With the fate of kidnapped Jhina Hikaka still unknown after almost three weeks the Odisha government is exploring back-channel negotiations with the Maoist group, which has imposed tough conditions for the release of the ruling Biju Janata Dal tribal member of Legislative Assembly Jhina Hikaka.
The first report was filed on April 16 in compliance with a March 13 order of the Supreme Court which had asked Patnaik to conduct a probe and collect documentary evidence regarding all movable and immovable properties of Kripashankar and his family, including his wife, son, daughter-in-law and daughter while seeking a report in a sealed envelope.
"If the extra-judicial confession suffers from material discrepancies or inherent improbabilities and does not appear to be cogent as per the prosecution version, it may be difficult for the court to base a conviction on such a confession," a Supreme Court bench has ruled.
To refurbish her government's image ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly election, Chief Minister Mayawati on Sunday recommended sacking of four ministers, who were facing corruption charges, to Governor B L Joshi.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to stay the investigation against Mumbai Congress chief Kripashankar Singh and his family members for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets but put an interim stay on the process of attaching and seizure of their properties.
Dentist Nupur Talwar will have to remain in jail at least for another month in the twin murder case of her daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj with the Supreme Court on Monday deferring till September 17 hearing on her bail plea.
Senior Mumbai Congress leader Kripashankar Singh has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay high court direction for his prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act and attachment of his immovable properties in a case of alleged disproportionate assets.
Lok Janshakti Party chief Ramvilas Paswan on Sunday said his party would support United Progressive Alliance candidate for Presidency.
The plan for the creation of the ambitious National Counter Terrorism Centre has come under attack from non-Congress chief ministers, including the party's ally Trinamool Congress. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee joined Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in opposing the setting up of the anti-terror body and wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking him to "review and withdraw" the decision.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it may modify its July 24 order banning all tourism activities in the core areas of tiger reserves, but asked the Centre to notify within a week fresh guidelines for the conservation of the wild cat in the country.
First to back P A Sangma, a tribal and minority leader for the Presidential contest, the ruling Biju Janata Dal in Odisha on Thursday hoped for a miracle in his favour as polling for the top post ended at the state assembly.
A day after his release from Maoist captivity, Biju Janata Dal member of Legislative Assembly Jhina Hikaka on Friday did not rule out the possibility of resigning his membership of Odisha assembly and said he had twice written to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the issue.
According to media reports, abducted Biju Janata Dal Member of Legislative Assembly Jhina Hikaka will be released on Thursday in Koraput district of Odisha at 10 am. Reports say that the decision was taken at a Maoist 'people's court'. The Naxals have also asked Hikaka to 'resign'.
Maoists on Thursday produced abducted ruling Biju Janata Dal MLA Jhina Hikaka before a people's court to decide his fate, a day after the Odisha government said it would withdraw cases against 13 prisoners in exchange for freedom of the tribal legislator.
Here's a recap of events that occurred in India in the past 24 hours.
Dentist Nupur Talwar, who has been in jail for over four months in the twin murder case of her daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj, was on Monday granted bail by the Supreme Court which directed her to be released by September 25.
The Odisha government on Saturday said it will release five of the six rebels the Maoists have demanded for release of the Italian hostage, while another Naxal group holding MLA Jhina Hikaka extended the deadline to April 10 and demanded that five more persons be freed.
Fresh talks were held on Friday between the Odisha government and the Maoist mediators, a day after the government named the 27 jailed people to be freed in return for the release of Biju Janata Dal member of Legislative Assembly Jhina Hikaka and Italian Paolo Bosusco taken hostage by two separate Naxal groups.
Bowing to Maoists' demands, for securing the release of a Biju Janata Dal MLA and an Italian from the captivity of ultra-Left activists' captivity, Odisha government on Wednesday said it would facilitate the release of 27 persons, including 8 Naxals, from jails.
Liquidity pushed benchmark indices 22% higher to become the best performing equity market globally
The Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the Kerala high court's order acquitting 35 accused in the Suryanelli gangrape case of 1996 in which a 16-year-old girl was gang-raped for over 40 days.
As many as 44 persons detained during the rave party at a plush hotel in Juhu last month have tested positive for drugs, the police said on Friday.
The Odisha government on Wednesday hoped Maoists would soon name their negotiators for talks for release of Biju Janata Dal MLA Jhina Hikaka, a day after it invited them for parleys, even as intervention of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was sought by mediators in the Italian captive's case.
Odisha government, grappling with the hostage crisis, on Tuesday said some demands made by Maoists like halt to combing operations, have been conceded as prospects of the release of the lone Italian national seemed to have brightened.
The Odisha government is examining the demands made by abductors of ruling Biju Janata Dal MLA Jhina Hikakaka, which includes release of jailed ultras, amid indication that talks with Maoist mediators for release of the second Italian will soon yield positive results.
Though two days have passed since the Maoists abducted ruling Biju Janata Dal member of Legislative Jhina Hikaka, the Odisha government is yet to receive any information on the whereabouts of the young tribal legislator.
Ignoring advice from his party, Nationalist Congress Party leader PA Sangma on Friday said he continues to be in the fray for the presidential election as a tribal candidate
The two abducted Italians are safe and unharmed, the Odisha government claimed on Tuesday, a day after the Maoists named three negotiators to hold talks with the authorities on the six-day-long hostage crisis.
In a setback to dentist Nupur Talwar, the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed her review petition challenging the summons issued by the Special Central Bureau of Investigation Court, in the twin murder of her daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj. "We have found no merit in the review petition and are not inclined to interfere with the order of the trial court," a bench of justices A K Patnaik and J S Khehar said while dismissing the review petition.
'His portrayal of Income Tax Commissioner Amay Patnaik relies on his firm footing as a man of consequence to pitch itself as a tribute to the IT department's unsung heroes.' 'It's the most I've enjoyed watching Ajay Devgn in a while,' says Sukanya Verma.
'In UP, the CM actually announced that his administration would 'take revenge' against rioters.' 'That must have been music to his police force's ears for it substantiated what the police always do: Take revenge on an entire community for the violence of a few,' points out Jyoti Punwani.
Extending the ban on tourism activities in the core areas of tiger reserves, the Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Centre for the depleting population of the wild cats in the country.
K Chandrasekhar Rao deputed the party's working president and his son K T Rama Rao and other senior leaders to hold parleys with the leader of the opposition in Andhra Pradesh, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, on Wednesday.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted another two weeks to the West Bengal government to respond to its notice on a plea by a Park Street gangrape accused against denial of bail to him by the Calcutta high court.
Nationalist Congress Party leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma, who is being backed by the Biju Janata Dal and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for the President's post, on Tuesday sought to reach out to political parties, saying he hoped they will respond "to the call of conscience of the tribal people of the nation."
The mortal remains of Assamese litterateur Indira Raisom Goswami were consigned to flames in Guwahati on Wednesday with full state honours.
During his interaction with the chief ministers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured that more economic activities would resume; he also said that zone identification may be left to the states.
A notice by the office of Supreme Court Secretary General also said that the report of the committee constituted as part of the in-house procedure is not liable to be made public.
Police resorted to baton charges and fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances