded by ISI-backed Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh alias Rinda of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and USA-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia with the arrest of a main perpetrator, in joint operation with Central agencies.

Punjab police on Friday on Friday claimed to have cracked the Wednesday night’s Chandigarh grenade blast case, which it claimed was masterminded by ISI-backed Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh alias Rinda of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and USA-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia with the arrest of a main perpetrator, in joint operation with Central agencies.

Two unknown persons had on Wednesday night lobbed a hand grenade in a house in a posh locality, Sector-10, Chandigarh, though no one was hurt in the incident.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, posted on X, citing the case of ‘helicopter theft’ to slam the state’s law and order.

Meerut (UP): A police complaint about an alleged helicopter theft in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut threatened to blow up into a political storm before it was extinguished by police, which after a quick inquiry, put it down to a case of confusion.

Police said they had received a complaint from one Ravindra Singh, a pilot with SAR Aviation Service Private Limited, who alleged that his firm’s helicopter was stolen. Singh claimed that the chopper was taken away in parts in a truck by some people in May. He claimed that he was assaulted when he confronted those people.

The report generated traction on social media and subsequently, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, posted on X, citing the case of “helicopter theft” to slam the state’s law and order.

“Till now, criminals in Uttar Pradesh were only dismantling the BJP’s law and order through killings, robberies, dacoity and rape but now, there is news of a helicopter being dismantled and taken away in a truck in Meerut. This is also a question of airport security. What has happened to the security there?” the former chief minister said in a post in Hindi on X.

Police quickly responded, stating that Singh had made the complaint about the theft as he was unaware that the helicopter was sold off by SAR Aviation Service Private Limited to another firm.

“It was found that the helicopter in question was sold by Singh’s company to another firm. The new owners transported the helicopter by truck on the day of the alleged theft. Singh was unaware of the sale,” Circle Officer Antariksh Jain said.

He said the actions of the new company were “within legal boundaries” and there was no wrongdoing involved.

The allegations of assault and verbal abuse made by Singh were also not proved during the investigation, the officer said.

Prior to this, Senior Superintendent of Police (Meerut) Vipin Tanda told reporters that the incident was not a theft but rather a dispute between two partners of the aviation company.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttar-pradesh/helicopter-theft-in-meerut-kicks-up-storm-akhilesh-takes-dig-at-up-govt-3188818

After the suspect was apprehended, security forces recovered three HE 36 hand grenades, along with explosive substances.

Security forces on Thursday night arrested a suspsect in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, who was found to be carrying hand grenades, explosive substances, and other incriminating materials.

According to news agency ANI, preliminary investigation revealed the suspect’s identity as Mohd Shabir, who was in touch with a PoK handler Azim Khan, who directed him to collect the consignment from Surankot town.

After the suspect was apprehended, security forces recovered three HE 36 hand grenades, along with explosive substances.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/jammu-and-kashmir/grenades-explosive-substances-recovered-as-security-forces-arrest-terrorist-in-jammu-and-kashmir-3189128

Experts are linking the outbreak across countries to a new strain of the virus and the waning of smallpox immunity in people

India, on September 10, confirmed its first case of Mpox, nearly a month after the multi-country outbreak of the disease was categorised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a ‘public health emergency of international concern’.

Mpox, though, is not new, and it doesn’t come from monkeys either. The first human case was identified way back in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The only reason it became associated with monkeys at all is because the disease was first identified in laboratory monkeys. “We still don’t know which animal host transmitted the virus to humans, but my guess is rats,” says Dr Tanu Singhal, an infectious diseases specialist at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai.

So, why is an over five-decades-old viral disease suddenly grabbing the world’s attention? It is the origin of a new virus strain of Mpox, called Clade I Mpox, and its global community spread that is of concern. “This new variant transmits very easily and has slightly more severe symptoms. It is particularly dangerous to children and those with low immunity. Pregnant mothers can also pass the virus onto their newborns,” says Dr Singhal.

In this current outbreak, an estimated 64 per cent of the cases and 85 per cent of fatalities have occurred in children. One of the reasons this new strain seems to have emerged is the waning of smallpox immunity. The smallpox and Mpox viruses are close cousins, coming from the same family of viruses. Virologists say the smallpox vaccine would have kept Mpox outbreaks at bay. But since smallpox got eradicated and the routine vaccinations were stopped, Mpox outbreaks began to increase in numbers and severity. “However, it was happening in African countries, so global prioritisation was not there,” adds Dr Singhal.

The court said alleged involvement in crime is no grounds for demolition of a property.

Coming down heavily on ‘bulldozer justice’ for the second time this month, the Supreme Court has said alleged involvement in crime is no grounds for demolition of a property and such actions can be seen as running a bulldozer over the laws of the country.
Hearing a petition by Javed Ali Mehboobamiya Saeed of Gujarat’s Kheda district, a bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy, Sudhanshu Dhulia and SVN Bhatti was told on Thursday that municipal officers had threatened to demolish his family’s home with a bulldozer after a case of trespass was registered against him on September 1.

Mr Saeed’s lawyer told the court that revenue records of Kathlal village, where the home stands, showed that his client was a co-owner of the land. A resolution passed by the gram panchayat in August 2004 granted permission to build a house on the land, where three generations of his family had been living for two decades.

The lawyer also cited the September 2 order of the Supreme Court, in which it had proposed a set of guidelines to be followed before demolishing homes.

After hearing both sides, the bench said that in a country where the actions of the state are governed by the rule of law, a violation by a member of a family cannot invite action against other members of the family or their legally constructed residence.

“Alleged involvement in a crime is no ground for demolition of a property,” the bench said, pointing out that only a case had been registered against Mr Saeed and it has to be proved in court through a legal process.

“The court cannot be oblivious to such demolition threats, which are inconceivable in a nation where law is supreme. Otherwise such actions may be seen as running a bulldozer over the laws of the land,” the bench said.

The court issued a notice to the Gujarat government and sought its reply within four weeks. It also said that Mr Saeed’s house cannot be demolished until further orders.

On September 2, a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan had asked how a house could be demolished just because it belongs to an accused or even a convict in a criminal case.

“How can demolition be just because he is an accused or even a convict… If construction is unauthorised, fine. There has to be some streamlining. We will lay down a procedure. You are saying demolition only if violation of municipal laws. There is a need for guidelines, it needs to be documented,” the bench said. Stating that it would hear the matter again on September 17, the court also invited suggestions for dealing with the issue.

Bulldozer Politics

The Supreme Court’s observations on September 2 had also sparked an exchange of barbs among political leaders.

“As soon as BJP is wiped out (after the Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh) and the Samajwadi government is formed, the bulldozers of the entire state will head towards Gorakhpur,” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had said, referring to the home district of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee offered to resign amid protests by junior doctors demanding justice for a murdered colleague, accusing them of political motives.

Banerjee also indicated that the protesters were politically motivated and wanted her chair, not justice for the 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital on August 9.

Her comments came after a delegation of junior doctors – who have struck work now for over a month – reached the state secretariat for talks with the chief minister, but sat outside the auditorium for two hours because the government didn’t agree to their demand of live-streaming the negotiations.

“I am even willing to resign for the sake of the people. I don’t want the chief minister’s post. I want the people to get justice, Tilottama (a reference to the rape victim) to get justice and for the common people get medical treatment,” Banerjee said in a dramatic press conference.

A 34-member team of junior doctors reached the state secretariat at around 5.25pm on the invitation of the chief secretary to hold talks with the chief minister. Banerjee waited in the auditorium from 4.50pm to 7pm, but the doctors refused to enter over a demand of live-streaming the proceedings. The government said it couldn’t live-stream the talks because the Supreme Court was hearing the matter and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is hearing the case.

The doctors later said they never demanded the resignation of the chief minister, or her chair.

“We were hurt by this statement. We didn’t go there to hold discussions about her chair. We went there to demand justice and to discuss our five demands,” said a protesting doctor.

The developments came on a day the state health department sent a letter to all government-run medical colleges asking for a list of junior doctors who resumed duty after the Supreme Court’s order. This created a furore with senior doctors saying they would join the strike if punitive action was taken against junior doctors.

Doctors across the state have been on strike since August 9 demanding justice for the junior doctor who was raped and murdered in RG Kar Hospital last month. The incident has triggered a nationwide uproar.

The doctors have five demands – justice for the murdered doctor; action against all officials responsible for alleged tampering of the evidence; action against former RG Kar Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh; the resignation of Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal; and the creation of a safe environment for doctors in medical colleges and hospitals in West Bengal.

In its last hearing on the case, the Supreme Court asked the doctors to return to work by 5pm on Tuesday. But the agitators have defied the deadline, saying their demands hadn’t been met.

In her press conference, Banerjee largely struck a conciliatory tone but in the end, lashed out at what she called were political elements who were obstructing talks with the government.

“We have tolerated many canards and falsehoods. Our government has been humiliated and maligned. People came out for justice but they don’t know that there is a political colour diverting it…They don’t want justice, they want the chair,” she said.

She sought to apologise to the people of West Bengal, noting that 27 people had died due to lack of health care facilities, and around 700,000 people were affected.

“We have been waiting for over two hours, hoping that reason would guide the junior doctors…I apologise to the people, who expected that the issue would be resolved today,” she said. “I waited for three days for them to come, but they did not come… violated the SC directive.”

The body of the second-year postgraduate student, who was allegedly raped and murdered inside a seminar hall of the hospital, was found on August 9. The crime took place at the third-floor seminar hall of the chest department late at night and police later said that multiple lacerations and wounds were found on her body.

A 31-year-old civic volunteer with the police, Sanjay Roy, was arrested the next day in connection with the case and was sent to 14-day police custody. But by then, the crime had left Kolkata stunned and prompted sweeping protests by doctors who struck work and women’s groups demanding safety.

The investigation was later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which later arrested Sandip Ghosh on corruption charges.

Since the gruesome crime, protests have swept Kolkata as agitators have alleged a string of missteps by the state administration and actions by Ghosh and the city police to tamper with evidence. The government has denied all allegations.

There are around 93,000 registered doctors in West Bengal out of which around 7500 are junior doctors. Hundreds of junior doctors have been holding a sit-in outside the Swasthya Bhavan, the headquarters of the state health department, since Tuesday defying the deadline.

The first efforts of negotiation began on Tuesday afternoon when state health secretary NS Nigam sent an email to the protesting doctors. But the talks broke down after the protesters demanded the health secretary’s resignation. Then on Tuesday, chief secretary Manoj Pant wrote to the doctors, inviting a team of 12-15 members but didn’t mention whether the chief minister would chair the meeting. The doctors responded stating that they would send a team of 30 members, demanded that the proceedings of the meeting with the government be telecast live to maintain transparency, and asked that the chief minister be present.

Pant sent a second letter on Thursday afternoon, inviting the protesters for talks at 5pm at Nabanna, the state secretariat.The government said the team should comprise 15 doctors and that there would only be video recording of the proceedings, no live-streaming.

The junior doctors reached Nabanna with a team of more than 30 doctors while sticking to their demand of live-streaming. “We want an open discussion. If the Supreme Court’s hearing can be streamed live, the chief minister’s administrative meetings can be streamed live, then why not this meeting? There is nothing to hide,” Aniket Mahata, a protesting doctor, said before the meeting.

But once they reached Nabanna, it became clear that a stand-off was in the offing. For over two hours, Banerjee waited inside the auditorium at the state secretariat with state junior health minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. Seating arrangements were already made for the doctors and Banerjee to preside over the meeting.

At least three video cameras were set up to record the proceedings. Outside the auditorium top bureaucrats including the chief secretary and home secretary and senior police officers, including the director general of state police, negotiated with the doctors’ team.

In her press conference, Banerjee explained her stance.

“The Supreme Court is hearing the case and CBI is investigating it. It is a subjudice case. There is a protocol. We agreed to record everything to maintain transparency. Three video cameras were set up. We could have shared the recordings with both the apex court and the doctors,” Banerjee said.

“The doctors came to Nabanna but never attended the meeting. I forgive them. Some of them were willing to join the meeting. But instructions were coming from outside not to go for negotiations,” she added.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/willing-to-quit-as-cm-if-people-want-mamata-101726169082871.html

Mhow case: Anil Baror and Pawan Bansunia were produced before a local court. Another accused, Ritesh Bhabhar, was arrested on Thursday night.

The Madhya Pradesh said they have arrested three of the six persons who allegedly assaulted two junior Indian Army officers and raped their woman friend near Mhow in Indore district.

Anil Baror (27) and Pawan Bansunia (23) were produced before a local court which remanded them in police custody for five days, said a police official. Another accused, Ritesh Bhabhar (25), was arrested on Thursday night, news agency PTI reported.

The announcement of arrests came on a day Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party over the incident, alleging “non-existent” law and order in the states ruled by the saffron party.

Superintendent of police (Rural) Hitika Vasal told PTI that Bhabhar was accused of threatening the two Army officers and their two women friends with a pistol during the incident, while the other accused were carrying sticks.

A total of six accused have been identified in connection with the incident that took place in the wee hours of Wednesday near the popular tourist spot Jam Gate, about 30 km from Mhow military cantonment, police said.

“Several teams are on the lookout for the three absconding accused, and a reward of ₹10,000 has been announced for (information about) each of them,” the SP said.

The Army officers, aged 23 and 24, undergoing the Young Officers course at the Infantry School in Mhow cantonment town, had gone out for a picnic with their two female friends.

The accused arrived at the picnic spot around 2am, and started assaulting one of the officers and his female friend who were sitting in the car, police said.

Upon hearing the commotion, the other officer and his woman friend, who were on a hilltop, reached the spot. Later, after police reached the spot, the Army officers and their female friends were brought to Mhow civil hospital.

What medical report found
PTI, citing an official, reported that a medical examination confirmed that one of the women was raped. A case has been registered under sections 70 (gang rape), 310-2 (dacoity), 308-2 (extortion) and 115-2 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and under sections of the Arms Act based on the complaint filed by the officer.

ThePrint reported that one officer has expressed concern that one of the women might have been sexually assaulted by the attackers, leading the police to book them for rape, among other charges. The woman, however, is yet to give her statement.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/army-officers-assaulted-in-madhya-pradesh-what-medical-report-said-who-are-the-accused-101726188682416.html

Kolkata doctor rape-murder: The outburst came after junior doctors refused to hold talks with the state government over their demand to live stream the meeting.

The Trinamool Congress on Thursday criticised the agitating doctors of West Bengal for refusing to hold talks with the state government because it did not agree to their demand to livestream the meeting.

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee called the medics “inhumane” and said that they are “unfit to become doctors”. He also urged the West Bengal government to ensure that they are not allowed to appear for their final exams.

The outburst came after the junior doctors, even after reaching the gates of the state secretariat Nabanna, refused to hold talks with the state government unless their demand for live streaming of the meeting to resolve the RG Kar hospital impasse was met.

Doctors across the state have been on strike since August 9 demanding justice for the junior doctor who was raped and murdered in RG Kar Hospital last month.

Mamata Banerjee, who waited for nearly two hours for the agitating doctors to come for the meeting, expressed regret over the junior doctors’ refusal to come for talks. She also offered to resign from her post.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rg-kar-rape-case-bengal-govt-vs-bjp-over-mamata-banerjee-meeting-chaos-tmc-mp-calls-protesters-unfit-to-be-doctors-101726196536128.html

Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: Sanjay Roy’s dental impression, which could play a vital role as evidence, was collected at the Presidency Correctional Home.

Sanjay Roy’s dental impression, which could play a vital role as evidence in the case, was collected during a questioning session by the central agency detectives at the Presidency Correctional Home here, an official said.

“There were bite marks on the body of the woman and the post-mortem report has mentioned those. Our idea is to match those with the accused’s dental impression,” PTI quoted him as saying.

Sanjay Roy, a Kolkata Police civic volunteer, is the only person to have been arrested in the Kolkata rape and murder case so far.

The CBI is probing the incident following the Calcutta High Court’s directive.

On Wednesday, CBI officers conducted another round of questioning of arrested accused Sanjay Roy. The interrogation was carried out at the Presidency Correctional Home.

In addition, another team from the central probe agency interrogated four junior doctors in the morning, and later, Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner (North) Abhishek Gupta and the Deputy Commissioner of the Detective Department (DD) Special, Vidit Raj Bhundesh, were questioned as part of the same investigation.

“We questioned the police officers on how they conducted the probe,” an officer said.

The case came to light on August 9, when the body of the woman postgraduate trainee doctor was found in a seminar hall at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH). The following day, a Kolkata Police civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime.

Mamata Banerjee offers to resign

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she was “ready to resign” for the “sake of people” and expressed regret over the junior doctors’ refusal to come for talks to resolve the impasse over the RG Kar rape-murder case.

Mamata Banerjee, who waited for nearly two hours for the agitating doctors to come for the meeting, said she also wanted the victim to get justice, and apologised to the people of West Bengal for the continued deadlock.

“We have tolerated a lot of canards and insults for the last 33 days,” she said at a press conference but assured the protesters that despite violating the Supreme Court directive by not resuming duties, she would not take action against them.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/kolkata-doctor-rape-murder-case-cbi-collects-sanjay-roys-dental-impression-bite-marks-on-doctors-body-sanjoy-roy-101726198689871.html

Someone in the highest position of the country should not put himself in a situation where people can gossip about the institution and start speculating, the senior lawyer said.

Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President and Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal on Thursday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the residence of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud to attend a Ganapati puja has provided people an opportunity to gossip about the judiciary.

Sibal said it was a private matter which should not have been publicised. In the context of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, he said,

“I request the Prime Minister of India to not make a spectacle of these events because there have been Maharashtrian Chief Justices in the past. It is not the first time that there is a Chief Justice from Maharashtra and in the context that there is going to be an election in Maharashtra, that is not an opportune time for the Prime Minister to have made a public spectacle of a private ceremony.”

The veteran lawyer added that CJI Chandrachud may not have known that the video of the function would be publicised.

Regardless, he said that someone in the highest position of the country should not put himself in a situation where people can gossip about the institution and start speculating.

“Quite frankly, I was taken aback. I have been in the Supreme Court, in this institution for over 50 years. I have seen the greatest of judges, both past and the present. We are passionate about the institution, not passionate about any individual, but the institution. I have great respect for the present Chief Justice. I can say without any hesitation that he is a man of great personal integrity,” the senior counsel said at the beginning of a press briefing on Thursday.

While expressing concern over the development, Sibal also requested the media to not blow it out of proportion and speculate on personal motives.

The veteran lawyer said that he was “really surprised” when he saw the clip that has gone viral online. He then explained the “issues on principle” he had with such a meeting.

“No public functionary, whoever it may be, especially those who hold the highest post in India – the President of India, the Prime Minister of India, the Chief Justice of India – should publicise a private event. I am sure that maybe the Chief Justice may not have known that this was being publicised. That said, the second thing is the Prime Minister of India should never have shown his interest to go to such a private event, because the Prime Minister and those he must have consulted should and must have told them that this may send a wrong signal,” he said.

He added that the issue was not of an individual, but what impact such a video has on the minds of the people.

Sibal, who is also a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, further said,

“It is not a public matter and therefore should be no videography, photographs which then should be allowed to be made public… especially in the context of people holding highest positions in the country because what happens is it sort of ignites a debate which is unnecessary and harmful to the institution.”

Source: https://www.barandbench.com/news/opportunity-people-gossip-cji-may-no-known-publicised-kapil-sibal-cji-pm-modi-puja