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Without naming anyone, Mamata said after she had announced that she will inaugurate Birla paint factory at Pingla on Thursday, she had received a message that the programme stands cancelled.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee | File Pic
West Bengal Chief Minister on Wednesday had warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Union Home Minister Amit Shah and mentioned that Modi should not always listen to Shah.
Calling Shah as ‘acting Prime Minister, Mamata called that Shah may turn out to be ‘Mir Jafar’
Notably, Mir Zafar, the 18th-century military general who betrayed Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah in the Battle of Plassey.
“Whatever the Election Commission of India is doing it is being done by Shah’s behest. I would like to warn the PM not to trust Amit Shah as he can turn out to be your biggest Mir Jafar. Be alert while you have the time because morning shows the day,” said Mamata.
Taking further potshots, the West Bengal Chief Minister also questioned how can SIR be done over a fortnight?
Incidentally, Shah had visited Kolkata in August and held a meeting with Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs to discuss SIR.
“Can the SIR exercise be completed within a fortnight and can fresh names be uploaded in that period under the current circumstances? We are currently fighting with the flood situation, heavy rains and even festivals are going on,” further mentioned Mamata.
Without naming anyone, Mamata said after she had announced that she will inaugurate Birla paint factory at Pingla on Thursday, she had received a message that the programme stands cancelled.
The Bombay High Court has ruled that Anil Ambani was not entitled to a personal hearing before the SBI classified Reliance Communications as a fraud account. The court found that SBI’s process met legal requirements, impacting Ambani and other company directors.
The Bombay High Court reviewed the timeline showing that SBI had issued a show-cause notice in December 2023 after a forensic audit of RCom, followed by multiple letters seeking Anil Ambani’s response. (File photo)
The Bombay High Court ruled that industrialist Anil Ambani was not entitled to a personal hearing before the State Bank of India (SBI) classified Reliance Communications Ltd (RCom) as a fraud account, upholding the bank’s order. It held that the bank had complied with the principles of natural justice by allowing written representation.
In a detailed order made available on Tuesday, a bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Dr Neela Gokhale, while dismissing Ambani’s petition, said, “The principles of natural justice demand that the borrowers must be served a notice, furnished with the
forensic audit report and allowed to submit their representation before their account is classified as fraud.”
“The right contemplated is one of representation, not necessarily of personal hearing. In fact, the right of representation is not read specifically as meaning a right to personal hearing,” the bench said.
The court observed that the audi alteram partem principle (right to be heard) does not automatically mean an oral hearing unless expressly provided by law.
“Grant of a personal hearing is not a matter of right in every case. As long as the petitioner was afforded an adequate opportunity to submit his objections in writing, the requirement of fairness and compliance with the principles of natural justice stood satisfied,” the bench said.
The bench reviewed the timeline showing that SBI had issued a show-cause notice in December 2023 after a forensic audit of RCom, followed by multiple letters seeking Ambani’s response. Despite being furnished with the full forensic audit report in September 2024, the court noted that Ambani “did not respond within the extended timelines, nor requested a personal hearing”.
Concluding that the SBI’s action was lawful, the court said, “The impugned order is a reasoned one, and no infirmity can be found in the same.”
The court also concluded that when proceedings were initiated against the company or a corporate body, with a view to classifying the account of that firm as a fraud account, and it was declared as one, the promoter/directors who were in control of the company’s affairs would automatically be liable to penal measures.
India Today Group Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie warned that AI poses an existential threat to the creation of credible news, as it can replicate and monetise journalism without accountability. Speaking at FICCI Frames 2025, he said AI’s rise, coupled with billionaire-owned media and algorithm-driven platforms, is eroding trust and the economic foundation of independent journalism.
India Today Group Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie delivered a keynote address on the resilience and reinvention of the print and news industry at FICCI Frames 2025. From credibility to convergence, his speech explored how journalism is adapting and thriving in a digital-first era.
Here’s his full speech:
Good morning,
It’s a privilege to be here at FICCI Frames, among the most influential minds and creators shaping India’s vast media and entertainment landscape.
At the end of this year, I will have been in the media business for 50 years.
And if there is one lesson I have learned over the past five decades, it is this: disruption never ends. In fact, disruption is the only constant.
I began with a print magazine called India Today, which at its peak had a readership of 5 million. We now have four 24-hour news channels and 60 robust digital, mobile and social media entities.
Today, the India Today Group’s combined media reach spans 750 million viewers, readers, followers, fans and subscribers. And India’s first AI news anchor called ‘SANA’ who is growing in capability day by day.
As you can see, each disruption created a new opportunity.
In my years, I have seen disruption come in waves, each one more powerful than the last.
Each wave has intensified the competition for two things: the audience’s attention and the advertiser’s rupee.
But beneath all the technological disruption lies a deeper structural problem in the business model of news.
But before I get into that, let me start with the miracles of the media world which exist in India and India alone.
In terms of sheer volume, we are the undisputed global king of news media. I don’t think any country has over One Lakh forty thousand registered publications. Forget the world, just the city of Delhi wakes up to dozens of English newspapers daily and just as many regional newspapers. I am sure no city in the world has that in today’s digital world.
According to TRAI, we have 900 permitted satellite TV channels, out of which there are more than 375 that are twenty-four hour news channels and more in the pipeline. Again, this is nowhere in the world.
This is a gigantic industry, but have you stopped to think who really pays for it.
The major newspapers have relied on what I call “raddi economics”. That is why the price of your paper is so low that at the end of the week you get more for it than you actually paid for it. So, not only is it free, but you make a profit! Also, once a newspaper enters your home, you are unlikely to discontinue it even if you stop consuming it.
This must be the only product in the world where the consumer stops consuming it, but the supply continues.
The same practice went into broadcasting. When cable channels were launched, the distribution system was linear, which meant the cable operators did not have the capacity to carry the huge number of available channels.
The result was that broadcasters had to pay cable operators carriage fees for their channels to be made available to consumers.
Even after digitisation, which was intended to solve the carriage issue, the practice of carriage continues because there is no “must carry rule”.
As a result, the problems of broadcasters didn’t get resolved but only got compounded.
The TRAI regulations controlling the price of channels are another hindrance to allowing market forces to play.
It is beyond my understanding why the government treats the supply of cable TV as an essential commodity whose price they must control, like wheat or rice.
In reality, the regulations are strangling the broadcasting industry, which provides employment to 1.7 million people. A number that could have been much more if market forces were allowed to come into play.
If the truth be told, with apologies to the previous speaker, the government has made a mess of the broadcasting industry due to lack of foresight and regressive policies.
I believe the role of the government is to ensure a fair, level playing field. Not to regulate, but to facilitate.
Going back to the business of news. The bottom line is that news is, by and large, cheap or free for the consumer, and the publisher or broadcaster gets little from what the consumer pays.
So, who really pays for this gigantic news industry with 375 news channels and more in the pipeline? They form the single largest segment of all channels, around 40%.
The paymaster is the advertiser.
When journalism’s survival depends almost entirely on advertising from corporations and governments, its independence is under constant threat of compromise.
We have all seen it. The hand that gives can also take away. To be clear, I am not painting the entire industry with one brush.
The advertising-funded model has, against all odds, produced some of the finest journalism in our history.
The Bofors scandal, the 2G spectrum scam, the Commonwealth Games expose, the Corona pandemic, Manipur, Ukraine war and many more—these were brought to light by journalists working within this very system.
But we must be honest. The space for dissent is shrinking, not because of jackbooted censors, but because of balance sheets and ad-sales targets.
And today, this problem has taken on another form. I call it the advent of the ‘Billionaire News Channels’.
We are now seeing the entry of large industrial houses into the news business, for whom news is not a business at all. It is a tool for influence and access.
They have deep pockets. And they are destroying the economic models of news channels, which will be detrimental not just to profitability but also to good journalism.
After all, the currency of news channels is credibility. And their entrance makes the public believe that every channel is a mouthpiece for a vested interest.
You should also note that today, 99% of news channels lose money. As you can see, the business model is already cracking. But this must be the only business where the industry loses money. However, there is still a queue for people who want to get into it.
Then came the next wave of disruption: Digital.
Digital news was our chance to fix the model. To build a direct relationship with the reader. But we repeated the same mistake, only this time, on a global scale. We gave our product away for free, chasing scale and eyeballs.
We chased them because the new gatekeepers demanded it. Google, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter became the world’s new editors-in-chief.
They produce no journalism, but they control its distribution and monetisation.
Frankly, I find it maddening that they are not, in law, treated as publishers but only as platforms. If I publish someone else’s defamatory statement, I am liable for defamation. But not the platforms.
In fact, in terms of ad revenue, they are the real media companies — with over 70% of total media revenue.
They are eating the breakfast, lunch, and dinner of the media companies, leaving only crumbs for publishers and broadcasters. Digital advertising is now 55% of total ad revenue, far surpassing TV and print.
And their master is the algorithm. The algorithm doesn’t reward depth, accuracy, or nuance. It rewards outrage, speed, and virality.
It has transformed our information ecosystem into a battleground for attention, contaminating public discourse in the process.
Newsrooms that once invested in reporters now have to invest in SEO specialists. The editorial meeting is as much about what’s trending as it is about what’s important.
The old master was the advertiser. The new master is the algorithm.
And now, we face the next great wave of disruption: Artificial Intelligence.
AI is being positioned as the new arbiter of truth. It can summarise five articles into one paragraph. It can give you an answer directly, so you never have to click.
And what happens to the original news organisations—the ones who pay reporters and fight court cases to bring you the news—when our content is scraped, synthesised, and regurgitated without credit or revenue?
This is an existential threat to the very creation of credible information.
So where does that leave us, the people in this room?
It leaves us with a profound challenge. The old models are broken. The new gatekeepers are ruthlessly efficient. And the very value of professionally generated content is under threat.
I don’t have all the answers. But I do know this: we, as an industry, must stop apologising for the value of what we create. We must innovate, not just in our content, but in our business models.
We must persuade our audience that credible, well-researched news is a public good, and like any public good, it has a price. It cannot be free.
A subscription is not just a transaction; it’s a vote for the kind of media you want to exist.
Four terrorists are believed to be trapped during a gunbattle with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district. The gunfight was triggered after terrorists fired upon a team of Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG).
The incident occurred around 7:20 pm when the sound of 10-15 shots being fired in Koteranka area of J&K’s Rajouri district were heard. (Representative image)
Four terrorists are believed to be trapped during a gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri on Tuesday. The encounter began when terrorists opened fire on a team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG), a counter-terrorism unit.
The incident occurred around 7:20 pm when the sound of 10-15 shots being fired in the Beeranthub area were heard. When the SOG unit was conducting a search operation in the area, terrorists opened fire on them. Following this, security forces returned fire.
Additional forces are being rushed to the area as it is snow-covered. So far, there have been no reports of injuries or casualties.
He reiterated the India Air Force’s commitment to “defending the nation’s skies by enhancing capabilities, embracing innovation, and upholding the highest standards of professionalism.”
IAF Chief AP Singh | X/@airnewsalerts
In a video message on the eve of Air Force Day, Chief of the Air Staff, Amar Preet Singh, on Tuesday called Operation Sindoor a “shining example” of India’s growing self-reliance and inter-service coordination.
The Chief of Air Staff said the mission reflected “clear higher direction, indigenous capability, and effective jointmanship between all defence forces.”
He reiterated the India Air Force’s commitment to “defending the nation’s skies by enhancing capabilities, embracing innovation, and upholding the highest standards of professionalism.”
Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian military on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
“We made precise strikes in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor forcing the enemy to come for negotiations for ceasefire,” he added.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, says that Air power has emerged as a decisive instrument of national security in today’s uncertain global environment.
He also reaffirmed the IAF’s role beyond combat, Singh said that the IAF has consistently been the “first responder to the nation’s call”, from humanitarian rescues during floods and natural disasters to evacuations from global conflict zones. He cited examples such as Operation Sindhu and Operation Brahma.
The Delhi High Court recently set aside observations made in a sessions court order which cast doubt on the character of a sexual assault victim while granting the accused bail [X v. State Govt NCT of Delhi And Another & Anr].
Justice Amit Mahajan held that a woman does not become responsible for sexual assault merely because she had cordial relations with the accused.
“The trauma of the victim, in the opinion of this Court, ought not to have been trivialised by such observations. Only because the victim had known the accused or that she was in cordial relations with him, will not make her responsible for the sexual assault. Concededly, no person has right to sexually assault the victim for the reason that she voluntarily came to his room,” the Court stated.
The petitioner woman and the accused man developed relations over the phone. After meeting for dinner, the man invited her to stay in his hostel room at the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus. The following day, the accused gave her a tour of the campus. When she was ready to leave, the accused asked her to stay over for another night. The woman agreed. She alleged that the next morning, she woke up to find the accused lying next to her on the bed and touching her inappropriately.
A few days later, he again invited her to his hostel room and again sexually assaulted her. This prompted her to file a complaint with the police. After he was arrested, the accused successfully moved the sessions court for bail.
The sessions court made several observations regarding the relations between the man and woman and that the woman was an “educated girl” expected to be aware about the consequences of her act.
The woman moved the High Court against the observations made in the bail order.
The Court stated that the sessions court’s observations were not warranted at the stage of considering bail.
The finding comes amid nationwide inspections ordered by the Union Health Ministry following multiple reports of contaminated paediatric syrups and child deaths in MP and Rajasthan
The FDCA has warned that diethylene glycol is a highly toxic chemical capable of causing serious poisoning, kidney failure, neurological complications, and even death, particularly in children. (Representational image/AI-generated)
The Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) has issued a public alert after detecting dangerously high levels of diethylene glycol (DEG)—a toxic industrial chemical—in two cough syrup formulations manufactured in the state. The finding comes amid nationwide inspections ordered by the Union Health Ministry following multiple reports of contaminated paediatric syrups and child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
According to the alert issued on October 7, seen by News18, DEG impurity above permissible limits was found in samples of Resiphix TR (manufactured by Rednex Pharmaceuticals) and Relife (manufactured by Shape Pharma). Both syrups have been declared “adulterated and not of standard quality.”
The FDCA has warned that diethylene glycol is a highly toxic chemical capable of causing serious poisoning, kidney failure, neurological complications, and even death, particularly in children.
“…The above-mentioned syrup formulations contain a toxic chemical that can cause serious poisoning, including kidney failure, neurological complications, and even death, especially among children,” said the alert issued on Tuesday.
“The sale or distribution of these batches is strictly prohibited with immediate effect. Retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and medical practitioners across Gujarat are hereby instructed not to sell, distribute, prescribe, or use the above-mentioned batches. Concerned licensees of Gujarat State are directed to report any stock or supply details to the respective Assistant Commissioner of the district office of their jurisdiction immediately.”
After the death of more than a dozen children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan due to contaminated cough syrup, the Union Health Ministry on Sunday convened a high-level meeting with all states and union territories to review the quality of cough syrups and enforce stricter oversight on liquid formulations following repeated episodes of contamination.
Gujarat FDCA acted on an alert by Madhya Pradesh’s regulator, with indications that the contamination may be more widespread across manufacturing units. Drug regulators in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Telangana have also launched inspections and suspended the sale of certain cough syrups as a precautionary measure.
PM Modi also said he looks forward to welcoming President Putin to India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the SCO summit in Tianjin, China. (File photo)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone to extend wishes on his 73rd birthday.
According to officials, PM Modi “warmly congratulated President Putin on his 73rd birthday and conveyed best wishes for good health and success in all his endeavours.”
During the conversation, the two leaders reviewed the progress of the India-Russia bilateral agenda and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
Prime Minister Modi also expressed that he looks forward to welcoming President Putin to India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit later this year. Putin is expected to visit India in the first week of December for the summit.
PM Modi shared details of his conversation in a post on X, saying, “Spoke with my friend President Putin and conveyed warm birthday greetings and best wishes for his good health and long life. Deeply appreciate his personal commitment to deepening India–Russia ties over the years.”
Spoke with my friend President Putin and conveyed warm birthday greetings and best wishes for his good health and long life. Deeply appreciate his personal commitment to deepening India–Russia ties over the years.@KremlinRussia_E
Putin last week had confirmed his travel plans, saying the visit would likely take place in December. He also praised Prime Minister Modi as a “reasonable and wise leader who defends India’s national interests.” He also said he knows Modi “would not take steps that would humiliate Indians.”
This is the first public response from the CJI Bhushan R Gavai’s mother since the attack.
CJI’s mother condemns shoe attack, calls it assault on Constitution
Kamaltai Gavai, 84, mother of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai, has condemned the shoe-hurling incident inside the Supreme Court on Monday, calling it an “assault on the Constitution” and an attempt to create “anarchy in the country”.
This is the first public response from the CJI’s mother since the attack. The incident occurred during case mentions before a bench headed by Chief Justice Gavai when an advocate hurled an object towards the dais. Security personnel immediately intervened and escorted the man out.
The accused was later identified as advocate Rakesh Kishore. As he was being removed from the courtroom, Kishore shouted, “Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge” (“We will not tolerate any insult to Sanatan”), apparently referring to remarks made during the hearing of the Khajuraho Vishnu idol restoration case.
Speaking to reporters in Amravati on Tuesday, Kamaltai said, “Such acts amount to spreading anarchy. Every citizen has the right to express disagreement, but no one has the right to take the law into their own hands. We must protect the dignity of our democratic institutions.”
Calling for restraint and mutual respect, she added, “This is not just a personal attack but part of a poisonous ideology that must be checked before it spreads. Such incidents insult our Constitution and disgrace our nation. Anyone acting against the Constitution must face strict punishment.”
Reaffirming her faith in Dr BR Ambedkar’s vision, Kamaltai said, “Babasaheb Ambedkar gave us an inclusive Constitution based on the principle of ‘live and let live’. No one has the right to create disorder. I urge people to resolve their issues peacefully and through constitutional means.”
The remarks come just days after Kamaltai declined an invitation to attend the RSS centenary celebrations in Amravati following backlash from Dalit groups.
Meanwhile, the Amravati District Lawyers Association on Tuesday staged a protest condemning the Supreme Court incident. Hundreds of advocates gathered at the district collector’s office, demanding strict action against the accused. Association president Adv Sunil Deshmukh, secretary Adv Amol Mural, and senior lawyers including Adv Prashant Deshpande termed the act “an affront to the judiciary and the rule of law”.
Former IAS officer EZ Khobragade, representing the Sanvidhan Foundation, described the attack as a “planned conspiracy beyond caste lines”. “This was an attack on the judiciary itself,” he said. “The assailant must be punished without delay. If the government fails to act decisively, such incidents may embolden others.”
Sundar Pichai congratulated physicists Michel Devoret, John Martinis, and John Clarke after the trio was awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Sundar Pichai said he is ‘feeling lucky’ after Google’s Quantum AI scientist wins Nobel Prize. (AFP)
Google CEO Sundar Pichai congratulated physicists Michel Devoret, John Martinis, and John Clarke after the trio was awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for their pioneering contributions to quantum mechanics. In a post on X, Pichai wrote, “Congrats to Michel Devoret, John Martinis, and John Clarke on the Nobel Prize in Physics. Michel is chief scientist of hardware at our Quantum AI lab and John Martinis led the hardware team for many years.”
Pichai went on to praise their decades-long contributions to the field, noting that their research laid the foundation for breakthroughs now happening in Google’s quantum computing projects. “Their pioneering work in quantum mechanics in the 1980s made recent breakthroughs possible, and paved the way for error-corrected quantum computers to come,” he wrote.
Congrats to Michel Devoret, John Martinis, and John Clarke on the Nobel Prize in Physics. 🔬🥼 Michel is chief scientist of hardware at our Quantum AI lab and John Martinis led the hardware team for many years.
Their pioneering work in quantum mechanics in the 1980s made recent…
The Google chief also said that he recently visited the company’s Quantum AI lab in Santa Barbara, where Devoret is currently the chief scientist of hardware. “I was just at our quantum lab in Santa Barbara yesterday seeing the incredible progress, hope they are celebrating today. Feeling lucky this morning to work at a company that has had 5 Nobel Laureates among our ranks — 3 prizes in 2 years!” Pichai added.
Notably, Devoret, who is also a professor at Yale University, continues to play a key role in Google’s efforts to build scalable and fault-tolerant quantum computers.
John Martinis, on the other hand, is a former Google researcher who led the team that achieved “quantum supremacy” in 2019. Martinis left Google in 2020 and later co-founded Qolab, a quantum computing startup, in 2022.
Sources said the RJD has agreed to give the Congress approximately 54 seats. The Congress, however, is demanding 10 more.
Election dates for Bihar have been announced but seat sharing talks in the Opposition Grand Alliance are at a standstill, as the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD thrash out the issue. The dispute is not only about the number of seats but also claims to strong seats. Following a meeting held on Monday night, sources said the RJD has agreed to give the Congress approximately 54 seats. The Congress, however, is demanding 10 more.
Efforts are being made to find a middle ground. Leaders of both parties will meet again on Tuesday night.
The CPI-ML, meanwhile, has rejected the RJD’s proposal for 19 seats and has demanded approximately 30. The party has had the best strike rate in the last Assembly and Lok Sabha elections and is now pushing for more seats.
The RJD can offer 10 seats to the Left block, sources have indicated. The Left was offered 10 seats the last time as well.
Earlier today, Tejashwi Yadav held a meeting with the Left parties at his official residence. Another meeting was held with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
Sources said the RJD has offered Mukesh Sahni’s VIP 12 seats, but the party is demanding more than 20 seats and the post of Deputy Chief Minister.
The JMM, RLJP of Pashupati Paras, and IP Gupta’s Inclusive Party will be accommodated by the RJD and Congress from their respective quotas, sources said.
It is believed that the RJD wants to contest approximately 140 seats on its own. If the party agrees to scale back slightly – even by 10 – the seat sharing process will be smoother. Else friendly contests between allies could be a distinct possibility on some seats.
The bus, which was carrying around 30 passengers, was on its way from Haryana’s Rohtak to Ghumarwin, near Bilaspur, when it met with the accident
At least 15 people were killed, and three rescued, after a private bus was buried under the debris of a massive landslide triggered in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district late Tuesday evening.
The bus, carrying around 30 to 35 passengers, was on its way from Haryana’s Rohtak to Ghumarwin, near Bilaspur, when, due to heavy rain, the entire hill came crashing onto the bus.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh from the PM National Relief Fund to the families of those who died and Rs 50,000 to those injured.
“Saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” a PMO statement said.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also expressed grief over the accident and directed the officials to carry out the rescue operations.
“In this massive landslide, tragic news has come of 10 people losing their lives after a private bus was caught in it, and there is apprehension that several others may be trapped under the debris,” Sukhu wrote in a post on X.
बिलासपुर ज़िला के झंडूता विधानसभा क्षेत्र के बालूघाट (भल्लू पुल) के पास हुए भीषण भूस्खलन की ख़बर ने मन को भीतर तक झकझोर दिया है।
इस भारी भूस्खलन में एक प्राइवेट बस के चपेट में आने से 10 लोगों के निधन का दु:खद समाचार मिला है और कई अन्य के मलबे में दबे होने की आशंका है। रेस्क्यू… pic.twitter.com/GBZslb36CP
“Rescue operations are ongoing on a war footing. Instructions have been given to the authorities to deploy their full machinery,” he said, adding that he’s closely coordinating with the local administration to receive updates on the incident.
A video from the site showed a JCB machine clearing debris, while several people attempted to rescue those who were trapped in the wreckage.
The whole mountain came crashing down on the bus, and chances of survival of passengers are bleak, news agency PTI quoted a police official as saying.
The accident took place near the Bhallu Bridge in the Bhalughat area in the Jhandutta assembly segment.
Jeet Ram Katwal, the MLA from Jhandutta, visited the site to assess the ongoing rescue operations. According to reports, three children were rescued and taken to a hospital in Berthin near Bilaspur for medical treatment.
Expressing grief over the accident, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are carrying out the rescue efforts.
“I am deeply saddened by the bus accident caused by a landslide in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. NDRF teams have reached the incident site and are engaged in rescue operations. I express my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this accident. At the same time, I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Shah wrote in a post on X.
Sixty-two-year-old Chaitanyananda was arrested last month after shocking allegations that he sexually assaulted students of the institute came to the fore
Chaitanyananda Saraswati has been arrested on charges of sexually harassing at least 17 women
As the investigation deepens into the sexual assault allegations against self-styled godman Chaitanyananda Saraswati, NDTV has accessed call recordings that point to how Chaitanyananda’s women accomplices summoned targets and asked them to visit hotel rooms.
In some of the recorded conversations, women are heard saying they can’t meet the Baba because their “periods are on”, but they are told not to make “excuses”.
Sixty-two-year-old Chaitanyananda, who was heading the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management-Research in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj, was arrested last month after shocking allegations of him sexually assaulting students of the institute emerged. Three of his women aides, including Sweta Sharma, the institute’s former associate dean, have also been arrested. Sweta Sharma is accused of forcing women students to visit Chaitanyananda in hotel rooms.
The women have also alleged threats that their academic documents and degrees would be withheld if they did not respond to the self-styled godman’s advances.
Chaitanyananda, it is learnt, would put up in five-star hotels and his aides would identify and persuade his targets to go to him. The woman would be told that the Baba has booked a fabulous room for her and that she would need to spend the night with him there. Those who refused would be told their “turn has come”. This would happen during trips on which the students were forced to accompany Chaitanyananda. So the target would be told that if she said no, her hotel booking would be cancelled and she would have to book a hotel at her own cost. Most of the Baba’s victims were from underprivileged families, and such threats would put them under immense pressure.
A call recording accessed by NDTV proceeds like this. One voice, it is alleged, belongs to Sweta Sharma. The other is a woman, she is prepping for a tryst with the Baba.
Sweta: Tomorrow, when both of you leave the office, I will send you the hotel’s name. You have to go there. Swamiji has come. You have to meet him for dinner. He has booked a room for you. You will stay the night and go to the office from there.
Woman: Ok, Ma’am
Sweta: So, when you leave for the office tomorrow, take your clothes.
In another audio recording that NDTV has accessed, Sweta Sharma asks a woman not to “make excuses” when she says she is on her periods.
Sweta: This is an excuse, useless!
Woman: No, ma’am, this is not an excuse. I am actually on my periods.
Sweta: This is an excuse. You want to avoid the meeting because you fear Swamiji will scold you and deduct your marks. You can make your own staying arrangements.
Woman: Ma’am, I am actually on periods. Why would we lie? What can I do? I will send a photograph of my pad. What else can I do?
The call recordings capture the harrowing experience students of the institute went through and the role of the women staff in coercing the Baba’s targets.
White To Saffron, And Frequent Name-Change
Partha Sarathi Rudra to Br Parthasarathy to Swami Parthsarathy to Chaitanyananda Saraswati – this self-styled godman changed his name multiple times. His old photos show him in white robes, while his more recent ones show him in saffron. The probe has also found that he was removed from Ramakrishna Mission for alleged financial irregularities.
A bottle of Johnson and Johnson Baby Powder is seen in a photo illustration taken in New York, February 24, 2016. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/Illustration Purchase Licensing Rights
A Los Angeles jury ordered Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N), to pay $966 million to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma, finding the company liable in the latest trial alleging its talc products cause cancer.
The family of Mae Moore, a California resident who died at age 88 in 2021, sued the company the same year, claiming J&J’s talc baby powder products contained asbestos fibers that caused her rare cancer. The jury late on Monday ordered J&J to pay $16 million in compensatory damages and $950 million in punitive damages, according to court filings.
The verdict could be reduced on appeal as the U.S. Supreme Court has found that punitive damages should generally be no more than nine times compensatory damages.
Erik Haas, Johnson & Johnson’s worldwide vice president of litigation, said in a statement that the company plans to immediately appeal, calling the verdict “egregious and unconstitutional.”
“The plaintiff lawyers in this Moore case based their arguments on ‘junk science’ that never should have been presented to the jury,” Haas said.
The company has said its products are safe, do not contain asbestos, and do not cause cancer. J&J stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S. in 2020, switching to a cornstarch product. Mesothelioma has been linked to asbestos exposure.
Trey Branham, one of the attorneys representing Moore’s family, said after the verdict that his team is “hopeful that Johnson & Johnson will finally accept responsibility for these senseless deaths.”
J&J is facing lawsuits from more than 67,000 plaintiffs who say they were diagnosed with cancer after using baby powder and other talc products, according to court filings. The number of lawsuits alleging talc caused mesothelioma is a small subset of these cases, with the vast majority involving ovarian cancer claims.
J&J has sought to resolve the litigation through bankruptcy, a proposal that has been rejected three times by federal courts.
Lawsuits alleging talc caused mesothelioma were not part of the last bankruptcy proposal. The company has previously settled some of those claims but has not struck a nationwide settlement, so many lawsuits over mesothelioma have proceeded to trial in state courts in recent months.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said that Pakistan conducts “systematic genocide”.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, called out Pakistan.
India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan at the UN Security Council (UNSC), saying it is a country that “bombs its own people”. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, while speaking during the Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, said that Pakistan conducts “systematic genocide” and can only attempt to “distract the world with misdirection and hyperbole”.
He further called out Pakistan for its “delusional tirade” against India, especially Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian envoy’s remarks came shortly after a Pakistani official at the UNSC alleged that the Kashmiri women have “endured sexual violence for decades”.
“Every year, we are unfortunately fated to listen to the delusional tirade of Pakistan against my country, especially on Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian territory they covet. Our pioneering record on Women, Peace and Security agenda is unblemished and unscathed,” Harish said, adding, “A country that bombs its own people, conducts systematic genocide, can only attempt to distract the world with misdirection and hyperbole.”
The Indian envoy further stated that Pakistan that conducted Operation Searchlight in 1971 and sanctioned a systematic campaign of genocidal mass rape of 400,000 women citizens by its own army. “The world sees through Pakistan’s propaganda,” he added.
India’s response came following the remarks of Counsellor Saima Saleem, part of the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations, who said that Kashmiri women have been “for decades of occupation have endured sexual violence deployed as a weapon of war.”
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Angmo, assailed the detention while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the government, opposed the petition.
Leh, Sonam Wangchuk
The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Central government on Habeas Corpus petition filed by Gitanjali Angmo, wife of Ladakh-based environmentalist, activist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk, challenging his detention under the National Security Act (NSA).
23 in-house applications using multi-sensor and multi-data AI models were deployed concurrently during Operation Sindoor.
A floral collage spelling out ‘Operation Sindoor’, adorned with red sindoor motifs, formed part of the decorations during the Independence Day celebrations earlier this year (PTI File Photo)
The Indian Army’s growing reliance on artificial intelligence was on full display during Operation Sindoor, where 23 indigenously developed AI applications were deployed simultaneously. In a response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping military actions on May 10 following Islamabad’s request.
The Indian Army has already begun integrating AI into its core functions, and its effectiveness was displayed during Operation Sindoor, Director General of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers Lt Gen Rajeev Kumar Sahni said during a briefing on Monday.
23 in-house applications, using multi-sensor and multi-data AI models, were deployed concurrently during Operation Sindoor. The applications include, Anuman 2.0 for real-time weather assessment and Trinetra for real-time feeds, he said.
“We successfully used our in-house AI models. In partnership with the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the India Meteorological Department (IMD), we have developed “Anuman 2.0″, a real-time weather forecast. This made it possible to forecast the weather with precision within a 200-kilometre radius along the border,” Lt Gen Rajeev Kumar Sahni said, as quoted by ANI.
“The Army is also working with IMD and the Ministry of Earth Sciences to develop its own military climatology system for strategic planning and operations,” he said.
Responding to a question, Lt Gen Sahni stated that AI-enabled remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs) delivered real-time feeds with no delay during Operation Sindoor. “We were getting the feed without any delays. We carried out a number of successful operations with Trinetra’s assistance,” he said. The Army is constantly adjusting to new technologies, incorporating AI into management and decision-making processes in addition to operational uses.
Actor Vijay Deverakonda reassured fans after escaping unhurt after a car accident near Telangana’s Jogulamba Gadwala district. Police confirmed no injuries occurred during the incident.
Vijay Deverakonda reassures fans after car accident.
Actor Vijay Deverakonda updated his fans about his condition after his car met with an accident on Monday. He eased any concerns they might have had about his well-being with a light-hearted post on X.
The ‘Arjun Reddy’ actor wrote, “All is well. Car took a hit, but we are all fine. Went and did a strength workout as well and just got back home. My head hurts but nothing a biryani and sleep will not fix. So biggest hugs and my love to all of you. Don’t let the news stress you (sic).”
The actor was involved in a car accident on Monday while travelling in Telangana. The accident happened near Undavalli in Jogulamba Gadwala district as he was reportedly on his way from Puttaparthi to Hyderabad. The incident occurred when another vehicle suddenly turned and collided with the actor’s car, but thankfully, no one was hurt.
The police provided more details about the crash, stating, “Actor Vijay Deverakonda was travelling from Puttaparthi to Hyderabad around 3 pm when a Bolero vehicle ahead suddenly turned right, causing his car to collide with its left side. Vijay and two others were in the car. Thankfully, no one was injured. He immediately switched to another vehicle, and his team filed a complaint with the police for insurance purposes.”
Sources confirm that Deverakonda was inside the car at the time of the accident but walked away without any injuries. There was only minor damage to the vehicle, and all passengers are reported safe.
Despite the unexpected turn of events, Deverakonda kept a positive attitude. He mentioned he even managed to complete a strength workout after reaching home.
In a shocking case of neglect, more than 200 starving and sick animals along with a 95-year-old woman were rescued this week from what authorities described as a ‘house of horrors’ in Northport, Long Island.
New York Couple Arrested After More Than 200 Animals & 95-Year-Old Woman Found Living In Filthy Conditions At Their Home | X @TrueCrimeUpdat
In a shocking case of neglect, more than 200 starving and sick animals along with a 95-year-old woman were rescued this week from what authorities described as a ‘house of horrors’ in Northport, Long Island.
Police raided the home of Samantha Boyd, 57, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, and her boyfriend Neal Weschler, 61, on Wednesday, after receiving complaints about inhumane conditions. Inside, officers found dozens of cats, dogs, parrots, squirrels, and other animals confined to rusty cages, covered in their own waste, and left without clean food or water.
WATCH VISUALS:
⚠️ WARNING: This post contains graphic descriptions of animal cruelty & elder abuse.
Over 200 sick & starving animals have been rescued from a Long Island “house of horrors,” where a 95-year-old woman was also found “literally trapped” in filth—and the homeowner is a licensed… pic.twitter.com/5VmQJtrbQN
The scene extended beyond animal cruelty. Authorities discovered a 95-year-old woman upstairs, reportedly ‘literally trapped’ by piles of garbage so dense she could hardly move.
Legal Action:
Boyd has been charged with endangering a vulnerable elderly person and multiple counts of animal cruelty, while Weschler faces related charges. Both were taken into custody.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney condemned the situation, calling it ‘deeply distressing’ and promising a full investigation into how Boyd, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, was allowed to operate in such conditions.
Netizens Reactions:
One user wrote, “Christ. I’m glad they were found. This is so disheartening.” While one wrote, “Hoarding is a mental situation rather than crime.” Another user commented, “Fortunately, there are no places where animals are kept in unsanitary conditions for profit. But who would make an arrest there?”
The lawsuit filed by a coalition of unions, employers and religious groups, seeks to block Trump’s order imposing a visa fee of $100,000 on H-1B applications.
Trump’s order imposes a one-time visa fee of $100,000 on H-1B applications(REUTERS)
United States President Donald Trump-led administration’s new H-1B visa plan was challenged in a federal court in San Francisco on Friday. The lawsuit was filed by a coalition of unions, employers and religious groups, and seeks to block Trump’s order imposing a one-time visa fee of $100,000 on H-1B applications, Reuters reported.
This is the first lawsuit to challenge the proclamation issued by Trump on the hiked visa fee, even as the US President moves to restrict immigration to the country.
The H-1B visa program allows employers in the US to hire foreign workers in specialty fields, with the technology companies relying heavily on workers who receive these visas.
These employers who sponsor H-1B used to typically pay between $2,000 and $5,000 in fees, but Trump’s order bars new visa recipients from entering US unless the employer sponsoring their visa makes a payment of $100,000.
What does the lawsuit say about Trump’s order?
The plaintiffs have argued that Trump’s move is unlawful and that he has changed the H-1B program. They say that the changes force employers to either “pay to play” or seek a “national interest” exemption, which further “opens the door to selective enforcement and corruption”, Bloomberg reported.
In the lawsuit, the groups said that the US President “has no authority” to impose fees, taxes or other mechanisms unilaterally to generate revenue for America. They further added that he could not “dictate how those funds are spent.”
The lawsuit said that Trump had “disregarded” limitations and “asserted power he does not have” while issuing the proclamation. “The Constitution assigns the ‘power of the purse’ to Congress, as one of its most fundamental premises,” the suit says, according to Bloomberg.
It adds that Trump “displaced a complex, Congressionally specified system for evaluating petitions and granting H-1B visas.”
The plaintiffs in the case are the United Auto Workers union, the American Association of University Professors, the Justice Action Center and the Democracy Forward Foundation on behalf the Global Nurse Force, and several religious organisations.
The authorities have asked the devotees to plan their travel to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine only after getting updates from official channels.
A deserted view of the Banganga entrance gate as the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra remains suspended for the sixth consecutive day due to landslides triggered by incessant rainfall, at Katra in Reasi on Sunday.(ANI Video Grab)
The Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra has been suspended from Sunday, October 5, due to apprehensions about the weather near the cave shrine atop Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district
The authorities have cited an inclement weather advisory issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the suspension of the yatra. The suspension will run until Tuesday, October 7.
The Vaishno Devi Yatra is scheduled to begin again on Wednesday, October 8, depending on weather conditions. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) posted the information on the social media platform X.
“Yatra Update. In view of the inclement weather advisory issued by the Indian Meteorological Department, Vaishno Devi Yatra shall remain suspended from 5th to 7th October 2025 & will resume on 08/10/2025. Devotees may stay updated through official channels. @OfficeOfLGJandK,” the post by the board read.
⚠️ Yatra Update
In view of the inclement weather advisory issued by the Indian Meteorological Department, Vaishno Devi Yatra shall remain suspended from 5th to 7th October 2025 & will resume on 08/10/2025.
Devotees may stay updated through official channels.@OfficeOfLGJandK
— Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (@OfficialSMVDSB) October 3, 2025
The authorities have asked the devotees to plan their travel only after getting updates from official channels. The Shrine Board has taken the step as a precautionary measure in view of the threat perception of landslides, flooding, and cloudbursts due to heavy rain.
Earlier suspensions of the yatra
The Yatra has been suspended many times this year due to rain, flash floods, and landslides. It recently resumed on September 17 after a 22-day hiatus due to a landslide near Ardhkuwari that claimed 34 lives and injured 20 others in the August 26 tragedy. The decision to resume the yatra at that time came two days after a group of pilgrims staged a protest at Katra base camp in support of their demand for the resumption of the pilgrimage.
Several companies make consumers pay an extra charge if they opt for the cash-on-delivery option rather than pre-paying for the order online.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said platforms violating consumer rights will face action.
Cracking down on ‘dark patterns’ employed by e-commerce companies, Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has said firms that charge extra for cash-on-delivery will now face action.
Several companies make consumers pay an extra fee if they opt for the cash-on-delivery option rather than pre-paying for the order online.
Railing against such practices, an X user had, on Wednesday, posted about an experience he had with an e-commerce firm in which he was charged Rs 226 in the name of ‘offer handling fee, payment handling fee and protect promise fee’.
“Forget Rain Fee by Zomato/Swiggy/Zepto. See the masterstroke by Flipkart: Offer Handling Fee (for giving me the discount you advertised??); Payment Handling Fee (for letting me pay you??) and Protect Promise Fee (protecting me from what… satisfaction?),” he wrote
“Next up: “Scrolling App Fee”,” he joked.
Responding to the post on Friday, Joshi said such practices will be scrutinised and platforms violating consumer rights will face action.
“The Department of Consumer Affairs has received complaints against e-commerce platforms charging extra for Cash-on-Delivery, a practice classified as a dark pattern that misleads and exploits consumers,” the minister wrote.
The Department of Consumer Affairs has received complaints against e-commerce platforms charging extra for Cash-on-Delivery, a practice classified as a dark pattern that misleads and exploits consumers.
A detailed investigation has been initiated and steps are being taken to… https://t.co/gEf5WClXJX
“A detailed investigation has been initiated and steps are being taken to scrutinise these platforms closely. Strict action will be taken against those violating consumer rights to ensure transparency and uphold fair practices in India’s growing e-commerce sector,” he added.
Dark patterns are tactics used by companies to extract money or data from consumers without them realising
These practices include platforms showing there are only one or two pieces of an item left to speed up a buyer’s purchase decision when, in reality, there are several more in stock, or setting a fake time limit – like ‘offer expires in 10 minutes’ – to achieve the same end.
On Thursday Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said attempts to illegally occupy more of India, i.e., its half of Sir Creek, will be met with a response that will change “history and geography”.
A map of the Sir Creek border dispute.
Military tension between India and Pakistan – never far from the surface and explosive when it does break cover, as Operation Sindoor showed in May – may have expanded to a new theatre this week after Islamabad was warned against territorial aggression in Gujarat’s Sir Creek.
On Thursday Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said attempts to illegally occupy more of India, i.e., its half of Sir Creek, will be met with a response that will change “history and geography”.
Singh said India remains open to a peaceful resolution of the border dispute in Gujarat (and other areas) but “Pakistan’s intentions are flawed and unclear”. The recent expansion of military infrastructure -bunkers and radars, as well as forward bases capable of launching attack drones or infantry operations – in adjacent areas reveal that country’s intentions, he said.
Increased Pak military footprint anywhere on the border raises eyebrows but, after Op Sindoor and the first India-Pak armed conflict since 1971, it is a matter of some concern and urgency.
So what is Sir Creek?
It is a narrow strip of water, less than 100km long, in the tidal estuary between Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch and Pakistan. Control is disputed over interpretations of maritime boundary lines.
The creek is the official westernmost border between India and Pakistan.
The origin of the dispute dates back decades to pre-independence India (as do so many of the India-Pak conflicts) when the region was ruled by the Maharaja of Kutch and there were conflicting territorial claims from differing interpretations of colonial-era maps and agreements.
Today the dispute is this – India claims half of Sir Creek and, therefore, the marshlands that border Pakistan’s Keti Bunder Wildlife Sanctuary, while Pak cites one of those colonial-era deals and insists the boundary lies east of the creek, giving it access to the heartland of Gujarat.
The document Pak cites is the 1914 resolution signed by the Rao of Kutch and the Sindh government, which says the eastern bank of the creek is the boundary line.
India, however, relies on a 1925 map that points to the mid-channel of the creek. India has also pointed to the internationally-accepted Thalweg principal that says the border between two nations that share a navigable waterway is the line of the deepest part of the main channel.
Pak, though, says the doctrine doesn’t apply as Sir Creek is not navigable.
Why is Sir Creek important?
Control of the Sir Creek not only influences (and effectively settles) the India-Pak maritime boundary issue, but also gives the side in charge a significant strategic boost.
India maintaining a military presence on its side, for example, acts as a deterrent as it offers direct maritime access to the Karachi Port, a trading hub and No 1 target in a war. Singh made that point when he said ‘Pak should remember, one route to Karachi passes through Sir Creek’.
For Pakistan, increased access to the Sir Creek region allows, theoretically, a pincer movement on India; i.e., in the event of another armed conflict, simultaneous attacks in Pak-occupied Kashmir or the Rajasthan and Punjab border and in Sir Creek could stretch Indian forces.
Control also supports the Pak Navy in positioning its warships along the coastline, thereby enhancing its security and influence over maritime routes near the Gujarat coast.
Prize isn’t just military
Sir Creek is one of Asia’s largest fishing grounds and supports the livelihoods of thousands of people. The border dispute frequently segues into the arrest of fishermen and women, from both nations, who stray across the border. It also impacts access to potential undersea oil and gas reserves, important in the light of Pak’s deal with the US to develop “massive” oil resources.
Exploration of these reserves have stalled due to the border dispute.
The potential economic benefit, however, is immense, particularly as Indian balances the cost-effective import of Russian oil against the fury of the US for ‘fuelling the war in Ukraine’.
Families of the victims have alleged that the staff fled soon after the blaze, suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, erupted on the second floor of the state-run Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur.
Jaipur hospital fire
At least seven patients were killed after a fire broke out in the Intensive Care Unit of the trauma centre at Jaipur’s state-run Sawai Man Singh Hospital. Families have alleged that the staff fled soon after the blaze, suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, erupted on the second floor of the building.
The blaze erupted on Sunday night, with smoke rapidly spreading throughout the floor and causing panic among patients and their families. Various documents, ICU equipment, blood sample tubes, and other items stored in the area were gutted by the fire.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the loss of lives and wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the incident.
Hospital staff and patient attendants evacuated patients, even transporting them to their beds outside the building. Firefighters brought the fire under control in approximately two hours.
“Programme organisers, including the leader of the political party, absconded from the venue, abandoning their own cadres, followers, and fans,” the Court observed.
Madras High Court, TVK flag, Vijay
The Madras High Court on Friday harshly criticised the leadership of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), including its founder, actor-turned-politician Vijay, for ‘fleeing’ the site of the Karur stampede, which took place at a TVK rally held on September 27 and led to the loss of 41 lives [PH Dinesh v. Home Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu].
Justice N Senthilkumar observed that ideally, TVK should have taken immediate rescue and assistance efforts to tackle the stampede-like situation.
“…it is really sad that Mr.Vijay, the leader and the members of his political party which organised the meeting fled the scene of occurrence…This Court strongly condemns the conduct of Mr.Vijay, the organisers of the event and the members of the political party for fleeing from the scene of occurrence immediately after mishaps.”
The Court added that TVK’s failure to release any “expression of responsibility” to show regret about the incident reflected a disregard for human life and public accountability.
It may be noted that Vijay had uploaded a video statement on X on September 30, in which he expressed that he was pained by the incident and urged the State not to take out any ‘vengeance’ on TVK cadres.
In the order passed yesterday, however, Justice Kumar took critical note that the TVK’s leadership and members, who organised the Karur rally, were seen leaving the stampede site as the tragedy unfolded.
“Shockingly, the programme organisers, including the leader of the political party, absconded from the venue, abandoning their own cadres, followers, and fans. There is neither remorse, nor responsibility, nor even an expression of regret.”
It also questioned why the State had not yet registered criminal cases in respect of two accidents that took place at the stampede site, which allegedly involved collisions with the bus that was carrying Vijay.
“In footage (video footage circulated on social media), it is visibly evident that two motorcycles were involved in the accident, and that the driver of the bus, having seen the accident, fled from the scene…In both instances, no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered by the respondent police for the offences of hit and run…This Court expresses its deep anguish and concern over the failure of the authorities to take action. Even in the absence of a formal complaint from the aggrieved parties, it is the duty of the State to register a suo motu FIR and ensure that the accused face trial in accordance with law,” the Court said.
Justice Senthilkumar went on to express that the State’s investigation in the matter was not up to mark.
“This Court is not satisfied with the progress or independence of the said (State) investigation,” he said.
The Court, therefore, ordered a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the stampede, even though it was not one of the directions sought by the litigant before the Court.
The litigant, PH Dinesh, had sought directions to put in place a safety protocol to be followed during road shows.
“Though the prayer in the present writ petition is limited, the scope of the writ petition has been widened due to the extraordinary circumstances, which warrant extraordinary measures. This Court cannot close its eyes, remain a mute spectator, and shrink from its constitutional responsibilities,” the Court opined.
The SIT is to be headed by Asra Garg, Inspector General of Police (North Zone). The other members of the team are Vimala (IPS), Superintendent of Police, Namakkal and Shyamaladevi, Superintendent of Police, CSCID. The Court added that additional members may be inducted into the team, as required, by Garg.
A hostile immigration environment is prompting some Indians in the US to think of returning home
US President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to hike H-1B visa fees to $100,000 has prompted policymakers in Delhi to woo skilled Indians back home.
A bureaucrat, who works closely with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recently said that the government was actively encouraging overseas Indians to return and contribute to nation-building. Yet, another member of the PM’s economic advisory council told a media conclave that H-1B visas have always served the interests of the host nation, and so the hike in fee boded well for India’s ability to attract global talent.
The crux of these arguments is that the time is ripe for India to engineer a reverse brain drain and lure some of the world’s most talented professionals in technology, medicine and other innovative industries, who’d left the country in the past 30 years, back to the homeland.
There is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that an increasingly hostile immigration environment in the US is prompting a few Indians to think along these lines. But getting hundreds of thousands of people to ditch Bellevue for Bengaluru will be easier said than done, several experts told the BBC.
Nithin Hassan is among the few Indians who had settled in the US for the last 20 years but took a leap of faith and decided to move back to Bengaluru – often called India’s Silicon Valley – last year.
It wasn’t an easy call. He quit a million-dollar job at Meta to plunge into the uncertain world of start-ups.
“I’ve always wanted to start something of my own, but my immigration status in the US limited that freedom,” Mr Hassan told the BBC.
Since his return, Mr Hassan has launched two start-ups, including a platform called B2I (Back to India) that helps other Indians settled in the US “navigate the emotional, financial and professional challenges of returning home”.
He told the BBC that the US’s immigration policy shifts in recent months had led to a sharp spike in enquiries from people looking to relocate, and the H-1B fracas could accelerate this trend.
“Many professionals now accept that a green card may never come, and queries to B2I have surged – nearly tripling since Trump’s second term began. In just the last six months, more than 200 NRIs [non-resident Indians] have reached out to explore return options,” said Mr Hassan.
Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa shock: Why US may lose more than India
Other headhunters who scout for Indian talent from US universities corroborate this change in sentiment.
“The number of Indian students from Ivy League universities looking to come back to India after their studies has risen by 30% this season,” Shivani Desai, CEO of BDO Executive Search, told the BBC.
She added that the uncertainty is also making senior Indian executives “think harder about their long-term careers in the US”.
“While many are still anchored there, we see a noticeable uptick in CXO and senior tech leaders exploring India as a serious option,” Ms Desai said.
Such change in attitudes could also be aided by a massive boom in Global Capability Centres (GCCs) – or remote offices of multinational companies in India in recent years – that have thrown up viable work opportunities for returning Indians.
These offshore operations could be where those from the tech industry relocate to if the US closes its doors to them, making GCCs “increasingly attractive to talent, especially as onsite opportunities decline”, according to asset management firm Franklin Templeton.
But driving reverse migration at scale will require a concerted and serious effort by the government, and that’s currently missing, says Sanjaya Baru, former media adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and author of Secession of the Successful: The Flight out of New India – a book on India’s brain drain.
“The government will have to go out and actually identify individuals – including top-of-the-line scientists, professionals and entrepreneurs – it wants back. That requires effort, and it needs to come straight from the top,” Mr Baru told the BBC.
He said this was what Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, did back in the day to get top minds in areas like space and nuclear technology back home and build institutions like the premier Indian Institute of Science.
“They were driven by a strong sense of purpose and nationalism. Where is the incentive to come back now?” said Mr Baru.
On the contrary, there are both pull and push factors that have led to highly qualified professionals consistently leaving the country, Mr Baru said, and India has celebrated this trend, rather than arresting it.
The pull factors include a growing number of countries offering golden visas and citizenship or residency by immigration programmes.
In fact, even as the US tightened its H-1B visa regime, countries such as Germany immediately laid out the red carpet for Indian skilled migrants, with its ambassador pushing the country’s credentials as a “predictable and rewarding destination”.
Cuttack authorities deployed 60 police platoons and eight paramilitary companies, imposed a curfew under Section 163 BNSS, and said only essential services would remain open for the day. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has announced a 12-hour bandh on Monday.
Heavy police force deployed after a clash erupts during Durga Puja immersion, in Cuttack.
The Odisha government on Sunday night imposed prohibitory orders in 13 police-station areas and suspended internet services in Cuttack, where 25 people were injured in fresh violence following a Durga idol immersion procession, officials said.
Additional Police Commissioner Narasingha Bhola said a prohibitory order under Section 163 BNSS, commonly known as a curfew, has been passed by the magistrate.
“This order will be in effect from 10 pm Sunday until 10 am Monday (October 7). We will assess the situation further and take a decision accordingly. As of today, only emergency services are open. Government offices, schools, and colleges are operating, while hospitals, pharmacies, grocery stores, and petrol pumps remain open. All other commercial establishments are closed,” he said.
He added that the situation was currently peaceful, with residents cooperating with authorities. “We have 60 platoons of state police forces already deployed, and today eight companies of paramilitary forces have arrived. Units such as the Rapid Action Force, BSF, CRPF, and Odisha Swift Action Force are deployed at key locations and junctions and are closely monitoring activities. We are identifying those responsible for the violence and will take action against them for damage caused to public and private property,” Bhola said.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has announced a 12-hour bandh on Monday, accusing the administration of “complete failure” in maintaining law and order.
CLASHES DURING IDOL IMMERSION
Police said the clash erupted between 1.30 am and 2 am near Haathi Pokhari in Dargah Bazaar when locals objected to high-decibel music being played during the procession.
“Arguments soon escalated into a confrontation when a mob started throwing stones and glass bottles from rooftops on the procession, injuring several revellers, including Cuttack DCP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo,” an official said.
Police resorted to a mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Several vehicles and roadside stalls were damaged, and immersion activities were halted for nearly three hours before resuming under tight security, with all idols immersed by 9.30 am.
BIKE RALLY CLASH ADDS TO TENSION
Police said fresh tension flared after a group requested permission to hold a bike rally in the city. The request was denied over fears it could trigger further unrest. “When police enforced the order, clashes broke out, and eight policemen were injured in stone-throwing. The mob was later dispersed using force,” said Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner Dr Suresh Debadutta Singh.
Authorities also addressed rumours regarding injuries in an earlier immersion-related incident. “All four individuals had minor injuries; three were discharged the same day, and one continues to receive treatment. Those spreading misinformation will be arrested,” Dr Singh added.
Dr Singh confirmed that a curfew will be imposed in certain areas of Cuttack to maintain peace and prevent any further escalation.
PROTEST AND POLITICAL BLAME GAME
Members of Puja committees staged demonstrations demanding the immediate arrest of those involved in the attack. The VHP, blaming the district administration for the unrest, demanded the transfer of both the DCP and district collector.
“The authorities failed to ensure peaceful immersion despite repeated requests,” said a VHP spokesperson, announcing a dawn-to-dusk bandh in the city on October 6.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) condemned the violence, blaming “anti-social elements” for attempting to disrupt communal harmony. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi assured strict action against those responsible and directed officials to provide free medical care to the injured.
BJD MP Sulata Deo said, “Cuttack is a city of brotherhood where Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians have always lived in harmony. What happened is extremely unfortunate. This government can neither handle law and order nor protect women. Since the BJP government came to power, the crime rate has increased.”
CM APPEALS FOR PEACE
In a statement, the Odisha Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had expressed deep sorrow over the violence and appealed for calm.
“Cuttack city is a unique example of brotherhood. However, for the last few days, due to some troublemakers, peace has been disturbed in the city and the life of the common people is being disrupted,” the CM said. “The government is keeping an eye on such elements, and strict action will be taken as per law.”
Majhi also directed officials to ensure free medical treatment for the injured and continuous monitoring of sensitive areas.
FIRE INCIDENTS AND POLICE DEPLOYMENT
Assistant Fire Officer Sanjeeb Kumar Behera confirmed that rioters set fires at several locations near Gouri Shankar Park. “We received information that rioters had set fire at 8-10 places. We have extinguished the fire, but they are throwing stones at us. Police have been deployed to control the situation,” he said.
Additional forces have been stationed across key zones, with senior police officers monitoring the situation closely to prevent further escalation.
INTERNET BLACKOUT AND PROHIBITORY ORDERS
In a major preventive measure, the Odisha Home Department suspended all internet and data services across Cuttack city, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, X, and other platforms, from 7 pm on October 5 to 7 pm on October 6.
The situation has thrown life out of gear in several areas, also leading to eight major rivers crossing the danger mark in eastern Nepal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Nepal’s interim PM Sushila Karki (Reuters photo)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed solidarity with Nepal after landslides and floods triggered by torrential rainfall across the country left at least 52 dead.
Taking to X, the Prime Minister extended his condolences and reaffirmed India’s role as a close neighbour and reliable partner.
He said, “The loss of lives and property due to heavy rains in Nepal is heartbreaking. We stand with the Nepali people and the Government of Nepal during this difficult time. As a friendly neighbor and first responder, India is committed to providing any kind of assistance that may be needed.”
Nepal has been witnessing continuous rain since Friday. The situation has thrown life out of gear in several areas, also leading to eight major rivers crossing the danger mark in eastern Nepal.
नेपालमा भारी वर्षाका कारण भएको जनधनको क्षति पीडादायी छ। हामी यस कठिन समयमा नेपाली जनता र नेपाल सरकारको साथमा छौं। एक मित्रवत् छिमेकी र पहिलो रेस्पोन्डरको रूपमा भारत आवश्यक पर्ने कुनै पनि खाले सहयोग गर्न प्रतिबद्ध छ।
Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force (APF) personnel were deployed for carrying out rescue operations in different areas.
In response to the disaster, the Nepali government announced Nepali rupees (NRs) 2,00,000 as immediate relief to the kin of those who lost their lives in rain-related disasters on Sunday.
Besides the compensation for the deceased, the injured will be provided with free treatment, according to statement by the National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Authority (NDRRMA).
According to the Armed Police Force Headquarters, Ilam has been the worst hit, with landslides and floods claiming 37 lives. In other districts across the province, 12 more people have lost their lives. One person is still missing in Koshi, and at least 17 have been reported dead.
In Nepal’s southern plains, three people were reported dead and another was injured in Rautahat after being struck by lightning. In Bara, rescue teams are still searching for one person who has gone missing.
India set a record at the World Para Athletics Championships 2025, winning 22 medals. Simran Sharma and Preeti Pal were double medallists, with six athletes clinching gold.
India made history at World Para Athletics Championships 2025 with 22 medals (Instagram)
India recorded their best-ever performance at the World Para Athletics Championships, held in New Delhi. Competing on home soil at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium from September 27 to October 5, 2025, the Indian team delivered a historic showing, securing a total of 22 medals – six gold, nine silver and seven bronze – finishing 10th on the medals table.
Among the standout performers were Simran Sharma (women’s 100m T12), Nishad Kumar (men’s high jump T47), Sumit Antil (men’s javelin throw F64), Sandip Sanjay Sargar (men’s javelin throw F44), Rinku Hooda (men’s javelin throw F46), and Shailesh Kumar (men’s high jump T63), all of whom clinched gold medals in their respective events.
Both Simran Sharma and Preeti Pal emerged as double medallists for India — Simran winning medals in the women’s 100m T12 and 200m T12 events, and Preeti securing podium finishes in the women’s 100m T35 and 200m T35 categories.
India’s Medal Winners At World Para Athletics Championships 2025
The Russian S-400 system ensured that Pak Air Force did not fly east of Indus on May 10 during Operation Sindoor.
PM Modi showcases S-400 air defence system at Adampur air base post Op Sindoor(Sourced/HT photo)
Top defence ministry officials will meet their Russian counterparts this week to consider either joint manufacture or outright purchase of five more S-400 air defence systems from Moscow with an objective of enhancing India’s long range defensive capabilities.
The deal is expected to be given a green signal before Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in India on December 5 for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While two of the five S-400 systems, part of the October 5, 2018, $5.43 billion deal, will be delivered by 2026-end, India and Russia are talking about the purchase of another five systems to protect any attack across the country’s 7000-km-plus coastline and to plug the air defence gap in the northern command area.
HT learns that the two sides have already agreed on the cost of the additional five systems with annual escalation from the 2018 price. The modalities are not final yet and there’s talk that three of the five systems will be purchased outright and the remaining will be built by Indian private sector companies under transfer of technology route.
The deal will be government to government with maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities set up in collaboration with the Indian private sector, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. They added that reports of India buying the S-500 system are incorrect as such a system is still on the drawing board in Russia.
India is also looking for a RVV-BD, a more than 200 km range air to air missile, from Russia to make its Su-30 MKI fleet more potent as even Pakistan is operating Chinese built 200 km range PL 15 air to air missile and used it against India during Operation Sindoor. The Russian R-37 missile or RVV-BD will have to be integrated into Su-30 MKI with upgradation of the on-board radar of the Russian developed fighter.
Although IAF’s chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh talked about his force considering the possibility of acquiring the Su-57 Russian fifth generation fighter, the government is still to take any view on that as well as on the US F-35 fighter.
Anand Mahindra said he had downloaded the app ‘with pride’, leading to a heartwarming interaction with Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu.
Anand Mahindra and Sridhar Vembu’s conversation on social media has gone viral.
Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group, has come out in support of Zoho’s Arattai — the instant messaging app being touted as a Made-in-India alternative to WhatsApp. Taking to social media, the billionaire industrialist said he had downloaded the app ‘with pride’, leading to a heartwarming interaction with Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu.
“Downloaded Arattai today… With pride,” wrote Mahindra on X (formerly Twitter) as Vembu, the brains behind the ‘Swadeshi’ app, responded with a gracious message.
“I was in a meeting in our Tenkasi office with our Arattai engineers, working out refinements to the app and a team member showed this tweet. Thank you, Anand Mahindra this gives us even more determination,” wrote Vembu.
In what turned into a heartwarming conversation, Mahindra quoted Vembu’s post saying: “We’re cheering for you, @svembu”.
I was in a meeting in our Tenkasi office with our Arattai engineers, working out refinements to the app and a team member showed this tweet.
For years, WhatsApp has held an unshakable monopoly in the messaging space, with over half a billion active users in India. Amid the new wave of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ campaign, Arattai has emerged as a tough competitor, seeking to take on the global behemoth.
In recent days, Arattai has witnessed a massive surge in usage. According to Vembu, the app recorded a 100x increase in traffic within just three days, with new sign-ups rising dramatically from 3,000 per day to 350,000 per day.
Last month, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged users to switch to Arattai, describing it as “free, easy-to-use, secure, safe, and made in India.”
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also clarified that recent media reports on poisoning stem from an accused’s claim rather than official police findings.
Sarma also urged the Assamese community to press for the swift return of key suspects, currently in Singapore, to avoid further delays in the probe. (ANI)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday provided an update on the investigation into the alleged poisoning of late singer Zubeen Garg, stating that the viscera examination report is expected by October 10.
The CM added that while the viscera report is expected by Friday next week, full details are expected to emerge by the next day – October 11.
He highlighted that police are recording all witness statements in the case diary, regardless of their nature. Sarma also clarified that recent media reports on poisoning stem from an accused’s claim rather than official police findings.
In a statement, Sarma said, “The police’s duty is to record everything in the case diary as stated by witnesses. Some will say positive things, and others will say negative things, and the police will continue to document it all. However, these are not police statements; they are only witness statements.”
While clarifying the news surrounding poisoning, he said that this is a witness’s statement and not a police statement. He said that this is a statement of the accused. “Whether he gave this statement to protect himself or to blame someone else will be revealed during the investigation,” he added.
Urged return of key suspects
Sarma also urged the Assamese community to press for the swift return of key suspects, currently in Singapore, to avoid further delays in the probe. Stating that if the people did not return, the investigation would not be complete, he said, “Today, we are more concerned about whether the Assamese people currently in Singapore will return to cooperate with the investigation.” These are the people involved in Zubeen Garg’s yacht travel.
He also named some people who are already in custody, including Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddharth Sharma, Shekhar, and Amritprava, saying that they will uncover the truth. “If they do not, we will face another cycle of complications,” he said further.
As per the official document, the late singer’s bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami alleged that the singer was “poisoned” in Singapore, and his manager Siddharth Sharma and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta had “deliberately chosen a foreign venue to conceal their conspiracy.”
Only the second Hindu to play for Pakistan, Danish Kaneria featured in 61 Tests and 18 ODIs, taking 276 wickets in a career that stretched for over a decade.
Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has reacted to the rumours that he was seeking Indian citizenship. In a lengthy post on X, Kaneria said that while he received love from the Pakistani people, he also faced religious discrimination and “attempts of forced conversion” during his playing days. Only the second Hindu to play for Pakistan, after wicketkeeper Anil Dalpat, the 44-year-old featured in 61 Tests and 18 ODIs, taking 276 wickets in a career that stretched for over a decade.
“Lately, I have seen many people questioning me, asking why I do not speak about Pakistan, why I comment on Bharat’s internal matters, and some even alleging that I do all this for Bharatiya citizenship. I feel it is important to set the record straight. From Pakistan and its people, I have received much, above all, the love of the awam. But alongside that love, I also faced deep discrimination from Pakistani authorities and the PCB, including attempts of forced conversion,” Kaneria wrote.
Lately, I have seen many people questioning me, asking why I do not speak about Pakistan, why I comment on Bharat’s internal matters, and some even alleging that I do all this for Bharatiya citizenship. I feel it is important to set the record straight.
Lately, I have seen many people questioning me, asking why I do not speak about Pakistan, why I comment on Bharat’s internal matters, and some even alleging that I do all this for Bharatiya citizenship. I feel it is important to set the record straight.
Hulu will no longer exist as a standalone app by 2026, with all of its content fully merging into Disney+. The shift will begin on October 8 when Hulu will replace the Star brand internationally and deeper integration starts in the US.
After nearly 20 years as one of the top streaming services, Hulu is set to disappear as a separate app. (Picture credit: AP)
After nearly 20 years as one of the top streaming services, Hulu is set to disappear as a separate app. Disney has confirmed that by 2026, Hulu will be fully merged into Disney+.
The company says the goal is to simplify its streaming options and build one stronger platform. What Changes Will Start In October
The transition will begin on October 8 this year. Outside the US, Hulu will replace the Star brand in the Disney+ app and serve as the new home for adult-oriented programming.
In the United States, Disney+ users will start noticing more Hulu content built directly into the Disney+ app. Disney described this as “an ongoing and iterative slate of product updates on the homepage and beyond.”
Even though the Hulu app will disappear over time, the name “Hulu on Disney+” will remain. Disney believes this brand has stronger global recognition compared to “Star,” especially for fans of Hulu originals. Hulu’s Journey So Far
Hulu launched in 2007, becoming popular for offering next-day access to network TV shows alongside original series. It grew into a major player in streaming, with award-winning shows like The Handmaid’s Tale.
Disney took full control of Hulu this summer after completing a deal with Comcast. Industry experts said the shutdown of the standalone app was expected, since Disney wanted to streamline its services. Subscription Prices Going Up
This change also comes with higher prices across Disney’s streaming services. Starting October 21, Disney+ with ads will rise from $9.99 to $11.99 per month.
Disney+ Premium (no ads) will increase from $16 to $19 per month. Hulu with ads will cost $11.99, while ad-free stays at $18.99. Hulu + Live TV with ads will climb by $7 to $90 per month.
ESPN Select (previously ESPN+) will go up by $1 to $12.99.
Disney says these hikes reflect the larger library customers will get under the new combined platform and the company’s continued investment in original programming. What It Means For US Customers
Right now, US customers can still subscribe to Hulu and Disney+ separately. But by 2026, Hulu will no longer exist as an app. Its content will be fully integrated into Disney+.
This means users will have just one streaming service to manage, but also likely face higher costs if they want the full package.
The Court was dealing with the bail application of a former CRPF personnel who is accused of beating his wife to death as she “could not provide a meal to him as per his immediate demand.”
Mental Health
The Bombay High Court has directed that people accused of crimes who are also suspected to be addicted to liquor or drugs must be provided psychiatric treatment to ensure their recovery from the mental illness [Pramod Wamanrao Dhule v The State of Maharashtra and Another].
Justice Sanjay A Deshmukh noted that if a person is addicted to hooch (illicit liquor) or prohibited drugs, it is considered a mental illness under Section 2(1)(s) of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017.
“Therefore, as per the procedure outlined in the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, police or investigating officers who arrest such persons and produce them for remand, police, magistrate custody, or trial, as well as jail authorities and trial courts, are expected to ensure a medical examination and treatment for such addicted persons,” the Court said.
However, it noted that medical examinations of such arrested accused persons are often conducted in a routine manner, merely to comply with formalities.
To address the situation, the Court issued the following direction,
“When allegations in a report lodged or a charge sheet filed against such an accused indicate that they are prima facie addicted to liquor or drugs, the police, court, or jail authorities must direct a medical examination through a psychiatrist for their addiction to liquor or drugs and, If found mentally ill as defined under Section 2(1)(s) of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, they shall be directed to a rehabilitation center for treatment based on the psychiatrist’s report. The help of a counselor or psychologist to change their mindset must be simultaneously taken.”
The Court also called for a sympathetic approach in such cases.
“Though they (those suffering from liquor or drug addiction) suffer from mental illness, they are often harshly condemned due to a lack of awareness about mental illness instead of being considered sympathetically, as other illnesses are treated,” it noted.
The Court was hearing the bail application of a former CRPF personnel who is accused of beating his wife to death as she “could not provide a meal to him as per his immediate demand.” During the hearing of the bail plea, the Court found that the reason for the quarrel was his addiction to liquor.
In the order passed on September 25, the Court opined that the accused appeared to suffer from a mental illness due to his addiction to liquor. The Court noted that under India’s mental healthcare law, the abuse of alcohol or drugs warrants psychiatric treatment and psychological counseling for curing such addiction.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) also opines that persons addicted to prohibited liquor or drugs are mentally ill. Due to such illness, an irresistible impulse is created in the minds of such individuals, causing them to become violent and commit crimes, generally assault, for money, resulting in serious injury or death to innocents,” the Court added.
Commenting on the larger issue of addiction, the Court observed that illicit hooch and drugs are sold illegally by bootleggers and peddlers to young individuals, which often leads to intoxication and an increased propensity to commit criminal and civil mischief.
The Court further highlighted the consequences of such addiction on families, particularly the children and women.
“Such addicts often harass their family members, friends, and others, demanding money to satisfy their vices. They frequently assault and beat their spouses, children, parents, and other family members or friends. When arrested for crimes, they are found assaulting police and jail staff while being handled. They create constant fear in society. Children and women commonly suffer from their serious overt acts. They also cause vehicular accidents by rash and negligent driving under the influence of liquor and drugs. They are found committing offences like murder, rape, outraging the modesty of women, extortion, robbery, theft, etc., to satisfy their desires and often under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to obtain money needed to purchase these substances.”
However, the Court also viewed the issue sympathetically.
“Most of these persons are uneducated, poor, and belong to the lower economic strata of society. Because of their irrational or arrogant behavior due to the effect of mental illness, they do not respond to requests from family members and others for de-addiction treatment, claiming that they are not mentally ill and will not drink liquor or consume drugs henceforth,” it added.
The Court said that if such persons are released on bail without treatment, they will continue to pose a danger to society and their family members.
“There is a strong legal and factual grounds for not releasing them on bail, as they are likely to commit crimes in the future, due to their mental illness, as provided under Sections 480 rw 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), and the law laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court and various High Courts in judicial pronouncements,” the Bench said.
Thus, it stressed that instead of releasing such persons on bail without proper treatment and rehabilitation, it would be beneficial to treat them for their mental illness in the interest of the safety of society at large.
“If this course is followed by all concerned, police, jail authorities, and courts, it will reduce the number of crimes, and society will be relieved from the legal mischief of such persons, fulfilling the objective of the reformative theory of punishment as per criminology and penology,” the Court said.
In the present case, the Court directed that the accused be sent for a medical examination by a psychiatrist. It added that if he is found to be mentally ill due to liquor addiction, he should be treated in a rehabilitation center until he fully recovers from mental illness in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017.
The Court also issued the following general directions:
1. In all such cases, the remand and trial courts are expected to review the report (FIR) or charge sheet. If it is prima facie found that the accused are addicted, the court shall direct their medical examination through a psychiatrist and call for medical reports to ensure compliance by the police and jail authorities. Outpatient treatment shall not serve the purpose. Further, private rehabilitative treatment is costly. Hence, a government rehabilitation center is the proper course of treatment.
2. The police officer investigating the crime, the court seized of the matter, and the jail authorities having judicial custody of such persons addicted to liquor or drugs are directed to conduct a medical examination of such accused persons by a psychiatrist. If, based on the report, it is found that they are prima facie addicted to liquor or drugs and suffering from mental illness, appropriate treatment must be provided in a government rehabilitation center, along with counseling by a psychologist or trained counselor in this regard.
The Court further directed the Secretary, Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA), to arrange awareness programs on drug and liquor addiction rehabilitation pathways through all District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) and Taluka Legal Services Authorities (TLSAs).
This, the Court said, will be aimed to ensure that there will be a change in the mindset of society, particularly the general public and law enforcers, that instead of hating such addicted persons, they shall be treated with sympathy and empathy, like other illnesses.
The Indian Army has initiated the procurement process for six AK-630 air defence guns to enhance protection of population centres and religious sites near the Pakistan border. This acquisition is part of Mission Sudarshan Chakra.
The AK-630 air defence gun system will have a range of up to 4 km with a cyclic rate of fire of up to 3,000 rounds per minute.
Taking lessons from Operation Sindoor in May, the Indian Army will bolster the air shield by procuring six AK-630 30mm guns under Mission Sudarshan Chakra. The air defence guns will be deployed near the Pakistan border where several cities and religious places were targeted by Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
The Army has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the procurement of six AK-630 air defence guns by Advanced Weapon and Equipment India Ltd (AWEIL). The system, which will be on the lines of Israel’s Iron Dome, is a 30mm multi-barrel mobile air defence gun system with a high rate of fire.
AK-630 will be utilised to thwart the threat from URAM (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Rocket, Artillery and Mortar) and for the protection of cities and religious places near the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC). The gun system will be mounted on a trailer and towed by a high mobility vehicle.
The system will have a range of up to 4 km with a cyclic rate of fire of up to 3,000 rounds per minute. The detection will be achieved through an all-weather electro-optical fire control system.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Mission Sudarshan Chakra to provide a comprehensive air shield to the nation during his Independence Day speech on August 15. The system will be a multi-layered shield and be ready by 2035. The Sudarshan Chakra will be integrating surveillance, cybersecurity and air defence systems to protect key installations from various enemy attacks.
India’s security establishment warns Field Marshal Asim Munir against adventurism.
Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi has warned that this time India won’t be as restrained as it was during Operation Sindoor 1.0. (File photo: PTI)
In just 24 hours, three leading members of India’s national security establishment have warned Pakistan’s Army chief Asim Munir against adventurism. The unsubtle warnings delivered by defence minister Rajnath Singh, Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi and Air Chief Marshal AP Singh could be seen as deterrent signalling — against Pulwama-type massacre targeting Indian civilians or a territorial grab.
Another Pulwama could see an Operation Sindoor 2.0 where Pakistan would lose not just its military infrastructure, but territory.
These warnings come in the light of Field Marshal Asim Munir’s blitzkrieg of global visits. Pakistan has not fixed all of its destroyed runways, radars and command posts shattered by the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor. But in the five months since the 88-hour conflict, Munir has anointed himself Field Marshal and now heads a hybrid civil-military government.
He has rebuilt Pakistan’s geopolitical alliances, met President Donald Trump twice and hocked his country’s rare earths and ports, offered an umbrella of nuclear weapons for Saudi Arabia and reminded Beijing of their commitments to its smaller ‘Iron Brother’. It is an astonishing turnaround of fortunes when you look at how, even a year ago, Islamabad seemed globally isolated, a debt-ridden terrorist sponsoring pariah, living a hand-to-handout existence.
Munir geopolitical somersaults come even at the risk of being drawn into West Asia as a mercenary force and being forced into deploying the Pakistan Army as a peacekeeping force in Gaza as part of a Trump-supervised peace plan for the region.
But as history shows, when the military sits in the driver’s seat and Pakistan develops stronger ties with its partners, the military becomes emboldened and adventurous. What follows is a predictable pattern of escalation with India. This has been a familiar pattern over the past few decades.
From Field Marshal Ayub Khan with his land grabs in Kutch and Jammu & Kashmir in 1965, General Zia, who fomented terrorism in Punjab and General Pervez Musharraf, who unleashed his state-sponsored terrorists against India’s Parliament in 2001, Mumbai’s trains in 2006 and two five-star hotels, a Jewish centre and a railway station during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
“If Pakistan dares to act in Sir Creek, the reply will be so strong that it will change both history and geography,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said at a meeting in the Rann of Kutch on October 2, adding how the Indian Army reached Lahore in 1965, and warning of a land offensive against Karachi.
A day later, on October 3, Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi repeated the ‘history and geography’ warning. Speaking at the military station in Bikaner, Rajasthan, he said India was fully prepared this time around and wouldn’t be as restrained as it was during ‘Operation Sindoor 1.0’.
An Indian student from Hyderabad, who went to the US for his higher studies, was shot dead by miscreants in Texas. The incident reportedly occurred at a gas station where the victim worked on a part-time basis.
Hyderabad student Chandrashekar Pole was reportedly killed at a gas station in Texas where he worked part-time. (LinkedIn)
An Indian student from Hyderabad, who went to the US for his higher studies, was shot dead by miscreants in Texas, former Telangana minister and BRS MLA T Harish Rao said on Saturday. The victim, Chandrashekar Pole, was reportedly working part-time at a gas station in Denton, Texas, when the incident occurred.
The victim had completed his Bachelor’s in Dental Surgery (BDS) before moving to Dallas for further studies, said Harish Rao, the nephew of BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Harish Rao said he and other party leaders visited the family of the victim at his house in Hyderabad to express their condolences.
“It is tragic that Chandrashekar Pole, a Dalit student from LB Nagar who completed BDS and went to America (Dallas) for higher studies, died in a shooting carried out by miscreants early morning,” he wrote on X.
He urged the Revanth Reddy-led Telangana government to bring back the victim’s body for the last rites.
Expressing grief over the demise of the student, Chief Minister Reddy conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family. Assuring support to the victim’s family, he said his government would extend all cooperation to bring back the body.
In a tweet, the Consulate General of India, Houston, condoled the death of Chandrasekhar, and said the mission was in touch with the family and extending all possible assistance.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday ruled out any tie-up with the Congress for the 2027 Goa Assembly elections. Talking to media persons after inaugurating a party office in Mayem, 16 km from here, the AAP leader said the people of Goa have been let down and deceived the most by the Congress.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal | X – @ArvindKejriwal
Panaji, Oct 4: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday ruled out any tie-up with the Congress for the 2027 Goa Assembly elections.
“There will be no alliance with the Congress under any circumstances,” said Kejriwal, denying claims that some of the party’s Goa workers were open to joining hands with the grand old party ahead of the Assembly elections.
Building Goa’s future together. Volunteer’s Meeting in South Goa | LIVE https://t.co/ZyCFtMRoRo
Talking to media persons after inaugurating a party office in Mayem, 16 km from here, the AAP leader said the people of Goa have been let down and deceived the most by the Congress.
“The Congress has become a wholesale supplier of MLAs to the BJP over the years. Can the Congress give an assurance to Goa voters that no party legislator will switch to the BJP in future,” he said.
Inaugurated the AAP Maem Office in Goa today. This office will be a hub to strengthen the party in the region and deepen our connect with the local community. AAP volunteers here will always be ready to support and serve the people of Goa. pic.twitter.com/EHobmduxzn
The former Delhi Chief Minister said, “At least 13 Congress MLAs switched to the BJP between 2017 and 2019. In 2022, 10 Congress legislators switched flanks and joined the BJP.”
In a statement, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister alleged that the BJP government is acting unconstitutional and undemocratic.
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav Credit: Reuters File Photo
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday accused the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government of “murdering democracy” and said that police stopping a party delegation from travelling to Bareilly at its behest is condemnable.
In a statement, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister alleged that the BJP government is acting unconstitutional and undemocratic.
“The BJP government is resorting to dictatorship to hide its failures. The government is attacking the basic spirit of the Constitution with its dictatorial attitude,” he said.
On Saturday, police stopped a delegation of Samajwadi Party leaders from travelling to Bareilly.
In the morning, Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Mata Prasad Pandey, was stopped by police personnel stationed outside his Lucknow residence when he moved towards his private vehicle to travel to the violence-hit city.
In a statement, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said that police placed all members of the party delegation under house arrest. This included Mata Prasad Pandey; Lok Sabha MPs Harendra Malik, Iqra Hasan Choudhary, Ziaur Rahman Barq, Mohibullah Nadvi and Neeraj Maurya; former MPs Virpal Singh Yadav, Praveen Singh Aron and Shivcharan Kashyap; MLAs Ataur Rahman and Shahzil Islam Ansari; former minister Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar, and party leaders Shamim Khan Sultani and Shubhalesh Yadav.
This is condemnable and shameful, Akhilesh Yadav said.
“Just recently, a delegation led by senior Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha member Ramji Lal Suman was stopped,” he said.
U.S. Border Patrol personnel shot an armed woman in Chicago on Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security said, as scores of protesters faced off against federal immigration agents on the city’s southwest side.
No law enforcement officers were seriously injured in the incident in which a group that included the woman rammed cars into vehicles used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. The woman, a U.S. citizen who was not identified, drove herself to the hospital, according to the statement.
No additional information was immediately available about the woman’s condition.ICE agents fired pepper spray and loaded rubber bullets as part of heated exchanges with protesters on Saturday.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a post on X that she was sending additional “special operations” to control the scene in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood. The woman was armed with a semi-automatic gun, assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, said on Saturday that he was given an ultimatum by Republican President Donald Trump to deploy the state’s National Guard.
Tear gas rises during a standoff with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and federal officers in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, U.S., October 4, 2025. REUTERS/Jim Vondruska TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Purchase Licensing Rights
“It is absolutely outrageous and unAmerican to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will,” Pritzker said in a statement.
Trump authorized 300 National Guard troops to protect federal officers and assets, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Reuters in a statement.
People in the Chicago area have staged repeated protests condemning the stepped-up federal presence. On Friday, police scuffled with hundreds of protesters outside an ICE facility in the Chicago suburb of Broadview.
On multiple occasions, demonstrators sitting on the ground attempting to block ICE vehicles from carrying detainees into the facility have been repelled by heavily armed ICE agents using physical force, chemical munitions, and rubber bullets, evoking combat scenes.
Protesters have decried what they call similar heavy-handed policing in other Democratic-run cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon. A federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked Trump from deploying 200 Oregon National Guard troops to Portland.
As people turn to AI to help them write dating messages, some are seeing positive results. However, experts warn that recipients may feel deceived and question the authenticity.
REUTERS illustration/John Devolle
Dmitry, a 35-year-old from Miami, stared at the profile of a woman he matched with on a dating app, unsure how to initiate a conversation. So for help, he opened Rizz, an AI-powered app that bills itself as a pocket dating assistant.
After sending screenshots of his match’s profile — which mentions her love of ski slopes, summer concerts and a great bottle of wine — Dmitry (who asked to be referred to by his first name only to protect his privacy) prompted Rizz to generate a smooth opening line. The results were immediate. “I’m into all of those activities,” he messaged, at Rizz’s suggestion. “Now the hard part is to figure out which one would be the perfect first date.”
“Rizz gives me some quirky, funny responses,” Dmitry says of the app, which he credits with helping him progress out of the talking stage and into in-person dates. “It helps me spark a conversation with something a little bit interesting that will get their attention.”
A new crop of AI-powered tools is emerging as an on-demand wingman for people trying to navigate online dating — helping users craft replies, optimize profiles, or even decide when to move on. Although this emerging trend is a game-changer for some, dating and relationship experts warn it risks replacing authenticity with automation.
Rizz, a colloquial term that is short for charisma, currently has 15 million users globally on its mobile and web apps, the company says, with monthly subscriptions costing $19.99. The company declined to provide information on the number of paid subscribers. “I want Rizz to make conversation more natural, more human, right?” Roman Khaves, the app’s founder, says. “I want it to help you get off the apps faster and get to where dating actually happens.”
More people may be on the receiving end of AI-generated messages than they realize. Just over a quarter of U.S. adults — including nearly half of Gen Z — are using AI to filter matches and write messages, according to a recent survey by the Kinsey Institute and Match Group (which owns Tinder, Hinge, and several other online dating platforms).
Another app that hopeful daters turn to is YourMove AI, which offers AI dating assistants that help users craft dating profiles, respond to matches, and even enhance their photos for $12.99 per month.
Dmitri Mirakyan, the founder of YourMove AI, says he created the platform in 2022 for people who are shy, feel socially awkward, or struggle to navigate what he calls the weird dynamics on dating apps. “It feels so transactional … the rates of rejection, people just don’t reply, people are ghosting,” he says. “It still feels mentally painful.”
While such apps have helped users like Dmitry progress to in-person dates, they also raise a paradox: Can something artificial really foster authenticity? For some, the answer becomes clear the moment the conversation starts to seem just a little too polished.
Under the influence of the cyclonic storm, sea conditions are likely to be rough to very rough along and off the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast until Sunday.
Cyclone Shakhti is the first cyclonic storm of the post-monsoon season in the Arabian Sea(Hindustan Times)
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued a ‘yellow alert’ for heavy rain and thunderstorms over several districts of Maharashtra ahead of Cyclone Shakhti.
Under the influence of the cyclonic storm, sea conditions are likely to be rough to very rough along and off the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast until Sunday.
Check Maharashtra districts under ‘yellow alert’?
The weather agency has predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and rainfall for Saturday, October 4, over the following districts:
Sindhudurg
Ahilyanagar
Ghats of Kolhapur
Kolhapur
Sangli
Sholapur
Parbhani
Beed
Hingoli
Nanded
Latur
Dharashiv
Bhandara
Nagpur
Yavatmal
Wind speeds of 30-40 kilometres per hour are expected over these districts.
For Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, and Gondia, the IMD has issued a yellow alert for two days – Saturday and Sunday.
Impact Expected:
According to the Met Department, the thunderstorm warning in the aforementioned districts may have the following impact:
Possibility of cloud-to-ground lightning at isolated places.
Fall of weak trees or weak structures due to gusty winds.
Localised and short-term disruption of power.
Damage to crops due to unseasonal rainfall.
Strong wind/hail may damage the plantation, horticulture, and standing crops.
Minor damage to kutcha houses/walls and huts.
The IMD advises against working in open areas and fields during thunderstorms and recommends not taking shelter under tall trees or structures. It is also recommended to unplug all electronic appliances and keep them away from objects that conduct electricity.
The weather office has warned fishermen not to venture into the northwest Arabian Sea, the adjoining areas of the northeast Arabian Sea, the central Arabian Sea, and along and off the Gujarat-north Maharashtra coasts until Tuesday.
Workers alleged that their PF deposits have not been made since 2014 and that salaries have not been paid for several months. Many said they devoted their entire careers to the group, only to face financial hardship in their retirement years.
File Pic (Representative Image)
Employees of the Sahara Group staged a protest in Lucknow’s Gomtinagar-based “Sahara City” on Tuesday, demanding clearance of long-pending salaries and provident fund (PF) contributions. Hundreds of employees gathered at the premises, raising slogans against management and halting work.
Workers alleged that their PF deposits have not been made since 2014 and that salaries have not been paid for several months. Many said they devoted their entire careers to the group, only to face financial hardship in their retirement years.
“Our future has turned dark. We gave our lives to Sahara, but now our lifetime earnings are stuck. First give us our money, then close the company or do what you want,” said one senior employee during the protest.
The employees warned that if their demands are not met soon, they would escalate the agitation and resort to legal action. No senior Sahara Group officials were present at the site during the protest, nor has any official statement been issued so far, further angering the staff. The protesting employees urged the state government and the labour department to intervene immediately, stressing that they will not withdraw until their salary and PF dues are cleared.
The Bombay High Court has reserved its order on Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) leader Akhil Chitre’s plea to quash an FIR related to an assault on a lawyer.
The Bombay High Court on Friday reserved its order on a plea filed by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) member Akhil Chitre, seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him in 2020 for allegedly assaulting a lawyer on court premises.
During the hearing, the bench made strong observations, stating, “You had no business to enter the court premises to assault advocates.”
The case dates back to a period when MNS was engaged in a standoff with Amazon for allegedly not including Marathi as a language option on its platform in Maharashtra.
According to the prosecution, in October 2020, Amazon Transportation Services was allegedly threatened by Chitre and other MNS members. In response, Amazon filed a civil suit before the Dindoshi City Civil Court seeking to restrain Chitre and his associates from entering its premises. The suit, filed by advocates Sushant Joshi and Akshay Purkar, resulted in an ex parte order in Amazon’s favour.
On December 4, 2020, Joshi was unwell, and advocate Durgesh Gupta appeared on behalf of Amazon. After the hearing was adjourned and Gupta exited the courtroom, he was reportedly approached by unidentified individuals. One of them asked his name and then questioned, “You brought this stay, have you sent this notice to Raj Thackeray Saheb?” before two individuals allegedly began assaulting and threatening him.
As other lawyers gathered at the scene, the attackers fled. Around the same time, Chitre was seen near the court, attempting to move his parked car. He was stopped by the lawyers, and the individual who initially questioned Gupta was also seen nearby.
A case was subsequently registered at Dindoshi police station under IPC sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34 (common intention).
Additional Public Prosecutor Anil Chate told the court on Friday that the investigation was complete, with two assailants identified and CCTV footage showing Chitre’s presence at the scene. He added that the chargesheet is ready to be filed.
Appearing for Chitre, advocate Tapan Thatte pointed out that the court had earlier directed the prosecution not to file a chargesheet against his client. He argued that Chitre was not named as one of the assailants and was merely in his car at the time.
The organiser says that he is being made a scapegoat after the singer’s death in Singapore and faces over 50 FIRs across the North East.
Zubeen Gargfacebook
Northeast Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta has approached the Supreme Court seeking protection from arrest after multiple first information reports (FIRs) were lodged against him in connection with the death of singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore.
Mahanta, who has been organising the Northeast Festival since 2013, said that he has been falsely implicated after Garg’s sudden death on September 19, 2025, while holidaying with family and friends on a yacht in Singapore.
He pointed out that the singer was scheduled to perform at his festival on September 20 but the incident had nothing to do with the event, and that Singaporean authorities who probed the matter have not found any foul play.
The plea states that more than 54 FIRs have been filed against Mahanta across Assam and other states. These cases accuse him of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide merely because he was the festival organiser.
The petition stresses that he was at the event venue with dignitaries, including the Chief Minister of Meghalaya and Indian High Commission officials when the mishap occurred, and only learnt about it through a phone call from Garg’s manager.
Mahanta has alleged that the criminal process is being misused to turn public outrage into a witch-hunt. He said that the Assam government formed a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe his role, while senior state executives, including the Chief Minister, made public remarks declaring that no festivals linked to him would be permitted in Assam. According to the plea, such comments have prejudiced the investigation and destroyed any chance of a fair probe.
The petition also raises concerns of a trial by media, citing television debates, hashtags such as #JusticeForZubeen and morphed videos that portrayed him as guilty. Mahanta has flagged that the All Assam Lawyers’ Association even passed a resolution asking its members not to represent the accused in the case, a move that he argues strikes at the foundation of the right to legal representation.
The organiser further said that he has been subjected to direct threats, including messages warning him that he would be killed if he returned to Assam. He added that instead of granting him protection, the Assam CID has issued a Look-Out Circular against him, effectively barring him from returning home.
Calling the accusations baseless, Mahanta has urged the Supreme Court to consolidate all FIRs and transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA), under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge. He has also asked for protection against arrest and coercive measures, suspension of the Look-Out Circular and directions to media outlets to refrain from unverified reporting until the investigation is complete.
Mahanta was reportedly arrested shortly after filing the plea. His legal team says that the plea will be amended to that effect.
It is not clear when the petition would be heard since the apex court is on vacation this week for Dussehra.
Sonam Wangchuk and Supreme CourtFacebook
Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of activist, environmentalist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk, has approached the Supreme Court challenging his detention under the National Security Act.
The plea filed through advocate Sarvam Ritam Khare was filed on October 2.
It is not clear when the petition would be heard since the apex court is on vacation this week for Dussehra.
Justice N Senthilkumar passed the order while hearing a petition which questioned why Vijay was not named in the criminal case registered in the wake of the stampede.
Madras High Court, TVK flag and Actor Vijay
The Madras High Court on Friday ordered a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the September 27 stampede at a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur, where 41 persons died after crowds swelled to see actor-turned-politician and TVK founder Vijay speak.
Justice N Senthilkumar passed the order while hearing a petition that sought the introduction of a standard operating protocol (SOP) to be followed during road shows.
The Court expressed concern that the State’s investigation so far has been inadequate. This was after it noted that the State was yet to register any criminal case in respect of two accidents that allegedly involved collisions with Vijay’s bus amid the stampede. Notably, Vijay has not been named in any FIR registered after the stampede.
“This Court expresses its deep anguish and concern over the failure of the authorities to take action. Even in the absence of a formal complaint from the aggrieved parties, it is the duty of the State to register a suo motu FIR and ensure that the accused face trial in accordance with law,” Justice Senthilkumar said.
He proceeded to order a SIT probe into the matter, and ordered the State to transfer all case-related to materials to this SIT.
“This Court cannot close its eyes, remain a mute spectator, and shrink from its constitutional responsibilities,” the judge said.
The SIT is to be headed by Asra Garg, Inspector General of Police (North Zone). The other members of the team are Vimala (IPS), Superintendent of Police, Namakkal and Shyamaladevi, Superintendent of Police, CSCID. The Court added that additional members may be inducted into the team, as required, by Garg.
The Court also cricitised the TVK leadership for how it has handled the matter.
Interestingly, a Division Bench of the High Court’s seat at Madurai had earlier today refused to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the matter, after noting that the State’s investigation into the case was at a nascent stage.
On September 27, a stampede unfolded at a rally organised by the TVK party in Veluswamypuram, Karur district, when Vijay was campaigning.
In June 2025, SBI tagged the loan accounts of Reliance Communications (RCom) and its promoter Anil Ambani as fraudulent.
Anil Ambani and Bombay High CourtAnil Ambani ( Twitter)
The Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed the plea filed by industrialist Anil Ambani against State Bank of India’s (SBI) decision declaring his loan accounts as “fraud.” [Anil D Ambani v. State Bank of India]
A Division Bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale rejected Ambani’s arguments of procedural unfairness and upheld SBI’s action.
A copy of the judgment is awaited.
In June 2025, SBI tagged the loan accounts of Reliance Communications (RCom) and its promoter Anil Ambani as fraudulent, citing diversion of funds, breach of covenants and related-party transactions. The Bank subsequently informed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and initiated steps to approach the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Ambani challenged the decision, contending that he was only a non-executive director and had been selectively singled out. He also argued that adequate opportunity to present his defence was not provided.
The High Court, however, found that SBI had followed the RBI’s July 2024 Master Directions on fraud classification and dismissed the plea.
Notably, the same bench had earlier stayed a similar order issued by Canara Bank against Ambani, citing non-compliance with the RBI’s Master Circular. This Circular requires banks to hear the borrower before classifying their account as fraudulent. However, in July 2025, the matter came to be disposed after Canara Bank informed the Court that it had withdrawn the fraud classification.
Explosive details have emerged in the investigation into the death of popular singer Zubeen Garg, with the remand note exclusively accessed by CNN-News18 revealing a bandmate’s startling testimony alleging a conspiracy to murder and cover up the act.
Zubeen Garg passed away on September 19. File image/Instagram
The key witness, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami (a band member), has accused two individuals, Siddharth Sharma and Shyamkanu Mahanta, of poisoning Zubeen Garg. Goswami claims the choice of a foreign venue, specifically the incident at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Singapore, was an attempt to conceal the murder and frame the death as an accident.
Zubeen Garg, who was in Singapore for the 60th year of the India-Singapore Diplomatic Relations and to celebrate India ASEAN Year of Tourism, passed away on September 19. His autopsy report revealed that he died due to drowning while swimming off a Singapore island.
Key Allegations from Witness Statement
Suspicious Activity & Intentional Endangerment: Goswami stated he saw Siddharth Sharma acting suspiciously in Singapore and alleges Sharma forcibly took control of the yacht, intentionally endangering the passengers.
Preventing Aid: During Zubeen’s distress—when the singer was reportedly frothing at the mouth and nose—Sharma was allegedly heard shouting, “Jabo de, jabo de” (let him go).
Negligence and Cover-Up: Goswami accuses Sharma of dismissing the critical signs, such as frothing, as mere “acid reflux” instead of seeking urgent medical help. Witnesses believe this negligence drastically hastened Zubeen’s death.
Evidence of Pre-Planning: The witness claims Sharma had instructed Tanmoy Phukan not to arrange drinks, stating he alone would provide them. Sharma was also allegedly unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the liquor and women arranged for Zubeen before the singer fell ill.
Expert Swimmer Claim: Goswami insisted Zubeen Garg was an “expert swimmer” and could not have drowned naturally, reinforcing the belief that his death was not accidental.
Suppression of Evidence: Sharma allegedly instructed Goswami not to share any video footage of the yacht incident with anyone.
India signed a USD 5.43 billion deal with Russia in 2018 for five squadrons of the S-400 missile system, a state-of-the-art air defence platform capable of engaging multiple aerial threats at long ranges. Three squadrons have already been delivered.
India likely to procure additional batches of S-400 weapon system (File Image)
India may procure additional batches of the Russian-made S-400 missile defence system, which proved to be very effective during Operation Sindoor, reported PTI citing people familiar with the matter.
India is looking at procuring additional batches of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia, the report stated, adding that the proposed procurement may figure in talks between New Delhi and Moscow when Russian President Vladimir Putin visits India in December.
The people cited above said India may also look at procuring the S-500 missile system as well.
Moscow and New Delhi are negotiating increased deliveries of S-400 missile systems, TASS news agency reported last month citing a senior Russian defence export official. “India already has our S-400 system,” TASS quoted Dmitry Shugayev, head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, as saying.
“There is potential to expand our cooperation in this area as well. That means new deliveries. For now, we are in the negotiation stage.”
When asked if India is looking at buying additional systems of the S-400 weapon system, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh did not give a direct reply. “Obviously, that has done good. So, there’s a requirement to have more such (systems); there is no limit to numbers that you can buy. Again, I’m keeping quiet on what the plan (is) whether we want to buy more, how much etc,” he said at a press conference on Friday.
“It has proved to be a good weapon system. We have our own system also being developed. So we will take a call on that,” he said. The S-400 systems played a crucial role during Operation Sindoor.
India signed a USD 5.43 billion deal with Russia in 2018 for five squadrons of the S-400 missile system, a state-of-the-art air defence platform capable of engaging multiple aerial threats at long ranges. Three squadrons have already been delivered.
The authorities have asked the devotees to plan their travel to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine only after getting updates from official channels.
A deserted view of the Banganga entrance gate as the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra remains suspended for the sixth consecutive day due to landslides triggered by incessant rainfall, at Katra in Reasi on Sunday.(ANI Video Grab)
The Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra has been suspended from Sunday, October 5, due to apprehensions about the weather near the cave shrine atop Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district
The authorities have cited an inclement weather advisory issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the suspension of the yatra. The suspension will run until Tuesday, October 7.
The Vaishno Devi Yatra is scheduled to begin again on Wednesday, October 8, depending on weather conditions. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) posted the information on the social media platform X.
“Yatra Update. In view of the inclement weather advisory issued by the Indian Meteorological Department, Vaishno Devi Yatra shall remain suspended from 5th to 7th October 2025 & will resume on 08/10/2025. Devotees may stay updated through official channels. @OfficeOfLGJandK,” the post by the board read.
⚠️ Yatra Update
In view of the inclement weather advisory issued by the Indian Meteorological Department, Vaishno Devi Yatra shall remain suspended from 5th to 7th October 2025 & will resume on 08/10/2025.
Devotees may stay updated through official channels.@OfficeOfLGJandK
— Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (@OfficialSMVDSB) October 3, 2025
The authorities have asked the devotees to plan their travel only after getting updates from official channels. The Shrine Board has taken the step as a precautionary measure in view of the threat perception of landslides, flooding, and cloudbursts due to heavy rain.
Earlier suspensions of the yatra
The Yatra has been suspended many times this year due to rain, flash floods, and landslides. It recently resumed on September 17 after a 22-day hiatus due to a landslide near Ardhkuwari that claimed 34 lives and injured 20 others in the August 26 tragedy. The decision to resume the yatra at that time came two days after a group of pilgrims staged a protest at Katra base camp in support of their demand for the resumption of the pilgrimage. Source: hindustantimes.com/india-news/vaishno-devi-yatra-suspended-from-october-5-to-7-amid-bad-weather-forecast-101759512069618.html
On Thursday Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said attempts to illegally occupy more of India, i.e., its half of Sir Creek, will be met with a response that will change “history and geography”.
A map of the Sir Creek border dispute.
Military tension between India and Pakistan – never far from the surface and explosive when it does break cover, as Operation Sindoor showed in May – may have expanded to a new theatre this week after Islamabad was warned against territorial aggression in Gujarat’s Sir Creek.
On Thursday Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said attempts to illegally occupy more of India, i.e., its half of Sir Creek, will be met with a response that will change “history and geography”.
Singh said India remains open to a peaceful resolution of the border dispute in Gujarat (and other areas) but “Pakistan’s intentions are flawed and unclear”. The recent expansion of military infrastructure -bunkers and radars, as well as forward bases capable of launching attack drones or infantry operations – in adjacent areas reveal that country’s intentions, he said.
Increased Pak military footprint anywhere on the border raises eyebrows but, after Op Sindoor and the first India-Pak armed conflict since 1971, it is a matter of some concern and urgency.
So what is Sir Creek?
It is a narrow strip of water, less than 100km long, in the tidal estuary between Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch and Pakistan. Control is disputed over interpretations of maritime boundary lines.
The creek is the official westernmost border between India and Pakistan.
The origin of the dispute dates back decades to pre-independence India (as do so many of the India-Pak conflicts) when the region was ruled by the Maharaja of Kutch and there were conflicting territorial claims from differing interpretations of colonial-era maps and agreements.
Today the dispute is this – India claims half of Sir Creek and, therefore, the marshlands that border Pakistan’s Keti Bunder Wildlife Sanctuary, while Pak cites one of those colonial-era deals and insists the boundary lies east of the creek, giving it access to the heartland of Gujarat.
The document Pak cites is the 1914 resolution signed by the Rao of Kutch and the Sindh government, which says the eastern bank of the creek is the boundary line.
India, however, relies on a 1925 map that points to the mid-channel of the creek. India has also pointed to the internationally-accepted Thalweg principal that says the border between two nations that share a navigable waterway is the line of the deepest part of the main channel.
Pak, though, says the doctrine doesn’t apply as Sir Creek is not navigable.
Why is Sir Creek important?
Control of the Sir Creek not only influences (and effectively settles) the India-Pak maritime boundary issue, but also gives the side in charge a significant strategic boost.
India maintaining a military presence on its side, for example, acts as a deterrent as it offers direct maritime access to the Karachi Port, a trading hub and No 1 target in a war. Singh made that point when he said ‘Pak should remember, one route to Karachi passes through Sir Creek’.
For Pakistan, increased access to the Sir Creek region allows, theoretically, a pincer movement on India; i.e., in the event of another armed conflict, simultaneous attacks in Pak-occupied Kashmir or the Rajasthan and Punjab border and in Sir Creek could stretch Indian forces.
Control also supports the Pak Navy in positioning its warships along the coastline, thereby enhancing its security and influence over maritime routes near the Gujarat coast.
Prize isn’t just military
Sir Creek is one of Asia’s largest fishing grounds and supports the livelihoods of thousands of people. The border dispute frequently segues into the arrest of fishermen and women, from both nations, who stray across the border. It also impacts access to potential undersea oil and gas reserves, important in the light of Pak’s deal with the US to develop “massive” oil resources.
Exploration of these reserves have stalled due to the border dispute.
The potential economic benefit, however, is immense, particularly as Indian balances the cost-effective import of Russian oil against the fury of the US for ‘fuelling the war in Ukraine’.
The terrorism red flag
India’s concerns for Sir Creek aren’t just related to the Pak military.
In September 2019 abandoned boats were found in the area after intel about Pak special forces soldiers trying to infiltrate the country and carry out a terror attack in Gujarat.
Several companies make consumers pay an extra charge if they opt for the cash-on-delivery option rather than pre-paying for the order online.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said platforms violating consumer rights will face action.
Cracking down on ‘dark patterns’ employed by e-commerce companies, Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has said firms that charge extra for cash-on-delivery will now face action.
Several companies make consumers pay an extra fee if they opt for the cash-on-delivery option rather than pre-paying for the order online.
Railing against such practices, an X user had, on Wednesday, posted about an experience he had with an e-commerce firm in which he was charged Rs 226 in the name of ‘offer handling fee, payment handling fee and protect promise fee’.
“Forget Rain Fee by Zomato/Swiggy/Zepto. See the masterstroke by Flipkart: Offer Handling Fee (for giving me the discount you advertised??); Payment Handling Fee (for letting me pay you??) and Protect Promise Fee (protecting me from what… satisfaction?),” he wrote
“Next up: “Scrolling App Fee”,” he joked.
Responding to the post on Friday, Joshi said such practices will be scrutinised and platforms violating consumer rights will face action.
“The Department of Consumer Affairs has received complaints against e-commerce platforms charging extra for Cash-on-Delivery, a practice classified as a dark pattern that misleads and exploits consumers,” the minister wrote.
The Department of Consumer Affairs has received complaints against e-commerce platforms charging extra for Cash-on-Delivery, a practice classified as a dark pattern that misleads and exploits consumers.
A detailed investigation has been initiated and steps are being taken to… https://t.co/gEf5WClXJX
“A detailed investigation has been initiated and steps are being taken to scrutinise these platforms closely. Strict action will be taken against those violating consumer rights to ensure transparency and uphold fair practices in India’s growing e-commerce sector,” he added.
Dark patterns are tactics used by companies to extract money or data from consumers without them realising
These practices include platforms showing there are only one or two pieces of an item left to speed up a buyer’s purchase decision when, in reality, there are several more in stock, or setting a fake time limit – like ‘offer expires in 10 minutes’ – to achieve the same end.
PM Modi, earlier this week, had backed Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday praised US President Donald Trump’s “efforts” in brokering peace in Gaza, hours after Hamas accepted parts of Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday praised US President Donald Trump for his peace efforts in Gaza, hours after Hamas accepted parts of Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
“We welcome President Trump’s leadership as peace efforts in Gaza make decisive progress. Indications of the release of hostages mark a significant step forward. India will continue to strongly support all efforts towards a durable and just peace,” PM Modi said in a post on X.
We welcome President Trump’s leadership as peace efforts in Gaza make decisive progress. Indications of the release of hostages mark a significant step forward.
India will continue to strongly support all efforts towards a durable and just peace.@realDonaldTrump@POTUS
PM Modi, earlier this week, had backed Trump’s Gaza peace plan, saying it provides a viable pathway to long-term and sustainable peace for both Palestinian and Israeli people.
“We welcome President Donald J. Trump’s announcement of a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict. It provides a viable pathway to long-term and sustainable peace, security, and development for the Palestinian and Israeli people, as also for the larger West Asian region. We hope that all concerned will come together behind President Trump’s initiative and support this effort to end conflict and secure peace,” he wrote on X.
The PM’s endorsement was later reshared by Trump on his Truth Social platform, without adding any words of his own.
Hamas on Friday night accepted certain parts of Trump’s Gaza peace plan, including ending the war, Israel’s withdrawal, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian captives, aid and recovery efforts, and opposition to Palestinian expulsion from the territory – hours after the Republican leader had issued an ultimatum to the Palestinian group to accept his peace plan by Sunday, 6 pm (US time) or face “all hell”.
Trump’s response
Trump called on Israel to “immediately stop the bombing of Gaza” and said he believes Hamas is ready for a “lasting peace”.
“Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that. We are already in discussions on the details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
He also posted a video message thanking all the countries that helped broker the ‘peace’ in the Middle East.
“I want to thank the countries for helping me put this together – Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and so many others. So many people fought so hard. This is a big day. We’ll see how it all turns out. We have to get the final word down and concrete. Very importantly, I look forward to having the hostages come home to their parents. Some of the hostages – unfortunately, you know the condition they’re in – come home likewise to their parents because their parents wanted them just as much as though that young man or young woman were alive,” he said.
The situation in the district began getting back on track when authorities relaxed the curfew for seven hours on September 30 and gradually increased the duration on Wednesday and Thursday.
Sonam Wangchuk speaking during his 35-day fast over the demand for Ladakh’s inclusion under the Constitution’s sixth schedule and statehood, in Leh. (File Photo) Photo : PTI
A digitally altered video of ADC Leh Ghulam Muhammad is circulating on social media, falsely suggesting that activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested on the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check unit has clarified that the video is fake and that ADC Leh has made no such statement. PIB has also shared the original, unedited video on Facebook to counter the misinformation. Authorities have cautioned citizens against sharing such AI-manipulated videos, which are being spread to mislead the public and cause panic.’
⚠️ FAKE AI VIDEO ALERT! ⚠️
A digitally altered video of ADC Leh Ghulam Muhammad is circulating on social media, in which he is making claims that Sonam Wangchuk was arrested on the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs.#PIBFactCheck
Normalcy is gradually returning to Leh following the September 24 violence that left four people dead and scores injured.
The curfew was imposed on the evening of September 24 and relaxation periods were gradually extended over the days as the situation in the town has remained by and large peaceful.
A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the September 24 violence and the officials have been asked to conclude the inquiry within four weeks. The inquiry was ordered by the Leh deputy commissioner, who appointed Sub Divisional Magistrate Nubra Mukul Beniwal as inquiry officer.
Beniwal, in a public notice, said the inquiry committee is charged with ascertaining facts and circumstances that led to the serious law and order situation, police action, and death of four people.
A wave of bomb threats targeted Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s residence in Chennai, the BJP office and actor Trisha’s house.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin (Photo: PTI)
A wave of bomb threats targeted Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s residence in Chennai, along with the state BJP headquarters and the house of South actress Trisha. Police have launched an investigation.
A bomb threat was reported at Trisha’s residence in Chennai’s Teynampet locality, prompting a police search with sniffer dogs. Similar threats were also allegedly made to the Tamil Nadu Governor’s residence, according to multiple reports.
This incident occurred over a month after Stalin reportedly received a bomb threat ahead of a flag hoisting ceremony on August 15. The threat created a stir in the administration and caused panic within the police department as well. The caller, identified as Ganesh, was taken into custody.
In July, Stalin’s Chennai residence received a similar bomb threat. A bomb threat call was received by the control room of the Old Commissioner’s office, The Hindu reported, adding that the caller identified as Vinothkumar said a bomb had been placed in the CM’s house. It turned out to be a hoax.
This adds to a long list of bomb threats linked to Stalin. In 2024, a bomb threat email targeting the flight Stalin was to board to San Francisco triggered panic at Chennai airport. That threat was later declared a hoax after a thorough investigation.
A young man was arrested for issuing a bomb threat at Stalin’s residence in August 2023. As per several reports, the man claimed he had planted a bomb in the Chief Minister’s residence and disconnected the call.
According to the ministry’s statement, technical-level talks between aviation officials from both sides had been on since earlier this year.
India and China have agreed to resume direct air services by the end of this month, following sustained discussions between the civil aviation authorities. The agreement was announced today by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, marking a major development after the recent ice-breaker meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.
According to the ministry’s statement, technical-level talks between aviation officials from both sides had been on since earlier this year.
The discussions focused on restoring direct connectivity and finalising a revised Air Services Agreement.
Under the new arrangement, designated carriers from India and China will be permitted to operate direct flights between agreed points, starting with the winter season schedule, provided all operational and commercial requirements are met.
Following the diplomatic initiative, IndiGo announced the resumption of its services to mainland China, connecting Kolkata to Guangzhou with daily, non-stop flights starting 26 October 2025.
Subject to regulatory approvals, IndiGo will also introduce direct flights between Delhi and Guangzhou shortly.
IndiGo said it will use its Airbus A320neo aircraft to operate these flights that will re-establish avenues for cross-border trade and strategic business partnerships and promote tourism between the two nations
The move is expected to boost people-to-people exchanges that had been severely curtailed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent tensions along the India-China border. Officials emphasised that resumption of air links would “contribute towards the gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges.”
Direct flights between the two Asian neighbours had been suspended for more than four years, disrupting business, tourism, and academic exchanges.
The announcement signals a cautious yet notable thaw in ties, which remained strained despite continued diplomatic engagement.
Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta were with the singer at the yacht party during which he died.
The Assam Police SIT investigating the death of singer Zubeen Garg has arrested his bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and co-singer Amritprava Mahanta, taking the total arrests in the case to four, sources told NDTV on Thursday.
Both Goswami and Mahanta were with Garg at the yacht party during the North East India Festival on September 19. The 52-year-old went for a swim and was found floating face down in the water.
Sources in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) said Goswami was seen, in videos, swimming very close to Garg while Mahanta recorded the entire incident on her cellphone. Both of them were questioned over the past six days.
Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma and North East India Festival manager Shyamkanu Mahanta were arrested on Wednesday, and they are likely to be questioned along with Goswami and Mahanta.
Earlier on Thursday, Sharma and Shyamkanu Mahanta were charged with murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence in connection with Garg’s death.
“The investigation is going on and I cannot share details at this time but we have added charges under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,” Munna Gupta, the Special Director General of Police of Assam’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), who is heading the SIT, said.
The singer’s wife, Garima Garg, said she has full faith in the justice system and everyone wants to know who is guilty of what crime.
When a married couple acquires a property jointly in their name, there is a legal presumption that they have jointly contributed towards it, the Court said.
Divorce
The Delhi High Court recently held that a husband cannot claim exclusive ownership over a joint property held with his wife merely on the ground that he provided the purchase money or paid equated monthly instalments (EMIs).
A Division Bench of Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Harish Vaidynathan Shankar said such a plea would violate Section 4 of the the Benami Act, which imposes an absolute bar against the enforcement of rights in respect of property held benami.
“The provision clearly stipulates that no person claiming to be the real owner of a property standing in another’s name can either institute proceedings or raise a defence asserting such ownership. Thus, the combined effect of the presumption of equal ownership between spouses and the statutory prohibition under Section 4 is that the Appellant [husband] is prevented from contending that the amount from the sale of the joint property belongs to him alone,” the Court said.
Therefore, the wife would be entitled to a 50 percent share in the proceeds of the property held jointly by the parties, the Court added.
The High Court rendered these findings while dealing with a matrimonial dispute.
The couple, married in 1999, had been living separately since 2006. The husband initially sought divorce in 2006 on grounds of cruelty. He later expanded his petition to include desertion. The wife, in turn, sought interim maintenance and claimed her rights in joint property.
The property in question, a Mumbai flat purchased jointly, had been sold by the bank, resulting in proceeds of ₹1.09 crore deposited in a joint bank account.
A family court ordered the release of the money in favour of the husband, prompting the wife to challenge the order before the High Court.
The two sides also challenged a host of other orders passed by the family court.
After considering the case, the High Court held that when a married couple acquires a property jointly in their name, there is a legal presumption that they have jointly contributed towards it irrespective of the fact that one person is not earning.
“Normally, when a husband and wife acquire property during the subsistence of marriage, the presumption in law is that such acquisition is made from common family funds and that both spouses have contributed equally, irrespective of whether one of them is earning or not,” the Court stated.
Bhosle approached the Court against several defendants, including Mayk Inc, an AI company allegedly offering cloned versions of her voice
Asha Bhosle and Bombay High CourtFacebook
The Bombay High Court has granted renowned playback singer Asha Bhosle ad-interim protection of her personality and moral rights, restraining artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, online marketplaces, and sellers from unauthorizedly cloning her voice or commercially exploiting her image, likeness, and other attributes [Asha Bhosle Vs Mayak Inc].
Justice Arif S Doctor held that prima facie, the unauthorized use of a celebrity’s personality traits, including their name, voice, photographs, caricatures, or likeness, constitutes a violation of their publicity and personality rights.
“Making AI tools available to enable the conversion of any voice into that of a celebrity without his/ her permission would constitute a violation of the celebrity’s personality rights. Such tools facilitate the unauthorized appropriation and manipulation of a celebrity’s voice, which is a key component of their personal identity and public persona,” the Court added.
Bhosle had approached the Court against several defendants, including Mayk Inc, an AI company allegedly offering cloned versions of her voice; Amazon Seller Services Pvt Ltd and Flipkart Internet Pvt Ltd, for displaying and selling posters and merchandise using her likeness without consent; an independent artist selling apparel with her image; and Google LLC, as the operator of YouTube, where AI-generated videos imitating her voice had been uploaded.
Her petition emphasized that such misuse undermines her reputation and goodwill built over a career spanning 82 years, during which she has recorded songs across genres and won multiple national and international awards, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Padma Vibhushan, and two Grammy nominations.
The Court granted her ad-interim relief, observing that the balance of convenience lay entirely in Bhosle’s favour.
Justice Doctor issued the strongest directions against AI platforms and sellers (defendants 1, 2, and 5 in Bhosle’s plaint).
The Court has restrained them from using, exploiting or misappropriating Bhosle’s name, voice, vocal style, technique, manner of singing, photograph, image, likeness, signature, persona or any other attributes of her personality, for any commercial or personal gain. This includes, but is not limited to, through the use of AI voice models, generative artificial intelligence, machine learning, or face morphing, without her written consent.
The Court also ordered these defendants to remove all infringing material identified in Bhosle’s plaint, including cloned voice recordings, merchandise, and digital content, and to deliver up copies of such material, whether in physical or digital form, for destruction.
The Court further directed Amazon and Flipkart (defendants 3 and 4) to remove all infringing listings identified in the plaint within one week and to ensure that similar unauthorised listings using Bhosle’s image or likeness are taken down when notified.
Google/ YouTube (defendant 6) was ordered to take down the specific infringing URLs annexed to the plaint and to remove similar AI-generated content from YouTube when reported.
All platforms were also directed to provide Bhosle with basic subscriber or seller information of infringing parties — including names, contact details, IP logs, and payment details — to enable her to pursue further legal remedies.
Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has invited ALPA India for talks on aviation safety and the AI 171 crash probe in Delhi. The meeting comes as families of victims pursue a US lawsuit against Boeing and Honeywell.
Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has invited ALPA India for talks on aviation safety and the AI 171 crash probe in Delhi.
The Directorate General of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has formally invited the Airlines Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) to join a discussion on aviation safety and the ongoing AI 171 crash probe.
The meeting will take place at the AAIB headquarters in Delhi at 4 PM tomorrow. According to officials, the AAIB-ALPA India meet is likely to deliberate upon the role of Subject-Matter Experts (SMEs) in accident investigations.
ALPA expressed hope that the discussion would yield constructive results. “ALPA hoping the meeting will have positive outcomes specifically in regards to participation into the AI 171 crash probe,” the association said.
At least 270 people were killed and dozens injured after a London-bound Air India flight carrying 242 people crashed moments after taking off from Ahmedabad in the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade. Flight AI171 came down on a government hospital hostel on the outskirts of the airport, leaving a field of debris and scenes of devastation.
Recently, the families of four victims who died in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad in June, have launched a legal battle in the US’s Delaware Superior Court against aircraft manufacturer Boeing and aircraft parts maker Honeywell. This lawsuit, seeks justice for the lives lost in one of India’s deadliest air disasters, even as it raises questions about the circumstances of the crash as investigations continue to determine its cause.
The three women admitted that they acted on the directions of Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati and pressured women students on the pretext of discipline and punctuality, sources said.
Self-styled godman Chaitanyananda Saraswati being escorted by police personnel after his arrest in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)
Delhi Police have arrested three close associates of self-styled godman Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, also known as Parthasarathy, in connection with the sexual harassment case involving women students of the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management-Research in Delhi.
During interrogation, the women admitted that they acted on the directions of Parthasarathy and pressured students on the pretext of discipline and punctuality, sources said.
According to sources, the three women — Shweta Sharma (Associate Dean), Bhawna Kapil (Executive Director) and Kajal (senior faculty) — were taken into custody for allegedly abetting the crime, threatening complainants, and destroying evidence.
Investigators also confirmed that a team had visited a guest house in Almora, Uttarakhand, where Parthasarathy had allegedly stayed with women students. Locals corroborated the account, sources added.
Police said digital evidence has surfaced from the accused’s phone, including inappropriate comments made by him on pictures of women students shared in a yoga WhatsApp group. Despite the mounting evidence, Parthasarathy has shown no guilt or remorse, sources said.
Swami Chaitanyananda, 62, was arrested in Agra last week after evading authorities for several days. He is accused of sexually harassing more than 17 women students enrolled in management courses under the Economic Weaker Section (EWS) scholarship scheme. Complaints against him include allegations of obscene messages, unwanted physical contact, and intimidation.
Prime minister Narendra Modi will land at the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) on October 8 with the majestic ‘India One’ aircraft to inaugurate the airport. The VVIP aircraft also made a quick visit to NMIA on Wednesday to perform an operational drill, becoming the first widebody aircraft landing on the upcoming airport.
Photo Credit: Instagram/@del_spotter_
Prime minister Narendra Modi will land at the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) on October 8 with the majestic ‘India One’ aircraft to inaugurate the airport. The VVIP aircraft also made a quick visit to NMIA on Wednesday to perform an operational drill, becoming the first widebody aircraft landing on the upcoming airport.
Aerodrome License Secured
Preparations are in full swing at NMIA as it nears the inauguration date, after battling multiple delays and postponement. The only pending formality before the airport can be inaugurated, was completed on Tuesday as the airport operator, Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd. (NMIAL), obtained the aerodrome license by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
PM’s Two-Day Visit
Along with India’s first ‘second city-airport’, the PM is also expected to inaugurate multiple development projects and a fintech event during his two-day visit to Mumbai. According to sources, he is likely to arrive straight at NMIA on the inauguration day with the ‘India One’ aircraft. The multi-billion aircraft, with the call sign ‘Air India One’, is one of the two custom-made VVIP Boeing-777 aircraft to transport the Indian PM, president and the vice president.
Operational Drill Completed
The preparations for the PM’s arrival with ‘India One’ have been initiated and a test drill was also conducted on Wednesday when the air operations division executed a successful landing of the aircraft at NMIA. This became the first instance of a widebody aircraft arriving at NMIA, after IndiGo’s test flight in December with a narrowbody Airbus A320. The VVIP aircraft, operated by Air Force officials, landed at around 10.30am and departed for Delhi again at around 2pm, amid which the officials ensured all landing and take-off requirements were met.
NMIA Capable of Handling Widebody Aircraft
“NMIA is equipped to handle Code E aircraft with wingspan from 52 mtr to 65 mtr, which includes Boeing-777. The PM’s aircraft can be easily landed here and therefore he does not need to fly in by chopper,” said a source, on condition of anonymity.
PM Modi paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary, highlighting his ideals of peace, simplicity, and service as guiding principles for building a Viksit Bharat.
PM Modi paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat on Thursday. (Image: ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 156th birth anniversary, remembering the Father of the Nation as a global icon of peace, simplicity, and moral strength.
Taking to social media, the Prime Minister shared a heartfelt message, highlighting Gandhi’s enduring relevance in shaping a better, developed India.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi wrote, “Gandhi Jayanti is about paying homage to the extraordinary life of beloved Bapu, whose ideals transformed the course of human history.”
Gandhi Jayanti is about paying homage to the extraordinary life of beloved Bapu, whose ideals transformed the course of human history. He demonstrated how courage and simplicity could become instruments of great change. He believed in the power of service and compassion as… pic.twitter.com/LjvtFauWIr
In his message, the Prime Minister underlined how Gandhi’s values are foundational to India’s journey toward becoming a Viksit Bharat—a developed, self-reliant nation that uplifts every citizen.
“He demonstrated how courage and simplicity could become instruments of great change. He believed in the power of service and compassion as essential means of empowering people. We will keep following his path in our quest to build a Viksit Bharat,” he further wrote.
Later, the PM also visited Raj Ghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. He was accompanied by Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
Gandhi Jayanti And International Day Of Non-Violence: A Message For India And The World
Every year on October 2, the world remembers the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest leaders in history. In India, this day is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti, while around the world it is marked as the International Day of Non-Violence. This global observance was established in 2007 by the United Nations, with support from over 140 countries.
This special day carries a unique meaning — it is deeply connected to India’s history, but also sends a universal message that speaks to people everywhere.
At the United Nations, the day is marked with speeches and events that link Gandhi’s teachings to the problems of today. In recent years, these messages have focused on the many conflicts happening around the world and have reminded us that Gandhi’s belief in truth and non-violence is stronger than any weapon.
Uddhav Thackeray Vs Eknath Shinde: The Dussehra rallies will be crucial with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls in the next few months
Uddhav Thackeray (left) and Eknath Shinde. (PTI)
Amid the rain, the political atmosphere in Mumbai is heating up as both Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Shinde Sena chief and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will hold rallies on the occasion of Dussehra on Thursday.
The rallies will be crucial with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls in the next few months.
Shinde will hold the rally at the NESCO Centre in Goregaon although it was earlier scheduled to take place at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. Thackeray will hold the rally at its traditional venue – Shivaji Park in Dadar area of central Mumbai.
Thackeray, in a press conference on Wednesday, criticised the Maharashtra government, accusing it of being indifferent to the suffering of farmers affected by recent excess rainfall and crop damage.
“The government is enjoying itself while farmers are in deep trouble. Crops that grew in front of their eyes are now worth nothing. Instead of helping, the state is ignoring the crisis. We demanded loan waivers, but the government has ignored it. Are farmers now waiting to join the BJP just to get loan relief,” Thackeray asked, adding, “Our state is facing a serious crisis, but all attention seems to be on Bihar due to elections. This is blatant injustice to Maharashtra.”
Shinde on Tuesday urged workers from flood-hit areas to not come for the rally in Mumbai. He said they could instead help flood victims in the area, and only workers from Mumbai, Thane and suburbs should come. “The gathering will be dedicated to farmers. Our purpose will be collect relief funds for farmers and victims,” he said.
— Eknath Shinde – एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) October 1, 2025
The arrangements in Mumbai
The Mumbai police have deployed more than 16,500 constables and nearly 2,900 officers along with the personnel of various special units across the city in view of the Dussehra rallies of political parties and processions for immersion of goddess Durga idols on October 2, officials told PTI.
“In view of these political rallies and the Durga idol immersion processions, the police have made elaborate security arrangements to maintain law and order and to avoid any untoward incident,” an official said on Wednesday. “Seven Additional Commissioners of Police, 26 Deputy Commissioners, 52 Assistant Commissioners, 2,890 officers and 16,552 constables have been deployed,” he said.
Retired Justice TR Ramachandran Nair was appointed as an observer to monitor the Melsanthi selection to ensure fairness in the process and to submit a report to the Court before the final draw of lots.
Justice TR Ramachandran Nair and Sabarimala Temple
The Kerala High Court recently appointed retired High Court judge, Justice TR Ramachandran Nair as an observer to monitor the upcoming selection of Melsanthis (chief priests) at the Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha temple and the Malikappuram temple in Sabarimala [Suo Motu v State of Kerala].
A Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice KV Jayakumar, issued the direction in a suo motu case concerning transparency in the chief priest selection process.
“We appoint Mr. Justice T.R. Ramachandran Nair, a former Judge of this Court, as the ‘Observer’ and request him to oversee the proceedings for selection of Melsanthies of Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple and Malikappuram Temple, for the year 1201 ME (2025-2026) at the Travancore Devaswom Board Head Office, Thiruvananthapuram. We also request him to be there in Sabarimala at the time of the draw of lots. We direct the Travancore Devaswom Board to arrange necessary conveyance and accommodation for the Observer,” the September 29 ruling said.
The suo motu case was initiated based on the Sabarimala Special Commissioner’s report which dealt with the steps required to ensure transparency and strict adherence to guidelines already laid down in selecting chief priests.
The Bench acknowledged that courts should be slow to intervene in religious matters unless there are constitutional violations.
However, it emphasised that judicial oversight was necessary in certain aspects to maintain the sanctity of the priest selection process and to preserve the faith of devotees.
The selection process for the appointment of Melsanthis at Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha and Malikappuram temples, which fall under the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), include the steps of shortlisting candidates after interviews and a final selection process by a draw of lots in front of the sanctum sanctorum.
This process has been contested in the past and orders have been passed by the Supreme Court and the High Court, laying down guidelines to ensure fairness including guidelines on the constitution of the Selection Committee, allocation of marks, and interview procedures.
The High Court, noted that this year, 119 applications were received out of which 53 candidates who sought to become priests at the main Sabarimala temple and 36 who applied to join the Malikappuram temple were cleared for interview.
To ensure the compliance of guidelines already laid down for the selection process, the Court appointed former Justice TR Ramachandran Nair as an observer to monitor both the interviews and the draw of lots at Sabarimala.
The Court also recounted that in 2019, another Observer had highlighted disparities in marks awarded by different Thanthries during interviews.
To minimise such differences, the Court has now directed that marks must be entered only with ballpoint pens, that they be countersigned by the Observer and then kept under the custody of the Devaswom Commissioner.
The Court added all these proceedings must be video-graphed and that the CDs, marksheets and shortlist of candidates must be produced before the Court along with a report from the observer, in a sealed cover by October 13, 2025.
Only after the Court reviews these materials, would the draw of lots be held, the Bench said.
“(In 2019, it was suggested by the then-Observer that) it would be better if the Observer is directed to file a report before the lots are taken, so that the mark list can be verified by this Court, in order to ensure that the interview was conducted in a fair manner. That suggestion is made with a bona fide intention to ensure that an upper hand is not actually given to any particular candidate by anyone by granting excessive marks,” the Court explained.
The exploitation of one’s personality rights puts at risk not only their economic interests, but also their right to live with dignity, the High Court observed.
Nagarjuna Facebook
The Delhi High Court recently passed an order protecting the personality rights of Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna [Akkineni Nagarjuna v Www.BFXXX.Org & Ors].
In an order passed on September 25, Justice Tejas Karia said that Nagarjuna’s name, image, likeness and persona have acquired a unique distinctiveness and any third party found using any elements of his persona is bound to cause confusion and deception amongst the general public regarding affiliation with/sponsorship.
“The exploitation of one’s personality rights puts at risk not only their economic interests but also their right to live with dignity, potentially causing immeasurable harm to their reputation and goodwill as the adoption of the attributes such as name, image, likeness unauthorizedly will inevitably cause confusion in the minds of the members of the public regarding association with / endorsement by the Plaintiff,” the Court observed.
The Court restrained the defendants (including unknown persons or John Doe) from using Nagarjuna’s name, image, likeness or any other attributes of his persona which are exclusively identifiable with him.
Further, the Court also ordered the blocking of the URLs infringing on Nagarjuna’s personality rights.
The Court passed the order on a plea filed by the Telugu film star raising concerns that his personality rights were being violated through the unauthorised use of his image in content uploaded on social media, as well as in merchandise.
Nagarjuna’s counsel had emphasised that the actor has a considerable reputation which is now at risk because of unauthorised content misusing the actor’s image, including AI-generated content that uses morphed images of him, which are uploaded on YouTube and other such platforms.
The Delhi High Court recently restrained an Indian man from using the Barbie or any other similar trademark in his business activities after Mattel filed a suit for trademark infringement [Mattel, Inc v Padum Borah and Ors].
The US government shutdown would snap funding to the US department of labour, key to the processing of H-1B visas and green cards.
Among the hardest hit will be the processing of H-1B visas and green cards, crucial for thousands of Indian professionals.(REUTERS)
The ongoing US government shutdown is set to disrupt several services with some agencies stopping work, some people put on unpaid leaves and some asked to work without a pay until government opens up. Among the hardest hit will be the processing of H-1B visas and green cards, crucial for thousands of Indian professionals.
According to what some immigration lawyers told HT, the shutdown would snap funding to the US department of labour, key to the processing of H-1B visas and green cards.
Before a company can sponsor an H-1B visa, a Labour Condition Application (LCA) has to be filed with the US Department of Labour. Approval of this application is a important for moving the case forward to immigration authorities.
The Labour Department is also responsible for issuing the PERM certification, which allows individuals to seek an employment-based green card.
Now that funding to the labour department is paused as part of the shutdown, those who didn’t get their LCAs approved before October 1 will be affected. “That means, nobody can get a new H-1B, transfer employers, or change status to H-1B unless they already got the LCA signed before today. H-1Bs will be unavailable until the DOL resumes operations,” says Henry Lindpere, an immigration lawyer from Manifest Law.
Big impact on Indians?
According to a lawmaker, possible stalling of the H-1B visas and green cards stand to hit Indian professionals. Over 71% Indians currently benefit from the H-1B visa allocation system, making them the biggest beneficiaries.
Sophie Alcorn, a Silicon Valley-based immigration lawyer, said that the “biggest immediate impact” for the Indian diaspora would be from the labour department. She believes that applications already under process may continue unaffected, but new applicants will be hit hardest.
“The shutdown creates a mixed bag of consequences, hitting new applications the hardest while largely sparing those already in process. For the Indian diaspora, who represent a huge portion of H-1B and employment-based green card applicants, the biggest immediate impact comes from the department of labour,” Alcorn said.
There is hope for H-1B and green card applicants who have their certifications approved as the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also handles such applications and can continue their processing given visa fees funds them during the government shutdown.
The latest roadblock to H-1B visa processing comes amid tensions over the Trump administration’s big plans to change the existing system, a move that would largely impact Indians.
Earlier, the US government announced a steep $100,000 fee hike in H-1B visas for new applicants, and later announced an overhaul of the existing lottery system to prioritise higher wage workers.
When will the US government shutdown end?
The US government entered a shutdown starting 12:01 am on October 1 (local time) and there is no end date announced for it yet. The last shutdown in the country was also during US President Donald Trump’s presidency and lasted 35 days.
It began on December 22, 2018 and ended on January 25, 2019, becoming the longest government shutdown in over four decades.
The inspection has uncovered irregularities in slum improvement and execution of the beautification project, record-keeping and alleged financial mismanagement.
A-Ward covers areas such as Colaba, Cuffe Parade, P’DMello Road, Marine Drive and parts of Ballard Estate. (HT_PRINT)
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) vigilance department has issued a reminder notice to A-Ward to submit documents related to alleged corruption in beautification and slum improvement work carried out between 2023-2025 amounting to ₹103 crores. A-Ward covers areas such as Colaba, Cuffe Parade, P’DMello Road, Marine Drive and parts of Ballard Estate.
The vigilance department had issued the first notice to the ward on August 14. The second notice was issued on September 22, subsequent to a preliminary site inspection initiated by the department, acting on a complaint by an RTI activist Santosh Daundkar.
The inspection has uncovered significant irregularities in slum improvement and the execution of the beautification project, record-keeping and alleged financial mismanagement; add to that, missing key documents, dubious work orders and alleged needless constructions.
HT is in possession of a copy of the letter issued by the vigilance department to the ward. The ward was directed to submit a comprehensive, year-wise summary of development works undertaken. Original work order files and all supporting documents were also to be handed for review. The department also cited multiple directives issued by the additional commissioner (July 24, 2025) and the chief engineer (August 14, 2025).
“Although the A-Ward had assured in a letter dated September 1, 2025, that the requested documents would be submitted following the Anant Chaturdashi festival, no such submission has been made to date,” the letter states. Jaydeep More, acting assistant commissioner, A-Ward, however told HT on Wednesday, “I have submitted the documents asked by the vigilance department on September 29.”
22 batches of the syrup, manufactured for the Rajasthan government by a company called Kayson Pharma, have been banned.
The children who died were aged two and five.
A generic cough syrup manufactured by a pharmaceutical company for the Rajasthan government has led to the deaths of two children and at least 10 others falling ill in the state over the past two weeks, officials said. A doctor who took a dose of the syrup to demonstrate that it was safe was also knocked unconscious and was found in his car eight hours later.
The dangers of some batches of the cough syrup, which contains the compound dextromethorphan hydrobromide and is manufactured by a company called Kayson Pharma, came to light on Monday when a five-year-old boy died hours after being given the drug.
Nitish, 5, from Sikar district in Rajasthan, developed a cough and cold and was taken by his parents to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Chirana on Sunday. The doctor prescribed the cough syrup, which was given from the Centre, and Nitish’s mother gave it to him around 11.30 that night.
Nitish woke up once at 3 am and hiccuped, after which his mother gave him some water and he went back to sleep. He never awoke after that.
The five-year-old was taken to the government hospital by his panicked parents on Monday morning, but was declared brought dead.
“Nitish was alright that day and had also gone for the Navratri programme in the evening. When he began coughing again at night, he was given the medicine that we had got from the Chirana CHC. In the morning, we realised he was not waking up and took him to the CHC, where the compounder asked us to take him to the government hospital in Sikar. He was given the prescribed dose and was okay before taking the medicine,” the boy’s uncle, Priyakant Sharma, told NDTV.
Earlier Tragedy
When the news about Nitish broke this week, the parents of a 2-year-old who died after consuming the cough syrup on September 22 also realised what had caused his death.
An NDTV team visited Malha village on the outskirts of Bharatpur to meet the family of the boy. They said 2-year-old Samrat Jatav, his sister Sakshi and cousin Virat all came down with a cough and cold earlier this month. His mother, Jyoti, went to the local public health centre on September 22 and was given the same cough syrup made by Kayson Pharma.
Jyoti gave Samrat, Sakshi and Viraat the syrup at 1.30 pm and the family got very worried when none of the three children woke up even five hours later. They managed to shake Sakshi and Viraat awake, and both of them vomited immediately, but Samrat remained unconscious.
The two-year-old was rushed to a hospital in Bharatpur and then referred to the JK Lon Hospital in Jaipur, where he died on September 22.
“Three of my grandchildren took the syrup and we did not know that it could be deadly. Two of them finally woke up hours later, but I lost 2-year-old Samrat… We did not know the syrup was the cause until we heard about the boy from Sikar district and about others falling ill because of it,” said Samrat’s grandmother Nehni Jatav.
Doctor Falls Ill
In neighbouring Bayana, 3-year-old Gagan Kumar took ill after being given the cough syrup on September 24, and his mother went to the community health centre in-charge, Dr Tarachand Yogi, who had prescribed the syrup, to complain.
A confident Dr Yogi then took a dose of the syrup himself and also gave it to an ambulance driver, Rajendra, to prove that it was safe.
The doctor then left for Bharatpur in his car, but felt drowsy, parked on the side of a road and fell unconscious. After they did not hear from him for a long time, his family tracked down his mobile location and found him knocked out in the car eight hours later.
The ambulance driver also reported similar symptoms three hours after being given the syrup and has recovered after treatment.
Over the past week, eight children – aged between one and five – have also fallen ill in Banswara district in south Rajasthan after consuming the medicine.
Government Action
After the reports of the two children dying and others falling ill emerged, the Rajasthan government banned 22 batches of the syrup and put a freeze on their distribution. Officials from the medical department said 1.33 lakh bottles of the syrup have been given to patients in Rajasthan since July this year.
Over 8,200 bottles of the syrup are also in stock at the SMS Hospital in Jaipur, but officials have been told to ensure they are not given to anyone.
Speaking to NDTV, Dr Pradyuman Jain, paediatrician at the Mahatma Gandhi Government Hospital in Banswara, said, “The drug suspected to have led to some children having trouble breathing or feeling drowsy has been banned. The reactions could be a result of overdosing as well. In Banswara, most children have recovered after undergoing treatment. A 6-year-old’s condition was serious, but he has also recovered.”
Israel orders Palestinians to leave Gaza City, saying those who stay will be considered militants
Displaced Palestinians flee northern Gaza carrying their belongings along the coastal road near Wadi Gaza, on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.(AP)
A much-touted peace plan being brokered by the US is on the table, but Israel continues its offensive in the occupied Palestinian territory of Gaza, warning Palestinians to leave Gaza City — “their last opportunity” — and that anyone who stayed would be “considered terrorists” and face “full force”. Israel’s defence minister issued the orders on Wednesday.
At least 16 Palestinians were killed across the territory, according to local hospitals.
Hamas, meanwhile, weighed the proposal from US President Donald Trump aimed at ending the war and returning the remaining captives taken in Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack, which claimed 1,200 lives and triggered the latest Israeli offensive that has killed over 66,000 Palestinians.
Around 400,000 Palestinians have fled the famine-stricken Gaza City since Israel launched a “final assault” in September aimed at occupying it.
Hundreds of thousands remain, many because they cannot afford to leave or are too weak to make the journey to tent camps in the south.
“This is the last opportunity for Gaza residents who wish to do so to move south and leave Hamas terrorists isolated in Gaza City,” Defence minister Israel Katz wrote on X, “Those who remain in Gaza will be (considered) terrorists and terror supporters.”
Shleters continued to be hit. At least seven people, including paramedics, were killed when two Israeli strikes minutes apart hit a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, according to Al-Ahli Hospital, where the casualties were taken.
Five Palestinians were killed later in a strike on people gathered around a drinking water tank elsewhere in Gaza City, the hospital said. Shifa Hospital said a man was killed in a strike on his apartment. Strikes in central Gaza killed another three people, according to Al-Awda Hospital.
Israel continues to state it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths, saying its militants are embedded in populated areas.
Around 90 per cent of Gaza’s population has been displaced in the war, often multiple times, and finding food is a daily struggle for many.
What about Trump’s peace proposal?
On Wednesday, Egypt’s foreign minister Bader Abdelatty said Trump’s proposal requires more negotiations on certain elements, echoing remarks made by Qatar a day earlier.
Hamas said it would study the plan, and it was not clear when it would respond.
Trump had said on Tuesday that Hamas would have three or four days to respond or it will face “all hell”.
Now the comments by Qatar and Egypt, two key mediators, appeared to reflect Arab countries’ discontent over the text of the 20-point plan.
It was put out after Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announced they had agreed on it on Monday.
The plan has received wide international support. It requires Hamas to release hostages, leave power in Gaza and disarm in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners and an end to fighting. It promises reconstruction in Gaza, placing it and its more than 2 million Palestinians under an international governance structure.
Investigators said the forged photographs indicated attempts by the accused to build a false image of influence and proximity to world leaders.
Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati (left) and his morphed photo with former US President Barack Obama.
Delhi Police on Wednesday intensified its probe into the molestation case involving self-styled godman Swami Chaitanyanand Saraswati, recovering objectionable material during a search of the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management (SRISIIM) campus in Delhi, where he was the director. The search was carried out in the presence of the accused, also known as Swamy Parthasarathy.
According to police officials, the team recovered a sex toy, five CDs purportedly containing pornographic content, and three forged photographs.
The forged photos were purportedly morphed to show Saraswati with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former US President Barack Obama, and former UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
Investigators said the forged photographs indicated attempts by the accused to build a false image of influence and proximity to world leaders.
Delhi Police have also recovered a BMW car with a VIP number plate linked to Swami Chaitanyanand Saraswati.
The FIR alleged he used the luxury vehicle to lure young women, inviting them for rides before molesting them inside.
The police also traced locations where the accused had stayed while absconding, including Bageshwar and Almora in Uttarakhand, to corroborate details of his movements during that period.
The investigation is still ongoing, and police sources said more revelations are expected as evidence is examined.
The recovery of forged photographs and pornographic material has strengthened suspicions that Chaitanyanand may have used fake identities and fabricated images to deceive followers and associates.
Officials said forensic examination of the CDs and digital devices is underway to determine their content and origin.
The investigation will also look into whether these items were used to blackmail or manipulate victims.
The latest recovery adds to the disturbing details emerging in the case.
Earlier, India Today accessed sleazy chat messages between Chaitanyanand and women students, which exposed his pattern of harassment.
In these messages, he allegedly made sexual demands, used explicit language, and even referred to foreign contacts, including a Dubai-based sheikh.
The chats suggested potential links to trafficking, raising further alarm over the extent of his activities.
The sexual harassment case first came to light after 17 female students of SRISIIM accused Chaitanyanand of inappropriate behaviour.
Complaints included sending obscene messages, unwelcome physical advances, and persistent harassment.
The allegations triggered a wider investigation, leading to his arrest from a hotel in Agra after he evaded arrest for several days.
Following his detention, Delhi Police sought his custodial interrogation to probe not only the allegations of harassment but also suspected financial irregularities and misuse of the institute’s premises.
The incident took place on Tuesday aboard flight AI-837. Rakesh Pratap Singh, a Samajwadi Party MLA from Gauriganj who was expelled in June for anti-party activities, objected to passenger Samad Ali allegedly using foul language while talking on the phone.
Cabin crew had to intervene as the confrontation escalated.
A Delhi-Lucknow Air India flight witnessed a mid-air fight after an MLA from Uttar Pradesh and a passenger got into a heated clash over the latter using foul language while speaking on the phone. The altercation escalated despite repeated objections from fellow travellers, forcing cabin crew to step in and separate the two men.
The incident took place on Tuesday aboard flight AI-837. Rakesh Pratap Singh, a Samajwadi Party MLA from Gauriganj who was expelled in June for anti-party activities, objected to Samad Ali allegedly using foul language while talking on the phone.
As the altercation escalated, cabin crew had to intervene to separate the two, according to a source.
“The man continued with derogatory words which are unacceptable in any civil society. When I tried to stop him firmly, he misbehaved with me as well,” PTI news agency quoted the legislator as saying to reporters in Lucknow.
One of the most striking exchanges shows Chaitanyananda trying to arrange what he described as a meeting with a “Dubai Sheikh.”
The arrest of self-styled godman Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati has led to the discovery of WhatsApp chats that shed light on his alleged exploitation of young women students.
One of the most striking exchanges shows Chaitanyananda trying to arrange what he described as a meeting with a “Dubai Sheikh.” In a conversation with an alleged student, the 62-year-old wrote:
Delhi Baba: “One Dubai Sheikh wants to [have] a sex partner, do you have any nice friend?” Victim: “Koi nahi hai” (There is no one). Delhi Baba: “How it’s possible?” Victim: “I don’t know.” Delhi Baba: “Your any classmate? Junior?”
In other chats, Chaitanyananda repeatedly addresses a victim (unclear if this is the same woman as above) in infantilising terms, such as “Sweetie Baby Daughter Doll,” and sends obsessive messages across the day and late into the night:
“Babyyyyy” (7:49 PM)
“Baby where are you?” (11:59 PM)
“Good Morning Baby” (12:40 PM)
“Why are you angry with me?” (12:41 PM)
On another occasion, he wrote:
“Good Evening my most beloved baby daughter doll.”
Victim: “Here afternoon sir, happy afternoon. Did you have something sir?”
In another exchange, he joked about “doing some disco dance” and asked if the victim wanted to join him. “Wow sir osm,” she replied, seemingly out of politeness.
In one conversation, he asks a student, “You’ll not sleep with me?”
The Arrest In Agra
Chaitanyananda, accused of harassing at least 17 women students, was arrested around 3:30 am on Sunday from a hotel in Agra’s Taj Ganj area. Police said he had been evading capture for nearly two months, moving between Vrindavan, Mathura, and Agra, often staying in small hotels and using taxis to avoid detection.
According to police, he checked into the Agra hotel on September 27 under the alias “Partha Sarathi” and stayed in Room 101. Staff said he remained in his room until his arrest.
He is now in five days of police custody and will likely be confronted with three female aides from the institute who allegedly helped him threaten students and delete incriminating messages.
During the arrest, police seized an iPad and three mobile phones, one of which had remote access to the institute’s CCTV cameras and hostel premises.
Fake visiting cards naming him as a “Permanent Ambassador” to the UN Economic and Social Council and a “Special Envoy” for BRICS were also recovered. Documents such as two passports, one under the name “Swami Parth Sarathi” and another as “Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati,” with contradictory details of birthplace and parentage, were found. Police have frozen assets worth Rs 8 crore.
In an official statement, the administration dismissed the allegations as “baseless,” asserting that actions taken by law enforcement agencies are based on credible inputs and documents.
The administration criticised Sonam Wangchuk’s conduct during the hunger strike.
Ladakh administration on Tuesday said that the allegations of victimisation of individuals, especially Sonam Wangchuk, are baseless as the action taken against him (Sonam Wangchuk) is based on credible inputs and documents.
In an official statement, the administration dismissed the allegations as “baseless,” asserting that actions taken by law enforcement agencies are based on credible inputs and documents.
“There is no question of witch-hunting or smoke screen,” the statement reads, urging that investigations be allowed to proceed impartially.
The administration highlighted ongoing investigations into financial irregularities and foreign currency violations by the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL).
It claimed that HIAL, despite not being a recognised university, has been issuing degrees, thereby jeopardising the future of students. Additionally, the institute allegedly failed to disclose foreign funds in its financial statements.
The statement also addressed the cancellation of SECMOL’s FCRA registration, citing multiple violations.
Authorities emphasised that legal avenues remain open for the organisation to appeal the decision.
Regarding Sonam Wangchuk’s recent hunger strike and public statements, the administration accused him of making provocative remarks, including references to Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, and allegedly inciting youth against peaceful methods. It also cited a June 2025 video on his YouTube channel where Mr Wangchuk reportedly spoke of an “Arab Spring”-style revolution and suggested self-immolation as a form of protest.
The administration criticised Mr Wangchuk’s conduct during the hunger strike, stating that he failed to pacify the crowd and left the venue discreetly when tensions escalated.
It further noted that the government had announced a meeting date with Ladakh leaders and expressed flexibility. Yet, Mr Wangchuk continued his hunger strike, which the administration described as “irresponsible” and politically motivated.
The statement concluded by affirming that grounds for detention had been duly served to Mr Wangchuk and appealed for calm, emphasising the need to let the law take its course.
“We are confident that together we will bring back normalcy in the peace-loving Leh Township and continue with our dialogue process,” it said.
The accident occurred inside the premises of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), leaving one worker injured and under treatment.
Nine migrant workers from Assam were killed when an under-construction coal handling enclosure collapsed at the Ennore supercritical power station on the outskirts of Chennai. The accident occurred inside the premises of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), leaving one worker injured and under treatment.
Confirming the tragedy, Dr J Radhakrishnan, Chairman and Managing Director of TANGEDCO, told NDTV: “The grid fell on them from 45 feet high as they worked on a crane. It’s a coal handling shed and work was on to build a cover.”
The injured worker was rushed to Chennai’s Stanley government hospital, situated around 15 kilometres from the accident site.
When asked whether the workers were provided safety equipment, Dr Radhakrishnan said: “Yes, they had complied with safety gear.” He added that the injured worker is in stable condition and under treatment.
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) officials were present at the site and authorities have started a probe into the cause of the accident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for each of the families of the dead. Further, Rs 50,000 compensation was announced for those who sustained injuries.
Saddened by the mishap due to the collapse of a building in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families in this difficult hour. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured.
An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next…
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives. In a statement in Tamil, he said: “I was deeply pained to hear the news of nine workers from Assam losing their lives in the accident at the Ennore power plant construction site being executed by BHEL. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.”
MK Stalin also announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for the families of the victims and directed officials to ensure the bodies are transported to Assam. He has instructed Power Minister Sivasankar and senior TANGEDCO officials to personally supervise relief and recovery operations.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma offered his condolences and shared details about the workers from his state.
9 migrant workers from Assam have reportedly succumbed to death after falling down at a construction site at Minjur, Thiruvallur district, today while carrying out construction works for extension of North Chennai Thermal Power Station.
“9 migrant workers from Assam have reportedly succumbed to death after falling down at a construction site at Minjur, Thiruvallur district, today while carrying out construction works for extension of North Chennai Thermal Power Station.
The Court quashed a case of cheating, extortion and obscenity against Anupam Mittal, the matchmaking platform’s founder and CEO.
Anupam Mittal & shaadi.com
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that matrimony match website Shaadi.com cannot be held responsible for the actions of its users [Anupam Mittal v State of UP and 2 Others].
The Division Bench of Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Madan Pal Singh said that since the marriage portal is only an intermediary governed by the Information Technology (IT) Act and the rules framed under the Act, it is exempt from the liabilities.
“This Court finds that the petitioner was only a facilitator of exchanging of information and, therefore, for what a “third party” does on the platform could not make the intermediary liable for his or her act,” the bench said.
The Court made the observations quashing a case of cheating, extortion and obscenity against Anupam Mittal, the matchmaking platform’s founder and chief executive officer (CEO).
The criminal case under various provisions of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 67 of Information Technology Act was registered against Mittal in 2022 following a Shaadi.com user’s complaint that the platform was being used for promotion of obscenity by verified profiles.
In particular, the complainant alleged that a woman had gone to the extent of capturing his obscene videos and was blackmailing him and demanding extortion money. The complainant claimed that the platform’s customer care and Mittal had failed to address his grievances in this regard.
In the judgment passed on September 23, the Court said an intermediary definitely would not be responsible for the actions of candidates, whose profiles have been accepted by it.
“As and when complaints were received actions were definitely taken and we also definitely find that the intermediary i.e. the company of which the petitioner was a Chief Executive Officer had the protection of Section 79 (1) and (2) of the IT Act and there was definitely no abetment from the side of the company which was running the platform,” it added.
The Court also noted that investigation could not have proceeded against Mittal as the company was not made a party to the offence.
“The petitioner Anupam Mittal could not be alleged to have committed any offence in his personal capacity. Also, we find that the informant who was aggrieved by the acts of the participants on the platform was not harassed on his personal social media pages. Also, despite the harassment he had continued with the platform. He could have easily withdrawn from the platform,” it said.
Mohammad Raza was identified by the ATS as the leader of the gang that sought to establish Sharia rule in India. Four other members of the group, Akmal Raza, Safeel Salmani alias Ali Razvi, Mohammad Tausif and Qasim Ali, had already been arrested and sent to judicial custody.
The group was planning to target non-Muslim religious leaders.
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested Mohammad Raza, the alleged mastermind of a group conspiring to form a “Mujahideen Army” to topple the Indian government through violent jihad and impose Sharia law, officials said on Tuesday.
Raza, originally from Andauli in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh and currently residing in Mallapuram, Kerala, was arrested on September 29 and brought to Lucknow on a transit remand.
He was identified by the ATS as the leader of the gang that sought to establish Sharia rule in India. Four other members of the group, Akmal Raza, Safeel Salmani alias Ali Razvi, Mohammad Tausif and Qasim Ali, had already been arrested and sent to judicial custody.
According to the ATS, the group was influenced by radical Pakistani organisations and was allegedly collecting funds to procure arms and carry out targeted killings of prominent non-Muslim religious leaders.
Officials said money was being credited into Raza’s account to finance these activities. The group was also holding meetings at different locations and using social media to spread extremist ideology.
In its statement, the ATS said it had received intelligence that “some individuals from various districts of Uttar Pradesh, influenced by radical Pakistani organisations, were planning to overthrow the democratically elected government in India through violent jihad and impose Sharia law by force”.
It described Mohammad Raza as the mastermind of the “entire criminal and anti-national conspiracy,” adding that he was being brought to Lucknow on transit remand and would be presented before the relevant Special Court as per procedure.
The Kerala High Court has mandated all district courts to use Adalat AI, a speech-to-text tool, from November. The move aims to reduce delays in recording witness depositions and modernise trial court proceedings.
Kerala High Court mandates Adalat AI speech-to-text tool in all district courts to record witness statements from November.
In a first-of-its-kind move, the Kerala High Court has directed all district courts in the state to adopt Adalat AI, an artificial intelligence-based speech-to-text tool, for recording witness statements and evidence. The system will become mandatory across all trial courts from November.
An office memorandum issued on September 27 said the initiative is aimed at reducing delays in recording evidence and modernising deposition procedures.
Joseph Rajesh KA, Director IT of the Kerala High Court, told India Today that the tool would help avoid adjournments caused by the time-consuming process of making readable copies of handwritten depositions. Until now, many judges had to write witness statements by hand due to a shortage of typists in district courts, leading to long delays.
“With this AI system, there is no human element, it will be the judge and the transcription tool. A screen will also be provided in the witness box so the witness can verify their statement before signing,” Rajesh said. The statements will then be uploaded to the cloud, enabling registered advocates to access them immediately.
The Kerala High Court is the first in the country to implement such a system across all district courts. Utkarsh Saxena, founder of Adalat AI, said the tool had already been tested for nine months across nine states. “This is probably the first time anywhere in the world that a state judiciary has mandated AI tools across its entire court system,” he said.
Bhagwant Mann met Amit Shah in Delhi and apprised him of the flood impact, requesting additional funds for disaster relief and restoration.
Bhagwant Mann, during meeting with Amit Shah, said that Rs 1,600 crore sanctioned for flood relief was insufficient.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene and sanction a special relief package for the state, citing massive damage caused by the unprecedented floods during this year’s monsoon. Mann highlighted the widespread losses affecting millions, emphasising that the assistance announced so far was insufficient in view of the scale of devastation.
Bhagwant Mann met Amit Shah in Delhi and apprised him of the flood impact, requesting additional funds for disaster relief and restoration. A statement from the Union Home Ministry said Amit Shah assured the chief minister that the PM Modi-led government stands shoulder to shoulder with Punjab and is committed to providing all possible help to the affected people.
The ministry also noted that under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), Punjab has sufficient funds of Rs 12,589.59 crore, which can be used for relief and immediate restoration according to government norms.
The central government has already provided assistance through various agencies for search, rescue, and initial restoration operations during the floods.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Punjab on September 9, 2025, to review the situation and assess the damages firsthand. Of the Rs 1,600 crore announced by the Prime Minister for flood relief, Rs 805 crore has already been released, including Rs 170 crore sanctioned by the National Highways Authority of India, while the remainder will be disbursed upon receipt of relevant information from the state.
An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) was constituted on September 1, 2025, and conducted on-the-spot assessments of affected areas from September 4 to 6. However, the state government is yet to submit a detailed memorandum, which will be considered by the Centre according to established norms.
Punjab can also prepare a comprehensive recovery and reconstruction plan for restoring livelihoods and damaged infrastructure. The Home Ministry has issued guidelines for Recovery and Reconstruction (R&R) funding under SDRF and NDRF since August 14, 2024, emphasising the need for a Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) in consultation with the State or National Disaster Management Authority.
During the meeting, Mann stressed that the Rs 1,600 crore relief package announced by the Centre was insufficient in light of the massive losses. According to the Punjab government, over 20 lakh people across 2,614 villages were affected, with 6.87 lakh displaced.
The poll body on Tuesday released the final voter list after SIR in Bihar. The revised list has been made available on the official website of the poll body.
Representational Image | File Pic
Ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process has concluded and the Election Commission has released the final electoral list. The poll body on Tuesday released the final voter list after SIR in Bihar. The revised list has been made available on the official website of the poll body.
The Election Commission has released the final electoral roll on 30 September 2025 after a special intensive review in Bihar. Voters can check and verify their details online at https://t.co/A56VOaLb0k . pic.twitter.com/P8TUTH7HED
The state polls in Bihar will be held using this electoral roll. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar has stated that physical copies of the roll will be distributed to all District Election Officers who also serve as District Magistrates. The final roll will also be shared with all recognised national and state political parties.
The revison was done after a gap of 22 years. 65 lakh voters had been removed from the draft electoral rolls, including those who had died, permanently moved out of the state, or were registered as voters in multiple locations. The Supreme Court is also hearing petitions against the SIR exercise.
SC Hearing Petition
The Supreme Court while hearing a petition on September 8 had ordered the poll body to accept Aadhaar as proof of identity for addition to the voter list and include it in the list of 11 other documents for the purpose. It had clarified, however, that Aadhaar could not be used to establish citizenship. The final hearing on the SIR process is scheduled for October 7.
“I am also a human. When so many people were affected, how can I leave those people and come back? I didn’t go because I wanted to make sure no untoward incident occurs again,” he added.
TVK chief Vijay | @TVKVijayHQ
Days after 41 people were killed in a stampede at actor-turned-politician and TVK chief Vijay’s rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur, he has broken his silence. In his first video message following the Karur tragedy, Vijay said, “The truth will emerge soon.
“I have not faced a painful situation like this in my life. My heart aches. There is only pain in my heart. Public came to see me in the rally. I am always grateful to the love and affection people have given me. In order to ensure there should be no compromise on safety of people, I kept politics aside and chose a place that was safe for the people and requested the police department. But what should not have happened, happened,” he said in Tamil.
“I am also a human. When so many people were affected, how can I leave those people and come back? I didn’t go because I wanted to make sure no untoward incident occurs again,” he added.
He further said, “We did not do anything wrong.FIRs are being filed against party leaders.”
In a message to Chief Minister MK Stalin he said, “CM sir, if you have an intention to take revenge, do anything to me. Do not touch them. I’ll either be home, or in my office. Do anything you want to me,” he said.
“We campaigned in five districts, so why did this happen in Karur? How did this take place? People know the truth and they are watching everything,” he said hinting at a political conspiracy.
The case of a child’s death has been reported in Sikar, while two children fell ill in Bharatpur, and a two-year-old girl had to be admitted to the ICU of a private hospital in Jaipur after allegedly consuming the syrup.
5-Year-Old Dies, Several Children Fall Ill After Consuming Govt-Supplied Cough Syrup | Representation Image
A five-year-old child allegedly died in Sikar, while a few got ill after consuming a cough syrup supplied under the free medicines scheme of the Rajasthan government. The state government has stopped the supply of the concerned batch of the syrup.
The case of a child’s death has been reported in Sikar, while two children fell ill in Bharatpur, and a two-year-old girl had to be admitted to the ICU of a private hospital in Jaipur after allegedly consuming the syrup.
As per reports, the child, Nitish of Khori Brahmanan village in Sikar district, was down with a cold and cough for a few days. His mother brought him medicine, including this syrup supplied under the free medicines scheme from the community health center of Chirana. But after consuming the syrup, Nitish’s condition worsened, and he was declared brought dead at the local hospital. The family refused to conduct a postmortem and took the body after informing the police in writing.
ASI Rohitas Kumar Jangid said that Mukesh Sharma’s son, Nitish, was given cough medicine from Chirana CHC on Sunday evening. His condition worsened at night, and he died on Monday morning while being taken to the hospital.
Meanwhile, following complaints of cough syrup causing vomiting, drowsiness, anxiety, dizziness, restlessness, and unconsciousness in Bharatpur and Sikar, the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation (RMSCL) has banned the distribution and use of a batch of syrup. Additionally, the Drug Controller General of Rajasthan has been directed to take statutory samples of the batches and conduct quality testing at the State Drug Testing Laboratory.
Dilip Surana pointed out that avoiding treatment during pregnancy altogether could carry its own dangers
Dolo-650, the flagship brand of Micro Labs, is the top-selling paracetamol in India with sales of over Rs 300 crore in the moving annual total (MAT) for July 2025, as per IQVIA data. File image
As the debate around paracetamol and pregnancy intensifies following claims by US President Donald Trump, the maker of India’s top-selling paracetamol brand Dolo has stepped in to calm concerns.
Dilip Surana, chairman and managing director of Micro Labs — the company behind the brand Dolo – told News18 in an exclusive interaction that the global scientific consensus does not support the alleged link between paracetamol use during pregnancy and autism.
‘Most rigorous studies found no link’
Surana said recent claims must be weighed against established research. “While recent claims linking paracetamol use during pregnancy to autism have emerged, it’s crucial to recognise that the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the evidence remains inconsistent and lacks replicability.” He stressed that the most rigorous studies have not found a link.
“Scientists say that the most robust research does not link autism and acetaminophen use in pregnancy,” he explained.
At the same time, Surana pointed out that avoiding treatment altogether could carry its own dangers. “Untreated fever during pregnancy can pose risks to both the mother and the foetus, making it essential to manage such symptoms appropriately.”
Dolo-650, the flagship brand of Micro Labs, is the top-selling paracetamol in India with sales of over Rs 300 crore in the moving annual total (MAT) for July 2025, as per IQVIA data. The brand is also the most prescribed, accounting for 0.66% of total prescriptions in the country between November 2024 and February 2025.
Indian pregnant women known for vigilance: Surana
Surana also highlighted the Indian context, describing how expectant mothers in this country are especially cautious. “In India, expectant mothers are known for their vigilance and care during pregnancy. Our medical professionals are well-equipped to provide guidance on safe medication use,” he said.
Reinforcing his company’s stance, he emphasised responsible use under professional guidance. “At Micro Labs, we emphasise that any medication, including paracetamol, should be used under medical supervision, and we support evidence-based practices to ensure the health and safety of both mother and child.”
His remarks echo the findings of large-scale studies, including Swedish registry data covering 2.4 million children, which found no association between paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism. A global review published earlier this year reached the same conclusion.
A retired banker from Delhi lost Rs 23 crore to cyber fraudsters posing as law enforcement. Delhi Police IFSO is investigating and has frozen Rs 2.67 crore so far.
Cyber fraud is on the rise in India. (Representative Image)
A 78-year-old retired banker from Delhi lost his entire life savings, a staggering Rs 23 crore, after being trapped in a cyber fraud that lasted over a month. The scammers posed as officers from central law enforcement agencies, and kept the victim, Naresh Malhotra, under digital arrest, only allowing him to step out to visit banks and transfer money.
The ordeal began on August 1, when Malhotra received a phone call from a man claiming to represent a mobile service provider. The caller said Malhotra’s Aadhaar card had been used in Mumbai to obtain a mobile connection that was allegedly linked to terror funding.
“They told me that I needed to talk to the Mumbai Police regarding the same matter and if they approved, the connection would continue, or else it would be disconnected and the matter reported,” Malhotra told news agency PTI.
The call was then transferred to others who posed as Mumbai Police officers and insisted on continuing the conversation via WhatsApp.
“The moment I was connected with the police, they started pressuring me by saying that my Aadhaar had been used for terror funding, terror activities and many other serious offences,” he said.
He was warned not to disclose any details to family or friends, being told that doing so would implicate them as co-accused in terror-related charges. The fraudsters began by inquiring about his bank balance, PTI reported.
“They wanted to know how much money I had in my bank account. I told them I had almost Rs 14 lakh. They asked me to transfer the amount to their account, assuring me that it was only for verification,” he recounted.
Malhotra said each transfer was followed by fake RBI certificates sent to him via WhatsApp. He was told that a nodal officer from the RBI would contact him and the money would be returned.
Soon, the scammers started probing into his mutual funds, SIPs, and other investments. He was informed that these needed to be verified under Bombay High Court guidelines.
“They said they would first verify 25 per cent of my assets and then continue with the rest according to their system. They threatened me that if I didn’t comply, they would make my family members co-accused in terror cases,” the ex-banker told the outlet.
Fearing consequences, Malhotra visited three banks and liquidated investments, transferring the proceeds into various accounts as instructed. Each time, he received forged documents bearing RBI’s name and seal.
From August 1 to September 4, he was told not to leave home or speak to anyone, except when making bank visits.
On September 14, the scammers made another demand. They claimed the investigating officer of the Mumbai Police had been compromised by terrorists and asked Malhotra to deposit Rs 5 crore in the name of the Supreme Court Registrar into a private bank account in West Bengal.
“They told me this was the final step and that the Supreme Court was now monitoring the case. I refused to send the money and told them I would deposit the amount directly with the Supreme Court. I also said I would go to Hauz Khas Police Station and surrender,” Malhotra said.
The calls stopped abruptly after that. On September 19, realising the scam, Malhotra approached the police.
“I spent my life savings building security for my old age. In one month, it all disappeared because I trusted the wrong people. I hope my story serves as a warning,” he said, holding back tears.
The stone was allegedly stuffed in his mouth to make sure he couldn’t cry or make any sounds that would invite attention.
A cattle herder spotted the child in the forest and removed the stone from his mouth.
A 15-day-old baby was found abandoned in a forest in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district. The baby’s lips were sealed shut with glue, and when the person who found him managed to open the mouth, he found a stone inside it.
The stone was allegedly stuffed in his mouth to make sure he couldn’t cry or make any sounds that would invite attention.
However, despite all the attempts to allegedly kill him, the child survived. A cattle herder spotted the child in the forest and removed the stone from his mouth. He was immediately rushed to a government hospital for treatment, where he is currently undergoing treatment.
The incident was reported from the Bijolia police station area of Bhilwara’s Mandalgarh assembly constituency. Police reported that the child was found in the forest adjacent to the road in front of Sita Kund Temple.
The former Union minister explained that Trump’s supporters see Indian professionals as undercutting American workers, who work for a lesser salary than the average American.
Shashi Tharoor linked the move to the broader political climate in the US. (File)
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the $100,000 hike for the H1-B Visa petition filed after September 21 is a decision taken to appease Trump’s “so-called MAGA” supporters.
Speaking to ANI on Monday, Mr Tharoor mentioned that the sudden hike in H-1B visa fees is about America’s domestic politics and the President is trying to gain support of the anti-immigration base. It is worth noting that the US legislative elections are set for November this year.
“Again, the motives are principally driven by domestic politics. Trump believes, and the people around him have told him, that the easy H-1B has meant that a lot of Americans who deserve a higher salary from the same companies are being bypassed by Indians who will accept a lower salary,” Mr Tharoor said in an interview with ANI.
Mr Tharoor linked the move to the broader political climate in the US. “Today, the dominant political forces of the so-called MAGA movement are very openly anti-immigrants, and particularly visible immigrants, people of a different colour who can be spotted as not of the white ethnic mainstream,” he said.
The former Union minister explained that Trump’s supporters see Indian professionals as undercutting American workers, who work for a lesser salary than the average American.
“An Indian techie who comes and works for sixty thousand dollars a year is taking away, according to Trump’s supporters, jobs from an American who would not work for less than eighty-five or ninety thousand dollars a year,” he said.
According to Mr Tharoor, the decision to raise visa fees to as high as $100,000 was meant to make low- and mid-level jobs “unviable.” “So only the high-end, really desirable, irreplaceable top people who are worth it for a company to spend a hundred thousand dollars, only they will come,” he added.
The Congress MP also added that the measure may eventually backfire on the US economy. “The obvious solution will be to outsource the job. What used to be done in America can now be done either in multinational company units in Europe or in their global capability centres in India,” he added.
He pointed out that after these increased fees, there is a chance that Indian tech workers may still end up doing the same work for American firms, only from India instead of the US.
“Our objective is to spread the message of Lord Ram and harmony in society. We do not want any controversy to overshadow the event,” the committee president said.
The Luv Kush Ramleela Committee in Delhi has decided to drop actor Poonam Pandey from playing the role of Mandodari, wife of Ravana, in this year’s Ramleela following opposition from several groups.
Speaking at a press conference here at the Constitutional Club of India, committee president Arjun Kumar said, “An artist should be judged by their work and not their past; the decision was reviewed in light of public sentiment.” “Every woman has a role to play in society and should not be humiliated. Initially, we believed Poonam Pandey could positively portray Mandodari. But considering the uproar among certain sections, we had to reconsider,” he said.
The committee respects Pandey as an artist but has decided that another actor will play the role, Kumar said.
“Our objective is to spread the message of Lord Ram and harmony in society. We do not want any controversy to overshadow the event,” he said.
In a letter addressed to Pandey, the committee said the decision should not be seen as disrespect towards her but as a step to uphold the ideals of Lord Ram.
The Luv Kush Ramleela, one of the most prominent Ramleelas in the capital, draws thousands of visitors each year and has previously featured many film and television actors.
The Delhi BJP welcomed the move of Luv Kush committee to remove Pandey from the role of Mandodari.
Shefali Jariwala Death: Parag Tyagi SLAMS Rumours Claiming Actress Died Due To Anti-Ageing Medicines: ‘Adhi-Adhoori Information Hai!’
Parag Tyagi has strongly rejected claims that his wife, Shefali Jariwala, died because of anti-ageing medicines. According to him, the circulating reports are misleading and contain “adhi-adhoori information.”
He clarified that Shefali never used strong anti-ageing drugs. Instead, she took multivitamins such as Vitamin C, collagen, and glutathione through a monthly IV drip. The rumours had alleged that she had taken one of these treatments on an empty stomach while fasting, which purportedly caused a sudden drop in blood pressure leading to cardiac arrest.
Parag said it’s false that she had taken these supplements without eating. He described the day of her death: after performing the Satyanarayan Pooja, she had eaten, rested, eaten again, and then taken her monthly drip. He emphasized that both he and she routinely took the same multivitamins.
He also pushed back on claims that fasting was involved, or that anti-ageing treatments caused her death. Parag said Shefali’s youthful appearance was the result of discipline, hard work, and a controlled diet—not medications. He urged people to verify the truth before spreading rumours.
The Court said that Patanjali may use “why settle for ordinary Chyawanprash” in its ads, but cannot use “with 40 herbs”, as the latter phrase directly targeted its rival, Dabur’s product.
Patanjali
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday modified an interim injunction against Patanjali Ayurved over the use of the phrase “Why settle for ordinary Chyawanprash made with 40 herbs?” in its advertisements by allowing it to continue using only the first part of the phrase [Patanjali Ayurved Vs Dabur Limited].
A Bench of Justices Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla has permitted Patanjali to use the part of the phrase referring to “ordinary Chyawanprash” in its advertisements, but restrained the company from making any references that could directly target rival Dabur’s 40-herb formulation.
The Court observed that comparative puffery was permissible in advertising.
However, Patanjali’s specific reference to “40 herbs” directly identified Dabur’s product and therefore could not be allowed.
“If the reference to 40 herbs is removed, what remains is only a statement saying ‘why settle for ordinary Chyawanprash?’ At the highest, that is puffery,” the Court noted.
The judges also clarified that not every use of the word “ordinary” in comparative advertising amounts to disparagement.
“Today, comparative advertising has travelled far beyond what it may have been 30 years ago. To say ‘I am the best and others are not as good’ is permissible as puffery,” the Bench remarked.
It added that enlightened consumers are not likely to abandon Dabur’s product merely because of Patanjali’s use of the word “ordinary.”
Following these observations, the Court closed an appeal filed by Patanjali in the matter. It also recorded Dabur’s agreement to the proposal that the earlier injunction order against Patanjali would be confined to restraining Patanjali from linking its “ordinary” claim with Dabur’s “40-herb” products.
Accordingly, Patanjali is now allowed to continue using the expression “ordinary Chyawanprash”, but without connecting it to any reference that would suggest a direct comparison with Dabur’s products.
The Court has left the other issues open to be decided by the trial court.
In July 2025, a single judge, Justice Mini Pushkarna had found that parts of Patanjali’s advertising campaign for its “Special Chyawanprash” went beyond permissible puffery and crossed into disparagement of rival products.
Dabur, which controls over 60% of the Chyawanprash market, alleged that Patanjali’s campaign misrepresented Ayurvedic formulations and cast Dabur’s product as “ordinary” and lacking fidelity to tradition.
Justice Pushkarna directed Patanjali to delete such claims—including the line “Why settle for ordinary Chyawanprash made with 40 herbs?” and scenes in its television commercials suggesting that only those with Ayurvedic knowledge could prepare “original Chyawanprash.” The Court clarified that the advertisements could continue once these edits were made.
Patanjali challenged this ruling before the Commercial Appellate Division of the High Court, arguing that the single judge order curtailed commercial speech and wrongly restricted the use of exaggeration in advertising, a practice protected under the doctrine of puffery.
It contended that the word “ordinary” was neutral and not a direct reference to Dabur, that its “special” formulation of Chyawanprash had regulatory approval, and that the interim order effectively prejudged issues relating to the number of herbs—40 or 51—required in the formulation.
When the matter came up before a Division Bench, the Court noted that the single judge’s order did not strike down the entire advertisement but only required minor modifications. The Bench had earlier warned Patanjali that pursuing the appeal could attract costs, and advised it to consider withdrawing the challenge.
German Ambassador to India Dr. Philipp Ackermann has invited skilled Indian workers to work in Germany saying their stable migration policies don’t change fundamentally overnight.
Ambassador of Germany to India Dr. Philipp Ackermann (Photo: X/AmbAckermann)
German Ambassador to India Dr Philipp Ackermann has said that highly skilled Indian workers are welcomed in Germany amid Donald Trump’s H1B visa move. In a video message on X, formerly Twitter, German Ambassador Ackermann took a dig at the United States, saying their policies don’t change fundamentally overnight, as Germany stands out with its stable migration policies and great job opportunities for Indians.
German Envoy’s message to Indian skilled workers has come as Donald Trump at a stroke of his signature on Friday hiked H1B visa fee from $2000-$3000 to $1,00,000 (Rs 88 lakh approx), which means that US companies who are willing to hire foreign employees will have to pay this amount to the US government, making it almost impossible for them to take foreign employees onboard.
Indians are the highest holders of H1B visa and such a move is definitely going to hit the aspirations of thousands of youth, especially techies, who dream of working in tech giants in the United States.
Amid this situation, German Ambassador Ackermann’s message is surely a breather for skilled Indian job seekers.
In his video message, Dr Ackerman said, “This is a good moment to talk about Indians working in Germany. Indians are among the top earners in Germany. Average Indian working in Germany earns more than average German worker in the country. And that’s pretty good news because a high salary means that Indians are contributing big times to our society and welfare. We believe in hard work and also in giving best jobs to the best people.”
Here is my call to all highly skilled Indians.
Germany stands out with its stable migration policies, and with great job opportunities for Indians in IT, management, science and tech.
Germany’s Migration Policy Is Like A Germany Car, Says Dr Ackerman
Likening Germany’s migration policy to that of a German car, Ambassador Dr Philip Ackerman said, “Our migration policy works a bit like a German car. It’s reliable, modern and predictable. It will go in a straight line with no zig-zags, and you don’t have to fear a full break at a top speed. We do not change our rules fundamentally overnight. Highly skilled Indians are welcomed in Germany.”
Dr Ackerman in his message also mentioned about a link for skilled Indian workers saying he’s sure they will find surprising opportunities.
Not Just Germany, China Too Invites Skilled Workers After Trump’s H1B Move
Prior to Germany, China earlier after Donald Trump’s H1B move stated that it is opening its doors to global talent across various sectors to drive technological and economic advancement.
China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Monday emphasised the importance of cross-border talent exchange in a globalised world, highlighting China’s commitment to fostering innovation and career opportunities for international professionals.
India has received the ICAO Council President Certificate at the 42nd ICAO Assembly in Montreal, recognising its progress in aviation safety oversight and effective implementation of international aviation standards.
India receives ICAO Council President Certificate for progress in aviation safety oversight
India has been awarded the prestigious ICAO Council President Certificate for its progress in establishing an effective aviation safety oversight system. The recognition was presented at the 42nd Session of the ICAO Assembly in Montreal, Canada, on Tuesday.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai received the certificate on behalf of India, an official statement confirmed.
“In recognition of your State’s progress in establishing an effective safety oversight system and improving the effective implementation (EI) of applicable International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), your State has been selected to receive an ICAO Council President Certificate,” the statement said.
The award was presented by ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano.
The ICAO Council President Certificate was introduced under the ‘No Country Left Behind’ initiative and is granted to nations that demonstrate significant improvement in aviation safety oversight. Eligibility is determined based on results from the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme’s Continuous Monitoring Approach activities.
The DGCA achieved its highest-ever Effective Implementation (EI) score of 85.65% in an ICAO audit conducted in November 2022, a sharp jump from 69.95% in 2018. This improvement catapulted India into the list of the world’s top 50 countries in aviation safety oversight for the first time.
Back in 2018, India ranked 102nd, below countries such as Nepal (101st), Pakistan (100th), Bangladesh (94th), and Sudan (89th). After the 2022 audit, India now stands at the 48th spot, ahead of major aviation markets like China (49), Israel (50), Turkey (54), Denmark (55), and Poland (60).
Cybercriminals posed as officials and kept the retired banker under ‘digital arrest’ for over a month, warning him not to speak to anyone and claiming he was under 24/7 surveillance.
A retired banker from Delhi was allegedly defrauded of nearly 23 crore over more than a month by cybercriminals who posed as government officials and claimed that his landline number and Aadhaar details had been compromised and used for terror funding. The callers insisted that he liquidate his assets and transfer funds as part of an ongoing “verification” process.
Naresh Malhotra, a former bank official residing alone in South Delhi’s Gulmohar Park, was targeted by callers who claimed to represent telecom operators and law enforcement agencies.
The incident began on August 1, when a woman identifying herself as an Airtel representative informed him that his landline number had been compromised and used to open multiple bank accounts in Mumbai. She claimed these accounts were linked to a Rs 1,300 crore terror funding case related to Pulwama.
Malhotra was told that he was under investigation and would be arrested under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act. He was connected to other individuals posing as Mumbai Police officers, who instructed him to join a video call and comply with ongoing verification.
During this time, they displayed a photograph of a man allegedly involved in bank fraud and asked if Malhotra had any connection with him, which he denied.
The callers then asked him to share personal and financial details, including information about his home, bank accounts, fixed deposits, stocks and lockers. Fake documents resembling a chargesheet and arrest warrant were also sent to him.
“They prepared a charge sheet against me and sent it, telling me to read it before they called again. They also shared an arrest warrant. I was forbidden from talking to anyone. They warned me I would be detained for six months and if I spoke to anyone, they would arrest me on anti-money laundering charges,” Malhotra told India Today.
Later, the former banker was told his bail was arranged if he cooperated and that all his bank accounts would be investigated. The retired banker was warned not to disclose any information to others and was told he was under 24-hour surveillance.
Over the following weeks, Malhotra continued to comply with the instructions issued by the callers, believing he was under investigation and surveillance. On August 4, he began liquidating his stock investments and the proceeds, amounting to Rs 12.84 crore, were transferred to multiple bank accounts as directed by the fraudsters.
Prior to this, he had already transferred Rs 14 lakh from his personal account. Another round of transactions took place later, during which an additional Rs 9.90 crore was moved to accounts provided by the callers.
By September, the total amount transferred had reached Rs 22.92 crore.
On September 4, a new caller claiming to be from the Enforcement Directorate informed Malhotra that the case had been transferred to the ED. He was shown what appeared to be a Supreme Court order and told that to recover his money, he would have to deposit an additional Rs 5 crore with the Reserve Bank of India.
The callers instructed him to transfer this amount to the account of a private company based in Kolkata, but he refused to comply. “At 3 pm, they said they would send the Supreme Court’s order. An order signed by the Chief Justice of India was sent, instructing to transfer this company,” Malhotra told India Today.
However, he declared his intention to approach the Supreme Court with a Rs 5 crore rupee draft and expressed his willingness to surrender. Following this, Malhotra reported the incident to the authorities.
Malhotra has two sons and four grandchildren and remained in contact with his family during the ordeal, however, he did not share details of the situation with them, fearing that he was being monitored.
The boy was apprehended by the airline personnel and handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force personnel, who brought him to Terminal 3 of the airport for questioning.
Airport security was alerted when airline personnel spotted the teenager roaming near the aircraft after it landed. (Photo: Representational )
A 13-year-old Afghan boy reached Delhi after secretly hiding in the landing gear compartment of a flight departing from Kabul, driven by what officials described as “curiosity.” The incident occurred on Sunday morning and came to light upon the aircraft’s arrival at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi.
According to official sources, the boy managed to enter the restricted area at Kabul airport and hide inside the rear central landing gear compartment of KAM Air flight RQ-4401. The flight, which departed from Kabul, landed in Delhi around 11.00 am after a two-hour journey.
Airport security was alerted when airline personnel spotted the teenager roaming near the aircraft after it landed.
The boy, a resident of Kunduz city in northern Afghanistan, was apprehended by airline staff and handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). He was taken to Terminal 3 for questioning.
During the initial inquiry, the boy claimed he had entered the aircraft out of curiosity, without fully understanding the risks involved, according to a PTI report. The boy was repatriated to Afghanistan on the same aircraft, which departed Delhi around 12:30 pm on Sunday, officials confirmed.
PM Modi also extended greetings over the introduction of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) 2.0 reforms. He also highlighted the benefits of the new reforms in GST and how it will benefit the people from different sections of the society.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi | PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a letter addressing the nation, extending festival greetings on the beginning of Navratri. PM Modi also extended greetings over the introduction of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) 2.0 reforms. He also highlighted the benefits of the new reforms in GST and how it will benefit the people from different sections of the society.
The new GST reforms kicks in from today on the first day of Navratri 2025. The major highlight of the newly introduced reform is that there will be mainly two tax slabs of 5% and 18%.
This festive season, let’s celebrate the ‘GST Bachat Utsav’! Lower GST rates mean more savings for every household and greater ease for businesses. pic.twitter.com/QOUGWXrC3d
The letter was shared on the official social media account of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which mentioned as follows:
As the nation celebrates the beginning of Navratri, I extend heartfelt wishes to you and your families. May this festival bring good health, happiness and prosperity for everyone.
This year, the festive season brings an added reason to rejoice. From September 22nd, the Next Generation GST reforms have begun to make their presence felt, marking the start of a ‘GST Bachat Utsav’ or ‘GST Savings Festival’ across the country.
These reforms will boost savings and directly benefit every section of society, be it farmers, women, youth, poor, middle class, traders or MSMEs. They will encourage greater growth and investments and accelerate the progress of every state and region.
An important feature of the Next Generation GST reforms is that there will mainly be two slabs of 5% and 18%.
Daily essentials such as food, medicines, soap, toothpaste, insurance and many more items will now either be tax-free or fall in the lowest 5% tax slab. Goods that were earlier taxed at 12% have almost entirely shifted to 5%.
It is greatly heartening to see various shopkeepers and traders putting up ‘then and now’ boards which indicate taxes pre-reforms and post-reforms.
In the last few years, 25 crore people have risen above poverty and formed an aspirational neo-middle class.
Further, we have also strengthened the hands of our middle class with the massive income tax cuts, which ensure zero tax up to the annual income of Rs 12 lakh.
If we combine the income tax cuts and the Next Generation GST reforms, they add up to savings of nearly Rs 2.5 lakh crore for the people.
Your household expenses will reduce and it will be easier to fulfill aspirations such as building a home, purchasing a vehicle, purchasing appliances, eating out or planning a family vacation.
Our nation’s GST journey, which began inS 2017, was a turning point in freeing our citizens and businesses from the web of multiple taxes. GST united the nation economically. ‘One Nation, One Tax’ brought uniformity and relief. The GST Council, with the active participation of both Centre and States, took many pro-people decisions.
Now, these new reforms take us further, simplifying the system, reducing rates and putting more savings in the hands of the people.
Our small industries, shopkeepers, traders, entrepreneurs and MSMEs will also see greater Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Compliance. Lower taxes, lower prices and simpler rules will mean better sales, less compliance burden and growth of opportunities, especially in the MSME sector.
Our collective goal is Viksit Bharat by 2047. To achieve it, walking on the path of self-reliance is imperative. These reforms strengthen our local manufacturing base, paving the way towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
On a related note, this festive season, let us also resolve to support products that are Made in India. This means buying Swadeshi products that have the sweat and toil of an Indian involved in their making, irrespective of the brand or the company that makes them.
Every time you buy a product made by our own artisans, workers and industries, you are helping many families earn their living and creating job opportunities for our youth.
This is the first in-person meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio since the US imposed a steep 50% tariff on Indian goods over its purchase of Russian oil.
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (X)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held bilateral talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA) session.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said that both leaders discussed a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. He said that both sides agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas.
“Good to meet @SecRubio this morning in New York. Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. Agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas. We will remain in touch,” EAM Jaishankar said.
Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. Agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas.
Ahead of the meeting, Jaishankar and Rubio were seen shaking hands and posing for a photograph.
#WATCH | New York: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA) session. pic.twitter.com/BPoTm5Udfi
The meeting at Lotte New York Palace is the first in-person meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio since the US imposed an additional 25% tariff on India for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, taking the total levies imposed on India to 50%.
However, both leaders met twice earlier this year. The two first met in January during the QUAD Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Washington, just days after Rubio took office, and again in July at a second QUAD gathering.
Trade Deal Negotiations
The bilateral talks also coincide with ongoing India–US trade negotiations in Washington, where Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is leading the Indian side. The trade negotiations resumed after US President Donald Trump marked a shift in tone and announced that his team was continuing negotiations to address trade barriers with New Delhi.
Amid the tariff row, India and the US have virtually engaged on a weekly basis on trade, ministerial, and diplomatic levels. Five rounds of negotiations for the India-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA) have been held, and the sixth round of talks – scheduled from August 25 to 29 – was rescheduled following the imposition of 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods by the US.
According to a release from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, “positive discussions were held” during the September 16 visit of officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative to India.
Earlier this month, Trump expressed confidence that the two sides would have “no difficulty” in reaching a deal. In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Modi’s leadership and thanked him for supporting peace efforts in Ukraine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded that the discussions would help “unlock the limitless potential of the India–US partnership.”
The US President further praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a birthday message, calling him a “friend” and lauding his leadership as “tremendous.”
Trump also thanked PM Modi for backing his efforts to end the Russia–Ukraine war, adding, “Narendra: Thank you for your support on ending the War between Russia and Ukraine!”
Though the agenda of the Jaishankar–Rubio talks was not in public, the discussion also assumed importance as it comes just days after Trump signed a proclamation imposing a new annual USD 100,000 application fee for H-1B visas — a move expected to hit Indian workers hardest, as they make up the majority of recipients.
Jaishankar arrived in New York on Sunday for the UN General Assembly session this week, commencing his engagements with a bilateral meeting with the Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Theresa P Lazaro.
When the relatives tried to enter the home on Sunday, the son allegedly refused to open the door despite responding to their calls.
During questioning, police said the son gave them inconsistent responses.(Representational Photo/HT)
A 65-year-old woman was found dead in a decomposed state and her 70-year-old husband, a retired music teacher at a school, was lying critically ill beside her in their Jamia Nagar flat late Sunday night, after police broke into the locked home following frantic calls from relatives who had been unable to reach the couple for days.
Their 50-year-old son, described by police as “mentally challenged” and with a history of psychiatric illness, was found sitting outside the bedroom and later taken to the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS).
According to police, the incident came to light when a PCR call was received around 11.30pm on Sunday, from the woman’s brother and sister-in-law, who said they had been alerted by the couple’s daughter in Hong Kong after she failed to contact her parents for nearly a week.
When these relatives tried to enter the home on Sunday, the son allegedly refused to open the door despite responding to their calls.
“Seeing the sensitivity of the case, the SHO and ACP rushed to the spot where the family members were present. The door was found locked from inside. We broke open the door to get inside. In one of the bedrooms, we found a dead body on the bed and her husband was found lying to her. He was in a critical and fragile condition. The staff immediately rushed him to AIIMS as he needed medical care. Their son was sitting outside the bedroom,” said Hemant Tiwari, deputy commissioner of police (southeast).
According to police, the couple lived in Queen Apartments in southeast Delhi’s Jamia Nagar. The man, a retired music teacher at a school nearby, remains hospitalised in fragile condition, said the DCP.
His wife’s body was sent for autopsy, with police noting that it bore no external injuries but was “highly decomposed,” indicating that she may have died several days earlier.
Doctors told police that the death appeared to be natural, though the exact cause will be determined after post-mortem. “However, the exact cause of death can only be revealed after the post mortem examination,” said an officer privy to the investigation in the case, who asked not to be identified.
During questioning, police said the son gave them inconsistent responses. “He has a history of psychiatric illness. He first said his mother and father were sleeping. He later admitted that he confined himself with his parents inside the home for four to five days without food. We suspect he did not feed them either,” said a senior officer.
Investigators added that the daughter had made repeated calls to her father and brother over four days, but neither answered. Alarmed, she contacted her maternal uncle, who lives in the same neighbourhood, prompting the family to approach the police.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked towards adding a spine to India’s foreign policy, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In a conversation with NDTV CEO and Editor-In-Chief Rahul Kanwal, Mr Shah gave his take on how PM Modi’s tenure stands out in comparison to his predecessors, including Jawaharlal Nehru – the first Prime Minister of India.
“When historians would compare the era of Modi with other Prime Ministers, the result will be in PM Modi’s favour,” Mr Shah said when asked how history will remember the eras of PM Modi and Nehru.
Nehru holds the record for the longest tenure as the Prime Minister, with more than 16 years in office. PM Modi, with more than 11 years in office, is the second-longest serving prime minister of India in terms of an uninterrupted tenure. PM Modi also has the distinction of being the longest-serving Chief Minister of Gujarat, with a term spanning from October 2001 to May 2014.
Citing revocation of Article 370, Triple Talaq, among other things, he spotlighted the work done by the Narendra Modi government in just a decade.
“25 crore people have come out of poverty in a decade… the country’s economy has climbed from 11th to 4th position. Article 370, Ram Mandir, Triple Talaq, clarifying the definition of citizenship of the country, increasing the respect of the Indian passport throughout the country, all this has been done in just a decade.”
He then said PM Modi has done the work of adding spine to India’s foreign policy, which, he claimed, it lacked earlier.
“In the foreign policy of India, after studying it extensively, I have reached a decision that there was a lack of spine in the foreign policy of India. Narendra Modi has done the work of adding the spine to the foreign policy of India,” said Mr Shah, who has known PM Modi for more than four decades now.
The 60-year-old also put a spotlight on PM Modi’s journey from a worker at the district level to Chief Minister of Gujarat and then the Prime Minister of India.
“I have seen him very closely. His biggest quality has been that he can mould himself successfully in every role. He has been successful in carrying out all his responsibilities. This is a great quality,” he said.
