NATIONAL:
Judicial custody of Indrani, others extended
A metropolitan magistrate’s court here on Saturday extended the judicial custody of Indrani Mukherjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna, and driver Shyamvar Rai, to November 20 in the Sheena Bora murder case.
The court allowed the CBI’s application for extension of interrogation of Indrani and Khanna till November 17.
CBI counsel Kavita Patil told the court that the investigation agency had to confront Indrani and Khanna with some evidentiary documents and Indrani’s voice samples had to be taken.
Meanwhile, Indrani was seen having a long chat with Khanna during the custody proceedings.
I was ill-treated by my employer in Saudi Arabia
Almost from the time she landed in Saudi Arabia, Kasturi Munirathnam says she was ill-treated.
“I was never given food properly, my SIM card was taken away, I couldn’t charge my phone and my employer was constantly suspicious of me,” she
said.
Media reports have earlier said her employer had chopped off her arm but she told The Hindu that it happened when she attempted to climb down two floors using clothes and then fell down.
She was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on her arrival in Chennai on Saturday.
Centre notifies OROP, veterans reject it
“The notification will not be acceptable,” Maj.Gen. (Retd.) Satbir Singh, chairman, Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, told a news agency.
Personnel who henceforth get discharged on their own request under Rule 13(3)1(i)(b),13(3)1(iv) or Rule 16B of the Army Rule 1954 or the equivalent Navy or Air Force Rules will not be entitled to OROP benefits, the government said. The ex-servicemen, however, want no distinction between retirees, and exclusion of such personnel will become a major point of friction.
The two sides had not reached a consensus on the concept of premature retirement. Earlier, the government stated that those opting for it would not be eligible for the OROP. After protests by ex-servicemen, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said everyone was eligible. However, the notification said those opting for it in future would be out of the scheme.
Geelani's march foiled
urfew-like restrictions and detention of separatist leaders by the authorities on Saturday foiled the ‘Million March’ called by Syed Ali Geelani, chairman of a Hurriyat faction. The police arrested the 84-year-old Geelani in the morning. All senior separatist leaders were placed under house arrest. A total of 237 second rung separatists too were held.
Rahul declares all-out war on RSS
Launching a sharp attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh here on Saturday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sought to reach out to intellectuals and activists outside the traditional Congress stable in a bid to build a social coalition against the Sangh Parivar under the umbrella of secularism.
CBI obtains 10-day custody of Rajan
he Central Bureau of Investigation has obtained 10 days’ custody of the underworld don Chhota Rajan on the grounds that he had allegedly used forged documents to get a passport in conspiracy with government officials.
A case has been registered against Rajan and unknown public servants who helped him obtain the passport in 2003. The same passport, issued in the name of Mohan Kumar, shown as a resident of Mandya in Karnataka, was seized from him by the Indonesian immigration in Bali on October 25.
BJP, Sena end rivalry to share power in civic body
A month of infighting, allegations, and threats of breaking alliance has finally come to a sweet end for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena.
Despite engaging in a bitter election campaign for the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), both parties have now chosen to join hands for the sake of power.
The local body election in Maharashtra hogged the limelight after both parties, despite sharing power in the State and at the Centre, chose to contest separately.
The relations were strained to such an extent that Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had warned of pulling out of the alliance to which BJP leader and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis replied in equal measure.
INTERNATIONAL:
China, Taiwan hold historic talk
Taiwan and China have identified a broad agenda of engagement, including talks to narrow down differences over a “one-China” formulation, easing security tensions and collaboration in Beijing-led connectivity projects, following historic talks after a gap of 66 years, between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Taiwanese counterpart Ma Ying-jeou.
Nepal to import fuel from Bangladesh
Nepal has struck a deal with a private supplier to fly in fuel from Bangladesh to ease crippling shortages that have sparked fears of domestic flights being grounded, its state oil trading company said on Saturday.
Protesters seeking changes to Nepal’s new Constitution have blocked a key checkpoint bordering India for more than six weeks, cutting off vital supplies and forcing fuel rationing across the landlocked Himalayan nation.
WHO declares Sierra Leone Ebola-free
The World Health Organization on Saturday declared that Sierra Leone’s Deadly Ebola outbreak is over, prompting jubilant celebrations as Thousands massed in the capital Freetown.
Crowds poured onto the streets, waving banners, dancing and banging drums as the steep hills surrounding the city reverberated with the crackle of fireworks. It was the first public party tolerated in the impoverished west African nation since the epidemic hit 18 months ago. Ebola killed almost 4,000 citizens and plunged the economy into severe recession.
BUSINESS:
Swachh Bharat cess won’t burden citizens: Nirmala Sitharaman
Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday that the levy of the Swachh Bharat cess would neither burden citizens nor add to their Inflationary woes.
She said the 0.5 per cent levy should be delinked from the other duties and seen in the “correct context” in which it was imposed.
SPORTS:
India records emphatic victory to go one up
South Africa became a static spectator against India’s spin bowling driven by basics of line and length.
The South African capitulation gave a new and flattering dimension to Test
Cricket in India here on Saturday. Mediocrity assumed a cover of Excellence as Virat Kohli’s ambitious bunch, aided by some novice-like batsmanship by South Africa, registered a 108-run victory to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
It was the first of 12 Tests at Mohali to finish inside three days but ironically without any thrills of the longer version of the game. Man-of-the-Match Ravindra Jadeja claimed five wickets and therein lay the story of South Africa’s abysmal surrender.
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