Bidar sedition case: Parent and teacher granted bail after two weeks in jail over anti-CAA play

A local court in Karnataka’s Bidar district on Friday granted bail to two women who were arrested on January 30 after the students of a school allegedly performed a play criticising the Citizenship Amendment Act. One of the women is the head teacher at Shaheen Urdu Medium Primary School, and the other is the mother of a student who performed in the play.

J&K: India must swiftly lift remaining curbs, says EU after envoys’ visit to Jammu and Srinagar

The European Union on Friday urged the Indian government to swiftly lift the remaining restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir, while admitting that the Centre had taken positive steps to “restore normalcy” in the region since abrogating its special constitutional status in August.

Coronavirus: Third Indian on cruise ship in Japan tests positive; all are stable, says embassy

A third Indian crew member on board a cruise ship quarantined at the port city of Yokohama in Japan has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the Indian Embassy in Japan said on Friday. There are 138 Indians, including passengers and crew, on board the Diamond Princess, which has been isolated since February 3.

Bhima Koregaon case transferred from Pune to NIA court in Mumbai

A sessions court in the city of Pune in Maharashtra on Friday transferred the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case to a special National Investigation Agency court in Mumbai, PTI reported. Additional Sessions Judge SR Navander passed the order after the state government submitted it had no objection to the investigation agency’s plea for a transfer.

Bombay High Court’s second senior-most judge resigns as he expected transfer to another state

Justice Satyaranjan Dharmadhikari of the Bombay High Court has resigned, PTI reported on Friday. Dharmadhikari sent his resignation letter to President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday. He was the second senior-most judge in the court, where he was appointed in 2003, and was in line to succeed Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog.

Tamil Nadu Speaker taking action against 11 AIADMK MLAs who rebelled during 2017 trust vote, SC told

The Supreme Court on Friday disposed of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s petition for the disqualification of 11 All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MLAs for voting against the government led by their party during a February 2017 trust vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, PTI reported.

Pulwama: Rahul Gandhi poses 3 questions about attack, BJP calls him ‘known sympathiser of LeT, JeM’

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday sharply criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s comments on the first anniversary of the Pulwama terror attack, and claimed that he had insulted the Indian Army. Earlier in the day, Gandhi had posed three questions to the Centre. He had asked who had “benefited the most from the attack”, the result of the investigation into the incident, and who had been held responsible for the security lapses that gave way to the attack.

Madhya Pradesh: Jyotiraditya Scindia threatens to join teachers’ protest against Congress governmentCongress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday threatened to join the protest of guest teachers against the Madhya Pradesh government led by his party if their demand to regularise services is not fulfilled, The Indian Express reported. Scindia is a major figure in the state Congress, and earlier used to represent the Guna constituency in Parliament.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal invites Narendra Modi to Sunday’s swearing-in ceremony

Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his swearing-in ceremony as Delhi chief minister at Ramlila Maidan in the national capital on Sunday, Hindustan Times reported. This will be Kejriwal’s third straight term as chief minister.

Vodafone faces potential collapse after SC orders telecom firms to pay Rs 1.47 lakh crore in a month

The Supreme Court’s contempt notices to telecommunication firms for not paying the Rs 1.47 lakh crore that they owe the central government has dealt another blow to Vodafone Idea, which had warned of a potential collapse just a few months earlier.

2012 Delhi gangrape: SC dismisses convict Vinay Sharma’s petition against rejection of mercy plea

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed 2012 Delhi gangrape case convict Vinay Sharma’s petition challenging the rejection of his mercy plea by the president, ANI reported. Sharma had filed the mercy petition on January 29, and it was rejected by President Ram Nath Kovind on February 1.

Bhima Koregaon case: Bombay HC denies anticipatory bail to Gautam Navlakha, Anand Teltumbde

The Bombay High Court on Friday refused to grant anticipatory bail to activists Gautam Navlakha and Anand Teltumbde in the Bhima Koregaon case, PTI reported. However, the court extended the interim protection from arrest granted to them for four weeks, so that they could file a plea in the Supreme Court.

UP: Allahabad High Court stays notice to recover damages from anti-CAA protestor

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday stayed a recovery notice issued by the Uttar Pradesh government to a Kanpur man to seek compensation for damage to public property during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act on December 20, IANS reported.

SC issues notice to J&K administration on plea by Omar Abdullah’s sister against his detention

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Jammu and Kashmir administration after hearing the plea of National Conference leader Omar Abdullah’s sister, Sarah Abdullah Pilot, challenging his detention under the Public Safety Act. The court said it will hear Pilot’s plea again on March 2.

Gargi college molestation: 10 arrested youths granted bail, HC agrees to hear plea seeking CBI probe

A court in Saket on Friday granted bail to the 10 people arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting students at an all-women college of the Delhi University last week, ANI reported. Those arrested are students in private and government colleges in the National Capital Region, the police said. They were sent to 14 days of judicial custody on Thursday. They have been granted bail on a surety of Rs 10,000 each.

Gujarat: 68 girls allegedly forced to remove undergarments to prove they were not menstruating

A college in Gujarat on Thursday allegedly forced 68 undergraduate students to remove their undergarments to prove to the authorities that they were not menstruating, Ahmedabad Mirror reported.

Wholesale inflation rose to 3.1% in January as food articles continued to become dearer

Wholesale Price Index inflation rose to 3.1% in January year-on-year, government data published on Friday showed. In December 2019, the wholesale inflation stood at 2.59%.

Citizenship Act: Gorakhpur doctor Kafeel Khan booked under National Security Act, says family

The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh on Friday booked Gorakhpur doctor Kafeel Khan under the stringent National Security Act for allegedly making inflammatory comments during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act at the Aligarh Muslim University in December.

SC asks telecom firms to explain why contempt action should not be taken against them in AGR order

The Supreme Court on Friday took strong exception to telecommunications’ firms non-compliance of its order to pay adjusted gross revenue of Rs 1.47 lakh crore to the Department of Telecommunications, PTI reported. The court ordered the managing directors and other directors of these companies to explain why contempt action should not be taken against them.

Bhima Koregaon: Sharad Pawar criticises ally Shiv Sena for ‘supporting’ transfer of case to NIA

Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar on Friday reiterated that the Centre’s decision to transfer the Bhima Koregaon case to the National Investigation Agency was wrong. He added that the Maharashtra government’s “support” to the decision was also wrong, setting the stage for a tussle between his party and the Shiv Sena, which are part of the coalition government in Maharashtra.

CAA protests: Deoband administration in UP asks residents in Muslim colonies to remove national flag

The Deoband administration in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district has asked residents in Muslim colonies to remove the national flag hoisted on their rooftops, The Hindu reported on Friday.

Pulwama attack anniversary: Left leader says memorial for soldiers will remind of our ‘incompetence’

On the first anniversary of the Pulwama terror attack, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammed Salim said there was no need to build a memorial for the 40 soldiers of the Central Reserve Police Force who were killed as it only reminds the country of incompetence in failing to stop the suicide bombing.

India offers US partial access to poultry, dairy markets in bid for limited trade deal: Report

India has offered the United States partial access to its poultry and dairy markets in an effort to sign a limited trade deal during US President Donald Trump’s visit to India later this month, Reuters reported on Friday citing unidentified officials. Trump is scheduled to visit India on February 24 and 25.

India is the world’s largest milk-producing country. However, it has hesitated to open its dairy market in order to protect the livelihoods of eight crore rural households engaged in the industry.

Rajya Sabha official demoted for ‘offensive, sarcastic’ social media posts against PM Modi

A deputy director in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat has been demoted because of his “offensive, derogatory, demeaning and sarcastic” remarks on social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and some Union ministers and chief ministers, PTI reported on Thursday.

This is reportedly the first time an official in Parliament has faced action over his social media posts.

Vijay Mallya appeals against extradition from Britain, India says ‘overwhelming’ proof of dishonesty

Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya appealed in Britain’s High Court on Thursday against his extradition to India to face fraud and money laundering charges resulting from the collapse of his defunct company Kingfisher Airlines, PTI reported. The businessman fled India and moved to London in March 2016. Mallya owes Indian banks more than Rs 9,000 crore.

Crown Prosecution Service lawyer appearing for India, Mark Summers, highlighted “overwhelming evidence of dishonesty” on Mallya’s part. “There is enough in the 32,000 pages of overall evidence to fulfil the [extradition] treaty obligations that there is a case to answer,” Summers told the court.

Citizenship Act: Amit Shah says he is ready to discuss law with Shaheen Bagh protestors

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said he was open to discussing matters related to the Citizenship Amendment Act with anyone, including the protestors at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh locality, but any conversation would take place on merit, The Indian Express reported.

“I want to say that they [Shaheen Bagh protestors] should ask for time from my office,” Shah said at the Times Now Summit in Delhi. “Within three days I will give time. I have said anyone I will meet, but nobody wants to discuss. A discussion will have to be done on merits.”

The home minister said people have a right to protest peacefully but violence is not justified. Shah said he supported the Delhi Police on its action at Jamia Millia Islamia University in December.

India needs more ambitious structural, financial sector reforms urgently, says IMF

The International Monetary Fund on Thursday said that the Indian economy urgently needed more ambitious structural and financial sector reforms, PTI reported. The monetary fund had in January said the Indian economy is projected to grow 4.8% in 2019-’20. In October, it had predicted an expansion of 6.1%.

Responding to a question about the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Washington-based organisation’s spokesperson Gerry Rice said the economic environment in the country was weaker than what they had forecast earlier.

Environmentalist RK Pachauri dies at 79

Noted environmentalist RK Pachauri died in New Delhi on Thursday. The founder-director of the city-based “The Energy and Resources Institute”, or TERI, was 79 years old.

Congress’s loss in Delhi an ‘unmitigated disaster like coronavirus’: Jairam Ramesh

Congress leader and former Union minister Jairam Ramesh on Thursday said his party’s defeat in the recently concluded Delhi Assembly elections was an “unmitigated disaster like coronavirus”.

Bureaucrat Rajiv Bansal appointed Air India chief

Bureaucrat Rajiv Bansal was appointed the chairperson and managing director of national carrier Air India on Thursday. He will succeed Ashwani Lohani.

BJP may have lost Delhi polls due to hate comments such as ‘goli maaro’, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said provocative comments by Bharatiya Janata Party during the Delhi poll campaign may have cost it the elections. “Statements like ‘goli maro’ and ‘Indo-Pak match’ should not have been made,” Shah said at the Times Now Summit in Delhi.