1. Six Men Accused in Pehlu Lynching Case Acquitted
An additional district judge’s court here acquitted on Wednesday six men accused in the Pehlu Khan lynching case, giving them the benefit of the doubt as the police investigation had serious shortcomings. The Rajasthan government said it would appeal the verdict in the high court.
The supporters and relatives of the six people acquitted left the court premises chanting “Jai Shri Ram”, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”. The slogan chanting had begun inside the courtroom as soon as ADJ Sarita Swami pronounced the acquittals of Vipin Yadav (19), Ravindra Kumar (29), Yogesh Kumar (30), Bheem Rathi (32), Kalu Ram (44) and Dayanand (44).
(Source: The Times of India)
2. Alert in Valley for I-Day, Governor Will Hoist Tricolour in Srinagar
Security forces stepped up vigil across the Valley ahead of Independence Day as authorities prepared for the main event in Srinagar where Governor Satya Pal Malikwill hoist the Tricolour Thursday.
On Wednesday, the tenth day of the lockdown, restrictions were eased in Srinagar to allow public and vehicle movement even as officials said the curbs will return Thursday. Barricades and concertina wire spools have come up on roads leading to the Sher-i-Kashmir stadium, the venue for the Independence Day event.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. Ayodhya Hearing: Accounts of Foreign Travellers, Historians Establish Birthplace Claim, SC Told
Accounts of foreign travellers and historians have established beyond doubt the location of the Ramjanmabhoomi, and that the temple there was demolished to make way for the Babri Masjid, senior counsel C S Vaidyanathan, appearing for Ramlalla, told the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. India Plans to Attack PoK, We’ll Fight till End: Imran Khan
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan told a special session of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir "assembly" in Muzaffarabad on Wednesday, Pakistan's independence day, that India had plans to attack PoK and that Islamabad would "fight till the end" to counter that.
(Source: The Times of India)
5. India vs West Indies: Virat Kohli Leads Men in Blue to Series Win with 43rd ODI Hundred
Skipper Virat Kohli hammered his second consecutive hundred to fashion India’s series-clinching victory in the third match as India spoilt Chris Gayle’s possible ODI swan-song, here on Wednesday. In what appeared to be his last ODI for the West Indies, Gayle smashed his way to a 72-run knock, leading the hosts to a competitive 240 for seven in the rain-curtailed match after they elected to bat.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
6. PM Narendra Modi Terms Articles 370 and 35A ‘Chains That Kept People Tied’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that he wanted to assure the people of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh that these areas would develop as per their wishes.
“For years, intimidation ruled the roost. Let us now give development a chance,” he told Indo-Asian News Service in an interview on completing 75 days of his second stint as Prime Minister, adding that Articles 370 and 35A were “like chains that kept people tied.”
(Source: The Hindu)
7. Activists Denied Permission by Press Club to Show Kashmir Ground Report Video
A delegation of four activists, including Kavita Krishnan and economist Jean Drèze, on Wednesday presented a ground report from Kashmir to the media, citing widespread anger among locals. While they put forth a comprehensive report of five-day travel in the Valley at Press Club of India, they were not allowed to screen a 10-minute video of the situation on ground and interactions with locals. The Press Club maintained it was not a ‘verified’ video.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
8. Kerala Flood Fury: Death Toll Touches 102; More Heavy Rainfall Predicted
The death toll in rain-related incidents in Kerala rose to 102 on Wednesday. From Kavalappara in Malappuram which witnessed the worst landslide till date, 30 bodies have been recovered so far. There are reports that 33 more people are missing from the region and search operations are on. At Puthumal in Wayanad, the other landslide-hit area, seven people are still missing and in Wednesday’s search operation the authorities could not trace any body beneath the debris. The search operations have been badly hit by heavy rain.
(Source: The Times of India)
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