India

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Apr 8 (PTI) A 12-year-old boy was allegedly sodomised by two men here, police said on Thursday.

According to a complaint lodged by the minor's father, the two men took the boy to a secluded place on Wednesday and allegedly sodomised him.

The accused also threatened the boy with dire consequences if he told anyone about the incident, police said.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Civil Lines Police Station and one of the two men was arrested.

Mumbai, Apr 8 (PTI) Former police officer Pradeep Sharma on Thursday appeared before the NIA for the second day in connection with the case of an explosives-laden SUV found near industrialist's Mukesh Ambani residence and the death of businessman Mansukh Hiran, an official said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had summoned the "encounter specialist" cop to record his statement.

Sharma reached the NIA office in south Mumbai around 1 pm, the official said.

Kanpur: Emotionally furious at inefficiency prevailing at the city's various vaccination centres the elder people have urged the health department officials to think of some disciplines in the arrangements.

They have indicated that they cannot suffer the long wait for the first dose. Worse, it is suddenly warned that the mandatory dose has been over so come tomorrow.

Baneswar (WB), Apr 7 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that the CRPF personnel are harassing voters in the state at the behest of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Addressing a rally here in Cooch Behar district, she accused personnel of the central force of molesting women and beating people during the ongoing assembly elections.

"They are obstructing electors to cast their votes.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Apr 7 (PTI) A five-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a labourer in this district of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Wednesday.

The girl, daughter of a brick kiln labourer, was rushed to a hospital in an injured condition on Tuesday, they said.

According to a complaint filed by her family, the accused raped the minor at a place near the brick kiln.

A case was registered against the accused and he has been arrested, police said.

Mumbai, Apr 6 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Tuesday permitted Chinese company ByteDance to operate its Indian bank accounts, that had been frozen by the Goods and Services Tax (GST) authorities over alleged tax evasion, after depositing a sum of Rs 78.91 crore in a state-run bank.

A bench of Justices SP Deshmukh and Abhay Ahuja directed ByteDance to deposit Rs 78.91 crore in any nationalised bank towards the demand raised by the GST authorities and said the company could operate its other Indian bank accounts and utilise the remaining funds.

New Delhi, Apr 6 (PTI) The United States' Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, on Tuesday lauded India for "getting the job done on climate" and said it is a world leader already in deployment of renewable energy.

Kerry is on a four-day visit to India, from April 5 to April 8, during which he will meet representatives from the Union government, the private sector and NGOs.

Kurukshetra (Haryana), Apr 6 (PTI) Protesting farmers on Tuesday blocked a BJP MP's car, smashing its windscreen as he tried to leave a party worker's home, police said.

Kurukshetra MP Nayab Singh Saini said police had a tough time getting him away from the protesters at Shahbad Markanda, 20 kms from here.

In two separate incidents, groups of farmers raised slogans against Women and Child Development Minister Kamlesh Dhanda in Kaithal district and state BJP chief O P Dhankar shortly before he was to arrive for a party event in Panipat.

Mumbai, Apr 7 (PTI) Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday expectedly left interest rates unchanged and maintained an accommodative stance as the economy faces a renewed threat to growth due to the resurgence of coronavirus cases.

The central bank kept the benchmark repurchase rate unchanged at 4 per cent and maintained accommodative policy stance to support growth.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept its estimate for economic growth unchanged at 10.5 per cent for the current fiscal.

New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI) Following are the highlights of RBI's monetary policy for 2021-22:

* RBI keeps policy rate unchanged for fifth time in a row; repo at 4 pc

* Economic growth projection for current fiscal retained at 10.5 pc

* RBI to maintain accommodative monetary policy stance to support growth, keep inflation at targeted level

* Says recent surge in COVID-19 infections has created uncertainty over economic recovery, focus be on containing virus spread