NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Mumbai, Jul 16 (PTI) Following are the top stories from the Western Region at 1700 HRS. BOM14 GA-HC-TEJPAL-ARGUMENTS **** 2013 sexual assault case: Tarun Tejpal raises doubts on victim's 'contradictory' statements Panaji: Tehelka magazine's founder-editor Tarun Tejpal on Thursday raised doubts before the Bombay High Court on the "contradictory" statements made by the victim in connection with the sexual assault case filed against him in 2013. **** BOM7 MH-DELIMITATION BILL-RAUT **** May rethink over Delimitation Bill if Opposition's amendments incorporated: Raut Nagpur: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday said the Opposition parties will resist the proposed Delimitation Bill, but if the government incorporates amendments suggested by them, then they will sit together and think it over. **** BOM4 MH-FARMERS-POWER DUES **** Maharashtra govt to waive Rs 48,000 crore pending farm power dues: Fadnavis Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that the state government will waive around Rs 48,000 crore in pending electricity dues of farmers to facilitate fresh agricultural power connections. **** BOM1 GJ-JAGANNATH YATRA **** Jagannath Yatra begins in Ahmedabad amid high security; Amit Shah, CM Patel perform rituals Ahmedabad: The 149th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath rolled out in Ahmedabad on Thursday morning under heavy security, with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performing the traditional ‘Pahind Vidhi’ to mark its commencement. **** BOM8 MH-HC-COMEDIAN-PLEA **** HC seeks Centre's response on comedian Kunal Kamra's plea against 'Sahyog Portal' Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the Union government to file its affidavit in response to a petition filed by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra challenging the constitutional validity of the Centre's 'Sahyog Portal'. **** BOM9 MH-SIYA-LD FAMILY SHOP **** Ketan murder: Stop business notice to shop run by accused Siya's family; kin allege harassment Pune: Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a notice to a spice and dry fruits shop owned by the family of Siya Goyal, accused in the murder of Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal, asking it to halt operations over alleged norm violations, officials said. **** BOM12 CG-ACCIDENT-FAMILY **** Four of family killed, one injured as scooter crashes into tractor in Chhattisgarh's Durg Durg: A woman, her sister and their two children were killed while another child was seriously injured after their scooter rammed into a stationary tractor on a highway in Chhattisgarh's Durg district on Thursday, police said. **** BOM6 MH-RAUT-FADNAVIS **** Raut urges Fadnavis to take part in 'Ram Raksha Andolan' of Sena (UBT) in Nagpur Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday invited Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to participate in the 'Ram Raksha Andolan' organised by his party on July 18 in Nagpur against the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. **** BOM5 MH-LOCAL TRAIN-LD BRAWL **** Seating dispute sparks brawl on local train in Thane; 3 commuters injured Thane: Three passengers were injured in a brawl over a seating dispute aboard a local train in Maharashtra's Thane district shortly after midnight on Thursday, police said. **** BES2 CG-MINORS-DROWN **** Three children drown in rainwater-filled pit in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon Rajnandgaon: Two minor siblings and another boy drowned in a rainwater-filled pit in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district, police said on Thursday. **** PTI RSY