Top news: Suspected militants kill three CRPF soldiers in Anantnag district

Journalist Prashant Kanojia, arrested for video about Adityanath, released from jail

Journalist Prashant Kanojia, who was arrested from Delhi for his comments about Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on social media, was released from jail on Wednesday. The Supreme Court had ordered the release of the journalist on bail on Tuesday.

Delhi: Sheila Dikshit meets CM Arvind Kejriwal to discuss water and power problems

Congress leader Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to discuss water and electricity problems being faced by people in the national Capital. A state Congress delegation, led by the former chief minister, met Kejriwal at his Flagstaff Road residence.

‘Lok Sabha polls were the most inclusive, enabled people with disabilities to vote,’ India tells UN

The recently concluded Lok Sabha elections were the “most historic” and inclusive as every person, including those with disabilities, were able to exercise their right to vote, India said at an annual United Nations conference on ‘Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ on Tuesday.

Jammu and Kashmir: Three CRPF personnel killed in Anantnag encounter, suspected militant gunned down

“Motorcycle-borne terrorists fired upon security officials,” said a CRPF spokesperson. “Three CRPF jawans attained martyrdom, three others were injured and evacuated to Janglad Mandi hospital. One militant neutralised, and the area cordoned off, re-inforcement reached. Firing on.”

CPI-based inflation rose marginally to 3.05% in May, shows government data

The inflation rate for vegetables stood at 5.46%, while the price of cereals and products grew at the same rate of 1.24%. Prices of health products rose 8.01% while meat and fish cost 8.12% more. While the retail prices in the education sector rose 6.69%, miscellaneous items cost 4.62% more.

Bhima Koregaon case: Activist Gautam Navlakha’s protection from arrest extended by Bombay High Court

Navlakha and activists Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Varavara Rao were arrested on August 28 for their alleged involvement in an event that preceded the violence between Dalits and Marathas at Bhima Koregaon near Pune on January 1, 2018. They were subsequently placed under house arrest.

Uttar Pradesh: First woman Bar Council president shot dead in Agra civil court

“Darvesh Yadav was shot dead by her associate Manish Sharma during an event in Agra court premises today,” said Additional Director General of Police Ajay Anand. “He came and shot three bullets at her. She was taken to hospital where she died. Manish is critically injured and admitted to hospital.”

PM advisory body refutes Arvind Subramanian’s claim that GDP growth was overestimated

The Economic Advisory Council to the prime minister on Wednesday rejected former Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian’s claim that Gross Domestic Product numbers have been inflated. Subramanian had said on Tuesday that India’s economic growth was overestimated by 2.5% points per year between 2011-’12 and 2016-’17, a period when both the United Progressive Alliance and National Democratic Alliance governments were in power.

Narendra Modi’s plane will not use Pakistan airspace, will fly to Bishkek via Iran and Oman: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aircraft would fly via Oman and Iran to Kyrgyzstan’s Capital Bishkek for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, which will be held on Thursday and Friday. The decision came days after reports suggested that Islamabad had “decided in principle” to allow Modi’s plane to fly over its airspace.

Bijapur collector bars staff from wearing jeans and colourful T-shirts to office in Chhattisgarh

The collector in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district has barred government staff from wearing “tshirts, jeans, and clothes with provocative colours” to office. In a circular issued on Tuesday, the collector directed employees to wear formal clothes and prescribed uniforms to office.

Nirav Modi’s bail plea in extradition case rejected by UK court for the fourth time

The Royal Courts of Justice in London on Wednesday denied bail to fugitive businessman Nirav Modi in an extradition case against him, a day after concluding hearings. This is the fourth time Modi’s plea for bail has been rejected. Judge Ingrid Simler said there were substantial grounds to believe Modi would fail to surrender and said said the businessman might interfere with witnesses and obstruct justice.

Kolkata: BJP supporters baton-charged during protest march to police headquarters

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s protest march to the Kolkata Police headquarters in the city’s Lalbazar area turned violent on Wednesday as the party workers clashed with the police. The police used water cannons and baton-charged the demonstrators when they tried to break barricades at Central Avenue.

Chandraayan 2, India’s second moon mission, will be launched on July 15

Chandrayaan 2, India’s mission to the moon, will be launched after midnight on July 15, Indian Space Research Organisation chairperson K Sivan said on Wednesday. After the launch, the satellite will take several weeks before it heads for a much-anticipated soft-landing on the south pole of the moon – a region that has not been visited by any spacecraft.

Tamil Nadu: NIA conducts searches in Coimbatore over suspected Islamic State module

The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday conducted searches at seven locations in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, in connection with an Islamic State group module. The NIA found that a leader of the suspected module was reportedly friends on Facebook with Zahran Hashim, the alleged mastermind behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks in Sri Lanka.

Karnataka government sets up SIT to investigate IMA Jewels scam

The Karnataka government on Wednesday appointed Deputy Inspector General BR Ravikanthe Gowda the head of a Special Investigation Team to investigate the IMA Jewels scam. The investigators have been tasked with finding the owner of investment firm I Monetary Advisory for allegedly duping investors of more than Rs 500 crore.

J&K: Militant killed in encounter with security forces in Baramullah district, say police

A militant was killed late on Tuesday during an overnight gunfight with security personnel in Sopore area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramullah district, a police official said. The police are yet to ascertain the identity of the deceased and the group he was affiliated to

Bhima Koregaon case: Activist Stan Swamy’s home in Jharkhand raided again by Pune Police

The Pune Police on Wednesday conducted searches at the home of human rights activist Stan Swamy in Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi as part of an ongoing investigation into the Bhima Koregaon case.

Tamil Nadu: Filmmaker Pa Ranjith booked for alleged remarks against Chola emperor

The police in Tamil Nadu’s Thirupanandal town on Tuesday filed a case against filmmaker Pa Ranjith for allegedly inciting caste enmity by speaking ill of emperor Raja Raja Chola.

Zakir Naik claims Indian agencies driven by will of ‘political bosses’, trying to pin charges on him

Religious preacher Zakir Naik on Tuesday claimed that investigating agencies in India were trying to pin charges on him on the instructions of their “political bosses”

Rescue personnel airlifted close to IAF plane crash site in Arunachal Pradesh

A team of Air Force, Army personnel and civilian mountaineers on Wednesday were flown close to the site where an AN-32 transporter aircraft of the Air Force crashed on June 3. The wreckage of the plane was discovered by a helicopter search team on Tuesday at a height of 12,000 feet in the Payum region of Arunachal Pradesh’s Shi Yomi district but the fate of the 13 people who were on board is not known.

Gujarat: Cyclone Vayu turns into ‘very severe’ storm, state government begins evacuation

The India Meteorological Department on Wednesday morning upgraded the severity of cyclone Vayu, which is advancing towards Gujarat. “Cyclone Vayu has turned into a very severe cyclonic storm,” said the weather department

‘Madrasas do not breed people like Nathuram Godse or Pragya Singh Thakur,’ says Azam Khan

Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan on Tuesday triggered a controversy by saying that “madrasas do not breed a nature like that of Nathuram Godse or a personality like Pragya Singh Thakur”

‘Government-industry trust is at all-time low’: CII president calls for tax cuts to boost investment

Vikram Kirloskar, the new president of lobby group Confederation of Indian Industries, said he is attempting to improve the government and industry trust that has hit an all-time low. Kirloskar said this has affected economic expansion due to a higher compliance burden.

Kathua verdict: Court says lapses in investigation led to Vishal Jangotra’s acquittal

A special court in Pathankot, which acquitted Vishal Jangotra in the Kathua gangrape and murder case for lack of evidence, underlined lapses in the investigation. Jangotra is the son of convict Sanji Ram. He was given the “benefit of doubt”. The court said the prosecution failed to verify Jangotra’s alibi during the investigation, and blamed the Jammu Crime Branch for withholding the best evidence against him.

After 30 kids die in Bihar, health secretary says most suffered hypoglycemia, not encephalitis

Health officials in Bihar have said that a majority of the 30 children who died in two hospitals in Muzaffarpur suffered hypoglycemia and not Acute Encephalitis Syndrome as reported in the media. Muzaffarpur District Public Relations Officer Kamal Kumar Singh said 30 children had died till Tuesday, including seven at Kejriwal hospital in Muzaffarpur, and 23 at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital.

Aligarh murder: Eleven people booked for fake, inflammatory posts on social media

The Aligarh Police in Uttar Pradesh have booked 11 people since Monday for allegedly posting inflammatory content following the murder of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl last week. Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Kulhari said that cases under the Information Technology Act have been registered against 11 people at the Civil Lines police station over the past two days for allegedly posting fake and inflammatory content on social media.

Uttar Pradesh: Railway police thrash journalist covering train derailment in Shamli

Government Railway Police personnel allegedly beat up a journalist covering the derailment of a goods train near Shamli city of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. The journalist, who works with Hindi television channel News24, alleged that he was dragged to the GRP police station in Shamli where he was stripped and harassed. GRP Superintendent of Police, Moradabad, Subhash Chandra Dubey suspended inspector Rakesh Kumar and constable Sanjay Pawar. He has also sought a detailed report within 24 hours.

Auto sales fall 20.6% in May, biggest decline in 18 years

Passenger vehicle sales posted its steepest fall in 18 years in May amid weak demand, liquidity crunch and an economic slowdown. Sales fell 20.6% in May to 2,39,347 vehicles compared to a year earlier, according to data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. This is the biggest fall since September 2001, when sales had declined 22%. This is also the seventh straight drop in monthly domestic passenger vehicle sales.

As temperatures soar, India reels under second-longest heatwave spell ever recorded

Most parts of India are reeling under a severe heat wave currently, said multiple reports. This year, the heat wave spell has already stretched for 32 days, the second-longest spell ever recorded. In 1988, there were 33 such days, and in 2016, there were 32 such days. Monsoon usually sets in over Delhi on June 29 but the Met department said last week that it would be delayed by two to three days.

Foreigners Tribunals Order applicable to the whole country, says Home Ministry

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday clarified that the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, is applicable to the whole country and is not specific to any state. The Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, was issued by the central government under Section 3 of The Foreigners Act, 1946.

Union minister Thawarchand Gehlot appointed leader of Rajya Sabha

Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawarchand Gehlot was appointed the Leader of the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Gehlot will replace former Union minister Arun Jaitley who opted out of the Council of Ministers citing health reasons. The Leader of the Rajya Sabha is appointed by the party in power at the Centre.

GDP estimates based on ‘accepted methodologies’, says Centre after ex-CEA says growth overestimated

The Centre on Tuesday clarified that the Gross Domestic Product growth estimates are based on “accepted procedures, methodologies, and available data” after former Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian suggested that growth was overestimated. Subramanian said that the actual GDP growth between 2011-’12 and 2016-’17 may have been 4.5%, below the official estimates of 7%, according to his new research paper published at Harvard University.

Nirav Modi bail plea: UK court to deliver verdict on Wednesday

The Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday concluded the hearing of diamond merchant Nirav Modi’s petition for bail in the extradition case against him. The judge said the ruling, which is a matter of “some importance” would be delivered on Wednesday. Modi was arrested in London on March 19 for allegedly duping India’s Punjab National Bank of more than Rs 13,000 crore.

West Bengal: Three people killed since Monday night

The toll in violence in West Bengal since Monday night has increased to three. Two people died in an explosion in the Kankinara area of North 24 Parganas district on Monday night while one person was killed in East Burdwan district. Members of the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have blamed each other for the deaths.

Uttarakhand: 14 mountaineers set out to retrieve bodies of five climbers seen near Nanda Devi peak

A team of 14 mountaineers from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation left for Pindari Glacier in Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar district on Tuesday to retrieve the bodies of five climbers who died last month on a peak adjacent to the Nanda Devi peak. The team comprises 12 climbers and two cooks, and will halt at Kharkov before proceeding towards the glacier.

Reserve Bank of India to waive all charges on RTGS and NEFT fund transfers from July 1

The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday said it would waive all charges on fund transfers through the RTGS and NEFT systems from July 1 to encourage digital transactions. It said banks should pass on benefits accrued from the waiver to customers.

Bihar encephalitis outbreak: At least 11 children are dead, Union health ministry dispatches team

At least 11 children in Bihar have died of acute encephalitis syndrome this year, state health department officials said on Tuesday. Forty-eight cases have been reported this year, eight more than the corresponding period last year. The affected children admitted at Sri Krishna Medical College Hospital in Muzaffarpur district have come from districts such as Vaishali, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, East Champaran, and West Champaran. The hospital’s superintendent Dr Sunil Kumar Shahi said the toll is higher. He claimed 19 deaths were reported at the Muzaffarpur hospital alone.