Maradu flats demolition: Kochi Police say Section 144 will be imposed in evacuation zone

The Kochi Police said on Friday that Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code will be imposed on land, water and in the air, in the evacuation zone of illegal apartment complexes to be demolished in Maradu area, PTI reported. The flats will be demolished on Saturday and Sunday. Section 144 of the CrPC, which prohibits the assembly of four or more persons, will be imposed from 8 am to 4 pm.

Rahul Gandhi mocks PM Modi, says his Budget consultation comprised ‘crony capitalist friends’

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that his “most extensive budget consultation” consisted of meeting “crony capitalist friends and the super rich”.

JNU violence: Students’ union leader Aishe Ghosh, 8 others identified as attackers by Delhi Police

The Delhi Police on Friday said they have identified nine people as the attackers in connection with the violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University last week, PTI reported. The suspects included JNU Students’ Union President Aishe Ghosh, who was among the 34 people injured during a violent mob attack on campus on Sunday. The police alleged that Ghosh and several others attacked students at Periyar Hostel last week and that specific rooms were targeted at the hostel.

‘Chhapaak’ credits row: Delhi HC reserves verdict on studio’s petition against trial court order

The Delhi High Court on Friday reserved its verdict on Fox Star Studios’ petition against a trial court order about Deepika Padukone-starrer Chhapaak, PTI reported. The movie is based on activist Laxmi Agarwal’s life after she was attacked with acid at the age of 15 by a 32-year-old man whose marriage proposal she had turned down. On Thursday, the trial court had ordered the makers of the film to mention Agarwal’s lawyer Aparna Bhat in the credits.

Domestic passenger vehicle sales continued to slump in December, says industry body

The sale of domestic passenger vehicles continued to slump in December, indicating a lack of spending by consumers amid an economic slump, PTI reported on Friday. The sales declined 1.24% to 2,35,786 units in December from 2,38,753 units in the same period a year ago, while domestic car sales fell 8.4% to 1,42,126 units as against 1,55,159 units in December 2018, said the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

JNU violence: Three professors move High Court to preserve data, retrieve CCTV footage

Three Jawaharlal Nehru University professors on Friday asked the Delhi High Court to issue directions to the police and government to preserve data and other evidence related to the January 5 mob attack on campus, reported PTI. They also sought a direction to the Delhi Police to retrieve all CCTV footage from the varsity.

Deepika Padukone-starrer ‘Chhapaak’ made tax-free in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Puducherry

Three states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Puducherry declared Deepika Padukone-starrer Chhapaak tax-free on Thursday, a day before its release, reported PTI. The chief ministers of all the three Congress-ruled states took to social media to confirm the news.

‘I want to know Deepika Padukone’s political affiliation’: Smriti Irani criticises actor’s JNU visit

Union minister Smriti Irani has lashed out at actor Deepika Padukone for visiting Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi in solidarity with students and teachers who were attacked by a masked mob on the evening of January 5. Irani made the remarks on Thursday at an event hosted by The New Indian Express in Chennai.

J&K: SC verdict a ‘big jolt’ to Modi government’s ‘illegal activities’, says Congress

The Congress on Friday said the Supreme Court’s judgement in the petitions against the restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir was “a big jolt” to Narendra Modi government’s “illegal activities”. “SC [Supreme Court] delivers first big jolt of 2020 to illegal activities of Modi govt [government] by stating importance of internet as a fundamental right,” Congress spokesperson RS Surjewala said in a tweet. “Double shock for Modi-Shah that dissent cannot be oppressed by imposing Section 144. Modiji reminded that nation bows before Constitution and not him!”

Transfer of anti-CAA pleas from High Courts: Supreme Court to hear Centre’s petition on January 22

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear the Centre’s plea to transfer every petition challenging the validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act from various High Courts to the top court. The court issued a notice in the matter, and posted the matter for hearing on January 22, reported Bar and Bench.

Crimes against women: Uttar Pradesh again tops list, Madhya Pradesh reported most rapes in 2018

The National Crime Records Bureau has revealed that Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh – two of the major states in the Hindi heartland – fare the worst when it comes to security for women. The bureau said 3.78 lakh cases of crime against women were reported in 2018, with Uttar Pradesh registering 59,445 cases – the most. The state had topped the list in 2017 too. The maximum number of rapes – 5,450, or almost 15 a day – were reported in Madhya Pradesh.

Citizenship Act protests: 15 accused of violence in Daryaganj get bail from Delhi court

A sessions court at Delhi’s Tis Hazari court complex on Thursday granted bail to 15 people accused in connection with the violence in Daryaganj area during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act on December 20. They have been asked to submit a bail bond of Rs 25,000 each and a surety of the like amount.

Supreme Court stays NCLAT order reinstating Cyrus Mistry as Tata Sons chairperson

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the order of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal that reinstated Cyrus Mistry as the executive chairman of the Tata group. A week ago, both Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, and industrialist Ratan Tata had moved the Supreme Court – the latter in his personal capacity – against Mistry’s reinstatement.

Delhi HC rejects plea seeking removal of police barricades from Shaheen Bagh protest site

The Delhi High Court on Friday rejected a petition seeking the removal of police barricades from New Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area, where a sit-in against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens has been going on for almost a month now. The petitioner argued that the police barricades were causing traffic congestion on the Delhi-Noida Direct flyover.

Kerala government puts up front-page newspaper ads opposing CAA, says ‘we are one, first’

The Kerala government on Friday advertised its decision to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act on the front pages of at least three national dailies. The advertisements were put up on the front pages of the Delhi editions of The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, and The Times of India. “We are one, first,” it read. On December 31, the Kerala Assembly had passed a resolution against the amended citizenship law. Vijayan, a strong critic of the CAA and the NRC, had then said the amended law was against the secular outlook and fabric of the country and would lead to religion-based discrimination in granting citizenship.

Gauri Lankesh murder case: One more suspect arrested from hideout in Jharkhand

The special investigation team probing the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh arrested one person in connection with the case on Thursday. Rushikesh Devdikar alias Murali, 44, will be produced before a judicial magistrate on Friday.

India hits out at Pakistan at UN, says it ‘epitomises dark arts’, ‘no takers for your malware’

India at the United Nations on Thursday accused Pakistan of peddling misinformation and said the neighbouring country “epitomised the dark arts”. India’s envoy and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin made the remarks after Pakistan’s Munir Akram claimed that India had indulged in “false and duplicitous claims on normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir”.

‘Indefinite internet suspension is illegal’: SC asks J&K to review restrictions within a week

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the Jammu and Kashmir administration to review within a week all restrictive orders imposed in the Union Territory since its special constitutional status was revoked on August 5.

J&K: Review all restrictions within a week, can’t block internet indefinitely, SC orders government

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the Jammu and Kashmir administration to review all restrictive orders imposed in the Union Territory within a week. It asked the Centre to produce all orders by which Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code was invoked. The court said any order that has been passed to restrict or suspend internet services shall be subject to judicial scrutiny. It added that internet suspension without any particular duration and indefinitely is a violation of Telecom Rules.

HRD ministry rules out JNU VC’s removal, to meet students and university authorities today

The Ministry of Human Resource Development on Thursday ruled out the removal of Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, PTI reported. The ministry authorities are expected to meet student union representatives and university officials, including Kumar, on Friday.

Jammu and Kashmir restrictions: Supreme Court to deliver its verdict today

The Supreme Court will announce its verdict on Friday on two pleas challenging the restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5 after the Centre revoked the region’s special status. The top court had reserved its ruling on the matter on November 27.

‘Finding Nirmala’: Congress mocks Centre after finance minister is absent from pre-Budget meeting

The Congress on Thursday mocked the government after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s significant absence at a meeting with top economists ahead of the upcoming Union Budget. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Nitin Gadkari, and others.

Uttar Pradesh government suspends senior officer who alleged corruption in police service

The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday suspended Noida Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna, weeks after inappropriate videos surfaced of him with an unidentified woman, The Times of India reported. However, Krishna had written a letter to his seniors alleging corruption among the IPS officers, as well as other Uttar Pradesh Police officers of lower ranks, NDTV reported. The letter was leaked, NDTV said.

Over 100 retired bureaucrats write open letter to Indians, say country doesn’t need CAA, NRC or NPR

A group of more than 100 retired civil servants on Thursday issued an open letter to the citizens of India, detailing why the country does not need the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Register of Citizens, and the National Population Register.