Top news: BJP wins 12 of 15 bye-poll seats in Karnataka, strengthens majority in Assembly

Telangana encounter: High Court asks for bodies of rape suspects to be preserved for four more days

The Telangana High Court on Monday asked the state government to preserve the bodies of the four men accused of allegedly raping and killing a woman veterinarian till December 13. The suspects were killed in a police encounter near Hyderabad last week, after which the court had directed state authorities to preserve the bodies till 8 pm on December 9, and record the postmortem examination on video.

Manipur to be included in Inner Line Permit system to gain ‘exemption’ from Citizenship Bill

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday told the Lok Sabha that Manipur would be included in the Inner Line Permit system, thereby exempting it from provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Karnataka bye-polls: Siddaramaiah steps down as leader of Congress legislature party after defeat

Karnataka Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on Monday stepped down as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party, taking responsibility for the party’s massive defeat in the bye-elections held for 15 Assembly seats. State Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao also resigned from his position.

Russia to miss Tokyo 2020 Olympics after four-year ban from major sporting events by Wada

The World Anti-Doping Agency on Monday banned Russia from global sporting events, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, after accusing Moscow of falsifying data from an anti-doping laboratory.

Maruti Suzuki among top gainers on Sensex as output rises for the first time in 10 months

Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest car manufacturer, was the third highest gainer on the BSE Sensex on Monday, the first day of trade after the company reported an increase in production for the first time in 10 months. The company’s shares closed the day at Rs 6,997.25 each, 1.7% higher since Friday.

Include Shia Muslims in Citizenship Amendment Bill, Shia Central Waqf Board urges Centre

The Shia Central Waqf Board on Monday urged the Centre to include Shia Muslims in the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019. The board said Shias were subjected to “inhuman acts” in Sunni Muslims-dominated countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia. “They are being killed for being Shia,” the board’s chairman Waseem Rizvi said.

Bru starvation deaths: ‘Why were ration supplies stopped?’ Supreme Court asks Centre

The Supreme Court of India on Monday directed the Centre to explain within two weeks why it has stopped supplying rations to relief camps of Bru refugees in Tripura, causing starvation deaths in one such shelter. “Take instructions and tell us in two weeks,” a bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde told the Centre. “Don’t do this, whatever is the reason. Don’t let people die in this manner.”

Uttar Pradesh to set up 218 fast-track courts for crimes against women and children

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday cleared a proposal to set up 218 fast-track courts to hear cases of sexual crimes committed against women and children.State Justice Minister Brajesh Pathak told reporters in Lucknow that Chief Minister Adityanath has expressed concern over rising crimes against women.

We wish air pollution didn’t kill people, but it does, says WHO in response to Javadekar: Report

The World Health Organization responded to Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar, days after he said there was no established link between air pollution and a shorter life span. The WHO said that the world body wished that air pollution “did not kill people but it unfortunately does”, The Times of India reported on Monday. Javadekar had made the remarks in the Parliament on Friday and criticised the Opposition for allegedly creating a “fear psychosis among people”.

‘Deeply disturbing’: Over 900 scientists, scholars call for immediate withdrawal of Citizenship Bill

As the government introduced the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha, over 900 scientists and scholars from around the world have called for immediate withdrawal of the proposed legislation.

‘Invisible partition of Hindus and Muslims’: Shiv Sena attacks BJP on Citizenship Bill

As the Citizenship Amendment Bill is expected to be discussed in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Bharatiya Janata Party’s erstwhile ally Shiv Sena criticised the Centre for creating an “invisible partition of Hindus and Muslims”. The party also questioned whether the “selective acceptance” of Hindu undocumented immigrants will set off a religious war in the country.

Ayodhya verdict: Hindu Mahasabha to challenge order granting five-acre plot to Muslims

The Hindu Mahasabha on Monday said it will file a review petition challenging the Supreme Court’s Ayodhya verdict. Lawyer for the right-wing outfit, Vishnu Jain, said they will challenge the top court’s decision to allocate a five-acre plot elsewhere in Ayodhya for the construction of a new mosque.

Telangana encounter: Supreme Court to hear petition seeking action against police on Wednesday

The Supreme Court on Monday said a petition seeking investigation and registration of First Information Report against the police personnel involved in the encounter of four men accused of raping and murdering a veterinarian will be heard on Wednesday, ANI reported.

Advocates GS Mani and Pradeep Kumar Yadav had filed the petition on Saturday. They said the top court’s 2014 guidelines were not followed in the case, and that the encounter was done “deliberately” to divert public attention from the inability of the police to prevent crimes against women.

Citizenship Bill: CPI(M) wants religious clauses removed, will move two amendments

Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary on Sunday said his party was opposed to the Citizenship Amendment Bill in its current form and will move two amendments when it is introduced in Parliament on Monday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to table the controversial bill in Lok Sabha on Monday. The bill is likely to trigger a showdown in Parliament.

Karnataka Assembly bye-elections: BJP leads in 10 seats, Congress and JD(S) in 2, show early trends

The Bharatiya Janata Party was leading in 10 Assembly seats in Karnataka on Monday morning, after three rounds of counting.

Counting of votes began at 8 am for 15 seats, where bye-elections were held on December 5. The bye-elections are crucial to the survival of the Bharatiya Janata Party government. The BS Yediyurappa-led government has a narrow lead at present, and needs to win at least six of the 15 seats to retain majority.

Arnab Goswami elected president of News Broadcasters Federation’s governing board

The News Broadcasters Federation has elected journalist Arnab Goswami as the president of its governing board, PTI reported on Sunday. The broadcaster’s body comprises of 78 news channels in 14 languages from 25 states. They members met on Saturday to finalise modalities of a self-regulatory organisation – News Broadcasters Federation Authority – to self-regulate content.

Goswami said he was grateful for the trust and confidence shown by the largest-ever group of broadcasters in India. “NBF is a game changer and its incredible how so many channel owners and top executives have come together so quickly to make NBF happen,” he added. “For far too long a clutch of Delhi-based channels have falsely claimed to represent Indian broadcasting. NBF will change that, for good.”

UP: Seven policemen suspended two days after rape complainant who was set on fire dies

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday suspended seven officials for negligence of duty in connection with the death of a rape complainant who was set on fire in the state’s Unnao district last week, PTI reported.

“Ajay Kumar Tripathi, SHO of Unnao’s Bihar police station, along with six other police personnel, has been suspended, for negligence during duty in connection with the death of rape victim,” Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said.

Jharkhand elections: Man killed in Sisai constituency died of stab wounds, not bullet, say police

The man who was killed when the police opened fire near a polling booth in Sisai constituency during the second phase of the Assembly elections in Jharkhand died of wounds from a sharp object and not a bullet, Hindustan Times reported on Monday, citing police. The Election Commission will hold re-polling in Sisai constituency on Monday from 7 am to 3 pm.

“Zilani [Ansari] did not die of bullet injuries,” said Additional Director General of Police (Operation) ML Meena. “We have received the post-mortem report, which reveals that the cause of death was injuries inflicted by a sharp weapon...no bullet was found in his body.”

Anaj Mandi: Fire breaks out at same building where 43 people died on Sunday

A fire broke out on Monday in the same building in Anaj Mandi on Rani Jhansi Road where 43 died in a blaze the previous day, ANI reported. Four fire tenders are at the spot to douse the flames.

On Sunday, the fire broke out in the second floor around 5.22 am and spread to the four-storey building from where a number of small manufacturing units functioned. Delhi Fire Service Director Atul Garg said the building did not have a fire safety clearance or safety equipment installed on the premises. The building’s owner and manager have been arrested.

Citizenship Amendment Bill to be tabled in Lok Sabha today amid protests across cities

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will table the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha on Monday. The bill is likely to trigger a showdown in Parliament.

The bill proposes an amendment in a 1955 law to provide citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and Christians from the Muslim-majority nations of Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan. If passed, it will grant citizenship to persecuted people from these communities, provided they have resided in India for six years. The cut-off date is December 31, 2014.

Karnataka bye-elections results today, BJP needs to win six of 15 seats to retain majority

The results of the bye-polls to 15 Assembly seats in Karnataka will be declared on Monday. Voting was held on December 5. Counting of votes began at 8 am, reported NDTV. Heavy security has been deployed across the state.

The bye-elections are crucial to the survival of the Bharatiya Janata Party government. The BS Yediyurappa-led government has a narrow lead at present, and needs to win at least six of the 15 seats to retain majority.

Kerala: Former High Court judge alleges his security was withdrawn for criticising government

Former Kerala High Court judge B Kemal Pasha on Sunday said the state government might have revoked his security cover as he used to voice his “opinion against the activities of the government and the police”, ANI reported. “It was unforeseen,” he added. “[The] government might have thought that I am not a person who requires any security.” On Saturday, Pasha had said the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Front government had suddenly withdrawn the four armed guards deputed for his security.

‘Come after you get raped’: Now, a woman in Unnao accuses police of refusing to file her complaint

A woman in Hindupur village in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district, the same area where a rape complainant was set on fire last week, has accused the police of turning her away when she tried to file an attempted rape complaint, Hindustan Times reported on Sunday. The woman claimed that the police had refused to register her complaint and told her “rape has not happened, come when it happens”.

UP rape complainant burned alive laid to rest after family gives up demand of Adityanath’s presence

The family of a rape complainant who died after being set ablaze in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district last week buried her body on Sunday, NDTV reported.

Earlier in the day, the woman’s sister said the family would not lay her to rest until Chief Minister Adityanath visited them and promised to act against the accused. The district administration had offered to make arrangements for the family to travel to Lucknow to meet Adityanath but they rejected it and demanded that the chief minister visit their village.

India is in the midst of growth recession, says Raghuram Rajan

Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan said that India was in the middle of a “growth recession” as there was significant distress in rural economy. Latest government figures showed that Gross Domestic Product had contracted to 4.5% in the July-September quarter – the slowest growth rate in more than six years, and the sixth straight quarter of slowdown.