A lady journalist in Kerala asked Overseas India Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi for his reaction to making deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha P J Kurien stand trial in the Suryanelli rape case, concerning a teenager who was abducted and raped for 45 days by 42 men.

When asked the question Minister Vayalar Ravi responded with a snide personal remark, asking the lady if perhaps she had anything personal against Kurien, and if something had happened between her and him in the past. The proceedings were of course caught on camera.

Vayalar Ravi promptly apologised for his comment and withdrew his remarks. Information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari also tried to make little of the incident saying though the remark was unbecoming for a person working in the public sphere, his colleague had apologised for his sexist comment and the matter should be put to rest. He said the case was being sensationalised and legal procedures are being followed vis a vis the rape case.

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Radhika Shah, 20, and her sister Gayatri, 18, have accused Assam minister Khor Sing Engti of trying to grab their land in a village in Karbi Anglong district by using hired goons, and torturing and harassing them by branding them witches.

The sisters petitioned the high court who directed the CBI to conduct an investigation and submit a report. The court has also directed the district police to provide security to the two sisters and their aged parents.

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Former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari speaking to party workers, voiced a threat to Income Tax authorities who are investigating his association with dubious funding in the Purti group, saying nobody would save them when the BJP comes to power at the Centre.

He accused the I-T authorities of doing Congress's bidding and hatching conspiracies against him. He also accused the Congress led UPA government of blackmailing Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and BJP chief Mayawati.

His followers cheered and demanded that he contest the next Lok Sabha election from Nagpur. Gadkari was then driven home in an open-top vehicle by his supporters in a convoy.

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A court in Panchkula has allowed murder accused MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary to take the oath in the Himachal legislative assembly.

Chaudhary is currently in Ambala Central Jail in connection with the murder of Jyoti Dev, 24, of Hoshiarpur who was found murdered last November. Chaudhary had surrendered in court this year and his three associates Dharampal, Gurmeet and Tilak Raj have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody.

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Ex-Chief Minister of Haryana, Om Prakash Chautala and his politician son Ajay have been sentenced to 10 years in jail for corruption.

Recently Chautala and 54 others were convicted of forging documents to hire 3206 teachers during 1999 to 2000, during which qualified candidates were rejected in favour of those who offered bribes. The scam was worth around $28 million.

The scandal came to light in 2008 when the federal Central Bureau of Investigation filed charges against Chautala and the others.

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