Breaking News, May 24

A 34-year-old man from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh allegedly committed suicide at a hotel in Dharavi area here on Wednesday, police said. Suraj Singh Baghel, the deceased, was found to have hanged himself from the ceiling fan in his hotel room. The reason behind his extreme step was yet to be ascertained, an official said, adding that police were examining his mobile phone to get more information about him.

Three CRPF jawans were injured after a fruit-laden truck lost control and hit their stationary vehicle on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway at Nambal area of the south Kashmir district, officials said. The injured jawans have been taken to a hospital. The incident was also captured in CCTV cameras.

In a suspected case of suicide, the mutilated bodies of two men were found on a railway track in the Sapotara area of Rajasthan's Karauli district on Wednesday, police said. Sapotara Station House Officer (SHO) Dhara Singh Meena said the victims, who were friends, left for Sapotara on Tuesday evening and their bodies were found on the railway track the next morning, around 100 metres away from Nimoda station. A bike that was supposedly used by the duo to reach the spot was found parked near the railway track, Meena said. The identities of the deceased – Rinku (26) and Sher Singh (28) – were confirmed with the help of mobile phones found at the site, he added. Prima facie investigation has revealed that the men died by suicide by jumping in front of the train, the SHO said. A case of unnatural death has been registered under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for further investigation, he added. The bodies have been handed over to the relatives after the post-mortem, the police said.

The Gurugram district administration issued an advisory on Wednesday that the Atul Kataria Chowk flyover on old Delhi-Gurugram Road will remain closed for one week from May 25 to May 31. The flyover is being closed for load test and checking of safety features, however, the underpass at the Atul Kataria Chowk will remain open for vehicles during this time. The flyover and underpass at Atul Kataria Chowk, which were built at a cost of about Rs 47.40 crore, were inaugurated by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in January 2023. Different dates have been fixed for the closure of the lanes on both sides of the flyover to check the safety features and load test, in which the vehicles coming from Kapashera towards Gurugram bus stand will be closed from May 25 to May 27, while the carriageway will remain closed from May 28 to May 31 from Gurugram bus stand towards Kapashera. "The work of regular testing and observation of safety standards is to be done at Lt. Atul Kataria Chowk flyover. However, traffic plying on the road below the flyover will not be affected during this testing," Deputy Commissioner Gurugram, Nishant Kumar Yadav said. He said that during this period, other tests including load test on the flyover would be carried out under the supervision of PWD-B&R officials. This work is to be done by private agency. The agency has been directed to make suitable arrangements for smooth flow of traffic under the flyover. During this, barricading will be done at necessary places and traffic marshals will be deployed for traffic assistance.

A villager was shot dead by four unidentified people in a village in the Sathiala village, 40 kilometers away from here, on Wednesday, police said. The assailants pumped 15 to 20 bullets into Jarnail Singh, Superintendent of Police Jugraj Singh said. Jarnail, an agriculturalist, was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead, police said. The entire episode was captured on CCTV cameras. The SP said police have procured vital clues about the assailants. Singh said various police teams have been dispatched and asserted that the assailants would soon be arrested.

The house of Manipur PWD Minister Konthoujam Govindas in Bishnupur district was vandalised on Wednesday by a group of people claiming that the government in the strife-torn state is not doing enough to protect locals from militants belonging to another community, officials said. The minister who is a BJP leader and his family members, however, were not present at the house when the mob, comprising mostly women, attacked the house in Ningthoukhong area and damaged a portion of a gate, windows, a few furniture and electronic gadgets. This is the first time a minister’s house was attacked during the ongoing ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in the state that started three weeks ago and claimed more than 70 lives. Army and paramilitary forces have been deployed to control the situation in the state.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said his party will join other opposition parties in boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building. President Droupadi Murmu is the head of Parliament, and the Narendra Modi government was ignoring her by not inviting her to the function on May 28, he told reporters here. “All opposition leaders are boycotting the event as the government has not invited the president, an adivasi woman,” Raut said. Both the prime minister and the president can remain present for the event, he said The Sena (UBT) leader also reiterated his stand that there was no need for a new Parliament building in the first place, as the existing one could have lasted for another 100 years.

5G network in India crossed 2 lakh mobile sites with the commissioning of the latest unit in Gangotri on Wednesday. The 5G site at Gangotri was inaugurated by Union Minister for Communications and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. "Today practically every minute one 5G site is getting activated. The world is surprised. It is a matter of pride for us that 2 lakh site has been installed in Chardham," Vaishnaw said. The Prime Minister has said that India will stand along with the world in 5G and take the lead in 6G, he noted. Vaishnaw said that gone are the days when technology transfers used to be signed.

A Delhi court on Wednesday dismissed the bail applications of two accused persons in a money laundering case lodged against AAP leader Satyendar Kumar Jain in a disproportionate assets case. Special Judge Vikas Dhull dismissed the default bail application filed by Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain, who are accused of abetting Satyendar Kumar Jain in acquisition of assets disproportionate to his known sources of Income. Both had moved the application, claiming they deserved to be granted statutory bail as the charge sheet filed against them was incomplete. The ED opposed their application on the ground that they were arrested on June 30, 2022 for the offence of money laundering and the prosecution complaint (ED’s equivalent of charge sheet) was filed on July 27, 2022, well before the expiry of 60-day prescribed period. However, the accused claimed that the charge sheet, also known as the final report, was incomplete since the agency claimed the investigation was still going on.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday declared that his Rashtriya Janata Dal will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is scheduled this weekend. Yadav also termed the Reserve Bank of India’s decision to scrap Rs 2000 notes as "illogical" and remarked that “only one rupee coins” should be issued if high denomination currency was deemed to be problematic. “We are opposed to the proposed inauguration by PM and we will boycott it. The inauguration (of the new Parliament building) should be done by the honourable President," Yadav told reporters in reply to queries about his party’s stand on the issue. Though the RJD does not have any member in the Lok Sabha, it has a few MPs in the Rajya Sabha.

The rupee appreciated by 15 paise to 82.70 against the US dollar on Wednesday, supported by foreign capital inflows. A strong dollar against major rivals overseas and weak domestic equities weighed on the local unit and capped the appreciating bias, forex traders said. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 82.83 against the US dollar and settled at 82.70, higher by 15 paise over its previous close. During the day, the domestic unit witnessed an intra-day high of 82.64 and a low of 82.84 in the day trade.

Four people were killed and one was seriously injured today (May 24) when a car rammed into a tree in this district, police said. The accident took place near Pilkhuni village under Raya police station limits, they said. The car was travelling to Mathura from Baldeo town of the district, police said. Five people were injured and rushed to district hospital, where doctors declared four of them brought dead, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shailesh kumar Pandey said. Those killed were identified as Achal (25), Akash (21), Yogesh (22) and Ankit (21) -- all residents of Mathura. The injured, Shailendra Kumar, has been referred to Agra for better treatment. A probe is on into the matter and the bodies have been sent for post-mortem, police said.

Two passengers were killed and 26 others, including women and children, injured when a private bus overturned in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district on Wednesday morning, police said. Eleven of those injured are serious, they said. The accident took place when the bus was going to Raigarh from Lailunga town in the district. The bus driver lost control of the vehicle which overturned at Charbhanta turn under Gharghoda police station limits, said Dipak Mishra, sub-divisional officer of police, Dharamjaigarh area. Two passengers died on the spot, while 26 others, including 10 women and two children, sustained injuries, he said. After being alerted about the accident, police reached the spot and launched a rescue operation, he said. Of the injured, 11 were referred to a medical college in Raigarh as they are in serious condition, while 12 were admitted to the Primary Health Centre, Gharghoda. The remaining three are being treated at a hospital in Raigarh, Mishra said.

In a major reprieve for Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, a Rampur court on Wednesday acquitted him in a hate speech case. The Rampur court overturned the verdict of a lower court, which had found the Samajwadi leader guilty last year of hate speech targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He was convicted under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between two groups), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code and section 125 of the Representation of People Act 1951. Azam Khan, after being convicted in the case, was sentenced to three years in prison. He had appealed against the order, after which he was acquitted. Interestingly, the Rampur Assembly seat, which he held was declared vacant after he was disqualified following his conviction.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appreciated Australia's Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton for ensuring strong bipartisan support for the strategic bilateral relations. Modi met Dutton here during the third and final leg of his three-nation tour. Dutton called the meeting between the two of them "productive". The two leaders discussed various aspects of the bilateral ties as well as regional developments. "It was a pleasure to meet you again. Appreciate that you are ensuring bipartisan support to India- Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," Modi tweeted. In 2020, the relations between the two countries touched a new level with both countries elevating their ties to a “comprehensive strategic partnership”, signing key agreements including a landmark pact for reciprocal access to military bases against the backdrop of their frosty relations with China.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's residence in Mumbai on Wednesday to seek support for the AAP's fight against the Centre's ordinance on control of services in Delhi. He was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha members Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha, as well as Delhi minister Atishi. READ MORE...

German police on Wednesday carried out raids across seven states targeting climate activists of the "Letzte Generation" (Last Generation) group, which has sparked controversy with protesters glueing themselves to roads to block traffic.

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday searched AAP MP Sanjay Singh's house. READ MORE...

The opposition parties may display a show of unity by boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28. The new Parliament building will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So far, Mamata's Trinamool Congress (TMC), Arvind Kejriwals' Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Communist Party of India (CPI) have announced that they will boycott the ceremony while sources have said that the Congress is also likely to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building. READ MORE...