Month: April 2023

Veteran actor Zeenat Aman’s latest Instagram post is all about the Indian food that she relishes and craves for even when she travels.

Taking to Instagram on Saturday, the actor posted a picture of herself in which her lal bindi stole the show. Refuting the general perception about her, the ‘Don’ actor claimed that she is ‘desi’ at heart. She began her post saying, “Clothes are not all that maketh the woman! You may associate me with ‘western glam’ but I’m as desi as they come. And nothing speaks to this as much as my diet. It doesn’t matter where I am travelling in the world, within two days I begin to crave home food and go in search of an Indian restaurant.”
She added, “Dal chawal is my staple, which as khichdi is my comfort meal. Papads and achaar are perfect accompaniments to any lunch. Dosas from Dakshinayan are my favourite indulgence. I can never say no to kaju katli. I couldn’t be happier that it’s mango season. And you can be sure that I always have a couple of jars of namkeen stashed in my bedroom. India is so magnificently diverse, I’m still discovering new dishes. Please share your favourite, local recommendations with me. P.s: I’m vegetarian.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CrC3W2LI7r9/

Zeenat’s posts are always a hit with netizens and fellow celebrities.

Manisha Koirala wrote, “Home-cooked meals are the best.. specially my mothers cooked meals!!”

Sameera Reddy complimented her saying, “Those eyes!”

Recently Karan Johar complimented Zeenat for her honest and real posts. Taking to Instagram, Karan wrote, “@thezeenataman is everything Instagram is NOT! Real… vulnerable and so damn honest!”

Ranging from various topics like nudity on the screen to parenting, privacy of celebs to dyeing hair, Zeenat has shared her insightful observations with the Insta family. Each post of hers initiated a conversation among people across age groups. (ANI)

In the last 24 hours, 1386 Covid-19 cases were reported in Delhi, according to a daily bulletin issued by the Delhi Health Department on Saturday.

While on Friday, the national capital reported 1527 COVID-19 cases and two deaths.
The positivity rate is currently at 31.9 per cent and 5 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours.

Of the five people who died, four have died due to corona, while the primary cause of death of one patient was not Covid-19 infection but Covid finding was incidental, said the bulletin.

The number of active Covid-19 infected patients in Delhi has now increased to 4631.

“A total of 1071 patients have successfully recovered from Covid. A total of 4376 tests were conducted out of which 470 were rapid antigen tests,” the health bulletin mentioned.

As per the bulletin, the case fatality stands at 1.31 per cent and the positivity rate stands at 4.91 per cent,” it mentioned.

According to the health bulletin, there are 4631 active cases of Covid-19 in the national capital.

Amid the daily spike in COVID-19 cases in the country, a health expert has advised people to wear masks and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.

Dr Sandeep Nayar, Pulmonologist, HOD, BLK Hospital said that masks should be made mandatory in crowded places.

“Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases, it is most important that people start wearing masks. One should wear a mask while going to any crowded place. Use double-layer masks in places like hospitals etc., as it is very effective in preventing infection,” Dr Nayar said, adding that the government should also issue advisories and make wearing face masks mandatory in crowded places.

“Corona cases are shooting up, patients with symptoms of sore throat, cough, cold, and fever are coming to us,” the health expert said. “We are advising the patients with such symptoms to have strict home isolation for seven days,” he added.

He said that the condition of the patients is not worrisome.

“Very few patients require hospitalization. Only patients suffering from some serious illness are required to be admitted to the hospital. Patients suffering from cancer, or other serious diseases are at greater risk from this variant and need to be extensively taken care of,” Dr Nayar said. (ANI)

In a major breakthrough amid the continuing manhunt for fugitive Khalistan leader and radical preacher Amritpal Singh, Punjab police on Saturday arrested his close aide Joga Singh from Sirhind in the Fatehgarh Sahib district.

“Punjab police arrested ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh’s main aide Joga Singh from Sirhind. He was arrested in a joint operation by Amritsar police rural and Hoshiyarpur police,” DIG Border Range Narinder Bhargav said at a press briefing on Saturday.
According to the police, Joga Singh gave Amritpal shelter, helped him escape from Delhi and then brought him back to Punjab.

“This is the person who took Amritpal from the time he was reported absconding, beyond Delhi, gave him shelter and then brought him back to Punjab. He wasn’t booked under NSA (National Security Act). He will be produced in the Hoshiarpur court. Joga Singh’s intention was to stay low in some areas of Haryana,” said Narinder Bhargav.

Earlier, the Punjab police arrested Papalpreet Singh, a close aide of the fugitive Khalistan leader and was brought to Assam’s Dibrugarh Central Jail on Tuesday.

Briefing the media on the capture of Amritpal’s close aide, Punjab’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill said Papalpreet was arrested under the National Security Act (NSA).

“Papalpreet Singh, the main associate of Amritpal Singh was arrested by Amritsar Rural Police from the Kathu Nangal area. The arrest was made under the National Security Act. Apart from being an associate of Amritpal, he was also wanted in six cases,” Gill said, adding that action against him will be taken as per the law.

Papalpreet was seen with the fugitive Khalistan leader in several photographs that surfaced after the duo escaped the dragnet cast for them by the state police.

In an unverified video on March 30, the ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief said he was not “a fugitive” and would soon “appear in front of the world”.

Further, in the video, the veracity of which could not be determined, Amritpal said those who think he ran away from his people or friends should “get that thing” out of their minds.

Earlier, on March 18, Punjab Police launched an operation against Amritpal and his aides.

The Punjab Police had earlier, expressed doubts about Amritpal entering the Delhi border using any vehicle other than a bus. Following the input, Delhi Police raised an alert and stepped up efforts to track the fugitive radical preacher.

Amritpal has been on the run since March 18, the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him.

The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpal’s supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23, demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan. (ANI)

Amid the political turmoil in Rajasthan Congress, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, in a message for Sachin Pilot, said that his “turn would never come”.

Addressing the Booth President Sankalp Sammelan of the BJP at Bharatpur in Rajasthan on Saturday, the Union Home minister said while Pilot may have contributed majorly to the party’s electoral success on the ground in the state, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has filled the party’s coffers.
Shah said, “Pilot-ji, whatever you do, your turn (to become Rajasthan CM) won’t come. Your contribution maybe more on the ground but it is Gehlot-ji who does more to fill the Congress’s coffers.”

Further hitting out at the ruling party, he said it was pointless for the Congress to be locked in a leadership tussle in the state as the BJP is poised to form the next government.

“Ashok Gehlot does not want to step down (as CM) and Sachin Pilot is fighting for the chair. However, there’s no use for the Congress to be involved in this tussle as the BJP will form the next government in the state,” claimed Shah.

“BJP will wrest back power in Rajasthan with two-thirds majority and, also, for the third time, we will win all 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state in next year’s general elections,” he added.

Invoking the paper leak case, he said despite such incidents on his watch, CM Gehlot wants to cling on to power.

“More than two dozen exam papers have been leaked in Rajasthan and Mr Gehlot still wants to be in power. Why Mr Gehlot? Do you want to score a century? The people of Rajasthan no longer want you. This government has certainly scored top marks in appeasement,” he added.

Also invoking the 2008 Jaipur bomb blast case, Shah alleged that the government is doing vote-bank politics on the victims.

Taking a swipe Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, Shah said despite the foot march, straddling several states, the party fared poorly in the recent Assembly polls in 3 Northeast states.

“Despite Rahul Gandhi doing a ‘yatra’, Congress was washed out in the Northeast in the elections held recently,” he said.

He added that Prime Minister Modi has fulfilled the aspirations of the people because of which the BJP was continuing its victory march across states.

“Modi-ji has worked to fulfill the aspirations of the people, secure the country’s borders while implementing welfare schemes for the poor. This has ensured BJP’s winning march across states,” he said.

“Today, more than 24,000 workers from four (Rajasthan) districts and 19 Assembly constituencies are present here. To all of you, I bow in respect. There was a time when the Congress used to taunt us with ‘Hum Do-Hamare Do’, as we only had 2 MPs. Today, the same Congress party do not even have the status of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

“The BJP’s popularity has been on the weight of its good work and courage of our booth workers,” he added. (ANI)

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday reacted to Arvind Kejriwal remark that cases will be filed against CBI and ED officials and asked whether the Delhi Chief Minister would also file a case againt the court if the court convicts him.

Rijiju further said that law should be allowed to take its own course.
“Forgot to mention that you will file case against Honble court also if it convicts you. Let law takes it own course & we must believe in rule of law,” Rijiju took to Twitter to post.

Kejriwal tweeted on Saturday, “We will file appropriate cases against CBI and ED officials for perjury and producing false evidence in courts.”

Addressing a press conference in the national capital today, Kejriwal said that he will be attending the questioning on Apirl 16 by CBI, after the probe agency issued him a summons a day ago in connection with the excise policy case.

Kejriwal alleged that he knew he would be next in line to be summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since the day he spoke against corruption in Delhi assembly.

“Central agencies are lying to courts against us in the liquor policy probe. Arrested people are being tortured, pressure is being created on them to nail us,” he said.

“The CBI has falsely accused Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case. People were beaten to obtain false statements. The agencies are torturing people for evidence. This was a great policy to eradicate corruption,” Kejriwal added.

He said that if Arvind Kejriwal is corrupt then “there is no one in this world who is honest”.

Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, a key aide of Kejriwal, is in jail over alleged irregularities in the excise policy case. Sisodia was arrested by ED and CBI in the ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of excise policy in Delhi. (ANI)

The investigation trail into a recent drug bust in New Zealand’s Auckland revealed that the suspect held on drug peddling charges is a relative of former prime minister Indira Gandhi’s assassin, according to sources.

New Zealand Police had in March this year conducted a raid at a local property in Manukau, a suburb of South Auckland and seized a shipment of kombucha bottles among pallets of drug-laced beer cans.
According to a report in the New Zealand Herald, the New Zealand Police said that Auckland City’s Organised Crime Unit had been investigating the shipment which resulted in a search warrant executed in Ryan Place, Manukau in early March. It said officers had identified 328kgs of methamphetamine concealed in beer cans.

A police investigation led to the arrest of one Baltej Singh, who is the nephew of Satwant Singh. Satwant Singh and fellow bodyguard Beant Singh assassinated Indira Gandhi in October 1984 in the aftermath of Operation Bluestar.

Satwant Singh’s brother and his family had relocated to New Zealand in the 1980s and set up a small grocery store in Auckland. Local gurdwaras often hailed Baltej for being the nephew of Satwant Singh.

A sudden increase in the wealth of Singhs came to the notice of people close to them. Baltej Singh’s father, who is Satwant Singh’s brother, became the proprietor of a real estate firm named Ray White. They also bought a house valued more than Rs 100 crore.

Sources told ANI that Baltej Singh is known to be one of the primary masterminds and fundraisers for anti-India and pro-Khalistan demonstrations organised in New Zealand.

Baltej Singh is currently imprisoned and is undergoing trial for drug peddling.

According to sources, the incident underscores the “criminal background and dubious motivations” of pro-Khalistan demonstrators. It also highlights the role of “overseas support in attempts to tarnish the image of a progressive India.” (ANI)

Condemning the “violent incident” at a public event in Japan’s Wakayama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he is relieved that his “friend” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is safe.

PM Modi said India condemns all acts of violence.
Kishida was on Saturday evacuated from a venue in Wakayama city, after an explosion was heard, Japan public media NHK reported. As per Japanese officials, Kishida was safe and unharmed in the incident.

“Learnt of a violent incident at a public event at Wakayama in Japan where my friend PM @Kishida230 was present. Relieved that he is safe. Praying for his continued well-being and good health. India condemns all acts of violence,” PM Modi tweeted.

One person was on Saturday arrested in connection with the incident in which Kishida was evacuated after a “smoke bomb” was thrown at him during a campaign trail in Wakayama city, CNN reported.

The man was arrested on “suspicion of forcible obstruction of business” after he threw “what appeared to be a smoke bomb” CNN said.

In a speech broadcast on Japan’s public broadcaster NHK following the attack the Japanese prime minister said police were investigating the explosion and apologized for causing concern, adding that “we are fighting an important election for our country.”

Kishida resumed campaigning activities for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party shortly after and gave a speech at the Wakayama railway station, CNN reported.

The dramatic scenes took place in the city of Wakayama, shortly after a visit by Kishida to the local Saikazaki Fishing Port. The arrested man was taken to the Wakayama West Police Station for questioning.

Officials at the Wakayama Nishi Police Station told CNN that they are unable to release any information about the suspect yet. They said more details would be announced in the future.

Video footage released by NHK shows members of the public fleeing and a man being arrested following the incident. The footage showed multiple men believed to be police officers, holding the suspect on the ground.

Other pictures showed a silver cylinder that appeared to have been thrown in Kishida’s direction, CNN reported. (ANI)

The Indian embassy in Sudan warned its citizens to stay indoors and not venture out in the wake of clashes between Sudan’s army and paramilitary forces.

The Indian embassy in Sudan tweeted, “Notice to all Indians in view of reported firings and clashes, all Indians are advised to take utmost precautions, stay indoors and stop venturing outside with immediate effect. Please also stay calm and wait for updates.”
As clashes were reported between rival factions of armed forces in Sudan, several gunshots and explosions rang out on Saturday morning in various parts of Khartoum, reported New York Times.

Many videos appeared on social media showing armed fighters driving across the runway of the city’s international airport, conducting checkpoints at crucial traffic intersections, and moving through residential areas. At the same time, heavy gunfire was audible in the background.

The skirmishes were a dire development after weeks of escalating tensions between the Sudanese Army, led by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary organisation, led by Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan. In recent days, UN officials and ambassadors from many nations have fought to keep the tensions from escalating into violence. But, those attempts seemed to fail early on Saturday as anxious locals hunkered inside their homes, as per New York Times.

Both sides have been accusing each other of starting the fight. The Rapid Support Forces, in a statement, said it first came under attack at a camp in Soba, in the south of Khartoum, by the regular army in a “sweeping attack with all kinds of heavy and light weapons.”

The military, 18 months after its coup, had promised to cede control to a civilian-led government this month. Yet, the process has been dominated by a rivalry between General al-Burhan and General Hamdan, also known as Hemeti.

The two generals have been openly criticising one another in speeches over the past few months, and they have dispatched reinforcements and armoured vehicles to oppose military camps spread around the city.

Residents’ worst fears came true on Saturday when the fighting soon extended across the Nile to Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman, where locals reported that armed men had surrounded the state broadcaster’s offices.

The flights out of the international airport, which is in central Khartoum, were cancelled, reported New York Times. (ANI)

Delhi’s Saket Court on Saturday reserved an order on the charge against Aftab Amin Poonawala accused in the Shraddha Walkar murder case. The court will pronounce the order on the charge on April 29.

The court has also sought a reply from Delhi police on an application moved by Shraddha’s father Vikas Walkar seeking the release of the bones of the deceased. He has said that the bones should be exhibited soon so that he can perform the last rituals of Shraddha within one year of her death.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Manisha Khurana Kakkar after hearing the submissions of the counsel for the accused and Delhi police reserved order on the charge.

Advocate Abhishek Bhandari argued that the accused can’t be charged together for the main offence of murder and of the destruction of evidence. This fact should be considered while framing of charge.

He also argued on the basis of the judgement of the superior court that the accused can’t be sentenced for the main offence and offence of destruction of evidence.

The accused can’t be charged for both offences together as it would prejudice his right, the counsel argued.

Advocate Seema Kushwaha moved an application on behalf of Vikas Walkar, father of Shraddha for releasing the bones of the deceased.

He has also sought early exhibit of the bones so that the bones can be released to him to perform the last rites within one year of death. Delhi police will file a reply on the next date.

The owner of the property where the offence was committed also approached the court seeking de-sealing of the said premises.

The court has asked the counsel to move a written application.

On the last date of the hearing on April 3, the court took on record the copy of the judgement filed by the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad and Madhukar Pandey.

SPP Amit Prasad had submitted that there is a clear judgement that the charge under section 201 of IPC can be framed against the person who destroys the evidence to shield the main offender as well against the person who committed the main offence.

On the earlier date, the counsel for accused Aftab had argued that the charges of murder and disappearance of evidence can’t be framed jointly. These charges can be framed alternatively. Delhi police opposed the contention and sought time to place Judgements.

Advocate Akshay Bhandari argued, “Either Aftab can be charged for murder or for disappearing the evidence. The accused can not be charged for murder and disappearance of evidence under sections 302 and 201 of IPC together.” The counsel argued that it can be framed alternatively.

He argued that the accused can be charged with the offence of murder under 302 IPC or he can be framed for the offence of shielding the main offender under section 201 IPC.

Advocate Bhandari had argued saying that Aftab being guilty of murder is not sufficient. They have statements of eyewitnesses only. The prosecution has to show the manner in which the crime was committed.

SPP Amit Prasad rebutted that the joint charges can be framed under section 201 for disappearing the evidence.

He had also submitted that the relied upon chain of evidence, statement of witnesses, record past events and circumstances, forensic evidence, manner of offence etc were submitted before the court.

This matter is related to the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his live-in partner Aftab Amin Poonawala on May 18, 2022.

Delhi police have concluded its arguements on a charge of murder and the disappearance of evidence against the accused. (ANI)