India

New Delhi, Apr 4 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Monday dismissed a petition by a former BJP MLA challenging the appointment of Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Dev as Election Commissioner of Municipal Corporations of Delhi from April 21.

The high court said there was no merit in the petition as the date when Dev shall take over as Election Commissioner, he would cease to be a government servant as his request for voluntary retirement with effect from April 20 has been accepted by the Central government.

Meerut (UP), Apr 4 (PTI) Ten people, including the state president of an outfit linked to former BJP MLA Sangeet Som, were booked for allegedly vandalising a biryani cart in this district, police said on Monday.

According to police, Sajid, a biryani cart owner, alleged that his cart on Sardhana-Binauli road was vandalised and robbed by 10 people including Sangeet Som Sena state president Sachin Khatik on Saturday.

Jaipur, Apr 3 (PTI) Curfew remained clamped in Rajasthan's Karauli on Sunday, while more than a dozen people were arrested and an SIT was formed to probe the communal clashes that broke out in the district during a motorcycle rally taken out to celebrate the Hindu new year.

A total of 46 people have been arrested -- 13 in connection with the violence and 33 for violating the curfew. Seven people are under detention for questioning and 21 vehicles have also been seized.

New Delhi, Apr 4 (PTI) Researchers have unearthed 65 giant "mysterious" jars in Assam that may have been used for ancient burial practices.

The sandstone jars uncovered by a team led by Tilok Thakuria, from North Eastern Hill University in Meghalaya, and Uttam Bathari, from Gauhati University in Assam vary in shape and decoration.

Some of the jars are tall and cylindrical, while others are partly or fully buried in the ground, according to the study published in the Journal of Asian Archaeology.

NEW DELHI, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba concluded his three-day visit to India on Sunday, during which various agreements were signed.

Deuba held a meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Delhi.

Besides signing a series of agreements, the two sides also launched newly-developed projects, including a railway line and the 90-km long 132 KVDC Solu Corridor Transmission line.

New Delhi, Apr 4 (PTI) Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Monday amid protests by opposition parties seeking a discussion on issues related to the fuel price rise.

Several opposition members had given notice to discuss the price rise situation, but Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not accept the demand.

As soon as the House reassembled at 2 PM after two adjournments, opposition members were again up on their feet demanding discussion on the issue of price rise of petrol, diesel, LPG (cooking gas).

Kanpur: Evening finds the crowd of those people who accumulate to buy different fruits near the Nai Chungi in Jajmau here. On one side of the road, there remains an ample crowd.

A few sellers arrange their respective carts to sell papaya, watermelon, grapes, bananas, apples and cucumbers even.

The surge of the people starts growing after 5 p.m. As the rates of the fruits have been increased, the bargaining procedure of the customers goes useless.

Kanpur: A farmer allegedly committed suicide in his orchard on the outskirts of Rasulabad in Kanpur Dehat district. The body has been sent for the autopsy, told the police officer.

He was compelled after the Rasulabad Nagar Panchayat got his orchard dug up to take mud for some project there, said farmer's son Ankur Singh said in his complaint to the police authorities.

The Station house officer, Rasulabad, Pramod Kumar Shukla said police have lodged an FIR under section 306 of IPC. A suicide not on the deceased was found, said the police quoting Ankur Singh.

Jaipur, Apr 3 (PTI) A 55-year-old man was killed on Sunday in a fight between two vegetable sellers in Beawar town of Rajasthan's Ajmer district, police said.

The incident occurred in a vegetable market where a seller, Mohammad Salim, had an argument with another vendor over the issue of bike parking.

A pick-up jeep which had come to deliver vegetables to the other seller hit the motorcycle of Salim's son, leading to a heated exchange between the two, according to police.

Kanpur: The fire broke out at one shopping arcade, Rave Moti Mall in Rawatpur here on Sunday. As many as six fire tenders were rushed to the spot to bring the leaping blaze under control.

According to initial news, the fire was first reported from the mall's second floor. The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.

Hundreds of people were reportedly trapped inside the complex. A thick line of smoke started billowing out of the mall.

This triggered a commotion as everybody began to run helter-skelter for abrupt safety.