Jay Shah defamation case: ‘The Wire’ withdraws its plea from Supreme Court, says will stand trial

The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed news website The Wire and its journalists to withdraw their petitions seeking the quashing of the criminal defamation case and a civil defamation suit filed against them by Home Minister Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah. The top court said the trial will now be expeditiously completed by the competent court.

Editors Guild of India asks Press Council to rescind decision to support media restrictions in J&K

The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday issued a statement against the Press Council of India’s decision to support the media restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir. The association expressed grave concerns about the press council’s decision, saying that it had failed to speak up for press freedom and was “perversely arguing for a media clampdown in the name of national interest”.

Mizoram begins hearing claims of 260 Bru refugees excluded from bonafide citizens’ list

The Mizoram government on Tuesday began hearing the claims and objections of 260 members of the displaced Bru tribe who have excluded from the list of the state’s bonafide citizens during an identification process in July. The hearing will be conducted by officials from three districts over the next one week.

Government yet to decide how to utilise Rs 1.76 lakh crore given by RBI, says Nirmala Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the government was yet to decide how to utilise Rs 1.76 lakh crore that it will get from the Reserve Bank of India. In its meeting on Monday, the RBI’s central board decided to transfer Rs 1,23,414 crore of surplus for the year 2018-’19 and Rs 52,637 crore of excess provisions identified by a revised economic capital framework.

West Bengal BJP chief asks party supporters to beat up Trinamool Congress workers

Dilip Ghosh, the West Bengal unit president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, on Monday urged party workers to beat up those related to the ruling Trinamool Congress. Ghosh said if the party workers did so he would “take care of the rest”.

‘Produce a shred of evidence’: P Chidambaram’s family challenges government

Congress leader P Chidambaram’s family on Tuesday accused the media of reporting “wild, unverified and unsubstantiated allegations” against the former Union finance minister.

J Dey murder case: Bombay High Court upholds acquittal of former journalist Jigna Vora

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday upheld a lower court’s acquittal of former journalist Jigna Vora in connection with the murder of reporter Jyotirmoy Dey in 2011. The court found no evidence proving Vora had any knowledge of the crime or instigated the killers.

Congress’ Kerala unit to seek explanation from Shashi Tharoor for praising Narendra Modi

The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee on Tuesday decided to seek an explanation from its party MP Shashi Tharoor for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week. Tharoor and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi had backed party colleague Jairam Ramesh’s comments that demonising Modi all the time would not help the Opposition’s cause.

Cricket: Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium to be renamed Arun Jaitley Stadium

The Delhi and District Cricket Association on Tuesday said it would rename the Feroz Shah Kotla cricket stadium in memory of its former President Arun Jaitley. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former finance minister died on Saturday.

Cows produce more milk when they listen to flute tunes played in ‘Lord Krishna style’, says BJP MLA

A Bharatiya Janata Party legislator in Assam on Tuesday reiterated that cows produce more milk when they listen to flute tunes. Silchar MLA Dilip Kumar Paul first made the claim at a cultural event on Sunday evening.

Assam NRC: Free legal help will be provided to people excluded from final list, says government

The Assam government on Tuesday assured it would make necessary arrangements to provide free legal help to those excluded from the final list of the National Register of Citizens on August 31. Additional chief secretary in the Home and Political Department, Kumar Sanjay Krishna, said people left out of the final list would not be detained under any circumstances. The official said only foreigners’ tribunals were empowered to declare people foreigners. Therefore, non-inclusion in the NRC would not automatically lead to revocation of Indian citizenship, he added.

INX Media case: P Chidambaram’s protection from arrest by ED extended till Wednesday

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted former Union minister P Chidambaram interim protection from arrest by the Enforcement Department till Wednesday in the INX Media money laundering case. The senior Congress leader, however, will remain in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s custody till at least Friday.

Ajit Jogi is not Adivasi, rules Chhattisgarh government panel; former CM may lose Assembly seat

A high-powered committee appointed by Chhattisgarh government has concluded that former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi is not from an Adivasi community. At present, Jogi represents Marwahi in the state Assembly. The seat is reserved for Adivasi communities, and Jogi is likely to lose it.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal waives late-payment charges on water bills till November 30

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced 100% waiver of late-payment charges on water bills in the national capital till November 30. “Today we are announcing a scheme to waive arrears to clean up Delhi Jal Board’s books,” Kejriwal said at a press conference. “Some of these arrears are due to consumers but some are also due to incorrect billing.”

Kerala caste murder: Court sentences all 10 convicts to double life imprisonment

A principal sessions court in Kerala’s Kottayam district on Tuesday sentenced 10 people accused of killing a Dalit Christian man last year to double life imprisonment. Last week, the court had convicted 10 of the 14 people in the case. The court said that the relatives of Kevin P Joseph’s wife were involved in his murder, and called it a case of “honour killing”.

Assam: At least nine declared foreigners released from Goalpara detention centre

At least nine people in Assam declared foreigners and lodged in the detention camp in Goalpara district jail were released on Monday, days ahead of the final publication of the National Register of Citizens. The final list of the national register will be published on August 31.

Car maker Maruti Suzuki cuts 3,000 contract jobs amid rising inventory, slowing demand

Automaker Maruti Suzuki has cut 3,000 contract jobs as it battles rising inventory along with slowing demand in the Indian market, its Chairperson RC Bhargava said on Tuesday. Bhargava told shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting that new safety norms and higher taxes have “added substantially” to the cost of manufacturing cars.

Uttar Pradesh: 16 killed, six injured after truck crashes into two tempos in Shahjahanpur

At least 16 people were killed and six injured after a speeding truck crashed into two vehicles and then overturned in Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. The accident took place on the Lucknow-Delhi highway around 10 am. The injured people were taken to a hospital, reports said, adding that many of them were in a critical condition. Meanwhile, the police have taken possession of the dead bodies.

ISRO releases pictures of the moon taken by Chandrayaan-2

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Monday released latest pictures of the moon taken by its spacecraft Chandrayaan-2. In a statement, ISRO said the photographs captured are those of the craters Somerfeld, Kirkwood, Jackson, Mach, Korolev, Mitra, Plaskett, Rozhdestvenskiy and Hermite.

PNB scam: Bombay HC dismisses Mehul Choksi’s plea against ED effort to declare him fugitive offender

The Bombay High Court has dismissed businessman Mehul Choksi’s plea seeking to get an anti-corruption court in the city to hear afresh his objection to the Enforcement Directorate’s proceedings against him under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.

‘Stealing from RBI won’t work’: Rahul Gandhi says Modi, Sitharaman are clueless about fixing economy

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday attacked the Narendra Modi-led government for the Reserve Bank of India’s announcement that it will transfer Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the Centre. Gandhi, in a tweet, claimed that this showed that Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were clueless about fixing the economy.

Madras HC asks Tamil Nadu government to explain the need for separate burial grounds for Dalits

The Madras High Court on Monday questioned the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to allot different burial and cremation grounds for Dalits. Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad initiated a suo motu public interest petition on the basis of recent news reports that a Dalit man’s body was lowered from a bridge in Vellore district for the last rites because caste Hindus had barred access to the cremation grounds.

Telangana BJP leader’s son goes missing in London

The son of a Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Telangana’s Khammam district has gone missing in the United Kingdom. Ujwal Sriharsha moved to London last year to pursue his master’s degree in machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Pakistan likely to instigate violence to internationalise Kashmir matter, says Army chief

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat claimed that Pakistan was likely to instigate violence in Jammu and Kashmir to internationalise the matter amid the rising hostilities between the two countries since New Delhi revoked the state’s special status.

Watch: J&K police take away doctor who was speaking about health crisis in state due to recent curbs

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday took away a doctor who was speaking about the health crisis facing the state because of a security clampdown. Omar Salim, a urologist at the Government Medical College in Srinagar, had been speaking to media personnel at the press enclave in Srinagar for merely 10 minutes when the police arrived and whisked him away.

Unnao rape case: Delhi court grants CBI time till September 9 to finish its investigation

A court in New Delhi on Monday granted the Central Bureau of Investigation time till September 9 to finish its inquiry and file a status report in the Unnao gangrape case. District Judge Dharmesh Sharma approved the CBI’s request for more time in the case, in which Shubham Singh, Naresh Tiwari and Brajesh Singh Yadav are the accused.

Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa selects three deputy chief ministers, allocates portfolios

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday picked three deputies for himself as he allocated portfolios to the 17 ministers inducted into the Cabinet last week. The three deputy chief ministers are Govind Karjol, Ashwath Narayan and Laxman Sangappa Savadi. Karjol also got the charge of the Public Works Department and the Social Welfare Department, while Narayan was given the portfolios of Higher Education, Information Technology and Biotechnology, and Science and Technology. Savadi, who is neither a member of the Assembly or the Legislative Council, was given the transport portfolio.

Reserve Bank of India to transfer Rs 1.76 lakh crore to central government

The Reserve Bank of India on Monday said that it had decided to transfer Rs 1,76,051 crore dividend and surplus reserves to the central government. The decision came after the central bank accepted the recommendation of a panel led by Bimal Jalan, a former governor of RBI. In its meeting on Monday, the RBI’s central board decided to transfer Rs 1,23,414 crore of surplus for the year 2018-’19 and Rs 52,637 crore of excess provisions identified by a revised economic capital framework, the central bank said in a statement.

JeM training members for underwater attack, we’re prepared to thwart any attempts: Navy chief

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh on Monday said the force had received intelligence inputs that an “underwater wing” of the Jaish-e-Mohammad was training its members to carry out attacks. However, Singh assured that the Indian Navy was completely prepared to thwart any such attempts and all coastal security personnel were making sure no intrusion occurs from the sea.

J&K: Imran Khan says Narendra Modi made a ‘historic blunder’, vows to raise matter at UN

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said that he will raise the Kashmir dispute at every international platform, including the United Nations General Assembly. Khan made the remarks during an address to the nation, in which he talked about his administration’s future strategy on the Kashmir matter.

Bulandshahr violence: BJP has nothing to do with garlanding of accused, says Uttar Pradesh deputy CM

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Monday said the state government or the Bharatiya Janata Party had nothing to do with the garlanding of two men accused of violence in Bulandshahr in December in which two people were killed. “If supporters and relatives of someone who has been released from the jail welcome them, the government or the BJP have nothing to do with it,” Maurya said. “The Opposition need not exaggerate such things.”

UP: NHRC issues notice after reports of students being served chapatis with salt for mid-day meals

The National Human Rights Commission on Monday issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government after taking note of reports that salt and chapatis were served to children for mid-day meals. The commission has asked for a detailed report on the matter from the state’s chief secretary within four weeks.

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