Here are the top 5 news updates of January 18, 2022:
Bhagwant Mann will be the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) chief ministerial face for the Punjab Assembly polls, party chief Arvind Kejriwal announced today. The 48-year-old two-time Sangrur MP's name was announced at a public event where Kejriwal declared the result of the AAP's 'Janta Chunegi Apna CM' drive in which it had asked the people of Punjab as to who should be the party's chief ministerial candidate. Mann is the party's state unit chief. The party had received 21.59 lakh responses under its campaign to elect its CM face for the Assembly polls, party leaders said. Addressing the media, Kejriwal said, "Out of 21.59 lakh votes received, many people included my name. I had earlier said that I am not in the race. We declared those votes (naming Kejriwal) as invalid. Out of the remaining, 93.3 per cent people named Sardar Bhagwant Mann's name".
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today said over 50 lakh healthcare and frontline workers and citizens aged 60 years or above have received 'Precaution Dose' since January 10. Taking to Twitter, the Union minister wrote "Another Day, Another Milestone over 50 lakh healthcare and frontline workers and citizens aged 60 years or above have received Precaution Dose, since 10th January." "I request all those who are eligible to get their Precaution Dose at the earliest," he said in a tweet. In his address to the nation on December 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that the precautionary doses of vaccine will be started for healthcare, frontline workers and citizens above 60 years with co-morbidities starting January 10, 2022.
Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, now suspended, failed to appear before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) today to record his statement in connection with an open enquiry being conducted against him on a complaint lodged by a police inspector, an official said. Singh, who was suspended from service after multiple extortion cases were registered against him, was summoned to appear before the ACB today but he hasn't appeared till noon, he said. Earlier he was summoned to appear before the ACB on January 10, but he had cited pendency of hearing in the Supreme Court as the reason for not turning up, he said.
A special court today rejected a plea filed by former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh seeking default bail in an alleged money laundering case. Deshmukh, an NCP leader, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on November 2, 2021, and is currently in judicial custody. In his application, Deshmukh contended that the special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act cases did not take cognizance of the charge sheet filed by the ED before remanding him in further judicial custody. Therefore, he was entitled to bail by 'default' (on technical grounds), he said. The ED opposed the plea saying the charge sheet had been filed within stipulated time. Special Judge R N Rokade rejected the NCP leader's plea.
Equity benchmark Sensex plunged by 554.05 points today, tracking deep losses in realty, auto and metal stocks amid widespread selling pressure in global markets. The 30-share index slumped by 554.05 points or 0.90 per cent to end at 60,754.86. The broader NSE Nifty fell by 195.05 points or 1.07 per cent to 18,113.05. Maruti was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 4 per cent, followed by Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, Tata Steel, IndusInd Bank and L&T. Sectorally, Basic Materials, Telecom, Auto, Realty and Metal indices fell up to 2.76 per cent. On the other hand, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank Dr Reddy's, Titan and Nestle India were the gainers.
