Category: India

A former IT employee in Medipally was found dead in a pond after running naked amid mental health issues.

A bizarre and tragic incident unfolded in the early hours of Friday in Telangana’s Medipally town. A 25-year-old former software engineer, identified as Tejaswini, was found dead in a local temple pond just hours after CCTV cameras captured her running through the streets unclothed.

Investigating officials have pointed toward severe mental distress and “phobia” as key factors in the tragedy.

According to the Medipally police, Tejaswini, a native of the Vizianagaram district, had recently quit her job at an IT firm in Bengaluru about six months ago. She and her mother moved into a rented house in Peerzadiguda roughly two months ago.

After dinner on Friday night, the mother and daughter went to sleep. At around 2:30 am, Tejaswini woke up and allegedly locked her mother’s room from the outside to prevent her from following. CCTV footage retrieved from the neighbourhood subsequently tracked her actions as she emerged into the streets.

At 2:35 am the victim is seen running naked through the colony, carrying a saree in her hands. Further, at 2:45 am, she stops briefly at a local Beerappa temple to pray and is reported to have handled an idol.

Lastly, at 3:00 am, she runs toward the adjacent temple pond and jumps into the water.

The next morning, the victim’s mother woke up to find herself locked inside and raised an alarm, prompting neighbours to open the door.

A subsequent search of the locality led to the discovery of Tejaswini’s body floating in the lake.

The Medipally police, alongside teams from HYDRAA and the Disaster Response Force (DRF), retrieved the body and shifted it to Gandhi Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Preliminary investigations and the victim’s medical history suggest she was battling severe depressive episodes and acute mental health distress.

”The mother mentioned in her formal complaint that her daughter had frequently been complaining of severe nightmares and panic attacks, which points strongly to a condition akin to phobia,” said the police

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/telangana-news/ex-techie-with-mental-health-issue-runs-to-temple-naked-then-jumps-into-pond-11790977?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

The Delhi Police have banned large gatherings in New Delhi district amid CJP’s protest plan on a day the monsoon session of parliament will begin

The Delhi Police have imposed prohibitory orders that ban large gatherings under Section 163 of the BNSS ahead of a planned protest march by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in the heart of the national capital.

The CJP, which appeared first on social media as a work of political satire, has mostly seen support from Opposition party leaders and ‘activists’ aligned with them.

“Delhi Police categorically clarifies that no permission has been sought or granted for any such protest march/procession,” the police said in a statement. The prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS (formerly Section 144 CrPC) is currently in effect in New Delhi district.

The CJP announced the march in protest against NEET-UG irregularities and to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The police said that since Section 163 BNSS has been enforced, any kind of protest march, procession, demonstration and gathering of five or more people are not allowed except at the designated protest site in central Delhi’s Jantar Mantar with prior permission.

Those who defy the orders can be punished under Section 223 BNS and other laws.

“Delhi Police appeals to all citizens to respect the law, refrain from participating in any unauthorised gathering or march, and cooperate in maintaining public peace, safety and security,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sachin Sharma said in a post on X.

Preventive deployment will remain in place throughout the parliament session, which begins on Monday. Several entry points have been converted into high-security zones with multi-layered barricades, enhanced surveillance, anti-sabotage checks and round-the-clock patrolling in New Delhi, Central Delhi and parts of North Delhi, they said.

A senior police source said elaborate preventive arrangements have been made to ensure law and order during the parliament session.

Every vehicle entering the New Delhi district is being thoroughly checked. Additional pickets have been set up at strategic locations, and reserve forces have been kept on standby. CCTV surveillance has also been intensified across sensitive areas.

Security has been strengthened around Jantar Mantar, Parliament Street, Central Vista, Connaught Place, Shankar Chowk and other key installations, while rapid response teams have been positioned to respond to any contingency.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/large-gatherings-banned-in-central-delhi-ahead-of-planned-protest-march-11793012?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

In her complaint, filed on July 18, she claimed the accused subjected her to repeated harassment over several weeks.

A Hyderabad IPS probationer accused a fellow trainee officer of a series of offences, including stalking, physical assault, intimidation and illegally recording a private video, leading to the registration of a criminal case. The complainant, identified as Suma HK, alleged that the incidents took place while both officers were undergoing training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA). In her complaint, filed on July 18, she claimed the accused subjected her to repeated harassment over several weeks.

Among the allegations, the trainee officer said the accused sent her sexually explicit and abusive messages, publicly humiliated her before other probationers and repeatedly confronted her over his suspicions about her personal life. She alleged that his behaviour became increasingly aggressive and intrusive, with repeated attempts to monitor and control her interactions.

The complaint further stated that the accused forced access to her mobile phone, demanding to see private conversations and insisting that she reveal her password. She alleged that on one occasion, he took possession of the device and pressured her to unlock it.

The most serious accusations relate to events on July 9, when the complainant alleged she was forcibly taken into the accused’s room and assaulted. She claimed she was dragged by her hair, threatened with a knife and prevented from leaving. During the confrontation, the accused allegedly threw packets of condoms at her.

She also alleged that another incident of physical misconduct occurred the following day, when the accused attempted to touch her without consent.

In a separate allegation, the probationer claimed the accused secretly recorded an intimate video and later shared it with her husband as a means of coercion and blackmail. She further accused him of circulating false claims about her among colleagues in an attempt to damage her reputation.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/he-threw-condoms-at-me-hyderabad-ips-trainee-accuses-batchmate-of-assault-stalking-ws-l-10222240.html

 

Influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested in Miami on multiple charges, including rape and sex trafficking. They now face a total of 59 criminal charges.

Influencers Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate were reportedly seen meeting figures linked to US President Donald Trump’s administration in Washington, DC, days before they were arrested on new rape and sex trafficking charges in the United States. The brothers, aged 39 and 38 respectively, were arrested in Miami on Saturday after Bedfordshire Police announced 38 additional charges against them. According to the force, the pair now face a total of 59 criminal charges.

The brothers have also faced allegations, including rape and human trafficking, in multiple countries.

According to the Daily Mail, the Tates attended a social gathering hosted by Paolo Zampolli, a businessman and Trump’s special envoy, at his Washington home before visiting Ned, a private club frequented by members of the Trump administration.

The report also said the brothers visited Capitol Hill, where they met several lawmakers, including Texas Representative Wesley Hunt.

A Delhi restaurant owner has said that callers using Goldy Brar’s name demanded Rs 5 crore and issued death threats. The complaint has set the FIR process in motion, with the family seeking protection as police investigate.

An overseas-based caller identifying himself as gangster Goldy Brar has demanded 5 crore in extortion from a Delhi restaurant owner and threatened to kill him or his family if the money is not paid, police said.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), an FIR is being registered based on the complaint.

The complaint was filed by Rajkumar Walia, owner of BREATH Fine Lounge & Bar and Markaz Bar & Restaurant in Delhi’s Punjabi Bagh area. Walia approached the Punjabi Bagh Police Station after receiving extortion threats from foreign phone numbers.

According to the complaint, Walia received a voice note on his mobile phone from an international number at around 10:30 pm on July 18. The sender identified himself as Goldy Brar and demanded 5 crore. The caller warned that if the money was not paid, either Walia or one of his family members would be killed. The caller also threatened that after killing a family member, he would demand 10 crore.

An audio recording of the extortion threat has also surfaced. In the recording, the caller identifies himself as Goldy Brar while issuing the threats.

According to the complaint, Walia received two more calls from another international number on the afternoon of July 19. The caller introduced himself as Manish Kharkhoda and claimed to be Goldy Brar’s younger brother. He repeated the 5 crore extortion demand and warned Walia of serious consequences if he failed to pay.

The complainant said he told the caller that he did not have such a large amount of money and that someone had provided incorrect information about him. However, the caller continued issuing threats.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/goldy-brar-extortion-call-delhi-restaurant-owner-gets-rs-5-crore-threat-2951586-2026-07-20

Okram Ibobi Singh accused the BJP-led Centre and Manipur government of failing on education, governance and law and order. He demanded accountability for repeated paper leaks and justice in the killing of six Naga civilians.

Former Manipur Chief Minister and Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Okram Ibobi Singh on Sunday criticised the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state, alleging failures in education, governance and law and order, while calling for accountability over recurring examination paper leaks and the killings of six Naga civilians.

Addressing a press conference in Imphal, Ibobi referred to the recent protest led by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi against recurring examination paper leaks. He alleged that the BJP-led NDA government had failed to protect the interests of students and ensure the integrity of the country’s examination system.

Claiming that more than 150 examination papers, including the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), had been leaked since the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014, Ibobi said repeated irregularities had adversely affected students and undermined public confidence in competitive examinations.

‘GOVT CANNOT ESCAPE RESPONSIBILITY’

He also alleged that several students had died by suicide due to frustration stemming from examination-related controversies.

“The government cannot escape its responsibility. Those accountable, including the Union Education Minister, should accept moral responsibility and resign,” he said.

Describing education as the backbone of society, Ibobi expressed concern that Manipur does not have a full-fledged Education Minister. He said the absence of a dedicated minister reflected poorly on the state’s governance and raised questions about the government’s priorities.

The Congress leader also criticised the functioning of the state administration, alleging that the Council of Ministers had not been expanded despite the formation of the new government. He claimed that Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh was handling more than 20 departments, arguing that such an arrangement could affect administrative efficiency and governance.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/congress-okram-ibobi-singh-bjp-paper-leaks-naga-killings-manipur-2951618-2026-07-20

 

India’s AI-powered unmanned fleet is a naval ace up its sleeve

The world’s most powerful military recently entered a modest club — countries operating Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs), robot ships capable of sailing without a crew. On July 12, a swarm of three USVs from US CENTCOM attacked naval facilities within Iran’s Bandar Abbas port. Footage of the event showed the explosive-laden Saronic Corsair boats approaching and exploding under a dock on which an Iranian midget submarine was parked. Last month, a Corsair rescued two pilots of an Apache helicopter gunship that Iran had downed in the Persian Gulf.

The US Navy has 11 nuclear-powered super carriers, it fields the world’s second largest air force with 3,700 aircraft and operates 70 nuclear powered submarines, a dozen of whom can destroy the world several times over. Any other time, this force would have shot off a few Tomahawk cruise missiles, each costing over $4 million, at Bandar Abbas. But the US Navy instead chose to send in an armed mosquito fleet of the kind that Iran and the Houthis have used to wage chokepoint warfare. This is a clear sign of how attack drone technology is evolving— where even superpowers are opting for low-cost attritable systems, affordable enough to be placed at high risk or expended in combat, yet effective enough to deliver critical mission capabilities. They also help the US conserve a depleting arsenal of high and conserve high-end munitions and missiles.

Ukraine currently leads the world in USV technology. Ukraine has innovatively deployed drones in its ongoing war with Russia and plans to double annual drone production to 20 million units. In October 2022, Ukranian USVs struck deep inside Sevastopol harbour targeting Russian warships. In 2024, a Ukranian USV fired a missile downing a Russian helicopter. On July 15, a Ukranian USV launched an armed ground robot at a Russian island— the world’s first such amphibious attack.

Interestingly, this is a race where India is on par with, if not ahead of the rest of the pack. India entered the unmanned surface vessels club in 2024 with a benignly titled Sagarmala Parikrama (sea garland) where the ‘Matangi’, a 13-metre-long USV made by Pune-based defence firm Sagar Defence Engineering, traveled the 1500-km distance from Mumbai to Tuticorin. The vessel was developed under a 2022 project under the iDEX-Defence Innovation Organisation under the Ministry of Defence. At the heart of the vessel is an indigenous AI-driven control suite the firm calls ‘Genesis’, an operating system capable of transforming most maritime platforms into intelligent, autonomous systems.

In the two years since its journey, the Matangi has spawned a USV ecosystem. The navy has placed orders for dozens of autonomous, weaponised fast interceptor craft (FICs) to secure its 7,500 kilometre coastline and a 2.3 million square kilometre Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Over the next five years the navy will acquire hundreds of USVs for a range of duties including coastal security, reconnaissance and surveillance, and mine clearing operations. The navy has begun inducing USVs armed with 12.7 mm heavy machine guns to be used for patrolling duties. Larger variants of these boats have a range of over 300 nautical miles, a speed of over 40 knots, can operate in sea states of 6 and survive sea state 8 (10 being the maximum). In hybrid search and rescue mode the boats can carry 14 persons. In a first for any vessel of this type in the country, it has a self-righting facility — which means the boat can return to the upright position after capsizing. These boats can operate in swarms and are remotely controlled via satellite and mesh RF network— where devices communicate over radio signals and form a self-healing, multi-path network, designed to maintain continuous communication over decentralised topology.

One way attack USV variants made by Sagar Defence can carry an explosive payload of approximately 300 kgs, equal to that of heavyweight torpedoes fired by submarines or long range missiles launched by warships. It is a deadly new capability in the naval arsenal.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-robot-ship-fleet-indian-usvs-attack-drones-navy-2951446-2026-07-20

 

Families of those killed in the Air India AI-171 crash have asked the AAIB to release the black box data and cockpit transcript. They say greater transparency is essential to establish the truth and honour victims with a memorial.

Families of those killed in the Air India AI-171 crash have asked the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to release the black box data and the cockpit voice recorder transcript, questioning why the material is being withheld while the agency has said it will share only its final probe report. They also sought greater transparency in the investigation and raised questions over the role of simulator tests in the ongoing inquiry.

The demands were reiterated at a meeting of victims’ relatives on Sunday, against the backdrop of the AAIB’s affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that there is an “absolute statutory prohibition” on disclosing cockpit voice recordings and airborne image recordings from the June 12, 2025, crash.

The London Gatwick-bound flight had crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner hit the BJ Medical College hostel complex.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, Romin Vahora, who lost his brother, niece and aunt in the tragedy, asked how parts of the cockpit conversation had surfaced soon after the crash if the authorities believed such material should not be made public.

“If they never intended to release the data, why did they release a cockpit voice recording transcript (as part of preliminary report) just a few days after the crash?” Vahora asked. He said the families wanted to know whether the selective disclosure was meant to “shift the blame onto the pilots or mislead the victims’ families”.

Vahora said the families wanted the raw black box data to be made public, given to the families, or shared with the lawyers representing them. “If they only give us a summarised report, what guarantee do we have that it is accurate? Until the actual black box data is released, nobody can definitively assure us whether the report is true or false,” he said.

He added that the families had not yet started legal proceedings and were waiting for the final investigation report, while their lawyers were exploring all legal options to obtain the data. He also said the families would continue their efforts to access the black box material and, if the report was not released within the timeline mentioned in the AAIB affidavit, they would consider protests after taking permission from the authorities.

The AAIB told the Supreme Court last week that the draft final report on the crash was expected to be ready in October this year. In its detailed affidavit, the agency said sensitive investigative material, including witness statements, cockpit voice recorder recordings and transcripts, air traffic control communications and medical information, must remain confidential because disclosure could affect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and future aviation safety inquiries.

The victims’ families also repeated their demand for a permanent memorial at the AI-171 crash site. Vahora urged the government, Air India and the Tata Group to earmark land and funds for a monument to honour the victims. Another relative, lawyer Saloni Palkhiwala, who lost her sister Sanjana Palkhiwala in the crash, said the government should use its powers to make an exception and release at least the cockpit conversation transcript, if not the audio.

“It has been one year, one month and nine days. The least they could do is let the families know what happened in the last few seconds,” she said, adding that transcripts had been released in several major international air crash investigations.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/air-india-ai-171-crash-families-demand-black-box-data-cockpit-transcript-ptag-2951659-2026-07-20

 

 

In a five-page letter to Uttar Pradesh’s Appointment and Personnel Department, 2023-batch IAS officer Rinku Singh Rahi sought half salary or a transfer, alleging political interference in official duties.

2023-batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer Rinku Singh Rahi has written a five-page letter to the state’s Appointment and Personnel Department, requesting either that his salary be reduced by half or that he be transferred to a post where he can discharge his duties in accordance with the law.

Currently posted as SDM (Judicial), Rahi argued in his letter that the position involves only around four hours of work a day and therefore suggested that he be paid only half his salary if he continues in the role.

In the letter, Rahi also made allegations regarding interference in administrative functioning, naming Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Swatantra Dev Singh and BJP MLA Gauri Shankar Verma.

According to Rahi, while he was serving as SDM in Jalaun, the District Magistrate allegedly instructed, in the presence of MLA Gauri Shankar Verma, that no action should be taken against cases involving illegal land occupation and encroachments in the Jalaun tehsil area.

The IAS officer further alleged that a conspiracy was hatched to obstruct an impartial inquiry into alleged illegal encroachments involving the name of Cabinet Minister Swatantra Dev Singh. He claimed that a dispute was deliberately created over a cold storage facility owned by Ramraja Niranjan, a block chief and a close relative of the minister.

Rahi alleged that he was transferred from the post of SDM, Jalaun, to SDM (Judicial) in haste even before the committee constituted to investigate the controversy had submitted its report.

Rahi’s letter also referred to an inspection he conducted at Ramraja Niranjan’s cold storage facility while serving as SDM, Jalaun, following the fire tragedy in Lucknow that claimed 15 lives. During a 10-minute mock fire drill at the facility, he allegedly found that no firefighting measures had been initiated.

He also sought reports over the absence of necessary documents related to the operation of the cold storage.

The officer further criticised the functioning of the Jalaun district administration, alleging that the District Magistrate’s public grievance programme, Janta Darshan, had become a mere formality. Instead of addressing the root causes of public grievances, only temporary solutions were being provided, he claimed.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/up-ias-officer-rinku-singh-rahi-seeks-half-salary-or-transfer-alleges-interference-2951671-2026-07-20

Police said 11 people were arrested for allegedly luring victims through prostitution advertisements on an app and then robbing them in HBR Layout. Bengaluru City Police urged the public not to respond to such illegal online advertisements and said the probe is on.

Eleven persons have been arrested for allegedly robbing people after luring them to a specific location using prostitution advertisements on an app, Bengaluru Police said on Saturday.

The matter came to light when a Whitefield resident approached the Central Crime Branch’s Women Protection Squad on July 16 and filed a complaint, they said.

The complainant stated that he had come across online advertisements published on a classifieds app. As he responded to the advertisement, certain individuals sent him a live location and instructed him to come to the specific place, police said.

According to police, when the complainant reached the specified location at HBR Layout, some persons showed him two women seated in an autorickshaw and negotiated the payment “for providing sexual services”.

Subsequently, they forcibly snatched the complainant’s cash and mobile phone before fleeing from the spot, a senior police officer said.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered at K G Halli Police Station, police said.

“During the investigation, the officers of the CCB Women Protection Squad conducted inquiries from various angles and, on July 17, they apprehended 11 persons from different locations in HBR Layout,” he said.

The police also seized two autorickshaws, four two-wheelers, 13 mobile phones, and cash used in the commission of the offence.

“During interrogation, the accused confessed that they had brought women from other states to Bengaluru, arranged accommodation for them at various locations, uploaded their photographs on the app, and contacted prospective customers through the mobile numbers mentioned in the advertisements,” the officer said.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/11-arrested-for-using-prostitution-ads-on-app-to-rob-victims-2951078-2026-07-19

The Uttarakhand government has halted the felling of 4,369 trees for the proposed Rishikesh highway widening after sustained protests. The pause has intensified calls for an alternative route amid concerns over forest loss and wildlife deaths.

The Uttarakhand government has temporarily halted the felling of 4,369 trees for the proposed Rishikesh highway widening project following widespread public protests, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced.

The decision comes after days of demonstrations by environmentalists, local residents and social organisations, who have opposed the large-scale tree cutting in the Ranipokhari-Rishikesh forest division.

Protesters have been demanding that the government suspend the tree-felling exercise and explore an alternative alignment for the highway to minimise environmental damage. The state government has now put the project on hold while it reviews the concerns raised by the public.

The issue also drew political attention on Friday when Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met a delegation of campaigners associated with the forest conservation movement while returning from an event in Dehradun.

During the meeting, the delegation briefed Gandhi on the proposed project and its environmental implications. Gandhi assured them that he would raise the matter in Parliament, according to the protesters.

Activists argue that widening the highway at the cost of thousands of trees would cause irreversible ecological damage and have urged authorities to adopt an alternative route that would preserve the forest cover.

Concerns over the project’s impact on wildlife have also intensified after a female sambar deer was killed in a collision with an unidentified vehicle near the highway in Rishikesh’s Barkot Range on Friday morning.

Protesters said the incident highlights the risks already posed by traffic in the area and warned that a wider highway could increase vehicle speeds and lead to more wildlife fatalities.

Meanwhile, a video featuring a woman participating in the protest has gone viral on social media. In the video, she is seen making an emotional appeal to workers engaged in cutting trees, urging them to stop.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rishikesh-highway-widening-uttarakhand-halts-4369-tree-felling-after-protests-2951079-2026-07-19

A court in Alwar sentenced former BJP district president Inderjit Singh Pata and eight relatives to life imprisonment for Avtar Singh’s 2016 murder. The verdict, delivered after 10 years and 18 days, has revived focus on the family feud and Pata’s recent government appointment.

A district court in Rajasthan’s Alwar on Saturday sentenced former BJP district president Inderjit Singh Pata and eight others to life imprisonment in the 2016 murder of a man allegedly killed over a village sarpanch election rivalry.

The District and Sessions Court held all nine accused guilty and also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of them. The verdict came nearly 10 years and 18 days after the crime, making it one of the region’s most closely watched cases linked to election-related violence.

District and Sessions Judge Anant Bhandari delivered the judgment after examining the statements of 22 witnesses, medical reports and other documentary evidence. Besides Inderjit Singh Pata, those convicted include Anoop Singh, Kamaljeet Singh, Gurvachan Singh, Jaspal Singh, Kulwant Singh, Aman Singh, Harvinder Singh and Vishvendra Singh. According to the prosecution, all the convicts belong to the same extended family, including Pata’s brother, nephews and other relatives.

According to the case, Avtar Singh was attacked on the evening of June 10, 2016, while sitting at a shop in Pata village under the Naugaon police station area. Prosecutors said the attack stemmed from animosity arising out of a sarpanch election.

The prosecution alleged that a group of 8 to 10 men armed with hammers, swords, knives, iron pipes, hockey sticks and lathis assaulted Avtar Singh. During the attack, Inderjit Singh allegedly exhorted the assailants by shouting, “Maaro inko maaro” (Kill them).

Avtar Singh suffered grievous injuries and was rushed to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead. A murder case and other related charges were subsequently registered at Naugaon police station, and the police later filed a chargesheet against all the accused.

CONVICTS SEEN SMILING AFTER VERDICT
Eyewitnesses said that even after being sentenced to life imprisonment, the convicts showed no visible remorse. A video that surfaced after the verdict purportedly showed the convicted men smiling and boarding a police vehicle from the court premises, drawing attention and discussion among those present.

FAMILY SAYS JUSTICE DELIVERED AFTER A DECADE
Following the verdict, Ajaypal, the son of the deceased, said his family had finally received justice after “10 years and 18 days.”

He said his father and Inderjit Singh were relatives, but had backed rival candidates in the sarpanch election. According to him, after the candidate supported by his father won, the rivalry escalated and culminated in the murder. He described the court’s verdict as a victory for justice.

POLITICAL ATTENTION AFTER RECENT APPOINTMENT
The verdict has also triggered political discussion as the Rajasthan government had reportedly appointed Inderjit Singh Pata as a member of the District Public Grievance Committee around 10 days ago.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/alwar-murder-case-ex-bjp-leader-inderjit-pata-8-others-get-life-in-sarpanch-poll-rivalry-murder-2951082-2026-07-19

In a video message, Anna Hazare urged the government to hold talks with Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on indefinite hunger strike.

Social activist Anna Hazare on Saturday urged the Centre to engage in dialogue with educationist Sonam Wangchuk, saying the government should not avoid discussions even if it disagrees with his demands.

“The government should not test his limits. Say yes or no (to his demands) but what is wrong in holding discussions,” Hazare said in a video message.

Hazare’s remarks came hours after Delhi Police shifted Wangchuk to Safdarjung Hospital after his health deteriorated on the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. Wangchuk has been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak scandal.

Police said Wangchuk was moved to the hospital on expert medical advice and in compliance with directions of the Delhi High Court.

Senior border security officials from SCO member states, including India and Pakistan, met in Islamabad to exchange border security assessments and discuss regional cooperation. The meeting approved the results of Joint Border Operation “Solidarity-2025”, plans for “Solidarity-2026” and an experts’ work plan for 2027.

Senior border security officials from Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states, including India and Pakistan, met in Islamabad on Friday to exchange assessments on the security situation along their international borders and discuss ways to strengthen cooperation against emerging threats.

The discussions took place during the 12th Meeting of the Heads of Border Services of the Competent Authorities of the SCO, hosted by Pakistan. According to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the participants shared information, assessments, trends and forecasts related to border security across the SCO region.

Focus Shifts To Stronger Border Coordination

The meeting brought together heads and representatives of the border services of Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Representatives from the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) also attended.

According to the Foreign Office, the participants exchanged views on the evolving security situation along the international borders of SCO member states and discussed ways to strengthen coordination in addressing emerging challenges. The discussions reflected the organisation’s continued focus on improving regional cooperation in border management despite the complex security environment across several member countries, PTI reported.

Joint Operations Approved

During the meeting, the participants approved the results of Joint Border Operation “Solidarity-2025”, carried out by the border services of the SCO member states. They also approved the plan for preparing and conducting Joint Border Operation “Solidarity-2026”.

The meeting further endorsed the Work Plan of the Group of Experts of the Border Services of the Competent Authorities of the SCO member states for 2027. The participants also supported Tajikistan’s proposal to host Joint Border Operation “Solidarity-2027” in 2027.

In addition, the officials discussed proposals on the venue and timing of the next meeting of the Heads of Border Services of the Competent Authorities of the SCO member states.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/sco-member-states-including-india-and-pakistan-exchange-border-security-assessments-at-islamabad-meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the tragedy and declared an ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for the injured

A tragic incident has come to light from Gujarat’s Ahmedabad. At least eight people have been killed and nine reported injured in a blast inside an illegal firecracker factory in the Vastral area on Saturday.

Talent Fireworks was operating on a farm even though its licence had been cancelled. The explosion was followed by a massive fire that engulfed the factory.

PM Modi expresses grief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the tragedy and declared an ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for the injured.

Abhishek Banerjee challenged rebel TMC leaders to return, offering to resign if they do, amid defections, internal rift, BJP attacks, and growing battle over party control after poll defeat.

Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday challenged his dissidents who severed ties with the Mamata Banerjee wing of the embattled party to return, and offered to resign within an hour if they did.

Abhishek was responding to a question on the ever-increasing defections from the TMC in the aftermath of its assembly poll debacle, leaving Mamata Banerjee hanging by a thread as far as her control over the party, its symbol and funds are concerned and drastically reducing her strength in Parliament.

“Those who left the party and are now abusing or blaming me today, I challenge them to return to Didi. If they do, I will resign from my party post within one hour,” the Diamond Harbour MP said.

“But they will not do that. They have already struck a deal with the BJP. The arrangement is simple: leave the party, join the rebel camp or the BJP, seek protection from the ED, CBI and other investigating agencies, and then start blaming and abusing Abhishek Banerjee,” he added.

He dared the dissident leaders to face the investigating agencies instead of turning their backs on Mamata Banerjee.

“I also want to say something to those who leave their party the moment they receive a notice from the ED, CBI or any investigating agency. If you have done nothing wrong, then face the investigation,” Banerjee said.

Noting that he has been summoned repeatedly by the CID and other agencies, and a number of FIRs have been registered against him, the TMC leader said he did not run away.

“For us, protection from the ED or the CBI is not important. The only protection that matters is the trust and support of the people. If I ever bow before anyone, I will bow only before the people in a democracy, never before the powerful individuals sitting in Delhi. That is the principle on which I stand,” he added.

Abhishek argued that he was ready to accept responsibility for the 2026 poll defeat only if he is credited with the party’s victory in the parliamentary polls in 2024 when the party won 29 of the 42 seats it contested.

“Anyone who wants to return before the July 21 rally can come back, and I will ensure that they are accommodated. Those facing serious allegations should not expect political protection by changing sides, because the people will ultimately deliver the final verdict,” he said.

Abhishek’s offer, interestingly, came shortly after TMC MP and Mamata Banerjee loyalist Kalyan Banerjee declared that if any of the deserters are accommodated back, he will quit Trinamool Congress.

“I have told Didi (Mamata) that not one of these leaders, who turned their back on her, should be allowed re-entry. If they are allowed to come back, now or in the future, then I will be the first to quit this party,” Kalyan said at a TMC workers’ preparatory meeting in Bankura for the July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally.

Responding to Abhishek’s challenge, Akhruzzaman, the party’s chief whip in the assembly and a leader in the Ritabrata Banerjee camp, wondered why it took the MP so long to say this.

“We had repeatedly tried to tell Didi that she should choose between her blood relation and her dedicated workers. She chose the former, and now the damage is done,” said Akhruzzaman.

BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar said Abhishek’s comment “lacked credibility”.

“He had thrown many such challenges before, but never acted on them. It is up to the TMC leaders to decide whether they will trust his words or not. But I can guarantee this: the TMC will ultimately have no one in its fold except Pishi and Bhaipo (aunt and nephew),” he said.

Widespread rebellion has rocked Mamata Banerjee’s party – marked by resignations, switching of camps, defections to the BJP and leaders questioning organisational decisions and the manner in which the party was led – following its shock defeat in the assembly polls at the hands of the saffron party.

The latest to quit was TMC’s newly elected Rajya Sabha MP and actor-turned-politician Rukmini alias Koel Mallick, who resigned on Thursday without attending a single sitting in the Upper House.

Mallick’s resignation came in the wake of three former TMC MPs – Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Baraik – who defected to the BJP and were re-elected to the Rajya Sabha after receiving bypoll tickets for the vacant seats.

Besides the Rajya Sabha, the party’s strength in the Lok Sabha, too, has shrunk drastically after 20 rebel MPs – most of whom such as Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kakali Ghosh Dastidar were long-time associates of Banerjee – broke away from the TMC to merge with the lesser-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and pledged support to the BJP-led NDA.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/abhishek-banerjee-dares-tmc-rebels-to-return-will-resign-within-an-hour-article-155130641

A kinetic strike targeting highly integrated industrial zones would have an immediate social impact, translating directly into severe domestic fuel and power shortages

A significant structural shift is transforming the cross-border security landscape, as state counter-terrorism agencies detect a calculated relocation of hostile networks away from traditional conflict zones in Jammu and Kashmir. The recent high-profile crackdown by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), which dismantled a highly organised Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) module, serves as validation for long-standing intelligence predictions. Rather than engaging in localised tactical skirmishes along the Line of Control, transnational networks are aggressively pivoting toward the Indian hinterland with an ambitious, multi-billion-dollar objective: orchestrating widespread economic paralysis.

The Vulnerability of Integrated Energy Networks

The choice of new operational theatres is dictated by clear geographic and industrial realities. Both Gujarat and Rajasthan share direct, highly complex international borders with Pakistan, rendering them natural entry points for covert ingress. More importantly, these two western states house the critical foundation of India’s modern economic infrastructure. Security strategists emphasise that a successful disruption in this corridor would trigger immediate, cascading failures nationwide.

A kinetic strike targeting these highly integrated industrial zones would have an immediate social impact, translating directly into severe domestic fuel and power shortages. Because the country’s daily logistical pipelines rely on centralised supply chains, compromising these networks would paralyse vital commodity movements, disrupting the daily lives of millions of citizens completely removed from the immediate site of an attack.

Shifting Focus from Local Politics to GDP Shocks
The financial logic behind this tactical realignment reveals an evolving threat matrix. Outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed have realised that attacks inside Jammu and Kashmir, while politically volatile, yield increasingly localised operational impacts that fail to dent India’s macroeconomic trajectory. Conversely, targeting the commercial spine of the country offers massive asymmetric leverage.

Maritime Gateways: Gujarat alone anchors critical maritime hubs like the Mundra and Kandla ports, which manage a massive percentage of India’s global trade volumes.
Energy Lifelines: The state hosts mega-industrial installations, including the massive Jamnagar oil refinery complex, the largest refining hub in the world.
The Shockwave Factor: Compromising a primary industrial cluster or commercial port would deliver a multi-billion-dollar shock directly to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while severely undermining foreign investor confidence in national infrastructure security.
Historic Precedents of Coastal and Hinterland Exploitation
This strategy is built on historical precedents where hostile actors successfully exploited non-traditional routes. The devastating 2002 Akshardham Temple assault in Gandhinagar demonstrated an early intent to strike deep within the political and cultural centres of western India.

Years later, the 2008 Mumbai attacks exposed significant vulnerabilities along the western coast. During that operation, Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives successfully capitalised on maritime security gaps off the coast of Gujarat, hijacking an Indian fishing trawler to infiltrate the financial capital undetected. Current intelligence indicates that the lessons from those operations are being actively modernised by contemporary sleeper cells.

The Challenge of E-Commerce and Everyday Chemicals

Compounding this security challenge is the changing nature of modern procurement, which allows small networks to operate entirely under the radar. The raw components necessary to construct high-yield improvised explosive devices—including ammonium nitrate commonly found in agricultural fertilisers, hydrogen peroxide, and standard electronic timers—are readily available on open domestic markets and mainstream e-commerce platforms.

By adopting consumer-like behaviour, modern sleeper cells can purchase these hazardous chemical substances in small, isolated batches across multiple digital and physical storefronts. This decentralised, low-profile purchasing strategy allows operatives to bypass national security triggers, compile lethal stockpiles over extended periods, and build high-grade devices without ever tripping traditional counter-terrorism alarms.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/targeting-the-gdp-why-terror-outfits-are-shifting-focus-from-kashmir-to-indias-economic-spine-exclusive-10220368.html

Police said the march would be stopped on the grounds that it would disrupt law and order in a high-security zone, endanger public safety and choke traffic.

Delhi Police officials on Saturday said they would not allow the Sansad Chalo march to Parliament that the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has called for Monday morning, describing the entire ongoing hunger strike at Jantar Mantar as an “illegal” protest for which no fresh permission had been sought.

Senior officers said the march would be stopped on the grounds that it would disrupt law and order in a high-security zone, endanger public safety and choke traffic in central Delhi. Detentions, they said, would follow if a large gathering pushed toward Parliament.

‘CJP continued protest without clearance’

A senior police officer aware of the matter, who asked not to be named, said the CJP had permission only for a single day at Jantar Mantar, had signed undertakings to that effect, and had subsequently extended the protest without clearance. “CJP spokesperson Abhijeet Dipke has never informed us or applied for a permission for the Sansad Chalo march. It’s a completely illegal protest because they only had permission for one day. We even made them sign undertakings. Now, they have extended it without any permission. Also, for the march, we only approached them but they have not even applied for a permission,” the officer said.

CJP spokesperson Vaishnavi Gaur disputed the account. “We had intimated them about the march way back. They know very well about the march and our plans. In any case, they won’t allow us,” she told HT, adding that it was only done in person and not in writing.

Tight security measures at Jantar Mantar

The police have deployed over 100 personnel, along with Rapid Action Force units, on both sides of the Jantar Mantar site and inside the protest area. Officers said 200 personnel would be posted on Saturday and Sunday, additional units and paramilitary forces would be called in for Monday’s march, and extra police vans have been placed around the site. The crowd at Jantar Mantar swelled from around 500 to 800 through the day, they said.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delhi-police-won-t-allow-cjps-parliament-march-on-july-20-calls-it-illegal-101784400532930.html

Sonam Wangchuk was removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site by Delhi Police in a sudden operation on Saturday morning.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was shifted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday by police after 20 days on hunger strike, is refusing medical treatment, according to the hospital.

A medical bulletin released on Saturday afternoon by Safdarjung Hospital stated that Wangchuk has refused intravenous fluids and any other medication advised by doctors.

“Although intravenous fluids were advised, the patient has refused all intravenous fluids, oral rehydration solution and any other medication,” the hospital said.

He is being continuously monitored and counselled to accept treatment in the interest of his health, the statement added.

Wangchuk, 59, was brought to the hospital by Delhi Police and admitted at 7:40 am with a history of fasting for 20 days and generalised weakness,” the hospital said in its health bulletin.

At the time of admission, he was conscious with stable pulse, blood pressure and oxygen saturation. Signs of dehydration were observed, it said.

Shortly after his hospitalisation, Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J Angmo asked the hospital not to administer him any treatment without her consent and sought his discharge, alleging a lack of transparency in his medical care.

Wangchuk was removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site by Delhi Police in a sudden operation on Saturday morning.

He has been on a hunger strike for the past 20 days demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/dehydrated-and-weak-sonam-wangchuk-refusing-treatment-says-hospital-11788544?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

The victim, Atul Panwar, who co-ran Krishna Kids Play School in Hastinapur with his wife, Damini, was found dead in his bed.

A woman and her reported lover have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut for allegedly killing her husband. The duo used a snake in an attempt to make his death appear accidental, police said, adding that the motive was to claim a Rs 20 lakh insurance payout and continue their relationship.

The victim, Atul Panwar, who co-ran Krishna Kids Play School in Hastinapur with his wife Damini, was found dead in his bed. Panwar and Damini married in 2019 and lived in Hastinapur, PTI reported.

Murder Was Carefully Planned

Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) said the investigation revealed that Damini was allegedly in a relationship with the school’s driver, Tushar alias Nikki. Police claim the two first attempted to kill Atul by staging a road accident, but after that plan failed, they allegedly came up with another plot. She had conspired with her lover and two others to kill her husband.

Damini allegedly mixed sleeping pills into her husband’s milk to make him unconscious before releasing a poisonous snake onto the bed, where it bit him. According to Superintendent of Police (Rural) Abhijit Kumar, Panwar was rushed to a nearby Community Health Centre on Friday morning and was later confirmed dead.

What Was The Motive?

Police said the conspiracy was driven by two motives: claiming Rs 20 lakh in insurance and removing Atul to continue the illicit relationship. The accused allegedly planned this plot to pass off the death as a natural snakebite incident to avoid suspicion.

Investigation Uncovered Alleged Conspiracy

Although the death initially appeared to be caused by a snakebite, investigators began examining the circumstances more closely.

Police said they analysed mobile phone records and other evidence, which eventually led them to uncover the alleged conspiracy involving Damini and Tushar. Both have been arrested, and further investigation is underway.

According to police, Tushar is also married and had allegedly been planning to divorce his wife before the alleged murder plot came to light.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/meerut-murder-she-drugged-his-milk-then-released-snake-on-him-a-chilling-up-murder-11788680?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

As Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike entered its 20th day and the “Cockroach” party continued its protest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced criticism for his reluctance to hold press conferences.

On Friday, the Delhi heat had relented only but a little to settle on 39 degree Celsius, although the “feels like” temperature was still 46 degrees.

And yet, the crowds gathered by the hundreds at the capital’s most famous protest spot — outside a 300-year-old astronomical observatory.

At Jantar Mantar, protesters gathered as the hunger strike of activist Sonam Wangchuk and four others calling for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reached the twentieth day.

Wangchuk, along with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and other organizations, are demanding Pradhan’s resignation over alleged exam irregularities.

‘A call to duty,’ protester says
For CJP volunteer Ankit Yadav, who is from Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, some 300 kilometers from New Delhi, it was a call to duty after a neighbor died by suicide due to the cancellation of an exam whose question paper had been leaked.

“I knew I had to do something,” he said. “No one else was doing anything.”

He said seeing all the people gives him hope and motivates him, even though no one from the government has reached out to the protesters.

Shyam, an auto rickshaw driver, said he had been giving some students free rides to the protest site.

“This is the least I can do. I am doing this for my young children and their future.”

Also at the protest was Rahul. His son had taken an exam for government jobs, the SSC Stenographer Exam in 2025. While the results were declared on June 18, they were withdrawn the next day “suspecting inaccurate evaluation,” according to authorities.

“Now all the youngsters who celebrated their selection are depressed and facing an uncertain future,” Rahul said. “That’s why I am here on their behalf.”

The cacophony of sounds blended speeches from the stage, where CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke addressed the crowd, with loud patriotic music emanating elsewhere.

There were also hosts of policemen stationed on the ground overseeing extensive security checks, with a banner right up ahead reading, “The heat of young blood will melt the valley of snow.”

Alongside Sonam Wangchuk, three students are also on hunger strike, demanding the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Neha, Manish and Aameen on Friday continued their protest despite their deteriorating health conditions.

The three are members of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and PhD scholars at different universities.

Doctors affiliated with the Delhi government have been monitoring the health of the protesters twice a day. Three other hunger strikers have already withdrawn from the protest due to health concerns.

AISA Delhi president Saiyed was seated opposite his fellow protesters as they rested on makeshift beds at the protest site.

He said his colleagues wanted to continue the hunger strike to highlight the lives lost to suicides allegedly linked to irregularities in the highly competitive National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, the entrance examination for medical colleges in India.

It will be months before they will be able to eat properly, but they want their voices to be heard, he said.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/india-news-modi-silent-as-sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-enters-20th-day/live-77997484

As India’s private space sector prepares for another defining moment, a special message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to ride into space aboard Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 rocket.

As India’s private space sector prepares for another defining moment, a special message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to ride into space aboard Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 rocket. The message, printed on a commemorative card, will travel beyond Earth’s atmosphere alongside hundreds of cards carrying wishes and aspirations from people around the world.

In his message to Skyroot on a postcard which will fly into space, PM Modi simply wrote “Vande Mataram”.

Replying to the PM’s message, Skyroot wrote a note titled “A Billion Dreams… Even More Possibilities.” The note, a summation of messages to the company from various people, read: “Every new satellite in space transforms life on Earth. They connect billions to the internet, help precise navigation, enable precision agriculture, monitor our planet, forecast weather, detect disaster, strengthen national security, improve weather forecasting, guide fishermen to richer waters, help combat climate change, and will increasingly power the AI-driven world of tomorrow.”

The Skyroot also received postcards from Union Minister Piyush Goyal, former ISRO chairman S Somanath, and Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station.

For Skyroot Aerospace, PM Modi’s gesture is symbolic. The Hyderabad-based startup represents one of the biggest success stories of India’s decision to open up the space sector to private enterprise. What was once the exclusive domain of government agencies that resisted this opening up is now witnessing the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs determined to build rockets, satellites and space services for the world.

PM Modi has been one of the strongest advocates of this transformation. Under his leadership, India initiated major reforms that opened the space sector to private participation. The creation of IN-SPACe as a regulatory and facilitation body provided startups with access to ISRO facilities and expertise. The reforms triggered a wave of innovation, attracting investors, engineers and entrepreneurs to an area that had long remained closed to private players.

Among the biggest beneficiaries of these reforms has been Skyroot Aerospace.

The Prime Minister has repeatedly highlighted the achievements of Indian space startups and has often cited Skyroot as an example of the new energy emerging within India’s innovation ecosystem. He also inaugurated Skyroot’s headquarters and integrated spacecraft facility in Hyderabad.

The upcoming Vikram-1 mission is expected to be a major milestone not only for Skyroot but also for India’s commercial space ambitions. Named after Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, Vikram-1 is designed as an orbital launch vehicle capable of carrying satellites into space for customers from India and abroad.

The mission follows Skyroot’s successful Vikram-S suborbital launch in 2022. That flight made history as the first privately developed Indian rocket to reach space.

Now the company is preparing for a more ambitious challenge. An orbital mission requires far greater precision and complexity. Every stage of the rocket, every software command and every subsystem must function flawlessly. Success would establish Skyroot among a select group of private launch providers worldwide capable of placing payloads into orbit.

At the heart of this journey are Skyroot’s founders and former ISRO scientists Pawan Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, who wanted to make access to space affordable, reliable and responsive for customers worldwide.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-modis-vande-mataram-message-set-to-fly-into-space-tomorrow-11786226?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

After removing activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site, the Delhi Police has appealed to the protesters to vacate the site “peacefully at the earliest”.

Early on Saturday morning, Delhi Police officials shifted Sonam Wangchuk to a Delhi hospital amid protests and sloganeering by the protesters.

In a statement after the action, Delhi Police said that their action was in accordance with the Delhi High Court order and due to Wangchuk’s failing health.

“Sonam Wangchuk has been shifted to the hospital for essential medical care,” Police statement said.

Reports said Wangchuk has been admitted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, adding that he is conscious and his vitals are stable.

The police have also appealed to the protesters to vacate Jantar Mantar peacefully.

“While complying with the orders of Hon’ble High Court the protesters tried to create obstruction, in which slight commotion ensued. Police, however, exercised maximum restrain and undertook the exercise safely. We request the protesters at Jantar Mantar to peacefully vacate the place at the earliest.”

After Wangchuk was shifted, Delhi Police officials were seen making announcements at Jantar Mantar asking protesters to vacate the place peacefully.

Satirical social media platfrom Cockroach Janata Party activists have been protesting at Jantar Mantar for 29 days demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over NEET paper leak.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/sonam-wanchuk-taken-to-hospital-for-essential-care-delhi-police-urges-protesters-to-vacate-jantar-mantar-11787089?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, reported being assaulted and detained by Delhi Police during a protest at Jantar Mantar and claimed that police launched lathi charge on students.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday claimed that he was assaulted and detained by the Delhi Police during the protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital. Dipke further alleged that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was sitting on an indefinite hunger strike, was also being taken into custody and students were subjected to a lathi-charge.

In addition to this, Dipke announced that he is starting an indefinite hunger strike. “I am starting an indefinite hunger strike beginning right now,” he wrote in a post on X.

I am starting an indefinite hunger strike beginning right now.

— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) July 18, 2026

In another post, Dipke wrote, “I have been beaten up and put under detention by Delhi Police.”

The CJP founder claimed that the Delhi Police stopped him at the place where he was staying and alleged that Sonam Wangchuk was forcefully removed from the protest site. “The Delhi Police has stopped me where I was staying. People are telling me that Sonam Wangchuk is being picked up from the protest site. Students are being lathicharged!” Dipke said in another post on X.

“At 7 AM, when I stepped out to freshen up, police goons arrived here. They dragged Sonam Sir away while hurling abuse at him. A 60-year-old man, who had been on a hunger strike for 20 days and hadn’t eaten a thing, was forcibly dragged away by the Delhi Police,” Dipke said.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/delhi-police-crackdown-on-jantar-mantar-dipke-alleges-assault-says-im-under-detention-article-155126091

The India-Japan joint statement, issued after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi on July 2 in New Delhi, had strongly condemned all forms of terrorism, including “cross-border terrorism from Pakistan”.

New Delhi: India on Friday brushed aside Pakistan’s objections to a reference to cross-border terrorism in a recent India-Japan joint statement and said the document “is self-explanatory” and reflects shared perspectives on regional security challenges.

The India-Japan joint statement, issued after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi on July 2 in New Delhi, had strongly condemned all forms of terrorism, including “cross-border terrorism from Pakistan”.

Pakistan has lodged a strong protest with Japan over references to cross-border terrorism.

“I would say the joint statement that was adopted during the visit of the Prime Minister of Japan to India has several issues addressed, which are of bilateral nature, and also on issues on which we have a certain viewpoint,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing.

“I would say that our joint statement is self-explanatory,” when he was asked about Pakistan’s action,” he said.

His remarks came in response to a question.

“The two prime ministers unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism from Pakistan,” the joint statement said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/self-explanatory-india-dismisses-pak-objection-to-cross-border-terrorism-reference-in-india-japan-joint-statement-4077714#google_vignette

As Washington weighs a bill targeting countries that buy Russian crude, India responds cautiously, reiterating its energy sourcing approach while the proposed legislation gathers support in the US Senate.

India on Friday said it was closely following a proposed US legislation that could impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries including India and China for purchasing Russian crude oil, as the bill reportedly gains support from around 60 US Senators.

“We are closely following these developments, and we are aware of the proposed legislation,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his regular media briefing.

“As far as buying oil is concerned, we buy oil from various countries in the world. It is based on our approach towards energy sourcing,” he said in response to a question about the proposed bill.

The legislation was conceived by Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal and late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. It seeks to impose sweeping sanctions on Russia’s political leadership, financial institutions and energy sector, with the stated aim of cutting off revenues used by Russian President Vladimir Putin to finance the war against Ukraine.

‘100% TARIFFS’ ON MAJOR RUSSIAN OIL BUYERS

Blumenthal said on Tuesday that the proposed legislation was aimed at imposing 100 per cent tariffs on five major purchasers of Russian oil — China, India, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan.

The bill would target countries continuing to purchase Russian crude, potentially exposing them to steep additional trade penalties in an effort to increase pressure on Moscow.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-us-bill-100-percent-tariffs-russian-oil-buyers-2950428-2026-07-17

Hasina has been living in India since she fled Dhaka after the collapse of her government in August 2024 in the face of a massive anti-government agitation.

India on Friday said Bangladesh’s request to extradite deposed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina is still under examination. The response from New Delhi came amid reports that Hasina is preparing to return to Dhaka to revive her Awami League party.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the request was being considered in line with the legal issues involved. The development comes against the backdrop of strained ties between India and Bangladesh, even as both sides have taken steps in recent months to stabilise relations.

“We have received a request for extradition. This request, as we have said earlier as well, is under examination,” Jaiswal said. “The request is being taken into consideration given the legalities that are involved,” he added.

Last week, sources close to Hasina said the 78-year-old former prime minister is preparing to voluntarily return to Dhaka to revive the Awami League.

Hasina has been living in India since she fled Dhaka after the collapse of her government in August 2024 in the face of a massive anti-government agitation.

Last November, Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Dhaka for alleged “crimes against humanity” over her government’s crackdown on student-led protests in 2024.

Since that verdict, Dhaka has been urging New Delhi to extradite her to face the law. “We are all prepared to welcome our leader back,” Kazi Nasim Rupak, a member of the publicity sub-committee of the Awami League, told PTI Videos on Friday.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sheikh-hasina-extradition-request-india-says-bangladesh-plea-under-examination-ptag-2950301-2026-07-17

H-FAST and Food Safety Officer Dyvanidhi inspected sweet, cake, cookie and Osmania biscuit units across Hyderabad. The raids found unhygienic conditions and pest infestation, prompting action against violators.

The Hyderabad Food Safety Task Force (H-FAST), along with Food Safety Officer (FSO) Dyvanidhi, conducted inspections at several manufacturing units producing sweets, cakes, cookies and Osmania biscuits across the city, uncovering multiple food safety violations.

During the raids, officials reportedly found unhygienic conditions, pest infestation and other lapses in hygiene and sanitation at the inspected facilities.

The violations were detected during inspections carried out as part of the Food Safety Department’s ongoing drive to ensure that food products are manufactured under hygienic conditions and in compliance with food safety regulations.

Officials said action has been initiated against the establishments found violating food safety norms. The department reiterated that strict action would be taken against food business operators found flouting prescribed standards.

Source  : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/hyderabad-food-safety-raids-uncover-unhygienic-conditions-at-sweet-biscuit-units-2950473-2026-07-18

Police have arrested a Gwalior man accused of posing as Sonu on Achat messaging app to coerce a Gujarat minor into nude video calls. Officials said that he then used threats, blackmail and a false identity to keep her under pressure.

A man from Madhya Pradesh has been arrested for allegedly posing as ‘Sonu’ on a messaging app to befriend a girl from Gujarat before coercing her into nude video calls and threatening her with defamation and suicide, police said.

The accused, identified as Bittu Khan, a resident of Gwalior, allegedly concealed his identity while contacting the minor from Ahmedabad Rural through the ‘Achat’ messaging application. Police said he introduced himself as a 23-year-old unmarried man named Sonu and gradually gained the girl’s trust before shifting their conversations to WhatsApp and video calls.

According to the complaint, the girl downloaded the Achat app in March, where she came into contact with the accused. As their conversations progressed, he allegedly began pressuring her to engage in nude video calls, meet him in person and enter into a physical relationship.

Police said that around 10 days ago, the accused demanded that the girl make a nude video call. When she refused, he allegedly threatened to tarnish her reputation by circulating her details on social media. Despite the threats, the girl initially did not comply.

Officials said that Bittu Khan had also obtained the passwords to the girl’s Gmail and Instagram accounts and allegedly accessed them without her consent. The complainant further suspected that he had shared her mobile number with others.

According to the police complaint, the accused had allegedly been coercing the minor into undressing during video calls for the past two months. Officials said that he threatened to end his life if she refused and allegedly warned that he would mention her name in a suicide note, leaving the girl under severe mental distress.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/achat-app-blackmail-gwalior-man-posed-as-sonu-targeted-gujarat-minor-2950481-2026-07-18

The bench said this while issuing notice on a petition seeking a mechanism to ensure early disposal of over 3 million appeals by Bengal voters facing exclusion.

Deletion of names from an electoral roll does not result in the loss of citizenship, the Supreme Court stated on Friday, reiterating that its recent judgment upholding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar casts a corresponding duty on the Election Commission of India (ECI) to refer deleted voters to the Centre to adjudicate their legal status.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said: “Our judgment (on Bihar SIR) is clear. The Election Commission of India has full control over the electoral roll. However, that does not result in loss of citizenship per se. They have a corresponding duty to refer it to the ministry of the Central government department for adjudication of the citizenship status.”

The bench made the observation while issuing notice on a petition seeking a mechanism to ensure early disposal of over three million appeals by West Bengal voters facing exclusion from subsidised ration, cash benefits, and other state welfare schemes following their removal from the electoral roll.

The petition, filed by Prasenjit Bose of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, was argued by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan. He stated that despite the top court’s clarifying judgment, the West Bengal government has issued at least three orders removing benefits under the Public Distribution System (PDS) and the Annapurna cash transfer scheme.

Sankaranarayanan, assisted by advocate Neha Rathi, pointed out that the petition seeks to expedite nearly 3.4 million appeals filed by voters excluded under the SIR exercise. He told the court that 19 tribunals were established by the Supreme Court to decide these appeals, but no official data exists regarding the number resolved so far. He urged the court to make public the standard operating procedure (SOP) for these tribunals.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/deletion-from-electoral-roll-doesn-t-take-away-citizenship-supreme-court-101784337559016.html

Preliminary information suggests the accused pulled out a machete from his bag, following which the woman tried to flee. The accused chased her, attacked her with the weapon, and fled the scene.

A woman was killed after being attacked with a machete by an unidentified man in Karnataka on Thursday. The accused has been on the run since the incident.

The incident happened at the KSRTC New Bus Stand in BC Road, Bantwal, this evening. The incident was captured on camera, which shows the accused attacking the victim and then running away, leaving the murder weapon at the scene.

The victim has been identified as Lavanya, 21, a resident of Uligram in Bantwal. She works at a private nursing home in Kalladka.

The accused was identified as Chetan, a resident of Odilnala in Belthangady, Karnataka.

Police said the motive behind the attack and the circumstances leading to the incident are yet to be ascertained.

According to police, the incident occurred around 6 pm while the victim was waiting for a bus. Preliminary information suggests the accused pulled out a machete from his bag, following which the woman tried to flee. The accused chased her, attacked her with the weapon, and fled the scene.

The victim was rushed to the Bantwal Government Hospital, where she was undergoing treatment. However, she later died of her injuries.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/on-camera-man-attacks-woman-with-machete-at-karnataka-bus-stand-she-dies-11781081?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

Indian-origin gangster Nitish Kaushal’s arrest comes two days after FBI put him to its “wanted” list.

Indian-origin gangster Nitish Kaushal, member of Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organized Crime Group and wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has been arrested in the United States. Kaushal is accused of being part of a transnational criminal organisation and carrying out kidnappings and assaults.

The arrest comes two days after FBI put Kaushal to its “wanted” list. A federal arrest warrant was issued against Kaushal on June 25 by the US District Court for the Central District of California after he was charged with conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

Nitish Kaushal is #wanted by the #FBI for his alleged involvement in a transnational criminal organization engaged in, among other things, acts involving murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering, and human smuggling. This… pic.twitter.com/xuEXpJIx6u

— FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) July 14, 2026

Nitish Kaushal, alias Lala, is an Indian national born on June 15, 2020. He allegedly carried out acts of violence, including, but not limited to kidnappings and assaults. He did so on behalf of the Bhagwanpuria Organized Crime Group that originated in Punjab and operated in the Central District of California and elsewhere, FBI noted. The gang, according to FBI, has been engaged in murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering, and human smuggling.

Sharing an update on the arrest early Friday, FBI said Nitish Kaushal has been arrested in Vermont and called to help the intelligence agency “locate other fugitives wanted for committing crimes related to criminal enterprise investigations.”

The FBI is conducting operations against organised crime syndicates of India-origin under Operation Hard Ball. It was under this operation that Nitish Kaushal was declared “wanted.”

Satinderjeet Singh Brar alias Goldy Brar has also been added to FBI’s “wanted” list for his alleged involvement in the Lawrence Bishnoi Organised Crime Group and carrying out violence in Southern California, and across the US and Canada.

“These acts include assassinations of political and religious figures, shootings, murders, kidnappings, extortions, assaults, and the trafficking of narcotics and weapons,” FBI notice read.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/gangster-nitish-kaushal-member-of-jaggu-bhagwanpuria-gang-arrested-in-us-fbi-had-put-him-on-wanted-list-11782389?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

The case centres on claims that attempts were made to persuade at least one TVK MLA to defy the party whip during assembly voting.

Chennai Police are investigating an alleged conspiracy known as “Project Meghalaya”, aimed at destabilising the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government by offering bribes to multiple party MLAs. A senior television journalist was questioned this week as part of the probe, according to the police.

The case centres on claims that attempts were made to persuade at least one TVK MLA to defy the party whip during assembly voting. The complaint was filed by the TVK MLA from Uthangarai, N Elaiyaraja, who alleged that YouTuber Thirunavukkarasu — who operates the opinion polling group IPDS — and others offered him Rs 35 crore to vote against his party’s position.

The MLA also claimed that he and his family faced threats after refusing the offer. Police say their investigation uncovered a plan, referred to as “Project Meghalaya”, to approach around 15 TVK MLAs with financial offerings in an effort to topple the elected government led by actor-turned-politician Vijay.

Officers have questioned Vijayan, a journalist with the regional news channel Puthiya Thalaimurai, over his reported contacts with the main accused. Police said that evidence showed Vijayan sent messages to one of the key accused, known as Thirunavukkarasu and remained in communication with him during the period in question.

His mobile phone was seized for forensic analysis after he was summoned for questioning on July 15 and 16.

The Chennai Press Club has criticised the police action, describing it as an attempt to suppress press freedom. The club said Vijayan was questioned late into the night on July 15, had his phone seized without proper procedure, and was called back for further questioning the next day.

Police have insisted that the investigation is following standard legal procedures.

So far, nine people have been arrested in connection with the alleged bribery attempt. Former DMK minister Senthil Balaji and his brother Ashok have also been summoned for questioning.

The DMK has rejected the allegations, accusing TVK of spreading false claims for political mileage and saying it will respond through legal channels.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/tvk-tamil-nadu-project-meghalaya-and-alleged-attempt-to-destabilise-vijay-government-11781712?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Activists working with sex workers have estimated that there are over two lakh sex workers in Karnataka, and around 25,000 in Bengaluru.

The sex workers’ community is among several marginalised sections of society struggling with the complicated process and technical hurdles of the ongoing SIR in Karnataka.

Documentation and progeny mapping have been particularly hard for women in sex work, as they are generally uneducated and have lost connection with their respective families for decades.

Those who cannot map themselves to their parents in the 2002 list can still fill their form, which will place them in the draft voters’ list. In that case, however, they will be sent notices and asked to produce one of the 11 documents prescribed by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

This is likely to be a major problem for many sex workers, since they are unlikely to have the necessary documents.

On Thursday, DH visited an enumeration camp set up at Sampangiramanagar in Bengaluru to help sex workers fill their enumeration forms.

“They are seeking proof of parents and grandparents. Since we left home 30 years ago when we were young, we don’t have proof of the family. What’s the guarantee they (family and relatives) will give details when we go and ask?? They should have one rule for those who have documents and another for those who don’t,” a sex worker, who wished not to be named, said.

Another sex worker, also speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that neither her father’s details (said to have voted in Mumbai in 2002) nor her mother’s were available.

“We are born and brought up in Karnataka, and have spent all our time here. Does the lack of specified documents suddenly mean we are not Indians?” she sought to know.

Activists working with sex workers have estimated that there are over two lakh sex workers in Karnataka, and around 25,000 in Bengaluru.

Poorna Ravishankar, a member of the My Vote My Right campaign, who’s helping sex workers enumerate themselves during SIR, noted that dual names of sex workers could potentially become a challenge during document verification.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/we-left-home-30-years-ago-how-karnatakas-sir-is-leaving-thousands-of-sex-workers-fearing-disenfranchisement-4076361

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to convey India’s condolences on the passing of Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The outreach, alongside national mourning and an official visit to Doha, underscored the importance India places on its strategic partnership with Qatar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke with Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to convey India’s condolences over the passing of former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Remembering the late leader’s contribution to bilateral ties, PM Modi said his enduring legacy would continue to guide India and Qatar as the two countries deepen their strategic partnership.

This came days after India observed a one-day national mourning in honour of the former Qatari ruler, reflecting the importance New Delhi attaches to its relationship with Doha and the late leader’s role in strengthening those ties.

Sharing details of the conversation on X, Prime Minister Modi said he conveyed heartfelt condolences to the Emir of Qatar and recalled Sheikh Hamad’s affection for India and the Indian community living in the Gulf nation.

“Spoke with HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar and conveyed heartfelt condolences on the passing of HH the Father Amir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Recalled his deep affection for India, his warmth towards the Indian community in Qatar and his steadfast commitment to India-Qatar relations. His enduring legacy will continue to guide our two countries as we further strengthen our Strategic Partnership.”

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, widely regarded as the architect of modern Qatar, passed away on July 12. During his leadership, Qatar emerged as one of the world’s wealthiest nations and significantly expanded its diplomatic and economic engagement with countries across the globe, including India.

KIREN RIJIJU REPRESENTS INDIA IN QATAR

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju travelled to Qatar to represent India at the condolence ceremonies and personally conveyed the country’s sympathies to the Qatari leadership.

In a post on X, Rijiju said he delivered condolences on behalf of the Government of India, Prime Minister Modi and the people of India.

“On behalf of the Government of India, Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji and the people of India, I conveyed deepest condolences to HH the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sad demise of Father Amir of Qatar HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.”

Rijiju also thanked the Qatari leadership for the warm reception extended to him during the visit. He expressed gratitude to the Amir, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries for their hospitality and for their continued warmth towards India and the Indian community living in Qatar.

Highlighting Sheikh Hamad’s contribution to bilateral relations, Rijiju said the former ruler played a key role in laying the foundation of the close partnership the two countries enjoy today.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pm-narendra-modi-speaks-to-qatar-emir-pays-tribute-to-his-late-father-sheikh-hamad-2949482-2026-07-16

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has allowed a 52-year-old woman to undergo IVF at a recognised institution. It said medical fitness, not age alone, should decide access to motherhood.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has allowed a 52-year-old woman to undergo in vitro fertilisation, holding that a medically fit woman cannot be denied motherhood solely because she has crossed the age prescribed under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021.

Justice Vishal Mishra passed the order on July 10 while allowing a petition filed by the woman and her husband. The court said the IVF procedure could be carried out at any recognised medical institution, though the final decision would remain with the hospital on medical grounds.

The couple approached the court after a hospital declined to carry out the procedure despite finding them medically fit following the required tests. Their only son had died of jaundice at the age of 21, and they wanted another child after being unable to conceive naturally.

The hospital cited the provisions of the Assisted Reproductive Technology Act, which prescribes the eligible age for women as above 21 years and below 50 years, and for men as above 21 years and below 55 years. The couple argued that they should not be deprived of the opportunity to become parents again because of a rigid interpretation of the law. During the hearing, they also submitted an affidavit undertaking to bear all medical risks associated with the procedure.

Allowing the plea, the court held that the law did not prescribe a joint age limit for a couple. It said that if a woman was medically capable of conceiving, the age limit alone could not become an impediment. The judge also made it clear that while the hospital would be free to take the final decision on medical grounds, the procedure could not be denied solely because the woman was 52 years old.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/madhya-pradesh-high-court-allows-ivf-for-medically-fit-52-year-old-woman-2949514-2026-07-16

Captain Manmohan Singh Virdi’s family has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expedite the extradition of murder accused Hussain Mohammad Shattaf from the UAE. The appeal underlines how the restored trial in the 2006 case remains stalled until the accused is brought before the court.

Nearly two decades after the murder of retired Merchant Navy officer Captain Manmohan Singh Virdi, his family has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expedite the extradition of the prime accused, Hussain Mohammad Shattaf, from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), saying justice has remained elusive due to the prolonged delay.

In a representation submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the victim’s brother and the original complainant, retired Captain Manjeet Singh Virdi, urged the Centre to ensure Shattaf’s early extradition so that the long-pending murder trial can proceed.

“The accused has remained outside India for years, preventing the trial from moving forward. We have waited nearly 20 years for justice,” the family said.

MURDER TRIAL REMAINS STALLED

The case relates to an FIR registered at Lonavala City Police Station in Pune in 2006. It is currently pending before the Sessions Court at Vadgaon Maval as Sessions Case No. 5 of 2024.

According to the family, despite the restoration of the murder case, the trial has made no progress because the accused has not appeared before the court.

They alleged that Shattaf has continued to evade the legal process despite facing serious criminal charges, leaving the victim’s family waiting for justice for nearly two decades.

SUPREME COURT REVIVED THE CASE

The family said they had challenged a Bombay High Court order discharging the accused before the Supreme Court. On May 18, 2023, the apex court set aside the High Court’s order and restored the murder trial, paving the way for fresh proceedings against the accused.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/merchant-navy-captains-family-urges-pm-modi-expedite-uae-extradition-2006-murder-accused-2949564-2026-07-16

Omar Abdullah criticised the Centre’s response to Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike over the NEET-UG row. His remarks came as Wangchuk’s health weakened, a court plea sought medical intervention and supporters pressed for accountability.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday criticised the BJP-led central government over its response to activist Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike, drawing parallels with the Congress-led UPA government’s handling of Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement.

In a post on X, Abdullah said the Centre had shown “utter insensitivity” despite Wangchuk’s deteriorating health, contrasting it with the response of the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh-led government, whose ministers engaged with Hazare during his fast.

“All he is demanding is justice for the NEET scam victims and the removal of the education minister. Remember how the Manmohan Singh government and its ministers rushed to meet Anna Hazare and asked him to end his fast? Here, the BJP government doesn’t even care to issue a statement. Politics is one thing, but isn’t compassion and humanity also important?” Abdullah wrote.

SONAM WANGCHUK ON INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE

His remarks came as Wangchuk entered the 19th day of his indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where he is demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination.

In a video message posted late Wednesday, Wangchuk acknowledged the toll the fast had taken on his health but said he remained determined to continue the protest.

“I’m not in good shape but not so bad either,” the activist said.

According to Dr Satish Lamba, the senior physician monitoring Wangchuk’s condition, the activist has lost more than nine kilograms since beginning his fast nearly three weeks ago.

Meanwhile, a petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking urgent medical intervention for Wangchuk. The plea requests the court to direct authorities to ensure immediate medical care and consider force-feeding him in view of his prolonged fast.

Wangchuk’s protest is being organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has demanded accountability for the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and the resignation of the Union education minister.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-omar-abdullah-slams-centre-over-neet-row-2949631-2026-07-17

Doctors said Sonam Wangchuk has entered a critical phase of prolonged fasting, warning that his organs could be affected if his condition worsens. As the Delhi High Court ordered daily health monitoring, political leaders, public figures and legal bodies urged him to end his fast, but he remained resolute.

“I don’t want to say this, but Sonam Wangchuk is on his deathbed,” Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke said in an emotional appeal on Thursday.

Dipke, who has shared the stage with the climate activist since Wangchuk began his indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on June 28, made the remarks in a video released by the CJP. Wangchuk has been demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over a series of examination paper leaks, including NEET.

In the video, Dipke said Wangchuk had become so frail that “his bones are visible.” He also claimed the activist narrowly escaped falling twice while walking to the washroom on Thursday.

Videos that surfaced on social media the same day appeared to underscore his deteriorating condition. A visibly weak Wangchuk was seen stepping down from the stage with the support of several people, including Dipke, as he made his way to the washroom with slow, faltering steps.

Yet, despite his condition, he paused to smile and wave at supporters — many of them students and parents who had travelled from Delhi-NCR and other parts of the country.

Dipke also recalled trying to persuade Wangchuk to end his fast on Thursday, only to be firmly rebuffed.

“You just shut up. Don’t ask me to stop my hunger strike. Ask why the government is not listening to us,” Wangchuk told him, according to the video shared on the CJP’s official YouTube channel.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-critical-delhi-hc-monitoring-july-20-parliament-march-2949646-2026-07-17

The police said the wife is currently in a state of shock and has been making inconsistent and unusual statements

A 45-year-old anesthesiologist was found murdered inside his apartment in Karnataka’s Dharwad, while his eight-year-old son was found with stab injuries. The doctor has been identified as Dr Kiran Honannavar, an anesthesiologist at Chirayu Hospital.

His wife, Dr Priyanka, an ophthalmologist, has been taken into custody for questioning. Their son has been admitted to a private hospital and is undergoing treatment.

According to Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N Shashikumar, preliminary investigation suggests that no outsider is believed to have entered the apartment, as it is a highly secured residential complex. Police said only three people – the husband, wife and child – were inside the house at the time of the incident.

The case came to light after Dr Kiran’s relatives repeatedly tried to contact him. They were allegedly told by his wife that he was resting and later that he had gone out. When he remained unreachable until evening, family members visited the apartment and found him lying in a pool of blood. They also found the injured child inside the house.

Police said the child was still breathing when they arrived, following which he was immediately shifted to hospital.

Investigators said the husband was found dead in one room, while the injured child was found in another. Police are yet to establish the exact sequence of events.

The commissioner said the wife is currently in a state of shock and has been making inconsistent and unusual statements. He added that investigators are verifying her version of events and gathering information from both families to determine the motive behind the incident.

Police said there was no indication of any conflict with neighbours and that CCTV footage from the apartment complex will be examined as part of the investigation.

Authorities have registered a case at the Suburban Police Station. Police said the exact cause and circumstances of the murder will become clearer after the post-mortem examination and further investigation.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/karnataka-news/karnataka-doctor-murdered-8-year-old-son-stabbed-at-home-wife-in-custody-11776601?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

An Aligarh man who entered Pakistan without a visa to meet a woman he knew on Facebook remains lodged in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail. His family says he has completed his sentence and is still awaiting repatriation.

A man from Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh crossed into Pakistan without a visa in pursuit of a woman he met on Facebook, only to land in prison after his identity aroused suspicion. Months later, even after reportedly completing his sentence, he remains lodged in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail as his family pleads with the government to secure his return.

Badal Babu worked as a tailor in Delhi before befriending a Pakistani woman named Sana on Facebook. According to his family, their online friendship gradually developed into a romantic relationship.

His family says Badal last spoke to them on October 30, 2024. They claimed that he had left all his documents at home before disappearing.

It was only around 20 months ago, when videos and posts about him began circulating on social media, that they discovered he had entered Pakistan illegally and had been arrested.

According to the family’s account, Badal first attempted to travel to Pakistan in August 2024 but was unsuccessful. He later managed to cross the border without a visa and reached Pakistan on October 15, 2024.

The family has claimed that after Sana declined to marry him, Badal stayed back in Pakistan and took up work there. He remained in touch with his relatives over phone calls.

His troubles reportedly began on December 27, 2024, when he was grazing goats for his employer.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/uttar-pradesh/story/aligarh-man-pakistan-jail-facebook-love-illegal-border-crossing-2948874-2026-07-16

As per the latest medical bulletin issued by the Cockroach Janta Party, 59-year-old Wangchuk is “very weak” and under round-the-clock medical supervision, with his weight dropping to 57.15 kg, down 400 grams in the last 24 hours and nearly 8.9 kg since his fast began.

“I’m not in good shape but not so bad either.”

That’s what a frail-looking Sonam Wangchuk, who entered the 19th day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on Thursday, demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over irregularities in the NEET examination, said in a video message posted late last night.

According to the latest medical bulletin issued by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Wangchuk, 59, is “very weak” and under 24-hour medical vigilance. His weight has dropped to 57.15 kg, down 400 grams in the past 24 hours and nearly 8.9 kg since he began fasting.

His blood pressure was recorded at 105/76 mmHg, blood sugar at 80 mg/dL, oxygen saturation at 97%, while doctors said he remained conscious and mentally alert but requires continuous monitoring.

In the video message, Wangchuk also urged supporters not to ask him to end his fast but instead join the organisation’s planned “Chalo Sansad” march to Parliament on July 20. “Rather than asking me to break my fast, please join me on 20th July… Peaceful March to the Parliament,” he said.

Meanwhile, our reporter spent a night at the CJP protest site at Jantar Mantar, closely observing Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike and the protest from the ground.

Wangchuk is not alone in the protest. Several others, including members of student organisations, are also on hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. At a separate stage, All India Students’ Association (AISA) leaders Neha, Manish and Aameen continued their fast despite their worsening health. AISA said that Neha has lost 5.85 kg during the fast, while Manish and Aameen have lost 8.2 kg and 8.3 kg, respectively, with all three recording low blood sugar levels.

The student outfit also said JNUSU joint secretary Danish, JNU Barak Hostel president Hrishikesh and Delhi University student leader Deepak have been hospitalised after their health deteriorated during the protest.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-day-19-neet-protester-urges-july-20-parliament-march-2948888-2026-07-16

The post has gained attention as Dipke and the CJP have appealed to opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, to join the protest and extend their support.

A four-year-old social media post by Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has gone viral, in which he appears to be critical of the leader of the opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s mega ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in 2022.

The post has gone viral at a time when opposition leaders are lining up to support the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, as well as activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike, which entered its 19th day on Thursday. Follow live updates related to Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike here.

It also comes after the CJP itself said it had contacted leaders across party lines, including Rahul Gandhi, and invited them to Jantar Mantar to show support for the protesting students.

Dipke’s old post on Rahul Gandhi goes viral

Dipke’s post on X, dated September 8, 2022, has gone viral on the social media platform. He had responded to a journalist’s post about Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and described the march as a “travel vlog”.

For the unversed, the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ was a mega march organised by the Congress party and led by Rahul Gandhi. It covered more than 3,500 km across 12 states and two union territories.

Responding to the post about the march, Dipke wrote on X, “Rahul Gandhi’s #BharatJodoYatra will end up as nothing more than a travel vlog.”

Rahul Gandhi’s #BharatJodoYatra will end up as nothing more than a travel vlog. https://t.co/vTOE8jyfBu

— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) September 8, 2022

The post has gained particular attention recently, as Dipke and the CJP have appealed to opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, to join the protest and extend their support.

Social media users react to Dipke’s post

Netizens flooded the replies section, helping the post go viral. One user wrote, “Criticising someone is easy until u face the same situation”.

Another user wrote, “Before asking Rahul Gandhi to join your hunger strike, ask yourself one question. Where were you when he was walking 3,750 km across India to challenge the BJP? Those who mocked him then have no right to seek his support now.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/travel-vlog-abhijeet-dipke-4-year-old-post-on-rahul-gandhi-bharat-jodo-yatra-goes-viral-cjp-protest-sonam-wangchuk-101784174439372.html

An NDTV ground investigation across Bhopal, Sagar, Vidisha and Agar-Malwa found that take-home ration supplies had remained disrupted for periods ranging from one to three months at several centres.

In Madhya Pradesh, the administrative structure responsible for providing supplementary nutrition to nearly 8.5 million children, pregnant women and lactating mothers is being changed yet again. The state government has decided to transfer the responsibility for producing and distributing Take-Home Ration, or THR, from the State Rural Livelihood Mission back to the Department of Women and Child Development. This will be the fifth change in the nutrition distribution model since 2018. But while responsibility is moving from one department to another, food is not reaching several Anganwadi centres.

An NDTV ground investigation across Bhopal, Sagar, Vidisha and Agar-Malwa found that Take-Home Ration supplies had remained disrupted for periods ranging from one to three months at several centres.

Anganwadi workers said children, pregnant women and lactating mothers had been registered, their names were visible on government applications and their records were being regularly updated, but the ration meant for them had not arrived.

The nutrition system is estimated to be worth nearly Rs 1,200 crore. Government documents show that schemes are operational, budgets are sanctioned and beneficiaries are registered. Yet, at the last mile, workers are being forced to tell mothers that the packets have not come “from above”.

The contradiction is stark: the system can count the child, weigh the child and record the child on an app, but it cannot always ensure that food reaches the child.

Bhopal’s Link Road is among the capital’s most powerful neighbourhoods. Ministers, senior officials and former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan have residences in the area. Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda also lives there.

In a lane behind his bungalow, Anganwadi Centre Number 729 operates from a small room. Nearly 50 children attend the centre. Fourteen pregnant women and eight lactating mothers are also registered there.

According to Anganwadi worker Rama Kushwaha, the centre received Take-Home Ration in April, but no fresh supply came in May and June.

“We received the stock in April and distributed it during April and May. It did not arrive in May and June. It has arrived again in July,” she said.

The supply may have resumed, but the two-month gap raises a fundamental question. The nutritional needs of a child do not pause when a government supply chain breaks down. A pregnant woman cannot postpone her requirement for protein and calories until the next consignment arrives.

For a malnourished child, every missed packet may mean lost growth that cannot easily be recovered.

Madhya Pradesh has 97,882 sanctioned Anganwadi centres operating under 453 child development projects. Nearly 8.5 million beneficiaries are registered across the state. The cost of supplementary nutrition is shared equally by the union and state governments.

Under the Take-Home Ration scheme, children between six months and three years are supposed to receive every month two packets of halwa premix, one packet of child food supplement and one packet of khichdi.

Pregnant and lactating women are entitled to two packets of wheat-soy barfi, one packet of wheat and gram-flour mix and one packet of khichdi.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rs-1-200-crore-nutrition-system-but-madhya-pradeshs-children-are-still-going-hungry-11777518?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Odisha has intensified COVID-19 surveillance before Rath Yatra after rising cases in neighbouring states, urging vigilance without panic during celebrations.

With COVID-19 cases rising in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, the Odisha government has intensified surveillance and public health preparedness ahead of the annual Rath Yatra, one of India’s largest religious gatherings. The move aims to minimize the risk of virus transmission as lakhs of devotees are expected to participate in the festival starting from July 16.

Health experts say that while there is no reason to panic, mass gatherings remain an ideal environment for respiratory viruses to spread, making preventive measures more important than ever.

The Delhi constable was reportedly on the run after allegedly murdering his wife on her birthday. He had dumped her body by a roadside in East Delhi.

The Delhi police constable who had fled after killing his wife on her birthday and after dumping her injured on a roadside in East Delhi– had reportedly died by suicide. The cop who was recently posted with the Anti Auto Theft Squad (AATS) in East Delhi, Manish Bhati, took his life by shooting himself with his service pistol, as per PTI. According to an officer, the body of the cop was found lying behind a five-star hotel in Mayur Vihar. A police officer said a team got information at 6 PM about a body lying behind a hotel.

“The team immediately rushed to the spot and found Bhati’s body. The initial investigation suggested that he shot himself. Further investigation into the matter is underway,” the officer told PTI.

Bhati, a 2022-batch Delhi Police constable, had been on the run since Monday, July 13, after allegedly shooting his 30-year-old wife, Priyanka, in the chest during an argument. It was a delivery executive who had spotted the woman on the roadside. She was then rushed to the Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Hospital; however, she succumbed to her injuries during treatment.

The police had reportedly formed five teams and raided places across Delhi-NCR and parts of Haryana to trace the accused cop. As per PTI, searches were conducted in several major NCR cities, like Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Faridabad and several locations in Haryana.

According to the investigators, the couple had left their New Vinod Nagar residence together on a two-wheeler in the early hours of Monday after an argument.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/delhi/delhi-cop-on-run-after-killing-wife-dies-by-suicide-shoots-himself-with-service-pistol-article-155101916

The four charged include popular YouTuber Manish Kashyap.

A case has been registered against four influencers, including Manish Kashyap, for allegedly conspiring to defame Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

The Nagpur Cyber ​​Police registered the FIR against them for spreading misleading information regarding the use of ethanol fuel (E20) and for tarnishing Gadkari’s image by dragging his name into the matter “without any concrete basis”.

Apart from Kashyap, who is a well-known YouTuber from Bihar, the others named in the FIR are Desi BoysNCR, Harshit Rathi and Anklesh Invate.

According to the police, these four influencers circulated controversial videos on popular social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram, claiming that large-scale fraud and bogus transactions were taking place involving ethanol usage.

Through these videos, they attempted to suggest that the law was being violated under the guise of the ethanol policy.

It is alleged that they deliberately misrepresented Gadkari’s ethanol-related policies in their videos.

Terming this a calculated smear campaign, Shishir Tripathi, the head of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s social media cell in Nagpur, lodged a formal complaint with the Nagpur Cyber Police.

The complaint states that, to lend an air of authenticity to the videos, the influencers resorted to using fake or misleading interviews with ordinary citizens, with the primary objective of damaging Gadkari’s political and social reputation. Additionally, they have been accused of disrupting social harmony by spreading such misleading information.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/e20-ethanol-manish-kashyap-4-influencers-charged-for-tarnishing-nitin-gadkaris-image-in-e20-row-11772104?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

 

The bill – which has been backed by the White House – could be passed before August and aims to cripple Russia’s revenues from its energy exports.

A bipartisan group of Senators announced a new sanctions bill that proposes tariffs up to 100% on exports from India, China and three other countries for purchasing Russian oil. The bill – which has been backed by the White House – could be passed before August and aims to cripple Russia’s revenues from its energy exports and force an end to the Ukraine war.

“It imposes tariffs that are targeted, narrowly limited to the five major purchasers, up to 100 percent, with waiver authority that is narrowly tailored and constricted. And those five major purchasers right now of oil are China, India, Slovakia, Hungary, Azerbaijan. And on gas purchasers, it makes an exception for the purchasers who are buying less than 15% of total Russian natural gas imports and are taking significant steps to reduce their purchases,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal of the new bill at a press conference in Washington on Tuesday. The bill also includes sweeping sanctions against Russia’s vital energy, defence, financial and industrial sectors.

The bill is a softened version of the Sanctioning Russia Act, which was introduced in the US Senate in April last year and proposed a possible 500 percent tariff on countries purchasing Russian energy, including India. However, the Sanctioning Russia Act has failed to progress to a vote given concerns from legislators about the extreme provisions of the bill as well as lackluster support from President Trump. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen made clear that the new bill would have much narrower tariff provisions.

According to Senator Blumenthal, the bill could be passed before August given that the legislators proposing the bill are confident it has the support necessary to pass the Senate. He added that the US Trade Representative would decide the exact tariff rate on the countries facing tariffs.

“The decision about the exact rate will be determined by the United States Trade Representative. We’ve had extensive discussions with him. I think it will be set at an appropriate level to discourage China, India and other major purchases of Russian oil and gas. Remember that there are reporting and certification requirements from the US Trade Representative to the Congress if the rate is lowered,” said Senator Blumenthal.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/new-us-bill-proposes-up-to-100-tariffs-on-india-for-russian-oil-purchase-imports-modi-trump-india-us-trade-deal-china-101784077143157.html

 

 

Villagers have alleged that the bridge was constructed using substandard materials and have demanded a thorough investigation into the work.

A bridge reportedly built at a cost of nearly Rs 48 lakh in Maharashtra has landed in controversy after a viral video showed its railing allegedly breaking off with little more than a gentle push.

The clip has fuelled allegations of poor-quality construction and prompted villagers to demand an investigation into how such a project cleared quality checks despite the expenditure.

The bridge is located in Bankaranja village in Beed district. According to residents, the construction was carried out using substandard materials, making the structure unsafe.

The video, which has gone viral on social media, shows local resident Durgadas Lamb pushing the bridge railing with his foot.

Moments later, the railing appears to detach with ease, raising serious questions over the quality of the work and the materials used.

Villagers say the railing can be broken with even a light push by hand or foot, claiming it reflects the poor standards followed during construction.

VILLAGERS SEEK PROBE

After the video surfaced, Lamb demanded an impartial inquiry into the construction. He urged the Beed District Collector to investigate the project and take strict action against the contractor as well as the engineers responsible for supervising the work.

“The quality of the bridge should be examined thoroughly and those responsible must face action,” he said while exposing the alleged defects in the viral video.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/beed-bridge-viral-video-rs-48-lakh-railing-collapses-probe-maharashtra-2948009-2026-07-14

Chandipura virus is considered a public health concern because outbreaks can have a high fatality rate among children and the disease can progress very rapidly, making early detection and hospitalisation critical.

Three children have died and four others are on ventilator support after multiple cases of the Chandipura virus outbreak were reported in Gujarat over the past 14 days, putting the state on high alert and intensifying surveillance and containment measures.

The sudden rise in cases of the deadly Chandipura virus (CHPV), a sand fly-borne virus that causes acute encephalitis syndrome (AES), particularly among children, has raised concerns among health authorities and parents. According to official data, 32 suspected cases have been reported in the two weeks since July 1.

Of these, test reports have been received for 23 patients. Seven have tested positive for the virus, while 16 tested negative. Among the seven confirmed cases, three children have died and four are currently undergoing treatment on ventilator support. Test reports for nine suspected patients are still awaited.

Health Minister Praful Pansheriya said all seven confirmed patients were below the age of 10. He reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting in Gandhinagar on Monday and said the health department was continuously engaged in treatment, surveillance and containment efforts.

“The health department is continuously working towards controlling the virus, treating patients and carrying out surveillance operations,” the minister said, maintaining that the situation was under control.

Authorities said two patients have fully recovered and been discharged from hospital, offering some relief amid the rising number of suspected infections.

The latest suspected case involves a two-year-old girl from Meghraj taluka in Aravalli district. After developing symptoms associated with the virus, she was admitted to Himmatnagar Civil Hospital for advanced treatment.

Speaking to India Today TV, Pansheriya said detailed guidelines had been issued to all paediatricians across Gujarat and they had been instructed to maintain close coordination with the Gandhinagar headquarters. The state government has also involved the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and child specialists in efforts to tackle the outbreak.

Doctors operating small health centres and private clinics have been directed to immediately refer suspected patients to hospitals equipped with oxygen and ventilator facilities after providing primary treatment.

“Doctors running small health centres and private clinics have been instructed that if they come across suspected cases, they should not waste time and should immediately refer patients to hospitals with oxygen and ventilator facilities so that precious lives can be saved,” the minister said.

The health department has also stepped up preventive measures across the state. Pansheriya said health teams had completed spraying operations and public awareness campaigns in all 61 locations where Chandipura virus cases were reported in 2024.

According to the minister, no fresh cases have been reported from any of those 61 previously affected locations. In newly affected areas, authorities have immediately carried out fogging, spraying and sanitisation drives to eliminate sandflies, which are considered one of the vectors responsible for spreading the disease.

To curb transmission, adequate stocks of medicines and essential medical supplies have been made available even at the state’s smallest health centres, officials said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/chandipura-virus-gujarat-32-suspected-cases-3-deaths-children-under-10-2948024-2026-07-14

Saying the 25% maintenance formula is not binding, the Allahabad High Court enhanced a divorced woman’s monthly maintenance to Rs 20,000, stressing that courts must decide the amount based on the facts of each case.

The Allahabad High Court has clarified that the widely cited norm of awarding a wife 25% of her husband’s net salary as maintenance is only a broad guideline and not a mandatory rule, observing that courts have the discretion to fix a higher or lower amount depending on the facts of each case.

The court also held that “net income” for calculating maintenance generally refers to earnings after mandatory deductions and taxes, and not the gross salary.

Justice Achal Sachdev made the observations while deciding two connected criminal revision petitions: one filed by a divorced woman, Pinki alias Preeti, seeking enhancement of the Rs 12,000 monthly maintenance granted by a family court in Kanpur Dehat and the other by her former husband, Shri Jai Prakash, challenging the award.

The high court reiterated that a decree of divorce does not by itself disentitle a legally wedded wife from claiming maintenance if she is unable to maintain herself, has not remarried and is not living in adultery.

“The object of maintenance is to ensure that the wife is able to live with dignity and not merely survive,” the court observed.

It noted that the woman had no independent source of income, while the husband had sufficient financial means. The husband was drawing a gross monthly salary of Rs 86,674, with Rs 67,043 credited to his bank account after deductions.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s judgment in Kalyan Dey Chowdhury vs Rita Dey Chowdhury Nee Nandy (2017), the court said the 25% benchmark should be treated only as a guiding principle.

It further found that the family court had fixed the maintenance amount without properly considering the husband’s admitted income, prevailing inflation or documentary evidence on record.

The husband had also failed to submit an affidavit detailing his assets and liabilities as mandated by the Supreme Court in Rajnesh vs Neha.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/law-news/story/allahabad-high-court-25-percent-maintenance-guideline-wife-rs-20000-ptag-2948017-2026-07-15

 

The government clarified that an Indian passport is issued to regulate the departure of Indian citizens after due verification under the Passports Act, while noting that it is primarily a travel document and fewer than 8% of Indians hold one.

Amid an ongoing debate over whether passports can be used to verify citizenship, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday clarified that an Indian passport is issued by the government to “regulate the departure” of Indian citizens from the country under the Passports Act, 1967.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the document is issued only after due verification through an established process and noted that less than eight per cent of Indian citizens currently hold a passport.

Jaiswal’s remarks come weeks after senior MEA officials, during a briefing on Passport Seva Divas on June 24, described the passport as a travel document rather than a document to prove citizenship.

The clarification was made in response to questions on whether passports could be accepted as proof of citizenship for the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being carried out in several states.

Seeking to clarify the government’s position, Jaiswal said, “An Indian passport is a document that, as per the Passports Act, 1967, is issued by the Government of India to regulate the departure from India of citizens of India.”

He added that the issuance of passports is governed by the Passports Act, 1967, and the Passports Rules, 1980, and follows a prescribed verification process.

The June remarks had triggered criticism from opposition parties, particularly the Congress, which questioned how a passport issued by the government to an Indian citizen could not reflect the holder’s citizenship.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/indian-passport-citizenship-proof-debate-mea-regulates-departure-ptag-2947792-2026-07-15

The Odisha government told the Supreme Court that Dara Singh is being considered for Independence Day remission. The disclosure has raised the prospect of the Graham Staines murder convict’s release more than 26 years after the killings.

More than 26 years after Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons were burnt alive in Odisha, Dara Singh, who is currently serving a life sentence for the triple murder, could be released as part of the state’s Independence Day remission exercise, as per sources.

During the hearing of Singh’s plea seeking premature release, the Odisha government informed the Supreme Court that his name is among those being considered by the state’s screening committee for the release of eligible prisoners on Independence Day.

The state requested the court to defer the matter until the committee completes its exercise.

Accepting the request, a bench of Justices Manoj Mishra and Vijay Bishnoi adjourned the hearing to August 19.

The Odisha government’s limit for granting remission is 25 years.

Dara Singh, whose real name is Ravindra Pal and who hails from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh, is lodged in the Keonjhar district jail.

On the night of January 22, 1999, Staines and his sons Philip (10) and Timothy (6), were sleeping in their station wagon in Manoharpur village in Keonjhar when a mob surrounded the vehicle and set it on fire.

All three were burnt alive in an incident that drew international condemnation.

Following a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, Dara Singh was convicted for leading the attack. His life sentence was later upheld by the Supreme Court.

In July 2024, Singh approached the Supreme Court seeking remission, arguing that he had spent over 24 years behind bars.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/law-news/story/graham-staines-murder-case-main-accused-dara-singh-remission-odisha-supreme-court-idenpendence-day-2948106-2026-07-15

 

Poland has praised India’s role in efforts to prevent the Russia-Ukraine war from escalating, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the few leaders who can influence Russian President Vladimir Putin. Warsaw also said differences over India’s Russian oil imports have eased, highlighting improved mutual understanding between the two countries.

Poland has lauded India’s diplomatic efforts in relation to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the few global leaders whose views are taken seriously by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

#WATCH | Delhi: On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Secretary of State of the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski, says, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a very well-known world statesman, who is very respected, and India has a long-standing relationship… pic.twitter.com/R38wQurE9u

— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2026

Speaking to ANI, Bartoszewski said India’s longstanding ties with Russia have placed New Delhi in a unique position to encourage dialogue and help prevent further escalation of the war. He claimed that PM Modi had played an important role in late 2022 by persuading Russia against the use of tactical nuclear weapons during the conflict.

Describing PM Modi as a widely respected statesman, the Polish minister said President Putin pays close attention to the Indian Prime Minister’s views due to the decades-long relationship between New Delhi and Moscow. He added that India’s influence could prove crucial in efforts aimed at bringing the conflict to an end.

Bartoszewski also said appeals for restraint are more effective when they come from countries that Russia does not view as hostile. Alongside India, he identified China as another nation capable of influencing Moscow’s decisions.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/polish-minister-says-pm-modi-helped-prevent-nuclear-escalation-in-ukraine-war

 

Mercedes-Benz India responds after YouTuber Sourav Joshi blamed E20 petrol for his luxury SUV’s mileage dropping from 17 kmpl to 5 kmpl.

Popular Indian lifestyle vlogger Sourav Joshi recently triggered a massive storm on social media when he claimed that the fuel efficiency of his luxury Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV plummeted from an estimated 16-17 kmpl down to a shocking 5 kmpl. The culprit, according to Joshi? The government-mandated E20 (20% ethanol-blended) petrol. The video, which quickly went viral, showed Joshi expressing severe anxiety about potential engine damage and the logistical headache of transporting his premium vehicle from Haldwani to a Delhi-based service center.

I am scared to fill ethanol-blended petrol in my car. My Mercedes used to give 16–17 km/l mileage, but now it’s dropped to 5. My car will be ruined soon.

—India’s biggest vlogger, Saurav Joshi pic.twitter.com/IQgSgogFHm

— Mohit Chauhan (@mohitlaws) July 12, 2026

However, his public trial of E20 fuel has drawn a direct, highly calculated response from Mercedes-Benz India, throwing a spotlight on the danger of making sweeping mechanical claims on public platforms without professional diagnostics.

Mercedes-Benz Issues Clarifications

Responding to the building public concern, Mercedes-Benz India issued a formal advisory addressing the vlogger’s claims.

Customer Advisory pic.twitter.com/RxuTYl6Phz

— Mercedes-Benz India (@MercedesBenzInd) July 12, 2026

The statement reads, “The luxury manufacturer clarified that all of its modern vehicles sold in India are engineered to be fully compatible with E20 blended petrol. The statement reads, “At Mercedes-Benz, customer safety, vehicle reliability and performance are of paramount importance to use. All Mercedes-Benz petrol BS VI vehicles are materially compatible with E20 fuel and certified accordingly by elevant authorities. We are happy to support customers for any technical queries. Mercedes-Benz remains committed to sustainable mobility.”

The Vlogger’s Claim: Fact vs. Unscientific Friction

In his vlog, Joshi showcased his SUV’s digital instrument cluster to point out the rapid decline in fuel efficiency shortly after fueling up. While a drop from 17 kmpl to 5 kmpl is undoubtedly alarming, diagnosing this drop solely as an “E20 ethanol issue” is technically flawed in every regard.

In modern automobiles, fuel efficiency is governed by a highly complex network of electronic sensors, driving habits, idling times, and ambient conditions. Claiming a vehicle’s engine is failing or that fuel quality is the root cause based purely on a instrument cluster readout – without a physical engine check, fuel sample test, or a formal OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) scan is an unscientific approach. Pointing fingers at a structural fuel transition like E20 without an authorized technical inspection spreads unnecessary panic among vehicle owners.

What Could Rather Be Real Reason For Mileage Drop?

In reality, only a serious examination of the vehicle can reveal the exact reason for the increase in fuel consumption. Theoretically, however, there are multiple reasons for the drop in mileage.

• Prolonged Idling: Keeping a high-displacement engine running while stationary (especially with the air conditioning on during vlogging shoots) will cause the calculated mileage reading to crash.
• Driving Conditions: Short, stop-and-go city runs or bumper-to-bumper traffic in hilly terrains (like Haldwani) drastically impact fuel consumption compared to steady-state highway cruising.
• Electronic Sensor Calibration: Temporary sensor glitches can alter dashboard calculations without affecting the actual, physical fuel consumption of the vehicle.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/auto/youtuber-sourav-joshi-blames-e20-petrol-for-mileage-drop-mercedes-benz-issues-clarifications-11764630?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

 

 

In February 2020, northeast Delhi plunged into turmoil over the protests for and against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise

Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Tahir Hussain and four others have been convicted by a local court for killing an Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer during the riots in northeast Delhi in February 2020. The body of IB officer Ankit Sharma, 26, was found in a drain on February 26 amid the communal violence.

Hussain and the four others – Javed, Anas, Nazim and Kasim – have been convicted for murder and rioting, among other charges. The court, however, acquitted them of the charge of criminal conspiracy.

Six others were also acquitted due to lack of evidence.

What Happened That Day

In February 2020, northeast Delhi plunged into turmoil over the protests for and against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise.

Violence spread fast and engulfed neighbourhoods including Chand Bagh, Khajuri Khas and Mustafabad. The mobs threw stones, burnt shops and vehicles. Gunfire rang out in some of the affected areas.

Sharma had just reached home from work on February 25. He found the scene outside his house extremely tense. According to eyewitnesses and the police chargesheet, Sharma stepped out of his house seeking to pacify the mob.

He managed to reach an area where rioters had taken positions near a mosque and the former AAP MLA’s house. Soon, they surrounded him and started advancing, shouting slogans.

Sharma tried to leave but they caught him and dragged him toward Hussain’s house. There, they assaulted him with sharp-edged weapons and killed him.

According to Sharma’s father, Ravinder Kumar, the IB officer left home on the evening of February 25, 2020, but didn’t return home that night. The next day, Kumar heard about a young man who had been thrown into a drain. When they found the body, Kumar, a former police officer himself, felt devastated with the huge loss.

On February 26, Kumar filed a complaint with the police to find his missing son. During the search, some local residents informed the police that a young man had been killed and his body dumped into a drain.

The body was recovered with the help of divers. The injuries and details of the postmortem report shocked the nation. His body bore 51 deep wounds inflicted by knives and other sharp-edged weapons.

Doctors pointed out he was hit several times with such force that his lungs and brain were severely damaged. He died on the spot due to excessive blood loss. They threw the body into the drain to destroy evidence and make identification of the body very difficult.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/stabbed-51-times-body-dumped-in-drain-delhi-riots-horror-after-6-years-11766191?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

While Ladakh earlier had two districts, five more – Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass – were notified in April this year.

The Union Territory of Ladakh is set to get one hill council each for its seven districts and a UT-level body as Union Territory chief secretary Ashish Kundra made the announcement on Monday. Kundra described the move as a major step towards strengthening grassroots governance and balanced development across the region.

While Ladakh earlier had two districts, five more were formed in April 2026. The new districts of Ladakh are Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass. Elected representation until now has remained with the two existing councils, one each in Leh and Kargil.

“Ladakh Administration has decided to constitute Autonomous Hill Development Council in each of the seven districts. It is a major step towards democratic decentralisation and grassroots governance,” Kundra said, news agency PTI reported.

He said Section 3(1) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Act already provides for a council for every district, to be constituted from a date the government notifies in the gazette. Only amendments to the Act, where required, and a delimitation of constituencies remain.

The overarching UT-level body above the seven councils has been proposed under a customised Article 371 framework, with legislative, executive, financial and administrative powers, the official said.

The Chief Secretary said the model has no parallel elsewhere in the country and will draw on the best features of other arrangements.

This comes seven years after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir that ended the special provisions of the erstwhile state of J&K and also paved way for the bifurcation into two UTs of J&K and Ladakh.

Article 371 is a provision in the Constitution that grants special safeguards and autonomy to certain states and regions to protect their cultural identity, land rights, local employment and administrative systems.

Source : hindustantimes.com/india-news/customised-article-371-framework-ladakh-to-get-ut-level-body-hill-councils-for-all-seven-districts-101783951739301.html

Maharashtra’s FDA has launched a statewide drive against milk adulteration under commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. The action has exposed synthetic milk units, disrupted supplies and sparked calls for compliance time.

A massive, state-wide crackdown on milk adulteration is underway in Maharashtra, led by the Food and Drug Administration, which has unearthed synthetic milk production units and severe food safety violations.

The sweeping enforcement drive began May 25, the day IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe assumed office as FDA commissioner. Under his leadership, the agency issued an order tightening food safety norms across the entire milk supply chain, targeting dairies, transporters, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers.

“Milk is not merely a food product; it is a nutritional foundation for millions of children, mothers, patients and senior citizens. Adulterating milk amounts to playing with public health. Such practices will not be tolerated in Maharashtra. We have seen a decrease in supply of milk and paneer since we started action,” Mundhe said.

The intense scrutiny has caused ripples across the state supply chain, with videos going viral on social media showing people dumping milk into drains to avoid FDA inspections.

High-profile businesses have also been swept up in the enforcement blitz. The FDA recently suspended the license of Mumbai’s iconic ice cream parlour, K Rustom & Co. A surprise inspection of the establishment uncovered severe hygiene and food safety violations, including low milk fat compliance.

“We will continue our action will continue on establishments not following Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms. Citizens also should be aware about the norms and keep a close watch on hygiene standards,” Mundhe said.

Beyond the dairy sector, Mundhe has also initiated a state-wide drive against gutkha (a chewable tobacco product). As part of the anti-gutkha campaign, the FDA has raided around 904 locations across Maharashtra.

The sudden surge in regulatory enforcement has also raised public questions regarding whether significant oversight was being conducted during the tenures of previous FDA commissioners. Mundhe remains tight-lipped about comparisons with his predecessors.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/maharashtra-milk-adulteration-crackdown-tukaram-mundhe-fda-raids-synthetic-units-2947237-2026-07-14

Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah shared a satirical fake Donald Trump post to attack the BJP over the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. The post came as the National Conference prepared to intensify its protests against the BJP at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday stepped up his attack on the BJP over the long-pending demand for the restoration of statehood by sharing a satirical fake social media post purportedly from US President Donald Trump.

The parody post jokingly portrays Trump endorsing the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and praising Abdullah’s campaign, a day after the CM quipped that perhaps he might have to approach the US President since the Centre had failed to fulfil its promise.

The fake post, styled like one of Trump’s trademark social media messages, depicts the US President enthusiastically backing Abdullah’s campaign for statehood.

“Big things happening in Jammu & Kashmir! I have to give a big shoutout to my friend, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. What a guy! He’s working hard, talking smart, and fighting for statehood like a lion (without the roar… mostly),” the satirical post on X depicting Trump reads.

“Let’s bring back Statehood and make Jammu and Kashmir GREAT AGAIN! Believe me, nobody restores better than me… except maybe Omar in J&K,” the post added.

Abdullah shared the parody with a brief caption, “If Only”, on Monday.

WHY ABDULLAH INVOKED TRUMP TO MOCK THE BJP

The satirical post comes amid an ongoing political tussle between the National Conference-led government and the BJP over the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.

Addressing a public meeting at Maharaja Hari Singh Park in Jammu on Sunday, Abdullah announced that his party would begin a fresh agitation from July 20, with a protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session.

“We pursued the restoration of statehood for nearly two years, giving enough time to the Central government to fulfil its promise made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Abdullah said.

He added that the National Conference would now adopt “a new method” to press the demand.

Taking a swipe at the BJP, Abdullah remarked, “Let the BJP tell us whether we have to go to US President Donald Trump for statehood and hold a dharna outside the White House. Until then, we will protest in our own national capital.”

The protest will be the first major demonstration led by the ruling National Conference against the Centre since it formed the government following the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.

The restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood has remained one of the region’s most significant political demands since August 2019, when the Narendra Modi government abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

While the Centre has repeatedly stated that statehood would be restored at an appropriate time, no timeline has been announced.

CM ABDULLAH’S BRIBING OF MLAs ALLEGATIONS AND BJP’s LEGAL NOTICE TO THE CM

The exchange over statehood has unfolded alongside another political confrontation in the region. The BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit has served a legal notice on Abdullah after he alleged that the saffron party was attempting to lure National Conference MLAs with cash and ministerial positions in an effort to destabilise his government.

Demanding evidence for the allegation, the BJP warned that it would file a Rs 100-crore defamation suit unless Abdullah substantiates his claims or issues a public apology.

Responding to the notice, Abdullah dismissed it as a “love letter” by the BJP.

“I have received a letter from a lawyer… I consider this a great honour as I am the only politician in Jammu and Kashmir to have been bestowed with a love letter like this by the BJP. I consider it a mark of respect that I am obviously a political force in Jammu and Kashmir that they cannot ignore,” Abdullah said while speaking to journalists at the National Conference headquarters.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/omar-abdullah-trump-fake-post-jammu-and-kashmir-statehood-article-370-pm-modi-government-bjp-legal-notice-2946907-2026-07-13

An RTI response from the Railway Board has revealed the scale of Indian Railways’ encroachment challenge: 1,068.54 hectares of its land under illegal occupation as of March 2025. The figures reveal a worrying trend: encroachments have grown over the years and the Railways lacks a comprehensive long-term database of the problem.

Indian Railways is sitting on an encroachment problem large enough to fit nearly 42 Narendra Modi Stadiums or around 1,496 FIFA-standard football fields.

According to an RTI response accessed by India Today from the Railway Board, 1,068.54 hectares of railway land was under encroachment as of March 2025.

And the problem is not shrinking. The data shows that encroachments have increased over the past five years, while efforts to reclaim land have made limited progress.

ONLY FIVE YEARS OF DATA AVAILABLE

The RTI application, filed by India Today, sought a 25-year history of encroachment on railway land. However, the Railway Board provided only a five-year snapshot.

The data shows that the total area under encroachment rose from 810.31 hectares in 2020-21 to 1,068.54 hectares in 2024-25, marking an increase of nearly 32 per cent.

The figures are also in line with the government’s response in Parliament on March 27, 2026.

According to the government, as of April 1, 2025, Indian Railways owned approximately 4.99 lakh hectares of land, of which about 0.21 per cent, or nearly 1,068 hectares, was under encroachment.

JUST HOW BIG IS 1,068 HECTARES?

Numbers of this scale can be difficult to visualise, so here is some perspective.

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the world’s largest cricket stadium by capacity, occupies around 63 acres, or approximately 25.5 hectares.

The railway land currently under encroachment could accommodate nearly 42 such stadiums.

In football terms, the same area is equivalent to around 1,496 FIFA-sized football pitches. However, this comparison only considers the playing surface and excludes spectator stands, parking areas and other facilities.

A RISING CHALLENGE

The Railway Board’s Land and Amenities Directorate provided year-wise data on both encroachment and removal efforts.

In 2021-22, the area under encroachment temporarily declined to 782.81 hectares. However, the numbers rose sharply thereafter, reaching 1,078.55 hectares in 2023-24.

That marked an increase of nearly 268 hectares in a single year, the biggest jump during the five-year period.

Although there was a marginal decline in 2024-25, the overall trend remains upward.

Efforts to remove encroachments have made limited progress. Over the five-year period, only 98.02 hectares of encroached railway land was cleared, compared with the current backlog of more than 1,068 hectares.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER RECLAIMING RAILWAY LAND?

The government told the Lok Sabha that around 98.02 hectares of railway land was reclaimed from encroachment during the last five years.

The recovered land is used for railway infrastructure projects, including multi-tracking works, workshops, passenger terminals and freight terminals.

Land that is not immediately required for operational purposes is transferred to the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) for commercial development.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/railway-land-encroachment-india-1068-hectares-in-five-years-rti-2946990-2026-07-13

Nihang Sikhs blocked Ferozepur Road outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Ludhiana, demanding action in Fatehveer Singh’s death. The protest deepened tensions as police cited an SIT report calling it a natural death.

Ludhiana witnessed major traffic disruption on Monday as a large group of Nihang Sikhs staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office, blocking both sides of the busy Ferozepur Road and demanding justice in a three-year-old case involving the death of Nihang Fatehveer Singh.

The protesters began their sit-in around 10 a.m., occupying the middle of the road and bringing traffic to a standstill. Long queues of vehicles were seen stretching across the area as commuters faced significant delays due to the blockade.

The demonstrators alleged that Fatehveer Singh was brutally murdered nearly three years ago and accused the police of failing to take meaningful action in the case. According to the protesters, those responsible for his death continue to roam freely despite repeated demands for justice.

The Nihang Sikhs said they had been approaching the police and administration for the past three years seeking action but had received no satisfactory response. Frustrated by what they described as official inaction, they said they were compelled to take to the streets.

Protesters warned that their dharna and road blockade would continue until the police provide a concrete assurance of action and arrest those allegedly responsible for Fatehveer Singh’s death.

However, the police rejected the allegation that it was a murder case. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Harpal Singh said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had examined the matter and concluded that the case did not involve homicide.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/nihang-sikhs-block-ludhianas-ferozepur-road-demand-justice-in-3-year-old-death-case-2947224-2026-07-14

The use of the word “kharku” for Khalistani terrorists in Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj has reignited a debate over the vocabulary used in the film now taken down by ZEE5. What does the word mean? How’s it linked to the beheading of ML Manchanda, the station director of AIR Patiala, by Babbar Khalsa?

Around 18 minutes into the film, Satluj, the character of Jaswant Singh Khalra, played by Diljit Dosanjh, goes to a police station to report the “disappearance” of the mother of a slain friend, who the police call an “aatankwadi” (terrorist). As he looks for the woman, Dosanjh refers to the dead person as a “kharku”, seconds after he was called a “terrorist” by an officer.

Among other things, the use of the word “kharku” by the character played by Dosanjh for an individual allegedly linked to the Khalistani movement, attracted criticism. A person said the film, now taken off by streaming platform ZEE5, “legitimatised the word kharku”.

People also slammed the filmmakers, arguing that they adopted the vocabulary of Khalistanis who wanted to be referred to as “kharku”, not “atankwadi” or “terrorist”.

During the years of the Khalistani movement, armed insurgents and terrorists in Punjab sought to shape how they were described in the mass media. So, media organisations became obvious targets of violence, sometimes brutal and deadly.

One of the most alarming examples of the enforcement’s diktats, was the 1992 killing of AIR Patiala station director ML Manchanda by Babbar Khalsa terrorists. Babbar Khalsa has been named a terrorist organisation in India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union.

The terrorists targeted and killed the state broadcaster’s official over its programming and role as a government-run media outlet, and not specifically over the use of the word “kharku”. But the use of the term was part of the terrorist’s diktat, like the use of Punjabi instead of Hindi. The sheer brutality of Manchanda’s murder, with his head severed and dumped separately, showed the lengths to which the Khalistanis would go to terrorise the people of Punjab.

Babbar Khalsa terrorists abducted and beheaded in 1992 after demanding that AIR stop broadcasting Hindi and relay only Punjabi programmes. The murder was meant to terrorise the media into accepting the terrorist’s ideological and linguistic diktat. Now, the controversy over Satluj has revived the debate over the use and meaning of the word “kharku” and why and how ML Manchanda was murdered by the terrorists and his body mutilated.

WHAT DOES THE WORD ‘KHARKU’, USED IN SATLUJ FILM, MEAN?

“Kharku” or “kharkoos” is not a neutral description to name the armed Khalistani militants and terrorists. It was the term many of them used for the people who fought for Khalistan. It was their preferred nomenclature to be addressed with during the Punjab insurgency of the late 1970s to early 1990s.

Derived from Punjabi usage conveying someone bold, fearless or one who “shakes things up”, the label projected an image of a courageous warrior rather than an outlaw. Khalistani terrorists and militants often refer to themselves as “Kharku Singhs”, presenting their campaign as “a struggle for Sikh sovereignty”.

“Uggarwadi was the official term used freely in government statements and in the English-language media, state television and radio broadcasts. The official term stands in opposition to the more popular term Kharku, or freedom fighter. Both terms refer to masculine bodily styles — ugar or ferocious, kharag — honed; its etymological roots drawn from the weaponry — kharag — an iron scimitar,” author-academic Radhika Chopra wrote in a 2010 research paper.

The government, security agencies and most mainstream media, however, described them as “militants” or “terrorists”, reporting on the targeted killings, bombings, assassinations and massacres carried out by armed Khalistani foot-soldiers during the insurgency.

As they always are, the choice of words was also central to competing narratives about the Khalistani movement. And the film Satluj has made sure that the use of “Kharku” is still being debated.

WHY USE OF THE WORD, ‘KHARKU’ IS AT THE CENTRE OF THE SATLUJ ROW

Critics of Satluj and what has been portrayed, argue that calling terrorists “kharku” was giving in to the separatist movement’s choice of vocabulary, and implicitly legitimising the self-image.

However, a section of the Sikh society also referred to these men as “kharku” during that period.

“The panth… tended to perceive them as kharkoos or ‘combatants for the faith’ and not as terrorists,” former IAS officer Ramesh Inder Singh noted in his book, Turmoil in Punjab: Before and After Blue Star.

“Towards the end of the 1980s, the practice of inserting advertisements in newspapers to eulogise militants as shaheeds of the quam became common. The objective was to attract people to bhog functions, build goodwill for the cause and create an aura of martyrdom around the kharkoos. The ‘martyrs’ and their services to the panth were recognised by conferring siropas on their next of kin, and in some cases extending financial assistance. In the case of prominent militants, calls for bandhs and hartals were also given,” Ramesh Inder Singh added.

A siropa was also presented to General Dyer in the Golden Temple in 1919, days after the Jalianwala massacre. The circumstances and authorities were different then.

Ramesh Inder Singh also wrote that many within the Sikh community initially viewed the kharkoos as “combatants for the faith” rather than terrorists, but argued that they later “transformed from religious warriors to terrorists”.

“They had transformed from religious warriors to terrorists and, to expand their reach, they now executed a planned ‘consternation strategy’ to demoralise the security forces and paralyse the state administration. They aimed to gain international recognition, particularly among the Sikh diaspora,” former IAS officer Ramesh Inder Singh wrote.

So, now in 2026, the row over the term is a result of the historical divide over the Punjab insurgency. The same individuals were simultaneously and sometimes interchangeably described as a “martyr”, “militant” or “terrorist”, depending on who narrated the story.

HOW KHALISTANI TERRORISTS OF BABBAR KHALSA KILLED AIR PATIALA’S CHIEF

The power of terminology and narrative, and the Khalistani effort to enforce that, was revealed in one of Khalistani terrorism’s most gruesome crimes.

In May 1992, Babbar Khalsa terrorists kidnapped ML Manchanda, station director of All India Radio’s Patiala station. His beheaded body was later recovered in Patiala, while his severed head was found in Ambala.

According to reports, the terrorists had demanded that AIR discontinue Hindi and other non-Punjabi broadcasts and transmit only Punjabi programming. The killing was intended as a warning to state-run media and triggered protests, with radio and television stations across Punjab temporarily suspending broadcasts.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/satluj-kharku-controversy-terrorist-air-patiala-ml-manchanda-killing-khalistani-media-diktat-2946658-2026-07-14

The recommendations were prepared following the Supreme Court’s directions to address rising minor pregnancies and concerns over consensual adolescent relationships being prosecuted under POCSO.

The Centre on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that it is agreeable to introduce comprehensive sex education in schools and colleges across the country and will implement the recommendations of an expert committee once it receives the court’s approval.

Appearing before the bench, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati said the Central government has accepted the committee’s report and is prepared to roll it out nationwide after the Supreme Court gives its nod.

The development came during the hearing of a suo motu case examining ways to address the growing number of cases where consensual relationships between adolescents end up being prosecuted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Congress has criticised Prime Minister Modi for his silence regarding the alleged theft of donations intended for the Ram Temple, asserting that this indicates a breach of public trust.

Congress on Monday once again launched a scathing attack on the Centre over the Ram Temple donation fund theft case and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the matter is a breach of “public trust”. Congress General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP, Jairam Ramesh, wants the Prime Minister to address the issue as the matter is linked to the faith of crores of devotees. The development comes even as the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust invited applications for the appointment of a CEO, to look after the management of the temple.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Jairam Ramesh said, “Chanda chori, aastha dhokha. What does Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mysterious silence signify regarding the ‘chanda chori’ carried out by the BJP-RSS in the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the betrayal of public trust? Why is he so eager to aid the ‘chanda chor’ (charity thieves)?”

In another statement, the Congress leader said, “The nation is asking why the prime minister, who claims ‘zero tolerance’ for corruption, has remained silent on this serious issue for the past month? The public is demanding answers from him for this breach of trust. Dear prime minister, break your silence, provide answers.”

Satluj was released on July 3 on the OTT platform ZEE5. Two days later, the platform took it down, triggering a massive controversy in Punjab.

Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu has received a “should-remain-within-his-limit” warning from one of the most prominent faces of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Punjab, Iqbal Singh Lalpura, betraying an unease within the party’s state unit over its stance on the Dijit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj.

The genesis of the public spat was Bittu’s challenge of the premise of the controversial movie — that 25,000 unidentified bodies had been secretly disposed of when the state was in the throes of militancy.

“If anywhere 25,000… the unidentified bodies they have talked about, if that data is true, let them show that list in front of you. Forget 25,000, I am saying even the data for 5,000, they should place it in the media, place it before their commission, and place it in the Supreme Court, high court,” the Union minister told NDTV earlier this week.

Lalpura trashed this assertion.

“Everybody should stay within their limit. When Jaswant Khalra (the activist on whom the film is based) spoke about the disappearances of 25,000 people, he gave a message. The claim was verified by the National Human Rights Commission. If Bittu Sahib wants the data, he can seek it from the NHRC (National Human Rights Commission),” Lalpura said.

Lalpura, a former Indian Police Service officer, is among the three police officers who arrested militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in connection with a clash involving members of the Nirankari sect.

Satluj was sent to the Censor Board in 2022. It was finally released on July 3 on the OTT platform ZEE5. Two days later, the platform took it down, saying it was exploring other avenues.

The film is based on the struggle of Khalra to unearth alleged extrajudicial killings when militancy was at its peak in Punjab.

Satluj’s filmmaker had claimed that the Censor Board had asked him to make 127 cuts.

Sources had told NDTV that certain portions in ‘Satluj’ could be misused by anti-India forces.

What Had Bittu Said

In his interview with NDTV, Bittu had refuted allegations that the Centre forced the film off streaming platforms, calling it a “manufactured narrative”.

“They tried to use the film to light a fire. I am saying exactly this: that there was no ban at all; this is propaganda. They put the film on OTT, uploaded it themselves and took it down themselves,” he said.

Bittu, the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, who was killed in a 1995 bomb blast, alleged that the makers of Satluj glorified Jaswant Singh Khalra’s life but failed to depict the challenges faced by civilians and security forces fighting extremism.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/over-union-ministers-satluj-stance-punjab-bjp-leaders-stay-in-limit-barb-11762367?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

CDS to make a presentation before defence minister Rajnath Singh at month end for permission to get CCS approval.

General N S Raja Subramani, who recently took over as India’s third Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), is set to push the process of theaterisation and make a crucial presentation on the road ahead to defence minister Rajnath Singh by the end of this month, people familiar with the matter said.

While Gen Subramani’s predecessor, Gen Anil Chauhan, submitted his final draft proposal on the subject before he demitted office on May 31, the new CDS is expected to make a detailed presentation of the same proposal before all stakeholders and the minister, the people added. Once the minister green-lights the proposal, the theatre commands plan will be sent as a note to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for final approval by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The plan has been a work in progress since 2022.

At the core of the military theatre commands plan are Northern (facing China), Western (facing Pakistan) and Maritime theatre commands (with the Andaman and Nicobar Island command). Under the proposal, four new posts of four star commands, equivalent to the current service chiefs, will be created, including that of the Vice Chief of Defence Staff (VCDS). Each theatre command will be headed by a four-star officer, according to the plan.

While the political leadership is fully behind theatre commands as part of much-needed military reforms, the three service headquarters remain in two minds over the dilution of service chiefs’ powers; under the new structure, they will have no operational role. Their responsibilities will be limited to training and sustenance, with the theatre commanders taking instructions directly from the defence minister in times of war. The military-civilian bureaucracy is understandably cagey about creating four more posts of four-star officers, who will hold the same rank of ex-officio cabinet secretary as the service chiefs. While there is a case for not making the command structure top-heavy, the counterpoint is that the uniformed services thrive on hierarchy and seniority. Simply put, if the three theatre commanders were three-star officers, the service chiefs would dominate them and the entire exercise would fail.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/cds-gen-n-s-raja-subramani-may-soon-present-theaterisation-strategy-to-defence-minister-rajnath-singh-101783903374365.html

According to the complaint, when she pointed out that the form did not have a photograph, one of the women allegedly told her that she “belonged to Bangladesh and therefore would not affix her photograph”.

Police in Telangana’s Kamareddy district have registered a case after a 42-year-old woman Booth Level Officer alleged that three people, including two women, stopped her from doing her official work, abused her and assaulted her during house-to-house voter enumeration. Police said on Sunday that an investigation is under way.

In her complaint, the government official said the incident took place on July 10 while she was carrying out voter enumeration. She alleged that during the exercise, two women approached her and submitted an Enumeration Form, and a dispute broke out when she refused to accept it after finding that it did not have a photograph affixed.

According to the complaint, when she pointed out that the form did not have a photograph, one of the women allegedly told her that she “belonged to Bangladesh and therefore would not affix her photograph”. The BLO then refused to accept the form. The complainant alleged that the two women then “obstructed her from discharge her official duties, abusing and pushing her”.

She further alleged that a man later arrived at the spot, questioned her for rejecting the form by referring to Bangladesh, and threatened to kill her if she did not accept it. During the altercation, the accused allegedly snatched her mobile phone, damaged it, and abused and assaulted her, the complaint said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/telangana-voter-enumeration-kamareddy-blo-assault-rejecting-form-without-photo-ptag-2946309-2026-07-12

A woman Home Guard constable in Vaishali has alleged she was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by Subodh Paswan and others. Police have contested the allegations, citing a prior relationship.

A woman Home Guard constable has alleged that she was kidnapped and sexually assaulted in Bihar’s Vaishali district, while police have disputed the allegations, saying the case stems from a prior relationship between the woman and the accused.

According to the woman’s family, the accused, identified as Subodh Paswan, along with his brother and two others, allegedly kidnapped the Home Guard constable and her minor sister while they were returning from a market. The family alleged that both daughters were confined inside a house, where the constable was sexually assaulted.

The family further claimed that after they informed the police, officers rescued the woman Home Guard constable from the accused’s house. However, they alleged that the accused managed to flee from the spot during the police operation.

“My daughters had gone to the market with their father when Subodh Paswan allegedly kidnapped them. He also assaulted my husband when he tried to rescue them. We even went to Paswan’s house and pleaded with him to release my daughters, but he refused. Left with no other option, we approached the police. I want him to be sent to jail because he has been harassing my daughter for a long time. He is a married man with three children, yet he continues to assault my daughter,” the woman constable’s mother told India Today TV.

Mahua Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Sanjeev Kumar, however, presented a different version of events. He said the woman and the accused were previously in a relationship and that after she secured her job, she began distancing herself from him.

According to the SDPO, the accused allegedly molested the woman following a dispute arising out of the relationship. He said the case did not involve kidnapping or rape, adding that the woman had been sent for a medical examination.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/vaishali-home-guard-constable-kidnapped-sexually-assaulted-bihar-police-2946458-2026-07-13

Vijeta Dahiya’s dance videos from the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest stage at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, right next to a fasting Sonam Wangchuk, have gone viral. Dahiya says he wants to be the world’s first dancing activist. Here’s what Dahiya has to say about his dancing and Wangchuk’s reaction.

For artists, an empty stage is an invitation to perform. The sprawling platform setup at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation has become more than just a site of sloganeering. It has turned into a stage for music and dance. Among those making the most of it is CJP spokesperson Vijeta Dahiya, whose energetic dance performances have become one of the most talked about aspects of the protest.

“I want to be the world’s first dancing activist,” Dahiya told India Today Digital with a chuckle, insisting that dance is not a distraction from protest but a form of resistance in itself. “I’m using dance as a tool to protest against Brahmanvad,” he added.

But while Dahiya dances before addressing the gathering, just a few metres away, climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk continues his indefinite hunger strike, which is entering its 15th day.

Some join Dahiya on the stage while other participants dance below. However, a fasting Wangchuk seems to be numb to the efforts.

Wangchuk isn’t alone. History is filled with towering personalities who frown upon dance. Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy reportedly dismissed it as a frivolous pursuit, while English statesman Oliver Cromwell viewed dancing and theatre with suspicion.

Videos from the protest site show the activist from Ladakh maintaining a subtle silence as Dahiya grooves to music on stage, showing little sign of joining in or even acknowledging the performances. But, according to Dahiya, the dance performances at the protest site are not bothering him. Rather, “Wangchuk motivates them,” he said.

JANTAR MANTAR DANCE CLIPS SHIFT SPOTLIGHT FROM DIPKE TO DAHIYA

The action follows a thorough investigation that uncovered widespread irregularities in teacher recruitment carried out through local bodies between 2006 and 2015.

The Bihar Education Department has dismissed 3,035 government school teachers who allegedly secured their jobs using forged documents. According to a Dainik Bhaskar report, the state government has also decided to recover nearly Rs 1,400 crore, along with interest, paid to these teachers as salaries over the years.

The action follows a thorough investigation that uncovered widespread irregularities in teacher recruitment carried out through local bodies between 2006 and 2015. The scam came to light after the Patna High Court directed the Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB) to probe the appointments.

According to the report, the dismissed teachers allegedly submitted forged caste, Aadhaar, age, disability, and educational certificates to obtain government jobs. Investigators also found that several teachers had used fake CTET and TET certificates, while degrees issued by certain universities and colleges were also found to be forged.

Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari said the dismissals mark only the beginning of a larger crackdown.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, the minister said, “The investigation had been going on for a long time. Now it has come to light that the Vigilance Investigation Bureau has completed the investigation and found that more than 3,000 teachers had secured jobs using forged degrees.”

He added, “We have directed our departmental officials to take strict action. Going forward, the Education Department will ensure such stringent measures that no one dares to indulge in such fraudulent activities again.”

When asked whether the government would recover the salaries paid to the dismissed teachers along with interest, Tiwari said, “A decision will be announced once it is finalised. As I said, it will be a strict decision.”

The minister further said that all future recruitments would involve mandatory verification of candidates’ certificates before appointments are made.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/education/bihar-sacks-over-3-000-fake-teachers-to-recover-rs-1-400-crore-in-salaries-with-interest-11758206

The incident took place around 5:45 am near the 50th step of the pilgrimage route. The family, from Modaj village in Kheda district, was climbing the hill when the lion suddenly attacked in the presence of hundreds of devotees.

An 11-year-old boy was allegedly dragged away and killed by a lion while climbing Gujarat’s Girnar Hill with his family early Sunday morning, prompting authorities to suspend the pilgrimage and launch a massive search operation.

The incident took place around 5:45 am near the 50th step of the pilgrimage route. The family, from Modaj village in Kheda district, was climbing the hill when the lion suddenly attacked in the presence of hundreds of devotees.

The lion reportedly dragged the child into the nearby forest. Parts of the body were later found about 100 metres from the spot. The body parts have been sent for forensic examination.

The Forest Department immediately stopped devotees from using the Girnar steps and launched a search operation with trackers, forest guards and veterinary teams.

Within about four hours, officials captured the lion believed to be responsible for the attack. Two other lions spotted in the area were also captured as a precautionary measure and shifted to Sakkarbaug Zoo for examination.

According to Forest Department officials, the lion suspected of carrying out the attack vomited during examination, and body parts were found in the vomit, strengthening the suspicion that it was involved in the incident. The two other lions are also being examined.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/lion-snatches-boy-11-from-hill-in-gujarat-mauls-him-to-death-in-forest-11758805?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

A 16-year-old boy allegedly died of electrocution after coming into contact with a low-hanging electric wire connected to a government school in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district.

A 16-year-old boy allegedly died of electrocution after coming into contact with a low-hanging electric wire connected to a government school in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district, prompting police to register an FIR against officials of the Karnataka Electricity Board (KEB).

According to the FIR filed by the boy’s father, the incident occurred on Friday evening under the Koratagere Police Station limits.

The teenager was returning home after playing near the government school in his village when he came into contact with an electric wire hanging dangerously low. He was rushed to Sridevi Hospital by local residents, but doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/16-year-old-electrocuted-in-karnataka-parents-file-case-against-power-board-11759216?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

 

A Gandhinagar cyber unit has exposed a Rs 250 crore fraud network allegedly operated from Dubai and arrested 19 accused. The probe linked the suspects to 146 cyber crime cases across 21 states, showing the network’s wide reach.

A Gujarat Police cybercrime investigation has uncovered a Dubai-linked fraud network that allegedly siphoned off a collective amount of over Rs 250 crore through online scams, leading to the arrest of 19 accused from five cities, including an MBA student from a private university.

Investigators said the accused are linked to 146 cybercrime cases registered across 21 states, exposing the scale of an organised interstate racket.

The breakthrough came during “Operation Mule Hunt 2.0,” carried out by the Gandhinagar-based Cyber Center of Excellence.

The operation focused on five major cyber fraud cases registered in Vadodara, Bhavnagar, Surat, Patan and Gandhinagar. According to investigators, the syndicate operated through a network spanning Gujarat and Dubai, using multiple bank accounts to channel proceeds generated through online fraud.

Superintendent of Police Dr Rajdeep Singh Jhala said the accused worked together to provide corporate bank accounts in exchange for commissions, enabling the movement of money generated through cybercrime.

“The accused colluded and, lured by commissions, provided corporate bank accounts used for cybercrime; they committed these crimes in collusion with each other for financial gain,” he said.

The investigation found that the group relied on fake and rented bank accounts to route illicit funds and used bulk banking facilities to transfer large amounts simultaneously.

Victims were allegedly duped into downloading APK files and other applications or enticed with fake investment, trading, deposit and UPI-related schemes.

Police said the network was coordinated from offices in Surat’s Mota Varachha and Jahangirpura, while several operatives managed activities from Dubai.

Authorities arrested six accused from Mehsana and Gandhinagar, while another key suspect, described as the main handler of one of the accounts, was also taken into custody. Investigators said transactions exceeding Rs 161 crore were traced through a single accused’s bank account.

In a separate leg of the operation linked to the Vadodara case, four accused were arrested.

Police said they are connected to more than 101 cybercrime cases registered across the country, with alleged fraud amounting to over Rs 46 crore. Investigators also found that one of the accused is wanted in a murder case.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/dubai-cyber-fraud-rs-250-crore-19-arrested-146-crimes-21-states-2945858-2026-07-11

A positive operation theatre culture report has raised infection control concerns, but authorities deny any link to the deaths, maintaining the women died from medical complications rather than infection.

Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara has come under scrutiny after five women died within six days at its Maternal and Child Health (MCH) wing following Caesarean deliveries, triggering allegations of medical negligence and raising fresh concerns over patient safety in the state’s public healthcare system.

The deaths have also drawn attention to the hospital’s infection control measures after the operation theatre’s culture report returned positive, although authorities maintain there is no confirmed link between the report and the fatalities.

Hospital officials have rejected allegations of negligence, asserting that the deaths resulted from medical complications and not infection.

The latest victim, Sangeeta Jinagar (32), a resident of Potla, died on Friday after her condition deteriorated following a Caesarean delivery.

She was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) but could not be saved despite treatment. Her death sparked protests by family members, who accused the hospital of negligence in providing timely and proper medical care.

Her death followed those of Shimla Gurjar on July 5, Phori Devi on July 7, Isha Pandey on July 8 and Divya on July 9. In each case, the women reportedly developed complications after undergoing Caesarean sections, were admitted to the Medical ICU and later died during treatment.

Their families have levelled similar allegations, blaming the hospital administration and doctors for lapses in care.

The latest deaths have taken the number of maternal fatalities at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital since March to nine, with five occurring during the first 11 days of July alone.

The series of deaths has intensified questions over the hospital’s handling of obstetric cases and the overall quality of healthcare being provided.

The controversy has also highlighted concerns over the hospital’s surgical workload.

Around 30 to 40 Caesarean deliveries are reportedly performed every day, despite the hospital having only eight surgical instrument sets—five meant for routine procedures and three reserved for emergencies.

Since each surgical set requires at least three hours for sterilisation before being reused, concerns have been raised that the volume of surgeries may be exceeding the hospital’s operational capacity, potentially increasing the risk of infection.

Adding to the concerns, the operation theatre’s culture report returned positive, prompting questions over infection control protocols. However, it remains unclear whether the findings have any direct connection with the maternal deaths.

Hospital Superintendent Dr Arun Gaur dismissed claims that infection caused the deaths, stating that microbiological sampling from operation theatres and intensive care units is a routine practice.

He said disinfection and sterilisation are carried out continuously in accordance with the Infection Control Committee’s guidelines and that if any sample fails to meet prescribed standards, the concerned operation theatre is immediately taken out of service.

According to him, the affected OT has remained closed for the past three days for sterilisation and fumigation, and surgeries will resume only after fresh samples return negative.

A special committee comprising experts from the departments of Microbiology, Surgery, Gynaecology and Anaesthesia has been constituted to investigate the recent maternal deaths.

Bhilwara District Collector Jasmeet Singh Sandhu also inspected the hospital and, after reviewing available reports, ruled out infection as the cause, stating that the women died due to different medical reasons and that all necessary precautions were being followed.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bhilwara-maternal-deaths-five-women-die-after-caesarean-deliveries-at-mahatma-gandhi-hospital-2945877-2026-07-11

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra’s search committee has fixed the CEO post criteria and timeline. The move begins the process of appointing a full-time executive as the trust’s responsibilities grow.

Amid the Ram Temple donaton theft row in Ayodhya, the search committee of the Trust, constituted to appoint the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), held its first meeting on Saturday, finalising the eligibility criteria and selection process for the post.

According to officials, the committee decided that applications for the CEO position will be accepted until July 18. An official email ID is being created through which interested candidates can submit their applications.

The three-member search committee comprises retired Justice Pramod Kohli, Lieutenant General (Retd.) Vishnukant Chaturvedi and former Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust chairman Suresh Haware. During the meeting, the members discussed the qualifications, experience and selection procedure for the appointment.

As per the eligibility criteria, applicants must be graduates and should have at least 20 years of experience in administration or finance. Preference will be given to candidates with prior experience in temple management. The committee has also specified that the applicant must belong to the Hindu faith.

After the application deadline, the committee will scrutinise the applications and hold interactions with shortlisted candidates before making its recommendation for the appointment.

SELECTION TO BE DONE FOR 3 YEAR TENURE

Officials said the selected candidate will initially be appointed for a period of three years and will be required to reside in Ayodhya during the tenure. The committee is aiming to complete the selection process within one month.

To facilitate the recruitment process, the committee also decided to appoint a secretary who will assist in coordinating the selection procedure and handling administrative work related to the appointment.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/ram-janmabhoomi-teerth-kshetra-ceo-applications-open-till-july-18-2945894-2026-07-11

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari met the families of the Baruipur rape-murder victim and Indrajit Mondol, who died in a mob lynching. He announced Rs 25 lakh compensation and a civic volunteer job for Mondol’s family, inaugurated a police outpost with a women’s help desk, praised the police for arrests, and assured that all those involved in the rape-murder case would face justice.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday had met both the families of Baruipur rape and murder victim and the one who died due to ‘mob lynching’.

Adhikari gave compensation of Rs. 25 lakhs and a job to the family of Indrajit Mondol who was mob lynched.

Talking to the media, Adhikari says ‘radical forces’ behind the ‘mob lynching’ incident.

“Can’t call this incident as mob lynching as Indrajit was beaten to death after he said his name and his identity. Some radical communal forces or individuals rejected by voters may have played a role in the violence. Police are investigating the matter,” said Adhikari.

The West Bengal Chief Minister gave Indrajit’s elder brother a job of civic volunteer.

Notably, Adhikari in keeping with the request of the family members of the rape and murder victim also inaugurated a new police station with women help desk at Surjapur Rural Police Outpost under the Baruipur Police District.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/west-bengal-cm-suvendu-adhikari-meets-baruipur-victims-families-announces-25-lakh-aid-for-lynching-victims-kin

Abdullah said the MLA rejected the offer given by the BJP official, who also happens to be a Supreme Court lawyer, and informed him about the approach.

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has alleged that one of the National Conference’s MLAs was approached by a BJP official, who offered ₹20-30 crore and a ministerial berth to switch sides and join the party.

Abdullah said the MLA rejected the offer and informed him about the move.

“A BJP official, a Supreme Court lawyer, told one of my Jammu MLAs in a closed room, ‘We will give ₹20 to 30 crore, one ministry, and statehood. You walk with us.’ Do they think that the faith of these people is so cheap?” Abdullah asserted while addressing the gathering.

He further accused the BJP of attempting to come to power through “the back door”.

“BJP people, don’t consider us so weak. There will be no entry for you from the back door. You will not come to the front chair from the back door. Currently, the people have kept you behind, and you will remain behind,” he said.

BJP hits back

The Jammu and Kashmir BJP hit back at Abdullah over his allegation that the party was trying to topple the National Conference government, asking him to either identify the BJP leader allegedly attempting to poach NC MLAs or issue a public apology.

The party also warned that it would initiate legal proceedings against Abdullah if he failed to substantiate his claims.

BJP spokesperson and MLA RS Pathania accused the chief minister of trying to divert attention from his government’s alleged failures in governance by making “baseless” allegations against the BJP.

“Chief Minister Omar Abdullah should disclose the names of the MLAs who were allegedly offered money, identify the BJP leaders involved, and reveal when and where the alleged offers were made,” he said, according to PTI.

“If such a serious incident occurred, why was it not reported to the investigating agencies? An elected chief minister cannot make such allegations without placing evidence before the authorities,” he added.

NC to hold protest over J&K statehood on July 20

National Conference will be holding a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on July 20, demanding the restoration of full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. Abdullah said no permission has been granted yet to hold the protest, but that it would not stop his party from staging the sit-in.

CM Abdullah said, “We are still in the process of trying to secure that permission. It didn’t even take 24 hours for the cockroach party to get permission, whereas we have been at it for four or five days now. Some people are intent on sabotaging our program; they changed their dates to coincide with ours.”

Abdullah also appealed to other parties to come together, setting aside electoral battles, to fight for J&K’s statehood. He added that he has been wrongly accused of not “consulting others”.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/omar-abdullah-claims-bjp-offered-his-mla-20-30-crore-ministerial-berth-statehood-to-switch-sides-jammu-and-kashmir-101783778618250.html

The CBI has registered a bank fraud case against the directors of Furnace Fabrica (India) Ltd and searched premises in Mumbai and Cochin. The probe centres on alleged false financial disclosures, diversion of loan funds, and the roles of others linked to the case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a bank fraud case involving an alleged loss of Rs 133.52 crore to the State Bank of India (SBI) and carried out searches at multiple locations linked to the directors of a Private Company in Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Cochin (Kerala).

The agency conducted raids on July 10 at premises in Mumbai and Cochin, as part of its investigation into the alleged fraud.

The case was registered on July 9 based on a complaint filed by SBI’s Stressed Assets Management (SAM) Branch in Mumbai. The FIR names the directors of M/s Furnace Fabrica (India) Ltd — A.R. Basheeruddin, Badri Prasad, Nezee Basheeruddin, Raiz Basheeruddin and Sanam Basheer — along with unknown public servants and private individuals.

According to the CBI, the accused allegedly conspired to obtain enhanced credit facilities from SBI by submitting false financial information. The agency further alleged that funds availed from the bank were diverted or siphoned off for purposes other than those for which the loans had been sanctioned, resulting in a wrongful loss of approximately Rs 133.52 crore to the lender.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/cbi-books-mumbai-firm-directors-conducts-searches-in-rs-133-crore-sbi-fraud-investigation-2945367-2026-07-11

Locals have claimed that the teacher, identified as Ramesh Chandra, would remain intoxicated throughout the day. They have also alleged that he frequently roamed the school during working hours dressed only in an undergarment and a towel.

The headmaster of a government primary school in Uttar Pradesh’s Mahoba district has been suspended for allegedly misusing the institution’s premises to consume alcohol and indulge in other inappropriate activities.

Locals have claimed that the teacher, identified as Ramesh Chandra, would remain intoxicated throughout the day.

They have also alleged that he frequently roamed the school during working hours dressed only in an undergarment and a towel.

The alleged pattern of misconduct came to light after a viral video purportedly showed the headmaster lying on a bench in an inebriated state inside an empty classroom.

Meanwhile, vulgar video songs are seen playing on an LED screen installed as part of a smart school initiative.

A student said that the headmaster would threaten anyone with false cases under the SC/ST Act if they dared oppose his misconduct on the school premises.

A local said that the teacher would routinely use abusive language in front of children. He alleged that the school premises had turned into a venue for late-night drinking parties involving anti-social elements.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/uttar-pradesh-school-headmaster-suspended-for-alcohol-consumption-on-premises-mahoba-viral-video-2945397-2026-07-11

Pune Police has alleged that Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary pushed Ketan Agarwal off Lohagad Fort. The case now rests on whether investigators can prove an unbroken chain of circumstantial evidence.

The Pune Lohagad Fort murder case may finally come down to a few feet of rock. The rock from which 26-year-old Ketan Agarwal fell to his death on June 18.

In the three weeks since, what was initially treated as a trekking accident has become a closely watched murder investigation. A young businessman is dead before his wedding, his fiancee Siya Goyal, 20, and her boyfriend Chetan Chaudhary, 22, have been arrested. The police theory is that the two conspired to push Ketan off the Lohagad Fort.

Through official statements and unofficial briefings, the Pune Rural Police has gone some way towards convincing the public of their core theory: that Siya, unhappy with her arranged marriage to Ketan and in love with Chetan, conspired with her boyfriend to kill her fiance by pushing him off a cliff. According to the police, the planning involved cafe meetings, rehearsals and even a failed attempt.

That is the case as it exists in the headlines. None of this is proved yet. Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary remain accused persons.

For a court to find them guilty, that police story will have to move from allegation to proof. The alleged affair may establish motive; the cafe meetings and rehearsals may establish planning. Phone records, clothes, CCTV footage, location data and conduct after the fall may strengthen the chain. But for this chain to hold up in court, it must lead to one conclusion, and one alone: that Ketan did not slip, jump or lose his balance, but was deliberately pushed.

That is harder to prove than it is to allege — something the Pune Police appears to recognise. In a now-withdrawn plea for lie-detector tests, the police reportedly told a court that it had neither a direct eyewitness nor conclusive evidence establishing who allegedly pushed Ketan to his death. What they claimed to have were “confessions” by Siya and Chetan.

Senior advocate Tanveer Ahmed Mir dismisses confessions made in police custody as “bulls**t”. Mir, a prominent criminal defence lawyer who represented the Talwar couple in the appeal that led to their acquittal in the 2008 Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case, is equally blunt about public perception.

Public perception “never works in a court of law and never should”, he says. The job of a court is not to mirror the anger outside it, but to ask a cold question: what has actually been proved?

What makes the Lohagad case difficult is the kind of evidence on which it appears to rest right now: a murder prosecution built largely, perhaps entirely, on circumstantial evidence.

THE PANCHSHEEL RULES

The incident occurred during the hearing of a case filed by Prabal Pratap, a resident of Lucknow, who argued his own plea.

The Supreme Court on Friday witnessed an unusual incident when a person arguing his case used unparliamentary language against the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and threw papers inside the court in a fit of rage. The police detained him and the court, noting his “incoherent” conduct, decided to let him off.

The incident occurred during the hearing of a case filed by Prabal Pratap, a resident of Lucknow, who argued his own plea. The court sensed something was amiss as Pratap, dressed in a lawyer’s attire—a black coat and white shirt—began by saying, “Mr Judicial Servant, I order you to order the registration of the FIR against ACP (assistant commissioner of police), Vikas Nagar, Lucknow and against Duplex Technologies Services Limited.”

The bench, comprising justices KV Viswanathan and Alok Aradhe, asked: “Are you ordering us?”

The petitioner did not respond and continued his submissions. He said, “Duplex Technologies is running a cyber crime syndicate across the country.” Adding that he had nothing further to add, he said, “This is all from my side. Everything is on record.” He then took a bunch of papers and hurled them in the air, using unparliamentary language against the CJI.

Security personnel from the Delhi Police standing behind him swiftly caught and removed him as lawyers assembled in the courtroom watched the entire chain of events in utter disbelief and shock.

The case records revealed that Pratap had approached the Allahabad high court, challenging the order of the Special CJM (Custom), Lucknow, which directed his criminal complaint against Duplex Technologies to be filed as a private complaint. The high court turned down this prayer on April 6 following which he approached the top court in May.

On June 12, his petition was verified and registered for listing. Since he appeared in person, as per the Supreme Court Rules, 2013, one of the registrars in the Judicial Administration branch even interacted with him, certifying him to be fit to argue in person.

As the police questioned the petitioner, the bench summoned the concerned registrar to the court. “How did you certify that he is fit to argue?” the bench asked the official, adding, “You have stated that I am of the opinion that he is able to give assistance in a proper manner.”

As the court official stood clueless, the bench said, “Are you aware of what happened in court today? Did somebody tell you what happened?” Following a brief interaction, the court noted that the petitioner appeared to be “incoherent” during the court proceedings. Taking exception to the petitioner’s conduct, the bench said, “The petitioner-in-person in this matter, instead of presenting the case, made incoherent and unparliamentary utterances.” At the same time, the bench decided against pursuing the case further. “We have, however, considering the condition of the petitioner above named, do not propose to take any action against him.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/cji-abused-papers-thrown-behind-the-ruckus-in-supreme-court-by-lucknow-man-101783709274836.html

Shubman Gill is the fourth Indian captain to get an invitation to watch Wimbledon from the Royal Box, after Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill and batting great Sachin Tendulkar were among the celebrities at Wimbledon on Friday at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. In a viral picture, Gill was seen sitting alongside Tendulkar and his wife, Anjali, in the Royal Box on Centre Court. Gill is the fourth Indian captain to receive an invitation to watch Wimbledon from the Royal Box, after Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Shubman Gill with Sachin Tendulkar and Anjali Tendulkar at Wimbledon ❤️ pic.twitter.com/mLkqV9Tjfg

— Shubman Gill Fc (@ShubmanGill7fc) July 10, 2026

Tendulkar, considered one of the greatest cricketers ever, retired in 2013 after playing in his 200th test match. Wimbledon called him ” cricket royalty.”

Another former cricket star, Brian Lara of the West Indies, was also in the Royal Box, an area reserved for special guests invited by the All England Club.

Netherlands defender and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was also a guest. The Dutch were eliminated at the World Cup in the round of 32.

American actor Dennis Hoffman, 88, wasn’t in the Royal Box, though he was a guest there in 2024.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/wimbledon-2026/shubman-gill-joins-sachin-tendulkar-anjali-in-wimbledon-royal-box-viral-pic-breaks-internet-11755715?pfrom=home-ndtv_lateststories

 

When asked whether AI could make humans less intelligent over the next decade, Amodei said the outcome would depend on how society chooses to use the technology.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has said that artificial intelligence is likely to automate coding before taking over the broader field of software engineering, while emphasising that human-centred skills, critical thinking, and AI-focused industries will become increasingly valuable in the years ahead.

Speaking with Indian entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath on his podcast, Amodei discussed how AI is reshaping careers, software development, and education, while offering advice to young professionals trying to choose future-ready skills.

Responding to a question on which industries are likely to see the biggest disruption, Amodei said software development is becoming increasingly AI-driven.

“I think coding is going away first,” he said, adding that AI models will automate coding before handling the broader responsibilities of software engineering.

“The broader task of software engineering will take longer. But I think doing that end-to-end is going to happen as well,” he said.

ANTHROPIC CEO: “CODING IS GOING AWAY FIRST, THEN ALL OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERING” pic.twitter.com/4Sjo9LSB4C

— Vivek Sen (@Vivek4real_) July 8, 2026

However, he noted that certain aspects of software development would continue to require human involvement, including product design, understanding user needs, identifying market demand and managing teams of AI systems.

Even if humans contribute only a small portion of the work, AI can dramatically increase productivity, he said. “If you’re only doing 5% of the task, the AI does the other 95%, you become 20 times more productive.”

Asked what skills young people should invest in today, Amodei advised focusing on fields that complement AI rather than compete with it.

He suggested opportunities in semiconductor technologies and other traditional engineering disciplines that involve the physical world, while also highlighting the importance of professions centred on human interaction.

“Anything where you’re building on AI, where AI is the tailwind,” he said, adding that human-centred professions and industries combining analytical thinking with real-world applications are likely to remain resilient.

Amodei also stressed that critical thinking could become one of the most valuable skills in an AI-driven world.

“As AI can generate anything and create anything, having basic critical thinking skills may be the most important thing to success,” he said.

He warned that increasingly realistic AI-generated images and videos could make it difficult to distinguish genuine content from fake information, making “street smarts” and the ability to verify information essential.

The Anthropic chief also cautioned against relying excessively on AI, saying careless use could erode important human abilities.
Referring to students using AI to complete assignments, he said, “It’s basically just cheating on homework.”

He added that Anthropic’s internal studies found that some ways of using AI for coding can lead to “de-skilling,” while more thoughtful use can help people improve rather than lose their abilities.

When asked whether AI could make humans less intelligent over the next decade, Amodei said the outcome would depend on how society chooses to use the technology.

“If we deploy AI carelessly, then yes, people could become stupider,” he said. “Even if an AI is always going to be better than you at something, you can still learn that thing. You can still enrich yourself intellectually.”

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/education/coding-is-going-away-first-then-software-engineering-anthropic-ceo-dario-amodei-11754270?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

 

‘Satluj’, which dramatises the extra-judicial killing of Jaswant Singh Khalra by the Punjab Police in 1995, was banned by the government two days after its release.

As the controversy surrounding Satluj intensifies a week after its release, senior journalist Satinder Bains, whose reporting first exposed the abduction and killing of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, has said the Centre’s decision to ban the film was a mistake that only fuelled public curiosity.

Speaking to NDTV’s Senior Executive Editor Aditya Raj Kaul, Bains said the film is largely faithful to the historical record and rejected allegations that it glorifies terrorism or promotes separatism. He also said the renewed debate surrounding Khalra’s killing was now being politically leveraged by the Shiromani Akali Dal ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections.

Satluj, which dramatises the extra-judicial killing of Jaswant Singh Khalra by Punjab Police in 1995, was banned by the government two days after its release. However, the ban has done little to curb its circulation online, with the film continuing to be shared widely on WhatsApp and social media, reigniting debate over one of the darkest chapters of Punjab’s militancy years, the alleged mass cremations of unidentified bodies and the killing of the man who sought to expose them.

Bains, who covered the case for The Indian Express throughout the mid-1990s, said he had personally watched the film and found little to object to in its depiction of the events. According to him, the narrative is largely accurate, with only minor factual deviations, including the identity of the officer who fired the fatal shots and the portrayal of the assassination of a former Punjab Chief Minister.

NDTV has accessed The Indian Express report by Satinder Bains, published on May 5, 1996, under the headline “I Heard Two Shots, And I Ran Back. Khalra Had Stopped Breathing.” The report marked a turning point in the investigation, which until then had been treated as a missing person’s case.

Bains was the journalist who tracked down and interviewed Kuldeep Singh, a Special Police Officer (SPO) who had served as the driver of the Station House Officer allegedly involved in Khalra’s killing. Kuldeep Singh’s account, first documented by Bains and later recorded by the CBI, became a crucial piece of evidence that eventually led to the conviction and life imprisonment of five police personnel.

According to Bains, Khalra, then a bank employee turned human rights activist, had uncovered records suggesting that thousands of unidentified bodies had been secretly cremated in Punjab. Khalra estimated the number at around 6,500, while other activists put the figure much higher. Despite repeated warnings from senior police officers to abandon his investigation, he continued his work before being abducted from outside his home in September 1995.

Recounting Kuldeep Singh’s testimony, Bains said Khalra was allegedly tortured for several weeks before being shot dead inside a police station in late October 1995. According to the witness, his body was later disposed of at a location where the river’s current would carry it towards Pakistan. Bains added that Kuldeep Singh himself was later killed years after testifying and never received the protection or promotion he had allegedly been promised.

Bains also claimed that the late Punjab Director General of Police KPS Gill had ordered Khalra’s elimination. However, he acknowledged that no direct evidence ever linked Gill to the murder and said Gill consistently maintained during conversations with him that he did not know who Khalra was.

The veteran journalist also revealed that one of the convicted officers, DSP Jaspal Singh, has remained untraceable since securing bail from Nabha Jail in 2023. Bains said there appeared to have been little effort to locate him, a development he recently reported on his own news portal, Punjab News Express.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/satluj-row-only-amplified-curiosity-journalist-who-broke-khalra-murder-story-11755779?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

After the attacks, Rajkumar called his father and told him about the killings.

In a gruesome crime in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy, a 35-year-old man has allegedly killed his wife and children before murdering the teen girl who accused him of sexual harassment.

The accused, Rajkumar, first attacked his 30-year-old wife, Parvathi Saritha, and two sons — aged 4 and 1 — at their residence in Shabad on Friday night.

He then travelled to the house of a 17-year-old girl, who had filed a complaint under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against him on May 16. He took her in a car to a deserted location and then allegedly murdered her.

He also killed her 45-year-old mother and 65-year-old maternal grandmother. At the time of the incident, her 20-year-old sister, a person with disabilities, was also present in the house, but she was not harmed.

After the attacks, Rajkumar called his father and told him about the killings.

“He told his father, ‘I have done this. I have murdered these people.’ After that, he switched off his phone. He also said he was going to die by suicide, but that has not been confirmed yet,” senior police officer Tarun Joshi said.

“The accused is currently on the run. Special police teams have been formed, and we have developed leads. He will be apprehended soon,” he said.

A Love Marriage In 2018

Rajkumar and Parvathi had a love marriage in 2018. The couple initially lived outside the village before settling in houses they owned in Shabad and Devalaguda.

They had three children – their first child, a daughter, died in infancy.

In May, Rajkumar was arrested after a case was filed against him for stalking and sexually harassing the minor girl.

“The accused was following the girl from her coaching institute to her house and was pressuring her to accept his proposal,” Joshi said.

He said Rajkumar was on the run after the case was registered and later secured anticipatory bail from the court, as the sections invoked carried a punishment of less than seven years.

He was granted anticipatory bail on a personal bond of Rs 20,000 about a week before the sensational murders.

The officer said that Rajkumar had a history of behavioural issues.

“We called him two or three times for counselling. His family members have stated that his mental condition was not stable. He also had a gambling habit and had accumulated loans earlier,” he said.

‘Children Killed In Sleep’

Relatives who reached the house said that the children appeared to have been killed in their sleep, while signs of a violent struggle were visible in the room where Parvathi’s body was found.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ranga-reddy-out-on-bail-telangana-man-kills-wife-children-teen-he-allegedly-raped-and-her-family-11756511

Matthew VanDyke and others are accused of training and arming banned Indian insurgent groups.

Citing humanitarian grounds and claiming he has been unable to eat the food served in Tihar Jail, a US man arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a terror case has moved a Delhi court seeking permission to cook his own meals in prison.

Matthew Aaron VanDyke, a mercenary, has said the prison diet has forced him to remain on a hunger strike for over 50 days, prompting him to seek a kitchen-like arrangement with food supplies and utensils at his own expense.

In his application before Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma at Patiala House Court, VanDyke, who has been lodged in Tihar Jail since April, said he has been on a hunger strike since May 6 because he is unable to consume the “spicy, oily, deep-fried and greasy” food served in prison.

“The Applicant/Accused… has been constrained to remain on a hunger strike since 06.05.2026,” the petition states, adding that, as an American citizen, he is “not accustomed to the diet ordinarily served in Indian prisons”.

Through his lawyer, VanDyke has claimed the prison diet has caused “severe physical discomfort” and adversely affected his health.

The petition says he has lost nearly 30 pounds (about 14 kg), developed vision problems due to inadequate nutrition, and suffered a significant decline in strength, stamina and immunity.

Calling the request a humanitarian one, his counsel submitted that the proposed arrangement is intended solely to safeguard his health while he remains in judicial custody. The plea also states that VanDyke’s family is willing to bear the entire cost of the food, cooking equipment and related expenses.

The court has sought a response from Tihar Jail authorities and listed the matter for hearing on July 21.

VanDyke has sought permission to keep food items, including lentils, red meat, chicken, fish (shrimp), pasta, uncooked noodles, rice, potatoes, onions, beans, spices, bread, butter, olive oil, toned milk, soya milk and bottled water. He has also requested an induction cooker, pots, bowls and a plastic chopper so he can prepare his own meals.

Arrest

The NIA arrested VanDyke at Kolkata airport on March 13 along with six Ukrainians. According to the agency, they were part of a conspiracy to carry out terrorist activities against India.

Investigators have alleged that the accused maintained links with banned Indian insurgent groups, supplied them with weapons and other terrorist hardware, and provided training. The agency has also claimed the accused admitted during questioning that they were in direct contact with armed terrorists carrying AK-47 rifles.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/matthew-vandyke-mizoram-tihar-jail-food-spicy-oily-need-shrimp-pasta-us-mercenary-to-court-11750864?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The opening match of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2026-27 will take place in Chennai, with the Melbourne Renegades taking on the Perth Scorchers at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on December 12.

The opening match of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2026-27 will take place in Chennai, with the Melbourne Renegades taking on the Perth Scorchers at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on December 12. The announcement was made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, forming the centrepiece of a wider initiative to build a relationship between the two countries known as ‘G’day Namaste’. It will be the first time ever that a Big Bash League match will take place in another country, and BBL organisers said that they expect a huge crowd for the encounter.

“We know there are incredibly passionate cricket fans all over India, but particularly in Chennai. Everyone we’ve spoken to has been really optimistic that we should expect a good crowd,” Alistair Dobson, CA’s executive general manager of Big Bash Leagues, told reporters.

“What has become clear to us as we’ve built this event out is just how popular the BBL already is in India. It’s got nothing on the IPL, obviously, but the BBL is well-liked and respected. We can’t wait to see all the fans turn out, albeit I suspect there’ll be a fair chunk of yellow in the crowd,” he added.

The match will be a ‘home’ game for the Renegades, and both teams will be given extra time to return to Australia ahead of their next fixtures. The complete BBL schedule will be announced next week, according to media reports. Multiple BBL teams were interested in the fixture, but some teams did not formally apply in order to avoid a ‘hectic’ schedule.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/big-bash-league-in-chennai-teams-announced-for-overseas-season-opener-11751851

India and Russia jointly condemned the Pahalgam attack and the Red Fort terror incident at counter-terror talks in New Delhi. The meeting underscored a shared push for stronger action against evolving terror threats, financing and radicalisation.

India and Russia jointly condemned terrorism “in all its forms and manifestations”, including the Pahalgam attack and the terror incident near Delhi’s Red Fort last year, during the 14th meeting of the India-Russia Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism held on Wednesday. The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to deepen counter-terror cooperation on bilateral and multilateral platforms.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday, the two countries called for “concerted action against terrorists and terrorist groups, including those listed in the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee and their proxy groups and affiliates”. They also discussed current and emerging terrorist threats at the global and regional levels.

The meeting was co-chaired by Sibi George, Secretary (West) in the MEA, and Dmitry Lyubinsky, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Representatives of relevant departments and agencies from both sides also took part. The MEA said, “Both sides condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism and condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India on April 22, 2025 and the terror incident near Red Fort, New Delhi on November 10, 2025.”

The two sides shared their experiences in countering terrorism and agreed to enhance cooperation to address violent extremism, radicalisation, terror financing, and the use of new and emerging technologies and digital financial technologies for terrorist purposes. The MEA said both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation at forums including the UN, BRICS, EAG and SCO, and agreed to hold the next meeting of the joint working group in Russia on a mutually convenient date.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-russia-condemn-pahalgam-red-fort-attacks-deepen-counter-terror-cooperation-ptag-2944279-2026-07-09

The Amarnath Yatra, a year after the Pahalgam terror attack, which hit tourism and pilgrimage, has drawn record pilgrims. But the sacred ice lingam in the cave shrine has shrunk dramatically in just five days. Over 50 days of the pilgrimage are still to go. Is climate change alone to blame, or is there more to the story?

A year after the Pahalgam terror attack hit pilgrimage and tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, the ongoing Amarnath Yatra is witnessing an overwhelming response from devotees. With record numbers of devotees returning to the Amarnath cave shrine, the naturally formed ice lingam, also called the Baba Barfani, has melted by over 90%. Some reports even say that the ice lingam has almost disappeared just five days into the 57-day Yatra. People on social media have also claimed that the Amarnath ice lingam shrunk just days into the pilgrimage in Jammu and Kashmir.

Raising an alarm, and sharing images of the shrinking lingam, People’s Democratic Party (PDF) leader, Iltija Mufti, questioned the management of the pilgrimage during the Amarnath Yatra and sought intervention. Raising concerns over the environmental impact on the cave shrine, Mufti referred to a Supreme Court-mandated cap on daily pilgrims, which she said was 10,000. Mufti’s statement on X came even as authorities celebrated a sharp rise in pilgrim turnout after last year’s terror attack.

The shrinking of the sacred ice formation, which has been revered for centuries as Baba Barfani, has reignited an old debate. Is climate change melting the ice lingam earlier than before every year? Are rising pilgrim numbers and expanding infrastructure inside the fragile Himalayan ecosystem accelerating the lingam’s shrinking?

The Amarnath Cave Shrine is located at an altitude of about 3,888 metres (12,756 feet) in the Himalayas of Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district. It’s nestled beneath the Lidder Valley in the Kashmir Himalayas. Pilgrims can reach the shrine via the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route or the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route.

The pilgrims worship the naturally formed ice lingam, which is a seasonal ice stalagmite that waxes and wanes with the cave’s temperature and weather conditions.

IS RECORD PILGRIM FOOTFALL AT AMARNATH BEHIND EARLY MELTING OF LINGAM?

The Amarnath Yatra began on July 3 this year under unprecedented security following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. Despite security concerns, pilgrim numbers have surged.

At least 93,000 pilgrims visited the shrine in the first four days.

An Instagram video showed a woman climbing the Amarnath Yatra’s Baltal route with a wooden stick, a forearm crutch and prosthetic limbs.

According to The Hindu newspaper, more than 32,000 devotees had offered prayers by July 5, while over 20,000 pilgrims visited the shrine on the second day of the Yatra alone. This was the highest second-day footfall in several years. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who also heads the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), described it as a “massive surge” compared to the previous four years.

The administration, however, simultaneously expressed concern over thousands of unregistered pilgrims arriving without mandatory health certificates or RFID registration, warning that they were straining both security arrangements and infrastructure, reported the newspaper.

“We are seeing a large influx of unregistered pilgrims. I strongly urge those without prior registration to remain patient and wait for their turn. This cooperation is essential for a smooth and seamless Yatra experience,” Sinha said.

The Board has capped daily pilgrim numbers at 10,000 each along the Pahalgam and Baltal routes.

On being asked if there should be a limit on the number of pilgrims visiting the Amarnath cave shrine, Jammu and Kashmir CM Abdullah said a cap had already been placed by the Supreme Court, reported PTI.

HAS AMARNATH ICE LINGAM REALLY MELTED?

News reports from the shrine and accounts from devotees and journalists show that the ice lingam has shrunk dramatically within the first week of the Amarnath Yatra.

“Once again, the naturally formed Shiv lingam at Holy Amarnath Cave has melted within the first week of Amarnath Yatra,” India Today journalist from the Srinagar Bureau, Ashraf Wani, posted on X on July 6, while hashtagging global warming and Kashmir.

“Only a week into Amarnath Yatra and the naturally formed lingam has already melted,” PDP’s Iltija Mufti, the daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti, posted on X, asking if the proposed ropeway to the cave shrine was at all needed.

Srinagar-based entrepreneur, Vineet Kaul, who goes by the name GuyFromValley on X, said the Amarnath ice lingam “has not melted like this for the first time”, noting that similar early melting occurred in years such as 2004, 2006, 2007, 2016 and 2020. He, however, stressed that this example should not be used to ignore the issue.

Calling any proposed ropeway near the shrine “absolutely abhorrent”, Kaul argued that while infrastructure and safety should improve, the area’s ecology and sanctity must be preserved.

Some news reports claimed the ice formation had melted by over 90%. Others suggested it had almost completely disappeared. At the time of filing this report, the Shrine Board had not issued any statement or an official scientific assessment quantifying the extent of the melting.

A devotee from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, who visited the cave shrine during the initial days of the Yatra, told India Today TV that the shrinking of the ice lingam was clearly visible.

“The ice lingam has melted to some extent. This year, it has melted a little earlier than usual. The changing weather is also affecting people’s faith in a way, because earlier Baba would give darshan to devotees for around 40 to 45 days. In recent years, however, the duration has reduced to barely five to seven days. This time, we had darshan on the fourth day of the Yatra, but the ice lingam had already melted significantly. It has become much smaller,” he told India Today TV.

The naturally formed ice stalagmite waxes and wanes every year depending on snowfall, cave temperatures, humidity and weather conditions. Its size has never remained constant across pilgrimage seasons and years.

SO, WHY IS CLIMATE CHANGE THE BIGGEST FACTOR?

Scientists have repeatedly warned that the Himalayas are warming faster than many other mountain systems globally. Rising average temperatures, changing snowfall patterns and retreating glaciers have become increasingly visible across Jammu and Kashmir.

Media reports this week pointed to unusually warm conditions around the cave and surrounding glaciers as one of the principal reasons for the rapid melting of the ice stalagmite. The Amarnath cave lies at an altitude of nearly 3,900 metres. Even slight increases in ambient temperature, combined with changes in humidity inside the cave, can affect the growth and survival of the naturally forming ice structure.

Also, this is also not the first such episode. According to a report in AajTak Digital, the ice lingam melted within 29 days in 2018, 38 days in 2020, 28 days in 2022 and within about a week in 2024. This year, the melting appears to have occurred even earlier.

Weather or climate change might not be the only factor behind the quick melting of the lingam.

Over the past two decades, the Amaranth route has undergone significant changes. Roads have been widened, temporary accommodation has expanded, langars (community kitchens) have moved closer to the shrine, electricity and solar lighting have been introduced, and heavy machinery has been used to improve access. Recently, the Centre also approved a ropeway project. Discussions continue on a proposed tunnel between Sheshnag and Panchtarni.

While these steps have and would make the pilgrimage safer and more accessible, the cumulative impact of infrastructure expansion and rising human activity in an ecologically sensitive region might be altering the cave’s microclimate. Therefore, a growing number of pilgrims adds to those concerns.

Congress national spokesperson Ashwani Handa urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to order an “independent scientific study” to examine whether the recently built rain shelter near the Amarnath Cave was “altering the local microclimate and contributing to the faster melting of the Holy Ice Lingam”. Handa on X said a “transparent, evidence-based assessment” was needed to protect both the shrine’s sanctity and the fragile Himalayan environment.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/amarnath-ice-lingam-melts-within-days-record-yatra-footfall-climate-concerns-2944266-2026-07-10

A viral video has sparked allegations that a Booth Level Officer in Jharkhand’s Garhwa district demanded Rs 50-100 as “kharcha-pani” to process SIR forms. Villagers claimed money was sought for voter verification, while the accused BLO denied the allegations, calling them a conspiracy to malign her.

Allegations of extortion during the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise have surfaced from Jharkhand’s Garhwa district, where villagers claim they are being asked to pay money to obtain, fill and submit voter verification forms.

A video purportedly showing a Booth Level Officer (BLO) seeking “kharcha-pani” (expenses) while processing the forms has gone viral on social media.

The video shows Jamila Bibi, a BLO posted in Gorayaband Tola under Khapro Panchayat in Ranka block, demanding between Rs 50 and Rs 100 from residents for providing, filling and submitting SIR forms. Instead of directly asking for a fee, she is allegedly heard referring to the payment as “kharcha-pani”.

When India Today visited the village to verify the claims, several residents alleged that the BLO was indeed demanding money.

Some said they had already filled out their SIR forms but were reluctant to submit them because they were being asked to pay. Others claimed they were told to pay in exchange for assistance with the paperwork, despite the process being free of cost.

“The BLO is demanding around Rs 50 for filling up the form. If someone objects or refuses to pay, they are threatened, saying, ‘We will snatch your citizenship.’ We also approached several people, but they told us to let it go,” local resident Mohammad Parvez Ansari told the media.

Several people were also seen outside the BLO’s residence with completed SIR forms. Villagers said many residents had gathered there to complete the verification process, adding that there was confusion over the submission procedure.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/jharkhand-sir-garhwa-blo-cash-demand-voter-forms-video-2944565-2026-07-10

The Congress party criticised the Modi government, claiming that China retains significant influence over India’s strategic industries, as indicated by a recent report.

The Congress on Thursday attacked the Modi government, claiming that China still has power over India’s strategic industries, citing a report. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the government at the centre has allowed China to “capture” India’s most critical industries and open more opportunities for Chinese to “flourish”.

Kharge, based on a report, claimed that China still has power over India’s strategic industries to target the government.

Ketan Agarwal Murder Case: Ketan’s father urged authorities to ensure that the case is heard in a fast-track court and that those found guilty receive the strictest punishment.

Ketan Agarwal Murder Case: The father of Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal, who was allegedly murdered at Lohagad Fort last month, has written to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking a fast-tracked investigation and speedy justice for his son.

In an emotional email sent to the secretary to the president on Wednesday, Vishal Agarwal said his family had been devastated not only by Ketan’s death but also by the loss of his own father just 20 days later.

Vishal said Ketan’s grandfather could not cope with the grief of losing his grandson. His health deteriorated, his blood pressure dropped and he eventually died after suffering a cardiac arrest.

“I am writing this email with a heart full of pain and hope. I am not writing as a businessman or someone with influence. Main sirf ek baap hoon, jo apne bete ke liye insaaf maang raha hai (I am writing as a father seeking justice for his son),” he wrote.

‘Every Night, We Sleep With The Same Question’

Describing the pain his family has endured since Ketan’s death, Vishal said their lives had completely changed.

“My son Ketan was brutally murdered. Since that day, our lives have completely changed. Every morning we wake up with the same pain, and every night we sleep with the same question: When will Ketan get justice?” he wrote.

Vishal said the family’s suffering deepened when his father died within just 20 days of Ketan’s death.

“He loved his grandson more than anything. He could not bear the shock and grief of Ketan’s death. His blood pressure dropped, and eventually his heart stopped working. In just 20 days, I lost both my son and my father. Our family has been shattered,” he said.

Father Seeks Fast-Track Trial And Strictest Punishment

Vishal urged authorities to ensure that the case is heard in a fast-track court and that those found guilty receive the strictest punishment allowed under the law.

He stressed that the family was not asking for special treatment but only wanted justice without unnecessary delays.

“Delay in justice only increases the pain of families like ours,” he said.

Vishal added that while Ketan could never return, those responsible for his death should not be allowed to believe they could escape or delay the consequences of the crime.

“A strong punishment will not only give us some peace, but it will also send a message that innocent lives matter and that such crimes will never be tolerated,” he wrote.

Concluding his appeal, the grieving father urged the President to personally look into the matter and help ensure speedy justice.

“Please don’t let my son’s case become just another file. Behind this case is a family that has lost everything,” he wrote.

What Is The Ketan Agarwal Murder Case?

Ketan Agarwal, a 26-year-old Pune-based realtor, died after falling from a cliff at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18. What was initially believed to be a trekking accident later turned into a murder investigation.

Police allege that Ketan’s fiancee, Siya Goyal, and her friend and suspected lover, Chetan Babulal Chaudhary, conspired to kill him and pushed him into a gorge. Both were subsequently arrested and booked on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy.

According to investigators, Siya had initially told Ketan’s family that he had slipped during the trek. However, CCTV footage and other evidence reportedly raised suspicions about the presence of another person at the fort, eventually leading police to Chetan.

Police have alleged that the murder was planned in advance. Investigators suspect that Siya and Chetan met at a café hours before Ketan’s death to discuss the plan. Police have also claimed that the accused conducted online searches related to murder methods and rehearsed how Ketan could be pushed.

What Has Happened In The Investigation So Far?

As part of the investigation, police took both accused to Lohagad Fort to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to Ketan’s death. Investigators also used a dummy matching Ketan’s weight during the crime scene reconstruction and conducted a gait analysis of Chetan.

Police also seized Chetan’s two-wheeler, which he allegedly used to travel nearly 90 km to Lohagad Fort. Investigators suspect he chose a scooter instead of a car to avoid leaving a trail at toll plazas. A hoodie and headphones were also recovered during the probe.

Investigators have recovered data from three mobile phones seized from the accused and are examining digital evidence, witness statements and alleged secret conversations involving codewords, nicknames and emojis.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/dont-let-my-sons-case-become-another-file-ketan-agarwals-father-appeals-to-president-murmu-ws-l-10202524.html

The CCTV clip, shared online on X, has triggered emotional reactions, with many questioning whether warning signs of distress were systemically ignored.

A heartbreaking post on X has reignited the conversation around bullying in schools after CCTV footage from a classroom in Jaipur began circulating online. The video is allegedly from a school in Jaipur, where a class 4 student had died by suicide in 2025 after jumping from the fourth floor.

According to the post shared by @theskindoctor13, Amayra, who died on November 1, 2025, had been subjected to bullying for nearly 18 months, with classmates allegedly using abusive language, including remarks with sexual undertones. The post further alleges that despite repeated complaints from both Amaira and her parents, her class teacher dismissed the concerns and reportedly advised her to “adjust” with her classmates.

The parents have now publicly shared CCTV footage they say they obtained from the school. According to the viral post, the footage appears to show Amaira approaching her teacher multiple times on the day of the incident, but receiving no response. Addressing a press conference after the Jaipur Police filed the chargesheet on July 1, Amayra’s mother, Shivani Meena, alleged that it showed her daughter repeatedly approaching class teacher Punita Sharma for help after classmates allegedly showed her something inappropriate on a digital slate. “My child went from the ground floor all the way up to the fourth floor. Desks were set up at every level where someone should have questioned her, ‘Child, where are you going?’ No one stopped her until the fourth floor,” the mother was quoted by Free Press Journal.

Sharing the clip, the account wrote: “Hard to believe that teachers, even at such posh schools, are not trained to handle severe bullying or recognize a child in deep psychological distress. Totally preventable death.”

The post has sparked reactions, with many expressing grief and calling for greater accountability in schools. One user, identifying themselves as a teacher, commented: “I’m a teacher and i can clearly see, this classroom is a mess. Everyone is walking around, and two careless teachers are sitting there.”

Another shared a personal experience: “Apathy of teachers is very common. My own daughter who was 5 years old then, was in class Prep at DPS, Lucknow where her class teacher accused her persistently of ‘cheating’… She scolded her so much daily that my daughter refused to go to school… Thankfully we changed the school timely.”

Many said schools should be places where children feel protected. “Schools are supposed to be safe spaces, not places where children lose hope. The teacher who dismissed her cries, the administration that ignored complaints — they all have blood on their hands.”

Source : https://www.news18.com/viral/she-asked-for-help-repeatedly-cctv-of-10-year-old-girls-final-hours-in-jaipur-classroom-triggers-anger-online-10200387.html

The selection committee is expected to recommend three names to the Ram Temple trust, which will make the final appointment.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has begun the search for a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), with members of the selection panel saying the appointment is expected to go beyond administrative competence and focus on restoring the confidence of millions of devotees following the recent donation theft controversy.

The move comes days after the trust initiated a major organisational overhaul in the wake of the alleged embezzlement of temple donations, a scandal that has triggered political attacks, public outrage and intensified scrutiny over the management of one of India’s most significant religious institutions.

‘CEO Must Be A Ram Devotee’

Speaking to The Indian Express, retired IAS officer and selection committee member Suresh Haware said the person chosen for the post should not merely possess administrative skills but should also have deep faith in Lord Ram. Haware said the primary requirement for the CEO is “Ram ke prati shraddha ka bhav (devotion towards Lord Ram)”. “We are not looking for just an administrator. The CEO should be a Ram devotee. The responsibility before the new CEO will be enormous because the trust of devotees has been shaken,” Haware told The Indian Express, adding that rebuilding that trust would be among the appointee’s foremost responsibilities.

Haware said that the recent donation theft case has shaken the faith of devotees, making the new CEO’s foremost responsibility the rebuilding of public confidence in the trust’s functioning. The search is focused on integrity as much as experience, he said, adding that the committee is looking for a person with an impeccable reputation who can inspire confidence among devotees while also ensuring efficient administration of the temple and its affairs.

As per the report, the selection committee is expected to recommend three names to the trust, which will make the final appointment. The position is being seen as crucial because the CEO will oversee the temple’s day-to-day administration, financial systems and governance at a time when the trust is under unprecedented public scrutiny.

Leadership Shake-Up At Ram Mandir

The CEO recruitment exercise follows sweeping changes announced by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust after the donation theft case surfaced.

The trust has said the new CEO will play a central role in introducing stronger institutional safeguards and restoring public confidence. Trust officials have acknowledged that the controversy has deeply hurt devotees and stressed that reforms are aimed at ensuring greater transparency and accountability in handling offerings made by pilgrims.

The trust has already accepted the resignations of general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra, appointed interim arrangements and constituted a search panel to identify suitable candidates for the CEO’s post.

Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri has also said that the alleged theft might have been prevented had the trust earlier appointed a professionally experienced CEO with stronger administrative oversight.

The incoming CEO will be expected to strengthen financial controls, improve operational transparency and reassure devotees that every contribution is being safeguarded.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/devotion-to-lord-ram-primary-requirement-for-ram-mandir-trust-ceo-says-search-panel-member-ws-l-10202525.html