Sex workers in Sonagachi, Asia's largest red-light district, are pleading for relief from stringent voter ID rules that they say are impossible to meet, potentially leading to exclusion from the voters' list.
He was also sentenced to 20 years rigorous imprisonment each and a fine of Rs 50,000 each under sections 5(f) (penetrative sexual assault on a child) and 5(l) (penetrative sexual assault on a child more than once) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Surendra Koli, accused in the infamous Nithari serial killings, has been released from the Luksar district jail in Greater Noida, a day after the Supreme Court acquitted him in the last pending case linked to the 2006 serial murders that had shocked the nation, officials said on Thursday.
'America has historically been a magnet for people who aren't from here.' 'That sort of thing -- the promise of opportunity, no matter what that looks like -- doesn't grow on trees.' 'It also happens to be geopolitical gold that Trump is flushing down the toilet,' points out Sree Sreenivasan.
As the year draws to a close, Rediff's Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya takes a look at the hits and misses, the highs and lows, the newsmakers and the dealbreakers in alphabetical order.
The body of a 25-year-old specially abled youth, Suresh Dey, was recovered from a building that was set ablaze by the agitators while another person, identified as Athik Timung, was killed during the clash, a police officer said.
A Mumbai court granted bail to a woman arrested for kidnapping in 2013, emphasizing the importance of a child's access to their natural guardian. The court considered the accused's daughter, who has been in a children's home since her mother's arrest, and the lack of progress in the trial.
Dhurandhar's most dangerous idea is that Director Aditya Dhar envisions an Indian state run by a deep state -- an intelligence machinery not accountable to Parliament, courts, or voters. A future political system where unelected officials decide when Indian democracy is 'fit' to function, observes Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
Siddiqa Begum, daughter and legal heir of Shah Bano, has served a legal notice on the makers "for immediate restraint on the publication, screening, promotion, or release of the upcoming film."
EPF nominations decide inheritance -- here's what happens if you don't file.
The Karnataka high court on Friday permitted the Union government to issue travel documents to facilitate the return of a Russian woman and her two minor daughters who had been discovered living in a cave in coastal Karnataka.
The Maharashtra government, led by CM Devendra Fadnavis, will petition the central government to rename IIT Bombay as IIT Mumbai, following controversy over a Union minister's remarks on the institute's name. The move comes amid political tensions and concerns about the city's identity.
An independent magisterial inquiry has been initiated into the death of social entrepreneur Rohit Arya, who was shot during a police operation while holding 17 children and two adults hostage in Mumbai. The inquiry will run parallel to a crime branch investigation.
The death toll from contaminated cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh has risen to 22, with two more children succumbing to kidney infections. An investigation is underway, and arrests have been made.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to consider directing schools in Delhi-NCR to postpone open air sports competitions planned in November and December to 'safer months' keeping in mind air pollution levels.
In a major development in the toxic syrup tragedy that killed 23 children in Madhya Pradesh, S Ranganathan, director of the Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals, has been arrested and remanded to 10 days' police custody.
The Election Commission of India informed the Madras High Court that actor Vijay's TVK is not a recognised political party during a hearing regarding a PIL seeking its derecognition following a stampede at a party rally.
In the midst of crime and cop shows all over, a family comedy comes as a relief, notes Deepa Gahlot.
The Supreme Court expressed deep regret that the actual perpetrator of the Nithari killings was not established despite a prolonged investigation, while acquitting Surendra Koli in the last Nithari murder case.
'It is high time to recognise that this is the greatest issue India is confronting.' 'Even the BJP should be raising concerns because polluted air suffocates everybody's child.'
The Supreme Court has directed the removal of all cattle and other stray animals from highways and expressways, citing safety concerns and frequent accidents.
The court said that the accused "inserted this metallic rod inside the private parts of the deceased so mercilessly that even the flesh/ body part separating vagina and anus also got torn." Further, the doctor had also opined that the injuries were sufficient to cause death, the court said.
An Indian Sikh woman who traveled to Pakistan as part of a pilgrimage has converted to Islam and married a Pakistani man she met online. Her disappearance is being investigated in India.
A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and K Vinod Chandran dismissed the PIL filed by lawyer Vishal Tiwari after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta objected to it.
Karisma Kapoor was married to businessman Sunjay Kapur, and after his death earlier this year their children have dragged Sunjay's wife Priya Sachdev Kapur to court for their right share in the property.
Justices Urmila Joshi Phalke and Nandesh Deshpande of the HC's Nagpur bench, in the order passed on September 26, refused to accept the man's contention that he was in a consensual relationship with the 17-year-old girl and had registered the marriage only when she turned 18.
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday launched searches against the Al Falah University of Faridabad and its promoters and linked persons as part of its investigation related to the Red Fort area terrorist blast case, sources said.
Maulvi Ishtiyaq told his interrogators a shockingly different story, claiming that Ganaie and Umar approached him earlier this year, asking him to store what they called "fertilisers" at his home and allegedly agreed upon a monthly storage fee of Rs 2,500, according to officials.
The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for November 12 to address the statutory age of consent for adolescents, emphasizing the need for a continuous and comprehensive examination of the issue. The Centre defends the current age of consent, while an amicus curiae suggests lowering it.
As we celebrate the 136th anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru's birth, let's embark on a journey to places in India, and across the world, that had a connection with India's first prime minister.
The Supreme Court has directed chief secretaries of states and Union Territories (excluding West Bengal and Telangana) to appear on November 3 to explain the lack of compliance affidavits in the stray dogs case.
In a shocking incident, a 55-year-old Indian-origin businessman was fatally attacked after he confronted a stranger who was urinating on his car in central Edmonton, Canada.
An Indian-origin couple currently serving jail terms in Australia for enslaving a woman for eight years has been slapped with a fresh penalty and ordered to forfeit the proceeds from the sale of their home, police said.
"It is a policy matter. You ask Parliament to enact the law," a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih told the counsel appearing for the petitioner.
Anand alleged he was then slashed and stabbed with the machete on his shoulder and back.
AIIMS-Delhi reports a rise in eye injuries caused by carbide guns during Diwali, prompting calls for a ban on these dangerous chemical firecrackers. Doctors report severe chemical burn-like injuries and highlight the need for stricter regulations and awareness.
The Supreme Court has directed authorities to relocate stray dogs from institutional areas like schools and hospitals to designated shelters due to a rise in dog bite cases. The court also addressed the issue of stray animals on highways.
The enquiry committee pointed out several lapses on the part of the school, noting the relentless bullying faced by the girl, and mentioned that her parents had first raised the issue with teachers in July 2024. The panel observed that the class teacher failed to act on the child's distress, even when the girl approached the teacher five times in the final 45 minutes of her life.
President Donald Trump has said that birthright citizenship was primarily intended for the children of slaves and not for the whole world to "come in and pile" into the US. Trump issued an executive order against birthright citizenship on his first day in office, which was struck down by a federal court in Seattle the next day. Trump has said that he would appeal against it and is confident that the Supreme Court will rule in his favor. A group of Republican Senators introduced a bill in the US Senate to restrict birthright citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants and non-immigrants on temporary visas. They argue that birthright citizenship is a major pull factor for illegal immigration and a weakness for national security.
The hope is that the film raises significant issues about the rights of women, and does not become a diatribe against a minority community that has happened with some recent films, points out Deepa Gahlot.
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