Breaking news on October 23

Five people died after a car fell into a gorge at Shilli village in Nirmand area of Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh. 

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Uttar Pradesh government and the police departments of Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut on a PIL alleging that flesh trade was clandestinely operating in many massage parlours in the national capital region.

Acting on the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by NGO Centre for Human Rights, a bench comprising Justice P K S Baghel and Justice Piyush Agarwal directed the state government and the police departments to file their reply within four weeks. The court ordered that the case be listed for hearing thereafter.

In the PIL, the NGO alleged that several brothels were operating under the garb of massage and beauty parlours in NCR and the police and state administration were doing nothing to shut them. 

Congress issues a show-cause notice to Delhi leaders Kiran Walia, Ramakant Goswami, Rohit Manchanda, Mangatram Singhal and Jitendra Kochchar asking for an explanation for 'issuing public statements against senior party leaders'. They have been asked to explain within 15 days.

One jawan sustained minor injuries after terrorists lobbed a grenade at a Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF) camp in Kulgam.

Specially-abled people staged a protest in Delhi A protester said,"We had qualified for Railways Group-D (2018) vacancies, we got a message that we'll be called for document verification&later we get message that we've been disqualified, no reason was given."

IT dept conducted a search on a group based in Delhi in connection with tax evasion and money laundering. The group is engaged in various e-governance projects and financial services. It has a presence across several cities in India and also in Dubai.

Investigations had revealed that huge amount of commission was being collected in Dubai through shell companies of a Dubai based operator who is also an accused in a VVIP Chopper scam. Preliminary inquiries reveal the quantum of accommodation entries and hawala transactions to be more than Rs 1000 crore.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi appoints Kirti Azad as chairman of the campaign committee for Delhi polls. Subhash Chopra appointed as the new Chief of Delhi Congress.

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat reviewed the collective training conducted by troops of Eastern Command at Sela, approximately 90 km from the  Line of Actual Control (LAC), on 22-23 October. 

A clash broke out between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers in Coochbehar. Offices of both parties were vandalised.

Delhi Arvind Kejriwal has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving ownership rights to people living in unauthorized colonies. 

Arvind Kejriwal said: "Union Cabinet has prepared road map for regularisation of unauthorised colonies based on our proposal sent in July."

"We want Centre to start the process of regularisation of unauthorised colonies immediately; there should be no further delay," he added. 

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Harish Rawat and others in connection with alleged MLA horse-trading case.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said: "Cabinet has decided to increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Rabi crops, MSP for wheat and barley has been increased by Rs 85 , gram by Rs 255, Masur (Lentil) by Rs 325, mustard by Rs 225."

Union Cabinet approves revival plan of BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) and MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited) and in-principle merger of the two. The spectrum of 4G to be allocated to Telecom PSEs (Public Sector Enterprises).VRS (voluntary retirement scheme) packages to be offered. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad: Neither MTNL or BSNL are being closed, nor being disinvested, nor is being hired to any third party.

Accused Ranjit Singh Bindra sent to judicial custody by Special PMLA Court till October 24, in a case related to underworld don Iqbal Mirchi. Hearing on his bail tomorrow. Other accused Rinku Deshpande has been sent to Enforcement Directorate custody by Special PMLA Court till October 25.

Alleged middleman Christian Michel has approached Delhi High Court for bail in both CBI and ED cases. 

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said: "The Cabinet clears proposal to give ownership rights to people living in unauthorised colonies in Delhi."

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, said, "neither MTNL or BSNL are being closed, nor being disinvested, nor is being hired to any third party."

Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking a direction against Jet Airways for its alleged failure to refund the air-fares to its passengers.

A court in Ahmedabad in Gujarat has granted 72 hours transit remand for accused Ashfaq and Moinuddin in connection with Kamlesh Tiwari murder case. 

Equity benchmark BSE Sensex rose 95 points on Wednesday, led by gains in IT and auto stocks, amid mixed cues from global markets. After swinging over 330 points in a choppy session, the 30-share BSE Sensex ended 94.99 points or 0.24 per cent, higher at 39,058.83. It hit an intra-day high of 39,196.67 and a low of 38,866.08. The broader NSE Nifty too advanced 15.75 points, or 0.14 per cent, to settle at 11,604.10.

Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria is embarking on an official visit to Oman to witness the ongoing  Indo-Oman Joint Exercise ‘Eastern Bridge’ between the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) and the Indian Air Force at RAFO base in Masirah, Oman. The Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-29s (upgraded) are participating with Hawks, F-16 and Eurofighter Typhoons of Omani Air Force in the exercise.

Ahead of the Karnataka Assembly by-polls to 15 seats that are slated to take place in December, the disqualified MLAs request the Supreme Court for an interim order to allow them permission to contest the elections.

Delhi High Court grants bail to the Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar on a personal bond of Rs 25 lakh in connection with a money laundering case. He was currently in judicial custody and his bail plea was rejected by the trial Court earlier.

Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi will hold a meeting with senior leaders of the party on 25 October, over National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Bengaluru: Students of Amrita Engineering College hold protest after a fourth year student committed suicide on 21st October alleging harassment by college management.

Man holed up at museum in southern France, threatening messages in Arabic, reports AFP News Agency quoting police.

The Mumbai civic body's transport arm BEST has for the first time started conductor-less bus services on two routes here from Wednesday, a senior official said.
Passengers will have to buy tickets at the originating stops while boarding these non-stop buses, he said. The buses will ply on two south Mumbai routes - from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Gateway of India and from Churchgate to Nariman Point, the official from the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) said.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will visit Amethi on Thursday to attend a party programme, a spokesperson said.

Priyanka, the Congress general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, will arrive at the Amethi office in the afternoon and take part in the swearing-in function of newly-appointed district unit president Pradeep Singhal, party spokesperson Anil Singh said.

Polling parties leave from Rajouri District Headquarters for their respective polling centers, ahead of the elections for Chairpersons of the Block Development Councils (BDCs) in J&K tomorrow.

A 15-year-old boy has been held for allegedly raping a six-year-old girl at his home in Kalyan in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Wednesday.
The girl would go to the teen's home for tuition classes by his sister, a police official said.

Some 82 kg cannabis has been seized from a car in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district and four persons have been arrested in connection with it,
police said on Wednesday. The apprehension was made at Goshala More in the district.
Acting on a tip-off, police on Tuesday seized 82 kg cannabis hidden in an improvised chamber of a car and arrested four persons in connection with it, a police officer said.

Three Congress MLAs today left the party and joined the ruling BJP in Jharkhand this morning. The Election Commission will announce the dates for Jharkhand Assembly polls anytime now.

The three Congress MLAs joined BJP in presence of Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today in Ranchi.

Former state Congress president and MLA from Lohardagga Sukhdev Bhagat and Congress MLA from Barhi (Hazaribag) Manoj Yadav left the Party to join BJP.

Two Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLAs Kunal Sarangi, Chamralinda and JP Patel also joined the BJP. Bhanu Pratap Shahi of NSM also joine the BJP. 

Former DGP Jharkhand BK Pandey and former IAS Arun Oraon also joined BJP at party headquarters in Ranchi's Harmu. 

The BJP is targeting 65 seats in 82 members Jharkhand Assembly this time. The party has launched a Jan Ashirvad Yatra in order to reach out to the people. CM Raghubar Das is leading the campaign. He will be addressing multiple rallies in Giridih today. 

(Correction: An earlier version of the copy mentioned three Congress MLAs joined the BJP.)

Congress leader P Chidambaram has moved a bail plea in Delhi High Court, in connection with Enforcement Directorate (Ed) case of INX Media. He is currently in ED custody till 24th October.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday morning met Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar in Tihar jail and enquired about his welfare.
Shivakumar, 57, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on September 3 in a money laundering case. He is lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody. According to sources, Gandhi was accompanied by Congress general secretary Ambika Soni.

As the date for the verdict on the Ayodhya title dispute inches closer, saints and seers have held a recitation of the 'Sunder Kand' from "Ram Charit Manas" at a temple here on the banks of Sangam in Uttar Pradesh.

The recitation of the Sundar Kand is considered to be auspicious by Hindus and is said to fulfil the wishes of the devotees.

The programme on Tuesday was led by Mahant Narendra Giri, president of the Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) at the Bade Hanuman temple that has an idol of the Lord lying down.

Two unidentified bike-borne assailants allegedly opened fire at a car in east Delhi's Preet Vihar on Tuesday, police said.

The occupants of the car -- Jaan Mohammad (25), who was driving the car, and his father Akbar Ali -- escaped unhurt, they said.

The incident took place around 9.45 am on the stretch between Hasanpur Depot and Kadkadi Mod, the police said.

Two people have been arrested and 69 crude bombs seized from them in Hatkalangane tehsil of Maharashtra's Kolhapur district, police said on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off, police raided a house in Mudshingi village of the tehsil and arrested Vilas Jadhav and Ananda Jadhav after making the seizure, an official said.

Several villagers had a narrow escape after their raft broke mid-creek on Monday in Thane's Shahapur area while they were on their way to vote in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, civic disaster cell officials said.

The incident happened in Aghai village and fishermen jumped in and rescued all 95 people on the raft, an official said.

Policeman-turned-politician and Shiv Sena candidate from Nalasopara Assembly seat was booked for allegedly threatening poll officials during voting on Monday, police said.

Sharma, an inspector-rank officer who resigned from Maharashtra police recently to contest polls, is accused of entering a polling booth in Chandansar in Virar along with few of his supporters and threatening officials present there, an official said.

A man was arrested on Tuesday in Andheri suburb of the metropolis after police found a country-made pistol and 16 bullets from him, an official said.
Acting on a tip-off, DN Nagar police stopped Sandip Ramkishan Suhag (35) on Gulmohar Cross Road and searched him, he said.

A woman was allegedly burnt to death by her husband over a family dispute, following which the man was arrested, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place on October 13 in Khatoli district, SHO Santosh Kumar Tyagi said. Anuradha was rushed to a hospital here, where she succumbed to injuries, police said.

A case was registered against her husband Dinesh in connection with the mater, the SHO said.

Major pollutants PM 2.5 at 154 in 'Moderate' category and PM 10 at 192 in 'Moderate' category, in Lodhi Road area, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) data.

The Mumbai Police were granted transit remand of gangster Birender Singh Dayma alias Bindar Gujjar by a district court, here on Tuesday, in connection with an alleged fake encounter of gangster Sandeep Gadoli.

The Mumbai Police believe Gujjar planned Gadoli's encounter at a three-star hotel in Mumbai. Gadoli had with a couple of trusted aides and girlfriend gone to Mumbai and stayed in a Andheri East hotel named "Airport".

"We feel that installation of network jammers is highly necessary in & around strong rooms where EVMs are stored till counting...," Balasaheb Thorat, President of Maharashtra Congress Committee writes to Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer (CEC) over 'EVM tampering'.

 Two snatchers arrested after exchange of fire between police and snatchers in near Shankar Market; Police teams present at the spot

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said the BJP does not have the "courage" to do Hindu-Muslim politics in Delhi as the AAP has changed the narrative by bringing focus on issues of health and education. Lauding the work done by his government, he claimed even BJP and Congress workers would vote for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Delhi Assembly polls next year.

"The BJP does not have the courage to do Hindu-Muslim politics in Delhi as we have changed the narrative of politics in this country and brought focus on education and health. We have forced the BJP to talk about issues of health and education and it is very big thing," Kejriwal told at a gathering of party volunteers at Sadar Bazaar.

SpiceJet on Tuesday said Harsha Vardhana Singh has resigned as independent director from the company. His resignation is effective from October 1.

In a filing to the stock exchanges, the airline said Singh has quit as an independent director as "he wishes to concentrate more on his personal life and retire from active corporate engagements".

Shares of the carrier on Tuesday declined over 2 per cent to close at Rs 117 on the BSE.

The body of a newborn girl was found in a drain under a bridge in Hingna in Nagpur city on Tuesday morning, police said. The corpse was noticed by a local resident, identified as Durgesh Ashokrao Kuhite (27), who called the police, an official said.

"We believe it was dumped in the night and the accused may be living in the vicinity. Maybe the parents tried to conceal the birth by killing the child and disposing of the body. We are checking all angles," the Hingna police station official added.