Top news: Founder of Cafe Coffee Day VG Siddhartha goes missing in Mangaluru
The biggest stories of the day.
The founder and owner of the popular chain Cafe Coffee Day, VG Siddhartha, has been reportedly missing from Managaluru on Monday. Police have begun their search for Siddhartha, who is the son-in-law of former Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna.
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The bill was passed in Lok Sabha on Monday, despite Opposition outrage. However, it is likely to face hurdles in the Rajya Sabha, where the Bharatiya Janata Party is in a minority.
Soldier killed in alleged ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in Rajouri district
An Army jawan was killed on Tuesday after Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district. “The Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation along the LoC in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district today,” said Army’s Public Relations Officer Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand.
Rolls-Royce and its Indian subsidiary booked by CBI in corruption case
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday filed a case against British car manufacturer Rolls-Royce and its Indian subsidiary for allegedly engaging the services of an agent who is accused of paying bribes to get contracts from public sector companies in India.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said there was a need to develop a “concrete action plan” to control crimes in Delhi. Tagging a report on crimes in the national Capital, the chief minister said “living in denial” would make the situation worse.
Congress leader Sanjay Sinh quits Rajya Sabha and party, will join BJP on Wednesday
Senior Congress leader Sanjay Sinh on Tuesday resigned from the party and gave up his Rajya Sabha membership. “Congress is still in the past, unaware of the future,” Sinh said.
Truecaller apologises for ‘bug’ that signed up Indian users for its payments service without consent
Swedish caller identification company Truecaller on Tuesday apologised for a “bug” in the last update to its mobile application after Indian users complained that it was registering them for its payments service without their consent. The company said it was issuing a new update.
Kolkata court issues arrest warrant against BJP leader Mukul Roy in cash recovery case
A court in Kolkata has issued an arrest warrant against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mukul Roy in connection with a cash recovery case. The court directed the officer in charge of Burrabazar police station to arrest Roy by August 29, and said it will hear the case next on the same date.
Delhi HC rejects CBI’s request for early hearing of plea challenging acquittals
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed an appeal by the Central Bureau of Investigation for an early hearing of a petition against the acquittals in the 2G spectrum allocation case. The hearing of the petition is scheduled on October 24.
Tipu Jayanti celebrations cancelled in Karnataka, Congress criticises BJP’s ‘anti-minority ideology’
The Karnataka government led by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa cancelled Tipu Jayanti celebrations in the state on Tuesday, calling them “controversial and communal”. The order has been sent to the government’s Kannada and Culture Department.
Unnao rape case: Complainant’s uncle given one-day parole to attend wife’s cremation
The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday granted one-day parole to Unnao rape complainant’s uncle to attend the last rites of his wife, who was killed in a crash crash on Sunday.
‘Everything is normal in Kashmir’: Governor Satya Pal Malik urges people not to pay heed to rumours
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Tuesday asked people not to pay heed to rumours about the special status of the state, saying “everything is normal”. Malik was responding to queries on a series of orders being circulated on social media about the possibility of a prolonged law-and-order problem in Kashmir.
OPDs will be closed on Wednesday as medical body to protest against National Medical Commission Bill
The Indian Medical Association has called a 24-hour withdrawal of non-essential services at hospitals across the country on Wednesday in protest against the Lok Sabha’s decision to pass National Medical Commission Bill, 2019. The protest will begin at 6 am.
Four Opposition MLAs resign from Maharashtra Assembly, likely to join BJP on Wednesday
Three Nationalist Congress Party MLAs in Maharashtra resigned from the Assembly on Tuesday. They handed over their resignation letters to Speaker along with Congress MLA Kalidas Kolambkar, who had announced his resignation on Monday. They are likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday.
Gutka scam: Enforcement Directorate attaches assets worth Rs 246 crore in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday attached assets worth Rs 246 crore in connection with the gutka scam in Tamil Nadu. The attached property includes 174 immovable items worth Rs 243.80 crore and shares and vehicles worth Rs 2.29 crore.
If Sharad Pawar’s claims of poaching were true, Ajit Pawar would have joined BJP first: Shiv Sena
The Shiv Sena on Monday refuted Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar’s claim that the Bharatiya Janata Party was misusing its power to poach leaders from other parties. The party claimed that if allegations of poaching were true, Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar would be the first to join the saffron party.
Centre tables triple talaq bill in Rajya Sabha, says it should not be politicised
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday tabled the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, or the triple talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha. The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on July 25.
Delhi air quality improves to ‘satisfactory’ due to rainfall
Delhi’s Air Quality Index has improved drastically over the last six days, ranging between 50 and 100, at the “satisfactory” level. At 11 am on Tuesday, the AQI stood at 78.
‘Don’t use Ram’s name to create unrest in the country’, says Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday said that the name of Hindu deity Ram should not be used to create unrest and anger in the country. Over the past few months, several people have faced violence or been lynched by mobs because they allegedly refused to chant “Jai Shri Ram”.
Deployment of troops in J&K a ‘calculated response to needs of security grid’, says government
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday defended the decision to deploy an additional 10,000 troops in the state. K Vijay Kumar, the governor’s advisor on security affairs, said the deployment of troops was a “deliberate and calculated response to the need of security grid”.
Cafe Coffee Day shares plunge 20% on BSE after owner VG Siddhartha goes missing
Shares of coffee chain Cafe Coffee Day tanked by 20% in Tuesday’s trade on the BSE following reports that its owner VG Siddhartha went missing from Mangaluru on Monday. At 11.30 am, the stock was trading at a 52-week low of Rs 154.05 per share, a decline of nearly 20% from Monday’s closing price. The stock had also lost 20% on the National Stock Exchange and was trading at 153.40 per share.
Bihar: Journalist working for Hindi daily shot dead in Madhubani district
The police officer said the accused were identified as Sushil Sah and Ashok Kamat. They fled the spot after killing Mandal. He was taken to the Sarsopahi primary health centre, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The body was then sent for an autopsy, the police said.
‘Man Vs Wild’: Congress asks Discovery Channel to reveal when it shot episode featuring Modi
The Congress had alleged in February that Modi had continued to shoot in Corbett National Park on February 14, hours after 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel had been killed by a suicide bomber in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.
Plea in Supreme Court seeks guidelines to protect identity of those accused of sexual offences
The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Centre on a plea seeking guidelines to protect the identity of those accused of sexual offences till the investigation is completed. The petition said allegations can potentially destroy the life of an individual even if the person is innocent. “It does not only destroy an individual’s life but creates a social stigma to the family members too,” the plea said.
Triple talaq bill to be tabled in Rajya Sabha today, likely to face hurdles
The Rajya Sabha will on Tuesday take up the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 for discussion. The bill, also known as the triple talaq bill, was passed in the Lok Sabha on July 25. It seeks to make the practice of instant triple talaq – which allows Muslim men to divorce their wives by uttering the word “talaq” thrice in spoken or written forms, or via electronic communication – a penal offence.
Karnataka: VG Siddhartha, founder of Cafe Coffee Day, goes missing in Mangaluru, police begin search
VG Siddhartha, the founder-owner of the popular chain Cafe Coffee Day, was reported missing from Mangaluru in Karnataka on Monday. Siddhartha is the son-in-law of former Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna. Police teams are searching the Netravati River for Siddhartha.
Unnao rape case: Uttar Pradesh recommends CBI inquiry into car crash involving complainant
The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday night recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the previous day’s car crash in Rae Bareli, in which the complainant in the Unnao rape case was seriously injured and two of her aunts killed. The family of the complainant has alleged that Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the Bharatiya Janata Party MLA accused of rape, was behind the accident.
Delhi HC sets aside order to frame charges against Anbumani Ramadoss in corruption case
The Delhi High Court on Monday set aside a court’s order to frame charges against former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss in two corruption cases. The cases relate to alleged favours Ramadoss and other accused gave to Rohilkhand Medical College and Hospital in Bareilly and Index Medical College Hospital and Research Centre in Indore.
‘Biased, intentionally lacking in facts’: 14 personalities condemn open letter to PM on mob lynching
Fourteen eminent personalities on Monday joined the 62 signatories who had expressed their disagreement with another group of intellectuals who had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop mob lynchings in the country. They strongly condemned the statement issued by a group of filmmakers, activists and academics last week. They had said that the slogan “Jai Shri Ram” had become a “provocative war cry” and the reason for a number of lynchings in the country.
J&K Police seek details of mosques in Srinagar, senior officer calls it periodic exercise
The Jammu and Kashmir Police have ordered five zonal superintendents of police in Srinagar to submit details of mosques in areas under their jurisdiction. “Please provide details of mosques and their management falling within your respective jurisdictions as per enclosed proforma immediately for onward submission to higher authorities,” read the order issued by Srinagar Senior Superintendent of Police Haseeb Mughal.