India

Haridwar, Oct 10 (PTI) Apex body of ascetics Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad came out in support of former Union minister Chinmayanand on Thursday saying he had been framed in the sexual harassment case.

At a meeting of the parishad which began on Thursday to elect its working committee, Mahanth Narendra Giri, its president, said the parishad supports Chinmayanand.

"Sexual harassment charges against Chinmayanand are false. It is a conspiracy. The parishad supports him," he said.

Jhansi (UP), Oct 10 (PTI) Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav slammed the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, saying there is not "Ram Raj" but "Nathuram Raj" in the state, a day after he visited the family of a youth killed in a police encounter over alleged illegal sand mining.

"Besides mob lynching, now there is also police lynching which can be seen here," the SP chief told newspersons.

Noida (UP), Oct 10 (PTI) A 28-year-old tenant was arrested here and sent to jail on Thursday for allegedly raping the tree-year-old daughter of his landlord, police said.

Accused Deepak was staying in the victim's house, under Phase 2 police station limits, on rent and worked in a private company here, the police said.

Raipur, Oct 10 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday said capitalism has acquired a new form which is defined by black money and big business, and strongly condemned the tendency of branding people who ask questions as "anti-nationals".

In a veiled attack on the BJP and the RSS, the Congress leader said Mahatma Gandhi's concept of nationalism was inclusive and serious, but "what we see today is provocative nationalism".

Hyderabad, Oct 10 (PTI) An Assistant Professor of city-based Osmania University was on Thursday arrested for suspected links with maoists, police said.

K Jagan, also a member of Viplava Rachayitula Sangham (Virasam), a revolutionary writers' association, was picked up from his residence here by a police team from Jogulamba Gadwal district.

He was arrested in connection with a case registered against him under relevant sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) over suspected maoists links, they said.

Mumbai, Oct 10 (PTI) A 35-year-old Russian national lodged a complaint here on Thursday, accusing a police officer of raping her for eight years after promising to marry her.

Inspector Bhanudas alias Anil Jadhav, against whom she levelled the allegations, is currently posted in Pimpri- Chinchwad near Pune.

Officials at Chembur police station here said the process of registration of First Information Report against Jadhav was underway.

New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) Delhi recorded poor air quality on Thursday for the first time this season, the Central Pollution Control Board said.

The Air Quality Index, based on 33 air quality monitoring centres, was at 211. AQI between 201 to 300 is considered as poor.

Banda (UP), Oct 11 ( PTI) A visually challenged elderly woman was allegedly raped by a 25-year-old man in Hamirpur district, police said.

The 65-year-old woman, whose house had collapsed due to rains, had taken shelter in a shed outside the village when the man raped her in an inebriated state on Thursday night, SP Hemraj Meena said.

As the women raised an alarm, villagers rushed to the spot and nabbed the man and handed him over to the police.

The woman has been sent for medical examination, the SP said.

New Delhi, Oct 11 (PTI) Accusing the government of destroying the economy, the CPI(M) on Friday said "Jumlanomics" was to blame for the current situation countrywide.

Reacting to news reports on failure of government schemes leaving discoms in the red, Yechury charged that government's policies have burdened the poor.

Mandsaur, Oct 9 (PTI) A local office-bearer of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was shot dead by unidentified persons in Mandsaur town of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, the police said.

It is suspected that it was the fall-out of a business dispute.

Three motorbike-borne men shot Yuvraj Singh Chauhan (37) near a tea shop in Geeta Bhawan area and fled, district superintendent of police (SP) Hitesh Choudhary said.

Chauhan, who was shot in the chest, died on the spot, the SP added.