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Fri, 28 April 2023

Will abide by SC order: Calcutta HC judge

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23:27 Will abide by SC order: Calcutta HC judge

Calcutta high court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay on Friday night said he will abide by the order of the Supreme Court, which asked the acting Chief Justice of the high court to reassign the West Bengal school jobs 'scam' case to another judge.

The apex court also stayed in the evening Justice Gangopadhyay's order asking the Supreme Court secretary general to produce the transcript of his interview to a television channel placed before it in the case.

He maintained that everybody has to abide by the Supreme Court's directions and as part of the high court judiciary, he will also do the same.

'A discipline has to be maintained and because the Supreme Court is the highest court of the country, as a high court, we must abide by its directions,' he told reporters while leaving the high court a little before 10 pm following the stay order.

Asserting that he will not resign, the judge said, 'I am not a man to run away.'

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta high court to reassign the West Bengal school jobs 'scam' case to another judge after examining a report on Justice Gangopadhyay's interview to a news channel about the matter.

Following the Supreme Court order for reassigning the case, Justice Gangopadhyay directed the secretary general of the Supreme Court to produce before him by midnight the report submitted before the bench of the Chief Justice of India.

He had also directed that the official translation of the interview given by him in a news channel and the affidavit of the Registrar General of the Calcutta high court be produced before him in original by midnight of Friday.

He had also said he would wait in his chamber till 12.15 am to get those documents.

Hearing a plea of senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha took note of the report of the Registrar General of the Calcutta HC and said the case has to be reassigned to a bench headed by another judge.

Earlier, the top court had sought a report from the Registrar General of the Calcutta high court on whether Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay gave an interview to a news channel about the school jobs 'scam' case in West Bengal. -- PTI

22:53 2 FIRs registered against Brij Bhushan Singh

The Delhi Police on Friday registered two first information report (FIRs) in connection with sexual harassment allegations levelled by women wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

On the complaints received from female wrestlers, two FIRs have been registered in Connaught Place police station, a senior police officer said.

The first FIR pertains to allegations levelled by a minor which is registered under The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code concerning outraging modesty, he said.

The second FIR has been registered for carrying out comprehensive investigations into the complaints by adult complainants under relevant IPC sections pertaining to outraging of modesty, the officer said, adding that investigation into both the FIRs was being taken up in right earnest. -- PTI

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday claimed that the terror plot in last week's Poonch ambush has been uncovered and six locals have been arrested for sheltering the terrorists before they carried out the attack on an army vehicle using explosives and weapons that came from Pakistan through drones.

Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said the April 20 attack in which five soldiers were killed was a well-planned one and executed by three to five terrorists.

They first did a recce of the area, understood the terrain and then chose the spot of attack.

He said over 200 people have being questioned till now and the operation to neutralise the terrorists involved in the attack is on.

Meanwhile, the massive cordon and search operation, backed by drones, metal detectors and sniffer dogs entered the ninth day.

Officials said the Pakistan-based terrorists used Chinese-made steel-core armour-piercing bullets in the ambush.

Talking to reporters during a visit to Rajouri district, Singh said, "Six persons (of a module) have been arrested. They include those who have provided material (weapons, ammunition, explosives) to the terrorists besides shelter and food and guided them from one to another place."

"We are getting clues during questioning. We are working on that," he said.

Singh, who visited Darhal and remote Budh Khanari area in the foothills of snow-covered Pir Panjal mountains, also said that such incidents are not possible without local support.

"One full module in this has been caught. They were giving them support for past two to three months. A local named Nisar and his family were providing all support from food to shelter. The material (explosives) had come from Pakistan through drone. They picked up the weapons and provided them to the terrorists. Weapons, grenades and ammunition explosives were included in that," he said.

He added that security forces are identifying more local support.

"They will be working on it strongly. The terrorists choose places close to forests, where they get local support and also have escape route into forests," he said. -- PTI

Goa beaches will get trained dogs to spot and rescue people in distress and locate missing children, an official of an agency tasked with lifesaving operations in the coastal state said on Friday.

A team of 11 dogs, called the 'paw squad', is being trained for these works, and the initiative is the first of its kind in Asia, the Drishti Marine official said in the presence of state tourism minister Rohan Khaunte.

"They are being trained to spot and rescue victims in distress, search and rescue in rocky areas and locate missing children at the beaches. The paw squad is being trained by canine expert Arjun Shawn Moitra and will be deployed first at high-density beaches," the spokesperson said.

Hailing the initiative, Khaunte said new technologies and innovations have to deployed routinely for such works.

The Drishti Marine spokesperson said it was giving final touches to two Artificial Intelligence platforms, Aurus and Triton, to assist lifesavers at beaches.

"Aurus is a self-driving robot and the AI-powered monitoring system, Triton, will augment life-saving capabilities along Goa's beaches. Both systems can monitor the surroundings, assess risks and share real-time information to help on-duty lifesavers respond faster,'' the spokesperson said.

"Aurus is currently deployed as a pilot project at Miramar Beach in North Goa for assistance in beach closure, while Triton, still in testing mode, has been deployed at Baina, Velsao, Benaulim, Galgibag beaches in South Goa and Morjim in North Goa," he added.

The plan is to roll out 100 Triton units and 10 Aurus units on the beaches of the state in the coming months, Drishti Marine Operations Manager Navin Awasthi said. -- PTI

A digital portrait of Mahatma Gandhi was installed at Attari open stadium at the Indo-Pak border on Friday.

Dedicated to the central government's 75th 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' initiative, the portrait has been prepared and digitised by author, heritage promoter and nature artist Harpreet Sandhu, a former additional advocate general, Punjab.

Sanjay Gaur, deputy inspector general (DIG), Border Security Force (BSF) acknowledged the innovative and dedicated efforts of Sandhu to have digitised the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi for the Joint Check Post (JCP) Attari.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday started issuing heat index for different parts of the country on an experimental basis, taking into account the air temperature and relative humidity.

In addition to giving the day's minimum and maximum temperatures, the heat index, mainly for the plains, will give people 'a sense of what the temperature actually feels like'.

"We are utilising the temperature and humidity data at 2:30 pm for the heat index and the forecasts as the maximum temperature occurs at that time," IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said at a Media Workshop on Weather and Climate in New Delhi.

Currently, the weather office uses a formula of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to calculate the heat index.

However, the heat index is yet to be validated for Indian conditions and uses the comfort levels of weather experienced by Americans in their regions.

"We have to work with the health ministry to validate the observations for Indian cities. For example, in India, 40 degrees Celsius temperature and 20 per cent relative humidity could be okay, but the same is intolerable for a person residing in the US," said M Ravichandran, secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences.

The heat index issued by the IMD on Friday carried a disclaimer stating 'not validated for India', making it clear that it was an experimental forecast to educate people about the implications of heat on them.

Ravichandran said the index will be issued to make such data more accessible to the public for precautionary measures.

The heat index will be issued for the entire country every day in weather bulletins.

The weather office declares a heatwave when the maximum temperature crosses 40 degrees Celsius and is 4.5 degrees above normal for the day.

A severe heatwave is declared when the temperature is above 40 degrees Celsius and 6.5 degrees above normal. -- PTI

21:09 IndiGo flights to evacuate Indians from Sudan

IndiGo on Friday became the first private airline to join the government's Operation Kaveri to bring back Indian nationals from civil war-torn Sudan.

"In order to support the repatriation efforts, IndiGo will operate chartered evacuation flights as part of Operation Kaveri being conducted by the Government of India, on April 28 and 30 from Jeddah to Delhi and Bengaluru respectively. The airline will be operating two flights, bringing over 450 Indian citizens back to their homeland over the weekend," IndiGo said in a statement.

"The airline is operating these flights with A321 aircraft. IndiGo is closely liaising with the government to offer support for more such evacuation flights," it added.

A local court in Bengaluru has rejected the transit anticipatory bail to Indian Youth Congress president B V Srinivas.

He has been accused of harassment and gender discrimination by Angkita Dutta, a youth Congress leader from Assam, and has been asked to appear before the Assam Police for questioning on May 2.

In his plea before the Additional City Civil and Sessions Court, Srinivas had sought the transit bail so that he could approach the jurisdictional court for bail.

Judge K S Jyothishree heard the plea on Thursday and announced its rejection on Friday.

Appearing for Dutta, senior counsel Phaneendra submitted that the accused had already approached the Guwahati high court in the matter but claimed he had not approached any other court in this plea.

The lawyer argued that since Srinivas was influential, he would destroy the evidence if granted bail.

He was accused of serious offences and therefore custodial interrogation was necessary, he added.

Srinivas's counsel, senior advocate Shashikiran Shetty had argued that the complainant was hand-in-glove with political rivals and had made the allegation out of political ill-will.

The Assam police was in Karnataka to arrest Srinivas in a complaint filed long after the alleged incident.

Dutta had alleged that Srinivas had harassed her for over six months and had threatened her not to bring it to the notice of Congress leaders.

He allegedly assaulted her on February 25 in a hotel in Chhattisgarh, and allegedly harassed her in Guwahati as well, earlier.

She filed the complaint on April 19, 2023 in a police station in Kamrup, Assam.

Srinivas has been booked under various Sections of Indian Penal Code 294, 342, 352, 354, 354(A)(iv), 506 and 509, and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. -- PTI

The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to BJP leader Hardik Patel in a case lodged against him in connection with the violence during the Patidar stir in Gujarat in 2015 subject to his "diligent participation" in the investigation.

A bench of Justice A S Bopanna and Justice Hima Kohli made its earlier order granting protection to Patel absolute.

"This court had in February 2020 issued notice and had granted interim protection. Three-and-a-half years have passed since then. In these circumstances, we see no reason to alter the order at this juncture.

"Hence, the interim protection granted to the petitioner shall continue till the completion of further process, subject to his diligent participation in the process, if called upon to do so," the bench said while disposing of the plea filed by Patel.

The top court was hearing a 2020 plea filed by Patel challenging the Gujarat high court order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea after considering the government's objection on grounds of his criminal antecedents.

The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti under Patel had organised a mega rally in Ahmedabad as part of the stir demanding quota for the community in government jobs and an FIR was lodged for "unlawful assembly" as the police claimed the event did not have requisite permissions.

The police had also contended that this unlawful gathering led to violence, in which over a dozen youths were killed and the property was damaged.

In his anticipatory bail plea before the high court, Patel had claimed that he was being "victimised by the ruling party of the state" which has slapped "several false, frivolous and concocted cases against him".

19:26 Jet Airways CEO Designate Sanjiv Kapoor quits

Jet Airways CEO-Designate Sanjiv Kapoor has quit the grounded airline, according to a source.

He had joined the airline as the Chief Executive Officer in April last year.

The source said that Friday was the last working day for Kapoor at the airline.

There was no immediate comment from Kapoor.

Jet Airways shuttered operations in April 2019 and later went into insolvency proceedings.

Jalan Kalrock consortium had emerged as the winning bidder for the once-storied carrier under the insolvency resolution process.

However, with continuing differences with the lenders, the transfer of ownership of the airline to the consortium. -- PTI

Image used only for representation

19:06 Aligarh: Several booked for offering Eid prayers on road

Several unnamed persons have been booked for offering namaaz outside two mosques in the old city area in Aligarh in violation of prohibitory orders on Eid last week, police said on Friday.

Aligarh Superintendent Police Kuldeep Singh Gunawat told the media that clerics had assured the district authorities ahead of Eid that no one will be allowed to offer prayers on roads outside mosques.

"Despite such assurances a large number of people offered prayers on the road outside the Eidgah ground under Delhi Gate Police Station and another mosque in a locality under Kotwali police station," said the officer, adding, the FIRs were lodged on April 26.

Police are reviewing video footage of the day to identify those who participated in the outside prayers.

Earlier, police in Kanpur said they have booked more than 2,000 people on similar charges in three FIRs. -- PTI

The Delhi Commission For Women has issued a notice to city police in connection with a viral video of a man allegedly masturbating in a metro train, an official said on Friday.

The video is being widely circulated on social media wherein the man can be seen indulging in the 'obscene act' while sitting in the Delhi Metro, the panel said, adding, 'This is a very serious matter'.

The DCW has sought a copy of the FIR registered in the matter and a detailed action taken report (ATR) by May 1.

Calling the incident 'sickening', Maliwal demanded exemplary action against the accused.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal said, 'A man can be seen in a viral video shamelessly masturbating in Delhi Metro. It is absolutely disgusting and sickening. The accused must be arrested and strict action should be taken in the matter.'

'More and more such cases are coming to light in the Delhi Metro and exemplary action needs to be taken against such persons so that women safety is ensured in the Metro,' she added. -- PTI

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde

18:17 Refinery only with locals' consent: Maha CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said the proposed refinery project at Barsu village in Ratnagiri district will not be implemented without the local people's consent, and appealed for calm in the area.

The situation in the village, where protesters who are opposing the refinery have gathered, was peaceful, he claimed while speaking to reporters in Mumbai.

Earlier in the day, the police used tear gas in Barsu and Solgaon villages in Rajapur tehsil to disperse the protesters and detained Shiv Sena-UBT MP Vinayak Raut.

Shinde said he spoke to Ratnagiri collector and superintendent of police as well as district guardian minister Uday Samant, and the collector told him that there was no lathi (baton) charge at the site.

"A former chief minister himself had suggested the Barsu site to the Union government. After losing the CM's post, he is opposing the project. One can not have such double standards," he said, apparently referring to Shiv Sena-UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray whose party is backing the section of villagers opposing the refinery.

"We are a people's government and we are not against them. We will not proceed without the local people's consent,'' the chief minister added. -- PTI

A C-17 heavy-lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force on Friday brought back home 392 people as part of the government's mission to evacuate stranded Indians from strife-torn Sudan.

It is the third batch of Indians to be brought back home from Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah where India has set up a transit camp for the evacuees.

"Another C-17 flight carrying 392 passengers reaches New Delhi," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted.

The first batch of 360 evacuees were brought to New Delhi in a commercial plane on Wednesday. The second batch of 246 Indian evacuees arrived in Mumbai in a C17 Globemaster aircraft the next day.

The total number of Indians who were brought back home now stands at 998, according to official data.

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17:31 Lalu back in Patna after 7 months, buzz on role in Opposition unity moves

Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad returned to his home turf of Bihar on Friday amid a buzz that he will throw his weight behind Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's efforts to forge "opposition unity" ahead of next year's Lok Sabha polls.

Prasad, whose unconditional offer of support to Kumar, an arch rival, helped the latter survive in power while elbowing out former ally Bharatiya Janata Party, is back home after a gap of seven months which saw him travel to Singapore for a kidney transplant operation followed by a long period of recuperation in Delhi.

The septuagenarian, who was brought out of the airport in Patna in a wheelchair, looked frail in a T-shirt and track pants and a mask wrapped around his face.

He was accompanied, among others, by younger son Tejashwi Yadav, his party's heir apparent who has earned the deputy CM's chair as a result of the churn in Bihar politics last year.

Enthusiastic supporters stood in the scorching heat, waiting for a glimpse of their leader.

Security personnel had a challenging time ensuring that the slogan-shouting crowd did not venture too close to the VIPs.

Prasad nodded and waved at party supporters as he was rushed to his son's car, covered with flower petals.

His cavalcade drove to his wife Rabri Devi's house, where he puts up whenever he is in Patna.

A large number of vehicles was parked outside 10, Circular Road, the bungalow allotted to Rabri Devi, right across the street from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's residence. -- PTI

After being acquitted of abetment charges in Jia Khan's suicide case, actor Sooraj Pancholi took to Instagram to post "The Truth Always Wins!"

The actor posted this note with folded hands and heart emoji. He wrote in hashtags# GodisGreat.

Almost 10 years after actress Jiah Khan's death by suicide, a special CBI court in Mumbai on Friday acquitted actor Sooraj Pancholi of abetment charges.

"Due to paucity of evidence, this court can't hold you (Sooraj Pancholi) guilty, hence acquitted," Special CBI court judge Judge AS Sayyed said while pronouncing the verdict.

Jiah Khan was found dead in her suburban home on June 3, 2013.Based on a letter seized on June 10, which was purportedly written by the 25-year-old Jiah, Mumbai Police booked Suraj Pancholi under section 306 (abetment to suicide) and arrested him. -- ANI

No action was taken against Anurag Thakur for his hate speech in 2020

16:56 SC asks states to register cases against those making hate speeches

Update: Extending the scope of its 2022 order beyond three states, the Supreme Court on Friday directed all states and Union Territories to register cases against those making hate speeches even if no complaint has been made.

A bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna termed hate speeches a "serious offence capable of affecting secular fabric of the country".

The bench said its October 21, 2022 order shall be made applicable irrespective of religion and warned any delay in registering cases will be treated as contempt of the court.

"Where have we reached in the name of religion? What have we reduced religion to is really tragic," the apex court had then observed and directed Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Uttarakhand to crack down hard on those making hate speeches, calling them shocking for a country that is religion-neutral. Holding that the Constitution of India envisages a secular nation, the court had directed Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi to promptly register criminal cases against the offenders without waiting for a complaint to be filed.

On Friday, the bench said, "The judges are apolitical and not concerned with Party A or Party B and the only thing they have in mind is the Constitution of India". It said the court has been entertaining petitions against hate speeches in different parts of the country for "larger public good" and to ensure establishment of "rule of law".

The apex court warned any delay on the part of the administration in taking action on this "very serious issue" will invite the court's contempt.

The top court's order came on a plea filed by journalist Shaheen Abdullah, who had initially sought direction against Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to register cases against those delivering hate speeches. Abdullah had again moved an application seeking implementation of the apex court's October 21, 2022 order across states and union territories. PTI

Another C-17 flight carrying 392 passengers reaches New Delhi. They have been evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan.

This morning an IAF C-130J flight evacuated the 10th batch of 135 Indian passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. "#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," tweeted the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi.

This comes after the army said it would extend the ceasefire "for an additional 72 hours" following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday.

Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country.

Supreme Court asks all states to file cases over hate speeches even if there's no complaint. The court says hate speech is a serious offence capable of affecting the secular fabric of the country and warns that a delay in registering hate speech cases will be treated as contempt of court. Details awaited.

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16:03 A dangerous pathogen is stalking Delhi hospitals

A dangerous, rare yeast pathogen behind two outbreaks in a neonatal intensive care unit in Delhi is evolving quickly, and is highly resistant to disinfectants commonly used in hospital rooms, a study has found.

The pathogen, known as Lodderomyces elongisporus, typically infects immunocompromised adult patients or intravenous drug users, but has now begun to strike premature infants. The findings, published in the journal mBio, show that while infected patients can be treated with antifungal medications, the yeast is remarkably resistant to the strong disinfectant bleach commonly used to sanitise hospital rooms.

The pathogen is evolving quickly and reproducing at a much higher rate than related pathogens such as Candida auris, a drug-resistant fungus that can cause persistent and severe infections and widespread outbreaks.

While an outbreak of this nature is relatively rare, invasive fungal infections in neonatal intensive care units are increasing significantly worldwide, the researchers said.

Fungal sepsis caused by the Candida species and other fungi has become a significant cause of illness and death in already vulnerable preterm, low birth-weight babies, they said.

In the Delhi outbreaks, clusters of infection occurred in the fall of 2021 and in early 2022. Despite repeated deep cleaning in the intensive care unit, 10 infants were infected over six months, the researchers said. Nine survived after being treated with antifungal medications, they said. "The findings are worrisome because the hospital environment seems to be selecting for stress-resistant fungal pathogens.

They are adapting and evolving very, very quickly, said Jianping Xu, a professor at McMaster University and a lead author of the study. Researchers at the University of Delhi's V.P. Chest Institute took samples from the infants and swabbed the neonatal ICU. They found the railing and temperature-control panel of the open care warmer were contaminated with L. elongisporus.

Through genome sequencing, the team determined there were two closely related genotype clustersone which spread from infant to infant and another found on the hospital equipment. Further testing showed a close relationship between the hospital strains and those found in the wider world on the surface of apples, according to the researchers. In previous research, the team had found apples treated with fungicide could be spreading drug-resistant pathogens, including L. elongisporus, suggesting fruits as a possible source of transmission.

"This yeast is among a growing list of fungi capable of causing severe infections among humans," said Xu. "The genetic mechanisms underlying their adaptations to humans, and to hospital and natural environments warrant further investigation and measures to contain their spread and persistence," the scientist said.

Training guns on the Congress over its President M Mallikarjun Kharge's 'venomous snake' barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the party and its leaders have lost their mind.

Noting that Modi is welcomed across the world with a lot of respect, he said the Congress cannot instigate people with such statements, because the support for the PM will increase, as much as they abuse him.

"Congress is lacking on issues, in the last nine years Prime Minister Narendra Modi has increased India's pride in the world, he has worked to make India prosperous, he has made India's infrastructure strong, he has made India's borders safe. Wherever Modi ji goes across the world people there welcome him with 'Modi-Modi' slogans," Shah said.

Addressing a public meeting at Navalgund in Dharwad district, he said, "Congress President Kharge (Mallikarjun Kharge) says our leader Modi, whom the whole world respects and welcomes, is like a venomous snake. I want to ask you, can you make the Congress party, which has compared Modi to a venomous snake, victorious in the election?

"The same Congress gives the slogan Modi teri khabar khudegi', Sonia Gandhi says 'Maut Ka Saudagar', Priyanka Gandhi says 'neechi jati ke log' (people of low caste), and he (Kharge) says 'Vishela Samp' (venomous snake), Congress people, you have lost your mind. How much ever you abuse Modi, lotus will bloom," Shah said.

"By abusing Modi, Congress cannot instigate people of Karnataka," he further said and added that, "If you abuse Modi, support for him will increase." Addressing a campaign rally in poll bound Karnataka, Kharge on Thursday likened Modi to a venomous snake.

As a row erupted, he later sought to clarify that his remarks were not aimed at the Prime Minister but at the ruling BJP. -- PTI

The Maharashtra government informs the Supreme Court that it has decided to hand over to the CBI the probe into the Palghar case where two sadhus were lynched to death.

Three persons from Kandivali in Mumbai were travelling in a car to attend a funeral in Surat in Gujarat amid the Covid-19-induced nationwide lockdown when their vehicle was stopped and they were attacked and killed allegedly by a mob in Gadchinchale village on the night of April 16, 2020, in the presence of the police.

The victims were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri, 70, Sushil Giri Maharaj, 35, and Nilesh Telgade, 30, who was driving the vehicle.

The state government recently approached the Supreme Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the lynching.

The Supreme Court begins hearing petition by wrestlers seeking registration of the FIR against WFI president Brij Bhushan. The Delhi Police tells the court that they will register an FIR.

SG Tushar Mehta apprises the Supreme Court that the Delhi Police will register an FIR by today evening. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal urges the court to issue a direction to provide safety to woman wrestlers, under the monitoring of a retired judge.

SG Tushar Mehta, appearing for Delhi Police, says that all these concerns can be addressed by the police.

Top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, are protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, demanding that the government makes public the findings of the oversight panel that investigated sexual harassment allegations against the WFI chief.

14:47 Farewell, dear Sherna, and thank you

How does one describe Sherna Gandhy, editor like none other?

Because, apart from ruling copy desks with a firm but gentle hand in leading publications ranging from The Illustrated Weekly of India to the Sunday Observer to The Times Of India, there was so much more to her.

But above everything, what stays in one's mind is her infectious laughter, her joie de vivre. Which didn't flag even as she spent the last years of her life battling cancer, before the insidious disease claimed her earlier today. She had turned 70 on April 16.

At an interaction with her former colleagues at her home, each of who carries a favourite Sherna story, she quietly steered the conversation away from dwelling on her disease, even as her darling mom ensured that a table full of eats was never depleted.

It was as if the years had slipped away, and each of us was back at our tables at the Weekly, that monumental publication the likes of which India has not seen since.

And Sherna was among those who made the Weekly what it was.

To say that she will be missed, sounds trite.

For many who learnt the basics of good editing from her and struggle to reach the high standards she kept and expected of her wards, it's a silent tribute to her every time a copy is opened for editing.

In the picture: Pritish Nandy, legendary editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India, Palashranjan Bhaumick, ace photographer who illuminated the Weekly's pages with his magical images, and Sherna Gandhy at her home.

Pic: Sahil Salvi

14:37 Elephantine heat

Anarkali, the elephant, cools off in a pond at the Byculla zoo in Mumbai.

Opposition party leaders hit out at Indian Olympics Association President PT Usha on Friday for criticising the protest by wrestlers in Delhi, alleging she has become a "political mouthpiece".

The wrestlers have launched a second round of protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him sexual harassment and intimidation.

Usha, a Rajya Sabha member, has condemned the protest, saying the grapplers lacked discipline in hitting the street in support of their demand. She also said their action has tarnished the image of India.

Reponding to Usha, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said ignoring their pleas tarnishes the country's image, not hearing them out. "Dear @PTUshaOfficial, it does not become you to disparage the justified protests of your fellow sportspersons in the face of repeated & wanton sexual harassment. Their standing up for their rights does not 'tarnish the image of the nation'. Ignoring their concerns - instead of hearing them out, investigating them & taking just action - does," he said.

CPI MP Binoy Viswam blamed the sprinter's "newly found" political friends for her stand on the issue. "Usha, with utmost respect and affection, I have to say, your comments on the suffering wrestlers should have been avoided. The country and the sport lovers wish to see you as a spirited sports person. Alas! Your newly found friends want to make you their political mouthpiece," Viswam said.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra also attributed the former sportswoman's stand to her Rajya Sabha seat. "Wrestlers protesting on streets tarnishing India's image says @PTUshaOfficial. So ruling party MP chairing WFI for years accused of molestation & abuse of power against who @DelhiPolice refuses to lodge FIR in spite of SC order makes India smell of roses, does it?" tweeted Moitra.

The Congress on Friday hit at the BJP demanding expulsion of its leader Basangouda Patil Yatnal for calling Sonia Gandhi a "vishkanya". Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said the Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka and its leaders have lost their mental as well as political balance, asserting that Yatnal's remarks are the worst kind of sacrilege and abuse against Gandhi at the instance of Prime Minster Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Facing a complete rout in the assembly elections, the BJP leadership is frustrated to the core and is hurling filth and muck, which is the product of their ugly character and dirty mindset of denigrating and insulting the Congress leadership. They have lost all sense of propriety, political balance and even a remote iota of decency and decorum," he said in a statement.

"Instructed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and supported by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, BJP leader and Modi Ji's personal favourite Basangouda Patil Yatnal has stooped to the lowest by calling UPA chairperson and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi as Visha Kanye and Agent of China and Pakistan," Surjewala said.

The "vishkanya" remark against Gandhi by Yatnal, who is the Bijapur MLA and former minister, at a poll rally comes a day after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the a poisonous snake.

Campaigning in Karnataka for the assembly polls is in full swing and the Congress seeks to wrest power from the BJP in the state. Karnataka is the only southern state where the BJP is in power. Prime minister Narendra Modi is set to begin his campaign in Karnataka on Saturday with a series of public meetings.

Another batch of 362 Indian evacuees from Sudan took a flight for Bengaluru from Jeddah on Friday, in the presence of Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan under ongoing Operation Kaveri.

"Bon voyage! Delighted to see off 362 Indians evacuated from Sudan on a flight bound for Bengaluru from Jeddah. Good number of these are from Hakki Pikki tribe," tweeted Muraleedharan.

About 31 tribals (Hakki Pikki) from Karnataka were stranded in the African country amid the violence between Sudan's military and the country's main paramilitary force.

13:17 CBI questions Satya Pal Malik

The CBI will on Friday questioned former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik in connection with its probe in the alleged insurance "scam" in the Union Territory which came to light after his statement that he was offered bribes to clear related files, officials said.

A CBI team arrived around 11.45 am at the Som Vihar residence of Malik in the RK Puram area of the national capital to seek clarifications from him on his claims, they said. Malik is not an accused or a suspect in the case so far, they said.

This is the second time in seven months that Malik, who has served as the governor of various states, will be quizzed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

His statement was recorded in October last year after he concluded his gubernatorial responsibilities in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa, and Meghalaya.

After the latest CBI notice to seek clarifications from him, Malik had tweeted, "I have exposed the sins of some people by speaking the truth. Maybe that's why I have been called. I am the son of a farmer, I will not panic. I stand by the truth."

The CBI registered two FIRs in connection with the corruption allegations levelled by Malik in the awarding of contracts for a group medical insurance scheme for government employees, and civil work worth Rs 2,200 crore related to the Kiru hydroelectric power project in Jammu and Kashmir.

Malik had claimed he was offered a Rs 300-crore bribe for clearing two files during his tenure as the Jammu and Kashmir governor between August 23, 2018 and October 30, 2019. PTI

13:13 SC asks UP govt for report on Atiq killing

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a status report on steps taken after the killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj.

A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta also sought a report from the UP government on the police encounter of Ahmad's son Asad in Jhansi. Asad was killed in an encounter by a special task force (ST) team of the UP Police on April 13.

Two days later, Ahmad and Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as media persons when they were being taken to a medical college in Prayagraj for a health check-up under police escort.

The top court was hearing a plea, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, who has sought an inquiry into the 183 encounters that have taken place in Uttar Pradesh since 2017. PTI

The Supreme Court on Friday permitted some forest dwelling tribals to move the Bombay High Court with their grievances related to the felling of trees in Mumbai's Aarey forest for the metro rail project.

Many trees being cut for the project are on their land. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha took note of the submissions of senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for some tribals who claim to be living in the Aarey forest area, and asked them to intervene in a pending petition before the Bombay High Court on the issue.

The senior lawyer said, "We seek to intervene. I appear for the tribals and others who will be displaced if the trees are cut...49 trees are on our land. The bench said a petition is already pending before the high court and they can raise the issue of enforcement of their right there.

The petitioners claim rights as forest dwellers. Since the petition is pending before the high court. A liberty is granted to raise this before the high court and the high court may consider this for expeditious listing, the bench said in its order.

12:43 India-France bhai bhai

Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India expresses his gratitude for evacuations from Sudan. "My heartfelt thanks to India for evacuating a local staff member of the French Embassy in #Khartoum and her family in an @IAF_MCC flight last night. In #Sudan as elsewhere, Indo-French solidarity never falters. #OperationKaveri," he tweeted.

Earlier, France has also evacuated Indians aboard a French flight out of Sudan.

Actor Sooraj Pancholi acquitted of abetment charges in Jiah Khan suicide case. A special CBI court delivered its verdict in the case of Jiah Khan's death by suicide, in which her boyfriend and film star Sooraj Pancholi has been charged with abetment.

"Due to paucity of evidence, this court can't hold you (Sooraj Pancholi) guilty. Therefore you are acquitted," says Judge AS Sayyed of the special CBI court in Mumbai.

Jiah, a US citizen, was found dead at her Mumbai home on June 3, 2013. Pancholi was arrested and charged on the basis of a six-page letter purportedly written by the dead actor.

Jiah Khan's mother had yesterday requested a submission in the court but the defence counsel opposed any more submissions at this stage.

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking a direction to the Maharashtra government that all party assets of the Shiv Sena being held by the Uddhav Thackeray faction be transferred to the group led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha questioned the locus of petitioner Ashish Giri, a lawyer, and dismissed his plea.

"Who are you? What is your locus," the bench asked and then said, "Dismissed." Giri said a plea has been filed in the top court as it has heard various petitions relating to the feud between the Thackeray and the Shinde factions. He had said the assets of the party should be transferred to the Shinde group. "What kind of petition is this and who are you? Your request cannot be entertained," the bench said.

The top court, on March 16, had reserved its verdict on a batch of cross-petitions of Uddhav Thackeray and CM Eknath Shinde factions pertaining to the Maharashtra political crisis. The poll panel has granted the symbol, bow and arrow, to the Shinde faction and the issue is presently sub-judice. PTI

After no handshake with China, Defence Minister General Li Shangfu on Thursday vouched for a "comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective," with India.

Speaking at the bilateral meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defence Ministers meeting, he said, "As major neighbouring countries and important developing countries, China and India share far more common interests than differences. The two sides should view bilateral relations and each other's development from a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to the world and regional peace and stability," reported China Military Online.

Notably, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh did not exchange handshake with Li ahead of the bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Li, while, he had handshakes with Tajik, Iranian and Kazakh counterparts ahead of the bilateral.

Li pointed out that currently, the situation on the China-India border is generally stable and the two sides have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels, reported China Military Online.

"The two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalized management. It is hoped that the two sides will work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries and make proper contributions to the development of bilateral relations," said Li.

After India firmly told China that its violation of the border pacts has "eroded" the entire basis of bilateral ties, China's defence ministry on Friday said the situation at the border is generally stable and both sides should put the boundary issue in an appropriate position and promote its transition to normalised management.

China's defence minister General Li Shangfu, who is in New Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers conference, held a 45-minute-long meeting with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on Thursday during which the two ministers discussed the standoff at the eastern Ladakh area since May 2020.

At the meeting, Singh told Gen Li that China's violation of border agreements "eroded" the entire basis of ties between the two countries and that all issues relating to the frontier must be resolved in accordance with the existing pacts.

A Chinese Defence Ministry statement issued on Friday said that during the meeting the two sides exchanged views on militaries and bilateral relations. Gen. Li pointed out that currently, the situation on the China-India border is generally stable and the two sides have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels.

The two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalised management, he said.

It is hoped that the two sides will work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries and make proper contributions to the development of bilateral relations, Li told Singh. He said that as major neighbouring countries and important developing countries, China and India share far more common interests than differences.

The two sides should view bilateral relations and each other's development from a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to world and regional peace and stability, he said.

The Indian government sources in New Delhi said Singh conveyed to Li that after disengagement in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh, there should be a movement towards de-escalation and expressed hope for a "positive response".

In a statement, India's defence ministry said the two ministers had "frank discussions" about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations.

Get tested if you have symptoms

11:37 Even mild Covid can hurt heart: Study

Even mild cases of COVID-19 can have long-term harmful impacts on cardiovascular health, a study has warned. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, is the first to compare pre and post COVID-infection levels of arterial stiffness; a marker associated with the ageing and function of our arteries.

Researchers found that in individuals diagnosed with mild COVID-19, artery and central cardiovascular function were affected by the disease two to three months after infection.

Side effects include stiffer and more dysfunctional arteries that could lead to cardiovascular disease development, they said. "We were surprised to observe such a decline in vascular health, which deteriorated even further with time since COVID-19 infection," said study co-author, Maria Perissiou from the University of Portsmouth in the UK.

"Usually, you would expect inflammation to decrease with time after infection, and for all the physiological functions to go back to normal or a healthy level," Perissiou said.

Emerging evidence suggests that this phenomenon stems from COVID-19 triggering the auto-immune process that leads to vasculature deterioration, the researchers said.

While COVID-19 has been associated with a type of acute heart failure and vascular dysfunction, the long-term consequences of the disease on vascular health still need to be explored, they said. As many as 32 participants in the study were monitored between October 2019 and April 2022 at the University of Split School of Medicine, Croatia. Most were young, less than 40-years-old, and healthy.

Only 9 per cent of the group had high blood pressure, and none had high cholesterol. Two were diabetic, and 78 per cent did not smoke. The group was also almost an even split between males (56 per cent) and females (44 per cent).

West Bengal is set to get its second semi-high speed Vande Bharat express train, which is most likely to run in the busy Howrah-Puri route. A South Eastern Railway official said that a trial run of a newly allocated rake was being held on the Howrah-Puri route on Friday.

The route and date of commencement of service of the Vande Bharat express train is yet to be received officially, he said.

"We have received a Vande Bharat rake from the ICF, Perumbur, and a trial run is being held today on the Howrah-Puri route," he said. This would be the second Vande Bharat express train that West Bengal will get, with the first running on the Howrah-New Jalpaiguri route since December 30, 2022. With pilgrims and tourists flocking to Puri, the abode of Lord Jagannath, throughout the year from the West Bengal capital, the new semi-high speed train is likely to be an instant hit among the visitors, travel operators said. PTI

A scuffle broke out between BJP and TMC workers in the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal during the BJP's protest over the alleged murder of a BJP leader and the Kaliyaganj rape and murder case.

BJP workers who were protesting against the alleged murder of a BJP leader and Kaliyaganj rape and murder case were detained on Friday in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal.

West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers have called for a 12-hour bandh today in North Bengal over alleged police brutality against common people in the state.

BJP leader Debasree Choudhury alleged that mamata Banerjee-led TMC government is against Rajbangshi people. "We have called for a bandh after seeing the condition here. This incident (the alleged murder of a BJP leader) was very shameful. Constant attacks are done on the Rajbangshi people which shows that TMC is against Rajbangshi," Choudhury said.

Meanwhile, in Siliguri BJP workers were seen enforcing a 12-hour bandh by shutting off the shops. On Friday, West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar said, "BJP has called for a 12-hour bandh on Friday in North Bengal to protest against police brutality on common people."

The shutdown has been called following the death of BJP worker Mrityunjay Burman in Radhikapur near Kaliaganj in Uttar Dinajpur district. BJP alleged that Mrityunjay died in police firing. -- ANI

10:50 Is that a mango?

No, that's heroin. BSF troops of the Amritsar Sector have recovered a bag carrying suspected heroin, packed with yellow adhesive tape, an iron hook and 8 luminous strips which are most likely dropped by a drone, the BSF said today.

The Sunaks

10:34 My daughter made her husband PM, says...

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's mother-in-law, Sudha Murty said that her daughter, Akshata Murthy, "made her husband a Prime Minister." Rishi Sunak's quick ascension to power has been highlighted before but his mother-in-law claims it was her daughter who made that possible.

His mother-in-law, Sudha Murty, has claimed in a video circulating online that because of her daughter, Rishi Sunak became the youngest prime minister of UK. In the video, Sudha can be heard saying: "I made my husband a businessman. My daughter made her husband Prime Minister of the UK."

"The reason is the glory of the wife. See how a wife can change a husband. But I could not change my husband. I made my husband a businessman, and my daughter made her husband a Prime Minister," said Sudha Murty in an Instagram post.

Rishi Sunak married Akshata Murty in 2009, and the Prime Minister made a quick rise to power in the years that ensued. The daughter of one of the world's wealthiest billionaires and with an estimated personal fortune of around Pound 730 million, Akshata Murty is a powerful woman.

Her parents, who are from India and own a tech company worth billions, similarly kept out of the limelight. Narayana Murthy, father of Akshata Murty is one of India's richest men and founder of the Infosys tech company.

Sunak is the youngest prime minister of UK in modern history at age 42, as well as the MP who became the Prime Minister in just seven years. In the video of Murty's mother, she also speaks about how her daughter has influenced the prime minister's life in other ways, particularly his diet.

The Murty family, she says, have long followed a tradition of fasting every Thursday.

"Yes, what should be started on Thursday, they started Infosys on Thursday, not only that! Not only that, but our son-in-law, who married our daughter, has been in England for 150 years from their ancestor's time, but they are very religious. After getting married, he asked why you start anything on Thursday. They said that we will go to Raghavendra Swami. He fasts every Thursday after just saying good day. Our son-in-law's mother fasts every Monday but our son-in-law fasts on Thursdays," said Sudha.

10:27 Man arrested for Delhi airport bomb hoax

A 20-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh has been arrested for allegedly making a hoax bomb threat at Indira Gandhi International Airport here, police said on Friday.

A senior officer said the arrest comes four days after the IGI Airport police station received a PCR call, on Monday, in which the caller claimed there was a bomb at the airport.

A search was conducted at the airport but nothing suspicious was found, the officer said, adding the call was subsequently declared a hoax.

He said when the police tried to call back, the phone number was found switched off. He said police found during their investigation that call was made from Uttar Pradesh and the number was registered in the name of a person named Zakir, a resident of Hapur.

He was arrested and a case registered against him, the officer said, adding further investigation is underway. PTI

10:22 Neeraj Chopra extends support to wrestlers

Update: Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra on Friday extended his support to the protesting wrestlers and called for "quick action" from the authorities in order to ensure that justice is served.

Chopra expressed his disappointment a day after Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha came down heavily on the wrestlers for hitting the streets to resume their protests instead of approaching its athletes' commission to lodge their complaints against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Ace javelin thrower Chopra, who scripted history by winning India's first-ever gold medal in athletics at the Olympics, said "it hurts" to see the wrestlers taking to the street in search of justice.

He tweeted, "It hurts me to see our athletes on the streets demanding justice. They have worked hard to represent our great nation and make us proud. As a nation, we are responsible for safeguarding the integrity and dignity of every individual, athlete or not. What's happening should never happen. "This is a sensitive issue, and must be dealt with in an impartial and transparent manner. Pertaining authorities must take quick action in order to ensure that justice is served." PTI

Despite limited staff, the Indian embassy in Sudan operated round-the-clock to evacuate those stranded in the war-torn country, said some of the people who arrived in Mumbai from the African nation under 'Operation Kaveri' mission.

These passengers, who landed in Mumbai on Thursday, narrated their harrowing experiences of the last seven days. Abdul Kadir, a 39-year-old businessman, said after the situation in Khartoum worsened, India's ambassador B S Mubarak and his team of eight officials worked tirelessly.

"With limited staff, they did unlimited work," he said, adding that the Indian embassy was operating 24x7 during this period. Mubarak himself was stuck in the worst-affected part of the city, but he was continuously in touch with the staff and volunteers," he said.

The ambassador created WhatsApp groups of Indians in each locality and ensured that every person got help, Kadir added. Defence attache Gurpreet Singh took risk and brought Mubarak to a safe area, he said.

10:01 Lt Gen Joshi appointed DG in MEA

Lt Gen Y K Joshi, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VrC, SM, ADC (Retd) is appointed Director General of Centre for Contemporary China Studies in Ministry of External Affairs.

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra urges authorities to take "quick action to ensure justice" for wrestlers protesting against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment and intimidation.

Indian wrestlers are protesting at Jantar Mantar in the national capital against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment. Top Indian grapplers such as Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and many others wrestlers are involved in the protest against the WFI chief.

"We didn't get justice earlier. We were fighting for justice earlier and we are fighting for justice now. We will continue to do so until the accused is punished. So we will continue to protest here. The girls have blamed him for sexual harassment so an FIR should be registered and he should get punished according to the acts. As you can see nobody came to us we didn't receive a phone call nobody has told us that we will get justice," Sangeeta Phogat said.

Actor Sooraj Pancholi leaves for the CBI court in Mumbai for a verdict in the suicide case of actor Jiah Khan, who was found dead in her suburban home on June 3, 2013. Sooraj Pancholi is accused of abetting the suicide of Jiah Khan.

A special CBI court in Mumbai is likely to announce its verdict today in the case.

Suraj Pancholi, son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, is accused of abetting the suicide of Khan.

Pancholi was charged on the basis of a 6-page letter purportedly written by Khan, who was found hanging in her Juhu home.

As per the Central Bureau of Investigation, the letter, which was seized by Mumbai police that began its probe on June 10, 2013, was written by Jiah Khan.

The CBI claimed the note narrated her "intimate relationship, physical abuse and mental and physical torture" allegedly at the hands of Pancholi, which led to her committing suicide.

09:32 Rahul: How can PM joke about suicide!

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the former's "joke" on suicides while addressing a media conclave, labelling it "insensitive".

Taking to Twitter, the former Wayanad MP said, "The Prime Minister cracked a joke on suicides. How can anyone be so insensitive about suicides? Government statistics show that in 2021, more than 1.64 lakh Indians died by suicide. Every day, 450 people are die by suicide in our country and this is a 'joke' for the Prime Minister."

Speaking at a conclave of media network on Wednesday, PM Modi shared a joke about how a professor, reading the suicide note left by his daughter, realised how she got her spellings wrong despite his efforts to get her to spell correctly.

He cracked the "joke" after noting how the editor-in-chief of the media network had improved his Hindi speaking skills.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi also hit out at PM Modi over his "joke". Taking to Twitter, she posted, "Depression and suicide, especially among the youth IS NOT a laughing matter. According to NCRB data, 164033 Indians committed suicide in 2021. Of which a huge percentage were below the age of 30. This is a tragedy, not a joke. The Prime Minister and those laughing heartily at his joke ought to educate themselves better and create awareness rather than ridicule mental health issues in this insensitive, morbid manner."

A special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Mumbai is likely to announce on Friday its verdict in the suicide case of actor Jiah Khan, who was found dead in her suburban home on June 3, 2013.

Actor Suraj Pancholi, son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, is accused of abetting the suicide of Khan.

Suraj Pancholi was charged on the basis of a 6-page letter purportedly written by Khan, who was found hanging in her Juhu home.

As per the Central Bureau of Investigation, the letter, which was seized by Mumbai police that began its probe on June 10, 2013, was written by Jiah Khan.

The CBI claimed the note narrated her "intimate relationship, physical abuse and mental and physical torture" allegedly at the hands of Pancholi, which led to her committing suicide.

The case was reassigned to a special CBI court in 2021 after the sessions court said it did not have the jurisdiction over the case as the CBI had probed it.

Special CBI Judge AS Sayyad, after hearing the final arguments of both the sides, last week reserved his judgement in the case for April 28.

Jiah Khan's mother Rabia Khan, a key prosecution witness in the case, told the court she believed it was a case of murder and not suicide. The Bombay High Court last year dismissed her petition seeking a fresh probe into the case.

During her deposition, Rabia Khan had told the CBI court Pancholi used to subject Jiah Khan to physical and verbal abuse. She also alleged the police and CBI had not collected legal evidence to prove her daughter had committed suicide.

Pancholi, in his final statement filed before the court, had claimed the investigation and chargesheet were false, adding prosecution witnesses had testified against him on the behest of complainant Rabia Khan, police and CBI.

Jiah Khan is best known for her performance in Amitabh Bachchan starrer Nishabd. -- PTI

08:30 14 killed in lightning strikes in West Bengal

At least 14 people were killed in lightning strikes in five districts of West Bengal which witnessed moderate rainfall on Thursday, officials said.

Lightning strikes claimed four lives in Purba Bardhaman district and two each in Murshidabad and North 24 Parganas, a disaster management department official said.

West Bengal police officials said six more deaths were reported from Paschim Midnapore and Howrah Rural districts.

"Three deaths each were reported from Paschim Midnapore and Howrah rural," an official said.

According to officials, the victims were mostly farmers who were struck by lightning while working in agricultural fields.

Thunderstorms with lightning occurred in several south Bengal districts, including Kolkata, Howrah, North 24 Parganas, Purba Bardhaman and Murshidabad, on Thursday evening. -- PTI

A Delhi-bound flight in which Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin was scheduled to travel on Thursday was cancelled due to a technical snag, airport sources said.

The chief minister was scheduled to leave for Delhi to invite President Draupadi Murmu on Friday for a hospital inauguration in .

The private carrier was cancelled due to the technical snag following which the chief minister returned home.

He is expected to leave early on Friday, the sources added. -- PTI

Representational image

00:51 Eid prayers: 2,000 people booked in UP for offering namaz on public road

More than 2,000 people were booked in three FIRs for offering namaz without permission on a road outside the Eidgah here on Eid last week, the police in Kanpur said on Thursday.

The FIRs were registered separately at Bajaria, Babu Purwa, and Jajmau police stations on Wednesday.

No arrests have been made so far.

A video of the people offering namaz on road was made by the police.

"People offering namaz will be identified on the basis of video after which legal action will be taken against them," said an officer requesting anonymity.

Angry with the police action, Mohammad Suleman, a member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, told the media that they were being targeted on the basis of religion.

He said that a few people did pray on the road outside the Eidgah because they were late and there was no space left inside the premises.

One of the FIRs was lodged at the Bajaria Police Station against 1,000-1,500 unknown persons including some members of the Eidgah management committee at the complaint of senior sub inspector Omveer Singh.

Omveer Singh in his complaint said a large number of people got down to offer namaz on the road as soon as a call for it was made on Eid, violating Section 144.

About 300 people were booked by Jajmau police, while the third FIR was made at Babu Purwa Police Station in which over 50 people were charged with offering prayers on a public road without permission. -- PTI

File image

00:37 Pauri tiger attacks: One of three big cats captured in Uttarakhand

One of the three tigers suspected to be behind the killing of two elderly men in three days in Pauri district of Uttarakhand has been captured and moved to the Corbett Tiger Reserve rescue centre, an official said on Thursday.

Two men in their seventies were killed in tiger attacks on April 13 and 15 in Dalla and Simli villages of Pauri, causing a scare among the villagers.

Cages were put up in the area and a search was launched for the big cats soon after the two killings. One tiger was tranquillised 100 metres from Jui village on Wednesday, forest range officer Mahendra Singh Rawat said.

It has been brought to the Corbett Tiger Reserve rescue centre for the time being and will be safely released into the forests after a few days, he said.

Meanwhile, efforts are being made to trace the other two tigers. -- PTI

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00:19 Bhopal-bound Vande Bharat hits cow near Gwalior

The newly-launched Hazrat Nizamuddin-Rani Kamalapati Vande Bharat Express hit a cow near Gwalior station in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday evening, resulting in damage to the train's front portion, a railway official said.

The Rani Kamalapati-bound train (No 20172) hit the cow around 6.15 pm and stopped at the spot for about 15 minutes, the official said.

The accident took place when the animal suddenly came on the rail tracks going towards Dabra in Gwalior district, he said.

After necessary repairs of the damaged portion, the train resumed its onward journey, the official added.

The semi high-speed train between Rani Kamalapati (Bhopal) and Hazrat Nizamuddin (Delhi) was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 1. -- PTI

Will abide by SC order: Calcutta HC judge

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