While acknowledging that they needed strong allies for a chance in the assembly polls, AIADMK cadres seemingly prefer actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam to the BJP, owing to the latter's 'communal agenda' and consequent hardline Hindutva image, explains N Sathiya Moorthy.
Shops owned by Muslims were shut for half a day in solidarity with the family of Hiremath and to condemn the dastardly act that shook the twin city of Hubballi-Dharwad.
The Nagpur municipal chief has offered an unconditional apology to the Bombay High Court for the demolition of houses belonging to accused in a riots case, citing ignorance of Supreme Court guidelines on such actions. The civic officials were unaware of the Supreme Court's order, which mandates procedural safeguards before demolishing properties linked to riots accused, the commissioner stated in an affidavit. The court has granted the Maharashtra government two weeks to respond to the matter.
The similarities between the two movies may be striking but where they differ is in the way each focuses your curiosity, observes Sreehari Nair.
Due to the success of the operation, the entire Korchi-Tipagad and Chatgaon-Kasansur Dalams of Maoists have been wiped out, they claimed.
It noted the prosecution's submissions about the need to take Kumar to Mumbai and other parts of the national capital to collect evidence, which was not possible without the accused's custody.
A multi-agency operation is underway in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir to track down three terrorists believed to be hiding in a forested area. The operation, which resumed Thursday, involves the Indian Army, Police, CRPF, NSG, and BSF. The terrorists are suspected to be part of a group that has had multiple encounters with security forces in the past few weeks, resulting in the deaths of four policemen. The operation is being conducted with aerial surveillance, sniffer dogs, and multiple surveillance-cum-ambushes. Six people, including some women, have been detained for questioning in connection with the terrorists' movements.
India conducted nationwide civil defence mock drills simulating multiple hostile scenarios like air raids, fire emergencies, and rescue operations across several states and union territories. The drills, dubbed 'Operation Abhyaas,' aimed to enhance emergency preparedness in light of recent terror attacks. The exercises involved coordinated efforts by various agencies, including civil defence personnel, police, fire and emergency services, and the military. Mock drills were conducted at various locations, including railway stations, malls, and high-rise buildings, showcasing the response capabilities of authorities in different emergency scenarios. The drills highlighted the importance of public awareness and cooperation in dealing with real-time emergencies.
Israel's aerial assault on Iran is widely viewed as an act of naked aggression with no basis in international law, carried out unilaterally despite US opposition and aimed at derailing ongoing US-Iran nuclear negotiations, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the argument that a three-judge bench, rather than a two-judge bench, should hear appeals of convicts in the 2002 Godhra train burning case. The court found that the Gujarat High Court commuted the death penalty to life imprisonment, therefore not requiring a three-judge bench. The hearing of the appeals will continue on Wednesday, with the state government seeking restoration of the death sentences of 11 convicts.
The unspoken subject of Mithya is violence, and the big zinger here is our recognition that the movie is showing us the makings of a juvenile delinquent -- perhaps the finest since Truffaut unleashed his Antoine Doinel, applauds Sreehari Nair.
At least 24 people were arrested by the security forces for defying the ban on celebrations, officials said.
A court in Bangladesh has issued fresh arrest warrants against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wajed, and 16 others in two cases related to alleged irregularities in allocating residential plots on the outskirts of the capital. The warrants were issued based on chargesheets filed by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), which alleges that Hasina and her family members illegally acquired plots in Purbachal New Town by abusing state power. The court has ordered police to submit a report by April 29 on the progress of executing the warrants. This is the latest in a series of legal actions against Hasina and her family members since her Awami League regime was toppled last year in a student-led mass uprising.
'For three months Raj Thackeray becomes a staunch Hindu and for the next three months he becomes anti-Hindu.'
Acting on the man's bail plea, the court observed the case fell in the same genre in which the man and the woman developed "sexual proximity" in the same workplace, but after about a year, the relationship turned sour paving way for allegations of "force and rape".
Some of his directives had the Supreme Court judges disclose their assets whereas the row over the discovery of cash from a sitting judge's official residence paved way for inquiry.
The accused, Syed Nasru, had cut the udders of the cows in Vinayakanagar of Chamarajpet in the wee hours of Sunday, they said.
The Supreme Court of India has criticized the Uttar Pradesh government and Prayagraj Development Authority for the demolition of homes in the city, calling the actions "inhuman and illegal." The court ordered the authority to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation each to the homeowners, stating that the demolitions were carried out in a "high-handed" manner without following due legal process. The petitioners, whose homes were demolished, argued that the state government wrongly believed the land belonged to gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed. The Allahabad High Court had previously rejected their plea challenging the demolition.
Comedian Kunal Kamra continues to face backlash for his jokes targeting Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. The Legislative Council admitted a breach of privilege notice against him, while a state minister demanded his arrest. The controversy stems from Kamra's stand-up performance where he made satirical remarks about Shinde, leading to protests and vandalism by Shiv Sena supporters. The comedian has been summoned by the police and faces legal trouble, with even Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw justifying the action, emphasizing the need to uphold legal safeguards. Amid the controversy, Kamra lashed out at the mainstream media, calling it a "miscommunication arm" of the ruling party.
Beleaguered Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde resigned from the cabinet on Tuesday, days after his close aide Walmik Karad was named as the mastermind in the murder of a village sarpanch and three months after the new Mahayuti government assumed office.
The Madras High Court has asserted that press freedom and privacy are intertwined and that surveillance constitutes an attack on the press, which is considered the fourth pillar of democracy. The court made this observation while addressing petitions filed by the Chennai Press Club and three reporters seeking protection from harassment by a police Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the leak of an FIR concerning a sexual assault case at Anna University. The court highlighted the importance of protecting journalists' sources and criticized the SIT for seizing reporters' mobile phones without justification and for failing to adequately investigate the source of the leaked FIR.
The Supreme Court has announced it will decide in April whether to reconsider its 2022 verdict upholding the Enforcement Directorate's powers to arrest and attach property under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court is hearing a batch of pleas seeking a review of the July 2022 verdict, which upheld the ED's powers of arrest and attachment of property involved in money laundering, search and seizure under the PMLA. The verdict came on a batch of over 200 petitions filed by individuals and other entities questioning various provisions of the PMLA.
A local newspaper photographer had an unusual challenge -- capturing a photo of an Australian fan. He admitted he had been waiting for an hour but hadn't spotted a single one.
A court in Punjab's Mohali has sentenced self-styled pastor Bajinder Singh to life imprisonment in a 2018 rape case. The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Vikrant Kumar pronounced the verdict on Tuesday. Bajinder was found guilty under sections 376 (rape), 323 (punishment for voluntary causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The case was registered on a complaint filed by a woman at the Zirakpur police station in Mohali in 2018.
'A surgery was performed to remove the knife and repair the leaking spinal fluid.'
Temples across Uttar Pradesh were packed with devotees on Sunday for Ram Navami, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath leading prayers at the Gorakhnath Temple. Heavy crowds were witnessed at temples in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, and Varanasi, where security was heightened. In Gorakhpur, Adityanath performed the traditional kanya pujan ritual, while in Varanasi, a 51-foot statue of Lord Ram has become a major attraction. The festival was celebrated with enthusiastic fervor across the state.
The Supreme Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the registration of an FIR over the alleged discovery of burnt wads of cash at the official residence of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma. The court said an in-house inquiry was underway and there would be several options open to the Chief Justice of India after the probe's conclusion.
The Committee of Management, Shahi Jama Masjid, moved the high court challenging the suit and the Sambhal court order which directed the survey through an advocate commissioner.
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.
"It is shocking that the Supreme Court is adjudicating bail pleas in cases that should be disposed of at the trial court level. The system is being burdened unnecessarily," Justice Oka said while hearing a bail plea.
Bangladesh's interim government has formally requested India to extradite deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India. The request has been made after Bangladesh issued arrest warrants for Hasina for "crimes against humanity and genocide." However, India has not yet responded to the request. Hasina is accused of using her security forces to oversee the abduction, torture, and murder of hundreds of activists during her time in office. She denies the allegations and claims she is being politically persecuted. The Bangladesh interim government's Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus, said he was shocked by the conditions he witnessed at one of the secret jails used during Hasina's regime.
The Telangana High Court upheld a trial court's verdict handing out death penalty to five senior operatives of banned terror outfit, Indian Mujahideen, involved in a bomb blast that left 18 people killed in 2013. The court dismissed the criminal revision appeal filed by the IM operatives while upholding the NIA court's judgment. The five members, including IM co-founder Mohd Ahmed Sidibapa alias Yasin Bhatkal, Pakistani national Zia-ur-Rahman alias Waqas, Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, Tahaseen Akhtar alias Monu and Ajaz Shaikh, were convicted in 2016. The special court for NIA cases here awarded capital punishment to five convicts treating it as a rarest of the rare case. The high court, after conducting a detailed hearing in the appeals filed by the convicts, confirmed the death sentence of the five IM operatives.
The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to Puja Khedkar, a former IAS probationer, who is accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination. Khedkar is accused of misrepresenting information in her application for the UPSC civil services examination, 2022, to get reservation benefits. She has refuted all the allegations against her.
A delegation of the National Commission for Women (NCW), led by its chairman Vijaya Rahatkar, met with riot-affected women in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, assuring them of safety and demanding an NIA probe into the recent communal clashes. The women narrated their harrowing experiences and demanded permanent BSF camps in select areas of the district. The NCW team also visited relief camps in Malda district and assessed the condition of women affected by the violence.
The Supreme Court of India has declined to interfere with the bail granted to 17 members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) in connection with the 2022 murder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Srinivasan in Kerala. The court noted that the Kerala High Court, which granted bail, has the power to revoke it if the conditions are violated. The NIA had sought cancellation of the bail, alleging the accused had violated bail conditions and contacted witnesses. The accused are also facing trial for allegedly instigating communal violence in Kerala and other parts of the country.
The Kerala High Court has criticized both the ruling front and the opposition in the state for holding public meetings that block public roads and footpaths. The court observed that the December 5 incident, where the CPI(M) held a conference outside the Vanchiyoor court complex in Thiruvananthapuram, was a "clear case of breach of trust" as the government holds the roads as a trustee of the people. The court has directed the police to submit a report by December 16 identifying those involved in the meeting, including those who attended and were seen on-stage in news reports. The court also pointed out that the stage for the meeting was constructed right on top of the pedestrian/zebra crossing, completely blocking the carriageway on one side of the road. This caused traffic snarls and inconvenienced pedestrians, including school children, infants, and elderly persons. The court said that provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other laws, like the Motor Vehicles Act, would be applicable to the incident.
A YouTuber from Thrissur, India, who was arrested in an attempt to murder case, has been transferred to a mental health center after experiencing distress due to the jail authorities cutting his hair. Muhammad Shaheen Shah, known as 'Manavalan' (groom) on YouTube, was remanded to judicial custody for allegedly attempting to run over college students with a car. He was shifted to a hospital in Thrissur after he was seen experiencing distress and is currently under observation.
Re-watching 1967's Jewel Thief evokes the joy of cinema, with its perfect blend of thrill, suspense, romance and music. A film like that can never be remade or be tampered with in any way, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Shops in Varanasi's Muslim-dominated areas remained closed and the police sounded an alert in the entire district ahead of the Friday namaaz, following the district court order to allow Hindu prayers in a cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque.
Thudarum is a masterpiece for adults, a serious yet self-aware piece of cinema that has something for everybody, feels Arjun Menon.
