Richard Loitam case: 2 students booked for murder

Click to play video

Bangalore: The Bangalore police have booked two students Syed Afzal Ali and Vishal Banerjee for the murder of Manipur boy Richard Loitam. However, the students will not be arrested now as the police were waiting for the forensic report.

The police said that they would take action only after the forensic report was out. But both the students have been suspended from the college and the police have asked the college to ensure the two didn't leave the hostel till the probe was over.

The police had earlier registered a case of death under suspicious circumstances. However, Richard's family had been alleging foul play since the first day.

This comes a day after the Bangalore police said that the reason for the Manipur boy's fight with his friend could have been a two-wheeler accident. The police had also said that Richard was injured after the two-wheeler accident.

Gujarat fisherman nets 'Ghol' fish stock worth Rs 1 crore

Rajkot: A fisherman from Jakhau town in Gujarat's Kutch district has netted a stock of rare 'Ghol' fish, which is worth around Rs one crore. Fisherman Hasan Isha Bhaya has netted around 350 Ghol fish, the market value of which is close to Rs one crore. He got this catch during his possibly the

last trip of the season, fisheries officials said.

Ghol or Protonibea diacanthus is a type of croaker which has a big market in Singapore and Malaysia. This fish is considered amongst the most-expensive variety of the marine fish. Its heart known as 'sea gold' is said to have medicinal properties and is an important ingredient in making a variety of medicines.

Bhaya had set on his fishing trip on April 24 from Jakhau and was hoping to return after spending over a week in the sea. However, he had to cut short his trip after three days as he had already got his prized catch.

CNN-IBN

"Along with 15 other fishermen, I had gone for fishing on April 24. Generally, we return after spending 8-10 days on the sea. However, this time, to my astonishment, I found that a huge stock of rare Ghol fish got trapped in my nets," Bhaya said.

The fishing season usually concludes by May 14 as the sea begins to turn rough prior to the Monsoon and fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea.

"This was possibly the last trip of the season, which has proved lucky for me. I got such an expensive variety of fish, whose worth is in crores (of rupees). I feel good when people call me a crorepati," Bhaya said.

According to officials, Bhaya has already given the catch to the company for whom he works, which is going to pay him the money.

Bangalore: Beaten and burnt by her father, baby Afreen dies

Click to play video

Bangalore: Three-month-old baby Afreen, who was allegedly beaten and abused by her father, died of cardiac arrest in Bangalore on Wednesday. Afreen, who was admitted to Bangalore's Vani Vilas hospital on Sunday, suffered a massive cardiac arrest on Wednesday at 10:40 AM and died at 11:10 AM after all efforts to revive her by the doctors failed.

Professor of Paediatrics at Vani Vilas Hospital R Premalatha said that multiple convulsions could have led to the cardiac arrest.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Shanta Sinha said, "This is very tragic and sad. The case should be brought to a logical ending. The mother will have to be given full cooperation and protection."

Nina Nayak of the Child Rights Protection Commission said a Quick Response Unit needs to be set up to attend to such cases on time.

Her condition had started to worsen from Tuesday, forcing the doctors to seek help from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS).

Her father Umar Farooq allegedly wanted a boy, and started torturing and abusing Afreen after she born. Umar Farooq has already been arrested and sent to jail. Her mother, who allegedly witnessed the abuse and torture, wants the strictest possible punishment for him.

IIT Madras student from Uttar Pradesh commits suicide

Chennai: A 19-year-old student of IIT Madras allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his hostel room on Monday, police said. Kuldeep Yadav, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, was a second year civil engineering student.

Other students in the hostel noticed that Yadav's room had remained closed since morning. On suspicion, they broke open the door and found his body hanging from the ceiling, police said.

He was immediately rushed to a private hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

The boy's father Yasodhar Singh, an agriculturist, has been informed about the incident, police said.

Gujarat BJP ad depicts Narendra Modi as Lord Krishna

New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is caught in the centre of another controversy. An advertisement by the Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) depicts the chief minister as Lord Krishna.

Published in a vernacular newspaper, the ad is created by Amreli district President Bharat Kanabar.

The advertisement also shows the state BJP President as Arjun and other BJP leaders as the Pandavas. The Congress has already protested against the ad.

Infosys still working with Gujarat govt for land: Narayan Murthy

Ahmedabad: Chairman Emeritus and Chief Mentor of IT major Infosys, NR Narayan Murthy, on Thursday said that the company was still working with the Gujarat government to get land for its proposed centre in the state.

"Infosys is still working with Government of Gujarat to get the land for which we have requested. We will be happy to be part of the city," Murthy said on sidelines of an event.

Through project like these, Infosys usually targets to create 5,000 to 25,000 jobs, for which they require approximately 100 to 125 acres of land, he said.

The IT giant has been exploring options to set up a centre in Gujarat since last nine months, but nothing concrete has worked out in wake of issues related to availability of land at fair price.

Looking to expand its footprint in India with focus on tier-II cities, Infosys recently decided to set up a new campus at Technocity in Thiruvanathapuram, at an estimated cost Rs 600 crore.

This was the second deal sealed by the IT giant in the recent past after deciding to set up a development centre in Indore.

Pune policeman caught 'stealing' motorbike

Click to play video

Pune: A policeman has been caught on camera allegedly stealing a motorbike from a residential society compound in Pune. The bike owner, Avinash Deshmukh, filed a police complaint after finding his two-wheeler missing on Tuesday morning. He also decided to have a look at the footage of the CCTV camera installed in the compound.

"In the footage of last night, I saw a policeman removing the bike from the parking lot," he said. The footage shows a policeman in uniform along with a man in plainclothes removing a motorbike from the parking lot of the Dahanukar Colony.

Deshmukh also alleged that when he went to file his complaint, the policemen on duty demanded Rs 300 for filing an FIR and Rs 2,000 for conducting the 'panchanama'. Interestingly, soon afterward the Deshmukh family got a call from police, saying the stolen bike had been recovered. Deputy Commissioner of Police Dnyaneshwar Phadtare said a thorough investigation would be conducted to know under what circumstances the bike was taken away by police. He claimed the police were acting on information given by a thief who had stolen three bikes that night.

Condemning the incident, Anil Bhosale and Madhuri Misal, NCP and BJP MLAs from the city, said the incident was indicative of deteriorating law and order situation in Pune.

(With additional inputs from PTI)

Swine flu reported in Himachal Pradesh

Shimla: A 55-year-old woman tested positive for swine flu in Shimla on Wednesday, the first case in Himachal Pradesh this year, a health official said in Shimla.

"The victim, a resident of Mandi district, was admitted to an isolation ward of the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla," swine flu surveillance officer Omesh Bharti told IANS.

He said the woman was in the hospital for the past two days. She was admitted here with high grade fever and chest congestion.

Bharti said the state surveillance unit has already sounded an alert in the state in the wake of swine flu cases in Maharashtra.

Mining scam: Janardhana Reddy's custody extended

Bangalore: A CBI court on Tuesday extended till April 7 the judicial custody of former Karnataka Minister and mining baron G Janardhana Reddy and his personal assistant Mehfuz Ali Khan, arrested in connection with an illegal mining case.

Additional Civil and Sessions Court Judge and CBI special court judge B M Angadi passed the order after CBI moved an application seeking extension of the custody.

Associated Mining Corporation (AMC) and Deccan Mining Syndicate (DMC) owned by Reddy and his wife Aruna Lakshmi have been facing probe over charges of illegal mining.

Reddy and Khan, lodged in Bangalore central prison, were produced in the court via video-conferencing.

Meanwhile, hearing on bail pleas of Reddy and Khan was fixed for April seven by the Judge.

Bhanwari case: Maderna, Malkhan to be shifted outside Jodhpur jail

Jaipur: Congress MLAs Mahipal Maderna and Malkhan Singh, both accused in the Bhanwari Devi abduction and murder case, will soon be shifted outside the Jodhpur jail following government orders, officials said on Tuesday.

While Maderna will be sent to the Jaipur Central Jail, Malkhan will be shifted to the Ajmer Central Jail as per the orders, officials said on Tuesday.

The Home Department had issued orders in this regard a couple of days ago following a CBI application in the High Court seeking transfer of both the accused from Jodhpur.

In its plea, CBI had alleged that the accused were trying to influence the witnesses, after which the court had issued notices to the state government seeking its response over the issue.

"On CBI's plea, the High Court had sought response from the government, so it was decided to shift them and the orders to this effect were issued two days back," Principal Secretary (Home) GS Sandhu said.

Karnataka government can't appoint Lokayukta, Upalokayuktas: High Court

Click to play video

Bangalore: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday ruled that the state government has no role in the appointment of Lokayukta or Upalokayuktas in the state. Pointing out that the Chief Justice of the High Court would have the final say in the appointment of the Lokayukta, the court ruled that if the state government and other constitutional authorities disagreed with the choice for the Lokayukta, then it could send it back for reconsideration.

The court made the observations while ruling the appointment of Upalokayukta Justice Chandrashekaraiah as invalid. Saying that the appointment Chandrashekaraiah as Upalokayukta is void from inception, contrary to law, the court observed that due procedure was not followed.

The High Court observed that no consultation with Karnataka Chief Justice was done while making the appointment.

Justice Chandrashekaraiah's appointment as the Upalokayukta was challenged by two PILS filed in the High Court on February 13. The PILs were filed by advocates Ananda Murty R and Janekere C Krishna, claiming that Justice Chandrashekaraiah's appointment was illegal according to Section 3 (2) of the Lokayukta Act, 1984.

TN announces prizes for best cattle rearing

Chennai: Tamil Nadu government has come up with a novel idea to keep beneficiaries of a government scheme, under which milch cows, sheeps and goats are distributed for free to landless poor, motivated in rearing the animals by announcing prizes worth thousands of rupees for best maintenance.

In a recent order, the state Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Department Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi referred to a Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences' report which observed that most beneficiaries of were first time animal owners and skills on animal rearing were imparted to them to maximize production and productivity.

DAHVS has recommended these awards to encourage the beneficiaries to follow good management practices to rear the goats/sheep and milch cows, Bedi said.

Ten prizes for best maintained milch cows in each district, 15 prizes for best maintained goats/sheeps in each district and merit certificates to five committed veterinary Assistant Surgeons in each districts who have taken special efforts at motivating owners under the schemes will be awarded, he said.

Tirupati: Record collection of Rs 5.73 crore in one day

Click to play video

Hyderabad: The richest Temple board of the country Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams just got richer. It has recorded its highest Hundi (offering box) collection ever on a single day of Rs 5.73 crores on Sunday, April 1.

Its previous record was Rs 4.2 crore collected on January 1, 2012.

Temple officials say while they did have a pilgrim rush of about 70,000 on Sunday, the fact that one of the devotees offered a donation of Rs 2 crore helped surpass their previous record.

Besides cash offerings, the hundi also contained gold and silver.

Uttarakhand: Cop's wife burns him to death in a fit of rage

Dehra Dun: A police inspector from Uttarakhand died on Sunday at New Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital after being set on fire allegedly by his wife in a fit of rage, police said.

56-year-old, Ram Lal Arya, who was posted at the police headquarters, died on Sunday morning after he was admitted at the hospital on Saturday evening, a police official said. He was referred to New Delhi by a hospital in Dehra Dun.

Arya received 80 per cent burns after his wife Radha allegedly poured a bottle of petrol over him and set him on fire.

Rajoana clemency row: 1 killed in Punjab

Click to play video

Chandigarh: One person has been killed and another injured in police firing in Gurdaspur after two groups clashed over clemency for Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in the assassination case of former Chief Minister Beant Singh.

Curfew was clamped on Thursday in Gurdaspur city following communal tension between Shiv Sena activists and Sikhs.

"Curfew has been imposed in Gurdaspur City after tension mounted between some Shiv Sainiks and other youths, including Sikhs," Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Mohinder Singh Kainth said.

He said that the Shiv Sainiks had given a call for Gurdaspur bandh on Thursday in the wake of registration of cases against some persons following clashes during Punjab bandh on Wednesday.

During the bandh most of the establishments owned by Hindus were closed whereas those belonging to Sikhs were open, sources said adding that resisting the move of Sikhs the right-wing Hindu activists came face to face with them mounting tension in the city.

In order to disperse the two groups, police allegedly opened fire in which one person died and another was injured, sources said.

However, Kainth said that police resorted to firing to disperse the two groups in which one person was injured.

"We are verifying the facts whether the person was injured during the firing," he said.

The right wing organisations were protesting against the registration of cases against 14 Hindus following a scuffle during Punjab bandh on Wednesday, sources said adding that the police opened fire in air to disperse the mob in Hanuman Chowk in the heart of the border town.

Police also cane-charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the mob of both the communities, sources said.

During the Punjab bandh on Wednesday 14 Hindu youths had opposed the Sikh organisations to shut down the shutters of their establishments resulting in clash between the two groups.

Meanwhile, Kainth said that the situation was "under control". On Wednesday, normal life was crippled across Punjab which witnessed sporadic violence during the day-long shutdown, called by radical Sikh outfits, to protest the scheduled hanging of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in the former Chief Minister Beant Singh assassination case.

(With additional inputs from PTI)

World Bank chief praises Odisha government

Bhubaneswar: Pledging to step up financial support for Odisha's sustainable development, World Bank on Wednesday hailed the state for achieving fiscal stability and poverty reduction.

In view of the needs to pursue sustainable and inclusive development, knowledge and financial support for Odisha would be stepped up, World Bank President Robert B Zoellick said in Bhubaneswar.

Zoellick, who met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, with his discussions focused on how the World Bank group, which had a $ 600 million programme in the state, can better support the state government in addressing developmental challenges.

He said the state had taken significant steps to combat poverty and to ensure social justice but some challenges remain in areas of agricultural productivity and providing access to infrastructure and public services.

The sectors identified for possible future focus include water management, urban water and mining; he said adding the bank could also assist the state in agro, micro, small and medium industries and downstream industries.

Stating that World Bank was proud of its three-decade old partnership with Odisha, he said despite the state's success in reducing poverty and raising growth, it is a low income state and needs more progress.

Moreover, Tribal and ethnic minorities are there, he said adding though the state had immense manpower, it needs to enhance its capacity.

Man gets life sentence for raping daughter

Mumbai: The Mumbai sessions court on Wednesday sentenced a 44-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping his own daughter. According to prosecution, Shahbuddin Khan, the accused, repeatedly raped his daughter at their Govandi house for over two years.

When the daughter became pregnant, he forced her to undergo abortion. An NGO helped the girl file a case in February 2011.

During the trial, public prosecutor Nilima Kasture examined six witnesses and relied on the medical evidence.

The court also directed Khan to pay a fine of Rs 50,000.