The big news: BJP MLA detained for questioning in Unnao rape case, and nine other top stories
Other headlines: The Supreme Court agreed to hear a plea against Jammu and Kashmir lawyers in the Kathua case, and India’s gold medal tally now up to 16.
A look at the headlines right now:
- CBI detains BJP MLA for questioning in Unnao rape case, files three cases against him: The teenager said that she had written to Chief Minister Adityanath, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind seeking help, but the police told her to drop MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s name.
- SC agrees to hear plea against lawyers who stopped police from filing chargesheet in Kathua rape case: A BJP leader claimed there was a ‘Pakistani hand’ in the case, even as PDP minister Tassaduq Mufti claimed his party may have to ‘take one last bow’ and apologise for its alliance with the saffron party, and Rahul Gandhi led a midnight candlelight march in Delhi to protest the crimes against women.
- Fifteen-year-old Anish Bhanwala becomes India’s youngest gold medallist at Commonwealth Games: Tejaswini Sawant and Anjum Moudgil clinch gold, silver in shooting.
- ‘Order on SC/ST Act did great damage to the country,’ Centre tells Supreme Court: In a written reply to the top court, the government said the judgement amounted to ‘judicial legislation’.
- Impeaching the chief justice of India is still an option, says Congress leader Kapil Sibal: His statement comes just days after his party colleague Mallikarjun Kharge said the matter was closed for now.
- Bangladesh High Court bans two-finger test to confirm rape: Justices Gobinda Chandra Tagore and AKM Shahidul Huq said the test has no scientific or legal merit as it cannot prove the crime conclusively.
- Undisclosed income under investigation in Panama Papers leak now over Rs 1,000 crore, says tax department: In November, the Finance Ministry had put the figure at Rs 792 crore.
- Head of Swedish Academy, which awards Literature Nobel, quits amid row over sexual misconduct probe: Permanent Secretary Sara Danius did not say if the academy voted to remove her.
- Maharashtra makes Aadhaar ‘necessary’ for women, children to access nutrition schemes: In a notification, the Women and Child Development Department laid down procedures that anganwadis workers should follow while registering beneficiaries.
- Donald Trump denies he tried to fire Robert Mueller, special counsel handling Russia investigation: The US president was responding to a New York Times report, which said he had tried to have the inquiry shut down in December.