Bengaluru, Aug 12 (IANS) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged Dharmasthala murders has begun preparations to start excavation work on Tuesday at the 13th burial site in the temple town in Mangaluru, using drone-mounted Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology. The development has gained significance as an unidentified complainant has claimed that he buried over a dozen bodies of women and girls who were allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered.SIT personnel arrived at the s…

Kochi, Aug 12 (IANS) The Kerala Catholic Congress has launched a scathing attack on CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan, condemning his recent remarks against Thalassery Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany as “thoughtless” and unworthy of a senior political leader. Govindan was miffed at the Archbishop for praising Union Home Minister Amit Shah after he secured the release of two Christian nuns who had been arrested in Chhattisgarh on false charges. Speaking on behalf of the Kerala Catholic Cong…

Hyderabad, Aug 12 (IANS) One person was injured as armed robbers opened fire on a jewellery shop in Hyderabad on Tuesday. The robbers resorted to firing when the employees of the Khazana jewellery showroom tried to resist their attempt to loot.The incident occurred in the Chandanagar area under Cyberabad Police Station limits around 10.40 a.m.Six men wearing masks entered the shop, threatened the staff with a gun and demanded the key to the locker.When the assistant manager told them that the ke…

Imphal, Aug 12 (IANS) In a series of joint operations, the Army, Assam Rifles and Manipur Police have arrested 22 hardcore militants of different outfits and recovered six different types of arms, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), a large cache of ammunition and other war-like stores from six districts, officials said on Tuesday. A defence spokesperson said that in a series of coordinated information-based operations Army and Assam Rifles, in close coordination with Manipur Police, apprehende…

Bengaluru, Aug 12 (IANS) The Karnataka BJP on Tuesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and raised questions over his commitment towards the Scheduled community after state Minister K.N. Rajanna was reportedly asked to resign from the cabinet.State Cooperation Minister Rajanna, who hails from the Scheduled Tribe community, was reportedly asked to resign after he said that if there was “voter fraud” in Karnataka, the state Congress should have pointed it out much earlier.Rajanna’s remark is sa…

Srinagar, Aug 12 (IANS) A largely attended ‘Tiranga Rally’ led by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was held on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar city to celebrate the spirit of unity ahead of the country’s Independence Day celebrations.The L-G’s office quoted Manoj Sinha on X, saying, “Flagged off Tiranga Yatra from Dal Lake. Thousands of people proudly joined to honour national flag, which symbolizes our unity, pride & shared identity. Paid tributes…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Strong corporate balance sheets, potential bilateral trade agreements with other countries and the possibility of support from the Indian government for the impacted sectors could mitigate the credit impact to some extent arising due to increased US tariffs on India, a Crisil report said on Tuesday.Any support measures from the Indian government to safeguard the tariff-impacted sectors will play an important role. Plus, the tariffs come at a time when corporate balance s…

Kolkata, Aug 12 (IANS) The West Bengal unit of the BJP has completed the formation of booth committees for a majority of the state’s polling stations, a key step in strengthening its grassroots network ahead of next year’s crucial Assembly elections.“Of the 81,000 polling booths in the state, the process of formation of booth committees has been completed for 65,000 booths. However, out of the 65,000, the process of verification is yet to be completed for 15,000 booths, which will be done …

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 p.m. on Tuesday following a noisy standoff between the Chair and Opposition members over the rejection of 21 notices submitted under Rule 267, which allows suspension of listed business to discuss urgent matters of public importance. Deputy Chairman Harivansh, presiding over the session, stated that the notices received pertained to four different subjects, but none were drafted in proper terms as required under Rule 267.Of these, 11 …

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 12 (IANS) When Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Divi Bijesh sits before a chessboard, the world around her disappears.At just 10 years old, the fifth-grade student of Allen Feldman Public School in the state capital already boasts an enviable resume. Her latest feat — a silver medal at the National Under-11 Girls Chess Championship in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, last week — is yet another jewel in her crown.In Jalgaon, Divi tied for first place with 9 points alongside Maharashtra…