Pune Porsche Crash Highlights: 7 named in charge sheet filed by police

-- Police file charge sheet in Porsche crash that killed 2 techies.

-- Pune teen's parents among 7 named in charge sheet.

The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is free to make any statement concerning Governor CV Ananda Bose, not crossing the contours of freedom of speech and expression and public duty.

Banerjee and Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh had moved an appeal before a division bench, challenging an interim order by a single bench directing the chief minister and three others not to make any defamatory or incorrect statement against Bose by way of publication and on social platforms till August 14.

The Odisha government on Friday announced a 10 percent quota and five years of age relaxation for Agniveers in the state's uninformed services.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi made the announcement before leaving for Delhi to attend the governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog on Saturday.

"Our soldiers are our pride. Agniveers, who are trained by our defence forces, are qualified to serve the nation in various security-related sectors," he said.

Facades of two mosques and a mazar along the kanwar yatra route in Uttarakhand's Haridwar city were on Friday covered with large sheets of white cloth to "prevent trouble" but were removed by the evening after objections from various quarters.

The sheets were hung on bamboo scaffoldings in front of two mosques and a mazar, all in the Jwalapur area.

The mosque's maulana and the mazar's caretakers said they were not aware of any administrative order in this regard and claimed this was for the first time that such a step had been taken during the yatra.

“I will raise my voice again and seek dissolution of NITI Aayog because they don't have any financial implication and they can't do anything. They can only do a convenient meeting in a year to just show their face. Please bring Planning Commission again. Planning Commission should be the real infrastructure for the country,” says West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee.

Over 5 crore ITRs for AY 2024-25 have already been filed till 26th of July this year as compared to 27th of July last year.

“We express our gratitude to the taxpayers & tax professionals for helping us reach the milestone of 5 crore Income Tax Returns (ITRs),” the Income Tax Department posts on X.

Automaker Maruti Suzuki India Ltd on Friday said it has received a demand of Rs 779.2 crore, including interest from the Income Tax authority.

The company has received a final assessment order for the financial year 2019-20 from the Income Tax authority, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) said in a regulatory filing.

The order has a total demand, including interest, of Rs 779.2 crore, it said, adding that it has also received a showcause notice for initiation of penalty proceedings with respect to the order.

A Special MCOCA Court has issued a non bailable warrant against gangsters Anmol Bishnoi and Rohit Godara in the Salman Khan residence firing case that occurred on April 14, Mumbai Police informs.

The RPF has 5,900 women personnel, the highest among the Central Armed Police Forces in India, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

The Railway Police Force has 63,051 personnel in total and women make up for 9.36 percent of it, he said.

Vaishnaw gave the data in response to AAP MP Sanjay Singh asking the total number of RPF male and female personnel, posts lying vacant, and people travelling by Railways in the country on a daily basis.

Seventeen candidates share top rank in NEET-UG final results, down from 61 in revised results.

Assets worth Rs 14.21 crore of DMK leader K Ponmudy, ex-MP son Gautham Sigamani attached in mining linked money laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate says.

Former Odisha CM and state LoP Naveen Patnaik writes to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.

The letter reads, “Due to rains, there has been a short supply of potatoes in Odisha market, resulting in an artificial price hike adding to the sufferings of common person. I understand from media that long queues of trucks loaded with potatoes are waiting at the West Bengal Odisha border...I request you to kindly intervene in the matter and ensure smooth supply of potatoes to Odisha.”

Manorama Mohanty, IMD Director, Bhubaneswar says, "A low-pressure area has formed over the north Bay of Bengal adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh and Gangetic West Bengal. Due to this, the state is likely to experience good moderate rainfall activity. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in Kendrapada, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur, Deoghar and Keonjhar districts in the next few days...Fishermen warning issued for the next 48 hours."

"A matter of immense joy and pride for India, says PM Modi after the Moidams at Charaideo -- the mound burial system of the Ahom dynasty, make it to UNESCO's World Heritage Site.

"The Moidams at Charaideo showcase the glorious Ahom culture, which places utmost reverence to ancestors. I hope more people learn about the great Ahom rule and culture. Glad that the Moidams join the #WorldHeritage List," he said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and other leaders from Brunei, New Zealand and Laos and discussed various aspects of bilateral collaboration, including education and agriculture technology.

Jaishankar is in the capital of the Laos People's Democratic Republic to participate in the meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He met Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on the sidelines of the meeting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog on July 27, 2024, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi.

This year's theme is ‘Viksit Bharat@2047’, with a central focus on making India a developed nation.

The Governing Council Meeting will discuss the Approach Paper for the Vision Document on Viksit Bharat @ 2047.

The meeting aims to foster participative governance and collaboration between the Centre and state governments, enhancing the quality of life for both rural and urban populations by strengthening the delivery mechanisms of government interventions.

The meeting will also see detailed deliberations on the role of states in achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.

Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel says, "About 133 cases have been registered so far. Of these 37 cases are confirmed for Chandipura and the remaining cases can't be spoken of confirmed, as far as the symptoms are concerned. We can't call them Acute Viral Syndrome for certain. Acute Viral Syndrome occurs every year but the number has gone up this year. State Government has taken a lot of initiatives for this..."

Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil says, "The (state) cabinet has approved to rename Ramanagara district to Bengaluru South district."

RJD leader Sunil Singh, who has been expelled from the Legislative Council for mimicking CM Nitish Kumar, says "This day will be known as a black day in our democracy. It has never been seen before today when the Ethics Committee expelled a member of the Legislative Council by making a fake case. There is no provision that a member can be expelled..."

No immediate relief for Byju Raveendran today from Karnataka HC as the case is deferred to July 30. HC says it will take a call on July 30 as NCLAT Chennai is expected to hear the case on July 29.

The 2024 Union Budget proposals give a boost to domestic manufacturing and correct duty inversion, says CBIC chairman Sanjay Agrawal.

“The phased manufacturing programme has borne fruit and we have a robust manufacturing of mobile phones. Time has come to reduce rate of duty to 20 percent to 15 percent, because they cannot remain high forever,” he adds.

The theme of direct tax proposals in the Budget was simplification, standardisation, decriminalisation and ease of doing business, says CBDT Chairman Ravi Agarwal at CII session.

In most cases, capital gains tax regime that has been now proposed is beneficial, he adds.

Multiple litigations were not leading us anywhere, the procedures have been standardised, he further says, adding, "We have come up with Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme, keeping in view that the last VSVS was successful."

The Rouse Avenue court on Friday extended judicial custody of Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia and BRS Leader K Kavitha till July 31.

They were produced through video conferencing from Tihar Jail.

The CBI recently filed a supplementary charge against BRS leader K Kavitha.

"Earlier this week, Michelle and I called our friend Kamala Harris. We told her we think she’ll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support..," former United States President Barack Obama endorses US VP Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party nominee for the Presidential elections.

The residual state of Andhra Pradesh has inherited 46 percent of tax revenue with 58 percent of the population. As a result, AP’s per capita income fell far below the per capita income of Telangana, it found.

A delegation of Kerala MPs met with the Environment Minister in Parliament today, advocating for changes to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) regulations and addressing rising human-animal conflicts in Kerala.

The Supreme Court criticized the Delhi government for its failure to implement the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, highlighting a significant shortfall in waste processing capacity. Delhi generates over 11,000 tons of solid waste daily, yet its processing capacity is only 8,073 metric tons per day. The court warned that untreated waste could trigger a public health emergency.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has announced her intention to protest against what she calls political discrimination against Bengal at the upcoming NITI Aayog meeting. She accused BJP leaders of attempting to divide Bengal through economic and geographical blockades and stated she would record her dissent at the meeting, even threatening to stage a walkout if necessary.

The Supreme Court has extended its interim order, halting directives from state governments requiring eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display owners' names outside their shops.

Typhoon Gaemi, causing severe flooding and damage, has led to evacuations of nearly 300,000 in China. The storm, which resulted in fatalities in Taiwan and the Philippines, continues to disrupt. Read more.

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre and secretaries to the governors of West Bengal and Kerala to respond to petitions challenging the governors' decisions to deny assent to bills and refer them to the President. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Paridwala and Manoj Misra issued notices to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the governors’ offices. Kerala's senior advocate KK Venugopal argued against the governor’s referral of bills to the President, while West Bengal’s representatives, Abhishek Singhvi and Jaideep Gupta, noted that such referrals have become a recurring issue in the Supreme Court.

Today's Lok Sabha session was adjourned amidst uproar over various contentious issues. The House will reconvene at 12:30 pm to address pending matters and ongoing debates.

Lok Sabha solemnly commemorated Kargil Vijay Diwas, honoring India's victory over Pakistan in the 1999 war. Speaker Om Birla praised the courage of soldiers who bravely faced challenging conditions during the conflict, emphasizing their role in safeguarding national unity. The House observed a moment of silence to honor the over 500 soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during 'Operation Vijay'. On July 26, 1999, the Indian Army declared victory in Kargil, concluding the nearly three-month-long battle in Ladakh. This day annually commemorates 'Kargil Vijay Diwas' in tribute to the valor and dedication of the armed forces.

At approximately 8:30 am on Friday, near Bhubaneswar railway station, at least two wagons of a goods train derailed, according to officials. Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries. Railway teams have swiftly arrived at the site to begin restoration efforts. Notably, the derailment has affected the down line, while the middle and up lines remain operational and unaffected.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched a preliminary enquiry following allegations of an extortion racket operating from Tihar and other prisons in Delhi. This development comes after Sukesh Chandrasekar petitioned the Delhi High Court, urging the CBI to register an FIR. The CBI has submitted a status report on the matter to the court.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized the government's commitment to sustained infrastructure investment during an interview at the CNBC-TV18 Open House on July 26. She stated, "The higher public spending wasn't just a post-Covid recovery thought. [We] will continue with the capex." Sitharaman highlighted the necessity of ongoing public spending to support economic recovery and ensure sustained growth, addressing infrastructure deficits across the country. Read more. 

The Uttar Pradesh government has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court defending its directive on displaying names of shop owners along the Kanwar route. The directive aims to facilitate a peaceful Kanwar Yatra and promote transparency, ensuring consumers and Kanwarias can make informed choices about the food they consume during the pilgrimage. The government emphasized that the directive respects religious sentiments, aiming to prevent inadvertent violations and uphold beliefs during the Yatra.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has submitted an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha urging the prioritization of conducting the census and the announcement of a definitive timeline for its completion.

The Parliament's session discussing the Union budget 2024-25 faced disruptions as Lok Sabha adjourned twice due to protests from opposition members. The adjournments were prompted by uproar over comments made by Congress' Charanjit Singh Channi and BJP's Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu.

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