Highlights of the day: Delhi CM Kejriwal arrested in excise policy case

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9:28 PM

Arvind Kejriwal arrested by ED in excise policy case after raids at residence

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested by Enforcement Directorate in now scrapped Delhi liquor policy scam case. The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to grant Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal any protection from coercive action in an excise policy-linked money laundering case.

8:55 PM

Team Kejriwal will approach Supreme Court tomorrow, no hearing tonight

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will move the Supreme Court on Friday seeking protection from any coercive action by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise policy case, sources said. He will seek an urgent hearing of his petition after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him interim protection on Thursday.

8:02 PM

Kejriwal turns to Supreme Court as ED team shows up with warrant

Arvind Kejriwal approaches Supreme Court for urgent hearing after Enforcement Directorate team goes to his home with warrant.

7:04 PM

ED team at Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's house

Searches underway at Delhi CM's house.

6:27 PM

CBI seizes huge quantity of narcotics from ship at Visakhapatnam port

The CBI has seized a huge consignment of narcotics from a ship at Visakhapatnam port based on an Interpol input, officials said Thursday.

 

The central agency found that the ship contained a total consignment weight of 25,000 kilograms with cocaine allegedly mixed in bags of dried yeast, they said.

 

The quantity of narcotics in the consignment is being ascertained, they said.

 

After the Interpol input, the CBI also took the help of Customs in the operation and seized the alleged contraband, they said.

4:36 PM

News update: No protection from arrest to Delhi CM in liquor policy case, says Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court today refused to provide any interim protection from coercive action to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection to the Enforcement Directorate summonses issued to him in the Delhi liquor policy case.The bench listed Kejriwal's application seeking protection for further consideration on April 22 when his main petition challenging the summons is fixed for hearing. "We have heard both sides and we are not inclined at this stage (to grant protection). The respondent is at liberty to file reply," the bench said.

3:55 PM

'He is defying Supreme Court': Chief Justice slams Tamil Nadu Governor

The top court on Thursday rapped Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi for not allowing the appointment of DMK leader K Ponmudi as a minister in the state’s Cabinet despite a pause on his conviction.

3:50 PM

News update: SBI submits all details of electoral bonds with serial numbers to ECI

The State Bank of India (SBI) filed a compliance affidavit in the Supreme Court, saying it has furnished all details of electoral bonds to Election Commission. 

2:38 PM

Rahul Gandhi's caste census promise disrespect to Indira Gandhi's legacy: Cong leader Anand Sharma

In a letter to party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Anand Sharma opposed Rahul Gandhi's caste census promise and stated that Congress never engaged nor endorsed identity politics. "In my humble opinion, this (caste census) will be misconstrued as disrespecting the legacy of Indira ji and Rajiv ji,"  Sharma wrote.

2:14 PM

SC stays setting up of fact-check units to monitor social media content about government

The petition by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra stated that the fact check units will force social media companies to implement self-interested censorship of online content about the Centre.

2:03 PM

Halt Viksit Bharat messages on WhatsApp, Election Commission's directive to govt

The poll body directed the central government to "immediately halt" Viksit Bharat messages being sent over WhatsApp.

1:25 PM

Liquor policy scam: Delhi HC to hear Kejriwal's plea for protection from coercive action

The Delhi High Court will on Thursday hear Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea seeking protection from coercive action in an excise policy-linked money-laundering case.

1:09 PM

Ragging victims, witnesses to be punished if they don't report incidents, says Gujarat govt

The victims of ragging or its witnesses who do not report such incidents shall also be punished suitably, the Gujarat government has said today.

1:08 PM

Election Commision orders rejig in five states, transfers non-encadred DMs and SPs

The poll body on Thursday has issued transfer orders for non-cadre officers who are posted at leadership positions as District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP) in four states namely Gujarat, Punjab, Odisha and West Bengal.

1:07 PM

Selection committee should have been given more time: SC on appointment of election commissioners

The top court questioned the Centre over the procedure adopted for appointment of two new election commissioners.

1:04 PM

Election Commission orders transfer of Assam Chief Minister's brother

Poll body ECI has ordered the transfer of Sushanta Biswa Sarma, younger brother of Assam CM on grounds of familial association with politician

11:55 AM

Kejriwal wants to join ED investigation, his appeal to HC is against coercive action: Delhi minister Atishi

AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi said on Thursday that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wants to join the investigations of the Enforcement Directorate and cooperate with the agency but has appealed to the high court that coercive action not be taken against him. "Delhi CM Kejriwal wants to join the ED investigation and cooperate with the agency. But, we believe that the ED is not an independent agency. It does not want to conduct investigation. It is a political tool of the BJP," Atishi charged in a video message.

11:35 AM

News update: SC refuses to hold law on Election Commissioners' appointment

The Supreme Court today refused to order a stay on the law to appoint election commissioners, emphasising that doing so at this stage would be "creating chaos". The top court also said that there are no allegations against the newly appointed election commissioners, Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, who were selected after changes were made to the selection panel under the new law.

11:16 AM

8 injured in New Russian missile attack on Ukraine's capital Kyiv, says mayor

 

Vitali Klitschko, mayor of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, said on Telegram that eight people were injured in the first large-scale Russian missile attack on Kyiv since February. Debris of missiles fell in at least three districts, hitting residential houses, an industrial object and a kindergarten, according to the mayor. 

11:03 AM

8 Baloch terrorists, 2 Pak soldiers killed in attack on Gwadar Port Authority complex

At least two soldiers of the Pakistani Army  and eight Baloch terrorists were killed when security personnel foiled an attempt by heavily armed Baloch insurgents to storm the Gwadar Port Authority complex in the restive Balochistan province. The port complex is home to several government and paramilitary offices and the Gwadar Port is one of the most important focal points of the billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Project.

10:56 AM

US submits draft UN resolution calling for 'immediate ceasefire' in Gaza

Washington submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for an "immediate ceasefire linked to the release of hostages" in the Gaza Strip, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. "We have in fact submitted a resolution which is now before the Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire linked to the release of the hostages, and we very much hope that countries will support it," he said while speaking to Saudi media outlet Al Hadath on Wednesday evening.

10:26 AM

Patanjali, Acharya Balakrishna submit apology to Supreme Court over misleading advertisements

Acharya Balkrishna, in an affidavit to Supreme Court, stated that he will ensure that such advertisements are not issued in the future and submits that its intention is only to exhort the citizens of this country to lead a healthier life by consuming products of the ayurvedic company including products for lifestyle ailments through the use age-old literature and materials supplementing and backed by ayurvedic research.

10:00 AM

Liquor policy case: Delhi CM Kejriwal moves fresh plea in Delhi HC, seeks ‘no coercive action against him’

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday moved a fresh petition in the Delhi High Court seeking no coercive action against him in connection with the liquor policy case. 

9:57 AM

News update: Tremors felt in parts of Maharashtra's Nanded and Parbhani; no casualty

Officials said today tremors were felt in parts of Maharashtra's Nanded and Parbhani districts today morning. There was no report of any casualty or loss of property, they added. The tremors of 4.5 and 3.6 magnitude were recorded at 6.09 am and 6.19 am, with the epicentre at Jamb village in Kalamnuri taluka of Hingoli district.

9:42 AM

Assam cops arrests ISIS operatives in Dhubri district

Two persons were caught after they entered Assam's Dhubri illegally from Bangladesh on Tuesday evening.

9:37 AM

Russia-Ukraine war updates: Ukraine's capital Kyiv is under Russian missile attack, says Mayor

News agency AFP reported explosions were heard in the centre of Ukraine's capital Kyiv.

9:21 AM

Investigation finds rogue officials involved in Pannun's murder plot in US

Citing senior officials, news agency Bloomberg reported that India’s probe into US claims of an attempted murder of a Sikh leader in New York found that rogue operatives not authorised by the government had been involved in the plot.

8:44 AM

US recognises Arunachal as Indian territory, says Biden official

A senior Biden administration official has said that the United States recognises Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory and strongly opposes any unilateral attempts by China to advance its territorial claims across the Line of Actual Control. This comes days after the Chinese military reiterated its claim over the state following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit there.

8:22 AM

2 dead, one injured after two-storey building collapses in Delhi's Kabir Nagar

Two people died and one was injured after a two-storey building collapsed in Delhi's Kabir Nagar Thursday early morning. Officials from rescue services received a call at 2:16 am about the collapse of an old construction building. All of them were pulled out and taken to a hospital, but two were pronounced dead upon arrival.