Delhi

New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI) Seven years after the execution of Afzal Guru, Tihar Jail on Thursday prepared the ground to hang the four men convicted in the Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case after several dummy runs and officials brushing up on details specified in the jail manual.

Mukesh Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) are scheduled to be hanged on Friday at 5.30 am for the savage gangrape and murder of a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern on the night of December 16, 2012.

New Delhi, May 19 (PTI) Mukesh Singh, one of the four death-row convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, Thursday moved the Supreme Court, challenging a Delhi High Court order which rejected his claim that he was not in the national capital when the crime was committed on December 16, 2012.

The high court on Wednesday said there were no grounds to interfere in the detailed and reasoned order of the trial court. On Tuesday, the trial court dismissed Mukesh Singh's plea and asked the Bar Council of India to appropriately sensitise his counsel.

Mumbai, Mar 19 (PTI) The Indian rupee weakened further and fell below 75 level against the US dollar on Thursday amid sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the country and weak domestic equities.

Forex traders said market participants are concerned that rise in coronavirus cases, which has touched 169 in the country according to the Health Ministry, could weigh on the economy.

New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI) Railways on Thursday cancelled 84 more trains, which will not operate between March 20 and March 31 in view of coronavirus and low occupancy, officials said.

With this, the total number of cancelled trains has climbed to 155.

The national transporter had cancelled around 99 trains on Wednesday night.

"All passengers having tickets in these trains are being informed about it individually," the official said.

New Delhi, Mar 18 (PTI) A total of 799 people are currently held at detention centres for declared or convicted foreigners in Assam where 26 detainees died due to illness in last four years, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said the Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) in Assam operate under the provisions of Foreigners Act, 1946 and Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 1964.

New Delhi, Mar 18 (PTI) The Delhi government on Wednesday said it has disinfected 7,877 public service vehicles, including auto-rickshaws, so far to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said, "We advise the owners and operators of public service vehicles to act responsibly and get their vehicles disinfected on a daily basis so that we can overcome this crisis. We are providing this facility free of cost for everyone."

New Delhi, Mar 18 (PTI) The nomination of former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to Rajya Sabha is a matter of "shame for the nation", the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) said on Wednesday.

Party's Malappuram (Kerala) MP and national general secretary P K Kunhalikkutty, in a statement, said Gogoi's nomination raised serious doubts about the independence of the judiciary.

Mumbai, Mar 19 (PTI) Equity benchmark Sensex plummeted over 2,100 points and the Nifty gave up the 7,900 level in opening session on Thursday as global gloom over the Covid-19 pandemic continued to hammer equities.

The rupee too depreciated 60 paise to 74.87 against US dollar in morning session.

New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI) Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Thursday took oath as member of Rajya Sabha amid uproar by opposition members.

As Gogoi reached the designated spot to take the oath, opposition members raised slogans prompting Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to say that it was unbecoming of members.

New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI) The novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 169 on Thursday after 18 fresh cases were reported from various parts of the country, according to the Health Ministry.

The cases include 25 foreign nationals -- 17 from Italy, 3 from the Philippines, two from the UK, one each belonging to Canada, Indonesia and Singapore.