India

Hardik Patel asks the regional parties to unite if they want any election after 2019. Patel was speaking to The Indian Express ahead of the 9th State Convention of the Sambhaji Brigade Maharashtra in Alibaugh.

Patel stressed that forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2019 will be a contest between Modi and the farmers.

New Delhi, Oct 27 :  Delhi's air quality remained very poor for the fourth day Saturday with five areas of the national capital recording severe pollution levels, as authorities warned the situation may deteriorate further next week due to localised emissions during festival and stubble burning.

The Central Pollution Control Board recorded the overall  Air Quality Index of Delhi at 341. The highest AQI of this season was recorded on Friday at 361.

Raipur, Oct 27;PTI:  Four personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed and two injured after Naxals blew up a mine-protected-vehicle (MPV) in poll-bound Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred around 4 pm near Murdanda camp of the CRPF under Awapalli police station, when its 168th battalion was out on "area domination" operation, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Mohit Garg told PTI.

When the MPV carrying six personnel was around one km away from the camp, ultras triggered a powerful land mine blast, he said.

Agartala, Oct 27 (PTI) At least 20 CPI(M) supporters were injured when a mob attacked a rally taken out by the party in South Tripura district Saturday, police said.

The CPI(M) activists took out a rally demanding a probe into the Rafale deal when a mob attacked them, the police said.

Superintendent of Police, Jai Singh Meena said that a rally was organized by CPI(M) supporters at Belonia town, about 110 km from here this morning, which came under attack from about 25 people.

Muzaffarnagar (UP) Oct 27 (PTI) A cattle trader was shot dead and robbed of Rs 1,50,000 near Sikheda village here Saturday, police said.

The deceased was identified as Akhlak. He was returning to his home in Mansurpur village from a cattle mela in Bihari village when the incident took place, police said.

According to City SP Ombir Singh, two armed men intercepted Akhlak's e-rickshaw, shot him and robbed Rs 1,50,000 cash from a case in the vehicle.

KANPUR: The National Green Tribunal has slapped a penalty on as many as 21 tanneries in violation of its defined standards.

Earlier, Indian Institute of Technology & Banaras Hindu University team inspected the tanneries on May 31 this year. There was noticed more than enough chromium in outlet flow of the common treatment effluent plant at that time. The notice remained ineffectual as the tannery owners did not respond.  

New Delhi, Oct 26; PTI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Friday moved a special court here to get declared the owners of Gujarat-based Sterling Biotech group, charged in an alleged Rs 8,100-crore bank loan fraud case, as fugitive economic offenders under a new law, the agency said.

Bengaluru, Oct 26; PTI: Amnesty International India said Friday the Union government is treating human rights organisations like criminal enterprises in the wake of searches by the Enforcement Directorate at its premises.

The ED on Thursday conducted searches at two locations of the rights watchdog in connection with a foreign exchange contravention case.

"Government authorities are increasingly treating human rights organisations like criminal enterprises," Amnesty International India executive director Aakar Patel said in a statement here.

New Delhi, Oct 26; PTU: Delhi's air quality remained "very poor" Thursday even as parts of the massive Bhalswa landfill site continued to smoulder.

As the air quality showed no signs of improvement, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has decided to act against burning of leaves and garbage.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi at 331 in the evening, the worst in the season so far.

By Abhishek Anshu, Manohar Lal & Sanjeev Kumar

New Delhi, Oct 26 (PTI) The Supreme Court Friday set a deadline of two weeks for the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to complete the inquiry against CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma, who has been divested of his duties and sent on leave in view of feud between him and Special Director Rakesh Asthana.