India

Kolkata, May 27 (PTI) West Bengal government on Monday appointed Alapan Bandyopadhyay as the new Home Secretary and transferred a number of IAS and IPS officers including 10 district magistrates, an official notification said.

Bandyopadhyay replaces Atri Bhattacharya.

Bhattacharya was transferred by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and chief secretary Moloy De was looking after the Home department.

Mumbai, May 27 (PTI) Naxals exchanged fire with a team of elite C-60 commandos Monday in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district in which ultras used an Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL), police said, adding that no security personnel was injured in the incident.

Police recovered an SLR, some .303 rifles, a 12-bore gun and seven shells of UBGL from the spot, an official said.

The UBGL had marks indicating that the ammunition was made for Central security forces and Maoists may have stolen it, he said.

New Delhi, May 28 (PTI) Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had a series of visitors on Tuesday with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as well as Rajasthan's ruling duo Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot calling on him amid rumblings of discontent in the state and his insistence on quitting.

Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Pilot met Gandhi at his residence here followed by Chief Minister Gehlot.

New Delhi, May 28 (PTI) The newly created anti-corruption ombudsman, Lokpal, has launched a competition for its logo and motto, official said Tuesday.

It has sought entries and is offering a cash prize of Rs 25,000, they said.

Lokpal is a statutory body constituted under The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013 to enquire into allegations of corruption against certain categories of public servants/ functionaries.

New Delhi, May 28 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday called on former president and veteran Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee to seek his blessings.

Modi, who will take oath as the prime minister for the second time on Thursday, described the former president as a "statesman".

"Meeting Pranab Da is always an enriching experience. His knowledge and insights are unparalleled. He is a statesman who has made an indelible contribution to our nation," Modi tweeted, posting pictures with Mukherjee.

New Delhi, May 28 (PTI) A PIL was moved in the Delhi High Court on Tuesday seeking directions to the Centre to implement population control measures on the ground that population explosion was the root cause behind rise in crimes, pollution and dearth of resources and jobs in the country.

The petition by BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who is also a lawyer, has sought implementation of recommendations for population control made by the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC) headed by Justice Venkatchaliah.

Thane, May 28 (PTI) Reports of a "terrorist" roaming free in Palghar district neighbouring Mumbai kept the police on tenterhooks for hours on Monday before the tension finally eased when they found out the true identity of the man.

The entire episode has now become the talk of the town with people discussing the incident in a lighter vein, as the "terrorist" turned out to be a member of the crew shooting for a film in the area.

Pune, May 28 (PTI) Girls have outperformed boys in the class 12 examination in Maharashtra, results for which were announced Tuesday.

Girls have secured a pass percentage of 90.25 per cent against 82.40 per cent of boys in the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination conducted by the Maharashtra State Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) in February-March 2019.

The total pass percentage stood at 85.88% this year, announced board chairperson Shakuntala Kale.

Jaipur, May 28 (PTI) A 10-month-old baby was allegedly raped by her 15-year-old neighbour in Rajasthan's Karauli district, police said Tuesday.

The accused took the baby to an isolated area on Sunday evening and committed the crime, investigating officer and SHO of Kotwali police station Roop Singh said.

An FIR in the case was lodged on Monday, he said, adding the accused has been detained and will be produced in a court Tuesday.

The girl is admitted to a hospital in Karauli, he said.

Mumbai, May 28 (PTI) Television actor Karan Oberoi, arrested on charges of raping and blackmailing a woman, has approached the Bombay High Court for bail after a sessions court rejected his plea for the relief earlier this month.

The lower court had rejected Oberoi's plea noting that investigation into the case was incomplete, and hence it would be incorrect to release the accused on bail.