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QBullet: 9 Die in UP over Anti CAA; Sengar Gets Life Imprisonment 

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1. 9 Die in Clashes With Police in UP as CAA Stir Escalates

At least nine people died in clashes with the police as violence over the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act spread to 14 locations across Uttar Pradesh on Friday, taking the national death toll in the protests over the newly enacted law to 17 so far.

Three people died in Meerut, two in Bijnor, and one each in Varanasi, Ferozabad, Sambhal and Kanpur on Friday. Three people, one in Lucknow and two in Karnataka’s Mangalore, were killed on Thursday. Five deaths have been reported from Assam in the agitation so far.

An eight-year-old boy died in Varanasi on Friday after a lathi-charge by police led to a stampede. Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP), OP Singh, said at least 50 policemen were also injured across the state in “heavy” stone pelting by protesters returning from Friday prayers at mosques.

(Source: Hindustan Times)

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2. Sengar Gets Life in Jail for Raping Minor

Expelled BJP member and sitting UP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar was on Friday sentenced to life imprisonment and slapped with a fine of Rs 25 lakh for raping a minor girl from Unnao in 2017. Of the fine that Sengar is to pay, Rs 10 lakh will go to the survivor and the remaining to the state government towards expenses incurred in the prosecution and trial.

“Sengar is sentenced to imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of his natural biological life in terms of Section 376 (2) IPC in view of Section 42 of Pocso Act,” district and sessions judge Dharmesh Sharma said.

According to the sentencing order, the crime robbed a child of her dignity and honour, leaving her permanently scarred and “uprooting” her and the rest of the family from their village. “Therefore, mercy in such a heinous crime committed by powerful persons would be a travesty of justice, and the plea for leniency cannot be sustained,” the court said.

Sengar (53) had been convicted of rape last Monday, with the court calling the survivor’s testimony “unblemished, truthful and of sterling quality”.

(Source: The Times of India)

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3. AAP Launches Campaign for Assembly Polls

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
(Photo: PTI)

The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday formally launched its campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections here with the slogan ‘Acche Beete Paanch Saal, Lage Raho Kejriwal (Five Years Went Well, Carry on Kejriwal)’.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia launched the slogan, which he said was chosen after feedback from the general public, at an event in the presence of AAP MLAs and party leaders. Both Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and political strategist Prashant Kishor, whose advocacy group, Indian Political Action Committee, recently came on board for AAP’s election campaign, were not present during what party insiders claimed was a “soft launch”.

Party sources said AAP’s electoral campaign would revolve around the central premise of ‘Kejriwal versus whom’ in order to project the AAP convenor as the tallest political leader in Delhi facing opponents who were yet to be decided by their respective parties.

(Source: The Hindu)

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4. Exit Polls Predict Cong-JMM Victory in Jharkhand

Exit polls predicted bad news for the BJP in the Jharkhand Assembly elections, with pollsters giving the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance an edge to unseat the ruling saffron party.

Two exit polls — AxisMyIndia-India Today TV and Kashish News — gave a definite edge to the JMM-led alliance while IANS-CVoter predicted a hung Assembly, but with the Opposition alliance on top.

If the actual results, when votes are counted on December 23, turn against the BJP, it will be a setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah. This will be the third consecutive Assembly elections after Lok Sabha polls that may throw a tough outcome for BJP.

(Source: Deccan Herald)

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5. Death for Four in Jaipur Serial Bomb Blasts Case

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A special court in Jaipur on Wednesday found four of the five accused guilty on charges of conspiracy in connection with the 2008 Jaipur serial bomb blasts.
(Photo: PTI)

Four persons convicted of the serial blasts that killed 71 people and left 200 injured in the Walled City of in May 2008 were sentenced to death by a special court here on Friday. The four were held guilty of planting the bombs and carrying out explosions, while one of the accused, charged with sending an e-mail claiming responsibility for the blasts, was acquitted.

Special judge Ajay Kumar Sharma awarded the death penalty to Mohammed Saif, 34, Mohammed Sarwar Azmi, 36, Saifur Rehman, 36, and Mohammed Salman, 34, after convicting them on Wednesday under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the Explosives Act, in eight cases filed by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of the police.

Lucknow resident Shahbaz Ahmed, 43, was acquitted in all the cases for want of evidence.

(Source: The Hindu)

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6. Invest Fearlessly, $5 Trillion Target Achievable: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday told business leaders to take risks and make investments without fear of penal action if genuine commercial decisions failed, as the government attempts to spur slowing economic growth in the face of a decline in corporate investment and household spending.

At the annual conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), which is celebrating 100 years, Modi also reiterated the message he delivered at the 17th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit (HTLS) on December 6 to bankers — to go ahead and take “genuine business decisions” without fear. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman reinforced the call by urging industry to shun self-doubt.

“Today, from this forum of ASSOCHAM, I want to assure the people linked with the banking sector and the people from corporate world that flaws of the old system have been leashed to a great extent. Therefore, take decisions without hesitation, invest without reservation, and spend without fear. I assure you that no inappropriate action will be taken for right choices and for genuine commercial decisions,” the prime minister said.

(Source: Hindustan Times)

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7. Centre Seeks to Restrain RIL Stake Sale to Saudi Aramco

The Delhi high court on Friday asked Reliance Industries Ltd and British Gas to disclose their assets after the Centre sought to restrain the two energy majors, who are in a joint venture, from disposing of them — including RIL’s plan to sell a 20% stake to oil giant Saudi Aramco.

In an application filed in September, the government had sought curbs citing the failure of RIL and BG to honour their payment under a $4.5-billion international arbitral award in the Panna-Mukta and Tapti (PMT) production-sharing contracts. The PMT contract of 1994 comes to an end on Saturday.

During arguments in the case, the government sought the court’s direction to RIL and BG to secure $4.5 billion towards the arbitration award. Asking RIL directors to file an affidavit disclosing the company’s assets, the HC’s commercial bench said it would examine the issue at its next hearing on February.

(Source: The Times of India)

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8. Spying: 7 Navy Staffers Held

The Andhra Pradesh police on Friday claimed to have busted an espionage racket with links to Pakistan and said seven Indian Navy personnel and a hawala operator have been arrested in this connection.

The eight, arrested from different parts of the country, were produced before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court in Vijayawada which ordered them to be remanded in judicial custody till January 3.

The racket was busted in a coordinated effort by the state and central intelligence wings, the Andhra Pradesh police said, but declined to divulge any further details.

(Source: Deccan Herald)

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9. Warren, Harris Hit out as Jaishankar Says Won’t Meet Lawmakers’ Group

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External affairs minister S Jaishankar.
(Photo: PTI)

External affairs minister S Jaishankar backed out of a meeting with a group of US lawmakers on Wednesday as Indian officials feared it could be used by known critics of India, including Pramila Jayapal, a Democratic lawmaker to “harangue” the minister on Kashmir instead of engaging with him, provoking criticism by PIO leader Kamala Harris and Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic presidential candidate who tweeted in support of Jayapal.

“I have an interest in meeting people who are objective and (are) open to discussion but not people who have already made up their minds,” Jaishankar said.

(Source: Hindustan Times)

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