Here are the top 5 news updates of February 21, 2022:
A special CBI court today sentenced RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav to five years in prison and slapped a fine of Rs 60 lakh on him in connection with the Rs 139 crore Doranda treasury embezzlement case of the fodder scam. The court pronounced the sentence after virtually hearing arguments on the quantum of sentence. After his conviction in the case on February 15, the ailing 73-year old former Bihar chief minister was lodged in the Birsa Munda Central Jail and then shifted to state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.
The Bombay High Court today dismissed a PIL challenging a notification issued by BMC chief for suggestions and objections from citizens on the proposed delimitation of civic wards, and termed the PIL as "thoroughly misconceived and politically motivated". The HC also imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 each on the two petitioners - Nitesh Ranjhans Singh (BJP) and Sagar Devre (MNS) - who had contended that the BMC commissioner does not have the powers to issue such a notification. "The PIL petition, filed by members of rival political parties to the ruling coalition government, appears to be politically motivated, ostensibly filed in public interest," a division bench of Justices Amjad Sayed and Abhay Ahuja said in its order. The cash rich BMC is controlled by the Shiv Sena and the civic polls are due later this year.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut today said Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has the "ability to lead taking all together", a day after Rao met Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar in a bid to bring together like-minded parties against the BJP at the national level. Talking to reporters in Nagpur, Raut also claimed that the BJP will get defeated in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls which are currently underway. After meeting Thackeray in Mumbai on Sunday, Rao said he and the Maharashtra CM agreed that change is the need of the hour. The two CMs and other political leaders will soon meet again, Raut added.
The US has said it has credible information that indicates Russian forces are creating lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation. "We also have credible information that Russian forces will likely use lethal measures to disperse peaceful protests or otherwise counter peaceful exercises of perceived resistance from civilian populations," Bathsheba Nell Crocker, US Representative to the Office of the UN and Other International Organizations in Geneva, said. The US said it is gravely concerned that a further Russian invasion of Ukraine would produce widespread human suffering. In light of the OHCHR's important mandate and its reporting presence in Ukraine, US said it is sharing this information as an early warning that a further Russian invasion of Ukraine may create a human rights catastrophe.
Domestic equity gauges Sensex and Nifty logged their fourth straight session of fall today as participants remained cautious over lingering geopolitical tensions in eastern Europe. Tracking deep losses on Asian bourses, the BSE Sensex dived around 700 points in the opening session but staged a recovery to briefly trade in the positive zone as market jitters were calmed by hopes of talks between the US and Russia over the Ukraine crisis. The Sensex finally ended 149.38 points or 0.26 per cent lower to settle at 57,683.59, while the broader NSE Nifty slipped 69.65 points or 0.40 per cent to 17,206.65.
