Morning digest: Priyanka, Akhilesh link Unnao rape case accused to BJP; Income Tax Department raids stock brokers, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day

Fraudulent trades: Income Tax Department raids stock brokers

A large number of brokers and traders have come under the scanner of the Income Tax Department for alleged non-genuine trades in the BSE’s equity and currency derivatives segment to generate artificial gains or losses to evade taxes. On December 3, the I-T Department carried out search and survey operations across 39 locations in the country, including Mumbai, Kolkata, Kanpur, Delhi and Ghaziabad.

Priyanka, Akhilesh link Unnao rape case accused to BJP

The Yogi Adityanath government in  Uttar Pradesh  on Saturday came under fire from Opposition parties over the death of the Unnao rape victim.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav linked the accused to the BJP, and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati met the Governor and submitted a memorandum, demanding action against the culprits.

India, U.S. will conclude trade talks soon, says USISPF chief

Outstanding trade issues between India and the U.S. are moving towards resolution, and the first quarter of 2020 will see both countries conclude ongoing talks, Mukesh Aghi, President and CEO of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), has said.

Family of Unnao rape victim opts for burial, memorial to be set up

The body of the Unnao rape victim, who died of burns in Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi on Friday, was brought to her village late on Saturday. The family said they would not hold a cremation, but would go for a burial, Unnao District Magistrate Devendra Pandey said. He added that a memorial to the girl would be constructed next to the memorials to her grandparents on land owned by the family.

India hires lobbying firm Cornerstone to reach out to Democrats

At a time when its legislative changes to Jammu and Kashmir’s status have been criticised by U.S. lawmakers, especially Democrats, the Government of India has hired lobbying firm Cornerstone Government Affairs, which has strong ties to the Democrat side, to represent its interests in Washington.

A day after Telangana incident, mob attacks Walayar rape accused

One of the accused in the Walayar rape and subsequent death of two siblings was attacked by a mob at Attappallam near Palakkad in Kerala on Saturday afternoon.

A group of men reportedly picked a quarrel with M. Madhu, alias Kutty Madhu, 27, one of the four accused in the case, when he came to the local market at Attappallam. Madhu apparently objected when the men called him a “rapist”. An altercation ensued and led to the assault.

BJP confident of getting Citizenship Bill passed in Rajya Sabha

The Citizenship Amendment Bill, to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday and in the Rajya Sabha the following day, is a contentious issue, but the government is confident of its numbers to ensure its passage. The 245-member Rajya Sabha has a current strength of 238, for which the majority mark is 120.

NHRC team visits Chatanpalli site, may quiz injured policemen

A team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) who came to Hyderabad on Saturday is likely to question the two police personnel who were injured in the exchange of fire with the rape and murder accused at Chatanapalli on Friday. The injured officers -- SI Venkateswarlu and constable Arvindh Goud of Nandigama police station-- will be questioned at a corporate hospital in the City where they are undergoing treatment.

Climate change behind spike in onion price every alternate year: Study

The price of onion in the country spikes every two years and this is largely triggered by a series of factors, including drought, late arrival of monsoon, floods, crop failure, and supply disruptions, according to a recent study. The current sharp spike in onion price is expected to continue till at least March next year, the study says.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservatives see lead cut: poll

Britain’s Opposition Labour party has increased its support by four points in the last week, cutting the lead held by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to 6%, according to a Savanta ComRes poll published on the Europe Elects Twitter site on Saturday.

South Asian Games: India crosses the 200-mark in medal count

India breached the 200-mark in medal count, backed by a century of gold, in the South Asian Games as the swimmers and wrestlers produced strong performances on the sixth day here on Saturday. With a whopping 49 medals, including 29 gold, on Saturday, India tally stood at 214 (110 gold, 69 silver, 35 bronze).

Chess | Praggnanandhaa wins London Classic

India’s R. Praggnanandhaa won the FIDE Open category of the London  Chess  Classic, which concluded here on Friday, with a tally of 7.5 points out of nine rounds.The 14-year-old finished joint first with Anton Smirnov of Australia, who also scored 7.5 points. In the ninth and final round that stretched to the next day, Prag drew with compatriot Sahaj Grover.

What are the laws on rape and sexual crimes?

After the rape and murder of a veterinarian in Hyderabad on November 28 and the burning of a rape survivor in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, on December 5, there has been an outcry for justice for the victims. Within and outside Parliament there has been a clamour to make the criminal justice system tougher on an offender committing sexual crimes against women and children.