Patna : The son of a BJP MP has been arrested in Bihar for consuming liquor in violation of the prohibition law.

Rahul Kumar, 18, son of Gaya MP Hari Manjhi, was taken in custody from a village near Bodh Gaya along with two friends on Sunday. Gaya Senior Superintendent of Police Garima Malik said he had been sent to judicial custody.

“Police conducted medical examination of Manjhi’s son and it was confirmed that he consumed liquor,” police officer Shuv Kumar Mahto said.

But Manjhi denied the charges and said his son was arrested to defame him ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal-United are allies in Bihar. Complete prohibition was imposed in the state on April 5, 2016.

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the plea of social activist Swami Agnivesh seeking deletion of scenes from the film ‘Padmaavat’ on the grounds that it glorified the practice of Jauhar.
The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra rejected the plea of Angivesh, which also sought lodging of an FIR against the producer and director of the film for glorifying the evil of jauhar (self-immolation by widows on their husband’s funeral pyre).

“Once CBFC clears the movie, deletion of scenes cannot be directed,” the bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, said.

The apex court had trashed several petitions against Padmaavat’s release on various grounds. Then the producers had moved the court after some states banned the movie.

The court, on January 18, had set aside the ban and restrained other states from banning the film, paving way for its all-India release on January 25.
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had moved the apex court seeking recall of the SC order, which was dismissed on January 23.

The Deepika Padukone-starrer ‘Padmaavat’, based on the saga of a historic 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh and his army of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi, has Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles.

New Delhi : Veteran BJP leader and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He made the announcement at the opposition rally at Patna. The leader said democracy is under threat and slammed the Modi-led NDA government.

Of late, Sinha had been repeatedly firing salvos at the Centre.

Faridabad : The Faridabad Municipal Corporation (MC) has sealed over a dozen unauthorised tubewells used for illegally supplying water in the city.
The civic body has also sought help from the police department to curb illegal plying of water tankers here.

As per official estimates, there are 250 unauthorised water tankers here, but unofficially, these number around 1,500.

“The private water tanker mafia has been existent for the past several decades due to shortage of drinking water in a large number of residential colonies. They charge between Rs 500 and Rs 800 per tanker depending upon the location. The rates are low in winter, but they double in summer,” said an MC employee.

The private watersuppliers have reportedly dug up borewells to supply the water.
Mohammed Shayin, Commissioner, MC, said 110 illegal tubewells would be closed permanently.

He said five tubewells were being sealed daily and the MC had already hired adequate number of tankers to supply water in the areas facing shortage, especially during summer.

The demand for water has gone up to 490 million litres a day (MLD) against the supply of just 290 MLD at present.

The officials concerned were directed to curb the activity during a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister during his visit to the city recently.

Panipat : Wheat crop on nearly 300 acres and stubble on nearly 400 acres in Kalkha, Bhadar and Brahman Majra villages of the district were destroyed in fire on Friday afternoon.

Balwan, husband of Kalkha sarpanch Saroj Rani, said the fire started from Brahman Majra village due to high-velocity winds and it destroyed wheat crop on 250 acres and stubbles on nearly 125 acres in the village.

He said the fire destroyed the wheat crops of 60 farmers of the village. “From Brahman Majra, the fire spread to Kalkha and Bhadar villages within minutes and destroyed the crop in all three villages,” he said.

Scores of residents of the three villages started cultivating the land to prevent spread of the flames to other fields, but to no avail due to high-speed winds. Reena Rani, sarpanch of Bhadar village, said fire destroyed wheat on nearly 35 acres.

Girdawari ordered

Chandigarh : Revenue Minister Capt Abhimanyu has ordered special girdawari of damage caused to wheat due to fire. The compensation would be awarded to farmers as per the policy of the state government, he added.