December 28: Top news at noon

Two killed, 43 injured as Ajmer-Sealdah Express derails

Two passengers were killed and 43 injured when 15 coaches of the Ajmer-Sealdah Express derailed this morning around 6 am near Rura Railway Station in Kanpur Dehat district, the second rail accident in the region in two months. The incident took place when the train was crossing a bridge over a dry canal in the area, North Central Railways PRO Amit Malviya said. Rescue operations are over with all passengers pulled out of the derailed coaches. While 33 injured passengers have been admitted to the district hospital, 10 have been admitted to the Hallet Hospital in Kanpur, he said. The incident comes a month after over 150 people were killed and more than 200 injured when 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express derailed in Kanpur Rural district on November 20. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said he was personally monitoring the situation.

Rahul Gandhi demands ₹25,000 deposits, doubling of MNREGA wages, rebate on IT and Sales tax

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, speaking at the party’s 132nd Foundation Day function at AICC headquarters, demanded that the Government come out with list of all who deposited more than ₹25 lakh in their accounts before demonetisation. Rahul Gandhi also demanded that all restrictions on withdrawal of money should be lifted immediately. The Congress VP said a sum of ₹25,000 should be deposited in the account of every woman of a BPL family that has suffered post demonetisation, doubling of MNREGA wages and Income Tax and Sales Tax rebate for small businessmen and shopkeepers.

ED arrests private bank manager in Delhi

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Ashish Kumar, manager of a Kotak Mahindra Bank branch in the KG Marg area of Delhi in connection with its money laundering probe in a case of detection of nine alleged fake accounts with deposits worth Rs 34 crore post demonetisation. "The Manager has been arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and will be produced before the court for further custody," they said. The bank in its statement said it has already "suspended the services" of Kumar. "With reference to the ongoing investigation of the said accounts, Kotak Mahindra Bank had proactively informed Financial Intelligence Unit and the bank has already suspended the services of its employee Ashish Kumar”.

After 3-month ban, Kashmir newspaper back on the stands

Local English daily Kashmir Reader hit the stands today after it was banned by the Jammu and Kashmir government for nearly three months on the charges that its publication was a threat to peace in the valley. The newspaper started its publication and distribution for the first time after it was banned through an order passed by District Magistrate, Srinagar on October 2. The revocation of the ban is seen as the first success for the newly-formed Kashmir Editors' Guild, a body of all major dailies and weeklies published from the Valley.