Missing Indian Army captain found in Faizabad

Captain Shikhar Deep, 25, boarded Mahananda Express from Katihar to New Delhi on February 6. Reports say, Captain Deep was abducted after crossing the Patna station and kept in a deserted place. Deep, who managed to escape from the captors, boarded a train and reported at  Faizabad police station, Uttar Pradesh on Saturday morning.

Captain Shikhar Deep is posted in Jammu and Kashmir. His father, Lieutenant Colonel ​Anant Kumar, who is posted in Ranchi, today confirmed the reports of Deep's return and said that he has been found.

"He boarded a train on February 6 from Katihar. At New Delhi station, his luggage was found in the coach he was travelling but he was nowhere to be found. Today morning, I received a call from Faizabad police station that my son has been found and is safe, after which I informed SP Katiyal. For now, I can only say that Captain Deep has found and is safe," father of Captain Shikhar Deep told zeenewsindia.com.

The Indian Army had raised an alarm earlier this week seeking information from public about Captain Deep's whereabouts.  

Nitish Kumar sworn-in as Bihar Chief Minister, Lalu's son Tejaswi Yadav appointed his Deputy

 Nitish Kumar on Friday took oath as Bihar Chief Minister for a third straight term at the head of a 29-member Cabinet, including Lalu Prasad's son Tejaswi as Deputy CM, in the presence of predominantly non-BJP leaders that could indicate possible future alignments.

Tej Pratap, Prasad's another victorious son in the elections, was among those who were sworn in by Governor Ram Nath Kovind  at a grand function in the Gandhi Maidan in which 12 ministers each from JD(U) and RJD and four from Congress were inducted. Both the sons of the RJD leader are first-time MLAs.

While Kumar retained Home, Information and Publicity and General Administration departments with him, he gave Road Construction and Buildings Construction portfolio to 26-year-old Tejaswi, his Deputy CM.  Tej Pratap has been given Health.

Senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui has been entrusted with the Finance portfolio.

In an indication of his place in the order of pecking, Tejaswi followed the chief minister in oath taking as his parents Lalu and Rabri Devi, both former chief ministers, watched amidst full-throated cheers from the RJD activists in the gathering.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, whose party was also a major beneficiary of the grand alliance,  Minister H D West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, National Conference leaders and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar and AIUDF leader from Assam Badaruddin Ajmal were among those present at the ceremony.

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who was deputed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was also present. A number of Congress chief ministers including Virbhadra Singh (Himachal Pradesh), Oommen Chandy (Kerala), Tarun Gogoi (Assam) and Siddaramiah (Karnataka) (CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury, CPI's Sudhakar Reddy and  D Raja, DMK's M K Stalin and T R Baalu also attended the event.

Some allies of BJP  Akali Dal Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal (Akali Dal)and Ram Das Kadam and Subhash Desai (Shiv Sena) were also present.

Team Mamata reaches out to Nitish's strategist

One of the directors of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), the advocacy group led by Kishor, had shown interest

Kolkata: As Bengal warms up for Assembly elections next year, it will look to go the Bihar way. According to a Telegraph report, Mamata Banerjee’s aides have approached Prashant Kishor, the election strategist who drove Nitish Kumar to victory in Bihar.

According to the report, source told the newspaper that one of the directors of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), the advocacy group led by Kishor, had shown interest. "The Mamata Banerjee camp has evinced interest in seeking the services of our organisation for the 2016 Bengal Assembly polls," the source was quoted as saying.

However, Mamata Banerjee chose to keep it under wraps. "There hasn't been any discussion with him as of now.... How can I tell you?" she said.

Nitish Kumar on Monday called up his West Bengal counterpart and invited her to attend his swearing-in ceremony. According to sources, Kumar first thanked Banerjee for her support and congratulatory message and then requested her to attend his swearing-in ceremony which is likely to be held after Diwali and Chhat festivals. “The Bihar chief minister will send the formal invitation card/letter to Didi after the finalisation of the date of swearing-in,” sources added.

While the five-phase Assembly elections were in progress, Banerjee had asked the voters of Bihar to vote for Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance). “Request you all in Bihar to please vote to re-elect Nitish Kumarji as the chief minister for greater need of our country and development in the state,” she had tweeted ahead of the third phase of the poll.

On Sunday, when it became clear that the Grand Alliance was going to win, she tweeted again. “Congratulations Nitish Kumarji, Laluji and your full team, and all my Bihar brothers and sisters. Victory of tolerance, defeat of intolerance,” she said. Her party spokesperson Derek O’Brien went a step further and claimed that BJP was defeated and India was saved.