Top news: Section 144 withdrawn in Jammu district, educational institutions to reopen on Saturday

Industrial production grew by just 2% in June, shows government data

India’s industrial output grew at 2% in June compared to the same month last year, government data showed on Friday. The cumulative industrial growth over the April-June period stood at 3.6%.

Increase liquor sales by 10% or face penalty, Rajasthan government warns bars and hotels: Report

The Rajasthan government is encouraging bars in hotels and restaurants to increase their liquor sales by 10%. In the past few days, around 300 bars in hotels have reportedly received notices to pay a penalty for not selling 10% more liquor, compared to last year.

Legal scholar Shamnad Basheer may have died inside car due to suffocation, say Karnataka Police

The Karnataka Police on Friday said legal scholar Shamnad Basheer may have died inside his car due to suffocation, PTI. He was found dead in his car in an open area on the outskirts of the district headquarters of Chikkamagaluru on Thursday.

Section 144 withdrawn from Jammu municipal limits, schools and colleges to reopen tomorrow

Authorities on Friday withdrew the order under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure from within the municipal limits of Jammu District, and instructed educational institutions to reopen from Saturday. Section 144, which was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, restricted the assembly of four or more people.

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s plea for parole rejected

A Chandigarh court on Friday turned down the plea of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for parole. Singh is currently serving life imprisonment in a jail in Rohtak for raping two of his disciples as well as ordering his followers to murder a Sirsa-based journalist.

VVIP chopper scam: Delhi court issues non-bailable warrant against Kamal Nath’s nephew Ratul Puri

A Delhi court on Friday issued non-bailable warrant against businessman Ratul Puri, who is the nephew of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, in connection with a money laundering case related to the AgustaWestland chopper scam. Special Judge Arvind Kumar granted the Enforcement Directorate’s request for an NBW against Puri.

National Awards: Aditya Dhar gets best director for ‘Uri’, Gujarati movie ‘Hellaro’ wins Best Film

The 66th National Film Awards were announced on Friday. Hellaro, a Gujarati film, won the best film award. Uri director Aditya Dhar won the award for the best director. As many as 419 films competed for awards in 31 categories this year.

‘Time for Pakistan to accept reality’, says India after protest over Centre’s Kashmir decision

India on Friday said Pakistan should accept the reality and stop interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. The actions taken by them were also done without consulting the Indian side, the Ministry of External Affairs said. This statement came on a day when Pakistan suspended the Thar Express, the last remaining train service with India, as a mark of protest against New Delhi revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

‘Public’s views will be irrelevant’: MNS chief Raj Thackeray attacks Centre over situation in J&K

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Friday criticised the Narendra Modi government for repealing the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370of the Indian Constitution. Thackeray hit out at the Centre for putting the region in a complete lockdown days after he welcomed the government’s decisions.

‘Say no to India’: Islamabad bans cultural exchanges with New Delhi

Pakistan on Friday banned all cultural exchanges with India, including all kinds of joint ventures between the entertainment industries of the two countries, amid rising hostilities after New Delhi revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two Union Territories.

Essar alleges sabotage after toxic ash leak at power plant in Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh

Five children were rescued and more than 500 farmers in Madhya Pradesh suffered crop losses on Wednesday after a mud wall of a fly-ash dyke of Essar Energy’s thermal power plant in Singrauli district collapsed during heavy rain. Essar Power MP Ltd in a statement on Thursday alleged the breach in the ash pond was “a clear case of sabotage”.

Kashmir dispute: Taliban urges India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, advocates peace

The Taliban on Thursday urged India and Pakistan to refrain from taking steps that could lead to violence and complication in the region.

Payal Tadvi suicide case: Accused doctors granted bail by Bombay HC on strict conditions

The Bombay High Court on Friday granted bail to the three doctors accused in the Payal Tadvi suicide case on strict conditions. They were asked to appear before the Crime Branch on alternate days and will not be allowed inside BYL Nair Hospital, where Tadvi used to work under them.

Aircel-Maxis case: P Chidambaram and his son granted interim protection from arrest till August 23

A court in Delhi on Friday extended till August 23 the interim protection from arrest granted to Congress leader P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis case. The two were earlier granted protection from arrest till August 9. Special Judge OP Saini extended the relief and said the court was not available for arguments.

14-year-old girl allegedly raped multiple times over five days in Gurugram and Delhi

A 14-year-old girl from Meghalaya was allegedly raped and sexually assaulted by four men over five days at different locations in the National Capital Region. The police on Thursday arrested two men and a woman in connection with the case.

Unnao case: Court frames charges of rape against MLA Kuldeep Sengar, aide Shashi Singh

A court in Delhi on Friday framed charges against Uttar Pradesh MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his accomplice Shashi Singh for allegedly raping a teenager in Unnao in 2017. District Judge Dharmesh Sharma framed charges against Singh for allegedly kidnapping the woman, who is currently admitted in All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi. The woman continues to be critical and is on advanced life support systems.

Jammu and Kashmir: Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, D Raja detained at Srinagar airport

Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday claimed that he and fellow Left leader D Raja were detained at Srinagar airport when they reached there. Yechury said they were negotiating with authorities after being shown a legal order stating that even escorted movement was not possible.

Jammu and Kashmir: Restrictions on public gatherings and movement eased for afternoon prayers

The police in Jammu and Kashmir told news agency AFP on Friday that restrictions placed on public gatherings would be eased for afternoon prayers. Phone services and internet connections were partially restored on Friday morning and restrictions on movement were eased to facilitate the prayers, NDTV reported.

Ayodhya dispute: SC begins fourth day of arguments, lawyer complains about daily hearing

The fourth day of arguments in the Ayodhya dispute began on Friday in the Supreme Court despite objection from one of the lawyers to having the hearings on all five working days of the week. Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who is representing a Muslim party in the hearing, said it was not possible to assist the court if the matter is heard all days.

Punjab: Liquor baron Shiv Lal Doda, 23 others get life term for murder of Dalit man in 2015

A court in Punjab on Thursday sentenced 24 people, including liquor baron Shiv Lal Doda and his nephew Amit Doda, to life imprisonment for the murder of a 27-year-old Dalit man, Bhim Sain Tank, in 2015.

Indore: Boy tortured, made to lick a toilet seat on video

The Indore police have booked a man for allegedly torturing a 14-year-old boy and forcing him to lick a toilet seat. Mukhtyar Khan, 35, was already in custody in a case of property dispute, and a video of the incident was found in his mobile phone during the investigation, Senior Superintendent of Police Ruchivardhan Mishra said.

Kerala, Maharashtra and Karnataka battle deluge, heavy rain lashes Gujarat

Kerala, coastal Karnataka, Goa, and coastal Maharashtra are battling a deluge after heavy rainfall in the past few days while a depression over Madhya Pradesh progressed eastward. Heavy rains have also lashed Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. At least 15 people have been killed so far in rain-related incidents in Kerala and more than 22,000 people have been moved to 315 flood relief camps across the state as of Friday morning.

West Bengal: Students at Hooghly school asked questions about ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and cut-money rows

A school in West Bengal’s Hooghly district has stirred up controversy by asking Class 10 students appearing for a Bengali test questions about chanting “Jai Shri Ram” and cut-money. The two matters have dominated headlines in the state since May. While a number of people across the country, mostly Muslims, have been beaten by mobs and coerced to chant “Jai Shri Ram”, several Trinamool Congress leaders have been accused of taking “cut money”, or bribes, from people for government schemes.

Vellore Lok Sabha election: AIADMK candidate leads by 14,000 votes as counting under way

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate AC Shanmugam led by over 14,000 votes against DM Kathir Anand of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam by 10.30 am as the counting of votes was under way for the Vellore Lok Sabha seat. Out of 2.65 lakh votes counted so far, Shanmugam had got 1.32 lakh and Kathir Anand got 1.17 lakh, official data from the Election Commission showed.

Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, D Raja to visit Kashmir to meet party workers today

Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Thursday wrote to Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik to inform him of his planned visit to the state on Friday morning. He expressed hope that he would not face hurdles during the visit. Earlier on Thursday, Congress leader and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had reached Srinagar, but had to return to Delhi after authorities did not let him exit the airport.

Kerala rain: Over 22,000 people in flood relief camps, Kochi airport shut till Sunday

The Cochin International Airport has suspended operations till 3 pm on Sunday following a rise in water levels in Periyar river and an adjacent canal. The airport was earlier shut till Friday morning. A spokesperson for the airport said the runway area was waterlogged due to the floods. The Kerala government has evacuated 22,165 persons into 315 flood relief camps across the state as of Friday morning, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office said.

Kashmir: UN secretary general expresses concern over restrictions, urges restraint

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday expressed concern over the restrictions imposed in parts of Jammu and Kashmir since Sunday night, and said it could “exacerbate the human rights situation” in the region. This was the first detailed statement from Guterres’ spokesperson about the situation in the state after the Indian government withdrew its special status.

Modi’s speech on Kashmir lacked conviction and was hardly reassuring, says Congress leader

The Opposition on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation on the government’s decisions regarding Jammu and Kashmir lacked conviction. The Bharatiya Janata Party, on the other hand, called his speech a historic and inspirational one.

Unnao rape: MLA Kuldeep Sengar and others framed complainant’s father in Arms Act case, says CBI

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday told a Delhi court that Uttar Pradesh MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother assaulted the father of the woman from Unnao who has accused him of rape. The agency said the legislator, along with eight others, including three state police officials, framed him in an Arms Act case. The complainant’s father died in judicial custody on April 9, 2018.

Kashmir is now like a concentration camp, claims Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday claimed Kashmir has become like a “concentration camp” since the Centre revoked its special status under Article 370 of the Constitution. Chowdhury was referring to the intense security clampdown in the region since Sunday.

NRC: Supreme Court dismisses criticism of process, says exercise must be completed by August 31

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed criticism in the Assam Legislative Assembly about the National Register of Citizens process. The top court said the process must be completed by August 31. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice RF Nariman referred to the report of NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela about the statements made in the Assam Assembly about leakage of information.

Narendra Modi says Jammu and Kashmir will still elect its own chief minister, Assembly

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday addressed the nation about the central government’s decision to revoke the special status for Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate it into two Union Territories. Modi spoke even as communication services remain suspended in the Valley. The prime minister urged the people of India to join in developing Jammu and Kashmir and freeing it from the clutches of militancy and separatism. Modi said central government schemes will now be accessible by the people of Jammu and Kashmir.