Latest updates: NIA Court pronounces punishment for nine convicts in 2013 Patna Gandhi Maidan serial blasts

The Kerala high court on Monday came down heavily on the police over the "victimising" of a Delhi-origin couple who had to bear travel and accommodation costs of a Kerala Police team which went to the national capital to search for their missing daughters, saying "don't they (officers) have any self-respect". Justice Devan Ramachandran asked how the police officers concerned could have made the parents, worried over their missing daughters, pay for the travel and stay at Delhi.The court asked police how the controlling authority of the officers was not aware how they travelled to Delhi as any official going outside the state on duty has to inform the authority. (PTI)

Cyberabad police on Monday stepped up investigations into a gambling case in which 30 people, including a former MLA, were arrested from a farmhouse allegedly belonging to a Tollywood actor.The farmhouse near Manchirevula in the Rangareddy district was raided by the police on Sunday after it had been tipped off about a major gambling game had been organised in it. Those arrested include a former MLA from Mahabubabad, Sriram Bhadraiah, and some realtors.The police have booked the accused under the Telangana Gaming Act and seized Rs 6.77 lakh in cash, apart from 33 mobile phones, three cars and 29 gambling sets. Bhadraiah, incidentally, had been arrested earlier in 2017 for allegedly assaulting a realtor using the butt of his licensed gun.According to the police, the main accused in the case is G. Suman, a resident of Manikonda in Hyderabad. He had taken the farmhouse on rent for a day ostensibly for a birthday party, but allegedly invited over several people for a gambling game instead. (IANS)

The Uttar Pradesh government will here light 12 lakh earthen lamps, nine lakh of which will be lit on the banks of the Saryu, bettering the previous Diwali record. Last year, over six lakh earthen lamps were lit during the "Deepotsav" to celebrate the festival, creating a world record.According to government statement, the staging of Ram Lilas, a 3D holographic display, laser show and fireworks will be part of the five-day-long celebrations, beginning Monday.Nine lakh lamps will be lit on the banks of the river with the rest three lakh in parts of the town on November 3 from 6 pm to 6.30 pm, it said.A cultural group from Sri Lanka has been invited to stage the Ram Lila while a series of literary and cultural activities will be held from November 1 to 5. (PTI)

The Kerala High Court on Monday dismissed two pleas which had alleged judicial misconduct against one of its sitting judges as well as two of its retired judges in relation to orders passed by them in connection with the Maradu flats demolition issue.Justice P B Suresh Kumar held that the pleas were not maintainable.The detailed judgement giving reasons for the decision is yet to be made available. Both the petitions, filed through advocate Yeshwanth Shenoy, had sought setting up of an in-house committee to look into the petitioner's complaints of judicial misconduct against the judges and to give him a copy of any reasoned order passed on his complaints. (PTI)

A person was shot dead for spitting paan in Bihar's Siwan district, an official said.The garment seller was gunned down in his house in Purani Kila Pokhra locality under Sarai police post on Sunday night around 10pm.The deceased identified as Nawab Hashan, a native of Shamli, lived in Siwan district and was a street vendor. (IANS)

Two people died after consuming suspected spurious liquor in Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh, though police on Monday said excessive consumption could also be a cause. Sardar Singh Yadav, kin of one of the deceased, said Rajendra Rajput (35) and Murat Sing Yadav (24), both residents of Gursari village, drank liquor together on Sunday and their health started deteriorating rapidly some time later. (PTI)