India

Dhanbad, Aug 3 (PTI) Police on Tuesday lodged an FIR against 13 persons including BJP MLA Dhulu Mahto in Barora police station for allegedly demanding extortion money from a construction company.

Barora police station officer in-charge Neeraj Kumar said that on written complain of Modern Enterprises Company manager Reyaz Kureshi an FIR under IPC Sections 341/ 387/ 504/ 506 has been lodged against Dhulu Mahto and 12 other persons.

New Delhi, Aug 3 (PTI) The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Tuesday said it has issued a notification to exempt battery operated vehicles from the payment of fees for issue or renewal of registration certificate.

In a statement, the ministry said it has also exempted battery operated vehicles from the payment of fees for assignment of new registration marks.

This has been notified to encourage e-mobility, it added.

Ludhiana, Aug 3 (PTI) A group of farmers held a protest outside the venue where a BJP meeting was taking place here, with police saying their timely intervention prevented the situation from turning ugly.

Police said a meeting of the women wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party was being held and when the farmers protested.

The meeting was attended by Sukhpreet Kaur, national general secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha, and Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharm.

Carrying BKU flags, the farmers raised slogans against the Centre over its contentious farm laws.

Ahmedabad, Aug 3 (PTI) The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday granted bail to a Pathalgadi movement activist from Jharkhand, arrested in Gujarat on the charges of sedition and `waging war against the government'.

Babita Kashyap had been arrested by the state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) last year for allegedly inciting tribals against the Gujarat government.

Justice S H Vora granted her bail on a personal bond of Rs 20,000. She shall not leave India without the session court's permission, the order said.

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 4 (PTI) The Kerala government on Wednesday announced easing of the lockdown curbs, imposed in the state in view of the spread of COVID-19.

Health Minister Veena George, who made a statement in this regard in the state Assembly, said it would be a triple lockdown for shops located in an area, where over 10 of the 1000 people of the population are infected in a week.

Lucknow, Aug 4 (PTI) Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Wednesday demanded strict action against the culprits in the alleged rape and murder case of a nine-year-old Dalit girl in southwest Delhi.

"The brutal murder of a nine-year-old Dalit girl after rape and then burning her body in Nagal village of Delhi Cantt is very sad and shameful. BSP demands strict action against the culprits and necessary steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said in a tweet in Hindi.

Muzaffarnagar, Aug 4 (PTI) Two youths were booked for allegedly sexually harassing a minor girl in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district, police said on Wednesday.

The accused have been identified as Monti and Sumit, they said.

The girl's father alleged in his complaint that Monti and Sumit sexually harassed his daughter while she was returning home from a shop in her village under Gharipukhta police station area, the police said.

New Delhi, Aug 4 (PTI) Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday suspended six TMC MPs for the day for carrying placards while protesting along with other opposition MPs over the Pegasus spying issue.

Just as witnessed since the start of monsoon session, slogan-shouting TMC and other opposition MPs trooped into the well of the House, some holding placards, to demand a discussion on the issue of Israeli-made, military-grade Pegasus spyware allegedly being used to snoop on opposition leaders, government critics and journalists.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Aug 4 (PTI) A 60-year-old man was killed in a clash between two groups over some minor dispute in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Wednesday.

According to the police, the groups clashed at Khudda village in Chapar police station area of the district on Tuesday.

Shokat Ali suffered injuries in the clash. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Police have registered a case against four people who are on the run.

New Delhi, Aug 2 (PTI) Edible oil major Adani Wilmar Ltd (AWL) on Monday filed the draft red herring prospectus with markets regulator Sebi for an initial public offer to raise up to Rs 4,500 crore.

The company, which sells cooking oils under the Fortune brand, is a major player in the edible oil industry.

"The proposed listing of AWL on the stock exchanges will comprise an IPO in the form of fresh issue of new equity shares by AWL for an amount of up to INR 45,000 million (approximately USD 600 million).