Month: April 2022

India and 57 other countries on Thursday abstained in the United Nations General Assembly on a vote with regard to the suspension of Russia from the Human Rights Council.

The resolution was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly with 93 members voting in its favour and 24 countries against it.

The US-initiated resolution expressed “grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, particularly at the reports of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation, including gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights”.

In his statement on the UNGA resolution, TS Tirumurti, India’s Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, said that since the inception of the Ukrainian conflict, India has stood for peace, dialogue, and diplomacy.

“We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives. If India has chosen any side, it is the side of peace and it is for an immediate end to violence,” he said.

“We continue to remain deeply concerned at the worsening situation and reiterate our call for end to all hostilities. When innocent human lives are at stake, diplomacy must prevail as the only viable option,” he added.

Tirumurti noted that the impact of the crisis has also been felt beyond the region with increasing food and energy costs, especially for many developing countries.

“It is in our collective interest to work constructively, both inside the United Nations and outside, towards seeking an early resolution to the conflict.”

He said recent reports of civilian killings in Bucha are deeply disturbing.

“We have unequivocally condemned these killings and support the call for an independent investigation,” Tirumurti said.

He said India has been at the forefront of protecting human rights, right from the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“We firmly believe that all decisions should be taken fully respecting due process, as all our democratic polity and structures enjoin us to do. This applies to international organisations as well, particularly the United Nations,” Tirumurti added. (ANI)

In a setback for Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the country’s Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the rejection of the no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition against his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in the National Assembly.

The court also set aside subsequent steps including the dissolution of the National Assembly and fixed 10 am on April 9 as the date for the no-confidence vote, local media reported.

According to Pakistan’s Samaa News, a bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan declared the Deputy Speaker’s ruling on the no-confidence vote unconstitutional in a unanimous judgment.

The court set aside the ruling and the steps taken after it including the dissolution of the National Assembly, the report said.

According to Geo News, Pakistan Supreme Court said the Prime Minister was bound by Constitution and “therefore, he could not advise the president to dissolve assemblies”. (ANI)

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday asked the Commissioners of Police and Senior Superintendents of Police to play a frontal role in the war against gangsters by personally conducting operations and interrogations.

In a letter addressed to the CPs and SSPs of the state, CM said that the best leaders lead by example adding that Punjab Police has a gallant tradition of professionalism and service to the nation.

CM expressed his confidence in the police force and said, “The police would rise to the occasion and make a concerted drive to eradicate the menace of ‘gangsterism’ in the state and these valiant officers as leaders of the force would play important roles.”

Referring to the law and order review meeting held on April 5, Bhagwant Mann outlined his government’s topmost focus to maintain law and order, apart from the eradication of corruption and welfare measures taken for the police force.

Earlier, on April 5 he had announced the constitution of the Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF) to eradicate gangsterism from the state. On this, CM said that the constitution of the AGTF would not reduce the responsibility and role of CPs and SSPs heading the Police Commissionerates and Districts, as both are responsible to control crime and maintain law and order in their jurisdictions.

“You will be personally held responsible for any breach of law and order in your jurisdiction as you are accountable under the law,” asserted the Chief Minister.

While the AGTF would focus on intelligence-based operations and play a coordinating role, CM expects the CPs and SSPS to launch a major thrust against gangsters by briefing the police officers under them, conducting analysis of crime data, and identifying absconding gangsters and conducting anti-gangster operations.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has also taken administrative measures towards strengthening law and order machinery across the state by posting ADGP Special Crimes and Economic Offences Wing Promod Ban as ADGP of Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF), AIG Organised Crime Control Unit (OCCU) Gurmeet Singh Chauhan as AIG AGTF and CP Ludhiana Gurpreet Singh Bhullar as DIG AGTF besides DSP Kharar Bikramjit Singh Brar has been given additional charge of DSP AGTF.

Standing Order (SO) for the functioning of AGTF laying down its role, functions and responsibilities as short term measures have already been taken. Towards punitive measures, the Police department has sought immediate analysis of 18 out of the total 19 murders that have recently taken place. The task of identification and suspension of police officials who have been negligent in handling investigations of recent murders has been assigned to the AGTF team. (ANI)

A total of 11 bills were passed by both houses of parliament during the budget session which was adjourned sine die on Thursday.

The Budget Session of Parliament, which started on January 31, was adjourned sine die on Thursday. In between Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha adjourned for recess on February 11 to reassemble on March 14 to enable Departmentally related Standing Committees to examine and report on the Demands for Grants relating to various Ministries/Departments.

The first part of the Budget Session yielded a total of 10 sittings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. In the second part of the Session, there were 17 sittings of both Houses.

Speaking about the Budget Session here today, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi stated that during the entire Budget Session, 2022 there were 27 sittings of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. The Minister underlined that the Session, which was originally scheduled to have sittings till April 8 was curtailed due to the demand of leaders of various political parties.

This being the first session of the year, the President addressed both Houses of Parliament assembled together in accordance with Article 87(1) of the Constitution on January 31.

The Union Budget for 2022- 23 was presented on February 1. General Discussion on the Union Budget was held in both Houses in the first part of the Session.

During the second part, in Lok Sabha, Demands for Grants relating to Ministries of Railways, Road Transport and Highways, Civil Aviation, Commerce and Industry and Ports, Shipping and Waterways were discussed and adopted individually.

In the Rajya Sabha the working of the Ministries of Development of North Eastern Region, Tribal Affairs, Railways and Labour and Employment were discussed. The discussion of the working of Ministry of Labour and Employment, however, remained inconclusive.

During this session a total of 13 Bills (12 in Lok Sabha and one in Rajya Sabha) were introduced. 13 Bills were passed by Lok Sabha and 11 Bills were passed by Rajya Sabha. The total number of Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament is 11.

Some of the major Bills passed by both Houses during the Session include The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022, The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2022, The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022.

The productivity of Lok Sabha during the Budget Session was approximately 129 per cent and that of Rajya Sabha was 98 per cent. (ANI)

A newly married couple was gifted bottles of petrol and diesel by their friends, recently.

A video went viral on social media, where a group of youth were seen gifting their newly married couple, a litre of petrol and diesel on their wedding day. This video from Cheyyur village of Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu has already attracted many viewers on social media.

In Tamil Nadu, the prices of petrol and diesel have increased by more than nine rupees in the last 15 days. Petrol is sold for Rs 110.85 and diesel for Rs 100.94 per litre.

Friends of the groom Grace Kumar and bride Keerthana thought of this idea. (ANI)

Actor Hina Khan is all set to portray the deglammed role of a headstrong and no-nonsense police officer in Adeeb Rais’s new series ‘Seven One’.

The series has been titled ‘Seven One’ as there are seven suspects and one person at the centre of it, the investigative officer, Radikha Shroff (Hina). Moreover, the case has been closed for seven years and she has just one day in hand to give it a whole new dimension.

Rais, who has formerly worked on the anthology ‘Kaali Peeli Tales’ and award-winning short film ‘Aunty ji’, spoke about Hina’s de-glam avatar in the series and stated that she’s “going to take everyone by a storm.”

“Her performance is real and nuanced and the look is unlike anything you’ve seen her in before. There is not an ounce of makeup or glamour. We wanted to keep the world of the series raw and real and Hina absolutely surrendered to my vision,” he said.

Talking about the series, Rais added, “I’ve been itching to do something in the crime space for some time now and I’m glad I’m foraying into the genre with ‘Seven one’. It’s not a typical Adeeb Rais series or movie but the core of it will surely appeal to everyone who looks forward to my content. Seven one’ is a crime drama at the surface level but the series is so much more than that in actuality,”

Further, Hina said the reason she was attracted to the project was that she’s “never portrayed a character of a cop.”

The actor also talked about the details of her character in the upcoming series and said, “My character Radhika Shroff is handling this high profile case where stakes are high. But she’s not a Bollywood commercial cop who would do extraordinary stunts, high drama chases or would get introduced with mega build up every time she walks into the scene.”

“She’s more reflective of how a real-life cop would be.. her ways and reactions are inspired by the real world. Her actions are the result of her responsibility so she’s not overboard but she’s very sharp and intelligent. I have always been a fan of realistic cinema and never ever miss such an opportunity,” continued the actor.

When asked what the audiences should expect from the series, Hina was quick to respond “A lot of thrill, unexpected turns, mystery, realistic cinema and character graph. What you see is not what you should believe. I’m confident that the audiences will be hooked onto this show.”

The six-episode series produced by Madmidaas Films has recently completed principal shooting. The cast of ‘Seven One’ also includes Vikram Kocchar, Ashwini Kaul, Bhuvan Arora, and Shadab Kamal among others. (ANI)

The Embassy of India and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Government of Nepal, signed three Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) for the construction of school, health post, and irrigation projects in Nepal.

An MoU was signed with Duhun Rural Municipality, Darchula, for the construction of Janabikash Secondary School; second with Naugad Rural Municipality, Darchula for the construction of Earcoat Health Post Building and third with Galchhi Rural Municipality, Dhading for Maheshfaat Irrigation Project, release from Indian Mission in Kathmandu stated.
As per the release, all the community development projects will be built under the India-Nepal Development Cooperation with the financial assistance of the Government of India at a total estimated cost of NRs.70.87 million for the construction of Janabikash Secondary School (NRs. 33.74 million); construction of Earcoat Health Post Building (NRs. 25.36 million) and Maheshfaat Irrigation Project (NRs.11.77 million) in Darchula and Dhading districts.

“As close neighbors, India and Nepal share wide-ranging & multi-sectoral cooperation. The implementation of these projects reflects the continued support of the Government of India in bolstering the efforts of the Government of Nepal in the upliftment of its people,” the release stated.

Further adding, the release claimed that the construction of these projects will provide better education facilities and better health care facilities for the locals and will help local farmers to enhance irrigated agriculture and crops production, thereby raising their livelihood and improving the economic status of the people.

Since 2003, India has taken up over 524 High Impact Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal and has completed 467 projects in the areas of health, education, drinking water, connectivity, sanitation, and creation of other public utilities across all 7 provinces of Nepal at the grassroots level.

Amongst these, 32 projects have been undertaken in Province-7 Nepal, including 6 projects in Darchula District, and 102 Projects have been undertaken in Province-3, including 3 projects in Dhading District. (ANI)

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested four persons from Mumbai for their alleged involvement in the violence in West Bengal’s Birbhum.

The arrested accused have been identified as Bappa SK alias Sal Mohamad, Sabu SK alias Sadril SK, Taj Mohammad alias Chand and Serajul SK alias Poltu.
Accused persons involved in the Bogtui carnage at Rampurhat, Birbhum district of West Bengal had absconded after the incident. CBI planned a meticulous operation, traced their hideout in Mumbai using technical and human intelligence and arrested the four accused.

These are the first arrests made in the case after the CBI took over the case on March 21 and registered an FIR into the matter following the order of the Calcutta High Court.

“The arrests were made on the basis of technical evidence. They are among 21 accused who were named in the FIR,” said a senior CBI officer.

The CBI official said that the accused persons escaped to Mumbai after the incident. A team of CBI was tracking them.

The arrested persons were produced before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court to get transit remand till April 10.

“The other accused in the case will be arrested soon. CBI teams are conducting raids to nab other accused in the case,” he added.

As many as nine people were killed in the Rampurhat area of West Bengal’s Birbhum last month after a mob allegedly set houses on fire following the killing of TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh.

According to the FIR copy in Birbhum violence, at 9.35 pm on March 21, Rampurhat Police received information that some houses of Bogtul village have caught fire and are burning.

Police reached Bogtui village at 10.05 pm and found that “eight houses and some straw heaps caught devastative fire and were burning fiercely,” said the FIR copy.

At about 10.25 pm, the fire brigade personnel of Rampurhat Fire and Emergency Services arrived at the spot with two fire tenders and started fire fighting operations. During fire fighting operations, four persons were recovered with burn injuries. They were immediately shifted to Rampurhat Medical College and Hospital. The fire was anyhow brought under control and at about 2 am the fire brigade personnel left the spot, the FIR reads.

“Due to immense heat, it was not possible to get into those burnt houses at that time. However, the search process for injured and affected persons was continued on March 22 (next day) morning at about 7.10 am, the fire brigade personnel again arrived at the village and joined in search operations,” as per the complainant’s statement in the FIR.

FIR further reads that most of the houses were completely gutted and also were found to have been ransacked. While the search operation was in progress, seven burnt dead bodies in totally charred condition were recovered from the houses. One injured person rescued from the house succumbed to her serious burn injuries during treatment at a hospital.

All the bodies were charred to death beyond recognition. The bodies were immediately shifted to Rampurhat College and Hospital for holding post-mortem examination, the FIR reads. (ANI)

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday carried out searches at 11 places in Jammu and Kashmir in connection with the Lashkar-e-Taiba / The Resistance Front (TRF) case linked to radicalisation and recruitment of youths in the Union Territory.

The agency sleuths also conducted searches at the residence of Basit Ahmad Dar against whom a bounty of Rs 10 lakh has been declared. Dar’s residence is situated in Kulgam of Jammu and Kashmir.
The places raided include six in Srinagar, two in Baramulla and one each in Avantipora, Budgam and Kulgam.

In February, the agency had also conducted raids at various places in Jammu and Kashmir regarding LeT’s attempt to spread its network by “radicalising, motivating and recruiting youths of J&K.”

The agency earlier had said that the LeT commanders Sajjad Gul, Salim Rehmani alias Abu Saad and Saifullah Sajid Jutt wanted “to incept violent activities in Jammu and Kashmir and rest of India.”

“The case relates to activities of The Resistance Front (TRF), a frontal outfit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its self-styled commander Sajjad Gul who has been actively radicalising, motivating and recruiting youth of J&K to affect violent activities,” reads the official statement.

“He, along with his other associate commanders of LeT based in Pakistan, has been recruiting individuals (Over Ground Workers) to do reconnaissance of pre-determined targets, coordinating and transporting weapons to support LeT and TRF,” it added.

During the searches conducted today, various incriminating materials such as digital devices, SIM cards, digital storage devices, documents etc. have been seized. (ANI)

Air India has suspended its twice-weekly Delhi-Moscow non-stop flight with effect from April 1, 2022. Now there is no direct connectivity between India and Russia, sources said.

“Dear fellow citizens. Please note that Air India has stopped selling tickets on the Delhi Moscow-Delhi route. The prospects for the resumption of flights remain uncertain at the moment,” Russian Embassy in India said in a Facebook post.

According to the Air India office, funds for previously purchased tickets for canceled flights can be returned to passengers in full.

In connection with the abolition by the Government of India restrictions on international air traffic, it is possible to freely use transit routes to Russia through Tashkent, Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and other available destinations, it said. (ANI)