India

Dhanbad (Jharkhand)/Bengaluru, Jan 10 (PTI) An accused wanted in the killing of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh over two years ago has been arrested in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand, the police said on Friday.

Personnel of the Karnatka Special Investigation Team, set up to probe the killing that triggered a national outrage, arrested Rishikesh Dewerkar alias Rajesh, from Katras town, about 30 km from here, on Thursday evening, Dhanbad senior Superintendent of Police Kisor Kaushal told reporters.

NEW DELHI, Jan 10 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The Indian government’s ban on the Internet in Kashmir is illegal and must be reviewed, India’s Supreme Court said on Friday.

Phone and Internet services were suspended in Kashmir region more than five months ago as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special autonomous status.

Some of the sweeping restrictions on telecommunication services have been relaxed but millions in the region remain without Internet access.

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Some of the biggest television broadcasters operating in India joined forces on Friday to criticize new government regulations that impose restrictions on pay-TV charges, saying the move could put some channels out of business.

Senior executives from India’s Zee Entertainment (ZEE.NS), Viacom18 Media, Sony Corp’s (6758.T) local unit, The Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) and its TV network Star India, got together to brief the media in Mumbai and said excessive regulation will also crimp their ability to keep up with technological advances.

Lucknow, Jan 9 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said since the income of agricultural mandis has increased, they should give three per cent cess for cow shelters instead of the existing two per cent.

Some amount of this money could also go to the Animal Husbandry Department, he added while addressing a meeting of the governing council of the State Agricultural Produce Market Board (Manid Parishad) at Lok Bhavan here.

New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) Former Congress MLA and ex-deputy speaker of Delhi Vidhan Sabha Shoaib Iqbal on Thursday joined the Aam Aadmi Party in presence of Chief Minister and AAP's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.

Apart from Iqbal, the five-time MLA from Matia Mahal, two Congress MCD councillors -- Aley Mohammed Iqbal and Sultana Abadi -- also joined the Aam Aadmi Party, the AAP posted a photo on Twitter.

This comes ahead of the assembly elections in Delhi slated for February 8. The counting of votes will take place on February 11.

Patna, Jan 9 (PTI) The JD(U), headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on Wednesday asked its ally - the BJP - to take action against its leaders who had been speaking on issues already settled by the top brass, thereby violating the "coalition dharma".

Party spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad issued a statement here to the effect, taking strong exception to a comment by BJP MLC Sanjay Paswan, who had begrudged his party for reposing its trust in Kumar for the assembly polls, due this year.

New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) Chief Justice of India S A Bobde on Thursday observed that the country is going through difficult times and there is so much violence going on as the Supreme Court refused urgent hearing on a plea seeking to declare the Citizenship Amendment Act as constitutional.

A bench headed by CJI Bobde expressed surprise over the petition and said this is the first time that someone is seeking that an Act be declared as constitutional.

New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) Banking services were impacted on Wednesday as employees went on a nationwide strike called by 10 central trade unions to protest against the government's "anti-people" policies.

Branch activities including cash withdrawal deposit in public sector banks in many places across the country have been affected due to the strike.

Kota, Jan 8 (PTI) A five-year-old girl child was raped by a relative in a village in Bundi district on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

The accused, aged around 20 years, fled the spot when the family members of the minor victim were alerted by her cries and rushed to rescue her, they said, adding that she was bleeding profusely when found.

A case of rape was registered against the accused, who is also a neighbour of the minor victim, under relevant sections of the IPC and the POSCO Act, SHO at Karwar police station Hariram Jajunda said.

Panna (MP), Jan 8 (PTI) A seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 14-year-old boy at a village in Madhya Pradesh's Panna district on Wednesday, police said.

According to the complaint, the minor boy lured the girl to his house and raped her when no one was around, civil line police post (Kotwali police station) in-charge Shrikrishna Singh Mawai said.

The victim is undergoing treatment at a district hospital, Mawai said, adding that the police are on the look out for the boy who is at large.