The arrest of two Catholic nuns from Kerala in Chhattisgarh on charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion has ignited a political controversy, with opposition parties criticizing the arrest and the Chief Minister defending the police action.
Over 150 people were injured, including eight seriously, in a fireworks accident during a temple festival near Neeleswaram in Kasaragod late Monday, police said.
A special NIA court in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district has reserved its order on a bail application filed by three persons, including two nuns from Kerala, arrested on charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion.
The students alleged that they were forced to stand naked and were subjected to brutal acts using dumbbells meant for weightlifting.
IPC Section 153 (wantonly giving provocation with the intent to cause riot) was invoked against the professor.
A seven-year-old girl died in Palakkad, Kerala after falling from a scooter and being run over by a bus. The accident has sparked protests over poor road conditions.
The special team investigating the Kerala palm chopping case has issued a notice to the state president of the Popular Front of India, Nasirudin Elamaram and its national executive member Professor P Koya. Activists of the PFI had chopped off Professor T J Joseph's right palm over an alleged "insulting reference" to the Prophet Mohammed in a question paper set by him.
A source in the medical college said the suspect, who was caught from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra on the Wednesday, was admitted there after his examination.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist-led Left Democratic Front government in Kerala on Monday put on hold the implementation of the controversial amendment to the state Police Act citing criticism from various quarters.
A court in Kerala has sentenced five men from Uttar Pradesh to life imprisonment and an additional 40 years in prison for the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl from Kerala five years ago. The accused, who were migrant workers residing near the victim's home, were involved in the crime that occurred in 2020. They enticed the girl with the promise of a SIM card and then subjected her to sexual assault at various locations. The court also directed the convicts to pay compensation to the victim.
Shahrukh Saifi was apprehended from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra by the Anti-Terrorism Squad.
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday alleged that Kerala under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has shown tolerance towards radical elements and radicalisation.
A victim of alleged human trafficking and forceful conversion in Chhattisgarh claims she was coerced by Bajrang Dal activists to give a false statement. She also alleges police did not record her statement properly and that the arrested nuns are innocent.
'They have to prove the credibility of their talk; whether they want to focus on the secular face of India, whether they want to focus on democracy and above all freedom of an individual to practice his or her religion.'
The Kochi city police commissioner Manoj Abraham told media persons that Haleem, a former Students Islamic Movement of India operative and one of the main accused in the bomb blast at Bengaluru was held.
Amid widespread outrage over the brutal ragging incident at the Government Nursing College in Kottayam, the Kerala Nurses and Midwives Council (KNMC) on Saturday decided to bar all five accused students from continuing their studies.
'They should be given a strong message that they are not the ones who decide the rule of the land, and they are not the ones who decide what justice is.'
The 10-day Ganesh festival has begun in Maharashtra, with devotees welcoming Lord Ganesha into their homes and public pandals. The state government has declared the celebrations a state festival for the first time.
A case has been registered against Union Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar for allegedly making statements that promote enmity between different groups, police said on Tuesday.
The Kerala police registered a case against five persons including an Asianet News journalist and principal of the government-run Maharaja's College in Ernakulam based on a complaint by student union leader PM Arsho in connection with the mark list controversy.
Hundreds of tailors from a local apparel unit in Kannur have been working tirelessly to get the uniform shirts ready for the Israel police force for the past eight years.
'I wanted to go for the heart, and at the same time, open the audience's mind.'
The Congress led United Democratic Front government is likely to set about a major reshuffle in the state police department, highly placed sources in the chief minister's office said.
Renowned urologist George P Abraham was found dead at his farmhouse in Nedumbassery, police said on Monday. He was 75.
A right-wing vlogger has been booked for allegedly spreading hatred via social media in connection with the recent blast at a religious gathering that killed four people near Kochi last week, police said on Wednesday.
'Vijay should have stayed there for the night and in the morning he should have met the people.'
BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated that the arrest of two nuns in Chhattisgarh was due to a 'misunderstanding' and that they will be released on bail soon. He met with Archbishop of Trichur Andrews Thazhath to brief him that the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister have assured the nuns would be released on bail.
Besides Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) (punishment for murder) and Section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act, relevant sections of the UAPA have also been invoked against the accused, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) official told reporters in Kochi.
According to the police, the survivor played a crucial role in exposing her alleged abusers by saving their phone numbers and documenting their details, all vital evidence in the case.
A 26-year-old man, Anandu Krishnan, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding people across Kerala by promising them scooters, sewing machines, and home appliances at half price. The accused claimed to use Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds from big companies. The case has taken a political turn with the involvement of Congress leader Lali Vincent, who served as a legal advisor to an NGO involved in the transactions. Vincent defended Krishnan and said he was not a fraudster, claiming he was made a scapegoat after those who promised CSR funds backed away. The case is being investigated by the Kerala police, who are also looking into the role of certain political leaders in the fraud.
The 24-year-old convict, Greeshma, had sought leniency in sentencing by citing her academic achievements, lack of prior criminal history, and the fact that she is her parents' only daughter.
'Digital courts will alleviate congestion in traditional courts.'
As an IAS officer in Kerala, Gyanesh Kumar -- who the Congress described as Amit Shah's 'right hand man' -- had a good working equation with the state's Congress and Left leaders.
Preventive detention is an extraordinary power in the hands of the state that must be used sparingly, said the Supreme Court as it set aside an order to detain a man indulging in money lending in Kerala.
A 23-year-old man, identified as Afan, has been arrested for allegedly killing six people, including his 13-year-old brother, in Kerala. Police suspect that Afan was under the influence of drugs and have found evidence of drug use. The murders took place across three houses in the Venjaramoodu area near the state capital. Afan's mother, who survived the attack, is hospitalized. The victims also include Afan's grandmother, a young woman said to be his lover, his paternal uncle, and his uncle's wife. Police are investigating the motive behind the murders.
Two men were arrested in Kerala for allegedly placing a telephone post across a railway track, endangering the lives of passengers. The accused, Rajesh and Arun, were taken into custody and confessed to placing the post on the tracks, but the police are still investigating a possible sabotage angle. The incident occurred on the Kollam-Shenkotta route, and the accused have a criminal track record, with one involved in 11 criminal cases and the other in five cases. The police are investigating whether more people were involved in the incident.
After widespread criticism about the new amendment made to the Kerala Police Act, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that it will in no way be used against free speech or impartial journalism and apprehensions to the contrary are unfounded.
While two bodies were recovered on Wednesday, the death toll climbed to four on Thursday after the recovery of two more bodies from the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric project site in Kangra district.
The labourers, who are said to be of Nepali origin, were engaged in the construction of a hotel.
The court directed police to provide protection for the "smooth functioning" of the college in order to conduct the admission process.
