Kerala

Kannur, Dec 5 (PTI) Five people have been arrested in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 15-year-old school girl by several people over different days at various places in Kannur district after enticing her through social media, the police said Wednesday.

The tenth standard girl was taken to a lodge at Parasinikadavu, a temple town on the banks of Valapattnam river in the district and allegedly sexually assaulted by four of the accused on November 19.

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 29 (PTI) Three Bodo militants were taken into custody from Kunnathanadu in Kochi early Thursday, police said.

The three cadres of the banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) were residing near Aluva in Kochi and working in a factory at Mannoor near Aluva, police added.

They were picked up following information from the Assam Police.

The accused have cases against them under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 120 B (criminal conspiracy to commit offence punishable with death), among others.

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 29 (PTI) Kerala, which suffered a loss of Rs 31,000 crore during the floods in August, Thursday wanted the Centre to expedite the promised assistance to enable it to rebuild the state.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state had received only Rs 2,683.18 Crore in its Distress Relief Fund and was finding it difficult to cobble resources for the 're-build Kerala initiative.'

He said the state has to pay Rs 290 crore to the Centre towards the rations received and rescue assistance provided during the floods.

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 29 (PTI) The BJP, which has been spearheading the agitation against the entry of young women at Sabarimala, Thursday announced its decision to shift its protest from the temple complex to the state capital to intensify its stir.

The announcement comes two days after the Kerala High Court ordered that no protests or demonstrations should be held at Sabarimala, holding that it was not a place for such activities.

Thiruvananthapuram,Oct 31 (PTI) Congress leader Shashi Tharoor Wednesday wanted to know why BJP had not built a bigger statue for Mahatma Gandhi while they erected a 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, his disciple.

Addressing a function at the district congress committee office here, the Congress leader said there was no such gigantic statue for RPT for RPT Mahatma Gandhi in the country.

Kochi,Oct 29 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Monday accused BJP president Amit Shah of trying to destabilise the left government on Sabarimala issue and said the soil of the southern state was not the right place for executing his plans.

Vijayan said the CPI(M)-led LDF government would not let anyone convert Sabarimala temple into a centre of unrest.

"Heard that Shah has done certain things in certain places.

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 28 (PTI) The BJP in Kerala Sunday announced a 'Rath Yatra' to save the customs and traditions of Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, intensifying the agitation against the entry of all women into the shrine, a day after its Chief Amit Shah extended the party's support to devotees.

The yatra under the auspices of NDA would begin on November 8 from Kasargod and culminate at Pathanamthitta on November 13, BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai told reporters here.

Thiruvananthapuram/Kottayam, Oct 25 (PTI) Cracking the whip, Police have arrested 1400 people, who took part in demonstrations across Kerala against entry of women in the 10-50 age group into the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala.

State police chief Loknath Behera Thursday said the arrests were made in the last two days and 440 cases registered in connection with violent incidents following the supreme court verdict allowing women of menstrual age to offer prayers at the hill temple.

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 23; PTI: Kerala Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan Tuesday attacked the BJP and RSS for the violent agitation at the Lord Ayyappa temple complex in Sabarimala over the entry of women of all ages into the hill shrine.

The agitation was a "planned and deliberate attempt" to create an atmosphere of tension in the state, Vijayan told reporters here.

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 22 (PTI) Accusing the Centre of discriminating against Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Monday said denying permission to ministers from the state to go abroad for raising funds for flood relief works was the latest example of its bias.

Denying permission to the ministers and other stands taken by the Centre regarding flood relief works could only be seen as "moves" against Kerala, Vijayan, who returned early Monday morning after a five-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), told reporters here.