Surat court suspends Rahul Gandhi’s sentence, grants bail; next hearing on April 13
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The Surat Sessions Court suspended the sentence awarded to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the criminal defamation case over his remark “why all thieves share the Modi surname” in which he was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment by the magisterial court. The court supended Mr. Gandhi’s sentence till the disposal of his appeal. Earlier, after arriving from Delhi, Mr. Gandhi moved an appeal in the Surat Sessions Court challenging his conviction.
EAM Jaishankar receives Bhutan King at Delhi airport
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Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on April 3 began his two-day trip to India with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar receiving him at the airport here, reflecting the importance New Delhi has attached to the visit.The King will hold talks with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 4. Bhutan is a strategically important country for India and the defence and security ties between the two sides have witnessed significant expansion in the last few years.
Communal violence continues in Bihar’s Nalanda and Rohtas districts; 173 arrested
Communal violence continued to create unrest in Nalanda and Rohtas districts as another alleged blast occurred in Sasaram on Monday morning. While the police claimed it to be the sound from firecrackers, locals insisted there had been a bomb blast. According to the police, 130 persons have been arrested in Biharsharif and 43 persons have been arrested in Sasaram. First Information Reports (FIR) have been lodged in Biharsharif (15 FIRs) and Sasaram (three FIRs).
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Delhi excise scam: Court extends Manish Sisodia’s judicial custody till April 17
A designated CBI court on April 3, 2023 extended the judicial custody of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia till April 17 in the Delhi excise scam case. The federal agency told the court the investigation is at a crucial stage in the corruption case linked to the "scam". Mr. Sisodia was arrested for alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped liquor policy for 2021-22.
Chennai Police arrest Kalakshetra professor facing sexual harassment charges
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The city police has arrested Hari Padman, an assistant professor of Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts operating under the Kalakshetra Foundation. Police said a criminal case was booked against him on a sexual harassment complaint from a former woman student of the institution. Last week, the students of the Kalakshetra Foundation carried out protests demanding the dismissal of four staff members, who have been accused of inappropriate behaviour and sexual abuse.
Indore temple tragedy: Drive launched to remove encroachments from religious complex, idols shifted
Four days after the stepwell roof collapse at a temple in Indore claimed 36 lives, the local administration on Monday morning launched a drive to remove encroachments from the religious complex and moved the idols of deities to another shrine. The operation was launched at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple complex in Patel Nagar area, Indore, in Madhya Pradesh in the presence of heavy police security and barricades were placed on roads leading to the temple, officials said.
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Kiran Nadar conferred with France’s highest civilian award
Philanthropist and art collector Kiran Nadar was recently conferred “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain. The highest French civilian award comes in recognition of Ms. Nadar’s outstanding contribution in the field of art, her commitment to providing greater access to culture both nationally and internationally, and her leading role in fostering Indo-French cultural ties.
CBI’s key responsibility is to free India from corruption, says PM Modi
Corruption is the biggest roadblock to democracy and justice and the CBI’s key responsibility is to free India from it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on April 3, 2023. Addressing a gathering at the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Prime Minister stressed that his government does not lack the political will to fight corruption. The desire of the country and its citizens, he added, is that no corrupt person should be spared.
Manufacturing PMI at three-month high in March: S&P Global PMI
New orders and production levels surged to a three-month high in March even as input cost inflation for manufacturing firms slipped to the second-lowest mark in two-and-a-half years, as per the S&P Global India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). The seasonally adjusted PMI reading moved up from 55.3 in February to 56.4 in March, signalling the strongest improvement in operating conditions in 2023 so far.
Twitter blurs difference between free and paid verified accounts
Twitter has stopped differentiating between user accounts that were verified for free, and accounts that paid for blue tick verification after Elon Musk’s takeover of the platform in late 2022. Twitter had announced that it would begin taking away free blue ticks from April 1 unless users subscribed to Twitter Blue. However, several legacy verified accounts noted that they still had their blue ticks on April 1.
Police recover arms, explosives from package suspected to be dropped by drone in J&K’s Samba
A consignment of arms and ammunition, suspected to be dropped by using a drone, was recovered in Rakh Barutia village of Vijaypur in Samba district, the J&K police said. The package — found early on Monday near the railway line in Rakh Barotiya — contained, among others, three China-made pistols and grenades, they said. According to past modus operandi, the police suspect that the package was dropped by a drone from across the border.
Russia to place nuclear weapons near Belarus’ borders with NATO
Russia will move its tactical nuclear weapons close to the western borders of Belarus, the Russian envoy to Minsk said on Sunday, placing them at NATO’s threshold in a move likely to further escalate Moscow’s standoff with the West. The weapons “will be moved to the western border of our union state and will increase the possibilities to ensure security,” Russian ambassador to Belarus, Boris Gryzlov, told Belarusian state television.
IPL 2023 | RCB do play consistent cricket, it’s just about staying focused: Virat Kohli
Ecstatic after their emphatic win over five-time champions Mumbai Indians in their IPL opener, Royal Challengers Bangalore's batting mainstay Virat Kohli on Sunday hoped that the team will keep the focus and execute things properly to maintain the momentum. Kohli (82 not out off 49 balls) and skipper Faf du Plesiss (73 off 43 balls) struck fiery fifties to fire RCB to an eight-wicket win over Mumbai Indians on Sunday.