Nashik:

Maharashtra Agriculture Minister and NCP leader Manikrao Kokate was on Thursday sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by a court here in a 1995 case where he was charged with submitting fake documents to get flats under a government quota.

The minister told reporters later that the court had granted him bail, and he would move the High Court against the judgement.

The Nashik district and sessions court also convicted his brother Sunil Kokate in the same case, registered in 1995 on the complaint of former minister, late T S Dighole. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each on the two brothers.

The court acquitted two other accused in the case Kokate could possibly attract disqualification as an MLA if he does not get any relief from the high court.

Talking to reporters, the minister said the case was filed by Dighole with whom he had political enmity.

“I have decided to file an appeal against the verdict. We will do everything in accordance with the law….we will go to the High Court. I have been granted bail by the sessions court,” he said.

As per the prosecution, Kokate and his brother were allotted two flats meant for the Low Income Group (LIG) on College Road in Yeolakar Mala area here under the Chief Minister’s 10 per cent discretionary quota. To be eligible, they made false claims of belonging to the LIG category and not owning a house in the city, it was alleged.

After Dighole approached the police, a case of cheating, forgery and other offences under the Indian Penal Code was registered against the Kokate brothers and two others at Sarkarwada police station here.

The rival NCP (SP) demanded that Kokate should resign following the verdict.

He would be the second minister of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP in the BJP-led state government to find himself in trouble. NCP leader and cabinet minister Dhananjay Munde is facing the heat after his close aide was arrested in an extortion case related to the brutal murder of a village sarpanch in Beed district in December 2024.

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

New Delhi:

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati snapped back Tuesday morning after Congress leader Udit Raj labelled her “the enemy of social justice”, and criticised the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for having “strangled social welfare movements (of the Dalits and Muslims)”.

Mayawati also claimed a threat to her life after Udit Raj – also a two-time BJP Delhi Lok Sabha MP – said “… (Lord) Krishna told me, ‘first kill your enemy’… now time has come to strangle her”.

In a series of posts on X, Mayawati slammed the Congress for having rejected “at every level, the humanitarian struggle of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar for self-respect for millions of exploited and oppressed Dalits”. Such a party, she said, “…could never be true to his thinking and policies.”

1. बाबा साहेब डा. भीमराव अम्बेडकर के जीतेजी व उनके देहान्त के बाद भी, करोड़ों शोषित-पीड़ित दलितों/बहुजनों के लिए उनके आत्म-सम्मान एवं स्वाभिमान के मानवतावादी संघर्ष का हर स्तर पर तिरस्कार करने वाली खासकर कांग्रेस पार्टी कभी भी इनकी सोच-नीतियों पर खरी व विश्वसनीय नहीं हो सकती।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) February 18, 2025

“Therefore, no matter how many programmes the Congress organises in the name of ‘Jai Bapu’, ‘Jai Bhim’, ‘Jai Mandal’, or ‘Jai Samvidhan’… followers of Babasaheb (Ambedkar) are not going to be misled. They are aware and alert, and are struggling to stand on their own feet,” she raged in Hindi.

3. साथ ही, कुछ दलबदलू अवसरवादी व स्वार्थी दलित लोग अपने आक़ाओं को खुश करने के लिए जो अनर्गल बयानबाजी आदि करते रहते हैं उनसे भी बहुजन समाज को सावधान रहने व उन्हें गंभीरता से नहीं लेने की जरूरत है क्योंकि वे ‘सामाजिक परिवर्तन व आर्थिक मुक्ति’ मूवमेन्ट से अनभिज्ञ व अपरिचित हैं।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) February 18, 2025

The reference was to the Congress’ outreach this month to Dalit and OBC voters in UP ahead of the Assembly election in the state – widely seen as the BJP’s stronghold – in 2027.

Mayawati, whose own party is seen as struggling for relevance after a dismal run of results in recent state and federal polls, also warned the BSP to be “cautious of some party-changing opportunists and selfish Dalits, who keep making baseless statements to please their masters”.

The sharp jibe was a direct attack on Udit Raj, one of the Dalit community’s more prominent leaders, and his rapid BJP-to-Congress switch weeks before the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

The Mayawati-Udit Raj clash broke after the former’s remarks Monday.

He seemed to call on the Dalit and Muslim communities to unite to take on their oppressors, saying, “The Muslims cannot fight this alone… the Dalits are also not capable alone.”

He then segued into references to the Mahabharat and Krishna’s advice to Arjun, which led to the crass remark against Mayawati. “When during the war in Mahabharat, Arjun asked Krishna, ‘how will I kill my cousins and relatives’, Krishna said, ‘fight for justice and kill your own people’.”

“Today, my Krishna told me. ‘first kill your enemy’. And the enemy of social justice (is) Mayawati, who strangled the social movement. Now the time has come to strangle her,” he said.

Meanwhile. roused by the comment, Mayawati’s nephew, Akash Anand, also hit back, accusing Udit Raj of threatening his aunt and calling on the police to arrest him within 24 hours.

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New Delhi:

Sanjay had to carry the lifeless body of his sister across railway tracks over an hour after stampede, as authorities grappled to bring the stampede situation under control at the New Delhi Railway Station late on Saturday. A vendor in the station premises said he has never seen such a crowd in 26 years, while Indian Air Force sergeant Ajit authorities remained helpless as crowds refused to pay heed to instructions regarding now overcrowding the trains and platforms.

At least 18 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a stampede that broke out on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday at New Delhi Railway Station as a horde of passengers jostled to make way to trains enroute to Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is underway. Among the dead were 11 women and four children.

A vendor at the station told ANI that around 9 pm, crowds on the overbridge between platforms 14 and 15 were so large that even the police were rendered helpless. “There was no platform change. This incident happened despite special trains running every 30 minutes all through the night. In my 26 years at this station, I have never seen such a crowd, not even on Chhath Puja. So much force was deployed, including the NDRF, but people were not paying heed to their instructions,” he said.

#WATCH | Stampede at New Delhi railway station | An eyewitness says, “The crowd was beyond the limit, people were gathered at the (foot over) bridge… Such a huge crowd wasn’t expected. I have never seen such a massive crowd at the railway station, even during the festivals.… pic.twitter.com/Ht6xJjNPpc

— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2025

Sanjay and 11 other members of his family were to board the 10.10 pm train to Prayagraj, but they never made it round the platform. A crowd descended even before they could climb down stairs and swept over them and many others. While they pulled out his daughter and sister-in-law from the chaotic situation alive, his sister was found 30 minutes later, showing no signs of life.

“We conducted CPR on her for one hours. All this while, no authorities came for help. I had to carry her body across the railway tracks to rush her to the hospital,” he told ANI.

#WATCH | Stampede at New Delhi railway station | At LNJP hospital, the brother of one of the victims, Sanjay says, “We were 12 people going to Maha Kumbh. We hadn’t even reached the platform but were at the stairs… My family, including my sister were stuck in the crowd. We… pic.twitter.com/YzcnurcmdO

— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2025

Ajit had an inkling that something was amiss since 5 pm on Saturday when it took him one hour to exit New Delhi Metro station, which usually takes just two minutes. He was also present when the stampede on Mauni Amawasya occurred in Prayagraj, killing 30 people, and saw a pattern in the way the crowds swelled in no time.

“I climbed down to Platforms 13 and 14 and shouted and urged passengers to wait for 2-3 days and then travel to Prayagraj if they can’t find a place today. What can the authorities do to manage a crowd of 10,000 people that is not listening to their instructions. People continued to rush to whichever platform there was an announcement for regarding a train leaving for Prayagraj. I helped pick up 3-4 people and put them in Delhi Police cars,” he said.

A passenger Pramod Chaurasia told PTI, “I had a sleeper-class ticket for Purushottam Express but even those with confirmed tickets could not board the train. One of my friends and a female passenger got stuck in the crowd. There was too much pushing and jostling. We managed to stay safe by waiting outside with our children.”

In an official statement, the deputy commissioner of police (railway) said platform number 14 was already very crowded when the Prayagraj Express train was waiting there for its departure. The officer said Swatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express were delayed and the passengers of these trains were also present on platform numbers 12, 13 and 14.

“As per CMI, every hour 1,500 general tickets were sold by railways due to which the station got overcrowded and became uncontrollable. There was a stampede at platform no. 14 and near escalator near platform no. 16,” the DCP said.

As the stampede broke out around 9.55 pm, eyewitnesses said several people fainted due to suffocation.

The Railway Board said a two-member high-level committee had been formed to investigate the matter and determine the cause of the stampede.

PM Modi said that India will focus on trade in oil and gas in order to ensure country’s energy security.

“India charges tremendous tariffs,” says Trump while announcing “reciprocal taxes” hours before meeting PM Modi

Jerusalem:

Palestinian militants on Thursday freed three Israeli hostages and five foreigners captured in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel as the third hostage-prisoner exchange of the Gaza ceasefire got under way.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced what he called “shocking scenes” during the hostage releases which came under a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the war in the Gaza Strip.

First to be freed was Israeli woman soldier Agam Berger, 20, handed over to International Committee of the Red Cross officials in Jabalia in the north of the Palestinian territory.

Before she was freed, footage of a sombre Berger showed her on a stage with masked Hamas members in distinctive green headbands, being prompted to wave to onlookers.

Israel’s military said Berger was being taken to hospital for medical treatment.

It said another two Israelis and five foreigners were later handed over to the Red Cross and en route for Israel.

It said they were “on their way toward IDF (army) and ISA (security agency) forces in the Gaza Strip”.

The two other Israeli hostages due to be freed were Gadi Moses and Arbel Yehud. Five Thais were also to be released.

In devastated Khan Yunis, dense crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of Yehud and Moses ahead of their release near the childhood home of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in October. 

Ahead of the release, Islamic Jihad aired video footage of Moses and Yehud hugging each other and smiling.

On Wednesday, the Moses family said it had “received with great excitement the wonderful news of our beloved Gadi’s return”.

Netanyahu in a statement slammed “the shocking scenes during the release of our hostages”.

Television images had shown gunmen struggling to control hundreds of Gazans gathered to witness the handover.

“This is yet another proof of the unimaginable cruelty of the Hamas terrorist organisation,” Netanyahu said.

A fourth exchange is scheduled for the weekend, but Hamas accused Israel on Wednesday of jeopardising the deal by holding up aid deliveries, an allegation Israel dismissed as “fake news”.

The ceasefire that began on January 19 hinges on the release of Israeli hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, in exchange for 1,900 people — mostly Palestinians — in Israeli custody.

Before Thursday, Hamas had released seven hostages, with 290 prisoners freed in exchange. 

Israel is to release 110 prisoners, including 30 minors, in exchange for the three Israelis, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club advocacy group said.

The next swap on Saturday will see three Israeli men released, according to Netanyahu’s office.

Aid trucks row

The truce deal has allowed truckloads of aid into the devastated Gaza Strip, where the war has created a long-running humanitarian crisis.

However, senior Hamas officials accused Israel of slowing aid deliveries, with one citing key items such as fuel, tents, heavy machinery and other equipment.

COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body that oversees civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, called this “totally fake news”.

As the text of the agreement — mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States — has not been made public, AFP was not able to verify its terms on aid.

Displacement ‘injustice’

The ceasefire deal is currently in its first, 42-day phase, which should see 33 hostages freed. The Thai hostages are not included in that number.

Next, the parties are due to start discussing a long-term end to the war. 

The third and final phase should see the reconstruction of Gaza and the return of any remaining dead hostages.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for sealing the agreement despite it taking effect before his inauguration, and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who took part in the talks, met Netanyahu in Israel on Wednesday.

Trump has invited Netanyahu to the White House on February 4, according to the premier’s office.

After the truce began, Trump touted a plan to “clean out” Gaza, calling for Palestinians to relocate to neighbouring countries such as Egypt or Jordan.

However, both Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II rejected this.

More than 376,000 displaced Palestinians have gone back to northern Gaza since Israel reopened access earlier this week, according to the UN humanitarian office OCHA, with many returning to little more than rubble.

“My house is destroyed,” 33-year-old Mohammed Al-Faleh told AFP.

“The biggest problem is that there is no water — all the water wells are destroyed,” he added.

“Food aid is reaching Gaza… but there is no gas or electricity. We bake bread on a fire fuelled by wood and nylon.”

Israel was to cut ties with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) from Thursday following accusations it provided cover for Hamas militants, a move likely to hamper delivery of its vital services after 15 months of war in Gaza.

UNRWA, which has long been the lead agency in coordinating aid to Gaza, will be banned from operating on Israeli soil, and contact between it and Israeli officials will also be forbidden.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Dharamshala:

The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Friday approved a pilot study on cannabis cultivation to evaluate and recommend the future roadmap for the product’s industrial and medicinal use.

The pilot study would be jointly undertaken by Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, district Kangra and Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture, Nauni, district Solan. The Agriculture Department has been designated as the nodal department for this initiative, a statement issued here said.

The state cabinet in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at Dharamshala in Kangra district decided to extend the special relief package introduced for disaster-affected families in 2023 to those impacted by the fire incident in Tandi village in Kullu district.

Under this package, affected families of Tandi village will receive Rs 7 lakh for completely damaged houses, Rs 1 lakh for partially damaged houses, and Rs 50,000 for the loss of cowsheds. A total of 147 houses were affected.

The cabinet also approved the procurement of state-of-the-art machinery and equipment for robotic surgery at AIMSS Chamiyana, Shimla, and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, Kangra, at a cost of Rs 56 crore on the lines of AIIMS, Delhi.

The introduction of robotic surgery at Tanda and Chamiyana will enable advanced surgical services in urology, general surgery, gynecology, cardiothoracic surgery, and gastro surgery. It offers numerous benefits, including increased precision and accuracy, faster recovery, and reduced risk of infection due to minimally invasive techniques, the statement added.

Besides, the cabinet cleared the establishment of a ropeway between Kullu Bus Stand and Peej Paragliding Point to provide tourists with a smooth and safe transportation facility, thereby boosting tourism in the region.

The cabinet sanctioned the procurement of 24 air-conditioned super luxury buses for Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) to enhance services for passengers. It also approved 100 motorbikes to field offices of the State Taxes and Excise Department to ensure better enforcement and surprise checks.

It approved bringing the posts of drivers, all Class-III and Class-IV posts in DC offices, as well as the staff posted in the offices of the three divisional commissioners, Director Land Records, Revenue Training Institute Jogindernagar (Mandi), Directorate of Consolidation of Holdings (Shimla), Settlement Office Kangra, and Settlement Office Shimla, under the ambit of the state cadre. This decision aims to ensure uniformity and improve governance.

A detailed presentation was given on the revival of stalled hydro projects and restructuring of directorates in the education department.

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

A social media user has claimed that artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, ChatGPT, helped save his life by diagnosing a serious, life-threatening illness after he felt sick following a workout. The anonymous user took to Reddit to share his story, stating that he had performed a light workout a couple of days ago but started feeling extreme soreness throughout the body. Confused about the sudden deterioration in health, the OP consulted ChatGPT which advised him to seek immediate medical treatment.

“I explained my symptoms to ChatGPT and it recommended I immediately go to the hospital, as my symptoms aligned with moderate to severe Rhabdomyolysis,” read the post.

Rhabdomyolysis is a serious medical condition where damaged muscle tissue breaks down rapidly, which can lead to several complications such as kidney damage, metabolic acidosis and electrolyte imbalances. It can even lead to death if left untreated.

Acting upon the suggestion, the man went to the hospital and got the tests done which returned positive for rhabdomyolysis.

“They performed lab work and it turned out that I had developed severe rhabdomyolysis. I had to stay in the hospital for a week getting IVs constantly and being monitored.”

“I also used ChatGPT to analyze my lab results, which was on par with what the medical team was saying. I knew what was going on before I was even told by the Doctor what was going on due to the analysis conducted by ChatGPT,” he added.

Internet reacts

The post immediately went viral, attracting attention of social media users from across the globe who also shared their stories of AI chatbots helping them with the diagnoses.

“Happy for you OP that you’re alright now. And yes ChatGPT is great with such details,” said one user, while another added: “I’m glad it caught your condition in time. I can recommend uploading pictures of medical notes to ChatGPT too.”

A third commented: “This is how GPT should be used for medical advice. You throw some symptoms and see about it afterwards with a professional doctor. This is a galaxy away from webMD saying cancer every 5 mins.”

Also Read | Woman Claims Elon Musk’s Grok Detected Her Daughter’s Fracture After Doctors Fail To Diagnose It

Chatbot identifies fracture

Last week, a woman claimed that Elon Musk’s AU chatbot, Grok, successfully identified her daughter’s fracture after medical professionals missed the diagnosis.

The woman named AJ Kay revealed that her daughter was in a bad car accident but doctors at the urgent care centre concluded that there was no fracture, sending her home with painkillers and an ace wrap.

Not satisfied by their response, Ms Kay took to Grok and told the AI chatbot to analyse her daughter’s X-ray. She later sought a second opinion from a wrist specialist, who confirmed Grok’s diagnosis: a distal radial head fracture with dorsal displacement.

The specialist warned that delayed treatment could have led to surgery, but thanks to Grok’s intervention, they were able to avoid this outcome and provide timely treatment.

New Delhi:

From warning Americans about an “oligarchy taking shape” to standing guard against a misinformation avalanche, outgoing US President Joe Biden on Thursday delivered a farewell speech from the Oval Office.

Here are the key quotes from the 82-year-old’s speech:

1. “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy,” he said, 

2. Biden warned of a “tech industrial complex” that is “a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra-wealthy people.”

3. “We see the consequences all across America, and we’ve seen it before, more than a century ago, but the American people stood up to the robber barons back then and busted the trust. They didn’t punish the wealthy. Just made the wealthy play by the rules everybody else had,” Biden added.

4. “Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power,” said Biden.

5. Warning of rhetorical dangers of AI, he said America must take the “lead” over China on the transformative technology.

6. Biden said that “powerful forces” threatened his climate achievements.

7. “You know, it will take time to feel the full impact of all we’ve done together, but the seeds are planted, and they’ll grow, and they’ll bloom for decades to come,” Biden said in his farewell address.

8. “The free press is crumbling. Editors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit.”

9. He said that days before his administration’s tenure comes to an end, a ceasefire and hostage deal has been reached in the Israel-Palestine conflict. “After eight months of nonstop negotiation, a ceasefire and a hostage deal has been reached by Israel and Hamas,” he said.

10. “It’s been the honor of my life to see the resilience of essential workers getting us through a once-in-a-century pandemic, the heroism of service members and first responders keeping us safe, the determination of advocates standing up for our rights and our freedoms,” Biden said.

Mumbai:

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Delhi-based researcher Rona Wilson and activist Sudhir Dhawale, arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case in 2018, stating the trial in the case was yet to start.

Granting the bail against a surety of Rs one lakh each, a division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Kamal Khata noted that the two had spent more than six years in jail as under-trial prisoners.

Wilson and Dhawale were directed by the High Court to appear before the special NIA court during the trial, surrender their passports, and not leave the city until the trial is over.

“They have been in jail since 2018. Even the charges in the case are yet to be framed. The prosecution has cited over 300 witnesses, and thus there is no possibility of the trial to conclude in the near future,” the court said.

Defence lawyers said once they get the operative order from HC, they would move the special NIA court to complete formalities for the release of Wilson and Dhawale from the Taloja prison near Mumbai.

With this bail order, 10 out of 16 people arrested have got bail so far in the case, which was registered by Pune police in 2018 alleging that the accused were involved in provocative speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, triggering violence at Koregaon-Bhima in Pune district the next day.

The Pune police had claimed the conclave was backed by the Maoists.

Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Anand Teltumbde, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Shoma Sen, Gautam Navlakha and Mahesh Raut were granted bail earlier.

However, Raut remained inside jail after the NIA challenged his bail order in the Supreme Court. On Tuesday the special NIA court granted him interim bail for 18 days to enable him to appear for an LLB exam.

Stan Swamy, one of the accused, died in 2021 while in prison.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the probe from Pune police and a chargesheet has been filed in the case. However, the special NIA court is yet to frame charges against the accused.

While granting relief, the high court said it was not dealing with the merits of the case at this stage. The NIA did not seek a stay to the High Court order.

Defence lawyers Mihir Desai and Sudeep Pasbola had argued that the two accused were incarcerated since their arrest in the case.

Wilson, who was arrested in June 2018 from his home in Delhi, was described by the probe agencies as allegedly being one of the top brass of urban Maoists. Dhawale was accused of being an active member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).

In August 2021, the NIA submitted a chargesheet claiming that Wilson and other accused in the case were active members of the banned terrorist organisation, and alleged that they wanted to establish a “janta sarkar” via revolution supported by a commitment to protracted armed struggle to undermine and seize power from the state.

The accused were charged with over a dozen offences including, “promoting enmity between different groups” and “doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony”, “waging war against the government” and several sections under stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Wilson had been granted 14-day bail earlier to attend his father’s funeral.

The arrest of Wilson figures in the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report which claims that UN human rights experts have expressed concern that the charges against him and other activists in the case are “being used to silence human rights defenders who promote and protect the rights of India’s Dalit, indigenous, and tribal communities.”

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