Paul Muthoot murder: Kerala HC acquits eight out of nine accused sentenced to life imprisonment

The Kerala High Court on Thursday acquitted eight people sentenced to life imprisonment by a lower court for murdering businessman Paul Muthoot in Alappuzha in 2009. Muthoot was killed in a road rage incident, and a Central Bureau of Investigation court had convicted and sentenced nine men to life in jail in 2015.

Intelligence agencies question Kashmiri youth who was allegedly beaten up by mob in Rajasthan

State and central intelligence agencies interrogated a Kashmiri youth after a video of him being attacked by a mob in Neemrana in Alwar district of Rajasthan started doing the rounds on social media. The youth, identified as Mir Faiz, was allegedly tied to a pole and beaten up by a mob for being dressed in women’s clothes.

UP: FIR filed against at least 23 Muslims for allegedly serving Hindus biryani with meat

The police in Mahoba town of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday filed a first information report against at least 23 Muslims for allegedly serving “non-vegetarian biryani” to Hindus at a religious congregation. The police said the case was registered after local Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Brijbhushan Rajpoot intervened.

Andhra Pradesh: 74-year-old woman gives birth to twins through in-vitro fertilisation process

A 74-year-old woman in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday gave birth to twins through in-vitro fertilisation in a private hospital in Guntur district. Doctors said that this could be a new world record.

INX Media case: Delhi court sends P Chidambaram to judicial custody till September 19

The Central Bureau of Investigation court on Thursday sent former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram to judicial custody till September 19 in connection with the INX Media case. On Tuesday, the court had extended the agency’s custody in accordance with the Supreme Court order till September 5.

Batala explosion: Firecracker factory was running illegally, say police

The Punjab Police on Thursday said that the firecracker factory, where an explosion claimed 23 lives on Wednesday, in Gurdaspur district’s Batala area was illegal. National Disaster Response Force personnel continued search operations at the site to look for any survivor trapped under the debris.

Ahmedabad: Two killed as 100-year-old building collapses

At least two people were killed and several feared trapped after a building collapsed in Amraiwadi area of Ahmedabad on Thursday. Rescue operations are under way.

Centre grants Institution of Eminence status to five universities, including two IITs

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development on Thursday issued the Institutions of Eminence tag to five universities – Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Banaras Hindu University, IIT Kharagpur, University of Delhi and University of Hyderabad. The universities were accorded the tag after recommendation from the University Grants Commission and an expert panel.

Rape case filed against Goa Swimming Association coach for molesting 15-year-old trainee

The Goa Police on Thursday registered a case of rape and criminal intimidation against a swimming coach along with offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The action was taken after a video of him molesting a 15-year-old had been widely shared on social media, which also attracted Union minister Kiren Rijiju’s attention.

India to extend $1 billion line of credit to Russia for development of its Far East region: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that the Indian government will extend a line of credit worth $1 billion (nearly Rs 7,100 crore) to Russia for the development of the country’s Far East region.

‘No plan to ban petrol, diesel vehicles,’ Union minister Nitin Gadkari assures automobile sector

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that the government had no plans to ban petrol and diesel vehicles. With the automobile sector reeling under a crisis, the minister also assured the industry of all the help it needs from the government, including discussion on the matter of reduction in Goods and Services Tax with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Aircel-Maxis case: P Chidambaram, Karti Chidambaram get anticipatory bail from Delhi court

A special court in New Delhi on Thursday granted former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram anticipatory bail in both cases filed against them in the Aircel-Maxis matter. The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate had filed separate cases in the matter.

Anurag Thakur criticises Manmohan Singh and P Chidambaram for questioning Centre over fall in GDP

Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur criticised former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram for criticising the Centre for the slowdown in economic growth, PTI reported on Thursday.

Arunachal Pradesh: Army denies BJP MP’s claim that Chinese soldiers built bridge in Indian territory

The Indian Army has denied the claim of a Bharatiya Janata Party MP in Arunachal Pradesh that Chinese soldiers had built a wooden bridge almost 75 km inside Indian territory, The Indian Express reported on Thursday.

SC orders shifting of ailing CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami from Srinagar to AIIMS in Delhi

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that ailing Communist Part of India (Marxist) leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami be shifted from Srinagar, where he is under detention, to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi without any delay. The top court also said that the moving should be done in consultation with doctors at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar and those at AIIMS.

Jammu and Kashmir: Supreme Court to hear pleas against media restrictions on September 16

The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would hear petitions against the restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir on September 16. The petitions were filed by Anuradha Bhasin, the executive editor of Kashmir Times, who had challenged the restrictions on media, and political commentator Tehseen Poonawalla, who had challenged the security clampdown in the state.

Women in live-in relationships are treated like concubines, says Rajasthan Human Rights Commission

The Rajasthan Human Rights Commission on Wednesday asked the central and state governments to prohibit women from opting for live-in relationships and alleged that it was against human rights. The commission said that the women in these relationships needed protection through a law as they could be treated “as a concubine”.

Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter gets Supreme Court’s permission to meet her in Srinagar

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to travel to Srinagar to meet her mother who was arrested last month. Iltija Mufti had on Wednesday moved the top court seeking directions to the authorities to allow her to meet her mother.

US praises India for declaring Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, Dawood Ibrahim and Lakhvi terrorists

The United States on Wednesday praised India for declaring Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and gangster Dawood Ibrahim terrorists under a new anti-terror law.

INX Media inquiry: P Chidambaram’s anticipatory bail plea in ED case rejected by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s plea for anticipatory bail in the INX Media case registered by the Enforcement Directorate. The court had reserved its verdict on August 29. A bench of Justices R Banumathi and AS Bopanna said it was not a fit case for anticipatory bail as it could hamper investigation.

Eastern Economic Forum: Narendra Modi meets prime ministers of Japan and Malaysia in Vladivostok

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met leaders of Japan, Malaysia and Mongolia on Thursday on the sidelines of the 5th Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok. Modi had arrived in the city on Wednesday for the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the Far East Region of Russia.

Ayodhya case: Hindus can pray but it does not give them the right to title, Wakf board tells SC

The Sunni Wakf Board on Wednesday told the Supreme Court it does not dispute the Nirmohi Akhara’s “shebait” rights, or rights as a devotee, at Ayodhya’s disputed site but this does not mean the land belongs to them. The board’s advocate Rajeev Dhavan has been making arguments this week before a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. Wednesday was the 19th day of the hearings in the Ayodhya case.

‘If Pakistan wants war, Indian Army is ready,’ says Army chief Bipin Rawat

Army chief General Bipin Rawat has accused Pakistan of stepping up efforts to reopen terror training camps and push infiltrators across the Line of Control, and said India was ready for a war with the neighbouring country.

Schools in Mumbai remain closed for second straight day as more rain is predicted

Schools and junior colleges in Mumbai, Thane and the Konkan region in Maharashtra will remain closed on Thursday as more heavy rainfall was predicted. This is the second straight day that the schools in Mumbai will remain closed. An orange alert was issued in Mumbai, which has already surpassed its September average rainfall of 327.1 mm four days in to the month.

Assam: FIRs lodged against NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela for exclusion of genuine Indians from list

First information reports have been lodged in Guwahati and Dibrugarh against Assam’s National Register of Citizens Coordinator Prateek Hajela for allegedly excluding Indians from the updated citizens’ list deliberately. The Asom Garia-Maria Yuba Chhatra Parishad lodged the first complaint on September 3 at Guwahati’s Latasil police station, accusing Hajela of producing an expensive “farcical” document that left out many indigenous people. The second complaint was filed by a legal professional on Wednesday.

J&K: Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter files petition in Supreme Court against detention of her mother

Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the authorities to allow her to meet her mother. The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister has been under house arrest since August 4, a day before the Centre’s declaration to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution.

Bombay HC says SEBI has committed error rejecting NDTV’s delay in filing settlement applications

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted relief to NDTV promoters Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy by setting aside the orders passed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India that rejected the news channel’s delay in filing settlement applications. SEBI had initiated adjudication proceedings against NDTV for alleged violations of the Securities Contract (Regulation) Act, 1956.

‘Kashmir is our jugular vein, will go to any length to protect it’, says Pakistan Army amid tension

The Pakistan Army on Wednesday said it will go to any length to protect Kashmir, and said it was their “jugular vein”. This came amid rising hostilities between the India and Pakistan since New Delhi revoked the state’s special status. He also said that Islamabad does not follow the “no first use” policy on nuclear weapons.

Unnao rape: Delhi High Court dismisses UP constable’s plea in murder case of complainant’s father

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea by an Uttar Pradesh constable challenging the charges against him in the murder case of the Unnao rape complainant’s father. Last month, a court in Delhi had framed murder charges against expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar and nine others in connection with the death of the father. The woman’s father died in judicial custody on April 9, 2018.

Odisha: Auto driver fined Rs 47,500 for traffic violations in Bhubaneswar

A drunk auto-rickshaw driver in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar was on Wednesday fined Rs 47,500 by the transport department under the new increased penalty amounts for traffic violations. The officials fined the driver identified as Haribandhu Kanhar under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, which came into effect on September 1.

J&K: ‘Kashmir Times’ editor files affidavit in SC, says ‘information blackhole’ is still continuing

The executive editor of Kashmir Times, who had earlier moved the Supreme Court against media restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir, filed an additional affidavit in the matter on Wednesday. In her affidavit, Anuradha Bhain said that the “information blackhole” was still continuing in the Valley.

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