Top News on Sept 5: Sensex, Nifty 50 close in red, SEBI workers protest at Mumbai HQ, RIL board approves 1:1 issue, more

Stock market indices ended in red while the board of Reliance Industries approved the bonus issue in the ratio 1:1 on Thursday. Bangladesh interim government chief Muhammad Yunus insisted that his ousted predecessor remain silent while staying in India and Sebi employees led silent protests in Mumbai. Outrage over the rape and murder of a Kolkata doctor continued on Thursday with fresh details coming to light. 

Here are the top stories:

Stock Market ends in red
Sensex and Nifty 50 both ended in the red on Thursday with shares of heavyweights such as Reliance Industries and Bharti Airtel as the top drags. The Sensex closed 151 points lower at 82,201.16 while the Nifty 50 dipped by 54 points to settle at 25,145.10. However the mid and small-cap segments closed with gains.

Reliance announces bonus issue
The Reliance Industries board approved the bonus issue in the ratio 1:1 on Thursday. The board also approved and increase in authorised share capital from ₹15,000 crore to ₹50,000 crore. The record date of the bonus issue will be issued separately.

Muhammad Yunus vs Sheikh Hasina

Muhammad Yunus insisted on Thursday that ousted Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina must remain silent until Dhaka requests her extradition. The remark appeared to be a reference to her August 13 statement demanding “justice” and calling for investigation and punishment for those involved in recent "terror acts", killings and vandalism. This has been the only statement made by Hasina after she fled. 

“If India wants to keep her until the time Bangladesh [the government] wants her back, the condition would be that she has to keep quiet. She is there in India, and at times, she is talking, which is problematic. Had she been quiet, we would have forgotten it; people would have also forgotten it as she would have been in her own world. But sitting in India, she is speaking and giving instructions. No one likes it,” Yunus told PTI.

HUL copyright case
The Bombay High Court granted temporary relief to Hindustan Unilever in a copyright infringement case against Abbott Laboratories on Thursday. HUL had filed the plea seeking an injunction against Abbott for allegedly infringing and denigrating its product — Horlicks Diabetes Plus.

France gets new PM
Former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier was named as the new Prime Minister of France on Thursday following weeks of uncertainty and debate. He now Barnier faces the delicate task of marshaling critical finance bills and forming “a unifying government in the service of the country”. The 73-year-old incidentally becomes the oldest premier in the history of modern France.

Barnier negotiated EU's talks with Britain over its exit from the union from 2016 to 2021. Before that, the conservative politician was the EU Commissioner and was in charge of various roles within the French government.

Boss Packaging Solutions IPO row
The recent Boss Packaging IPO has raised raised concerns about market manipulation and unrealistic valuations following its overwhelming oversubscription. The packaging machine manufacturing saw bids totaling an incredible ₹1,073 crore (with a modest issue size of ₹8.41 crore) as the IPO was oversubscribed 135 times. Its financials however paint a less impressive picture. Photos of its dilapidated office building — taken from Google Street View — have also gone viral on social media platforms and fueled criticism from users.

Sebi employees protest
Securities and Exchange Board of India employees led a protest against the regulatory body on Thursday following a controversial statement. Sebi had angered staffers after asserting that some employes were being misguided by ‘external forces’. The silent protesters outside its Mumbai headquarters called for the missive to be withdrawn and demanded the resignation of Sebi chief Madhabi Puri Buch. 

Kolkata rape-murder case
Former RG Kar Medical College principal Sandip Ghosh reportedly ordered renovations near the crime site a day after the incident. A letter dated August 10 and allegedly signed by Ghosh had sought “repair/renovation/reconstruction of on duty doctors' rooms along with separate attached toilets in all departments of RGKMC&H, Kolkata on urgent basis.” The BJP claims that the now viral letter is proof the Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal government as well as the hospital lied about when renovations began near the crime scene.

“This is explosive. Yet another piece of evidence, which establishes that Dr Sandip Ghosh, now arrested, disgraced former Principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, ordered repair/renovation of toilet, near the Seminar Room (scene of crime) on 10th Aug, a day after the young lady doctor was brutally raped and murdered (she was killed on the intervening night of August 8th/9th). It means the claim of renovation starting prior to the date of crime was an OUTRIGHT LIE. The WB Govt and the hospital LIED. Kolkata Police even filed complaints against those, who shared the video of the broken wall,” wrote Amit Malviya on X.

(With inputs from agencies)