Gujarat

India: Cases of `Kappa' variant of coronavirus found in Gujara

Ahmedabad, Jul 24 (PTI) For the first time, five cases of `Kappa' variant of coronavirus have been detected in Gujarat, the state health department said on Saturday.

Three cases were found in Jamnagar, two in Godhra in Pahchmahal district and one in Mehsana, it said in a release.

In May, the World Health Organization had named the new variant, a `double mutant', as "Kappa", after a letter of the Greek alphabet.

India: Gujarat's new anti-conversion law challenged in HC

Ahmedabad, Jul 19 (PTI) Provisions of a new Gujarat law which penalises forcible or fraudulent religious conversion through marriage has been challenged in the state High Court, where it was mentioned before a division bench on Monday.

The Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021, was notified in the state on June 15.

The matter was mentioned before the division bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Biren Vaishnav for circulation. Allowing the same, the court said it will be listed after two to three days.

India: Muslim man held under anti-conversion law for allegedly forcing his wife to convert

Ahmedabad, Jun 24 (PTI) A 25-year-old man and two others were arrested in Gujarat's Vadodara city on Thursday under a new law for allegedly forcing his wife to convert after marriage and also for domestic violence, police said.

Mohib Pathan, his brother Mohsin and their father Imtiyaz Pathan were arrested by Fatehgunj police under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021, which came into force on June 15.

The controversial legislation provides for punishment ranging from three to ten years in prison.

India: Cow vigilante killed by cattle traffickers in Valsad

Valsad, Jun 20 (PTI) Police have arrested 10 people for allegedly killing a cow vigilante after he was crushed to death by a tempo illegally transporting cattle in Gujarat's Valsad district, officials said.

According to police, the accused persons were part of an inter-state network wherein cattle from villages in Valsad were purchased and transported illegally to neighbouring Maharashtra, specially in places like Bhiwandi, Ahmednagar and Nashik.

India: Arvind Kejriwal inaugurates Gujarat AAP office

Ahmedabad, Jun 14 (PTI) Aiming to project the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as an effective "alternative" to the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in Gujarat in the 2022 Assembly elections, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday inaugurated his party's Gujarat state office in Ahmedabad.

The new state headquarters of the AAP is located on Ashram Road. Till now, the AAP was functioning from a rented office located in a commercial complex in the Navrangpura area of the city.

India: Man gets 18 months in jail for hurling sandals at HC judge in Gujarat

Ahmedabad, Jun 4 (PTI) A magisterial court here sentenced a tea vendor from Gujarat's Rajkot district to 18 months in jail for hurling his sandals at a High Court judge in 2012, out of frustration over long pendency of his case.

Chief judicial magistrate V A Dhadhal of Mirzapur rural court on Thursday held Bhavanidas Bavaji guilty as charged under IPC section 353 (assault on a government servant to deter him from discharging his duty).

India: Guj announces Rs 105 cr relief and loan for fishermen

Ahmedabad, Jun 2 (PTI) The Gujarat government has announced a relief package of Rs 105 crore for fishermen affected by cyclone Tauktae which caused severe damage in the state's coastal belt last month, officials said on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani took the decision about the relief package after reviewing the situation during a meeting on Tuesday evening, an official release said.

Cyclone Tauktae hit the Gujarat coast on May 17 night with a very high wind speed of about 220 kmph.

India: Dalit man attacked over mustache by 11 people in Guj

Ahmedabad, May 24 (PTI) A Dalit man was attacked in Viramgam taluka in Gujarat's Ahmedabad allegedly by 11 people for sporting a long mustache, and three people have been arrested so far in the incident, police said on Monday.

Suresh Vaghela (22), who belongs to a Scheduled Caste community, in his complaint, has said 11 members of an Other Backward Classes (OBC) group attacked him for sporting a mustache, Deputy Superintendent of Police D S Vyas said.

"Vaghela is undergoing treatment in a hospital. We have arrested three people so far," the Deputy SP added.

India: Guj communal clash: FIR registered against over 2,000 people

Gir Somnath, May 24 (PTI) Police have registered an FIR against nearly 2,000 unidentified people on charges of attempt to murder and rioting after members of two communities clashed with each other here in Gujarat, leaving six policemen and around a dozen other people injured, an official said on Monday.

The FIR also names 47 other persons for similar offences in connection with the incident that took place on Sunday, he said.

India: Parsi body moves HC seeking permission for traditional last rites of community members died of COVID

Ahmedabad, May 22 (PTI) The Gujarat High Court has issued a notice to the Central and state governments as well as local authorities in Surat over a Parsi Panchayat body's plea seeking its direction to permit them to perform the last rites of members of the community who died of COVID-19, as per the Zoroastrian tradition.

The court of Justice Nirzar Desai on Friday issued a notice to the respondents, returnable on May 27.

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