India

New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi's mother Paola Maino passed away at her home in Italy on Saturday and her funeral took place on Tuesday, party leaders said on Wednesday.

In a tweet, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said: "Smt. Sonia Gandhi's mother, Mrs. Paola Maino passed away at her home in Italy on Saturday the 27th August, 2022. The funeral took place yesterday".

Sonia Gandhi is abroad for her medical check up, and is accompanied by both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. She was also supposed to visit her ailing mother.

Rahul Gandhi is supposed to return early and address a Congress rally in the national capital on September 4.

--IANS
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Kochi, Aug 31 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach Kerala on Thursday on a two-day visit during which he will lay the foundation stone of Kochi Metro's second phase and also commission Indian Navy's first indigenously-designed and built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

Modi, on Thursday, will also also inaugurate the Kochi Metro's phase 1A's first stretch from SN junction to Vadakkekotta.

The proposed Phase 2 corridor of Kochi Metro Rail Project will cover 11.2 km and will have 11 stations.

Phase 1 extension is the first stretch of work directly taken up by Kochi Metro Rail Ltd. With the inauguration of Phase 1A, Kochi Metro will cover a distance of 27 km with 24 stations.

It was Modi himself who inaugurated the first phase of the state's first metro here in 2017.

Modi on Thursday will visit Sri Adi Shankara Janma Bhoomi Kshetram, the birth place Adi Shankaracharaya at the Kalady village, near the Cochin airport.

He will spend the night here and on Friday will commission the INS Vikrant.

--IANS
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By Avinash Prabhakar
New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) Delhi Lt Governor V.K. Saxena has decided to take strict legal action against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders who charged Saxena with corruption during his tenure as Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).


According to LG office source, the action will be taken against AAP leaders - Saurabh Bhardwaj, Atishi, Durgesh Pathak and Jasmine Shah among others for defamatory and false allegations of corruption by them, attributed to his tenure as KVIC Chairman.

These leaders of AAP have recently claimed that LG was involved in a scam during demonetization in 2016 and demanded a CBI inquiry. The source said that the CBI has already inquired into the case at the behest of KVIC itself and has filed the charge sheet as well.

The people on the basis of whose statements these allegations are being manufactured against the LG are the two people who have prima facie been found to be engaged in corruption at KVIC after demonetization by CBI, the source said.

He said further that AAP is using corrupt people to divert attention from their widespread misdeeds that includes massive corruption in education, liquor and PWD amounting to thousands of crores. The LG has taken a serious view of these blatantly false, defamatory and obviously diversionary allegations made by these AAP leaders and has decided to take legal action against them so that the AAP does not get away with its characteristic shoot and scoot, the source said.

What is the case

After the Centre demonetized currency notes of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 on November 8, 2016, KVIC issued a circular on November 9, 2016, stating that the "old currency notes of the denomination of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 will not be accepted by any sales outlets and establishments with immediate effect."

Later, it came to notice that certain demonetized notes were deposited in the account of Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan (KGB), New Delhi, on various dates. The matter was referred to the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of KVIC for investigation and action. The CBI was also informed accordingly and on the basis of this information, a joint surprise check was conducted by them on April 6, 2017.

As per a source, after preliminary investigation, the CVO recommended the suspension and transfer of the four officials - AK Garg, Manager, Ajay Gupta, Sales In-charge, Sanjeev Kumar Malik, Salesman-III (Head Cashier), Pradeep Yadav, LDC (Head Cashier) on April 17, 2017. All these officials were suspended and were transferred to different places.

The CVO, in its report, stated that during November 10, 2016 to December 31, 2016, a total amount of Rs 22,17,000 was deposited in the KGB bank account in Delhi in which 2140 notes were of Rs 500 denomination and 1147 notes were of Rs 1000 denomination.

The KVIC on May 29, 2017 informed to the CBI about the preliminary investigation done by CVO and action taken against the four officials.

However, the probe agency found the involvement of only two persons, Sanjeev Malik and Pradeep Yadav, in depositing the demonetized notes and registered an FIR on July 10, 2017 against them. The CBI found that only Rs 17,07,000 was deposited in the form of demonetized currency notes in the account of KGB, New Delhi, instead of Rs 22,17,000 as reported by CVO in its enquiry.

However, the CBI concluded that out of the total cash deposit of Rs 22,17,000 in the denomination of Rs 1000 and Rs 500, a total amount of Rs 5,10,000 was legal tender and not in the form of demonetized currency notes. Hence, the amount was reduced to Rs 17,07,000.

The CBI has already filed charge sheet against the two accused - Sanjeev Kumar Malik and Pradeep Yadav - and the matter is pending in the Rouse Avenue Court, New Delhi, the source said.

The source added that the matter is being falsely touted by the AAP is with regards to just Rs 17.07 lakh as against the claims of Rs 1400 crore which is nothing but an imagination for which they will face the consequences.

--IANS
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Lucknow, Aug 31 (IANS) A case of rape has been registered against Anandeshwar Pandey, general secretary of the UP Olympic Association, at Bhiwadi police station in Rajasthan.

A handball player has lodged an FIR against Pandey, also the treasurer of Indian Olympic Association (IOA), alleging sexual assault.

Seema Sharma, a former national-level handball player of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), has filed the complaint against Pandey, who was also the secretary general of the Handball Federation of India (HFI) from 2013 to 2020.

The FIR was registered at the Mahila Police Station at Bhiwadi in Rajasthan on Sunday under IPC section of 376 (rape), 511 (attempt to commit an offence) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

In her complaint, Sharma has accused Pandey of trying to rape her at the UPOA's office in Lucknow in March this year. The zero FIR has now been transferred to Lucknow's Hazratganj police station.

"It was a zero FIR and has the sections of sexual assault. The case was transferred to Lucknow on Monday," said SHO of Mahila Police Station Bhiwadi.

Sharma, a constable in the 4th battalion of SSB in Mohanlalganj here, had also sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 31, detailing the incident and calling for his intervention in the matter.

As per the complaint, 28-year-old Sharma said she met Pandey during the selection trials for the National Women Handball Championships.

The trials were organised at the K.D. Singh Babu Stadium on March 12. She said she made it to the camp and before the final selection on March 26, she was asked to go to Pandey's office by her coach, where he allegedly misbehaved and molested her, according to the FIR.

Sharma wrote in her complaint that she resisted his advances during which her jersey got torn. "He then threatened me with dire consequences and said he is very powerful and will end my playing career," she said in her complaint.

"I informed my higher officials about this incident," said Sharma, who has represented Uttar Pradesh in sub-junior, junior and senior level national championships.

Sharma alleged that Pandey is a repeat offender and has finished the careers of many handball players but nobody dared to report against him because he is "powerful and well connected."

Pandey was also in the news last week as pictures of him in compromising positions with different women went viral on social media. Pandey had alleged "political conspiracy" in the whole issue, and said he had filed a complaint with the Lucknow Police cyber cell about the pictures.

A former national-level runner, Pandey started his career as a handball player and first represented Uttar Pradesh in the nationals in 1977-78.

He is also chairman of the Coordination Committee for the upcoming National Games set to be held in Ahmedabad from September 27.

--IANS
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Pilibhit, Aug 31 (IANS) A man in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district gave triple talaq to his wife merely because she served him cold vegetables for dinner.

The woman, Umra, has lodged an FIR against the man and three other members of her husband's family under section 3/4 of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 as well as IPC sections 498-A (for domestic violence), 323 (for voluntarily causing hurt), 354 (for using criminal force on woman) and 504 (for insulting) with the Puranpur police station.

According to the complaint, Umra alleged that she was married to Mohd Salman of Rajaganj locality on May 23, 2021, as per Muslim customs.

She said that the in-laws did not take her along with them as her family failed to give the dowry demanded by the accused and his family.

Umra said she was taken to her in-laws' place only when her mother arranged the dowry in August last year.

"Despite giving dowry, the people from the groom's side were not happy," she added.

The complainant also alleged that she was often subjected to physical torture by her husband and the in-laws.

She further stated that her husband assaulted her in April and gave her triple talaq, saying that she had served cold vegetables to him.

Umra said all this happened in front of his family and she was thrown out of the house. The woman has been living at her mother's house ever since then.

The woman said her family tried to sort out issues with Salman several times, but in vain.

"The matter was taken up in the family consultation centre for over four months. Finally, I got the FIR lodged after approaching SP (Pilibhit) Dinesh P," she added.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) As BJP has already started preparations for the forthcoming Assembly elections to be held in Madhya Pradesh in 2023, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met BJP National President J.P. Nadda to discuss the political situation in the state and revamp the state Cabinet.

Before the 2023 Assembly elections to be held in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP now wants to complete the process of making all political appointments as soon as possible. Along with this, the exercise of filling the vacant ministerial posts in the state Cabinet has also started.

Amid the recent talks of cabinet expansion in the state, Chouhan met Nadda on Tuesday which has further intensified the news speculated across political circles.

According to top party sources, during his meeting with Nadda, the Madhya Pradesh CM informed him about the political situation in the state and conveyed the wishes of all top leaders and discussed the core issues concerning the party organization and his government.

Sharing the photos of meeting Nadda, Chouhan tweeted, "Today, in New Delhi made a courtesy call on BJP National President JP Nadda ji and on this occasion informed him about various works and efforts for the development and public welfare in the state."

Shivraj further said, "I sincerely thank Nadda ji for his continuous cooperation, support and guidance."

The Chief Minister wants to get all the regional and caste equations right before the 2023 Assembly elections by expanding the state Cabinet this time. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who recently visited Madhya Pradesh, had discussed the election preparations in the state while reviewing the work of the party organization and state government.

On Tuesday, Chouhan also met President Droupadi Murmu and invited her to come to Madhya Pradesh while congratulating her formally on winning the recent presidential election.

--IANS
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Varanasi, Aug 31 (IANS) A research team led by Manoj Pandey from the Department of Surgical Oncology at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), has identified the somatic mutations responsible for developing gallbladder cancer.

Gallbladder cancer is one of the most common kind of cancers reported in the Gangetic belt. The cancer is often diagnosed late and has a poor survival rate. The current five-year survival rate is 10-20 per cent.

According to Pandey, the researchers at BHU have been working on gallbladder cancer for the past 25 years to find out the probable causes which continue to remain elusive.

As a part of the research, the team carried out next generation sequencing of tumour DNA from gallbladder cancer in 33 patients. This was further subjected to bioinformatics analysis.

The research team identified 27 somatic mutations that involved 14 critical genes. Of these, two genes namely p53 and KRAS were the most mutated and appeared to be driver mutations behind these cancers.

He said that the bioinformatics analysis identified MAP kinase, PI3K-AKT, EGF/EGFR and Focal Adhesion PI3K-AKT-mTOR signalling pathways and cross-talk between these pathways.

The study suggested that the complex crosstalk between the mTOR, MAPK and multiple interacting cells signalling cascades promotes gallbladder cancer progression, and hence, motor targeted treatment is an attractive option in the cure of gallbladder cancer.

These targeting molecules are available and approved for different indications, however, they have never been used in gallbladder cancer.

The findings of the study have been published in the prestigious scientific journal Molecular biology reports.

According to Pandey, the driver mutations for gall bladder cancers have been identified for the first time.

However, it is still unclear why the mutations occur mainly in these two genes in this geographical area. Heavy metal toxicity and typhoid carrier state have earlier been implicated in gallbladder carcinogenesis.

He said this pathway and the cross talk have been identified for the first time in the world, and this opens the gate for use of new therapeutic drugs like evrolimus and temsirolimus in gallbladder cancer. Both of these drugs are mTOR inhibitors and interfere with the synthesis of proteins that regulate proliferation, growth and survival of tumour cells.

They also reduce tumour growth by reducing angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation in tumour) by inhibiting VEGF (gene) and hence cut its food supply, thereby killing the cells.

Pandey added that the research team has submitted a proposal for a clinical trial of mTOR inhibitors in gallbladder cancer, which if successful, will open a new doorway for treatment of gallbladder cancer which is considered incurable till now.

--IANS
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Puri, Aug 31 (IANS) On the eve of Ganesh puja, renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created a sand sculpture of Lord Ganesh using 3,425 sand ladoos at the Puri beach in Odisha.

Sudarsan has created a six-feet-high sand sculpture of Lord Ganesh by using the sand ladoos with two elephants, and with a message "Happy Ganesh Puja". He shows two elephants in his sculpture praying for the environment.

"Every year we do something different in the sand. This year, we try to give a message to save our environment through our sculpture," said the sand artist.

The two-time world champion and Padma awardee artist Sudarsan always tries to spread awareness through his sculptures. His sand arts, created for public awareness, were appreciated by the UN Environment Programme and the World Health Organisation.

He has participated in more than 60 international sand art festivals and championships around the world and won many prizes for the country.

--IANS
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Gurugram, Aug 30 (IANS) Over two-dozen workers of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including its former president of Gurugram district, Mahesh Yadav (sarpanch), joined the BJP on Tuesday.

The AAP members joined the saffron party at 'Gurukamal' - the BJP's local office - in the presence of state president Om Prakash Dhankhar.

"All these workers, who were angry with the policies of AAP, have joined the BJP and in future, they will work for the BJP and serve the public," Dhankhar told the media.

Dhankhar on Tuesday held an organisational meeting of party officials from Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal, Jhajjar and Nuh districts at Gurukamal.

During the meeting, he gave a target to the officials to include one-third of the families of the state in the BJP family before the 2024 elections.

"While BJP is an organisationally strong party, every worker associated with it should try to make it even more strong," he said.

--IANS
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