8 DIE IN VIOLENCE AFTER FARMERS’ PROTEST IN UP

Eight persons, including four farmers, died in violence that erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri after two SUVs allegedly ran over some farmers who were protesting against the visit of state Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Banbirpur, the native village of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra.

Lakhimpur Kheri DM Arvind Chaurasia confirmed last night that "four farmers and four others were killed in the violence”.

Even as UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called an emergency meeting to review the matter tonight, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha alleged that one of the SUVs was being driven by Mishra’s son, a claim the minister rejected outright saying his son was not at the spot. The minister termed the incident a conspiracy alleging that certain elements among protesters threw stones at the vehicles, which overturned.

The minister alleged that three BJP workers and a driver were beaten to death by some elements in the protests and warned against “peaceful farmers’ protests being hijacked”.

At a press conference later in the evening, SKM leaders Darshan Pal and Yogendra Yadav, however, claimed that the SUV being driven by the minister’s son ran over farmers, “killing four and injuring over a dozen.”

The SKM rejected the claims of violence by farmers, demanding the dismissal of Mishra, registration of murder cases against the perpetrators and investigation of the incident by a sitting Supreme Court judge.

Yogendra Yadav, meanwhile, said that SKM wanted the probe to be held outside Uttar Pradesh. “We also call upon the farmers across India to hold protests outside DC offices from 10 am to 1 pm tomorrow and seek justice. We appeal for peace,” Yadav said, appealing to farmers for calm even as another farm leader Rakesh Tikait said he was on the way to the spot.

SKM’s Darshan Pal alleged that Mishra had been making provocative statements against Punjabi farmers inhabiting the Terai region.

WB BYPOLL: TMC BAGS ALL 3 SEATS, BIG WIN FOR MAMATA

Breaking her own record in the constituency, set in the 2011 Assembly polls, and winning all its wards, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday swept the Bhabanipur bypoll by 58,835 votes. The BJP’s Priyanka Tibrewal got 22.22 per cent votes compared to Banerjee’s 71.9 per cent — the thumping victory healing some of the wounds of her bitter loss from Nandigram in the Assembly polls earlier this year.

The ruling Trinamool Congress also won the Jangipur and Samserganj constituencies in Murshidabad district, where elections had to be countermanded during the March-April Assembly polls due to the death of candidates. The TMC’s tally in the Assembly is now 215 in a House of 294 MLAs. Elections in the three constituencies were held on September 30.

Speaking to reporters outside her Kalighat residence, flanked by party members including nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, the CM thanked Bhabanipur for the “huge mandate”. “People of Bengal were hurt after I lost the election from Nandigram, when my party won across the state. There was a conspiracy to defeat me at Nandigram. A case (on Nandigram results) is pending in court. But the people of Bhabanipur voted against this conspiracy,” Banerjee said, noting that her victory margin this time was more than the 2011 bypoll (when she won by over 54,000 votes) and the 2016 Assembly polls (over 25,000 votes).

Claiming that 46 per cent of the electorate in Bhabanipur comprised non-Bengalis, Banerjee said she had secured more votes than her rivals in all wards of the constituency. “Bhabanipur is a small constituency with enormous diversity,” she said.

RAHUL GANDHI ATTACKS GOVT OVER ISSUE OF CHINESE INCURSIONS IN LADAKH, UTTARAKHAND

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit out at the government over alleged Chinese incursions in Ladakh and Uttarakhand.

He also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi using his 56-inch chest remark that he made at rallies in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

“China plus Pakistan plus ‘Mr 56 inch’ is equal to Increasing Chinese occupation of India’s land,” he said in a tweet in Hindi, while referring to Ladakh and Uttarakhand.

Close to 100 soldiers of China’s People’s Liberation Army transgressed the LAC in the Barahoti sector in Uttarakhand on August 30. The Chinese troops returned from the area after spending few hours, people familiar with the development had said.

There was no official comment on the Chinese transgression.

AFTER PANAMA, IT’S PANDORA PAPERS

After regulators worldwide have begun cracking down on global money flows, the elite are finding ingenious new ways to ring-fence their assets from scrutiny at home reshaping the secrecy industry in international finance.

This has been revealed in Pandora Papers, the latest leak of offshore financial records, the most voluminous ever: as many as 12 million documents from 14 companies in offshore tax havens with details of ownership of 29,000 offshore companies and Trusts.

Obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) two years ago, a one-year investigation of data linked to India by The Indian Express reveals how individuals and businesses , many already under the scanner, are pushing the envelope to evade detection, using loopholes in the law at home and the lax jurisdiction of tax havens.

So, Anil Ambani, who declares bankruptcy in one UK court, has 18 asset holding offshore companies; fugitive Nirav Modi’s sister sets up a trust just one month before he fled India; the husband of Kiran Mazumder Shaw, promoter of Biocon, sets up a trust with keys to a person who banned by Sebi for insider trading, reveals the investigation.

Sachin Tendulkar also figures in the list. "Mr. Tendulkar’s attorney said the cricket player’s investment is legitimate and has been declared to tax authorities," notes the ICIJ report

Of the 300-plus Indian names, the offshore holdings of as many as 60 prominent individuals and companies were corroborated and investigated. These are expected to be revealed in the coming days.

KEY COVID NUMBERS

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 2,58,507

New Cases in last 24 hours: 21,678

Recovered in last 24 hours: 27,619

Change in no. of Active cases in last 24 hours: -6,124

No. of deaths in last 24 hours (Total Covid Deaths so far): 183 (4,49,029)

Daily Tests (Saturday): 12,65,734

Daily Positivity Rate (Proportion of Positives among total Tested): 1.8%

Percentage of Population Vaccinated (At Least One Dose / Two Doses): 49.4% / 18.5%

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

======================

US URGES CHINA TO HALT ‘PROVOCATIVE’ MILITARY MOVES ON TAIWAN

The US called on China to halt its ‘provocative’ pressure on Taiwan after a record number of daily incursions by Chinese warplanes, saying the military actions are destabilizing and risk leading to ‘miscalculations’

The US called on China to halt its “provocative" pressure on Taiwan after a record number of daily incursions by Chinese warplanes, saying the military actions are destabilizing and risk leading to “miscalculations."

“The US commitment to Taiwan is rock solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement on Sunday.

PANDORA PAPERS: SECRET WEALTH AND DEALINGS OF WORLD LEADERS EXPOSED

The secret wealth and dealings of world leaders, politicians and billionaires has been exposed in one of the biggest leaks of financial documents.

Some 35 current and former leaders and more than 300 public officials are featured in the files from offshore companies, dubbed the Pandora Papers.

They reveal the King of Jordan secretly amassed £70m of UK and US property.

They also show how ex-UK PM Tony Blair and his wife saved £312,000 in stamp duty when they bought a London office.

The couple bought an offshore firm that owned the building.

The leak also links Russian President Vladimir Putin to secret assets in Monaco, and shows the Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis - facing an election later this week - failed to declare an offshore investment company used to purchase two villas for £12m in the south of France.

It is the latest in a string of leaks over the past seven years, following the FinCen Files, the Paradise Papers, the Panama Papers and LuxLeaks.

The examination of the files is the largest organised by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), with more than 650 reporters taking part.

Some figures are facing allegations of corruption, money laundering and global tax avoidance.

But one of the biggest revelations is how prominent and wealthy people have been legally setting up companies to secretly buy property in the UK.

The documents reveal the owners of some of the 95,000 offshore firms behind the purchases.

Over 700 Pakistanis, including some ministers and key members of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s inner circle, also feature in the list.

THE REST

=========

OPPN PARTIES SEEK JUDICIAL PROBE INTO LAKHIMPUR INCIDENT

Opposition parties on Sunday hit out at the BJP and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored judicial probe into Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

The Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Rashtriya Lok Dal were among the parties that condemned the attack on farmers while demanding the probe and strict action against the accused.

Some parties, including the Congress, also demanded immediate sacking of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra, following Samyukt Kisan Morcha's allegation that his son was travelling in one of the vehicles involved in the incident.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sought to know whether farmers had the right to live in this country. 'How much does BJP hate the farmers of the country? Don't they have the right to live? If they raise their voice, they will be shot or crushed under a car. Enough. This is a country of farmers not the fiefdom of BJP's brutal ideology,' she said on Twitter.

'Farmers agitation will be strengthened further and their voice will be louder,' she said.

HARYANA CM’STALK OF "ARMED GROUPS" DRAWS FLAK

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, whose government has landed in multiple controversies over the use of force on protesting farmers, has been accused of publicly advocating strong-arm tactics by the opposition Congress. The video, in circulation on social media and cited by the Congress, shows Mr Khattar speaking of raising volunteer groups, which, he said, can administer "tit for tat" treatment.

The Chief Minister's Office said the statement has been "spread after cutting it in half".

"If you watch this full video, you will understand what he said. During an internal meeting of BJP workers, the Chief Minister has talked about the workers being in discipline and strongly opposed to any wrongdoing. The Chief Minister said that work has to be done with zeal, keeping consciousness and discipline," the statement in Hindi read.

"There are some new farm groups which have emerged recently. We have to support them," Mr Khattar is heard saying in the video. "In the north and west Haryana, farmers should raise armed groups... Raise volunteer groups of 500-700-1000 people and pick up sticks and then follow a 'tit for tat' policy... Don't bother about the consequences and if you go behind the bars for this then don't worry about getting bail. You will come out a big leader," he added.

The Chief Minister was addressing members of the BJP's farmers' wing who had come to his official residence to thank him for getting the grain procurement started which was postponed till October 11.

WITH SIDHU, IT’S BACK TO SQUARE ONE IN PUNJAB CONGRESS

All is still not well in the Punjab Congress. Days after a truce had been reached between state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and its new Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Sidhu is back to publicly expressing his displeasure with the working of the government.

In a fresh tweet Sunday, Sidhu re-opened the discussion on the appointment of the advocate general (AG) and the director general of police (DGP), the twin issues which seemed to have been resolved following the Sidhu-Channi meeting Thursday.

Sidhu’s move comes both as a surprise and embarrassment to the party high command as matters between Sidhu and the current Congress government in Punjab are now back to square one.

THREE-DOSE ZYDUS VACCINE PRICED AT RS1,900; GOVT STILL NEGOTIATING

Zydus Cadila is learnt to have proposed a price of Rs 1,900 for its three-dose vaccine ZyCov-D that can be given to those above 12 years of age even as the Centre is negotiating with the pharma company to bring down the rate.

A final decision on the price of the indigenously developed and world’s first DNA-based needle-free Covid-19 vaccine was likely to be taken this week. The government had on Thursday said the vaccine would be introduced in the nationwide anti-Covid vaccination drive shortly.

Apart from being a three-dose vaccine, ZyCoV-D is used with a needle-free jet injector that costs Rs 30,000. That jet injector can be used for administering around 20,000 doses. The vaccine is to be given on days zero, 28 and 56.

TRIBUNAL SHOOTS DOWN ARMY REMARRIAGE RULE FOR WIDOW PENSION

The Armed Forces Tribunal has declared regulations that deprive a soldier’s widow of liberalised family pension (LFP) if she remarries anyone other than her husband’s brother as void, terming these “highly discriminatory” and a violation of public policy.

“A widow is competent and entitled to remarry according to her choice and will. The conditions preventing the remarriage of the widow or restricting her choice to marry to the late husband’s brother alone for claiming LFP will only be conditions imposed in restraint of marriage and hence, violate the public policy to be followed in respect of marriage. Therefore, those two conditions stipulated are void as they are against the public policy in respect of marriage. Those conditions, therefore, are liable to be declared as void and hence, we declare so,” the tribunal ruled.

SRK'S SON AMONG 8 HELD FOR A RAVE PARTY ABOARD A PASSENGER VESSEL

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) busted a drugs party onboard a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast and arrested Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and seven others, including two women, on Sunday, officials said.

The NCB team, led by its zonal director Sameer Wankhede, raided the Goa-bound ship on Saturday evening based on a tip-off that a rave party was scheduled onboard.

The sleuths seized 13 grams of cocaine, five grams of MD, 21 grams of charas and 22 pills of Ecstasy and Rs 1.33 lakh.

A special holiday court of additional metropolitan magistrate R K Rajebhosale on Sunday remanded Aryan Khan, Munmun Dhamecha and Arbaaz Merchant to the custody of the NCB till October 4.

The NCB on Sunday said it had evidence suggesting a nexus between three persons it had arrested, including Aryan Khan, and suppliers and peddlers of drugs and banned narcotic substances regularly.

As part of the raid, over 20 officials of the Mumbai NCB boarded the ship posing as customers.

'There were 1,800 people on the ship but after checking all were asked to go except the eight including Aryan Khan,' an NCB official said.

The Congress, meanwhile, alleged that the raid conducted by the NCB was an attempt to deflect attention from the 'real issue' of the drugs seizure at Mundra port in Gujarat. Last month, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence had seized 2,988.21 kg heroin, likely worth Rs 21,000 crore in the global market, from two containers at the Adani-operated Mundra port in Gujarat's Kutch district.

INDIA DOMINATE AUSTRALIA IN DRAWN WOMEN'S D/N TEST

India put up a highly commendable performance, dominating Australia for the better part in its maiden day/night women's Test, which ended in a draw primarily due to inclement weather during the first two days, in Gold Coast, on Sunday.

On the final da (day 4), Indian pacers triggered a batting collapse, reducing Australia to 241 for 9 from 208 for 4.

What followed was an interesting declaration from Meg Lanning at the stroke of dinner.

India, who scored 377 in the first innings after being asked to bat, played 35 overs in the second innings before declaring after tea, and setting Australia an improbable 272-run target in just 32 overs.

Australia were 36 for 2 in 15 overs before players of both teams shook hands to settle for a draw.

More than 80 overs were lost due to weather over the first two days.

IPL MATCH 48: MAXWELL, CHAHAL TAKE RCB INTO PLAY-OFFS

Glenn Maxwell scored 57 (off 33) before Yuzvendra Chahal had Punjab Kings in a twirl as Royal Challengers Bangalore sealed a play-off berth in the IPL with a six-run victory, in Sharjah, on Sunday.

Maxwell’s blast took RCB to 164 for 7, the highest team total registered at the Sharjah ground this season, and Chahal reigned in the middle-overs with another game-changing spell of 3 for 29 to restrict K L Rahul’s Punjab Kings to 158 for 6.

With 8 wins from 12 matches, Royal Challengers Bangalore joined Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals in last four stage.

IPL MATCH 49: KKR BEAT SRH, ENHANCE HOPES OF PLAY-OFF SPOT

Shubman Gill scored a judicious half-century to guide Kolkata Knight Riders to a six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad and enhance their chances of making the play-offs of the Indian Premier League, in Dubai, on Sunday.

The Knight Riders first dished out excellent bowling to restrict the Sunrisers to a below-par 115 for 8 and then rode on Gill's 57 off 51 balls for a comfortable victory.

Defending a small total, the Sunrisers bowlers were right on their money from the word go, as the Kolkata batsmen struggled to force the pace of the innings. KKR got past the line with just two balls to spare.

Sunday’s victory consolidated KKR's position at No. 4 in the eight-team league with 6 wins from 13 games.

TEAM POSITIONS: CSK 12 Matches, 9 Wins; DC 12M, 9W; RCB 12M, 8W; KKR 13M, 6W; PBKS 13M, 5W; RR 12M, 5W, MI 12M, 5W; SRH 12M, 2W

Remaining Round Robin Matches:

Monday - DC vs CSK

Tuesday - RR vs MI

Wednesday - RCB vs SRH

Thursday - CSK vs PBKS

Thursday - KKR vs RR

Friday - SRH vs MI

Friday - vs DC

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

You do ill if you praise, but worse if you censure, what you do not understand. - Leonardo da Vinci

OFF TRACK

There was this salesman who strode into a busy executive’s office. “How about buying some neckties?” asked the salesman.

“Don’t need any. Get out of here.”

“But look at these beautiful silk ties.”

‘I told you to get the hell out of here.”

“Look at these beautiful lined ties.”

At this point the executive got up, grabbed the salesman and tossed him out of the office. The sample cases flew in all directions. The salesman picked up the ties, brushed himself off and walked back into the executive’s office. He said, “Now that you’ve had your fun, how about buying some ties?”