New Delhi:

Over nine years after a man was charged with rape, a court has acquitted him, saying the testimonies of the alleged victim were not clear, cogent, credible or trustworthy, nor were her allegations corroborated by other material evidence.

Additional Sessions Judge Priyanka Bhagat of Tis Hazari district court was hearing a case against Mahender, against whom the Subzi Mandi police station had lodged an FIR under penal provisions of rape and criminal intimidation.

According to the prosecutrix, in 2014, Mahender took her to Nainital where he spiked her food, raped her after she fell unconscious and filmed the act.

After the woman returned to Delhi, the accused threatened to circulate the video clip and raped her again at an under-construction building after keeping her in confinement, she claimed.

“…The testimonies of prosecution witness 12 or victim are not clear, cogent, credible and trustworthy and the same are not corroborated by other material evidence,” the court said in its verdict dated July 9.

“For the reasons stated above, this court is of the considered opinion that the prosecution has failed to prove the case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt. Hence, accused Mahender is hereby acquitted,” the bench said.

Underscoring that the prosecution’s entire case was based on the statement of the woman, the court said there were some major contradictions in her version regarding the incident of spiking her food, which affected the credibility of her statements.

There were also some improvements in her testimony, it said.

“The entire case of the prosecution is that the prosecutrix was repeatedly raped on the blackmailing that accused Mahender would viral the said video, however, the said video was never brought into evidence by the prosecution,” the court said.

Regarding the allegations of rape in the under-construction building, the court noted the alleged victim’s testimony where she admitted that when she went to meet Mahender, other people who were working there were also present.

“Thus, the version of the prosecutrix that she was raped in a building where other persons were also working is not probable especially when the prosecutrix was also crying as stated in her complaint,” it said.

The court said there was no explanation regarding why the woman did not complain to the people working there or immediately file a police complaint and this discredited her version that she was raped under the threat to circulate the said obscene video.

Regarding the alleged incident of wrongful confinement from November 11 to 15, 2014, the court again noted her “contradictory statements”.

It said the alleged victim had admitted that she had access to Mahender’s mobile phone during the reported confinement and this meant she had every opportunity to take outside help, which she chose not to do so, and this discredited her testimony.

The court said during the alleged confinement, she made a call to the accused’s brother-in-law Gopal Krishan, who had recorded the conversation.

It noted that the said recording was retrieved from the said mobile phone and the voice of the prosecutrix and Krishan was duly proved by the prosecution itself vide a forensic science laboratory (FSL) report.

“This conversation also corroborates that the prosecutrix on her own went to live with accused Mahender and when the accused did not live with her then she made the call to the brother-in-law of accused namely Gopal Krishan and subsequently had falsely implicated the brother-in-law as well,” the court said.

It noted the reply of a woman sub-inspector, as per whom, the prosecutrix was persuading Krishan to facilitate her meetings with Mahender, otherwise, she would name him in the rape case.

The court said the version of the witness should be natural and it must corroborate the prosecution case and it should be of such a quality that there should not be any shadow of doubt upon it.

“The contradictions and inconsistencies appearing in the statements of witnesses create serious doubts about the prosecution story. The version brought on record by the victim is not even corroborated by any other evidence brought on record,” it said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Four individuals, including a minor, were arrested in connection with the extortion from gym owner case, an official said.

“4 members, including a juvenile in Conflict with the Law (CCL) of the Gogi-Deepak Boxer-Sunny Kakran gang, who fired on a Gym Owner in Burari for extortion, have been arrested,” Delhi Police said.

Giving further details about the arrest, DCP North Manoj Kumar Meena told ANI, “We received a call at 10 pm. The caller told us that a bullet was fired in the air in front of him and he was also threatened. Two individuals who had fired the shots were chased away, and while fleeing, they stole a motorcycle belonging to a labourer from the Swaroop Nagar area.”

“We reviewed CCTV footage and used technical intelligence, leading to the identification of one of the individuals who was not at home and had fled. Raids were conducted, resulting in the arrest of four including a juvenile,” DCP Meena said.

“Among the three arrested individuals, Nikhil has a prior case of murder and attempted murder from 2022. Mohit has two cases of robbery from 2022. While, Gagandeep has been arrested for providing shelter to the other accused,” DCP Meena added.

“In this case, we have applied a new criminal law section that treats involving juveniles in crimes as a separate offence. This section allows for penalties not only for the juvenile but also for those who encouraged or compelled them to commit the crime,” DCP Meena said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Election Commission on Monday allowed the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar to accept donations keeping in mind the forthcoming assembly polls in Maharashtra.

The Sharad Pawar-led outfit had requested the commission to certify the status of the party for it to accept voluntary contributions from the public.

The poll panel has authorised the party to “accept any amount of contribution voluntarily offered to it by any person or company other than a government company” under the relevant sections of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which govern the contribution to all political parties.

An eight-member delegation of the NCP-SP party led by its working president Supriya Sule met the Election Commission on Monday.

“Earlier, we could not receive cheques as contributions to our party. We were not getting tax benefits for contributions like other political parties. We want to fight this (Assembly) election transparently, using only white money. I am grateful to the Election Commission for granting us a letter allowing us to raise money legally and transparently,” Ms Sule told reporters.

The authorisation to the NCP-SP to accept donations will be applicable till the final disposal of the petition in the Supreme Court against the Election Commission’s decision.

In July last year, Ajit Pawar led a rebellion against his uncle Sharad Pawar and claimed the symbol as well as the party name Nationalist Congress Party, citing the support of over two-thirds of the outfit’s legislators in the Maharashtra assembly.

The Election Commission upheld his claim and asked the Sharad Pawar-led faction to pick a new name as an interim measure in view of the Lok Sabha elections.

The authorisation to the NCP-SP to accept donations will be applicable till the final disposal of the petition in the Supreme Court against the Election Commission decision.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SP contested 10 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra and won eight, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP contested five seats and managed to win just one.

Ms Sule said the NCP-SP also raised the issue of similar appearing poll symbols such as the “trumpet” and the “man blowing trumpet”. The Election Commission had allotted the poll symbol “man blowing trumpet” to the NCP-SP.

“In a democracy, there must be transparency. There should not be injustice done to any candidate. But injustice has taken place in Satara. Our poll symbol, the man blowing a trumpet, was placed next to a lookalike symbol of just a trumpet,” Ms Sule said.

She said similar-looking symbols should not be allocated to parties or candidates.

“The Election Commission has said that they will study the matter and get back to us,” Ms Sule said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Veteran playback singer Alka Yagnik recently revealed that she was suffering from a rare sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). In an Instagram post on June 18, the singer said that she was diagnosed with the disorder after a viral attack.

Yagnik said: “To all my fans, friends, followers and well-wishers. A few weeks ago, as I walked out of a flight, I suddenly felt I was not able to hear anything. Having mustered some courage in the weeks following the episode, I want to break my silence now for all my friends and well-wishers who have been asking me why I’m missing in action. It has been diagnosed by my docs as a rare sensory neural nerve hearing loss, due to a viral attack…This sudden, major setback has caught me completely unaware. As I attempt to come to terms with it, please keep me in your prayers.”

Considered to be one of the most versatile and prominent playback singers of the 1990s, Yagnik has sung thousands of songs across various languages. She is the recipient of two National Film Awards and seven Filmfare Awards. In 2022, she was recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most-streamed artist in the world. 

What Is Sensorineural Hearing Loss?

Yagnik’s case highlights the dangers of loud music and the overuse of headphones. So, the question in everyone’s mind is, what after all is SNHL?

Hearing loss can be of two types: conductive or sensorineural. Anything related to the eardrum is conductive, while conditions related to the inner ear, the cochlea or the nerve endings and the nerve cells are of sensorinureal category. Conductive hearing loss is caused by a physical obstruction that keeps sounds from reaching the inner ear, whereas SNHL is caused by damage to the auditory nerve or the hair cells of the inner ear.

Dr (Prof) Ameet Kishore, ENT, neuro-otology & cochlear implant surgeon, (Director – Adventis ENT Clinics & Sr Consultant Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi) says, “The inner part of our ear contains tiny hair cells [nerve endings], that change sounds into electric signals. The nerves then carry these signals to the brain. SNHL is a type of hearing loss that occurs due to damage caused to the inner ear or the nerve endings in the inner ear. Sometimes, the hearing loss is caused by damage to the nerve that carries the signals to the brain.”

“Sudden sensorineural hearing loss can occur rapidly within a few minutes to three days. Almost 90% of these patients do not have an identifiable cause. It is presumed that the condition occurs probably due to a virus or decreased blood supply,” says Dr E.V. Raman, professor & senior consultant ENT surgeon, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru.

Explaining the reasons for hearing loss, Dr Lav B. Selarka, head of department, ENT skull base and cochlear implant, Zydus Hospital, Ahmedabad, says, “Sudden hearing loss is generally because of viral infections like herpesvirus and others, use of certain medicines, or exposure to loud sound (over 80 decibels) for prolonged duration. It could also be idiopathic (unknown reason). This is called ‘adult sudden onset single-sided or bilateral SNHL’.”

Can SNHL Be Treated?

On whether the disorder can be cured with medical intervention, Dr Kishore says, “SNHL is a serious condition and should be treated as a medical emergency, with the same promptness that we treat a heart attack.”

Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the most common treatment method is giving steroid injections to reduce the swelling in the eardrum. “SNHL can be treated with steroids combined with anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-platelets and also by hyperbaric oxygen therapy. In three to six months, if there is improvement, one can wait. But if there is no improvement, the patient can go for cochlear implant surgery,” says Dr Selarka.

For conditions like middle ear fluid due to air travel, a type of conductive hearing loss, doctors suggest going for an audiology exam, and, if required, undergoing a ‘myringotomy’ or fluid drainage.

Perils of loud music, earphones Being exposed to loud sounds for long periods also causes hearing loss, as it damages the auditory nerve and hair cells of the inner ear.

In her post, Yagnik warned her fans about the harmful effects of prolonged exposure to loud music. “For my fans and young colleagues, I would add a word of caution regarding exposure to very loud music and headphones. One day, I wish to share the health perils of my professional life,” she wrote.

According to National Institutes of Health (NIH) data, noise-induced hearing loss is the second most common type of SNHL after age-related reasons. A 2017 study showed that around 80% of individuals between 13 and 18 years of age used headphones for listening to music for around one to three hours a day. Another NIH study in 2021 found that approximately 1.7% of people worldwide experience noise-induced hearing loss. The study reported that individuals who use headphones in an already noisy environment are at a 4.5-fold higher risk of hearing loss.

Health experts warn that listening to headphones even at a moderate volume can damage hearing over time. And it is not just the volume that causes damage, but the length of exposure.

“Today’s digital devices offer seamless increase in volume and one does not realise that they may be exceeding the safe limit. Nowadays, working from home using earphones may make up an additional factor in noise-induced hearing loss,” adds Dr Raman.

Though SNHL is not life-threatening, people with hearing loss experience a drop in self-esteem and confidence because of their impairment in communicating with others. Hearing loss is strongly associated with depression.

A few precautionary steps can protect your ears. Reducing exposure to loud sounds, using earplugs or earmuffs to prevent occupational hearing loss among industrial workers or musicians, and avoiding ototoxic medications. 

The joint CSIR-UGC-NET examination, scheduled between Tuesday and Thursday has been postponed amid a huge paper leak row, the National Testing Agency announced this evening. The testing agency, in a circular, said that the exam had been postponed due to “unavoidable circumstances as well as logistic issues”.  

The revised schedule for the conduct of this examination will be announced later through the official website, it said.

Joint CSIR UGC NET is conducted for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Lectureship (LS) and Assistant Professor posts in Indian universities and colleges subject to fulfilling the eligibility criteria laid down by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The Ministry of Education cancelled the UGC-NET exam on Wednesday, just a day after it was held, citing “integrity of the exam may have been compromised”.

“On 19th June, 2024, the University Grants Commission (UGC) received certain inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs on the Examination. These inputs prima-facie indicate that the integrity of the aforesaid examination may have been compromised,” the Ministry of Education said in a release.

The decision to cancel the UGC-NET examinations led to widespread discontent among the student community, with many alleging irregularities in the examinations conducted by the NTA.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, under fire for the irregularities in NEET and the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam, said a high-level committee will be formed.

Mr Pradhan said when the UGC chairman received information from the cyber crime team in the home ministry about questions being on the darknet, tallying was done with the original paper and an immediate decision was taken to hold a CBI investigation. It was also decided to cancel the exam after it was established that its integrity had been compromised. 

New Delhi:

Parts of Delhi experienced rainfall today amid an intense spell of heatwave. Visuals from the RK Puram area showed rain lashing the streets, providing a welcome change from the scorching conditions that have gripped the region. Similar scenes were witnessed in other areas of the National Capital Region (NCR), with Haryana’s Gurugram also experiencing a downpour.

#WATCH | Delhi: Slight respite from the sizzling heatwave; rain lashes parts of national capital

(Visuals from RK Puram) pic.twitter.com/3TWH5qAUE5

— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2024

The day began with a partly cloudy sky in Delhi, and the minimum temperature settled at a relatively normal 28.4 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The Met office also forecasted thunderstorms accompanied by light rain in certain parts of the city later in the day, with the maximum temperature expected to hover around 40 degrees Celsius.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital was recorded in the “moderate” category, with a reading of 157 at 9 am, as reported by the Central Pollution Control Board. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 to 100 “satisfactory”, 101 to 200 “moderate”, 201 to 300 “poor”, 301 to 400 “very poor”, and 401 to 500 “severe”.
 

Patna:

Intense heatwave conditions prevailed across Bihar on Thursday where the mercury soared past the 44 degrees Celsius mark in many places while eight persons lost their lives in the state suspected to have been caused by the scorching weather.

The state disaster management department, while confirming the number of deaths, said the cause of death could not be ascertained since most of the bereaved family members refused to go for post-mortem examinations while reports of the others are awaited.

The state reeled under the sizzling heat as the day temperature crossed 44 deg C at several places across the state on Thursday.

Buxar recorded the highest temperature of 47.1 deg C.

Eight deaths due to suspected heat stroke were reported from Arwal, Buxar, Rohtas and Begusarai districts.

“Only after receiving the autopsy reports, the authorities will be in a position to state the reasons behind the deaths. As of now, we can’t comment on this. Some post-mortem examination reports are awaited. We are waiting for that,” a senior official of the state Disaster Management Department said.

Amid intense heatwave conditions in the state, the Bihar government on Wednesday ordered the closure of all private and government-run schools, coaching institutes and Anganwadi centres until June 8.

Incidents of school teachers fainting were reported from Sheikhpura, Begusarai, Muzaffarpur and East Champaran districts, and other regions due to the scorching heat. State-run schools are closed for students, not for teachers.

Severe heat will continue in several parts of Bihar in the coming days, the Met department said.

At 47.1 deg C, Buxar was the hottest place in the state on Thursday.

Places that recorded temperatures over 44 deg C are Aurangabad (46.1 deg C ), Dehri (46 deg C), Gaya (45.2 deg C), Arwal (44.8 deg C) and Bhojpur (44.1 deg C).

In Patna, the maximum temperature was recorded at 40.7 deg C.

“People are advised to avoid heat exposure, keep cool and avoid dehydration,” said the official.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

Prominent Indian-American billionaire and venture capitalist Vinod Khosla hosted US President Joe Biden at his Silicon Valley residence for an election fundraiser during which the Democratic Party’s presumptive candidate raised more than USD 1.5 million.

Tickets for the fundraiser on Friday at the residence of Mr Khosla, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems and the founder of Khosla Ventures, ranged from USD 6,600 to USD 100,000.

In the 2024 election cycle, this was the first time the president attended a fundraiser hosted by an Indian-American.

More than USD 1.5 million was raised during the event attended by many Indian-Americans from the Silicon Valley area. There were about 50 people seated and 30 or so standing.

In his remarks, which lasted for about 15 minutes, President Biden focused more on immigration and women’s rights. He also spoke about Donald Trump.

Though he did say that the US is not a xenophobic country, Biden did not mention India and Japan this time unlike his controversial remarks at a fundraiser in Washington DC about a week ago.

“They (immigrants) have been incredible contributors to the work ethic of this country — incredible. One of the reasons why we continue to grow is we are not xenophobic. We have the input of new immigrants coming into the country that should come into the country that are generating economic growth,” he said amidst applause from the select group of fundraisers.

President Biden was introduced at the fundraiser by Mr Khosla, the host.

“Vinod and Neeru (Khosla), thank you. Thank you for that introduction and your whole family. You know, one of the bad news about being a child or a nephew in a deeply involved family is you have no way out,” said the president.

“Thank you for inviting us to your wonderful home because I came to see your dogs. As the press can tell you, I like dogs better than people sometimes,” President Biden, 81, said, referring to his love and affection towards dogs.

President’s speech writer Vinay Reddy was among senior White House officials who accompanied Biden to the fundraiser.

On his way to the Khosla residence, the presidential convoy was greeted by both Israeli and pro-Palestinian groups.

One woman stood with an Israeli flag and a sign that read: “Thank you Biden”.

Less than a mile away, a group of about two dozen protesters were at an intersection with signs that read “Hands off Rafah” and “Cease fire now”.

About four people waved US and Israeli flags as the motorcade took the final road.

In his remarks, President Biden made several jokes about the former president and his Republican Party rival Donald Trump. “Not everyone is feeling the enthusiasm these days. The other day this guy walked up, said I’m in real trouble, short on cash, I don’t know what to do. I said Donald I can’t help you,” President Biden said.

He had a slight twist from a line about bleach in Trump’s hair and instead said he should have injected it: “Remember him saying the best thing to do is to inject a little bleach into your arm… I wish he had done it a little bit himself.” He talked about Trump’s pride in “love letters from South Korean president Kim Jong Un,” presumably meaning North Korean.

President Biden urged the audience to read Trump’s interview with Time magazine. He talked about reports that Trump asked oil executives to donate USD 1 billion to his campaign, doing a sign of the cross.

Ajay Bhutoria, a member of the National Finance Committee of the Democratic National Committee, who also attended the fundraiser, said Indian-Americans could sway the outcome in several battleground states, potentially affecting the November 5, 2024 race for the White House in support of President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Mr Bhutoria, who has been involved in Joe Biden’s campaign since its inception, underscored the pivotal role of Asian Americans, particularly South Asian and Indian Americans, in what he considers one of the most critical elections in history.

According to Federal Election Commission records, Khosla has so far given approximately USD 1.4 million to Democratic campaigns and organisations.

A prominent venture capitalist, he is the co-founder of Sun Microsystems. He’s known for his investments in technology startups and advocacy for clean technology and renewable energy. Khosla Ventures, his venture capital firm, has funded numerous successful companies in various sectors.

Mr Khosla has been involved in political advocacy, particularly in issues related to technology, energy, and the environment. While he has contributed to political causes and candidates, his political support and involvement may vary over time and depend on the specific issues and candidates involved.

President Biden is set to face former President Trump in the November 5, 2024, presidential election, a rematch between them since their 2020 clash.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Pope Francis addressed a conference on Friday, urging action to address Italy and Europe’s demographic crisis. Birth rates across Europe have stagnated around 1.5 children per woman for the past decade, well below the replacement rate of 2.1.

According to the USCCB, during his talk, Pope Francis said the root cause of problems in the world “is not babies being born; it is selfishness, consumerism, and individualism, which make people satiated, lonely, and unhappy.”

“Selfishness makes one deaf to the voice of God, who loves first and teaches how to love, and to the voice of the brothers and sisters around us; it anaesthetizes the heart,” making people live for things and possessions, losing the capacity to know “how to do good.”

Homes become “very sad places,” he said, emptied of children and “filled with objects,” like dogs or cats.

The pope said what is needed are long-term approaches, effective policies, and bold, concrete decisions so that what seeds are sown today, children “can reap tomorrow.”

Italy faces a particularly severe situation, with births reaching a record low in 2023, marking the 15th consecutive year of decline. Despite repeated efforts, successive governments have been unable to reverse the trend.

The Pope attributed the decline partly to societal priorities, highlighting a scholar’s observation that investments in arms and contraceptives currently yield the highest returns. “One industry destroys life, the other prevents it,” he remarked, questioning the future built on such priorities.

While a longtime critic of the arms industry, Pope Francis also reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s stance against artificial contraception. However, he emphasised the importance of “responsible parenthood,” suggesting natural family planning methods as an alternative.

This speech adds to the ongoing conversation surrounding Europe’s declining birth rate. Pope Francis’ comments call for a reevaluation of societal values and a renewed focus on supporting families and future generations.

Sam Pitroda, veteran Congressman and the party’s overseas unit chief, stepped down from the post this evening amid a huge political row over his controversial remarks that came amid the massive seven-phase election. Calling his comments racist, leaders of the BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has accused the Congress of pursuing divisive practices.

The announcement about Mr Pitroda came in a terse post on X from the party’s communications-in-charge Jairam Ramesh.

“Mr. Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress President has accepted his decision,” the post read.

श्री सैम पित्रोदा ने अपनी मर्ज़ी से इंडियन ओवरसीज कांग्रेस के अध्यक्ष पद से इस्तीफ़ा देने का फ़ैसला किया है। कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष ने उनका इस्तीफ़ा स्वीकार कर लिया है।

Mr. Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 8, 2024

In an exclusive interview with The Statesman, Mr Pitroda had described India as a “diverse country… where people on East look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like maybe White and people in South look like Africa”.

The Congress, still firefighting over Mr Pitroda’s earlier comment on inheritance tax, found itself in the middle of a fresh row that posed a challenge to allies like MK Stalin’s DMK.

The party had immediately distanced itself from Mr Pitroda’s remark.
“The analogies drawn by Mr. Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India’s diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable. The Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from these analogies,” read a post from the party’s communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh.