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Kolkata hit-and-run: BJP accuses TMC of 'conspiring' to save culprit

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday accused the West Bengal Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of 'conspiring' to save the alleged culprit in the IAF corporal hit-and-run case. The accused is the son of a TMC MP.

"Your government is conspiring to give the culprit a refuge. This raises a grave concern on TMC government," BJP leader Shaina NC told ANI.

Kolkata Police have arrested Sambia Sohrab for driving the Audi car that hit and killed an Indian Air Force corporal during a drill in the run-up to the Republic Day parade in Kolkata last Wednesday. Sohrab the younger son of Trinamool leader Mohammed Sohrab, was arrested on Saturday.

YSR Congress MP held for assaulting AI official

YSR Congress MP Mithun Reddy was arrested at the Chennai airport early morning today for allegedly assaulting an Air India official last November. The MP was arrested at the airport at 2 am today and later he was produced in the Srikala court. He had been taken into a 14-day judicial custody in Chittoor. According to reports, a criminal case was registered against Reddy in November last year after he allegedly had an altercation with an AI official. After the argument heated up, Reddy allegedly slapped the AI manager following which a complaint was lodged.

Start-up action plan: 3-year tax holiday, Rs 10,000 cr fund

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday unveiled a slew of incentives to boost start-up businesses, offering them a tax holiday, an inspector raj-free regime for three years, capital gains tax exemption and Rs 10,000 crore corpus. He also announced a self-certification scheme for nine labour and environment laws and said there will be no inspection during the first three years of launch of the venture. A liberalised patent regime is also being brought to help start-up businesses register patents, for which the fee will be slashed by 80 per cent.

Source: PTI

Mehbooba to meet senior PDP leaders over J&K government formation

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti will chair the first formal party meeting on Sunday, reportedly to discuss the future course of action and ties with ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the state government formation. This is the first time that the PDP is meeting to discuss government formation, since the death of chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7. Jammu and Kashmir has been under President's rule since 9 January as neither PDP nor their ally in power BJP has staked claimed for forming the state government.

Source: ANI

India leads in selfie-related deaths

Killed by an oncoming train, by falling out of a boat, by falling off a cliff, by falling into a canal and drowning - these are all examples of the deaths of enthusiastic selfie-takers in India, reports the Hindustan Times citing a story in The Washington Post. Of 27 selfie-related deaths around the world, half were reported from India. All the selfie deaths in India were not of Indians, however. In September 2015, a Japanese tourist died after falling off the steps of the Taj Mahal while taking a selfie. Last year the authorities at the Kumbh Mela in Nashik and Trimbakeshwar had established no-selfie zones in certain areas because bottlenecks caused by selfie-takers could spark stampedes.

Of bananas and gold chains

The Mumbai police force-fed 48 bananas to a chain-snatcher in order to recover a gold chain he had stolen and subsequently swallowed.

The accused, Gopi R Ghaware, was caught in Ghatkopar east fish market last week after he snatched and swallowed a gold chain that weighed 25 grams.

He was accompanied to the restroom by four policemen and the chain was recovered. This isn't the first time that Mumbai police have turned to bananas for help. In August 2015, another gold chain snatcher was forced to consume milk and bananas to excrete the chain.

Playboy Mansion with Hugh Hefner is up for sale

If you have $200 million to spare, and don't mind sharing the ultimate bachelor pad with an 89 year old man and his 29 year old wife - then there's very good news for you. The 22,000-square foot, Gothic Tudor Playboy Mansion, in Holmby Hills, California, is up for sale by Playboy enterprises. But there's a caveat: the deal will be structured as a living estate i.e. for as long as Hefner's alive, he must be allowed to continue renting the house.

If you aren't convinced - the house has a catering kitchen, a wine cellar, home theater, game house, gym, tennis court and a swimming pool, among other features. Oh and here's the best bit - it's one of the few remaining residencies in LA with a zoo license.

800 cases and counting, Shimla reels under jaundice epidemic

Shimla has seen 800 cases of Jaundice in the last few weeks alone. On Thursday, the Himachal Pradesh capital recorded its first jaundice-related death. A 29-year-old woman died at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH) in Shimla, after arriving in a critical condition.

The deceased tested positive for Hepatitis E, which is typically due to consumption of contaminated water.

Civic authorities in Shimla suspect that sewage has mixed with potable water, leading to the spread of the water-borne disease. Deputy Mayor Tikendar Panwar believes that effluents from the sewerage plant in Malyana and outdated technology in this government-run plant, specifically, appear to be responsible for the epidemic. The State High Court has sought a status report from the Government in this regard.