IANS/PTI
India seeks UK help in extradition of Mallya, Lalit Modi
New Delhi, May 30 (PTI): India today sought the help of United Kingdom for early extradition of liquor baron Vijay Mallya and former IPL honcho Lalit Modi and in locating diamantaire Nirav Modi during the third Indo-UK home affairs dialogue here, officials said. New Delhi also asked London not to allow the British territory to be used for anti-India activities by Kashmiri and Khalistani separatists. While the Indian delegation was led by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, the UK team was led by Patsy Wilkinson. India also sought the UK’s assistance in extradition of alleged cricket bookie Sanjiv Kapur and legal help in prosecution of 16 other alleged criminals. During the dialogue, India also raised the visa problems faced by its nationals, including delays in visas to students, the high amount charged for UK visas and lengthy waiting period for tourist visas. The India-UK home affairs dialogue was set up during British Prime Minister Theresa May’s visit to India in November 2016.
Ex BSF DIG among five held guilty in J&K sex scandal
Chandigarh, May 30 (IANS): A former BSF DIG and four others were held guilty by a Special Court here on Wednesday in the 2006 sex scandal in Jammu and Kashmir in which several minor girls were sexually exploited. Those convicted are former Border Security Force Deputy Inspector General (DIG) K.C. Padi, former Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohammed Ashraf Mir, Maqsood Ahmad, Shabir Ahmad Langoo and Shabir Ahmad Laway. Then Additional Advocate General Anil Sethi and Mehrajudin Malik were acquitted. The scandal kingpin Sabeena and her husband died during trial. The court will pronounce the sentence on the convicts on June 4. The scandal broke after police seized some video CDs of Kashmiri girls’ sexual exploitation by police and other officials.
Andhra Pradesh gets separate state symbols
Amaravati (AP), May 30 (PTI): Neem and black buck have been declared as the state tree and animal respectively of Andhra Pradesh. Rose-ringed parakeet will be the state bird while jasmine the flower, Principal Secretary of Environment and Forests G Anantha Ramu said in an order today. “The government felt that it is necessary to have separate symbols for the state after the bifurcation. Accordingly, the symbols have been notified for Andhra Pradesh,” the order added. Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated to create Telangana in June, 2014.
Fire breaks out in train in Odisha, passengers safe
Bhubaneswar, May 30 (IANS): Fire broke out in a parcel van of Keonjhar-Bhubaneswar Fast Passenger train in Odisha’s Keonjhar district on Wednesday, a railway official said, adding all the passengers were safe. The East Coast Railway official said that some passengers spotted fire erupting from the parcel van of the train near Chilikidara station and alerted the loco pilot, who stopped the train. The luggage bogey was separated from the train and fire-fighters stepped in to douse the flames. The official said an inquiry will be conducted to find out the reason for the fire.
Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has asked Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to block a website which claims to calculate the dowry amount for grooms and take action against its developers. Gandhi yesterday wrote a letter in this regard to her cabinet colleague Prasad, saying the website should be blocked as it promotes seeking dowry by men. She said that it has been brought to her notice that there is a website www.dowrycalculator.com that suggests a dowry amount a potential groom can expect to get after considering parameters like his caste, qualification, profession, income etc. Gandhi said in her letter this was not only shameful but also illegal as it promoted dowry. She further mentioned that she has asked the Secretary in the ministry of WCD to initiate proceedings under the Dowry Prohibition Act in this matter. The practice of dowry is a punishable offence in India.
