Top stories on 8 March in a capsule

STORY OF THE DAY

TDP ministers resign from Cabinet but hold back from NDA divorce

The two ministers of Telugu Desam Party (TDP), whose decision to quit the Union Cabinet rocked the relations between the party and NDA, submitted their resignation to PM Modi on Thursday. Former Minister of state for science and technology YS Chowdary, and civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapati Raju, addressing a press conference after their resignation, cleared that they are quitting the Cabinet but not the NDA. “We are stepping down as ministers, but our Presidents (CM Chandrababu Naidu) has said we will be continuing as part of NDA.” Meanwhile, two BJP ministers- Health and Education minister Kamineni Srinivas and Endowments ministers Manikyala Rao pulled out of the Naidu cabinet, in the morning ahead of the state budget session. 

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CBI moves SC against acquittal of Talwars in Aarushi murder case

The Crime Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday moved Supreme Court, against the acquittal of the Talwars given by the Allahabad High Court. The Allahabad HC, in its 12 October 2017 verdict, had given Rajesh and Nupur Talwar ‘benefit of doubt’, turning down the life sentence awarded to them by CBI court, in the 2008 Noida double murder case, referring to the murders of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj Banjade. The CBI, in its appeal filed said the order was wrong on multiple counts. Earlier, Hemraj;s family had also filed an appeal against the Talwar’s acquittal in the top court.

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Shami's wife files FIR, accuses him of match-fixing

A day after accusing her husband of mental torture, extramarital affairs and physical assault, Hasin Jahan, wife of Indian pacer Mohammad Shami lodged a police complaint against him. On Thursday, Jahan lodged an FIR in Kolkata’s Lal Bazar police station on charges of ‘trying to kill her’ for more than two years. Jahan has also accused Shami of match-fixing, involving a Pakistani girl named Alishba, and a UK based man called Mohammad Bhai. Reacting to the accusations Shami alleged that his wife is mentally unstable. “I think she has lost her mental balance or it might be her game plan to sabotage my career,” the 27-year-old fast bowler said.

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Sri Lankan PM removed from the post of Law and Order Minister

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday removed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as law and minister, as communal tensions continued to mount in the country. Wickremesinghe had only assumed the role of the law minister 11 days earlier, when violent clashes between members of the Sinhalese Buddhist community and Muslims took place. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, a senior politician from Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP) was sworn-in as the new minister in charge of the police. Situations took a turn for the worse on Wednesday when a person was killed in a grenade blast and various Muslim owned shops and mosques were set on fire, following which internet services were suspended.

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JD(U) follows footsteps of TDP, raises demand for special status

As BJP’s ally in Andhra Pradesh the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) expressed its concern over the ‘special status’ on Wednesday, the Janata Dal (United) government in Bihar also raised their demand for the same on Thursday. "Demand of special status to Bihar is a unanimous decision of the state assembly. Our demand is still active. Bihar development is our prime focus,” Neeraj Kumar, JDU spokesperson said. The crack in NDA formed as two TDP ministers decided to resign from the Union Cabinet after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced that the state will get financial help but not the ‘special status category,’ where Centre bears 90% of the state expenditure.

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Had a cardiac procedure done, can't travel: Mehul Choksi to CBI

Owner of Gitanjali jewels and accused in the Punjab National Bank’s Rs 12,000 crore scam, Mehul Choksi wrote a reply to the Crime Bureau of Investigation (CBI), citing the reasons as to why he is not coming to India. Choksi, in his reply said “I don’t know why my passport has been suspended by the Regional Passport Office Mumbai, and have not been provided any explanation as to how I am a security threat to India.” Choksi also went on to say that he is not allowed to travel as he is recurring from a health problem. “I had a cardiac procedure conducted in the first week of February,” Choksi reasoned.



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SC restores Hadiya’s marriage disqualifying Kerala HC’s order

The Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the Kerala High Court’s order annulling the marriage of Hadiya in the ‘Love Jihad’ case. The top court said that Hadiya can’t be in anyone’s custody and that she is free to follow her pursuits. The court further added that she can’t be compelled to go or live with anyone. In May 2017, the Kerala High court has declared Hadiya’s marriage ‘null and void’ and described it as ‘Love Jihad’. The court also ordered the Director General of Police (DGP) of the state to conduct “comprehensive” investigation into cases of ‘Love Jihad’ and have the incidents of forcible conversion probed thoroughly.


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PM Modi launches National Nutrition Mission on Women's Day

On International Women’s day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Nutrition mission for pregnant women. He also launched the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ program for every district in the country. He visited the Jhunjhunu village in Rajasthan, which went from one of the worst sex ratio villages in Rajasthan to the best village now. He also added that girls are not burden and that girls are bringing pride and glory for our nation. He added that a mother-in-law can make a lot of difference. If she says that she wants a daughter in the house, then no one will be able to hassle a daughter, and that we have to bring a social revolution. Until now, the BBBP has shown results in 161 districts of India, now it is being expanded to the rest of the country to change the mind set of older generations,” he said.


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93 Mumbai blast accused back to India after 25 yrs, sent to CBI custody 

Yasin Mansoor Mohamed Farooq, popularly known as Farooq Takla, right hand man of top underworld don Dawood Ibrahim was apprehended in Delhi on Thursday. Farooq, key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts was deported by the UAE authorities and arrested by the CBI in New Delhi. Takla was then sent to Mumbai and produced before a TADA court which ordered him to CBI custody till March 19. “A few years after staying in Pakistan, Takla moved to Dubai on Dawood’s orders. He was working as a cab driver in Dubai and also doing odd jobs to make a living," an official was reported saying.

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Sensex, Nifty close higher breaking 6 day losing streak

Markets closed higher on Thursday, breaking their six day losing streak after the possibility of trade war eased market sentiment. BSE Sensex grew 200 points in the morning trade, while the Nifty rose past the 10,200 level led by PSU bank, pharma and metal stocks. The Sensex closed at 33,333 points higher, while the Nifty closed 105 points higher at 10,242 points. Both the indices grew 1% on an average. The Indian rupee slid 20 paise further to and was valued at 64.91 against the US dollar.


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