Observing that it is the constitutional mandate to hold elections after every five years and any delay cannot be brooked, the Supreme Court directed Maharashtra election commission to start election process for over 2,400 local bodies across the state and directed that notification be issued within a week. A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar, A S Oka and C T Ravikumar rejected the plea of the state government which contended that election be postponed for some time as delimitation of wards was going on. The bench noted that the delimitation was an ongoing process and election could not be deferred. “We cannot wait indefinitely. It is a constitutional provision to hold election after five years,” the bench said.
Isro to join race to Venus, eyes 2024 orbiter launch
After successfully completing Moon and Mars missions, India is set to join the race with the US and several other countries to go to Venus. The mission’s objective will be to study the Venusian atmosphere, which is toxic and corrosive in nature as clouds of sulfuric acid cover the planet.
Isro chairman S Somanath says the work on the mission has been going on for years and that the space agency is now “ready to send an orbiter to Venus”. “The project report is made, overall plans are ready, money identified, all that thing is done. Building and putting a mission on Venus is possible for India in a very short space of time, as the capability today exists with India,” the Isro chairman said.
2 MP tribals lynched for ‘cow slaughter’
A mob of 15-20 people lynched two tribal men on suspicion of cow slaughter and another man was gravely wounded in Simaria village of Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni district, triggering a political storm in the state as opposition parties alleged that Bajrang Dal and BJP members were involved in the crime. Sources said the mob accused Dhansa, 54, and Sampat Batti, 60, of killing a cow and smuggling the meat in Simaria under Kurai police station and beat them to death, sources said. A third tribal man, identified as Brijesh, was roughed up when he came out of his house near the crime site and tried to intervene. He was admitted to hospital, police said, and three of 20 suspects were rounded up so far. Additional SP S K Maravi said an autopsy will be done before bodies are given to relatives.
Pak ultras dug tunnel to target Amarnath Yatra
The BSF said it has detected a cross-border tunnel along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district and claimed to have foiled the plans of Pakistan-based terrorists to disrupt the upcoming A marnath Yatra. The 150-metres-long tunnel was detected in an area under the Chak Faquira border outpost in Samba, BSF officials said. "With the detection of this tunnel, BSF-Jammu has foiled the nefarious designs of Pakistan-based terrorists to disrupt the upcoming Amarnath yatra," BSF DIG S P S Sandhu said. The tunnel was freshly dug and originated from the Pakistan side. Its opening was about 2 feet and so far 21 sandbags, used to strengthen the exit of the tunnel, have been recovered. Sandhu said the tunnel will be searched in detail.
Yogi, Dhami settle property row
A two decades old battle between the states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand over the ownership of Alaknanda hotel in Haridwar was finally resolved by CM Yogi Adityanath and his counterpart Pushkar Singh Dhami. Both states also gave in-principle approval to settle several other property-related issues. The dispute had seen numerous CMs in the past trying to settle it amicably. The issue had been in the Supreme Court since 2004. Yogi and Dhami were all smiles as the former formally handed over the keys, symbolic of the ownership of the hotel, to the Uttarakhand CM. As quid pro quo, the two CMs jointly inaugurated the Bhagirathi Tourist Rest House, built by the UP tourism department and situated close to the hotel, whose ownership will remain with UP.
