Top news of the day: Arrest warrant issued against Yediyurappa in POCSO case; India rejects references to J&K in China-Pakistan joint statement, and more

Arrest warrant against Yediyurappa, India rejects China-Pakistan’s reference to J&K, and more in The Hindu’s top news of June 13, 2024.

The First Fast Track Court (POCSO court) has issued an arrest warrant against former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa in a case registered against him on March 14 under the POCSO Act, 2012. The octogenarian is accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl who had come to him seeking his help, along with her mother, on February 2. With the arrest warrant issued, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probing the case will now move to arrest the BJP leader.

India on June 13 stoutly rejected “unwarranted” references to Jammu and Kashmir in the latest joint statement by China and Pakistan and asserted that the Union Territory and Ladakh “have been, are and will always remain” its integral parts. The joint statement was issued in Beijing on June 7 following talks between Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. “We have noted unwarranted references to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement between China and Pakistan of June 7. We categorically reject such references,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh on June 13 reached Kuwait to oversee the assistance to those injured in a massive fire at an apartment housing foreign workers and for the early repatriation of the bodies of about 40 Indians killed in the tragic incident. At least 49 foreign workers were killed and 50 others injured in the fire on June 12 at the seven-storey building housing 195 migrant workers in the southern city of Mangaf.

The Supreme Court recorded the Union Government’s submission on June 13 that the scorecards of 1,563 candidates granted compensatory marks in the NEET-UG 2024 on June 4 will stand cancelled and they can sit for a re-test likely to be held on June 23. A Vacation Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was informed by the Centre that these candidates would be now informed of their actual scores without the compensatory or grace marks.

The Centre on June 13 reappointed former IPS officer Ajit Doval as the National Security Adviser (NSA), according to an official order. His appointment will be co-terminus with the term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi or until further orders, the order said. The Centre also reappointed P.K. Mishra as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. His appointment too will be co-terminus with the term of the Prime Minister or until further orders, said a government order.

Pro-Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Thursday agreed to end his indefinite strike, six days after he started it, granting the Eknath Shinde-led government a one-month deadline to accept the community’s demands. While ending his fast in Jalna’s Antarwali Sarati village, his native home, the activist maintained pressure on the ruling party leaders that despite giving a month’s deadline, they would go ahead with our preparations for the upcoming Assembly election.

As parts of Delhi grappled with acute water shortage, the Supreme Court on June 13 directed the city government to approach the Upper Yamuna River Board for additional supply after Himachal Pradesh took a sharp U-turn and said it does not have surplus water to spare. A vacation bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Prasanna B Varale asked the Delhi government to submit an application to UYRB by 5 p.m. seeking water for the national capital on humanitarian grounds.