Breaking News, February 4

A day after news that top Kerala bureaucrat M. Sivasankar, who is one of the accused in the infamous gold smuggling case, claimed in his autobiography that he never knew the iPhone that was gifted to him by prime accused Swapna Suresh was part of a bribe, she, on Friday, hit out at him, saying that he had "destroyed her life".

In the excerpts of his book in Malayalam, Sivasankar, who was the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan before being removed when his role emerged, said he had never done anything to get Swapna a prime job in the IT Department with a five figure monthly salary and many more things against her.

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday locked horns with ex-Infosys Director T.V. Mohan Das Pai on social media over the ongoing hijab row in Karnataka. The hijab row in Karnataka has turned into a big controversy with many colleges denying entry to students wearing hijabs.

The Home Minister of the state, Araga Jnanendra, said on Thursday that no religious robe -- be it a hijab or a saffron shawl -- will be allowed in schools or colleges. To this, Tharoor, replied, "This is a college, @TVMohandasPai, not a school. And in any case there is no law banning religious forms of dress like a Sikh turban or a crucifix around your neck or a tilak on the forehead, all of which are forbidden in France's govt schools but permitted in India's."

A day after the roaring success of Andhra Pradesh government employees' 'Chalo Vijayawada' despite police denying them permission, Director General of Police Gautam Sawang on Friday met Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The chief minister is understood to have asked the DGP if some sections within the police force cooperated with the unions of employees and teachers. The massive turnout of employees, teachers and pensioners for the protest despite lack of permission from police and the restrictions imposed to foil the march has rattled the state government. The chief minister has reportedly taken serious note of this.

Delhi Police have busted a fake call centre in the national capital and arrested 12 persons for duping people on the pretext of proving jobs in IndiGo Airlines. Ten of the arrested persons have been identified as Neeraj Kumar, Amir, Sandhya, Neeta Rawat, Muskaan, Harpreet Kaur, Nisha, Jaya and Deepika Moni, all residents of Delhi, and Sonu, a resident of Haryana.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North West District), Usha Rangnani, said that a complaint regarding cyber fraud was received via the National Cyber Crime Receiving Portal (NCRP) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, wherein the complainant alleged that a call centre has cheated him of Rs 12,250 on the pretext of providing job at Indigo Airlines.

A separate bench of the Delhi High Court will hear a batch of pleas related to the northeast Delhi riots of 2020 and alleged hate speeches linked to the Anti-CAA protests from February 8. The bench of Justice Siddarth Mridul on Friday said the court will start hearing the matters from next Tuesday which were earlier heard by a division bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Jyoti Singh.

On January 28, the pleas were transferred to a bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Anup Jairam Bhambhani through an administrative order. On Friday, the bench took note of the apex court direction of December 17, 2021, in which it told the Delhi High Court to dispose off the Delhi riots matters expeditiously, preferably within three months. Last week, the Delhi High Court had filed a fresh status report with regard to all 758 FIRs in connection with the North East Delhi violence, along with the detail of present stages before the trial court, following the court direction passed on the last date of hearing

In what is being seen as a politically significant move, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is not likely to receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the latter's visit to Hyderabad on Saturday. The Chief Minister has nominated Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Dairy Development and Cinematography Minister T. Srinivas Yadav to receive and see off the Prime Minister during his visit.

According to a communication from the Chief Minister's office to the Principal Secretary, General Administration Department (Political), the Chief Minister has agreed to the proposal for nominating Srinivas Yadav to be the minister-in-waiting to receive and see off the Prime Minister on arrival and departure. This may be the first time since he became Chief Minister in 2014 that KCR will not be receiving the Prime Minister on his visit to Hyderabad.

The last time Modi had visited Hyderabad was on November 28, 2020 when he went to Bharat Biotech, the pharma company that developed India's first Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin. However, at that time the Chief Minister was informed by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) that he need not come to the airport to receive the PM.

The DMK Members on Friday protested against Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi in the Rajya Sabha and sought the Chair's permission to speak on the issue which was denied. Disallowing them, Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu asked the MPS to resume their seats.

Soon after the Zero Hour began, the DMK MPs started protesting against the Tamil Nadu Governor for returning the bill passed by the state Assembly exempting the students from NEET examination and started raising slogans. They were briefly joined by some members of opposition parties.

Asking them to raise this issue during the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, Naidu stated that since the issue has not been admitted by him, it cannot be discussed in the House. DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said that the Governor has insulted the state Assembly by returning the bill passed by it exempting the state's students from NEET examination.

Gold prices on Friday fell Rs 799 to Rs 47,050 per 10 grams in the futures trade as speculators reduced their positions amid low demand. On the Multi Commodity Exchange, gold contracts for February traded lower by Rs 799, or 1.67 per cent, to Rs 47,050 per 10 grams in a business turnover of 37 lots. Analysts attributed the fall in gold prices to the trimming of positions by participants. Globally, gold traded 0.22 per cent higher at USD 1,808.10 an ounce in New York.

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issues draft notification seeking public comments regarding mandatory fitness of vehicles only through an Automated Testing Station.

Rajasthan government lifts the night curfew across the state with effect from 5th February. A maximum of 250 people allowed at wedding ceremonies (excluding the band). Religious places allowed to open for devotees. 

The Supreme Court said that homebuyers, who had paid for flats in Supertech's 40-storey twin tower in Noida to be demolished on court's order, have to be refunded on or before February 28. A bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant accepted the computation for refund made to the homebuyers by the amicus curiae advocate Gaurav Agarwal in the matter. Senior advocate S Ganesh, representing Supertech, submitted that there are 38 impleadment applications have been filed seeking refund of the amount. "We had a meeting with the amicus and the amount agreed will be paid to them. It will be paid on or before February 28," said Ganesh. Agarwal submitted that there are 38 homebuyers and if there is a home loan which the purchaser has taken, then the developer can settle the home loan account by March 31. Counsel for some homebuyers urged the court to re-look at settlements reached between their clients and the developer. "We have to observe some fairness to developers also. If there are settlements then how can we intervene in this?" the bench queried.

The Rajya Sabha witnessed noisy scenes and a walkout by DMK and Congress members on Friday over the Tamil Nadu Governor's decision to return the NEET exemption bill. DMK members wanted to raise the issue during the Zero Hour, but Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not agree, and asked them to raise the matter during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. DMK members, who later trooped in the Well of the House, were supported by Congress members. Soon after the laying of listed papers, DMK members tried to raise the issue, but Naidu did not permit it. A notice under Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha by an opposition member to take up the matter was not accepted by the Chairman. DMK members kept insisting on raising the issue even as some members were speaking on their Zero Hour matters.

As per reliable sources, the Government of India has reviewed the security of AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi and provided him with Z category security of CRPF with immediate effect.

Police have arrested two persons in Nagpur for allegedly stabbing to death a man and assaulting his girlfriend at Mahim beach in central Mumbai, an official said on Friday. The two men were held on Thursday evening and brought to Mumbai, he said. The incident had occurred on Tuesday evening, in which the attackers had stabbed to death 30-year-old Mohammed Wasim Shaikh and left his girlfriend injured, he said. "While Shaikh died in the incident, the woman is undergoing treatment," the police official said, adding that the suspects are being interrogated.

Delhi High Court issues notice to Delhi Police on regular bail plea of wrestler Sushil Kumar in Sagar Dhankar murder case. 

A professor, working at a prestigious institution, has been booked for allegedly raping a woman in Kanpur with whom he had developed a friendship over Facebook. He had reportedly promised to marry her. The police have obtained a non-bailable warrant (NBW) from the court against the accused, who is absconding. The woman has alleged in her complaint that in November 2019, she met the professor on Facebook. As the friendship grew, the two began meeting each other often. The professor called the woman to his flat located near Merchant Chamber crossing, where he expressed his desire to marry her. She further alleged that in the meantime he also started abusing her sexually, following which she became pregnant. When she asked him to marry her and the accused asked to abort the pregnancy. Later, it was learnt that the professor's marriage had been fixed in Jaunpur. The victim lodged the complaint against the accused at Gwaltoli police station. Inspector Gwaltoli, Dhananjay Singh said: "After registering a case, the statement of the victim has been recorded in the court. Efforts are on to make the arrest of the accused possible. The police have also obtained a NBW from the court."

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has appointed Seema Kushwaha, the lawyer in the Nirbhaya case who recently joined the party, as its national spokesperson. She is the party's first woman spokesperson. In a statement, the party said that Kushwaha had been at the forefront of fighting cases of crime against women and had played a crucial role in getting women justice from lower courts up to the Supreme Court. "Kushwaha has been appointed the party's spokesperson by BSP chief Mayawati. Not only is she an exceptional lawyer but also does social service. She has good influence among the Maurya, Shakya and Kushwaha communities in west Uttar Pradesh, Etawah and Bundelkhand. In future she will also be given bigger responsibility," said a party functionary. Seema Kushwaha, who joined the party on January 20, had indicated that she may not contest elections but would be given an important responsibility by the party.

WATCH: Snow clearance by MED (Mechanical Engineering  Department) underway at Bijbehara- Langanbal- Pahalgam Road in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir. 

Three more men were arrested for allegedly opening fire people in Angoori Bagh near the Red Fort area in north Delhi, police said on Thursday. The accused have been identified as Md Kaif (21), Md Shoaib (21) and Md Faiz (30), they said. The fresh arrests have come a day after accused Shehzada Farid (30), Shadab (31) and Shahbaz alias Badshah (30), all residents of Chauhan Bangar, New Seelampur in Northeast Delhi were apprehended. So far, six people have been arrested in connection with the incident in which three people sustained injuries but are out of danger, police said. The incident took place on Monday night when Shahid, along with his wife, was riding home on his motorcycle. They were accidentally hit by the scooter which two of the accused were riding. As Shahid’s motorcycle suffered minor damage, he demanded the accused to get it repaired and this led to an argument between the two sides. As the local people gathered, Shadab took out a revolver and fired five rounds of bullets- one in the air and four at the public, police said.

Texas, the second largest US state, is fighting "one of the most significant icing events ... in at least several decades" though statewide grid failure like the one that occurred in last year's freeze is not expected, Governor Greg Abbott has said. Temperatures plunged within 24 hours, power lines were downed by icing accumulation, tree breakage and high winds, leading to road closures and outages across the state. About 70,000 Texan households lost power as of Thursday noon, Xinhua news agency the governor as saying. In northern Texas, widespread sleet began to transition to snow early Thursday. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport had to temporarily suspend operations in the day because of the weather impacts. Cold temperatures and hazardous roads are possible into the weekend. A number of school districts and universities across the state were closed or under early dismissal as the Arctic cold front moved in early Thursday. Also in the day, the governor signed two proclamations covering 17 Texas counties to assist in the repair of downed power lines and provide support for local governments.

The unemployment rate for persons of 15 years and above in urban areas was 6.9 per cent in 2019-20, Union Minister of State, Ministry of Labour and Employment Rameswar Teli said on Thursday, citing the latest Periodic Labour Force (PLF) Survey report. The joblessness rates in 2017-18 and 2018-19 were 7.7 per cent and 7.6 per cent respectively. The data on employment and unemployment is collected through the PLF Survey conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) since 2017-18.

The unemployment rate for persons of 15 years and above in urban areas was 6.9 per cent in 2019-20, Union Minister of State, Ministry of Labour and Employment Rameswar Teli said on Thursday, citing the latest Periodic Labour Force (PLF) Survey report. The joblessness rates in 2017-18 and 2018-19 were 7.7 per cent and 7.6 per cent respectively. The data on employment and unemployment is collected through the PLF Survey conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) since 2017-18.

A consignment of oxytocin injections with a market value of around Rs 22 lakh was seized from the New Delhi railway station by the drugs control department, a senior official said on Thursday. Oxytocin is used in milch cattle to enhance milk production and has adverse effects on the cattle as well as humans who drink that milk. A joint team comprising officers of Delhi's drugs control department, the CDSCO, the Government of India and the Railway Police Force (RPF) conducted inquiries at the premises of the inward parcel godown (on the Ajmeri Gate side of the station) on Wednesday. A man identified as Mohammad Saquib was found standing in front of window number 4 of the godown. Upon enquiry, he disclosed that he had come to receive oxytocin injections, which were coming from Sonpur and Patna in Bihar, the official said. During the search of the godown, a huge stock of oxytocin injections (approximately 47,000 ampoules and vials worth around Rs 22 lakh) was found ready for delivery to Saquib, he added. Saquib failed to produce any purchase records or drugs licences required for stocking, sale or distribution of the injections.

India has "no plan", at present, to change the definition of "forest cover and very dense forest", Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, has said in the Rajya Sabha. The definition of forest cover in ISFR represents true picture as described, he added. The minister was responding to MP Vandana Chavan's question: "If the government is aware that the current definition of 'forest cover' in the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) does not differentiate between natural forests and plantations, thereby providing an incomplete picture of the status of forests, whether the ISFR used ancillary field datasets to define 'very dense' forests and also, whether the government planned to change the definition of forest cover and very dense forests to better reflect country's actual forest cover." India's definition of forest has been taken on the basis of three criteria as per the decision under Kyoto Protocol and very well accepted by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for their reporting or communications, the Rajya Sabha was told. The forest can be defined by any country depending upon the capacities and capabilities of the country. The three criteria based on which the forests are defined, comprises, crown cover percentage, minimum area of stand and minimum height of trees. "The forest cover is defined as 'all land, more than one hectare in area, with a tree canopy density of more than 10 per cent irrespective of ownership and legal status. Such land may not necessarily be a recorded forest area. It also includes orchards, bamboo and palm'," the minister elaborated.

The Union budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently is a very “thoughtful policy agenda” for India, International Monetary Fund, Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva said. “We have been projecting a quite robust growth for India. Yes, there is a small downgrade versus our previous projection from 9.5 per cent to 9 per cent for 2022. But then we also have a small upgrade for 2023, because we think that we will see a stable growth not very different from (those projected by) the (Union) Minister of Finance,” Georgieva said during a virtual round table with a group of reporters. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), she noted, sees this being conditioned on a number of factors, including that in the COVID-19 pandemic they continue to function better and should the pandemic continue to be around, and that the tightening of financial conditions would be done with clear forward guidance and in a prudent manner, not creating any more significant shock.