1. 11 of Family Found Dead with Blindfolds in Delhi’s Burari, Cops Point to Notes on ‘Mystical Practices’
Eleven members of a family, including seven women, were found dead under mysterious circumstances at their residence in the Burari area of North Delhi on 1 July.
While 10 of the dead were found hanging, with their eyes covered with pieces of cloth cut from the same bedsheet and their mouths taped, the body of a 77-year-old woman was found lying on the floor in another room of the house.
A police statement said some handwritten notes were found in the house “which point towards observance of some definite spiritual/ mystical practices by the whole family”. Additional DCP (North) Vinit Kumar said “these notes have strong similarity with the manner in which the mouths, eyes etc of the deceased were tied and taped”.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. This Time, It’s in Maharashtra: Five Lynched over Child Lifting Rumours on Social Media
In another case of mob violence triggered by social media posts, five people were lynched in Dhule district of Maharashtra on Sunday morning over suspicion that they were part of a gang of “child lifters”, police said.
The incident occurred in the tribal hamlet of Rainpada in Sakri taluka, about 325 km from Mumbai. The mob reportedly comprised over 35 people, including some children.
The five victims, along with a few others, were seen getting down from a state transport bus, police said. When one of them apparently tried to speak to a girl child, the villagers, who had gathered for the weekly Sunday market, pounced on them, they said.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. Milk and Mercedes Can’t Be Taxed at Same Rate, Says PM
PM Modi ruled out a single goods and services tax (GST) rate saying milk and Mercedes cars could not be taxed at the same rate and slammed Congress for suggesting a single rate which would make commonly used food items more expensive.
“It would have been very simple to have just one slab but it would have meant we could not have food items at 0 percent tax rate. Can we have milk and Mercedes at the same rate?” Modi said in an interview to Swarajya magazine, even as the NDA government marked 1 July as ‘GST Day’. The ambitious tax reform measure was launched on 1 July last year.
(Source: The Times of India)
4. Suicide Bomber Targets Sikhs, Hindus in Afghanistan; 19 Dead
A suicide bomber targeted a convoy of Sikhs and Hindus on their way to meet Afghanistan's president in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Sunday, killing at least 19 people.
Inamullah Miakhail, spokesperson for the provincial hospital in Nangarhar, said that 17 out of 19 dead in the attack are from the minority Sikh and Hindu community. Miakhail added that at least ten of the 20 wounded were also from the same minority community and are undergoing treatment at a Jalalabad hospital.
(Source: AP)
5. 48 Dead as Overloaded Bus Falls into Gorge in Uttarakhand
In one of the worst road accidents in Uttarakhand in the recent past, 48 people were killed and 12 others injured on Sunday after an overloaded bus they were travelling in fell into a 100m-deep gorge in Pauri district when the driver swerved to avoid a pothole. Three of the injured are critical and have been airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh.
The 28-seater bus was carrying 60 people, all residents of Pauri and Nainital, from Bamnisain (Pauri) to Ramnagar (Nainital) when it plunged into the gorge at 8.15 am. The deceased include 16 women and 10 kids. An ex-Armyman who owned the bus and was driving it also died.
(Source: The Times of India)
6. Russia Beat Spain 4-3 on Penalties to Reach FIFA World Cup 2018 Quarter-Finals
Hosts Russia beat Spain 4-3 on penalties on Sunday to advance to the World Cup quarter-finals where they will face either Denmark or Croatia.
Russia keeper Igor Akinfeev saved Koke’s and Iago Aspas’ spot kicks in their first ever penalty shootout to send the hosts through following a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes.
Spain, who have never beaten a host at World Cups or Euros, went ahead after 12 minutes when 38-year-old Sergei Ignashevich bundled into Spain captain Sergio Ramos at the far post, knocking a free kick in with his heel for the 10th own goal of the tournament.
(Source: Reuters)
7. Pan-Aadhaar Linking Deadline Extended till 31 March 2019: CBDT
The CBDT on Saturday extended the deadline for the PAN-Aadhaar linking to 31 March next year. This is the fifth time the government has extended the deadline for individuals to link their Permanent Account Number (PAN) to their biometric ID (Aadhaar).
The policy-making body of the tax department issued an order, under Section 119 of the Income Tax Act, late night, extending the deadline. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had last extended the deadline on 27 March.
The latest order said the deadline for the PAN-Aadhaar linking for filing I-T returns was being extended after “consideration of the matter”.
It is understood that the fresh CBDT order has come against the backdrop of the Supreme Court order earlier this year directing extension of the 31 March 2018 deadline for linking Aadhaar card with various other services.
(Source: PTI)
8. RS Dy Chair: BJP May Settle for Ally’s Nominee
With senior Congress leader PJ Kurien demitting office on 1 July, discussions to find a replacement gathered steam and Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu urged the government and opposition parties to work together to find a “worthy successor” to Kurien.
There are indications that BJP could consider a nominee from an allied party like Akali Dal with the name of senior MP Naresh Gujral doing the rounds. This might find support of opposition parties like BJD which may hold the balance in the House. Earlier proposals for a BJD nominee supported by non-NDA parties petered out as the Odisha party showed a disinterest in the prospect.
Hosting Kurien and several ministers and MPs at his residence, Naidu pushed for a “consensus candidate” for the office of deputy chairman, indicating he was keen to ensure that the sharp differences between the government and the opposition, which effectively disallowed Parliament to function over the last few sessions, do not force a contest.
(Source: The Times of India)
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