Highlights: Telangana Police say Rohith Vemula was not a Dalit, give clean chit to all accused

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9:39 PM

Biden will award Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 politicians, activists, athletes and others

Clarence B. Jones says he thought a prankster was on the line when he answered the telephone and heard the person on the other end say they were calling from the White House. “I said, Is this a joke or is this serious?'" Jones recalled. The caller swore they were serious and was calling with the news that President Joe Biden wanted to recognize Jones with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. Jones, 93, will be honoured for his activism during the Civil Rights Movement. He's a lawyer who provided legal counsel to Martin Luther King Jr. and helped write the opening paragraphs of the “I Have a Dream” speech that King delivered at the Lincoln Memorial at the 1963 March on Washington. Jones is among a diverse group of 19 individuals to be honoured Friday by the Democratic president for making what the White House said are “exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.” The 10 men and nine women hail from the worlds of politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights and LGBTQ+ advocacy, science and religion. Three medals will be awarded posthumously.

9:03 PM

Sebi show cause notices 'illustrate hollowness' of claim of 'clean chit' to Adani Group: Congress

The Congress on Friday claimed that the show cause notices from the Securities and Exchange Board of India to seven of the 10 listed firms of the Adani Group illustrate the "hollowness of the false claim" by the conglomerate and the BJP that the Supreme Court expert committee issued a "clean chit" to the group.

Seven of the 10 listed companies of the Adani Group have received show cause notices from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for alleged violation of related-party transactions and non-compliance with listing regulations, the companies said in their regulatory filings to the stock exchanges.

While the flagship Adani Enterprises, renewable energy company Adani Green Energy and city gas distributor Adani Total Gas said Sebi sent notices to their parent or holding company controlled by the conglomerate's Chairman Gautam Adani, ports company Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone, Adani Power, electricity transmission company Adani Energy Solutions, and commodities company Adani Wilmar said they have received Sebi notices.

9:02 PM

Vemula was not a Dalit; faked his caste identity: Telangana Police

The Cyberabad police that investigated the case informed the court that Rohith Vemula did not belong to Scheduled Caste and that he was aware of it.

Vemula died by suicide in 2016. "The deceased had multiple issues worrying him which could have driven him to commit suicide," the report said.

"In addition to this, the deceased himself was aware that he did not belong to Scheduled Caste and that his mother got him a SC certificate. This could be one of the constant fears as the exposure of the same would result in a loss of his academic degrees that he earned over the years and be compelled to face prosecution."

Further, the report said, "Despite best efforts, no evidence could be found to establish that the actions of the accused have driven the deceased to commit suicide." The then UoH vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile and incumbent Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya were among the accused.

Vemula's death snowballed into a political controversy with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi taking on the Central government in Parliament and the then Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani slamming alleged attempts to project it as a caste battle.

8:01 PM

UK PM Rishi Sunak under pressure amid dire local election results for his party

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's leadership is under severe pressure on Friday as the results of local elections and a crucial by-election poured in overnight, delivering what is being characterised as one of the worst poll outcomes for the governing Conservative Party in 40 years, PTI reported. In a sliver of hope, Tory Mayor Ben Houchen was re-elected for a third term in Tees Valley and gave his party leader something to cheer about amid results Sunak admitted have been “disappointing”. But rebels from within his party are expected to renew their attacks on the British Indian leader after the Opposition Labour Party made definitive gains, including overturning the Tory majority in the Blackpool South by-election which was necessitated following a resignation amid a lobbying row. Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer declared the result as a "seismic" victory and an overall poll verdict in favour of the party as it comes on the eve of a general election, expected later this year.

7:04 PM

Carborundum Universal records consolidated Q4 net profit at Rs 142.56 cr

Abrasives manufacturer Carborundum Universal Ltd (CUMI) has recorded a consolidated net profit of Rs 142.56 crore for the January-March 31, 2024 quarter, the company said. The city-based company part of the diversified conglomerate Murugappa Group had registered a consolidated net profit of Rs 148.79 crore during the corresponding period of last year. For the year ending March 31, 2024, the consolidated net profit stood at Rs 476.18 crore as against Rs 441.70 crore registered a year ago. The consolidated total income during the quarter under review stood at Rs 1,213.73 crore, as against Rs 1,219.43 crore registered in the same period of last year.

6:24 PM

Berlin's government offers to give away villa once owned by Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels

Berlin's government is offering to give away a villa once owned by Adolf Hitler's propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, hoping to end a decades-long debate on whether to repurpose or bulldoze a sprawling disused site in the countryside north of the German capital, AP reported. “I offer to anyone who would like to take over the site, to take it over as a gift from the state of Berlin,” Berlin's finance minister, Stefan Evers, told the state parliament on Thursday, dpa reported. Berlin has repeatedly tried to hand off the site to federal authorities or the state of Brandenburg, where the villa lies, rather than continue to pay for maintenance and security at the complex, which has become overgrown and fallen into disrepair. Evers renewed that offer on Thursday, calling for proposals that reflected the site's history. He didn't say if proposals from private individuals would also be considered.

5:49 PM

Chinese share of French EV market slumps after incentives curbed

Sales of the three most popular Chinese-made electric vehicles in France have collapsed since the government made them ineligible for cash purchased incentives, industry data analysed by Reuters shows. A surge in imports of Chinese electric cars into Europe has triggered EU tariff threats, which are expected to be a bone of contention when President Emmanuel Macron hosts his Chinese counterpart for a state visit on Monday. France, however, did not wait for a European Union decision on implementing tariffs, instead redesigning its cash bonus scheme in December to exclude the purchase of models made in China, which have rapidly gained market share. In the months ahead of the move, the three most popular Chinese-made cars sold in France - the Dacia Spring (Renault ), Tesla's Model 3 and SAIC's MG4 - accounted for 22% of the market, according to Reuters calculations using data from the companies and industry body AAA Data.

5:24 PM

Indian jeweller Titan misses Q4 profit view on higher discounts, gold prices

Titan reported fourth-quarter profit below estimates on Friday, as the Indian jeweller offered big discounts on its products to attract customers amid high gold prices.

Analysts and traders said increased gold prices could dull demand during the wedding season in India, the world's second-biggest gold consumer, forcing many retailers to offer large offers to lure customers. In an earnings presentation, Titan said that a soft demand environment due to "volatile and elevated gold prices" necessitated promotions to drive customer acquisition. Titan reported a profit of 7.86 billion rupees ($94.2 million) in the quarter ended March 31, up 7.1% from last year, but missed analysts' expectation of 7.99 billion rupees, according to data from LSEG.

4:56 PM

Obscene videos case: Rape case booked against JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, says Karnataka CM Siddarmaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said a rape case has been booked against JD(S) leader and NDA's Hassan candidate Prajwal Revanna. Siddaramaiah said he has ordered police to identify, trace and secure the victims in view of the alleged kidnapping of a victim at Krishnaraja Nagar town in Mysuru district. The mother of three children was allegedly abducted by Holenarasipura MLA and Prajwal's father H D Revanna and his confidant Sathish Babanna from her home after her 20-year-old son complained to the police.

4:41 PM

Pak journalist killed, 7 others injured in bomb blast in Balochistan

 A senior journalist was killed and seven other people were injured in a bomb attack in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province on Friday, police said. Muhammad Siddiq Mengal, a senior journalist and also the president of the Khuzdar Press Club, was killed when a remote-controlled bomb hit his vehicle on the Sultan Ibrahim highway on the outskirts of Khuzdar town,na police official said.

4:40 PM

NIA chargesheets 4 CPI (Maoist) cadres in case related to firing at police commandos in Kerala

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today chargesheeted four cadres of CPI (Maoist) in a case related to firing at the commandos of the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Thalapuzha area of Wayanad district in Kerala last year. The team came under attack as it zoomed in on the cadres present in a house, it said.

4:24 PM

Salman Khan firing case updates: Post mortem confirms Anuj Thapan's hanging, says police

The post mortem report of Anuj Thapan, an accused in the April 14 firing incident outside the Bandra house of actor Salman Khan, confirmed he died of hanging as there are ligature marks on the neck and signs of asphyxia, a Mumbai police official said on Friday.

4:11 PM

News update: Supreme Court says, will hear Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's bail plea on Tuesday

Arvind Kejriwal, who has decided to continue as chief minister from jail, is being kept in Delhi's Tihar under judicial custody after his arrest on March 21.

4:08 PM

Kejriwal case hearing in SC: Why 2 prime accused in the case, Supreme Court asks ED

4:05 PM

WB teacher recruitment scam: School job losers seek justice, clash with police

Hundreds of job losers in the teacher recruitment scam case on Friday clashed with the police in Salt Lake area during their demonstration to seek justice.

The job losers, who assembled at the busy Karunamoyee crossing in Salt Lake, were prevented by the police from moving further.

3:53 PM

Evasive answers can't be a ground to arrest but can be taken into consideration, says ED's attorney

"Evasive answers can't be a ground to arrest but can be taken into consideration. They may be the last straw," ASG SV Raju told the Supreme Court bench today.

 

3:50 PM

Over-ground worker arrested in connection with attack on non-local in J-K's Shopian

An over-ground worker (OGW) of terrorists has been arrested in connection with the attack on a non-local driver in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir last month, police said on Friday. "With a significant development in investigation of the Padpawan attack case at Danish Resorts, security forces have made a noteworthy breakthrough," a police official said.

3:02 PM

ED attaches assets worth Rs 205 crore of ex-Chhattisgarh IAS officer Anil Tuteja

The probe agency has attached assets worth Rs 205 crore of ex-Chhattisgarh IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Raipur mayor's brother, others in money laundering case

2:58 PM

Liquor policy case: Senior advocate Singhvi is leading arguments for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

Justice Khanna: What he (Raju) is saying is in future AAP will be impleaded as accused.

 

Singhvi: But that does not mean Kejriwal is arrested.

 

Justice Khanna: Vicarious liability is not direct evidence...you are wrong. Person in-charge deemed responsible.

2:42 PM

Supreme Court asks Centre to provide details on notices, arrests done under GST Act

The top court has directed the Central government to furnish details of issuance of notices and arrests done under the provisions of the Goods and Services Tax, saying it may interpret the law and lay down appropriate guidelines to avoid any harassment of citizens by depriving their liberty. A special bench of judges is hearing a batch of 281 pleas questioning multiple provisions of the GST Act, Customs Act and the provisions of PMLA. The bench said it would interpret the law to "strengthen" the liberty, if need be, but not allow citizens to be harassed.

2:40 PM

Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposes bail to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal; HC decision on May 6

The ED opposed the interim medical bail sought by Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal in a money laundering case, stating his stay at a private hospital could be extended for a month. Goyal has sought interim bail on medical and humanitarian grounds, citing that both he and his wife, Anita Goyal, suffered from cancer. A single bench of Justice N J Jamadar said it would pass orders on May 6.

2:01 PM

HD Revanna booked for kidnap of former maid who was allegedly raped by his son Prajwal

JD(S) leader HD Revanna has been booked for kidnapping one of the alleged victims of sexual abuse by his son Prajwal Revanna, The Hindu reported today. The alleged victim earlier worked as a maid in Revanna’s household for six years.

1:44 PM

News update: Raymond re-appoints Gautam Hari Singhania as managing director

1:43 PM

WhatsApp banned 70 million Indian accounts in 2023

WhatsApp banned some 70 million accounts in India between January and November 2023, according to the messaging app’s monthly reports. Read here for more details.

1:25 PM

Pilot injured after helicopter going to pick Shiv Sena (UBT) leader tilts in Maharashtra's Raigad

The pilot of a helicopter was wounded after it tilted during landing in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Friday, a police official said.
The helicopter was scheduled to pick Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare for an election rally.

1:19 PM

Karnataka obscene videos case: Another FIR filed against suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna

Another FIR was filed against suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna in connection with the 'obscene videos' case at CID Police. The cases against the Hassan MP have recorded under sections 376(2)(N), 506, 354A(1), 354(B), 354(c), 506 of the IT Act.

12:48 PM

Supreme Court stays opening of road outside Punjab CM's residence in Chandigarh

The top court today stayed the opening of a road outside Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's residence in Chandigarh on an experimental basis. The Supreme Court bench observed that both the Centre and Punjab government have opposed the opening of the road, which has been closed since the 1980s, owing to a threat perception.

12:41 PM

Liquor policy case: Delhi HC asks CBI, ED to respond to Ex-Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia's plea for bail

The Delhi High Court today asked the CBI and ED  to respond to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's petition seeking bail in the corruption and money laundering cases lodged in relation to the alleged excise policy scam. The high court listed the matter for further hearing on May 8.

12:22 PM

Jharkhand HC dismisses former CM Hemant Soren's plea challenging arrest by Enforcement Directorate

The Jharkhand High Court today dismissed the plea of former Chief Minister Hemant Soren challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court had reserved the decision on February 28.

12:07 PM

Centre poses danger to the 'idea of India' enshrined in the Constitution: Shashi Tharoor

At a meeting in South Goa’s Verna, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday argued that the BJP government at the Centre posed a fundamental danger to the “idea of India” enshrined in the Constitution. Tharoor said, “Our democracy is definitely under threat. When you vote on May 7, one of the great questions you have to ask yourself is…What kind of India do you want to live in? What kind of India do you want your children to grow up in? Do you want an India that is fearful? Where people are scared to say things on the phone because they don’t know who in the government is listening, where people are afraid to express their views openly because of consequences?”