India

New Delhi, Mar 26 (PTI) India saw 59,118 new coronavirus infections in a day, the highest single day rise so far this year, taking the nationwide COVID-19 tally to 11,846,652, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday

The active caseload breached the 4 lakh-mark again after around three-and-half months

Registering an increase for the 16th day in row, the active cases have increased to 421,066 comprising 3.55 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 95.09 per cent, the data stated

Fatehgarh Churian (Punjab), Mar 25 (PTI) Notwithstanding the surge in COVID-19 cases, several devotees without face masks and not adhering to social distancing norms converged to pay obeisance to Baba Rode Shah shrine in Punjab's Amritsar district and offered liquor bottles to seek his blessings.

The unusual fair, being held for the last 90 years, ended on Wednesday in Bhoma village, situated on the Amritsar-Fatehgarh Churian Road.

Pilibhit (UP), Mar 24 (PTI) Police are suspecting the parents' role in the case of two teenage sisters who were found dead under mysterious circumstances at Jasauli village here, an official said on Wednesday.

The two deceased, aged 17 and 19, had gone out to attend to nature's call on Monday night but did not return. One of them was found dead in a field while the other was found hanging from a tree on Tuesday morning, Pilibhit Superintendent of Police Jai Prakash said.

New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) As many as 261,406 Indians went abroad for studies last year as compared to 588,931 in 2019, according to government data.

In written response to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said that according to data provided by the Bureau of Immigration, 371,506 people went abroad for studies in 2016; 456,823 in 2017; 520,342 in 2018; 588,931 in 2019; and 261,406 in 2020.

Bhopal, Mar 24 (PTI) A court in Berasia town in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal district on Wednesday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the rape of a five-year-old girl in 2017.

Additional sessions judge Gyaneshwari Kumre awarded the sentence to 28-year-old Beni Prasad Nagar after holding him guilty under various IPC sections, including 376 (rape), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 4,000 on him, the prosecution said.

New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) The AAP will move the Supreme Court if the GNCTD bill is passed by Parliament, the party's Rajya Sabha MP N D Gupta said.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which was passed in Lok Sabha on Monday, seeks to make it clear that the "government" in Delhi means the "Lieutenant Governor".

The bill also makes it mandatory for the Delhi government to take the opinion of the L-G before any executive action.

Ghaziabad, Mar 24 (PTI) A court here has sentenced a man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a 17-year-old girl over five years ago.

The special judge of Prevention of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) court-2, Ravinder Prasad Gupta, convicted Akshay for raping the girl on January 23 in an area under the Loni border police station limits.

Ghaziabad, Mar 24 (PTI) The Ghaziabad police has arrested three men for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl repeatedly in Sihani Gate police station area.

City Superintendent of Police Nipun Agarwal said a class 10 student, the girl had come in contact with a motorcycle mechanic who ran his workshop at the corner of the street in which the girl's house was located.

The mechanic first lured the girl to his shop on March 11 night and raped her along with his friends, the SP said, adding the accused also made a video of the rape.

Kolkata, Mar 24 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's asset value has decreased by 45.08 per cent now compared to what it was during the 2016 assembly elections.

Banerjee, who is contesting this year's assembly election from Nandigram, has in her affidavit which was submitted along with her nomination to the Election Commission declared her total worth to be Rs 16,72,352.

Bhopal, Mar 24 (PTI) Alarmed over rising coronavirus cases, the Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday decided to impose Sunday lockdown in the districts of Betul, Chhindwara, Ratlam and Khargone, an official said.

Sunday lockdown is already in force in Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced this while briefing his ministerial colleagues on the coronavirus situation after the cabinet meeting, said the official.

The lockdown will begin at 10 PM on Saturday and end on 6 AM on Monday.