January 20: Top news at 2 pm

Developing news

*The CBI has submitted ballistic report from Ahmedabad forensic lab in Dabholkar-Pansare murder cases to the Bombay High Court in a sealed cover. The High Court said it is not happy with the probe in Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases.

*Samajwadi Party releases list of 191 candidates for first three phases of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls

Notes ban: ED arrests Surat-based Bhajiawala under PMLA

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has arrested Surat-based financier Kishore Bhajiawala on money laundering charges and for allegedly using 1,000 fake IDs to illegally convert ₹1 crore in old notes into new, post-demonetisation. The agency said it has placed "Jignesh Kishorebhai Bhajiawala (41) under arrest as per provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at about 11:45 pm last night". He will be produced in court today. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had registered a criminal FIR against Bhajiawala and some of his family members based on a CBI FIR against him, which was booked after the Income Tax Department first conducted searches and seized gold and cash from his premises as part of their operation in December last year to check black-money post the notes ban. The case had gained prominence after investigating agencies detected the proverbial rags-to-riches ascent of the 'chaiwala'-turned-financier based in the diamond city of Gujarat.

On Trump inauguration day, reports of new legislation to tighten H1B visas to foreign techies

Two powerful US Senators Chuck Grassley and Dick Durban have announced they will introduce a legislation which, if passed by the US Congress, would give preference to foreigners studying in American universities, a move that will tighten the noose around the H-1B visa programme and could hurt Indian IT firms. The bill will require US Citizenship and Immigration Services to prioritise for the first time annual allocation of H-1B visas. The preference system also gives a leg up to advanced degree holders, those being paid a high wage, and those with valuable skills, it said. "Reforming the H-1B and L-1 visa programmes is a critical component of fixing our broken immigration system and must be included in comprehensive immigration reform legislation," Durbin said. The bill, among other things, would prohibit outsourcing companies with more than 50 employees, of which at least half are H-1B or L-1 holders, from hiring additional H-1B employees, the statement said.

Tamil Nadu to issue ordinance to ensure conduct of Jallikattu

In a bid to defuse the swelling street protests, the Tamil Nadu government on Friday said it will issue an ordinance to ensure the conduct of Jallikattu sport in a day or two and has submitted a draft of it to the Union Home Ministry. After Centre's approval, it will be sent for Presidential assent. After securing a Presidential order, Tamil Nadu Governor can issue an ordinance on the matter, TN CM O Paneerselvam said, adding, he had asked his senior officials to liaison with their Central government counterparts on the matter by staying put in Delhi. After discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and consultations with legal experts, Panneerselvam announced this morning that the state government will amend a Central act on Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to allow conduct of Jallikattu in the state with Centre's backing and urged protestors across the state to withdraw their agitation following the likelihood of the bull taming sport to be held in a "day or two."

FM Arun Jaitley skips Bengal Global Business event

In a setback to the 3rd edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley did not attend the event in Kolkata today. The relationship between West Bengal and the Union government has worsened of late, especially after the arrest of two TMC MPs Tapas Pal and Sudip Bandyopadhyay, in connection with the Rose Valley scam. After that, the state government arrested BJP state leader Jayprakash Majumdar in connection with alleged bribery. Jaitley was scheduled to attend the event, but he was believed to have been asked by the party high command to stay away, according to sources. President Pranab Mukherjee, Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, State Finance Minister Amit Mitra and industrialists Sanjiv Goenka, Sajjan Jindal and Kishore Biyani as well as cricketer Sourav Ganguly are present at the inaugural event. The 2-day Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) is being attended by representatives from over 27 countries and 3,000 overseas delegates.