Rape case verdict: Asaram to be in prison until death; top 10 developments

The Jodhpur SC/ST court, which earlier in the day convicted Asaram in a five-year-case of raping a minor, on Wednesday sentenced the self-styled godman to life imprisonment until death. Two other co-accused in the case, also convicted today, were given 20 years each in jail.

Earlier in the day, while pronouncing the verdict inside the Jodhpur central jail amid tight security, the court had held Asaram guilty of assaulting and outraging the modesty of a 16-year-old woman, who, at the time of the incident, was a student at one of Asaram's ashrams in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. The incident allegedly took place on the night of August 15, 2013, at another Asaram ashram in Manai area near Jodhpur.

After the verdict, the rape survivor's father said he hoped Asaram would get "strict punishment". The self-styled godman's downfall sees him leave behind a Rs 100-billion empire.

The verdict was pronounced inside the premises of the Central Jail in Jodhpur amid tight security to avoid a repeat of the violent protests and arson seen when another self-styled godman, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, had earlier been sent to jail in a rape case.

Not just UP: Niti Aayog has worked on Rajasthan, MP development model too

The Centre’s main think-tank, the NITI Aayog is reportedly working on developing a growth plan for Uttar Pradesh, where the ruling BJP, came back to power after more than a decade.

According to reports, a team from the Aayog is expected to visit the state later this month to discuss the development plan with senior officials and ministers of the state government.

However, this is not first time that the Aayog has helped a state in undertaking reforms or suggesting a roadmap for its growth.

Infact, cooperative federalism is at the very core of Aayog’s philosophy and working.

The Aayog which has replaced the Planning Commission of India has worked very closely with the Rajasthan state government to amend obsolete and unnecessary laws in the state. It also plans to do the same with Madhya Pradesh.

It is helping major states amend their land leasing laws and has so far successfully managed to convince couple of them to amend their decades-old land leasing laws.

Madhya Pradesh along with Odisha have been working on amending their land leasing laws that would make leasing legal and would also ensure that the tenant farmer gets full legal right to compensation, insurance etc in case of crop damage without impacting the legal ownership.

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Hardik Patel to return to Gujarat with mega rally at Himmatnagar

Latest News - With his 180 days exile ending, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convenor Hardik Patel will mark his return to Gujarat on Tuesday by addressing a rally in Himmatnagar.

The Patidar community members have organised a huge welcome with over 500 cars cavalcade at Ratanpur on the border of Patel's home state, while he will address a rally in Himmatnagar in the afternoon.

Patel's Himmatnagar rally is being termed as 'GMDC part two', in a clear reference to his massive rally at Ahmedabad in August 2015.

"Himmatnagar rally will be part two of GMDC. Hardik will take up reservation issue and will also demand justice for those killed in police firing during the violence that ensued after GMDC rally. This rally will reignite quota agitation in Gujarat," Dinesh Bambhaniya, PAAS leader, said.

Over 100,000 community members are expected to join the Himmatnagar rally, followed by Patel's visit to former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel. From there, Patel will depart for Pune where he is supposed to address a student convention.

The agitating Patidar community leader after been exiled from Gujarat, had made Udaipur in Rajasthan his base for the last six months. 

Ahead of his departure from Udaipur, Patel addressed a press conference on Monday, taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government. "If the BJP government cannot kill me, I may be sent to jail for 14 years. But then when I come out at 36, I will have ample time to serve the community," Patel said.(Read More)

270 days after Bihar liquor ban, major crimes up 13%

During a recent visit to Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his Bihar Alcohol Ban policy in Bihar. He said: “I greet Nitish Kumar from the core of my heart for launching a campaign against liquor. But, this work (prohibition) would not be a grand success only by efforts of Nitish Kumar or one party. All the political parties, social organisations and citizens have to participate in it to make it a ‘jan-jan ka andolan‘ (people’s movement).”

In April 2016, Kumar announced a ban on the sale and consumption of country liquor in the state. The ban was one of Kumar’s key poll promises made to women voters–who rallied behind him strongly, as this Mint report indicates–during the 2015 assembly elections.

Thirty days after the ban, Kumar claimed that the crime was down 27% , according to his analysis of crime data from April 2016 and April 2015.

Nine months–or 270 days–into the ban, an IndiaSpend analysis of Bihar Police crime data, reveals that cognizable crime–which the police can investigate without a magistrate’s order–rose 13% between April and October 2016, from 14,279 in April to 16,153 in October.(Read More)