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Thu, 12 December 2024

FIR ordered against BJP MLA on gangrape charges

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23:55 FIR ordered against BJP MLA on gangrape charges

A special MP-MLA court here has directed to lodge an FIR against BJP's Bilsi MLA Harish Shakya and 15 others including his brother and nephew on charges of gangrape and fraud.

Additional chief judicial magistrate Leelu Chaudhary issued the order on Wednesday after hearing a plea filed by the husband of the alleged victim, who sought justice in a case involving a land dispute.

The court has instructed Civil Lines police station to register the case within 10 days and conduct a fair investigation into the matter.

Senior superintendent of police Brijesh Kumar Singh said that police have not yet received a copy of the court's order.

"Once we receive the court order copy, FIR will be registered and appropriate legal action will be taken," he said.

In his plea, the petitioner said that his father had bought a piece of land long time ago near Poonam Lawn in Budhbai village in Civil Lines police station area and MLA Shakya wanted to buy that property.

The land is worth about Rs 18 crore but a deal between the petitioner and the MLA was finalised for Rs 16.5 crore, according to the petition. -- PTI

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23:33 Delhi records coldest December day in 3 yrs, mercury drops to 4.5 degrees C

The city recorded its coldest December day in the last three years on Thursday as the minimum temperature dropped to 4.5 degrees Celsius.

The forecast predicts cold wave conditions to persist at isolated places until the weekend.

The city recorded a low of 4.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday, 0.4 degrees below normal, compared to 4.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, the India meteorological department said.

The temperature had dropped sharply from 5 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

According to data, the minimum temperature did not drop below 4.9 degrees Celsius in December 2023 and 2022.

The lowest minimum temperature recorded in December last year was 4.9 degrees Celsius on the 15th, while the lowest in 2022 was 5 degrees Celsius on the 26th.

Cold wave conditions were observed at isolated places in Delhi, including Ayanagar and Pusa, where the temperatures dropped to 3.8 and 3.2 degrees Celsius respectively.-- PTI

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23:19 First anniversary of consecration ceremony at Ram temple to be held on Jan 11

The first anniversary of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple here will be held on January 11 next year, temple trust chief Champat Rai said on Thursday.

The consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla idol in Ayodhya was held on January 22 this year.

"The date for the (anniversary) celebrations is as per the Hindu traditions,' Rai, the general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra, told reporters in Ayodhya.

He also said that construction work is going on in the Ram Mandir complex for 18 new temples, including temples dedicated to Dashavatar, Sheshavatar, Nishadraj, Shabari, Ahalya, and Saint Tulsidas, among others. Rai stated that the work is progressing rapidly, and all developments are in line with the planned dates.

He denied rumours surrounding the 'prasad' offered to Ram Lalla. He clarified that for the past 30 years, "no prasad has been brought from outside to the premises of Ram temple'.

"Prasad distributed to devotees is prepared within the temple complex and is specifically designed to remain unspoiled for a long time," he added. -- PTI

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22:47 Zomato gets Rs 803 cr tax demand from GST dept

Food delivery aggregator Zomato on Thursday said the GST department in Thane has imposed a tax demand of Rs 803.4 crore, including interest and penalty.

The demand order has been received in respect of non-payment of GST on delivery charges with interest and penalty thereon, Zomato said in a regulatory filing.

The company said it will file an appeal before the appropriate authority as it believes it has a strong case.

"... Company has received an order on 12 December 2024 ... for the period 29 October 2019 to 31 March 2022 passed by Joint Commissioner of CGST & Central Excise, Thane Commissionerate, Maharashtra, confirming demand of GST of Rs 401,70,14,706 with interest as applicable and penalty of Rs 401,70,14,706," Zomato stated.

"We believe that we have a strong case on merits, which is backed by opinions from our external legal and tax advisors. The company will be filing an appeal against the order before the appropriate authority," it added. -- PTI

A Class-11 student of Navayug Inter College at Mihinpurwa in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district allegedly stabbed his English teacher on Thursday for confiscating his mobile phone in the classroom, the police said.

The teacher, Rajendra Prasad, sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at the district medical college, they added.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (City) Ramanand Prasad Kushwaha told PTI, "Three days ago, the teacher confiscated mobile phones of several students since using cell phones is prohibited on the campus. Angered by the move, one of the boys attacked the teacher with a knife when he was taking attendance on Thursday."

The injured teacher was rushed to a local hospital which referred him to the district medical college due to the severity of his injuries, the ASP said.

Based on a complaint lodged by the teacher's family members, a case has been registered against the accused student, and the knife used in the crime has been recovered, the officer said.

Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar/File image

22:01 Mahayuti govt will have no relevance if Ajit doesn't get finance: NCP leader

NCP spokesperson Amol Mitkari on Thursday said the BJP-led Mahayuti regime will have no relevance if his party chief Ajit Pawar doesn't get the finance portfolio.

Mitkari's comments come ahead of the cabinet expansion of the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government.

Responding to the speculation that the BJP would keep the finance ministry, Mitkari said only Ajit Pawar is capable of handling the finance department.

He has presented 10 budgets and knows how to maintain fiscal discipline, said Mitkari.

"If Ajit Pawar is not made the finance minister, this government will have no relevance," said Mitkari, who is a member of the legislative council.

The cabinet expansion is likely to take place by December 14, a senior BJP leader said on Wednesday.

The BJP is expected to keep 21 to 22 ministerial berths, including the CM's post, the leader said, adding that four to five ministerial berths may be kept vacant.

The Maharashtra cabinet can have a maximum of 43 ministers, including the chief minister. -- PTI

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21:49 59 students hospitalised after exposure to fumes from plant in Maha

As many as 59 students and a woman were affected after exposure to fumes from a storage tank at a company in Maharashtra's coastal Ratnagiri district on Thursday, said officials.

While the police said the tank was in JSW Jaigad Port LPG facility, the company said no such incident took place on their premises.

The affected students are from the Jaigad Vidya Mandir school, which is near the unit, a police official told PTI.

Of the 250 students who were in the school, 53 boys, six girls and a woman were admitted to different hospitals after they complained of eye irritation, restlessness and nausea following exposure to fumes coming from the cleaning process of the tank, officials said.

"Three students are in the ICU though their health is stable. Compared to the others, they are experiencing more restlessness and nausea, and have complained of an aggravated stomach ache," a health official from the district civil hospital said.

The students are under observation and will most likely be discharged on Friday afternoon, he said, adding that doctors will conduct a thorough check-up before letting the children go home.

The fumes were from ethyl mercaptan, which is a colourless, flammable, and highly odorous liquid that is used as an odorant for natural gas and as a starting material for plastics, insecticides, and antioxidants, a police official said. -- PTI

A Mumbai man, who worked as a caller for a Cambodia-based international gang accused of extorting Rs 4 crore from an Ahmedabad resident through 'digital arrest', has been arrested after his return from the Southeast Asian nation, said the Gujarat police on Thursday.

This is for the first time that the Gujarat CID Crime has nabbed a caller linked to a 'digital arrest' scam in the state, said an official of the CID's State Cyber Crime Cell.

It was revealed the accused, Chetan Kokare (26), went to Cambodia a few months ago and joined a gang run by Chinese and Cambodian nationals which hires people from India, Pakistan and Nepal to pose as officials of the ED, CBI, police or Customs to extort money from unsuspecting individuals in the name of digital arrest, he said.

It appears Kokare, who claimed to be pursuing MBA in Mumbai, went to Cambodia to make quick money, but ended up joining a gang of cyber criminals.

Based on a specific-tip off that Kokare has returned to India and currently living in Mumbai, the Gujarat CID Crime, with the help of Mumbai police, nabbed him from the Colaba area and brought him here on Thursday, said superintendent of police (CID Crime) Dharmendra Sharma.

"Nearly three months ago, a working professional (based in Ahmedabad) received a call from a person who claimed to be an executive of a courier firm. He told the victim a parcel booked in the latter's name had been seized by police because it contained drugs and passports. The caller told the victim to talk to the Mumbai cyber crime," said Sharma. -- PTI

US President-elect Donald Trump was on Thursday named by TIME magazine as the 2024 TIME Person of the Year for "marshaling a comeback of historic proportions' and "altering America's role in the world.'

The magazine honoured Trump also "for driving a once-in-a-generation political realignment' and "for reshaping the American presidency,' second time for the president-elect after receiving it in 2016.

TIME announced the Person of the Year Thursday, a prestigious title that has it bestowed for the past 97 years on an "individual who, for better or for worse, did the most to shape the world and the headlines over the past 12 months."

In many years, that choice is a difficult one, it said adding that in 2024, it was not.

Trump was named TIME's Person of the Year in 2016 as well following his first victory in the presidential elections at the time.

"Time Magazine, getting this honor for the second time, I think it like it better this time actually," he was quoted as saying by AP ahead of him ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

It said that since he began running for President in 2015, "perhaps no single individual has played a larger role in changing the course of politics and history than Trump.'

Trump 'shocked' many by winning the White House in 2016, then led the US through a chaotic term that included the first year of a pandemic as well as a period of nationwide protest, and that ended with his losing the election by 7 million votes and provoking the violent attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

TIME magazine noted that although the American presidency has evolved across these eras, its influence has not diminished.

"Today, we are witnessing a resurgence of populism, a widening mistrust in the institutions that defined the last century, and an eroding faith that liberal values will lead to better lives for most people. Trump is both agent and beneficiary of it all." -- PTI

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20:32 7 Maoists killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh

Seven Maoists including two women were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district on Thursday, a senior police official said.

The gunfight broke out around 3 am in the forest of south Abujhmad along the border of Narayanpur and Dantewada districts, inspector general of police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed the security forces for the operation and said the fight against Maoists will continue till it is completely eliminated.

Personnel of the District Reserve Guard from Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bastar and Kondagaon districts, Special Task Force of the state police, and Central Reserve Police Force were involved in the operation that was launched on December 10 based on inputs about the presence of Maoists belonging to the Maad division in the area, said IG Sundarraj.

The intermittent exchange of fire lasted for more than seven hours following which the bodies of seven Naxalites, including two women, clad in uniform were recovered from the spot, he said.

A huge cache of weapons and items of daily use were also recovered from the spot, the official said, adding that security personnel were reported to be safe and a search operation was still underway in the area.

With this incident, at least 215 Maoists have been killed in encounters so far this year in the Bastar division of the state, as per the police. -- PTI

A 24-year-old man died after he was attacked with a knife by a friend at a birthday party in the Thana Beta-II area, the police on Thursday said.

Local station in-charge Vidyut Goyal said the party was thrown by a woman and was attended by Jitendra Sharma and Chirag Chaudhary.

A fight broke out between the two men, who were reportedly friends and owned a cafe in the area, during which Chaudhary attacked Sharma with a knife.

Sharma was rushed to a hospital in critical condition where doctors declared him dead.

Goyal suspected that both liked the woman and fought over her.

Chaudhary has been taken into custody and is being interrogated, he added. -- PTI

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19:54 BJP MLAs storm Speaker's chamber over conduct in Karnataka assembly

Tensions flared in the Karnataka Assembly on Thursday as BJP MLAs barged into Speaker U T Khader's chamber, expressing strong objections to his handling of the proceedings.

The confrontation came amidst heated debates over the recent police lathi charge on Panchamasali Lingayat protesters, with the ruling Congress and opposition BJP trading accusations.

The issue arose when Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar, himself a leader of the Panchamasali Lingayat community, criticized the decision of previous BJP government to scrap the 4 percent Muslim reservation and reallocate it equally between the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities.

He alleged that the BJP government, under Basavaraj Bommai, had backtracked on its decision by assuring the Supreme Court it would not implement the reservation changes.

"For the sake of elections, they announced reservations, but later told the Supreme Court they wouldn't go ahead with it," Kashappanavar said.

BJP members objected, insisting that the discussion focus solely on the police action during Tuesday's protests near Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, where the Panchamasali Lingayat community demanded inclusion in the 2A category of the OBC reservation matrix (15 percent), as opposed to the current 3B category (5 percent).

The protests turned violent earlier this week, with stone pelting from demonstrators and subsequent lathi charges by police.

During the assembly debate, Kashappanavar accused the BJP of misleading the community and the Panchamasali seer, alleging that the protest was "sponsored and instigated' by the party.

He also claimed RSS members were involved in the stone pelting, sparking a heated exchange between BJP and Congress MLAs. -- PTI

India voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution that demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and reiterated the demand for immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and backing the UN agency for Palestinian refugees that Israel has moved to ban.

The 193-member General Assembly voted Wednesday at the 10th emergency special session to adopt the draft resolution 'Demand for ceasefire in Gaza', introduced by Indonesia.

India was among the 158 nations that voted in favour of the resolution while nine member states, including Israel and the US, voted against it.

Among the 13 nations that abstained were Albania and Ukraine.

The resolution demanded an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, to be respected by all parties, and further reiterates its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.'

It demanded that the parties fully, unconditionally and without delay implement all the provisions of the Security Council resolution of June 2024 regarding an "immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, the return of the remains of hostages who have been killed, the return of Palestinian civilians to their homes and neighbourhoods in all areas of Gaza, including in the north, and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.'

The resolution demanded immediate access by the civilian population in the Gaza Strip to basic services and humanitarian assistance indispensable to its survival, while "rejecting any effort to starve Palestinians'.

It further demanded the facilitation of full, rapid, safe and unhindered entry of humanitarian assistance, at scale and under the coordination of the United Nations, to and throughout the Gaza Strip and its delivery to all Palestinian civilians who need it, including to civilians in besieged north Gaza, who are in urgent need of immediate humanitarian relief. -- PTI

The rupee depreciated by 4 paise to settle at an all-time low of 84.87 (provisional) against the US dollar on Thursday, dragged down by negative domestic equity markets, outflow of foreign funds and rise in crude oil prices.

Forex traders said investors were awaiting cues from domestic inflation data to be released later in the day even as an elevated dollar index weighed on the Indian currency.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 84.85 and touched the lowest-ever level of 84.88 against the greenback during intra-day trade.

The unit finally ended the session 4 paise down at a fresh all-time low closing level of 84.87 (provisional) against the dollar.

On Wednesday, the rupee settled with a gain of 2 paise at 84.83 against the US dollar.

Rupee's previous record low closing level was recorded on December 9, when it settled 20 paise lower at 84.86 against the dollar. -- PTI

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18:45 Centre sanctions 2,800 CISF troops for new airports in Navi Mumbai, Noida

The Union government has sanctioned a combined strength of more than 2,800 Central Industrial Security Force personnel to guard two soon-to-be operational international airports in Noida and in Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai, official sources said Thursday.

Sources told PTI that the ministry of home affairs, under whose command the CISF works, had sanctioned 1,840 posts for the Navi Mumbai airport and 1,030 the Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh.

The total CISF manpower sanctioned for providing a counter-terrorist cover to the two upcoming airports is 2,870.

The sanction of the Central Industrial Security Force manpower is for the first phase of operationalisation of the two airports.

The force's strength will be enhanced once these airports finish phase II, sources said.

The security units, to be headed by deputy inspector general rank officers, will take charge once the infrastructure to install security gadgets and other logistics get ready at both the facilities.

Being developed by the Adani Group, the Navi Mumbai International Airport project will be completed in five phases and will have a total handling capacity of 9 crore passengers per annum.

The first phase will have a capacity to handle 2 crore passengers per annum.

Commercial operations at this airport, second in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region after the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, is expected to begin by March-April, 2025. -- PTI

Six people were arrested for allegedly open firing at a man with the intent of killing him in Jammu, the police said on Thursday.

The incident took place on Tuesday when the accused shot at him and later threw him from a height of nearly 60 feet near Ring Road Kunjwani in the outskirts of the city, a police spokesman said.

He was taken to a hospital by locals, the officer said.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of law at Bishnah police station and a team was formed to nab the accused, he said.

All the six accused were arrested within 48 hours of the incident, he added.

During interrogation, they confessed to their involvement in the crime and based on their disclosure, a country-made pistol was recovered, he said.

Additionally, the vehicle used during the crime was also seized, the officer said. -- PTI

The Bombay high court on Thursday sought to know if there was a ban on celebrating 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary, and directed the Pune rural police to decide on a plea that sought to hold a rally to commemorate the occasion.

The court said concerns relating to law and order cannot be a ground to deny permission for a rally.

A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and S G Dige was hearing a petition filed by one Faiyaz Shaikh, the Pune unit president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party, seeking a direction to the police to grant permission to hold a rally to commemorate the birth anniversaries of Tipu Sultan, freedom fighter Maulana Azad and also the Constitution Day.

As per the plea, the Pune rural police had refused to grant permission for the rally and asked the petitioner to celebrate the occasions at his private place and not in public place.

The police had claimed that such rallies would cause law and order problems.

The bench then asked if holding a rally for such events was prohibited. -- PTI

Allu Arjun in Pushpa: The Rule.

17:40 'Pushpa 2' reflection of people's love, want records to be broken soon: Allu Arjun

Telugu superstar Allu Arjun on Thursday said the humongous success of his latest release Pushpa 2: The Rule is a reflection of people's love and he hopes the box office record of the film, which has become the fastest movie to earn Rs 1,000 crore, is broken soon by another movie.

A sequel to Arjun's 2021 Telugu blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise, the film released on December 5 with dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, and Malayalam, and has emerged as one of the biggest hits of 2024.

It has broken many records at the box office, first by registering the opening numbers of Rs 294 crore and then breaking into the Rs 1,000 crore club in just six days.

"The 1,000 (cr) number is a reflection of the people's love. The numbers are temporary but the love that is etched in your hearts will remain forever. I believe that the numbers always have to be broken. Yes, it's nice to be in this spot and enjoy the records, probably for 2-3 months," the actor told reporters in New Delhi.

"It doesn't matter which film does it, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi or any other. But I want these records to be broken soon because that is progression. It means India is going up. I wish for these numbers to be broken as soon as possible because that is growth and I love growth," he said.

He happily posed for the shutterbugs and struct his trademark Pushpa jhukega nai pose for the cameras. -- PTI

Asserting that "trampling of democracy" has become the norm in Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition in the House Mallikarjun Kharge Thursday alleged abuse of power by Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and questioned his impartiality.

The Congress chief alleged the Rajya Sabha chairman has consistently suppressed the freedom of expression of Opposition members through "persistent heckling, unwarranted insistence on authentication, unfair remarks, and the refusal to list issues of public importance for discussion".

His scathing criticism of the vice president comes a couple of days after Opposition INDIA bloc parties, spearheaded by the Congress, submitted a notice in Rajya Sabha for moving a no-confidence motion against Dhankhar, accusing him of being "extremely partisan".

On behalf of the Opposition, Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Naseer Hussain on Tuesday submitted the notice signed by 60 opposition MPs -- including from the Congress, RJD, TMC, CPI, CPI-M, JMM, AAP, DMK, Samajwadi Party -- to Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody.

In a post on X on Thursday, Kharge alleged that muzzling the Opposition's "right to speak" and "expression of opinion" has become the norm in Rajya Sabha.

"While trampling of 'democracy' and 'subjugation of truth' has become the autocratic norm in Rajya Sabha... assault on established 'parliamentary practices' is promoted and 'ethical conduct' stands liquidated in Rajya Sabha...our resolve to uphold the Constitution, defend the sacred chamber of Democracy, stand in defense of time-honoured Parliamentary practices becomes even stronger and steadfast in face of this brutal, lethal and obtrusive assault being unleashed," the Congress chief said.

"We will not bow down. We will stand tall in protection of Democratic rights of every fellow citizen and our sacred Constitution," he said.

Kharge said he was not permitted to speak in the House and he seeks to place before the People of India, 10 points as to why the Opposition expresses "no confidence" in the conduct of the Chairman and the functioning of the Rajya Sabha.

"The conduct of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankhar, has raised serious concerns over his impartiality, with frequent criticisms of the Opposition and an abuse of the powers vested in the Chair," he alleged. Kharge claimed that the Chairman has consistently "suppressed" the freedom of expression of Opposition members through "persistent heckling, unwarranted insistence on authentication, unfair remarks, and the refusal to list issues of public importance for discussion".

On several occasions, the Chairman has misused his authority by suspending members en masse and extending these suspensions beyond a single session, setting a concerning precedent, he said. "The Chairman has repeatedly and vociferously criticised Opposition leaders outside the House, often echoing the arguments of the ruling party, the BJP. Within the House, he has schooled' even senior Opposition members. He has misused the sanctity of the chair to praise his political ideologue - RSS, and said that 'I am the Eklavya of RSS', which is inconsistent with the spirit of the Constitution," Kharge said.

He claimed that the Chairman displays "unwarranted sycophancy" towards the government within the House and also outside.

"On various occasions, he has equated the Prime Minister with Mahatma Gandhi, has held it wrong to seek the accountability of the Prime Minister by the Opposition. He has commented even on walkouts by the Opposition, even though it is a well-honoured Parliamentary tool," he said.

16:56 Sensex, Nifty settle lower

Equity market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended lower on Thursday due to intense selling in index majors Reliance Industries, L&T and HUL as investors turned cautious ahead of the inflation data announcement.

The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex declined 236.18 points or 0.29 per cent to settle at 81,289.96. During the day, it dropped 314.5 points or 0.38 per cent to 81,211.64. The NSE Nifty dropped 93.10 points or 0.38 per cent to 24,548.70. -- PTI

16:54 Who is the richest man in the world?

Yes, it's US President-elect Donald Trump's bestie, Elon Musk, worth USD 447 billion. For comparison, Mukesh Ambani is worth USD 97 billion.

See how others compare with Musk in the image alongside.

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on One Nation One Election. "It is very important because conducting elections every 6 months costs the government treasury a great deal. The biggest challenge is to ask people to come out and vote time and again. The percentage of voters is going down every year. This is the need of the hour and everyone is in favour of this."

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved bills to implement 'One Nation, One Election', and the draft legislations are likely to be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing Winter session, sources said

Update: In an important direction, the Supreme Court on Thursday restrained all the courts in the country from entertaining and passing any effective interim or final orders on any lawsuits seeking reliefs including survey of religious places under the 1991 law.

The direction of a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan came on a batch of pleas and cross pleas relating to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.

The 1991 law prohibits conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947. Notably, the bench said no fresh suit would either be filed or registered till its further orders and in the pending cases, the courts would refrain from any effective interim or final order till its further orders. We are examining the vires, contours and the ambit of 1991 Act, the bench said, observing it would be appropriate to ask all other courts to stay off their hands. Several lawyers, appearing for Hindu side, opposed the order saying it should not be passed without hearing them. The bench asked the Centre to file its reply to the pleas and cross ones in four weeks and granted a further of four weeks to other parties to file their rejoinder after the Centre filed its reply.

The bench would accord the hearing after completion of pleadings. It, meanwhile, allowed pleas of various parties including Muslim bodies seeking to intervene in the proceedings.

The top court is seized of as many as six pleas, including one filed by Ashwini Upadhyay who has prayed that Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, be set aside. Among the various reasons submitted was the contention that these provisions take away the right of judicial remedy to reclaim a place of worship of any person or a religious group. PTI

An unidentified person allegedly stole the gold jewellery of a woman under the pretext of helping her as she was wounded in the BEST bus accident in Mumbai, police said on Thursday. The woman has since died.

A viral video showed a man telling others that he was taking the woman's jewellery for safe custody and will inform her relatives about it. Based on her family's complaint, police have registered a case of theft of her valuables, the police said.

Fatima Kaniz Ansari (55) was among the seven persons who died after being mowed down by the BEST bus in Kurla area here on Monday, they said. Ansari, who worked as an attendant at a hospital, was hit by the speeding BEST bus when she was waiting outside a building on the S G Barve Marg, an official said.

She was found trapped under a car, the official said, adding the unidentified man took away her gold bangles and mobile phone while pretending to help her.

Ansari's relatives claimed her bangles were stolen by an unidentified person after her death while her mobile phone was returned.

The Mumbai police on Thursday registered a case against the unidentified culprit under sections 303 (theft) and 315 (dishonest misappropriation of property possessed by deceased person at the time of death) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the official said.

A probe was on into the case, the police added. The out-of-control electric bus operated by the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking rammed into pedestrians and vehicles at around 9.30 pm on Monday on the SG Barve Marg in Kurla (West).

Besides killing seven persons and injuring 42 others, including four policemen on bandobast' duty, the accident also wrecked 22 vehicles. The bus driver has been arrested for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, according to police. -- PTI

16:00 Going abroad? Rupee hits fresh all-time low

Forex traders said investors were awaiting cues from domestic inflation data to be released later in the day even as an elevated dollar index weighed on the Indian currency.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 84.85 and touched the lowest-ever level of 84.88 against the greenback during intra-day trade. The unit finally ended the session 4 paise down at a fresh all-time low closing level of 84.87 (provisional) against the dollar. -- PTI

15:57 No fresh cases against places of worship: SC

The Supreme Court commences hearing on pleas related to 1991 law on places of worship. The SC asks the Centre to reply to cross-pleas against or seeking implementation of statute. No fresh suits can be registered against places of worship, the court says. The court asks the Centre to file replies to pleas in four weeks. "One case related to Mathura's Shrikrishna Janambhoomi pending before us," says SC.

SC allows pleas of various parties including Muslim bodies seeking to intervene in proceedings.

The Supreme Court of India is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the constitutionality of certain provisions in the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The top court will take a decision today on how the Indian Worship Act is being "violated."

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the biggest reason for road accidents is lane indiscipline and his own car was fined twice in Mumbai for not following traffic rules.

He said high speed is not such a big problem as world over people drive fast. However, lane indiscipline is a bigger problem in India, the minister noted. During the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Gadkari said people, especially youth, have to be educated about traffic discipline, and even children ought to be sensitised about the importance of traffic rules.

He also said that CCTV cameras have been installed on roads to check traffic law violation. The minister also appealed to the members of the House to organise sensitization programmes in their constituencies. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also said that it is the duty of the members of the House to educate people about traffic rules so as to stop road accidents. PTI

Amid speculation over Maharashtra cabinet formation, state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said that the formula for cabinet expansion is already decided and soon the people will get to know.

"You people have run a lot of news about me and Ajit Pawar coming to Delhi that it is related to the cabinet expansion. I have seen those, but I would like to make one thing clear I have come to party-related meetings and Ajit Pawar has come for his work, so there is no need to speculate much on these things.

"In our party, decisions are taken by the parliamentary board and our senior leadership. As far as making ministers from the BJP quota is concerned, we will decide on it. Similarly, the NCP and Shiv Sena will decide the names of their ministers at their level. The formula for cabinet expansion is already decided. You will get to know about it soon," Fadnavis told reporters. -- ANI

Former president Ram Nath Kovind chaired the committee on the proposal

15:08 One Nation, One Election bill secures cabinet approval

Update: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the 'One Nation, One Election,' bill in the parliament, marking a significant step towards the electoral process, sources told ANI.

A comprehensive bill is expected to follow this decision, paving the way for unified elections across the nation.

Earlier on Wednesday, former President of India Ram Nath Kovind stated that the Central government must build a consensus on the 'One Nation, One Election' initiative, emphasising that the issue transcends political interests and serves the nation as a whole.

Speaking to the media, Kovind, who chairs the committee on the issue, said, "The Central government will have to build consensus. This issue is not in the interest of any party but the nation. It (One Nation, One Election) will be a game-changer--it's not my opinion but that of economists, who believe that after its implementation, the country's GDP will rise by 1-1.5 per cent."

Union Cabinet approves 'One Nation, One Election' Bill.

On September 2, last year, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government established a high-level committee to examine the feasibility of holding simultaneous elections in India.

Details awaited.

Shashi Tharoor in Vadodara

14:34 Nothing wrong with my foot, says Tharoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor shares this post, especially for those on social media making snarky comments on him. "When the usual troll factory is reduced to circulating a two year old picture of mine with a sprain led foot, accompanied by picayune comments, one realises how desperate they are for a distraction! For all those expressing concern about my well-being, I am pleased to say that not only is my leg alright, but I have been attending parliament daily and spoke in the debate on the national disaster management bill yesterday."

PS. Picayune means petty.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced the launch of the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojna to give a monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 to women in Delhi, and promised the amount would be raised to Rs 2,100 after the elections.

However, he clarified the elections are likely to be announced soon and therefore the money could be credited in beneficiaries' accounts only after the polls.

The announcement comes as Delhi gears up for assembly elections in February 2025, with AAP eyeing a third consecutive term. Kejriwal said the Delhi Cabinet led by Chief Minister Atishi has approved the scheme and women can begin their registration from Friday. He also announced that the amount under the scheme would be increased to Rs 2,100 per month if the Aam Aadmi Party wins the elections. The scheme was initially announced in the 2024-25 budget with an allocation of Rs 2,000 crore. "This scheme is for empowering women and addressing their financial needs. While the BJP calls it free 'revdis,' I see it as a step towards strengthening our society. The BJP asks from where the money will come, but I said we will give free electricity, and we did it," Kejriwal said. "I want to tell the BJP that I am a magician; I am a magician of accounts," he added. The AAP leader also expressed confidence his party will perform magnificently in the polls, and urged women to actively support them. "If all women work together, we will secure more than 60 seats," he said. PTI

The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a survey on sexual harassment across the Indian film industry, noting that the petition was based on speculation without any empirical data or specific complaints.

The petitioner had also requested that the findings of the Justice K Hema Committee be implemented more effectively, particularly regarding the applicability of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act in the film industry.

The bench of Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that the petition did not present any concrete complaints of sexual harassment for which remedies were unavailable and that the Justice K Hema Committee had already addressed concerns by reviewing complaints and taking appropriate actions.

The court further stated that it would not entertain a "roving and fishing inquiry" and stated that while a PIL could be filed, it must be based on factual evidence rather than presumptions.

"The entire plea is based on surmises without any empirical data. In so far as the K. Hema Committee report is concerned, complaints have already been filed, and some action has been taken. In the given circumstances, we do not consider it appropriate to accede to the prayer made by the petitioner," the court said, closing the petition. -- ANI

13:45 40 detained over Parbhani protests

A tense silence prevails in Maharashtra's Parbhani city, where 40 persons have been detained in connection with the violent protests over the vandalising of a replica of the Constitution, an official said on Thursday.

The official told reporters that damage to about 20 vehicles, during the protests, has been reported to the police so far.

Amid a bandh called by Ambedkarite activists on Wednesday, a mob indulged in arson and vandalised shops, vehicles and even the district collector's office.

"We have so far detained 40 people for these incidents. We are going through the footage from CCTV cameras and action will be taken against all those responsible. The intention of the agitators will also be probed," said Inspector General of Police (Nanded) Shahji Umap.

The process to register cases is underway in different police stations of Parbhani city, the senior police official told the media.

"We have learnt that 16-17 motorcycles and two four-wheelers, CCTV cameras and signboards of shops were damaged. The figures will be clearer after the offences are registered," Umap said.

A glass-encased cement replica of the Constitution outside Parbhani railway station, close to a statue of Dr B R Ambedkar, was found to have been damaged on Tuesday, sparking protests. Police arrested a man in connection with the incident, but protests resumed on Wednesday.

Prohibitory orders were imposed in the central Maharashtra city on Wednesday, banning the gathering of five or more persons in public places, and a company of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) was called in to help maintain law and order.

"There is a tense silence in Parbhani. There is no need for a curfew but we have imposed prohibitory orders in Parbhani (as a precaution)," said another police official.

Patrolling has been intensified in the city, while the SRPF deployment continues, said Umap. -- PTI

Oppn MPs wear masks of Modi, Adani as Rahul does a mock interview

13:15 Rahul immature: BJP on Modi-Adani 'interview'

Leader of Rajya Sabha and BJP chief JP Nadda on Thursday called Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi a "college guy," for doing mimicry in the Parliament premises and said that the latter behaviour was "immature."

"Vice President of India is a constitutional post and his mimicry being done in the parliament premises and the LoP in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi is making a video of it and instigating him to continue doing it. Rahul Gandhi doing mimicry on Parliament premises was immature he behaved like a College guy. It reminded me of my college days as the students of the opposition and ruling parties behaved. Congress party and Sonia Gandhi didn't even speak a word against it," Nadda said.

He further said that the people of Congress have hurt the democratic system many times. "Congress party wants to delay and divert the issues...The countrymen are very disturbed when they come to know that a person named George Soros wants to disturb the stability of the nation. The nation wants to know the relationship between Sonia Gandhi and George Soros. We will go amongst the public and raise this issue," he added.

On December 10, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was spotted in the Parliament premises engaging in a mock "interview" with men donning masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and businessman Gautam Adani. JP Nadda also slammed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for his remarks against Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.

"Yesterday the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge levelled allegations against the Rajya Sabha chairman. Mallikarjun Kharge who is a very senior leader should have the information that the ruling of the chairman is final and unquestionable. Levelling these kinds of allegations is condemnable. This is very unfortunate," Nadda said.

Chinmoy Krishna Das is in jail in Bangladesh

13:01 Will B'desh ISKCON priest get bail? Hearing today

A Bangladeshi lawyer and human rights activist will move again for the bail of detained priest, Chinmoy Krishna Das, later today (Thursday) at a court in Chittagong.

Advocate Rabindra Ghosh, a senior lawyer of Bangladesh Supreme Court and human rights activist, on Wednesday, made a prayer to a court in Chittagong to change the date of the bail hearing of spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das.

The court dismissed the petition as Chinmoy Krishna Das did not authorize power to the lawyer Ghosh who submitted the plea.

"After rejecting my plea, I went to the jail and collected the power from Chinmoy to move his case. The jail superintendent has confirmed on the copy of the power. I will apply to the court again on Thursday," Ghosh told ANI over the phone.

Ghosh went to Chittagong from Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka and submitted a plea to the court for Chinmoy Krishna Das on Wednesday.

"I moved an application to Chittagong court to fix an early date for bail hearing of Chinmoy Krishna Das but at that time about 30 lawyers entered the courtroom without the permission of the court and tried to assault me," Ghosh said late on Wednesday.

"They taunt me as ISKCON agent, Chinmoy's agent. They wanted to know why I came here. They say a lawyer was killed. They call me a murderer. I came as an advocate. How am I a murderer !" he added.

"The judge scolded them. They could not attack me because the police were there," Ghosh said.

Ghosh argued that Chinmoy's lawyer could not attend the hearing as the murder case was filed against him.

Ghosh applied on his behalf but the court rejected. Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former priest of ISKCON, was arrested by police from Dhaka Airport on November 25 on the charge of sedition. On November 26, a court in Bangladesh's port city of Chittagong rejected his bail prayer and ordered him to be sent to prison. -- PTI

12:50 Shashi Tharoor is a culture vulture

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor shares this picture from Baroda: "Couldn't resist adding these images that i couldn't fit into my earlier post, if only to encourage everyone to visit this magnificent museum! @mfmuseumbaroda And don't forget to take in the Palace soon before its expected conversion into a luxury hotel," he writes on X.

In an earlier post he said, "Last weekend, enjoyed a spectacular tour of the Maharajah Fatehsingh Museum in Vadodara and the nearby Lukshmi Vilas Palace, to view the Raja Ravi Varma paintings displayed there. The immortal Malayali artist lived and painted in the erstwhile Baroda State in 1881 and between 1889-1893. It was a breathtaking insight into his brilliance and virtuosity."

Pic: Ammar Awad/Reuters

12:39 Syria's new PM guarantees religious freedom

Mohammed al-Bashir, Syria's new transitional Prime Minister, said that the religious rights of all people will be guaranteed, as per Al Jazeera. Bashir told Italian Corriere della Sera daily that "the rights of all people and all sects in Syria" will be guaranteed, Al Jazeera reported.

"Mine is an appeal to all Syrians abroad: Syria is now a free country that has earned its pride and dignity. Come back," he said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia wants to see Syria quickly "stabilised", slamming Israel's strikes on the country and the creation of a "buffer zone" along the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, as per Al Jazeera.

"The strikes, the actions in the Golan Heights and the buffer zone hardly contribute to the stabilisation of the situation in the already destabilised Syria," Al Jazeera quoted Peskov as saying.

He also said Russia was in contact with the new Syrian leadership over the fate of Russia's military bases in the country. "This is necessary since our [military] base and diplomatic mission are there," Peskov said, as per Al Jazeera. -- ANI

Image: A wall is covered with numbers marked by prisoners counting days at the Sednaya prison.

Children at Delhi's anganwadis are in for healthy and tasty treats this winter with their plates filled with additions like ragi ladoos and crunchy peanut 'chaat' as the Women and Child Development Department rolls out a new food menu with six new items including those made from millets.

"Under the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 scheme, the department revised the food menu in September 2024 to enhance the nutritional value of meals provided to beneficiaries during the colder months by including millets like bajra, jowar and soy flour in their meals," said a WCD official.

He explained that the department has incorporated new food items like ragi besan ladoo, peanut chaat, lobiya chaat, peanut poha and flattened rice snacks.

Archana, a nutritionist at the WCD, said that winter-friendly edibles such as spinach have been added to increase the nutritional content of meals. Similarly, sweet bajra has replaced sweet daliya in the menu, she added.

"Millets, which are considered traditional superfoods, are now a cornerstone ingredient for all categories of beneficiaries. Rich in fiber, protein, and essential micronutrients like iron and calcium, millets improve the overall quality of the meals served at anganwadis," Archana explained.

This ensures that children receive not only sufficient calories, but also nutrients essential for their growth and development, she said. -- PTI

12:07 RS chair can't be questioned: BJP slams Kharge

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Thursday amid sloganeering after BJP president J P Nadda attacked the Congress for questioning the ruling given by the Chairman and the party's alleged nexus with US hedge fund tycoon George Soros.

After laying of listed papers and reports during the pre-noon session, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar rejected six notices to adjourn the scheduled business of the day and take up matters mentioned in the notices.

As several members from the opposition benches raised objections, Nadda criticised Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the House Mallikarjun Kharge for holding a press conference and criticising the Chairman.

"The Chair cannot be "questioned with regards to admissibility and for other purposes," Nadda said.

"The Chairman's ruling cannot be questioned or criticised. To do so is contempt of the House and the Chairman," the senior BJP leader said. Nadda reiterated the allegation of a link between the Congress and Soros, and alleged that he has been providing billions of dollars to destabilise India.

"What is the relationship between Sonia Gandhi and Soros. The country wants to know," he said.

This triggered further uproar in the House. Chairman Dhankhar gave floor to Kharge to respond. Kharge said the ruling party wants to "divert attention" from issues. As members from both treasury and opposition benches were raising slogans, the Chair adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm. -- PTI

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said that TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee has submitted a written apology for his remarks against Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia besides apologising in the House.

As soon as the House met, some members belonging to the ruling alliance stood up to raise the issue of the remarks made by Banerjee. However, Birla intervened and said whatever happened on Wednesday was unfortunate and no member should make any personal remark against any fellow member.

Without taking the name of Banerjee, he said any remark against women is in bad taste and it hurts their dignity and honour.

The Speaker said agreements and disagreements are part of the democratic process but no member should make any personal remark against anyone. "The member concerned had apologised (in the House). He has also given me in writing too," he said and started with the day's proceedings.

On Wednesday, there were verbal clashes when Banerjee was speaking in the House during a discussion on the amendments to the Disaster Management Act. The TMC member had alleged non-cooperation by the central government during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai countered it, saying it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who helped all the states and successfully handled the crisis by taking everyone along.

Rai also alleged that the West Bengal government tried to put hurdles in the transportation of the Covid vaccines through the state. Scindia stood up to support Rai, saying that India had emerged as a "Vishwa Bandhu" during the pandemic and helped all the needy countries across the world.

Following this, Banerjee attacked Scindia and made certain remarks against the minister which were expunged by the Speaker after an uproar. The verbal spat between the treasury and opposition benches led to adjournment.

When the House reconvened, Banerjee apologised for his remarks, but Scindia refused to accept it, saying the opposition members should desist from making personal attacks.

"Mr Kalyan Banerjee rose in this House and said sorry. But I will say that we all come to this House with the spirit of contributing to the nation's development... but we also come with a sense of self-respect.

"Any individual in their lives will not stand compromising with their self-respect. Attack us on our policies, on our views, but if you will get personal, certainly be prepared for the response," the Union minister said.

"He has apologised... I do not accept his apology for the personal attack that he had made on me and on the women of India," he said. Banerjee apologised again but protests from treasury benches continued leading to two more adjournments of the House. -- PTI

NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar met party workers and leaders at his residence in Delhi on the occasion of his 84th birthday on Thursday.

The party members presented bouquets and gifts to the senior leader at his residence as a token of respect and appreciation.

The NCP chief also clicked pictures with the guests at his residence.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar along with his wife and party leaders including Praful Patel, and Chhagan Bhujbal arrived at Sharad Pawar's residence to wish him on his birthday.

After meeting his uncle Ajit Pawar said, "Today is Saheb's birthday, I came here to wish him and to seek his blessings."

After visiting Sharad Pawar at his residence in New Delhi, NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said, "We came today to wish him (Sharad Pawar) on his birthday and had a good discussion."

NCP leader Praful Patel who also came to visit Pawar at the leader's residence said, "Every year we wish him (Sharad Pawar) on his birthday and seek his blessings. We pray that he stays healthy and Maharashtra continues to receive his guidance."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday extended wishes to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on his 84th birthday and prayed for his long and healthy life."Birthday wishes to Rajya Sabha MP and senior leader Sharad Pawar Ji. I pray for his long and healthy life," posted PM Modi on X.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha also wished NCP chief Sharad Pawar on X."Happy Birthday to Nationalist Congress (@NCPspeaks) Party President, Former Union Minister Sharad Pawar. Wish you good health and long life," Kharge posted.

11:29 Opposition protests against Adani

Opposition leaders hold protest in the Parliament complex over Adani issue.

11:29 Sonia-Soros posters in Parliament

Union Minister Giriraj Singh holds protest in Parliament premises against Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. BJP alleges a link between the Congress party (leadership) and Hungarian-American billionaire philanthropist George Soros.

10:54 What's happening in the RS?

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday slammed Congress over the no-trust motion against Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and said that if the opposition attacks the dignity of the Chairman, "we will protect".

The Opposition INDIA bloc on Tuesday submitted a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to the Secretary General of the Upper House. Congress led by the INDIA bloc has been demanding a discussion over the Adani issue and also held a protest in the Parliament premises.

Read what the CPI, part of the INDIA bloc said on the impeachment of the Rajya Sabha chairperson here.

A scientist's minor son has allegedly confessed to killing his mother at their home in Gorakhpur, days after he misled his father and police, claiming she died of an accidental fall, officials said.

Aarti Verma died after her son, a class 11 student, pushed her and her head crashed against a wall on December 3, police said.

The revelation came to light during a detailed investigation, Superintendent of Police (North) Jitendra Kumar Srivastava said.

"After two hours of questioning, the teenager admitted that he pushed his mother during an argument, leading to a fatal head injury," he said.

When Aarti's husband Ram Milan, an assistant scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Chennai, found her phone switched off for two days, he sent his sister-in-law to check the house on December 7.

The house was locked from outside. On returning to Gorakhpur the following evening, Milan found his wife's body on the floor, police said. Their son, found near a Shiva temple, initially told police and his father that his mother died after a fall. He claimed he locked the house from the outside in panic and wandered aimlessly for four days, police said.

However, the post-mortem report contradicted his account, they said. Further investigation raised suspicions as bloodstains were found at two different spots, indicating the body was dragged.

CCTV footage confirmed that no outsider had entered the house, as per police. Police allegedly recovered large amounts of cash in denominations of Rs 500, Rs 200, and Rs 100 from the boy's room, they said.

"During interrogation, the boy confessed on Tuesday evening that on the morning of December 3, his mother asked him to go to school. When he refused, a dispute over money ensued, and his mother threw cash at him in frustration," Srivastava said. "In a fit of rage, he pushed her, causing the fatal injury," he added.

The teenager has been taken apprehended, police added. PTI

Representational image

10:17 Indian student dead, 4 injured in UK road accident

A 32-year-old Indian student has died in a road accident in eastern England's Leicestershire while four other people were hospitalised with serious injuries, according to police.

Chiranjeevi Panguluri died on the spot as a passenger in a car that ended up in a ditch and three co-passengers, one woman and two men, and the driver were all taken to hospital, the Leicestershire Police said of the accident which was reported on Tuesday morning.

A 27-year-old man, arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, has since been released on bail.

"Chiranjeevi Panguluri, 32, was the passenger in a grey Mazda 3 Tamura, which was travelling county bound from Leicester towards Market Harborough, before leaving the road and coming to rest in a ditch," a police statement read.

"Mr Panguluri, from Leicester, was pronounced dead at the scene. Three other passengers, one woman and two men, in the vehicle and the driver were all taken to hospital. The two male passengers remain in hospital with serious injuries which have been described as not life-threatening," it added.

"Officers remain keen to speak to anyone who may have been travelling along the A6 on Tuesday morning and witnessed the collision. They would also like people to check whether they have captured any footage on dash cam equipment," the Leicestershire Police statement said. All those involved in the collision reportedly hail from Andhra Pradesh. -- PTI

10:13 SIP additions fell to 6-month low

The systematic investment plan (SIP) account additions declined for the fourth month in a row in November, after reaching a record high of 3.5 million in July 2024.At 1.03 million, the net additions last month were the lowest in six months. In October, the industry had added nearly 2.5 million accounts.

Data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India shows that the decline in net additions was largely due to a sharp fall in new registrations.

In November, investors opened million new accounts, down from 6.4 million in October.

"The new SIP registrations have declined, but there has been no increase in stoppages compared to previous months," said Aashish Somaiyaa, CEO, WhiteOak Capital Asset Management Company.

"There can be many reasons for this, the first being that November had only 18 working days compared to 21 days in October. Also, the festival season, wedding season, and end-of-year considerations may have resulted in a slowdown in the retail business. We have not come across any market- or performance-related reasons in any of our interactions with industry participants," he added.

Himanshu Srivastava, associate director -- manager research at Morningstar Investment, also attributed the decline to the festival and wedding seasons, while adding that higher volatility in the equity market may have prompted some investors to take a wait-and-watch approach.

"A cautious, wait-and-watch approach among investors was observed following a robust October amid market uncertainties. Furthermore, the onset of the festival and wedding seasons, along with the holiday period, may have led investors to delay their investment decisions," he said.

Another factor behind the lower SIP account additions, according to experts, is the slowdown in new fund offering (NFO) launches. Only 10 equity NFOs, including passive ones, were launched in November, compared to 24 in October.

The slowing SIP account growth has not impacted inflows, with the November collection remaining at a similar level to the previous month's contribution, at Rs 25,320 crore.

-- Abhishek Kumar/Business Standard

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh stated that Mamata Banerjee is not interested in any central leadership but is focused on creating an alternative platform to defeat the BJP. Ghosh, speaking about the INDIA alliance, stressed that Banerjee's goal is to build a coalition capable of challenging the BJP's dominance.

"Mamata Banerjee has made it clear that she is not interested in any 'chair' in Delhi. She is interested in building an alternative platform which can defeat the BJP," Ghosh said.

He added that the TMC, under Mamata Banerjee's leadership, had successfully defeated the BJP in West Bengal and that in Jharkhand, the JMM had achieved the same feat under Hemant Soren.

Ghosh further pointed out that in states like Haryana and Maharashtra, where Congress was expected to play a key role in defeating the BJP, the party had failed. This, he said, is why senior leaders in the INDIA alliance are suggesting Mamata Banerjee's name as the face of the alliance. "Congress should do a self-analysis on why they failed in Haryana, Maharashtra and Lok Sabha elections..." Ghosh added.

Earlier in the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed gratitude to the leaders who have backed her for a leadership role in the INDIA bloc, amid growing discussions about a change in the alliance's leadership.

Addressing a gathering in Purba Medinipur, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief extended her good wishes to the leaders and their respective parties, emphasizing unity and well-being. "I am grateful to all the leaders who have honoured me. I wish good health to all of them. May they be well, may their party be well. May India be well," she said. -- ANI

After over one month since the launch of the expanded Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to provide insurance cover to those aged 70 and above, the Centre is using enrolment drives and IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) campaigns, along with some help from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's machinery, for adding beneficiaries under the scheme.

This comes as over 2.68 million Ayushman Bharat Vaya Vandana cards have been issued since the scheme's launch to date, with the number making up for a modest 4.47 per cent achievement of the Centre's estimate of 60 million eligible beneficiaries under the scheme.

In Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar districts of Uttar Pradesh, several BJP functionaries have started enrolment camps. Messages inviting residents of various housing societies in Ghaziabad for medical camps and Ayushman enrolment via mobile phones have started doing the rounds on WhatsApp.

One such invitation by a district BJP functionary in Ghaziabad asks residents to attend a free 'Ayushman-cum-dental checkup camp', with Aadhaar cards and mobile numbers linked to the card.

A similar sight could be seen in north Mumbai's Mulund, with local BJP leaders leading the charge. In a post on social media app X, Mihir Kotecha, the BJP MLA from Mulund, shared that his team had registered over 1,000 senior citizens aged 70 or above in three days of a special camp.

"The registrations would go on in my office till January 15, to cover almost 35,000 eligible beneficiaries living in the assembly constituency," posts on his X timeline stated.

While the BJP machinery's involvement in reaching out to beneficiaries was also seen during this year's general election campaign, the NHA (National Health Authority) is now working to create awareness among senior citizens for the expanded AB-PMJAY scheme.

-- Sanket Koul/Business Standard

09:49 Credit card delinquencies rose in June

Delinquencies in the credit card segment increased across all days past due (DPD) bands in June 2024 from the year-ago period, even as the rate of growth of new card issuances and credit card balances dropped, credit bureau CRIF Highmark said in a report on Wednesday.

According to CRIF data, delinquencies in the 91 to 180 DPD category increased to 7.6 per cent in October 2023, up from 6.5 per cent in June 2023.The DPD rate in the 31 to 90 days' category rose to 2.3 per cent from 2.2 per cent, while the 181 to 360 DPD rate increased to 0.9 per cent from 0.7 per cent last year.

Additionally, the 360+ DPD rate climbed to 1.7 per cent from 1.3 per cent.

The DPD rate of the top five card issuers (TCI) in 91 to 180 days rose to 1.7 per cent from 1.5 per cent, while the medium card issuers (MCI's) DPD rate dropped to 2.2 per cent from 2.4 per cent.

The report also noted that the highest delinquency was in the credit cards with limits less than Rs 50,000.New credit card originations in the industry dropped by 34.4 per cent in Q1FY25 to 4.4 million from 6.7 million in the corresponding period a year ago.

The year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth rate of cards in circulation has dropped to 13.5 per cent as of June 2024 against 18.7 per cent a year ago.The total cards in circulation as of June 2024 stood at 10.1 crore.

The share of medium issuers in new card originations rose to 29.7 per cent in Q1FY25 from 23.7 per cent in FY23, while the share of new card originations of top issuers dropped to 65.2 per cent in Q1FY25 from 67.8 per cent in FY23.

Medium issuers focused on top-tier cities for new issuances, increasing to 48.7 per cent from 43.2 per cent in Q1FY24, while the top card issuers had higher penetration beyond the top 8 cities.

The share of credit cards with a limit of above Rs 1 lakh is gaining traction among the top card issuers, while the medium card players focus on the less than Rs 1 lakh limit.

The limit of new cards issued by top card issuers rose to 31 per cent from 27 per cent in Q1FY25 while the share of new cards issued by medium card issuers in less than Rs 1 lakh limit rose to 37 per cent from 32 per cent in Q1FY25.

Even in the July-September quarter, most private banks reported significant slippages to non-performing assets from unsecured loans like credit cards.

Issuers have resorted to measures such as tightening credit score requirements and curtailing spending limits to reduce defaults in the segment.

In its November bulletin, the Reserve Bank of India attributed the stress in small-ticket advances, credit cards, and personal loans to a rise in over-leveraged clients and increased provisioning. More broadly, banks have reined in lending to retail and services sectors.

In November last year, the RBI raised concerns over the rapid growth in certain components of consumer credit. It increased the risk weights for bank lending to consumer credit, including personal loans but excluding housing loans, education loans, vehicle loans, and gold loans, by 25 percentage points to 125 per cent. This regulatory move led the majority of banks to calibrate growth in their unsecured portfolios.

-- Aathira Varier/Business Standard

President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his Janurary 20 inauguration, CBS News reported citing sources.

As per the reports, Trump invited Xi in early November, shortly after the election but it was not clear whether Chinese President has accepted the invitation.

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately comment.

The president-elect's team is gearing up to host several world leaders at the Capitol in January.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has a warm relationship with Trump and visited him at Mar-a-Lago this week, is "still considering" whether to attend, as per CBS News.

"World leaders are lining up to meet with President Trump because they know he will soon return to power and restore peace through American strength around the globe," Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said.

Recently, Trump has threatened to increase tariffs on goods imported from China, adding that the US government has set a deadline of January 19, the eve of Trump's inauguration, for TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell the social media app or face a ban in the US.

According to CBS News, TikTok is currently fighting the ban in court, having lost a bid to block the ban last week is appealing the case to the Supreme Court.

Notably, in a historic political comeback, Trump won a second term as President of the United States after securing 295 electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election, defeating Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, who garnered 226 votes. -- ANI

There has been "minimal rejection' of text messages, and no disruptions in users receiving important commercial communication on the first day of the new national traceability mandate, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) officials said on Wednesday.

Telecom operators, who have to ensure that the telemarketer chains of commercial messages are known before such messages reach consumers, said 90 per cent of businesses, accounting for the vast majority of commercial traffic, have registered with them.

From December 11, all messages sent by businesses or principal entities (PEs), including banks, e-commerce platforms, and financial institutions, among others, to the public have to be traceable under Trai's new norms.

Messages with undefined or mismatched telemarketer chains will be rejected by the system. In case the entire chain of telemarketers involved in the message transmission does not match the expected sequence, messages would also be rejected.

Brought out in August, the new norms had given rise to concerns over potential disruptions in delivering essential transactional and service messages such as 'one time passwords (OTPs)' by businesses. But Trai officials said the system has been put in place.

"There have been no challenges on the first day. Enough precaution was taken to ensure customers don't miss out on important communication across categories. Based on updates by the telecom operators, there has been a minimal rejection of messages since robust systems have been put in place to ensure no service gap occurs," an official said.

All telcos have implemented the technical solutions, and the operators have also sent many warning notices to all businesses and registered telemarketers, who have not yet implemented necessary changes, he added.

Industry estimates indicate that 1.5 billion to 1.7 billion commercial messages are sent in India each day.

The telcos have also updated their systems to comply with the new norms, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represents private sector telecom operators Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, said on Wednesday.

"Starting December 11, the blocking mode will be fully operational. Any message where the telemarketer chain is undefined or does not match, will be rejected in accordance with Trai's directives. This proactive measure is expected to minimise disruption and consumer inconvenience, given the extensive preparatory work undertaken by telecom operators and stakeholders," COAI said.

Telcos have actively engaged with approximately 18,000 telemarketers, including delivery telemarketers, and over 3 lakh PEs, COAI said.To ensure a seamless transition and to minimise any disruption to consumers, telcos had implemented a technical rollout of the new process from November 1, COAI said.

"During this phase, traffic was not blocked due to hash mismatches or unregistered chains, allowing telecom operators to identify and address failures in collaboration with PEs and telemarketers. Telcos have also agreed to send daily status updates to telemarketers and PEs, allowing time for necessary adjustments before the enforcement date," it added.

While the initial deadline for the new norms was November 1, it had been extended twice after both businesses and RTMs (registered telemarketers) complained that the short notice would not give them enough time to institute technical upgrades.

Subhayan Chakraborty/Business Standard

09:30 Passenger vehicle discounts peak at Rs 3.7L

The Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (Fada) has said that discounts on passenger vehicles (PVs) have touched unprecedented levels.

This comes on the back of muted buying sentiment in the PV market, which saw a 14 per cent drop in retail sales following the festival month of October.

In response, dealers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are offering substantial discounts to reduce excess inventory, which is reportedly at a high of around 65 days. This indicates a slowdown in vehicle sales, prompting a need for aggressive promotions to clear stock.

Surprisingly, discounts are as high as Rs 3.7 lakh in December. Automakers have announced a price hike for January 2025, which typically should advance the buying decisions of consumers. Yet, significant discounts are being offered as Indian car sales saw a sharp 14 per cent year-on-year decline in November 2024, despite the ongoing wedding season.

In contrast, sales post-festive period last year (October November) had grown by 2.6 per cent, with discounts ranging between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh. According to Fada President C S Vigneshwar, the inventory days currently stand at 65 68 days, with unsold stock totalling 650,000 units three times the advised levels.

Discounts offered to consumers are at an all-time high, Vigneshwar said. Buyers are also delaying decisions to take advantage of December discounts. While these offers attract buyers, they are unsustainable for manufacturers and dealers in the long run.

Tata Motors is offering discounts of up to Rs 3.7 lakh on its 2023 pre-facelift Safari and Harrier models.

Additionally, the Altroz Petrol Racer variant has discounts worth Rs 75,000, while other selected variants of the Altroz Petrol, Diesel, and CNG models offer savings of up to Rs 55,000. Similarly, Mahindra's Thar 4WD Petrol and Diesel - Earth Edition models are seeing discounts of up to Rs 3.06 lakh, including a Rs 2.75 lakh discount and corporate benefits. Other models, like the Thar 2WD Petrol LX P AT BS6.2, are available with discounts worth Rs 1.31 lakh, while the Scorpio Classic S comes with savings of Rs 1.45 lakh.

Buyers of the XUV300 W8 DS can avail of up to Rs 1.79 lakh in benefits, including Rs 1.25 lakh in cash discounts. Similarly, the Bolero Neo N10 and N10 Opt variants come with discounts of Rs 1.49 lakh, featuring cash benefits and exchange offers. Toyota's Fortuner Legender provides benefits of Rs 2.25 lakh, including Rs 75,000 in cash and loyalty bonuses, while the Innova Crysta offers a Rs 1.5 lakh cash discount. Maruti Suzuki is providing discounts of up to Rs 1.5 lakh on the Jimny Alpha and benefits worth Rs 1.03 lakh on the Grand Vitara Alpha, which include a Dominion Kit valued at Rs 52,699. Discounts of Rs 80,000 are also available on the XL6 Zeta and Ciaz Alpha models. Kia is offering benefits such as a Rs 40,000 exchange bonus and a Rs 15,000 corporate discount on the Seltos. The Carens comes with a corporate discount of Rs 15,000, while the Sonet offers corporate benefits of up to Rs 15,000.

-- Anjali Singha/Business Standard

09:17 Meeting Adani is not sin: TN BJP chief

Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai on Wednesday defended meeting industrialist Gautam Adani, calling it "not a sin" and accusing Congress and DMK of misleading the public with their protests over Adani's ties to the party.

"He is a businessman in our country. Every single state government wants to roll a red carpet for inviting big industrialists to their global investor summit. It is the Congress and DMK MPs that started this bogus protest outside the Parliament saying that 'Adani-BJP Ek Hai.' Since CM (MK Stalin) said he has not met Adani, we are making a charge against him. Don't hoodwink Tamil Nadu people... You should acknowledge that Adani has done business in Tamil Nadu," Annamalai said.

Meanwhile, Congress on Tuesday denied BJP's allegations of links to billionaire George Soros. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate called the claims "baseless" and said they were a diversion from the Adani controversy.

Speaking to ANI, Shrinate questioned why the government has not acted against Soros if he is promoting an "anti-India agenda."

She highlighted BJP's alleged ties to Soros-backed initiatives like Capital Float, saying, "One of the founders of Capital Float is linked to a prominent BJP leader. If Soros's agenda is anti-national, why hasn't the government banned it?"

Shrinate also noted that India contributed USD 900,000 to Soros' projects over the past decade and questioned why no legal action has been taken.

"The BJP is trying to divert attention from Adani's issues by sensationalising the Soros connection," she said. The controversy spilled over into Parliament, with BJP President JP Nadda accusing Congress of connections to Soros and his foundation.

Nadda said, "The Opposition is trying to bring instability in the country. What is the relationship between George Soros and Congress?" Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi dismissed the claims, calling them "ridiculous." She said, "They are talking about some 1994 thing; no one knows what they are talking about. They just want to avoid discussing the Adani issue."

The heated exchanges continue as the Parliament's winter session progresses. -- ANI

A canteen owner at a theatre screening the movie Pushpa 2: The Rule in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior allegedly bit the ear of a man over a dispute on settling the snacks bill, police said.

The incident took place on Sunday when the victim, Shabbir, went to the canteen of Kailash Talkies in Inderganj area during the movie interval to buy food, the police said on Wednesday.

An argument broke out between Shabbir and canteen owner Raju, who accused the former of not paying money, an official said.

The heated exchange escalated into a fight with Raju and his three associates thrashing Shabbir. Raju allegedly bit one of the ears of Shabbir, as per the FIR.

The argument over the payment of food items led to the fight, Additional Superintendent of Police Niranjan Sharma said.

"The canteen owner and his three associates allegedly beat Shabbir and also bit his ear while threatening to kill him," he said.

Shabbir lodged a complaint with police on Monday. A case was registered against three persons on Tuesday based on Shabbir's medical report, he said, adding that further investigation was underway.

Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2: The Rule has hit the milestone of Rs 1,000 crore at the global box office in just six days, making it the fastest Indian film to register the feat, as per its producers.

The Sukumar-directed movie, which is a sequel to 2021's Telugu blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise, released on December 5 with dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali and Malayalam. -- PTI

Image only for representation

08:58 Rescued from borewell after 3 days, 5-yr-old dies

A 5-year-old boy died after being stuck in a 150-feet borewell in Rajasthan's Dausa, as officials launched an extensive rescue operation which lasted over three days.

The child fell in a 150 feet deep borewell while playing on December 9.

A rescue operation was quickly launched to extricate him.

The child was pulled out of the borewell in an unconscious state on Wednesday night and was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead.

The Chief Medical Officer in Dausa said that multiple attempts were made to resuscitate him but all went in vain.

"The child was brought here so that we could try and revive him if possible...we did ECG twice and the child has been declared dead," said Dausa CMO.

Earlier on Wednesday, according to District Collector Devendra Kumar, the rescue officials had to bring in a second machine for the operations after the first one had broken down.

"The machine had broken down; our second machine has arrived... Our rescue operation is going on. The rescue operation will continue until the child is taken out," Kumar said. -- ANI

CCTV camera footages on-board the BEST bus that mowed down seven persons in Mumbai's Kurla area show the driver Sanjay More collecting two backpacks from the cabin and jumping out of a broken window after the accident.

The four to five video clips with a duration of 50 seconds to 1.04 seconds went viral on social media on Wednesday.

The visuals show passengers panicking as the electric vehicle ran amok hitting vehicles and pedestrians on Monday night on a busy street in Kurla (west).

Some passengers tried to tightly grip the poles and grab handles, while others rose from their seats to fathom what was happening on the streets as the bus moved forward.

After the bus swerved to a halt, several passengers jumped out of the shattered windows.

A clip shows Sanjay More coming out of the bus cabin holding two black backpacks, and jumping out of a broken window on the left side of the bus.

The bus conductor got down from the rear side door.

The out-of-control electric bus operated by the civic-run BEST undertaking rammed into pedestrians and vehicles at around 9.30 pm on Monday on the SG Barve Marg in Kurla West.

Besides killing seven persons and injuring 42 others, including four policemen on 'bandobast' duty, the accident also wrecked 22 vehicles.

The bus driver was arrested for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. He was remanded in police custody till December 21.

According to details that have emerged so far, More had no experience in driving electric vehicles and had undergone only a ten-day training for steering EVs. -- PTI

A 55-year-old man hailing from Kerala died after being run over by a bus operated by BEST in south Mumbai on Wednesday evening, officials said, in second fatal accident involving a vehicle of the Mumbai civic transport body in three days.

The victim was first hit by a speeding motorcycle and then run over by the bus near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), they said.

The bus driver, Dnyandeo Jagdale, was taken into custody for inquiry, they said.

The accident occurred two days after the horrific bus tragedy in the Kurla area of the metropolis in which an out of control electric bus of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking fatally knocked down seven persons and injured 42 others on Monday night.

"Around 4.30 pm on Wednesday, a motorbiker hit a man in front of Hotel Shivala near the CSMT, due to which he fell on the road. Just then, a speeding BEST bus going towards the Electric House in south Mumbai from Anushakti Nagar ran over him," a police official said.

The pedestrian came under the rear wheel of the BEST bus and died on the spot, he said.

The deceased was identified by the police as Hasenar Anduhi, a resident of Badaiyabuka Bela in Kasaragod district of Kerala.

Driver Jagdale was taken into custody for inquiry by officials of the Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Marg police station, he said, adding a case was being registered in this connection.

The police have launched a search for the motorcyclist, who hit the pedestrian.

A senior BEST official said the bus belongs to a wet lease private operator, but its driver Jagdale is an employee of the civic undertaking.

In the Kurla crash, the police have arrested Sanjay More (54), who was at the wheel of the ill-fated bus. -- PTI

FIR ordered against BJP MLA on gangrape charges

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