30,000+ cops deployed in Mumbai for polls tomorrow

 Elaborate arrangements have been made to maintain law and order and ensure smooth conduct of the elections, a police official said on Tuesday.

 Five additional commissioners of police, 20 deputy commissioners of police, 83 assistant commissioners of police, more than 2,000 other police officers and 25,000 personnel have been deployed, he said. 

 Additionally, three Riot Control Platoons have been put on duty for the purpose of maintaining order. The traffic department has separately deployed 144 officers and more than 1,000 other personnel on security duty, the official said. More than 4,000 Home Guards have also been deployed and several personnel drawn from various central and state security forces have been assigned duties at critical locations. 

 Since the implementation of the model code of conduct on October 15, cash, precious metals, liquor, narcotics and other items valued at nearly Rs 175 crore have been seized in Mumbai, the official said. To ensure free and fair elections, preventive action has been effectively taken against 4,492 individuals under various legal provisions. 

 All voters are advised to follow the rules in the 100-metre radius of polling stations, as per an order of the Mumbai police. Citizens may contact the Brihanmumbai Police Commissionerate's main control room helplines 100/103/112 for assistance, the official added.

 Mumbai has 36 assembly constituencies where 410 candidates are in the fray, and there are more than 1 crore voters. A total of 10,117 voting booths have been set up in the metropolis. PTI

 Sharmila appealed to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh to take moral responsibility for the unrest and step down, while urging the Centre to hold a referendum to understand the people's aspirations and determine a path to resolve the crisis. In a telephonic interview with PTI, Sharmila, known as the 'Iron Lady of Manipur,' stressed the importance of the Centre respecting the diversity, values, and practices of the northeast's ethnic groups. 

 She emphasised that sensitivity and understanding are vital for restoring peace in the region. 

 "The approach of the Centre is not right. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting every state, but he has not gone to Manipur. He is the democratically elected leader of the country. It has been nearly eighteen months since the violence started, yet he has not visited. Only direct intervention by Prime Minister Modi can help resolve the crisis," Sharmila claimed. 

 Alleging that CM N. Biren Singh has failed to restore peace, Sharmila stressed that immediate and decisive action is needed to stop the ongoing ethnic violence, which has claimed over 200 lives and displaced thousands since May last year. 

 She claimed, "The wrong policies of the state government have pushed Manipur into this unprecedented crisis. The chief minister must immediately step down for failing to restore peace since May last year. The BJP must ask him to resign. He has failed the people of Manipur." 

 The Centre first needs to understand the problem and what the people of Manipur want, she said. "The Centre must conduct a referendum among the communities to determine how to resolve the crisis. The government needs to understand what the people of Manipur want before taking corrective steps," she said. -- PTI

 Yogi Adityanath shared a picture with the actor on X on Tuesday, writing, "Today, film actor Shri Vikrant Massey made a courtesy visit to the government residence in Lucknow."

 The two sides are looking at the possibility of the visit but nothing has been finalised yet, they said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the Russian President to visit India when the two leaders held talks in Moscow in July. 

 Earlier Tuesday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a video interaction with senior Indian Editors referred to the strong bilateral relationship between India and Russia, and added Putin's visit is on the cards. He did not give any specific dates or make a definitive announcement of the visit.

 Prime Minister Modi visited Kazan in Russia last month to attend the BRICS summit. The interaction was organised by the state-owned Sputnik news agency. "We are looking forward to the visit. The dates will be mutually worked out soon," Peskov said. PTI

 Continuous buying by domestic institutional investors also supported the indices, traders said. Snapping its four days of decline, the BSE benchmark Sensex climbed 239.37 points or 0.31 per cent to settle at 77,578.38.

 However, fag-end decline in Reliance Industries restricted the market rally. During the day, it zoomed 1,112.64 points or 1.43 per cent to 78,451.65. The NSE Nifty also bounced back after falling in the past seven trading days.

 It went up by 64.70 points or 0.28 per cent to settle at 23,518.50. From the 30-share Sensex pack, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tech Mahindra, HDFC Bank, Titan, Tata Motors, UltraTech Cement, Power Grid and Infosys were the biggest gainers. 

 In contrast, Reliance Industries, State Bank of India, Bajaj Finserv, Maruti, Tata Steel and Bharti Airtel were among the laggards. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 1,403.40 crore on Monday, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought shares worth Rs 2,330.56 crore, according to exchange data.

A meeting with one section of them, domestic workers belonging to the Mumbai-based NGO Prayas Ek Koshish, that has been working with them for the last 20 years, indicates that it has.

"We are happy that the money has come to us immediately after it was announced," said the women. "For once, the government did what it promised."

Interestingly, these workers were happy with the scheme despite describing it as an electoral gambit which may not be continued after the elections. "Maybe if this government returns..." they said.

Jyoti Punwani reports. Read the story here. 

Speaking at the inaugural event of the 50th All India Police Science Conference (AIPSC) at the Rashtriya Raksha University here, he expressed confidence that the coming decade will make the Indian criminal justice system the most scientific and fastest in the world. 

"For years, three regions were considered very disturbed - Kashmir, North East, and Naxalite-affected areas. We have made significant improvements in the security of all these three regions. Comparing the data of the last 10 years with the period before that shows that we have been successful in reducing violence by 70 per cent," Shah said. 

"I believe this is a very big achievement. A large number of people have wholeheartedly supported the government's efforts to reduce this (violence)," he said.

 Even in terms of controlling the narcotics trade, the seizure of drugs has increased six times in the last 10 years as compared to what it was a decade ago, the Union minister said. 

Shah said that following the implementation of three new criminal laws this year, justice will be delivered to people from the Supreme Court level within three years from the date of registration of a first information report (FIR). 

"The coming 10 years is the time to make India's criminal justice system the most modern, most scientific and fastest. Ever since I was born, I have heard taunts that one gets delayed justice from the court. I want to assure you that after the implementation of the three new criminal laws, one will get justice from the Supreme Court within three years of the FIR registration at any police station in the country," he said.

 Ten suspected militants were killed in the gunfight with security forces last week after insurgents in camouflage uniforms, armed with sophisticated weapons, fired indiscriminately at the Borobekra police station and an adjacent CRPF camp at Jakuradhor in Jiribam, according to the Manipur Police. 

 The rally, organised by the Joint Philanthropic Organisation (JPO), started around 11 am. Hundreds of people participated in it with placards demanding justice for those killed, and a separate administration in the hill areas. The march concluded at the 'Wall of Remembrance', a memorial for the Kuki people killed in the ethnic violence in the state since May last year. 

 Later, a memorandum addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah was submitted to the district administration. The Kuki-Zo groups have been claiming that those killed in Jiribam were village volunteers.

 However, the state police pointed to a huge number of arms and ammunition that were found at the spot after the gunfight was over to counter the claim. More than 220 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year. -- PTI

 The BJP has, however, rubbished the allegations, saying Thakur's claim was nothing more than a publicity stunt and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was making these allegations as it is headed for defeat. A purported video of a face-off between Tawde and BVA leaders and workers has surfaced on social media. 

 Polls for the 288-member state assembly will be held on November 20, and the votes will be counted on November 23. Speaking to reporters, Thakur claimed, "Some BJP leaders informed me that BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde is coming to Virar to disburse Rs 5 crore to influence voters. I thought a national leader like him would not stoop to such a trivial task. But I saw him here. I urge the Election Commission to take action against him and the BJP."

 The BVA legislator alleged the hotel Tawde was staying had shut CCTV recording. 

 "The hotel administration seems to be in cahoots with Tawde and the BJP. They only activated their CCTV after we requested it. Tawde was distributing money to manipulate voters," he said. 

 Tawde remained in the hotel for over three hours while BVA workers refused to back down. 

 Taking to X, Shiv Sena Sanjay Raut said, "The BJP's scheme has come to an end. Thakur has done what the Election Commission should have done. EC officials search our bags and scrutinise us, yet these individuals from the BJP face no such checks." 

 Refuting the allegations, BJP leader and MLC Pravin Darekar said, "The MVA has already lost the game. They are destined for defeat in this election, which is why they are making such absurd allegations against us. What Thakur is doing is nothing more than a publicity stunt." PTI

 In a statement Tuesday, RBI said it has come to their notice that fake videos of the Governor (Shaktikanta Das) are being circulated in social media that claim launch of or support to some investment schemes by the RBI. 

 "These videos attempt to advise people to invest their money in such schemes, through use of technological tools," said the RBI statement. RBI, through the statement, clarified that its officials are not involved in or support any such activities and these videos are fake. Notably, RBI does not give any such financial investment advice. Public is, therefore, cautioned by the RBI against engaging with and falling prey to such deepfake videos circulated over social media. Earlier this year, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) had issued a similar advisory cautioning investors not to fall for fake or Artificial Intelligence generated deep fake videos of its MD and CEO, Ashishkumar Chauhan, recommending stocks. There have been several instances where videos of big business leaders were circulated on social media recommending stocks to buy and giving business advice -- all such videos were fake and generated by Artificial Intelligence.

-- ANI

 The sages and scholars of ancient India made remarkable discoveries and innovations that are benefiting the world even today, she was quoted as saying in a statement issued by Raj Bhawan. Citing the example of Bharadwaj, the governor said, He had conceptualised the idea of an aircraft, but the credit for its invention was given to another nation, and it is now recognised as the invention of the Wright Brothers."

 She made the speech at the 9th convocation of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University in Lucknow on Monday. Bharadwaj, a prominent 'rishi' from the Vedic age, is mentioned in both the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. Orville and Wilbur Wright, together known as the Wright Brothers, are credited with flying the first self-propelled aircraft on December 17, 1903, in North Carolina, USA. However, some BJP leaders have argued that the concept of a flying machine is demonstrated in the Pushpak Vimana' described in the Ramayana. Interestingly, a research paper presented at the 102nd Indian Science Congress in 2015 claimed that Shivkar Bapuji Talpade had flown a flying machine over Chowpatty in 1895, eight years before the Wright Brothers. 

 The paper also claimed that aeroplanes existed in India 7,000 years ago and were capable of travelling between countries and even planets. The paper, presented by a retired principal of a pilot training institute, attracted sharp criticism from some scientists who argued that it undermined the primacy of empirical evidence, which is the foundation of the 102-year-old Congress. -- PTI

Pic: Reuters/Gary Cameron.

 Helmed by Dheeraj Sarna, the film revolves around the 2002 Godhra burning train incident which triggered communal riots in Gujarat. 

 "'The Sabarmati Report' is a very good movie. I will go to watch the movie myself. I also told my ministers, MLAs and MPs to watch this film. We are also going to make it tax free in the state so that maximum people can watch it," Yadav told reporters. 

 He said it (Godhra incident) was a dark chapter of the past and truth will come out through the film. While accusing the opposition of playing "dirty politics" on the Godhra incident for vote bank, Yadav said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat, saved the honour of the state and the country. -- PTI

 The 47-year-old had walked out of Ballari jail on October 30 after being imprisoned for more than four months, hours after the Karnataka High Court gave him relief for six weeks on medical grounds, to undergo spine surgery. 

 "The process is on and at the earliest we will file an appeal in the Supreme Court," Dayananda told reporters in response to a question. Darshan was arrested on June 11. His friend Pavithra Gowda and 15 others are co-accused in the case. 

 Pavithra is lodged in Bengaluru prison, and others in various jails of the state; some of them had recently got bail. 

 According to police, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Pavithra, which enraged Darshan, allegedly leading to his murder. His body was found near a storm water drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli here on June nine. Raghavendra, one of the accused who is part of Darshan's fan club in Chitradurga, had brought Renukaswamy to a shed in R R Nagar here, on the pretext that the actor wanted to meet him. It was in this shed that he was allegedly tortured and murdered. 

 According to the post-mortem report, Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga, died due to shock and hemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries. Police have said Pavithra, who is accused number one, was the "major cause" for Renukaswamy's murder, claiming that it has been proved from the probe that she instigated other accused, conspired with them, and took part in the crime. PTI

 Talking to reporters, Thane collector and election officer Ashok Shingare said the initiative aims to enhance voter convenience and participation, particularly as the Election Commission raised concerns regarding low voter turnout in the Thane and Kalyan regions. 

 He said the district administration has implemented several measures to engage voters and improve the overall turnout, including introducing a QR code system, which will guide voters across 18 assembly constituencies. The official said the QR codes will direct voters to their designated polling booths, providing them with critical information such as the exact location and address. 

 Shingare reported that as of Monday morning, of the total 7.2 million voters in Thane district, 3.27 million (nearly 50 per cent) had already accessed the QR codes on the election department's website and at some public places where they are displayed. In addition, the district's election department has reported over 156 million impressions on its social media platforms, he said. 

 The official said the Navi Mumbai police, under the guidance of Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe, has also introduced a dedicated QR code for residents in their jurisdiction.

They declared her dead due to a heart attack, police said. The body was later sent to a nearby government hospital. The victim hailed from Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district, police said. PTI

 As soon as the bench comprising the CJI and Justice Sanjay Kumar assembled, lawyers, including Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Kapil Sibal, referred to the worsening pollution in Delhi and NCR and sought immediate measures to deal with it. We have told all the judges to allow virtual hearings wherever possible, the CJI said.

 Pollution is getting out of control, Sibal said. 

 He was supported by various lawyers that also included Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Gopal Sankaranarayanan It needs to go down.

"The message should go to other courts," Sibal added. 

 The solicitor general said the top court, as a matter of principle, should go virtual. "We have given the message to accommodate everybody. Moreover, online is anyway available," the CJI said. 

 On Monday, the top court took note of the fact that the Air Quality Index (AQI) entered into the 'severe plus' category and directed all Delhi-NCR states to immediately set up teams to strictly enforce anti-pollution GRAP 4 restrictions, making it clear that the curbs will continue till further orders.

 Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 484 at 8 am on Monday, the worst this season. The AQI in certain areas also breached the 500 mark. PTI

 Shashi Tharoor claimed that it was "unconscionable" that the government had witnessed the ongoing air pollution crisis in Delhi for years without taking adequate action. 

 Sharing a list of 'Most Polluted Cities' in their ranking, Shashi Tharoor posted on X, "Delhi is officially the most polluted city in the world, 4x Hazardous levels and nearly five times as bad as the second most polluted city, Dhaka. It is unconscionable that our government has been witnessing this nightmare for years and does nothing about it." 

 "I have run an Air Quality Round Table for experts and stakeholders, including MPs, since 2015 but gave up last year because nothing seemed to change and no one seemed to care. This city is essentially uninhabitable from November to January inclusive and barely livable the rest of the year. Should it even remain the nation's capital?" said Tharoor.

 Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital remained in the 'severe plus' category for the second consecutive day on Tuesday morning, with smog shrouding the city, reducing visibility and worsening air pollution to touch an alarmingly high level of poor AQI (Air Quality Index).

The tax department is in the process of sending SMS and emails to assessees who have not disclosed high-value assets. With regard to notifying taxpayers for non-disclosure of foreign assets, Agarwal said the tax department gets all details about foreign assets from nations under the automatic exchange of information. It matches such details with the disclosures in the ITRs.

 "The basic intent is to remind taxpayers to declare foreign assets. They can file revised returns by December 31,' he said at the inauguration of the Taxpayers Lounge at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) in New Delhi. Foreign assets include foreign bank accounts, foreign cash value insurance, financial interest in any business/entity, immovable property outside India, foreign equity or debt interest, accounts in which an assessee has signing authority, and any other capital assets. 

The department on Sunday cautioned taxpayers that failure to disclose assets held abroad or income earned in foreign shores in the ITR can attract a penalty of Rs 10 lakh under the anti-black money law. The department issued a public advisory as part of a compliance-cum-awareness campaign to ensure that such information is reported by assessees in their ITR for assessment year (AY) 2024-25. 

The CBDT has said that as part of the campaign, it will send "informational' SMS and email to those resident taxpayers who have already filed their ITR for AY 2024-25. When asked about the progress in income tax law review, the CBDT chief said public consultation is ongoing and more than 6,000 suggestions have been received by the department.

--  Harsh Kumar/Business Standard

 It was the first high-level engagement between the two sides after completion of the disengagement process in the two friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the mountainous region. 

 After his talks with Wang, Jaishankar said that both sides also exchanged views on the next steps in the India-China bilateral ties. On the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio, met CPC Politburo member and FM Wang Yi of China, the external affairs minister posted on X late on Monday. We noted the progress in the recent disengagement in the India-China border areas. And exchanged views on the next steps in our bilateral ties.

 Also discussed the global situation, he said. Brazil is hosting the G20 Summit on Monday and Tuesday. Indian and Chinese militaries completed the disengagement exercise in Demchok and Depsang last month after the two sides reached an agreement to resolve the festering border row. The two sides also resumed patrolling activities in the two areas after a gap of almost four-and-a-half years. PTI

 The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Monday asked WhatsApp to refrain from sharing user data with other applications, owned by Meta, for advertising purposes for a period of five years. 

 India's competition watchdog imposed a penalty of Rs 213.14 crore on the social media giant for unfair business ways with respect to WhatsApp privacy policy update done in 2021. Besides, the competition watchdog has directed Meta to cease and desist from anti-competitive practices. Meta and WhatsApp have also been asked to implement certain behavioural remedies within a defined timeline to address the anti-competition issues, according to a CCI order. 

 A Meta spokesperson said that the company disagrees with the CCI's decision and plans to appeal. "As a reminder, the 2021 update did not change the privacy of people's personal messages and was offered as a choice for users at the time. We also ensured no one would have their accounts deleted or lose functionality of the WhatsApp service because of this update," the Meta spokesperson said. 

 Meta further said the update was about introducing optional business features on WhatsApp, and provided further transparency about data collection and usage. The Meta spokesperson added since that time, WhatsApp has been incredibly valuable to people and businesses, enabling organisations and government institutions to deliver citizen services through COVID and beyond, and as well as supporting small businesses in furtherance of the India economy. 

 "WhatsApp is able to do all of this because it offers services supported by Meta. We are committed to finding a path forward that allows us to continue providing the experiences that people and businesses have come to expect from us," the Meta spokesperson said -- PTI

He remarked, "India-Italy friendship can greatly contribute to a better planet."

"Glad to have met Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the Rio de Janeiro G20 Summit. Our talks centred around deepening ties in defence, security, trade, and technology. We also discussed ways to boost cooperation in culture, education, and other such areas. India-Italy friendship can greatly contribute to a better planet," PM Modi shared on social media platform X.

PM Modi also held a bilateral meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store during the 19th G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Earlier, PM Modi met with leaders from Indonesia and Portugal on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Brazil. -- ANI

 At such high Air Quality Index (AQI) levels, the air is considered hazardous to health, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and people with respiratory or heart conditions. 

 Drone visuals from around the Bhikaji Cama Place at 7:20 am today show a thick layer of smog blanketing the entire area. Meanwhile, the trains' movement continues amid smog in Delhi. 

Visuals from New Delhi Railway Station also show layer of haze covering the area. 22 trains have been running late and 9 trains have been rescheduled as a result of the smog, said the Railways. Visuals from Kartavya Path and surrounding areas also show people carrying out their morning walk routine and bicycling around a thick layer of smog.

 Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said in a post on X on Tuesday that the meet has been convened on November 24 morning "in view of the coming Winter session of Parliament." The session begins on November 25 and concludes on December 20. 

The Rajasthan government has rechristened the state tourism corporation's well-known Hotel Khadim in Ajmer as 'Ajaymeru' with an aim to preserve the cultural heritage of the city, according to an official order.

 

The Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) issued the order on Monday following instructions from Legislative Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani, who is the MLA from Ajmer North and hails from Ajmer.

Ajmer was historically known as 'Ajaymeru' and the name was used in ancient Indian scriptures and historical texts.

The city is famous for the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti and the name 'Khadim' was a connection to this. Clerics of a dargah are called 'khadim'.

Devnani had earlier directed the RTDC to change the name of the hotel which is situated opposite the district collectorate, officials said.

The speaker said the name of the hotel, which is popular among tourists, officials and locals, should reflect Ajmer's rich cultural history, heritage and identity, they said.

According to the officials, Devnani has also suggested renaming the King Edward Memorial in Ajmer after Hindu philosopher Swami Dayanand Saraswati.

The order to rename Hotel Khadim as 'Ajaymeru' was issued by RTDC MD Sushma Arora following a meeting of the corporation's Board of Directors.

The name 'Ajaymeru' traces its roots back to the 7th century when Maharaja Ajayraj Chauhan founded the city. According to historians, the name has also been used in ancient historical records and geographical references. -- PTI 

Elon Musk-owned Space X successfully launched the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s communication satellite GSAT-N2 from Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA on Tuesday.

The advanced communication satellite was launched using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.

Named GSAT N-2 or GSAT 20, the 4,700 kg fully commercial satellite, was launched from Space Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The launch pad has been hired by SpaceX from the US' Space Force, a special branch of the country's armed forces that was created in 2019 to secure its space assets.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that trade talks with India would be relaunched in the new year, following a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brazil.

Following Starmer and Modi's meeting, Downing Street said the UK would seek a new strategic partnership with India, including a trade agreement as well as deepening cooperation in areas such as security, education, technology and climate change. 

Starmer's spokesperson said the UK was committed to negotiating a trade deal with India, one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

"A new trade deal with India will support jobs and prosperity in the UK -- and represent a step forward in our mission to deliver growth and opportunity across our country," a statement released by 10, Downing Street, quoted Starmer as saying after the bilateral meeting.

Modi took to social media to describe the exchange as "extremely productive".

"For India, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UK is of immense priority. In the coming years, we are eager to work closely in areas such as technology, green energy, security, innovation and technology," Modi said in a post on X.

"We also want to add strength to trade as well as cultural linkages," he added.

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also said the bilateral meeting infused "fresh impetus to the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership".

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the UK on the sidelines of the G20 Brazil Summit in Rio. The leaders discussed various facets of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They also acknowledged the need for a balanced and mutually beneficial FTA," the MEA said in its post on X.

Meanwhile, Downing Street highlighted that Starmer was using his trip to Brazil for the G20 Summit to strengthen ties with the world's leading economic powers to drive growth and deliver for the British people. 

The meeting with Modi came shortly after Starmer's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and talks with Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. -- PTI

Satyaki Savarkar had filed a complaint in a Pune court claiming Gandhi, in his speech in London in March 2023, stated that Savarkar had written in a book that he and five to six of his friends once beat up a Muslim man and he (Savarkar) felt happy. 

As per the plea, Savarkar has not written this anywhere. 

The court had asked the police to investigate the allegations and file a report. 

The Vishrambaug police station had carried out the enquiry and said that there is a prima-facie truth in the complaint. 

On October 4, Special court for MP/MLA, presided over by Joint Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amol Shinde, had issued summons to Gandhi asking him to appear before it on October 23. 

However, Gandhi did not appear as it was told that he did not receive the summons. 

Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, lawyer of petitioner Satyaki Savarkar, said he approached the court on Monday praying to issue summons Gandhi to appear before the court. 

Adv Milind Pawar approached the court on behalf of Gandhi and said the Congress leader will appear before the court on the next date, Kolhatkar said. -- PTI

The theft came to light at Indrali railway station on November 16 when the family members found that their baggage was forced open and gold jewellery stolen, they said. 

According to the police, the family had boarded the train on November 15 and arrived the next morning at Udupi. 

In the complaint, the victim stated that the theft must have been carried out between Panvel and Kankavali station in Maharashtra. 

A case was registered and investigation is on, they added. -- PTI

Deputy commissioner, Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma visited the PHC Teryath after the incident and instructed the additional deputy commissioner of Kalakote to conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter and submit a report at the earliest, they said. 

Both the woman and her baby are in good health and are currently admitted to the PHC. 

According to the relatives of the woman, they reached PHC Teryath on Sunday morning but the on-duty doctor, without examining the patient, referred her to a sub-district hospital due to the non-availability of a gynaecologist. 

However, the woman gave birth on the road while they were heading to the hospital in a cab. 

During his visit to PHC Teryath on Monday, the deputy commissioner interacted with the woman and her family to understand the circumstances leading to the incident. 

He assured the family of strict action and emphasized that such incidents are unacceptable in a system committed to providing accessible healthcare to all, an official spokesperson said. 

While addressing the health officials present, the deputy commissioner directed them to work with utmost sincerity and diligence to prevent such incidents in the future. -- PTI

No casualty or loss of property was reported in the region due to the seismic activity, district officials said. 

The earthquake was recorded at 8.18 pm with its epicentre located 26 km west south-west of Rapar town in Kutch district, the Gandhinagar-based ISR said. 

The state has suffered nine major earthquakes in the past 200 years, as per information provided by the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority. 

The 2001 Kutch earthquake was the third largest and second most destructive earthquake in India over the last two centuries, it said. 

On January 26, 2001, Gujarat was struck by an earthquake of 6.9 magnitude with its epicentre near Bhachau in Kutch district which affected the entire state. 

Nearly 13,800 people were killed and another 1.67 lakh injured in the earthquake, according to GSDMA data. -- PTI