India

Mumbai, Aug 22 (PTI) NCP leader Dhananjay Munde on Thursday alleged that an "undeclared Emergency" has become more apparent in the country now with the summoning of MNS chief Raj Thackeray by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering probe.

He further alleged that the ED summoned Thackeray, a bitter critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, to "silence him" ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, due in September-October.

Kottayam (Ker), Aug 22 (PTI) Ten people were on Thursday convicted by a court here in the sensational murder of 23-year-old Dalit Christian Kevin P Joseph in 2018.

The Principal Sessions Court observed that the murder of Kevin, involving his wife's relatives, was a case of honour killing.

Those convicted included the brother-in-law of Kevin.The court acquitted four persons, including Kevin's father-in-law, citing lack of evidence.

New Delhi, Aug 22 (PTI) Ajay Kumar Bhalla, currently serving as an officer on special duty in the home ministry, was appointed as the new Union home secretary on Thursday, an official order said.

The Appointments Committee of the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Bhalla's appointment as the new home secretary. He replaces Rajiv Gauba, who was appointed as the new cabinet secretary on Wednesday.

Bhalla, a 1984-batch Assam-Meghalaya cadre IAS officer, served as the Union power secretary, before being appointed as an officer on special duty on July 24.

Banda (UP), Aug 22 (PTI) A six-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a septuagenarian in Tindwari township here, police said on Thursday.

The incident allegedly took place on Wednesday afternoon when the girl was returning home from her school.

The 70-year-old accused lured her to a secluded place and allegedly raped her, SP Ganesh Prasad Saha said.

After the girl's father lodged an FIR, the accused was arrested, police said, adding the girl was sent to the district hospital for a medical examination.

New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) A Supreme Court-appointed one-man panel, holding inquiry into allegations of "larger conspiracy" to frame Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, has completed its task and is likely to submit the report by mid September.

Sources said Tuesday that Justice A K Patnaik, a retired Supreme Court judge who was appointed by the apex court, examined advocate Utsav Singh Bains.

Kanpur:  Construction of proposed 20 MLD Common Effluent Treatment Plant at Wazidpur does not begin due to five thousand metric tonnes of sludge accumulated on the site. The Nagar Nigam has so far been able to remove merely ten thousand metric tonnes of sludge. Though it has employed its full manpower to complete the cleaning work. 

This sludge was taken out from 130 MLD CETP and dumped at the proposed site for the new plant. The construction does not start without cleaning of the site.

Hyderabad, Aug 22 (PTI) The Centre has no immediate plans to withdraw security forces from Jammu and Kashmir, where Article 370 has been revoked, in view of the continued tension in the region, Minister of State for Home G Kishan has said.

"Why will we withdraw troops immediately from there when Pakistan is trying to provoke?

Baghpat (UP), Aug 21 (PTI) The former head of Dhanaura Silverpur village in the district was shot dead by three motorcycle-borne miscreants, police said on Wednesday.

Rishipal Rana, 55, was going to a shop on Tuesday night on his motorcycle when the assailants on two other motorcycles intercepted him and opened fire at him, killing him on the spot, said Assistant Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Singh on Wednesday.

The assailants also took away Rana's licenced revolver, the ASP said.

New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) A court here discharged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and others on Wednesday in a case of allegedly violating prohibitory orders and obstructing public servants during an agitation in 2014.

Besides Kejriwal and Sisodia, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal also granted relief to other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, Kumar Vishwas, Gopal Rai, Sanjay Singh and Dilip Pandey.

Former AAP members Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav and others were also granted the relief.

Chennai, Aug 21 (PTI) The Madras High Court on Wednesday declined to grant any interim relief to Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on her petition to stay the order of a single judge, restraining her from interfering in the day to day administration of the territorial government.

The court said the elected government functioning through a council of ministers could not be defeated by the acts of an administrator, who also functions under the provisions of the Constitution.