Petrol price touches new highs, diesel unchanged
New Delhi, Sep 20 : Petrol prices climbed fresh highs on Thursday across the four metros, while diesel prices were unchanged for the second consecutive day.
In the national capital, petrol was sold at Rs 82.22 per litre, up from Rs 82.16 per litre on Wednesday, data on the Indian Oil Corp's website showed.
Petrol prices were unchanged in the metros on Wednesday.
In the other key cities of Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, the fuel was priced at Rs 84.07, Rs 89.60 and Rs 85.48 per litre, respectively, up from Rs 84.01, Rs 89.54 and Rs 85.41 per litre.
The cost of transportation fuel has been on the rise since August 1, largely because of high crude oil prices and falling rupee. Depreciation in the Indian rupee against the US dollar makes the import of crude oil expensive as transaction is done in dollars.
Sector experts feel that high excise duty in the country also aided the high prices.
Prices of the other key transportation fuel, diesel, however, was unchanged on Thursday for the second day in a row.
Diesel prices in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai were unchanged at Rs 73.87, Rs 75.72, Rs 78.42 and Rs 78.10 per litre repectively.
Cost of the fuel in all the key cities except Kolkata are at their record levels. The all-time high price of diesel in the West Bengal capital is Rs 75.82, recorded on September 11.
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Karnataka Governor gives assent to legislation against ‘honour killing’ in inter-caste marriages
Bengaluru: The government has brought into force the Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the name of honour and tradition (Eva Nammava Eva Nammava) Act, 2026, intended to restrict ‘honour killings’ in inter-caste marriages.
According to The Indian Express, the legislation received assent from Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on April 9 and was officially notified in the state gazette on April 10. The law had been passed unanimously by the state legislature last month.
The Bill was proposed by the Congress government in the wake of caste-linked ‘honour killings’ in the state, including the December 21, 2025, murder near Hubli of a 20-year-old Lingayat woman by her father for marrying a man from another caste.
The phrase ‘Eva Nammava Eva Nammava’ in the title is in reference to the message of universal humanity that the Lingayat saint Basavanna espoused. Basavanna, who rebelled against the caste system to lay the foundation of the Lingayat faith system, an amalgamation of all castes, used the words meaning ‘he is a part of me’ to say all people are one.
Under the new law, crimes committed in the name of ‘honour’, including murder, assault, threats, and social boycott, are specifically addressed with stringent punishments. ‘Honour killing’ offences carry a minimum imprisonment of five years, while serious assaults attract at least three years in jail.
The new law defines the social boycott of inter-caste couples as forcible eviction to remote corners of villages, refusal to provide services, refusal to provide work, refusal to conduct business, denial of loans and admissions to schools, and makes it punishable.
In the case of ‘honour killings’ per se, the new law prescribes a minimum imprisonment of five years, and in the case of assaults, a prison term that is not less than three years for serious injury and two years for minor injuries.
The offences under the proposed law are cognisable and non-bailable, which means police can carry out arrests without court permissions after taking up a case.
The legislation follows several reported inter-caste relationship-related killings in Karnataka in 2025, including cases in Raichur and another involving 18-year-old Kavita.
The law to protect the freedom of choice in marriages is among several social bills that the Congress government has brought out in line with its policies for the backward and downtrodden communities in the state.
