Top news: ‘Take action,’ India tells Pakistan after Imran Khan admits to presence of terrorists

After Imran Khan admits to presence of militants in Pakistan, India calls it a ‘glaring admission’

India on Thursday said Pakistan should take credible and irreversible action against terror camps in its territory after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “glaring admission” that 30,000 to 40,000 “armed people” were still in his country.

Coal scam: Delhi court charges Naveen Jindal, four others with cheating, criminal conspiracy

A court in Delhi framed charges against industrialist and Congress leader Naveen Jindal and four others in a coal block allocation case. Special judge Bharat Parashar charged Jindal, Jindal Steel and Power Limited’s former director Sushil Maroo, former deputy managing director Anand Goyal, Chief Executive Officer Vikrant Gujral and the company’s authorised signatory DN Abrol with cheating and criminal conspiracy.

‘This shows what you really are’: UP policeman harasses teen who tried to file molestation complaint

A 16-year-old girl, who had gone to the police to register a molestation complaint, in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur city was seen being victim-shamed in a video that has now been widely shared on social media. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also tweeted the video on Thursday, criticising the policeman for his behaviour. The policeman, who was seen in the video questioning the girl, has been suspended.

Siddaramaiah refutes claims that he instigated MLAs to resign, says ‘time will answer everything’

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday refuted claims that he instigated MLAs of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition to resign and bring the state government down. The Congress leader said it was a false allegation.

Lok Sabha: Azam Khan makes sexist remark about BJP MP Rama Devi as she chairs proceedings

Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan made sexist remarks about Bharatiya Janata Party MP Rama Devi in the Lok Sabha on Thursday when she was chairing proceedings in the absence of Speaker Om Birla. The remarks, made during a debate on the triple talaq bill, were followed by strong protests from the members.

Pakistan says it is working on Kulbhushan Jadhav’s consular privilege, MEA asks for ‘full access’

Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Thursday said that it was working on granting consular access to former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, PTI reported. “We said that consular access will be given and [now] work has been started on that,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said during a press briefing in Islamabad.

PNB scam: Nirav Modi’s judicial custody extended till August 22 by London court

A court in London, United Kingdom, extended the judicial custody of fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi till August 22, PTI reported. Modi has been in jail since March 19, when he was arrested in London for allegedly duping India’s Punjab National Bank of more than Rs 13,000 crore.

After Maharashtra orders free ‘Uri’ screenings on Kargil Diwas, Mumbai theatre owners object: Report

Theatre owners in Mumbai have objected to the Maharashtra government’s order to single screens and multiplexes to screen the film Uri: The Surgical Strike free of cost to commemorate Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26, The Times of India reported on Thursday.

Six-month-old baby with heart ailment dies on board flight from Patna to Delhi

A six-month-old baby died on a SpiceJet flight enroute from Patna to Delhi, where the child was being taken for treatment of her congenital heart ailment, police said on Thursday. Police officials said they did not suspect foul play in the incident, PTI reported.

Child rape: Set up special courts in districts with over 100 pending cases, SC tells Centre

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Centre to set up special designated courts to hear cases that are pending under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The top court said that these courts should be set in each district where number of pending child rape cases are more than 100.

MS Dhoni to serve in Kashmir from July 31 to August 15, will be on patrolling and guard duties: Army

Indian cricketer MS Dhoni will begin serving with his battalion in Kashmir on July 31. “Lieutenant Colonel (Honorary) MS Dhoni is proceeding to 106 TA Battalion (Para) for being with the Battalion from 31 July-15 August, 2019,” the Army said. “As requested by the officer and approved by Army Headquarters, he will be taking on the duties of patrolling, guard and post duty and would be staying with troops.”

IAF chief BS Dhanoa says air force is much better equipped now than it was during Kargil conflict

Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa has said the Indian Air Force is now much better equipped than it was during the Kargil conflict in 1999. “We have prioritised our requirements,” the air force chief said on Wednesday. He added that during the Kargil conflict, India flew repeated MiG-21 sorties, destroying Pakistani supply dumps and logistics facilities along the Line of Control.

Supreme Court allows two Karnataka MLAs to withdraw plea seeking floor test

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed two MLAs from Karnataka to withdraw their plea seeking a direction to Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to hold a floor test in the House. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi allowed the counsel for R Shankar and H Nagesh to withdraw the plea on the ground it had become infructuous after the floor test was held on Tuesday evening.

Chandigarh: Inquiry ordered after luxury hotel charges actor Rahul Bose Rs 442.5 for two bananas

The Chandigarh administration on Wednesday ordered an investigation into Hotel JW Marriott after actor Rahul Bose alleged that it had charged exorbitant amounts of money for two bananas. On Sunday, the actor had shared a video on Twitter expressing his outrage at a bill of Rs 442.50 for two bananas.

Actor Kaushik Sen, who signed letter to PM Modi about mob lynchings, says he received death threat

Actor Kaushik Sen, one of the signatories to the letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against mob lynchings, told PTI on Thursday that he had received a death threat. Sen said he had forwarded to the Kolkata Police the number from which he received the threat. “Yesterday I received a call from an unknown number, where I was threatened of dire consequences if I do not stop raising my voice against lynchings and intolerance,” Sen said.

West Bengal professor alleges he was beaten after students refused to say ‘Mamata Banerjee zindabad’

A college professor was allegedly thrashed by supporters of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Wednesday after an argument between students over raising slogans praising Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party. Subrata Chatterjee, who teaches Bengali at Nabagram Hiralal Paul College in Konnagar, filed a complaint on Wednesday evening.

In a blow to Sharad Pawar, NCP Mumbai chief Sachin Ahir joins Shiv Sena

Nationalist Congress Party’s Mumbai chief Sachin Ahir joined the Shiv Sena on Thursday. This came months ahead of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections. Ahir, who was with the Sharad Pawar-led party since its formation in 1999, joined the right-wing party in the presence of its chief Uddhav Thackeray and leader Aditya Thackeray at an event at their home Matoshree.

Man who filed FIR against woman who accused CJI Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment is missing: Report

A 31-year-old man who accused a former Supreme Court staffer of cheating him of Rs 50,000 to get him a job at the top court has been missing from his home in Haryana since April, The Indian Expressreported on Thursday, quoting the police. The staffer is the woman who alleged in April that Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi had sexually harassed her.

Muzaffarnagar riots: Two brothers killed in 2013 were ‘immoral, characterless’, alleges Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on Wednesday told the state Assembly that two brothers killed during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots were immoral and characterless persons who had nothing to do with the communal violence. The investigation into the riots found that Nawab and Shahid used to sell milk, and used to visit the homes of the villagers for this purpose, Adityanath said. The chief minister alleged Nawab was an immoral person and had an illicit affair with the wife of a villager.

Karnataka BJP leaders in Delhi to meet Amit Shah, JP Nadda to discuss government formation

A delegation of leaders from the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party reached New Delhi on Thursday to meet party chief Amit Shah and Working President JP Nadda to discuss the political situation in the state.

Rajiv Gandhi murder convict Nalini Sriharan released on 30-day parole to attend daughter’s wedding

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict Nalini Sriharan was released on 30-day parole on Thursday to attend the wedding of her daughter. The Madras High Court had granted her leave for a month on July 5. She will stay in Vellore with her daughter Harithra Sriharan, mother Padmavati, sister Kalyani and brother Bhagyanathan, and is not allowed to travel to her home in Chennai’s Royapettah locality.

Gautam Navlakha had links with Hizbul Mujahideen and Kashmiri separatists, allege Pune Police

The Pune Police on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that activist Gautam Navlakha and the Maoist groups he was allegedly associated with were in touch with militant group Hizbul Mujahideen and Kashmiri separatist leaders. The court was hearing Navlakha’s plea seeking to quash a first information report filed against him for alleged links with Maoist.

Toll in Bihar and Assam floods climbs to 197

In Bihar, 17 people were killed on Wednesday, taking the number of deaths to 123, said the state disaster management authority. Six more people died in Assam, pushing up the toll to 74. Sitamarhi, where 37 people have died, is the worst-affected district in Bihar. The flood waters have inundated vast swathes of 20 of 33 districts in Assam, affecting 34 lakh people.

RTI Act amendments: Seven former information commissioners urge Centre to withdraw bill

In a press release, the retired officials – former chief information commissioners Wajahat Habibullah and Deepak Sandhu, and information commissioners Shailesh Gandhi, Sridhar Acharyulu, MM Ansari, Yashovardhan Azad and Annapurna Dixit – said the amendments were a direct attack on the powers of information commissions and people’s right to know. They urged the government to withdraw the amendment bill from Parliament.

Sonbhadra killings: MLA claims he wrote to Adityanath about land dispute in January

“The UP chief minister was informed through a letter on January 14, 2019, that the tribals’ land in Sonbhadra was being grabbed by the land mafia, and they were harassed by being framed in false cases,” Apna Dal MLA Hariram Chero reportedly wrote.

Triple talaq bill likely to be tabled in Lok Sabha today

The bill seeks to make the practice of instant triple talaq – which allows Muslim men to divorce their wives by uttering the word “talaq” thrice in spoken or written forms, or via electronic communication – a penal offence. It prescribes a penalty of imprisonment up to three years for the offence, and provides for subsistence allowance to married Muslim women and their children.

No documents found in Russian archives on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, says Centre

“In its response, the Russian government has conveyed that they were unable to find any documents in the Russian archives pertaining to Netaji and even after additional investigations made based on request from the Indian side, they could not find any documents giving more information on the subject,” the minister said.

Ajay Kumar Bhalla to be appointed Union home secretary after Rajiv Gauba

Bhalla, who is an Indian Administrative Service officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, will join the Ministry of Home Affairs with immediate effect. He will continue to disperse duties as the officer on special duty till Gauba’s retirement for smooth transitioning. Bhalla will have a fixed two-year tenure as the Union home secretary till August 2021.