Customs Seize Gold Worth Rs 2 Crore At Kerala's Kozhikode Airport

Air Customs Intelligence officials have seized 3.5 kg of gold worth around Rs 2 crore, which was tried to be smuggled through Kozhikode Airport in Karirpur on Thursday night in four different cases.

Four capsules containing a gold mixture weighing 1,107 grams from Rahman (43), a native of Malappuram who came from Jeddah, officials said.

Muhammad Uwaisil (30), a native of Malappuram Karulai, was caught by the custodians when he tried to smuggle four capsules containing gold mixed inside his body.

In addition, the officials seized four capsules containing gold mixed with a weight of 1,061 grams, which he tried to hide inside his body and socks from Unnichal Methal Vijith (29), a native of Koodaranji, Kozhikode, who came from Abu Dhabi on an Air Arabia flight.

In the fourth case, Ossankunnath Shafiq (27), a native of Malappuram, who came from Dubai on a Spice Jet flight, was found to have hidden 9,01 grams of gold in his hand luggage.

Officials said that after extracting the gold from the seized gold mixture, the passengers will be arrested and further action will be taken. Further investigation is underway, they added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Rahul Gandhi To Hold Rally In Karnataka's Kolar Ahead Of Polls

 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address a rally in Kolar in Karnataka on April 9 in an indication of the Congress seeking to make a political issue of his disqualification from Lok Sabha with the Congress leader also slated to visit Wayanad on April 11.

Rahul Gandhi will be in poll-bound Karnataka on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also slated to visit the state.

Rahul Gandhi was disqualified following his conviction by a Surat court in a criminal defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remarks made in Kolar in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

"Sh. @RahulGandhi will be in Kolar on 9th April and address the Jai Bharat Mega Rally there. On 11th April, he will visit Wayanad. He is the voice of the people, you can never silence him. This voice will only get louder and stronger," Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said in a tweet.

Rahul Gandhi was elected to Lok Sabha in 2019 from Wayand in Kerala. The party has said that it will challenge the Surat court verdict in a higher court.

Campaigning is gathering pace in Karnataka ahead of the assembly polls due on May 10.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will get a clear majority in the upcoming Assembly elections.

The chief minister was speaking to the media at the Ghati temple in Doddaballapur taluk of Bengaluru Rural district today.

He said BJP is in the process of deciding its candidates for the election and they will be declared soon.

Referring to Congress leader Siddaramaiah, the Chief Minister said they "rejected him in 2018 and will reject him this time too. We will definitely give strong competition in Varuna," he said.

"People are of the opinion that Vijayendra should contest. Yediyurappa will finally take a decision," he added.

BJP leader BS Yediyurappa, who is also a former Chief Minister, meanwhile ruled out the possibility of his son BY Vijayendra contesting from the Varuna constituency and said that he will only contest from Shikaripura.

"There is no question of BY Vijayendra going to contest from Varuna. I will tell high command that Vijayendra will contest from my seat Shikaripura," Yediyurappa told the media.

Me Yediyurappa is MLA from Shikaripura.

The former Chief Minister had said on Thursday that BJP will get an absolute majority in the Karnataka assembly elections. He also accused Congress of making false allegations calling them "corrupt".

"Under PM Modi's leadership, we'll come back to power. Congress is corrupt and that's why they're making false allegations such as of 40 pc commission, these things will be kept away by voters," he had said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to visit Karnataka on April 9 to inaugurate an event on the completion of 50 years of the Tiger Project.

During the visit, the Prime Minister is also expected to go on a safari tour in Bandipur Tiger Reserve, sources said.

They said PM Modi will inaugurate three-day mega event in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts on the occasion of the completion of 50 years of the Tiger Project.

He is likely to hold a meeting with BJP workers and officials, the sources said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will also visit poll-bound Karnataka this weekend. Apart from Bengaluru, he will visit Hubbali and Belagavi districts.

Jaishankar will address women entrepreneurs on how India became a 'Vishwaguru' on Saturday.

The Laghu Udyog Bharathi has planned another programme of interaction with entrepreneurs and businessmen. The minister will also address the Interaction with Entrepreneurs Organizations (Startups) on "India's New Standing in World order & Perspective".

He will also attend events on Sunday.

"The kind of appeal that he (Jaishankar) has amongst the youth and the educated class is phenomenal. That is why there is a big demand for his campaign in Karnataka," a BJP MP from Karnataka told ANI.

As part of its election efforts, Congress party has launched the "first-time youth voters" campaign. "Celebrate your Vote" is the campaign theme of the programme.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday released its second list of 60 candidates for the Karnataka polls.

Party leaders said they have given representation to all sections of society in choosing candidates.

The party had on Wednesday released 'Karnataka guarantees' as part of its election preparations in the state.

The guarantees include zero corruption, 300 units of free electricity, guaranteed employment for the youth and employment allowance of Rs 3000 per month until they get a job, farmers' loan waiver, minimum support price, free quality education, free quality health care, permanent employment for contract workers.

AAP has fielded Rajesh GS from Varuna constituency, which is also being contested by Congress leader Siddaramaiah.

AAP has so far declared 140 candidates for the assembly polls. The state has 224 assembly seats.

Political parties are gearing up preparation for assembly polls in Karnataka. The results of assembly polls will be declared on May 13.

Karnataka assembly polls are significant for national ambitions of BJP and Congress for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Janata Dal-Securlar leaders have said that the people will reject the national parties in the assembly polls.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Haryana Woman, Lover Get Life Sentence For Killing Husband

 A court here on Friday sentenced a woman and her lover to life imprisonment for killing the former's husband.

According to Nuh police, accused Geeta, a resident of Sohna, and her partner Samarjeet alias Surjit Chauhan, who lives in Delhi's Chattarpur, were found guilty by additional sessions judge Sandeep Kumar Duggal on Wednesday.

The quantum of punishment was pronounced on Friday.

The half-burnt body of the woman's husband Vipin Tomar was found abandoned near Shikrawa road under Nagina police station in September 2017.

On the complaint of Om Prakash, a resident of Gohana village who informed the police, an FIR was registered under section 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code at Nagina police station.

Police said the woman killed her husband with the help of Chauhan.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Man Arrested For Throwing 'Black Magic' Bundle Inside Azam Khan's House

 SP leader Azam Khan's wife has lodged a police complaint against an unidentified man alleging that he threw a small bundle inside the main gate of her house containing random articles, including clothes, and expressed fear that it may be associated with "black magic".

Police said they have arrested the man who is mentally challenged and also suspended four of its personnel -- deployed outside Khan's house -- for dereliction of duty.

Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Shukla said, "A mentally challenged person was responsible for throwing a bundle inside the house of Azam Khan. He has been arrested and efforts are being made to send him to a mental institution." "Four police personnel deployed in the security at the house of Azam Khan were suspended for dereliction of duty," added the SP.

According to the complaint filed by Tazeen Fatma, a former MP, the incident happened around 6 am on Thursday.

The man throwing the bundle inside was captured on CCTV installed outside the house but could not be recognised immediately.

Fatma wrote a letter to the Rampur superintendent of police reporting the incident and expressed fear that it could be a part of a big conspiracy.

In her letter, Fatma also wondered how could such a breach take place when the house is guarded round the clock by state police and other security personnel.

Additional Superintendent of Police Sansar Singh said they were informed late Thursday that a bundle, wrapped in black foil, had been thrown inside Khan's residence and it contained some clothes, a cap, and a few other articles.

Khan has been an MP from Rampur parliamentary constituency and MLA from Rampur assembly constituency 10 times. His assembly membership ended after a local court sentenced him in a hate speech case.

He also has several criminal cases registered against him and was released from jail after getting bail last year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Like Bullet Train": Congress On Events Leading To Rahul Gandhi Setback

The Congress on Friday said the sequence of events connected with Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha unfolded with the speed of a "bullet train" and alleged that the BJP expects him to "apologise" to "people who have run away" after taking people's money from India.

Addressing a press conference at the Rajiv Bhawan, Congress media and publicity department chairperson Pawan Khera said in the last few days, a "tsunami of support" has come up on Twitter, with many people offering their homes to Mr Gandhi as "he lives in our hearts" and the government does not need to worry about his home.

A notice to Mr Gandhi to vacate the 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow was served by the Housing Committee of Lok Sabha following his disqualification last week after a Surat court convicted and sentenced him to two years imprisonment in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark. Mr Khera said the party's campaign seeking answers in the Adani issue will continue with vigour, and "our party leader will not apologise to anyone, whatever may be the consequences".

The Congress on Thursday had used embattled IPL founder Lalit Modi's tweets threatening to take Mr Gandhi to court to attack the BJP and said "global scamsters" were now coming to the defence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Launching a fresh salvo at the BJP, Mr Khera said, "first big extracts from his (Gandhi's) speech in Parliament were expunged, and then he was not allowed to come into Parliament, and conditions were kept that if he will come, he would have to apologise first".

He asked, "Apology for what? For a comment that he didn't make, and they alleged that he insulted the country." "The challenges facing democracy in India, to discuss that with Indian students studying abroad, what is wrong with that? Democracy get strengthened through dialogue," Mr Khera said.

He said when an award is given by a foreign country, then they carry that "certification from abroad" and go about it, then they (BJP) don't say as to why a foreign certification is needed. But, if it has been said abroad that there are challenges to democracy then they get offended, the Congress leader said.

Without naming any leader, Mr Khera said when he said how people earlier used to feel ashamed to have been born in India, then was it not an insult to the country in foreign land. Mr Khera said on February 7, Gandhi gave a speech in Parliament on the Adani issue, and put forth his view and asked questions.

"Within nine days, comes a defamation case, on which the petitioner himself had sought a stay earlier. He runs to the court to get his stay vacated. And, hearing begins again in a Surat court, and seven hearings take place in 20 days. Bullet train! And, then punishment is pronounced. Within 24-hour of the sentence, he (Gandhi) is disqualified from Lok Sabha," Mr Khera said. "And, even 24 hours had not elapsed after the disqualification, a letter comes on cancellation of allotment of his government bungalow. This is called bullet train," he alleged.

The Congress has been accusing the BJP and Prime Minister Modi of assisting the business group in getting projects in its favour, a charge denied by the ruling party.

"And, it is being expected from us that we apologise to Nirav Modi, we apologise to Mehul Choksi. Rahul Gandhi had taken name of 3-4 such people, during his speech in Karnataka -- Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya," he claimed.

"My leader will not apologise to these friends of yours, who have absconded after taking money of this country," Mr Khera alleged.

"My leader didn't apologise... One of them have even threatened to file a case in London. This has come to our democracy. See, who are coming in defence of the PM," he asked.

Mr Khera claimed that the BJP is "anxious" after the "success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra", and the way Mr Gandhi is raising questions.

"We will not apologise to your friends who have run away after taking people's money, whatever may be the consequences," the Congress leader said.

The Opposition party has been relentlessly attacking the BJP for allegedly allowing economic offenders such as Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Mehul Choksi get away and flee abroad with people's money.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, Lalit Modi said, "I see just about every Tom, Dick and Gandhi associates again and again saying I am a fugitive of justice. why? How? and when was I...convicted of same." "Unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all opposition leaders have nothing else to do so they too are either ill-informed or just vendetta prone. I have decided to take the @RahulGandhi...to court in UK right away. I am sure he will have to come up with some solid evidence. I look forward to seeing him make a complete fool of himself," he had tweeted.

Asked about their campaign, Mr Khera said that "we will seek answers, we will reiterate our demand for a JPC (joint parliamentary committee probe into the Adani issue)... raise voices from streets if not allowed to speak in Parliament".

"Rallies will continue and even Rahul ji has an event in Karnataka at the place where he had made the speech in 2019," he said.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat disqualified Mr Gandhi as MP from Wayanad in Kerala after his conviction in the case for his remark.

Asked about the OBC issue attached with Gandhi's comments, Mr Khera said people who are "equating these 'thieves as OBC' are dishonouring the OBC community".

Asked about the reactions on his tweet on Lord Ram on Ram Navami, the senior Congress leader said, "Did I mention Rahul Gandhi in my tweet? And, if some people are 'equating' Lord Ram's mention in my tweet with Rahul Gandhi, can they tell who are the 'Rakhsash' (the evil)".

On the violence in parts of West Bengal on Ram Navami day, he alleged, "It is a toolkit of those in power at the Centre to ensure that there is a slow burner communalism constantly activated in the country".

"We condemn the violence and and request the state government and expect from the central government to ensure peace is restored and such divisive politics is stopped," Mr Khera said.

Asked about Prime Minister Modi's visit to the new Parliament building on Thursday, he dubbed the infrastructure project a "vanity project".

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"For Nurturing Its Politics...": Trinamool Attacks BJP Over Howrah Clashes

A day after clash erupted between two groups amid Ram Navami celebrations in Howrah, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Friday, launched a fresh round of attacks on the Bharatiya Janata Party for "spoiling" the atmosphere in the state and creating "enmity" among the people.

Addressing a press conference, here on Friday, Abhishek Banerjee, said, "For the past few days, there have been attempts to disrupt the peace and harmony in Bengal. We have appealed to everyone to maintain peace and order".

"Despite that, a political party, for nurturing its politics, despite having no police permission, vehemently took out the procession on a route where issues happened last year as well," he added.

During the press conference, the TMC MP also showed several videos, where some people with 'saffron' flags and chanting "Jai Shri Ram" slogans were purportedly seen torching and ransacking properties.

Banerjee said, "People were carrying guns and swords in the Ram Navami procession. Shops and materials of small vendors were vandalised. What form of a procession is this? Insanely playing DJ and worshipping Ram is which ritual? We have lived in Bengal for so long, never seen anything like this. I might be lying, but these videos won't lie".

He accused BJP of creating enmity among people and forcefully imposing their "culture" on Bengal.

"Such incidents didn't happen in the 2011-2016 period. It started after they (BJP) came in power at the centre and won three seats in the Bengal Assembly. They started treating the whole state as their personal property. Creating enmity among people of different communities, forcefully imposing their culture on the people of Bengal and shamelessly reaping political fruits out of it," Banerjee said.

The TMC leader said further 'challenged' BJP to call out for the arrest of those being seen doing violence in the said videos.

"I am clearly saying here that those who have done violence, whether they are from any religion, or political party, strict action will be taken against them. But I would like to challenge BJP if any of their leaders come and says on record, that they want those people under arrest who are seen setting properties of poor people on fire and dancing with weapons. I challenge them. Our Chief Minister has appealed to people to keep harmony, but has the BJP leader given any statement even after 24 hours?" Banerjee added.

He alleged that the incidents of violence were "pre-planned" in nature.

"This was pre-planned. From Shyambazar, a BJP leader was saying to keep eye on TV tomorrow. Why? Just a day before, that leader met with the Home Minister and came to Shyambazar," he said.

He further added, "There was no reply to Howrah Police Commissionerate regarding details of permission copy, the exact number of participants and exact beginning and end of the rally. They did not submit any documents but started taking out a procession on the route which was not permitted".

The TMC leader added that if there is any lapse on the police side, they will be booked and action will be taken against them, as the Chief Minister said.

Earlier in the day, the situation turned violent in the Shibpur area of Howrah, after fresh violence broke out here on Friday a day after arson on 'Ram Navami'.

This came after two groups clashed on Thursday in Howrah amid Ram Navami celebrations. During the procession, the rioters vandalized public and private properties and set vehicles on fire.

After the disruptions, West Bengal Police on Thursday conducted a flag march in Howrah where violence broke out during a Ram Navami procession.

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Assam Disburses Incentives Worth Rs 64 Crore To 370 Tea Gardens

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday attended the ceremonial distribution of financial incentives to around 370 tea gardens under the Assam Tea Industry Special Incentive Schemes 2020 at a function held at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati.

An aggregate of ₹64.05 crore were disbursed to the 370 tea gardens under the Assam Tea Industry Special Incentive Schemes 2020, originally formulated by the Government of Assam to mitigate the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the tea industry.

Speaking at the event, Mr Sarma said the tea industry was the backbone of the economy of Assam, contributing to nearly 90% of gross export value and on which and providing either direct or indirect employment avenues to more than a million people.

It is due to the overwhelming effect of the tea industry on the economy of Assam that the Government of Assam came up with the Assam Tea Industry Special Incentive Schemes to help the sector absorb some of the shocks of the deleterious impact of Covid-19.

CM Sarma said apart from providing interest subvention of 3% on working capital loans of tea gardens, promotion of production of orthodox tea over traditional crush-tear-curl (CTC) tea has also been accorded due attention.

 It is with this aim that under Assam Tea Industry Special Incentive Schemes, a subsidy of ₹10 for per kilogram of orthodox and other special varieties of tea have been incorporated, the Chief Minister said.

To mark the 200th anniversary of tea production in the State, an additional ₹2 for per kilogram of orthodox tea has been fixed for the financial year 2023-24, the Chief Minister added.

Moreover, a subsidy of 25% shall be provided by the government to tea gardens to set up units for orthodox tea production, the Chief Minister stated, adding that the government shall also forego agricultural income tax accruing from tea gardens for the next three financial years.

Mr Sarma exuded confidence the Assam tea industry would be able to claim its rightful place in the world and domestic tea market in days. He said the government was taking all measures necessary to make the State's tea industry more resilient than ever before and the industry players must also do the needful for the government efforts to bear fruit.

CM Sarma also spoke the numerous initiatives of the Government of Assam aimed at socio-economic empowerment of the tea tribes of the State.
 
He said the Government of Assam, under the Chief Minister's Awaas Yojana, would provide a financial support of ₹1.5 lakh each for construction of renovation of 10,000 houses of tea garden labourers located within the tea gardens.

Further, funds have been earmarked for upkeep and maintenance of roads in tea gardens. Smart-meters would soon be installed at quarters and residences of tea garden labourers and their outstanding electricity dues till date would be compensated to the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited by the government, he added.

The establishment of model schools in tea gardens would help usher in an educational revolution among the members of the educationally backward tea tribe communities, he remarked. Around 25 colleges would also come up in tea garden areas, he added.

The appealed to both the tea estate managements and the labourers to remain committed to each other's wellbeing, as both parties are in a symbiotic relationship and adverse impact on one leaves a cascading effect on the other.

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"I Have No...": Union Minister Nitin Gadkari On Quitting Politics

 Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday dismissed the claims of getting retired from politics.

The senior BJP leader made the statement while referring to a media report.

"I have no intention of retiring from politics," the senior BJP leader said while speaking to media in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri.

"The media must uphold responsible journalism in their reporting on this matter," he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also conducted an aerial inspection of the construction work of the Mumbai-Goa highway.

Industries Minister of Maharashtra Uday Samant was also present on occasion, said a press release on Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Union Minister Gadkari said that the much-awaited construction work of Mumbai-Goa National Highway No 66 would be completed by December 2023 and the road will be open for traffic in January 2024.

He further said that the Mumbai-Goa highway has been divided into 10 packages. Out of these, two packages (P-9, P-10) in the Sindhudurg district are almost 99 per cent complete, an official release said.

There are a total of five packages in the Ratnagiri district and 92 per cent and 98 per cent work of two of these packages (P-4, P-8) has been completed respectively.

The rest of the work is in progress. The delayed works for two packages (P-6, P-7) have been resumed by appointing a new contractor, informed the Minister.

"Out of the three packages in the Raigad district, two packages (P-2, P-3) have been completed up to 93 per cent and 82 per cent respectively. More than half of the work on the package (P-1) has been completed and the remaining work will be completed soon," he added.

The Road Transport and Highways Minister further said that land acquisition and environmental clearances for the Panvel-Indapur phase had delayed the work on the Mumbai-Goa National Highway.

He said that now all these hurdles have been cleared and the environmental issue is being taken care of by removing the flyover in the Karnala sanctuary area.

The Minister informed that the construction work in Goa of the Mumbai-Goa National Highway has been completed. The Mumbai-Goa National Highway is a highway connecting major tourist destinations in Konkan. This will boost tourism development. Also, as there is a road connecting major industrial areas, industrial development will also get a boost, said the Minister.

The minister also announced three new projects worth Rs 15 thousand crores. These include the Rs. 1,200 crore Kalamboli Junction project, the Rs. 1,200 crore Pagode Junction Chowk to Greenfield Highway project and the Rs. 13,000 crore Morbe - Karanjade highway connecting Delhi via JNPA. The work on these projects will start soon.

On Thursday morning, the Minister laid the foundation stone of three national highway projects worth Rs. 414.68 crores and 63,900 km long at Palaspe village in Raigad district. These projects will boost economic dynamism at the two ports of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and Dighi, while the concretisation of the Panvel to Kasu highway will speed up travel and save fuel.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Manipur To Keep Myanmar Refugees In Detention Centres: Sources

The Manipur government has decided to decides to keep Myanmar refugees in detention centres, according to official sources.

Around 5,000 immigrants, including women and children, have fled from conflict-hit Myanmar since the military took power in February 2021.

Sources added that the Manipur government has recently constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee, headed by Tribal Affairs and Hill Development Minister Letpao Haokip, to look for a possible solution for a the matter.

Thousands of Myanmar nationals had crossed over to the state due to the armed conflict taking place in their country, near Indian border.

A ministerial committee led by Haokip visited Moreh town along the Myanmar border and Gamphazol village of Chandel district during the past few days and interacted with villagers.

Manipur shares 400 km of unfenced border with Myanmar.

The Manipur government, various NGOs and churches have been providing food and shelter to the Myanmarese, including women and children.

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Haryana Cop Arrested For Raping Woman Who Sought Help In Fraud Case

Police on Thursday arrested the Station House Officer (SHO) of City Police Station in Nuh for allegedly raping a 45-year-old woman several times over the last one month.

The woman alleged that SHO Bijender Rathee raped her several times in his home and even at the police station. The matter was booked at Women Police Station, Nuh.

SHO Rathee has been suspended pending a departmental inquiry, police said.

According to the victim's complaint, she had gone to the City Police Station about a month and a half ago to report a matter of fraud.

She said SHO Rathee, who took the complaint, started calling her on her mobile afterwards and called her to the station several times on the pretext of recording her statement. He also visited her house many times on similar excuses, she said, according to police.

"The SHO started molesting me on different pretexts first, and later raped me several times not only at his residence in police lines but also in police station. When I resisted he threatened to kill me," the woman said.

Following her complaint, an FIR was registered against SHO Inspector Bijender Rathee under sections 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC at Women Police Station, Nuh, on Wednesday.

The victim was produced in a city court for her statement and also medically examined.

"After getting sufficient evidence, we have arrested the accused inspector on Thursday and are questioning him. We have suspended the accused inspector and the further probe is underway," said Varun Singla, Superintendent of Police, Nuh.

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Nothing Wrong In Caring For Endangered Species: Minister Amid Crane Row

There is nothing wrong in caring for an endangered species but one should inform the authorities about it, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Thursday, responding to a question on Uttar Pradesh forest department filing a case against a man for allegedly "illegally" keeping and nursing an injured Sarus crane.

Arif Khan Gurjar, 35, a resident of Mandkha village of Amethi district, rescued the Sarus crane and took care of it for a year, according to officials.

The crane lived with Arif and accompanied him to his fields. However, forest department officials took it away on March 21.

While the man has been booked under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Sarus crane has been placed in a zoo, after it struggled to survive in the wild.

"Even if we are caring for an endangered species, we need to inform authorities. There is nothing wrong in caring for endangered species. It's our responsibility," the minister said at 'News 18 Rising India' programme here.

A day after the bird was taken away, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav held a press conference during which he condemned the forest department action and asked indirectly if any official had the courage to take away the peacocks at the prime minister's residence.

The minister added that action in the matter has been taken in accordance with the local law.

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2 Army Personnel Die In Training Exercise Accident In Bengal

Two army jawans died in an accident during a training exercise in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, an official of the Eastern Command said on Thursday.

The accident took place on Wednesday during an 'assault river crossing' exercise, during which a rope snapped and three jawans fell into the water at Sarobar Lake, a notified training area in Barrackpore, he said.

They were taken to the hospital where two of them were declared dead, while one could be saved.

The jawans were Naik Lengkholal from Nagaland and Sepoy Aldrin Hmingthanzuala from Mizoram, he said.

"Lt Gen RP Kalita #ArmyCdrEC & All Ranks offer tribute to the supreme sacrifice of Nk Lengkholal & Sep Aldrin Hmingthanzuala, in the line of duty at #Barrackpore while carrying out Assault River crossing exercise. #IndianArmy stands firm with the bereaved families," the Eastern Command tweeted.

A court of inquiry has been instituted into the accident, he said.

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"BJP Has Made Poll System Corrupt": Siddaramaiah Ahead Of Karnataka Polls

Soon after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the Karnataka Assembly elections, Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday alleged that the ruling BJP has made the election system corrupt and hoped that the Election Commission would conduct free and fair elections.

"BJP has made the election system corrupt. They have started "Operation Lotus". They spend lots of money. The Election Commission should conduct the election in a free and fair manner. We hope they will do it," Siddaramaiah said.

However, welcoming the Election Commission's decision to hold a single-phase Assembly election in Karnataka on May 10, the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly said that his party was prepared for the polls.

"We had expected that the elections would be declared yesterday or today. I welcome that this election is happening in a single phase," he added.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the Karnataka Assembly polls.

"The notification for the elections to the 224-member Assembly would be issued on April 13 and that the last date for filing nomination papers would be April 20. The nomination papers would be scrutinised on April 21 and that last date for withdrawal of nominations would be April 24," Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday while addressing a press conference in New Delhi.

The counting of votes will be done on May 13.

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BJP's Amit Malviya Gets Legal Notice Over Tweet Against Congress Leader

Youth Congress national president BV Srinivas on Wednesday sent a legal notice to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT cell chief Amit Malviya over the controversial tweet.

Advocate Mareesh Sahay in his legal notice, said that it is a well-known fact that the comments made by Amit Malviya on social media for abusing and tarnishing the image of BV Srinivas publicly based on wrong facts and with malicious intent.

"That the said statements made by you not only are of bad taste, and ill-willed but violate the provisions of Section 66E, 66A, 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and Section 499, 34, 44, 120, 500 of IPC, 1860," he added.

The notice was sent after Mr Malviya tweeted a video of Mr Srinivas, accusing the Karnataka-based leader of using sexist remarks against Union Minister Smriti Irani.

"This uncouth, sexist man is President of the Indian Youth Congress. Darling bana kar bedroom mein... This is the level of discourse, when referring to a woman minister, just because she defeated Rahul Gandhi from Amethi. A frustrated Congress is hurtling down the path of irrelevance [sic]," Mr Malviya in a tweet on March 27 had said.

The tweet was shared with a video clip of BV Srinivas.

Mr Malviya, through the legal notice, was also asked to publicly apologise to BV Srinivas over the tweet. The Youth Congress said it would otherwise make a legal move.

The alleged remarks were made by Mr Srinivas at the Sankalp Satyagrah organised by the Congress at the Rajghat to protest against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as Lok Sabha MP following a Surat court in a defamation case against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Reacting to his tweet, Mr Srinivas tweeted the legal notice sent to Mr Malviya and said, "It's high time to install anti-malware to fight against the World's biggest Fake news factory and its chief."

However, the legal notice sent to Malaviya said that Mr Srinivas is a well-known politician and enjoys a considerable reputation owing to his work during the Covid pandemic.

"He is also known as the 'Oxygen Man of India. It is a well-known fact that the comments made by you on social media are based on wrong information and were made with malicious intent," the notice further stated, adding that the statements made by Malaviya violate provisions of Section 66E, 66A, 67 of Information Technology Act 2000 and Section 499, 34, 44, 120, and 500 of the IPC.

The notice also accuses Malviya of aiming to defame BV Srinivas in connivance with other members of his party, the BJP and of having made baseless claims on social media platforms, like Twitter earlier also.

After his remarks about Smriti Irani stirred up a controversy, Srinivas BV on Monday said that when the price of a gas cylinder was Rs 400, she used to talk about 'mehangayi daayan' and now when the price has reached Rs 1,100, that 'daayan' has now become a darling adding that this is what he said and what was wrong in it?

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Man Killed Over Suspicion Of Theft In Gurugram, 2 Arrested: Police

The Gurugram police have arrested a plot owner and his servant on the charge of murder after one of the two people they suspected to be thieves died after being thrashed and locked in a room.

The incident took place on Tuesday night and one of the suspects was found dead on Wednesday morning, police said.

According to the police the arrested accused were identified as Ankit, resident of village Ghata and his servant, a native of Sagar in Madhya Pradesh.

Ankit told police that goods were frequently being stolen from his plot for the past several days due to which he and his servant started guarding in the night.

It was late Tuesday night when two people whom they suspected to be thieves reached the plot. They caught them and locked them in a room after thrashing them.

One of them was found dead on Wednesday morning. A police team reached the plot in Ghata village where they found a man dead and another injured.

According to police, the deceased was identified as Rafigul (40), who hailed from West Bengal, and the injured was identified as Isruddin.

A case of murder was registered on Wednesday night and police have arrested both the accused, said Virender Vij, DCP (East).

After this police registered an FIR of murder and arrested both the accused on Wednesday night.

"We have arrested the accused and are questioning them. Both will be produced in a city court on Thursday," the DCP said.

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"Boycott Scriptures Which Advocate Women Harassment": AAP MLA

AAP MLA Rajendra Pal Gautam on Wednesday demanded that society boycott religious scriptures which advocate women harassment, prompting angry reaction from the Delhi BJP which said his comments exposed "anti-Hindu face of the AAP government".

During a discussion on women security in the Delhi Assembly in view of Tuesday's incident at Indraprastha College for Women where several men scaled the college walls and harassed students, Mr Gautam said, "The issue of women harassment is connected to religious scriptures which contain bad words about women and their character." "A religious scripture which is worshipped by some people in India and which remained at the centre of discussions recently puts women, animal and shudras in the same league and demands that they be beaten up," Mr Gautam said.

"Everyone should unite and boycott all such scriptures which advocate women harassment and discriminate among people," he said.

Hitting back, Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the remark "exposed the anti-Hindu face of Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party".

He demanded that Chief Minister Kejriwal immediately clarify the stand of his party on Mr Gautam's statement.

If the Chief Minister does not agree with the views of Rajendra Pal Gautam, he should immediately expel him from the Delhi Assembly and the AAP, Mr Shankar said.

"Former minister Rajendra Pal Gautam called for the boycott of pious Hindu scripture Shri Ramcharitmanas and not even a single MLA of the ruling party opposed him," he said in a statement.

He alleged that Mr Gautam has been running an "anti-Hindu campaign for the last six months" and that the "anti-Hindu poster boy of the AAP has hidden support of Kejriwal".

Mr Gautam had to resign from his ministerial post in October last year, amid a controversy over his presence at a religious conversion event where Hindu deities were allegedly denounced.

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Woman, 3 Children Found Dead On Jharkhand Railway Tracks, Probe On: Cops

Bodies of a 30-year-old woman and her three children were found on railway tracks in Jharkhand's Palamu district on Wednesday, a police officer said.

It appears that they were "accidentally" run over by a train near Nimia, around two kilometres from Daltongunj railway station, Superintendent of Police Chandan Kumar Sinha said.

The dead woman was identified as Manita Devi (30), a resident of Kharagpur village under Harihargunj police station of the district. Of her children, who were aged between four and eight years, two were girls.

The bodies were lying scattered beside and in between the tracks.

"Prima facie, it seemed to be an accident. But how they reached Medininagar which is 70 kms from Harihargunj is yet to be ascertained," Chandan Kumar Sinha said.

The police informed the family about what had happened to the four.

The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination at Medinirai Medical College and Hospital here.

The Railway Police and the district police have started separate investigations into the matter.

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Amid Row, Congress Plans Month-Long Protests Against Centre

The war of words between Congress and BJP over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha and on JPC demand over Adani issue continued on Thursday with the two Houses also facing adjournments.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day following opposition protests. The two Houses were earlier adjourned till 2 pm.

Some opposition members continued their "black" protest which they started on Monday.

Outside the Parliament, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on Rahul Gandhi stating that the Congress leader was "pretending not to be a coward" after apologising to the Supreme Court of India for his previous remarks.

Addressing a press conference, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said that Rahul Gandhi has been convicted by the court for "abusing" the OBC community.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) abused and accused PM Modi in Parliament but could not verify his own statement by authenticating it with his own signature. He is the man who apologised to the Supreme Court and pretends today not to be a coward. Rahul Gandhi has been convicted by the court, for not abusing an individual but the OBC community is known to every citizen of our country," she said.

"In an attempt to insult PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi also insulted the entire OBC community. This is not the first time Gandhi family has tried to insult people from Dalit or backward communities. Rahul Gandhi could not develop the humility to beg the forgiveness of the OBC community in our country is just another manifestation of the political arrogance called the Gandhi family," she added.

Following his conviction in a criminal defamation case by a Surat court, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as Lok Sabha MP on Friday last. Addressing a press conference a day later, Gandhi said he would not apologise over BJP demand.

"My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi and Gandhi does not offer an apology to anyone," he had said.

In 2019 May, Rahul Gandhi had tendered an unconditional apology in the Supreme Court for his 'Chowkidar Chor hai' jibe against Prime Minister Modi.

Citing an interview of Rahul Gandhi in the past, Irani said that he had vowed to destroy Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image but did not succeed.

"Rahul Gandhi in a magazine interview said that Modi Ji's strength is his image and he will destroy that image. He said that he will keep attacking PM Modi's image until he destroys it. The Gandhi family tried to malign the image of PM Narendra Modi when they were in power but they failed miserably. Rahul Gandhi's promise to a magazine editor to rip Modi's image apart is a promise that shall remain unfulfilled because PM Modi's greatest strength is the people of India," she said.

Asked about a notice served to Rahul Gandhi by the Housing Committee of Lok Sabha to vacate the government bungalow allotted to him, Irani said, "The house does not belong to him, it belongs to the common people."

Hitting back, Congress leaders alleged that the BJP government was "scared" of questions on the Adani issue.

Opposition parties had attacked the government following Rahul Gandhi's disqualification and in a show of strength marched from the Parliament complex to Vijay Chowk on Monday.

Opposition parties may bring a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday sources said, adding that the proposal was kept in a meeting of Congress MPs and the party is talking to other Opposition parties in this regard.

The Congress had planned 'Loktantra Bachao Mashal Shanti March' from the Red Fort to Town Hall in the national capital in the evening as part of its campaign against the government over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification and "to save democracy".

Several Congress workers and leaders were "detained" by Police as the party tried to stage the protest march.

They party leaders staged a protest at Chandani Chowk and raised slogans against the government.

Congress leader Harish Rawat said Central government "is scared" of Opposition unity.

"We wanted to take out 'Mashaal March' but so many police personnel were deployed & people were detained. The central govt is scared of Opposition unity. We'll take the issue to blocks, villages. Democracy is in danger, we need to protect it:," he said.

Party leader KC Venugopal said that party workers were stopped by police.

"You should see the plight of democracy in the country. We are doing a peaceful torchlight march. Yesterday we discussed this with police & commissioners & they agreed. Today, they stopped our workers everywhere," he said.

As part of its campaign against the government on the Adani issue, "to save democracy" and in solidarity with Rahul Gandhi, the party has planned protests and press conferences across the country.

The party's month-long campaign includes press conferences by national-level Leaders in 35 major cities and Jai Bharat Satyagraha at district and state levels and Jai Bharat Maha Satyagraha at the national level.

The party has planned public campaign to send postcards to PM Modi "questioning him on relevant issues".

The second part of budget session has seen continuous disruptions over the Opposition's demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani-Hindenburg row and over BJP's demand for apology from Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in United kingdom.

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Sharjeel Imam's Speech At Jamia University Was "Provocative": Court

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said that the speech of Sharjeel Imam at Jamia on December 13 in 2019 was "provocative" and shows that he was also a part of the mob which was instigating and provoking.

The High Court said on Tuesday in judgement against the order of the trial court order discharging him and ten others.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said that his speech at Jamia University which was provocative shows that he was also part of the mob which was instigating and provoking which he also admitted on January 16 in 2020 in his speech at Aligarh Muslim University.

The bench noted that during the investigation, the second supplementary chargesheet clearly mentions that the accused Sharjeel Imam had on December 13 in 2019 given a provocative speech at Jamia University.

The court said that his speech indicates that Sharjeel Imam had stated that they were distributing the pamphlets regarding the protest, and he himself talked about 'destruction' and also said that those who were protesting should know what they should do for the protests and should be ready to take blows of lathis.

"He can be clearly seen instigating the mob and preparing them for further action, and he said that on December 13, 2019, there were 3000 to 4000 persons gathered at the spot as they had been distributing pamphlets for the last two weeks, and thus, it can only be imagined as to how many people could gather on the day of jumma (Friday) next week," the court noted.

It is, thus, clear that he had a common intention and that he was part of the overall intent and object of the unlawful assembly, justice Sharma held.

Advocate Talib Mustafa, counsel for Sharjeel Imam had stated that there was nothing on record to show that Sharjeel Imam was part of the alleged rioting mob on the day of the incident as there were no photographs or video or any eyewitnesses to support the case of the prosecution.

It was argued that Sharjeel Imam only campaigned in favour of peaceful protests and not violence, and he was himself a victim of violence on the day of the incident as his spectacles were broken during the course of protests.

It was also contended that he had left the place of the incident within a short period of time and was not a part of the assembly which may have turned unlawful later on as can also be inferred from his CDRs.

On the issue of speeches delivered by him, it was submitted that the speech on December 13 in 2019 was delivered at around 7:30 PM which was much later than the incident of violence and the same was a subject matter of another FIR and could not be considered in the present case.

It was further argued that the speech delivered on January 16 in 2020 at Aligarh Muslim University would only show that he campaigned in favour of chakka jaam which is not a violent means of protest.

It was stated on behalf of Asif Iqbal Tanha that there is no allegation of rioting against him levelled by any of the witnesses, and he was also not a part of the videos and photographs relied upon by the prosecution on the basis of which other seven respondents were identified by the witnesses.

The bench rejected this contention and said that during the investigation, it was revealed that Asif Iqbal Tanha had posted photographs on his Facebook account on December 13 last year, the third anniversary of the Jamia violence incident.

He had written that he was detained at PS Badarpur along with his associates and had himself admitted that they were stopped by police while they were marching to Parliament, and he had also posted a photograph showing that he was in the custody of police in a bus, the court added.

The said post, containing photographs and videos of the day of the incident, is still visible on the Facebook account of the respondent. In the photographs posted by himself, he can be seen to be a part of unlawful assembly, which he does not deny, the court held.

It was submitted on behalf of Safoora Zargar that she was not named in the FIR, nor in the charge sheet of March 30, 2020.

It was alleged that she was seen standing near the barricades, outside Jamia University and was one of the rioters.

Three-fold arguments were addressed by the senior counsel.

It was first contended that prosecution has to cross the 'threshold of identification' and the respondent has been allegedly identified by the witnesses from video clip number 9, but a bare perusal of that video would show that a person, whose face is covered, has been identified as Safoora Zargar.

The court rejected the contention and said that this Court has seen video clip number 9 since the contention of the learned Senior counsel was that the woman, who is seen in a muffled face as part of the mob, could not have been identified by anyone as her face is not clearly visible.

The court pointed out that the Senior counsel, however, has not stated that the said woman in the video is not a part of the violent mob.

It is admitted case of the respondent that she is a student of the university in question. A caretaker on the University campus and the other employee whose designation has been reflected as a peon, have stated in their statements under section 161 Cr.P.C. that since they see the students frequenting the canteen regularly, they were able to identify her, though she was wearing a mask and had her face covered, the court held.

Furthermore, a perusal of video clip number 9 would also show that this is not a case where no overt act can be attributed to the present respondent as the video clip clearly reveals that the woman who is in the mask, identified by the public witnesses who are employees of the concerned university to be respondent, can be seen to be at the forefront of a violent mob which is pushing and throwing the barricades including her, which by no stretch of imagination can be said to be a protest by peaceful means, the court added.

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Protests At Jamia Millia Islamia In 2019 Was An Unlawful Assembly: Court

 The Delhi High Court on Tuesday held that the December 2019 protests organised at Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia was an unlawful assembly and the mob gathered at the spot with the intention to violate the law.

"The common object of the assembly was to march to the Parliament for registration of their protest against the Government policies of NRC and CAB where a curfew was imposed by the authorities," the Delhi High Court on Tuesday said, adding that making efforts to reach that area and carry out protest there was an "unlawful" object itself.

The Delhi High Court held the view while setting aside the order of the trial court discharging Sharjeel Imam and 10 others.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said that as per the prosecution, section 144 Cr.P.C. was already imposed in the area near Parliament.

"Therefore, making efforts to reach to a curfew imposed area and carry out protest therein was an unlawful object itself," justice Sharma held in the judgement.

The High Court while deciding the revision petition considered the video clips placed on record by the police as significant evidence.

The court said that the same was also brought to the notice of the crowd repeatedly by the concerned police officers by way of repeated announcements which can be clearly seen and heard in video clip number 2.

The high court also noted that the assembly was large and turned violent and pushed the barricades.

The court said, " Even otherwise, the mob was stopped by the police by creating a line of barricades, but the assembly had become so large and was pelting stones, was armed with tyres and dandas, and were shouting, standing on the barricades and violently pushing the same, and if at all they were trying to exercise the fundamental right of freedom of expression, by their unlawful acts of violence as discussed above their assembly had turned unlawful."

"Thus, the very means of achieving the object of reaching the Parliament, where prohibitory orders under section 144 Cr.P.C. was in place, were not lawful also," the court observed.

Thus, as contended on behalf of the state and visible from the video clips, the common unlawful object which was created at the spot was reaching the curfew-bound area and using force and violence against the police officers to achieve the said object, the court further observed.

The bench said that the main aim of their initial protest against the government policy was lost in the violence and in their persistence to break the law to reach a curfew-bound area by use of violence and force against people and objects.

The bench also held that the use of force and violence by the mob is sufficient, at prima facie stage of framing of charge, for constituting the offence of unlawful assembly and rioting.

The bench also noted from the video clips that the police were telling the assembly to protest peacefully.

The court said that nowhere in the video clips, the police officers are seen announcing that the protesters cannot protest, rather they were told to protest peacefully which was their right.

"However, the police were duty bound to stop them from proceeding to a place where section 144 Cr.P.C was imposed and also considering their violent behaviour, the apprehension and the fear that such violent mob while marching to the Parliament could be a threat to law and order situation in Delhi, cannot be found at fault at this stage as the behaviour of the crowd even in the video clips will show that such apprehension was not purely unfounded," the bench held.

On the basis of the video clips, the court held that the mob was trying to stop police from performing their duty of maintaining law and order.

The court said that it is also clear from the video clips that the mob was trying to stop the police officers from discharging their duty of maintaining law and order and were breaking the barricades and crossing over them, on which human chain of police was trying to hold on to so that the mob could not proceed to a curfew bound area.

"Therefore, they were doing their duty and they were stopped from doing so by pelting stones and by pushing the barricades against all of them," the court said.

The court pointed out, "Had the crowd of thousands of protesters been able to push the barricades against the police officers, in which they partly succeeded to, they would have caused grievous injuries to them considering how heavy the barricades are."

Justice Sharma held, " Prima facie, in the situation which is visible in the video clips including video clip number 3, the respondents in question are clearly visible being in the first line of the mob, pushing the barricades against the police officers and raising slogans.

"It is difficult to explain in words; the entire action being unfolded as it is clearly visible in the said video clip, the force used by Delhi Police is only of trying to hold on to the barricades against the violent mob which is also raising slogans of "Delhi Police Murdabad" and"Delhi Police Doob Maro" and are very violently pushing the barricades against the handful of policemen who were holding off the barricades," justice Sharma held.

The high court rejected the submissions that the accused persons were mere bystanders in the protest.

The court said that they were consciously part of the assembly which had turned violent and consciously did not leave the place of such violence and chose to remain part of it by insisting on going to a curfew-imposed area.

"They would have also known that while they were pushing the barricades against those few policemen, in case they would have succeeded, grievous injuries would have been caused to the police officers," the court added.

"They were, therefore, with the violent mob of protesters and it cannot be distinguished that they did not have the object collectively as that of the entire mob. Even otherwise to reiterate, the law of rioting envisages vicarious liability of each participant of an unlawful assembly, " Justice Sharma said.

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Toddler, Alone At Home In Gurugram, Dies In Fire

A one-and-a-half-year-old child was burnt alive in a fire that broke out in a house in Ghata village on Tuesday afternoon, police said.

The incident happened in Harijan Colony at around 2 pm, they said, the child was identified as Manoj.

A fire broke out at the rented accommodation of Satish Kumar, a native of Rajasthan's Bharatpur.

Mr Kumar's wife locked the house from outside and went to pick up her other son from school, leaving Manoj alone inside, they said.

According to police, a lamp lit in a temple inside the house suddenly fell on the bed where Manoj was playing and it caught fire.

After getting information, fire and police teams reached the spot and the child was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, where he was declared dead, they said.

SHO (Sector 56) Sanjeev Kumar said the body has been sent for post-mortem and further probe is underway,

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After Indian-Origin Doctor's Suicide, UK To Review Hospital's Support Culture

An independent review into the culture at one of the UK's major National Health Service (NHS) hospital trusts on Tuesday recommended greater support for doctors in training who are concerned about their mental health, in the wake of the suicide of an Indian-origin doctor.

Dr Vaishnavi Kumar, who worked at Birmingham Queen Elizabeth Hospital, died aged 35 in June 2022.

Her inquest last year heard how she felt “belittled” at work and would come home and cry.

The University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust (UHB), which runs the hospital among several others in the region, was under an independent review following the death and amid wider performance-related concerns.

“In light of the tragic death by suicide of Dr Kumar – together with HEE [Health Education England], a review of the processes to support doctors in training who are concerned about their mental health, ability to speak up freely about concerns with colleagues and a clear message that they will be listened to,” reads one of the recommendations of the review.

The report notes that Kumar was a respected senior doctor in training, approximately one year from qualifying as a consultant diabetologist.

Her father, Ravi Kumar, also a doctor, told the Birmingham Coroner's Court that his daughter felt the Queen Elizabeth Hospital was a “hypercritical environment to work in”.

“We were told of considerable unrest and indeed anger at the Trust's response to this tragic event, from both Dr Kumar's family and the staff who worked with her and the wider junior doctor community… Our review also heard from several employees at the Trust who expressed their disappointment and anger at the lack of senior representation at Dr Kumar's funeral,” the report said.

It warns that "any continuance of a culture that is corrosively affecting morale and in particular threatens long-term staff recruitment and retention will put at risk the care of patients".

The report chaired by Professor Mike Bewick, a former deputy medical director at NHS England and now an independent consultant, was commissioned last year after a number of complaints were raised about the trust, which employs over 22,000 people across several sites and operates four major hospitals in the West Midlands region.

“We have been disturbed by the consistent reporting of a bullying culture at the Trust and look forward to the next phase of the review where staff and patients will have the opportunity to speak freely and confidentially about their concerns,” said Bewick.

A Cross Party Reference Group, chaired by British Sikh MP from Birmingham Preet Kaur Gill, will continue to work closely with Bewick throughout the rest of the process.

“Patients can continue to be confident that the care and treatment provided at our hospitals is safe. We are pleased that Prof Bewick's overall view ‘is that the Trust is a safe place to receive care',” said Jonathan Brotherton, Chief Executive of UHB.

“There are a number of significant concerns that we need to, and have started to, address; we will continue to learn from the past, as we move forward,” he said.

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Helplines
Vandrevala Foundation for Mental Health	9999666555 or help@vandrevalafoundation.com
TISS iCall	022-25521111 (Monday-Saturday: 8 am to 10 pm)
(If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.)

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Cap For H-1B Visa Reached, Say US Immigration Services

The H-1B visa cap for the financial year 2024, beginning October 1, has been reached and all successful applicants have been informed about it, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has said.

In a statement on Monday, the federal agency said it has received enough electronic registrations during the initial period to reach the fiscal year 2024 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption -- the master's cap.

"We have randomly selected from the registrations properly submitted to reach the cap and have notified all prospective petitioners with selected registrations that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for the beneficiary named in the applicable selected registration," it said.

H-1B cap-subject petitions for the financial year 2024, including those petitions eligible for the advanced degree exemption, may be filed with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from April 1, 2023, if based on a valid, selected registration.

Only petitioners with selected registrations may file H-1B cap-subject petitions for 2024 fiscal and only for the beneficiary named in the applicable selected registration notice, the USCIS said.

The US Congress has set the current annual regular cap for the H-1B category at 65,000.

Of this, 6,800 visas are set aside under the terms of the legislation implementing the US-Chile and U.S.-Singapore free trade agreements. Unused visas in this group become available for H-1B use for the next fiscal year's regular H-1B cap.

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First Case Of H3N2 Detected In Himachal, Baby Girl Tests Positive

A two and half month old baby girl from the Dehra subdivision of the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh tested positive for H3N2, the official said.

The baby girl is undergoing treatment at Tanda Medical College.

"First case of H3N2 virus found in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. 10-week-old baby girl tested positive while she was brought to Tanda Medical College on Saturday for treatment of severe cough, cold and fever," CMO Kangra Dr Sushil Sharma.

Seasonal influenza is an acute respiratory tract infection caused by 4 distinct Types- Influenza A, B, C and D belonging to the Orthomyxoviridae family.

Among these types, Influenza A is the most common pathogen for humans.

Globally, influenza cases are typically seen to increase during certain months of the year. India usually witnesses two peaks of seasonal influenza: one from January to March and another one in the post-monsoon season.

According to the Union Health Ministry, the cases arising from seasonal influenza are expected to decline from March end.

In most cases, the disease is self-limiting with symptoms of cough and cold, body ache and fever etc. and usually resolves within a week or so.

However, potentially high-risk groups such as infants, young children, pregnant women, elderly above the age of 65 years and people with comorbidities might experience more symptomatic illnesses requiring hospitalization also.

Disease transmission is mostly airborne from person-to-person, through large droplets generated by the act of coughing and sneezing. Other modes of transmission, include indirect contact by touching a contaminated object or surface (fomite transmission), and close contact including handshaking.

The Union Health Ministry has prescribed Oseltamivir as the drug recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for curing the infection.

"The drug is made available through the Public Health System free of cost. The government has allowed the sale of Oseltamivir under Schedule H1 of the Drug and Cosmetic Act in February 2017 for wider accessibility and availability," it said.

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BJP Leader Arrested For Selling Land To Police Using 'Forged' Papers In UP

A case has been registered against a local BJP leader for allegedly selling a piece of land to police for the construction of the Police Lines for Rs 2 crore with the help of forged documents, while he had already taken a loan of Rs 78 lakh against it.

Superintendent of Police Elamaran G on Monday said BJP leader Omprakash alias Prakash Mishra had committed forgery and a case has been registered against him.

The SP also said the accused had taken a loan from the Bank of India by mortgaging his land. However, through forged documents, he sold the land for the construction of Police Lines, he said.

The said land is located in Chauhanpur village under Sadar tehsil (in Gauriganj). On July 27, 2017, Mr Mishra had executed a sale deed of 0.253 square metre land. Before selling the land, he had taken a loan of Rs 78 lakh from the bank by mortgaging the land.

After executing the sale deed, the BJP leader received a payment of Rs 1.97 crore from the Amethi police.

During the registry, Prakash did not give any information on whether there was any loan or outstanding dues against it.

On January 3, 2023, the recovery officer at the Debts Recovery Tribunal, Allahabad had sent a recovery notice, following which the matter came to light.

Based on the complaint lodged by the Reserve Inspector at Police Lines, Amethi, a case was registered against Mr Mishra on March 24.

The case has been registered under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and  471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) of the Indian Penal Code.

When contacted, Amethi district's BJP chief Durgesh Tripathi said Mishra is a party worker and a case has been registered against him.

Mr Tripathi said the law will take its own course, and if found guilty, action will be initiated against Mishra.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"We're Watching Rahul Gandhi's Case In Indian Courts": US

The United States is watching Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's case in Indian courts, US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Monday (local time), adding that the US engages with the Indian government on a shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression.

"Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy, and we're watching Mr Gandhi's (Rahul Gandhi) case in Indian courts," he said in a press briefing while responding to a question regarding Rahul Gandhi's expulsion from the Indian Parliament.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was disqualified on Friday as a Member of Lok Sabha (MP) from the date of his conviction in the criminal defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark. Rahul Gandhi was an MP from the seat of Wayanad in Kerala.

"The US engages with the government of India on our shared commitment to democratic values, including of course freedom of expression in our engagements with our Indian partners," he added.

"We continue to highlight the importance of democratic principles and the protection of human rights including freedom of expression as a key to strengthening both our democracies," Vedant Patel said.

When asked whether the US is engaging with India or Rahul Gandhi, he said, "I don't have any specific engagements to read out... but as I am sure you know some of these covered this department for some time it is normal and standard for us to engage with members of opposition parties in any country where we have bilateral relationships but I don't have any specific engagement to read out."

The development comes after the Surat court on Thursday, sentenced Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to two years imprisonment in a defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark made in 2019 during an election rally in Karnataka.

Rahul Gandhi made the "how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname" remark in April 2019, at a Lok Sabha election rally at Kolar in Karnataka. The criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi was filed by BJP MLA from Surat West Purnesh Modi.

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Madhya Pradesh Man, Son Jump Into River To Save Pet Dog, Drown: Cops

A man and his son drowned in Narmada river in Khargone in Madhya Pradesh while trying to save the former's wife and their pet dog, a police official said on Monday.

The dog entered the river at Sahastradhara and its owner Sapna Singh jumped in to rescue the animal, he said.

"Soon Sapna's husband Aman Singh Kanwar and their son Rudraksh also went into the water body as part of the rescue attempt. However, Sapna and the dog managed to swim to safety, while Kanwar and Rudraksh drowned. The incident took place on Sunday," he said.

"The bodies have been fished out, Further probe into the incident is underway," Maheshwar police station in charge Pankaj Tiwari said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Hours After Atiq Ahmed Moved To UP Jail, Gangster's Brother Joins Him

Gangster-politician Khalid Azim alias Ashraf was brought to the Naini Central Jail in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh Monday evening amid tight security arrangements, hours after his brother Atiq Ahmed was escorted to the prison from Gujarat.

Ashraf and Atiq will be produced before a court on Tuesday, when it is likely to pass an order in a 17-year-old kidnapping case against them.

Ashraf, lodged in the Bareilly District Jail since July 2020, was brought to the Naini Central Jail Monday evening amid tight security arrangements, officials said. A police team accompanying him left Bareilly for Prayagraj Monday morning.

Atiq Ahmed was brought to the jail in Prayagraj from a prison in Gujarat. The police cavalcade bringing him reached the Naini Jail at 5.30 pm on Monday.

The brothers are named in several criminal cases, including the recent Umesh Pal murder case, police said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Savarkar Our God": Uddhav Thackeray Warns Rahul Gandhi Over His Remark

Cautioning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi not to insult Vinayak Savarkar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday warned that demeaning Savarkar would create "cracks" in the opposition alliance.

Uddhav Thackeray further said that he considers Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar as his idol and asked the Congress leader to refrain from insulting him.

"Savarkar suffered unimaginable torture in the Andaman cellular jail for 14 years. We can only read the sufferings. It is a form of sacrifice. We will not tolerate the insult of Savarkar," Uddhav Thackeray said.

He further said that there would be 'cracks' in the opposition alliance if Rahul Gandhi continues to 'demean' Savarkar.

"Veer Savarkar is our God, and any disrespect towards him will not be tolerated. We are prepared to fight, but insulting our Gods is not something we will tolerate," the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said.

"The alliance of the Uddhav faction, Congress and NCP was made to protect democracy and we need to work unitedly. Rahul Gandhi is being provoked deliberately but if we waste time in this, democracy will cease to exist," Uddhav Thackeray said while addressing a rally in Malegaon.

Uddhav Thacleray was referring to Rahul Gandhi's recent statement where he said that he is not Savarkar.

"My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi and Gandhi does not offer an apology to anyone," Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday in a press conference following his disqualification as an MP after conviction in defamation case.

Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a Member of Parliament following the Surat court order convicting him in a criminal defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark.

Uddhav Thackeray, whose Sena faction is an ally of Congress and the NCP in the state, however, urged Rahul Gandhi to not get provoked and to come together to "save India's democracy".

Uddhav Thackeray came down heavily on the BJP argument over Rahul Gandhi's remark against PM Narendra Modi, saying that PM Narendra Modi is not India.

"Modi is not India. Did our freedom fighters lay down their lives for this? Questioning Modi is not about insulting India," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Man Who Sheltered Amritpal Singh's Close Aide Arrested: Punjab Police

Punjab Police on Sunday arrested Balwant Singh, from Khanna city in Ludhiana district of Punjab, the man who had harboured Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh's close aide Tejinder Singh Gill.

Khanna Police said that they have arrested Balwant Singh, the one who harboured Amritpal Singh's close aide Tejinder Singh Gill.

"His questioning is underway," police said, adding that no connection between Amritpal Singh and Balwant Singh has been found yet.

Tejinder Singh Gill alias Gorkha Baba, the core team member of Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh, the Khanna Police on Friday released incriminating videos recovered from the mobile phone of Gorkha.

The chief of Waris Punjab De is still escaping the State police's dragnet. Amritpal Singh was declared a fugitive on the day, Punjab Police launched a crackdown against him and his pro-Khalistan outfit.

Punjab Police on Saturday appealed to people not to believe in rumours and fake news of the arrest of radical preacher Amritpal Singh, which is being circulated on social media.

Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday, Bathinda SSP Gulneet Khurana said, "We urge people not to believe the fake reports of the arrest of Amritpal Singh that are being widely circulated on social media."

He blamed the fake reports on "rumour mongers" based in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada.

"A few people sitting in the UK, US, and Canada are spreading false news on social media that Amritpal is being tortured (in custody)," the SSP added.

He added, "BSF companies along with police personnel and 140 security personnel from Bahadurgarh are currently deployed in Bathinda to ensure peace."

An alert was sounded in Uttarakhand over the possibility of radical preacher Amritpal Singh entering the state, informed Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) V Murugesan on Saturday morning.

Murugesan added that he had received inputs from the Punjab Police that the pro-Khalistan leader, who fled Punjab in the wake of the crackdown on Waris Punjab De, may enter Uttarakhand from Haryana.

He told ANI that checks and searches are underway and a security alert has gone out in places through which he can enter the state.

The officer added that the district police have also been alerted and vigilance stepped up at the borders.

Tejinder Singh aka Gorkha Baba, a resident of Punjab's Mangewal village was arrested on Friday.

"Tejinder often lived with Amritpal and is involved in the Ajnala case as well. Gorkha Baba used to be Amritpal's gunman for a long time. He was also active on social media, and his pictures along with weapons used to surface on social media. After which a separate case was registered against Tejinder in Malaud police station", DSP Payal Harsimrat Singh told ANI.

The police informed that action has been taken against him under sections 107/151 of the Indian Penal Code (IPS).

"Two other people accompanying Tejinder have also been detained. They are being interrogated", added the DSP.

The DSP said that Tejinder had a history of criminal cases, ranging from fight to liquor smuggling, registered against him and he had also served a sentence in jail.

On Friday, an alert was issued in the Dehradun, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts of Uttarakhand, amid reports of Amritpal trying to enter the state.

A team of Delhi Police and Punjab Police on Friday launched a search operation for Amritpal in Delhi and its border in view of the possibility of him entering the national capital.

However, Delhi Police later said Waris Punjab De chief may have left the national capital.

On March 18, Punjab Police launched an operation against Amritpal and his aides. The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpal's supporters clashed with uniformed personnel at the Ajnala police station on February 23, on the outskirts of Amritsar, demanding the release of one of his close aides, Lovepreet Toofan.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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1,385 Kg Marijuana Seized In West Tripura By Border Force, 3 Arrested

The Border Security Force (BSF) has arrested three suspects from West Tripura and seized 1,385 kg of marijuana (ganja) from their possession in a joint operation with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the official said on Sunday.

The official said that a joint operation was carried out in the house of a suspected person of Urabari village in West Tripura following a specific intelligence input which was received in the early hours of Sunday indicating the stocking of a huge consignment of ganja.

During the operation, one person was apprehended, the official said.

"During preliminary cross-examination, he revealed the name of the main king-pin, a resident of West Tripura and other associates," the BSF official statement said.

It further said that the ganja was recovered acting on the tip and the BSF arrested three people.

"A total worth Rs 2,07,75,000 weighing 1385 kg of Ganja was recovered clandestinely hidden underground in their houses where all three Indian nationals (including the kingpin) were apprehended," it added.

"Border Security Force is fully committed to eradicating the menace of drugs from Tripura and making "Tripura - A Drug-Free State". Resultantly, BSF has been conducting a special drive against trans-border smugglers, particularly of narcotics and drugs and succeeded in neutralizing them at regular intervals independently as well as in close association with other sister agencies," the BSF said.

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"We Will Keep Fighting": Ashok Gehlot On Rahul Gandhi Disqualification

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Sunday slammed the BJP over its allegation that Rahul Gandhi insulted OBCs with his "Modi surname" remark in 2019 and said his party has done a lot for the backward classes, including making an OBC leader like him Chief Minister thrice.

He also pointed out that his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel was also an OBC.

Rahul Gandhi was on Thursday sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat court in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his "why all thieves have Modi surname" remark. He was later disqualified from the Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction in the case.

Several BJP leaders, including party chief J P Nadda, have accused Rahul Gandhi of insulting Other Backward Classes (OBCs) with his remark.

Addressing a gathering at the Congress' day-long "Sankalp Satyagraha" at Rajghat, Mr Gehlot said Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an "experiment" during the Gujarat polls in 2017 by saying that a Congress leader abused him and highlighted his OBC status.

In a repeat of that experiment, the BJP is claiming again before elections that Rahul Gandhi insulted OBCs, Mr Gehlot said.

"In 2017, when the BJP was losing the Gujarat elections, Modi ji played the OBC card against the Congress there. The BJP today again wants to run a campaign to mislead the OBCs," he alleged.

"Are fugitives like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi OBCs?" he asked. "You are protecting fugitives such as Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi, and then saying Rahul Gandhi insulted OBCs. Can anyone forget what the Congress has done for OBCs, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes," Mr Gehlot posed.

"I have been made Chief Minister for the third time by Sonia ji and Rahul ji. I am an OBC. There is only one member of the OBC Mali community (in the assembly) and that is me," Mr Gehlot said what "bigger message" could be there for the OBCs than him being made chief minister again and again.

Elections are near and that is why they are raising this bogey of OBC insult, he alleged. "It is baseless." Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also tweeted a video of Gehlot's remarks on the BJP's OBC charge.

In a tweet in Hindi, Jairam Ramesh also said, "Difference between words and actions! In 1992, the Congress government implemented the Mandal Commission. In 2006, the Congress government made a provision for reservation for OBCs in higher education. During 2011-12, the caste census of about 25 crore families was done by the Congress government."

"Whereas BJP has stopped the caste census," he added.

In his remarks, Mr Gehlot said the sacrifices of the Gandhi family are before everyone and Rahul Gandhi is constantly raising the issue of unemployment and high prices.

"They could not answer allegations raised by Rahul Gandhi in Parliament. I have never seen before that allegations are raised but instead of answering the prime minister has taken a vow of silence," Mr Gehlot said.

The BJP made allegations against Gandhi for his remarks abroad when he said what he had been saying in the country. It is the prime minister who should answer and apologise, he said.

"Rahul Gandhi has emerged as the voice of the country. We will keep fighting to ensure that democracy is kept alive in the country," the Rajasthan chief minister said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Bansuri Swaraj Appointed Co-Convener Of Delhi BJP's Legal Cell

Bansuri Swaraj, the daughter of late Sushma Swaraj, has been appointed as co-convener of the legal cell of Delhi BJP, paving her entry into active politics.

Ms Swaraj practices law in the Supreme Court.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, in his first appointment in the state unit, after taking over as full-time state president of the party, appointed Ms Swaraj as co-convener of the legal cell.

In a letter issued on Friday, Mr Sachdeva said that Ms Swaraj's appointment would come into force with immediate effect and hoped that she would strengthen the BJP.

Ms Swaraj said she was a qualified lawyer and had been helping the party in legal matters earlier as well.

"It is just that I have been formally given an opportunity to serve the party more actively in the capacity as a legal department co-convener of the Delhi BJP," she told

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Top Sikh Body's Message For Amritpal Singh Amid Punjab Police Crackdown

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh Saturday asked fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh to surrender before police and cooperate with investigation.

The Jathedar of Akal Takht (the highest temporal seat of Sikhs) also questioned police's competence, wondering why they have not been able to nab the self-styled Sikh preacher despite having such a big force.

"If Amritpal is out (of police net), then I will ask him to present (before police) and cooperate with (police) investigation," said the Jathedar.

Singh's remarks come in the wake of Punjab Police crackdown against radical preacher Amritpal Singh and elements of 'Waris Punjab De', an outfit headed by him.

Amritpal Singh has been on the run since March 18, when the police crackdown began.

Several images and videos have shown him taking multiple vehicles to dodge police.

The preacher himself gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in Jalandhar district. His whereabouts are still unknown.

The Punjab government has slapped the strictest National Security Act against him and some of his associates.

In a video message on Saturday, the Jathedar said the biggest question in the mind of every Sikh living across the world is how Amritpal Singh could not be arrested despite a big police force in the state. It raises a question over the functioning of the police, he said.

Singh said if the preacher has already been arrested, then police should say so.

The fugitive's parents had earlier expressed apprehension that their son had already been held by police.

He also asked police to keep in mind that Sikh youths, who have been held in the Amritpal Singh case, have not committed as big crimes as they have been projected to have committed.

Amritpal Singh and his many associates have been booked in several cases by police.

The Akal Takht Jathedar has also called a special gathering of around 60 to 70 Sikh organisations, seminaries and Nihang organisations to discuss the situation in Punjab. No representative of political organisations has been invited.

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Indian Journalist In US Alleges Attack By Khalistani Supporters

Washington-based Indian journalist Lalit Jha was physically attacked and verbally abused by Khalistani supporters in Washington while he was covering a pro-Khalistan protest outside the Indian Embassy on Saturday afternoon.

Mr Jha on Sunday thanked US Secret Service for protecting him, and helping him do his job. He said he was hit on his left ear with two sticks by the Khalistani supporters. He also shared a video of the Khalistani supporters on his Twitter handle.

"Thank you @SecretService 4 my protection 2day 4 helping do my job, otherwise I would have been writing this from hospital. The gentleman below hit my left ear with these 2 sticks & earlier I had to call 9/11 & rushed 2 police van 4 safety fearing physical assault," Mr Jha tweeted on Sunday.

"At one point I felt so threatened that I called 911. I then spotted Secret Service officers and narrated the incident to them," Mr Jha told ANI, adding that the protesters took charge of the situation.

However, the journalist decided to take no action against those who heckled him.

"The pro-Khalistan protesters in support of Amritpal (Singh) waved Khalistan flags and descended upon the embassy in the presence of the US Secret Service. They even openly threatened to vandalize the embassy and threatened the Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu," Mr Jha told ANI.

The protesters included turbaned men of all ages who raised pro-Khalistan slogans. They came in from different parts of the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area. The organisers used microphones to make anti-India speeches both in English and Punjabi and targeted the Punjab Police for alleged human rights violations.

Multiple events of protests by supporters of Khalistan have been staged outside the Indian embassy and the San Francisco Consulate. The Indian Consulate in San Francisco was also attacked on March 20.

Visuals shared online showed a huge mob brandishing Khalistan flags mounted on wooden poles, using them to smash glass doors and windows of the consulate building. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans as they broke through the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two Khalistani flags inside the premises.

The United States strongly condemned the attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco by a group of separatists, terming it absolutely unacceptable. The US has also pledged to defend the safety and security of such diplomatic facilities and the diplomats who work there.

"The United States condemns the attack against the Indian Consulate and any attack against diplomatic facilities within the United States. We pledge to defend the safety and security of these facilities as well as the diplomats who work within them," a US State Department spokesperson told ANI.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Twitter that the US condemns the acts of violence against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. He further said that the US is committed to the safety and security of Indian diplomats.

He confirmed that the US State Department is in touch with the local law enforcement authorities.

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World's Highest Railway Bridge In Jammu And Kashmir To Be Operational Soon

World's highest railway bridge over the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir is soon to get operational for rail traffic.

The much-awaited world's highest railway bridge spans the Chenab River at a height of 359 m (1,178 ft) above the river, which is 35 meters taller than Paris' Eiffel Tower.

The arch bridge between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir is 1,178 feet above the riverbed, forming a crucial link from Katra to Banihal. It is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), a dream project worth Rs 35000 crore.

The bridge has passed all the mandatory tests. However, the Chenab railway bridge is near completion at present as the incumbent regime laid a special focus on the project worth Rs 1400 crore.

The people of Jammu and Kashmir will get the bridge after two decades of waiting since the project was approved in 2003 but was delayed shortly due to fears of stability and safety.

In the year 2008, the contract for constructing one of the highest railway bridges was awarded by the then government.

With the passage of time, the construction of the bridge was started again, however, it missed several deadlines.

To make the bridge ready for commissioning, all the mandatory tests have been conducted successfully.

Union Minister of Railway, Communications and Electronic and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that all the tests on Chenab Railway Bridge have been conducted and were successful.

The tests that have been conducted to check the stability and safety of the world's highest bridge include high-velocity winds test, extreme temperatures test, earthquake-prone test and hydrological impacts due to water level increase.

The Railway Bridge is ready for commissioning; officials said and added that track lane work has been started over the bridge.

The Union Minister of Railway, Communications and Electronic and Information Technology, who visited the bridge for an inspection, has said that two more tests are to be conducted tomorrow, which include running a motor trolley and bolero customised rail operation on the bridge.

The base of the steel and concrete arch bridge, 42 kilometres from Reasi town, was completed in November 2017, allowing for the start of the construction of the main arch which was done in April 2021.

The milestone on the bridge was achieved in August last year when the overarch deck of the bridge was completed with a Golden Joint', paving way for the laying of the track.

As per the officials, the construction work on the bridge started in 2004 but had to be suspended in 2008-09 to consider the aspect of the safety of rail passengers in view of frequent high-velocity winds in the area.

Once completed, the bridge will be able to withstand winds with speeds up to 260 kmph and will have a lifespan of 120 years, the officials said. Besides the highest railway bridge, the USBRL project has many firsts like the longest railway tunnel having an overall length of 12.75 km, the first cable-stayed bridge which when completed will be an engineering marvel of the 21st century.

Reportedly, the construction of the highest railway bridge was the biggest civil-engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history.

Over the last three years, engineers have been building the arch with the help of two mammoth cable cranes installed on both banks of the Chenab -- the Kauri end and the Bakkal end, report said.

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