Indian Sub-continent

New Delhi, Jan 23 (PTI) The CBI has booked former Air India chairman-cum-managing director Arvind Jadhav for allegedly violating procedures while making various promotions and appointments, officials said Wednesday.

Along with Jadhav, the CBI has also named then executive director (personnel) L P Nakhwa (now retired) and former additional general mangers (operations) Arvind Kathpalia, Amitabh Singh and Rohit Bhasin in its FIR registered under the Indian Penal Code section related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Srinagar, Jan 23 (PTI) Three Lashkar-e-Taiba separatists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, police said.

The security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Binner area of the district on receiving information about the presence of separatists in the area, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned into a gunfight after the ultras opened fire at the the security personnel.

Hyderabad, Jan 23 (PTI) A local court Wednesday sentenced a 50-year-old man to ten years rigorous imprisonment for raping a four-and-half-year-old girl last year.

First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Suneetha Kunchala convicted K Anil Kumar, a labourer, under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and various IPC sections besides imposing Rs 4,000 fine.

Jabalpur, Jan 23 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh High Court Chief Justice S K Seth Wednesday inaugurated the e-courtrooms set up at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Central Jail here.

The e-courtrooms in various jails are now connected with different trial courts through online mode across the state, Deputy Inspector General (Jails) Gopal Tamrakar told PTI.

Undertrials lodged in these jails need not to go to the court to attend the hearing of their case, he said.

Chennai, Jan 23 (PTI) A 16-hour countdown began Wednesday for the launch of Kalamsat, a student payload, and imaging satellite Microsat-R, onboard India's Polar rocket PSLV C-44 from the spaceport of Sriharikota Thursday.

"The countdown for the launch of PSLV-C44 mission started today at 19:37 hrs (IST) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The launch is scheduled at 23:37 Hrs IST on 24th January 2019," a mission update by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.

Guwahati, Jan 23 (PTI) The North East Congress Coordination Committee (NECCC) comprising representatives of all the state units of the party in the region on Wednesday resolved to talk to Rajya Sabha members to prevent passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Upper House of Parliament.

The NECCC at a meeting held here took the resolution that it would take help of all Rajya Sabha members opposed to the Bill to prevent it from becoming an Act during the next session, according to a release issued by the Committee.

New Delhi, Jan 23 (PTI) Union Minister Arun Jaitley has undergone surgery at a hospital in New York on Tuesday, sources said.

He has been advised at least two weeks rest by the doctors, they added.

Jaitley, who had unexpectedly left for the US on January 13, has undergone tests for soft tissue cancer, sources said. Even during this time, he has been active on social media writing Facebook posts and tweeting about current issues.

Indore, Jan 23 (PTI) A court Wednesday awarded a man a life sentence till death for raping two minor sisters here in 2016.

Special Judge Varsha Sharma handed down the punishment to Ramesh Bheel (50) under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act and the IPC.

Besides, the judge imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the convict which he has to pay to the victims.

Mumbai, Jan 23 (PTI) The Maharashtra government has decided to distribute 'desi' (native) cows to farmers as part of a scheme, officials said on Wednesday.

An official from the Animal Husbandary department said the state distributes milch animals under the Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) to farmers from the general category, Scheduled Caste (SC) and tribal community.

As part of this scheme, it was decided to allocate six, four or two milch cows and buffaloes from 2015.

Ghaziabad, Jan 23 (PTI) A man has been arrested for allegedly raping and killing a six-year-old girl in Loni area here, police said Wednesday.

"The girl had gone for tuition along with her brother on Monday evening. After returning, she again went outside and didn't return thereafter. Her parents and neighbours searched for her till late night but in vain," they said.

On Tuesday morning, when the girl's father was going to offer prayers he discovered his child's body lying in a deserted plot near a mosque, said DIG Upendra Agarwal.