Top News

Anti-Terror Agency Charges 4 Maoists In Five-Year-Old Bihar Murder Case

admin 0

Anti-Terror Agency Charges 4 Maoists In Five-Year-Old Bihar Murder Case

The NIA has successfully recovered the weapons used in the attack (Representational)

New Delhi:

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a supplementary chargesheet against four top leaders of the banned CPI(Maoist) involved in the murder of a civilian in Bihar five years ago, according to NIA release.

Naresh Singh Bhokta was kidnapped and murdered by members and cadres of the banned outfit in November 2018. The aim was to spread fear and terror while propagating the CPI (Maoist) anti-India ideology, it said.

The accused individuals charged on Saturday in the NIA Special Court, Patna (Bihar), under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Arms Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UA(P)A) have been identified as Ram Prasad Yadav, Abhijit Yadav (known as Abhijit Ji), Abhyash Bhuiya (known as Prem Bhuiya), all hailing from Jharkhand, and Subedar Yadav from Bihar.

Each of them holds significant leadership positions within CPI (Maoist). Ram Prasad Yadav is a Sub-Zonal Commander, Abhijit Yadav and Subedar Yadav serve as Zonal Commanders, while Abhyash Bhuiya (Prem Bhuiya) operates as a Regional Commander within the banned organization, the release said.

Earlier, the NIA uncovered the involvement of senior CPI (Maoist) commanders, including Polit Bureau member Pramod Mishra, in the conspiracy behind this gruesome murder.

According to the NIA press release, over the course of the investigation, nine individuals were arrested, and supplementary chargesheets were previously filed against four of them in February and June of this year.

The NIA has successfully recovered the weapons used in the attack, which have undergone forensic examination. Additionally, the three vehicles employed by the CPI (Maoist) cadres during the attack have been located and seized.

The investigation has revealed that these individuals attended a meeting of the outfit’s Zonal Commanders, Special Area Committee (SAC), and Regional Committee Members (RCM), convened by Pramod Mishra, who was then a Central Committee Member (CCM), in the forests of Anjanwa. During this gathering, a decision was made to eliminate Special Police Officers (SPOs), including Naresh Singh Bhokta.

The accused subsequently conspired to kidnap and murder Naresh Singh Bhokta with the intention of sowing fear and terror within society, specifically among common citizens. The entire conspiracy was designed to wage war against the Government of India, the release said.

Further investigations have established that Ram Prasad Yadav (Prasad Ji) and Subedar Yadav were involved in recruiting members for CPI (Maoist) to carry out terrorist acts.

Abhijit Yadav (Abhijit Yadav) primarily collected funds for the expansion of CPI (Maoist), while Abhyash Bhuiya (Prem Bhuiya) provided physical and armed training to the outfit’s cadres, it said.

The NIA took over the case from the Bihar Police and registered it as RC-25/2022/NIA-DLI on June 24, 2022.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Top News

Mayawati's Party, Tribal Outfit GGP To Fight Madhya Pradesh Polls Together

admin 0

Mayawati's Party, Tribal Outfit GGP To Fight Madhya Pradesh Polls Together

In 2018 assembly polls, the BSP had won two seats in Madhya Pradesh polls (File)

Bhopal:

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) have formed an alliance to contest the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls due by the year-end, office-bearers of the parties said on Saturday.

As per their seat-sharing arrangement, the BSP will contest 178 seats while the GGP will field its candidates on 52 seats, said BSP’s Rajya Sabha member Ramji Gautam and GGP’s national general secretary Balbir Singh Tomar at a press conference in Bhopal.

“A government of this alliance will be formed in Madhya Pradesh to end the atrocities on Dalits, tribals, and women. This will also end the dictatorial and capitalist rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress and the poor will get justice,” the two parties said in a press statement issued later.

Elections to the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly are due in November this year.

In the 2018 assembly polls, the BSP had won two seats. However, one of their MLAs later joined the BJP.

Top News

Man With Special Needs Detained For "Misbehaving" On IndiGo Flight

admin 0

Man With Special Needs Detained At Patna Airport For 'Misbehaving' On IndiGo Flight

The alleged incident took place on Indigo flight 6E 126. (Representational)

Patna (Bihar):

A mentally disabled passenger was detained for allegedly “misbehaving” and “locking himself” inside a bathroom onboard an Indigo Hyderabad-Patna flight following a complaint against him by the crew, officials said.

The alleged incident took place on Indigo flight 6E 126.

Officials further said the accused was detained by the police after landing at the Patna airport. 

“He misbehaved on the flight and also locked himself inside the toilet onboard,” the crew stated in their complaint.

Station House Officer, Airport police station, Vinod Peter told ANI, “The passenger, Kamar Riyaz, is mentally disabled and is under treatment. He was carrying medical reports. He was travelling with one of his relatives from Hyderabad to Patna.”

“On a complaint filed by indigo staff, we detained him,” he said, adding that further verification is underway.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Top News

SIMBEX 23 concludes in Singapore

admin 0

First held in 1994, the three-decade-old annual exercise kicked off with an opening ceremony on 21 September 2023, which was attended by personnel from both the navies. The ceremony saw the unveiling of the SIMBEX 30th Edition Logo.

Updated On – 10:16 PM, Sat – 30 September 23


SIMBEX 23 concludes in Singapore



Visakhapatnam: Indian Naval Ships Ranvijay (guided-missile Destroyer), Kavaratti (ASW Corvette), submarine Sindhukesari and a long range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8I participated in the 30th edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) in Singapore, according to a release of the Navy here.

First held in 1994, the three-decade-old annual exercise kicked off with an opening ceremony on 21 September 2023, which was attended by personnel from both the navies. The ceremony saw the unveiling of the SIMBEX 30th Edition Logo.

The Harbour Phase witnessed a wide range of professional interactions, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, conduct of combined aviation and firefighting/ damage control exercises, and the signing of a Joint Standard Operating Procedure (JSOP) on Submarine Rescue between India and Singapore in presence of the High Commissioner of India to Singapore and the Singapore Navy Fleet Commander. The Commanding Officers of the Indian Navy contingent also paid homage at the Kranji War Memorial in a solemn wreath laying ceremony.

Other activities undertaken during the stay in harbour included sports exchanges, cross-deck visits, and onboard visit of school children and personnel from the Indian High Commission.

The Sea Phase of SIMBEX 23 was conducted from September 25 to 28, wherein units of Indian Navy alongwith RSS Stalwart, Valour, Tenacious, a submarine, Maritime Patrol Aircraft Fokker F-50 and fighter aircraft engaged in complex maritime security exercises including advanced anti-submarine warfare, surface and air defence exercises, as well as tactical manoeuvre and weapon firings.

SIMBEX 23 ended on a high note reaffirming the close bonds of friendship and interoperability between the two maritime nations, the release said.

Top News

US government shutdown imminent after Republicans reject bill

admin 0

US Republican lawmakers have rejected a stopgap bill proposed by their leader to temporarily fund the Democratic government, pushing the Biden administration on the verge of shutdown.

In a 232-198 vote on Friday, Republicans in the US House of Representatives rejected the stopgap bill proposed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to extend government funding by 30 days in order to reach an agreement on the 2024 fiscal budget and avert the midnight shutdown at 12:01 am ET (0401 GMT) on Sunday.

After the bill failed to gain the necessary vote, McCarthy, who is the majority leader of the House, told reporters at a press briefing on Friday that the budget negotiations will continue until the disputing sides reach an agreement on the 2024 budget. “It’s only a failure if you quit.”

In the meantime, US President Joe Biden warned that a shutdown could take a heavy toll on American troops.

“We can’t be playing politics while our troops stand in the breach. It’s an absolute dereliction of duty,” Biden said at the retirement ceremony of Mark Milley, one of America’s top generals who played a leading role in the US-led proxy war by Ukraine against Russia.

He also warned that the shutdown would hit Black Americans disproportionately worse, including by reducing nutritional benefits, cutting inspections of hazardous waste sites, and lack of enforcement of fair housing laws.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned once more on Friday that a government shutdown would do damage and “undermine” the US economy. Lawmakers, however, remain divided over the issue.

“There are members who don’t care whether the government stays open or it shuts down,” Republican Representative Kat Cammack told reporters. “The ones that I believe are OK with a shutdown have never been through a shutdown.”

“What does work is rolling up our sleeves and getting onto these single subject bills and moving them,” Representative Matt Gaetz said on a podcast after voting against the stopgap bill on Friday.

Other Republicans said they would probably have to work with Democrats to pass a stopgap bill that could win approval in the Senate and from Biden. “Some people are missing the obvious,” said Republican Representative Don Bacon.

McCarthy and Biden had agreed in June to a deal that would have set agency spending at $1.59tn in fiscal 2024, but hardline Republicans in the House have disputed their leaders’ deal with the president, threatening to topple McCarthy if he remains in compliance with Biden. Hardliners demand a slashing  2024 fiscal budget by $120bn.

The government budget vote in the US Congress regularly turns into a standoff between the two main American parties, with each camp using the threat of a shutdown to obtain concessions from the other — until a solution is usually found at the last minute.

If the shutdown takes place, it would be the fourth in a decade and just four months after a similar standoff brought the federal government within days of defaulting on its $31 trillion debt.

Repeated disputes among US lawmakers in Congress have raised worries on Wall Street, where top rating agencies, Moody’s and Fitch, have warned that the imminent government shutdown would do damage to US credibility.

US economists, analysts, and government experts predict that everything from childcare funding and economic data releases to food benefits may be suspended beginning on Sunday, and some 2.2mn government workers may be furloughed or forced to work without pay.

The US Census Bureau reckons out of the 333mn US population, about 41mn people live at or below the poverty line, which is set at close to $30k for a 4-member family household.

 

Top News

Starc Makes Perfect Start To WC Prep, Takes Hat-Trick Against Netherlands

admin 0

Mitchell Starc in action for Australian cricket team© AFP

Australian cricket team fast bowler Mitchell Starc started his preparation for Cricket World Cup 2023 on a perfect note as he claimed a hat-trick during the warm-up match against Netherlands on Saturday. The veteran pacer struck on the fifth ball of the first over of the Netherlands innings as he trapped Max O’Dowd LBW with an in-swinger that nipped back late. One ball later, it was Wesley Barresi who fell victim to his pace as he tricked him with another in-swinger that crashed into the top of the off-stump. Starc had to wait one over to get his hat-trick but he made no mistake as Bas de Leede was clean bowled on the first ball of the third over with yet another in-swinger.

Meanwhile, persistent rain on Saturday washed out the World Cup warm-up match between India and England at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.

It began raining a little before the start of the match on Saturday afternoon, which resulted in the toss being delayed but later in the evening the umpires decided to abandon the contest, a little before 6pm local time owing to inclement weather.

All 10 teams will get to play two warm-up matches each before the group stage of the 50-over World Cup which gets underway in Ahmedabad on October 5.

England will face New Zealand in the World Cup opener.

England, who arrived in India a day before their first warm-up match, will remain in Guwahati to play their second and final warm-up game against Bangladesh on October 2.

The warm-up matches began on Friday with Sri Lanka suffering a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Bangladesh here, while New Zealand defeated Pakistan in a high-scoring contest in Hyderabad.

The warm-up matches are being played at three venues Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram and Hyderabad.

(With PTI inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

India

Haryana: Smugglers flee leaving behind cattle after long chase, case registered

admin 0

A case has been filed against a few people in Sohna area on the charge of bovine smuggling and animal cruelty following a failed attempt to transport cattle illegally.

Updated On – 11:57 PM, Sat – 30 September 23


Haryana: Smugglers flee leaving behind cattle after long chase, case registered

A case has been filed against a few people in Sohna area on the charge of bovine smuggling and animal cruelty following a failed attempt to transport cattle illegally.

Gurugram: A case has been filed against a few people in Sohna area on the charge of bovine smuggling and animal cruelty following a failed attempt to transport cattle illegally, police said on Saturday.

According to the FIR filed based on a complaint by a police official, the cattle smugglers were chased by some members of a cow protection group for around four kilometres on the Damdama-Abhaypur road on Friday night.

In an attempt to flee, the accused threw stones and pushed off four cows from the vehicle which was still being driven despite its two tyres being punctured. Seeing themselves surrounded near the Dohla turn, the accused left the vehicle with a cow and fled, the FIR stated.

A police team reached the spot and rescued all five cattle. Four cows were taken to a veterinary hospital while another was sent to a cow shelter, a police official said.

The FIR has been registered under Sections 279 (rash driving) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as under Haryana’s cow protection law and the  Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

“Two suspects have been identified and we are conducting raids to nab the accused,” a police officer said.

Top News

New York's Heavy Rain "New Normal" Due To Climate Change, Says Governor

admin 0

New York's Heavy Rain 'New Normal' Due To Climate Change, Says Governor

Flooding caused major disruptions to New York’s subway system and Metro North commuter rail service

New York:

Torrential downpours after a week of mostly steady rainfall that brought flash flooding to New York City on Friday was an impact of climate change and likely reflects a “new normal,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Saturday.

“Of course, we know, this is the result of climate change. This is unfortunately what we have to expect as the new normal,” Hochul said in an address.

Almost eight inches (20 cm) of rain fell in some parts of the most populous city in the U.S., enough to enable a sea lion at Central Park Zoo to swim briefly out of the confines of her pool enclosure.

Another few inches could fall in the region before the storm system pushed out to sea later on Friday, forecasters said.

Hochul warned of “life-threatening” floods and declared a state of emergency for New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley.

She hailed the response of authorities and said on Saturday that no fatalities were reported despite the heavy rain.

Flooding had caused major disruptions to New York’s subway system and the Metro North commuter rail service, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Agency, which operates both. Some subway lines were suspended entirely, and many stations were closed. Some bus routes slowed to a crawl, trapping riders for hours. Officials warned some New Yorkers to avoid travelling unless they were fleeing a flooded area.

Hochul said on Saturday a state of emergency, which allows faster allocation of resources to deal with a crisis, will remain in effect for the next six days.

The New York governor added she spoke to the White House and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and said they were prepared to support a federal emergency declaration of disaster if necessary.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Top News

"On verge of finalising boundary lines": Meghalaya, Assam Chief Ministers

admin 0

'On verge of finalising boundary lines': Meghalaya, Assam Chief Ministers

Both governments formed regional committees to resolve remaining problems in six disputed areas (File)

Guwahati:

Assam and Meghalaya are on the verge of finalising the actual boundary lines in the first six areas of difference as part of the ongoing process to resolve the border disputes, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma announced at a joint press conference on Saturday.

Conrad Sarma termed the discussions “very cordial”.

The discussions were held at the Chief Ministerial level on border disputes between two states in six remaining areas, Guwahati on Saturday.

Briefing media persons after the meeting, Mr Sangma said, “We are happy to inform the people of both Assam and Meghalaya that after a very long drawn exercise, we are now on the verge of of finalising the actual pillars and actual boundary lines in the first six areas of differences signed a MoU in the presence of Union Home Minister.”

Mr Sarma said as a “confidence-building measure”, both states have decided to wind up the judicial commission probing the Mukroh firing incident.

“Today, we met to further resolve the Assam-Meghalaya border dispute. The discussions were very cordial and we have been able to take certain very important decisions today,” Mr Sarma said.

“As a confidence-building measure and in order not to put respective officers of both states under stress or duress, we have decided to wind up the judicial commission, which was set up at the behest of our two governments to inquire about the Mukroh firing incident,”Mr Sarma said.

The tension between Assam and Meghalaya is not new. Even though both states have partially resolved a 50-year-old border dispute in six of the 12 sectors along their 885 km boundary, the dispute between the local groups continues to threaten peace in the area.

A few days ago, fresh clashes erupted between two communities living at the Assam-Meghalaya border, with rival groups reportedly going at each other using bows, arrows, and catapults in Lapangap village.

There are a total of 12 disputed areas along the inter-state border of Assam and Meghalaya, and out of the 12 issues in disputed areas, six have been resolved to the satisfaction of both states.

Both governments formed regional committees to resolve the remaining problems in the six disputed areas.

Mr Sarma added that the state government will request the CBI to investigate the Mukroh firing incident.

“Both the state government will now request the CBI to investigate the matter, without registering a case either in Guwahati or Shillong,” Mr Sarma added.

In March last year, Himanta Sarma and his counterpart Sangma signed a “historic” agreement for closure in six disputed sectors that were taken up for resolution in the first phase, in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, in New Delhi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Top News

Afghan Embassy Announces Decision To Cease India Operations From Today

admin 0

Afghan Embassy Announces Decision To Cease India Operations From Today

Afghan Embassy Shutdown: The embassy said that this decision is made after careful consideration

New Delhi:

The Afghanistan Embassy in India announced Saturday night that it is ceasing its operations from October 1, citing a lack of support from the host government, failure to meet expectations in serving Afghanistan’s interests, and a reduction in personnel and resources.

In a statement, the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi said it regrets to announce the decision to cease its operations, effective October 1, 2023.

“It is with profound sadness, regret, and disappointment that the Embassy of Afghanistan in New Delhi announces this decision to cease its operations,” the statement said.

The embassy said that this decision, while deeply regrettable, is made after careful consideration, taking into account the historic ties and long-standing partnership between Afghanistan and India.

The Embassy statement also listed key factors affecting its ability to continue the mission effectively and said that they were the primary reasons for the “unfortunate closure”.

The Embassy cited a “lack of support from the host government”, alleging that it has experienced a notable absence of crucial support from the host government, which it said hindered its ability to carry out duties effectively.

Failure To Meet Expectations

The mission also cited “failure to meet expectations in serving Afghanistan’s interests” as one of the reasons.

“We acknowledge our shortcomings in meeting the expectations and requirements necessary to serve the best interests of Afghanistan and its citizens due to the lack of diplomatic support in India and the absence of a legitimate functioning government in Kabul,” it said.

It also said that due to unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances, there has been a significant reduction in both personnel and resources available to it, making it increasingly challenging to continue operations.

“The lack of timely and sufficient support from visa renewal for diplomats to other critical areas of cooperation led to an understandable frustration among our team and impeded our ability to carry out routine duties effectively,” the statement said.

Given these circumstances, “it is with deep regret that we have taken the difficult decision to close all operations of the mission with the exception of emergency consular services to Afghan citizens till the transfer of the custodial authority of the mission to the host country,” it said.

The embassy has been headed by Ambassador Farid Mamundzay. Mr Mamundzay was appointed by the previous Ashraf Ghani government and he has been operating as the Afghan envoy even after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

Power Tussle

In April-May, the embassy was rocked by a power struggle in the wake of reports of the Taliban appointing a charge d’affaires to head the mission, replacing Mr Mamundzay. Following the episode, the embassy came out with a statement that there was no change in its leadership.

The tussle for power had erupted after Qadir Shah, who was working as a trade councillor at the embassy since 2020, wrote to the MEA in late April claiming that he was appointed as the charge d’affaires at the embassy by the Taliban.

India is yet to recognise the Taliban set-up and has been pitching for the formation of a truly inclusive government in Kabul, besides insisting that Afghan soil must not be used for any terrorist activities against any country.

In its statement, the Afghan Embassy said this step is being taken in the best interest of the people of Afghanistan.

In accordance with Article 45 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961), all property and facilities of the Embassy will be transferred to the custodial authority of the host country, it said.

The embassy said it also wishes to address recent speculations and provide clarity on certain matters of importance.

In the three-page statement, the embassy categorically refuted any “baseless claims” regarding internal strife or discord amongst its diplomatic staff or any diplomats using the crisis to seek asylum in a third country.

“Such rumours are unfounded and do not reflect the reality of our mission. We remain a united team working towards the best interests of Afghanistan,” the embassy said.

The embassy also said it would like to verify the “authenticity” of an earlier communication with the Ministry of External Affairs regarding the intent to close the mission.

“This communication accurately represents our decision-making process and the factors leading to the closure,” the statement said.

“We request the government of India to give serious consideration to the four requests outlined in the official note verbally submitted earlier. Specifically, we emphasize the importance of permitting the hoisting of the Afghan flag over the properties of our premises, as well as facilitating the smooth transition of the mission’s buildings and assets to a legitimate government in Kabul in the future,” the statement said.

The embassy also acknowledged that, given the gravity of this decision, “there may be some who receive support and instructions from Kabul that may differ from our current course of action”.

The Embassy of Afghanistan made an “unequivocal statement” regarding the activities of certain consulates.

“It is our firm belief that any actions taken by these consulates are not in consonance with the objectives of a legitimate or elected government and rather serve the interests of an illegitimate regime,” the statement said.

The embassy also said it is keen to reach an agreement with the Indian government at the earliest possible juncture.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)