More than 227,000 Indians waiting for family-sponsored Green Card: Report

Majority of those in the family-sponsored Green Card waiting list are siblings of US citizens

More than 227,000 Indians are waiting in line for family-sponsored Green Card or legal permanent residency, according to a latest recent official data. Currently, there are about four million people waiting in line for family-sponsored Green Cards against a Congressional cap of 226,000 per annum. The largest number of 1.5 million wait list is from America’s southern neighbour Mexico, followed by a distant India with 227,000 and China with nearly 180,000.

Majority of those in the family-sponsored Green Card waiting list are siblings of US citizens. Under current law, US citizens can sponsor their family members and blood relatives for Green Cards or permanent legal residency. President Donald Trump is against such a provision which he calls as chain immigration and wants to abolish this. The opposition Democratic party is vehemently opposed to abolish family-sponsored immigration system.

In addition to four million family-sponsored Green Card applicants, another 827,000, a sizeable number of whom are from India, are waiting in line for permanent legal residency. The waiting line for employment-based green card applicant is painstakingly running into more than a decade for Indian IT professional….

Rajiv did not use his 1984 mandate to create an atmosphere of fear: Sonia

She also lauded her son Rahul Gandhi’s act of quitting as the party chief after the Congress’ loss in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls

Politics News: In a critique of the Narendra Modi government, but without naming it, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday said that her husband Rajiv Gandhi did not use the strength of the massive mandate he had won in 1984 to create an atmosphere of fear, to intimidate and threaten or to crush dissent and different points of views.

She also lauded her son Rahul Gandhi’s act of quitting as the party chief after the party’s loss in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. She said Rajiv Gandhi believed if India had to occupy a special status on the world stage, it itself will need to be an inclusive society, which cannot be achieved with arrogance and sloganeering, but with action and conduct.

Addressing an event of her party to kick off the 75th birth anniversary celebrations of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at the national capital’s KD Jadhav Stadium, Sonia Gandhi said electoral ups and down are inevitable and the challenges that the Congress confronts today are formidable.

“But we must continue our ideological struggle against the forces of divisiveness, the forces that are out to change the very nature of our society, the very Idea of India that is enshrined in our Constitution,” she said. The Congress has come for criticism, including from within the party, for its stand on Article 370 of the Constitution…

Reach office on time and avoid working from home, PM Modi tells ministers

Modi also talked about five-year agenda which every ministry has to formulate and an impactful decision needs to be taken in the first 100 days of the government

Reach office on time and avoid working from home to set an example for others — these were some of the instructions Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave to the council of ministers on Wednesday. In the first meeting of the council of ministers after the Modi-led dispensation assumed charge last month, Modi also asked senior ministers to hand-hold the new incumbents, sources said after the meeting. Seeking to give more role to ministers of state, the prime minister said important files should be shared with them by the cabinet ministers. This, he said, would enhance productivity.

For ensuring faster approval on files, he said both the cabinet minister and his junior colleague can sit together to clear proposals, the sources said. Emphasising on punctuality, Modi said all the ministers should reach office on time and spend a few minutes discussing latest developments in the ministry with the officials. He further said ministers should come to office on a regular basis and avoid working from home.

At the same time they should keep meeting party MPs and general public on a regular basis and can start by meeting parliamentarians from their respective states, while suggesting that there is not much difference between a minister and an MP. Modi also talked about five-year agenda which every ministry has to formulate and an impactful decision needs to be taken in the first 100 days of the government.

The meeting of council of ministers was a regular feature in the previous tenure of the Modi government. He used to brief them about government’s various welfare schemes and how to make people aware about them. Modi used to review the performances of key ministries and sectors. The Union Cabinet will also meet Wednesday ahead of the council of ministers’ meeting..

Lok Sabha passes transgender rights bill, community says it’s violative

‘This Bill is not actually giving us any rights, but legalising the atrocities committed on us’

Latest News: On Monday, the Lok Sabha passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016. In the eyes of transgender and gender non-binary activists, this is an act of doublespeak because the Bill, if it goes through the Rajya Sabha, will not only fail to protect the rights of transgender people in India, it will actively violate these rights.

Activists from the community have condemned the passing of the Bill in its current form, and are calling on the government to withdraw it from consideration in the Rajya Sabha and instead pass the private member’s bill drafted by Tiruchi Siva in the Lok Sabha.

Click Here – Business Standard OR BS

Why should a community so vociferously oppose a Bill that is drafted in the name of the protection of its rights? For those who celebrated the passing of the 2014 Supreme Court judgement affirming the rights of transgender people (colloquially called the NALSA Bill), the answer is obvious.

Although the NALSA judgment was flawed in its own ways, it made some incredible strides in the judicial recognition of the fundamental rights of transgender people. It affirmed the self-determination of gender identity, which upended commonsense notions about transgender identities only being valid if certified by the medical establishment…..

Read More: Transgender Rights

Prohibitory orders in Sabarimala temple extended till December 22

A string of protests has been witnessed in the state after the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing women of all age groups to enter the Lord Ayappa shrine

Pathanamthitta Magistrate Court has extended the prohibitory orders in Sabarimala Temple till the midnight of December 22. The decision has been taken based on reports by the District Police Chief and Executive magistrates in Pamba and Sannidhanam.

Prohibitory orders issued under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC)prohibits assembly of more than four people in an area. The restriction is enforced when there are safety concerns.

A string of protests has been witnessed in the state after the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing women of all age groups to enter the Lord Ayappa shrine. Earlier on Tuesday, a group of 30 women aged between 10 and 50 years has sought permission from the Kerala chief minister to visit Sabarimala temple on December 23.(Click Here: Business Standard OR BS)

The women delegation said they had sent a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking permission and security while visiting the temple, and have been told that their request has been forwarded to concerned police personnel. Till this time, no women in the 10-50 age group has succeeded in offering prayers at the shrine as various people have been protesting against the court’s decision.

Aarushi-Hemraj murder case: SC admits CBI’s plea against Talwars’ acquittal

A bench headed by Justices Ranjan Gogoi said the CBI’s appeal would be heard along with Hemraj’s wife’s pending petition

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear the CBI’s appeal challenging the acquittal of dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in the 2008 twin murder case of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj.

A bench headed by Justices Ranjan Gogoi said the CBI’s appeal would be heard along with Hemraj’s wife’s pending petition, which has also challenged the acquittal of the Talwars by the Allahabad High Court on October 12 last year.

Aarushi-Hemraj murder case

“Leave granted,” the bench, also comprising Justices Navin Sinha and K M Joseph, said.

Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, representing the CBI, referred to the plea filed by Hemraj’s wife’s. The bench said CBI’s appeal would be tagged with it.

Fourteen-year-old Aarushi was found dead inside her room in the Talwars’ Noida residence with her throat slit in May 2008. The needle of suspicion had initially moved towards 45-year-old Hemraj, who had gone missing, but his body was recovered from the terrace of the house two days later.

A CBI court at Ghaziabad sentenced the Talwars to life imprisonment on November 26, 2013 in connection with the case.

Article source : BS

BJP corporators attend birthday bash before Major Rane’s body

The BJP was left red-faced after a video went viral showing its MLA and corporators attending a birthday party in adjoining Mira Road township at a time when people were expecting to receive the body of Major Kaustubh Rane, who attained martyrdom in Kashmir.

The video, telecast by a Marathi TV channel, shows BJP legislator Narendra Mehta and a dozen BJP corporators from the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation celebrating the birthday of party corporator Anand Manjrekar in the township on Tuesday night.

The celebrations happened a day before the body of Major Rane, who was killed in Jammu and Kashmir during an operation to foil an infiltration bid, reached Mumbai.

Major Kaustubh Rane

Mehta was quick to tender an apology on the incident.

“What happened (the birthday bash) is extremely unfortunate. It shouldn’t have happened,” he said.

“All of us have expressed regret for it. This is not a political issue,” he told the channel.

Asked why the bash was not cancelled despite the entire township mourning the martyrdom of its resident, Mehta said the event was pre-planned.

Read full story : BS

Our Ganesh Utsav will definitely happen, no matter what decision: Uddhav Thackeray

Attacking the government, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday voiced strongly that Ganesh Utsav would take place in Mumbai “no matter what decision”, and disrupting it would be ‘Hindu droh’.

“When will Ram temple be constructed, only Ram knows but our Ganesh Utsav will surely take place. If they disrupt a Hindu festival, then it would be Hindu droh,” Thackeray said.

“Whether they rule in our favour or not, there will be Ganesh Utsav celebrations in Mumbai. Our pandal will be on the road,” he added.

“There is Hindutva government both at Centre and in the state, then why so many changes in law being brought in,” the Sena chief asked.

Thackeray also questioned the lack of action against loudspeakers put up on masjids.

“They don’t have the courage to remove the speakers put by Muslims,” he said.

Thackeray launched several attacks on the government and accused it of playing “Hindu-Muslim” politics when elections approach.

“I think once again there will be riots between Hindus and Muslims,” he said.

ARTICLE SOURCE : BS

8 people died every day on Mumbai locals last year, toll 18,000 in 5 years

As many as 49,790 people died on railway tracks after being hit by trains nationwide between 2015 and 2017

Eight people died every day on Mumbai’s railway tracks in 2017, down 20% from 10 deaths every day in 2013, data from Government Railway Police (GRP), Mumbai, show.

About 8 million passengers–more than the population of Hyderabad–travel on the Mumbai rail network every week day on 2,800 services with the highest passenger density in the world.

A woman was killed after being hit by a train at Mumbai’s Bandra station on July 19, 2018, while trying to cross the tracks with her two kids who were injured, Times of India reported on July 19, 2018.

In another incident, a 50-year old banker died after she slipped into the gap between the train and a platform at Borivali station, First Post reported on July 13, 2018.

Mumbai’s Elphinstone station was renamed Prabhadevi on July 19, 2018, which led to questions about renaming stations instead of focusing on the city’s crumbling rail infrastructure.

Article Source : BS

Dust bowl Delhi lashed by hot winds: All about today's weather conditions

The conditions may prevail till light showers bring respite to Delhi and adjoining regions around June 16 and 17

 

Air quality in Delhi remained beyond "severe" level for the third day on Thursday, as authorities warned the prevailing dusty conditions were likely to prevail for three-four days and advised people to avoid staying outdoors for long hours.

The national capital woke up under the shade of dust with the minimum temperature recorded at 34 degrees Celsius, five notches above the season's average. The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 41 to 42 degrees Celsius. By 9.30am, the temperature at Palam was already 35 degrees Celsius.

How bad is it

The PM10 level (presence of particles with diameter less than 10mm) was beyond severe at 796 in Delhi-NCR and 830 in Delhi particularly, leading to hazy conditions.

According to the CPCB, the air quality index — a measurement of the concentration of toxic particulate matter in the air — at several places in Delhi remained beyond the 500-mark, with east Delhi's Anand Vihar area recording a PM10 level of 929 and PM2.5 level of 301 this morning.

An AQI between 0-50 is considered “Good”, 51-100 “Satisfactory”, 101-200 “Moderate”, 201-300 “Poor”, 301-400 “Very Poor”, and 401-500 "Severe".

The CPCB said pollution this summer is very different from last year. In November, both PM2.5 and PM10 spiked in the Delhi-NCR region, posing serious health hazard to residents.

The increase in pollution levels now is mainly due to drastic increase in coarse particles in air. This time the PM2.5, ultra-fine particles that may reach lungs and affect its functioning, is not as high as that of November last year.

Why the sudden dip in air quality

Delhi and surrounding areas are seeing a sudden deterioration in air quality as the entire region is under the grip of dust brought through winds from Rajasthan, Iran and southern Afghanistan, according to IMD officials.

“There was an anti-wind pattern towards Rajasthan, so the winds blowing about 30 to 40 kmph had bought the entire region, including Delhi, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan under the grip of dust," IMD scientist Kuldeep Srivastava said.

According to private weather forecasting agency Skymet, the dust-raising winds from Iran and southern Afghanistan will continue till showers bring respite to Delhi and adjoining regions around June 16 and 17.

Read More : Dust Strom

New Indian Railways app out, use it to book and cancel unreserved tickets

No advance ticket booking is allowed since the app is only for unreserved tickets

 

The Indian Railways has now introduced a mobile application that enables booking and cancellation of unreserved tickets, among a host of other facilities.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry said that the app will also enable the issue and renewal of season and platform tickets, check and load R-wallet balance, and help maintain user profile management and booking history.

The UTS on mobile application developed by the Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) is available for both Android and Windows smartphones. Users can download this app from Google Play Store or Windows store free of cost.

"First the passenger will get registered by providing his/her mobile number, name, city, default booking train type, class, ticket type, number of passenger and frequently travelled routes. Upon successful registration, Railway Wallet (R-Wallet) will be created automatically with zero balance to the passenger. There will be no extra cost for creating R-Wallet," the statement said.

The R-Wallet can be recharged either at any of the UTS counters or through recharge option available on the https://www.utsonmobile.indianrail.gov.in website.

No advance ticket booking is allowed since the app is only for unreserved tickets.

"The passenger can travel without taking hard copy of the ticket. Whenever ticket checking staff asks for ticket, the passenger will use 'Show Ticket' option in the app," the statement said.

Click here : Indian Railways App

17 killed, 35 injured in UP as bus overturns after hitting divider

Police said efforts are underway to ascertain the identity of victims which include one woman and 16 men

  

At least 17 people were killed and 35 injured when a bus overturned after hitting a divider in Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri this morning, police said.

The ill-fated bus carrying around 60-70 people was on its way to Farrukhabad from Jaipur in Rajasthan, Mainpuri Additional Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Singh told PTI.

"The bus overturned after hitting a divider in Tirathpur village located almost 25 km from the district headquarters on the Mainpuri-Etawah road, at around 5.30 am, he said.

As of now, 17 people have been killed, while 35 other sustained injuries.

The bus driver has lost his left leg and is currently admitted to a hospital in Saifai, the ASP said.

Police said efforts are underway to ascertain the identity of victims which include one woman and 16 men.

The injured were admitted to hospitals in Saifai and Mainpuri. Three of the injured passengers, who were admitted in a Saifai hospital, have been referred to Agra.

The police officer said the private bus was carrying mostly labourers, who work in brick kilns and were returning to their native villages.

The number plate of the bus revealed that it was registered in Farrukhabad (UP-76). It was going from Jaipur to Farrukhabad, Singh said and added that further details are awaited.

The ASP also said, A number of casualties include those persons who were sleeping on the roof of the bus to escape from the prevailing heat.

Click Here : UP bus accident

Mumbaikars work for 3,315 hours per year, longest in the world: UBS study

They seem to work almost double the time of Frankfurtians, says a study by UBS

 

Rumour has it that Germans are the most disciplined workers in the world. The statistics, however, give that accolade to Indians, especially those living in Mumbai.

They seem to work almost double the time of Frankfurtians, says a study by UBS.

And, though people in Mumbai work like machines, they only have an average of 10.4 days of paid vacation a year to enjoy.

10-day farmers' strike from today to disrupt fruit, vegetables, milk supply

Another farmers body, ABKS a parent body of 10 associations in Maharashtra, says it will gherao offices of district collectors across the state in protest at non-implementation of the earlier announce

Supply of fruit, vegetables and milk is likely to get disrupted in some pockets of India, with a 10-day strike call from Friday, given by a Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh (RKM), describing itself as an umbrella body of nearly 110 farmer associations.

However, among those saying they are not part of this stir are Confederation of Indian Farmers’ Association (CIFA) and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (led by Raju Shetty, MP). Hence, the impact is likely to be partial.

Another farmers body, Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, a parent body of 10 associations in Maharashtra, says it will gherao offices of district collectors across the state in protest at non-implementation of the earlier announcement of loan waivers, said its state secretary, Ajit Nawale.

“We are not supporting any organisation like RKM. We are ourselves representing to the government for the farmers’ cause,” said R V Giri, president of CIFA.

An RKM-like strike was convened in Maharashtra last year, when farmers dumped produce on the road to protest at prices below their cost of production. Thousands of litres of milk was also poured away in the stir.

Read More : Farmers Strike in MP

INX Media case: HC grants P Chidambaram interim protection till July 3

Justice A K Pathak asked Chidambaram to join and cooperate in the questioning session as and when called by the CBI

The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted former Union minister P Chidambaram interim protection from arrest till July 3 in the Central Bureau of Investigation's INX Media corruption case.

Justice A K Pathak asked Chidambaram to join and cooperate in the questioning session as and when called by the CBI.

The court also sought the investigating agency's response on the Congress leader's anticipatory bail plea and listed the matter for further hearing on July 3.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, opposed the anticipatory bail plea saying he was merely called for questioning.

Chidambaram had on Wednesday rushed to a trial court for protection from arrest in Aircel-Maxis case before approaching the Delhi High Court in connection with the INX Media case, in which he has been asked by probe agencies to join investigations.

Chidambaram's role has come under the scanner of investigating agencies in the Aircel-Maxis deal of Rs 35 billion and INX Media case involving Rs 3.05 billion. It was during his tenure as finance minister in the UPA-1 regime that FIPB clearance was granted to the two ventures in which alleged irregularities have been found.

In the INX Media case, the CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017, against alleged irregularities in the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 3.05 billion in 2007 when Chidambaram was finance minister.

Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram was also arrested in the matter for allegedly receiving funds to the tune of Rs 1 million in the case.

The other accused in the case include then INX Media Director Indrani Mukerjea and then INX News Director Peter Mukerjea.

Ramdev's Patanjali takes on WhatsApp with 'Swadeshi Messaging app Kimbho'

Kimbho application is touted to be a competitor of the messaging app WhatsApp. The tagline of Kimbho is kept as "Ab Bharat Bolega"

 

Yoga guru Ramdev on Wednesday launched a new messaging application called Kimbho under his flagship company Patanjali.

Patanjali's spokesperson SK Tijarawala tweeted, "Now Bharat will speak. After launching sim cards, baba Ramdev has launched a new messaging application called Kimbho. Now Whats App will be given a competition. Our own #SwadeshiMessagingplatform. Download it directly from Google Play store."

Kimbho application is touted to be a competitor of the messaging app WhatsApp. The tagline of Kimbho is kept as "Ab Bharat Bolega".

Patanjali's entry into telecom sector

Patanjali on Sunday entered the telecom sector. Ramdev launched Swadeshi Samriddhi SIM cards, in alliance with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

Initially, only the employees and office bearers of Patanjali will be able to avail the benefits of the SIM card.

After its full-fledged launch, people will get discount of 10 per cent on Patanjali products with this card. Just with the recharge of Rs 144, one would be able to make unlimited calls across the country, get 2 GB data pack and send 100 SMSs. Apart from this, people will also get health, accidental and life insurances. Speaking on the occasion, Ramdev said government-owned BSNL is a 'Swadeshi network' and the motive of both Patanjali and BSNL is the welfare of the country.

"There are five lakh counters of BSNL and from there people can soon get Patanjali swadeshi-samradhi card," Ramdev said.

Talking about the company's motive "prosperity for charity", he further said that in addition to attractive data and call package, the card also comes with the medical and life insurance covers of Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively.

However, the covers could only be availed in the case of road accident. Sunil Garg, BSNL Chief General Manager, who was also present here also praised the tie-up of Patanjali and BSNL.

"Patanjali's plan is BSNL's best plan. In Rs 144, one can make unlimited calls from any part of the country. We are giving 2 GB data pack, 100 SMSs. The members of the Patanjali has to just show their identity and there SIM will be activated soon after some paper work," he said....

Aircel-Maxis case: ED can't arrest Chidambaram till Jun 5, says Delhi court

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Chidambaram, urged the court to grant him the relief

 

 

Former Union minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday moved a Delhi court seeking protection from arrest in the Aircel Maxis money laundering case.

The senior Congress leader moved his plea for anticipatory bail before Special Judge O P Saini, who directed Chidambaram to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 5 as already summoned by the agency.

The court, which issued a notice to the ED seeking its reply by June 5, also directed the agency not to take any coercive action against Chidambaram in the matter till then.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Chidambaram, urged the court to grant him the relief considering the former minister has clean antecedents and deep roots in society.

In his plea, Chidambaram said all the evidence in the matter appears to be documentary in nature which is already in the possession of the incumbent government and nothing was to be recovered from him.

However, special public proseutor Nitesh Rana, appearing for the ED, opposed Chidambaram's plea saying he did not join the investigation today, for which the ED had already issued summons.

The court has already granted interim protection from arrest till July 10 to the former minister's son Karti Chidambaram in two cases filed by the CBI and ED in 2011 and 2012, respectively in the Aircel-Maxis matter arising out of 2G spectrum cases.

The relief was granted to Karti after the ED sought time to argue on his application seeking anticipatory bail.

The matter pertains to grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to firm M/S Global Communication Holding Services Ltd for investment in Aircel.

Sunanda Pushkar demise: Special assigned court to hear the case today

The Delhi Police has looked for that Tharoor be summoned as a denounced, guaranteeing there was adequate proof against him

An exceptional court, assigned to attempt officials with respect to Sunanda Pushkar passing case, will on Monday consider Delhi Police's charge sheet against Congress MP and Pushkar's better half Shashi Tharoor.

The police has looked for that Tharoor be summoned as a denounced, guaranteeing there was adequate proof against him.

Prior on May 24, a Delhi Court, which was hearing the Sunanda Pushkar case, exchanged the issue to the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM), Samar Vishal.

"Since he (Tharoor) is a sitting Member of Parliament, the issue is being sent to the unique assigned court for legislators, that is ACMM Samar Vishal. Matter will be taken up on May 28," the court said.

The Delhi Police had on May 14 documented a charge sheet in the court, in which they named Tharoor as a denounced, under areas 306 (Abetment of suicide) and 498A (Husband or relative of spouse of a lady subjecting her to pitilessness) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Tharoor, be that as it may, expelled the charge sheet recorded by Delhi Police as "over the top".

Sunanda was discovered dead under puzzling conditions in a suite of a five-star lodging in Delhi the evening of January 17, 2014.

5 arrested for flogging dalit man to death in Gujarat as video goes viral

According to the complaint filed by the victim's wife, Jayaben Vaniya, her husband was beaten up by the five people as they suspected the couple of committing a theft

Police have arrested five people for allegedly thrashing to death a 35-year-old Dalit man suspecting him to be a thief in Gujarat's Rajkot district, an official said today.

A video of the incident -- purportedly showing two people taking turns to beat the man, identified as
Mukesh Vaniya, a ragpicker, with a stick while another person holding him by a rope tied to his waist -- has gone viral on the social media.

Based on the video, the police arrested the five people.

"A man who used to collect garbage was beaten up by some people at the Radadiya Industries compound near Shapar town yesterday. The factory owner accused him and his wife of theft," Rajkot (rural) in-charge superintendent of police Shruti S Mehta said.

The victim's wife lodged a complaint at the Shapar-Veraval police station in Rajkot last evening, accusing the five people of thrashing her husband following which he died, Mehta said.

"We have arrested the five people based on the video that purportedly showed the victim being beaten up. An investigation is underway," she said.

According to the complaint filed by the victim's wife, Jayaben Vaniya, her husband was beaten up by the five people as they suspected the couple of committing a theft.

The couple was picking garbage near the Radadiya Industries, located in the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) area, when they were held and then beaten up by the accused.

Mukesh died while being taken to the government hospital in Rajkot, an official at the Shapar-Veraval police station said.

An FIR was lodged under sections 302 (murder) and 308 (culpable homicide) of the IPC, he said.
Four of the arrested persons were identified as Chirag Patel, Divyesh Patel, Jaysukh Radadiya and Tejas Zala.

Jaysukh Radadiya is the owner of the factory where the incident allegedly took place while the others are his friends, according to the police.

Read More : Dalit killed in Gujarat

Pak shelling kills BSF jawan along border, injures 6 ahead PM Modi's visit

The slain jawan was identified as 28-year-old constable Sitaram Upadhyaya of 192 Battalion

A BSF jawan was killed while six persons, including a BSF officer, were injured as Pakistan Rangers heavily shelled villages and Border out Posts (BoPs) in Jammu early on Friday, a senior officer said.

This is third day of shelling and firing by Pakistan troops along the IB in Jammu frontier and comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

Pakistan Rangers increased the arch of mortar shelling to R S Pura, Bishnah and Arnia sectors of Jammu by resorting to heavy mortar shelling and firing since 0100 hours in these sectors, a senior BSF officer told PTI.

BSF troops guarding the borderline retaliated and exchanges are going on when reports last came in from the area, he said.

The slain jawan was identified as 28-year-old constable Sitaram Upadhyaya of 192 Battalion. He was critically injured at Jabowal BoP around 0130 hours and died en route to GMC Hospital in Jammu.

Upadhyay hailed from Giridih in Jharkhand and joined the force in 2011. He is survived by a three-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter, officials said.

An Assistant Sub Inspector of BSF suffered a splinter injury at Pittal BoP, the officer said adding that he has been admitted to a hospital.

In the heavy Pakistan shelling in R S Pura and Arnia sectors, five civilians have been injured and evacuated to hospitals by police in bullet proof vehicles, a police officer said.

He said three civilians have been injured in Arnia sector and two in R S Pura sectors. Several houses have suffered damage and few animals have died.

SDPO, R S Pura, Sahil Prashur said police is using bullet-proof vehicles to evacuate the injured to the hospital and is reaching out to the people in shelling-hit zones.

In view of the shelling, the administration has activated the shelter set up.

However, there was a lull in the shelling in Kathua and Samba districts."There was no firing and shelling from across the border since yesterday in Kathua and Samba districts", the officer said. Yesterday, a BSF jawan was among two persons injured when Pakistan Rangers opened fire and lobbed mortars at over 15 border outposts (BOPs) and some civilian areas along the International Border in Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

On May 15, a 28-year-old BSF jawan was killed as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by opening fire on forward posts to help infiltrators cross the International Border in Samba sector. Troops have also foiled four infiltration bids along the IB since May 12.(READ MORE)