Indian Sub-continent

Jaipur, Aug 5 (PTI) The Rajasthan legislative assembly on Monday passed a Bill providing for life imprisonment and a fine from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh to those convicted in cases of mob lynching leading to victim's death.

'The Rajasthan Protection from Lynching Bill, 2019' was passed by the Vidhan Sabha by a voice vote amid vociferous protest by the opposition BJP, which wanted the Bill to be referred to a select committee.

Kohima, Aug 5 (PTI) Following the abolition of Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, there are apprehensions in Nagaland about the possibilities of a similar action against its special provisions that are enshrined in Article 371A.

Political parties and tribal organisations, however, said they were confident that the Centre "will not dare" to make a similar move in the state as it would jeopardise the ongoing peace process and hurt the sentiment of the Nagas.

Mumbai, Aug 5 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Monday dismissed a plea filed by a witness in the alleged fake encounter case of suspected gangster Sohrabuddin Sheikh, his wife Kasuar Bi and their aide, challenging the acquittal of 22 people in the case by a special court here.

The witness, Mahendrasinh Zala, had challenged the December 2018 order of the sessions court acquitting 22 accused, 21 of them junior-level policemen from Gujarat and Rajasthan, in the case, which was probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Panaji, Aug 5 (PTI) Right-wing organisation Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) on Monday said the Centre's move to abolish Article 370, that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was the "beginning of establishing a Hindu Rashtra".

The Centre on Monday abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution and proposed that the border state be bifurcated into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Mumbai, Aug 5 (PTI) The Nationalist Congress Party on Monday appointed Nawab Malik as its Mumbai unit chief.

The announcement was made by NCP Maharashtra president Jayant Patil.

The post was lying vacant after Sachin Ahir joined the ruling Shiv Sena.

Malik was the party's national spokesperson before being chosen to lead its Mumbai unit.

New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) A 21-year-old woman alleged that she was raped by a cab driver in the national capital, police said on Monday.

According to police, they received information on Sunday from Safdarjung Hospital regarding sexual assault on the woman.

The woman alleged that she was raped on Friday after she booked a cab from Mandir Marg at around 8 pm, they said.

New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday commenced hearing in the politically sensitive case of Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute in Ayodhya after the efforts to arrive at an amicable settlement through mediation have failed.

"Let us begin the hearing," said a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) Six people, including three children, died and 13 were injured in a massive fire at a building in Delhi's Zakir Nagar area due to a short circuit early on Tuesday, officials said.

Eight fire tenders were rushed to the spot after information was received around 2.30 am about the fire in a four-storey residential building, according to the fire department.

The blaze, which occurred due to short circuit in electric metres, was doused by 5.25 am. The building in southeast Delhi housed 13 flats, the officials said.

New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) Rajya Sabha on Monday approved a resolution abrogating Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir and a bill to bifurcate the state into two union territories with Home Minister Amit Shah saying the controversial provisions were responsible for poverty and lack of development in the state.

Allaying opposition fears of all hell breaking loose after the move, Shah replying, "nothing will happen" and it won't be allowed to turn into another battle torn Kosovo.

Kanpur: How strange is it that a PhD scholar at the IIT has been stopped to worship the pipal tree by the guards there. More than this he was told to leave the spot. This hurt the student so much that he expressed his emotional pain on Twitter. Other students also expressed their deep protest at this action.

Though the students complained of this behaviour of the guard to the director Prof Abhai Karandikar, nothing in detail was available so far.