NEWS

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India ruled that ban on entry of women in the age group of 10-50 years into the Sabarimala shrine would be tested on ‘constitutional ethos’ and asked the temple board to establish that the restriction was an “essential and integral” part of religious faith.

A five judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra was apparently not in agreement with the argument of the Travancore Devaswom Board running the over 800-year-old Lord Ayyappa temple that the “practice and belief” that have continued uninterrupted cannot be tested on the ground of “modern ethos”.

New Delhi: Mehul Choksi, Fugitive diamantaire, has moved to Antigua from the US and taken the passport of the Caribbean country. In response to diffusion notice issued by Interpol, the Enforcement Directorate has been informed by Antiguan authorities that Choksi arrived there this month and had taken the passport of that country.

Choksi had fled the country in the first week of January, nearly a fortnight before country's biggest banking fraud surfaced. The CBI has booked Choksi, uncle of his alleged partner in crime Nirav Modi, in two cases related to the scam and filed charge sheet against him.

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the Centre was providing more assistance than what it would have got under that status virtually ruling out granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Assuring the Rajya Sabha that all promises made to the people of the state would be fulfilled, Singh said 90 per cent of promises made under the Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Act, which had led to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in 2014, have already been fulfilled.

“The remaining promises will also be kept,” he said while replying to a short-duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the non-implementation of provisions of the 2014 Act.

New Delhi: One of the key accused in the multi-crore PNB scam and Gitanjali Gems promoter Mehul Choksi on Monday moved a special court in Mumbai seeking cancellation of non-bailable warrants (NBWs) issued against him, claiming that he apprehends mob lynching if he is brought to India.

A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court had in March and July this year issued non-bailable warrants against Choksi after it took cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the case.

Choksi, in his application moved before the special PMLA court, claimed he faces a threat to his life not only from his former employees and debtors but also from jail staff and inmates (where he would be launched if he returns).