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On Monday, from 6 am to 4 pm, entry and exit will be prohibited at six metro stations in Delhi ahead of a Supreme Court march organized by opposition parties, including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge.
Entry-exit at six Delhi Metro stations will remain closed till 4 PM today in view of Opposition’s anti-CEC stir despite SC concerns on closure of metro stations.
Despite Supreme Court direction to the government during a special Sunday hearing not to close metro stations during peaceful protests in the national capital, entry and exit at six metro stations will remain closed today from 6 am to 4 pm. The order has come in view of the Opposition’s Supreme Court march, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in a post on X.
Which Six Metro Stations Are Closed Today
The six metro stations where entry and exit will remain closed are – Patel Chowk, Janpath, Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, Central Secretariat and Barakhamba Road, the DMRC said.
“The situation will be reviewed by the security agencies and necessary updates will be shared accordingly. However, interchange facility will remain available at all the concerned metro stations,” it further said.
Oppn To March To Supreme Court Amid Anti-CEC Protest
The opposition parties will march to the Supreme Court today, with Congress’ Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge seeking a meeting with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant to raise the issue of alleged “vote chori”.
The Chief Justice, however, declined to meet Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over “vote chori” allegations, saying similar matters are sub-judice in the Supreme Court, sources said.
Both Gandhi and Kharge had written to CJI Surya Kant for a meeting with him between 4 and 5 PM today but he refused to give an appointment. The move is yet another attempt to intensify their agitation against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Rahul Gandhi said opposition parties, civil society and youth would march to the Supreme Court to submit the memorandum to the CJI on behalf of the country, demanding an end to ‘vote chori’, CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, halting of SIR and switching back to paper ballot.
The Congress has termed Monday’s protest as “Chalo Delhi – March for Democracy” and said they would converge at 1.30 PM at Connaught Place-Barakhamba Road junction.
In a post on X, Gandhi said the march to the Supreme Court would be by Indians united beyond parties, gender, caste, community and state.
“Yesterday, the nation’s young came out in Delhi to peacefully protest. They came with love in their hearts, not hatred or anger. They were beaten, both by cops and BJP goons. This is not the India we want.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray warned of a Maharashtra bandh after police detained CJP supporters and party workers near Shiv Sena Bhavan and Shivaji Park. Aaditya climbed onto a police van demanding their release, while MNS leader Amit Thackeray questioned the detentions.
Mumbai Protest: Aaditya, Amit Thackeray Climb Police Van, Warn Of Maharashtra Bandh Over Detention Of CJP Protesters; VIDEO | X @amitrthackeray
The political temperature in Mumbai rose on Sunday as the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) joined protests in support of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), triggering tense scenes outside Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar and around Shivaji Park. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray warned the police of a Maharashtra bandh if party workers were manhandled, while MNS leader Amit Thackeray questioned the detention of protesters.
CJP Demands CEC’s Resignation
The protests were organised in solidarity with the CJP’s campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. While the party has been holding demonstrations in New Delhi, its supporters also attempted to stage a protest at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. However, the police had not granted permission for the gathering and detained several protesters and political workers to prevent the demonstration.
#WATCH | Mumbai | MNS leader Amit Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray staged a protest outside Shivaji Park Police Station against the detention of protesters. https://t.co/SWMRwMOD04
Tensions escalated outside Shiv Sena Bhavan when police began detaining Youth Sena workers and other party functionaries who had assembled to support the CJP campaign. Shiv Sena (UBT) workers alleged that the police attempted to enter the party office, leading to heated arguments and a confrontation.
Aaditya Thackeray, accompanied by his brother Tejas Thackeray, reached the spot and demanded the immediate release of the detained workers. In a dramatic escalation, Aaditya climbed onto a police van and blocked it from moving, insisting that the detained protesters be released. MLA Anil Parab also confronted the police over the action.
आदित्य ठाकरे व अमित ठाकरे यांचा गाडीवर चढून आंदोलकांशी संवाद
“Do not touch our Shiv Sainiks, or we will call for a Maharashtra bandh,” Aaditya warned, holding the state government responsible for the fallout. The confrontation continued for around 10 to 15 minutes, with a heavy police presence outside Shiv Sena Bhavan and senior officers reaching the spot to manage the situation.
from inside the police van. we were about to go to the station after thirty mins of waiting, and then Aditya Thackeray arrived. https://t.co/yBeFGk6eVo
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Mahesh Sawant criticised the police action, alleging that the party office was being targeted. He said the right to protest was being curtailed and argued that those genuinely participating in demonstrations should not be prevented from exercising their democratic rights.
Meanwhile, MNS workers also protested against the detention of CJP supporters. MNS leader Amit Thackeray questioned why people exercising their right to protest were being taken into custody. MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande and several other party functionaries were also detained, further angering party workers.
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke accused Delhi Police of denying him access to his phone and lawyers after his grandmother’s death. He alleged officers insisted he sign arrest papers at 3:30 am and deleted portions of a video showing his requests. His remarks came after police released footage showing him declining their offer to help him return home.
Abhijeet Dipke Questions Delhi Police Over Denial Of Phone Access After Grandmother’s Death, Alleges Video Was Edited |
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke alleged that Delhi Police denied him access to his phone and lawyers despite informing him of his grandmother’s death. His response came after police released a video showing him declining an offer to return home.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Sunday (October 11) questioned Delhi Police over its handling of his grandmother’s death while he was in custody, alleging that officers denied him access to his phone and lawyers despite offering to help him return home.
His remarks came after Delhi Police released a video showing him declining an offer to return home following the news of his grandmother’s death.
Dipke Alleges Police Denied Access To Phone And Lawyers
In a post on X, Dipke claimed that he had requested his phone for a few minutes to retrieve the contact number of his cousin, who lived with his grandmother, but the police refused.
“I had requested to let me speak to my cousin who lives with my grandmother. Asked for my phone just for a couple of minutes so I could at least take out the number of my cousin,” he wrote.
“Why didn’t Delhi Police let me use my phone? I had also asked for a call with a lawyer, which was again denied.”
Dipke also questioned why officers wanted him to contact his parents at 3:30 am to inform them about his arrest, particularly when his father had just lost his mother.
“At 3:30 in the morning, Delhi Police asks me to call my father and inform him that tomorrow I’ll be going in jail for a long time. The same father who has just lost his mother. How much more trauma did you want to put my family through after we already lost my grandmother?”
“What was the purpose of trying to call my parents at f-ing 3:30 in the morning? You wanted to torment them?” he added.
Police Insisted On Signing Arrest Papers, Claims Dipke
In another post, Dipke criticised Delhi Police for what he described as an attempt to take the moral high ground by publicising its offer to help him return home.
He alleged that officers approached him at 3:30 am with arrest papers and insisted that he sign them despite knowing about his grandmother’s death.
“The same Delhi Police which is now taking the moral high ground for informing me about my grandmother’s demise and offering me a ride home came to me at 3:30 in the morning with arrest papers, demanding that I sign them.
“Where did all that humanity go at 3:30 am? Despite knowing that I had just lost my grandmother, they still insisted that I sign the arrest papers. I refused until I was allowed to speak to my lawyers,” he added.
Dipke Accuses Police Of Deleting Portion Of Video
Dipke further alleged that Delhi Police had removed a portion of the video in which he requested access to his phone to contact his cousin and sought permission to speak to his lawyers.
“Why did you delete the part where I was asking for my phone so I could retrieve my cousin’s number? And where I was asking to let me speak to my lawyers?”
During a visit to Tamil Nadu, his first since the summer’s assembly elections, Modi called upon the youth to have confidence in their skills.
In this image posted on Oct. 11, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to supporters standing along the route during a roadshow upon his arrival in Chennai. PM Modi visited the city to inaugurate multiple development projects worth over 13,000 crore and launch Phase II of Chennai Metro Rail. (narendramodi.in)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country’s youngsters can provide solutions to emerging global challenges and contribute to India’s overall development as he urged them to “dream big, think differently, and be fearless”.
During a visit to Tamil Nadu, his first since the summer’s assembly elections, Modi called upon the youth to have confidence in their skills, make the most of the opportunities available to them and become the driving force behind the ‘Viksit Bharat’ goal.
Modi urges youth to ‘dream big, think differently’ for Viksit Bharat
“Today the world is looking for solutions, and you have the potential to provide them… There is infinite opportunity in India today. I urge all of you here to give yourselves a chance to be fearless. Work on your ideas. Dream big, think differently, and be fearless,” he said in Chennai while participating in the golden jubilee celebrations of Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School.
Modi’s visit was also marked by him unveiling development projects worth ₹13,000 crore, inaugurating a new stretch of the Chennai Metro, offering prayers at the Arulmigu Jalakandeswarar Temple, and maintaining that the Centre was committed to working with the state government to ensure Tamil Nadu’s growth.
In his address, Modi also reiterated the new slogan he coined last week — “We will do it” — to inspire citizens to work towards making India a developed nation by 2047, outlining economic and social goals for the country.
“Develop India by 2047. We will do it…Top three economies. We will do it. Self-reliant India. We will do it. Global manufacturing hub. We will do it. Hosting the Olympics. We will do it. An Indian on the moon. We will do it. Yes, we will do it. We will do it,” he said amid applause from the audience, which included students of the school.
Vijay seeks ₹5,110 crore in pending Samagra Shiksha funds from Centre
Earlier in the day, Modi, accompanied by chief minister C Joseph Vijay, governor Rajendra Arlekar, Union minister L Murugan and senior government officials, virtually unveiled projects worth ₹13,000 crore across sectors including railways, roads and ports at IIT Madras.
“As a CM, I understood the expectations of a state. After becoming PM, not only did I try to fulfil the aspirations but also made efforts so that the states met their aspiration goals,” Modi said.
The PM’s visit came a day after Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi visited Chennai and accused Modi of launching a “full-scale attack” on Tamil language, culture and history. Gandhi said that the delimitation exercise was designed to “punish” Tamil Nadu and reduce its voice in Parliament.
Modi reaffirms Centre’s commitment to Tamil Nadu’s development
In his address, Modi said that during his tenure as Prime Minister, he got an opportunity to work closely with several Tamil Nadu chief ministers — J Jayalalithaa, O Panneerselvam, Edappadi K Palaniswami and MK Stalin — to ensure that the state continued to prosper.
“Governments may change, but my resolve for Tamil Nadu’s development remains steadfast. With this determination to serve people, together with CM Vijay, we are taking forward the development of the state,” he said.
Modi stressed that he believed in making state development and national development go hand in hand. “Tamil Nadu’s manufacturing sector, its small-scale industries, and every person working make every Indian proud. Today, the central government initiatives like Make in India and Vocal for Local are bringing benefits to Tamil Nadu as well,” he said.
Vijay thanked Modi on behalf of the people of the state for inaugurating the projects but also urged the Centre to release ₹5,110 crore in pending funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme “without any conditionalities”.
“Under the SSA scheme, an amount of ₹5,110 crore of the central share is due to Tamil Nadu. I request the Government of India to release the amount without any conditionalities,” Vijay said. SSA is an integrated, centrally sponsored umbrella scheme for school education.
Vijay also called for the Godavari-Cauvery river-linking project to be designated a national project, saying it was essential to achieving water equity. “Godavari–Cauvery linkage project represents a critical opportunity to augment water resources in southern states, and we request the Union Government to designate it as a national project,” he said.
Modi also inaugurated the Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch of Phase 2 of the Chennai Metro Rail project, built at a cost of around ₹4,900 crore. Modi and Vijay together flagged off the new services and travelled on the Metro train. The new services are part of Corridor 4 of Phase 2 of the Metro Rail project. The newly inaugurated stretch has 11 elevated stations across approximately 15 km.
The Indian embassy in Muscat is coordinating with Omani authorities and the ship management companies to rescue the missing crew members and provide assistance.
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, October 2, 2026. (REUTERS)
India on Monday condemned a drone attack on a Nicaragua-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz that left two Indian seafarers missing, and said recurring attacks on mere vessels in the region risk aggravating a volatile situation.
The external affairs ministry said MT Petro Dolphin, which had 11 Indian seafarers on board, was reportedly struck by a drone in the Strait of Hormuz region on Sunday.
The Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) identified the two missing Indian crew members of MT Petro Dolphin as Bir Bahadur Yadav and Amit Singh. FSUI said the tanker was hit by a drone attack at Sohar Anchorage in Oman.
Another Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, MT Valthera, was struck on Sunday by an unknown projectile that caused a fire on board, though 11 Indian seafarers on board the vessel were “reported to be safe”, the ministry said in a statement.
The Indian embassy in Muscat is monitoring the situation and coordinating with Omani authorities and ship management companies for the rescue of missing Indians and to provide assistance to Indian seafarers.
While condemning the attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz region, the ministry said: “The safety and security of Indian seafarers remain a priority for the government of India. The recurring attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply concerning and risk further aggravating an already volatile situation.”
The Indian side reiterated the need for “immediate de-escalation and a resolution to the ongoing conflict through dialogue and diplomacy”.
The Opposition’s proposed intervention also comes amid its continuing campaign against the SIR exercise and allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls.
The proposed meeting had not been confirmed by the CJI’s office when the Opposition announced its plans on Sunday. (File Photo/PTI)
The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant has declined a request by Opposition leaders to meet him on Monday, citing extensive reasons why such an interaction would not be appropriate at this juncture and in the present circumstances, dealing a setback to the Opposition’s plan to seek his intervention over the crackdown on a youth-led protest in Delhi and alleged irregularities in electoral processes.
Among the key reasons cited were the pendency of related matters before the Supreme Court in its judicial capacity and the CJI’s own adjudicatory role in petitions concerning these issues, people aware of the matter said.
Opposition’s meeting with CJI
The decision came hours after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi announced that they had sought time to meet the CJI between 4 pm and 5 pm on Monday. Kharge had said that he and Gandhi had written to the CJI, seeking an opportunity to apprise him of their concerns over the functioning of constitutional institutions and request his intervention.
The Opposition had planned to raise several issues, including the police action against protesters demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the expeditious hearing of cases concerning the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and the composition of the committee that recommends appointments to the Election Commission.
The proposed meeting had not been confirmed by the CJI’s office when the Opposition announced its plans on Sunday. Kharge, speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, had said the delegation would place its concerns before the CJI with folded hands, adding that the leaders could not make demands of the head of the judiciary.
“We have scheduled a meeting between 4 and 5 pm, during which we will apprise him (CJI) of the situation. We cannot demand anything from him, but we will place our concerns before him with folded hands and request his intervention,” Kharge had said.
Protests in Delhi
The CJI’s refusal comes against the backdrop of four days of Opposition demonstrations in Delhi, including protests near the Election Commission of India (ECI), a sit-in at Rajghat and an attempt to march to the poll panel’s office. Opposition leaders had also met President Droupadi Murmu to raise their concerns over the Election Commission’s functioning and alleged electoral irregularities.
Kharge on Sunday accused the Narendra Modi-led government of imposing an “undeclared Emergency” in the country, alleging that the heavy police deployment and detention of protesters reflected an attempt to suppress dissent.
“The Prime Minister and the Home Minister have created chaos across the country. An undeclared Emergency is prevailing, and we will continue to fight against it. We will continue our fight to protect democracy and the constitutional rights of the people,” he said.
March towards Supreme Court on Monday
Rahul Gandhi had separately announced a march towards the Supreme Court on Monday, calling on Opposition parties, young people and civil society groups to join the protest. He alleged that young people who had taken part in a peaceful demonstration in Delhi on Saturday were beaten by police and BJP supporters.
“Tomorrow, we will march to the Supreme Court as Indians, united beyond party, gender, caste, community and state. Youth, all opposition parties, civil society groups, all those who believe in democracy and stand by the Constitution of India, will walk with us,” Gandhi said.
He had said the march would culminate in the submission of a memorandum to the CJI, seeking an end to alleged “vote chori”, the halting of SIR and the removal of Gyanesh Kumar as chief election commissioner. Gandhi also accused the government of attempting to intimidate those raising questions about electoral processes.
CJI’s inclusion in committee selecting election commissioners
The demand for the CJI’s inclusion in the committee selecting election commissioners is linked to a pending challenge to the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. Under the law, the selection committee comprises the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
The 2023 law replaced an earlier arrangement laid down by the Supreme Court, under which the CJI was part of the selection committee until Parliament enacted a law governing appointments. The Opposition has argued that excluding the CJI undermines the independence of the Election Commission.
On September 23, a bench of justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma delivered a split verdict on whether the challenge to the 2023 law should be referred to a Constitution bench. Justice Datta held that such a reference was unnecessary because the challenge could be decided on the basis of settled principles laid down in earlier judgments. Justice Sharma, however, favoured a five-judge bench, holding that the case raised substantial questions concerning the interpretation of the Constitution.
India Today Fact Check found that the video is nearly four years old and shows the victory parade after Argentina’s 2022 World Cup win.
By:Riddhish Dutta Kolkata,Oct 8, 2026 14:08 IST
Lionel Messi played his final match for Argentina’s national team on Tuesday, a 3-0 win over Benin at Buenos Aires’s Monumental Stadium, in front of 85,000 fans — and he scored a goal. Amid the emotional send-off, a video showing a massive crowd packed onto a multi-layered elevated overpass has gone viral on social media.
Sharing the video, a Facebook user captioned it: “Crazy scenes in Argentina ahead of Lionel Messi’s farewell. The entire country is out to celebrate Messi today.”
India Today Fact Check found that the video is not from Tuesday’s farewell match. It is nearly four years old and shows crowds that had gathered in Buenos Aires in December 2022 to celebrate Argentina’s World Cup victory.
OUR PROBE
Reverse-searching frames from the viral video led us to the same clip uploaded to the official ESPN FC YouTube channel on December 20, 2022. The caption said, “4 MILLION people in the streets of Argentina”, making it evident that the video is related to Argentina’s victory in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Apart from ESPN FC, several other football-related accounts also posted this video on December 20, 2022.
CBS News and others reported at the time that the visuals showed Argentina’s chaotic homecoming celebrations on December 20, 2022, two days after the team won the World Cup by beating France. At least four million fans poured onto thoroughfares, highways, and overpasses in Buenos Aires to see the team. This forced players to abandon their parade bus and get airlifted out by helicopter instead, turning the event into what was described as an “aerial parade.”
Wangchuk, who had initially called for unity during protests, expressed disappointment over detentions, stating he might resort to a hunger strike or a march if the detainees are not released soon.
Sonam Wangchuk warned he may launch a hunger strike or padyatra if those arrested are not released by Sunday.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Saturday called the situation in India an “undeclared emergency” as the national capital was turned into a fortress with Delhi Police’s sweeping crackdown in the wake of protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the alleged irregularities in the election process.
Wangchuk, who had appealed for unity and peace ahead of the protest, said he would consider an “Anshan fast” or a “padyatra” march if those arrested were not released by Sunday. Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, AISA president Neha Bora, activists Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, among others, were detained by the police.
“INDIA IN A STATE OF UNDECLARED EMERGENCY…When I posted a message appealing for unity & peace in today’s protest, I had never imagined that the biggest democracy in the world would be under an undeclared EMERGENCY,” Wangchuk posted on X (formerly Twitter) along with a video message.
“I was happy there were so many leaders to lead the movement. I hope those arrested will be released soon. I will be compelled to consider Anshan Fast or Padyatra March if they are not released by tomorrow,” he wrote.
INDIA IN A STATE OF UNDECLARED EMERGENCY…
Yesterday when I posted a message appealing for unity & peace in today’s protest I had never imagined that the biggest democracy in the world would be under an undeclared EMERGENCY.
I was happy there were so many leaders to lead the movement, but I now learn that they have all been arrested. I hope those arrested will be released soon. I will be compelled to consider an Anshan Fast or Padyatra March if they are not released by tomorrow.
#JantarMantar #protest #CJP #CEC #sonamwangchuk
Earlier on Friday, Wangchuk had explained why hewould not be able to attend the CJP-led October 10 protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Wangchuk said he was occupied with preparations for the approaching winter, including work related to water security and glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) risks in the high Himalayas. Wangchuk quoted Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, writing, “Aur Bhi Gham Hain Zamaane Main Siyaast Ke Siva… Rahaten aur bhi hain wasl ki raahat ke siva,” suggesting that there were other pressing concerns beyond politics.
CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde, who was designated to lead the protest by Dipke in his absence, declared, “Every day, there will be marches to Jantar Mantar from now on, until Gyanesh Kumar is sacked as CEC.”
CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde speaking at a press conference in Delhi on Saturday evening.X/@Cockroachisback
Asserting that they are unfazed by the mass detentions on Saturday, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and multiple student organisations announced another demonstration at Jantar Mantar at 10 am today, defiantly vowing to march to the protest site every day until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigns or is removed over allegations of “vote chori” and “collusion” with the ruling BJP.
“The government must have thought we will return home after the detentions today. This fear of [PM Narendra] Modi and [Home Minister Amit] Shah shows we have won half the fight,” said CJP national organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde, who’s leading the protest as top leaders of the pressure group, including its founder Abhijeet Dipke, remained under detention.
At least 3,000 people were detained, and later released, in a police crackdown across Delhi following the CJP’s call to gather at the protest site on Saturday in the heart of the national capital.
CJP leaders decried what they termed “brutal torture of innocent protesters” and said they did not know where Dipke and others had been taken after being picked up by cops from the plane as soon as their flight landed in Delhi around 11 am. They also said Dipke was being treated “inhumanely” and not being allowed to go for the last rites of his grandmother, who died in his hometown in Maharashtra earlier in the day.
Ajinkya Shinde was designated to lead the protest by Dipke in his absence.
“Every day, there will be marches to Jantar Mantar from now on, until Gyanesh Kumar is sacked as CEC,” said Shinde.
Srijan Bhattacharyya, General Secretary of the Student Federation of India (SFI), called for the “broadest possible unity against this dictatorial regime”, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “From Sunday, student protests will spread to different corners of the country. They will peacefully demonstrate everywhere, and wherever they are blocked by police barricades, that area will become a ‘Jantar Mantar’.”
The Congress-led INDIA bloc has also called for a protest on Monday, when its leaders are scheduled to meet Chief Justice Surya Kant at the Supreme Court to submit a memorandum, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said.
On Friday, the bloc handed a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu carrying four demands: Kumar’s resignation and repeal of the 2023 law that gives the CEC and election commissioners life-long immunity; immediate suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls and restoration of all 13.3 crore voters deleted from electoral rolls; a return to paper ballots for all elections; and repeal of all Assembly elections held in the last two years “in which conclusive evidence of vote chori has been presented”.
Over 1,500 people were detained across Delhi on Saturday as police, citing the denial of permission for the protest, moved to thwart the CJP’s call to gather at Jantar Mantar. Those detained included four former chief ministers: AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal, Trinamool Congress founder Mamata Banerjee, and the Left’s Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar.
Dipke was detained along with CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das. His paternal grandmother died in his hometown in Maharashtra while he was in custody; police said he was told he could leave for the funeral, but it was unclear by evening whether he would be released.
At least 25,000 personnel from Delhi Police and central paramilitary forces were deployed, gates at 45 Delhi Metro stations were closed, over 250 trains were cancelled, and internet services were suspended within a 4-km radius of Jantar Mantar. Police sources said women and senior citizens were being released first, but the deployment would continue on Sunday.
Rahul Gandhi, who is in Chennai for a student outreach event, posted on X: “Arrest all the leaders. Arrest all the young people. Arrest us all. We are surrounding you, and we are not going to back down… Youth of India, I am proud of you. Keep protesting.”
PM Modi will ride the Chennai Metro from Porur Bypass Station to Poonamallee Bypass Station and back, and pray at the Jalakandeswarar Temple.
PM Modi will inaugurate the Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch of the Chennai Metro Rail Project Phase 2
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Chennai on Sunday, during which he will launch development projects worth over Rs 13,000 crore.
According to the schedule, the prime minister will ride the Chennai Metro from Porur Bypass Station to Poonamallee Bypass Station and back, and pray at the Jalakandeswarar Temple. He will also attend the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School in the city, an official statement said.
“Development works worth over Rs 13,000 crore will either be launched or have their foundation stones laid in Chennai tomorrow, 11th October,” Modi said on X in the evening.
He said he will inaugurate the Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch of the Chennai Metro Rail Project Phase 2, which was built for Rs 4,900 crore.
“Coimbatore and surrounding areas to get new flyovers. Port-related infrastructure in Tamil Nadu to be enhanced. Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at IIT Madras to be inaugurated,” he said.
During his visit, the prime minister will either open or lay the foundation stone for National Highway projects worth around Rs 3,700 crore.
Opposition leaders questioned whether the police had entered the shrine without following Sikh religious customs, which require visitors to remove their footwear and cover their heads before entering the prayer area.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.
A day of barricades and detentions in Delhi took another turn on Saturday when protesters sought shelter at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. Soon, a video showing police personnel walking through a passage at the Sikh shrine with their shoes on went viral on social media, triggering allegations of disrespect and a political war of words.
The clip shows several uniformed officers moving through a passage on the gurdwara premises, some wearing shoes. Opposition leaders questioned whether the police had entered the shrine without following Sikh religious customs, which require visitors to remove their footwear and cover their heads before entering the prayer area.
The footage surfaced as police moved to stop a planned protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with demonstrators being detained at several locations across the capital.
“Did the police enter Gurudwara Bangla Sahib today? Is the BJP Govt out of its senses? They are wearing shoes and are not covering their heads,” Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj wrote on X.
Delhi Police, however, had a different explanation.
What Delhi Police Said
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, said the video showed personnel walking through a common passage used by devotees to reach the point where shoes are removed before entering the gurdwara.
The same procedure applies to every visitor, police said, releasing another video to show the route.
The footage was circulated “deliberately with malicious intent”, police alleged, saying it could hurt religious sentiments and disturb communal harmony. Legal action was being initiated, the statement added.
The clarification addressed why personnel were wearing shoes in the passage, but did not specifically respond to the allegation that some officers had not covered their heads.
The video also drew criticism from other Opposition leaders.
AAP’s Punjab leader Aman Arora alleged that police had entered the gurdwara “WITH THEIR SHOES ON AND BATONS IN HAND”. The young protesters, he claimed, had sought refuge while respecting the shrine’s religious code of conduct.
Punjab Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira said the Nishan Sahib, the Sikh flag flown at gurdwaras, was a symbol of refuge. He went on to describe it as an attempt by the BJP government to stop protesters from seeking shelter.
“Dirty Politics”: Gurdwara Committee Chief
But Harmeet Singh Kalka, president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), raised a different question: what were protesters doing inside the gurdwara?
Kalka cited a separate video which, he alleged, showed protestors carrying placards and raising slogans on the premises. Some had also tried to force their way into the hall, he claimed.
“Aam Aadmi Party leaders have started indulging in dirty politics over the protest held in Delhi today. They are now trying to malign gurdwaras,” Kalka said.
He said gurdwaras were open to everyone, irrespective of their background, but their premises could not become a protest venue.
“A gurdwara is open to people from every section of society, and everyone is served equally. But protesters entered the gurdwara premises and tried to force their way into the hall. This is completely unacceptable,” he said.
Kalka also questioned the criticism over the police entering the premises to remove protesters.
“If protesters enter a gurdwara and the police have to come to remove them, what other option is there?” he asked.
People seeking food or shelter would always be welcome, he added, but political demonstrations inside the gurdwara would not be permitted.
Sirsa Targets Kejriwal, Praises Police
Delhi Minister and BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa joined the exchange, accusing people associated with Arvind Kejriwal of raising political slogans at the shrine.
In a post on X, he said the gurdwara was a sacred place for prayers, service and Sikh religious traditions, not a political battleground. He demanded an unconditional apology from the former Delhi Chief Minister and other leaders supporting the alleged conduct.
The Union home ministry ordered mobile internet suspended within 500 metres of at least eight temporary detention sites across Delhi from noon to 10pm Saturday.
Security personnel and police vehicles stationed in Connaught Place to maintain law and order following the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) anti-CEC protest demonstration, in New Delhi, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (PTI)
The Union home ministry approved the suspension of mobile internet around at least eight places across Delhi that had been designated temporary jails for Saturday’s protest, beyond the shutdown around central Delhi, according to records seen by HT.
The order, dated October 9 and approved by Union home secretary Govind Mohan, suspended mobile internet within 500 metres of each site from noon to 10pm on Saturday. “It is necessary and expedient so to do in the interest of public order and for preventing incitement to the commission of any offence,” it said.
The sites listed are Chhatrasal Stadium in Model Town, Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Bawana, the Yamuna Sports Complex in east Delhi, the Jasola Sports Complex in Sarita Vihar, a community centre in Daulatpur, two community centres in Chhawla, Jangli Ram Stadium in Kanjhawala and Surajmal Stadium in Nangloi.
Demonstrations and detentions were also reported in Bengaluru, Chennai, Jaipur and Chandigarh; Goa protesters held a rally.
Mumbai Police detained actor Imran Khan among protesters at August Kranti Maidan during demonstrations supporting the CJP protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar. (Raju Shinde/HT)
More than 800 people were detained across several states on Saturday as police moved to prevent protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The largest crackdown was reported in Mumbai, where police detained around 600 people supporting a nationwide movement led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
In Mumbai, more than 300 police personnel were deployed around Nana Chowk in south Mumbai to prevent protesters from reaching August Kranti Maidan, the proposed venue of a demonstration organised by civil society collective ‘Hum Bharat Ke Log’, led by Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
Police used drones to monitor the gathering and detained protesters, taking them to seven police stations. The crackdown began around 3.45pm as protesters gathered, raising slogans such as “Vote chor, gaddi chhod” (vote thief, vacate your seat). Police vans lined the streets, while officers broke up human chains and detained people, including Tushar Gandhi, his daughter Kasturi Gandhi, actor Imran Khan, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Varun Sardesai and CPI leader Prakash Reddy.
Police also stopped bystanders, checked their identity cards and questioned them about their presence in the area. “Regardless of the detentions, we will continue the struggle. This is a struggle for freeing and revamping every institution in such a way that instead of serving the powerful, they support the ordinary citizen. Until that is achieved, the struggle will go on,” Tushar Gandhi said.
Ayushi Jain (26), a visual artist who participated in the protest, said, “I have become concerned about how CEC Gyanesh Kumar was put in charge of an undemocratic exercise and how names have been struck off the electoral rolls. There is panic everywhere. The Election Commission was supposed to worry about this. Now the roles have been reversed. If a constitutional body is acting this way, then the same Constitution gives us the right to protest.”
CJP workers said they had emailed the Mumbai Police seeking permission to protest but received no response. Police, however, maintained that no permission had been sought and said protests were allowed only at Azad Maidan under Bombay high court directions. “We are in the process of registering cases, which will continue late into the night,” said a police officer.
In Bengaluru, police detained around 50 protesters belonging to left student organisations, including the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), as they marched towards the state election commission office.
AISA said in a statement: “While the Leader of the Opposition in the national capital stands on barricades, breaks through them and speaks about the right to protest, his own party’s government in Karnataka is resorting to the same tactics of barricading roads and preventing people from exercising that very right.”
In Chennai, nearly 130 protesters were detained in two separate incidents. Around 40 students protesting near Besant Nagar beach and another 90 people who gathered near Fort St George, which houses the state secretariat, were detained. All were released later in the day. “This is undeclared Emergency,” said DMK president M K Stalin.
The restrictions came into effect at 9 pm on Friday as a security measure ahead of the CJP’s planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar.
Interchange facilities are also now available at the affected stations. Images from the Rajiv Chowk and Janpath metro station in Delhi. (Gargi Shukla/HT Photo)
The Delhi Metro reopened entry and exit gates at 45 stations after a 25-hour closure on Saturday, imposed ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s planned protest against chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, which was later thwarted. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced that gates at all stations across its network were now open.
The restrictions came into effect at 9 pm on Friday as a security measure ahead of the CJP’s planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar.
Delhi Metro says all stations now open
In a service update issued late on Saturday, the DMRC confirmed that passengers could enter and exit all Metro stations. Interchange facilities were also available at the affected stations.
“The entry and exit gates of all Metro Stations of the Delhi Metro network are now open. The interchange facility at all the concerned Metro stations is also available,” the DMRC said.
The closure at 45 stations continued until 10 pm on Saturday, extending the restrictions by four hours beyond the earlier reopening time of 6 pm.
The affected stations included major transport hubs such as Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk, Janpath, Mandi House, ITO, Kashmere Gate and New Delhi. The restrictions followed a request from the Delhi Police over concerns that crowds could move towards sensitive locations.
The DMRC had earlier reduced the number of stations facing entry and exit restrictions from 57 to 45 after the Supreme Court criticised the blanket curbs. The top court had directed the Centre and Delhi Police to lift sweeping restrictions on metro and railway services.
Are trains cancelled today?
The Railways said that train services will run according to their regular schedules on Sunday, following cancellations and rescheduling on October 9-10.
The Railways had attributed the disruptions to unexpected road traffic between the two stations.
SC to hear pleas against violation of order on Delhi curbs
The Supreme Court will hear a contempt plea on Sunday alleging that authorities failed to follow its Friday order against blanket restrictions on metro and railway services. A bench comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana will take up the matter.
The petition alleges that despite the court’s direction to prevent inconvenience to commuters, 57 metro stations remained closed, several trains scheduled to arrive at or depart from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations were cancelled, and no traffic advisory was published in newspapers.
At the cost and speed at which data is available in India, it would not require an Elon Musk to cover the miles untouched by the virtual world.
Elon Musk (File photo)
Elon Musk is the world’s richest man. The planet’s only trillionaire. Owner of the most politically potent social media platform. Friend, funder, and till recently a federal colleague of the US President.
It is but obvious that Elon Musk loathes to wait his turn.
He has been making that amply clear and public through a barrage of childish, insolent posts on X aimed at India, PM Narendra Modi, and business leader Mukesh Ambani.
Musk wants to sell his Starlink satellite internet connections in India’s vast and hungry market. The company, owned by SpaceX, has received an initial Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) licence from India’s Ministry of Communications.
But the Modi government has not yet approved the launch of its commercial services. The government is making mandatory security assessments and has not assigned spectrum. The Ministry of Communications has clarified that Starlink is being treated on a par with other satellite providers such as Reliance’s Jio Satellite and Bharti Group-backed OneWeb.
Musk finds this unacceptable. He is convinced without proof that Mukesh Ambani is acting like an oligarch and stalling his bid behind the scenes. So, mirroring his friend and ex-boss Donald Trump, Musk decides to throw a mighty tantrum on X, the logic perhaps being if Trump can conduct diplomacy through social media, why can’t he push for a business deal by whipping up online outrage and shaming the Modi government to fold.
So, Musk starts talking the language of Rahul Gandhi.
“Ambani this, Adani that”, “Adani-Ambani run India” and suchlike.
Rahul Gandhi jumps in and welcomes Musk to India, never mind the limits of his authority and the distaste his Left and ‘liberal’ audiences have towards Elon Musk. Musk reciprocates, echoes more of Rahul’s language against the government.
Musk has some really bad advisors on India. Even worse if he strictly keeps his own counsel in such matters, because it is easier to change advisors than attitude.
By his ill-advised and ill-informed rant, Musk has made Starlink’s case worse. He has teamed up with a scion who does not currently have pecuniary powers or political popularity to move a single file at the Centre. It deepens concerns about the foreign hand, which Rahul has repeatedly pleaded for to topple Modi.
It will likely make the NDA government dig in its heels on approvals. It also drastically dilutes Elon Musk’s own popularity among India’s nationalist, Right-leaning lot. And before even entering India, Musk is bent on burning bridges with the nation’s biggest industrialist, and with it, the chances of collaboration across a range of sectors.
If he was mindful, he would understand that the delay in approval is predicated on India’s genuine concerns, not some grand conspiracy.
There are three major aspects of this controversy:
Online access
Cost of internet
National security
In this article in the three-part series, let us examine Musk’s claim that India is denying its masses the fruits of internet access.
India’s digital transformation since 2014 represents one of the largest mass migrations to the internet in human history. According to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) figures, the country has over 1.09 billion active internet users including 1.03 billion wireless data subscribers, putting India second globally only behind China.
India called OHCHR’s concerns over the Delhi events “misplaced” and an “unwarranted interference” in the country’s internal affairs.
India rejected the concerns raised by the UN rights body.
India has pushed back against remarks by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the events in New Delhi, calling its concerns “misplaced” and an “unwarranted interference” in India’s internal affairs.
In a post on X, India at UN, Geneva said the right to peaceful assembly is constitutionally guaranteed in India but is subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order.
“We have seen the OHCHR’s remarks about today’s events in New Delhi. India is the world’s largest democracy, where the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by our Constitution and safeguarded by robust institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media,” it said.
“As in every democracy, Indian citizens exercise this right subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order. The authorities, for their part, act in accordance with the law, and our courts remain available to all for redressal of any grievances,” it added.
India further rejected the concerns raised by the UN rights body, saying, “The OHCHR’s concerns are therefore misplaced and constitute an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India.”
We have seen the OHCHR’s remarks about today’s events in New Delhi.
India is the world’s largest democracy, where the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by our Constitution and safeguarded by robust institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media. As in every democracy, Indian citizens exercise this right subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order. The authorities, for their part, act in accordance with the law, and our courts remain available to all for redressal of any grievances.
The OHCHR’s concerns are therefore misplaced and constitute an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India.
In this context, OHCHR would also do well to devote comparable attention to large-scale protests elsewhere, consistent with its mandate of impartiality and non-selectivity.
Elon Musk criticized Mukesh Ambani over Starlink’s potential entry into the Indian market, questioning the contradictory claims of Ambani’s supporters regarding competition.
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk | File photo
Elon Musk has renewed his attack on Indian industrialist Mukesh Ambani over Starlink’s entry into India, accusing the billionaire’s supporters of indulging in “absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole” in arguing simultaneously that his satellite internet service cannot compete with “amazing low prices offered by Ambani’s de facto monopoly in India”, even as they claimed – in the same breath – that it poses a strong competitive threat.
In a post on X, Musk said competition from Starlink would benefit ordinary Indians by expanding consumer choice, and that while it could lower Ambani’s profits “he is not going out of business”. Musk also said that if, indeed, Starlink’s services were too expensive in India, consumers would not buy them, forcing the company to make its pricing affordable.
The “ridiculous arguments” by Ambani’s internet supporters “make no sense”, he said.
The ridiculous arguments by Ambani’s army of Internet shills make no sense
On the one hand, they say Starlink couldn’t possibly compete with the amazing low prices offered by Ambani’s de facto monopoly in India and then, in the same breath, they essentially claim that Starlink would be too strong of a competitor! This is absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole.
The reality is that competition would greatly benefit the average citizen in India by giving them more choices, as it always does. Ambani’s profits will be lower, but he is not going out of business. And, obviously, if Starlink is too expensive in India, no one will buy it, so SpaceX will need to make pricing affordable.
“On the one hand, they say Starlink couldn’t possibly compete with the amazing low prices offered by Ambani’s de facto monopoly in India and then, in the same breath, they essentially claim that Starlink would be too strong of a competitor! This is absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole,” the US tech trillionaire said.
The reality is that competition would greatly benefit the average citizen in India by giving them more choices, as it always does, he argued.
“Ambani’s profits will be lower, but he is not going out of business. And, obviously, if Starlink is too expensive in India, no one will buy it, so SpaceX will need to make pricing affordable,” Musk further said.
Musk, this week, has repeatedly taken potshots at Ambani, whose company is a major player in India’s telecom market and in the fray for satcom services.
On Saturday, he shared screenshots of media reports that alleged a Reliance-funded firm helped boost BJP campaigns on social media and a Reliance-linked company made large political donations to the ruling party.
Musk’s post on X featured an Al Jazeera report from 2022 headlined “How a Reliance-funded firm boosts BJP’s campaigns on Facebook” and an archived Indian Express report from 2024 on Qwik Supply, which reported that the Reliance-linked firm donated Rs 385 crore to the BJP and Rs 25 crore to the Shiv Sena through electoral bonds.
The post comes amid Musk’s scathing criticism of Ambani over the delay in the launch of Starlink satellite broadband services in India. Reliance has not publicly responded to Musk’s allegations, while the government has maintained that the country’s authorisation framework for telecom and satellite services is “fair and non-discriminatory” and that any suggestion that it was being applied selectively was “baseless and misconceived”.
Earlier, Musk had put up a post on X sarcastically addressing industrialist Mukesh Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani” and had accused him of seeking to protect a monopoly. Musk, in that post, had asked if Ambani would consider allowing his satellite internet service to compete in the country.
“Dear Prime Minister Ambani, Please accept my humble apologies for not realising that you are the real boss of India. Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?” Musk wrote.
He also said that there are many areas of India, as there are in all countries, with no internet access, which denies children the opportunity for education and small businesses the opportunity to sell their goods to a global market.
Starlink would change their lives for the better, Musk said.
Within minutes of that post on late Friday evening, Musk penned another one, saying Starlink has proven to be essential for saving lives during natural disasters throughout the world, when all other communication systems have failed. “So you would also be helping save men, women and children throughout India,” he added.
On Friday, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia asserted that India does not permit monopolies in any sector, and that despite the buzz around one particular company, three players — including Starlink — have received satcom licences and can start operations after individually meeting the security requirements and milestones.
Scindia said India doesn’t allow monopoly in any sector.
“Let me set the record straight. For us, the Department of Telecommunications, we are technology agnostic… Our job is to be able to provide the bouquet of services to every single customer. It is for the customer to choose in a free market which service he or she prefers, and within that service bouquet, which company’s service he or she prefers,” the Union minister said at a briefing at the India Mobile Congress here.
Scindia said that three entities — Musk’s Starlink, Reliance Jio’s satellite venture Jio Satcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb – have already secured licences, while Amazon’s Project Kuiper has expressed interest and will need to undergo the established procedure.
Rahul Gandhi said President Droupadi Murmu asked the Opposition to provide proof of alleged election malpractice after an INDIA bloc delegation demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal, suspension of SIR, restoration of deleted voter names and a return to ballot paper voting.
Rahul Gandhi ‘Shocked’ As President Murmu Seeks Proof Of ‘Election Chori’ Amid Opposition’s Attack On CEC Gyanesh Kumar | X / ANI
President Droupadi Murmu asked the Opposition to provide evidence of alleged electoral malpractice, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on Friday after a 10-member INDIA bloc delegation met her seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Speaking after the meeting, Gandhi said the delegation had told the President that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Kumar had conspired to undermine Indian democracy. He claimed Murmu had not rejected the allegations but had asked the Opposition to substantiate them.
“She asked us to bring proof of election ‘chori’ (theft),” Gandhi said.
#WATCH | Delhi: After meeting the President, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi says, “I sat in quite an unbelievable meeting. First, we took a memorandum to the President of India. In that memorandum, we clearly stated that the Prime Minister, HM Amit Shah, and CEC Gyanesh Kumar had conspired to destroy Indian democracy. The President in no way denied what we said, questioned what we said, or argued what we said. She accepted our statement and then told us that we needed to provide her with proof of ‘election chori’. I said that the evidence of ‘election chori’ is known to the entire country. State after state has been stolen. The 2024 election was stolen, and yet the President wants us to submit proof to her. This same group of people will be very happy to present the evidence of ‘election chori’ that we have collected to the President of India when she is ready to accept it…”
“The proof of election ‘chori’ is known to the whole country. State after state has been stolen. The 2024 election was stolen, and yet the President wants us to submit proof to her. We will happily take all the proof we have collected to her when she is ready to accept it,” he added.
Gandhi said he had expected the President to deny that electoral malpractice was taking place and affirm that India had a free and fair election system. He said he was “shocked and stunned” by what he described as her acceptance of the Opposition’s account. The President’s office did not immediately issue a statement on the meeting.
The delegation, led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Gandhi, submitted a memorandum demanding Kumar’s removal, suspension of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, restoration of names allegedly deleted from voter lists and a return to ballot paper voting.
India has condemned US Vice-President JD Vance’s description of Indian H-1B workers as “foreign indentured servants”, calling it deeply offensive. New PERM restrictions could delay green-card sponsorship for employees at Microsoft and other major IT firms, though existing H-1B visas remain valid.
India Slams JD Vance’s ‘Indentured Servants’ Remark On H-1B Workers Amid US Green Card Sponsorship Restrictions | Video |
India has strongly criticised US Vice-President JD Vance for describing Indian H-1B workers as “foreign indentured servants”, calling the remarks “unwarranted” and “deeply offensive”.
Vice President JD Vance announces the suspension of the PERM Program for Microsoft:
“Thanks to an ongoing investigation, we have decided to suspend the PERM program for Microsoft, which means they will no longer be able to take those H-1Bs and apply for permanent resident status within the United States of America. Now our message to Microsoft and to any other foreign or domestic corporation is quite simple. We obviously want you to thrive in the United States of America. We want people to invest in the United States of America, particularly the American technology sector. We’re the biggest boosters of your industry. We want you to continue to grow and to employ a lot of people, but we want you to employ American workers. And so our message to Microsoft is, you’re great American company, but you’ve got to hire great American workers. You cannot lay off American workers and then replace them with foreign indentured servants.”
In a post on X, Vance said the US had decided to suspend Microsoft’s participation in the PERM programme following an ongoing investigation. This means the company would no longer be able to sponsor eligible H-1B workers for permanent residency through the programme, he said. Vance said the Trump administration wanted companies to “employ American workers” and could not “lay off American workers and then replace them with foreign indentured servants”.
Speaking at a media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the description ignored the contribution of highly skilled Indian professionals to the US economy and innovation ecosystem.
#WATCH | Delhi: On the U.S. Department of Labor’s decision concerning the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) programme for certain companies, MEA Spox Randhir Jaiswal says, “We are aware of the U.S. Department of Labor’s decision concerning the Permanent Labor Certification Program, known as PERM, for certain companies. It should be noted that PERM is distinct from the H-1B visa programme. The suspension of PERM applications does not, by itself, affect the validity of H-1B visas or the status of H-1B visa holders and their dependents, though it could have some impact on the permanent residency or green card process for eligible employees of the affected companies. It should also be clear that talent mobility adds value to both economies, that of India and that of the United States. While it creates opportunities for Indians, it equally benefits U.S. companies by providing access to cutting-edge talent, innovation, research, productivity, competitiveness, and job creation. Besides creating shareholder wealth in the United States, this is an area of tremendous mutual benefit for the two countries. Our expectation is that all stakeholders in this process will appreciate this fact. The steps announced by the U.S. do not advance the shared ambitions of both countries. We continue to follow developments on this particular issue.”
He adds, “Regarding the comments made by the U.S. Vice President, let me say that we believe such descriptions are unwarranted and ignore the fact that Indian professionals in the United States are highly educated and skilled contributors to its economy and innovation ecosystem. Indeed, the history of the United States itself has been shaped by generations of immigrants whose labour, enterprise, and innovation have contributed to its growth and prosperity. Resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations is deeply offensive.”
“Resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial-legacy connotations is deeply offensive,” Jaiswal said.
The criticism came after the Trump administration announced a crackdown on alleged visa-programme fraud and restricted some companies from applying for permanent labour certification under the PERM green-card sponsorship programme.
Companies affected reportedly include Microsoft, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro and HCL Technologies.
On Thursday, Musk had asked whether Ambani was the “real boss” of India.
In Friday’s post, the trillionaire spoke about “monopolistic exploitation”.
Upping the ante in the war over providing satellite internet connectivity in India, tech trillionaire Elon Musk has once again taken to his own social media platform, X, and fired a volley.
“Dear Prime Minister Ambani, please accept my humble apologies for not realising that you are the real boss of India,” the Tesla and SpaceX CEO wrote.
“Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?” he asked, adding, “There are many areas of India, as there are in all countries, with no Internet access, which denies children the opportunity for education and for small businesses the opportunity to sell their goods to a global market. Starlink would change their lives for the better.”
Starlink, which is owned by SpaceX, is one of three Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite services – the others are Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jio Platforms – which have been granted telecom licences by the Centre.
For spectrum to be assigned and services to begin, however, the companies have to demonstrate compliance with security conditions. The Centre has said security assessment, which is part of this process, is underway.
The controversy began on Wednesday, when Musk, responding to a user on X, said Starlink, was being blocked in India by some “oligarchs”.
“Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are… This is a crime against the people of India!” the tech mogul wrote.
In a statement issued on Thursday morning, the Ministry of Communications said the claim was baseless.
“A post is being circulated on social media regarding the fairness of India’s regulatory framework for satellite communication services and suggesting that it is being applied in a discriminatory manner. The Government has put in place a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework for all telecommunication services, including satellite communication services,” it said.
Union Minister Chirag Paswan lambasted the Opposition for “spreading false narratives and playing politics” with protests against the Election Commission.
Union Minister Chirag PaswanNDTV Photo
Union minister Chirag Paswan on Friday said cancelling trains cannot stop India’s youth, as he lambasted the Opposition for spreading false narratives and playing politics with protests against the Election Commission.
Amid stringent security measures in Delhi ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) protests on Saturday and the ongoing Opposition parties’ protests, Paswan said bringing the city to a halt every now and then was not right.
Paswan, an ally of the ruling NDA, made the remarks in response to questions on students complaining about train cancellations, metro disruptions and heavy deployment of security personnel in the national capital.
“Bharat ke Yuva hain ye, inko koi nahi rok sakta prabhu. Jo log aise bhram failane ka prayas karte hain, kitini train koi rok lega, kitni conncetivity koi rok lega, kitni sadkon ko koi jaam kar dega. (These are the youth of India; no one can stop them. Some people are trying to spread false narratives. How many trains can be stopped, how much connectivity can be curbed, how many roads can be jammed),” Paswan said.
“Bharat ke yuva hain duniya ko raasta dikhane ka kshamta rakhte hain…koi unhe nahi rok sakta (The youth of India have the capability to show the way for the world. Nobody can stop them),” he said.
CJP has announced protests from Saturday to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and implementation of electoral reforms.
Slamming the Opposition, Paswan said they are playing politics and are keen only on protests but not interested in finding solutions.
Police teams had reached Rathee’s residence in Kendriya Vihar society, Sector 56, Gurugram, ahead of the planned protest in Delhi.
Bengaluru: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke in a conversation with YouTuber Dhruv Rathee (PTI)
Germany-based YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who recently travelled to India, has been detained at his residence in Kendriya Vihar society in Gurugram’s Sector-56 on Saturday morning after he didn’t listen to the requests of Gurugram and Delhi police teams to not travel to the national capital to take part in the CJP protest for which permission has not been granted, police said.
Delhi has been turned into a fortress, with more than 40,000 Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel deployed, and barricades and spike strips installed ahead of the Abhijeet Dipke-led CJP protest at Jantar Mantar. The protesters are seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
A senior official of Gurugram police said a Delhi police team had reached his residence, urging him not to travel to Delhi for the protest.
“Delhi police also communicated the scenario with us after which our teams also reached his home and urged him to comply with the law and help in maintaining peace,” he said.
“However, we were forced to detain him after he turned down all the requests not to travel to Delhi. We would have preferred not to detain him in case Rathee had listened to the law enforcement agencies,” the official said.
Gurugram police officials said that cops have been deployed at his home, who will remain stationed there till further orders.
CJP reacts
The CJP also confirmed through a social media post that Dhruv Rathee has been detained.
The outfit wrote on X: “The Dictator is TERRIFIED of young people who question its wrongdoings and refuse to stay silent!
In a separate statement issued on social media, the CJP said that it strongly condemns the Delhi Police’s “high-handed detention of Social Activist and Influencer Dhruv Rathee”.
Abhijeet Dipke said that PM Narendra Modi is “afraid as he fears that the people of this country will not vote for him after this”.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke during the ‘people’s tribunal protest, organised by various civil society groups against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, at Freedom Park in Bengaluru. (PTI)
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “dictator” and said that he is “afraid of the youth of the nation” as he left for Delhi from Mumbai to lead the protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday.
“Narendra Modi is a dictator. He is scared, which is why he has closed the Delhi Metro, roads, everything. If he is this scared of the youth of the nation, why is he sitting in the PM’s post?” he told reporters.
Questioning the curbs on Delhi Metro and heavy security blanket, Dipke asked in a conversation with news agency ANI later: “Do Narendra Modi and Amit Shah want to wage war against the people of their own country? Is Gyanesh Kumar so dear to them that they would unleash their police and army forces upon their own citizens?”
Dipke said that Modi is “afraid as he fears that the people of this country will not vote for him after this”.
Defending the group’s planned protest at Jantar Mantar, he said, “Protesting is our fundamental right. Article 19 grants us the fundamental right to protest in a democratic and peaceful manner, and that is exactly what we intend to do.”
More than 40,000 personnel deployed
With a massive gathering expected on Saturday, the Capital has been turned into a fortress, with more than 40,000 Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel deployed to prevent protesters from converging on Jantar Mantar for a demonstration called by the CJP against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral roll irregularities.
Jantar Mantar, the intended focal point of the protest, was sealed off even to media personnel. Its connecting roads were barricaded and manned by security forces, with loudspeakers at three key entry-exit points broadcasting warnings in Hindi and English against gatherings, processions, road blockades and other prohibited activities under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Delhi Police said more than 15,000 of its personnel had been deployed to handle Saturday’s anticipated protest, with around 26,000 central force personnel expected in the city.
One of the heaviest deployments was at the Tolstoy Marg-Sansad Marg intersection, a key approach to Jantar Mantar, and outside theParliament Street police station. At least two layers of barricades blocked pedestrian and vehicular movement towards the protest site. The carriageway leading to the Ashoka Road roundabout was blocked at Connaught Place’s Outer Circle, with traffic diverted to the opposite carriageway.
Security arrangements were tightened across central Delhi, with barricades, police vehicles and security personnel deployed along key routes.
A senior police officer said the New Delhi district had been divided into 20 zones, each headed by an officer of deputy commissioner of police rank. Barricades had been installed at 37 identified points from where protesters could potentially enter.
Officials privy to the deployment details said that CAPFs were also asked to send women personnel, including physically trained recruits, to manage and detain women protesters. Around 5,000 personnel from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh could also be deployed, the officer said.
Transport and communications restrictions
The restrictions extend well beyond the barricades. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) initially announced that entry and exit at 57 stations would be suspended from 9pm on Friday through Saturday, before revising the list late at night to 45 stations.
In a separate order, Delhi Police directed the suspension of mobile internet services within a four-kilometre radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing from 10pm on Friday to 10pm on Saturday. The order, dated October 9, was issued under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, and the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024, and directed Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Jio and MTNL to implement the suspension.
Delhi Police has registered 27 FIRs over opposition protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in the capital. The cases span multiple charges, while investigators are reviewing videos to identify those involved.
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi among INDIA bloc MPs marching to Jantar Mantar on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI)
The Delhi Police has registered 27 FIRs since October 2 in connection with multiple Opposition protests in the national capital against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, invoking offences ranging from obstruction of public servants to sexual harassment.
Protests have intensified in New Delhi over the past few days, with Opposition parties stepping up their campaign against Kumar following a recent report that accused him of taking arbitrary decisions regarding the voter roll revision, rejecting dissenting views by two fellow members of the three-member panel.
The FIRs have been registered against the protesters across six police stations and at least four of the sections constitute non-bailable offences.
While 22 FIRs invoked the common-intention provision, 18 cases included charges of disobeying an order promulgated by a public servant. Obstructing public servants and assault or use of criminal force against public servants are also charged in 17 FIRs each.
Charges of assault or use of criminal force against women and sexual harassment have also been invoked in FIRs related to the protests.
Delhi Police sources had earlier said that at least five FIRs had been registered against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders for allegedly obstructing public servants during their two-day protests.
MP Mahima Kumari said Jammu and Kashmir “is, and will always remain, an integral and inalienable part of India”.
MP Mahima Kumari delivered India’s Right of Reply in response to a statement by Pakistan’s representative in the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee. (Image Credit: X)
India hit back at Pakistan at the United Nations, accusing Islamabad of abusing the international forum to spread “lies and falsehoods” about Jammu and Kashmir and asserting that the Union Territory would always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.
MP Mahima Kumari delivered India’s Right of Reply in response to a statement by Pakistan’s representative in the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee, which deals with special political and decolonisation matters, on the agenda item of decolonisation.
“It is regrettable that Pakistan continues to abuse the UN platform to peddle lies and falsehoods about the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” India said in its response, shared by India at UN, New York, on social media.
Mahima Kumari also accused Pakistan’s armed forces and their proxies of killing civilians who had been protesting for their basic rights, freedoms and necessities in recent months.
“Pakistan, with an established record of military dictatorships, sham elections, incarceration of popular elected leaders, religious extremism, and sponsoring terrorism as an instrument of state policy, should in the future refrain from preaching homilies on this platform,” she said.
Reiterating India’s position on the region, Mahima Kumari said Jammu and Kashmir “is, and will always remain, an integral and inalienable part of India”.
The latest exchange comes after India confronted Pakistan over terrorism during a separate session of the UN General Assembly’s Sixth Committee, which was discussing measures to eliminate international terrorism.
Under the fresh directives, the ECI has introduced separate limits for Form-7 applications submitted online and offline.
The directives also specify the procedure for examining objections under Rules 19 and 20 of the RER, 1960. (Representative Image/ANI)
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday directed Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all States and Union Territories to impose strict limits on the number of Form-7 applications an individual can submit to object to names included or proposed for inclusion in electoral rolls.
The move follows repeated instances of individual electors filing multiple objections on unsubstantiated grounds. According to the Commission, such practices have caused inconvenience to genuine voters whose names were challenged and increased the administrative workload of election officials at the field level.
Under Rule 13(2) of the Registration of Electors Rules (RER), 1960, Form-7 objections or requests for deletion can only be submitted by individuals already registered in the electoral roll of the constituency concerned. Every application must be examined by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).
While political party-appointed Booth Level Agents (BLAs) are permitted to submit a limited number of applications in bulk, individual electors previously had no explicit numerical limits for offline submissions.
During the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) period, BLAs can submit up to 50 forms per day before the publication of the draft electoral roll and 10 forms per day thereafter. The existing Manual on Electoral Rolls, 2023, prohibited bulk filings by individuals and required EROs to cross-verify cases when an elector objected to more than five names. However, offline submission limits remained at the discretion of EROs, leading to administrative confusion.
New Limits On Individual Form-7 Applications
Under the fresh directives, the ECI has introduced separate limits for Form-7 applications submitted online and offline.
During the Claims and Objections period, an individual elector can file a maximum of 10 Form-7 applications throughout the entire period. During Continuous Updation, the limit will be five applications per individual elector per month.
Signature And Verification Requirements
The Commission has reiterated that applications not submitted within the prescribed period or in the required form and manner must be rejected by the ERO under Rule 17 of the RER, 1960.
Each application must contain complete details and carry the original signature of the objector. The use of signature seals has been strictly prohibited.
EROs have also been instructed to verify applicants’ credentials against the electoral roll to establish the genuineness of their submissions.
Hearing Process And Action Against False Complaints
The directives also specify the procedure for examining objections under Rules 19 and 20 of the RER, 1960.
Before deciding an objection, the ERO must issue a notice to the objector, conduct a personal hearing and record a separate statement for every Form-7 application submitted.
If the objection is found to be valid, the ERO must give the person whose name has been challenged an opportunity to be heard before issuing a final order.
The Commission has further directed that action be initiated under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, if an ERO finds that a complaint is false or fabricated. The provision concerns knowingly making false statements or declarations.
Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that the government was in contact with the ship management company to ensure the crew’s safety and well-being.
UKMTO said a vessel had been struck by an unknown projectile on Friday but initially did not identify the ship. (Representational)
A Panama-flagged crude oil tanker carrying 22 Indian nationals was attacked by a drone near Sharjah Anchorage off the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday (October 9) with all Indian seafarers on board safe, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said.
The vessel, MT GEM NO. 2, was struck by an unknown projectile about 13 nautical miles west of Al Jazeera, off the UAE coast, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The strike triggered a fire on board, which was subsequently extinguished.
“I am relieved to share that all 22 of our Indian seafarers onboard are reported to be completely safe,” Sarbananda Sonowal said, adding that the government was in contact with the ship management company to ensure the crew’s safety and well-being.
What Happened To The Tanker?
UKMTO said a vessel had been struck by an unknown projectile on Friday but initially did not identify the ship. Its first update said the status of the crew, the extent of the damage and any potential environmental impact remained unknown, adding that authorities were investigating the incident.
Two shipping and security sources later identified the vessel as the Panama-flagged crude oil supertanker GEM NO. 2, Reuters reported. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the strike.
The incident occurred outside the Strait of Hormuz area, according to maritime security sources cited by Reuters.
As the CJP’s protest on October 10 approaches, the Delhi Police is preparing extensively. Over 35,000 police and paramilitary members will be deployed at Jantar Mantar, with multiple surveillance measures in place, including facial recognition systems and drones.
Delhi Police prepares security plan ahead of the CJP’s October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
With just a few hours remaining ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s planned October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar, the Delhi Police has geared up for the demonstration in a massive manner. According to sources, the police have instructed their teams to detain anyone attempting to stage a protest, irrespective of their location in the national capital.
In addition to this, the Delhi Police has also instructed CAPF units not to issue weapons for the CJP protest deployment, sources informed. Letters have been sent to the concerned directorates regarding the allotment plan.
Unlike the deployment during the INDIA alliance protest, police teams have now been authorised to carry lathis and batons, sources said, adding that the teams have been clearly instructed to avoid verbal confrontations with the protesters to avoid deliberate attempts to record and circulate videos portraying police in a negative light.
6 Designated Detention Centres
In anticipation of the violence that might erupt on Saturday during the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar, sources informed that the Delhi Police is planning to shuft the detained protesters to six designated detention centres. The six detention centre are as follows:
Chhatrasal Stadium
Rajiv Gandhi Stadium
Yamuna Sports Complex
Surajmal Stadium
Community Centre, Daulatpur
Community Centre, Pandrawal
Additional women personnel from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have also been called in for the October 10 protest, sources said.
Multiple Facial Recognition Systems (FRS), additional CCTV cameras, rooftop spotters and drones will also be deployed across Central Delhi.
Over 35,000 Personnel To Be Deployed
According to sources, it has been learnt that more than 35,000 Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel are expected to be deployed for the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, where the protesters will be demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has maintained that permission to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar was not granted to the CJP.
Over 7,000 Protestors Expected
Ahead of the protest, the Delhi Police is expecting around 7,000 protesters to arrive in the national capital on October 10. In view of the protest, senior police officers have instructed personnel to exercise restraint and handle the situation in a completely professional manner, sources said.
According to sources, during a briefing by senior Delhi Police officers, personnel were clearly instructed not to react if any protester engages in provocative acts during the demonstration and to exercise maximum restraint.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra has issued a warning to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the restrictions on public transport in Delhi, aimed at controlling crowds for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra Photo : PTI
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra has warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over restrictions on public transport, with curbs being placed in the national capital in order to control the crowd who are approaching Delhi to participate in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest to build pressure on the Modi government to sack Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar amid a row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the Opposition’s vote-chori row.
Taking to X, Mahua Moitra said that if you don’t allow the CJP on October 10, then they will do it on 11, 12, or 13, or every day. “If they don’t allow @Cockroachisback on 10th, they will do it on 11th… or on 12th… or 13th… or… every day everyday… how long will Modi and Shah shut down Delhi to save these Chors?”
If they don’t allow @Cockroachisback on 10th they will do on 11th… or on 12th… or 13th.. or.. each day everyday… how long will Modi Shah shut down Delhi for to save these Chors?
Reacting to Moitra’s statements, CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka said, “Haa Ha, Good Idea.”
Nearly 150 Protesters Detained By Delhi Police
On Friday, Delhi Police detained around 150 protesters, who were trying to reach Jantar Mantar for the proposed CJP stir against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Sources said the 150 protestors were detained across the New Delhi area where police are using drones to monitor movement of people attempting to reach the protest site.
For CJP’s Jantar Mantar stir, police sources said over 600 other people were detained across all 15 districts of the national capital as part of preventive measures.
The preventive action is aimed at ensuring that people with criminal backgrounds do not create a law-and-order situation during the proposed demonstration, the sources said.
Police are also keeping a close watch on the movements of certain people, who could mobilise crowds or influence others to participate in the proposed protest, the sources said.
Surveillance has been intensified outside the residences of such people as part of the security measures, they added.
Police personnel have been deployed at strategic locations across the city, particularly in areas leading to Jantar Mantar and other sensitive locations, to prevent any untoward incident.
The security arrangements include heightened surveillance and monitoring of the movement of people suspected of attempting to disrupt law and order. Police are also keeping a close watch on possible mobilisation efforts ahead of the proposed demonstration.
The proposed protest has prompted heightened security measures in the national capital, with police maintaining a strict vigil to prevent any breach of peace.
On Wednesday, Musk had alleged that ‘certain oligarchs’ had blocked his company’s satellite communication services in India to protect their monopoly in the country.
Amid the ongoing controversy over Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite communication services in India, Musk on Thursday questioned whether Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani is the “real boss” of the country.
In a post on X, Musk said, “Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license?”
He then asked, “Is Ambani the real boss of India?”
Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license?
Musk’s remarks came a day after the Indian government rejected his allegation that Starlink’s satellite internet services were being blocked by domestic business interests. The government said all satellite communication companies were subject to the same regulatory and security requirements.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the ongoing conversation on X and replied to Musk’s post saying, “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy.”
The telecom ministry said India’s authorisation framework for telecom and satellite services was “fair and non-discriminatory” and termed any suggestion that it was being applied selectively “baseless and misconceived.”
The government has granted licences to three companies — Musk’s Starlink, Reliance Jio’s satellite venture Jio Satcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb. However, none of them can begin commercial operations until the required security assessments and spectrum-related approvals are completed.
“Security assessment as part of this process is currently under way in respect of all three licensees,” the telecom ministry said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Musk had alleged that “certain oligarchs” had blocked his company’s satellite communication services in India to protect their monopoly in the country.
Separately, Musk on Thursday reiterated the need for Starlink services in India to connect areas with bad or no internet and even no mobile network.
Musk shared some posts from Indian accounts on X complaining about telecom services in their area.
He alleged that the SP government had created an identity crisis for the state and its youth and that jobs were earlier dependent on ‘Saifai or sifarish (recommendation)’.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Credit: PTI Photo
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday warned the youth against “sharab (liquor)” and the Samajwadi Party, likening both to dangers that had “destroyed” the state, while taking a sharp dig at the opposition party’s PDA slogan.
He was addressing a programme in Lucknow where appointment letters were handed over to 470 sportspersons selected for recruitment in the Uttar Pradesh Police under the skilled players’ quota. Adityanath said the youth should remain wary of “two dangers.”
“Remember, in Uttar Pradesh, I will always appeal to the youth to be cautious of two things. ‘Pehli hai Sharab, doosri SaPa’ (The first is liquor and the second is Samajwadi Party). They are each other’s accomplices. Both have destroyed the state,” he said.
Taking a swipe at the SP’s “PDA” acronym for “Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak”, Adityanath said, “Earlier there was ‘Pradesh Dubao Alliance’ in the state.”
He alleged that the SP government had created an identity crisis for the state and its youth and that jobs were earlier dependent on “Saifai or sifarish (recommendation)”.
“Now this is the NDA government, the BJP-led NDA government. NDA means ‘Naukri Denge Alliance’ government,” he said.
Adityanath said the recruitment of the 470 sportspersons was due to their talent and hard work and not political recommendation or financial dealings.
“Nobody’s recommendation worked here, no transaction took place, and no syndicate was allowed to dominate. Only your talent and your hard work mattered,” he said.
He said the appointment letters were neither a favour from the government nor an act of compassion, but recognition of the candidates’ hard work.
The chief minister alleged that before 2017, recruitment in the police and other government departments lacked a provision for direct appointment of sportspersons. He said more than 1,400 skilled sportspersons have so far been appointed directly and the selection process for another 555 was underway.
Adityanath also alleged that before 2017, the state was associated with “mining scams, recruitment scams”, while his government forged a different identity through sports infrastructure and the One District One Product initiative.
He claimed that while the earlier government allowed “10 lakh goons” to flourish, his government gave 10 lakh youths government jobs.
CJP is gearing up for its October 10 Jantar Mantar protest against SIR, demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, amid Mamata Banerjee’s possible participation and heightened security.
CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke during Mumbai Protest on October 2 (File Image/X/Abhijeet Dipke))
The countdown has begun for the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar, with just 24 hours to go before what the outfit has dubbed “Jantar Mantar Season 2” in its campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral tolls.
Calling for a nationwide mobilisation against the SIR exercise, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday asserted that the group would march to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on October 10.
Dipke said that the SIR should be scrapped and accountability be fixed for the alleged deletion of voters. Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Dipke said, “Jantar Mantar belongs to people of India; it does not belong to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.”
He also urged political parties, civil society groups and social activists to come together to protect voting rights, alleging that large numbers of voters had been deleted and questioning the Election Commission’s role in the exercise.
“SIR – A Biggest Scam”
“SIR is the biggest scam that the central government, the BJP-ruled government, is pulling off to kill democracy in India,” Dipke said, referring to testimonies of people who had allegedly been declared dead in electoral records despite producing Aadhaar, PAN and other valid documents to establish that they were alive.
Citing alleged deletions in constituencies associated with opposition leaders, Dipke referred to former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and questioned whether the instances were merely coincidences or reflected a pattern.
“If we believe that there is no involvement of the BJP with the Election Commission, then why is it always the opposition leaders who lose? And why does it always benefit the BJP?” he asked, calling for an explanation.
Sharpening his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, the CJP founder said that they did not own the country or Jantar Mantar and were only “servants with a fixed tenure to serve people”.
Dipke clarified that the CJP was not seeking to destabilise the country and reiterated that its demand was for accountability from CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the Centre over the alleged deletion of votes.
CJP Alleges Mass Detentions:
CJP spokesperson Sourav Das alleged that people associated with the party and young participants in the movement were being subjected to “mass detentions” in several states, including UP, West Bengal and Delhi.
“None of us are afraid of arrests or detentions. The protest has to go on with or without us,” he said.
Mamata Banerjee To Join CJP Protest:
Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she may participate in the CJP’s October 10 protest.
Speaking to reporters at the NSC Bose International Airport here before boarding a flight to the national capital to take part in the ongoing protests of the opposition INDIA bloc, Banerjee lashed out at the BJP and the Election Commission for the alleged SIR anomalies and electoral malpractices in Bengal.
“I may join the protest at Jantar Mantar scheduled for October 10, but nothing can be confirmed now. We have maintained a relationship with them (the CJP) and have extended our support, while any further decision regarding our participation will be taken later,” Banerjee said.
Security Tightened In Delhi:
More than 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed across Delhi ahead of the October 10 protest announced by the CJP. A senior officer told PTI that no permission has been granted for any protest at Jantar Mantar and appealed to people to avoid participating in any unauthorised gathering.
“We are well prepared and motivated to handle the law-and-order situation in the city on Saturday. No permission has been granted so far for any protest at Jantar Mantar,” the officer said.
The deployment was made as a precautionary measure to prevent any breach of peace and ensure the smooth movement of people and traffic. The officer said prohibitory orders are already in force in the area.
“Prohibitory orders are in force, and everyone is requested to follow the law and maintain peace,” the officer said.
In anticipation of the Cockroach Janta Party’s march on October 10, the Delhi Police is taking extensive measures to prevent violence similar to that on July 20.
A view during Cockroach Janta Party’s protest back in July this year. | Representational image Photo : ANI
Ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s proposed march on October 10 against the SIR and electoral roll revision exercise, the Delhi Police has decided to ensure that there is no repeat of the violence witnessed in the national capital on July 20. For months, Jantar Mantar and adjoining areas have been under a prohibitory order. Apart from deploying over 15,000 police personnel, the Delhi Police has requisitioned more than 16,000 personnel from central paramilitary forces.
New Delhi already has around 10,000 paramilitary personnel deployed. In total, over 26,000 central paramilitary personnel will now be deployed in the capital city.
The Delhi Police has also called in 400–500 women personnel from central paramilitary forces to “manage” women protesters.
Over the past one week, New Delhi has witnessed several clashes between opposition parties and the police. Over 500 protesters have been detained, but all were subsequently released. Seventeen protesters were arrested, but a Delhi court later granted them bail.
The Delhi Police has also asked its officers to wear body cameras after a journalist alleged that she was groped by an ACP.
Senior advocate Karuna Nundy, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that members currently receive around Rs 2,500 per sitting. She said the role of Permanent Lok Adalats had expanded significantly from dealing primarily with disputes concerning basic public utility services to handling complex matters involving banking, NBFCs, housing and education.
Supreme Court. | File Photo
The Supreme Court has directed the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to consider a plea seeking better salaries and allowances for members of Permanent Lok Adalats in view of their expanded workload and jurisdiction.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was hearing a petition filed by 14 members challenging Rule 3 of the Permanent Lok Adalat (Other Terms and Conditions of Appointment of Chairman and Other Persons) Rules, 2003. The petitioners argued that the rules prescribe unequal remuneration structures for chairpersons and other members.
Senior advocate Karuna Nundy, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that members currently receive around Rs 2,500 per sitting. She said the role of Permanent Lok Adalats had expanded significantly from dealing primarily with disputes concerning basic public utility services to handling complex matters involving banking, NBFCs, housing and education.
Built in 1567, Murud-Janjira Fort is a stone fortress that withstood attacks from Marathas, Mughals, Portuguese, and the British East India Company.
Nana Patekar was born in Murud-Janjira, Maharashtra. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Nana Patekar once told Amitabh Bachchan, “I come from a village, and I will always remain a village man. That’s where I feel most at home.”
The veteran actor, who died at 75 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home in Goa, was born in Murud-Janjira in Maharashtra’s Raigad district. And his birthplace is home to one of the country’s most remarkable sea forts, the Murud-Janjira Fort.
Built on an island in the Arabian Sea, the fort has stood through repeated attempts to capture it. Today, you can take a short boat ride from Rajapuri to reach there.
The Sea Fort Near Nana Patekar’s Birthplace
Murud is a coastal town about 150 km from Mumbai. It is known for its beach, the Palace of the Nawab and, most famously, the Murud-Janjira Fort. The fort is not on the mainland. It is located on an oval-shaped island near the beach, surrounded by the Arabian Sea.
Murud-Janjira is the local name for the fort and the area around it. The word “Janjira” comes from the Arabic word “jazira”, meaning island.
The stone fortification was built in 1567 AD by Malik Ambar. It later became a stronghold of the Siddis and withstood repeated attempts by the Marathas, Mughals, Portuguese and the English East India Company to capture it. Despite the attacks, the fort remained undefeated.
One of the most interesting things about Janjira is its main entrance. It faces Rajapuri on the mainland, but it is difficult to spot from a distance. The entrance becomes visible only when a boat comes close to the fort. There is also a smaller gate facing the open sea, known as the Darya Darwaza.
The Fort Had Everything Its Residents Needed
Janjira wasn’t just important to the military. At its peak, it was a living fort with residential quarters, barracks, a mosque and water sources. Even though it was surrounded by the Arabian Sea, two deep freshwater ponds were also built inside the fort.
Now, much of the fort is in ruins. But these remains still give visitors a sense of the life that once existed here.
The 20-year-old woman from Assam had travelled to Visakhapatnam as part of a dance troupe. She was later found dead beside a railway track in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam.
The post-mortem and further forensic investigation are expected to clarify the cause of death.
A 20-year-old woman from Assam’s Kamrup district, who had travelled to Visakhapatnam as part of a dance troupe, has been found dead beside a railway track in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district. She went missing during her journey home on the Dibrugarh Vivek Express. Police are investigating the circumstances of her death.
The woman has been identified as a tribal woman and a student of B Borooah College in Guwahati, and her family is from Kamrup district.
According to police, she had joined a dance troupe and travelled to Visakhapatnam for dance programmes. She decided to return home as she had a bank examination in Guwahati on October 10.
“On the evening of October 5, she reportedly attempted to book a Tatkal ticket online for the Silchar Express, but the reservation was not confirmed,” police said.
She then went to Visakhapatnam railway station and boarded the Vivek Express (Train No. 22503) towards Assam. According to her mother’s complaint, she boarded at 11:50 pm on October 5. The train left Visakhapatnam at 12:10 am and was scheduled to reach Guwahati at 9:05 am on October 7.
During the journey, she reportedly told friends about the heavy crowd in the coach and said she was afraid after finding herself surrounded mainly by male passengers. In her last message to her family, she said she was afraid as there were a lot of men around her, according to the family.
She stayed in touch with her family and friends after boarding. Police said her family last spoke to her at around 1.30 pm on October 6. According to the family’s account in the complaint, the last conversation took place at 2:39 am on Tuesday, October 6. Her phone later became unreachable and was then switched off.
Her mother filed a complaint with the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Guwahati and also lodged it through the Railways helpline 139. Relatives also alerted the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and police in Assam, seeking help in tracing her.
Railway police began searching along the route after her bag was found in the S2 coach of the train. Her belongings were reportedly found inside the train.
Her body was later found beside the railway track in Srikakulam district. An RPF source told NDTV that it was recovered from a forested area near Malayapuram in Andhra Pradesh. Railway police sources said the cause of death is yet to be ascertained.
In some cases, officers question guests they consider suspicious based on factors they have been asked to look out for, people familiar with the checks said.
Police said they are conducting checks for “large groups” arriving in Delhi for the protest (Hindustan Times)
Delhi Police officials are visiting hotels, guest houses and other accommodation facilities across the Capital and questioning occupants deemed “suspicious” about the purpose of their visit ahead of Saturday’s protest call by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), at least four officials aware of the action said on Thursday.
At least one guest and two hotel staff who spoke to HT confirmed that police officers had visited and questioned them about the nature and duration of their stay in Delhi.
At least four police officials confirmed that directions had been issued to officers to visit hotels, hostels, guest houses and other temporary accommodation establishments to check who was staying there. “The teams are entering the premises, checking the occupant registers or logs maintained by owners and managers and checking against a list of factors,” one of the officers said.
In some cases, officers question guests they consider suspicious based on factors they have been asked to look out for, people familiar with the checks said.
Factors drawing police scrutiny
These include the duration of the stay – officials are treating stays between October 8 and 11 as a factor warranting scrutiny – whether people have arrived in large groups, particularly those in their 20s and early 30s, and their stated purpose for visiting Delhi, said the people cited above.
“If they checked into the accommodation a day or two ago and plan to leave shortly after the weekend, they are being asked about their purpose of visit because they could potentially have come for the protest,” an official said.
All four officials declined to comment on what action would be taken against people whom the police identify as having come to Delhi to participate in the protest.
The third official said officers had been deputed to visit hotels, bed-and-breakfast establishments and paying guest accommodations, and had also been given a list of four- and five-star hotels, keeping in mind the “social profile” of some leaders of the protest.
A senior police officer said personnel had been asked to pay particular attention to rooms booked by someone other than the occupant. “To my knowledge, staff have been asked to focus on individuals staying in rooms booked by others on their behalf. For that reason, they are not only checking hotel registers but also matching IDs submitted by the guests. If there is any mismatch, the personnel may question the hotel staff, the guests or the persons who booked the rooms,” the officer said.
Police monitor organizers and travel routes
Another officer said that while local police personnel focused on potential protest participants, specialised units such as the Special Cell and Crime Branch had been directed to track key members of the CJP, left-wing organisations and civil society groups. “Locating the place of stay of social media influencer Dhruv Rathee and CJP’s founder Abhijeet Dipke is the prime responsibility of the Special Cell and Crime Branch teams,” the officer said.
The police have also been monitoring bus operators and checking bookings to establish who is hiring buses and where they are headed. Officers have been asked to identify any organised movement of people towards Delhi, particularly New Delhi, ahead of the October 10 protest.
“They have been asked to keep a watch on bus operators, including bookings being made and the destination. If there is organised movement of people towards New Delhi, the local police should be aware of it and stop it,” an officer said.
Police are also conducting checks around railway stations and the airport for “large groups” arriving in Delhi, they said. “We are not stopping or detaining anyone. We are just making inquiries. There’s intel that suspicious persons are coming to Delhi and will join the protest to violate law and order. We have got information from state police departments and railway police about groups of men coming in from different cities to Delhi. We are just verifying their details,” the officer said.
Guests and hotel staff describe police visits
“Around 4pm, two policemen showed up at the lobby of the hotel I was staying at. First, they were asking the staff if anyone was staying here who was going for the protest,” said a 39-year-old woman who was staying at a luxury hotel in south Delhi, who had travelled from Bengaluru for a friend’s wedding.
A staffer at a hotel in Paharganj — 4km from Jantar Mantar — said: “Two beat officers came here on Wednesday and checked our log books. Our owner asked them the reason and they said it’s all in the news, we should know. But they didn’t question any guests.” At another hotel in Paharganj, an employee said a cop visited on Thursday and sought list of people staying there. “We showed them the list on our laptop. They told us to inform them if any people in groups make bookings to leave on Saturday,” he said.
Smit Machchhar was stabbed by his co-pilot in an alleged attempt to crash the plane.
Captain Machchhar’s sheer bravery and sound professionalism helped avert a catastrophe, said Israeli President. (File Photo/Israel’s Foreign Ministry via AP)
Smit Machchhar, the Indian captain allegedly stabbed by his co-pilot on a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv last month, will receive Israel’s Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism for his “sheer bravery and sound professionalism” in averting a catastrophe, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Thursday.
“Captain Machchhar’s sheer bravery and sound professionalism helped avert a catastrophe. Once he regains his strength, it will be my privilege to award him, on behalf of the people of Israel, the State of Israel’s Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism,” Herzog said.
The October 7 letter said a recent video-conference with employees failed to address their “fundamental doubts and concerns”.
The employees’ associations have written to ISRO chairman V Narayanan seeking an early meeting to discuss the agency’s future role. (ANI/ Representational)
The Joint Action Council of the nine employee associations of the Department of Space and Indian Space Research Organisation centres have again written to chairman V Narayanan seeking an early meeting to discuss the agency’s future role, technology transfer, privatisation of manufacturing and operations, staffing, recruitment and employee safeguards.
The October 7 letter said a recent video-conference with employees failed to address their “fundamental doubts and concerns”.
The opposition has also sought an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu, warning that “all options are on the table” if it does not receive a response.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other INDIA bloc leaders stage a protest at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat.
The INDIA bloc is preparing to step up its agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged “vote chori”, with opposition MPs set to meet in Delhi on Friday to decide their next move.
The MPs will gather at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan at 3 pm, sources said on Thursday. The meeting could be followed by a fourth consecutive day of protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The opposition has also sought an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu, warning that “all options are on the table” if it does not receive a response.
INDIA Bloc Awaits President’s Response
Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said the bloc first wrote to the President on October 2. After Rashtrapati Bhavan sought the names of leaders attending the proposed meeting, a fresh request was sent on October 5.
“We submitted the request again on October 5, along with the names, seeking an appointment on October 7, 8 or 9,” Venugopal said.
“So far, we have received no response. We will wait until Friday,” he added.
Sources said possible venues for further protests include Seva Teerth, Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Vice-President’s residence and the residences of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Protests Continue Over Voter Roll Revision
On Thursday, opposition leaders staged a sit-in at Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial, accusing the BJP leadership and the Chief Election Commissioner of conspiring to carry out “vote chori”. The allegations have been made by the opposition and remain contested.
Pratima Devi has moved an additional application alleging her signatures on partition papers were obtained through deception. The court’s October 14 order will decide whether she can lead evidence in the long-running family property dispute.
Gwalior court to decide Scindia family property dispute on October 14. (Photo: Screengrab)
The legal dispute over the division of the Scindia family’s properties, estimated to be worth around Rs 40,000 crore, has taken a fresh turn, with Pratima Devi claiming that her signatures on documents related to the partition were obtained through deception rather than with her consent.
Pratima Devi, daughter of Padmavati Raje, an aunt of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, has filed an additional application before the court, alleging that her signatures on documents linked to the property division were obtained through deception rather than with her informed consent. The court is scheduled to deliver its decision on the application on October 14.
In her application, Pratima Devi has alleged that she was not properly informed about crucial documents and notices related to the division of the estate. She has also claimed that some documents and notices were sent to incorrect addresses. She has sought permission to present evidence in support of her allegations.
The plea has been opposed by lawyers representing Jyotiraditya Scindia and other members of the family, including Usha Raje, Vasundhara Raje and Yashodhara Raje. They have maintained that the documents were signed with consent and disputed the allegations raised by Pratima Devi.
As part of their arguments, the family’s representatives also pointed to a dinner attended by family members after the documents were signed, saying photographs were taken during the gathering. The argument was cited to support their position that the signing had taken place with the parties’ consent.
The court has fixed October 14 for its decision on the additional application after arguments on the plea concluded.
Mamata Banerjee said she may join the October 10 Jantar Mantar protest seeking Gyanesh Kumar’s removal as chief election commissioner. She linked that possibility to wider opposition anger over voter roll deletions, electoral malpractice and police action in Delhi.
Mamata Banerjee said she planned to approach President Droupadi Murmu over the police action against opposition leaders.
Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that she may join the protest called by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on October 10 seeking the removal of Gyanesh Kumar as Chief Election Commissioner, though she said no final decision had been taken.
She was speaking before flying to the national capital to take part in the ongoing protests of the opposition INDIA bloc.
Banerjee also attacked the BJP and the Election Commission over alleged irregularities in voter list revision and electoral malpractices in West Bengal. She said she was travelling despite the ongoing Puja season because, in her words, “when people are raising their voices for an important cause, we must stand beside them”.
Speaking to reporters before boarding her flight, Banerjee said, “I may join the protest at Jantar Mantar scheduled for October 10, but nothing can be confirmed now. We have maintained a relationship with them and have extended our support, while any further decision regarding our participation will be taken later.” The protest has been called by the Cockroach Janata Party.
She said lakhs of names had allegedly been unfairly deleted from electoral rolls in the state and accused the BJP and the Election Commission of acting together to weaken the election process.
Repeating her criticism on Thursday, she said, “No election has ever taken place like the way it was conducted in Bengal. Have you ever heard anyone declaring before an election exactly how many votes they will win by? This clearly raises questions about calculated voting, bogus voting, rigging and vote looting. Such practices cannot continue for long, and no party can remain in power indefinitely by looting votes.”
Banerjee said that although the festive season had arrived and people were busy with Puja celebrations, she still felt it was necessary to take part in the protests.
“Initially, I had decided not to attend the programme, but since my name was included and the organisers personally requested my presence, I decided that I should go, especially when a movement is already underway, and it would not be appropriate for us to remain absent at such an important time,” she said.
She also expressed solidarity with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over their treatment by Delhi Police during the October 6 protests.
“Rahul Gandhi is the Leader of the Opposition and protests are taking place across the country. Everyone has the right to take part in a movement, but the way Priyanka was treated was also very wrong,” she said.
Banerjee added that women, mothers and children deserved respect and protection irrespective of political differences, and said no political movement should lead to family members being targeted or intimidated.
The Trinamnool chief said she planned to approach President Droupadi Murmu over the police action against opposition leaders and would seek the signatures and support of leaders from parties across the country.
Counter terrorism agencies from both countries participated in the meetings.
India, Italy hold key meetings. Credit: MEA/X
Condemning terrorism in all and its forms and manifestations including cross-border terrorism, India and Italy have discussed ways to strengthen capacity building and information exchange to counter emerging and non-traditional threats, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.
The sixth meeting of the India-Italy Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime was held on Tuesday, while the second meeting of the India-Italy Permanent Task Force on Countering Financing of Terrorism was held on Wednesday in New Delhi.
“Condemning terrorism in all and its forms and manifestations including cross-border terrorism, the two sides reiterated their condemnation of the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025,” the MEA said.
The 6th Meeting of India-Italy Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Organized Crime and the 2nd Meeting of the India-Italy Permanent Task Force on Countering Financing of Terrorism were held on 06-07 October 2026 in New Delhi.
Counter terrorism agencies from both countries participated in the meetings.
“Over the two days, the two sides held comprehensive discussions on a wide gamut of areas of cooperation in counter terrorism and organised crime including drug trafficking and the emerging regional and global terrorist threats,” it said in a statement.
The meetings were co-chaired by Suhel Ajaz Khan, Additional Secretary (Counter Terrorism) at the MEA, and Paolo Mari, Joint Secretary for G7-G20, Transnational Threats and Integrated Strategy, Directorate General for Political Affairs and International Security at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy.
Reaffirming the need for strengthening cooperation in effectively countering the misuse of new and emerging technologies including information, communication and financial technologies for terrorist purposes, the two sides discussed ways to strengthen capacity building and information exchange to counter the emerging and non-traditional threats, it added.
Calling the BJP workers his “strength”, Modi said that when he became the chief minister, he had not entered electoral politics even though he was helping conduct elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Credit: Reuters File Photo
Exhorting his party colleagues about reaching the goal of making India a developed country by 2047, PM Modi on Wednesday said that the 140 crore people of the country will make it a reality.
“There is no reason for India to stop. A hundred years ago, there were less than 40 crore of us. Today, we have more than 140 crore. The 140 crore citizens together will build a developed India by 2047, and we certainly will. We will do it,” Modi said at a programme called Vikshit Bharat Sankalp sabha held to commemorate his 25 years in governance.
Calling the BJP workers his “strength”, Modi said that when he became the chief minister, he had not entered electoral politics even though he was helping conduct elections. “If I had the desire I could have entered earlier. Instead, I was working with tribal communities and in the forests,” Modi said.
The BJP had mounted a month-long programme to commemorate Modi’s 25 years in public life, with him taking over as the chief minister of Gujarat at the age of 50 years on October 4, 2001.
Around 200 lawmakers faced police barricades during attempts to march to Jantar Mantar, including Congress leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi.
Around 6pm, the Gandhis and many Congress workers were bundled in buses and detained. (@INCIndia X)
The Opposition hit the streets of the national capital for a second consecutive day on Wednesday to push for chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation as lawmakers protested for more than three hours, bringing central Delhi to a halt and angering the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Opposition – which already announced another stir on Thursday – has also sought time from President Droupadi Murmu to discuss the controversial special intensive revision and Kumar’s removal.
At least 200 lawmakers from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), packed in three buses, first had lunch in Janpath and then attempted to march to Jantar Mantar but were stopped by a 5,000-strong police force at the intersection of Janpath and Ashoka Road, triggering an impasse. The Samajwadi Party – the second-largest constituent of the bloc – was not a part of the protest.
For more than three hours, the buses carrying opposition leaders were not allowed to proceed, and the busy intersection was barricaded, bringing traffic to a halt on Ashoka Road, Raisina Road and Janpath.
There was also an impromptu sit-in outside the Shangri La hotel at 4pm when the MPs were stopped by police, with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lying flat on her back on the street, clutching a copy of the Constitution, with five-six leaders around her. Rahul Gandhi resisted police attempts to put him inside a van for detention. Other INDIA bloc leaders such as Mahua Moitra jostled with security personnel who tried to detain them.
Around 6pm, the Gandhis and many Congress workers were bundled in buses and detained. Further drama ensued minutes later when a bus carrying Rahul Gandhi suffered a punctured tyre on KG Marg. After few minutes, another bus carried the MPs away. Gandhi was taken to the Barakhamba police station and he was released around 8pm.
Delhi police spokesperson said a total 91 INDIA bloc leaders and workers were detained.
“We are not going to stop protesting till Kumar resigns. This is a fight to protect the most sacred thing in this country. There is nothing that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah can do that will stop us,” Gandhi said.
“I already have 45 FIRs; my goal is to reach 100. I want 100 FIRs to be registered against me; for me, every FIR is a medal,” he added.
Police said some personnel, including women, alleged they were manhandled and attacked. Police said they are in the process of reviewing footage from CCTVs, phone cameras and the new body cameras and will soon lodge an FIR.
BJP president Nitin Nabin hit back, saying that “any attempt to create an atmosphere of anarchy in Delhi through anti-social elements will never succeed”. “If infiltrators’ names are being removed through the SIR and the opposition is raising questions about our democracy for this, then the biggest question arises on the opposition’s anti-national intentions and designs,” he said in a post on X.
“The Congress is concerned not with the citizens of the country, but with its vote bank and illegal infiltrators. The countrymen will never allow this attempt to serve the interests of infiltrators at the cost of the rights and interests of India’s citizens to succeed.”
The show of strength – which included 13 parties – was part of the Opposition’s plan to mount pressure on Kumar over SIR and other allegations. The developments come after an Indian Express investigation said election commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded written dissents and objections at least 14 times between November 2025 and August 2026 and even written to the cabinet secretary. It also alleged that election officials found their access to the ECI software curtailed by the central IT team. ECI said differing views and observations were a normal part of deliberation and that all its digital platforms operated under strict data security protocols.
On Tuesday, at least 300 INDIA bloc lawmakers marched from Parliament to ECI and later Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra walked into the Akashvani Bhavan campus next door and continued their protest for about eight hours.
On Wednesday, the drama began around 1.30pm, when lawmakers – invited by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge – gathered at Sagar Ratna, a vegetarian South Indian restaurant, for lunch.
Around 3pm, the Opposition declared that they will stage a protest at Jantar Mantar, just 900 metres away from the restaurant.
“All of us in the INDIA alliance will stage a protest at Jantar Mantar today; all key leaders will be present together. We will continue to protest in this manner until our demands are met,” Kharge said.
Rahul Gandhi echoed him. “As I mentioned, approximately 300 MPs—from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha—wanted to meet the election commissioners yesterday; but they did not meet us. Delhi Police stopped us, and yesterday they stated that we could not protest there. So today, we intend to go to the designated protest site — Jantar Mantar — and sit there once again to convey to the nation that, for us, Shri Gyanesh Kumar is not a legitimate election commissioner,” he said. On Tuesday, ECI had said that no political party had sought an appointment till 4pm to meet the authorities, and called the later request “unusual”.
The MPs filed into buses and started moving towards Jantar Mantar around 3.30pm. By then, police and paramilitary personnel had gathered them, and routes to Delhi Police headquarters, ECI, Parliament Street police station and Jantar Mantar were completely blocked.
“This is how they treat MPs who are asking simply to meet the election commissioners. They are beating MPs,” Priyanka Gandhi said.
“Their policemen have scratched me all over. They have thrown us to the ground and now we are not going to leave from here. Let them call their forces back. I will not move from here,” she added.
By 5 pm, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi got out of the bus and sat on the road. Police started detaining Congress members such as Devendra Yadav. After three hours, police dragged Rahul Gandhi inside a police van while Priyanka Gandhi, Deepender Hooda, Supriya Shrinate and Derek O’Brien were taken in another van.
The bus carrying Rahul Gandhi, however, couldn’t go beyond a few kilometres. Youth Congress activists stopped the bus and punctured a tyre near the Kasturba Gandhi Marg and Tolstoy Marg crossing, following which another bus was arranged. Priyanka Gandhi was taken to Barakhamba Road Police Station and released at 8.30pm.
The 2015 rules dealing with unfair means during examinations, allow students an opportunity to explain their actions before disciplinary action is initiated
The move comes after a committee, appointed by the institute following the September 18 death of a student, reviewed the existing procedure for dealing with examination malpractice and suggested changes.
IIT Bombay’s Senate on Wednesday decided to go back to its 2015 rules dealing with unfair means during examinations, giving students a fair opportunity to explain their side before disciplinary action is initiated, officials who attended the meeting said.
The move comes after a committee, appointed by the institute following the September 18 death of a student, reviewed the existing procedure for dealing with examination malpractice and suggested changes.
According to the current rules introduced in 2026, students found to have used unfair means during examinations may receive an FR2 grade and a one-semester suspension. The rules cover the use or possession of unauthorised material and electronic devices, including mobile phones, tablets and smartwatches. Repeat cases can also attract suspension.
The 2015 rules provided for suspension mainly in serious cases such as mass copying, repeat violations and impersonation. The punishment was to be determined by the nature and seriousness of the offence.
The decision was taken after a discussion of around two-and-a-half hours at the Senate meeting, attended by faculty and student representatives. “The emotion has shifted towards being sensitive to students. We are largely going back to the 2015 rules,” the faculty member said.
The 2015 procedure also laid down a process for dealing with students accused of malpractice. If an invigilator detected unfair means, the material found with the student was to be confiscated, and the student was allowed to continue the examination with a fresh answer book. A report was then prepared and sent to the head of the department.
The case was subsequently examined by the departmental academic disciplinary action committee. The committee was responsible for reviewing the evidence and determining whether malpractice had actually occurred. The rules also provided that when the evidence was not clear, the benefit of the doubt should be given to the student.
The Senate has now decided to introduce an additional form to the process. Under the new arrangement, the invigilator or faculty member will have to record details of the alleged malpractice before any disciplinary action is initiated. The student will also be given an opportunity to record their version of events.
However, filling the student’s form will not be compulsory. A faculty member said students will have the choice to explain their side through the form or refuse to fill it.
“The only addition is that the faculty has to fill a form, which was not there in the 2015 rules. The student form is not compulsory. If the student says they do not want to fill the form, they have a choice to refute,” the faculty member said.
A joint committee featuring equal faculty and student representation is developing new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that allow accused students to consult mentors and wellness advisors before facing formal disciplinary action.
A lightning strike crushed the nose cone of the IndiGo jet during its descent through severe weather. The plane later landed safely in Lucknow
The nose cone, technically known as the radome, is the most vulnerable section of an aircraft during an airborne lightning strike. Representational image/AI-generated
An IndiGo flight carrying 104 passengers and six crew members from Patna to Lucknow encountered a terrifying mid-air event when a massive atmospheric electrical discharge struck the aircraft at 17,000 feet. The lightning strike crushed the nose cone of the jet during its descent through severe weather.
Despite the visible structural damage to the front of the aircraft, the plane landed safely at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport ahead of schedule, with zero injuries reported. The incident highlighted the remarkable engineering principles that protect commercial aircraft from fatal electrical strikes.
Faraday Cage Principle: Why Jets Do Not Explode
Commercial airliners are built on the principles of the Faraday Cage, a continuous conductive shell that directs electrical charges along the outer skin of the fuselage. When lightning strikes a plane—delivering hundreds of millions of volts of electricity—the charge enters at an extremity, such as the nose cone or wingtip, and flows around the exterior metallic skin or embedded copper foil mesh before safely exiting through static discharger wicks located on the trailing edges.
This conductive outer layer insulates the interior cabin, protecting sensitive avionics, fuel tanks, and passengers from electrical currents.
Why the Radome Took the Main Hit
The nose cone, technically known as the radome, is the most vulnerable section of an aircraft during an airborne lightning strike. Unlike the rest of the fuselage, which uses metallic alloys or composite materials layered with conductive copper mesh, the radome must be manufactured from non-metallic fibreglass or composite materials.
This non-conductive design is essential because the weather radar dish sits directly inside the nose cone. Any metal shielding around the nose would block microwave radar signals, leaving pilots blind to storm clouds. Because the radome lacks the continuous conductive outer layer of the rest of the fuselage, a direct strike can cause significant localised thermal damage, structural crushing, or surface puncture before the electrical arc transfers to the conductive body of the aircraft.
SHOs have been instructed to monitor the activities and movement of people with criminal antecedents in their respective areas.
CJP co-convenor and spokesperson Saurav Das, along with party supporters, marches towards the Parliament Street Police Station from Patel Chowk, in New Delhi. (PTI photo)
Delhi Police have stepped up security across the national capital ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) proposed October 10 protest, with officers tracking around 2,800 people with alleged criminal records and monitoring bus operators and possible entry routes into the city, officials said.
Station house officers (SHOs) have been instructed to monitor the activities and movement of people with criminal antecedents in their respective areas.
Police have identified around 2,800 such individuals using the Facial Recognition System (FRS), with particular attention being given to those allegedly involved in serious offences.
Officials said police are tracking whether any of these individuals are travelling towards New Delhi to join the proposed demonstration and where they are coming from.
Buses, Borders Under Watch
Police are also keeping a close watch on bus operators and bookings, seeking details of individuals or organisations arranging transport for the protest. Local police have been asked to monitor information about buses heading towards Delhi and take necessary action.
Entry points are also under heightened surveillance amid concerns that protesters could enter the capital through the Uttar Pradesh border or routes from Rajasthan. Police have been directed to increase checks and install barricades at potential entry points.
Officers have also been asked to contact paying guest accommodation operators, particularly in student hubs, and advise them to discourage students from participating in the protest.
Police said CJP leaders and volunteers have been appealing on social media for people to join the demonstration, although permission for the October 10 protest has not yet been granted.
Officials have also received inputs that protesters may attempt to stage demonstrations at the spot if stopped from reaching the proposed venue.
Musk made the comments on X while responding to a post by a handle that highlighted the lack of mobile connectivity in thousands of Indian villages.
Elon Musk.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has alleged that “certain oligarchs” are blocking his satellite internet company Starlink from starting services in India, claiming they are trying to protect their hold over the country’s telecom market.
Musk made the comments on X while responding to a post by a handle that highlighted the lack of mobile connectivity in thousands of Indian villages.
“Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are … This is a crime against the people of India!” Musk wrote.
Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are …
Musk did not name any company or individual in his post.
The account, DodgeDesigner, cited figures suggesting that 11,256 listed villages in India still lacked 4G coverage as of May 2026. It also pointed to gaps in the rollout of BharatNet, the government’s rural broadband programme.
A Jharkhand widow ran 1,600 metres barefoot and in a saree during a Home Guard recruitment test, finishing within six minutes. The video has gone viral, with social media users praising her determination to secure a better future for her family.
A Jharkhand widow ran 1,600m barefoot in a saree in six minutes during a Home Guard recruitment drive. (Image Source – X)
For some, a running track is about speed. For Kavita Kumari, it was a chance to secure a better future for her family. The Jharkhand woman recently completed a 1,600-metre physical efficiency test barefoot and dressed in a saree while appearing for a Home Guard recruitment drive.
Kavita, a widow from Soso village in Dulmi block of Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district, was among the candidates taking part in the recruitment process. A spectator recorded her run and later shared the video on social media, where it quickly drew attention.
According to a post on X, Kavita completed the 1,600-metre race in six minutes, comfortably within the prescribed 10-minute limit. She completed the run despite the scorching heat and having limited access to resources.
Kavita is the sole provider for her two young children and elderly in-laws. She works at a brick kiln to support her family and said she could not afford running shoes, a tracksuit or other equipment for the physical test.
Despite the financial constraints, she continued preparing for the recruitment test with whatever resources were available to her. She would wake up at 4 am every day to practise running and often trained while wearing a saree.
Her aim is to secure a Home Guard position and provide a more stable future for her children.
The recruitment exercise in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district is being held to fill 284 Home Guard vacancies. Candidates will undergo physical efficiency and written tests between October 24 and November 5. Of the total vacancies, 50 per cent have been earmarked for women, with another 5 per cent set aside specifically for widows and divorced women.
Barefoot. In a saree. Under the scorching sun. 🇮🇳
Kavita, a widowed mother from Ramgarh, Jharkhand, ran 1,600m for a Home Guard job — without shoes, spikes or a tracksuit.
And she cleared the physical test with top marks. ❤️
She wasn’t just running a race. She was running for a better future for her children. https://t.co/aWuPTKyhLP
The video has since received widespread attention on social media, with users praising Kavita for her determination and efforts to secure a stable livelihood for her family.
One user wrote, “Salute to such women! All the best wishes to her.”
Delhi Police has released footage highlighting the challenges faced by personnel during ongoing protests over alleged SIR irregularities. While Opposition parties have accused authorities of suppressing dissent, the video shows police personnel being injured, exhausted and assisting protesters.
Injured & Exhausted: Delhi Police Reveals What Its Personnel Faced During Protests Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar | Video | X @DelhiPolice
The politics surrounding the ongoing protests against the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi has largely played out through competing narratives, with videos of clashes, detentions and police action becoming central to the debate.
Opposition parties, including the Congress and other INDIA bloc constituents, have accused the government and authorities of suppressing dissent while protesting over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Their demonstrations have featured slogans alleging that democratic and constitutional institutions are being undermined, while incidents involving police personnel have been widely circulated on social media.
Among the visuals highlighted by Opposition leaders and supporters are those showing protesters being detained, police personnel using force during confrontations, and restrictions imposed around protest sites.
However, alongside these widely circulated visuals, another set of images has emerged from the protests, this time showing the challenges faced by police personnel deployed on the ground.
Delhi Police has released a video on its official social media handle highlighting its personnel’s experiences during the demonstrations. The footage presents incidents involving officers being surrounded or pushed by protesters, women personnel sustaining injuries, and police personnel assisting people during the clashes.
In one sequence highlighted by Delhi Police, women police personnel appear exhausted and dehydrated and are seen receiving assistance from fellow officers. Another portion shows a male police officer surrounded by protesters, while another footage shows a female officer being pushed amid a confrontation. Another officer’s shoulder strap got damaged in the protest.
The video also shows women personnel with visible injuries to their hands and officers attempting to prevent protesters from jumping from buses. Other visuals show police personnel attending to injured protesters and providing first aid during the demonstrations.
The contrasting footage highlights the difficult position occupied by police personnel during politically charged protests. While protesters exercise their right to raise demands and hold authorities accountable, police are tasked with managing crowds, enforcing restrictions and maintaining security.
The nose of the aircraft, which was carrying 104 passengers and 6 crew, was damaged in the incident.
The aircraft was hit by hail when it was flying at 17,000 feet.
An IndiGo plane en route from Patna to Lucknow made an emergency landing on Wednesday in the Uttar Pradesh capital after it was hit by hail.
The nose of the aircraft was damaged in the incident.
The plane, which was carrying 104 passengers and six crew members, landed safely eight minutes ahead of schedule. All passengers and crew are safe.
The aircraft was hit by hail when it was flying at 17,000 feet and has been grounded.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation regulator, has launched a probe. The plane will be allowed to operate only after regulatory clearance.
“IndiGo flight 6E 625 operating from Patna to Lucknow on 07 October 2026 encountered unfavourable weather, including a hailstorm while landing, resulting in damage to the radome. The aircraft landed safely, and all customers disembarked at their destination, i.e. Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow. The relevant authorities were immediately informed. The aircraft will undergo necessary maintenance and will resume operations after securing relevant clearances,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.
The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received a call regarding the collapse at 3.30 pm and rushed fire engines to the spot.
Pictures showed scores of people standing amidst the rubble, trying to move the slabs of rock using hands
Three people, including a child, have died after a four-storey building collapsed in the Seemapuri area of northeast Delhi on Wednesday. A total of 8 people have been rescued from the debris so far.
Eight injured people were rescued and taken to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Tahirpur for treatment. They are Momin Mirja, 56, Abdaan, 3, Abdul Rehman, 28, Devruddin, 28, Salma, 50, Chote, 34, Sakina, 35, and Samad, 30.
Those who died include a girl aged about 12 and a woman named Gulafsa, 21, who was around four months pregnant. The third is a child. The identity of the girl and of the other child is yet to be established. DCP Rajendra Prasad Meena said that one of the children was decapitated.
The incident comes a month after a hostel tragedy in Satya Niketan that resulted in the death of seven and injuries to several others.
The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received a call regarding the collapse at 3.30 pm and rushed fire engines to the spot.
“Search and rescue operation is ongoing,” an official said.
Pictures from the site showed scores of people standing amidst the rubble, with some tossing around the slabs of rock using their bare hands in an effort to clear the passage. Several others were seen recording the devastation on their mobiles.
STORY | Few suspected trapped after portion of building collapses in Delhi’s Seemapuri
A few people are suspected to be trapped after the front portion of a building collapsed in northeast Delhi’s Seemapuri area on Wednesday, an officer said.
The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received a call regarding the collapse at 3.30 pm and rushed fire tenders to the spot. Some people might be trapped in the debris, he said.
Delhi Traffic Police has urged people to avoid the area as it will allow ambulance and rescue vehicles a faster way through.
“A multi-storey building has collapsed in Seemapuri and rescue teams are working at the site. Traffic is affected around Seemapuri Gol Chakkar, DLF Bhopura and adjoining roads. Every clear lane gives an ambulance and rescue vehicle a faster way through. Please avoid the area if possible. Do not stop, park or gather near the site, and follow the directions of traffic personnel,” Delhi Traffic Police posted on X.
A college professor in Raigarh was allegedly kidnapped during an evening walk and forced to make UPI transfers at knifepoint. Police rescued him within 24 hours and are probing the digital money trail and other suspects.
A Raigarh professor was allegedly kidnapped during an evening walk and forced to transfer Rs 1 lakh via UPI at knifepoint. Police rescued him within 24 hours and arrested one accused.
In a case that combined kidnapping with digital extortion, a college professor in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district was allegedly kidnapped during an evening walk, blindfolded, held captive at knifepoint and forced to transfer nearly Rs 1 lakh through UPI transactions.
Police rescued the professor within 24 hours of the incident and have arrested one suspect, while efforts are underway to track down the remaining accused.
KIDNAPPED WHILE ON EVENING WALK
The incident took place in Jakela village under the Pusaur police station area of Raigarh district.
According to police, Kapurchand Gupta, a professor at a degree college, was out for an evening walk between 6 pm and 7 pm on October 5 near Deepapara and Shobha Rice Mill. Feeling tired, he stopped to rest on a milestone near a roadside pond.
It was then that two men allegedly approached him, dragged him towards the pond, blindfolded him and threatened him with a knife.
The accused later transported him on a motorcycle to Pandripani village in the Bhupdevpur police station area, where he was allegedly confined inside a room.
MOBILE PHONE BECAME THE TARGET
Police said the kidnappers assaulted the professor and forced him to reveal the password to his mobile phone. They also obtained access to his Google Pay and BHIM accounts.
Investigators believe the accused then contacted a woman and obtained her QR code, which they used to transfer money from the professor’s bank account.
According to police, the transactions continued until the account’s transfer limit of around Rs 1 lakh was exhausted.
FAMILY GREW SUSPICIOUS
To avoid raising alarm, the kidnappers allegedly forced the professor to call his family and tell them he was safe.
However, relatives became suspicious and began tracing his location on their own. Their search reportedly led them to Pandripani village.
When the accused realised family members were closing in, they fled the spot, leaving the professor behind.
The family then informed police.
PROFESSOR RESCUED, SUSPECT ARRESTED
Acting on the information, Pusaur Station House Officer Harshvardhan Singh and his team reached the location and rescued the professor safely from the room where he had allegedly been held captive.
Raigarh Senior Superintendent of Police Shashi Mohan Singh ordered an immediate operation to identify and arrest those involved.
Police said Sunil Sarathi, a resident of Jakela village, was arrested within 24 hours of the incident. During questioning, he allegedly admitted involvement in the kidnapping and the conspiracy to transfer money through UPI transactions along with other accomplices.
Authorities said the identities of the remaining suspects have been established and raids are underway to apprehend them.
The appointment comes as the BJP government seeks to strengthen its focus on Bengal’s cultural and film sectors. The announcement was made by Adhikari during an event linked to the centenary celebrations of legendary Bengali actor Uttam Kumar.
Veteran actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty. (File photo)
Veteran actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty has been appointed as an Advisor to the West Bengal government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, marking a significant role for the veteran film personality in the state administration’s cultural affairs.
Chakraborty will hold the rank of a Cabinet Minister in the Information and Cultural Affairs Department, which is under the charge of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The appointment comes as the BJP government seeks to strengthen its focus on Bengal’s cultural and film sectors.
The announcement was made by Adhikari during an event linked to the centenary celebrations of legendary Bengali actor Uttam Kumar.
The state government has been positioning the celebrations as part of a broader effort to promote Bengal’s film heritage and revive the state’s position as a major cultural and cinematic centre.
BJP’S CELEBRITY FACE, TOP CAMPAIGNER
Chakraborty, one of the most recognisable names in Indian cinema, has also been an active BJP campaigner and a prominent political figure in West Bengal.
His appointment gives the actor a formal role in the state government at a time when the new BJP administration is seeking to establish its cultural and governance agenda.
The actor had campaigned extensively for the BJP during the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The party went on to defeat the Trinamool Congress and form the government in the state, with Adhikari becoming Bengal’s first BJP chief minister.
The new role also comes against the backdrop of the state government’s plans to expand film and cultural infrastructure. Adhikari recently laid the foundation stone for the Uttam Kumar Film Centre in New Town, Kolkata. The project is intended to provide modern facilities for film production and related activities.
The government has also announced plans for a new state-of-the-art theatre complex, with the chief minister stressing the need to strengthen Bengal’s cultural ecosystem and provide greater support to the film industry.
Chakraborty’s appointment is therefore significant not only because of his political association with the BJP but also because of his long-standing connection with the Bengali and Hindi film industries. His experience in cinema is expected to bring a prominent industry voice into the government’s cultural policy framework.
The appointment comes as the Adhikari government completes its first 150 days in office. India Today reported that the new administration has sought to mark a departure from the 15-year Trinamool Congress rule through a combination of administrative changes, investment initiatives and a stronger emphasis on cultural and religious identity.
Adhikari himself holds the Information and Cultural Affairs portfolio along with Home and Hill Affairs, Power, Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Land and Land Reforms, and other departments not allocated to another minister.
The incident took place after students noticed a foul smell coming from the tank, which was around 12 to 14 feet deep.
District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said four students, aged between 17 and 20, died in the incident.
Four students died and another was injured after they were exposed to suspected toxic gas while cleaning an underground water tank at a residential Sanskrit school in Vrindavan’s Chaitanya Vihar, officials said on Wednesday.
The incident took place after students noticed a foul smell coming from the tank, which was around 12 to 14 feet deep. The students first used a motor to remove water before attempting to clean the remaining water and sludge.
According to officials, one student entered the tank but soon became unconscious. Four others went inside in an attempt to rescue him, but they too collapsed. All five were pulled out and taken to hospital.
#WATCH | Vrindavan, UP: Four students died after allegedly being overcome by toxic gas while cleaning a water tank. https://t.co/a03YbS32aa
District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said four students, aged between 17 and 20, died in the incident. Their bodies were sent to the mortuary and their families were being informed.
The fifth student, identified as Rudra, survived and was receiving treatment. SSP Shlok Kumar said he was conscious and able to speak. He was initially taken to the district hospital before being referred for closer monitoring.
The Mathura Police said the incident occurred at Vrindavan Gurukulam, where students live and study.
Probe Ordered Into Tank Cleaning
Singh said a magisterial inquiry would be held to establish how the incident occurred and whether the gurukulam had the required recognition.
“A magisterial inquiry would be conducted to ascertain how the incident occurred, whether the gurukulam had the required recognition and under what circumstances the students were made to clean the water tank,” he said.
The inquiry will also examine why students were made to clean the underground tank and whether proper safety measures were in place.
The ECI said it was informed by the Delhi Police at around 4 pm that a delegation of MPs, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, wanted to meet the Commission.
Opposition MPs led by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi marched from Parliament towards the Election Commission headquarters, demanding a meeting with the poll panel and the resignation of chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. (ECI/X, HT)
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday said no political party had formally sought an appointment with the poll panel before 4 pm, as the INDIA bloc’s protest over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls escalated in New Delhi.
This came hours after Opposition MPs led by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi marched from Parliament towards the Election Commission headquarters, demanding a meeting with the poll panel and the resignation of chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The march was stopped by police before the leaders could reach the ECI office, following which several Opposition MPs staged a sit-in.
In a press note issued later in the day, the ECI said it was informed by Delhi Police at around 4 pm that a delegation of MPs led by Gandhi wanted to meet the Commission and submit a memorandum.
The poll panel said its established procedure required political parties or joint delegations of parties to seek an appointment through their authorised representatives.
“The Election Commission of India had laid down a procedure in 2025 for meetings with political parties. All political parties have been informed about this procedure and follow it. Whenever a delegation of a political party, or a joint delegation of several parties, wishes to meet the Commission, it seeks an appointment through its duly authorised representative. The meeting is then held at a time mutually agreed upon by both sides,” the statement read.
According to the Commission, the Delhi Police’s deputy commissioner subsequently informed it that the proposed meeting involved around 240 MPs and was to take place at the Parliament House Annexe. The ECI said it considered the request “unusual” and declined it, citing its protocol that such meetings are held at the Commission’s premises.
“When the Election Commission was considering the proposal for the meeting with the MPs after 4 pm today, the DCP of Delhi Police informed it that the meeting being sought was with a group of 240 MPs and that the proposed venue was Parliament House Annexe. The Election Commission considered this request unusual and could not accept it because, as per protocol, such meetings are held only at the premises of the Election Commission of India,” the statement read.
The Commission, however, said it offered to send its most senior serving officer to the Parliament Annexe to receive the memorandum from the MPs. It described the proposal as an unprecedented step, but said the MPs declined it.
“Any political party can request a meeting with the Election Commission at any time, and the Commission can, depending on the availability of time, decide the date and time of the meeting. This is a normal process,” the statement read.
Opposition protests against Gyanesh Kumar
The ECI’s statement came amid a major Opposition mobilisation in Delhi over the functioning of the poll panel and the revision of electoral rolls on Tuesday.
The INDIA bloc announced the march after a meeting of Opposition parties on September 30. The parties said they would march from Parliament to Nirvachan Sadan, the ECI headquarters, to demand the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and raise their concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, set to become the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on October 31, has served in the Indian Air Force for nearly four decades. His career includes participation in three major operations, Safed Sagar during the Kargil War, Operation Rakshak in J&K and Operation Sindoor in 2025.
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit | x @IAF_MCC & File Pic
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has been named the 29th Chief of the Air Staff and is scheduled to assume office as Air Chief Marshal on the afternoon of October 31, 2026. He will take over from Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who is set to retire on the same day. Dixit currently serves as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
His appointment caps a career spanning nearly four decades with the Indian Air Force, during which he has been associated with major military operations, including Operation Safed Sagar, Operation Rakshak and Operation Sindoor. Here’s a look at the three operations he was part of:
Operation Safed Sagar (1999)
Operation Safed Sagar was the Indian Air Force’s aerial campaign during the 1999 Kargil War. It was carried out in coordination with the Indian Army’s Operation Vijay, whose objective was to reclaim positions on the Indian side of the Line of Control that had been occupied by Pakistani troops and infiltrators.
The IAF commenced its operations on May 26, 1999, carrying out air strikes and providing close air support in key sectors such as Dras, Kargil, Batalik and Mushkoh. The campaign presented considerable operational challenges, with pilots having to conduct missions at very high altitudes amid difficult mountainous terrain.
Indian aircraft were also required to operate strictly on their side of the LoC, placing additional constraints on the missions. A range of aircrafts, including the MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, Jaguar, Mirage-2000, MiG-29 and Mi-17, were deployed during the campaign.
The Mirage-2000 emerged as particularly significant for precision attacks, including missions involving laser-guided bombs.
Operation Rakshak (1990 onwards)
Operation Rakshak was markedly different from Safed Sagar. Rather than being a conventional military campaign lasting a defined period, it refers to the Indian Army’s continuing counter-insurgency and counter-militancy operations, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, which began in the early 1990s amid the rise of militancy.
Over the years, the operation has encompassed several types of security missions, including area domination, search operations, counter-terrorism actions and efforts to safeguard civilians and strategically important installations. Army units have also conducted operations targeting militant groups as the security situation evolved.
The character of Operation Rakshak has changed over the decades in response to developments in Jammu and Kashmir. The Rashtriya Rifles, which was raised to strengthen the Army’s counter-insurgency capabilities, subsequently became a key element of such operations in the region.
Operation Sindoor (2025)
Operation Sindoor marked the most recent of the major operations associated with Dixit’s career. The Indian Armed Forces launched the operation on May 7, 2025, following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed.
An Experimental Test Pilot and Qualified Flying Instructor, Air Marshal Dixit has logged over 3,500 hours of flying experience. He has commanded a Mirage 2000 squadron, a frontline fighter base in the Western sector, and a premier fighter training base.
Air Marshal Dixit took part in Operation Safed Sagar and Operation Rakshak.
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, a fighter pilot with more than 3,500 hours in the cockpit, has now been named the Chief of the Air Staff.
The government announced the decision on Tuesday. Air Marshal Dixit, who is currently the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, will become the 29th head of the Indian Air Force. He will hold the rank of Air Chief Marshal.
Air Marshal Dixit will take over from Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who retires on October 31, 2026.
Born on December 9, 1966, Air Marshal Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 6 December 1986. Since then, he has held a wide mix of operational, instructional and senior command roles.
He has flown a long list of aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Jaguar, Kiran, IL-78, Hawk and Tejas.
He is also an Experimental Test Pilot and a Qualified Flying Instructor. That means he knows the job from both sides: flying on the front line and putting new aircraft through their paces.
During his career, the incoming Air Chief has been involved in several major operations and exercises. These include Operation Sated Sagar, Operation Rakshak and Operation Sindoor.
Before becoming Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Dixit served as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff.
Before that, he was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command, one of the IAF’s key operational commands.
The government said his contribution in various appointments had strengthened the operational capability of the Indian Air Force.
His service has been recognised with a string of military honours. He received the Vayu Sena Medal in 2006 and the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011. The Ati Vishisht Seva Medal followed in 2023, and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2026.
The Param Vishisht Seva Medal is one of India’s highest military decorations for distinguished service.
The CBI said it registered the FIR to investigate allegations of corruption against Mann’s OSD and his associates
CBI raid at Camp office of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann in sector 2 Chandigarh on Tuesday, October 06, 2026. (Keshav Singh/Hindustan Times)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday conducted searches at eight locations, including the camp office of Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and the residence of his Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Rajbir Singh Ghuman, in Chandigarh, as part of a corruption probe.
The agency said incriminating material, including laptops, mobile phones and documents, was seized during the searches and is being scrutinised for evidence of alleged bribery and other improprieties.
“The CBI conducted extensive coordinated searches at 08 locations across Chandigarh, Mohali, Gurdaspur, Ludhiana, Patiala, Sangrur and Jalandhar at premises connected with the accused persons,” CBI said.
The FIR names Ghuman, OSD to Mann, Nitin Gohal, Jitin Gohal alias Raja, Romi Raja Mahajan, Bir Devinder and RS Nagra, and unknown public servant(s) and private person(s).
The CBI said it registered the FIR to investigate allegations of corruption against Mann’s OSD and his associates. The accused allegedly influenced and manipulated the postings of officers, including IAS and IPS officers, as well as departmental proceedings, policy formulation, administrative approvals, tender conditions, licensing matters, land-use conversion, property disputes, and revenue and land-related issues in exchange for pecuniary benefits.
“Pursuant to the orders of the Hon’ble Punjab and Haryana High Court and receipt of report from ED, the CBI has registered an FIR to investigate the allegations of corruption against OSD to Punjab Chief Minister (CM) and his associates”
The agency also alleged that the accused public servants accessed and provided drafts of government orders and policies to private persons before they were officially issued by the government. Further investigation is in progress.
The Andhra Pradesh Counter Intelligence Cell conducted “Operation Firewall-2026” across 10 states and Union Territories on October 1 as part of the investigation.
The arrested men identified as Annam Sai Varaprasad and Pradeep Mukharjee.
Andhra Pradesh Police have arrested two men in a suspected Pakistan-linked espionage case involving 18 suspects, including 13 naval personnel.
Police allege that the suspects collected classified information about defence establishments in Visakhapatnam and elsewhere in the country and shared it with Pakistan-based intelligence operatives through encrypted communication channels.
The Andhra Pradesh Counter Intelligence Cell conducted “Operation Firewall-2026” across 10 states and Union Territories on October 1 as part of the investigation.
The arrested men were identified as Annam Sai Varaprasad, a civilian contract driver for naval employees in Visakhapatnam, and Pradeep Mukharjee, a naval employee.
Varaprasad was arrested in Visakhapatnam for allegedly sharing classified naval and defence information with a Pakistan-based intelligence operative in exchange for money. He was remanded to Visakhapatnam District Jail until October 14.
Mukharjee was arrested in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Police allege that he shared an OTP with a Pakistan-based operative to activate a WhatsApp account and also leaked defence information. He was remanded to Vijayawada District Jail until October 14.
Disha Salian’s father, Satish Salian, has approached the Bombay High Court seeking deletion or clarification of a clause stating that no one can be treated as an accused until reasonable suspicion emerges. The plea comes after the CBI began investigating Disha’s death following the court’s direction to register an FIR.
Disha Salian
Satish Salian, father of deceased celebrity manager Disha Salian, has approached the Bombay High Court seeking deletion of a clause stating that “nobody shall be treated as an accused until reasonable suspicion” in the order passed by the court while directing the CBI to register an FIR and investigate the case.
Salian’s plea, filed through advocate Nilesh Ojha, seeks deletion or, alternatively, clarification or modification of Clause (iv) of the order dated September 2, which states:
“Nobody shall be treated as an accused unless in the opinion of the Investigating Officer there are sufficient grounds to raise reasonable suspicion against him.”
Salian alleged that the direction of the High Court is “causing serious prejudice” to him and is allegedly being misused by the accused persons. He also said it has created considerable confusion, thereby causing serious prejudice to him, and has sought clarification on the issue.
Salian’s contention is that the interpretation of the clause is contrary to the settled legal position regarding when a person can be regarded as an “accused of an offence”.
The local police, as well as an independent SIT constituted by the BJP-led government, had conducted an enquiry into the possible causes of Disha’s death and concluded that she had died by suicide.
However, Satish Salian had maintained that it was a case of murder while linking it to the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
While the CBI had filed for closure in the Rajput case, it has only now begun investigating the Disha Salian case after an FIR was registered.
The High Court had questioned the Maharashtra government over procedural lapses and suspicious circumstances surrounding the investigation, emphasising that a “grieving father will not get closure” without a lawful probe.
The police later attributed the congestion to Google Maps not reflecting live traffic conditions, while commuters reported hours-long delays across routes.
An aerial survey conducted on October 1 had identified an abrupt merger near Sundial where multiple traffic streams converge towards the existing Barapullah flyover. (Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times)
As chaos resumed on Barapullah Phase-III on Monday after a brief respite over the long weekend, the Delhi Traffic Police initially blamed a “structural bottleneck” on the corridor for the massive jams, effectively pointing to the road design before deleting the post and issuing a fresh alert that attributed the congestion to Google Maps not reflecting live traffic conditions.
The deleted post, made in response to a commuter’s complaint at 10.30am, said eight to nine lanes of traffic were converging into three lanes at a single point on the old Barapullah flyover.
The revised post, however, omitted the reference to the “structural bottleneck” and instead said commuters were continuing to use the corridor because Google Maps was showing normal traffic conditions.
Around 10.30am, as waves of commuters started complaining about the gridlock on the corridor on social media, the traffic police posted an alert highlighting the merging of multi-lane traffic into three lanes on the Ring Road and old Barapullah corridor. It also said congestion on the newly opened corridor was not yet reflected on Google Maps.
In response to one commuter’s post, the traffic police shared a message from the inspector of the Lajpat Nagar traffic circle, which said: “Main cause of traffic jam after opening of Barapullah Phase-III is structural bottleneck at Old Barapullah Flyover.”
The post then listed the lane widths of the different stretches. The old Barapullah flyover has three lanes, while the new Phase-III flyover from the Mayur Vihar side, the Sarai Kale Khan loop and the DND-side loop each have approximately three lanes.
“Thus, traffic of approx 8-9 lanes is converging into 3 lanes at a single point on Old Barapulah flyover,” the post said. It also noted that Google had not been updated with live traffic flow information and that traffic personnel were deployed at the merging points.
Police replace bottleneck explanation with Google Maps alert
About an hour later, the post was deleted and replaced with another traffic alert. The second post made no reference to the structural bottleneck or the eight-to-three lane merger.
“Cause: Congestion on Barapulla Phase-III is not being reflected on Google Maps, due to which commuters are continuing to take this route. This has resulted in heavy traffic volume and a bottleneck at Barapulla Junction, causing congestion to extend for a considerable distance,” the revised alert said.
The traffic police said traffic towards Barapullah and Ring Road was heavy and slow and advised commuters to avoid the affected stretch. Traffic from Phase-III was being diverted towards NH-24/DND, it said.
Traffic police say first post was deleted to verify facts
Asked why the first post was deleted, joint commissioner of police (traffic) Sanjay Tyagi said it was done “just to verify the facts.”
He said an aerial survey on October 1 had already identified the abrupt merger of traffic from the new flyover with the existing Barapullah corridor near Sundial as a bottleneck. “Following our aerial survey on October 1, we had already pointed out that the abrupt merger of traffic of the new flyover with the existing Barapullah corridor near the Sundial is leading to the formation of a bottleneck and that there is a significant mismatch in lane capacity at the merging point, with multiple streams of traffic converging towards the existing Barapullah flyover, which has competitively limited lane capacity,” Tyagi said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of motorists were again caught in massive jams on Monday morning on the newly opened corridor, as well as the Ring Road, Delhi-Noida Link Road and DND corridor. Despite the deployment of traffic personnel, the congestion continued for hours.
Commuters reported near-standstill traffic on the flyway, with jams spilling onto the Noida-Delhi Link Road and other alternate routes. Traffic also moved slowly on the Ring Road between Ashram and Sarai Kale Khan, causing bottlenecks to cascade into adjoining routes.
Jaishankar said geopolitical tensions were creating new challenges for countries, from energy and food security to fertilisers and trade.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addresses the concluding session of the 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave. (PTI photo)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said the world was entering an “age of flux”, marked by conflicts, uncertainty and tariff volatility, but expressed confidence that India would be able to navigate the “choppy waters” ahead.
Speaking at the fifth Kautilya Economic Conclave, Jaishankar said geopolitical tensions were creating new challenges for countries, from energy and food security to fertilisers and trade.
“This is going to be an age of flux, as you call it. And it is going to be turbulent and volatile, with uncertainties. We are seeing two major conflicts, we are seeing other frictions. As I said, there is the pressure of non-market factors, there is tariff volatility,” he said.
India backs dialogue on Ukraine
Jaishankar said India continued to engage with both Russia and Ukraine and maintained that the conflict could not be resolved on the battlefield.
“From the very start, we have always held that this conflict in Ukraine is unlikely to be resolved in the battlefield,” he said, stressing that “dialogue and diplomacy” remained the best path towards a settlement.
He recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his own visit to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukrainian officials.
“We still keep in touch with both sides,” Jaishankar said, adding that efforts to promote peace were worth pursuing because of the concerns of the Global South.
He also criticised peace gatherings that exclude Russia, asking: “What is the point of having a gathering … on the Ukraine conflict, where Russia is not there?”
‘Choppy waters’ need careful response
Jaishankar said India had faced major disruptions before, including the Covid pandemic and the impact of global conflicts on energy, food and fertiliser supplies.
“Yes, these are choppy waters,” he said. “We need to factor them into our thinking, plan and respond — that in a sense is the task before us.”
“I am very confident that we will rise to the challenge,” he added.
ACP Vivek Bhagat was recently promoted to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police despite facing allegations of molesting a journalist during a protest. It has now been withheld.
Delhi Cop Vivek Bhagat promoted
ACP Vivek Bhagat was promoted to the post of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Additional DCP), days after he was accused of molesting a woman journalist during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls at Jantar Mantar on October 3. However, the Delhi government said late on Monday that the current duty charge (CDC) of Vivek Bhagat has been withheld.
The proposal to confer additional duty charge to these officers was initiated on August 25, “much before the present set of events”, the government said. The orders were issued after due approval on October 5.
The Delhi government said that ACP Vivek Bhagat, “of his own volition, has requested not to avail the current duty charge assignment, till a full enquiry has been conducted in the matter of alleged harassment of women journalists and such enquiry has been satisfactorily concluded.”
Government of NCT of Delhi order dated October 5, 2026, wherein current duty charge of the post of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police has been assigned to 12 officers of DANIPS is being modified in respect of Shri Vivek Bhagat, ACP.
The proposal to confer additional duty charge to these officers was initiated on August 25, much before the present set of events. The orders were issued after due approval on October 5, 2026. As stated in the order, the assignment of current duty charge is a temporary arrangement which confers no financial benefit, and no statutory duties of the regular incumbents can be exercised by the officers to whom current duty charge has been assigned.
However, Shri Vivek Bhagat, ACP, of his own volition, has requested not to avail the current duty charge assignment, till a full enquiry has been conducted in the matter of alleged harassment of women journalists and such enquiry has been satisfactorily concluded. Accordingly, the order dated October 5, 2026, as aforesaid is being modified and will be reissued with respect to assignment of current duty charge on the eleven remaining officers.
Accordingly, the earlier order is being modified and will be reissued with respect to assignment of CDC on the 11 remaining officers, it added.
Earlier in the day, ACP Bhagat was assigned the rank of additional DCP, drawing sharp reactions from various quarters. The promotion, however, is said to be part of a routine, time-bound promotion process for officers. Those who had received promotion are – Dr Vikas Sheokand, A Venkatesh, Gursewak Singh, Renu Lata, Vidushi Kaushik, Manu Himanshu, Sakaria Mihir Pravinbhai, Garima Tiwari, Ashish Kumar, Manish Ladla and Rohit Gupta.
The government clarified that assignment of CDC is a temporary arrangement which confers no financial benefit, and no statutory duties of the regular incumbents can be exercised by the officers to whom CDC has been assigned.
Three women journalists alleged that they were sexually harassed by police personnel during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Jantar Mantar on October 3. The Delhi Police said that they have transferred their complaints to the Crime Branch for an impartial enquiry, and no FIR has been registered as of now.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has downplayed its recent tensions with Congress, endorsing the INDIA bloc’s upcoming protest while framing its own October 10 mobilization as a youth-driven initiative.
CJP founder Abhijit Dipke, along with Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das, National Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka during Mumbai protest. | Representational image Photo : ANI
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday sought to play down its recent sparring with sections of the Congress, welcoming the INDIA bloc’s proposed protest on Tuesday (today) and saying its own October 10 mobilisation should be seen as a broader call by the youth rather than that of a particular organisation.
Today, the Opposition Members of Parliament, particularly from the INDIA bloc will hold a protest march in New Delhi from Makar Dwar at Parliament House towards the Election Commission of India. The march is expected to commence from 10:30 AM.
CJP Presses on Right of Peaceful Protest
CJP co-convener Saurav Das said everyone — political parties, student organisations, activists and common people — should assert their rights through peaceful protests.
“We welcome all peaceful protests. Everyone should make efforts, be it INDIA bloc or other student organisations or activists, or common people. Everyone needs to assert their rights,” Das told a press conference, referring to the INDIA bloc’s planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday.
CJP on Oct 10 Protest
On the October 10 mobilisation plan of the CJP, Das said, “You should not consider the call for protests on October 10 as our call or someone else’s call. This is the call by the youth and Gen Z. We are one part of that.”
The remarks come against the backdrop of an over-the-weekend online spat between CJP and sections aligned with the Congress, after a social media post compared CJP national convener Abhijeet Dipke with AISA president Neha Bora.
While Dipke and Bora themselves rejected any rivalry, CJP leaders accused sections of the “liberal ecosystem” of seeking to undermine Dipke. AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj also weighed in, cautioning against replacing one form of “hero worship” with another.
The exchange brought simmering differences between CJP and sections of Congress into the open. Sections of the Congress have been wary of CJP’s emergence given the AAP background of several of its prominent faces, while AAP has backed its recent mobilisations.
Das said repeated protests on the streets indicate there is a problem. “If people are hitting the streets repeatedly then there is a problem,” Das said, adding that taking to streets is the “last resort” for people who feel they are not being heard.
CJP Says Some Leaders May Be Arrested on Oct 10
At the press conference, Das also claimed CJP had received information from “well-wishers” within the establishment that its leaders could be arrested ahead of the October 10 protest.
“Well wishers have informed us that meetings are taking place and there is a high possibility that CJP leaders could be arrested,” he claimed. “It does not matter if we are arrested or detained because this fight is about the young generation.
“Even if we are arrested or detained the protest will go on because this is the fight for our future,” he asserted. “Fear of FIR, fear of jail has evaporated — it won’t work anymore.”
Das said Jantar Mantar had become a “symbol of hope and victory” and asserted that protesters would sit wherever police stops them.
“Wherever police stops us, we will sit there and that will become Jantar Mantar,” he said.
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said PM Narendra Modi has assured Maharashtra of all possible central assistance to tackle the severe drought and support distressed farmers. Shinde met Modi in New Delhi on Monday for an hour-long discussion covering water availability, agricultural conditions and livestock fodder requirements. He said the Prime Minister sought detailed information about the situation.
Maharashtra Drought: ‘PM Modi Assures Centre’s Support, Farmers’ Diwali Won’t Be Marred By Crisis,’ Says Deputy CM Eknath Shinde |
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured Maharashtra of the Centre’s support to tackle the severe drought situation in the state, and expressed confidence that substantial assistance would be provided to farmers facing distress.
Hour-Long Meeting With PM
Shinde met Modi in New Delhi and held an hour-long discussion on the drought crisis, including water availability, agricultural conditions and fodder requirements for livestock. According to Shinde, the Prime Minister sought detailed information on the situation and assured all possible assistance from the Centre.
“Farmers’ Diwali will not be marred by the drought crisis,” Shinde said, stressing that the government would stand firmly behind the farming community. He pointed out that farmers currently receive annual financial assistance of Rs 12,000, comprising Rs 6,000 under the Centre’s Shetkari Samman Yojana and an equal amount through Maharashtra’s Namo Shetkari Yojana.
Recalls Aid During Heavy Rains
Recalling the assistance extended to the state during last year’s heavy rains, Shinde said the government would not hesitate to provide support whenever farmers were in distress.
“The farming community has the first right over the government treasury. When farmers are in distress, the government will not hold back assistance,” he said.
Shinde Targets Opposition
Shinde also hit out at the Opposition, accusing it of concentrating on marches, protests and allegations against Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah instead of addressing issues concerning farmers and the state.
On the upcoming Legislative Council elections, Shinde said the Mahayuti coordination committee had discussed the candidature of Mangesh Chivte from the Pune Teachers’ constituency. The party has issued the AB Form and Chivte is scheduled to file his nomination on Tuesday.
On the proposed Cabinet expansion, Shinde said Modi, as the principal leader of the NDA, would take a decision at an appropriate time.
Delhi Police has rejected social media allegations that female protesters were physically assaulted during recent demonstrations in the national capital, calling the claims “baseless and misleading”. The police said women protesters were handled by female personnel and treated with dignity, while detentions were carried out according to law and prescribed procedures.
‘Baseless & Misleading’: Delhi Police Denies Assault On Female Protesters During Jantar Mantar Protests | X – Deb_livnletliv
The Delhi Police on Monday rejected allegations on social media that female protesters were subjected to physical assault during the recent demonstrations in the national capital, saying they were handled by female personnel and treated with dignity in accordance with prescribed procedures.
New Delhi DCP Sachin Sharma said the allegations were “baseless and misleading” and did not reflect the actual sequence of events.
“Some social media handles are claiming that female protesters were subjected to physical assault. These allegations are baseless and misleading. Female protesters are handled by female staff and are treated with dignity and due regard,” Sharma said in a post on X.
He said detentions and releases of protesters were carried out in accordance with applicable law and prescribed procedures.
OFFICIAL CLARIFICATION
Some social media handles are claiming that female protesters were subjected to physical assault.
These allegations are baseless and misleading. Female protesters are handled by female staff and are treated with dignity and due regard.
Detentions and releases are carried out in accordance with the applicable law and prescribed procedures. Male protesters who were detained were released within the stipulated time period, following due process of law.
Any claim suggesting otherwise is factually incorrect and does not reflect the actual sequence of events.
“Male protesters who were detained were released within the stipulated time period, following due process of law. Any claim suggesting otherwise is factually incorrect and does not reflect the actual sequence of events,” the DCP said.
The police response came amid a series of protests in and around Jantar Mantar over the past few days by student groups, political parties and activists demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
AISA members had earlier alleged that its national president Neha Bora was picked up during a protest march towards Jantar Mantar and taken to Narela Industrial Area police station. They had also alleged that she was taken away in a private vehicle without an official number plate and that no woman police officer was present in the vehicle.
In a post on X on Monday, the poll body responded to allegations made by the Leader of Opposition, who had cited an earlier statement issued by the poll body concerning the declaration attached to Form 6.
Form 6 is used by citizens applying for inclusion in electoral rolls for the first time.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has termed allegations by Rahul Gandhi that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar illegally and unilaterally changed Form 6 during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as “misleading”.
In a post on X on Monday, the poll body responded to allegations made by the Leader of Opposition, who had cited an earlier statement issued by the poll body concerning the declaration attached to Form 6. The ECI said the order launching the SIR exercise in Bihar on June 24, 2025, had been issued with the “unanimous approval” of the Commission. It also pointed to a Supreme Court judgment of May 27, 2026, saying the court had upheld that order.
The Commission further said that a statement contained in its September 26 press note — Point 1(iii) said, “The declaration attached to Form 6 for SIR has been upheld by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”
Fact Check
❌The statement made in this post is misleading
✅1) The order for SIR in Bihar issued on 24 June 2025 was issued with the unanimous approval of the Commission. This order has been upheld by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in its judgment dated 27 May 2026
✅2) In its Press Note No. 120 dated 26 September 2026, in Point 1(iii), ECI has stated that, “The declaration attached to Form 6 for SIR has been upheld by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”
But the Commission’s response did not directly address the central allegation raised by Gandhi which was whether the specific modified version of Form 6 currently being used was introduced by the Chief Election Commissioner without proper approval. That issue was at the centre of proceedings in the Supreme Court on Monday.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, said it would examine the official record to determine who had introduced the changes after the Election Commission claimed last week that the new declaration attached to the online version of Form 6 had received the Supreme Court’s approval.
“Any modified Form 6 has not been approved by us. Let’s be clear. When the record is produced, we would like to see who has modified it,” the Chief Justice said during the hearing.
Ventilators supplied to Maharajganj during the Covid-19 pandemic have remained unused at the district women’s hospital for years. Officials say missing pipelines, trained staff and other resources kept the equipment idle, though shifting to a critical care unit has begun.
Medical equipment lie unused at a Maharajganj hospital in Uttar Pradesh (Photo: ITG)
Ventilators worth crores of rupees, supplied to a hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj during the Covid-19 pandemic, have remained unused for years due to a lack of the infrastructure and resources needed to operate them.
The ventilators were purchased through the PM CARES Fund after hospitals across the country faced a severe shortage of critical-care equipment during the pandemic. Maharajganj received 18 sets of ventilators, but a reality check found several of them still packed away and gathering dust at the district’s women’s hospital.
VENTILATORS KEPT LOCKED AWAY
During the Covid pandemic, the women’s hospital housed a Covid command centre. When the ventilators arrived, they were kept in rooms on the fifth floor of the multi-storey hospital building and locked away.
Years later, the equipment remains largely unused. During the inspection, beds and some large equipment were found outside the rooms, while electronic monitors and other valuable components used by the ventilators were kept locked inside.
The equipment was supplied at a time when a shortage of ventilators and other medical devices had put enormous pressure on hospitals treating critically ill Covid patients.
LACK OF INFRA KEPT EQUIPMENT IDLE
Maharajganj Chief Medical Officer Dr Surendra Kumar Chaudhary said the ventilators could not be put to use because the required pipeline system and other resources were not available.
He said a critical care unit has now been completed and preparations are underway to shift the ventilators there.
Nurses are demanding a monthly salary of Rs 45,000, equal pay for equal work, permanent employment, job security and payment of pending incentives.
The protest was organised by the Tamil Nadu Intermediate Health Workers’ Association.
A lawyer representing protesting nurses alleged on Monday that five leaders were arrested after being invited to the Tamil Nadu Secretariat for talks.
Police also detained nurses on hunger strike in Chennai after they refused to disperse beyond the allotted time.
Nurses from across the state gathered near Rajaratnam Stadium for the protest organised by the Tamil Nadu Intermediate Health Workers’ Association.
They are demanding a monthly salary of Rs 45,000, equal pay for equal work, permanent employment, job security and payment of pending incentives.
Advocate Varatharaajan, who is providing legal support to the protesters, alleged that police had conveyed the government’s invitation for talks.
“All 4,000 nurses decided to send only five leaders for compromise talks. But after they entered the Secretariat, the police arrested them and betrayed us,” he alleged.
The Supreme Court held that the FDA’s action was based on inspection findings and an unsafe food sample, and set aside a Rs 5 lakh compensation order by the High Court.
The FDA suspended Gurunanak Dairy and Sweets food license in June. (File photo)
The Supreme Court on Monday set aside an order of the Bombay High Court directing the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to pay Rs 5 lakh in compensation to a dairy and sweets shop whose licence was suspended, holding that the FDA’s action was justified in the interest of public health.
The FDA, under the leadership of Thukaram Mudhe, had suspended the food licence of Gurunanak Dairy and Sweets following an inspection conducted in June in connection with a complaint regarding food poisoning.
According to the state government’s submissions before the Supreme Court, officials of the FDA Pune found multiple deficiencies relating to sanitation, record-keeping, labelling and the personal hygiene of employees.
As an instance, a sample of malai pedha, a dairy product, was also collected from the establishment for analysis, and the sample was subsequently declared unsafe, the government told the court.
In view of the findings and the unsafe food sample, the FDA suspended the establishment’s food licence under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The shop owners challenged the action by filing a statutory appeal before the FDA Commissioner, and the establishment subsequently submitted a compliance report in July. The FDA then conducted a re-inspection just four days after receiving the compliance report.
The establishment later approached the Bombay High Court, challenging the FDA order, and the High Court lifted the suspension of the food licence. However, citing the financial loss caused to the business, it also directed the FDA to deposit Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the establishment.
The Maharashtra government challenged the compensation direction before the Supreme Court.
The state government argued that the FDA’s action was taken in response to a food-poisoning complaint and was aimed at protecting public health. It maintained that the suspension of the licence was based not merely on the complaint but also on deficiencies detected during the inspection and the unsafe finding in the malai pedha sample.
The government further submitted that the FDA had acted promptly throughout the process. In particular, it highlighted that officials conducted a re-inspection within four days of receiving the establishment’s compliance report.
The state also pointed out that the statutory appeal filed by the food business operator was pending before the Commissioner, FDA, and had been scheduled for a decision.
Uddhav Thackeray accused the BJP of using the Election Commission to pursue political vendettas, while Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat called for unity.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray (HT photo)
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday demanded the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls while his cousin and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using power to pursue political vendettas.
The two leaders were addressing the ‘Virat Garjana Morcha’ rally in south Mumbai, along with other opposition leaders, against the alleged irregularities in SIR and to press the demand for the removal of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Scarp SIR, return to ballot papers
Apart from seeking the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Raj Thackeray, who addressed the rally first, also demanded the scrapping the SIR and a return to holding elections with ballot papers. “Our demand is that the entire SIR conducted in Maharashtra should be cancelled,” he said. “There should be only ballot paper voting.”
Uddhav Thackeray said that Sunday’s gathering was not part of any particular political party’s agenda, but a fight to protect the nation, democracy and the Constitution. “Gyanesh Kumar is a weapon of the BJP,” he said.
Opposition leaders call for unity to protect democracy
Congress’s Balasaheb Thorat said, “We have a historical responsibility to save democracy and the Constitution. Let us unite for it.”
Hitting out at the opposition leaders, Maharashtra cultural affairs minister and BJP leader Ashish Shelar mocked the joint protest, calling it a ‘kolhekui morcha’ (march of foxes).
The bench criticised the trial court for imposing the death sentence on the same day as conviction without a separate hearing on punishment.
The Supreme Court said the convict’s nearly eight years in prison, family ties and satisfactory conduct in custody were relevant mitigating factors. (ANI)
The death penalty can be imposed only in cases where the possibility of a convict’s reformation is completely ruled out, the Supreme Court has held, underlining that the possibility of reform cannot be presumed absent merely because a crime is exceptionally brutal or grotesque.
SC sets strict threshold for imposing death penalty
According to a bench of justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Vijay Bishnoi, the prosecution must establish that life imprisonment is unquestionably inadequate as an alternative to capital punishment, and that the death sentence must be reserved for cases where the alternative of imprisonment for life is demonstrably foreclosed.
The ruling highlighted the distinction between the gravity of a crime and the separate question of whether the person who committed it is beyond reform — a distinction the law requires courts to examine before taking away a life.
Court commutes death sentence in child rape-murder case
Applying this principle, the bench commuted the death sentence of a man convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting his six-year-old stepdaughter and murdering her in 2018. The court, however, directed that he remain in prison for the remainder of his natural life, without the possibility of remission, holding that this was an appropriate punishment given the gravity of the crime.
In the present case, it said, the prosecution had failed to establish that the convict was beyond reform, while the material on his background and conduct in custody weighed against such a conclusion.
“The State has not excluded the possibility of the appellant’s reformation,” held the bench, adding that the alternative of imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life was adequate for a crime of such gravity.
The judgment emphasised that the sentencing exercise must consider the circumstances of the offender alongside those of the crime, rather than allow the enormity of the offence to eclipse every mitigating factor. The court said the death penalty was justified only when life imprisonment was “unquestionably foreclosed”.
Court weighs crime’s brutality against mitigating factors
The bench did not minimise the brutality of the crime. The convict had repeatedly sexually assaulted the child, his stepdaughter, and killed her in April 2018, apparently to prevent her from disclosing the abuse. Her mother was the prosecution’s solitary eyewitness to the events inside the home.
Describing the killing as an instance of “instrumental silencing”, the court said the murder compounded the sexual violation of the child with an assault on the administration of justice. It called this an aggravating circumstance of the highest order, but stressed that even such gravity did not, by itself, establish that the offender was beyond redemption.
The court considered several mitigating circumstances, including the convict’s account of childhood deprivation and adult misfortune, the absence of previous criminal convictions, satisfactory conduct in custody, continuing family ties, his age of about 56 years and the nearly eight years he had spent in prison, including around seven under the shadow of a death sentence.
Around 5,000 security personnel were deployed as AISA, Congress, AAP held separate marches against the chief election commissioner.
Police used buses to detain protesters near Jantar Mantar, while several demonstrators attempted to escape by breaking windows and using emergency exits. (HT Photo)
Security officials and protesters clashed for at least three hours in central Delhi on Sunday, the third consecutive day of protests against chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. Over 120 people were briefly detained as police reiterated that no permissions had been given for the demonstrations. While protesters alleged that they had been manhandled, police said they used minimum force.
Delhi Police deployed around 5,000 personnel, including those from the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and other paramilitary forces, ahead of protest marches from India Gate to Jantar Mantar. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) have been in force since July.
Multiple groups march against CEC over SIR
A Citizens’ March, led by All India Students’ Association (AISA), began at 4pm, followed by an Indian Youth Congress, led by national president Uday Bhanu Chib, marching along the same route at 5pm.
At around the same time, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and, separately, a group of independent journalists, also staged a protest march to India Gate against the CEC.
While the marches began peacefully, tensions escalated as the protesters approached Jantar Mantar. They were stopped at several points, including on Ashoka Road at the roundabout near Andhra Bhawan, and further near the Le Méridien and Shangri La hotels.
Police detain AISA leader, AAP leaders
Police detained dozens of people, including AISA national president Neha Bora. Bora was picked up in a car, which deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma said was a “government vehicle with two female staff in the back”.
Senior AAP leaders Saurabh Bhardwaj and Sanjeev Jha were also detained by police while they were protesting at India Gate.
Buses used to detain protesters during clashes
Police also deployed around 20 buses that were used to detain other protesters, including Latika Dikshit, daughter of former chief minister Sheila Dikshit, as per former MP Sandeep Dikshit, her brother. She was released within the hour.
This led to scuffles and the window of at least one police van was smashed by protesters, according to police, as they jumped out of buses. At various points, police were seen carrying out lathi-charge against demonstrators as they attempted to free each other.
In all, the police said, 120 people were detained, adding that they were all released later. According to police and AISA, Bora was released at the Narela Industrial Area police station.
Protesters allege manhandling during detention
A Delhi University student who was present at the protest alleged that she was “pushed” and “shoved” by police officials.
“We tried to get out of the bus but female police personnel dragged me by my hair and tortured me. I saw some people breaking glass and we all jumped. My friends, who got scared and started to leave, were also chased and held,” she alleged.
Another protester said her male friend was “targeted” by RAF personnel when he was recording a policeman’s video. “They slapped him and took him. I don’t know where he is,” she told HT.
A group of men nearby alleged Delhi Police also “almost” ran over their friend. Senior police officers said they did not “attack” students or protesters but used “minimal force” to detain students who were later released.
Journalists allege police assault during detentions
Police were accused of “assaulting” journalists and digital media creators after they tried to stop personnel from detaining students near Le Méridien. In a video circulating online, police personnel are seen shoving journalists back as they question a police official about detaining females after 6pm.
Heated verbal confrontations were also witnessed between police and students, when officers were seen dragging the protesters to buses. Many students also fled from emergency gates of buses and by breaking windows.
However, senior police officers said they didn’t hit any protester and lathis were used to “push” them away from the detainees.
Maharashtra BJP launched the ‘Namo Seva – Ansuni Kahaniyan’ street play initiative at Mumbai’s KC College, with state party chief Ravindra Chavan in attendance. The plays will depict episodes from PM Narendra Modi’s public life. According to the schedule, every Assembly constituency will host at least 10 performances by October 15, 2026, while each district will have one major show.
BJP Launches ‘Namo Seva – Ansuni Kahaniyan’ Street Plays To Take PM Modi’s Life Stories Across State |
Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan has expressed confidence that the ‘Namo Seva – Ansuni Kahaniyan’ street play initiative will create records, similar to the film ‘Hanuman Ansh’, while taking inspirational stories from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public life to people across the state.
Initiative Launched In Mumbai
The Maharashtra launch of the street play initiative was held at KC College in Mumbai in the presence of Chavan. The programme is part of the BJP’s nationwide ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, organised to mark 25 years of Modi’s public life. Artists and organisers associated with the initiative were felicitated on the occasion.
The street plays aim to highlight Modi’s journey, focusing on his commitment to public service, dedication, patriotism and good governance. Artists from Pimpri-Chinchwad will perform plays depicting inspirational episodes from the Prime Minister’s life in different parts of Maharashtra.
Performances Across State
According to the programme schedule, one major performance will be organised in every district, while at least 10 street play performances will be held in every Assembly constituency by October 15, 2026. The initiative is also expected to provide emerging artists with a platform to spread awareness and communicate social messages through theatre.
Speaking at the launch, Chavan said Modi’s life offered lessons in service, good governance, dedication and patriotism. He described ‘Namo Seva Gatha’ as a commendable initiative to bring these values to the public through street theatre.
“If any process results in disenfranchising millions and millions of Indian citizens… such a process is intrinsically arbitrary… It strikes at the very heart of the Constitution,” said Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, speaking at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan of the Supreme Court on Sunday called “a negation of the constitutional order” any process that takes away the voting rights of a huge number of Indian citizens. He asserted that “no authority can do it; no court can condone it”.
“The Indian Constitution does not provide for two classes of citizens: citizens with voting rights and citizens without voting rights,” Justice Bhuyan said in a speech in Hyderabad.
“If any process results in disenfranchising millions and millions of Indian citizens — making them second-class citizens in their own country in the sense of being citizens without voting rights — such a process is intrinsically arbitrary. No amount of whataboutery can justify it… It strikes at the very heart of the Constitution,” he said.
He termed such an exercise violative of the Constitution’s Article 14, which guarantees the right to equality, and Article 326, which provides for universal adult suffrage. “I would go to the extent of saying that it is a negation of the constitutional order which we have adopted under the Constitution of India,” he added.
He did not name any specific exercise or authority in his address.
The remarks come four months after the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Recent weeks have seen fresh questions by Opposition parties over the EC’s autonomy and intention.
Justice Bhuyan was delivering the valedictory address at the 19th NALSAR-Justice BR Sawhney Memorial Moot Court Competition at NALSAR University of Law, where he earlier served as chancellor.
“From the persona of an Indian citizen, the right to vote or right to be included in the voters list cannot be detached. It will be like taking out the soul from the body,” the judge said.
On the SIR, the SC ruled in May that the exercise fell within the poll body’s mandate and that the measures adopted were not excessive or disproportionate. It also held that where the commission is not satisfied a person meets the conditions for inclusion, it may refer the case to the competent authority for adjudication. Appellate tribunals for some exclusion cases have been set up in West Bengal, for instance, where 93 per cent of the matters decided so far have ended with re-inclusion of the voter.
Opposition parties have called the SIR a “sinister” exercise and demanded the restoration of about 13 crore names excluded from draft rolls across the three phases so far, particularly after recent resorts of dissent within the poll body.
Justice Bhuyan, in his address on Sunday, spoke in a wider sense and linked the vote to India’s Independence too.
“Indian citizens’ right to vote is intertwined with India’s long years of struggle against foreign rule. It is a manifestation of our freedom achieved after so much of struggle and sacrifice,” he said.
“Article 326 cannot be tinkered with at all. No authority can do it; no court can condone it. No one is above the Constitution,” he said.
He said that, except in the case of a dead voter, “the name of a voter once enlisted in the electoral roll cannot be deleted without notice and hearing”.
“And what is the worth of a citizen without her voting right,” he asked.
He recalled jurist Nani Palkhivala’s 1979 convocation address at the University of Madras: “Freedom cannot be inherited in the bloodstream. Each generation will have to defend it and fight for it. Then alone, will it survive, to be passed on to the next.”
Citing US Supreme Court judge Felix Frankfurter’s view that the highest office in a democracy is not that of the President but that of the citizen, Justice Bhuyan quoted him as saying: “Democracy is always a beckoning goal, not a safe harbour; for freedom is an unremitting endeavour, never a final achievement.”
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis attacked the Uddhav and Raj Thackeray-led Mumbai march against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He said the protest reflected political frustration after public rejection and drew a thin crowd.
Fadnavis calls Uddhav-Raj Thackeray ‘Ghajinis’ over protest march.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday criticised the protest march led by Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray in Mumbai, calling it an expression of frustration against the Election Commission after being rejected by the people. He also termed the two leaders as “Ghajinis”.
Fadnavis said the march was an attempt by the leaders to regain lost ground and claimed the turnout was low despite the build-up around it. The protest, led by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, was held to seek the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme, Fadnavis said, “The morcha was an attempt to find back their lost ground. Despite all the hype, the attendance at the march was thin.” Earlier in the day, the two cousins led the march from Metro Cinema to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters in south Mumbai.
Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Vijay Wadettiwar, along with Jayant Patil, Shashikant Shinde, Jitendra Awhad and Anil Deshmukh of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), took part in the rally.
Fadnavis said, “They have become like ‘Ghajini’. So I want to remind these ‘Ghajinis’ that Gyanesh Kumar became Chief Election Commissioner in 2025, whereas elections in Maharashtra were held in 2024, and the SIR began in 2026.” Referring to the film character known for memory loss, he added, “How can the SIR of 2026 and the person who became Chief Election Commissioner in 2025 affect the 2024 elections?”
The BJP has named Rukmini Mallick from West Bengal and Dinesh Arya from Uttarakhand for the Rajya Sabha polls. The announcement sets up the October 16 contest, including a West Bengal bypoll triggered by Mallick’s resignation.
BJP fields Rukmini Mallick from Bengal, Dinesh Arya from Uttarakhand for Rajya Sabha polls.
The BJP on Sunday announced names of its candidates for Rajya Sabha polls, fielding Rukmini Mallick from West Bengal and Dinesh Arya from Uttarakhand.
The names of the candidates have been approved by the BJP central election committee, the party said.
Elections to 12 Rajya Sabha seats across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal will be held on October 16.
The elections will cover 10 seats from Uttar Pradesh and one from Uttarakhand, where the terms of the sitting members end on November 25, along with a bypoll to one seat from West Bengal.
Shamli Police attached the homes of two alleged shooters and gangster Rahul alias Bholu Shahpuriya in the Balian murder case. The action comes as investigators pursue accused who are absconding and believed to be abroad.
Shamli singer Balian murder: Police attach homes of 2 shooters, gangster
Shamli Police have taken major action in the singer Balian murder case, attaching the homes of two alleged shooters who have been absconding since the killing, as well as the house of gangster Rahul alias Bholu Shahpuriya, who claimed responsibility for the murder on social media.
The properties of shooters Satyam and Aryan in Haryana’s Karnal were attached by Shamli Police. Both have been on the run since the murder and are believed to have fled abroad.
Police also reached Sonipat in Haryana to take action against gangster Bholu Shahpuriya, whose house was attached as part of the action in the case.
Satyam and Aryan have been named as the two shooters allegedly involved in singer Balian’s murder. Shamli Police have been looking for the duo since the killing.
The two men are currently absconding and are believed to have left the country, according to the information available in the case.
Their homes in Karnal were attached by the Shamli Police as part of the action against those accused in the murder.
Shamli Police also took action against gangster Rahul alias Bholu Shahpuriya.
The Uttarakhand Cabinet decided to repeal the colonial-era canal law and bring a new irrigation Bill. The move came alongside reforms in private university norms and medical college pay as the government held its first cabinet meeting in Champawat.
Under the revised framework, a minimum built-up area of 2,500 square metres in hilly regions will be required. (File Photo: ITG)
The Uttarakhand Cabinet on Sunday decided to repeal the 153-year-old British-era Northern India Canal and Drainage Act, 1873, and replace it with a new state law suited to Uttarakhand’s geographical conditions, officials said.
The cabinet also approved changes to the policy and standards for setting up private universities and cleared a revision in salaries and honorariums for senior residents, junior residents and demonstrators in government medical colleges.
The decisions were taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at the NHPC complex in Banbasa in Champawat district.
Officials said the cabinet decided to table the Uttarakhand Irrigation and Drainage Bill, 2026, in the Assembly. This was the first time a state cabinet meeting was held in Champawat, the chief minister’s Assembly constituency.
According to a statement, the cabinet approved amendments to the policy and standards governing the establishment of private universities.
Under the revised framework, a minimum built-up area of 2,500 square metres in hilly regions and 20,000 square metres in plain areas will be required.
It was also decided to work out separate evaluation criteria to ensure quality in proposals for setting up private universities.
In view of the shortage of senior residents, junior residents and demonstrators in government medical colleges, the cabinet approved a revision of their payable salaries and honorariums.
Dhami said cabinet meetings would no longer be confined to Dehradun and would be held in different places to directly place local issues, development prospects and regional priorities before the government.
He said the practice would bridge the gap between the administration and the public.
Dhami also said border areas are not merely the state’s geographical boundaries but are vital links for the nation’s security, culture and development.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi criticized the police for failing to register the complaint promptly, emphasizing the need for accountability
CJP’s Saurav Das with protesters outside the Parliament Street Police Station. (Photo: Instagram)
Journalists and protesters have warned of further demonstrations outside the Parliament Street Police Station in Delhi after an independent journalist alleged that she was sexually assaulted by a senior police officer during a protest at Jantar Mantar.
CJP member Saurav Das, speaking outside Parliament Street Police Station in the early hours of Sunday, said protesters would return at 11:00 on Sunday morning and tell police that “time’s up”. “We will tell the police that time’s up and now we want the copy of the FIR over Rosie’s complaint,” he said.
Das said journalists, protesters and lawyers would gather outside the station in support of the journalist. He alleged that the officer named in the complaint, Vivek Bhagat, had faced previous complaints of similar sexual assaults. That claim has not been independently verified.
The protest followed an allegation by Rosie, an independent journalist, that she was groped and pushed by Bhagat while she was covering the detention of AISA activist Neha Bora at Jantar Mantar on Saturday.
In a video message posted by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, she said, “It’s been more than three hours that I have been sitting inside Parliament Street Police Station.” She alleged that Bhagat “groped me and then pushed me”.
Hundreds of journalists subsequently gathered outside Parliament Street Police Station to protest against the alleged harassment and assault.
Das accused Delhi Police of protecting the officer and said the force had asked for time to examine video footage of the incident. “The police have said that they just need a little time to look at the video footage and so on,” he said.
He argued that a complaint of sexual assault should result in an immediate FIR, adding: “But the police, the Delhi police, are protecting their predator. We will absolutely not tolerate this.” Das said protesters had nevertheless agreed to give police time to examine the footage. “Whereas it does not take more than half an hour to watch the video,” he said. “But even then we want to give the Delhi police the time they want to take.”
Rahul Gandhi Questions Delhi Police
The allegations have also drawn criticism from Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
In a post on X, Rahul said a female journalist had accused a police officer of misconduct and questioned why an FIR had not been registered after hours of protests. “Isn’t that the police’s basic duty? They haven’t even done that,” he wrote.
Rahul also referred to allegations that protesters had been detained at Jantar Mantar, women protesters had faced misconduct and journalists had been dragged and had their cameras snatched.
“Women across Delhi, students, are gripped by fear for their safety, staging satyagraha—but the very police responsible for protecting women are raising hands against them,” he wrote.
He also directed his criticism at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, noting that Delhi Police comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs. “Amit Shah ji, where are you? You have to answer for this,” he wrote.
Smit Machchhar, who was seriously injured in the incident, said the flight had begun normally and that he had been looking towards the front of the cockpit while his co-pilot prayed.
Captain Smit Machchhar, the pilot who fought off an alleged attempt to seize control of a flydubai aircraft bound for Israel, has described to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the terrifying moments inside the cockpit when he realised that his co-pilot was attacking him. Machchhar, who was seriously injured in the incident, said the flight had begun normally and that he had been looking towards the front of the cockpit while his co-pilot prayed.
Then, after several minutes, he felt a heavy blow to the back of his head.
“It was a normal flight, and the co-pilot wanted to pray … which a lot of locals do pray … which is not out of the ordinary,” Machchhar told Netanyahu. “While he was praying, out of respect, I was looking at the front and not at the back, and suddenly, after about four-five minutes, there was a big blow to the back of my head.”
His first thought, he said, was that the aircraft itself had suffered catastrophic damage.
“My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft, that something is not right … but after that the blows kept coming, one after the other and that’s when I realised that it’s not the aircraft, it’s the other guy who is in the cockpit with me,” he added. “I did try and stop him, but because of his initial blows, my vision was almost like nothing, and I was completely blurred out.”
Then he realised that the aircraft was rapidly descending.
“And at that point, the next feeling I had was that the aircraft was sharply going down,” he said. “My memory is still in bits and pieces right now, but this is what I remember out of that time. “I did try and manage to open the door once, but I think he shut it back – closed. And at this point, I remember, I was lying down in the cockpit floor, and I felt the aircraft and the whooshing sound and people screaming.”
It was then, he said, that he realised he had one final opportunity to prevent the aircraft from going down.
“And as I was telling the Ambassador here, I had that one last fight left in me,” he said. “Call it personal or call it for people, I did it because if I didn’t do it, I was going to die, and that’s when I pushed against everything… I gave everything that I had and went for the door and opened the door. And thankfully, people were waiting to pounce back … took over control and the rest is what you know.”
The conversation with Netanyahu came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Machchhar by telephone on Friday and praised him for his actions. The prime minister had said a day earlier that Machchhar had shown “immense courage and unwavering resolve” in protecting the lives of others despite being seriously injured.
What Happened On flydubai Flight
Flydubai flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when it transmitted emergency signals and made a sharp descent of more than 17,000ft. The aircraft had been flying at about 34,000ft before the descent. It was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children. The Boeing 737-8 was eventually diverted to Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Videos circulating on social media showed Machchhar covered in blood, wearing an oxygen mask and lying on his back in the aircraft’s galley. Netanyahu said an Israeli passenger had told him that the aircraft went into a spin and began descending.
According to Netanyahu’s account, the passenger and a member of the crew managed to break into the cockpit and overpowered the pilot who had carried out the stabbing while he was attempting to interfere with the aircraft’s systems. The cockpit struggle was described as a critical moment in preventing the aircraft from continuing its descent.
Machchhar, who is in his mid-30s, has subsequently been described as the “true hero” who helped save all 174 people on board. He has been flying for flydubai for more than four years and has more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience, with more than 9,500 flying hours. Before joining flydubai in June 2022 and moving to Dubai, he was based in India and spent more than a decade with SpiceJet, where he also worked as a Line Training Captain.
His brother is also a pilot with flydubai.
Machchhar is originally from Ghatkopar in Mumbai. Friends, former colleagues and neighbours described him as a good person and praised his actions during the incident.
Co-Pilot Identified
An Omani citizen, Hamam al-Hammami, has been identified in media reports as the co-pilot who attacked Machchhar and allegedly attempted to take control of the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. His identity has not been officially confirmed.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter, that al-Hammami had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about his radical ideological views. During Wednesday’s flight, he allegedly attacked Machchhar with a crash axe, an emergency tool normally kept in the cockpit. The motive for the attack remains unclear.
The UAE, which is leading the investigation, said on Saturday that its findings showed that the co-pilot had attempted to carry out a “terrorist act”. UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot had attacked the captain inside the flight deck with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft. He said investigators were continuing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident, including the motive and any possible links.
India has asked the Pakistani diplomat to ensure that his country respects the sanctity of the International Border, strictly observes relevant bilateral arrangements, and mandates its forces to exercise effective control to prevent unauthorised movement from its side.
BSF killed two Pakistani nationals who were trying to intrude into Indian territory in Punjab
India on Saturday summoned the top diplomat of Pakistan’s High Commission and protested against the “continued facilitation of illegal cross-border infiltration”.
New Delhi’s action came hours after Islamabad summoned India’s top diplomat in Pakistan over the Border Security Force’s killing of two intruders in Punjab’s Tarn Taran.
“The Ministry of External Affairs today summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission to lodge India’s strong protest over the continued facilitation of illegal cross-border infiltration from Pakistan. India also categorically rejected the baseless and motivated allegations regarding an incident in the Ferozepur sector, Punjab, along the International Border on 2 October 2026,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
BSF, which guards India’s borders, shot two Pakistani nationals in Punjab during their attempt to cross into India. The incident took place near the Rajoke village.
BSF spotted them entering Indian territory and issued warnings. Security personnel opened fire after they continued their movement.
The MEA linked the incident to armed narcotics syndicates operating from Pakistan.
“The Pakistani side was informed that three individuals infiltrated into Indian territory and, despite multiple warnings by BSF to return to Pakistan, continued to move towards the border fence. The BSF was compelled to engage them for posing an imminent security threat. This incident highlights a clear pattern of repeated cross-border movement by armed narcotics syndicates operating from Pakistan. Government of Pakistan was urged to investigate these cross-border infiltration and drug smuggling activities and the complicity of Pakistan Border Guarding forces therein, and to take appropriate remedial measures,” it added.
India asked the Pakistani diplomat to ensure that his country respects the sanctity of the International Border, strictly observes relevant bilateral arrangements, mandates its forces to exercise effective control to prevent unauthorised movement from its side, and takes definitive measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
Aam Aadmi Party’s Maur MLA Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana has publicly raised concerns over teacher shortages in government schools — an act AAP deemed an anti-party activity.
Maur MLA Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana
The AAP government’s claim that it has improved Punjab’s government schools has been challenged by a party insider. Aam Aadmi Party’s Maur MLA Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana has publicly raised concerns over teacher shortages in government schools — an act AAP deemed an anti-party activity.
In a social media live session, he became emotional while speaking about the condition of government schools in his constituency. He alleged that several schools are facing a shortage of teachers despite the issue being repeatedly brought to the notice of the government and senior party leaders.
The MLA said his children study in a government school. He said the same school doesn’t have adequate teaching staff.
He claimed that several government schools in his constituency have vacant posts. He said he had repeatedly raised the matter with the government and concerned officials but had not received a solution.
He also raised the issue of the government school in Burj Sahima village. He said that the school fulfils the criteria for upgradation, but no action has been taken to spruce up the institution.
Allegations of Being Sidelined Within AAP
Maiserkhana’s grievances were not limited to education. He also expressed dissatisfaction over what he described as his treatment within the Aam Aadmi Party.
The MLA claimed that despite playing a role in strengthening the party at the grassroots level, he had repeatedly been sidelined and made to feel humiliated.
He also made a serious allegation concerning the Tarn Taran election, claiming that he had been subjected to a conspiracy during that period. According to Maiserkhana, he was allegedly told that if something happened to him or he died, a member of his family would be given a party ticket.
There is no independent confirmation of this allegation.
AAP Expels MLA
The Aam Aadmi Party has taken strong action against Maur MLA Sukhveer Maiserkhana, expelling him from the party over alleged anti-party activities.
The party accused the MLA of spreading false rumours against AAP and attempting to damage its image.
‘Will Continue To Raise My Voice’
Maiserkhana also said he feared that speaking openly against the government and party leadership could invite police action or a case against him.
However, he said he would not back down from raising issues concerning his constituency and the public, even if he had to face legal action or go to jail.
A BSc Nursing student allegedly operated on a woman at a private hospital in Chandauli when no doctor arrived. The woman died later that night, prompting a police case, arrest and action against the hospital.
UP hospital manager, a nursing student, arrested after woman dies following surgery allegedly performed without a doctor.
A B.Sc. Nursing student who was allegedly running a private hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Chandauli was arrested after he operated on a woman in the absence of a doctor, following which she died, police said.
The incident took place at Indra Hospital in Mahraiya village under Dhanapur police station. The hospital’s registration has now been cancelled, while the health department has recommended that the facility be sealed following an investigation by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), officials said.
WOMAN DIES AFTER OPERATION
According to police, Suman, a resident of Lakhaiypur village under Dheena police station, was admitted to the hospital on August 18 for a uterus-related operation.
The hospital manager, identified as 24-year-old Indrajeet Prajapati, allegedly arranged for doctors to visit the facility on call for treatment and surgeries. However, no doctor arrived on the day Suman was scheduled to undergo surgery.
Police said Prajapati then allegedly performed the operation himself on August 19.
Suman’s condition deteriorated after the procedure and she died later that night.
Her family subsequently approached the Dhanapur police and lodged a complaint, following which the police sought an investigation by the CMO.
The medical inquiry found Prajapati responsible for the alleged medical negligence, following which a case was registered and he was arrested on charges of culpable homicide.
‘WRONG VEIN CUT, KIDNEY DAMAGED’
According to a police press note, a case was registered at Dhanapur police station on the complaint of Chandravali Bind, Suman’s father, under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The police said the CMO’s investigation found that during the operation, a wrong blood vessel was cut and Suman’s kidney was damaged, resulting in her death later that night.
The investigation also found that no doctor or paramedical staff was present at the hospital and that Prajapati was admitting and treating patients himself.
NURSING STUDENT, NO MEDICAL DEGREE
The CMO’s inquiry found that Prajapati was a BSc Nursing student and did not possess any degree or diploma qualifying him to practise medicine, police said.
Prajapati, originally from Raipur Babhniav village in Dhanapur, had been operating the private facility in Mahraiya village under the name Indra Hospital. Locals reportedly knew him as a doctor, while he would generally call doctors to the hospital on demand for treating patients.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar briefed a parliamentary panel on India’s ties with Russia and New Delhi’s Ukraine outreach. He said Moscow will take 70,000 Indian skilled workers as India also pushes for peace and the release of nationals linked to the Russian military.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. (File image)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday briefed a parliamentary consultative committee on India’s relations with Russia, outlining what he described as the countries’ “multifaceted” engagement in trade, investment, energy, connectivity, culture and people-to-people ties. He also updated members on India’s position on the Ukraine conflict and New Delhi’s recent diplomatic efforts to support a peaceful settlement.
At the meeting on India-Russia relations, Jaishankar said the two sides shared an ambition to expand bilateral trade and investment in a balanced way. He also informed the panel that Russia has agreed to take around 70,000 Indian skilled workers this year, especially in construction and logistics, people familiar with the meeting said.
While discussing trade and investment ties, Jaishankar said the two countries were looking at greater Indian exports to Russia in seven areas — auto, pharma, food, marine products, engineering goods, chemicals and textiles, the people said.
On energy ties, Jaishankar said New Delhi’s priority was to safeguard the interests of Indian consumers. “Our approach is to maintain multiple sources of supply,” he said, according to the people cited above.
In a social media post, Jaishankar said he had highlighted various aspects of India’s engagement with Russia. He also said he mentioned India’s “active support to dialogue and diplomacy to end the Ukraine conflict.”
The people cited above said India’s recent efforts to help end the Ukraine conflict and restore peace came up in the discussions. Jaishankar also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 31 in Bishkek, where he noted that “endless war must now give way to end of war”.
Jaishankar travelled to Ukraine last month and also met the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Russia in New York a few days ago on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. In those conversations, he said that if India could help in any way to bring the war to an end, it was ready to do so, the people said.
In this context, the people said, Putin’s comments at the Valdai Club in Moscow that PM Modi “has very good ideas for finding mutually acceptable solutions” to bring peace were also discussed. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha’s recent remarks appreciating India’s efforts were also noted at the meeting, they added.
A Dehradun man working at a restaurant in Mauritius has been missing for six days, with his family raising questions over four men he allegedly left with and seeking government intervention.
Dehradun resident Dharmendra Bisht has been missing in Mauritius for six days
A man from Uttarakhand’s Dehradun has been missing in Mauritius for six days, leaving his family desperately seeking answers and prompting his relatives to appeal to the Centre and state government to intervene and coordinate with the Mauritius authorities to speed up the search.
Dharmendra Bisht, a resident of Patel Nagar in Dehradun, was working as a manager at a Thai restaurant in Mauritius, according to his family. His relatives say they have been unable to contact him since the evening of September 27 and have not received any concrete information about his whereabouts.
The family has raised questions over four young men who they claim came into contact with Dharmendra before he went missing. However, the allegations have not been independently verified and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain under investigation.
FAMILY SAYS DHARMENDRA DISAPPEARED AFTER CRICKET
According to the family, Dharmendra had gone to play cricket on the morning of September 27.
The family claims that four young men came into contact with him during this time and allegedly took him along with them. Relatives say Dharmendra has not been traced since.
The family has named the four men as Ayush Bisht, Gaurav Mehta, Bhupendra Rana and Rahul Rana.
Relatives claim Dharmendra’s mobile phone and clothes were later found with Ayush Bisht.
The family was informed about Dharmendra’s disappearance on September 28. They also say they were told that he had gone somewhere on leave.
However, relatives claim Dharmendra had not told them about taking leave and that they had no information about any such plan.
FAMILY RAISES QUESTIONS OVER FOUR MEN
Dharmendra’s relatives have raised questions over the role of the four men he allegedly went with before disappearing.
The family says it is particularly concerned because there has been no contact from Dharmendra and they have not received clear information about what happened after he left with the men.
The allegations against the four men have not been independently confirmed.
The family wants the circumstances surrounding Dharmendra’s disappearance and the role, if any, of the four men to be investigated.
COMPANY ACCUSED OF NOT SHARING INFORMATION
Dharmendra was reportedly working at Thai Food Gang restaurant, operated by Sitar Pure Veg Company Limited in Mauritius.
His family has alleged that the company management has not provided them with sufficient information since his disappearance.
Relatives also say they have not received clear information about the action being taken by the Mauritius police. The family claims it does not even know whether a formal complaint has been registered in the case.
The family has further alleged that the restaurant management appears to be supporting the four men named by them.
These allegations have not been independently verified.
SISTER SEEKS HELP FROM GOVERNMENTS
Dharmendra’s sister, Hema Rautela, has appealed to the Uttarakhand government and the Centre for help in tracing her brother.
She has sought the intervention of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister of State Ajay Tamta.
According to the family, Tamta’s office has taken the matter seriously and sought intervention through the Indian Embassy, with a request for the Mauritius government to look into the case.
B Manickam Tagore welcomed Vijay-led TVK into the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu. The move sharpens opposition unity as parties escalate protests over voter roll revision.
With TVK joining the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu, opposition parties said they were preparing for a wider political fight in the state. (File Photo: ITG)
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B Manickam Tagore on Saturday said the entry of Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) into the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu would significantly strengthen the anti-BJP front in the state.
Calling it a “historic day” for opposition consolidation, he said TVK’s inclusion would bolster the collective opposition in Tamil Nadu.
Tagore also said bloc constituents had decided to hold district-level demonstrations across the state on October 13 and 14, demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll.
He said this would be followed by a major protest on October 15 with top leaders from all seven constituent parties of the INDIA bloc from the region, while alliance MPs would march to the Election Commission of India headquarters in New Delhi on October 6.
Speaking to reporters after a multi-party coordination meeting at the TNCC headquarters, Sathyamurthy Bhavan, in Chennai, Tagore said, “The INDIA bloc, particularly in Tamil Nadu, is strengthened by the entry of TVK.”
He added, “This shows that the fight against the RSS-BJP, particularly the misrule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is going to be an interesting fight in Tamil Nadu as well.”
Asked about the DMK’s absence from the meeting, Tagore rejected suggestions of any internal rift and said the alliance remained an open platform for all political forces opposing the ruling dispensation at the Centre.
“The INDIA bloc is a collective struggle against the policies of the RSS, BJP, Amit Shah, and Modi, which are detrimental to Indian democracy,” he said, adding that the DMK leadership continued to be actively engaged with the national platform.
When pressed further, Tagore said, “If a party decides not to attend a specific local meeting, questions should be directed to their leadership. Our primary objective remains the unified political fight against the central administration.”
Netanyahu invites PM Modi and flydubai captain Smit Machchhar to light a flame at Israel’s Independence Day ceremony next year.
PM Modi said he shared with Netanyahu ‘India’s concerns and emphasised the need for early restoration of peace and stability in the region’. (X/@netanyahu)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and flydubai captain Smit Machchhar to Israel after speaking with the injured pilot about the attack that took place inside the cockpit of a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight.
During an emotional conversation on Saturday, Netanyahu praised Machchhar for his actions during the incident and said he wanted the Indian pilot and Modi to light a flame during Israel’s Independence Day ceremony next year.
“You are a hero for Israel, India, and the entire world.”
Then he said, “I invite captain Smit and Prime Minister Modi that are great friends, I would like them to bear a celebratory flame. It’s our highest honor that we give on our Independence day”
Netanyahu then asked Machchhar how the incident began, with the captain describing what happened inside the cockpit before passengers and crew members stepped in.
Netanyahu asks Machchhar how the attack began
Machchhar told Netanyahu that the incident started while the co-pilot was praying. He said the co-pilot had asked for time to pray, and he did not consider the request unusual.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a conversation with the Indian pilot from the flight from Dubai, Captain Smit Machchhar:
“You are a hero for Israel, India, and the entire world. I invite Prime Minister @NarendraModi and you to light a flame on Israeli Independence Day.” 🇮🇱🇮🇳
During the emotional conversation that took place this evening, the Prime Minister asked Captain Machchhar how it all started, and Machchhar revealed new details about the terrifying moments in the cockpit.
Out of respect, Machchhar said he kept looking towards the front of the aircraft instead of watching the co-pilot behind him. A few minutes later, he was suddenly struck.
“A lot of locals, they do pray, which is not out of the ordinary. While he was praying, out of respect, I was just looking at the front and not at the back. Suddenly after I think I would say about four to five minutes, there was a big blow to the back of my head. My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft and something is not right. But then after that the blows kept coming one after the other. That’s when I realised that it’s not the aircraft, it’s the other guy who was in the cockpit with me.”
Machchhar said he then understood that he was under attack and needed to get the cockpit door open.
He managed to open the door once, but the attacker closed it again. The pilot said he knew he had to make another attempt despite his injuries.
“I had that one last fight left in me that, if I don’t do it, I’m going to die. And that’s when I pushed against everything. I gave everything that I had and just went for the door and opened it… and the rest is what you know, sir.”
The open door allowed people outside the cockpit to enter and help stop the attacker. The aircraft later made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu praises flydubai captain after cockpit attack
Netanyahu told Machchhar that he was impressed by the pilot’s actions during the attack and thanked him for helping protect those on board.
“Frankly, I’m amazed at your courage, at your coolness of judgment under impossible conditions. You were exceedingly brave. You saved so many lives. Please also pass the best regards from me and my wife to your wife. I know you have a family, and that you’re part of the family of nations. Please get well as soon as you can. Thank you for everything you did.”
The incident happened on flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. UAE authorities have said the co-pilot attacked Machchhar with an axe and described the incident as a terrorist act. Investigators are looking into what led to the attack.
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra flagged global debt, stressed asset valuations, high leverage, private credit and AI-driven cyber risks as key vulnerabilities.
Sanjay Malhotra said simultaneous shocks from global debt, leverage, private credit and AI-related risks could put pressure on financial stability.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Sanjay Malhotra on Saturday flagged five major vulnerabilities to global financial stability, including elevated debt, stretched asset valuations, high leverage, private credit risks and cyber threats amplified by artificial intelligence (AI).
“Each of these five risks individually, as I mentioned, may not be a matter of concern as of now, but simultaneous occurrence of these shocks can put significant pressure on the global financial architecture,” he said on Saturday.
Speaking on major emerging global financial stability risks at the 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave (KEC) in New Delhi on Saturday, he said the financial system has absorbed the supply shock due to the West Asia conflict quite well. “However, the global economic environment continues to remain challenging,” he added.
“Conflict has exacerbated not only inflationary pressures, but it has also elevated financial system vulnerabilities,” he said, highlighting five key risks. “One of them has elevated global debt levels… they have risen, maturity periods have shortened, bond yields have hardened…,” he said. These will have implications for sovereigns in terms of high borrowing costs that can narrow fiscal space and worsen the debt dynamics for corporates, he added.
Elaborating on the second risk of stressed asset valuations, particularly related to artificial intelligence (AI), he said the AI investment cycle has been a major support for global financial markets as one has witnessed across the world, especially in advanced economies, with strong earnings driving significant gains in AI-related equity valuations.
However, as the investment cycle matures, any slowdown in AI investment or earnings could trigger a sharp repricing of financial assets, especially in the AI value chain. High risk appetite has spurred an increase in leverage, which, along with declining cash flow among major AI firms, could further amplify market corrections and financial market volatility, he added.
On the risk of high leverage, he said, “In pursuit of higher returns, and this is particularly true of advanced economies, hedge funds, option sellers, exchange traded funds, and other non-bank financial intermediaries, they have expanded leverage both in equity and bond markets.” This is of concern, especially when equity valuations are stressed and bank and NBFI interconnectedness has deepened, both on the liability as well as on the asset side, he said. Any tightening of financial conditions, therefore, can spill over to banks and other markets, he added.
Elaborating the risks concerning private credit, he said: “This is more prominent in advanced countries.” It’s a source of vulnerability as was witnessed by the default of some of the very high-profile cases in the sector, suggesting weak and loose standards of lending.
On cyber risks compounded by AI, Malhotra said: “The emergence of AI has heightened cyber risks, model risks, third-party dependence, and erosion of human oversight and accountability.” “To my mind, with the development of sophisticated AI tools, which have tremendous autonomy and problem-solving capabilities, the most immediate concern is regarding cyber risks,” he said. This is especially so for the highly interconnected financial systems, which do not have national borders, he added.
The finance minister cited the critical minerals mission, rare earth corridors, semiconductor programme and small modular reactors as key strategic responses.
India’s foreign exchange reserves stood at about $766 billion, Sitharaman said. (PTI)
Uncertainty is now a standing condition of the global economy and policy must be designed around it, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday, adding that national security requires structural autonomy in strategic inputs and robust, economical supply chains that replace fragile single-source dependencies with domestic operational depth.
Global uncertainty requires a new policy approach
India needs to keep building resilience as it goes along because it is not a one-time exercise, she said, citing the National Critical Mineral Mission, the Rare Earth Corridors, the India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 and small modular reactors (SMRs) as policy responses to impending challenges.
Speaking at the Kautilya Economic Conclave in New Delhi on the theme “Resilience in an Age of Flux”, she said: “Resilience is the capacity to absorb a shock without losing the growth path, and to retain the policy space to meet the next shock when it arrives. The evidence of resilience lies largely in the counterfactual, in the outcomes that did not materialise — an inflation spiral that did not take hold, queues that did not form at fuel outlets, banking stress that did not surface and a fiscal correction that was never forced.”
The Indian economy has endured sustained global headwinds as the government consciously built a resilient system layer by layer from 2014, Sitharaman said, adding that India remains the fastest-growing major economy in the world, with retail inflation range-bound and no deviation from fiscal prudence.
Key indicators show economic resilience
The economy remained resilient despite unrelenting global shocks in the last four years, she said. The world economy has been battered by a series of disruptions since March 2020: the Covid-19 pandemic, the wars between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas, the US-Iran war that led to blockades of key sea routes, and ongoing trade disruptions from the weaponisation of tariffs.
She presented key macroeconomic indicators to show the economy’s resilience. India’s real GDP grew 7.8% in the first quarter of 2026-27; retail inflation stood at 4.82% in August, well below the Reserve Bank of India’s upper limit of 6%; the current account deficit was 0.5% of GDP in the first quarter; banks’ gross non-performing assets (NPAs) were at multi-decadal lows; and foreign exchange reserves stand at about $766 billion, she said.
Oil dependence remains a major vulnerability
India faced both older vulnerabilities, such as crude oil price volatility, and newer ones, such as global trade barriers. The conflicts involving Russia, Ukraine and Iran, and the disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, added a new kind of shock, one that threatened the physical movement of oil and gas as well as their prices, she said.
India, which imports more than 88% of the crude oil it refines, saw extreme volatility in crude prices. Benchmark Brent crude, at $22.74 a barrel on March 31, 2020, soared to $104.71 on March 31, 2022, and has since swung between $70 and $100 in response to geopolitical developments. It was at $102.25 a barrel on Friday (October 2).
The agency’s probe has established the alleged role of 13 people, including NTA-appointed subject experts, coaching centre operators, middlemen and candidates.
People sit at the protest site at Jantar Mantar supporting the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) protest, over alleged examination irregularities and NEET paper leak. (Sathiya)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is set to file its second and final charge sheet in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate 2026 paper leak case within a week but is unlikely to implicate any official from the central government or the National Testing Agency (NTA), officers familiar with developments said.
Probe establishes role of only 13 individuals
The CBI probe has only been able to establish the role of 13 individuals — including NTA-appointed subject experts, coaching centre operators, middlemen and candidates — raising questions about the investigation into a leak that affected the future of millions of students and triggered the largest street protests in years.
“The agency will not implicate any government official – including the NTA office bearers – in its concluding charge sheet. Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the leak didn’t establish anyone else’s role beyond private individuals,” said one of the officers cited above.
“With this, our probe into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak will be complete,” said a second officer.
NEET cancellation followed detection of common questions
On May 12, NTA announced the cancellation of the 2026 NEET test after at least 120 questions in a guess paper – a compilation made by subject experts and teachers of suggested questions, based on previous trends and patterns – were found to be common with the NEET exam paper on May 3. The leak was only detected a week after the exam was conducted, triggered massive protests in Parliament and eventually led to the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan after millions of young people — under the Cockroach Janata Party banner — hit the streets.
“The NEET paper leak couldn’t have happened without the involvement of NTA and education ministry officials. NTA officials are the main culprits and must be punished,” said Shashank Maurya, who appeared in the exam on May 3 and the retest on June 21.
First charge sheet named 13 accused
The first charge sheet in the paper leak was filed on July 28, naming 13 accused persons including three NTA-appointed subject experts – Manisha Gurunath Mandhare for Botany and Zoology, Prahlad Vithalrao Kulkarni for Chemistry, and Manisha Sanjay Havaldar for Physics – among others.
CBI said then that it kept open the probe into the role of “other conspirators” to submit the experts’ opinion reports from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Government Examiner of Questioned Documents (GEQD) and Delhi University experts.
The agency has since arrested three more individuals who were alleged beneficiaries of paper leaks through coaching centres.
“The roles of these three individuals, along with the findings of the forensic experts, will be detailed in the concluding charge sheet, which we will file within a week. A thorough investigation was conducted to ascertain whether any NTA official or other government official was involved in the leak, but no such involvement was found,” said a second officer.
Government revamps NTA after paper leak
In recent months, the government announced massive changes in NTA. The Union education ministry on August 17 removed 50 NTA staff. NTA subsequently said its examination team was revamped, with 600 subject experts removed and new experts brought in, besides the introduction of a four-tier question-paper scrutiny system.
According to CBI’s first charge sheet, NTA reused the same three subject experts across multiple stages of preparing NEET-UG 2026’s question paper – one of them across all four stages, from item-writing to back-translation – and allowed them to see all four of the exam’s master question sets during the final stage. This essentially meant that the experts were given access to all four final master question sets, providing prolonged, continuous exposure to highly sensitive material.
Kulkarni, according to CBI, transcribed 135 Chemistry questions, along with answer options, onto small pieces of paper and took them out of the confidential area. Mandhare and Havaldar allegedly memorised questions and their parameters and later reconstructed them with the help of textbooks.
The RBI has kept policy interest rates unchanged so far this year, after raising it cumulatively by 125 basis points (1.25 percentage point) in 2025.
A Reserve Bank of India (RBI) logo. Credit: Reuters Photo
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is expected to raise policy interest rates next week for the first time in over three-and-half years, with inflation staying above its medium-term target of 4% for a third straight month in August and heightened geopolitical tensions adding to pressure on the rupee.
According to analysts, the central bank is likely to hike policy repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.5% in its October bi-monthly policy review and another hike expected in December. If the RBI hikes the repo rate next week, it would be the first increase since February 2023, when the rate was raised by 25 bps to 6.5%.
The RBI has kept policy interest rates unchanged so far this year, after raising it cumulatively by 125 basis points (1.25 percentage point) in 2025.
The central bank’s rate setting panel, Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), is scheduled to meet from October 5-7 in Mumbai. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra is slated to announce the MPC decisions on October 7.
“We believe the balance of risks has tilted decisively towards a 25-bps rate hike at this juncture,” SBI Research said in a note.
“A combination of broadening inflationary pressures, worsening global macros, evolving liquidity conditions and a renewed global repricing of risks is making the case for pre-emptive action stronger,” it said.
The Consumer Price Index -based (CPI) retail inflation rose to 4.82% in August, from 4.45% in the previous month. The headline inflation likely remained above the RBI’s mid-term target of 4% in September too. The September inflation data will be released in the middle of this month.
According to SBI Research, inflation is becoming increasingly broad-based. “Our analysis shows a clear generalisation of price pressures with a possibility of pass through in future,” it added.
Repo rate, the short for repurchase rate, is the interest at which the central bank lends short-term funds to commercial banks. Interests paid by banks on fixed deposits and charged on lending like home and auto loans follow repo trends.
According to sources, the Election Commission reviewed the Rules under the Registration of Electors before the CEO issued the inquiry order.
CM DK Shivakumar along with his cabinet colleagues staged a sit-in on the steps of the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Bengaluru(L) Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukumar Credit: DH Photos
A day after Chief Minister D K Shivakumar sat on dharna at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer Karnataka demanding FIRs against bulk Form 7 applicants alleging systematic targeting of minorities, Dalits and backward classes through pre-printed forms and forged signatures, which forced CEO V Anbukkumar to order action against false claims under Section 31 of RP Act, 1950, the Election Commission has clarified that not a single voter’s name has been deleted based on the Form 7 applications so far.
The Commission has clarified that it has received 84,900 Form-7 applications from June 16 till Oct 1, and none of them are objections to proposed inclusion in the draft roll published on Aug 24, and no voter has been deleted based on these forms either.
According to sources, the Election Commission reviewed the Rules under the Registration of Electors before the CEO issued the inquiry order.
“As per Rule 20 of Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, EROs will conduct summary inquiry into every Form-7 seeking deletion or objecting to inclusion. Notices will be issued to both voter and objector, followed by physical hearing before order is passed. If an objection is approved upon verification, the voter is deleted; if rejected, voter retained,” explained an official.
Who can seek deletion?
Even as the ruling Congress alleged that the BJP and JDS were targeting deletion of 5,000 to 15,000 voters in each assembly constituency, the officials maintained that only a voter from same Assembly constituency could file Form-7 – seeking deletion of own name, a family member’s name or object to inclusion of voter(s) in same constituency. Every booth level agent (BLA) appointed by parties can file only up to 50 Form-7s throughout SIR, while a common voter can file only 10.
Mumbai’s Shivaji Park saw a 10,000-strong mobilisation against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, with CJP now setting its sights on Delhi and announcing an October 10 Jantar Mantar protest if he does not resign.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke waves to supporters during a CJP protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. Photo : PTI
Mumbai’s Shivaji Park turned into a launchpad for a bigger confrontation on Friday as thousands rallied despite police denying permission, with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) putting CEC Gyanesh Kumar at the centre of its protest and threatening to take the fight to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
The Mumbai Police Special Branch estimated the gathering at 9,000-10,000 people around 4 pm when the demonstration began. The protest, held against alleged electoral roll deletions and demanding Kumar’s resignation, remained largely peaceful, with security personnel managing the crowd as protesters cheered and applauded from the venue.
The message from the stage was clear: if Gyanesh Kumar does not resign, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said, the next mobilisation will be in Delhi.
‘If Gyanu Doesn’t Go, All The Gen Z Will Go To Delhi’
Addressing the gathering, Dipke warned that failure by the Chief Election Commissioner to resign would trigger nationwide Gen Z marches towards the national capital.
“If Gyanu doesn’t resign, Nandu will have to resign, because he is the one actually rigging elections. If Gyanu doesn’t go, all the Gen Z of the country will go to Delhi to protest,” Dipke said.
He urged protesters to “fight even for the people you don’t know” before ending his address with a line from the Maharashtra state anthem: “Delhi che hi takht rakhito Maharashtra mazha.”
The crowd also made its Delhi intentions clear, chanting, “Jo karna hai karlo par hum final Jantar Mantar mein hi khelenge.”
The CJP later also made it clear that “Cockroaches from across India will march to Delhi and protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10” if CEC Gyanesh Kumar does not resign.
Taking to X, Dipke wrote, “If Gyanesh Kumar doesn’t resign, cockroaches from across India will march to Delhi & protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10. If Delhi Police tries to stop us, wherever they stop us will become our Jantar Mantar.”
‘Mumbai Police We Love’, Delhi Police Booed
The contrast between the local police presence and the protesters’ attitude towards Delhi was visible during the demonstration.
Despite the lack of permission, Mumbai Police maintained heavy security around Shivaji Park. Barricades were installed to keep vehicles away from the protest area, while personnel managed the movement of people arriving in smaller groups and worked to keep traffic flowing outside the venue.
Amid the hot and humid conditions, protesters chanted, “Mumbai police we love.” References to Delhi Police, however, drew boos from the gathering.
Compared with CJP’s earlier protest in June, Friday’s mobilisation also appeared more structured, with trained marshals overseeing crowd movement and a dedicated digital content team documenting the demonstration as patriotic songs played at the venue.
Political Defections, ‘IPL Auction’ Jibe
Dipke also turned his attack towards political defections and the governing alliance.
Pointing to 111 MPs and MLAs who he said had switched political parties in recent years, including 99 who joined the BJP or its allies, Dipke sarcastically suggested that politicians could simply be traded openly.
“So why don’t we just have an IPL-style auction for them instead directly?” he asked.
He also accused the CEC of being brought in to widen what he described as the narrow 2% vote gap between the winning coalition and the Opposition through voter roll deletions. Those allegations were made by Dipke at the rally and were not independently established in the remarks cited here.
CJP co-founder Ashutosh Ranka separately alleged that nearly 13 crore names had been erased from electoral rolls over two years.
SIR, Demonetisation And The ‘Stand In Line’ Attack
Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru, Dipke framed the protest as a larger fight over democratic rights.
“They thought once Gandhi is shot he will be finished, but he is immortal; there is a Gandhi in each and everyone here. This country is dependent on ideals of Gandhi. In the same way, Ambedkar is the backbone and Nehru is the mind of India,” he said.
Taking aim at the government’s handling of public policy, Dipke said citizens had repeatedly been made to stand in queues.
“They taught us what democracy was, they taught us about our rights, about elections, about democracy, and what Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is. Whereas this govt only wants us to stand in line, first during demonetisation and now for Special Intensive Revision (SIR),” he said.
Dipke also responded to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ reported warning that protesters could face three days in jail without bail.
“Fadnavis said we would have to spend 3 days in jail without bail, but to him I say: You are the chief minister of Maharashtra who has a certain legacy and culture, and threatening young children this way is wrong. Even if you keep us in jail for 3 months, not 3 days, I’ll keep coming again and again and again,” Dipke said.
India has formally mapped 28 strategic Ladakh sites, including Gogra and Hot Spring, key friction points from the 2020 China standoff, in a significant update to its official map.
India Officially Maps 28 Strategic Ladakh Sites Amid China Tensions (File Image)
The Centre has formally identified 28 strategic places and geographical features in Ladakh, including key friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) such as Gogra and Hot Spring, on the official Survey of India map.
The move, undertaken by the Government of India in consultation with the Ladakh Union Territory administration, is aimed at standardising official cartography, enabling precise identification of locations and improving public awareness of the sensitive border region.
“Government of India, in consultation with the Union Territory of Ladakh, has identified a total of twenty-eight (28) places/features, located in the UT of Ladakh, by standard place and feature names on the official map of Survey of India (SoI),” the government said in a statement.
According to the statement, formally identifying the locations on the Survey of India map of Ladakh will help facilitate their accurate recognition and promote greater public awareness.
Among the locations identified are Gogra and Hot Spring, two strategically significant areas that emerged as friction points during the 2020 India-China military standoff in eastern Ladakh. The areas are also important from the perspective of Indian patrolling along the LAC.
The eastern Ladakh border standoff began on May 5, 2020, following a violent confrontation between Indian and Chinese troops in the Pangong Lake area. The two sides subsequently began a phased disengagement process in 2022.
The ED has attached a Sant Kabir Nagar plot linked to Maulana Shamsul Huda Khan in a money laundering case. The agency says the property matches alleged proceeds from salary, pension and allowances drawn after he became a British citizen.
The ED has provisionally attached a Rs 53.46 lakh plot in UP’s Sant Kabir Nagar belonging to madrasa teacher Maulana Shamsul Huda Khan.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said it has provisionally attached a residential plot worth Rs 53.46 lakh belonging to a Uttar Pradesh madrasa teacher who continued to draw salary, pension and other benefits from the state government after acquiring British citizenship.
The 189.75-square-metre plot, located in Sant Kabir Nagar district, was attached by the ED’s Lucknow zonal office under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case against Maulana Shamsul Huda Khan, the agency said in a statement.
According to the ED, Khan acquired British citizenship in December 2013 and consequently ceased to be an Indian citizen. However, the agency alleged that he concealed this fact and continued to work as an assistant teacher at a government-aided madrasa in Mubarakpur, Azamgarh.
Khan continued to remain on the records as an employee from 2007 to 2017 and drew salary despite his service never being verified, the ED said.
An inquiry by the Minority Welfare and Waqf Department found that Khan’s service during 2007-2017 had never been verified. Despite this, he was granted voluntary retirement in 2017 along with a regular pension, according to the agency.
The ED said Khan received around Rs 53.46 lakh from the Uttar Pradesh government towards salary, pension, GPF and other allowances. The agency described the amount as “proceeds of crime” under the PMLA.
According to the ED, Khan used his surrendered Indian passport along with his PAN, Aadhaar and Voter ID to purchase immovable properties in Sant Kabir Nagar even after acquiring British citizenship.
The agency said Khan had purchased the 189.75-square-metre plot in Khalilabad after obtaining British citizenship.
A woman allegedly posing as a PMO official met West Bengal minister Ajay Poddar at Nabanna. Police are now probing how she gained entry and whether she approached other officials.
The woman, identified as Dr Akangsha Vidyarthi, was arrested from her residence in central Delhi on Thursday.
West Bengal Police arrested a woman who allegedly posed as a senior Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) official to gain access to the state secretariat Nabanna.
The woman, identified as Dr Akangsha Vidyarthi, allegedly sought an appointment with West Bengal PWD Minister Ajay Poddar earlier this week. During the meeting, however, the minister became suspicious of her “irrelevant statements”, according to police.
The minister’s office subsequently sought to verify Vidyarthi’s credentials and found that her claim of being associated with the PMO was false. A police complaint was then filed, leading to a case at Shibpur police station in Howrah under Sections 319(2), 204 and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
By then, Vidyarthi had left Kolkata and travelled to Delhi by flight.
A team of Howrah Police later reached Delhi and arrested her from her residence in central Delhi on Thursday. She was subsequently brought to Howrah on transit remand.
At the ARIN-AP meeting in New Delhi, ED Director Rahul Navin said asset recovery must end with assets being returned to victims or the exchequer. He said closer international coordination is needed to connect tracing, confiscation, management and restitution.
ED chief Rahul Navin hands over ARIN-AP’s presidency to Singapore, which will lead the network in 2027.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) Director Rahul Navin said asset recovery should ultimately result in money and property being returned to victims or the public exchequer, rather than ending with the seizure or confiscation of assets.
Addressing the closing session of the 11th Annual General Meeting of the Asset Recovery Interagency Network, Asia Pacific (ARIN-AP) in New Delhi, Navin stressed the need for closer international cooperation to ensure that criminal proceeds are recovered and put to their intended use.
“The measure by which the public judges law enforcement institutions” is ultimately the return of assets, he said, highlighting restitution to victims, transfers to the exchequer and the social reuse of confiscated assets as key outcomes of the recovery process.
Navin said asset recovery should be viewed as a continuous chain — from tracing illicit wealth and securing confiscation to managing seized assets and ensuring their eventual return.
The three-day meeting, hosted by the ED under India’s presidency of ARIN-AP for 2026, brought together prosecutors, investigators, financial intelligence officers, asset managers and policymakers from across the Asia-Pacific region, along with representatives of partner agencies and Indian law enforcement bodies.
Held under the theme “Closing the Loop: From Tracing to Return”, the meeting focused on connecting every stage of an asset recovery case rather than treating investigation, prosecution, confiscation and restitution as separate processes.
Navin noted that investigators may focus on tracing assets, prosecutors on obtaining confiscation orders and asset managers on their custody, while victims can remain waiting for the final outcome. He said the objective was to give practitioners a clearer understanding of the entire recovery process and the challenges involved at each stage.
CRYPTOCURRENCY, CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION IN FOCUS
The meeting also discussed the challenges posed by the rapid movement of virtual assets and the need for timely engagement with service providers, blockchain analytics firms and foreign counterpart agencies.
Participants examined cross-border asset tracing, the early experience of INTERPOL’s Silver Notice and the importance of converting intelligence gathered through informal international cooperation into evidence that can support formal legal proceedings.
Navin stressed that informal exchanges between agencies are most effective when coordinated with the formal requests required under legal procedures.
The meeting also examined non-conviction-based confiscation, under which assets can be confiscated in certain circumstances without a criminal conviction. Discussions focused on legal tests applied by appellate courts, including standards of proof, reverse onus and proportionality.
Asset management emerged as another key issue, with Navin cautioning that assets can lose value between restraint and confiscation if their custody and preservation are not planned from the beginning of an investigation.
INDIA HIGHLIGHTS RETURN OF ASSETS TO VICTIMS
India shared its experience of restoring assets to victims on a large scale under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
Participants discussed different approaches to returning recovered assets, including restitution to victims, transfers to government treasuries and the social reuse of confiscated property.
The meeting also considered revisions to Recommendations 4 and 38 of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), dealing with confiscation and provisional measures and international cooperation in asset recovery.
Navin said the revisions would shape the assessment of confiscation frameworks in the next round of mutual evaluations, making the exchange of experience among jurisdictions particularly relevant.
Special invitees from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority and HM Revenue and Customs, the US Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation division, Italy’s Guardia di Finanza, Ukraine’s ARMA and Asset Reality shared case experiences.
Presentations included Operation Coriander and a cryptocurrency tracing and seizure case presented by IRS Criminal Investigation.
Navin also acknowledged the contributions of India’s Financial Intelligence Unit and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as well as international partner networks CARIN and ARIN-MENA. He stressed that successful asset recovery requires financial intelligence, law enforcement, prosecution, judicial action and asset management to work together.
