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WB chit fund scam: Left parties seek CBI probe

New Delhi: The Left parties on Thursday sought a court-monitored CBI probe into the West Bengal chit fund scam and accused the Trinamool Congress-led government of not intervening to check activities of companies with suspicious financial dealings in the state. Senior leaders of Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Communist Party of India, the Revolutionary Socialist Party and Forward Bloc met President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh separately and...  

Congress mocks Mamata for 'campaigning' against CBI

Kolkata: The Congress on Thursday ridiculed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for "campaigning against the CBI", claiming that she was doing so to prevent the truth from coming out in the Saradha Group chit fund scam. "A chief minister should not campaign against a central investigating agency. It is ridiculous for her to do so," state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya said referring to a Mamata post on a social...  

UP: Four youths rape 21-year-old girl, dump her in a hospital

Etawah: A 21-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped on Thursday in a moving van by four youths, who later dumped her in district hospital in Etawah and escaped. The victim, a first-year graduate student, was picked up by the four youths when she was returning home after withdrawing money from a bank on Thursday afternoon, police said. However, later, the van reportedly met with an accident in which the girl was...  

DU's Executive Council gives nod to 4-year degree programme

New Delhi: The controversial four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) of Delhi University got its final approval today after the varsity's Executive Council cleared the proposal, which has evoked criticism from a section of the academia. The Council meeting was attended by 21 members. Only two members opposed the move by presenting their dissent notes. On Wednesday night, the DU's Academic Council had cleared the proposal with 86 members voting for it...  

TN: Ramadoss gets bail in hate speech case, released

Chennai: Former union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss, arrested in connection with a hate speech case filed in 2012, was on Thursday released from jail after a Villupuram court granted conditional bail to him, officials said. The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader was arrested from his T Nagar residence here on May 3. He was arrested on various charges including unlawful assembly, activities prejudicial to peace, violation of police rules and...  

CAG report is not the final word on any issue: SC

New Delhi: CAG report commands respect and cannot be brushed aside but it cannot be the final word on an issue, the Supreme Court said on Thursday while noting that the auditor's findings cannot be gospel truth as it is subject to scrutiny by Parliament. A bench of justices KS Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra said that CAG's report is always subject to parliamentary debates and it is possible that Public...  

News 360: Cong remains non-committal on action against Ashwani, Bansal

The Congress on Thursday dithered on taking action against its two beleaguered ministers Ashwani Kumar and Pawan Kumar Bansal. ...

Demand to sack Ashwani, Bansal grows but Congress remains silent

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday remained non-committal on the continuance of its two ministers Ashwani Kumar and Pawan Kumar Bansal. The two have been under fire over allegations of misuse of power. On Thursday, while Bansal chose to skip the Cabinet meet at the PM's residence, Ashwani attended it. Sources said that the PM was still not keen on Ashwani's exit as that would expose him to opposition attack....  

SC to consider Sanjay Dutt's review plea on Friday

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday will take up Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt's plea seeking review of its March 21 judgement upholding his conviction under the Arms Act and sentencing him to five years in jail in 1993 Bombay serial blasts case. A bench of P Sathasivam and BS Chauhan, which had delivered March 21 verdict, will take up the review plea in chamber. It will also consider similar...  

Ashwani's portfolio may be changed, Bansal likely to resign: Sources

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is still not keen on Law Minister Ashwani Kumar's exit, sources said on Thursday. The sources said that the PM's main worry was that he would be in the line of fire if Ashwani resigned. At the Cabinet meet at the PM's residence, the solution offered was changing the portfolio of Ashwani Kumar. Meanwhile, sources added that Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal is unlikely...  

WB chit fund scam: TMC hits back at Left for meeting PM, FM

Kolkata: Accusing the Left of failing to protect investors in ponzi schemes during its prolonged rule in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress on Thursday hit back after Left leaders met the Prime Minister and Finance Minister seeking a CBI probe into the chit fund scam. "Who are asking for a CBI probe today? It is those who were unable to pass an effective bill to rein in chit fund companies...  

Old parties like Cong get too arrogant: Bhupendra Chaubey

Already in the docks over the CWG, 2G and chopper deals, the UPA has now been hit by two more scams, one in the Railways and one over coal block allocations. The Supreme Court has also come down on the functioning of the government and its bureaucracy. In such a situation with the general elections drawing closer, can the UPA ignore the clamour for Ashwani Kumar and Pawan Bansal's removal?...  

Lockers of PWD engineer's wife yield Rs 57 lakh, gold

Nashik: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday recovered cash worth Rs 57,69,000 and over 9 kg of gold from two bank lockers of Swati Chikhlikar, wife of suspended PWD executive engineer (Nashik north) Satish Chikhlikar, besides 5 kg of silver from another locker in her name. The seizure is collectively estimated over Rs 3,27,29,000, according to a senior ACB officer. "ACB seized cash of Rs 57,69,000, 9.558 kg of gold, including...  

WB chit fund scam: Sudipta Sen, 2 aides sent to 9-day police custody

Kolkata: Chit fund company Saradha group's chief Sudipta Sen was on Thursday sent to 9-day police custody, along with two of his close aides - Debjani Mukherjee and Arvind Singh Chouhan. The Bidhan Nagar police had sought a 14-day extension of their custody. The Saradha group allegedly duped lakhs of investors in a chit fund scheme. The police have unearthed 254 bank accounts and close to 200 properties of the...  

Coalgate: CVC seeks report from CBI on govt interference in probe

New Delhi: The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on Thursday sought a detailed report from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the government's interference in its draft coalgate report, sources said. The CBI has also been asked to submit its latest status report on the case to the Commission, official sources said, adding the CVC has taken cognizance of reports citing interference in CBI's probe in the coal blocks allocation...  

Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu retain rankings

New Delhi: Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu retained their women's singles rankings in the list released by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Thursday. Saina is currently at No. 2 while Sindhu, with her win in Malaysia last week, stayed put at 13th. Parupalli Kashyap is the highest ranked Indian male shuttler at World No. 11 while RMV Gurusaidutt pipped Ajay Jayaram to be the second best Indian...  

Suarez escapes punishment for alleged punch

Uruguay forward Luis Suarez has escaped a sanction for allegedly punching an opponent during the World Cup qualifier against Chile, the country's football federation (AUF) said in a statement. Soccer's governing body FIFA opened an investigation after Argentine referee Nestor Pitana missed the incident which happened as Suarez tussled with Gonzalo Jara as they lined up for a corner during Chile's 2-0 win in Santiago. "The matter in question does...  

PM may replace Ashwani Kumar soon: Sources

New Delhi: Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, who has been under pressure to resign after the Central Bureau of Investigation told the Supreme Court that he not only saw the coal scam report but also suggested some changes in it, is likely to be replaced. Sources say that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is seriously considering the possibility of replacing Ashwani Kumar. Sources say that the Manmohan Singh may either ask a...  

Under fire over coal scam report, Vahanvati meets PM

New Delhi: A day after the Supreme Court came down heavily on the government and the Central Bureau of Investigation for sharing the coal scam probe report, Attorney General GE Vahanvati met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday. Law Minister Ashwani Kumar had also reached the PMO to meet Manmohan Singh but he was not given an appointment. Vahanvati, Ashwani Kumar and the two officials of the PMO and the...  

Railway bribery: CBI seeks clarifications from Bansal's secy

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday sought clarifications from Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's personal secretary Rahul Bhandari in the Railway bribery case. The investigative agency sought clarification on the basis of some phone conversations tapped by the CBI. Sources said that this cannot be technically called 'questioning' yet but just clarifications. The CBI may seek more details from Bhandari at a later stage. The CBI...