HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 1700 hours:

NATION

DEL32 PRIYANKA-JK-PSA No basis to charge Omar, Mehbooba under PSA: Priyanka Gandhi

New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said it is "pretty clear" the government has no basis to charge Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti under the Public Safety Act and the two former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers must be freed.

DEL19 JK-ENVOYS Fresh batch of foreign envoys to visit JK this week

Srinagar: A fresh batch of foreign envoys will visit Jammu and Kashmir this week to get first-hand information about the ground situation after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, officials said on Monday.

LGD26 SC-LD SC/ST SC upholds constitutional validity of SC/ST Amendment Act, 2018

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday upheld the constitutional validity of SC/ST Amendment Act, 2018 saying a court can grant anticipatory bail only in cases where a prima facie case is not made out.

DEL30 RS-2NDLD BUDGET Economy perilously close to collapse, being attended by incompetent doctors: Chidambaram

New Delhi: Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday tore into Narendra Modi government's handling of the economy, saying it was "perilously close to a collapse" and was being attended to by "incompetent doctors".

DEL27 PM-RAJAPAKSA-GANGA Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa commends Namami Gange programme

New Delhi: The Ganga river is at the heart of Indian civilisation and our cultural and economic lifeline, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday.

DEL24 RAHUL-2NDLD RESERVATION It's in DNA of BJP-RSS to try and erase reservations: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: It is in the DNA of the BJP and the RSS to try and erase reservations, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Monday and asserted that his party will not allow doing away with quota.

DEL29 JK-LONE-PSA JK: National Conference MP's son slapped with PSA

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday slapped the stringent Public Safety Act against Hilal Lone, the son of National Conference Lok Sabha member Mohammad Akbar Lone, officials said here.

BOM12 MH-LECTURER-3RD LD DIES Lecturer set afire by stalker dies, kin seek speedy justice

Nagpur: The 25-year-old woman lecturer who was set ablaze by a stalker in Maharashtra's Wardha district last week died while undergoing treatment at a hospital here on Monday morning, officials said.

LEGAL

LGD23 SC-LD SABARIMALA Sabarimala case: SC holds it can refer questions of law to larger bench

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday held that its five-judge bench can refer questions of law to a larger bench while exercising its limited power under review jurisdiction in the Sabarimala case.

LGD29 SC-2ND LD SHAHEEN BAGH Protesters at Shaheen Bagh can't block public road, create inconvenience for others: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday said the anti-CAA protestors, who are holding agitation at Shaheen Bagh here since December 15 last year, cannot block public road and create inconvenience for others.

LGD19 SC-LD ABDULLAH Omar Abdullah's sister moves SC challenging his detention under PSA

New Delhi: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah's sister on Monday moved the Supreme Court challenging his detention under the Public Safety Act.

BUSINESS

DEL26 BIZ-STOCKS-CLOSE Sensex sheds 162 pts; auto, metal stocks drag

Mumbai: Market benchmark Sensex closed 162 points lower on Monday due to heavy sell-offs mainly in auto and metal stocks as investors continued to gauge the severity of coronavirus outbreak and its economic impact.

DEL23 BIZ-GOLD-PRICE Gold prices gain Rs 52, silver jumps Rs 190

New Delhi: Gold prices rose Rs 52 to Rs 41,508 per 10 grams in the national capital on Monday helped by strong global cues, according to HDFC Securities.

FOREIGN

FGN17 JAPAN-INDIANS-SHIP

Indians among passengers, crew on board Japan cruise ship as new cases of coronavirus emerge Tokyo: An unspecified number of Indians were among the nearly 3,000 passengers and crew members on board a cruise ship quarantined off Japan due to diagnosis of coronavirus cases, the Indian Embassy here said on Monday.

FGN15 CHINA-VIRUS-FOREIGNERS

Coronavirus outbreak infected 27 foreign nationals in China, two died Beijing: The coronavirus outbreak infected 27 foreign nationals in China and two of them have died, Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday, assuring that the country attaches great importance to the health and safety of all foreign citizens. By K J M Varma

SPORTS

SPF19 SPO-CRI-U19-MANAGER ICC has taken it very seriously: Indian team manager on Bangladesh's aggressive celebrations

Potchefstroom: India's under-19 cricket team manager Anil Patel says the ICC has taken a serious view of the aggressive celebrations by Bangladesh players after their World Cup triumph and will be reviewing the footage of the final game's "last few minutes" here.

PTI SRY