The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the October 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, on Monday filed a nearly 5,000-page charge sheet. Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni, has been named as an accused in the case. Ashish Mishra, who has already been arrested, was named as the prime accused in the case, according to sources. Further, the number of accused in the case increased to 14 as another name has been added. "The name of one more person, Virendra Shukla, has been added in the charge sheet. He has been charged under Section 201 of IPC," the prosecution lawyer said. A total of eight people were killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence incident which took place on October 3, 2021 during a farmers' protest against the now-repealed three controversial farm laws. A total of 13 persons are accused in the case, including Ashish Mishra and former Union Minister Akhilesh Das's nephew Ankit Das.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday criticised the Central government for "missing" the double vaccination target, saying the government's claims to achieve 100 per cent vaccination turned out to be "Jumla". "The Central government had promised 100 per cent vaccination by the end of 2021... today is the last day of the year, the country is still far from the vaccination target. One more 'Jumla' got shattered," the Congress leader tweeted. Claiming there is a scarcity of Covid vaccines, the Congress said 47,95,00,000 Indians need 59,40,00,000 vaccination doses. "Besides, 25,70,00,000 senior citizens and corona warriors need the vaccine while those in the 15-18 age group need another 35,70,00,000 doses," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said. India's Omicron tally on Friday rose to 1,270 cases and among the 23 states and UTs that have reported the Omicron infection so far, Maharashtra tops the list with 450 cases of this variant.

The durability of immunity post the Covid infection persists for about 9 months, Indian Council of Medical Research Director General, Dr Balram Bhargava, said on Thursday. The whole SARS CoV2 virus infects an individual in natural settings, and elicits three kinds of responses - antibody mediated, cell mediated immunity, and immunological memory, he said. "Based on several global and Indian scientific researches, if you get an infection, you are generally protected for 9 months," he said at press briefing on the Covid situation. Immunological memory to SARS CoV2 lasted for 8 months in the natural settings as per a study in the US, published in journal Science. Another study from China says that antibody and cellular immune responses persists more than 9 months after infection, while the longitudinal investigation in the US of multiple studies have shown that antibody responses persists for more than 13 months post infection, he added. About three studies from India - two by the ICMR and one from Bombay conducted on 284, 755 and 244 patients, respectively, Bhargava said that immunity persists for up to 8 months, 7 months, and 6 months respectively.

Months after a tunnel connecting Delhi Assembly (Old Secretariat) to the historic Red Fort was found, a hanging house was discovered inside the Vidhan Sabha premises on Monday. Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel told the press that the hanging house was found after a hollow wall was demolished. An inspection will be carried out and the archaeological department will be informed about the same, he added.

Lokpal chairperson Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose on Monday said corruption is a key element in underperformance of the economy and it undermines democracy and the rule of law. He was inaugurating a digital Platform LokpalOnline -- an end-to-end digital solution for the management of complaints against public servants filed under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.The online platform can be accessed by all citizens and complaints can be filed from anywhere, anytime at http://lokpalonline.gov.in.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday slammed the Narendra Modi-led Central government, saying that "the India of Mahatma Gandhi is gradually turning into the India of Nathuram Godse". The remarks were a reference to the conventional symbolism that's traditionally used to identify India -- the land of peace and tolerance for which Mahatma Gandhi stood -- in stark contrast with Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated the Father of the Nation, and is generally associated with fundamentalism.

South Korea's Coast Guard rescued 17 Vietnamese sailors on Thursday after their cargo ship sank near the eastern island of Ulleung a day earlier, officials said. The 5,765-ton Panama-registered vessel carrying 18 Vietnamese crew members went down in waters 154 kilometres north of the East Sea island at around 9.50 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the Donghae regional office of the Coast Guard.

A professor for South Africas National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) says the susceptibility of the population is greater because previous Covid infection used to protect against Delta -- but now, with the Omicron variant, it doesn't seem to be the case.

Two South Korean nationals, who were arrested in a case of GST evasion to the tune of crores of rupees, escaped from police custody in Tamil Nadu's Chengalpattu district last month, flew to Manipur, and are believed to have crossed out of India, police sources said.

A minor girl was allegedly raped by a civil defence employee in the national capital, an official said here on Sunday. Furnishing details about the incident, a senior official said a case under section 363 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code was registered on the complaint of the parents of the 15-year-old victim girl on November 17. During the course of the investigation, the victim girl arrived at her home on the same day and narrated the whole incident. She stated that while she was near Matiala road, one boy offered to drop her near her home from his motorcycle. But as she sat on his motorcycle he took her to a coaching centre. "The accused showed her some photographs on his mobile phone and introduced himself as a policeman by showing his uniformed photographs," the senior official said. The accused also assured her to provide a job as a teacher in the coaching centre. Thereafter he took her to a park and raped her.

A minor girl, who was kidnapped on November 12 in the national capital, was rescued by the Delhi Police from Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, an official said here on Saturday. According to the official, on November 12 the father of the girl, a resident of Uttam Nagar in New Delhi came to Mohan Garden police station and reported that his 16-year-old minor daughter was missing since 4.30 p.m. of the day.

Greeting his fellow citizens on the eve of the 552nd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday appealed all to follow the foot-steps of Guru Nanak and strengthen the spirit of harmony and unity in the society.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a prosecution complaint against two persons for their active involvement in money laundering in the Rs 3,269.42 crore bank fraud case involving Shakti Bhog Foods Limited. The accused, identified as Ashok Kumar Goel and Devki Nandan Garg, both entry operators, assisted Shakti Bhog Foods Limited and its directors in generation, acquisition, layering and siphoning off its loans through the shell companies under their

As part of the 'Students Special Week' of 'Kaun Banega Crorepati 13', a class 10 student from Delhi Public School, Manas Gaikwad became the first student to win 50 lakh points. Because this week only students will be on the hotseat, so rupees have been replaced with points on the show.

Six senior Congress leaders in Assam on Thursday lodged a complaint with the police against actress Kangana Ranaut for allegedly making defamatory comments against Mahatma Gandhi and the freedom movement. The Congress leaders, including former MPs Dwijen Sharma and Bolih Kuli, in their complaint lodged at the Dispur police station referring to an article in a newspaper, said that Ranaut severely criticised Mahatma Gandhi, who devoted his life to free India from the British rule. "It is a grave insult towards the martyrs of the freedom movement. The statements made by the actress are also an act of sedition. The statements have broken the hearts of the Indian people as well as the freedom fighters of Assam. It is a grave offence of sedition with the intention to dishonour the freedom fighters," the Congress leaders said.

Two explosions occurred in the centre of Uganda's capital, where the Indian para-badminton team has gone to take part in an international tournament, but the shutters are safe. The blasts, which are reported to have occurred just 100 meters from the hotel the Indian team is staying in, have killed at least two people and set several cars on fire. However, Para-Badminton India took to social media and said that players are safe. "Indian Team is Safe!There is multiple Bomb Blast 100 mtr away from the official Hotel," it said in a tweet. Coach Vikash Khanna

Tamil Nadu police arrested a 27-year-old youth for making a hoax bomb threat to the residence of actor Vijay.

During the early hours of Monday, a call was made to the master control room at the state police headquarters about a bomb being placed at the residence of actor Vijay. Police headquarters immediately deputed a team of police officers and policemen along with sniffer dogs and bomb disposal squads to the residence of the actor at Neelakaranai in the city.

One person was killed and 7 others were injured in a road accident on Tuesday on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. Police said two vehicles collided with each other inside the Nashri Tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. "One person was 

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday suspended an assistant regional transport officer (ARTO) and two motor vehicle inspectors on corruption charges. An order issued by the government said, "Today that ARTO Kupwara (Mohammad Mukhtar) and two Motor Vehicle Inspectors (Khursheed Ahmad and Abdul Hamid) are placed 

Vishakha Fulsunge aka Rider-Girl Vishakha has created milestones in the past like riding from Mumbai to Visakhapatnam (1800 km) at a single stretch or being the first and fastest female biker to complete Narmada Parikrama. Apart from her marvellous skills in sports, she is also famous for filming scenic yet impactful videos clearly justified by her over 10 lakh plus followers on Social Media.

The Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached assets worth Rs 6.32 crore of Somyendra Nath Banerjee, former Deputy Director General, New Technology, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Kolkata and his associates under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in a disproportionate assets case. The attached assets include one office premises, two vacant plots of land, one three-storeyed commercial building along with plant and machinery of a running company, balance lying

Facebook hosts at least 30 distinct pages for bidi companies, and many of these companies are utilising the social media platform to facilitate sales, according to a report released on Wednesday. The report titled "Selling Death on Social Media: How Bidis Are Reaching Consumers Online" from global public health organisation Vital Strategies details digital media monitoring data with 344 instances of bidi marketing on social media between December 2020 and August 2021, almost exclusively through Facebook (98 per cent).

A Special Investigation Team of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrived here from New Delhi to formally take over the probe into the rave party aboard a cruise ship and other cases, officials said here on Monday. The SIT, headed by senior officer Sanjay Kumar Singh has sent out summons to at least seven accused or witnesses in the case, including Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan and his manager Pooja Dadlani.

In a significant development, the Centre on Saturday declared Srinagar international airport as a major airport. The Civil Aviation Ministry issued a notification declaring the airport of Srinagar as a major airport under the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority Act, 2008.

A minor girl attempted to commit suicide by jumping off the third floor of a building in a Panaji suburb, after she was allegedly molested by a 31-year-old man, police said on Saturday. She is currently admitted to a health facility, where she is being treated for grievous injuries. The opposition in Goa has demanded the intervention of Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai to ensure safety of people in the state.

With ammonia levels in Yamuna river crossing the acceptable limit of 0.5 ppm, the national capital is likely face severe water crisis on Sunday. Ammonia levels increase frequently in Yamuna. The high level of ammonia present in the water makes it difficult for aquatic organisms to sufficiently excrete the toxicant, leading to toxic build up in internal tissues and blood, and potentially death.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against former Commander Working Engineer (CWE) of the Military Engineering Services (MES) in Jhansi among other officials, in connection with an alleged recruitment scam. According to the CBI, former CWE Col Arvind Parashar, former DCWEs Lt Col R. R. Negi, Lt Col A. K. Singh and Garrison Engineer Lt Col D. S. Rawat, among other unidentified people have been booked by the probe agency over allegations of illegalities committed in the recruitment of around 54 mates in the MES, Jhansi in 2012.

Rajasthan's former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Wednesday said that the public has given its mandate against the ruling BJP government at the Centre during recent bypolls which makes it clear that people want a change now after getting tormented by the BJP government. Speaking to media in Ajmer, Pilot said, "The three farm laws, increasing price of petrol and diesel, unavailability of fertilisers and rising inflation has affected the masses and left people anguished.

The Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) on Monday took over the Bike Bot scam of Uttar Pradesh and registered an FIR against the company and its promoters on the request of the state government. The CBI stated that over 200,000 investors were duped of over Rs 15,000 crore which is bigger than the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam of Rs 13,000 crore. The probe agency named

In an aim to ensure second dose of Covid-19 vaccine due to the beneficiaries, the Odisha government will launch the 'Har Ghar Dastak' campaign from November 2, an official said on Monday. During the 'Har Ghar Dastak' vaccination drive, frontline healthcare workers including Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers and ANMs, with the help of self help groups, NGOs and PRI members, will visit every household, said State health and family welfare director Bijay Panigrahi.

The counting of votes for the Vallabhnagar (Udaipur) and Dhariawad (Pratapgarh) bypolls, which were held on October 30, will start on Tuesday morning from 8 a.m. The Election Commission of India has issued necessary guidelines to the District Election Officers along with the guidelines related to the coronavirus.

The Allahabad High Court, while rejecting the bail plea of a gang-rape accused on Saturday, held that consensual sex with a major is not an "offence" but is "unethical, immoral, and against established Indian tradition". Dismissing the bail plea of one of the four accused in the case, Justice Rahul Chaturvedi said that it was the duty of the man, claiming to be the minor's boyfriend, to protect her when she was being sexually assaulted by the other co-accused. "The moment the applicant submits that the victim is his beloved, it becomes his binding duty to protect the dignity, honour and reputation of his girlfriend. If a girl is major, then having sex with her consent is not an offence, but certainly it is unethical and immoral, and also not in consonance with the established social norms of the Indian society," he said. The court termed the act of the applicant "highly deplorable and unbecoming of a boyfriend" and stated that "he remained a mute spectator when the co-accused were brutally assaulting his beloved in front of him". According to the FIR, on February 19, the victim, a resident of Kaushambhi district, had gone for her stitching lessons at an institute and spoke to her boyfriend Raju and they both planned to meet. Later, they met at a secluded 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday promised that Goa would not be turned into a coal hub, even as he said that the assurances given by the party in its manifesto for the state's 2022 Assembly polls should be treated as a guarantee of delivery of electoral promises. Speaking to a group of fisherfolk in the South Goa beach village of Velsao, Gandhi also said that the coastal state should be preserved, not just for local residents, but also visitors who travel to Goa to enjoy the beaches and environment. "We are very clear that we do not want Goa to be a coal hub, when it does not benefit Goa to be a coal hub. That goes for a lot of the environmental destruction that is taking place here.

An estimated 45 per cent of the 26,50,004 eligible voters cast their ballots till 1 p.m. in the by-polls to three Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, the Election Commission said. As per the official report, the highest voting so far was recorded at 54 per cent in Prithvipur, followed by Raigon with 44 per cent while Jobat registered 41 per cent. In Khandwa (Lok Sabha seat), over 41 per cent voters turned up to cast their ballots. Meanwhile, people in three different areas in Khandwa district boycotted elections and put up banners at the entry gate of villages prohibiting the entry of political leaders. They refused to exercise their franchise with the slogan 'No work, No Vote'.

Various companies are planning to invest Rs 2,868 crore in tourism projects in Andhra Pradesh with at least Rs 250 crore investments on each project, the state government said on Wednesday. This investments will provide employment to 48,000 people and create 1,564 new tourism rooms. The companies plan to complete all these projects in five years.