Indian Sub-continent

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.

New Delhi, Oct 26 (PTI) The CBI has booked self-styled preacher Daati Maharaj, who runs a temple in South Delhi, for allegedly raping and having unnatural sex with an inmate of his ashram, officials said Friday.

The agency had taken over investigation in the case on the instructions of the Delhi High Court, they said.

On a complaint by a woman disciple, a case of rape and unnatural sex was filed against Daati Maharaj, his three brothers and a woman at Fatehpur Beri Police Station in South Delhi.

New Delhi, Oct 26 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Friday welcomed the "intervention" by the Supreme Court in the turmoil at the CBI and hoped the institutional integrity of the investigating agency will be upheld.

His reaction came after the Supreme Court asked the Central Vigilance Commission to complete within two weeks its inquiry into allegations against CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma and barred interim director M Nageswara Rao from taking any major policy decision.

"Welcome intervention by the hon'ble Supreme Court of India in the CBI matter.

Hazaribagh, Oct 25 (PTI) Two young unemployed engineers were found hanging at different places in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh district, the police said Thursday.

The body of mining engineer Pramod Kumar (24) was found hanging from a branch of tree in Padma area of the district on Wednesday, they said.

According to the complaint filed by Kumars father, Binod Ram, Kumar was missing from his residence at Deochanda village for the last five days.

The police said that Kumar did a course in mining engineering at Dhanbad about two years ago.

Jabalpur (MP), Oct 25 (PTI) A 32-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court here Thursday for repeatedly raping his six-year-old daughter.

Special Judge for the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) cases, R P Soni, convicted the man for rape under the IPC and POCSO.

The accused (name not disclosed) hailed from Katni district, said Additional District Public Prosecutor Smritilata Barkade.