LIVE news updates:Punjab & Haryana HC to hear victim’s father in Kathua rape-murder case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court will Thursday hear the plea of the father of the girl who was raped and murdered in J&K's Kathua last year, seeking enhancement of the sentence pronounced by a trial court and challenging the acquittal of one of the accused.

In his petition filed on July 10, the eight-year-old girl's father had sought enhancement of the punishment for the six men convicted in the case that triggered outrage nationwide.

“The bench headed by Justice Rajiv Sharma will hear the matter on Thursday,” petitioner's counsel Utsav Bains said.

The girl's father had pleaded that the sentence pronounced on three of the convicts should be increased from life imprisonment to capital punishment.

More than 80 terrorist attacks against Indian armed forces have taken place in less than two years despite strict security guidelines having been issued for defence installations across the country in the wake of the 2016 Pathankot attack.

In order to counter incidents like the Pathankot attack, the Defence Ministry had in March 2017 issued a set of concrete measures to ensure safety of armed forces vide the guidelines for security of defence installations. These guidelines are based on recommendations of a panel headed by former Army Vice Chief Lieutenant General Philip Campose (Retired), formed to examine the Pathankot attack.

As per a written reply in Parliament by the Defence Ministry on Wednesday, militants have carried out 83 attacks against the armed forces from 2018 till July 2019.

Senior Advocate and Congress leader Dr Abhishek Manu Singvi raised the issue of Centre not filing appeal against the acquittal of all accused by a Special NIA Court in the Samjauta blasts case in Rajya Sabha

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to expand his council of ministers soon, sources said on Wednesday.

BJP sources said talks on ministerial expansion have gained momentum after the appointment of Swatantra Dev Singh as the new chief of party's Uttar Pradesh unit.

Adityanath was in Delhi two days ago and during his stay in the national capital, he took part in a meeting held at Home Minister Amit Shah's residence.

A Delhi court on July 17 examined two more witnesses in connection with the defamation complaint filed by former Union Minister MJ Akbar against journalist PriyaRamani after she levelled sexual harassment charges against him

The Gurugram Police have arrested four criminals wanted in several cases after an encounter near Tek Chand Nagar on the Dwarka Expressway.

Three of the four criminals were injured in the exchange of fire that took place around 11 pm on Tuesday, the police said on Wednesday. They have been identified as Lokesh, Pradeep, Neeraj and Jagbeer.

"The crime branch had received a tip-off about them coming to the DLF area to commit a crime. A trap was laid. When spotted, the criminals travelling in Mahindra XUV 500, were asked to stop. But they tried to escape," said a senior police officer.

A college student has allegedly been raped by a school teacher in a forest in Odisha's Sambalpur district, the police said on Wednesday

The girl lodged a complaint at the Kuchinda police station, accusing the teacher of raping her in a forest in the area.

The incident occurred on July 11 when the girl was going to her college. However, the matter came to light on Wednesday after the girl lodged a complaint after finding out that a video of the alleged incident was doing the rounds on social media.

Congress slams government for farmer suicides and the failure of PM-KISAN Scheme

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has been on a spares buying spree for almost its entire fleet, from fighters, transporters to helicopters.

Several bids have been invited from the vendors for spares which will go into the maintenance of ageing Mig-21s, newer Mirage-2000s and Su-30s apart from An-32 and IL-76 transporters and Mi-17 helicopters. The spare supply lines of some of these platforms had faced problems.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has recently admitted in the Parliament that one of the reasons for slow upgrade of An-32 fleet has been the procurement of spares which was hampered because of strained relations between Russia and Ukraine, the two sources. The spares are being procured after the easing of tension with Pakistan.

Delhi woke up to a cool and pleasant morning on Wednesday as overnight rain brought the mercury levels down, providing much-needed relief to the people even as it threw the traffic out of gear due to water-logging.

Delhi received 21.6 mm rainfall since Tuesday evening, which led to water-logging in several parts of the city. It also led to traffic congestion on major arteries during busy office hours on Wednesday morning.

According to the traffic police, water-logging occurred in Ashok Vihar, Sangam Vihar, Mahipalpur, Mehrauli, Karol Baug and Munirka, among other areas.

ICJ rules in favour of #India on merits, affirming Jadhav’s right to consular access and notification. The Court has directed Pakistan to provide effective review and reconsideration of conviction and sentences

Delhi Police arrested an inebriated couple for creating a ruckus and misbehaving with traffic police personnel here after they were stopped for violating traffic rules, a police officer said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred on Tuesday when a PCR call was made about a woman at Lajwanti Garden crossing who was misbehaving with traffic police personnel.

"Additional SHO of Mayapuri along with his team reached the spot and found a woman, Madhuri, who was a pillion rider on a scooty was creating a ruckus and misbehaving with traffic staff," Additional PRO of Delhi Police Anil Mittal said.

Congress General Secretary UP east Priyanka Gandhi expressed concern over the rising crime in UP.

She said in a tweet: “the criminals have become so bold that the a phase of broad day light murders continues unabated in the state.

The murder of 9 Gond tribals including 3 women in Umbha village of Sonbhadra has shocked people.

Administration, the state CM all are sleeping. Is this how UP will become a crime free state?”

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said that the time has come to bring an All India Judicial Service to recruit judges in the subordinate courts on the basis of merit and preferably from the backward classes, enabling them to access their due share in the judiciary.

Prasad was speaking at the inauguration of the new Additional Building Complex of the Supreme Court.

Prasad said that the Union Cabinet on Wednesday decided to repeal 58 more archaic laws. More than 1500 such laws have been repealed under the NDA government, he added.

At least three Turkish diplomats were shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Wednesday in the Iraqi city of Erbil, media reports said.

Unidentified gunmen opened fire at a restaurant where the diplomats were dinning, sources said.

Authorities have locked down the area of the crime scene, the Daily Sabah reporte

Samson D'Souza, a beach shack worker, accused in the case of sexual assault and subsequent death of British teenager Scarlett Keeling in 2008, was held guilty of all charges including her homicide by the Bombay High Court in Goa on Wednesday.

The other accused Placido Carvalho has been acquitted of all charges.

Casualties reported after firing between two groups over a land dispute in Ghorawal today; District Magistrate Ankit Kumar Agarwal says, "We can't tell exact numbers as of now. 9 persons brought to District Hospital

CM Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the inciden and expressed condolences to family of deceased; directed DM to provide immediate medical attention to injured. He also directed DGP to personally monitor the case & ensure effective action

Residents of flood-affected Nargadda and Sanjhli villages in Bihar are yet to receive aid from the government

BJP has expelled Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion for 6 years, he was already suspended from the party. He was seen brandishing guns in a recent viral video.

Two persons were killed and another injured on Wednesday when a truck loaded with potatoes rammed into an ATM booth in Jammu and Kashmir's Jammu city.

Police said that the incident happened in the Channi Himmat area in Jammu city on Wednesday.

"The driver and the helper of the truck were killed while an ATM guard was injured in this accident", police said.

Five people have been arrested for allegedly slaughtering stray cows and 60 kg meat has been seized from their possession in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district, officials said Wednesday.

The men, Imran, Irshad, Asif, Aleem and Momin, were arrested after police raided a forested area near Burtada village following a tip off, they said.

Police also seized 60 kg meat which they suspect is beef.

A 12-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide after a fight with her family members in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, police said Wednesday.

The girl hanged herself from a ceiling fan at her home in Janakpuri area of the city on Tuesday evening, they said.

The body has been sent for the postmortem and an investigation is underway, police said.

Congress members from Assam and Bihar criticised the Union government in Lok Sabha on Wednesday over its handling of floods in Assam and Bihar, a charge refuted by the ruling BJP.

Gourav Gogoi of the Congress asked the Centre to declare floods in Assam a national disaster and said 15 persons have been killed and over 43 lakh displaced by the natural calamity.

Mohammad Jawed of the Congress said the Centre had extended no help to flood victims in Bihar. People have been forced to eat rats, he said

Two persons have been arrested for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl at her house in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, police said Wednesday.

Mohammad Iqbal and Babu Din, both from Sadrota-Lohai Malhar village, were arrested on Tuesday after the girl's father lodged a complaint alleging that the duo had raped his daughter last week while she was alone at home, a police official said.

The Centre will identify illegal immigrants staying in any part of the country and deport them as per international law, Home Minister Amit Shah said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The minister was replying to a supplementary query by Samajwadi Party member Javed Ali Khan on whether the National Register of Citizens will be implemented in other states as well.

Currently, the NRC is being updated under the strict monitoring of the Supreme Court in Assam and July 31 has been set as a deadline for final publication of the registered data.

Veteran Bengali actor Swarup Dutta, who appeared in films such as 'Sagina Mahato' and 'Apanjan' directed by Tapan Sinha, died at a city hospital on Wednesday, hospital official said.

Dutta, who was admitted to the hospital with symptomns of stroke on Saturday, died at 6.10 am, a spokesman of the hospital said.

Dutta was 78 and survived by wife and son. His son, Sharan Dutta, is also an actor.

The information was sought by a senior police officer of the Special Branch, which is the intelligence wing of the Bihar police and which briefs CM Nitish Kumar on sensitive issues

Two policemen have been suspended and a person arrested in connection with the demolition of a madrasa's boundary wall in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur district, officials said Wednesday.

Following rumours that beef has been recovered in Behta village under Bindki police station area of the district, a madrasa was attacked and its boundary wall demolished on Tuesday, according to police.

Superintendent of Police Ramesh said prima facie police negligence has been found in the incident.

Station House Officer of Bindki Kotwali, Tej Bahadur Singh, and police outpost in-charge, Sub Inspector Umesh Patel have been suspended, he said.

Founding PDP member Mohammed Khalil Bandh on Wednesday resigned from the primary membership of the party, saying it had "unpended" after the death of former chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.

In a setback to the PDP, the former Jammu and Kashmir minister said in his letter that it was not worth continuing when the basic and founding principles of the party had been compromised.

The letter, a copy of which is with PTI, is addressed to party president Mehbooba Mufti.

Four Kerala Students Union (KSU) activists on Wednesday breached the fencing of the state Secretariat even as a Cabinet meeting was underway in a bid to mark their protest against the killing of a fellow student at the University College here.

The KSU activists were protesting in front of the Secretariat, demanding a judicial probe into developments that have taken place after the incident, when the four jumped the fence of the Secretariat building and tried to reach the ground floor of the Assembly building.

Three of them were taken into custody before they reached the entrance, while a woman activist managed to reach the entrance and shouted slogans demanding Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to announce a judicial probe.

One terrorist killed in an encounter in Gund Brath village in Sopore

Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court decision, giving him the freedom to decide on the resignations of rebel MLAs, and said he would conduct himself responsibly in accordance with the principles of the Constitution.

I will take a decision that in no way will go contrary to the Constitution, the Court and the Lokpal, says Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar

Supreme Court in its order says, "the Karnataka Speaker cannot be forced to take a decision within a time frame."

Imperative to maintain Constitutional balance, Supreme Court passes interim order. Speaker to decide on resignation of 15 MLAs within appropriate time frame. 15 MLAs cannot be compelled to participate in proceedings of Assembly till Speaker decides, says Supreme Court

Five pilgrims were injured as a glacier broke off and collapsed on way to the Shrikhand Mahadev shrine in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district, the police said Wednesday.

The 'yatra' to the shrine has been temporarily stopped.Considered tougher than the Amarnath pilgrimage, the ten-day Shrikhand Mahadev yatra had begun on July 15.

“At 7:30 am, security force arrived at his residence. A team of CBI is also present. The premises has been sealed, no one from outside is being allowed to go in. We don't have detailed information yet,” said Lawyer of former Samajwadi Party MP Atiq Ahmed.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has already registered a case against the former Samajwadi Party MP from Uttar Pradesh on charges of abduction and assault of real estate dealer Mohit Jaiswal in December 2018.

Pakistani team headed by the Attorney General has reached The Hague, in Netherlands to hear the verdict in Kulbhushan Jadhav's case. The team also includes Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal. (Pakistan Media)

Police & Rapid Action Force (RAF) conduct a raid at the residence & official premises of former Samajwadi Party MP, Atiq Ahmed.

District Commissioner announces yellow alert (heavy rain) in Kodagu, Karnataka, for the next 5 days (18-22 July).

Fire broke out in SBI building on Sansad Marg, on Wednesday. Total 12 fire tenders were rushed to the spot and fire was brought under control by 8.30 am.

Bodies of two minors recovered from under debris at Kesarbhai building collapse site in Mumbai

Exchange of fire between security forces & terrorists in Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir. Area under cordon.

Death toll rises to 14 in the Kesarbhai building collapse incident, says National Disaster Response Force