Bhubaneswar, Aug 13 (IANS) A special POCSO court in Jharsuguda district of Odisha on Wednesday sentenced a 54-year-old person to life imprisonment for raping a blind minor girl in Rengali police station area of the district in May this year. As per the case details, on May 2, the victim, a blind minor girl, visited the accused Giridhari Naik’s house to listen to the television. Being his neighbour, the victim would often visit his house for this purpose. Taking advantage of the afternoon hours w…

Hyderabad, Aug 13 (IANS) The Directorate of Enforcement, Hyderabad Zonal Office has filed a chargesheet before the Special PMLA Court here against meat processing firm Al Kabeer Exports Pvt Ltd and its Director under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with a matter related to contravention of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 by the company.The ED said in a statement on Wednesday that the court took cognisance of the prosecution complain…

New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Wednesday inaugurated the newly expanded ISA building of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) at Dwarka in the national capital.In his remarks on the occasion, the Minister said that the development of the country is riding on the shoulders of innovation and that the Intellectual Property ecosystem is now being recognised worldwide as a key enabler of growth. He expressed confidence that if all stakeholders perfor…

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 13 (IANS) The State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) has assured the Kerala government that it will take up the urgent working capital concerns of exporters hit by the US’ recent imposition of a 50 per cent tariff on imports from India.The commitment came during a meeting between SLBC representatives and state Industries, Law and Coir Minister P. Rajeev.The apex body of commercial banks in the state confirmed that the matter would be placed on the agenda for its meeting sch…

Raipur, Aug 13 (IANS) In a major breakthrough in Chhattisgarh’s ongoing anti-Maoist campaign, security forces on Wednesday neutralised two senior Maoist leaders – Vijay Reddy and Lokesh Salame – in a fierce gunfight in the forested “Banda Pahad” region near Karekatta village in Manpur-Mohla-Ambagarh Chowki district. The encounter, which took place near the Kanker border, is being hailed as a significant success in the state’s intensified crackdown on left-wing extremism.Speaking to IANS,…

Guwahati, Aug 13 (IANS) Ahead of the 79th Independence Day celebration, security measures have been further tightened across the northeastern region with special attention given along the international border in the region, officials said on Wednesday. Officials in Imphal said that the Central and state security forces have further intensified their efforts to maintain a round-the-clock vigil in Imphal valley as well as the hilly districts. A huge contingent of the Army, Assam Rifles, the Border…

Shahdol, Aug 13 (IANS) The Central government’s flagship insurance scheme, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), is proving to be a vital support system for families in times of personal loss. In Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district, the scheme has helped several grieving families regain financial stability after losing loved ones.One such beneficiary is Balmukund Baiga, whose wife Phoolmati passed away during medical treatment. Fortunately, she had enrolled in the PM Jeevan Jyoti Bim…

Jaipur, Aug 13 (IANS) The 79th state-level Independence Day celebration will be held with grandeur in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur, government officials said on Wednesday. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma will hoist the national flag at 9:05 a.m. on Friday at the state-level event in Barkatullah Khan Stadium and will address the people of Rajasthan on the occasion.Before the ceremony, at 8:55 a.m. on Friday, the Chief Minister will pay floral tributes to martyrs at the Shaheed Smarak near Jai Narayan Vya…

Bhopal, Aug 13 (IANS) Complying with directives of the Ministry of Education, the Madhya Pradesh government has so far prepared APAAR (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry) IDs of about 99.41 lakh school children in the state. The state’s School Education Department in a statement issued to the press on Wednesday, stated that the Ministry of Education has given instructions to prepare APAAR IDs of children studying in both private and government schools in Madhya Pradesh. “The objective…

Agartala, Aug 13 (IANS) The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has been making all-out efforts to run the much-anticipated electric locomotive-powered trains from Tripura at the earliest, a railway official said on Wednesday. An official of Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) said that a newly constructed 132 KV transmission line was formally commissioned on Wednesday, connecting the Banduar 132 KV substation to the Udaipur Railway Traction Substation in southern Tripura’s Goma…