Top news of the day: Stage set for Trump’s swearing in as 47th U.S. President, R.G. Kar rape and murder case convict sentenced to life, and more

Stage set for Trump’s swearing in as 47th U.S. President, R.G. Kar rape and murder case convict sentenced to life, and more in The Hindu’s Top news of the day

President-elect Donald Trump consulted privately with Republican senators on Sunday (January 19, 2025) before heading off to a series of events designed to celebrate his return to power and the “Make America Great Again” movement, despite deep national political divisions on the eve of his inauguration. The private meeting featured a breakfast at Blair House, the president’s official guest residence, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, and gave top GOP leaders a chance to lay last-minute plans barely 24 hours before Mr. Trump moves back into the White House.

A sessions court in Kolkata on Monday (January 20, 2025) sentenced Sanjay Roy, the convict in the rape and murder of a doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, to life imprisonment. The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Sealdah Anirban Das said that he does not think it is rarest of rare case and awarded life sentence to the convict Sanjay Roy.

The Supreme Court on Monday (January 20, 2025) asked if there was any restriction on the number of vehicles a person could own in the same city, and if there was a law that ensured commercial and residential complexes had enough parking spots on their premises. “Is there any embargo on the number of vehicles a person can register? There are people who buy their second and third vehicles in the same city,” Justice A.S. Oka, who heads a Bench, asked advocates appearing for the Centre, National Capital Region areas, and local authorities in the capital city.

A magistrate’s inquiry has held five policemen responsible for the custodial death of Akshay Shinde, accused in the Badlapur school sexual assault case. The magistrate on Monday (January 20, 2025) tendered its inquiry report in a sealed cover to the Bombay High Court, which was hearing a plea filed by Shinde’s father, Anna Shinde, claiming the police had killed his son in a fake encounter.

Stepping up its attack on the BJP, the AAP on Monday (January 20, 2025) launched a book “Achievements of BJP in Delhi” -- with all blank pages. Launching the book at a press conference at the AAP headquarters, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh flipped through the blank pages and said, “The first page has the details of how 2 crore jobs were given (the BJP) every year, on the second page there are details of how ₹15 lakh has been deposited in every citizen’s bank account and how people are happy, and third page has details of how the income of every farmer in the country has been increased.”

The Additional District Sessions Court in Neyyattinkara, Kerala, on Monday (January 20, 2025) awarded death sentence to S.S. Greeshma for murdering Parassala native Sharon Raj by poisoning him to death with a poison-laced Ayurvedic tonic three years ago. She has also been imposed a fine of ₹2 lakh.

The Mumbai police will likely recreate the crime scene at the Bandra home of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, who was repeatedly stabbed by an intruder, an official said. The accused in the high-profile case, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi man, was arrested on Sunday (January 19, 2025) morning from neighbouring Thane city.