India

NEW DELHI, Sept 14 (Reuters) - India is concerned about a U.S. decision to provide a sustenance package for Pakistan's fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft, the Indian defence minister told his U.S. counterpart on Wednesday.

The U.S.-built aircraft are a critical part of the military arsenal of Pakistan, whose arch-rival India worries that the fleet could be used against it by its neighbour.

New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) The wholesale price-based inflation eased for the third consecutive month in August to 12.41 per cent, on softening in prices of manufactured items, even as food items saw an uptick.

The Wholesale Price Index-based inflation was 13.93 per cent in July and 11.64 per cent in August last year.

August is the 17th consecutive month of double-digit wholesale price inflation (WPI).

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 14 (PTI) With the process for electing the new Congress president round the corner, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh has batted for "consensus" in selecting the new AICC chief and sought to uphold the "prominence" of the Nehru-Gandhi family in the organisational matters in any sort of emerging situation.

MUMBAI, Sept 12 (Reuters) - An Indian court on Monday agreed to hear a petition by a group of Hindu women for the right to worship in a mosque they believe was the site of a Hindu temple, rejecting a Muslim plea to throw out the petition.

The Gyanvapi mosque in the northern Hindu holy city of Varanasi has become the latest potential flashpoint between India's majority Hindu community and its Muslim minority, which makes up some 13% of the country's 1.4 billion population.

Ayodhya (UP), Sep 12 (PTI) An estimated cost of Rs 1,800 crore will be incurred to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya, officials of the trust responsible for the construction of the structure has said.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, formed on the Supreme Court's orders for the construction of the temple, approved its rules and manual after a marathon meeting here on Sunday.

Chitrakoot (UP), Sep 11 (PTI) A youth was arrested for allegedly raping a four-year-old girl in a village in the Mau area here, police said on Sunday.

Senior Sub Inspector, Mau police station, Kamlesh Kumar said the incident took place on Saturday when Akhilesh Pasi (21) lured the girl by offering her biscuits and took her to his house and raped her.

The accused later fled from the spot.

After registering the FIR, the accused was arrested and the girl has been sent for a medical examination.

Gurugram, Sep 11 (PTI) Police on Sunday said they have rescued two girls who were "kidnapped" from Bhondsi area here and arrested three people, including the mother of one of the girls.

The arrested are identified as Rinki Tiwari (35) and her associates Sagar and Vikas alias Suraj.

Pilibhit (UP), Sep 11 (PTI) A Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped and set on fire by two men here, police said on Saturday.

The 16-year-old girl is undergoing treatment at the district hospital and is in a "serious condition", Superintendent of Police Dinesh Kumar Prabhu said.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident, police said, adding the accused first raped the girl and then tried to kill her by setting her afire after pouring diesel on her.

Ahmedabad, Sep 12 (PTI) Aam Aadmi Party leader Isudan Gadhvi has claimed local police raided the party office in Navrangpura area of Ahmedabad as soon as AAP's national convener Arvind Kejriwal landed here, but found nothing.

However, a police official refuted the claim and said when contacted, the AAP office-bearers did not give any details about who conducted the raid and what exactly happened.