Top news: Kejriwal plans to allow free travel for women in Delhi Metro and buses in 3 months

Delhi High Court rejects plea seeking stay on release of Salman Khan-starrer ‘Bharat’

The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected a public interest litigation that sought an interim stay on the release of the movie Bharat. The film, starring actors Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in lead roles, is set for release on June 5.

‘Congress cannot afford to let Rahul Gandhi quit as party chief,’ says Salman Khurshid

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Monday said that the party cannot afford to let Rahul Gandhi quit as its president. He said that it is “very difficult, if not impossible, to replace him”.

Malegaon blasts case: NIA court rejects Pragya Thakur’s plea seeking exemption from appearance

A special National Investigation Agency court on Monday rejected Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur’s appeal for exemption from appearance in court this week in the Malegaon blasts case. Thakur had said in her plea that she needs to complete formalities related to her election to Parliament.

Kerala: Congress expels former MLA who praised PM Narendra Modi’s governance

The Congress expelled senior Kerala leader AP Abdullakutty from the party on Monday after he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s re-election in a Facebook post last week. Abdullakutty had said in his post that Modi follows “Gandhian values”, which led to his win.

Mumbai: IAS officer transferred for ‘sarcastic tweet’ thanking Godse for assassinating Gandhi

An Indian Administrative Service officer was transferred on Monday for a “sarcastic” tweet in which she thanked Nathuram Godse for assassinating Mahatma Gandhi. Nidhi Choudhari was transferred from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to the water supply department for posting the tweet. The Maharashtra government has issued her a show-cause notice.

Andhra Pradesh: Jaganmohan Reddy set to restore CBI’s ability to conduct inquiries in the state

The Andhra Pradesh government of YS Jaganmohan Reddy has decided to restore the “general consent” for the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct inquiries in the state, YSR Congress Party General Secretary and Rajya Sabha member V Vijay Sai Reddy tweeted on Monday. It was withdrawn last year by former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. An official order has not yet been issued.

Uttarakhand: Bodies of five mountaineers found near Nanda Devi East peak by IAF helicopters

Indian Air Force helicopters on Monday found the bodies of five of the eight mountaineers who went missing on their way to the Nanda Devi East peak in Uttarakhand the day before. The group had left Munsiyari village on May 13, and was was supposed to return to the village on June 1.

PNB scam: Mehul Choksi is deliberately evading summons, ED tells Bombay High Court

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday filed an affidavit in the Bombay High Court, claiming that diamond merchant Mehul Choksi had displayed his disregard for law by deliberately evading summons. The directorate said Choksi’s claim about health problems was a facade, and pointed out that he can seek treatment in India.

IAF aircraft with 13 people on board goes missing after taking off from Jorhat in Assam: Reports

An Indian Air Force aircraft with 13 people on board went missing on Monday. The plane, which had taken off from Jorhat in Assam, lost contact with ground controllers 35 minutes later, PTI reported, citing official sources. The AN-32 transport aircraft, which was to land at the Menchuka airfield in Arunachal Pradesh, took off around 12.25 pm and lost all contact with ground staff around 1 pm. Those on the aircraft comprised five crew and eight passengers.

Tribe in Nilgiri forests fumes as trekkers, tourists damage ancient rock paintings

Members of the Irula tribe in the Nilgiri forests in Tamil Nadu are furious about the damage caused by trekkers and tourists to the rock paintings in Karikiyoor at Kil Kotagiri village, The Hindu reported on Monday. The paintings, which are 5,000 years old, have been defaced with religious symbols using whitener pens and political messages with chalk.

Sensex ends the day above 40,000 points, Nifty 50 above 12,000 – both for the first time

Indian share markets surged on Monday, with the BSE Sensex closing at over 40,000 points and the Nifty 50 over 12,000 – both for the first time ever. The Sensex had touched the 40,000 mark a few times after the Lok Sabha election results, but had not maintained the level by the closing time on any day.

Gujarat: BJP legislator caught kicking woman on camera, claims it was self-defence

A Bharatiya Janata Party legislator was caught on camera kicking a woman, who was a supporter of the Nationalist Congress Party, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. In the video clip, Naroda MLA Balram Thawani is seen kicking the woman who was reportedly participating in a protest against stopping water supply in Naroda in Ahmedabad.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval gets a second term and Cabinet rank

The government on Monday appointed National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to a second term, and provided him a Cabinet rank. Doval earlier held the rank of a minister of state. Doval has been reappointed to the post in recognition of his contribution to the national security domain. He will have a term of five years.

Andhra Pradesh asked to hand over government buildings in Hyderabad to Telangana

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governor ESL Narasimhan on Sunday issued orders to hand back government buildings allotted to the Andhra Pradesh government in Hyderabad to the Telangana government. The government buildings were allotted during the bifurcation of the two states in 2014.

Pune: Over 200 VHP activists booked for allegedly brandishing air rifles, swords at rally

More than 200 Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists were booked on Sunday for allegedly brandishing weapons at a rally in Pune, Maharashtra. The activists allegedly held the procession in Pimpri Chinchwad area without permission.

Shiv Sena says country faces economic crisis, calls on Nirmala Sitharaman to find solution

The Shiv Sena on Monday said that the country is in an economic crisis, and asked the new finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, to find a solution to it. In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena said that while the stock market cheered the return of the Narendra Modi-led government, the Gross Domestic Product growth rate has declined, and the problem of unemployment has increased.

Kerala college student feared to have Nipah infection, says health minister

A college student in Kerala is suspected to have been infected with the Nipah virus. However, a final confirmation is awaited from the National Institute of Virology in Pune. State Health Minister KK Shailaja said the government has taken all precautions. She added that state health officials will hold a high-level meeting in Kochi.

Delhi: Women can soon travel for free on metro and buses, says CM Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced that women will be allowed to travel for free on the Delhi Metro, Delhi Transport Corporation buses and cluster buses, ANI reported. The chief minister said he has given officials a week’s time to make a detailed proposal on how the scheme can be implemented. “We are making an effort to start this within two to three months. We’re also seeking suggestions from people, regarding implementation,” he said, according to ANI.

SC asks CBI to complete inquiry into Muzaffarpur shelter home case within three months

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to complete its investigation in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case within three months, ANI reported. The agency had approached the court seeking six months to complete the inquiry.

Delhi court allows Robert Vadra to travel abroad for health reasons

A court in Delhi on Monday allowed businessman Robert Vadra to travel abroad for six weeks for medical reasons, ANI reported. Vadra’s counsel had told the court last week that the businessman has a small tumour in his large intestine, and wants to get a second medical opinion in London. Vadra had also sought to fly to two other countries.

‘BJP should be ready for Nitish Kumar’s second betrayal,’ warns Upendra Kushwaha

Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief Upendra Kushwaha on Sunday said Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar will betray his ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party. His comments come on a day when Kumar expanded his Cabinet by inducting eight new ministers, all from the Janata Dal (United). Kumar offered only one position to ally Bharatiya Janata Party, but the saffron party has decided not to take it yet.

Centre revises draft education policy after protests against ‘Hindi imposition’: Reports

The Centre on Monday tweaked its draft National Education Policy in the wake of protests against the emphasis on Hindi. “In keeping with the principle of flexibility, students who wish to change one or more of the three languages they are studying may do so in Grade 6 or Grade 7, so long as they are able to still demonstrate proficiency in three languages,” reads the revised draft.

Bombay HC upholds validity of clause that provides death penalty for repeat rape offenders

The Bombay High Court on Monday upheld the Constitutional validity of an amended section of the Indian Penal Code that deals with repeat offenders in rape cases. Section 376E of the Indian Penal Code states that a repeat rape offender should be jailed for life or sentenced to death. The amendment was introduced in 2013, after the 2012 Delhi gang rape.

Odisha: Met department issues thunderstorm alert for at least 10 districts

The regional centre of the India Meteorological Centre has issued a thunderstorm warning for at least 10 districts in Odisha till 5.30 pm on Monday. At least eight people died in the state on Sunday due to the thunderstorm and lightning.

Former Chief Justice RM Lodha cheated of Rs 1 lakh, say reports

Former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha was cheated of Rs 1 lakh in an online scam in April, the Delhi Police said on Sunday. In his complaint filed at the Malviya Nagar Police Station on Saturday, Lodha said that he was duped after the email account of his friend, Justice (Retired) BP Singh, was hacked.

Four British climbers rescued from avalanche-hit Nanda Devi in Uttarakhand

Four British climbers were rescued on Sunday from a base camp of the Nanda Devi peak in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district which has been hit by avalanches. At 7,816 metre, Nanda Devi is India’s second highest mountain.

Jammu and Kashmir: Two alleged militants killed in encounter in Shopian district, say reports

Two suspected militants are believed to have been killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday morning. Unidentified officials said they have recovered the bodies.

‘No language will be imposed,’ says Union minister S Jaishankar on draft education policy

Union Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar on Sunday reiterated the Centre’s position that the government will not impose any language. The minister’s response comes in the wake of politicians across party lines protesting against the emphasis on Hindi in the draft education policy submitted to the central government on Friday.

IIT graduate arrested for running fake free laptop scheme under PM Modi’s name to steal data

A graduate from one of the Indian Institutes of Technology was arrested in Nagaur district of Rajasthan for allegedly running a fake website with pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and duping people. The website claimed that two crore free laptops would be distributed at Modi’s swearing-in ceremony held on May 30.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik vacates Bijepur Assembly seat, retains Hinjili

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday resigned from the Bijepur Assembly seat while retaining the Hinjli seat. Patnaik had contested from two Assembly seats for the first time in his political career and won both the seats.

Rajasthan: Farmer dies of heatstroke in Sikar; temperature hits 48.9°C in Churu

A farmer died of sunstroke in Rajasthan on Sunday as the maximum temperature recorded was 44°C or above in several parts in the state. Churu district recorded the highest maximum temperature of 48.9°C in the state.

Islamabad: Indian embassy protests ‘harassment’ of its Iftar party guests by Pakistani officers

The Indian High Commission issued a statement on Sunday after several guests who visited its Iftar party in Islamabad on Saturday evening complained of harassment. The guests faced “unprecedented harassment and intimidation” by security agencies, the embassy said.

‘BJP is using Jai Shri Ram as party slogan, trying to sell ideology of hatred’: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said the Bharatiya Janata Party was mixing religion with politics using the “Jai Shri Ram” slogan. She added that deliberate attempts are being made to promote the ideology of hatred through “vandalism and violence”, and this must be opposed.