Archives for June 2022

Thiruvananthapuram: Indian students who had to leave studies midway as they fled the Russia-Ukraine conflict will be offered admission in Russian universities without them losing out on their previous academic years, Roman Babushkin, Deputy Chief of Mission of Russian Embassy in New Delhi, said here on Sunday.

Babushkin said the students would be admitted to Russian universities where they can continue with their respective courses from where they were left off without losing out on the previous years of study.

The statement came in response to queries by reporters on the fate of the over 20,000 students who fled Ukraine after Russia invaded that country in February this year.

Ratheesh C Nair, the Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation and Director of the Russian House in Thiruvananthapuram, said in cases wherein the students held scholarships, it was possible that the same would be accepted in Russian varsities.

However, the fees being paid in Ukraine might not suffice in Russia, he hinted.

He said the students in Kerala can get in touch with the Russian House here with their marksheets and other academic records and the same would be forwarded to the Russian varsities which would get in touch with the students and their parents.

On the conflict in Ukraine, Babushkin alleged that the regime there was protecting neo-Nazis and that the war was a result of crossing of a “Lakshman Rekha” of Russia.

“It was a ‘lakshman rekha’ for Russia, a red line of red lines which was crossed by the West,” he said.

He alleged that also, western nations like the USA do not want the war to end in Ukraine as defence companies from there were benefiting from the supply of weapons to Ukraine.

He further alleged that while the USA has invested billions in setting up and supporting the regime in Ukraine, Russia never believed in such things and left it to the people to decide who should govern them.

He claimed that neither Russia nor its war with Ukraine can be blamed for the food crisis in the world as the latter’s contribution of wheat in the global market was barely one per cent.

New Delhi: A 23-year-old woman, who has accused Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi’s son Rohit Joshi of raping her, was allegedly attacked with blue ink near Kalindi Kunj Road in southeast Delhi, police said on Sunday.

The attack took place on Saturday when the woman and her mother came to Delhi from Jaipur for some work, they said, adding that an FIR has been registered.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Esha Pandey said a PCR call was received after some miscreants threw a liquid on a woman and ran away.

A preliminary enquiry revealed it was a blue liquid and looked like ink, the police said.

The victim gave a statement, saying she was walking with her mother near Kalindi Kunj Road on Saturday when two people in an auto-rickshaw threw something at her and fled.

The woman was thoroughly examined at the AIIMS Trauma Centre, Pandey said.

“The blue liquid prima facie looks like ink. In the matter, a case under section 195 A (threatening any person to give false evidence), 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at the Shaheen Bagh police station and an investigation is underway,” she added.

The DCP said police were looking for CCTV footage from the area to identify the culprits and ascertain the sequence of events.

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal accused Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of trying to shield his minister’s son.

“The woman who accused Rohit Joshi, son of Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi, of rape was attacked with some liquid by two unidentified people in Delhi…..@ashokgehlot51 sir, instead of shielding your minister’s son, arrest him. I am issuing a notice to the Delhi Police for an FIR on this attack,” she tweeted in Hindi.

In a notice issued to the Delhi Police later, the DCW sought a copy of the FIR registered in the matter, details of the accused arrested, steps taken to ensure the safety and security of the victim, and an action-taken report.

The Delhi Police on Friday questioned Rohit Joshi in connection with the rape case registered against him. This was a day after a Delhi court granted him anticipatory bail in the case.

Following the woman’s allegation that Rohit Joshi raped her on multiple occasions over a year, a case was registered against him under sections 376 (rape), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence), 312 (causing miscarriage), 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her mar riage, etc), 377 (unnatural offences) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

New Delhi: A 24-year-old man faked his kidnapping in central Delhi as his parents were allegedly against his relationship, police said on Friday.

He has been identified as Gaurav Mishra, a resident of Anand Parbat, they said, adding that he runs his own charger manufacturing unit.

On Tuesday around 11 pm, police got a call from his father that Mishra was abducted by some persons and he has been gagged and kept in a dark room at an unknown place, police said.

With the help of technical surveillance, the location of Mishra was traced near Anand Vihar bus stand. Police rushed there but he was not found and his phone was also switched off, police said.

On checking CCTVs near his manufacturing unit, Mishra was seen walking alone towards Rohtak Road, they said.

Later, his phone got switched on and the location was found to be near Anand Parbat. He was tracked down and brought to the police station, Deputy Commissioner of Police (central) Shweta Chauhan said.

He disclosed that he loves a girl of his locality and wants to marry her but his parents are against their relationship, police said.

As Mishra had given false information to parents and police and misused government machinery, appropriate legal action is being taken against him, police added.

Mangaluru: In an incident reported from KC Road in Talapady near Ullal here, an 11-year-old boy committed suicide after the hostel authorities denied his request of making a phone call to his mother to wish her on her birthday.

The deceased 9th-grade student has been identified as Poorvaj (11), a student of Sharad Vidyaniketan School here.

According to the reports, Poorvaj is a resident of Hosakote in Bengaluru and was staying in the school hostel here. On Saturday, he reportedly requested the hostel officials to allow him to make a call to wish his mother on her birthday. The request was rejected by the officials.

Upset over the move of the hostel to deny his request of making a call, Poorvaj hanged himself in his hostel room.

A case in this regard has been registered at Ullal Police Station.

New Delhi: BJP MP and former cricketer Gautam Gambhir on Sunday extended support to suspended party leader Nupur Sharma against threats to her following her insulting remarks against Prophet Mohammad, and hit out at “secular liberals” for their “silence”.

He tweeted, “Silence of so called ‘secular liberals’ on the sickening display of hatred & death threats throughout the country against a woman who has apologised is surely deafening.”

Sharma’s remarks made in a TV debate last month had drawn condemnation from many Islamic countries and sparked protests from Muslims in different parts of India.

Cuttack: South Africa outclassed India by four wickets in a one-sided second T20 International on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Batting first, India managed only 148 for six in 20 overs with Dinesh Karthik’s unbeaten 30 off 21 balls helping the hosts reach a respectable total and Shreyas Iyer’s sedate 40 off 35 balls being the saving grace at the top-order.
Anrich Nortje took two wickets while Wayne Parnell and Kagiso Rabada were economical with a wicket each.

In reply, Heinrich Klaasen’s superb 81 off 46 balls laced with seven fours and five sixes, made it a walk in the park for the Proteas as they knocked off the runs in 18.2 overs despite Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s fantastic figures of 4 for 13.

Brief Scores:

India 148/6 (Shreyas Iyer 40, Dinesh Karthik 30 not out, Ishan Kishan 34, Anrich Nortje 2/36, Kagiso Rabada 1/15).

South Africa 149/2 in 18.2 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 81, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4/13).

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP national president JP Nadda

New Delhi,: The BJP on Sunday authorised its president J P Nadda and Union minister Rajnath Singh to hold consultations with different political parties, including those in the opposition, on the president’s election, in what is being seen as an outreach by the ruling party to arrive at a consensus on the choice for the top constitutional post.

The two senior leaders will talk to both ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and opposition United Progressive Alliance (UPA) constituents, besides other political parties as well as independent members, the BJP said in a statement issued by its general secretary Arun Singh.

Nadda and Singh will start holding these consultations soon, it added.

The election for the next president will be held on July 18, in which 4,809 electors, including MPs and MLAs, will vote to elect incumbent Ram Nath Kovind’s successor.

Going by its strength in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha as well as in many state assemblies, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in a comfortable position to ensure the victory of the candidate nominated by it in the upcoming election.

Singh, who enjoys a good rapport with leaders across the political spectrum, was also part of the BJP’s committee during the 2017 presidential polls to deliberate with opposition parties.

In 2017, then BJP president Amit Shah had constituted a three-member panel of then senior Union ministers Singh, Arun Jaitley and M Venkaiah Naidu to hold talks with all the political parties over the presidential polls.

The BJP had fielded then Bihar governor Kovind as its candidate in the polls. Kovind went on to become the president after defeating opposition-backed Meira Kumar.

With relatively less numbers on its side this time, the BJP-led NDA’s nominee will require the support of one of the two fence-sitters — the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the YSR Congress Party.

In the last presidential polls, both parties had supported Kovind.

Meanwhile, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has also reached out to several opposition leaders, including Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, for the presidential polls.

Banerjee has called a meeting of opposition parties in Delhi on June 15 in the backdrop of the presidential election.

The presidential polls will be held on July 18 and the counting of votes, if needed, will be taken up on July 21.

Fatehpur (UP): A team of seven veterinary doctors was deputed for the treatment of the district magistrate’s cow here, according to an order, the copy of which surfaced on social media on Sunday.

District Magistrate Apoorva Dubey, however, described the episode as a conspiracy and said no such order was issued by her.

The order was issued on June 9 but was cancelled by the Acting Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) a day later.

The DM said the CVO’s order was issued in an arbitrary manner and the officer cancelled it when she asked him to do so.

The DM said she has complained to the Veterinary Department against the officer, whose working style has not been good in the past.

Several warnings had been issued to him in the past as well, she said.

Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik

Jaipur: Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday said the farmers’ movement is not over yet and that they will wage a “fierce battle” against the government if it does not bring a law on minimum support price (MSP).

Speaking at a Jat community programme here, Malik said he will also join the movement once he completes his term as Meghalaya governor.

Malik has targeted the government several times in the recent past over farmers’ issues.

“The farmers’ movement is not over yet, it was the dharna which ended. If a law on MSP is not made, then the farmers will wage a fierce battle against the country’s government,” Malik said.

He said only four months of his tenure as Meghalaya governor are left and he will also join the movement once he completes his term.

Malik said when the farmers were protesting against the farm laws, he went to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and told him that atrocities were being committed against them.

He claimed he suggested to the prime minister that he should settle the matter with the farmers but Modi told him that they will end the dharna on their own.

“I said that they (farmers) will go only after you (PM) are gone,” he added.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, laid siege at Delhi borders in November 2020 demanding that the Centre withdraw its three contentious farm laws. The protest ended in December 2021 after the government withdrew the farm laws.

Hitting out at the Adani Group, Malik asked Modi how the conglomerate is getting richer at a time when the common people are getting destroyed.

Malik has repeatedly made headlines for his criticism of the Modi government.

Last month, he said the government hadn’t fulfilled the promises it made to farmers in December last year.

Withdrawal of cases lodged against farmers during their agitation against the farm laws, legal guarantee on MSP and compensation to the families of farmers who died during the course of the protest were some of the protesters’ demands that the government had agreed to consider before they ended their dharna.

In January, Malik said when he went to meet Modi on the issue of farmers, the latter was “arrogant” and he had a fight with the prime minister within five minutes.

Siddhanth Kapoor

Bengaluru: Bollywood actor Siddhanth Kapoor was detained for allegedly taking drugs during a rave party in a city hotel, police said on Monday.

“It is confirmed that Bollywood actor Shakti Kapoor’s son Siddhant Kapoor took drugs. He tested positive for taking drugs in the blood test report. Hence, he has been brought to Ulsoor police station,” the Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Bheemashankar S Guled told reporters.

According to police, the rave party was on at a posh hotel on the MG Road on Sunday night when a police team raided the place and arrested them.

Besides Kapoor, five more people have been arrested, sources in the police said.

The police had unearthed drug abuse in a section of Kannada film industry in 2020. They had then arrested actors Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani and former minister late Jeevaraj Alva’s son Aditya Alva.