Indian Sub-continent

Thane,Jan 29 (PTI) A Thane court has awarded 10 years' imprisonment to a 23-year-old man for raping a teenager, observing that the accused was not entitled to be acquitted merely because the victim turned hostile.

Special court judge Kavita D Shirbhate, in her order last week, held the accused, Kishore Bhide, guilty under the Indian Penal Code Section 376 (rape) and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Mumbai, Jan 29 (PTI) In a significant move, the state Cabinet Tuesday decided to bring the office of Maharashtra Chief Minister under the jurisdiction of Lokayukta.

The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) Two independent members of the National Statistical Commission, P C Mohanan and J V Meenakshi, have resigned over disagreement with the government on certain issues, an official said Tuesday.

Mohanan was also the acting chairperson. With the two members quitting, the NSC now has only two members -- Chief Statistician Pravin Srivastava and NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant.

Ralegan Siddhi (Maha), Jan 30 (PTI) Social activist Anna Hazare began a hunger strike on Wednesday over "non-fulfilment" of assurances by the Centre and the Maharashtra government on the appointment of Lokpal and passage of the Lokayukta Act in the state.

Hazare offered prayers at the Padmavati Temple in his village Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra in the morning. He then went in a procession, accompanied by students, youths and farmers, to the Yadavbaba Temple and sat near it to begin his hunger strike.

Thane, Jan 30 (PTI) An undertrial allegedly hurled a pair of slippers at a magistrate in a court in Thane district of Maharashtra after being convicted in a theft case, a police official said Wednesday.

However, the magistrate ducked in time and escaped getting hit by the slippers, he said.

Ashraf Ansari, 22, was arrested sometime back in a case of theft and house-trespass in Bhiwandi town here, an official at Shanti Nagar police station said.

Agartala, Jan 30 (PTI) A tribal leader of Tripura, Rajeswar Debbarma, has resigned from the BJP for its "failure" to implement poll promises, made during 2018 Assembly election, for the development of the indigenous people of the state.

Debbarma also demanded scrapping of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill-2016 as it posed a threat to the indigenous people of Tripura.

Kochi,Jan 29 (PTI) A day after announcing his party would ensure "minimum income guarantee" for the poor if Congress was voted to power at the Centre, party chief Rahul Gandhi Tuesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he has provided 'maximum income guarantee' to 15 of his friends.

KANPUR: Almost immediately, animal lovers who visit the Allen Forest Zoo infrequently will get an opportunity to have a glimpse of the military macaw monkeys. These will be sent from Byculla Zoo in Mumbai. This is being done on an exchange basis as Kanpur Zoo will send swamp deer (Barasingha) there.

From silent black-and-white films to colourful blockbusters bursting with song and dance, the evolution of Indian cinema is traced by a new museum in the home of Bollywood.

Costing 1.4 billion rupees ($19.6 million), India's first national film museum is spread across a stylish 19th-century bungalow and a modern five-storey glass structure in south Mumbai.

"It showcases to the world outside what Indian cinema has achieved in its entirety over more than 100 years," Amrit Gangar, a consulting curator on the project, told AFP.

KANPUR:  As many as 230 RPF constables will be shifted to new barrack near Jhakarkatti here. This will solve their lodging problem. A new barrack for the women constables will be constructed at Govndpuri station soon, said SN Pandey, Inspector General, Railways Police Force.