India

KANPUR: Even the Hallet Hospital’s medicine department intensive care unit was reported to be unsafe from infections. The department’s lecturer suspected of swine flu infection was given leave to rest. His saliva sample has been sent to the microbiology department’s laboratory. Besides one woman’s spit sample was also sent for examination. In the meantime, the student who had not been earlier admitted to the Infectious Disease hospital’s isolation ward earlier was now given a bed. The ICU was sterilized in the fear of infection spreading fast.

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal Wednesday demanded that the sedition law be scrapped as those in power are "manipulating" it.

He also called for a change in the government to save the country.

"Scrap sedition law (section 124A,IPC), a colonial hangover.

"Real sedition is when those in power manipulate institutions, misuse the law, breach peace and security by inciting violence. Punish them in 2019. 'Sarkar badlo Desh bachao' (change government, save country)," Sibal said on Twitter.

New Delhi, Jan 16(PTI) Rajiv Bhawan, the office of the state Congress, wore a festive look Wednesday as Sheila Dikshit took charge as the party's Delhi chief in presence of a large gathering of workers and senior leaders.

However, the celebrations were marred as controversy erupted over the presence of Jagdish Tytler, an accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, at the event.

Three new working presidents -- Devender Yadav, Haroon Yusuf and Rajesh Lilothia -- also took charge along with Dikshit.

Balrampur (UP), Jan 16 (PTI) A 60-year-old woman died and another was injured Tuesday as they fell from a terrace after being attacked by monkeys in Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur district, police said.

The incident took place in the district's Mathura Bazar area, they said.

Savitri Devi was sitting on the terrace with her daughter-in-law Renu when monkeys attacked them, police said.

As they rushed to save themselves, both fell from the terrace, they said.

Savitri Devi died on the spot while Renu suffered serious injuries and was rushed to a hospital.

Alipurduar, Jan 16 (PTI) A leopard snatched away a three-year-old girl from her mother's lap after entering their home at a tea garden in West Bengal's Alipurduar district, officials said Wednesday.

Parts of her body were found scattered in the Garganda tea garden in Madarihat area of the district this morning.

The leopard sneaked into the house in the labour line on Tuesday night and grabbed Pranita, who was on her mother's lap, the officials said.

KANPUR: Two cousin sisters aged 15 and 16 years respectively were abducted and raped allegedly by as many as four ruffians in Wazidpur of Jajmau area under Chakeri police station late night on Monday. Their medical was conducted and a report was dispatched to the forensic lab. The first information report was also registered under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code including 376 and POCSO Act. The investigation was underway, said Ajay Seth, Inspector Chakeri.

KANPUR: Despite the directives for better arrangements by the Health Department, the reality appears far different from the claims. The swine flu patients’ needs are secondary if we look at the required preparations to deal with the tough situation at all. Though one lone case of the swine flu has been recognized in the city, the infected patient was not admitted at the medical college isolation ward for treatment. 

New Delhi, Jan 15; PTI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would hear a plea by Zakia Jafri, challenging the SIT's clean chit to then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in connection with the 2002 Godhra riots, after four weeks.

Zakia, the wife of ex-MP Ehsan Jafri who was one of the 68 killed in Ahmedabad's Gulberg society, has challenged the Gujarat High Court's October 5, 2017 order rejecting her plea against the SIT's decision.

The matter came up for hearing before a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Ajay Rastogi.

New Delhi, January 15; GANASHAKTI: The Centre of Indian Trade Unions extends full support and solidarity to the three days’ strike on 23-25 January 2019 in all defence-production units and service centres by all the three employees’ federations representing employees working in the defence production units and service centres and workshops spread throughout the country.

New Delhi, Jan 15; PTI: Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, terming the appointment of M Nageswara Rao as the CBI's interim director "illegal" and demanding that a meeting of the selection committee be convened immediately to appoint a new chief of the probe agency.

Kharge, who is part of the prime minister-headed three-member panel that removed Alok Verma as CBI chief, alleged that the government is scared of CBI led by an "independent" director.