The cross-examination of retired CBI officer Vijay Kumar in the Aarushi-Hemraj case was completed on Wednesday in a special court of CBI with the next date of hearing fixed on April 9. Deposing before the court as a prosecution witness, Kumar, who was also CBI’s first investigating officer of the case, said he had conducted the polygraph tests on the main accused – Rajesh and Nupur Talwar.
A Delhi Police constable was shot at by unknown assailants at Bharsi village under Kandhla police station in Shamli district today, police said.
Arun Kumar was shot at by unknown men this morning, police said.
The victim was rushed to the Shamli hospital in critical condition, they said.
Kumar had come to his native village on leave.
—PTI
Expressing its disappointment with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi”s address at the annual general meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said a confused youth leader had presented his confused ideology, and added that the ruling party”s phobia over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was reflected in his speech.
At least three soldiers were injured and four militants killed when a group of Afghan assailants stormed an army check post in Pakistan”s northwest tribal area of Kurram Agency on Thursday morning, local media reported.
ARY TV said that in a pre-dawn incident, the militants coming from Afghanistan attacked the check post located in Ali Zai area of Lower Kurram Agency, a militancy-hit tribal region at Pakistan Afghan border.
By using sophisticated weapons, the militants injured three soldiers and destroyed the check post partially, said that report.
At least three people were injured when a 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit parts of northern Pakistan on Thursday morning, said local media.
Local Urdu TV channel Geo said that three people fell off the stairs and got injured in the earthquake.
But the report failed to mention at what places these three people got injured.
An official with Meteorological Department of Pakistan (MDP) denied the report and said no casualty reports have been received.
Four naxals were killed in police encounter in Maharashtra”s Gadchiroli disrict today.
According to television reports, the encounter took place near Bhatpar village near Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, but exact location of the encounter could not be ascertained.
Police claimed that the number of Naxals killed could be much more.
Further details of the incident are awaited. (ANI)
Government has sanctioned recruitment on 2607 new posts in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Principal Secretary Finance Dr. D Sambasiva Rao issued GO MS 92 in this connection. Government accorded permission to fill up 1300 posts in first phase and 1307 posts in second phase in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
The BJP in Arunachal Pradesh has charged the ruling Congress government with adopting unfair means to add or delete the names of voters from the electoral rolls for the ensuing panchayat and municipal elections slated to be held on May 16.
The party in a statement on Thursday said that the government in power was indulging in various means to compel the administration to add or delete the names of voters, which it said would invite serious law and order problem in the state capital.
Heaping praise on the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) bowling unit after a comfortable six-wicket win over Delhi Daredevils (DD), skipper Gautam Gambhir said he was relieved to make a winning start in the IPL — something that had not happened in the last two years.
“We don’t want to be in a situation where we would be desperate for points. I am pretty comfortable with the performance,” Gambhir said in the post-match conference on Wednesday.
A five-year-old boy was critically injured in celebratory firing by a marriage party this evening in Mawai village, police said here.
Aditya (5) was standing on the roof of his house when he was hit, inspector Rajesh Dwivedi said.
Following the incident, Mohsin and his marriage party fled from the spot, Dwivedi said.
The boy was admitted to hospital where his condition was stated to be critical, he said.
The matter is being probed, he said.
—PTI
“These are irrelevant questions. It’s all smoke.” This was how Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi today described speculation about his becoming the Prime Minister and getting married while addressing business barons of the country.
“I got press guys asking when you are getting married. Somebody else saying, boss, when are you going to be the Prime Minister. Somebody saying, no your are not going to be PM, somebody say may be you will be PM. There is good possibility.
Two close relatives of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh were attacked in Behta Kauda village under Kotwali Bisauli area where they had gone to take part in a panchayat.
Shyamlal and Vijaypal, brothers-in-law of Kalyan Singh had gone to the village to resolve the dispute when the rivals attacked them and also tried to set them ablaze after sprinkling kerosene.
A local court today once again deferred hearing of the bail petition of dowry torture accused Raja Shree Mohanty, son of former minister Raghunath Mohanty, till tomorrow.
District Sessions Judge V Jayashree adjourned the hearing as Raja Shree’s lawyer today again sought time to furnish some documents relating to the bail application.
The judge, who took up the bail petition under Section 439 of CrPC, had yesterday adjourned the proceedings following a time petition filed by the petitioner and the matter was posted for today.
A 32-year-old man was killed in Sujuddinagar village here when a wall of a newly built well caved in, police said today.
Tilak Singh was cementing the inside wall of a newly bored well when the mud caved in yesterday, police said.
Singh was rushed to the Community Health Centre nearby where he later died, police added.
—PTI
In a surprise move, the top leaders of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) held a closed door meeting at the party’s headquarters in Sindh province after midnight in the wake of Taliban threat to its leadership.
The PPP, which governed Pakistan for the last five years, had earlier cancelled a public rally at Naudero, Gardhi Khuda Baksh, where it was supposed to start its elections campaign on the death anniversary of its founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Honourary president of YSR Congress Vijayamama told that protest campaign will be launched against government on public issues in collaboration with communist parties. Her eyes were filled with tears when revolutionary singers included Jagan Mohan Reddy and Mrs. Sharmila in their songs.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Thursday rubbished speculation that he may be the prime ministerial candidate in the next parliamentary election.
“It’s an irrelevant question… all smoke,” he said at a Confederation of Indian Industry meeting here.
—IANS
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Thursday pitched for inclusive growth, saying whenever certain groups like women, tribals and Dalits have been left behind, India has fallen back.
Spelling out his priorities for India’s growth, he said: “The biggest danger is excluding people, excluding the poor, the middle class, the tribals, the Dalits.”
“Whenever we excluded women, the minorities, Dalits… we have always fallen back,” the 42-year-old Gandhi scion said, addressing the annual general meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) here.
A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by three youths after being abducted in Riyavli Nagla village here, police said today.
According to the police, the girl was gang-raped yesterday in a nearby jungle after being abducted by the trio in a SUV. The girl was later threatened with dire consequences, if she revealed anything about the incident.
Police said a FIR has been lodged against the absconding three accused on the basis of a complaint filed the girl’s brother.
The girl has been sent for a medical examination.
—PTI
All schools in Goa would be made wi-fi enabled within months, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the state assembly Thursday.
Parrikar was speaking during the question hour. The budget session of the Goa assembly is currently on.
“Most schools will have wi-fi within three to four months, so that when the students get their free notebook computers, they can be used to the fullest,” Parrikar said.
The Goa government has already announced that notebook computers would be given free to Class V and VI students from the next academic year.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Thursday praised India Inc for introducing the country to the world.
“When I went to university in 1991, nobody knew India…that is not the case now thanks to you people,” he said addressing the annual general meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industries here.
India, Gandhi, said is bursting with optimism and ideas.
The 42-year-old Congress scion, formally addressing a gathering such as this for the first time, said: “We tend to think of India as a nation, but if we go back 100 years, India was actually a energy…a force”.
A leading Pakistani daily Thursday demanded that the democratic order should be strengthened to a point where “it shines brighter than a mirage”.
Everyone hopes the country’s future will be different, but will it take the liberal, progressive shape that many want?, wondered an editorial in the Dawn as the country prepared to hold general elections May 11.
“Unhappily, there are several indications to the contrary. Even a cursory view of recent decades shows that Pakistani citizens have leaned increasingly towards conservatism.”
An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale jolted Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan Thursday, the US Geological Survey said.
The epicentre was at a depth of 233.70 km, reported Xinhua.
—IANS
Dead body fished out from Hussein Sagar
(Siasat News): Police Ramgopalpet has fished out a dead body from Hussein Sagar. The deceased was identified as Babu Rao, 35 who was a labour.
He had fallen in the water in suspicious circumstances. Police is trying to find out whether it was a case of suicide? Further investigations are on.
Electricity theft proved fatal
Planning a comeback to Andhra Pradesh politics, actress-turned-politician Jayaprada is keen to contest the Lok Sabha election from Rajahmundry, her hometown.
Expelled from the Samajwadi Party in 2010, the independent MP from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh has not yet decided which party she will join.
However, by showering praise on former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy who died in 2009, she dropped enough hints that she may join the YSR Congress, headed by Reddy’s son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, currently in jail in a corruption case.