December 21: Top news at noon    

IT Department raids Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary’s residence in Chennai

The Income Tax Department is conducting searches at the Anna Nagar residence of Tamil Nadu’s Chief Secetary P Rammohan Rao on Wednesday morning. IT has also raided the chief’s secretary’s son’s residence. Opposition leader and DMK treasurer MK Stalin has called the raid a disgrace to the state.

Twelve TN fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy

Twelve Indian fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly fishing in their territorial waters. The arrest comes a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam asked the Centre to send a "firm message" to the island nation over continued apprehension of the state's fishermen. Twenty fishermen who had set out for fishing from Pamban in three boats were rounded up by the Lankan authorities while they were fishing in the south sea, said Rameswaram Fisheries Department Assistant Director, Gopinath. While fishermen in one of the boats managed to get away, twelve others were caught and taken to Sri Thalaimannar in Sri Lanka.

EC to ask I-T authorities to look into finances of 200 parties

The Election Commission is set to write to the Income Tax authorities asking it to look into the finances of over 200 political parties it has 'delisted' over a period of time for not contesting elections. The poll panel believes that most of them exist on paper to help people convert their back money into white by accepting donations. The Commission will ask the income tax authorities to take action under relevant laws if these parties are found to be involved in money laundering. Seeking to stem flow of black money in elections, the Commission has proposed a slew of electoral reforms but most are pending with the government.

UP CM Akhilesh Yadav: Development and Demonetisation will help SP retain power

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said the two Ds—development and demonetisation problems—will work in favour of the Samajwadi Party in the upcoming assembly polls. According to him, his family feud is no more a factor and all issues have been changed post demonetisation. "Jo kataarein ATM ke bahar lagi hai wo polling booth ke bahar lagegi (polling booths will see long queues like ones outside ATMs now," Akhilesh told PTI. SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has already ruled out any pre-poll alliance with Congress but Akhilesh said it will be premature to predict anything as of now. "The party president will take a call on that but I believe that we will get 300 plus seats if we enter into a pre-poll alliance with Congress."

In run-up to UP polls, truck carrying liquor worth ₹50 lakh goes missing

A truck carrying liquor worth over ₹50 lakh has gone missing after being dispatched to Agra from a distillery here, said police in Muzaffarnagar. The vehicle that left Shahshadilal Distillery in Mansurpur has been missing since December 15, the distillery manager Bhagat Singh has alleged. The driver of the truck, Hari Om, is also missing, police said, adding that they are investigating the case.

With inputs from NH National Bureau