Press Trust of India

Press Trust of India (PTI) is India’s premier news agency, having a reach as vast as the Indian Railways. It employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.

Missing Indian-origin boy in Britain found safe

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An Indian-origin schoolboy in Britain, who went missing last week, has been found safe in the port city of Southampton in Hampshire.

Jaspreet Khunkhun, 12, from Walsall in West Midlands was located at a family member’s home Monday, the Birmingham Mail reported.

The boy was reported missing March 5, after he did not return home from school.

“Thankfully Jaspreet has been found safe and well, some miles away in Hampshire,” Joanne Myatt-Jones, a police officer, was quoted as saying.

“We want to thank everyone who has helped us with this missing persons inquiry,” he added.

BJP facing seat blues – despite poll trends (Election Special)

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The BJP, notwithstanding the many straw polls showing it well ahead of its rivals, is having a fairly tough time internally in declaring seats for its top leaders as also in deciding about some alliances for the Lok Sabha polls, say party sources.

“Not everything is hunky dory in the party on decisions concerning seats,” acknowledged a party insider.

“Issues have to be sorted out including choice of seats for some top party leaders,” he said.

People have decided to vote out Congress: Jayalalithaa

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AIADMK general secretary and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Tuesday said Indians are of the view that the corrupt Congress should not only be ousted from power but it should not be allowed to return in the future.

Addressing an election rally here, 225 km from Chennai, Jayalalithaa said: “Not only you but all over India, people are of the view that the Congress-led government that destroyed the country’s economy with its scam-ridden rule should not only be ousted from power but should never be voted in again.”

Airbus forms new subsidiary for India operation

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Commercial aircraft manufacturer Airbus Tuesday announced forming a new subsidiary – Airbus India – which will manage its activities in India.

“Building on the success of the Airbus Engineering Centre India (AECI) in Bangalore, Airbus India will include strategy, customer services and procurement teams under one organisation,” the company said in a statement.

“A maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) capability will be established, at a later date.”

Airbus also appointed Srinivasan Dwarakanath as chief executive of the new subsidiary.

Sodomy charge allowed against French consular official

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A trial court Tuesday allowed the special public prosecutor’s application to charge French consular official Pascal Mazurier with committing sodomy on his four-year-old daughter.

“The offence of sodomy has been included as an additional charge against the accused (Mazurier) and the court will frame (charges against) him March 15 on this count too,” special public prosecutor B.T. Venkatesh told IANS here.

The 40-year-old Mazurier was charged under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

BSF seizes 41 kg heroin along Pakistan border

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The Border Security Force (BSF) Tuesday seized 41 kg of heroin, its biggest seizure this year, following a shootout with smugglers from Pakistan along the border in the Amritsar sector, BSF officials said here.

The seized heroin is said to be valued at Rs.205 crore in the international market.

The seizure was made at two places in the sector. These were near border outpost (BOP) Rattan Khurd and BOP Daoke, 35 km from Amritsar, a BSF spokesman said.

Samajwadi Party may not field candidates against Sonia, Rahul

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The ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh Monday said it may not put up candidates against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi in Rae Bareli and Amethi.

At a press conference here, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said his party “had no plans to field candidates against the Congress leaders”.

Stating political courtesy as the reason behind not fielding candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli, the chief minister said that in the past too his party had not fielded candidates against the Gandhi mother-son duo.

Ex-collector booked in graft case in Goa

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The Anti-Corruption Bureau Monday booked nine bureaucrats, including a former district collector, in connection with a rural development scam in Goa, a police official said.

Former South Goa district collector G.P. Naik and eight other officials of the rural development ministry and the south district administration were booked for executing a work contract to build a community water tank at Fatorpa village, 50 km from Panaji, twice, and paying the contractor on both occasions.

AAP fields ex-Infosys honcho in Bangalore

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The AAP Monday announced that former Infosys director V. Balakrishnan will be its candidate in the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency.

Balakrishnan joined the AAP Jan 1 after resigning from the IT bellwether Dec 31.

Balakrishnan is a founder-member and chairman of Exfinity, a venture capital fund for technology start-ups here.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has re-nominated P.C. Mohan, who won in 2009, while the Congress is yet to announce its candidate.

Indian envoy presents credentials to Obama

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The new Indian ambassador to the US, S. Jaishankar, Monday formally presented his credentials to President Barack Obama at his oval office at the White House.

Jaishankar was second of the six ambassadors who presented their credentials to Obama one by one in a traditional ceremony that marks the formal beginning of an ambassador’s service in Washington.

Pakistan’s Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani also presented his credentials Monday along with the new envoys of Tunisia, Papua New Guinea, Belgium and Qatar.

Court says judges are not caged parrots

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A court here Monday said judges are not “caged parrots” while rejecting a plea seeking further direction to probe the role of former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal in the railway bribery case.

The court was hearing a plea moved by NGO Delhi Pradesh Social Progress Society (DPSPS), seeking further direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate Bansal’s role, alleging that the agency had not investigated it “purposely”.

Congress opposes Akali Dal rally at religious event

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Punjab’s opposition Congress Monday complained to the Election Commission against the state’s ruling Shiromani Akali Dal holding a political rally during the Hola Mohalla celebrations in the Sikh holy town of Anandpur Sahib next week.

In the complaint to the poll panel, Punjab Congress president Pratap Singh Bajwa contended that allowing any political party to hold a political conference during a religious event was violation of the election model code of conduct.

Sangma announces return to national politics

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Former Lok Sabha speaker Purno A. Sangma Monday returned to the national political scene by announcing his candidature from the Tura parliamentary seat on a National People’s Party (NPP) ticket.

Meanwhile, sitting MP and Sangma’s daughter Agatha K. Sangma, the youngest parliamentarian in the current Lok Sabha, quit the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to join her father and the NPP.

Agatha, who won the Lok Sabha election on debut in the 2008 by-poll, decided not to contest the April 9 elections to make room for her father who had earlier represented the constituency.

Subrata Roy to stay in jail as SC adjourns hearing

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The chances of Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy getting any reprieve were dashed and he will continue to be in Tihar jail for some more time as hearing of the contempt plea against him and three directors of his group companies Tuesday has been adjourned.

As directed earlier, the matter was listed for hearing Tuesday but it was shown as deleted and adjourned in the supplementary list issued Monday.

The supplementary list read that the “Item No. 301 shown before this bench at 2.00 P.M. in the daily list for 11.3.2014 issued on 08.03.2014 stands deleted as same is adjourned.”

Gaurang to unveil ‘Chandbali’ at LFW

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Award winning textile and fashion designer Gaurang Shah will unveil his “Chandbali” collection of classical Indian weaves fashion innovation at Lakme Fashion Week, beginning in Mumbai Wednesday.

This time his experiments are Indian Banarasi weaves. His collection is revival of antique Odhnas archived from Akbarnama with the Khadi fabric, said a statement here.

The collection will reflect the poetry of the Mughal culture and heritage romancing with the rich textiles and jewellery of the dynasty.

Participating in the sixth season at LFW, Gaurang will unveil his Chandbali on March 14.

Student rowdiness helps Cambridge University earn over $28,000

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Weird acts and indiscipline among students helped one of the most reputed centres of learning in Britain earn 17,000 pounds (nearly $28,300) by way of fines over the last two years.

The colleges under university of Cambridge in Britain, witnessed bizarre acts ranging from stroking on the fire alarm to candle thefts over the last two years, the Sunday Express reported.

The detailed figures were acquired under the Freedom of Information Act.

However, a total of 14 of the 31 colleges at Cambridge failed to respond to the information request.

Minorities aggrieved at low presence in candidates list: Trinamool lawmaker

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Claiming minorities have been traditionally deprived across sectors in West Bengal, ruling Trinamool Congress lawmaker Mohammad Nuruzzaman Monday said people are aggrieved with the party’s Lok Sabha candidates list for the state which has only seven faces from the community.

Sharing the dais with expelled CPI-M leader Abdur Rezzak Mollah and retired IPS officer Nazrul Islam – both known for their antipathy towards Trinamool supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Nuruzzaman said: “Minorities are feeling aggrieved by the candidates list which has just seven Muslims.”

NHRC notice to home ministry, Delhi Police over youth’s arrest

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The NHRC Monday issued notice to the home ministry and Delhi Police over the alleged false arrest of a Delhi youth accused of being involved in terrorist activities.

Citing a media report, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said Mohammad Amir was arrested in February 1998 from Old Delhi area. He was 18 years old at the time of his arrest. Amir was released from prison after 14 years in January 2012.

Andhra voters to vote four times in five weeks

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From rural and urban local bodies to assembly and parliament, voters in Andhra Pradesh will vote four times to elect their representatives in a span of five weeks.

The State Election Commission Monday announced that elections to panchayat raj institutions would be held on April 6.

Barring Hyderabad, voters in 22 districts will cast their votes for the Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC).

The state commission last week issued notification for March 30 elections to municipalities and corporations.

Former Odisha BJP chief joins BJD

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In a setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its former Odisha chief Bimbadhar Kuanr Monday joined the state’s ruling Biju Janata Dal.

Kuanr, 65, met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at his residence and said he had joined the BJD. A three-term legislator, Kuanr was the state BJP president from 1993 to 1995.

He was also the state’s labour and employment minister from 2000 to 2002 and minister of state education from 2002 to 2004.

Kuanr said he decided to quit because he was facing humiliation in the BJP. Patnaik said Kuanr would be a tremendous asset to the BJD.

Poll panel looking into complaint against CPI-M lawmaker

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The Election Commission was looking into a complaint against senior CPI-M legislator Anisur Rehman for his alleged derogatory comments about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, an official said Monday.

The state’s joint chief electoral officer Saibal Barman said the state chief electoral officer Sunil Gupta was “looking into the matter”.

“A political party has filed a complaint against Anisur Rehman with us today (Monday). We are looking into it,” Barman told the media here.

However, he refrained from naming the party.

Complaint against Kejriwal: EC official to be examined

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A court here Monday allowed a plea seeking examination of three government officials, including an employee of Delhi’s Election Commission, as complainant witnesses in a case against former state chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Metropolitan Magistrate Swati Katiyar while posting the matter for May 7 allowed the complainant’s plea that he can call the government officials.

The complainant had accused Kejriwal of allegedly giving “misleading information” in his affidavit filed prior to the 2013 assembly poll.

Domestic car sales up 1.39 percent in February

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Sale of domestic passenger cars grew marginally by 1.39 percent in February, industry data showed Monday.

Data furnished Monday by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) showed that 217,749 units were sold in the month under review as against an offtake of 226,483 units in the corresponding period of 2013.

According to SIAM, the recent excise duty cut and the Auto Expo have created positive sentiment but it was too early to say if that can translate into sustained automobile sales trend.

Britain takes first ever Paralympic gold

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Britain struck their first ever gold medal at the Winter Paralympics here Monday as Kelly Gallagher took the women’s alpine visually-impaired super G title.

Hosts Russia still dominated the medal table with two more golds as Rushan Minnegulov won the men’s 20 km classic standing cross country event in 50 minutes and 55.1 seconds. Countrywoman Elena Remizova, guided by Natalia Yakimova, won the 15 km visually-impaired cross-country trek in 49 minutes, 10.2 seconds, reports Xinhua.

Retired UP constable guns down two people

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A retired police constable Monday shot dead two people and critically injured another at his village in Kanpur, police said.

Anil Kumar, who retired as a constable with the Provincial Armed Constabulary, opened fire at three people after a dispute over drinking water at Sumerpur village.

Jeetendra Yadav and Manoj Yadav died on the spot, while the third person, Avdhesh, was critically injured and admitted to the Hallet Hospital in Kanpur.

The assailant was overpowered by villagers and handed over to police. His licensed rifle was also seized.