India

Srinagar, Oct 8; PTI:  Over six per cent of the electorate turned out to cast their votes on Monday in the 83 wards of urban local bodies in Kashmir during the first six hours of polling in the first of the four-phased elections in the valley amidst tight security arrangements, an official said.

"Over 5,400 voters have exercised their franchise till 1.00 pm at the 150 polling stations set up in the 83 wards across the Kashmir Valley where polling is going on today," the official said.

Around 85,000 voters including 40,800 women are eligible to vote in the valley.

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) The Supreme Court will hear a fresh PIL against the Rafale deal between India and France on Wednesday.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph Monday said it will hear the PIL filed by lawyer Vineet Dhanda, who is seeking a direction to the Centre to reveal details of the deal and the comparative prices during the UPA and NDA rule in a sealed cover to the apex court.

The petition also sought information about the contract given to Reliance by Dassault.

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Monday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a closure report in the case of JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, who went missing from the university nearly two years ago.

A bench of justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel "declined" the plea of the missing student's mother, Fatima Nafees, to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and monitor the probe, thereby removing the CBI from the investigation.

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) Delhi's air quality has slipped back to poor category due to change in direction of wind, which is now flowing from stubble burning areas in Punjab and Haryana, authorities said Monday.

The air quality Sunday had improved to moderate level with an index of 181 but Monday the air quality slipped to poor category with the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 235, according to data at the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

Banda (UP), Oct 8 (PTI) A minor girl was allegedly raped by her neighbour in Attara area here, police said Monday.

The incident took place Sunday when the girl was on the terrace of her house, SHO, Attara, Dinesh Singh said.

The youth was caught by family members who were alerted by her shrieks, he said.

A probe is on in the matter. The accused has been arrested.

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking review of the Constitution bench judgement which lifted the ban on entry of women into the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala.

The plea, filed by Shylaja Vijayan, president of National Ayyappa Devotees Association, said the September 28 judgment which had allowed entry of women of all ages in the hill-top shrine is "absolutely untenable and irrational, if not perverse".

Raipur, Oct 8 (PTI) Sixteen Naxals, five of them suspected to be involved in a deadly attack on a CRPF team last year, were arrested from Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, police said Monday.

There were two women among the arrested ultras, they added.

The arrests were made Sunday from a hill near Minpa village under the Chintagufa police station limits by a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF), the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the district police, a senior police official told PTI.

Ex-BJP minister Yashvant Sinha has called upon Congress party to come out of their pride and stubbornness to form a joint front to defeat BJP in upcoming elections.

He said that pride and stubbornness is a dangerous thing in politics, and Congress should avoid it. Sinha’s statement follows Mayavati’s assertion to fight MP and Rajasthan elections on her own.

Hindi-speaking migrants are fleeing Gujarat after Gujarati mobs started attacking non-Gujaratis following alleged rape of a 14-month old girl.

Non-Guratis, mainly from UP, Bihar and Madya Pradesh have crowded the bus-stations waiting for buses which will take them to their native states.

Some landlords have also asked them to vacate their premises and leave.

KANPUR: A large number of girl students demonstrated at the Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj University’s main gate on Saturday protesting over the poor quality of the mess food supplied to the girl’s hostel. They even locked the gate.

It was not the first time that the lizard’s tail was found in the rice served to them. Similar odd things were also noticed during current academic year, said one of the girl representative.