L A T E S T      N E W S

Pinki Pramanik released from jail

New Delhi: Asian Games gold medallist Pinki Pramanik, accused of raping a woman, was released from Dum Dum Central Correctional Home in Kolkata on Wednesday.

After spending 25 days in prison, Pramanik was finally granted bail on Tuesday. However, she could not walk free as the bail papers could not be processed at Dumdum Central jail where she is lodged.

The gender determination test report of the athlete was also produced in the court by the SSKM Hospital authorities on the same day.

Pramanik was arrested on June 14 on charges of raping her live-in partner, who accused her of being a man. The athlete’s incarceration threw the country in turmoil over debates over gender discrimination and ethics of treating those who did not conform to traditional definitive gender boundaries. Dignity stripped

The Barasat chief judicial magistrate granted bail to Pramanik noting that she had lived with the woman who had filed a rape charge against her for more than three years.

The court also said that it was necessary for Pramanik to be kept in prison on account of the various medical tests that she had to undergo. But now that the final report has come in, it is no longer required to keep her in prison.

Shettar to be sworn in CM tomorrow

Bangalore: Lingayat leader Jagadish Shettar is set to take oath as Karnataka’s new chief minister on Thursday after his formal election as leader of the BJP legislature party amid high drama over demands from warring factions before the change of guard.

Outgoing chief minister Sadananada Gowda will resign formally as chief minister today and after that Shettar will meet Governor HR Bhardwaj to inform him about his election as legislature party leader and stake his claim to form the government.

As per sources, Shettar will be sworn in as Karnataka's third chief minister in four years on July 12. However, no deputy chief minister has been named yet, which is one of the demands made by the Gowda camp.

At the meeting, Shettar's name for leader of the BJP legislature party was proposed by Gowda and seconded by state party president KS Eshwarappa, who too is a Gowda supporter. Shettar, in his thanksgiving, noted that all 121 MLAs had unanimously elected him.

The election of the 56-year-old Lingayat leader yesterday, which defused yet another crisis that gripped BJP's first government in south India, came after some last minute muscle flexing by the outgoing Chief Minister’s camp that delayed the legislature party meeting by at least five hours.

Ahead of the legislative party meeting, Gowda and his loyalists demanded an assurance from the leadership that the state unit party presidentship would be given to him and deputy Chief Ministership to Eshwarappa. 

Centre to approve Rs 60,000 cr bonanza for UP

New Delhi: It seems the Samajwadi Party’s backing of UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee for Presidential polls has started yielding benefits for Uttar Pradesh.

The Centre is reported to have made up its mind on increasing its yearly assistance package to the state by over 20% to nearly Rs 60,000 crore. So far, the average hike in annual assistance had been about 10% over the last five financial years.

As reported in a leading daily, the Centre will also provide financial assistance for Akhilesh Yadav’s free laptop scheme for Class 12 passouts.

Also, the Union government will extend the Bundelkhand financial package by another three years, apart from providing funds for several other state schemes including homes for the rural poor, piped water supply and laying of rural roads.