1. Hizbul Mujahideen Behind Army Officer Fayaz’s Killing: J&K Police
The Jammu and Kashmir Police has held a local module of the Hizbul Mujahideen responsible for the killing of a 22-year-old Army officer in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Tuesday night.
Inspector General of Police Javeed Gillani said investigators have seized two empty INSAS rifle cartridge cases used for the crime. A probe was on to check if they were same cartridges snatched from policemen a few days ago, he added.
Gillani, however, refused to disclose the names of those behind Rajputana Rifles officer Ummer Fayaz’s abduction and murder. “A local Hizbul Mujahideen module was involved. Though we have identified the militants, their names cannot be revealed immediately,” he said.
Lieutenant Fayaz was kidnapped from a relative’s house in the midst of a wedding ceremony, and shot dead the same night. Witnesses said the army officer was taken away while he was sitting with the bride, even as more militants waited outside the house.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. Meeting With Jindal Was Part of Back-Channel Diplomacy: PM Sharif
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has informed Pakistan’s powerful army his meeting with Indian steel tycoon Sajjan Jindal was part of “back-channel diplomacy”, but the military made it clear that Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case cannot be discussed during such contacts.
BBC Urdu quoted government sources as saying that Sharif had, during a recent meeting, taken army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa into confidence regarding his discussions with Jindal.
Sharif told the military leadership that Jindal had the backing of Indian authorities for the meeting aimed at reducing bilateral tensions, the report said.
However, the army leadership made it clear that the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the former Indian Navy officer sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged espionage, will not be the subject of any back-channel or diplomatic contacts between the two sides.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. Triple Talaq Hearing Begins, SC Says Won’t Examine Polygamy
The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would not examine the Islamic custom of polygamy while hearing petitions challenging triple talaq, described as biased by several Muslim women who want the divorce practice scrapped.
The court said it would look into whether triple talaq was a fundamental to practising Islam. A five-judge bench led by Chief Justice JS Khehar asked the petitioners and the Central government – which is supporting the abolition of all forms of triple talaq – to come back on Friday and explain how a Muslim man would get divorced if the court struck down the practice as unconstitutional.
“According to you, all divorces are unconstitutional and if we finally hold it in your favour then what is the remedy available for the man, if he wants to go for divorce?” asked justice UU Lalit.
The question was raised because the Shariat law entitles a woman and not a man the right to approach the court for divorce. Quran allows a man to utter talaq thrice to severe his marriage. The divorce procedure, as defined in Islamic law, is spread over three months and entails arbitration and reconciliation after talaq is pronounced by the husband.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Three Bookies Held as Police Suspect IPL Match ‘Fixed’
Three suspected bookies were arrested on Thursday from a Kanpur hotel which hosted players of Gujarat Lions and Daredevils who clashed in the first Indian Premier League (IPL) match held in the Uttar Pradesh city, police said.
Police found Rs 40.90 lakh in cash and five mobile phones from the suspects –identified as Ramesh Nayan Shah, a businessman from Thane Mumbai, Ramesh Kumar and Vikas Chauhan, both from Kanpur, said the city’s Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Kulhari.
Police are also likely to question two Gujarat Lions players who were allegedly named by the suspected bookies.
The arrests have raised suspicion of betting in the cash-rich tournament that was blighted by corruption scandals involving players and officials in 2013 and led to a massive shake-up of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
(Source: Hindustan Times)
5. Tapping 5 States in South Is Key to BJP’s Expansion Blueprint
Key to the BJP’s ambition of nationwide dominance is its plan to expand its base in southern India on the back of the RSS and the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. To that effect, BJP chief Amit Shah has given a “South Mission” blueprint to party leaders that aims to tap into the fluid political situation and prospective re-alignments in five states: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, party sources have told The Indian Express.
“In these states, a strong RSS network has been built over the years and this will form the natural platform for the plan to take off,” said a senior BJP leader. The party’s “South Mission” faces its first test in Karnataka which goes to polls later this year. Critical to South Mission is also the import of established leaders from other parties, bringing in some of the party’s own leaders from other states, induct popular film stars and even break local parties.
(Source: Indian Express)
6. ACB Raids PWD Office Tied to Delhi CM Kin Contract
Former AAP Minister Kapil Mishra on Thursday recorded his statement before the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in connection with the alleged water tanker scam.
An ACB team also conducted a raid at the office of a PWD engineer in northwest Delhi over allegations of irregularities in awarding a contract to a construction firm belonging to CM Arvind Kejriwal’s relative.
Mishra who has been on a hunger strike arrived at the ACB office at noon to and was questioned till late afternoon. A few days ago, he had visited the ACB office and shared evidence related to the Rs 400-crore scam, which allegedly took place during the chief ministership of Sheila Dikshit. Mishra has alleged that the investigation into the tanker scam was repeatedly delayed and influenced by Kejriwal and two of his associates.
(Source: Times of India)
7. Mustard Set to Be India's First GM Food, Gets Regulator Nod
India's central biotech regulator, Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), on Thursday cleared the genetically modified (GM) Mustard for commercial cultivation and recommended its approval to the environment ministry.
The fate of this transgenic variety of oil-seed will now be in the hands of the MoS environment Anil Madhav Dave who may either accept it, reject it or sit over the file till the Supreme Court takes its call on a pending application on the matter.
The GM mustard, developed by a Delhi University institution, is only the second food crop which got its clearance from the central regulator. The GEAC had earlier in 2010 cleared the Bt Brinjal but the decision was not accepted by then environment minister Jairam Ramesh. Currently, only Bt Cotton – a non-food GM crop – is commercially cultivated in the country.
(Source: Times of India)
8. In 2007 Hate Speech Case, UP Govt Denies Sanction to Prosecute Yogi
The Uttar Pradesh government informed the Allahabad High Court Thursday that it had refused sanction for the prosecution of Yogi Adityanath, former Member of Parliament and the current Chief Minister, and others named in an FIR for allegedly inciting communal violence in Gorakhpur in 2007.
Chief Secretary Rahul Bhatnagar, who appeared before the bench comprising Justices Umesh Chandra Srivastava and Ramesh Sinha, filed an affidavit conveying the government’s decision. The bench was hearing a petition filed by Parvez Parvaz, complainant in one of the FIRs lodged after the 2007 incident. The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for 7 July.
SFA Naqvi, counsel for Parvaz, later said he had been granted time to file “an amendment application to challenge the refusal of sanction for prosecution”.
(Source: Indian Express)
9. Naseemuddin Siddiqui vs Mayawati: Tapes, CDs, Rs 50 Crore, Blackmail Charge
Infighting in the BSP took an ugly turn Thursday when veteran leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui, who had been expelled a day earlier with his son Afzal for “anti-party activities”, released seven audio clips and claimed he had 150 CDs on party chief Mayawati. He alleged that she had demanded Rs 50 crore from him after the party’s rout in the UP assembly elections.
Less than two hours later, Mayawati told reporters at her residence that Siddiqui was a “taping blackmailer”, that there was “nothing new” in the audio clips he had released since these had been “edited by him because they have my voice but not his”.
She claimed Siddiqui had party “books of membership” but had not done their “settlement”, and in the phone conversations, she was telling him to do that. In the audio clips Siddiqui released, Mayawati repeatedly mentions “kitab” (books) and “hisaab” (settlement).
(Source: Indian Express)
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