Delhi Police registers 167 FIRs in connection with violence in northeast districts; 885 people held

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has registered 167 FIRs and arrested or detained 885 people in connection with the northeast Delhi violence, a senior officer said on Saturday.

Thirty-six of the cases were registered under the Arms Act, they said. The police have lodged 13 cases for provocative social media posts on various sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Several social media accounts and web links involved in circulation of unlawful, offensive content have been suspended through the platforms concerned, the senior police officer said.

Advisories on social and print media have been issued to sensitise people about responsible usage of online platforms. People have also been advised to maintain restraint while using social media platforms, police said.

The death toll in the communal violence has gone up to 42. More than 250 people have been injured in the clashes.

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Students, activists, Indian diaspora protest against CAA, Delhi riots in London; demand Amit Shah’s resignation

London: A large group of students, human rights activists and diaspora group representatives gathered outside the Indian High Commission on Saturday for an “emergency protest” against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the associated violence in Delhi.

The India Society at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), South Asian Students Against Fascism and South Asia Solidarity Group were among the groups behind the protest.

The London protest was called alongside similar demonstrations in around 17 cities across Europe, including Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Geneva, with the central message of: “We stand in solidarity with the victims of communal violence in Delhi”. “If the world does not take note and react urgently, the consequences will be disastrous,” SOAS India Society said in a statement.

The protesters chanted slogans and demanded the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah, for alleged “gross failure” to maintain peace, and the arrest of BJP politicians accused of instigating violence in Delhi.  They also called on the UK government to issue a “strong condemnation” of the Narendra Modi government for the violence on the streets of the Indian capital.

The protestors also sought to highlight the many “heartening instances” of Hindus, Dalits and Sikhs protecting their Muslim neighbours, and Sikh gurdwaras opening their doors for victims fleeing violence in Delhi.

Over the past week, parts of the Indian capital have witnessed sectarian violence in reaction to CAA, an act passed by the Indian Parliament last December to grant citizenship rights to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries. Critics fear the act, and a proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), would discriminate against the country's Muslims.

The government has sought to allay fears by stressing that no Indian Muslim would be impacted by the act and Home Minister Amit Shah has blamed the Opposition for stirring up the violence by spreading misinformation.

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Indian law invisibilises, discriminates against queer people; one project reimagines legislation to make it more inclusive

The last few years have been a series of ups and downs when it comes to rights for the Indian queer community. The Suresh Kumar Koushal vs NAZ Foundation judgment in 2013, which overturned a previous Delhi High Court judgment and reinstated Section 377 of the Constitution, was a setback; it made same sex relationships illegal. It was stated that judicial intervention was not necessary, and that the percentage of the population which constituted the queer community was minuscule.

Thereon, things have looked brighter: The NALSA judgment of 2014 delivered by the Supreme Court recognised the fundamental rights of the transgender community, and most recently, in the Navtej Singh Johar judgment, the SC read down parts of Section 377, making relationships between consenting adults of the same gender no longer criminal. Queer love was now legal, and the scope of LGBTQ+ rights was widened.

But not all legislation has been progressive in totality ever since: the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, passed in 2019, was roundly criticised for a variety of factors, from its definition of who is trans to the potential anguish and prejudice it could subject community members to, due to the need to obtain certification from a District Magistrate. Issues lie with older legislation too, some of which patently discriminates against the queer community, such as the anti-begging law in the case of trans people. Tellingly, many laws operate on the male-female binary, thereby invisibilising gender identities that do not fall into this binary. The law often also often conflates sex, gender and gender orientation.

Queering The Law, a project by the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, looks at the ways in which queer people can have better legal representation, in order to be able to better access the law and other civic institutions. By focusing on four areas, namely identity, violence, family, and employment, it looks at the need to reform in the context of LGBTQ+ inclusion by identifying discriminatory and exclusionary laws. It also meditates on the ongoing debates about these issues. It focuses on 21 cases between 2014 and 2019 involving trans and non-hetero people "in order to determine areas of contestation where the courts have been asked to implement their rights as recognised in NALSA and Navtej Johar". These cases spanned many issues, such as trans people trying to establish their identity, being terminated from jobs, succession, and violence and the resulting persecution by law enforcement agencies.

The authors, Akshat Agarwal, Diksha Sanyal and Namrata Mukherjee, intend Queering The Law to be a resource to inform conversations on LGBTQ+ inclusion in Indian laws going forward; they don't however, suggest amendments to laws, because they feel these changes must come from the community itself. About the process of research they undertook and the methodology they adopted, Akshat Agarwal says that apart from going through existing literature and debates on queer inclusion in India and other jurisdictions, they also consulted with members from the community to seek feedback on their research.

The project describes the relationship between laws and the politics of gender as being “tense”. This, they say, is because while identities are fluid and change over life, the law tends to solidify them in order to make sense of them. “For instance, the legal framework under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act required infants to be categorised as either male or female. This often happens for the purpose of identity-based welfare entitlements as well. This creates implications for people who identify differently from the identity they were assigned at birth or those who do not identify with any gender identity at all. There is thus need to re-think the significance of gender identities for the law,” co-author Akshat Agarwal explains.

At the Godrej India Culture Lab, where the authors presented the project, they made a poignant point about how sometimes changing the wording of the law doesn’t suffice, that a re-imagining of the law is necessary, for it to be inclusive. Agarwal elaborates on this notion using the example of provisions relating to sexual assault, such as rape. “Making such provisions inclusive cannot merely happen by using neutral pronouns in the place of gendered pronouns, but would also involve re-thinking what kinds of acts these provisions criminalise. For instance, penetration remains central to the existing definition of rape. However, sexual-assault in the LGBT+ context may not just be limited to penetration,” he says.

The case against introducing neutrality in this provision is steeped in a social context and captures a well-defined power dynamic (between cis-hetero men and women); it argues that merely making the provision neutral may not reflect social realities, Agarwal explains. “However, there has been greater consensus on victim neutrality with even the Justice Verma Committee making recommendations along those lines. While these arguments are significant it is also important to acknowledge and address the violence that LGBTQ+ persons face. The way forward would perhaps then be to undertake greater research to understand the nature of violence outside the male-female binary to making a strong case for criminal law reforms. This could be either through making existing provisions neutral or through introducing specific new provisions,” Agarwal added.

Larger conversations about laws that discriminate against queer people are needed, to begin with, says Agarwal. “Often the government and other policy-makers are unaware of the impact of such laws. These conversations can feed into advocacy initiatives to bring about changes at the policy level. The other strategy is to challenge the constitutionality of such discriminatory laws in courts. Challenges to anti-begging laws have proven successful in both the Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir High Courts. Similar challenges have also recently been filed in the Chhattisgarh High Court,” he adds.

"Decriminalisation is an entry point into a host of other civil rights which are ordinarily enjoyed by heterosexual persons and cisgender persons," the authors write. This includes rights that remain out of reach for the queer community, such as marriage, adoption, etc. However, they also note that such a strategy assumes that "mimicking heterosexual lives is the only legitimate means to ensure LGBT+ equality. Such assimilation has been viewed as problematic not only because heterosexual norms of family continue to be deeply patriarchal, but also come at the cost of delegitimising all other forms of intimacy besides the monogamous romantic couple."

The authors also speak about how creative interpretation on the part of lawyers can potentially contribute to the queering process, and to ensuring that queer people have a better chance at winning in court. Drawing from their research, they say that there are a number of instances where queer people have filed cases in High Courts on matters of recruitment, succession and even sexual violence, among others. “In all these cases the courts have interpreted the law in a manner which is consistent with fundamental rights of LGBT+ persons. Legal strategies that focus on creatively interpreting legal provisions to ensure that the rights of LGBT+ people are not violated can thus be extremely useful in the short term. For instance, certain courts have held that provisions in laws which refer to women would also include transgender persons who identify as women,” Agarwal adds.

Do they see queering as an ongoing process, in that until the very framing of laws becomes truly inclusive, legislation will need to be re-examined and changed? Yes, Agarwal says, making some succinct points: “Laws are informed by deep-seated heterosexual assumptions that do not account for non-normative relationships. Law making also often ends up being an insular process that does not account for the realities of the people it affects. Often those who enforce laws are also not adequately sensitised and therefore often create barriers to realising rights.”

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Clashes in Meghalaya over CAA: Toll rises to two, 10 injured; curfew reimposed in parts of Shillong, mobile internet suspended in six districts

Parts of Meghalaya remained tense after two were left dead and ten others injured in clashes between two groups in the past 24 hours over the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Fresh clashes were reported Saturday morning after the 10-hour curfew was lifted in Shillong, causing the curfew to be reimposed in parts of the town.

Representational image. Reuters

“The curfew was lifted at 8 am, and between 11:30 am and noon, clashes occurred in Bara Bazar area, a commercial centre where people from all communities gather for trade,” said Shillong SP Claudia Lyngwa. “Some were assaulted by unknown miscreants. Six were injured, one person succumbed to his injuries, two or three were seriously injured, and rushed to hospital. They are now out of danger. Immediately after, curfew was clamped in the two areas under Sadar PS and Lumdiengjri PS.”

Security has been tightened across the state with two companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) being deployed, and additional companies are scheduled to arrive, police said. Mobile internet services were suspended for 48 hours in six districts: East Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi, West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills, East Jaintia Hills and West Jaintia Hills district.

On Friday, a Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) leader died in clashes that erupted during an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Inner Line Permit (ILP) implementation awareness rally in Ichamati. Curfew was imposed in Shillong, Sohra and Ichamati under East Khasi Hills district.

According to police, eight have been arrested from Ichamati in connection with the violence that killed one and injured several others. The deceased was identified as Lurshai Hynniewta, a member of KSU Sohra circle. Sources said he will be laid to rest on Sunday.

While Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has appealed for calm, a review meeting on law and order situation was convened by Meghalaya home minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Saturday with the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills district, top police officials and headmen of different localities. Senior Congress legislator Ampareen Lyngdoh said the government should also convene an all-party meeting to discuss the prevailing situation.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) along with other civil society organisations has condemned the attack on KSU members in Ichamati, and have appealed for peace. The KSU, which is a part of the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) had earlier announced of intensifying protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The influential Khasi students’ body had also expressed their disappointment over the unsatisfactory approach by the state government on the issue of ILP implementation in the state.

Much of Meghalaya that comes under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution has been exempted from the ambit of CAA. However, a resolution was passed in the Meghalaya Assembly in December for implementation of the ILP system. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma earlier said his government would continue to engage with the Centre “unless and until complete exemption and protection is provided to the people of the state”.

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2012 Delhi gangrape: Death row convicts Akshay Singh, Pawan Gupta seek stay on execution, cite pending mercy and curative petitions

New Delhi: Convicts Akshay Singh and Pawan Kumar Gupta on Saturday moved a Delhi court seeking a stay on the execution of death warrants against all four, scheduled for 3 March, in the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder case.

Additional Session Judge Dharmender Rana issued notice to Tihar Jail authorities on the plea of Singh, directing them to file their response by 2 March.

In his plea moved through his lawyer, Singh claimed that he has filed a fresh mercy petition before the President of India, which is pending. Advocate AP Singh, appearing for Singh, said that his earlier mercy petition that was dismissed by the president did not have complete facts.

Gupta, in his plea, contended that his curative petition has been pending in the Supreme Court. He said that he also has an option to file a mercy petition. Both the convicts told the court that a number of other petitions are also pending before the Supreme Court and other authorities.

The court had on 17 February ordered that the four convicts — Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31) — be hanged on 3 March after it issued fresh death warrants, observing that deferring the execution any further would be "sacrilegious" to the rights of the victim for expeditious justice.

It directed that the four men be hanged by neck on March 3 at 6 am until they are dead. This was for the third time that the death warrants were issued by the court against them. The court had noted that death warrants were earlier issued on 7 January and the execution was later deferred twice, i.e., on 17 January and 31 January. "Now deferring it any further would be sacrilegious to the rights of the victim for expeditious justice," it had said.

Pawan was the only one among the four convicts who had not yet filed the curative petition — the last legal remedy available to a person, which is decided in-chamber by judges. He has not filed the mercy plea either.

The first date of execution, 22 January, was postponed to 1 February by a 17 January court order. Then the trial court, on 31 January , stayed, "till further orders" the execution of the four convicts as they had not exhausted all their legal remedies.

The court is hearing the applications by the gangrape victim's parents and the Delhi government, seeking fresh death warrants for the convicts after the Supreme Court granted liberty to the authorities to approach the trial court for issuance of fresh date for the execution of these convicts.

The 23-year-old physiotherapy intern was gang-raped and savagely assaulted on the night of 16 December, 2012, in a moving bus in south Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital.

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Guest lecturer at Assam college arrested for 'derogatory' Facebook post against PM and BJP after complaint from student

Silchar: A guest lecturer at a college in Assam's Silchar was arrested for posting alleged derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP on Facebook in wake of the violence in Delhi, police said on Saturday.

Souradeep Sengupta, a guest lecturer in the Physics department at Gurucharan College, was arrested from his residence in the Itkhola area on Friday night after a case was lodged against him based on a complaint filed by a student, they said.

He also allegedly targeted a particular community in his Facebook post, which his family said was later deleted. They said he subsequently posted an apology on the social media website for the comments.

Charges of malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, promoting enmity between different groups and criminal intimidation, among others, have been brought against Sengupta, police said.

Students of the college held a demonstration on the campus earlier in the day, demanding that Sengupta's services be immediately terminated.

He was "intentionally targeted" by a group of students who forcibly entered the house hurling abuses on Friday evening, Sengupta's family said, adding that they were not informed about the police case before the arrest.

After his education till the secondary level in Silchar, Sengupta did his B.Sc from Presidency College in Kolkata. He did his post-graduation from the Delhi University and is currently doing Ph.D, his family said.

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Karnataka BJP leaders rally behind MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for calling freedom fighter HS Doreswamy a 'Pakistani agent'

Bengaluru: The BJP leaders in Karnataka rallied behind Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal amid a controversy over his remarks that centenarian freedom fighter HS Doreswamy was a "Pakistani agent".

The saffron party leaders have extended support to Yatnal, days after he called Doreswamy a "fake freedom fighter" who behaves like a "Pakistani agent".

Yatnal made the comments at a press conference on 25 February while reacting to a query on a public meeting organised by the Congress titled 'Save the Constitution'.

"There are many fake freedom fighters. There is one in Bengaluru. Now we have to say what Doreswamy is. Where is that old man? He behaves like a Pakistan agent," Patil had said.

"Doreswamy is an elderly person and senior to all. He had participated in various agitations. He should also see what to talk and who will be hurt with those statements.

We have all seen what he said about Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar told reporters in Kodagu on Saturday reacting to Yatnal's outburst against Doreswamy.

Noting that the statements were made in bitter taste, Kumar said, "If you speak unpleasant, you will hear unpleasant."

Bellary City MLA G Somashekara Reddy too backed Yatnal saying that the his statement was appropriate.

"There is nothing wrong in his statement. It is absolutey correct. I support him. It is not just okay to be a freedom fighter but he should be a 'Deshbhakt' (patriot) too, who respects the unity and integrity of the nation."

On Friday, another BJP Minister KS Eshwarappa slammed Doreswamy alleging that he had visited Amulya Leona's residence and was in good relationship with her family.

Amulya had raised 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans at an anti-CAA event here on 21 February, taking everybody present by shock and dismay.

"We respect Doreswamy but he dances to the tune of Congress and supports whatever their leaders say," Eshwarappa alleged.

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Barmer custodial death: Dalit victim's autopsy not done as protest continue; family demand Rs 1 cr compensation, govt job

Barmer: The post mortem of a 25-year-old Dalit man, who had died in police custody here on Thursday, has not been conducted so far as the victim's family are adamant with their set of demands of a compensation of Rs 1 crore, strict action against the accused policemen and a government job to one family member.

Senior district administration and police officials have held negotiations with the family members but the impasse is continuing on Saturday.

The family members along with relatives and locals are staging a dharna outside the mortuary of the district hospital since Thursday.

“We have assured them that the compensation under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act will be given to them but they are adamant for extra compensation,” District Collector Ansh Deep said.

Deep said the district police have also offered to give their one-day salary to the victim's family. “The negotiations with the family members are going on,” he added.

Jeetu Khateek (25) was picked up by Barmer Sadar police on Wednesday and he died in custody on Thursday.

The police had detained him on the basis of suspicion that he was involved in a theft case but no case was lodged against him.

Khateek's family has alleged that he was beaten to death by policemen in the police station and his brother has lodged a case of murder against the SHO and other policemen.

Sadar SHO Deep Singh has been suspended and remaining staff of the police station have been shunted to Police Lines for the custodial death while Barmer SP Sharad Chowdhary and Circle Officer Vijay Singh were put under awaiting posting orders after it became clear that there was no case against Khateek, who was kept under illegal detention.

The body is still at the mortuary of the district hospital and an autopsy has not been done.

“Efforts are on to pacify the family members,” a police official said.

Police said the family's demands were for compensation of Rs 1 crore, arrest of the accused policemen and a government job for one family member.

Apart from a judicial inquiry, the matter is also being probed by Additional SP, CID-CB, Jodhpur.

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Centre cancels visa of German exchange student sent back for participating in Chennai anti-CAA protests: Report

The Centre has revoked the visa of German exchange student Jakob Lindenthal, who was told to leave the county after he participated in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act at IIT-Madras, Indian Express reported.

Lindenthal, a post-graudate student of physics at the Technical University of Dresden (TUD), told Indian Express the Indian Embassy in Germany informed him that his visa had been cancelled on 8 February. Officials, however, did not give him any reason for their decision, he said.  Lindenthal was earlier advised by the Embassy against returning to India on his current visa, Indian Express reported.

Lindenthal left the country on 25 December, two days after the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Chennai told him to do so or face deportation. The move came after he participated in multiple protests against the CAA.  In one protest, he was holding a placard that had an indirect reference to the Nazi persecution of the Jews in Germany between 1933 and 1945 during the Hitler regime. Images from the protest show him holding a placard which read "1933-1945... we have been there" and another which read "No democracy without dissent".

Lindenthal was part of a student exchange programme between IIT-Madras and TUD and arrived in India in July 2019. He would have completed his course in May 2020. His visa was reportedly going to expire in June 2020.

Kim Magister, Head of Press Office and Public Relations at the university in Dresden confirmed that Lindenthal's visa had been cancelled, as per the report. "Lindenthal’s visa has indeed now been officially cancelled, meaning that he is no longer able to travel to India to continue his student exchange. However, he was able to successfully complete one semester at the IIT Madras. For this period, he will receive a Transcript of Records from our partner university,” she told The Indian Express.

IIT-Madras director Bhaskar Ramamurthi said the decision to cancel Lindenthal's visa was taken by the immigration authorities and that the institute was not involved.  “If the visa is granted, the student or visitor comes, else they do not. This is the process followed everywhere," he said.

Following Lindethal's expulsion from India, the TUD has decided to introduce special workshops to “optimally prepare” students for such foreign exchange programmes, said Magister adding that Lindenthal has also been invited to talk about his experiences in India.

Protests against the amended citizenship law spread across many cities and university campuses in India in December, with protesters alleging that the law, which seeks to fast-track citizenship for non-Muslim immigrants from three countries, discriminates against minorities.

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Parvesh Verma, BJP MP accused of hate speech, to give one-month salary to families of slain cop, IB officer killed during in Delhi riots

New Delhi: BJP MP Parvesh Verma, who is accused of making hate speeches, on Saturday said he would give his one-month salary each to the families of the policeman and Intelligence Bureau employee who were killed in the communal violence in northeast Delhi.

At least 42 people were killed and over 200 injured as frenzied mobs torched houses, shops, vehicles, a petrol pump and pelted stones at locals and police personnel earlier this week, the worst riots in Delhi in over three decades.

"I dedicate my salary of one month each as member of Parliament to the families of Delhi Police head constable Ratan Lal and IB officer Ankit Sharma, killed while doing their duty, in the unfortunate violence in Delhi," Verma, who represents West Delhi in the Lok Sabha, tweeted.

The Delhi High Court had on Wednesday directed the police to take "conscious decision" with respect to lodging of FIRs against alleged hate speeches by three BJP leaders, including Verma, in connection with the violence.

In the Assembly election, Verma courted controversy over his "terrorist" statement against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, following which he was banned from campaigning by the Election Commission.

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MJ Akbar defamation case: Ex-minister accuses Priya Ramani of knowingly tarnishing his reputation; next hearing on 17 March

Former Union Minister MJ Akbar told a Delhi court on Saturday that journalist Priya Ramani defamed him with full knowledge that her actions would harm his reputation.

Akbar made the allegations before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal Pahuja through his lawyer Geeta Luthra during the final hearing of a private criminal defamation complaint filed by him against Ramani after his name cropped up on social media as the #MeToo campaign raged in India.

Luthra argued that educated people like journalists have to act responsibly. She said that any news on social media travels like fire. She said that people have to have a great sense of responsibility in making claims about someone's conduct. Luthra claimed that Ramani first said that her entire article was about Akbar, but later in court said that it wasn't the case.

"After writing a whole article, saying that it was about Mr Akbar, it was for the first time in this court that they say that the entire article was not about him. Where does it say that? There was no corrigendum, no apology... you did it with knowledge," Bar and Bench quoted her as saying.

"There are four offending tweets and an article. According to one she says he didn't do anything. In the next, she starts the blame game and the person is left defenseless. Then she says it's a victory. Then she says she intended it generally and not against him. This is the first time she has accepted that the entire Vogue article was not about him," Luthra said.

She further argued that Ramani's intent to defame Akbar matters more because as a journalist she was aware of the consequences of her actions. She also claimed that it is indisputable that Akbar suffered massive damage to his reputation, which even lead him to resign as a Union minister.

Akbar resigned as Union minister on 17 October, 2018.

Ramani in 2018 accused Akbar of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago when he was a journalist. She worked at The Asian Age from January to October in 1994.

The court adjourned the matter after Luthra's arguments were concluded. Senior advocate Rebecca John will argue on Ramani's behalf on 17 March.

Earlier Friday, Luthra argued that Ramani harmed Akbar's reputation by calling him adjectives such as 'media's biggest predator' in the wake of #MeToo movement.

Luthra, said that the allegations were intentional and malafide. "When you call someone media's biggest predator, it is per se defamatory. Calling a person with such adjectives is on the face of it defamatory. In the eyes of the people, Akbar's reputation was harmed... The per se effect was lowering of my (Akbar) reputation in the eyes of the right thinking members of the society," she told the court.

She said there was no due process in the allegations.

"It has a cascading effect. Embarrassing questions were asked. I (Akbar) am a person of greatest integrity... There was no due process in the allegations. You cannot just make allegation and let that person suffer," she added.

Luthra said that if there was any grievance, it had to be raised then and there before the appropriate authority.

"We need to realise the effect has what we say or what we do. It's not like she went to any authority or raised any grievance. Opportunity was there, rights were there but to attack so person behind their back on social media... knowing that his whole life will be adversely affected? It's not right," she said.

Akbar has denied all the allegations of sexual harassment against the women who came forward during #MeToo campaign.

Akbar earlier told the court the allegations made in the Vogue piece and the subsequent tweets were defamatory on their face and that an "immediate damage" was caused to him due to the "false" allegations by Ramani.

Ramani earlier told the court that her "disclosure" of alleged sexual harassment by Akbar came at "a great personal cost" and she had "nothing to gain" from it.

She said her move would empower women to speak up and make them understand their rights at the workplace.

Several women came up with accounts of the alleged sexual harassment by Akbar while they were working as journalists under him.

Akbar. has termed the allegations "false, fabricated and deeply distressing" and said he was taking appropriate legal action.

With inputs from agencies

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Video showing group of people chanting ‘goli maaro…’ slogans at Delhi's Rajiv Chowk metro station goes viral; police detain six

New Delhi: Pro-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) sloganeering and incendiary chants of "shoot the traitors" were made inside a train on Delhi Metro's Blue Line and also at the Rajiv Chowk metro station in Delhi on Saturday by a group of young men.

The five-six men, wearing saffron T-shirts and kurta, started the sloganeering when the train was about to halt at the metro station, according to a PTI reporter who was at the spot.

After deboarding the train, they continued chanting pro-CAA and provocative slogans like "shoot the traitors" and one more literally meaning that the "youth of the country is out to support and defend CAA".

While some commuters joined the CAA supporters in their sloganeering, others were quick to get their cameras out to make videos. Many at the station were seemingly taken aback by the spontaneity and the unusual choice of the venue.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, responsible for the security of the Delhi Metro, intercepted the protesters and handed them over to the Delhi Police.

"On 29 February, at about 10:25 hours, six youths were seen shouting slogans at Rajiv Chowk metro station, Delhi. They were immediately intercepted by CISF personnel & thereafter handed over to Delhi Metro Rail Police officials for further action. Metro Rail operation remained," the CISF said in a statement.

A senior CISF official said the youths were raising pro-CAA slogans.

DCP (Metro) Vikram Porwal said, "We have detained six men and they are being questioned".

A video of the sloganeering has gone viral on social media.

Anuj Dayal, Executive Director, Corporate Communications of DMRC, said, "In reference to a video clip going viral on social media, showing sloganeering by some passengers at Rajiv Chowk Metro station, it is to state that this incident happened today morning at the station and DMRC/CISF staff immediately handed them over to the Delhi Metro Rail Police for further necessary action."

Under Delhi Metro (Operation and Maintenance) Act 2002, any kind of demonstration or nuisance is prohibited in Delhi metro premises. Any passenger indulging in such an act is liable to be removed from the Metro premises, according to the Act.

Incidentally, there was a "peace march" organised at the Jantar Mantar against "jihadi terrorism" in northeast Delhi, which was also attended by BJP leader Kapil Mishra who had allegedly made provocative statements on Sunday before the riots broke out in the national capital this week.

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Delhi violence: Kapil Mishra joins peace march in Jantar Mantar amid allegations of inciting communal clashes that claimed 42 lives

New Delhi: A peace march was organised at Jantar Mantar on Saturday against the communal clashes that rocked the northeast district of Delhi since 23 February, claiming 42 lives.

Slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram', 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' rent the air as hundreds of people gathered at the place carrying the tricolour.

BJP leader Kapil Mishra was also present at the march organised by the Delhi Peace Forum, an NGO.

Many critics claim Mishra is responsible for giving communal overtones to the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by terming those against the said law as 'traitors' or anti-nationals.

His role is said to be more pronounced in the violent clashes that started over last weekend, as Mishra led a "peace march" from Jantar Mantar to Delhi Police headquarters and issued an 'ultimatum' to the Delhi Police to clear roads blocked by the anti-CAA protesters.

He, however, has defended himself saying that he was being questioned for 'pleading' with anti-CAA protestors to clear road blockades while those talking of "dividing" the country were not.

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'Sabka saath, sabka vikas': At Prayagraj event, Narendra Modi says priority of government that justice reaches all 130 cr Indians

Allahabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said ensuring that all citizens get benefit and justice is the government's responsibility and also the base of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas and sabka vishwas'.

"It is the responsibility of the government that every person is benefitted and every person gets justice. This is the base of sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas," he said reciting a Sanskrit shloka at a mega camp after distributing assistive devices among people with disabilities and senior citizens.

Modi said serving 130 crore people of the country is the priority of his government.

Hitting out at previous governments, he said they did not care for people with disabilities but his dispensation was thinking about their problems and finding ways to reduce their issues.

During previous governments, very few camps such as these used to be organised, he said.

"In the last five years, our government held around 9,000 camps in various parts of the country. In the five years of the previous government, equipment to people with disabilities worth less than Rs 380 crore were distributed, while our government gave equipment worth more than Rs 900 crore, which is two-and-half times," he said.

"I am of the view that this equipment will only assist your 'buland hausla' (strong confidence). Your real strength is your patience, capacity (saamarthya) and mind (maanas)," he said, adding that he has been told that many records are being created at this camp.

During his over 30-minute address, the prime minister gave an account of government schemes for the differently-abled and senior citizens.

"In the last four-five years, hundreds of streets in the country, more than 700 railway station, airports have been made convenient (sugamya) for the divyaangjan. Those which are left are being linked with Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan," he said.

"It was our government, which brought a law that for the first time clearly stated the rights of the divyaangjan. The benefit of this law was that it increased the ambit of divyaang category from 7 to 21," he said, adding that reservation for people with disabilities in institutes of higher studies has been increased from three percent to five percent.

The prime minister also said his government was working for the welfare of senior citizens.

"The government launched Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana almost three years ago, so that poor senior citizens could get the necessary equipment. In the past, five to five-and-half years cost incurred in the treatment of senior
citizens have become quite low as compared to an earlier time," he said.

Recalling his earlier visit to Allahabad (now renamed Prayagraj), Modi said, "One always experiences a unique feeling of piousness and energy by coming to 'Teertharaj' Prayagraj. I remember it was during last February when I came during the Kumbh."

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Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan alleges 'inhuman' treatment meted out to him in Sitapur jail

Sitapur: Jailed Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan on Saturday alleged that very inhuman treatment was meted out to him. "Bahut amanviya bartav hua hai mere saath,' Khan who was taken to Rampur court Saturday morning in connection with a court hearing from the Sitapur jail told newspersons from the police van.

Khan's legislator wife Tanzeen Fatima and their son and disqualified MLA Abdullah Azam were also taken to Rampur amidst tight security in connection with a hearing in another case.

The three were shifted to Sitapur jail from Rampur on Thursday. A court had sent them to judicial custody till 2 March in a fake birth certificate case after they surrendered before it on Wednesday.

The case relates to two birth certificates for Abdullah Azam, who allegedly gave a wrong date of birth while filing his nomination papers for the assembly elections in 2017.

Abdullah's election was set aside by the Allahabad High Court last December, and on Thursday, the UP Legislative Assembly also disqualified him as a member and declared his seat Suar in Rampur as vacant.

In recent years, Azam Khan has also faced charges of encroachment of land around Rampur's Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, where he is the chancellor.

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Param Bir Singh, under whom ACB gave clean chit to Ajit Pawar, appointed as new Mumbai Police commissioner

The Maharashtra government on Saturday appointed Param Bir Singh as the new Mumbai police commissioner. Singh succeeds Sanjay Barve, who retired on Saturday.

Singh, a 1988-batch IPS officer, was posted as the Director General (DG) of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) before his appointment as the Mumbai Police Commissioner.

File image of Param Bir Singh. ANI

Bipin K Singh, the Additional Director General (ADG) of the ACB, has now been given the additional charge as the DG of the anti-graft agency.

According to reports, Singh has also held other important posts including that of Thane police commissioner, of DCP in several important zones in Mumbai, and of Superintendent of Police in districts of Chandrapur and Bhandara.

As Thane police commissioner, he had overseen the investigation into several high profile cases like the Ephedrine drug cartel bust case, in which former actor Mamta Kulkarni's was an accused, reported The Indian Express.

In December last year, the ACB under Singh's helm, had given a clean chit to NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who is currently the state deputy chief minister. Pawar was facing probe in connection with alleged scam involving 12 Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) projects.

In a video message posted on Twitter, state home minister Anil Deshmukh said, "Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Barve is retiring today. Singh has been named as his successor. This announcement has been made after discussion with the honourable chief minister."

Earlier in the day, outgoing Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Barve was given a farewell by his colleagues at Naigaon police headquarters. Barve, who had taken charge as the commissioner in February last year, had got two extensions, first in August and then in November.

With inputs from agencies

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Situation peaceful in northeast Delhi after several days of communal tensions; security personnel conduct flag marches, hold consultations with locals

New Delhi: The situation in northeast Delhi was peaceful on Saturday morning with residents gradually coming to terms with the damage in violence in the area earlier this week.

Security personnel have been conducting flag marches and holding regular consultations with locals to assuage their fears. They are also urging residents to not pay attention to rumours on social media and report them to the police.

Sources, meanwhile, said the Delhi government is considering to issue a WhatsApp number on which people can complain about hate messages being circulated on the instant messaging app.

They said the government will make an appeal to people to not forward any such message because forwarding any material which causes enmity amongst communities is a crime.

The move is aimed at dealing with rumours on social media. Relatives of riot victims continued to wait outside the mortuary at GTB Hospital to receive bodies.

The violence in Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Babarpur, Chand Bagh, Shiv Vihar, Bhajan Pura, Yamuna Vihar areas of northeast Delhi has claimed at least 42 lives and left over 200 injured.

A large number of properties have been damaged. Frenzied mobs torched houses, shops, vehicles, a petrol pump and pelted stones at locals and police personnel.

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Justice Muralidhar's transfer unrelated to Delhi riots case, but govt should have been more careful: Justice Balakrishnan

New Delhi: The government should have been a "little careful" while issuing the "midnight" order transferring Delhi High Court Judge S Muralidhar to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, former Chief Justice of India Justice KG Balakrishnan has said, amid a row over the timing of the transfer.

The transfer order was issued by the Union Law and Justice Ministry on 26 February, the day a bench headed by Justice Muralidhar expressed "anguish" over Delhi Police's failure to register FIRs against alleged hate speeches by three BJP leaders. The government has said the transfer had nothing to do with any case as a recommendation to this effect was already made by the Supreme Court Collegium and the judge had also given his consent.

Talking to PTI over phone on Friday, Justice Balakrishnan said it was a mere coincidence that the final transfer notification was issued on the day when he passed the order on the hate speeches because his shift to had been already contemplated by the Supreme Court collegium a week ago.

"I don't know on what date the transfer issue came up before the collegium," he added.

Justice Muralidhar's transfer has nothing to do with the observations he made while hearing the Delhi violence case, the former CJI said.

"When the situation in the country is so volatile and media and others are active the government should have been little careful while issuing such midnight transfer order as there are chances of people thinking otherwise. The people could interpret differently," Justice Balakrishnan said.

Moreover the Delhi violence case was not taken up by Justice Muralidhar on his own. As the Delhi HC Chief Justice DN Patel was on leave that day and he being the third senior judge, Justice Muralidhar headed that particular bench which heard the case, he said.

Justice Balakrishnan also said he did not think that Justice Muralidhar was asked to join on the next day itself in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Normally when such a transfer order is issued a joining time of not less than seven days is given to enable the transferred judge to prepare himself for the new posting, Justice Balakrishnan added.

An NGO — The campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) — Thursday condemned the transfer of Justice Muralidhar, claiming the move was to punish an "honest and courageous" judicial officer.

The government's notification stated that the president took the decision after consulting the Chief Justice of India. It, however, does not mention when Justice Muralidhar has to take charge of his office.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Justice Muralidhar was transferred following the recommendation of the SC Collegium, asserting that a "well-settled process" was followed.

CJAR said it knows that Justice Muralidhar's transfer was recommended by the SC Collegium on February 12 but the rushed manner in which the notification has been issued by the government cannot be ignored.

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Kanhaiya Kumar 'thanks' AAP govt for allowing Delhi Police to prosecute him in 2016 JNU sedition case; says 'ensure speedy trial'

The Delhi government has given a go-ahead to the city police to prosecute former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and nine others in connection with a four-year-old sedition case, as the ruling AAP denied the persistent BJP charge of blocking the proceedings in the matter.

AAP MLA and spokesperson Raghav Chadha said the Law Department of the Delhi government has given its opinion on this matter to the Home Department after due diligence. The sanction was granted by the Delhi government on 20 February, he said.

On 14 January, the police had filed a charge sheet against Kanhaiya and others, including former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya. The police had said they were leading a procession and had supported the seditious slogans allegedly raised on the campus during an event on 9 February, 2016.

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari welcomed the development, but said the Kejriwal government perhaps gave the approval in view of the "current political situation". The BJP has been alleging the AAP government was stonewalling the proceedings in the case by not granting its approval to prosecute Kanhaiya and others.

However, Chadha said in a statement on Friday, "The Delhi government, as a matter of policy and as a matter of principle, does not and has not intervened in any of such cases. Our government has not stopped prosecution in any case, whatsoever, in the last five years." Calling it a "purely a procedural matter", he said the "judiciary and judiciary alone" should decide on the merits of each case.

"It is not for governments to decide on the merits of such cases," he added. He further said that the Delhi government has not stopped prosecution in any case, including those pertaining to its own MLAs and party leaders.

"Our MLAs fought these in the courts, in most cases our MLAs were declared innocent while some cases are still pending in court. Even when it came to elected representatives of the ruling party, that is the Aam Aadmi Party, the government of Delhi did not intervene in the process of law," the statement said.

"It is only fair for the permanent executive as well as political executive to not intervene in the process of law and let the Judiciary perform its independent function," it added.

Reacting to the development, Kanhaiya tweeted, "Fast-track court and quick action is required in the sedition case so that the country gets to know how the sedition law was misused in this entire case for political benefits."

"Thank you to Delhi government for giving permission for the sedition case," he wrote on the microblogging site while urging the Delhi Police and government officials to take this case seriously and ensure justice.

Umar Khalid also tweeted his and Anirban Bhattacharya's joint statement.

"The news of the Delhi government granting sanction to sedition case against us doesn't trouble us at all. We are confident of our innocence, have full faith in the judiciary and have ourselves been demanding the case against us to be tried in the courts.

"The ensuing trial will vindicate us and prove that the media trial at the behest of the ruling regime was false, malicious and politically motivated. We have lived under the shadow of these false charges for far too long. Finally, 'sab doodh ka doodh aur paani ka paani hoga' (everything will become clear) !" he said in a series of tweets.

"And as we will defend ourselves in the court, we will expose the lies of the ruling regime and its fake claims of being nationalist," the statement added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Delhi Police wrote a letter to the Delhi home secretary requesting him to expeditiously give clearance to prosecute the former students.

In the letter, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Pramod Kushwah said, "It is requested to expedite the process to accord prosecution sanction under Section 196 CrPC as required for the offence under Chapter VI of the IPC, that is, Section 124A IPC."

In the charge sheet filed in a court in January, the Delhi Police had said that Kanhaiya, Khalid and Bhattacharya led a procession and raised anti-national slogans at an event in the university campus on 9 February, 2016.

The police said there was video footage wherein Kanhaiya is "seen" leading the students who were raising "anti-national slogans" and that he had been identified by the witnesses in the videos.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on 19 February had said he will ask the department concerned to take an "expeditious decision" on the granting sanction to prosecute Kanhaiya and others in the sedition case.

With inputs from agencies

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Dhaka to invite Narendra Modi for its centenary celebrations next month; 'India played intrinsic role in our liberation' says Bangladeshi diplomat Saida Muna Tasneem

London: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the special guests invited for the centenary celebrations of Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka next month because India played an intrinsic role in the country's liberation, according to Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem.

The envoy said the celebrations on 17 March, which coincide with the 100th birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujib, referred to as "Bangabandhu" or the father of the Bengali Nation, will kick off a year-long series of events in Bangladesh as well as the UK.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the special guests invited to the centenary, which also has intrinsic links with Bangabandhu's homecoming in 1971," Tasneem told PTI in an interview.

"The roadmap of that journey is that he first stopped in London, where he was officially recognised as the president of the independent state of Bangladesh and had bilateral meetings at 10 Downing Street. Then he was flown to Delhi, where he held a public gathering with (then Indian prime minister) Indira Gandhi," she recalled.

The diplomat traced the active role played by Gandhi at the time alongside the then UK prime minister, Edward Heath, to seek Sheikh Mujib's release from Karachi Jail in Pakistan.

"They collectively played a very proactive role in the release of Bangabandhu and to ensure that he was not harmed in any way. So, at the very genesis of Bangladesh, the relationships were clear and the Bangladesh-India ties remain as strong till date, as do the UK-Bangladesh ties," she said.

In reference to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was passed by the Indian Parliament in December last year to grant citizenship rights to persecuted minorities from three neighbouring countries including Bangladesh, the envoy said the implication of the law was "hurtful" to Bangladesh.

"The Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, has said it is an internal matter of India but also quite unnecessary. Bengali Hindus in Bangladesh have done very well for themselves, especially in the financial sphere, as they have a particular skill with mathematics and accounts," she said.

Amid a recent unrest over the contentious law in Delhi, there have been some calls for Bangladesh to withdraw Modi's invite to the centenary celebrations in Dhaka next month, a demand rejected by the Bangladeshi government.

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One killed after clashes erupt between Khasi Student Union members and non-tribals in Meghalaya over CAA; internet services suspended in six districts

Shillong: The curfew imposed in Shillong after one person was killed in clashes between KSU members and non-tribals during a meeting on CAA and inner line permit (ILP) was lifted Saturday morning but a ban on mobile internet services was continuing in six districts.

Most shops and businesses in the city were closed even after the curfew ended, officials said.

The clashes between the Khasi Students Union members and non-tribals broke out during anti-CAA and pro-ILP meeting held in Ichamati area of East Khasi Hills district close to the Indo-Bangladesh border on Friday, officials said.

After the clashes, a curfew was imposed in Shillong and adjoining areas and mobile internet services suspended in six districts — East Jaintia Hills, West Jaintia Hills, East Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi, West Khasi Hills an South West Khasi hills — from Friday night for 48-hours, they said.

Officials said SMSes will be limited to five per day. Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy has appealed to people to stay calm and not pay attention to rumours.

"I appeal to all citizens in Meghalaya, tribal or non-tribal, keep calm. Don't spread rumours and don't listen to rumours. The chief minister has spoken to me. He assured me he is taking all necessary steps. The prime requirement now is to maintain law and order," the governor said in a statement.

Meghalaya Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui has condemned the incident in Ichamati. Rymbui said a magisterial inquiry has been initiated into the incident to find out the truth. He said the curfew was clamped and mobile internet services suspended as a precautionary measure.

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One killed after clashes erupt between Khasi Student Union members and non-tribals in Meghalaya over CAA; curfew imposed in Shillong

Shillong: One person has been killed in clashes between KSU members and non-tribals during a meeting on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and inner line permit (ILP) in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills after which mobile internet services have been suspended in six districts, officials said on Saturday.

The clashes between the Khasi Students Union members and non-tribals broke out during anti-CAA and pro-ILP meeting held in Ichamati area of the district on Friday, they said.

Mobile internet services have been suspended in six districts — East Jaintia Hills, West Jaintia Hills, East Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi, West Khasi Hills an South West Khasi hills — of the state from Friday night for 48-hours, officials said.

Curfew was imposed in Shillong and adjoining areas with effect from 10 pm of 28 February to 8 am of 29 February, an official order said.

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Narendra Modi to visit Uttar Pradesh today; PM will launch 10,000 FPOs, lay foundation stone for Bundelkhand Expressway in Chitrakoot

Chitrakoot: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 10,000 Farmers Producer Organisations (FPOs) all over the country in Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh in Chitrakoot on Saturday. Nearly 86 percent of farmers are small and marginal with average land holdings in the country being less than 1.1 hectares.

These small, marginal and landless farmers face tremendous challenges during agriculture production phase such as for access to technology, quality seed, fertilizers and pesticides including requisite finances. FPOs help in the collectivisation of such small, marginal and landless farmers in order to give them the collective strength to deal with such issues, read a statement.

Members of the FPO will manage their activities together in the organization to get better access to technology, input, finance and market for faster enhancement of their income.

The event shall also witness the completion of one year of the launch of PM-KISAN scheme.

Launched on February 24 last year, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is an income support scheme for farmers to enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs. Under this, the benefit is provided to the eligible beneficiary to the tune of Rs.6000 per year. It is payable in three four-monthly instalments of Rs 2000 each. The payment is made online directly into the bank accounts of the eligible beneficiaries under Direct Benefit Transfer mode.

The Prime Minister will also be launching a saturation drive for distribution of Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to all the beneficiaries under the PM-KISAN Scheme. Over 6.5 crore of the approximately 8.5 crore beneficiaries under PM-KISAN scheme possess the Kisan Credit Cards. The saturation drive shall ensure that the remaining about two crore PM-KISAN beneficiaries are also distributed the Kisan Credit Cards.

In Chitrakoot, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the Bundelkhand Expressway at Chitrakoot here today.

The 296-kilometre long Expressway will provide a four-lane access-controlled route in Uttar Pradesh.

The Expressway will be supplementing the nodes of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor announced by the Government of India in February 2018.

The state government is constructing the Bundelkhand Expressway which will pass through the districts of Chitrakoot, Banda, Hamirpur and Jalaun. This expressway will link the Bundelkhand area to Delhi through Agra-Lucknow expressway and Yamuna expressway as well as play a vital role in the development of Bundelkhand region.

The 296 km long expressway is expected to benefit Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jaloun, Oraiyah and Etawah districts.

India has huge defence equipment requirements spanning from land systems, ships and submarines to fighter aircraft, helicopters, weapons and sensors. The requirements are worth over USD 250 billion by 2025. In order to fulfil these requirements, the government had announced setting up of Defence Industrial Corridor at Uttar Pradesh during the Investors Summit on February 21, 2018, in Lucknow.

The Central government has set up the Corridor with the identification of six nodes initially. These are Lucknow, Jhansi, Chitrakoot, Aligarh, Kanpur, Agra out of which two nodes are being created in Bundelkhand region at- Jhansi and Chitrakoot. In fact, the biggest cluster would be created at Jhansi. The land which was not being cultivated has been purchased in both Jhansi and Chitrakoot. The poor farmers of the region have got benefitted from this.

Besides this, Prime Minister Modi will be distributing assistive aids and devices to senior citizens (under the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana-RVY) and 'Divyangjans' (under ADIP Scheme) at a distribution camp at Prayagraj.

"This is the biggest ever distribution camp being conducted in the country in terms of the number of beneficiaries covered, number of appliances distributed and value of aids and appliances distributed," read a statement.

In the mega camp, over 56,000 assistive aid and devices of different types will be distributed free of cost to over 26,000 of beneficiaries. The cost of the aids and devices is over Rs 19 crore. The objective is to provide assistance through these aids and devices to the daily living and socio-economic development of the 'Divyangjan' and the senior citizens. (ANI)

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US postpones southeast Asian leaders' March meeting due to coronavirus spread, say reports

Washington: The United States has postponed a meeting of leaders of southeast Asian nations that was set for Las Vegas in mid-March due to the spread of the coronavirus, a senior Trump administration official said Friday.

President Donald Trump had invited the leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations to meet in the US this year after he skipped their annual meeting last year, which was held in Thailand. Trump sent national security adviser Robert O'Brien to the meeting in his place.

A senior Trump administration official said the U.S. had consulted with its ASEAN partners before it made the “difficult decision” to postpone the Las Vegas meeting. Trump would have been expected to attend.

The administration official said the US values its relationships with the nations of the region, and "looks forward to future meetings.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the White House had yet to announce the postponement.

The decision was first reported Friday by Reuters.

ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Together, they make up a fast-growing regional market of nearly 650 million people.

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Union Cabinet approves adaptation of 37 central laws including Indian Penal Code, CrPC, Census Act in Jammu and Kashmir

New Delhi: The Indian Penal Code, 1860, Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, Representation Of People Act, 1950, Census Act 1948 and Prevention Of Corruption Act, 1988, are among the laws which will be applicable to Jammu and Kashmir following Union Cabinet's decision on Wednesday to approve adaptation of central laws under concurrent list to the Union Territory.

The cabinet had approved the order for an adaptation of Central Acts in the Union Territory under Section 96 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. As a result, 37 central laws which were not applicable to the union territory will now be applicable.

According to Home Ministry, 37 central Acts that will be applicable to Jammu and Kashmir also include Income-Tax Act, 1961, Protection Of Human Rights Act, 1993, Official Languages Act, 1963, Press Council Act, 1978, Press and Registration Of Books Act, 1867, Insolvency And Bankruptcy Code, 2016, Census Act, 1948, Public Debt Act, 1944, Indian Forest Act, 1927 and All India Services Act, 1951.

The Arbitration And Conciliation Act, 1996, Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation And Resettlement Act, 2013, Limitation Act, 1963, the Court-Fees Act, 1870, Textiles Committee Act, 1963, Securitization And Reconstruction Of Financial Assets And Enforcement Of Security Interest Act, 2002, Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966 and National Co-Operative Development Corporation Act, 1962 will also be applicable to the union territory.

Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 came into force on October 31 last year and the erstwhile state was reorganised into Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

All the central laws which are applicable to other parts of the country are now applicable to Jammu and Kashmir from October 31.

The release said it is necessary to adapt central laws made under the concurrent list, with required modifications and amendments, for ensuring administrative effectiveness and smooth transition with respect to Jammu and Kashmir to remove any ambiguity in their application.

According to Section 96 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Central Government has requisite powers to make adaptations and modifications of the laws whether by way of repeal or amendment.

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NCP's Nawab Malik says Maharashtra govt to give 5% quota to Muslims in education sector; Shiv Sena says no decision yet

Mumbai: An NCP minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra announced on Friday that a law will be enacted to give five per cent quota to Muslims in education, but a senior Shiv Sena minister said later that no such decision had been taken.

Replying to a question by Congress’ Sharad Ranpise in the Legislative Council, Minority Affairs Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik said the government will ensure that a law giving five percent quota to Muslims in education is passed soon.

Representational image. AFP

He also assured that “appropriate action” would be taken before the next academic year starts.

But soon thereafter, Urban Development Minister and senior Sena leader Eknath Shinde said no decision had been taken on this issue yet.

“Leaders of the MVA will together take a call on policy decisions about giving reservation to any community.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will take appropriate decisions at the appropriate time. No decision has been taken yet,” he told reporters.

Malik, however, reiterated outside the legislature what he had announced inside.

“The (Bombay) High Court had approved (for Muslims) five per cent reservation in government education (institutes),” he told reporters.

“We will come out with an Act to ensure five per cent reservation in government education. The government will definitely take a decision on giving reservation (to Muslims),” the NCP leader said.

The then Congress-NCP government in the state had issued an ordinance giving five per cent quota to Muslims in 2014 along with 16 percent quota for the Maratha community.

The BJP-Shiv Sena government which followed enacted a law for Maratha reservation but dropped the Muslim quota.

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Delhi violence: Mob burns Khajuri Khas home of BSF jawan who served in J&K for 3 yrs; all savings lost, says family

The home of a BSF jawan was among several burned by mobs in northeast Delhi's Khajuri Khas amid the riots that gripped the district for three days from 23 February, News18 reported.

The family of Mohammad Anees hoped the nameplate on the doorway, which has the BSF insignia and identifies Anees as a member of the paramilitary force, would deter the mob. But to no avail. As per the News18 report, the mob first pelted the house with stones and shouted: "Idhar aa Pakistani, tujhe naagarikta dete hai" (Pakistani, we will give you citizenship) before tossing a gas cylinder into the home.

As per the report News18 report, Anees spent three years in Jammu and Kashmir guarding the border after joining the BSF in 2013. Anees' family has lost all their savings, including Rs 3 lakh in cash and gold jewellery, as per the report.

First-person accounts emerge

Victims of the rampage in the Al-Hind hospital also recounted first-person accounts.

"We jumped from the first floor with dupattas wrapped around our bodies to save ourselves," says a 45-year-old woman at northeast Delhi's Al-Hind Hospital, recalling how she and her two daughters were forced to flee their home after a mob barged in and molested them, PTI reported.

"I was at home when a mob barged in. I and my two daughters were molested and our clothes torn by the mob," the quadragenarian, who runs an NGO in Karawal Nagar, said with tears in her eyes.

She said the mob chased them but stopped and eventually disappeared after they sought refuge in the house of Ayub Ahmed, a grocery shop owner known to them. "When we reached Ahmed's house, he gave us food and other necessary things and later brought us to the Al-Hind Hospital. I can identify the miscreants as they were from our lane," she added.

Ahmed said the women have been left traumatised by the incident.

The woman is one of the many who have been brought to the Al-Hind Hospital over the past few days after being attacked by armed mobs in violence-hit northeast Delhi. Each has a horrific tale to tell.

Salman Khan (20), a resident of Karawal Nagar, said he was near his house on Tuesday night when a mob poured a chemical on his back that caused his skin to burn. "Some unidentified people caught me near my house and poured an acid-like liquid on my back. I have no idea what the substance was. It was very hot and my skin started burning as soon as they poured it on me," he said.

He said he was brought to the hospital by police around 11 pm.

Akil Saifi (30), who works with a private company, said he was thrashed by some people in Gokulpuri, which was among the areas worst-hit by the violence. "When I was returning home from office on Tuesday around 8.30 pm, some unidentified people stopped my motorcycle and started beating me as they saw skull cap on the head of my friend who was riding pillion. His name is Bilal and he is handicapped," he said. "The fingers of my left hand were fractured and Bilal sustained minor injuries," he added.

At least 42 people were killed and over 200 injured in the communal clashes that broke out in northeast Delhi after violence between supporters of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and those opposing it spiralled out of control on Sunday.

Mehraj, a doctor at the Al-Hind Hospital, said injured who were in serious condition were referred to government hospitals. "We referred four to five people to government hospitals as their condition was very bad. Two people died in our hospital and we are treating others," he was quoted by PTI as saying.

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Delhi Violence: First-hand accounts of riots paint grim image as city limps towards normalcy; toll rises to 42

Almost a week since a spate of violence erupted in northeast Delhi on 23 February, the toll rose to 42 on Friday and first-hand accounts of the horrific scenes in riot-hit areas emerged. Authorities like Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and National Commission for Women chief Rekha Sharma visited the violence-affected areas while Delhi Police undertook confidence-building measures.

Baijal, who visited Maujpur, Jaffrabad, and Gokulpur, some of the epicentres of the violence, interacted with locals and said, "I have come here to see myself how things are on the ground."

Baijal was accompanied by senior police officers. This is the first time Baijal, who is the Centre's representative in the state, visited the areas after violence broke out.

Among the areas worst affected in the violence are Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Chand Bagh, Khureji Khas and Bhajanpura.

Meanwhile, the NCW chief said that the situation was peaceful but there was "tension in the air" after she visited Jaffrabad to take stock of the condition of women. Sharma said that she will be going back to the area again on Saturday because she could not meet enough women as the police were busy in giving security for Friday prayers.

"We met a few women but the way we wanted to meet them could not happen. The situation was peaceful but thre was tension in the air," Sharma told PTI. She also said that she has gone through through the data provided by the police and it showed three women were injured but it wasn't direct injuries. "No rape or molestation was recorded by the police," Sharma informed.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal interacts with some locals in Maujpur area in #NortheastDelhi. He says, "I have come here to see myself how things are on ground". #DelhiViolence pic.twitter.com/RQ3KSDrPia

— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2020

Victims of Delhi violence recount tales of horror

While Sharma noted that no cases of rape or molestation were recorded by the Delhi Police, a 45-year-old woman at the Al-Hind hospital in northeast Delhi told PTI that she and her daughters were forced to flee their home after a mob allegedly barged in and molested them.

"We jumped from the first floor with dupattas wrapped around our bodies to save ourselves," she said, according to PTI.

The nightmare on Wednesday night ended only after the women entered a Muslim-dominated lane. "I was at home when a mob barged in. I and my two daughters were molested and our clothes were torn by the mob," the woman who runs an NGO in Karawal Nagar, said with tears in her eyes.

She said the mob chased them but stopped and eventually disappeared after they sought refuge in the house of Ayub Ahmed, a grocery shop owner known to them. "When we reached Ahmed's house, he gave us food and other necessary things and later brought us to the Al-Hind Hospital. I can identify the miscreants as they were from our lane," she added.

Ahmed said the women have been left traumatised by the incident.

The woman is one of the many who have been brought to the Al-Hind Hospital over the past few days after being attacked by armed mobs in violence-hit northeast Delhi. Each has a horrific tale to tell.

Salman Khan (20), a resident of Karawal Nagar, said he was near his house on Tuesday night when a mob poured a chemical on his back that caused his skin to burn. "Some unidentified people caught me near my house and poured an acid-like liquid on my back. I have no idea what the substance was. It was very hot and my skin started burning as soon as they poured it on me," he said.

He said he was brought to the hospital by the police around 11 pm.

Akil Saifi (30), who works with a private company, said he was thrashed by some people in Gokulpuri, which was among the areas worst-hit by the violence. "When I was returning home from office on Tuesday around 8.30 pm, some unidentified people stopped my motorcycle and started beating me as they saw skull cap on the head of my friend who was riding pillion. His name is Bilal and he is handicapped," he said.

"The fingers of my left hand were fractured and Bilal sustained minor injuries," he added.

Mehraj, a doctor at the Al-Hind Hospital, said injured people who were in serious condition were referred to government hospitals. "We referred four to five people to government hospitals as their condition was very bad. Two people died in our hospital and we are treating others," he added.

ANI reported that the shops of Ashok Sharma and Shahrukh Saifi, residents of northeast Delhi's Shiv Vihar were burnt down during the violence. Sharma was quoted as saying, "(I) suffered a loss of Rs 1 crore. I've lived here for 35 years but never saw anything like this." Saifi added, "They also hurled petrol bombs and burnt down my car."

Two brothers from Ghaziabad, 25-year-old Aamir and 16-year-old Hashim were found dead amid the mob violence in riot-hit Gokulpuri after they stepped out on Wednesday to visit relatives in the northeast Delhi area. On Thursday, their family rushed to GTB hospital and identified their bodies.

In Delhi's Kajuri Khas, 85-year-old Akbari's dream of seeing her yet-to-be-born grandchild was cut short by a rampaging mob that set her house in the Gamri village near Delhi's Khajuri Khas on fire, suffocating her to death. One of her seven children Salmani, an exporter of ready made garments, said that he had gone out to get milk on Tuesday.

"While returning, I got a call from my son that a mob has surrounded our home with petrol bombs and sticks in hands. My mother, wife and three kids were on the second floor. I told them over phone to rush to the terrace," he said.

According to locals, the mob set the ground floor, which served as a godown, ablaze and threw petrol bombs at the second and third floor.

"Ten of my labourers were on the ground floor at the time of the incident. They too rushed to the terrace. My son later noticed that my mother was missing and he tried to get down. But by then, the whole house was full of smoke. By the time they climbed down the terrace, she had passed away," Salmani said.

A Hindu family in Gokalpuri has been rendered homeless as they became victim of a mob fury targeted at some Muslim shops in their residential building. The family of six, who are now forced to spend their days roaming in the streets and nights at a neighbour's house, had a harrowing experience on Tuesday as the three shops, owned by Muslims who don't reside in the building, on the ground floor of the two-storey structure were set on fire.

SN Shrivastava to take over as Delhi Police commissioner

Senior IPS officer SN Shrivastava, recently appointed as a Special Commissioner (Law and Order) of the Delhi Police will be the next Delhi police commissioner, MHA said on Friday. He is scheduled to take over from Amulya Patnaik on Sunday, PTI reported.

Meanwhile on Friday, police and paramilitary personnel maintained strict vigil in the affected areas in view of Friday prayers at mosques. Police officers said they were also making extra efforts to quell rumours, and are holding regular flag marches and interactions in the neighbourhoods of affected areas as confidence-building measures.

Officials also initiated an "outreach programme", as part of which personnel met imams and maulvis of various mosques in the riot-hit northeast Delhi.

In some areas of northeast Delhi, signs of normal life were witnessed with opening of shops. In violence-hit areas also, shops in streets and bylanes were open.

Nearly 7,000 paramilitary forces have been deployed in the affected areas of the northeast district since Monday. Besides, hundreds of Delhi police personnel are on the ground to maintain peace and prevent any untoward incident.

Forensic teams also visited the violence-affected areas on Friday and also collected evidence from the factory of suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, who is alleged to have been involved in the killing of IB staffer Ankit Sharma. The teams also inspected the spot in Chand Bagh where Sharma's body was found on Wednesday.

Delhi HC asks for reply on plea seeking probe under UAPA

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought a reply from the Centre and the Delhi government on a plea seeking a probe into the riots under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to investigate those responsible for the violence. A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued notice to the Delhi government and Ministry of Home Affairs on the plea.

The court has posted the matter for hearing on 30 April.

The court was also hearing a plea seeking security for the exam centres of the CBSE board exams in northeast Delhi. The bench asked the AAP government and the police to respond to the plea.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher asked them to ensure security is not breached in board exam centres in violence-hit northeast Delhi. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) told the high court that it was optimistic about holding Board exams in the northeast Delhi centres from 2 March.

The court had on Wednesday taken note of the "worsening situation" in the area and had directed the CBSE to come up with a plan to re-schedule them or change the affected centres. Two sets of exams have been postponed this week in light of the violence.

With inputs from agencies

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TargetAccounts making newbies an expert with their accuracy in stock market

In nominal GDP list, India consolidate its position at 5th place but when it comes to Stock Market only 5-6% of the population of India is directly or indirectly involved in Stock market and it’s because many are scared about Markets and trade and invest without knowledge and get trapped into losses. Only those people succeed in Stock market who have far vision, courage and perfect strategy for investment. This is where stock market experts and innovators come in the picture. When we talk about top stock market experts in India, one name stands out among them: TargetAccounts, cofounded by Sanjay Jaswani and Sweety Upadhyay.

Target Accounts has already made its name in India, Africa, Dubai and in many hearts of many Investors, traders and their students with their teaching skills and with their accuracy in Stock markets. The co-founders are not just stock traders; they are also successful entrepreneurs, influencers, motivational speakers too.

Sanjay, recently given the targets for Nifty for 11,360 and below, when Nifty was hovering from 11,800 to 12,000 and it got completed today on 27th feb their time limit was one month and it got completed and it’s not the first time it’s happening. Sanjay on 24th August given a target for Nifty to be at 11,200-11,500 at that time Nifty was at 10700 and it got completed the very next month. All these posts are available on their Instagram handle @targetaccounts.

His many others Nifty target are completed, and students also call him Hedging King and he is a big name when it comes to options hedging and trading. He has a decade of experience in a mere age of 26, he is also a Chartered Accountant and Economics Major and has taught more than 1,500 students about Investment and trading.

With operations not only confined within India but globally, Target Accounts has helped a lot of people to make the stock market a regular source of income. Their motto is “to help people navigate through changing market conditions and their individual life circumstances in order to find a strategic plan that best fits their investment needs”.

Sweety Upadhyay, Co-Founder, Target Accounts is also a Mentor, trader, investor and speaker. She guides people to invest and trade. She started learning about Stock Market in a young age of 14 and at the age of 16, she started trading in her Uncle’s Demat account and got successful in it after initial losses. Now, she is 21 and Mentoring her followers about Stock Market and Investments.

They also conduct seminars and webinars, in addition to these online programs, they also conduct offline sessions at schools and colleges in order to raise awareness about the markets and the importance of having a systematic approach to investing. Target Accounts also aims to help these individuals develop a mindset of entrepreneurship by educating them about the importance of wealth creation and management through proper risk and reward-based strategies.

The duo has received many awards as well for their achievements and contributions because of their contribution about Financial literacy in society. The duo also said that they made more money when they Market has fallen rather than waiting for the market upward movements.

They trade on every Thursday and some other days as well with their students and make decent profits from Stock Market.

India, being a developing country, has plenty of investing and trading opportunities that one can make use of rather than the conventional types of investment. Sanjay believes that there must be celebration days, weeks and months for Financial literacy!

They are active on their respective instagram handles - @targetaccounts and @investorgirl1998. You can find more details about them on their website https://ift.tt/3aeJYuM

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Raziuddeen Siddiqui, a Math genius is transforming lives through Likee

In the course of its journey so far, pioneering short video platform Likee has emerged as much more than an entertainment provider. Launched in 2017 by Singapore-based Bigo Technology PTE Ltd, Likee has touched and transformed several lives. Its pool of influencers and content creators are the protagonists of this success story. One such tale is that of 26-year-old Raziuddeen Siddiqui, a mathematics genius who uses the platform to impart education to those who cannot afford to join conventional coaching classes or tuitions.

It was in 2014 when Raziuddeen, fondly called Siddiqui Sir by his students, packed his bags from hometown Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh to embark on an ambitious journey to Mumbai. He began teaching at a coaching institute in Nala Sopara, a town in Palghar district near the Maharashtra capital. Though the stint helped Raziuddeen earn his livelihood, his tryst for inner peace and satisfaction was yet to be fulfilled. And that’s when he started teaching underprivileged kids free of cost.

As fate would have it, the teacher with a kind heart got acquainted with a student named Ritesh Jaiswal, who introduced him to the world of Likee. Initially apprehensive of venturing online, owing to the technical nuances involved, Raziuddeen thought over the suggestion and posted 2-3 videos to explore the medium. “Ritesh shot 2-3 videos and posted them on Likee. The response was average for the first few days, but within a week, the videos went viral and garnered more than 50,000 likes. I was overwhelmed by the response and decided to pursue it further,” recalls Raziuddeen.

As his fan base on Likee expanded gradually, Raziuddeen later started using the live streaming feature of the platform. At a fixed time, knowledge seekers would join his live sessions. As part of it, he would discuss and solve queries posted by hundreds of students.

“The response to my videos and live sessions was excellent. With Likee, I could create more content is less time, say 7-8 videos can be shot within 30 minutes. Around 500-600 students joined my live sessions, which were suspended temporarily owing to my health complications. But I plan to resume it soon and will organise it in a more synchronised manner,” says the Math genius.

According to Raziuddeen, creators on Likee must use the platform for more than providing just entertainment. He believes that dancers, singers, teachers and other creators must use the platform to educate and train others. “Thanks a lot to Likee makers that they created such great platform,” he says.

Raziuddeen failed to pursue his PhD due to financial constraints, but he made sure that he would do his bit to help others in need. Once an UPSC aspirant, he still intends to pursue PhD and even appear for the civil services examination. But no matter where the road leads, he is determined to continue using Likee for educating others. He currently has more than 223K fans and over 1.11 million likes on the platform.

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