LIVE updates: 47 die after bus falls in canal in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi

The bus with over 54 passengers was on way from Siddhi to Satna when it went out of control and fell into the canal. Stay tuned for Latest LIVE news

11:09 PM

Centre yet to explain merits of agri laws to farmers: RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary

The Centre has so far not been able to explain what good the new agriculture laws would do to the farmers, Rashtriya Lok Dal vice president Jayant Chaudhary said on Tuesday, according to PTI. Addressing a mahapanchayat in Mathura's Mant area, Chaudhary took on the government over a host of other issues being faced by farmers including inflation and rising fuel prices.

"Some people keep asking what is wrong with the laws, but I ask them what is good about the laws. The government has not been able to explain to farmers what good the new laws would do to them," PTI quoted the RLD leader as saying. At the mahapanchayat, the ninth such gathering in western Uttar Pradesh this month, he also sought to drum up support for the ongoing farmers' protest at Delhi's borders.

Chaudhary, who has been holding a series of meetings with farmers across the state, alleged that the new laws would "destroy" the farmers instead of helping them. He also hit out at the Centre over the rising prices of petrol, diesel, fertiliser, manure and LPG, inflated power bills in Uttar Pradesh and pending dues of sugarcane farmers.

10:47 PM

TRP case: Bombay HC reserves verdict on ex-BARC CEO's bail plea

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on the bail plea filed by former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta, an accused in the TRP scam, according to PTI. During the day's hearing, Mumbai police opposed the bail plea with special public prosecutor Shishir Hiray telling a single bench presided over by Justice PD Naik that Dasgupta was not answering even the simplest of questions while in jail despite being given a questionnaire. He also said Dasgupta was an influential person and could tamper with evidence if let out on bail.

"He is the kingpin and the one who holds considerable power," Hiray said, and told HC it was apparent from Dasgupta's WhatsApp chats that he had played a direct role in the manipulation of TRPs for TV news channels, as per PTI copy. On Monday, Dasgupta's counsel, senior advocate Abad Ponda, had urged HC to grant him bail saying the police had already filed its charge sheet in the case and Dasgupta's custodial interrogation was not required anymore.

Ponda had also told HC that Dasgupta's WhatsApp chats, including those with Republic TV editor-in-chief and his co- accused Arnab Goswami, were merely "loose talks".

9:54 PM

PM Modi to launch key projects in Assam on Feb 18: PMO

PM Modi will launch the ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’, lay the foundation stone of Dhubri Phulbari Bridge and perform 'Bhoomi Pujan' for construction of Majuli Bridge, Assam on 18th February at 12 noon via video conferencing: PMO

9:21 PM

Dr. Kiran Bedi removed as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry: Rashtrapati Bhavan

9:03 PM

A control room set up in Ranchi to provide information about missing people in Chamoli

8:46 PM

Crowds thin at Singhu, Tikri, but farmers say movement stronger than ever

As the farmers' stir against three new agriculture laws of the Centre inches towards the three-month mark, crowds at the major protest sites -- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders -- visibly appear to be thinning, but the leaders maintain that their movement is now stronger than ever.

 

Even as the "langars" and tents at Delhi's borders appear vacant, the farmer leaders insist that the crowd is merely shifting from one spot to another to mobilise more people to join the movement.

 

"The crowd is not thinning at all. We are simply trying to decentralise the movement and mobilise people in villages and districts, and not just in Punjab and Haryana. READ ON...

8:27 PM

Sedition law cannot be invoked to quieten disquiet under pretence of muzzling miscreants, says Delhi court

Farmers' protest: Sedition law cannot be invoked to quieten the disquiet under pretence of muzzling miscreants, says Delhi court

8:17 PM

Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi bus accident: 45 bodies found so far, search on

A bus carrying over 50 passengers fell into a canal in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district on Tuesday morning killing at least 45 people, Rajesh Kumar Jain, Divisional Commissioner, Rewa, told news agency ANI. At least seven people were rescued from the canal. The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained," Jain told ANI. "We have recovered 42 dead bodies so far. They have been sent for post mortem," he added.

 

The bus going from Sidhi to Satna, carrying around 57 passengers, fell into a canal in Sidhi after the driver lost control over it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for kin of those who lost their lives in the Sidhi bus accident on Tuesday. Expressing grief over the situation, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu tweeted, "Deeply anguished by the loss of lives in a bus accident in Sidhi district, Madhya Pradesh. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured as rescue operations are underway."

A team of two ministers will visit the bus accident site after Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called a meeting to discuss the incident.

8:08 PM

FIRs filed against those who housed foreigners after Tablighi Jamaat, Police tells HC

The police told the Delhi High Court on Tuesday that those who housed foreigners attending the Tablighi Jamaat congregation here last year, in violation of certain guidelines, have been included as accused in the FIRs lodged in connection with the event, PTI reported today.

 

The submission was made by Delhi Police in the status reports filed in the high court in response to two pleas by two Indian nationals, each of whom had given accommodation to four foreigners who had attended the Nizamuddin Markaz event, seeking quashing of the FIRs against them.

 

Justice Suresh Kait listed the pleas of the two Indians -- Feroz Siddique and Rizwan -- on March 8 for further hearing along with six other similar petitions seeking quashing of the FIRs against them in connection with the event.

8:07 PM

Amazon announces first device manufacturing line in India

E-commerce giant Amazon has announced its plans to begin manufacturing Amazon Devices in India. This is the first Amazon manufacturing line in India and reiterates the firm’s commitment to the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ for an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

 

The company did not disclose the amount it proposes to invest.

 

Amazon will commence its manufacturing efforts with contract manufacturer Cloud Network Technology, a subsidiary of Foxconn in Chennai and start production later this year. The device manufacturing programme will be able to produce hundreds of thousands of Fire TV Stick devices every year, catering to the demands of customers in India. Amazon will continuously evaluate scaling capacity to additional marketplaces and cities depending on the domestic demand. READ ON...

7:42 PM

Air 'very poor' across Ghaziabad, Noida, Faridabad, Gurgaon for second day

The average air quality across Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Fridabad and Gurgaon was recorded "very poor", which may cause respiratory illness to people on prolonged exposure, for a second day in a row, according to data issued by a government agency on Monday. Pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 also remained in the air of the five immediate neighbours of Delhi, according to the air quality index (AQI) maintained by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

 

According to the index, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

 

The average 24-hour AQI at 4 pm on Tuesday was 356 in Ghaziabad, 335 in Noida, 375 in Greater Noida, 310 in Faridabad and 302 in Gurgaon, according to CPCB's Sameer app.

7:35 PM

Uttarakhand floods: 23 limbs recovered in addition to 58 bodies

The rescuers have recovered 23 limbs in addition to 58 bodies so far after the February 7 deluge in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. Out of this, the last rites of 55 bodies and 20 limbs have been performed after collecting DNA samples, said DIG Nilesh Anand Bharne, who is also the spokesman of the state police.

 

But the police believe that all these 20 limbs do not belong to 20 persons separately, which means that one or more than two limbs may belong to one person.

 

Bharne also did not rule out this possibility when enquired. "It is possible that two limbs belonged to one person," he said. However, Bharne said the DNA samples would make it all clear about the identity of the persons killed in the calamitous floods that ravaged the Rishiganga hydel project completely besides partially damaging NTPC's Tapovan hydel project.

7:33 PM

Two dead, 20 injured as mini-truck carrying wedding guests overturns in Odisha's Gajapati district

Two dead, 20 injured as mini-truck carrying wedding guests overturns in Odisha's Gajapati district: PTI

7:30 PM

SC dismisses plea for return of MPLAD funds donated to PM CARES Fund

The Supreme Court Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking direction to the Centre to return Rs 365 crore donated by MPs from MPLADS fund to PM CARES Fund for tackling exigencies emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. A bench of Chief Justice Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian said it is not inclined to entertain the petition and dismissed it, according to a PTI report.

 

Advocate Dushyant Tiwari, appearing for petitioner Tushar Gupta, said that Rs 365 crore were donated by lawmakers from Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) in the PM CARES Fund, in contravention of the guidelines. Tiwari referred the RTI reply to buttress his claims and said that development work was hampered due to the diversion of the funds.

7:16 PM

Sidhi bus accident: Death toll rises to 47

Sidhi bus accident: Death toll rises to 47. At least 42 bodies handed over to the families of the victims, says SP Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh.

7:16 PM

Toolkit case: Court asks Delhi Police to give FIR copy to Disha Ravi, allows her to talk to family

A court here on Tuesday directed Delhi Police to hand over to 21-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi a copy of the FIR and other documents related to her arrest in connection with allegedly being involved in sharing a "toolkit" on social media on the farmers' protest and allowed her to speak to her family, PTI reported.

 

Besides the FIR, the court also directed the police to provide her the copies of the arrest memo and remand paper which was placed to seek her custodial interrogation. The court also permitted her to get warm clothes, masks and books.

 

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma allowed Ravi to speak with her family members over phone for 15 minutes a day and meet with her lawyer for 30 minutes a day, while she is in police custody. The court passed the order on an application filed by Ravi through her lawyer.

6:58 PM

Toolkit case: Bombay High Court grants 10-day anticipatory transit bail to Shantanu

Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court grants 10-day anticipatory transit bail to Shantanu in toolkit case.

6:57 PM

Toolkit case: Delhi Police seeks info from Zoom on Jan 11 meet

Intensifying its probe in the toolkit case, the Delhi Police on Tuesday sought details from video conferencing platform Zoom on the participants of the January 11 meeting by a pro-Khalistan group, while investigators were also looking into the funding aspect, a PTI report said.

The Delhi Commission for Women sent a notice to the city police on the arrest of climate activist Disha Ravi in the case and sought a report by Friday on issues like why she was allegedly not provided a lawyer of her choice when produced before a court. However, Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava denied any lapse.

 

"Disha Ravi's arrest has been made in accordance with the law which doesn't differentiate between a 22-year-old or a 50-year-old," he told reporters at an event while dismissing criticism of the police action against Ravi. Police also likely to approach WhatsApp seeking details of the 'International Farmers' Strike' group created in December last year.

6:28 PM

45 killed as bus plunges into canal in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district

At least 45 people, including 20 women, were killed when a packed bus skidded off the road and plunged into a canal in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district on Tuesday morning, a PTI report said. The accident took place near Patna village, around 80 km from the Sidhi district headquarters, when the ill-fated bus was on its way to Satna from Sidhi.

 

A search operation involving State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel and local authorities was still on at the site. Rescuers have retrieved 45 bodies from the canal so far, said Rewa Divisional Commissioner Rajesh Jain, under whose jurisdiction the accident took place.

 

"A total of 45 bodies - 24 of men, 20 women and a child - have been fished out of the Bansagar canal until now," an official said, adding a magisterial probe has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.

6:07 PM

NTPC starts disbursing compensation for deceased workers at Tapovan project

State-run power giant NTPC on Tuesday said it has started disbursal of compensation to families of workers at its Tapovan project who lost their lives due to the flash flood in Uttarakhand earlier this month, Press Trust of India reported on Tuesday.

 

The first cheque of Rs 20 lakh was handed over to Vimala Devi, wife of late Narendra Ji of Tapovan Vihar on February 15, a company statement said. A team from NTPC, led by Tapovan project head R P Ahirwar, visited Vimala Devi at her house on Monday.

 

While the Tapovan team has accelerated completion of all modalities to fast-track distribution of compensation, the company has decided to hand over compensation from its end to the families of its deceased workers as per ex-gratia list released by the state government.