Top news: SC reserves judgement on petitions challenging women’s entry into Sabarimala

Tamil Nadu: Engineers, MBAs among 4,600 applicants for 14 posts of sanitary workers, sweepers

Of the 4,607 people who applied for the jobs, applications of 677 were rejected as they did not conform to the age criterion. Ten of the vacant posts are for sanitary workers, and four for sweepers. The salary has been fixed at Rs 15,700 to Rs 50,000, the daily reported.

Kerala: Asia’s oldest elephant Dakshayani dies in shelter home at 87

Travancore Devaswom Board’s veterinary surgeon T Rajeev said the animal did not suffer any significant ailment or loss of appetite during her last days. Rajeev, who had overseen the elephant’s health regime for around 10 years, said pineapples and carrots had been included in its diet over the past few months to improve metabolism.

Robert Vadra appears before Enforcement Directorate for questioning in money laundering case

His wife Priyanka Gandhi Vadra dropped him off at the agency’s office in Delhi’s Jamnagar House. Several reports have claimed this is a big signal to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been criticising Priyanka Gandhi, the newly appointed head of the Congress’ Uttar Pradesh East region, using her husband’s alleged dubious financial deals.

Odisha: Narendra Modi, Naveen Patnaik working for industrialist friends, alleges Rahul Gandhi

“The Congress is the only party committed to safeguarding the land of adivasis,” Gandhi said at a rally in Bhawanipatna. “We will protect the rights of adivasis in Odisha and elsewhere.”

Bhima Koregaon case: Arrested activist Sudha Bharadwaj moves Bombay High Court for bail

Activist and lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj on Wednesday moved the Bombay High Court to seek bail in connection with her arrest in the Elgar Parishad case. Justice NW Sambre may hear the case on February 18.

Cryptocurrency worth $137 million lost after start-up owner who had all the passwords dies suddenly

A Canadian court on Monday granted bankruptcy protection to a cryptocurrency exchange start-up after it lost passwords for accounts with $137 million (around Rs 981 crore) when the company’s president died suddenly. QuadrigaCX’s Chief Executive Officer Gerald Cotten, 30, died of complications from Crohn’s disease on December 9 while volunteering at an orphanage in India.

Delhi HC refuses to stay trial court’s order against former Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to intervene in a lower court’s order to frame charges against former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in a disproportionate assets case. Singh is accused of illegally acquiring assets worth over Rs 10 crore.

INX Media case: Delhi HC allows P Chidambaram to submit additional documents for anticipatory bail

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday allowed former Union minister P Chidambaram to file additional documents in connection with his pending anticipatory bail plea in the INX Media case. Justice Sunil Gaur allowed the application to record the additional documents such as printouts of several news articles published on February 3, according to which the Law Ministry informed the government that the CBI can be granted sanction to prosecute Chidambaram.

Air India Chairperson Pradeep Singh Kharola appointed civil aviation secretary

The government on Wednesday appointed Air India chief managing director and Chairperson Pradeep Singh Kharola the secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Kharola will take over from Rajiv Nayan Choubey, who retired on January 31. Kharola, an Indian Administrative Services officer of Karnataka cadre from the 1985 batch, was named chairperson of Air India in November 2017. He presided over a turbulent period for the national carrier, which is not doing well financially.

Hyderabad: Man attacks girl who had complained to police about harassment

A man in Hyderabad on Wednesday attacked a 17-year-old girl with a sickle for allegedly turning down his proposal. The girl suffered injuries on her neck and abdomen, and her condition is said to be critical. The Kachiguda Police said the girl was attacked by her neighbour Bharat on a road in Barkatpura area around 7 am on Wednesday when she was on her way to college. The police are searching for Bharat.

Jammu and Kashmir: Home Ministry bans militant group Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen

The Centre has banned militant outfit Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen from Jammu and Kashmir, which has been fighting for the “liberation of Kashmir” and has been involved in a series of terror acts. The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the decision in a notification issued on February 5. The ministry said it had violated provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967.

Citizenship bill: Conrad Sangma says his party will decide on quitting NDA at an ‘appropriate time’

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has said that his National People’s Party will decide at an appropriate time if it will end ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance over the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The National People’s Party supports the BJP governments in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh while the saffron party supports the National People’s Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government.

J&K: Army detains three jawans for alleged role in abduction of soldier Aurangzeb, say reports

The Army has detained three jawans of the 44 Rashtriya Rifles for questioning about their alleged role in the abduction and killing of soldier Aurangzeb in Jammu and Kashmir last year. Defence spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia said “details are being ascertained” about the incident.

Karnataka: BJP MLAs disrupt governor’s address, claim Congress-JD(S) coalition has lost majority

Legislators of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka Assembly on Wednesday disrupted the address of Governor Vajubhai Vala with slogans against the ruling Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition. Vala walked out of the House without finishing his speech. The Budget Session that began on Wednesday is the first sitting of the House since allegations of horse-trading by both the Opposition and the ruling coalition last month.

RBI fines UCO Bank, Axis Bank and Syndicate Bank for violating regulations

The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday imposed a monetary fine of Rs 2 crore each on UCO Bank and Axis Bank, and Rs 1 crore on Syndicate Bank for violating banking regulations. The central bank imposed a penalty of Rs 2 crore each on UCO Bank and Axis Bank for not complying with its circular on norms related to payment through cheques.

JNU ‘sedition’ case: Delhi court gives police until February 28 to get sanctions for prosecution

A court in Delhi on Wednesday asked the city police to procure sanctions by February 28 to prosecute former Jawaharlal Nehru University student leaders accused of sedition. The court had, on January 19, criticised the police for filing a chargesheet in the 2016 case without the approval of the Delhi government.

Manipur: Man gets first death penalty for murder in state’s history

A sessions court in Manipur’s Senapati district has awarded death penalty to a man convicted of murder. This is the second death sentence awarded in the state since Independence and the first to a person charged with murder. Sessions Judge A Noutuneshwari convicted 29-year-old Yumkhaibam Rohit alias Rajesh on Tuesday for murdering his girlfriend.

Sabarimala: Supreme Court reserves judgement on review petitions on women’s entry in hill shrine

The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its judgement on a batch of review petitions filed on the matter of entry of women of all age groups in Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The court heard a batch of 56 review petitions, four writ petitions, two transfer petitions filed by the Kerala government, two Special Leave Petitions, and a plea filed by the Travancore Dewaswom Board seeking time to implement the judgement.

CBI row: Supreme Court issues notice to lawyer Prashant Bhushan on contempt pleas against him

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a notice to lawyer Prashant Bhushan for accusing the Centre of misleading the top court regarding the appointment of Central Bureau of Investigation’s former interim chief M Nageswara Rao.

Parliament: Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid Opposition protests

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Wednesday after Opposition leaders protested over several matters, including the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The House was first adjourned till 2 pm soon after proceedings began, and then for the day immediately after reconvening. Earlier, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after paying respects to sitting Biju Janata Dal MP Ladu Kishore Swain, who died on Tuesday night.

Centre asks West Bengal government to initiate disciplinary action against Kolkata police chief

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday asked the West Bengal government to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar for violation of service rules. The Central Bureau of Investigation had attempted to question Kumar in connection with two chit fund scams.

Nitin Gadkari takes on Opposition, asks if a ‘khichdi’ government can ensure development

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday urged opposition parties to debate on the basis of manifesto and performance and claimed they were united only in disagreeing with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Gadkari alleged that those leaders who would not even wish each other earlier have banded together against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Delhi: Man arrested for allegedly publishing fake Lok Sabha election schedule on website

The Delhi Police on Tuesday said they have arrested a 21-year-old man for allegedly publishing a fake schedule of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls on a website. Gomunt Kumar, a native of Jharkhand, is pursuing B.Sc degree in Ranchi.

Himachal Pradesh: Avalanche warning issued for five districts, Met department warns of heavy snow

The Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority released an advisory after an avalanche warning was issued for Chamba, Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu, Kinnaur and Shimla regions of the state for Wednesday.

UP: Hindu Mahasabha leader arrested for recreating Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday arrested a leader of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha and her husband from Tappal in Aligarh district for enacting the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi on his 71st death anniversary.

Indian communication satellite GSAT-31 successfully launched from French Guiana

European launch services company Arianespace launched India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-31 successfully in the early hours of Wednesday from French Guiana.

VHP suspends campaign for Ram temple in Ayodhya till Lok Sabha elections are over

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Tuesday said it would suspend its campaign for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya till the Lok Sabha elections are over, PTI reported. The Hindutva organisation said it was committed to the cause and will decide on its course of action once the new government is formed.

US: India says it has gained consular access to 117 of 129 students detained in ‘pay-and-stay’ scam

India on Tuesday said it has gained consular access to 117 of the 129 Indian students detained in the United States on allegations of immigration fraud. The Ministry of External Affairs said officials of the Indian Embassy and consulates have visited 36 detention sites across the US to gain access to the students.

Indian communication satellite GSAT-31 successfully launched from French Guiana

European launch services company Arianespace launched India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-31 successfully in the early hours of Wednesday from French Guiana. The Ariane-5 vehicle put the satellite into the orbit in a flawless flight after taking off from Kourou, a French territory located in northeastern coast of South America, at 2.31 am India time.

Selfie accidents: Centre has asked states to identify dangerous spots, minister tells Lok Sabha

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the Centre has advised all states to identify accident-prone tourist spots, to reduce accidents while taking selfies. In response to a question by Shiv Sena MP Rajan Vichare, Ahir said the declaration of “no-selfie zones” is the responsibility of state governments.

Uttar Pradesh: BJP ally Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party says it may consider joining SP-BSP coalition

The Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Uttar Pradesh, said on Tuesday that it is open to joining the coalition of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party for the Lok Sabha elections, PTI reported. Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, who is a minister in the state government, has made several critical remarks about the BJP in recent months.

Madhya Pradesh: Three charged under National Security Act for allegedly slaughtering cows

The Madhya Pradesh Police have charged three people under the National Security Act for allegedly slaughtering cows, in Khandwa town of the state. A local court sent the accused, identified as Shakeel, Nadeem and Azam, to jail on Monday, PTI quoted police officers as saying on Tuesday.