Here are the top 5 news updates of April 5, 2022:
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached properties totalling Rs 11.15 crore in a case related to irregularities in the redevelopment of Patra Chawl project at Goregaon by M/s Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd. The attached assets are in the form of lands held by Pravin Raut, former director of Guru Ashish at Palghar, Saphale and Padga, a flat at Dadar of Varsha Raut and plots at Kihim Beach at Alibaug, jointly held by Varsha Raut, wife of Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Raut and Swapna Patkar, wife of Sujit Patkar, the agency officials informed on Tuesday. The ED on Friday had filed a chargesheet against businessman Pravin Raut, who was arrested in the said case.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has directed the blocking of 22 YouTube-based news channels, of which four are from Pakistan, alleging that they were spreading fake news that could impact national security, foreign relations and public order. This is the first time that action has been taken against the Indian YouTube-based news publishers since the notification of the IT Rules, 2021 in February last year, it said. In an official statement, the ministry said that it issued an order today to block 22 YouTube channels, three Twitter accounts, one Facebook account and one news website. With this action, the ministry has, since December 2021, issued directions for blocking 78 YouTube-based news channels and several other social media accounts on grounds related to national security, sovereignty and integrity of India, public order, etc.
The Supreme Court today agreed to list for hearing a PIL challenging laws permitting funding of political parties through the electoral bond scheme. A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli took note of the submissions of lawyer Prashant Bhushan, appearing for PIL petitioner NGO, 'Association for Democratic Reforms', that the issue was "critical" and needed an urgent hearing. "It has been reported today morning that a Calcutta-based company paid Rs 40 crores through electoral bonds to ensure that there was no excise raid on it. This distorts democracy," Bhushan said, adding the plea has been mentioned earlier also for urgent listing. Assuring an early listing, the CJI said, "If it was not for Covid ...then I would have heard all of this."
Congress President Sonia Gandhi today called for unity at all levels of the organisation, while noting that the road ahead for the party is more challenging than ever before and the spirit of resilience of party workers is under severe test. Addressing a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), she also hit out at the BJP, saying the ruling party's "divisive agenda" has become a regular feature of political discourse in all states and that history is being "mischievously distorted" to add fuel to its agenda. Referring to the party's performance in recent assembly elections, she said she is aware "how disappointed you are" as they have been both "shocking and painful". She said the CWC has met to review the performance and received many suggestions on how to strengthen the organisation, many of which are pertinent and the party is working on them.
Equity benchmark Sensex dropped over 430 points today as investors booked profits in banking and financial stocks after sharp gains in the previous session. Investor focus returned to the Russia-Ukraine war and rising oil prices, traders said. The 30-share BSE gauge ended 435.24 points or 0.72 per cent lower at 60,176.50. Similarly, the NSE Nifty shed 96 points or 0.53 per cent to close at 17,957.40. HDFC Bank was the top loser in the Sensex pack, followed by Bajaj Finserv, HDFC, Kotak Bank, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance and Reliance Industries. On the other hand, NTPC, PowerGrid, ITC, Titan, TCS and Nestle India were among the gainers, surging up to 3.40 per cent.
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