‘We feel vindicated,’ says Priya Ramani after Union minister MJ Akbar resigns

Soon after former journalist MJ Akbar resigned from his post in the External Affairs Ministry on Wednesday, journalist Priya Ramani said she looked forward to the day when the court will also grant her justice. “As women we feel vindicated by MJ Akbar’s resignation,” Ramani said on Twitter.

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#MeToo: Writer-producer Vinta Nanda files police complaint against Alok Nath

Writer, director and producer Vinta Nanda on Wednesday filed a police complaint at Mumbai’s Oshiwara police station against Bollywood actor Alok Nath. Nanda has accused Nath of raping her in her home nearly two decades ago, not long after he was sacked from the popular 1990s’ television show Tara for misbehaving with its lead actress.

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Sabarimala: Protestors attack journalists, say mediapersons ‘are creating trouble’

A mob claiming to be Ayyappa devotees on Wednesday attacked several mediapersons, including female journalists, reporting from Kerala’s Sabarimala as the temple opened its gates for all. Last month, the Supreme Court had allowed the entry of women between the ages of 10 and 50 into the Sabarimala temple, a decision that has led to widespread protests in the state.

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#MeToo: Union minister MJ Akbar resigns, reports ANI

Union minister MJ Akbar, who has been accused of sexual harassment by at least 15 women, on Wednesday resigned from his post as the minister of state for external affairs, ANI reported. The minister has rejected all allegations against him. On Monday, Akbar had initiated a defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani, one of the complainants.

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Pune: Four Army jawans booked for allegedly raping and molesting woman at military hospital

The Pune Police on Tuesday booked four Army personnel for allegedly raping a woman at a military hospital. The incident took place over a period of four years starting 2014 but came to light only on Monday after the woman filed a first information report, a copy of which has been sent to the defence minister and the chief of Army staff.

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#MeToo: Producers Guild amends its sexual harassment by-laws to ensure safety in workplaces

The Producers Guild of India on Wednesday listed the steps it has taken to ensure the safety and security of all its members. The move comes after several prominent personalities from the film industry were accused of sexual harassment and misconduct as a part of the #MeToo movement in the country.

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UIDAI asks several payments companies to stop offering Aadhaar-based services: Report

The Unique Identification Authority of India has asked several payments companies to stop offering any Aadhaar-based service on their platform. A Supreme Court verdict last month had prohibited private companies from using the biometric authentication service.

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Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra Singh joins Congress ahead of Assembly elections

Rajasthan MLA Manvendra Singh joined the Congress on Wednesday. Last month, Manvendra Singh had resigned from the BJP and said that joining the party was a mistake.

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Mechanical failure led to derailment of New Farakka Express, suggests preliminary report

A preliminary inquiry has shown that the failure of a mechanical installation that guides trains from one track to another resulted in the derailment of the New Farakka Express in Uttar Pradesh last week. At least seven passengers died and up to 35 were injured after nine coaches and the train engine went off the tracks near Raebareli on October 11.

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Religious leader Rampal Dass sentenced to life in second murder case

A court in Haryana’s Hisar district on Wednesday sentenced religious leader Rampal Dass to life imprisonment in a murder case. The court had on Tuesday given him the same sentence in another murder case.

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Share indices tank over 1%, Sensex down 382.90 points, Nifty closes around 10,450

The domestic benchmark indices on Wednesday reversed their gains and fell over 1%. The BSE Sensex tanked 382.90 points to close at 34,779.58, while the National Stock Exchange Nifty 50 closed at 10,453.05, down 24.20 points. The rupee was trading at 73.62 against the dollar after having opened at 73.77 a dollar.

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Delhi air quality declines to ‘very poor’ two days after emergency action plan came into force

Air quality was “very poor” in several parts of Delhi on Wednesday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index at 309 around 10.50 am, according to SAFAR. This is worse than the index of 291 in the city on Tuesday evening.

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Delhi Police issues show-cause notice to hotel for not reporting argument involving former MP’s son

The Delhi Police on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to a five-star Delhi hotel where the son of a former Bahujan Samaj Party MP was seen brandishing a gun during an argument with a couple. Police gave Hyatt Regency 15 days to explain why it did not inform it on October 14, the day of the incident.

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Three suspected militants, one police personnel killed in gunfight in Srinagar: At least three suspected militants and one police personnel were killed in a gunfight in Fateh Kadal area of Srinagar on Wednesday. Four security personnel were injured.

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Two women accuse Padma Bhushan-winning artist Jatin Das of sexual harassment: At least two women on Tuesday publicly accused acclaimed artist and sculptor Jatin Das of misconduct and sexual harassment in the past. One of the women said Das tried to grab and kiss her in 2004. The other complained of an incident from 2013. Both incidents took place in his New Delhi studio in Shahpur Jat.

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Police use force to disperse protestors as Sabarimala temple set to open today: The police in Kerala’s Nilakal town on Wednesday used force to disperse protestors demonstrating against the entry of girls and women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple. The temple will open on Wednesday for month-long rituals.

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