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Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday that Arun Jaitley, who is in the United States for medical treatment, was in good health and recovering rapidly.
Jaitley, who ran the finance ministry, would not be presenting the interim budget on Feb. 1, news agency Reuters reported quoting its sources. The government has not commented on his medical condition.
Agencies
Nasheman News : Positive global markets and a strengthening rupee, with its third straight session of gains, aided the key equity indices to trade on a firm note on Friday afternoon.
The Sensex was up over 160 points and the Nifty was trading after noon just short of the 10,900 point mark.
The rupee opened at Rs 70.98 from its previous close of 71.07. It was, however, flat at 1.25 p.m.
All the sectors on the BSE traded in the green except realty, basic materials and consumer discretionary goods and services.
At 1.22 p.m., the S&P BSE Sensex traded 167.79 points up or 0.46 per cent at 36,362.89 after it opened higher.
It touched an intra-day high of 36,474.48 and a low of 36,216.41.
The broader Nifty advanced 41.30 points or 0.38 per cent at 10,891.10.
However, US-China trade tensions seemed to resurface after reports suggest that US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Washington was “miles and miles” from a trade deal with Beijing.
Financial markets across the globe have been struggling owing to the trade tensions between the world’s largest economies. This was cited as one of the reasons by the International Monetary Fund while revising the global economic growth forecast.
Stock-wise, the top gainer was Yes Bank, up 6.78 per cent after the appointment of a much-awaited new MD-cum-CEO.
Other top gainers were Bharti Airtel, HCL Tech, Sun Phrama and Axis Bank.
In contrast, Hero MotoCorp, ICICI Bank, Asian Paints, Infosys and Tata Steel were the only losers among the 30 stocks on Sensex.
Nasheman News : The CBI on Friday registered a fresh case against former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda over alleged irregularities in land allotment and carried out raids at over 30 places in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), officials said.
“Over 30 places in Delhi-NCR, including Hooda’s Delhi and Rohtak residences, were raided in connection with the alleged land allotment irregularities that took place in Haryana between 2004 and 2007,” a senior Central Bureau of Investigation officer told media here.
The raids started early on Friday morning.
Hooda was expected to address a rally in Haryana’s Jind city later Friday in support of Congress candidate Randeep Singh Surjewala.
The officer said that the agency had earlier registered a preliminary enquiry to probe into the allegations. However, it remained tightlipped on more details about the case.
The CBI had recently received a go-ahead to file a chargesheet against Hooda in connection with the case.
The former Chief Minister faces allegations of using his influence to allot a plot for Associated Journal Limited (AJL), the parent company of the National Herald newspaper.
Nasheman News : National award winning director Priyanandan was attacked by suspected right-wing activists early on Friday following his social media post on the Sabarimala issue, police said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity to IANS, a police officer attached to the Cherpu Police station confirmed the incident that occurred near Priyanandan’s home.
“He was beaten up and water mixed with cowdung was flung on him. A probe is on,” said the officer.
The person who attacked Priyanandan came forward and asked him to identify himself, the director said.
“It appears that this person was waiting for me. He came after me, hit me, poured cow dungwater on me. All this happened around 9 a.m.
“Generally I take a walk on this particular route everyday around 7 a.m., but today I got delayed. This is not a one-man attack, there are others behind this,” Priayanandan said.
The 53-year-old director, whose second film “Pulijanma” received the National Award for Best Feature Film in 2006, believes the attack came due to his recent social media post on Sabarimala where the Sangh parivar forces mounted strong protests after the Supreme Court’s September 28 verdict that opened the temple to women of all ages.
He had later withdrawn the post after protests on social media over his position against the Sangh parivar forces.
Condemning the attack, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said such attacks would not be tolerated as it was a direct attack on freedom of expression.
“This unholy act has taken place just because he made his point of view in the social media. Soon after his post came, he was under cyber attack. This will not be tolerated and appropriate action would be taken,” said Vijayan.
Priyanandan, a known fellow-traveler of the Left, began his film career as an assistant under directors K. R. Mohanan, P.T. Kunju Muhammed.
In 2001, he directed his first feature film and till date he has seven films and numerous documentaries to his credit.
Nasheman News : As Facebook turns 15 next month, its Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has once again defended the social media giant, saying the company is not selling its users’ data to anyone.
“We don’t sell people’s data, even though it’s often reported that we do,” he wrote in an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
“Clickbait and other junk may drive engagement in the near term, but it would be foolish for us to show this intentionally, because it’s not what people want,” he added.
The 1,000-word defence came after Facebook faced intense scrutiny over how it handled data of over two billion users amid several data scandals in recent years.
“Based on what pages people like, what they click on, and other signals, we create categories and then charge advertisers to show ads in that category,” he said.
“You have control over what information we use to show you ads, and you can block any advertiser from reaching you,” the Facebook CEO added.
In December, the social media giant said it never allowed its partners to access users’ private messages without their permission, after a New York Times report claimed that Facebook allowed large technology companies and popular apps like Netflix or Spotify to access its users’ personal information.
Zuckerberg said people “consistently tell us they don’t want to see this content”.
“Advertisers don’t want their brands anywhere near it. The only reason bad content remains is because the people and artificial-intelligence systems we use to review it are not perfect — and not because we have an incentive to ignore it. Our systems are still evolving and improving,” he added.
On collecting personal data, the CEO said: “There’s no question that we collect some information for ads but that information is generally important for security and operating our services as well.”
Facebook had said it never gave large tech companies access to people’s data without their permission as its integration partners “had to get authorisation from people”.
Nasheman News : In a significant development, the CBI on Thursday lodged an FIR against former ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar and industrialist V.N. Dhoot besides four companies, and raided four locations in Maharashtra in connection with a Rs 3,250-crore loan involving the Videocon Group and the ICICI Bank, informed sources said here.
The raids were conducted after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR on Tuesday naming former ICICI Bank MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar, her husband and NuPower Renewables Pvt Ltd MD Deepak Kochhar, and Videocon Group MD Dhoot, and others in the case dating back to 2009-2012.
Interestingly, Chanda Kochhar’s role in the alleged irregularities committed has been highlighted in the CBI’s FIR ever since she assumed charge as the ICICI Bank MD and CEO on May 1, 2009.
Besides, four companies have also been named in the CBI FIR: NuPower Renewables Pvt Ltd (NRL), Supreme Energy Pvt Ltd (SEPL), Videocon International Electronics Ltd (VIEL) and Videocon Industries Ltd (VIL).
According to the FIR, they have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act as the accused allegedly “sanctioned loans to private companies in a criminal conspiracy with other accused to cheat ICICI Bank”.
The FIR comes in the wake of a preliminary enquiry (PE) instituted on March 31, 2018, against Deepak Kochhar, Videocon Group officials and others to determine whether any wrongdoing was involved in the sanctioning of loan by the ICICI Bank as part of a consortium, a senior CBI official said.
The raids were carried out simultaneously at the offices of the four companies in south Mumbai and one location belonging to Videocon in Aurangabad.
The Bureau initiated the PE after news reports raised questions about Videocon’s Dhoot allegedly providing crores to a firm promoted by Deepak Kochhar and a few relatives six months after the former’s Group received the Rs 3,250-crore loan.
The CBI probe said that a complaint was received regarding the Rs 3,250-crore loan to five of Dhoot’s companies by the ICICI Bank violating banking norms and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines.
As part of a quid pro quo, Dhoot invested Rs 64 crore in NRL and SEPL and also transferred SEPL to Deepak Kochhar’s Pinnacle Energy Trust through a circuitous route between 2010 and 2012.
Between June 2009 and October 2011, the ICICI Bank also sanctioned six high-value loans to different Videocon Group companies and on August 28, 2009, Rs 300 crore was sanctioned to VIEL in contravention of various rules, with Chanda Kochhar being part of the loan sanctioning committee.
She has been charged with criminal conspiracy to cheat the ICICI Bank, abusing her position. The loan was disbursed to VIEL on September 7.
The very next day, on September 8, 2009, through SEPL, VIEL transferred Rs 64 crore to Deepak Kochhar’s NRL by which it (NRL) acquired its first power plant.
“Thus, Chanda Kochhar got illegal gratification through her husband from VIL and Dhoot, for sanctioning Rs 300 crore to VIEL,” the CBI complaint said.
The CBI has also detailed the manipulations how the NRL and SEPL’s control was handed over to Deepak Kochhar, where the subsequent alleged frauds were committed.
In violation of several norms, the ICICI Bank also sanctioned various loans to Videocon Group companies which was utilised by them to repay their unsecured loans taken from VIL, while VIL took a loan to refinance its existing loans.
The loan sanction committees had ICICI Bank’s senior officials like Sandeep Bakshi, K. Ramkumar, Sonjoy Chatterjee, N.S. Kannan, Zarin Daruwala, Rajiv Sabharwal, K.V. Kamath and Homi Khusrokhan.
“These loans have turned NPAs resulting in wrongful losses to the ICICI Bank, and wrongful gains to the borrower/ accused persons. The role of these senior officials of the sanctioning committees may also be investigated,” said the CBI FIR.
It added that the ICICI Bank had released the security of Rs 50 crore in the form of FDR available for two of the borrowing (Dhoot) companies “without any justification”.
After Chanda Kochhar took charge at the bank’s helm, the credit limits and loans were sanctioned to Videocon Group companies, with her as part of the sanctioning committees.
Following the controversy over the alleged “conflict of interests” and “non-disclosure” in the loans sanctioned by the ICICI Bank, Chanda Kochhar, 56, quit her post seeking premature retirement on October 4, 2018.
Nasheman News : All-rounder Hardik Pandya and opener Lokesh Rahul, whose bans were lifted on Thursday, have been included in the squad for the series against New Zealand and India A respectively.
“Following the CoA’s decision to lift the bans on Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul, the Senior selection committee has decided to include Hardik Pandya in the squad for the series against New Zealand. KL Rahul will meanwhile join the India A squad that is playing 5 one-day games against England Lions in Thiruvananthapuram,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement.
“Hardik Pandya will be sent to New Zealand to join the team at the earliest and KL Rahul will join the India A squad to play the last 3 one-day games against England Lions,” it read.
India are 1-0 up in the five-match ODI series and the second rubber is on Saturday.
India A team will play 5 one-day games against England Lions.
Skipper Virat Kohli has been rested for the final two ODIs and the subsequent three-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series.
The Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) lifted the suspensions of Pandya and Rahul with immediate effect.
It was imposed for their objectionable comments on a television talk show.
The two players, who were sent home from the Australia tour, have already missed out on four One-Day Internationals (ODI), three against Australia and the opening match of the five-ODI series against New Zealand.
“The Committee of Administrators (CoA) had, by emails dated 11.01.2019, and in exercise of Rule 41(6) of the Constitution of BCCI, suspended Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul in view of the allegations of misconduct against them, pending adjudication of the allegations under Rule 46 of the approved BCCI Constitution,” a BCCI statement said.
“Since the adjudication of all allegations of misconduct against any cricketer registered with, inter alia, the BCCI is required to be undertaken by the BCCI Ombudsman, whose appointment is pending directions of the Supreme Court of India, the CoA is of the view that the interim suspension orders dated 11.01.2019 should be presently lifted with immediate effect.
“The above matter and decision has been taken with the concurrence of the Learned Amicus Curiae, P.S. Narasimha. In view of the above, the suspension orders dated 11.01.2019 is immediately lifted pending appointment and adjudication of the allegations by the BCCI Ombudsman,” the statement added.
When contacted by media, CoA member Diana Edulji refused to comment on the issue.
Legislators in Karnataka are constantly stirring up controversies. From drunken brawls to making embarrassing comments, we have seen it all. On Wednesday, JD(S) MLA and Minister for Tourism, Sa Ra Mahesh embarrassed the coalition government by misbehaving with a woman police officer.
The minister’s crudeness came to light after he publicly called Tumakuru Superintendent of Police Divya Gopinath a “bloody woman”. Police say that SP Divya was insulted and reduced to tears due the minister’s sense of entitlement.
On Wednesday, the funeral of the late Shivakumar Swami was being held at the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru. Ministers and politicians cutting across party lines attended the ceremony and security was beefed up. Police were instructed not to allow public pass through the barricades.
SP Divya was also a part of the security arrangements. When Minister Mahesh and two other cabinet ministers Venkatarao Nadagouda and SR Srinivas, wanted to enter the building, SP Divya stopped them and did not allow them to enter the building without checking their IDs.
Outraged at being treated like a commoner, Sa Ra Mahesh shouted at SP Divya and said, “Don’t you know who we are, you bloody lady? We are ministers!”
Insulted by the minister’s outburst for just doing her job, SP Divya was reduced to tears.
Speaking to the media, Minister Mahesh said that he had not made any mistake.
“I have not committed any mistake. The SP did not allow my colleagues and I to enter the building. We wanted to pay our respects to the seer. Police other people, like minister Gali Janaradhana Reddy to enter, but stopped cabinet ministers. As a police officer, she should know who her ministers are,” Sa Ra Mahesh added.
The video of the incident went viral on Wednesday moments after CM HD Kumaraswamy and Home Minister MB Patil praised the police for their service when the seer’s body was kept for public viewing.
In the video, Mahesh is seen arguing with SP Divya. Srinivas is then seen touching SP Divya’s cheek and later pleading with her to not make it a big issue.
BJP leaders have questioned Mahesh’s behaviour, demanding his resignation for insulting a woman officer. Sa Ra Mahesh was also trolled on social media for his behaviour.
“JDS MLA and Minister Sa. Ra. Mahesh abuses Tumakuru SP Divya. Calls the women police officer “Bloody Rascal” Women officers was spotted crying. Officer had left her unwell kid & reported to work. This is what happens when a party with 38 MLA runs the state,” the BJP’s tweet reads.
However, CM Kumaraswamy, instead of pulling up the minister, defended him, and said that he did not commit any crime.
Agencies
Pintu Kisan Sharma (40) was arrested on Wednesday for killing 53-year-old Ganesh Kolhatkar whose body parts were found flushed down the toilet of a building in Virar here, police said, according to news agency.
A man in Maharashtra killed and chopped his friend into pieces and flushed them down a toilet. But the blocked sewage system eventually led the investigators to him, police said.
Pintu Kisan Sharma (40) was arrested on Wednesday for killing 53-year-old Ganesh Kolhatkar whose body parts were found flushed down the toilet of a building in Virar here, police said, according to media.
Addressing a news conference, deputy SP Jayant Bajbale said the killing was the outcome of a dispute over financial dealings between Kolhatkar and Sharma.
Sharma used to invest in shares, while the victim was running a printing press in Mira Road, he said.
The accused had lent the victim a sum of Rs 1 lakh for his business, of which the latter had returned only Rs 40,000 to the former, Bajbale said.
Sharma had taken a flat in the building on rent. On January 15, the accused brought the victim to the flat, where a quarrel erupted between the two over the unpaid loan, he said.
During the verbal altercation, the accused pushed the victim following which he died, Bajbale said.
The accused cut the body into several pieces, pulled out the flesh and dumped them into the toilet and flushed it following which the sewage system got blocked, he said. The body parts were recovered Tuesday, Bajbale said.
Sharma was arrested under after police checked all the closed flats in the building and found foul smell emanating from the one taken on rent by him, he said.
He has been booked under IPC sections related to murder and causing disappearance of evidence of offence, the police officer said.
Agencies
A gang of five members was arrested for looting temples in the isolated areas of Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts of Karnataka. They took the help of Google maps to steal valuables worth Rs 2.9 lakh since September last year. The accused men, who are in the age group of 19-26, are not full-time burglars. They come from different professional backgrounds.
The police identified a peculiar similarity in all the reported temple robberies. Dharmendra Kumar Meena, Superintendent of Police, Chamarajanagar, while speaking to The Times of India, said that they were getting many complaints of temple robberies with a similar modus operandi. All the burgled temples were situated in the deserted areas of the district.
Reportedly, the five men had come together to conduct the robberies. A special investigation team was made to nab the accused gang. The SP said that the five-member gang had burgled nine temples in Chamarajanagar and two in Mysuru in the last five months.
During interrogation, it was revealed that the gang would look online for temples in deserted areas of the district. Since there was no festival or special occasion that would attract people to come to the temples, there were not many visitors. Hence, it was an easy task for the youths to loot the temples which were located in remote areas. When an online search for the location of these looted temples was done, the police realised that the route information was accurate. The men would also gather information about the demography of the locality.