Delhi

New Delhi, Mar 16 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday took suo moto cognisance of overcrowding and infrastructure of prisons across the country in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and L N Rao issued a notice to the Director General, Prison, and chief secretary of all states and union territories seeking their response by March 20 on steps taken for prevention of COVID-19.

The court also asked all states and union territories to depute an officer on March 23 who could assist the court in the matter.

New Delhi, Mar 15 (PTI) Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad launched his political outfit the Azad Samaj Party on Sunday -- the birth anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram.

Before launching his party at an event held in Safai village in Noida, the 37-year-old Dalit leader made Kanshi Ram's photograph his Twitter profile picture. He also launched the party flag -- a white band between two blue strips with Azad Samaj Party written in the middle.

New Delhi, Mar 16 (PTI) A fourth batch of 53 Indians returned to India from Iran on Monday, taking the total number of people evacuated from the coronavirus-hit country to 389.

This comes a day after over 230 Indians were brought back from Iran to New Delhi and quarantined at the Indian Army Wellness Centre in Jaisalmer, the third batch to be evacuated from that country.

New Delhi, Mar 16 (PTI) Asking states to stop thermal coal imports, the government in Rajya Sabha on Monday said that a lobby was active in some states that was behind dry- fuel imports despite sufficient domestic stock.

Replying to a query in the Upper House during Question Hour, Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said India houses the fourth largest resources in the world yet thermal coals were being imported and should be stopped.

Delhi; 15 March 2020 (UMM): Within hours after it made the announcement, BJP government in Delhi took a U-turn 14 March 2020 on ex-gratia relief of Rs 4 lakh to families of those who die of the novel coronavirus,

New Delhi, Mar 14 (PTI) Eight Pakistani nationals, who were jailed in India, were repatriated on Saturday, the Pakistan High Commission said.

These individuals were handed over to Pakistani authorities at the Attari/Wagah border in the presence of an official of the Pakistan High Commission, the mission said in a statement.

Abdul Rashid, Mahmood Ahmed, Syed Javed Iqbal, Ghulam Akbar, Irfan Ullah, Feroze Alwardeen, Javed Aslam and Zahoor Ahmed have been repatriated to Pakistan, the statement said.

New Delhi, Mar 15 (PTI) Petrol price was on Sunday cut by 12 paise a litre and diesel rates by 14 paise as oil companies moderated rate reduction amid the fall in global prices to absorb the hike in excise duty on fuel by the government.

Petrol in Delhi now costs Rs 69.75 per litre, while diesel is priced at Rs 62.44, according to a price notification of state-owned oil firms.

New Delhi, Mar 15 (PTI) Chief of newly-formed 'JK Apni Party' Altaf Bukhari met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday during which the minister allayed fears of demographic changes in Jammu and Kashmir and also assured for early return of statehood.

Emerging after a nearly two-hour long meeting with the home minister, Bukhari, a businessman-turned-politician who led a delegation of the party, said various issues, including apprehension of people of a possible demographic change, early restoration of statehood and release of political prisoners were discussed.

New Delhi, Mar 13 (PTI) The Supreme Court has decided to limit its functioning due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and hold hearing of only six out of 15 benches on Monday.

The six benches will take up for hearing only urgent matters and no persons, except lawyers concerned, will be allowed inside its courtrooms.

New Delhi, Mar 13 (PTI) A Delhi court on Friday sentenced expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar to 10 years' imprisonment in the custodial death case of Unnao rape victim's father.

District Judge Dharmesh Sharma directed both Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother Atul Singh Sengar to pay Rs 10 lakh each as compensation to the victim's family.

The victim's father had died in judicial custody on April 9, 2018.