India

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s top court on Wednesday began hearing dozens of petitions seeking the revocation of amendments to the citizenship law following nationwide protests and a security crackdown that led to more than 20 deaths.

The Supreme Court would not grant a stay before hearing from the government, which has argued the law is a humanitarian gesture allowing citizenship for people fleeing religious persecution in Muslim-majority Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Jaipur, Jan 22 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday slammed the Centre over economic issues, saying inflation and unemployment may lead to starvation in the country.

He accused the Centre of diverting people's attention from real issues and said disagreement today was being taken as sedition.

Korba, Jan 22 (PTI) A 23-year-old tribal woman was allegedly raped by three men at a forest in Chhattisgarh's Korba district, a police official said on Wednesday.

All the accused have been arrested, he said.

The incident took place late Sunday evening when the woman went to relieve herself in a forest area under Balco Nagar police station limits, the official said.

New Delhi, Jan 22 (PTI) India slipped 10 places to 51st position in the 2019 Democracy Index's global ranking, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit, which cited "erosion of civil liberties" in the country as the primary cause for the downtrend.

India's overall score fell from 7.23 in 2018 to 6.90 in the Index that provides a snapshot of the current state of democracy worldwide for 165 independent states and two territories.

Thane, Jan 21 (PTI) A 24-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly raping his five-year-old neighbour in Maharashtra's Thane city, police said.

The accused, Deepesh Sutar, an employee of a courier company, lived in the same chawl as the victim at Lokmanya Nagar Pada no. 2, senior inspector S B Gaikwad of Vartak Nagar police station said.

The incident took place at around 6 pm on Sunday, when Sutar lured the victim to his house and sexually abused her when no one was around, he said.

Lucknow, Jan 21 (PTI) Reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement that the CAA will not be withdrawn, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said it reflected intolerance as the BJP "wants to crush people with the road roller of its majority".

Lashing out at the BJP, the former UP CM said the saffron party is making "intolerance" as its identity.

Bhopal, Jan 21 (PTI) The National Commission for Scheduled Castes on Tuesday directed Sagar district police in Madhya Pradesh to submit a report within a week in connection with the setting ablaze of a Dalit youth on January 14.

Dhanprasad Ahirwar (24) was doused with kerosene in Dharmshri Colony, some 170 kilometres from here, over a dispute allegedly by a group of 15-20 men, five of whom were arrested later.

Noida (UP), Jan 21 (PTI) Two police constables were allegedly found stealing packets of milk from outside a kiosk here, prompting disciplinary action against them, officials said on Tuesday.

A constable was purportedly seen in a CCTV footage sneaking out two packets from a milk crate kept outside a kiosk in Phase 2 police station area around 5 am on January 19, the officials said.

The other constable was inside their duty vehicle, which was seen standing next to the milk crates kept on the road outside the kiosk, they said.

New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a natural temper for science and under his leadership the government has taken various initiatives for the development of science and technology, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday.

Inaugurating India's first global Mega Science Exhibition 'Vigyan Samagam' at the National Science Centre here, Singh said three-tier teams should be set up for scientific research involving older and younger generations so that continuity can be maintained in research work.

Kanpur: Correction in faulty electricity bill at the power sub-station level is difficult for honest consumers. One week is not a long time for the officials entertaining the bills for revision. The consumers only run but the result remains inadequate. 

The meter reader does not mind in preparing the wrong bill for he is supposed to annoy the consumers. The reader has got a habit of issuing a bloated bill as the amount is paid by the hapless consumer.