News Digest: Not Only Bomb, IS Team Wanted to Use Beef Too

Here is what is making news on a Thursday morning.

1. Not only bomb, IS team wanted to use beef too

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) early on Wednesday busted an Islamic State (IS) module in Hyderabad, detaining 11 youths who were allegedly plotting powerful bomb blasts to target VVIPs and crowded places in the city and intended to trigger communal riots by placing cow and buffalo meat at the Bhagyalakshmi temple at the base of the iconic Charminar.

The IS module was, according to the agency , procuring the meat to be placed at temples to spark riots during the ongoing holy month of Ramzan.The arrested youths, who held regular jobs and were in touch with IS handler and chief recruiter for India Shafi Armar, had been under the NIA's scanner for the past 4-5 months.

This report was carried by the Times of India daily.

2. Crashing lease rentals in Punjab spell agricultural downturn

Lease rentals on farmlands in Punjab — India's granary state — have collapsed, providing the clearest indication of an agricultural downturn and farmers choosing to go back to growing parmal paddy in place of high-risk basmati and cotton crops.

In most parts of Punjab, annual charges for leased land have come down by 25-40 per cent since 2014. This has been brought about mainly by declining price realisations in basmati paddy and Bt cotton, the two crops profitable enough to make it worthwhile for farmers to expand acreages.

This report was published in the Indian Express daily.

3. TKA Nair kin part of firm being probed by Income Tax department

An Income Tax investigation into the financial transactions of a Supreme Court lawyer’s firm has revealed his links to the family of T K A Nair, former Principal Secretary and Advisor to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Income Tax department is probing the alleged undisclosed inflow of funds into Agrritho International Pvt Ltd, a company set up by Delhi-based lawyer Vinodkumar Kuttappan.

Nair's daughter Mini Nair and son-in-law Jayakrishnan Kunnangath are also directors of Agrritho International, according to Registrar of Companies (RoC) records accessed by The Indian Express.

4. Delhi Parliamentary Secretaries row: Election Commission seeks details from AAP govt to 'formulate opinion'

The Election Commission of India has asked the Delhi government to give details of facilities, including phones and support staff, if any, provided to 21 parliamentary secretaries, whose appointments have seen AAP come under attack from the opposition over ‘office of profit’ allegations.

In a letter to Delhi’s chief secretary, the EC has sought the information to “formulate opinion” over 21 AAP MLAs working as parliamentary secretaries from the date of their appointment. The government received the letter dated June 24 on June 27. The next day, the chief secretary asked officials to reply.

This report was carried by the Indian Express daily.

5. South Delhi civic body shoots down AAP govt pick for vigilance officer

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has rejected the Delhi government's choice for the Chief Vigilance Officer's post to the civic body and given the go-ahead to appoint Mangesh Kashyap (DANIPS) as CVO.

The AAP government had sought the appointment of B R Meena (UP cadre IPS officer) as CVO to the SDMC, while an order to appoint Kashyap had come from the Centre.

In a letter dated June 22, Delhi government’s urban development secretary Ramesh Negi wrote, "GNCTD is pleased to appoint Bhajani Ram Meena IPS. 1997-RR UP Cadre, as Chief Vigilance Officer in South Delhi Municipal Corporation with immediate effect for a period of three years."

The report was carried by the Indian Express daily.

6. Murderer's son lives in jail, cracks JEE

A murder convict's son has scripted an extraordinary success story by preparing for IIT entrance exams while staying with his father in an 8x8 feet cell in an open jail in Kota for almost two years because he did not have money for the hos tel fee. Peeyush Meena, son of Phoolchand, has secured the 453th rank (ST Category) in JEE-Advanced results.

Open jail rules not only permit family members to stay with the convict but the latter can also go out daily to earn a living. Much against his fat her's wishes, Peeyush shifted to the jail in July 2014. “I required Rs 2 lakh, which included coa ching and hostel fees.

This report was published in the Times of India daily.

7. Pune cop couple accused of 'morphing' Everest glory

Days after a Pune-based couple claimed to have successfully scaled Mount Everest, a probe has been ordered to verify their claims as a group of mountaineers approached Pune police alleging that the duo faked their expedition by morphing photographs.

The controversial photographs were uploaded by Pune constables Dinesh and Tarakeswari Rathod on social networking sites. Anjali Kulkarni, one of the eight complainants, says she spotted an uncanny resemblance between those posted by the couple and those of Sidhanta's. The couple allegedly morphed summit pictures of Kolkata-based mountaineer Satyarup Sidhanta, says a police complaint.

This report was carried by the Time of India daily.

8. To cut cost, Railways derail govt plan to speed up trains

In a decision likely to hit the NDA government’s plans to increase train speeds, the Indian Railways have disbanded the Indian Railways Project Management Unit( I RPM U)– a centralised unit that was monitoring the execution of a project aimed at preventing head-on collisions.

Installation of the Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS), a technology aimed at preventing fatal railway accidents, has been mandated by the office of the chief commissioner of railway safety for operating trains at speeds of 160km per hour or more. It automatically activates the brakes on trains that accidentally pass a red signal or travel over the stipulated speed limit.

The railway board – through a June 14 circular – ordered the merger of the IRPMU with the North Central Railway from July 1, instructing all officers/staffers to shift to the zonal headquarters at Allahabad within 15 days. The TPWS project will now be implemented separately by 17 zones of the Railways, the circular added.

This report was carried in the Hindustan Times daily.

9. Father, his friend, rape 13-year-old; callous cops yet to file FIR

Fathers protect their daughters from all evils, but for this 13- year- old Dombivli resident, her hero turned out to be the biggest scoundrel. Sexually exploited by her father and his friend, the survivor is currently recuperating at the rape crisis centre at the KEM Hospital since June 14.

But her trauma is far from over as the accused are yet to be arrested and one of her distant aunts wants to send her back home.

Horror unfolds The incident first came to light after the minor complained about severe pain in the lower abdomen, following which her grandmother rushed her to a nearby clinic.

Sensing something major, the girl was referred to KEM. Following a thorough medical checkup, doctors asserted that the minor was sexually exploited. This report was carried by the Mid Day daily.

10. SC to examine if Muslim personal laws violate basic rights of women

The Supreme Court decided on Wednesday to examine if Islamic laws governing marriage and inheritance violated the fundamental rights of women and take a call on how far it can intervene to modify codes that are among India’s most politically sensitive.

The top court said the validity of controversial Islamic practices such as triple talaq, polygamy and alleged gender bias in inheritance laws will be evaluated on the touchstone of constitutional principles and precedents.