India

Mumbai, Jun 8 (PTI) Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar Saturday said "capita happiness" was as important as "capita income" when it came to evaluating the progress of a country.

Speaking at a meeting with owners of multiplexes and single-screen theatres and film personalities on the state government's plan to plant 33 crore trees, Mungantiwar, also minister of forests, claimed satisfaction and happiness in people was the real wealth of a nation.

Palghar, Jun 8 (PTI) A teenage girl in Maharashtra's Palghar district has registered a police complaint claiming a distant relative confined her for several days and raped her repeatedly, an official said Saturday.

Palghar police spokesperson Hemant Katkar said the girl (18), a Class IX student, approached the police on Friday night following which a case was registered against the man, identified as Navnath Savar, under relevant sections of the IPC for rape, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt.

Guwahati, Jun 8 (PTI) Kargil war veteran Md Sanaullah, who was last month declared a 'foreigner' by a tribunal in Assam, walked out of A detention centre on Saturday, a day after the Gauhati High Court granted him bail.

Shortly after his release, Sanaullah was taken to the office of the Kamrup Superintendent of Police at Amingaon to complete formalities, as per the directions of the court, a senior official said.

Bhopal, Jun 9 (PTI) The body of an eight-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped, was found near a drain here in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, a police official said.

Preliminary investigation revealed that she died of strangulation after being raped, he said.

The girl had ventured out of her house in Kamla Nagar area of the state capital around 8 pm on Saturday to buy something. When she did not return, her family members approached the police, the official said.

Srinagar, June 8: A Kashmiri has been killed in an alleged encounter with Indian security forces in Anantnag district of Indian administered Kashmir, an Indian official said.

The Indian security forces' spokesman alleged that a cordon and search operation in Verinag area of the south Kashmir district was conducted following information about presence of Kashmiri separatist.

Kolkata, Jun 7; PTI/GANASHAKTI: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday refused to attend a meeting of Niti Aayog to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 15, saying it is "fruitless" as the body has no financial powers to support state plans.

Her decision to skip the meeting of the top plan panel comes days after she stayed away from the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 30 citing as "untrue" claims by the BJP that 54 of the party workers were murdered in political violence in Bengal.

Ayodhya, Jun 7 (PTI ) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday offered prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla temple here, on a visit meant to reiterate support for the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site.

"It is everybody's wish that Ram Mandir must be constructed," he said on his first trip to the temple town after the Lok Sabha elections.

Adityanath unveiled a seven-foot Ram statue at a museum in the city and also took part in celebrations to mark the birthday of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.

New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) The sports fraternity Friday came out in support of Mahendra Singh Dhoni for wearing the dagger insignia on his wicket-keeping gloves during India's World Cup game against South Africa, with Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju urging the BCCI to resolve the issue.

During the match in Southampton on Wednesday, Dhoni's green keeping gloves had a dagger logo embossed, which looked more like an Army insignia.

New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) The security cover of Home Minister Amit Shah has been strengthened with the Delhi Police putting in place additional component of security personnel at his residence, officials said Friday.

The move came after Shah assumed charge of the sensitive ministry last week.

The Delhi Police has reviewed the security of the home minister and moved additional component to his residence here, a senior security official said.

Mumbai, Jun 7 (PTI) BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur Friday chose to stand for around two and a half hours in the special court conducting trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

Thakur, a prime accused in the case who appeared for the first time before the court after her Lok Sabha victory from Bhopal, expressed disapproval about the chair that was offered, and the state of cleanliness of the courtroom.