Category: India

Indore police are investigating three abandoned bags found on Sanwer-Ujjain Road with currency bundles inside. The seizure drew alarm after many packets were found stuffed with fake notes and coloured papers.

Police in Indore are investigating after suspicious cash worth nearly Rs 2.83 crore was found inside three abandoned bags on the Sanwer-Ujjain Road on Thursday morning.

The incident created panic in the area after a local farmer spotted three unattended bags lying under a tree near Bhutta Square and alerted the police.

A police team rushed to the spot and took the bags into custody for investigation. When the bags were opened, officers found hundreds of bundles of Rs 500 currency notes inside. Initial estimates suggested that the total amount was around Rs 2.83 crore.

However, during examination, police discovered that while some genuine currency notes had been placed on top of the bundles, many packets contained fake notes and coloured plain papers inside.

Police suspect the bags may have been prepared for a large-scale fraud or illegal financial transaction.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/fake-notes-mixed-with-real-cash-found-in-three-abandoned-bags-on-indore-ujjain-road-2908435-2026-05-08

At least three people were reportedly injured in a shooting near a Publix in Cane Bay Boulevard, Summerville, South Carolina, before the suspect fled toward a nearby elementary school.

 

Conservationist Krithi Karanth has become the first Indian to be named the 2026 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year for her wildlife work.

Krithi K. Karanth has spent years working closely with wildlife and the people living around forests in India. From helping farmers deal with crop damage caused by animals to teaching children how to safely live near tigers and elephants, her work has focused on reducing conflict between humans and wildlife.

Now, the conservationist has received one of the biggest global honours in the field. The National Geographic Society has named her the 2026 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year, making her the first Indian to receive the title. The announcement was made in Mumbai on May 6, this year.

She Works With Both People And Wildlife

Karanth is the CEO of the Bengaluru-based Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS), a non-profit organisation that works to protect wildlife across India. Her work focuses on helping people and wild animals live side by side peacefully, especially in areas close to forests and reserves.

Two Indian women, Praveen Shaikh and Barkha Subba, received the Whitley Award for their conservation efforts protecting the Indian Skimmer and Himalayan salamander.

Two Indian women among six received the Whitley Award, which is also known as the “Green Oscar” award, for local solutions to create a future where communities and wildlife thrive together on a healthy planet. The Indian women who received the awards are Praveen Sheikh and Barkha Subba.

Parveen Shaikh was honoured for her community-led conservation work to protect the endangered Indian Skimmer along India’s river systems. Working with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), she launched the “Guardians of the Skimmer” initiative on the Chambal River.

The project trains local community members as “nest guardians” to monitor and protect bird nesting sites from threats such as sand mining, predators, cattle trampling, pollution, and human disturbance. Her efforts have led to major conservation success: the local Indian Skimmer population increased from about 400 birds in 2017 to nearly 1,000 birds, while nest survival rates improved significantly.

With the 2026 Whitley Award funding, Parveen Shaikh plans to expand the project to Prayagraj in the Ganga Basin, where the rivers Ganga and Yamuna meet. The initiative will include GPS-based nest monitoring, predator-proof fencing, and greater community participation in river conservation.

Police in Beed are investigating a complaint that a woman married multiple men through agents before fleeing with cash and jewellery. The case has raised concerns about an alleged racket targeting unmarried men in rural parts of the district.

A suspected “looter bride” racket allegedly targeting unmarried men through fake marriages has come to light in Maharashtra’s Beed district, with police investigating claims that a woman married multiple men before fleeing with cash and jewellery. The latest case surfaced from a village, where a local man alleged that he was cheated of lakhs of rupees after being lured into a fraudulent marriage arranged by agents.

According to the complaint, Yogesh Shinde was introduced to the woman through intermediaries who promised to arrange his marriage. The agents allegedly collected large sums of money from him during the process. The marriage was solemnised, but within days, the bride and the agents reportedly disappeared.

During subsequent enquiries, Yogesh allegedly discovered that the woman had previously married eight other men in a similar fashion and had allegedly fled each time after taking money and valuables.

VICTIM SEEKS POLICE ACTION

Deeply distressed by the incident, Yogesh approached the district police seeking action against the alleged gang. In his complaint to the Beed Superintendent of Police, he said, “I have been cheated of lakhs of rupees and the situation has pushed me towards suicidal thoughts. I want justice.”

He further alleged that he had no knowledge of the woman’s previous marriages and was kept completely in the dark before the wedding.

A complaint has now been registered at Chaklamba police station, and an investigation is underway.

GANG TARGETED RURAL BACHELORS: COMPLAINT

According to the complaint, the alleged racket specifically targeted unmarried men in rural parts of Beed district, where families often struggle to find brides.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/serial-bride-marries-nine-times-dupes-grooms-vanishes-with-cash-gold-maharashtra-police-beed-marriage-fraud-gang-2907317-2026-05-06

Pakistan’s standard repair time after Operation Sindoor: Months for most bases, and nearly a year for the deepest scars.

A year after India launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, its scars remain far from healed.

India struck 11 critical defence locations and nine terror sites under Operation Sindoor in May last year, according to government statements. A year later, what remains of them?

An analysis of medium and high-resolution satellite imagery of at least eight airbases suggests that Pakistan took, on average, six to seven months to repair individual structures hit at defence sites — mostly hangars. While some facilities appear to have been rebuilt and returned to normal operations, several others remain under maintenance.

Even runway patchwork at some bases took months, with reconstruction activity at other sites continuing nearly a year after the strikes.

India Today’s Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) analyses historical satellite imagery from ESA’s Sentinel-2 and high-res imagery from US-based space technology firm Vantor of the 8 PAF bases: PAF Base Bholari, PAF Base Murid, PAF Base Sukkur, PAF Base Rahim Yar Khan, PAF Base Mushaf in Sargodha, PAF Base Nur Khan (Chaklala), and PAF Base Shahbaz in Jacobabad to assess the intensity of damage inflicted and the pace at which Pakistan is restoring its air bases.

At Murid and Sukkur, the damage was so severe that repairs likely required the damaged structures to be razed first. PAF Base Bholari still appears to be under restoration.

Reconstruction activity has also been observed in its final stages at four other bases: PAF Base Rahim Yar Khan, PAF Base Mushaf in Sargodha, PAF Base Nur Khan in Chaklala, and PAF Base Shahbaz in Jacobabad.

PAF Base Rafiqui (Shorkot) was another military installation targeted by Indian forces during Operation Sindoor. However, owing to the lack of accessible high-resolution satellite imagery and the absence of independently verifiable evidence, India Today could not conclusively assess the extent or nature of the damage inflicted at the base following the strikes. Additionally, the medium-resolution imagery available for review lacked the spatial fidelity required to reliably identify structural damage or post-strike repair activity.

Our analysis does not include terror sites such as Bahawalpur and Muridke, which were struck on the first day of Operation Sindoor. Limited access to high-resolution imagery, and the constraints of medium-resolution imagery in dense built-up areas, makes it difficult to assess their restoration status.

High-resolution satellite images sourced from the US-based space technology firm Vantor and analysed by India Today’s Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) team show fresh repair work, machinery deployment at strike-damaged compounds in Bahawalpur and Muzaffarabad.

At PAF Base Bholari, Vantor imagery indicates that restoration work remains incomplete even after a year. Imagery following last year’s May strikes showed a heavily damaged hangar complex. Subsequent imagery from June 2, 2025, showed the structure covered with tarpaulin, while imagery dated January 28, 2026, indicated that roof sheets had been removed from the damaged section. By March 26, 2026, visible repair and reconstruction activity could be observed at the site, suggesting that restoration efforts at the hangar complex are still underway.

The base, located in Sindh’s Jamshoro district, was among the hardest hit during the Indian strikes, with over 50 individuals, including Squadron Leader Usman Yusuf and four airmen, killed. Inaugurated in 2017 under the PAF’s Southern Air Command, the base holds strategic significance for the security of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). EMBED PAF Base Murid

Further, satellite imagery indicates a far more severe impact at PAF Base Murid, located in Punjab’s Chakwal district. Imagery dated May 10, 2025, showed significant structural damage immediately after the Indian strike. In the months that followed, the affected section remained covered with tarpaulin, as seen in imagery from June 2, 2025, and December 16, 2025. However, by February 28, 2026, the structure appeared to have been cleared, with imagery suggesting that the damaged building was likely demolished, pointing towards extensive reconstruction requirements at the site.

Following the Indian strikes, the same base revealed a roughly 3-metre-wide crater near a high-value underground facility. Pakistan, however, moved quickly to cover the impact site with a tent, definitely not for aesthetics but to obscure what lay beneath. The location and nature of the crater suggested that the Indian strikes may have targeted hardened infrastructure at the base, including facilities believed to support protected or underground assets.

PAF Base Sukkur, a dual-use facility that also operates as Begum Nusrat Bhutto International Airport, was also among the Pakistani air bases struck by India on May 10, 2025. Imagery sourced from Vantor shows that a hangar damaged during the strikes remained heavily affected in imagery dated July 31, 2025.

Subsequent imagery from November 27, 2025, indicated demolition and clean-up activity at the site, while imagery dated February 20, 2026, showed the damaged hangar had been completely leveled. Nearly a year after the strikes, parts of the site still appear unrestored to their pre-conflict state, suggesting prolonged reconstruction efforts at the base and the intensity of the Indian strike.

Next in line is Rahim Yar Khan Air Base, where the Indian Air Force strike demonstrated a clear runway denial capability, leaving behind an approximately 6-metre-wide impact mark on the runway. Low-resolution Sentinel 2 satellite imagery, reviewed by India Today, suggests that by March 15, 2026, the damaged section had likely been patched and resurfaced.

However, in the aftermath of the May 2025 strike, Pakistan issued multiple NOTAMs for Rahim Yar Khan Airport as the runway underwent prolonged repairs and safety assessments, remaining unavailable for operations for months. The runway was eventually declared operational again only on September 10, 2025, nearly 120 days after the Indian strikes.

According to Sentinel 2 satellite imagery reviewed by India Today, at least two runway craters were visible at PAF Base Mushaf in Sargodha on May 14, 2025, following the Indian strikes. However, imagery dated August 7, 2025, suggests that the craters were likely patched within nearly three months, indicating that runway restoration work at the base had largely been completed.

Satellite imagery from Nur Khan Airbase in Islamabad, a major logistics and transport hub of the Pakistan Air Force, indicated damage to a key structure within the operational area of the base following the Indian strikes in May 2025. Imagery reviewed from April 2026 suggests that the damaged section was rebuilt, likely by around November 2025, indicating a restoration timeline of roughly six months.

The latest imagery also points to continued construction activity at the site, including multiple newly built hangar-like structures and a new facility within the airbase complex.

Notably, the base was also used during the high-level US-Iran delegation visit involving US Vice President JD Vance for peace talks held in Pakistan’s capital on April 11, 2026, marking one of the first such prominent diplomatic arrivals at the facility since the May 2025 conflict.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/operation-sindoor-pakistan-airbase-repairs-still-unfinished-after-a-year-satellite-images-show-2907688-2026-05-06

The CBI has uncovered a trafficking network that sent Indians to scam compounds in Southeast Asia. The case points to a wider cyber slavery racket involving coercion, ransom demands and cross-border crime.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has uncovered a suspected organised human trafficking network that lured Indian nationals to Southeast Asian countries under the guise of lucrative overseas employment, officials said on Wednesday.

According to investigators, victims were promised high-paying jobs abroad but were instead transported to scam compounds in countries such as Myanmar and Cambodia. These facilities, allegedly run by transnational cybercrime syndicates, have been described by authorities as hubs of “cyber slavery,” where trafficked individuals are forced to engage in online financial fraud.

The probe has revealed that victims were subjected to strict confinement, with their passports confiscated upon arrival. Authorities also documented instances of physical abuse and psychological coercion. In several cases, victims were reportedly forced to contact their families in India to arrange ransom payments in exchange for their release.

As part of the crackdown, the CBI carried out coordinated raids at nine locations across four states, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Lucknow, Kashipur, as well as locations in the Gonda and Saharanpur districts of Uttar Pradesh. The raids followed an extensive nationwide inquiry during which statements from multiple victims were recorded.

Investigators have also conducted a detailed financial probe, including tracking cryptocurrency transactions, to identify and map the network’s funding channels. Several electronic devices containing alleged incriminating evidence were seized during the searches.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/cbi-cracks-down-on-cyber-slavery-network-conducts-multi-state-raids-2907821-2026-05-07

While the chief ministerial face has not yet been officially announced, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari is widely seen as the frontrunner.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah areli kely to be among top BJP leaders attending the swearing-in ceremony of the party’s first government in West Bengal, scheduled for May 9 at Brigade Parade Ground in central Kolkata.

The event is being seen as a landmark moment, marking the Bharatiya Janata Party’s rise to power in a state where it had long struggled to establish a strong foothold. Several Union ministers, BJP president Nitin Nabin, and chief ministers from BJP-ruled states are also expected to attend the ceremony.

While the chief ministerial face has not yet been officially announced, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari is widely seen as the frontrunner. Other names under consideration include state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya, Union minister Sukanta Majumdar and former Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta.

Announcing the event, Bhattacharya said the new government will take oath at 10 am on May 9. “The new BJP government will take oath on May 9 at 10 am at Brigade Parade Ground,” he said.

Significantly, the swearing-in ceremony will be held on the 25th day of Baisakh in the Bengali calendar — observed across the state as Rabindra Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore — lending the event a deeper cultural symbolism.

During the campaign, Shah had repeatedly asserted that the chief minister would be a “son of the soil”, born and educated in the state, in an attempt to blunt the TMC’s sustained attack that the BJP represented an “outsider” political culture alien to Bengal’s social and intellectual traditions.

Party leaders say the choice of date and messaging reflects a broader strategy to connect with the state’s cultural and intellectual traditions.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/pm-modi-shah-likely-among-bjp-top-brass-to-attend-partys-first-bengal-cm-swearing-in-event-ws-l-10077845.html

Adhikari termed the killing a “cold-blooded murder” as police began probing the role of bike-borne attackers and a suspicious car.

West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday termed the killing of his close aide Chandranath Rath a “cold-blooded murder”, hours after the latter was shot dead in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district.

Speaking to reporters outside the hospital where Rath’s body was kept, Adhikari alleged that the attack was pre-planned and demanded strict action against those involved.

“It’s a cold-blooded murder,” the BJP leader said while reacting to the killing of his longtime associate, who had accompanied him through much of his political journey over the last decade.

Rath, who served as Adhikari’s personal assistant, was attacked late Wednesday night by unidentified bike and car-borne assailants. According to sources, at least eight attackers arriving on four motorcycles were involved in the shooting. All of them were allegedly wearing helmets.

Investigators are also probing the role of a car bearing a Siliguri registration code (WB 74), which allegedly intercepted Rath’s Scorpio moments before the firing. Soon after the vehicle slowed down, the attackers allegedly opened fire at close range before fleeing the spot.

“It’s a cold-blooded murder,” the BJP leader said while reacting to the killing of his longtime associate, who had accompanied him through much of his political journey over the last decade.

Rath, who served as Adhikari’s personal assistant, was attacked late Wednesday night by unidentified bike and car-borne assailants. According to sources, at least eight attackers arriving on four motorcycles were involved in the shooting. All of them were allegedly wearing helmets.

Investigators are also probing the role of a car bearing a Siliguri registration code (WB 74), which allegedly intercepted Rath’s Scorpio moments before the firing. Soon after the vehicle slowed down, the attackers allegedly opened fire at close range before fleeing the spot.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/its-a-cold-blooded-murder-suvendu-adhikari-reacts-to-close-aide-chandranath-raths-killing-ws-l-10078009.html

Operation Sindoor shelling in Uri left children like 5-year-old Amaira traumatized, homes and shops damaged, one civilian dead, and led to calls for safer civilian bunkers.

In her small home in Bandi village of Uri, located on the foothills of a hill that still echo with distant memories of gunfire, 5-year-old Amaira keeps a tiny box. Inside it are not dolls or crayons but jagged pieces of metal: Shrapnel from artillery shells fired last year during Operation Sindoor from behind the mountains of her house. Fragments of a clash she doesn’t fully understand yet has already lived through.

One piece, the one she holds most often, is dark and twisted, its edges sharp enough to cut. It landed near her home during the days of Operation Sindoor, when the skies roared and the ground trembled. Her mother remembers the night: the panic, the rush to safety, the deafening blasts as shells fell indiscriminately, many striking civilian areas. But Amaira remembers the sound as “scary thunder.”

“The shells were falling,” she recalls on being questioned about that night while she holds the heavy box with both hands.

“My mother, father and I had collected them and now I keep them with me,” the 5-year-old says.

When asked what she remembers by these shrapnels, she replies “I was crying that night when shells were falling, I still recall. I can’t catch sleep.”

In the village, other children have similar collections, unspoken reminders scattered across courtyards and fields. What should have been playgrounds became impact sites.

Amaira’s world has quietly shifted. She still smiles, still plays, but the impact of knowing bombs and shells has a visible impact on her young mind. The shrapnel in her hand is cold, lifeless metal. But the mark it has left is not. It lives in the questions she asks, in the fears she cannot yet name, and in the childhood that now carries the weight of something far too heavy.

For Amaira and many like her in Uri, the shelling did not end when it stopped. It lingers, in fragments and in memories.

A Persian cat at her house pauses at the boundary, sniffing a small crater as she steps back in. The home still carries last year’s scars. Its walls are pocked with a dozen marks, some shallow, others deep. The rooftop that shelters them is riddled with tiny holes, courtesy splinters and shrapnels, thought them light slips in, casting an almost artistic pattern inside. Each opening, however, is a reminder of the day. The family is yet to recover from what transpired.

“Around 11 that night lot of shells exploded. We felt death was near,” says her cousin. Her elder sister says they were given Rs 1.3 lakh by the government, but the relief feels insufficient.

“All the glasses were also broken. Our roof was also shattered and now we have repaired it partially,” she says, pointing at the polythene-covered windows.

A few kilometres away, near a temple, a once-standing wooden grocery shop lies reduced to memory, its presence marked only by a few charred blocks of wood left behind.

Next to it, the wall of a vegetable seller silently narrates its own story of destruction. The iron shutter is punctured with shrapnel, each hole a stark imprint of that night.

In Uri, Nargis Bano was the only civilian to lose her life in shelling from Pakistan. She was fleeing in a Scorpio when a shell exploded nearby. A single piece of shrapnel struck the vehicle, piercing her near the throat, while the others inside escaped unhurt. Though there were additional injuries in the Uri, most of those affected have since recovered.

At Sub-District Hospital Uri, an underground bunker has been constructed on the lawn in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, reflecting a long-felt need.

During the shelling, several rounds landed in the vicinity, triggering panic among patients and medical staff. With no bunker at the time, many were forced to take cover under beds and tables.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/broken-homes-sleepless-nights-uri-children-recall-pakistan-shelling-during-operation-sindoor-ws-l-10077735.html

The man’s post about leaving the corporate world has resonated with many, prompting varied reactions on social media.

The conversation around millennial burnout has been reignited following a viral video of a man documenting his final day in the corporate world. He shared a heartfelt reflection on his 11-year tenure, revealing how he spent three years preparing for this transition.

“Last Working Day of corporate career,” Biswajit Mohanty wrote and shared a video. In the clip, he explained his decision to quit the corporate world.

“So this is my last day in corporate and I reflect back on the 12 years of schooling, four years of graduation, two years of post-graduation with an education loan, then 11 years of work experience and three months of notice period to today which is like the last day of my corporate career,” Mohanty said in a video.

He said it was three years ago that he realised he didn’t want to remain part of the corporate world. “I asked myself two questions, will I do this job if I had an alternate source of income and what is the impact if this job ID ceased to exist in the real world? What will be the difference? I could not find a direct correlation between what I was doing in this upscale class building versus out in the real world.”

That is when he began preparing to leave corporate life. Mohanty explained that the first step was to “unlearn several things”, and then he started teaching students.

He continued, “My final mail, goodbye mail is ready, it’s in my draft, I’ll be sending it in a couple of hours and I’ll be signing off from this corporate world.”

Talking about what he realised during this journey, Mohanty added, “I realised a very hard truth that without time and energy the bank balance only gives convenience not joy, does not give you that satisfaction to sleep well at night.”

How did social media react?

An individual noted, “I agree corporate at 35 hits hard. Difficult to work like robots until you have EMIs on your head. Stay strong, we don’t need that much money to live a peaceful life.” Another shared, “This is one of the cleanest words. It’s worth watching this video.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/man-retires-from-corporate-life-at-35-burnout-is-real-for-millennials-101778117100915.html

“Let them dismiss me. I want this to be a black day,” Mamata Banerjee said

Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, who has refused to put in her resignation from the Chief Minister post, is adamant about the decision, come what may. “Let them dismiss me. I want this to be a black day,” she said amid the condemnation and consternation pouring in since yesterday.

The party, Banerjee said at a meeting with her MLAs today, will go to court against the post-poll violence that has been on since April 29.

The attempt to boost morale also came with a warning: A disciplinary committee has also been formed against any party leader who speaks against the party publicly, she said.

The BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari – the front-runner in the race for the top post – has emphatically declared that no post poll violence is taking place in Bengal.

“Sporadic incidents reported so far have been much less than the post poll violence that happened in 2021. There are some goons are still out there. The BJP led government will take strong action,” he said.

Banerjee also wants to keep the party in protest mode. The day the assembly opens will be a black dress day, she declared.

The 71-year-old has dug in her heels since the declaration of results, blaming the Election Commission for her loss at the hustings. She has accused the poll panel of playing “nasty games” and pointed to defeats for non-BJP alliances in recent elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Bihar.

Since yesterday, Banerjee’s declaration that she won’t resign has had political leaders scurrying for a rulebook. There is none that explicitly lays down the SOP – probably because no one envisaged such a situation ever coming up.

The rules are open to interpretation, and the consensus is that the Governor can technically dismiss the Chief Minister, who holds office at his pleasure and can be in office only till the legislative assembly is dissolved.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/let-them-dismiss-me-mamata-banerjee-doubles-down-on-wont-resign-threat-11458311?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Chandranath Rath, Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant, was shot at point-blank range by unidentified assailants on a bike on Wednesday night.

BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday said the killing of his personal assistant (PA), Chandranath Rath, was a “pre-planned murder” and alleged that the killers had carried out “recce for two to three days”.

Rath, 41, was shot at point-blank range by unidentified assailants on a bike in Madhyamgram in Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday night.

Speaking to reporters outside the hospital where Rath was taken after the attack, Adhikari said the incident was a “cold-blooded murder”.

“The incident is heart-wrenching; we condemn the incident,” he said.

Adhikari said Bengal Director General of Police Siddh Nath Gupta had assured him that the matter would be investigated thoroughly.

“The way the attack was executed clearly suggests that the assailants had done a recce beforehand,” he alleged.

He said that Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar, a former West Bengal BJP president, has spoken to Rath’s family.

“This is the result of 15 years of Maha-Jungle Raj… BJP will start the cleansing work of the goons here,” Adhikari, whose BJP registered a historic win in the Bengal assembly elections on Monday, said.

Suvendu Adhikari’s PA Chandranath Rath Was Followed 

The attackers followed Chandranath Rath’s car, a Mahindra Scorpio, intercepted it, shot him through the rolled-up window from the opposite side and fled the scene, according to preliminary information.

Rath, originally from Chandipur in Purba Medinipur district, the political turf that shaped Adhikari’s rise in Bengal politics, was in the front passenger seat.

Visuals showed the front passenger seat window shattered by bullets and blood stains on the seat.

Eyewitnesses claimed the vehicle carrying Rath was first blocked near Doharia junction by a small four-wheeler, after which a biker approached his car and started firing from close range.

The occupants of the four-wheeler later abandoned the vehicle and escaped on the motorcycle. Preliminary findings suggested that the attackers came on four bikes.

The attack took place around 10.30 pm when Rath was returning to his residence in Madhyamgram. He was about 200 metres away from his home.

Rath’s driver also sustained bullet injuries and was shifted to a Kolkata hospital, where his condition is said to be critical.

Rath was then rushed to a nearby private hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

“The victim was brought dead with multiple bullet injuries on his chest, which pierced his heart, and another bullet on his abdominal area. There was no opportunity to resuscitate him,” a hospital doctor said.

Car Had Fake Number Plate

Bengal’s DGP Siddh Nath Gupta said that live rounds along with fired cartridges were recovered from the spot of the incident near Madhyamgram.

“The four-wheeler used in the crime has been seized, but it is being reported that the number plate is fake and has been tampered with,” he said.

The car, a Nissan Micra, was registered as WB74AK2270.

Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya called the killing evidence of the “total criminalisation of politics” in the state.

“This was a planned and targeted attack. By killing the PA of the outgoing leader of opposition, the assailants wanted to send a political message,” he said.

Suvendu Adhikari’s Aide Chandranath Rath Was An Air Force Veteran

Chandranath Rath, before becoming the close aide of Suvendu Adhikari, had served in the Indian Air Force.

He had spent nearly two decades in the air force after completing his studies at Rahara Ramakrishna Mission. People close to the family said Rath had once considered a spiritual life and was deeply influenced by the Ramakrishna Mission ethos during his student years.

After taking voluntary retirement from the air force, he briefly worked in the corporate sector before gradually moving into political coordination and administrative responsibilities.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/suvendu-adhikari-on-aide-chandranath-raths-pre-planned-murder-day-after-bjp-bengal-election-results-recced-for-2-3-days-11459926?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has admitted a petition against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi alleging disproportionate assets and seeking a CBI probe, filed by petitioner S Vignesh Shishir. The matter was listed on May 6 before a division bench and accepted for urgent chamber hearing. ED, Income Tax, SFIO and MHA were also named case today.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has admitted a criminal petition filed against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi alleging possession of assets disproportionate to known sources of income. The plea seeks a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The court has accepted the petition and is expected to take up the matter for hearing shortly. The petitioner has urged that the CBI register a regular case and initiate a detailed investigation into the allegations.

The matter was listed in the fresh case list on May 6 before a division bench comprising Justices Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Jafir Ahmad. Prior to the hearing, petitioner S Vignesh Shishir requested that the case be treated as urgent and heard in chamber. The court accepted the request and permitted a chamber hearing later in the day.

In the petition, it has been alleged that Rahul Gandhi and his family possess assets exceeding their known sources of income, warranting an impartial probe. Besides the CBI, the plea has also named the Enforcement Directorate, the Income Tax Department, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office as parties in the case.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/plea-against-rahul-gandhi-over-disproportionate-assets-admitted-by-allahabad-high-court

The TVK has emerged as the single largest party in Tamil Nadu Assembly, winning 108 seats in the 234-member House; DMK’s allies CPI(M), CPI, and VCK, which have won two seats each, are yet to decide on support; IUML has refused backing

Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is learnt to have asked Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president C. Joseph Vijay, who on Wednesday evening (May 6, 2026) staked claim to form the next government, to produce letters demonstrating support of 118 MLAs, the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly.

Earlier, the Congress, which won five seats as part of the DMK alliance, snapped its over 20-year ties with the Dravidian major and extended support to the TVK. It is learnt the party could be offered two Cabinet berths if the TVK forms a coalition government.

The TVK had won 108 seats in the recent Assembly election. Mr. Vijay has to resign one of his two seats while one would be elected the Speaker, who could vote only during a tie. Hence, with the Congress’s backing, the coalition’s numbers is only 111 and the TVK needs the backing of seven legislators.

Mr. Vijay, along with the party’s senior leaders met the Governor, who arrived in the afternoon from Kerala, where too he holds the gubernatorial post. At the Lok Bhavan, sources said Mr. Arlekar asked Mr. Vijay to demonstrate the numbers before he could be invited to form the government. Legally, the Governor is entitled to satisfy himself about such proof since the cumulative number of legislators belonging to the current DMK front (68) and AIADMK front (53) would exceed those of the legislators backing Mr. Vijay.

AIADMK senior leader K.P. Munusamy, following a meeting of legislators and functionaries chaired by party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, categorically told journalists that reports claiming the AIADMK would support the TVK “were not true”.

The DMK’s allies, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the CPI, and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, which won two seats each, said the TVK had reached out to them separately seeking support. But leaders of these parties said they would decide only after internal party meetings to be held in due course. Another DMK ally, the Indian Union Muslim League, with two legislator-elects, had earlier announced it would not extend support to the TVK.

Earlier, AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu Girish Chodankar, in a press release said the alliance with the TVK was “founded on mutual respect, appropriate share, and shared responsibility between the two parties”. This move was not only for the formation of the government “but also for future elections to local bodies, the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha”.

The “support shall be conditional upon the TVK keeping out from this alliance any communal forces that do not believe in the Constitution of India”.

Mr. Chodankar said the TVK and the Congress would strive to bring back Kamaraj’s glory days in Tamil Nadu, with a strong commitment to Periyar’s social justice ideals and Ambedkar’s constitutional ideals in the years and decades to come.

“Mr. Vijay and Rahul Gandhi jointly pledge to respect this historic verdict of the people of Tamil Nadu for a secular and progressive government, and to fulfil the dreams and promises of the people — especially the youth of Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Source : https://www.thehindu.com/elections/tamil-nadu-assembly/tvk-chief-vijay-calls-on-governor-arlekar-stakes-claim-to-form-government-in-tamil-nadu/article70946707.ece

A founder shared how her remote team uses Slack statuses like “grind,” “normal,” and “survival” mode to manage workload and avoid burnout at work.

A founder has started a discussion online after sharing how her remote team uses Slack statuses to show how they are feeling during the workday. The idea, she explained, helps employees avoid burnout and makes communication inside the team easier.

Instead of expecting everyone to work at the same pace every day, the team follows a simple system with three different work modes. The founder shared the idea through a video posted on Instagram.

In the clip, she explained that most of the team’s work communication happens on Slack. Over time, they realised people cannot stay in “hustle mode” constantly.

“So, we are a remote team and we have this really cool thing which I took from my friend Saloni. We work on Slack. Basically, most of our communication is on Slack. We realised that we are not warriors, so we cannot be in a grind-hustle mode every single day,” she said.

Team Uses Three Work Modes

The founder said the team now uses three different modes based on how a person is feeling on a particular day.

The first is “Grind mode”, which is for days when someone feels highly productive and ready to give their best effort. The second is “Normal mode”, where employees simply focus on finishing their regular tasks for the day.

The third is called “Survival mode”. According to her, this is meant for difficult days when someone may not be feeling mentally or physically okay.

“So we have now three modes. First is Grind mode, where we are at our 120 per cent. Then we have a Normal mode, where we’re working, making sure that the To-Do for the day is done. And then we have a Survival mode. This is a mode which we use usually when we have like period cramps or just a bad day, break up, or something like that,” she explained.

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Slack Status Keeps Everyone Informed

The woman said employees only need to update their Slack status to reflect which mode they are in. This allows teammates to understand each other’s situation without asking too many questions. She added that the system also helps adjust deadlines and expectations whenever needed.

“So we have 3 modes: survival, grind, and normal mode. And you can just update your Slack status with however you’re feeling today. This just keeps everybody updated and changes the timelines a little bit if required. We do this basically so that we don’t burn out by being in the grind mode every single day,” she said.

The video was shared with the caption, “Sorry for saying ‘breakup’ so casually”.

Many people online said they liked the idea and felt workplaces should openly accept that employees cannot always perform at the same level every day.

Source : https://www.news18.com/viral/founder-shares-how-her-team-uses-slack-statuses-to-handle-burnout-we-realised-that-we-are-not-warriors-ws-l-10076048.html

 

The Gujarat High Court rejected Narayan Sai’s plea for relief in the 2013 Surat rape case. The court also refused to stay his conviction or grant bail, underscoring its stance on serious offences.

Narayan Sai has suffered a major setback after the Gujarat High Court rejected his plea for relief in a rape case registered in Surat in 2013. The court dismissed his mercy petition and refused to stay his conviction.

Sai had approached the high court seeking a suspension of his sentence in the case. However, the bench declined to grant any relief, citing the seriousness of the offence and his conviction in the case.

The court also rejected his bail application, making it clear that no leniency would be extended given the nature of the crime. The decision reinforces the judiciary’s firm stance on serious offences such as rape.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/law-news/story/narayan-sai-gujarat-high-court-rape-case-relief-rejected-2907294-2026-05-06

A bag containing cash, gold ornaments and land documents was found inside the operation theatre of a rural hospital in South 24 Parganas. The recovery triggered a BJP protest, rival claims over ownership and a police investigation.

Days after the election results, a government hospital in the state has landed in controversy after a large quantity of cash and gold ornaments was recovered from inside an operation theatre, triggering protests and political accusations.

The recovery was reported from a rural hospital in South 24 Parganas, where an unattended bag allegedly containing cash, gold jewellery and land documents was found within the hospital premises.

BAG FOUND INSIDE OPERATION THEATRE

According to local accounts, the bag was noticed inside the operation theatre on Tuesday morning, raising suspicion among those present.

When it was opened, it allegedly contained a substantial amount of cash, gold ornaments and several land-related documents.

The discovery quickly drew attention, with local BJP workers reaching the hospital and staging a protest.

BJP ALLEGES LINK TO TMC LEADER

BJP workers alleged that the valuables were illegal assets linked to a Trinamool Congress leader.

They claimed that a close associate of Sawkat Molla, identified as Hossain Gazi, had stored the cash and gold inside the hospital.

The protest intensified as BJP workers detained the doctor in charge at the hospital, demanding action.

HOSPITAL VERSION DIFFERS

The hospital administration offered a different account of how the bag reached the premises.

Doctor Shah Rukh Khan said the bag had been left behind by Samser Mir, the son of a local Trinamool booth president.

He also said that Samser Mir worked as a temporary staff member at the hospital.

POLICE REACH SPOT, TENSION BUILDS

Police from the local station reached the hospital after receiving information about the recovery.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/cash-and-gold-found-in-south-24-parganas-hospital-ot-trigger-bjp-tmc-row-2907156-2026-05-05

Kejriwal also took a jibe at the seven defected MLAs who recently switched sides and joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Calling them an enemy that damaged the party internally, Kejriwal said that the BJP stole seven seats that belonged to the people of Punjab.

Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in his latest speech, addressing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal said that the Punjab election will be PM Modi’s endgame in the country.

“They have won elections in Assam, Bengal, Maharashtra, Bihar, Delhi, and in several other states. However, the Punjab elections, scheduled for next February, will not just stop the BJP’s Ashwamedha horse but will also mark an end to Narendra Modi’s government,” said Kejriwal. Adding further, he mentioned that Modi will witness a severe downfall in Punjab and will not win a single election anywhere in the country.

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आज पंजाब के हमारे विधायकों के साथ संवाद किया। पूरी आम आदमी पार्टी देशहित में लोकतंत्र विरोधी ताक़तों को हराने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध है।

अपने बेहतरीन काम के दम पर पंजाब सरकार अपने आखिरी साल में भी लोकप्रिय बनी हुई है।

पंजाब की जनता आगामी चुनावों में भाजपा के अश्वमेध घोड़े को रोककर… pic.twitter.com/kn8E1eXBqi

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 5, 2026

Further, Kejriwal took a jibe at the seven defected MLAs who recently switched sides and joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Calling them an enemy that damaged the party internally, Kejriwal said that the BJP stole seven seats that belonged to the people of Punjab.

“These seats were not anyone’s property. Those belonged to Punjab, and its people and the BJP tampered with that,” Kejriwal added.

He also blamed the centre for allegedly not providing the dues to the state.

KEJRIWAL LASHED OUT AT BJP OVER BENGAL ELECTIONS

In his speech, Kejriwal said that the BJP won the Bengal election by illegitimate means.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/arvind-kejriwal-punjab-election-speech-pm-modi-endgame-bjp-attacked-2907182-2026-05-05

 

 

For 15 years, Mamata Banerjee and her regional Trinamool Congress (TMC) party seemed to embody a political law of India’s West Bengal state: they always found a way to survive.

On Monday, that ended.

The firebrand populist’s defeat to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended her bid for a fourth consecutive term as chief minister – a feat that would have placed her alongside long-serving regional titans such as Jyoti Basu and Naveen Patnaik.

Banerjee’s loss brings one of the most remarkable political careers in contemporary India to a moment of profound uncertainty – one that began with street protests and now culminates in the weakening of the political fortress she herself built.

Dimunitive and draped in a plain cotton sari and rubber sandals, Banerjee hardly looked like a politician who would topple one of the world’s longest-running elected Communist governments.

Yet in 2011 she defeated the Communist Party of India (Marxist) after 34 uninterrupted years in power, overturning a political order that had come to define West Bengal itself. The state, once India’s intellectual and commercial capital, had drifted through decades of industrial decline and political fatigue.

At the time, The New York Times memorably called her “the blunt instrument knocking down their own Berlin Wall”. And Time magazine named her among the world’s 100 most influential people.

Banerjee’s rise was forged in Bengal’s combative political culture, where elections often resemble prolonged street wars – her supporters called her the “fire goddess”.

Born to a lower middle class family in Kolkata, Banerjee entered politics through the student wing of the Congress party. By the 1980s she had become one of the state’s most visible anti-communist faces, eventually breaking away from Congress to form the TMC.

The violence of Bengal politics shaped her too.

In 1990, during a protest march, she was allegedly assaulted by Communist cadres and hospitalised with a fractured skull.

The episode helped forge the persona she would cultivate for decades: part street fighter, part martyr – a perpetual insurgent even in power.

Banerjee’s ascent accelerated dramatically after her opposition to the proposed Tata Motors car factory in Singur and land acquisition in Nandigram by the Communist government in 2007.

Casting herself as a defender of farmers against forced industrialisation, she won fierce loyalty among rural and poorer voters. But the protests also alienated much of the urban middle class and business elite, who accused her of driving investment out of West Bengal.

“Mamata, like [Prime Minister and BJP leader] Narendra Modi, has been a politician all her life,” says Mukulika Banerjee, an anthropologist at the London School of Economics.

“Her opponents were elite bhadralok Communist men – members of Bengal’s educated, upper-caste middle-class elite – who looked down on her dark skin and lack of ‘respectable’ norms.”

Her early success “only intensified her commitment to stand by the common man – squatting with vendors, arriving wherever there was trouble, dressing simply and making it her hallmark style”.

“Those early battles made her fearless, realising she could make others feel the same, if she stood by them,” says Mukulika Banerjee.

Everyone called her ‘Didi’ – elder sister – because that was the role she came to embody: “a fiercely protective figure who would lay down her life for you”, she adds.

Unlike most prominent women in Indian politics, Mamata emerged without dynastic backing or a powerful mentor.

“No-one set up their own party, took on an invincible force like the Communists, ousted them after 34 years and then held power for three terms,” Mukulika Banerjee says.

“And unlike other female politicians, she actively brought other women forward.” (Her party fielded 52 women candidates in this election.)

For years, Banerjee’s charisma, welfare schemes for women and the rural poor, and Bengal’s strong regional identity blunted anti-incumbency, corruption allegations and the BJP’s rise.

“Her success rested on a careful balance: projecting herself as both an uncompromising street fighter and an austere, maternal figure delivering welfare to those living with economic insecurity,” says Proma Raychaudhury of Krea University.

Even critics conceded that Banerjee possessed an instinctive feel for the emotional grammar of her electorate.

But charisma rarely sustains political systems forever.

Political scientist Dwaipayan Bhattacharyya once described Bengal under the Communists as a “party society”, where the party became embedded in everyday rural life and livelihoods.

Banerjee’s party inherited this structure but transformed it. Unlike the disciplined cadre organisation of the Communists, Banerjee’s party revolved around her own charisma and authority.

Bhattacharyya described the TMC as a kind of political “franchisee model”: local strongmen, and grassroots leaders were allowed to expand their influence – and often their business interests – in exchange for loyalty to Banerjee.

“The franchise model has made the TMC vulnerable,” Bhattacharyya presciently wrote in 2023.

“Its leaders’ voracious appetite for material gains has made transactional interests undermine even a pretence of ethical politics, straining the party’s bonding with the people.”

Under Banerjee, Bengal was also grappling with a mounting financial crisis. The state’s debt deepened, while the central bank estimated that just four of her welfare schemes for women consumed nearly a quarter of its own-source revenue.

Vacant government jobs, rising corruption marked by extortion networks, a major teachers’ recruitment scam and growing concerns over women’s safety further eroded the government’s standing.

Now, after defeat, Banerjee faces a different and perhaps more existential challenge: political survival.

Bengal’s politics has long been unforgiving to defeated ruling parties, with leaders and local strongmen quickly gravitating to the new centre of power.

Political analyst Sayantan Ghosh says many Trinamool leaders may drift towards the BJP – some voluntarily, others under pressure – raising the possibility of a “split within the party itself”.

The TMC’s “apparent lack of ideological cohesion”, argues Raychaudhury, could make both the party and its leader especially vulnerable after defeat.

For Banerjee personally, the adjustment may be jarring after decades at the centre of power.

“It will be a difficult phase for her,” says Ghosh. “Since first winning in the late 1980s, Mamata without office or authority is something Bengal politics has rarely seen.”

Writing the political obituary of the 71-year-old leader may still be premature. Even so, this defeat could mark a more fundamental rupture than the crises she has survived before.

Mukulika Banerjee argues that politicians like Mamata thrived in what was once a “reasonably level playing field”.

That, she says, is “no longer the case” – alluding to the single-party dominance of Modi’s BJP. Monday’s verdict, she suggests, reflects not just discontent but that imbalance.

Which leaves some final questions.

Can Mamata Banerjee reinvent herself once more – returning to the streets as the furious outsider who first captured Bengal’s imagination?

Or will she slowly become what she spent her career fighting: the fading remnant of an old political order?

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c202p14qwr5o

The Congress is set to back Vijay’s TVK in Tamil Nadu after the party’s landmark debut election performance left it just 10 seats short of a majority.

The Congress has decided to extend support to the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Tamil Nadu after the debutant party emerged as the single largest force in the 2026 Assembly elections, falling just short of the majority mark.

The development comes amid intense political activity in the state following TVK’s historic electoral breakthrough, which disrupted the decades-old dominance of the DMK and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu politics.

According to sources quoted by India Today, the Tamil Nadu unit of the Congress party has passed a resolution during a virtual meeting held to discuss a possible tie-up with TVK.

Congress, as per the report, is also likely to ask for two Cabinet berths and a few chairmanships of government boards.

TVK secured 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly, remaining 10 seats short of the halfway mark required to form the government.

LATE-NIGHT CONGRESS MEETING ON SUPPORT

According to news agency ANI, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President K Selvaperunthagai chaired a late-night virtual meeting with party MLAs and senior leaders to deliberate on extending support to TVK.

The discussions reportedly focused on the evolving political situation in the state and the strategic implications of aligning with Vijay’s party.

The report quoted sources as saying that Congress unanimously agreed to support TVK in forming the government.

The Congress currently has five MLAs in the Assembly, and its backing could prove crucial in helping Vijay move closer to the majority mark.

Meanwhile, in Delhi, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal confirmed that TVK had approached the party seeking support.

He said the party leadership had directed the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee to take a final decision on the matter.

Venugopal also stated that the Congress remained “determined not to have the BJP and its proxies run the government of Tamil Nadu in any manner.”

TVK’S HISTORIC BREAKTHROUGH RESHAPES STATE POLITICS

TVK’s performance in its debut Assembly election has been widely viewed as a watershed moment in Tamil Nadu politics.

The Vijay-led party not only emerged as the single largest party but also challenged the political dominance of the DMK and AIADMK-led fronts that have alternated power in the state since 1967.

TVK is also exploring support from smaller parties across both the DMK and AIADMK camps.

Besides Congress’s five seats, PMK has four MLAs, while CPI, CPI(M), and VCK have two seats each.

These parties are expected to play a key role in determining the final shape of the government.

AIADMK MLA Leema Rose also confirmed that TVK was in talks with AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, indicating that multiple channels of negotiation remain open as government formation discussions continue.

At the same time, CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam said the party would take a final decision on support only after Vijay clearly outlines his political position.

VIJAY THANKS PEOPLE AFTER LANDMARK RESULT

Following the election outcome, Vijay addressed the people of Tamil Nadu through a post on X, recalling the criticism and mockery his party had faced since its launch.

He said TVK had entered the political field “without depending on anyone” and placed its faith solely in the people.

“From the very beginning of our party, there were many who mocked and ridiculed us. We understood that this is natural in politics and moved forward beyond it,” Vijay said.

He credited young voters as one of the biggest reasons behind the party’s success, saying the younger generation had guided their families “with strong conviction.”

TVK, in a separate statement on X, described the mandate as a rejection of “money-driven politics” and said the victory marked the rise of a “major political force for change.”

The party said the people of Tamil Nadu had responded with “immense love and overwhelming votes,” despite what it described as “disguised insults and slander” during the campaign.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/tamil-nadu-election-results-2026-congress-supports-vijay-tvk-government-formation-tvks-win-kc-venugopal-mk-stalin-aiadmk-dmk-ws-l-10076208.html

It was the second explosion incident hours after a blast occurred outside the headquarters of the BSFs Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar district around 8 pm on Tuesday.

A blast outside the BSF camp in Amritsar took place on late Tuesday, hours after a grenade attack in Jalandhar. No casualties or injuries were reported.

The Khalistan Liberation Army has taken responsibility for the blast.

The second attack in a single day has prompted a high security alert in the state.

Amritsar (Rural) SSP Suhail Mir Qasim said preliminary inspection and analysis showed that someone had come and thrown something towards the boundary wall, leading to an explosion.

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VIDEO | Punjab: Explosion reported outside BSF camp in Amritsar, bomb disposal, FSL teams at spot.#PunjabNews

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/RM3k1mx4fI

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 6, 2026

After receiving a complaint about the sound of a blast near Khassa cantonment in the late night, senior police officers immediately rushed to the spot along with the army personnel stationed in the cantonment area.

The Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) was called to conduct a thorough inspection. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team collected samples and evidence from the site and sent them for analysis.

“We are checking how many blasts have occurred and how,” SP Aditya S Warrier said.

Jalandhar Grenade Attack

It was the second explosion incident hours after a blast occurred outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force’s Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar district around 8 pm on Tuesday. The explosion set a scooter on fire and damaged the traffic signal near the BSF Chowk.

Nobody was hurt, said police, adding that it is yet to be ascertained how the scooter caught fire.

“Prima facie, the facts are that an Activa (scooter) parked here (Jalandhar) caught fire. We are still verifying the facts on the ground,” Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said.

Meanwhile, a 22-year-old man named Gurpreet Singh has been identified as the one who was riding the scooter.

Talking to reporters, one of his relatives said Gurpreet comes to the area daily to deliver parcels. On Tuesday evening, when he was approaching his parked scooter, it suddenly caught fire. Gurpreet then rang up his father and informed him about the incident, the relative said.

The opposition parties have launched an attack on the AAP government over the “explosion” in Jalandhar.

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring claimed that an “explosion” near the BSF headquarters in Jalandhar is deeply alarming.

In an X post, he said, “A blast in a delivery scooter in a crowded area exposes a serious collapse of law and order. Punjab is a sensitive border state; such incidents raise grave national security concerns. Yet, while the AAP-led Punjab government is busy parading its MLAs before the President, the BJP-led Centre is equally distracted and failing in its responsibility to ensure security. People deserve safety, not political theatre.” Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia asked if law and order in a border state has collapsed.

“From the Shambhu railway track to the busy BSF Chowk in Jalandhar, continuous blasts within a week — has Punjab’s security completely failed?” he asked.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) General Secretary Bikram Singh Majithia condemned the blast, calling it a serious situation and alleging that the Punjab government has failed to maintain law and order.

He questioned how a blast could occur in such a busy area and criticised the police for allegedly reaching a conclusion within minutes without a proper inquiry, terming it a scooter blast similar to a gas or tyre explosion.

He urged the Union Home Minister and the Prime Minister to take a serious view of the security situation in Punjab, adding that the state continues to suffer due to alleged governance failures.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/after-jalandhar-second-blast-outside-bsf-camp-in-amritsar-ws-l-10076278.html

 

Taking a jibe at BJP’s ‘poriborton’ (change) slogan, the TMC said that the change has arrived with bulldozer.

Tensions in West Bengal refuse to die down after announcement of election results, as Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has alleged ‘bulldozer action’ by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which recently won with huge margin in the state.

The TMC shared a video on social media on Tuesday night, claiming that BJP workers and supporters vandalised Kolkata’s New Market area with bulldozer and also party office of TMC.

In the video, a crowd is seen surrounding a bulldozer which is seemingly mowing down on a shop in the area amid loud cheers and music.

Taking a jibe at BJP’s ‘poriborton’ (change) slogan, the TMC said that the change has arrived with bulldozer.

“BJP’s ‘Poriborton’ has arrived, and it has arrived with a bulldozer. In an act of brazen hooliganism and gundagardi, mobs of BJP supporters went on a rampage near the New Market area, destroying shops and vandalising the Trinamool Congress party office. This is the celebration of a party that spoke of trust and delivered terror,” TMC wrote in the post.

It further attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah, saying that BJP’s national leaders have handed their workers “a licence to let loose on the streets” and “kill whoever they please”.

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👉 Before elections: Bhoy out, Bharosa in
👉 After elections: Bharosa out, Bulldozer in

BJP’s ‘Poriborton’ has arrived, and it has arrived with a bulldozer. In an act of brazen hooliganism and gundagardi, mobs of BJP supporters went on a rampage near the New Market area,… pic.twitter.com/SmhgWjjp3w

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) May 5, 2026

“Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have handed their karyakartas a licence to let loose on the streets, to mow down whatever stands in their path, to attack, brutalise and kill whosoever they please,” it said, adding that the Central Forces have been instructed to “stand down and let it happen”.

The outgoing party also issued a warning, saying that today the action is being taken on shops, tomorrow it could be BJP’s political opponents and then “it will be the statues of Bengal’s icons”.

“And ultimately it will be the homes of the poor and vulnerable. But wherever BJP’s bulldozer rolls in Bengal, it will meet a wall. A wall of resistance, of defiance. We will fight this policy of state-sponsored terror,” it said.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/tmc-alleges-bulldozer-action-at-party-office-by-bjp-supporters-claims-central-forces-ordered-to-let-it-happen-video-101778032873449.html

 

Nepal has formally objected to a key pilgrimage route via Lipulekh, sending a protest to India and China. The move revives a long-standing border dispute, even as Kathmandu calls for dialogue.

India has pushed back against Nepal’s objection to the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route via Lipulekh, saying its position on the issue remains “clear and consistent” and rejecting Kathmandu’s territorial claims.

“Lipulekh Pass has been a long-standing route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra since 1954 This is not a new development,” the External Affairs Ministry said on May 3.

On Nepal’s claims, India said, “Such claims are neither justified nor based on historical facts and evidence. Such unilateral artificial enlargement of territorial claims is untenable.”

New Delhi also signalled openness to talks, saying it remains “open to a constructive interaction including resolving outstanding boundary issues through dialogue and diplomacy.”

NEPAL SENDS PROTEST TO INDIA, CHINA

The response comes after Nepal formally objected to the proposed pilgrimage route via Lipulekh, sending a diplomatic protest to both India and China.

Kathmandu said the move concerns a disputed area and reiterated its long-standing claim over the region.

“The Government of Nepal remains clear and firm that, as per the 1816 Sugauli Treaty, Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani are integral parts of Nepal,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

FORMAL NOTE, POLITICAL CONSULTATIONS

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Paudyal Chhetri said Nepal conveyed its concerns to both New Delhi and Beijing through diplomatic channels.

Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said the decision followed consultations with political parties, adding that Nepal’s official position has now been formally communicated.

Kathmandu also confirmed that China has been informed that the Lipulekh area falls within Nepali territory.

CALL TO HALT ACTIVITIES IN DISPUTED AREA

Nepal has urged India not to carry out road construction, expansion, border trade or pilgrimage-related activities in the disputed region.

The government said it has repeatedly raised these concerns in the past, describing the issue as sensitive.

Even as both sides held firm to their positions, Nepal said it remains committed to resolving the boundary issue through dialogue.

“In keeping with the spirit of close and friendly Nepal-India relations, Nepal remains committed to resolving the boundary issue through historical facts, evidence and diplomatic dialogue,” the ministry said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/lipulekh-route-dispute-nepal-protests-kailash-mansarovar-yatra-plan-2905998-2026-05-03

Bhopal Crime Branch has arrested six people for allegedly extorting Rs 1.89 crore from IAS coaching director Shubhra Ranjan. Police have frozen the transferred money and are probing a wider conspiracy, including an alleged plan to flee abroad.

In a major breakthrough, the Crime Branch in Bhopal has solved a high-profile extortion case involving Rs 1.89 crore from an IAS coaching institute director. Six accused, including the alleged mastermind and former student of the academy, have been arrested.

According to police officials, the prime accused, Priyank Sharma, orchestrated the crime by luring the victim, Shubhra Ranjan, to Bhopal from Delhi under the pretext of a seminar and expansion of new coaching centers. Once she arrived, she was taken to a secluded location and held hostage at gunpoint.

Investigators revealed that the accused threatened the victim with pistols and country-made firearms, forcing her to transfer Rs 1.89 crore into accounts linked to entities named ‘Janakshila’ and ‘RS Enterprises.’ Acting swiftly after the incident came to light, the Crime Branch managed to freeze the transferred amount within hours. Officials confirmed that the refund process is underway and the full amount is expected to be returned soon.

The victim had checked into a five-star hotel near Bhadbhada before being taken by the accused to Bagsewania, where she was confined in a rented flat for two days. During this period, the accused coerced her into making multiple online transfers.

In a shocking twist, the accused also created a fake kidnapping video of one of their accomplices to further intimidate the victim and prevent her from approaching the police. Investigations revealed that the rented flat was secured just a day before the crime, and a religious gathering was organized there to mask any noise and avoid suspicion.

Police said that armed criminals from Datia and Rewa were brought in to execute the plan. After the crime, Priyank Sharma allegedly attempted to evade arrest by feigning illness and admitting himself to the ICU of AIIMS Bhopal. However, the police apprehended him from the hospital premises despite resistance and commotion created by his family members.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/delhi-ias-coaching-director-held-hostage-in-19-cr-mp-extortion-case-ex-student-mastermind-2906028-2026-05-04

Police in Maharajganj arrested four women accused of arranging fraudulent marriages to cheat men. The case has spotlighted a planned con in which victims were allegedly stripped of cash and jewellery.

Police in Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, have busted a “looteri dulhan” (fraud bride) gang involved in cheating unsuspecting men under the pretext of marriage, arresting four women accused of orchestrating the scam. A fifth accused, a man identified as Jitendra, remains absconding.

The action was carried out by Sinduria Police Station police, who arrested the women near Chiutaha Bazaar. Officials recovered Rs 39,500 in cash, along with silver anklets and a mangalsutra allegedly obtained through fraud.

Superintendent of Police Shakti Mohan Awasthi revealed the details during a press briefing, stating that the gang operated in a well-planned manner by arranging fake marriages and extorting money and valuables from victims.

The case came to light after a complaint was filed by Ranjeet Chauhan, a resident of Etah, who alleged that Jitendra and four women had arranged his marriage with a woman named Anjalika. The gang falsely claimed that the bride was unmarried, while in reality she was already married and had a child.

According to the complaint, the accused conducted wedding rituals at a local temple in the Sinduria area, during which they extracted nearly Rs 1 lakh and jewellery from the victim in the name of wedding expenses. Midway through the ceremony, the accused allegedly turned aggressive, assaulted the victim, and fled the scene. Jitendra escaped with the “bride,” while the others later went into hiding.

Following an investigation, police arrested four women — Sumitra, Lalti, Kajal, and Anjalika. During interrogation, Lalti emerged as the alleged mastermind of the gang, with a prior criminal record.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/looteri-dulhan-gang-busted-in-ups-maharajganj-4-women-arrested-for-marriage-scam-2906030-2026-05-04

The timing is notable. The test window overlaps with the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, conducted in early May 2025.

India has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) designating a vast stretch of the Bay of Bengal as a danger zone for a long-range missile test, with the warning active from April 25 to May 6, 2026. The NOTAM covers a corridor extending up to approximately 3,550 km, signaling preparations for an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch.

Defence sources told India Today that it indicates the flight path and exclusion zone align with the performance envelope of the Agni-IV, an IRBM with a reported range of 3,500–4,000 km. The Agni-IV is a two-stage, solid-fuelled missile capable of carrying a 1,000-kg warhead and is a key component of India’s nuclear triad and strategic deterrence posture.

The timing is notable. The test window overlaps with the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, conducted in early May 2025. While the Ministry of Defence has not officially linked the test to the anniversary, strategic analysts suggest the launch would serve both as a validation exercise and as a message of readiness and capability enhancement.

Recent months have seen India step up testing of its strategic missile inventory. The Agni series, along with the submarine-launched K-4 and the hypersonic LRAShM, form the backbone of India’s credible minimum deterrence doctrine.

The extended-range BrahMos cruise missile, with tests underway to push its reach to 800 km, and this potential Agni-IV trial point to a broader modernization drive across both tactical and strategic vectors. Induction of the 800-km BrahMos is expected by end-2027.

A NOTAM is issued when authorities need to restrict civilian aircraft from a specific stretch of airspace, usually during sensitive or high-risk operations. Such advisories have been used in the past during periods of heightened military tension, including conflict with Pakistan, to keep commercial flights away from operational zones.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/agni-iv-missile-test-india-issues-notam-bay-of-bengal-2906709-2026-05-05

TVK’s Vijay Dhamu, an auto driver, won Royapuram by defeating Subair Khan and D Jayakumar on Monday. The upset cracked a long-held North Chennai stronghold and underlined the party’s striking debut in Tamil Nadu’s 2026 Assembly election.

In what is being hailed as the biggest David vs Goliath story of the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, K Vijay Dhamu, an auto-driver by profession, has secured a stunning victory in the Royapuram constituency. Representing the debutant Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), Dhamu defeated two of the most powerful political legacies in the state. He polled over 55,000 votes, clinching the seat with a comfortable margin of 14,000 votes over his nearest rival.

The victory is particularly significant as it comes at the expense of AIADMK strongman and five-time MLA D. Jayakumar, who was relegated to a distant third place with just over 18,000 votes. The DMK’s Subair Khan, son of the late veteran Minister Rahman Khan, finished second but failed to withstand the Vijay wave that has swept Chennai and the rest of Tamil Nadu.

Wondering how TVK made a splash in Tamil Nadu? We have got you covered.

Dhamu, who has long been a part of the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (the actor’s fan club network), built his campaign on his identity as a common man. “You may call us new faces, but we have been working on the ground for years through our fan clubs,” Dhamu had stated during his campaign.

A poignant image from the candidate announcement ceremony—showing a tearful Vijay Dhamu embracing TVK chief Vijay—has become the defining symbol of the party’s grassroots surge.

By strategically positioning himself as the primary face of every constituency, Vijay allowed Dhamu to leverage that massive star power while focusing on ground-level issues. This Thalapathy factor has created a tectonic wave across the state, catapulting the debutant party well past the 100-seat mark and turning local candidates into giant-killers.

His manifesto for the coastal constituency focused heavily on the fishing community, promising modernised infrastructure and social security-a move that clearly seems to have resonated with the local electorate.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/assembly/story/royapuram-election-result-tvk-auto-driver-vijay-dhamu-beats-subair-khan-jayakumar-2906414-2026-05-04

The review looked at 217 clinical trials, which together included more than 15,000 people with knee osteoarthritis. It is a common joint problem in which the cartilage that cushions the bones in the knee slowly wears away.

A new study has found that aerobic exercise may be the most effective way to ease the pain and stiffness of knee osteoarthritis. The review, published in The BMJ, looked at 217 clinical trials, which together included more than 15,000 people with knee osteoarthritis. The researchers wanted to find out which type of physical activity, such as walking, cycling, swimming, strength training, or mind-body exercises, gives the best results for pain, movement, walking ability, and everyday functioning.

Knee osteoarthritis is a common joint problem in which the cartilage that cushions the bones in the knee slowly wears away. This causes pain, swelling, and difficulty in walking. The condition is common in adults over 45, and many people still feel significant discomfort even after treatments. Current guidelines generally recommend exercise, but they often don’t clearly say which type is best. This new analysis now provides stronger, evidence-based guidance, showing that aerobic activities like walking, cycling, and swimming consistently can be the most helpful choice for most people with knee osteoarthritis.

Study Overview And Findings

The research team analysed 217 randomised controlled trials carried out between 1990 and 2024. They compared several types of exercise; aerobic, flexibility, strengthening, mind-body (such as yoga or tai chi), neuromotor, and mixed programs, against control groups that did little or no exercise. The main outcomes they measured were pain, physical function, walking (gait) performance, and quality of life, checked at short term (4 weeks), mid-term (12 weeks), and long term (24 weeks).

Across almost all these measures, aerobic exercise ranked as the most effective option. Aerobic activities reduced knee pain in the short and mid-term, and improved physical function both in the short, mid and long-term. They also boosted walking ability and quality of life in the short and mid-term. In contrast, other exercise types, such as strength training or mixed programs, showed more modest or limited benefits. These were recommended mainly as additions to aerobic work rather than as the main treatment.

Why Is Aerobic Exercise Helpful

Aerobic exercises include regular, rhythmic movements such as walking, cycling, swimming, and light jogging. These activities get the heart and lungs working steadily and also improve blood circulation and joint lubrication in the knee. The study suggests that this combination helps reduce inflammation, strengthens the muscles around the knee, and improves balance and coordination, all of which benefit the damaged joint.

Because the knee is weight-bearing, high-impact activities can sometimes worsen pain. That is why activities like gentle walking, cycling on flat terrain, and swimming or water-based exercises are suitable.

How Safe Is Exercise For People With Knee Osteoarthritis?

A major concern for people with knee osteoarthritis is whether exercise might damage the joint further. The new review found that exercise in general is safe. However, the researchers do note some limitations. Many of the comparisons were indirect, and some outcomes lacked long-term follow-up beyond 24 weeks. Also, some of the smaller trials could have influenced early-time results. Despite this, aerobic exercise can be considered for non-drug treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/health/study-identifies-aerobic-exercise-as-the-most-effective-physical-activity-for-knee-osteoarthritis-11442854?pfrom=home-ndtv_icymistories

Through every phase, the supporters themselves carried a distinct identity.They were often called “Anil” a term rooted in Tamil political memory. The word “Anil” means squirrel.

Vijay’s TVK is closing in on the 118-seat simple majority mark in Tamil Nadu, pushing the DMK alliance down to 70 and AIADMK to 51, but this outcome was not born in this election cycle. It was rehearsed, refined and built in layers over years.

Phase one: when fandom became infrastructure

What Vijay began with was scale. Lakhs of followers organised into rasigar mandrams across Tamil Nadu. What he built was something else.

These units moved beyond film promotions into structured welfare. Blood donation camps, relief work, student felicitation, community outreach. Not one-off gestures, but repeated presence.

In cities such as Coimbatore, fan clubs grew into thousands and took on organised service roles. Over time, this created a direct, non-political relationship with households. Voters were not being approached for the first time during elections.

Phase two: the quiet election before the real one

In 2021, Vijay tested the system without formally entering the arena.

Fan association members contested local body elections as independents. No party launch. No full campaign push. But the network was activated.

Around 169 candidates contested. 115 won.

This was a structural breakthrough. It showed the network could handle candidate selection, booth management and vote mobilisation. More importantly, voters backed them without needing a party symbol.

Phase three: from mass following to filtered cadre

The run-up to 2026 was not about adding more people. It was about choosing the right ones.

TVK introduced corporate-style screening. Interviews, background checks, defined roles. Fan enthusiasm alone no longer qualified someone for responsibility.

Ward in-charges, booth agents, constituency coordinators were identified through process, not popularity.

The movement retained its emotional depth but gained organisational discipline.

Phase four: when a symbol became a signal

The whistle symbol was designed to travel fast and replicate easily.

It moved from banners into homes. Women began drawing whistle-shaped kolams outside their houses, turning neighbourhoods into visible maps of support. This spread online and offline, coordinated by the same local units that had once handled film events.

It looked organic. It was system-driven.

Phase five: the network beneath the campaign

Behind the visuals sat a pre-built machine. WhatsApp groups that existed for years became campaign pipelines. Volunteers handled flags, transport, turnout and daily outreach. Door-to-door mobilisation was not built from scratch. It was activated.

At the top, Vijay centralised control. Closed-door meetings with local leaders created a feedback loop. Booth-level insights moved upward. Messaging moved downward, focused on corruption, welfare and youth.

The structure combined decentralised execution with tight strategic control.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-election-results-2026-the-anil-coup-how-vijays-squirrel-squad-ran-a-6-step-takeover-of-tamil-nadu-11447495?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

BJP was on track to become the single-largest party in the West Bengal Assembly, crossing the critical halfway mark of 148 seats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lauded the Election Commission and those involved in conducting the assembly elections for maintaining the dignity of India’s democracy.

The prime minister was addressing party supporters gathered at the BJP headquarters after massive win in West Bengal and Assam.

“Our constitutional institutions have won, our democratic processes have won. In West Bengal, 93 per cent turnout has been historic. In Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala, new turnout records have been made,” PM Modi said in the address on Monday evening.

“Today, I would like to say a big thank you to the Election Commission, its staff, and those who worked during election, and security workers. The history will always remember the contribution of all of you in maintaining the dignity of India’s democracy,” he added.

PM Modi thanked the voters in five assemblies- Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry.

The speech comes as the BJP won West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry. BJP was on track to become the single-largest party in the West Bengal Assembly, crossing the critical halfway mark of 148 seats.

The prime minister lauded the leadership of party president Nitin Nabin and said it was the first victory since the BJP MP took over the reigns of the party.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pm-modis-special-thank-you-for-ec-poll-workers-after-bengal-assam-win-101777902027215.html

 

Adhikari, who took the lead after several rounds of counting were complete, polled over 67,000 votes in the high-stakes contest.

The closely-watched electoral battle between BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari and Trinamool Congress chief went down to the wire Monday, ending in the former breaching the TMC stronghold.

Adhikari, in what seemed to be a reiteration of the 2021 Nandigram electoral battle, defeated incumbent Bengal chief minister Mamata by a margin of over 15,000 votes.

The BJP candidate, who took a lead after several rounds of counting were complete, polled over 67,000 votes in the high-stakes contest. The dramatic shift in the constituency played out even as the early lead taken by Mamata was overturned in the last rounds of counting of votes.

Overall, the BJP swept the polls in West Bengal, securing over 200 seats in the state, while the TMC was decimated to around 80 seats.

What were the concluding figures in Bhabanipur?

Adhikari polled 73,917 votes in the constituency, winning by a margin of 15,105 votes. TMC chief Banerjee received 58,812 votes, followed by CPI(M)’s Shrijeeb Biswas who secured 3,556 votes.

The sharp swings in the latter half of the counting process in Bhabanipur had been predicted by BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari earlier today, even as he told reporters that Mamata would take an early lead, but he would “make up” for that in later rounds.

The contest in Bhabanipur was a closely watched one, following the Nandigram electoral battle between Banerjee and Adhikari in the previous Assembly elections in 2021. In 2021, Adhikari had notably defeated Banerjee in Nandigram, securing 49% of the vote share then.

‘Resounding triumph for every citizen’: Suvendu thanks Bengal voters

After his victory, Adhikari thanked the voters of West Bengal, saying he was “eternally indebted to the brave and resilient people of Nandigram and Bhabanipur.”

The BJP leader said the BJP’s victory was also a “resounding triumph for every citizen”. “The People of West Bengal have spoken, and their voice has ushered in a new dawn of hope,” he said in a post on his official X handle.

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With a heart overflowing with humility and profound gratitude, I bow before the ‘Janata-Janardan’ of West Bengal.
Today’s historic mandate is not just a victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party; it is a resounding triumph for every Citizen, every Sanatani who dreamt of a ‘Sonar…

— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) May 4, 2026

He especially thanked the women voters in Bhabanipur and Nandigram for their “unwavering trust.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bhabanipur-election-results-2026-suvendu-adhikari-defeats-mamata-banerjee-bjp-tmc-101777908796537.html

 

 

Rahul Gandhi also claimed that they have witnessed the same playbook before. He cited the examples of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Maharashtra. He also claimed that the votes were stolen in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 as well.

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) after their sweeping victory in Assam and West Bengal on Monday. The counting of votes took place for the Assam Assembly Elections 2026 and the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026.

BJP swept both the states and comfortably crossed the majority mark. Rahul Gandhi slammed the BJP and EC and claimed that more than 100 seats have been stolen in West Bengal and the Congress agree with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claims.

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Assam and Bengal are clear cases of the election being stolen by the BJP with the support of the EC.

We agree with Mamata ji. More than 100 seats were stolen in Bengal.

We have seen this playbook before:
Madhya Pradesh.
Haryana.
Maharashtra.
Lok Sabha 2024 etc

चुनाव चोरी,…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 4, 2026

Rahul Gandhi also claimed that they have witnessed the same playbook before. He cited the examples of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Maharashtra. He also claimed that the votes were stolen in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 as well.

Rahul shared a post on social media and said, “Assam and Bengal are clear cases of the election being stolen by the BJP with the support of the EC. We agree with Mamata ji. More than 100 seats were stolen in Bengal. We have seen this playbook before: Madhya Pradesh. Haryana. Maharashtra. Lok Sabha 2024 etc. Chunav chori, sanstha chori — ab aur chaara hi kya hai!”

BJP has already won over 200 seats in West Bengal and are leading on 4 seats, while they have won 82 seats in Assam and Congress have managed to win only 19 seats in the state. Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) won 71 seats are leading on 10 seats in West Bengal.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/more-than-100-seats-stolen-in-bengal-rahul-gandhi-slams-bjp-ec-after-landslide-victory-in-wb-assam-alleges-repeated-playbook

 

A sharp price hike in commercial LPG cylinders has triggered protests across Punjab, with AAP leaders taking to the streets and launching a strong attack on the Centre over rising costs.

The Aam Aadmi Party launched protests across Punjab after a sharp increase of nearly Rs 1,000 in the price of commercial LPG cylinders, calling the move “anti-poor” and a fresh blow to people already facing rising costs.

Party leaders and workers held demonstrations in several parts of the state, raising slogans and staging sit-ins against the Centre’s decision.

In a post on X, AAP Punjab said, “The 993 hike in the price of commercial gas cylinders will shatter the already inflation-battered people. This decision has once again shown that the BJP’s sole aim is to loot the poor.”

The party added that the protests were aimed at opposing what it called a “people-killing decision”.

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ਗ਼ਰੀਬ ਵਿਰੋਧੀ ਭਾਜਪਾ ਮੁਰਦਾਬਾਦ !!

ਕੇਂਦਰ ਦੀ ਭਾਜਪਾ ਨੇ ਵਪਾਰਕ ਗੈਸ ਸਿਲੰਡਰ ਦੀ ਕੀਮਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ ₹993 ਦਾ ਵਾਧਾ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੀ ਮਹਿੰਗਾਈ ਦੀ ਮਾਰ ਝੱਲ ਰਹੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦਾ ਲੱਕ ਤੋੜ ਕੇ ਰੱਖ ਦੇਵੇਗਾ। ਕੇਂਦਰ ਦੇ ਇਸ ਲੋਕ ਮਾਰੂ ਫ਼ੈਸਲੇ ਖ਼ਿਲਾਫ਼ ਅੱਜ ‘ਆਪ’ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸੂਬੇ ਭਰ ‘ਚ ਤਿੱਖੇ ਪ੍ਰਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਕੀਤੇ ਗਏ। ਇਸ ਫ਼ੈਸਲੇ ਨੇ ਇੱਕ ਵਾਰ… pic.twitter.com/f6KYhyFEQY

— AAP Punjab (@AAPPunjab) May 3, 2026

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema also attacked the Centre over the hike. “The BJP government’s true face has now been completely exposed. By hiking the price of commercial cylinders by 993, an even heavier burden has been placed on the common people,” he said.

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ਵਪਾਰਕ ਸਿਲੰਡਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਕੀਮਤ ਵਿੱਚ ₹994 ਦੇ ਕੀਤੇ ਵੱਡੇ ਵਾਧੇ ਨਾਲ਼ ਇੱਕ ਵਾਰ ਫੇਰ ਕੇਂਦਰ ਦੀ ਭਾਜਪਾ ਦਾ ਗ਼ਰੀਬ ਵਿਰੋਧੀ ਚਿਹਰਾ ਸਭ ਦੇ ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਆ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਕੇਂਦਰ ਦੇ ਇਸ ਲੋਕ ਮਾਰੂ ਫ਼ੈਸਲੇ ਖ਼ਿਲਾਫ਼ ‘ਆਪ’ ਆਗੂਆਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਪੂਰੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਤਿੱਖੇ ਪ੍ਰਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਕੀਤੇ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ। ਇਹ ਫ਼ੈਸਲਾ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਹੀ ਮਹਿੰਗਾਈ ਦੀ ਮਾਰ ਝੱਲ ਰਹੀ ਜਨਤਾ… pic.twitter.com/yCRh3rIzxv

— AAP Punjab (@AAPPunjab) May 3, 2026

Cheema added that the party would “continue to raise the issues of the common people and stand firmly for their rights”.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/punjab/story/commercial-lpg-cylinder-price-hike-aap-protests-across-punjab-over-rs-993-increase-2905968-2026-05-03

 

 

A first-year PhD scholar at IIT Ropar has accused an assistant professor of assault, harassment and intimidation. The institute has placed the faculty member on forced leave as an internal inquiry and police investigation proceed.

A first-year PhD scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar in Punjab has accused an assistant professor of physical assault, harassment and intimidation, prompting an internal inquiry and police attention.

In a social media post, the student alleged that the faculty member assaulted her after she refused to comply with his demands and pressured her to accompany him to Japan on the pretext of a research visit.

In a separate post on Instagram, which has since been taken down, the scholar claimed, “He manipulated even before I joined IIT Ropar by offering help with postdoctoral work and a job.”

The scholar also alleged that she was threatened with expulsion from the PhD programme and denied access to laboratory facilities. She claimed she faced sustained harassment over time.

Among the more serious allegations, she said unauthorised cameras were installed inside the lab to create “false evidence” against her. She also reported that her mobile phone, containing important material, went missing.

INSTITUTE ACTION, PROFESSOR SENT ON LEAVE

IIT Ropar Director Rajeev Ahuja said the institute acted soon after receiving the complaint.

“The institute acted immediately after receiving the complaint, placing the accused faculty member on forced leave for two months and barring him from entering the campus and laboratories pending completion of the inquiry,” he said.

The institute said the matter was referred to police and the Internal Complaints Committee began proceedings within 24 hours.

SAFETY MEASURES, COUNSELLING PROVIDED

Officials said interim steps have been taken to ensure the student’s safety and academic continuity. Medical assistance and counselling support are also being provided to the complainant.

In a post on X, the institute said, “IIT Ropar is fully aware of an incident reported by a PhD scholar. The Institute acted within 24 hours – ICC proceedings have begun, interim relief has been provided, and the concerned faculty member has been placed on forced leave.”

POLICE PROBE UNDERWAY

Police in Ropar said the matter is under investigation. Further action is expected to depend on a formal complaint, with the student and her family waiting for the ICC report before proceeding.

The scholar also shared that the episode has caused distress to her family, adding that they spent nearly Rs 20,000 on travel and that a relative was hospitalised following the incident.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/iit-ropar-phd-scholar-assault-allegations-on-professor-trigger-icc-inquiry-police-probe-2905721-2026-05-03

In the aftermath of a brutal crime in Pune, the victim’s father has issued a firm message to political leaders. His demand is clear – justice first, and only then will he open his doors.

Amid rising outrage over the rape and murder of a minor in Maharashtra’s Pune, the victim’s father has issued a clear appeal, asking political leaders to stay away until justice is delivered.

In a video message, he said, “While I was at a programme, I got a call from my family that many political leaders had come to meet us. My family and I have only one wish, until my daughter gets justice and the accused is hanged, no political leader should come to meet us.”

Calling it a “humble request”, he added, “Only after the accused is given the death penalty will I meet anyone who wishes to come.”

Despite the appeal, political leaders continued to reach out. MLA Rohit Pawar and MP Medha Kulkarni visited the family, while Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange was also expected to arrive later.

The father’s statement has now put the spotlight back on the family’s demand for justice rather than political presence.

CRIME THAT SHOCKED MAHARASHTRA

The incident, reported from the Nasrapur area of Pune district on May 1, involved the alleged rape and murder of a four-year-old girl by a 65-year-old labourer.

Police said the accused lured the child to a cattle enclosure on the pretext of offering food. He allegedly raped her and then killed her by hitting her with a stone. He has been arrested.

The crime triggered protests, with villagers gathering at a local police outpost demanding strict action.

NCW CALLS IT ‘BLOT ON HUMANITY’

The National Commission for Women condemned the incident, calling it “deeply painful, heartbreaking, and shocking”.

Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said the crime was “a blot on humanity” and confirmed that the commission has taken cognisance of the case, pushing for action under stringent provisions of the POCSO Act and close monitoring for a time-bound trial.

CALLS FOR STRICTER LAWS GROW

The case has also reignited debate around stricter laws. Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh questioned whether there was any “fear of law” left.

Referring to the pending Shakti Act, he said it could have ensured the death penalty within 15 to 21 days in such cases, acting as a deterrent.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pune-rape-murder-case-victims-father-asks-leaders-to-stay-away-till-accused-is-hanged-2905250-2026-05-03

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for a firing at a cafe in Surrey, Canada, near a restaurant linked to Kapil Sharma.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for a firing incident at a cafe and bar in Canada, according to posts circulating on social media.

As per the claims, members of the gang opened fire at a Chai Sutta Bar cafe located in Surrey. The gang alleged that the targeted cafe is situated right next to Kapil Sharma’s Kaps Cafe.

In a social media post, individuals identifying themselves as Tyson Bishnoi and Jora Sandhu from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the firing. The post stated that the shooting took place at the Chai Sutta Bar cafe during the night and described it as a deliberate act.

The message also issued a direct threat, saying the attack was meant as a warning not only to the cafe but also to Kapil Sharma. It warned that if their demands were not met, they would shut down the Chai Sutta Bar and could target Kapil Sharma as well.

The post further claimed that attempts to send messages through intermediaries had wasted their time and challenged the recipients to respond directly. It added that if their time continued to be “wasted,” future targets could include Kaps Cafe and even Kapil Sharma’s residence in Mumbai.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/lawrence-bishnoi-gang-claims-surrey-cafe-firing-near-kapil-sharma-kaps-cafe-chai-sutta-bar-2904986-2026-05-03

Bengal election results on May 4: The election is seen as a direct face-off between CM Mamata Banerjee and BJP’s state leadership led by Suvendu Adhikari

The 2026 West Bengal Assembly election unfolded as a high-intensity, bipolar contest between the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with other parties playing only a marginal role.

The election is widely seen as a direct face-off between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the BJP’s state leadership led by Suvendu Adhikari, making it both a leadership and ideological battle.

The campaign has been marked by sharp polarisation, high voter mobilisation, and intense rhetoric, with the BJP pushing hard to expand its footprint in eastern India, while the TMC has relied on its welfare schemes, grassroots network, and regional identity politics. Unlike previous elections where multiple fronts had relevance, this time it is essentially a straight fight, which is why even small vote swings could dramatically alter the final outcome.

WHAT WAS THE TURNOUT?

Bengal has a total of 294 seats, with 148 as the majority mark. The result for one seat, Falta, which repolls on May 21 with results on May 24, will not be announced on Monday.

West Bengal recorded an exceptionally high voter turnout of around 92-93%, one of the highest ever seen in an Indian Assembly election. High participation is often interpreted in multiple ways — it could signal anti-incumbency, strong support for the ruling party, or simply heightened political polarization, all of which are present in Bengal, say experts. The turnout remained consistently above 90% across phases, underlining the intensity of the contest and the effectiveness of mobilisation efforts by both major parties. This level of participation also adds to the uncertainty, as high turnout elections are historically harder to predict accurately.

WHY THE REPOLL?

A major development affecting the election narrative is the repoll ordered in the Falta constituency, where the entire polling process was cancelled and fresh voting was mandated across all booths. This rare step was taken after serious allegations of voter intimidation, procedural lapses, and EVM-related irregularities, with authorities terming it a breakdown of the democratic process.

In addition to this full-seat repoll, limited booth-level repolls were also conducted in parts of South 24 Parganas, including Magrahat Paschim and Diamond Harbour, where specific complaints were raised. The key implication is that while counting on May 4 will cover 293 out of 294 seats, the final result in Falta will come later, meaning that in a close contest, government formation could hinge on this delayed seat.

WHAT IS AT STAKE?

For the All India Trinamool Congress, this election is about extending its uninterrupted rule since 2011 and reinforcing Mamata Banerjee’s stature as one of the most powerful regional leaders in India. A victory would validate the party’s welfare-driven governance model and strengthen its position in national opposition politics.

For the Bharatiya Janata Party, the stakes are equally high, as a win would mark its first-ever government in West Bengal, representing a major ideological and geographic expansion into eastern India. Such a result would also have significant national implications, boosting the party’s momentum ahead of future elections.

In essence, this contest is not just about forming a state government — it is about shaping the broader political narrative in India.

WHICH ARE THE KEY CONSTITUENCIES?

High-profile and politically symbolic seats include:

• Bhabanipur: Mamata Banerjee’s stronghold
• Nandigram: BJP vs TMC prestige battle
• Diamond Harbour: Politically sensitive seat
• Magrahat Paschim: Repoll impact zone
• Falta: Delayed result may decide govt

WHAT DO EXIT POLLS SAY?

Exit polls for West Bengal present a deeply divided picture, with no single clear trend emerging across agencies. A number of polls give the BJP a slight edge or even a potential majority, suggesting the possibility of a historic breakthrough, while others indicate a neck-and-neck contest or even a narrow TMC victory.

There are also projections pointing toward a hung assembly, where neither party crosses the majority mark of 148 seats. This wide variation has reduced confidence in any one prediction, especially given that exit polls in West Bengal have historically misread outcomes in past elections. Adding to the uncertainty, Mamata Banerjee has dismissed the exit polls entirely, projecting a strong win for her party. Overall, the exit poll landscape reinforces the idea that the result is genuinely too close to call.

THE FOUR LIKELY SCENARIOS

Scenario 1: BJP majority

Several exit polls suggest the BJP could cross the majority threshold for the first time in the state’s history, citing a “wave of change” and anti-incumbency. Party leadership, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has expressed confidence in achieving a decisive mandate.

Scenario 2: TMC retention

If the TMC crosses the 148-mark, it could mark the historic return of Mamata Banerjee as the CM.

Source : https://www.news18.com/elections/modis-fight-versus-mamatas-might-will-bjp-end-tmcs-15-year-reign-in-bengal-ws-l-10070908.html

 

Ex-JPMorgan employee Chirayu Rana faces scrutiny after AI chat reveals inconsistencies in his harassment claims, as internal probes find no supporting evidence

A former employee of JPMorgan Chase has come under renewed scrutiny after reports revealed that he had described similar allegations on an online legal chatbot months before formally accusing a senior executive of sexual harassment.

The resurfaced chat has raised questions about the consistency and timeline of his claims, adding a new layer of complexity to the case.

According to a report by The New York Post, Indian-origin Chirayu Rana had interacted with the platform AskALawyerOnCall.com before his allegations against executive director Lorna Hajdini became public. Screenshots of the exchange, cited in the report, show Rana recounting serious allegations of abuse involving a former workplace.

In the chatbot conversation, Rana allegedly wrote, “I was raped, secually assulted [sic], harassed, and forced to do drugs by my former boss at Morgan Stanley,’’ and added, “I was then retaliated against for seeking to move groups internally at the firm.”

He further claimed, “HR conducted an ‘investigation’ but they ultimately made me signed [sic] a Separation Agreement.”

The exchange continued with Rana stating, “Yes but I was forced to sign under duress,” and, “I signed it because I was scared and felt I had no choice. He said he would ruin my career if I didn’t comply.”

He also said, “I’ve been struggling mentally since then. It was a terrible experience, and I left under awful circumstances. He told everyone a false narrative about me, which made it even harder.”

Notably, the chatbot transcript reportedly refers to the alleged perpetrator as “he” and mentions Morgan Stanley, which contrasts with Rana’s later legal complaint that names a female executive at JPMorgan.

The conversation also appears to contain timeline discrepancies, including a reference by the chatbot suggesting the events may have occurred in 2020.

During the exchange, Rana sought legal clarity, asking, “Do you think I actually have a valid claim?” and “Do you know anyone who might take my case?”

The chatbot, reportedly linked to a user identifying as “Joycelaw,” responded with general legal guidance and queried whether any agreement he signed limited his ability to pursue legal action.

The platform itself clearly states that it functions as a public forum and that user interactions are neither private nor confidential.

Rana, a graduate of Rutgers University, joined JPMorgan’s leveraged finance team in 2024 and later filed a lawsuit under a pseudonym alleging coercion, harassment, and retaliation. The complaint included accusations that Hajdini forced him into sexual acts, drugged him, and threatened his career. It has since been withdrawn for corrections.

Source : https://www.news18.com/viral/i-was-raped-inside-chirayu-ranas-viral-ai-confession-about-a-male-boss-before-his-case-against-lorna-hajdini-ws-l-10070769.html

Nine people, including a toddler, died in a Vivek Vihar residential fire in Delhi, where a locked terrace door, single staircase and iron grills blocked escape.

A locked door leading to the terrace trapped a family inside a burning building in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar, resulting in the deaths of nine people. The fire broke out around 3.30–4 am when most residents were asleep, leaving little time to react as flames spread rapidly through the structure.

According to police, a toddler also died in the fire incident that took place at a residential building in Shahdara. Police said more than a dozen residents were rescued during the operation.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Rajendra Prasad Meena said 10 to 15 people were rescued, while two to three injured persons were sent to hospital. He confirmed that nine people died and that a search operation was still underway.

How The Building Plan Became Death Trap?

According to initial findings, the building had only one staircase and no emergency exit, leaving no other option for the residents to come out of the building.

Also, the staircase leading to the terrace — a possible escape route — was locked, while iron grills on windows further restricted movement. Residents said those trapped on upper floors were unable to reach the roof or exit the building, as the fire quickly engulfed the premises.

Fire officials said several people were rescued, but blocked exits made evacuation difficult and delayed rescue efforts. At least nine people died in the incident, which occurred in a four-storey residential building in Vivek Vihar.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/locked-terrace-no-emergency-exit-how-delhis-building-plan-became-death-trap-ws-l-10070697.html

As counting for 293 West Bengal assembly seats began, BJP leaders expressed strong confidence in securing a landslide victory. State president Samik Bhattacharya claimed voters had rejected the ruling TMC and Mamata Banerjee. BJP candidates echoed the sentiment, asserting that people voted for change, while TMC aims for a fourth consecutive term.

West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said he was confident of a landslide victory, as counting of votes for the assembly elections began on Monday morning.

Counting of votes for 293 seats of the assembly began at 8 am, as the TMC eyes a fourth straight term in power and the BJP seeks to script history by forming its first government in the state.

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VIDEO | West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya says, “It will be democracy’s win; the people of Bengal have rejected TMC.”#AssemblyPollsWithPTI#WestBengalPollsWithPTI

(Full video available on https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/qWtkagCBB4

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 3, 2026

“People of the state have already rejected the Trinamool Congress government, and in a few hours, the overwhelming majority of the seats will confirm that in the fight between Mamata Banerjee and the people, people have rejected Mamata Banerjee,” Bhattacharya said outside a counting centre in Kolkata.

BJP’s Kharagpur Sadar candidate, Dilip Ghosh, claimed that people have voted for change.

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#WATCH | Kolkata: On Counting of votes, West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya says, “The dreams of the BJP workers are about to come true. This is the worker of the entire country… The dream of forming a government from Gangotri to Ganga Sagar is going to be fulfilled… pic.twitter.com/NAOT8Mb7ZT

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/people-of-bengal-have-rejected-tmc-west-bengal-bjp-chief-samik-bhattacharya-exudes-confidence-as-counting-begins 

 

Around 15 to 20 per cent of these seats are located in areas like central Kolkata, south Bengal, and Southwest Bengal

Bengal remains one of the most keenly watched states in the election results to be announced on May 4. Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool is seeking a fourth-consecutive term, while the BJP is fighting to form its first government in the eastern state.

Bengal has 294 Assembly constituencies, and many of them are expected to see a close contest. Predicting who will win becomes very tough, but poll experts point to 37 “bellwether seats” which may help determine the eventual winner.

Since 1977, whichever party has won the majority of these seats has always gone on to form the government in the state.

These 37 seats make up about 13 per cent of the total 294 Assembly constituencies. They are spread across the state and include all types of seats – general, Scheduled Caste (SC), and Scheduled Tribe (ST).

Around 15 to 20 per cent of these seats are located in areas like central Kolkata, south Bengal, and Southwest Bengal. Constituencies such as Bhawanipur, Diamond Harbour, Ausgram, Uday Narayanpur, and Magrahat East have often followed the winning trend.

West Bengal stands out when compared to other states. Uttar Pradesh has just one such seat with a perfect record; Bihar and Maharashtra have none; Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have 3 each; Odisha and Gujarat have 5 each, and West Bengal alone has 37.

One major reason behind this strong trend is Bengal’s political history.

For nearly 50 years, the state was mostly ruled by two parties – the Left Front for 34 years and then the Trinamool Congress. Since governments didn’t change often, people in many of these seats got used to voting in line with the party that was popular across the state.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/west-bengal-assembly-election-bengal-election-result-37-bellwether-seats-that-accurately-show-bengals-poll-results-since-1977-11442172

Police say Priyank believed the academy director had substantial wealth and hatched the conspiracy to extort a large amount from her.

In a chilling crime that has stunned Bhopal, the director of a Delhi-based IAS coaching academy was allegedly kidnapped, held hostage for nearly four hours and forced to transfer Rs 1.89 crore online while a pistol was pressed against her temple. The man accused of masterminding the sensational crime was not a stranger, police say, but someone from within her professional circle, Priyank Sharma, who was running a franchise of the same academy in Bhopal.

According to police, Priyank Sharma lured Shubhra Ranjan, Director of Shubhra Ranjan IAS Academy, from Delhi to Bhopal under the pretext of expanding the institute, opening another centre and conducting a seminar. She came to Bhopal believing it was a business visit. Instead, police say, she walked into a carefully planned trap.

Shubhra Ranjan was staying at a 5-star hotel in Bhopal. On Wednesday afternoon, around 2 to 3 pm, Priyank allegedly picked her up from the hotel and took her to a rented flat in the Bagsewaniya area. There, according to the complaint and police investigation, armed men were already waiting. The victim and her associates were allegedly held captive, threatened with death and forced to transfer nearly Rs 1.89 crore into bank accounts linked to “Janakshila Society” and “RS Enterprises”.

The flat where the crime took place had allegedly been rented just one day before the incident. Criminals were allegedly called from Datia, Rewa and other places to execute the plan. Police say pistols and country-made firearms were used to terrorise the victim.

Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Singh said that a Sundarkand recital was allegedly organised at the same flat to drown out any screams or cries for help. The religious recitation, police say, was not an act of faith but a cover to ensure that the victim’s voice did not travel outside the house while she was being held hostage.

For nearly four hours, the victim remained trapped inside a room. With a gun allegedly pointed at her, she was forced to authorise online transfers. Police say the accused also coerced the victims into recording a staged video, apparently to create fear and pressure them into not approaching the police. The video allegedly showed a person tied with ropes and locked inside a box, to suggest that one of her associates could be kidnapped or harmed if she complained.

The complaint in the case was filed by Santosh Kumar, son of Nilendu Thakur, a resident of Hardev Nagar in Delhi. He stated that Shubhra Ranjan and her associates were called to Bhopal by Priyank Sharma and his accomplices under the pretext of admissions and seminars, then taken to an undisclosed location, held hostage by armed men and threatened with death.

Police say Priyank believed the academy director had substantial wealth and hatched the conspiracy to extort a large amount from her. The accused is the son of a retired BHEL official and had previously lived in Delhi, where he had prepared for the UPSC examination. His familiarity with the academy and its functioning allegedly helped him gain the victim’s trust.

After the money was transferred, the victim was released on Wednesday night. But by then, the Bhopal Crime Branch had begun moving quickly. Given the seriousness of the case, Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar formed a special team. Acting on technical evidence and leads, police conducted raids across Bagsewaniya, Katara Hills, Jhagariya village, Sage University, Ayodhya Nagar and Minal Residency.

As pressure mounted, Priyank allegedly began preparing to flee abroad and was reportedly in contact with agents for the same. Police say that, fearing arrest, he got himself admitted to the ICU of AIIMS Hospital in Bhopal, pretending to be seriously unwell.

But the attempt to hide behind a hospital bed did not work. After receiving a tip-off, the Crime Branch team reached AIIMS. Doctors were consulted and, once his condition was found stable, police took him into lawful custody. During the arrest, his mother and wife allegedly created a major commotion and tried to resist the police action, but the team went ahead and arrested him from the hospital.

Following Priyank’s interrogation, police arrested five of his accomplices. Six accused, including the alleged mastermind, have been produced before the court. Three more accused remain on run, and the Crime Branch is conducting searches to trace them.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ias-academy-director-kidnapped-forced-to-transfer-rs-1-8-crore-at-gunpoint-11443774

In commemoration of the day, Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities organised the third anniversary separately in their respective dominant districts of Manipur.

Rallies and shutdowns on Sunday in both Kuki-Zo and Meitei-dominated areas marked the third anniversary of ethnic violence, erupted on May 3, 2023 that claimed over 260 lives and displaced more than 60,000, followed by the imposition of President’s Rule for a year.

In commemoration of the day, Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities organised the third anniversary separately in their respective dominant districts of Manipur.

On Sunday, hundreds of protestors from Meitei groups organised processions in Imphal valley districts, Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupurwhich, seeking implementation of the NRC before the census and protection of Manipur’s administrative and territorial integrity. Meanwhile, the Kuki Zo organisations observed a shutdown in Kangpokpi district and held meetings in Churachandpur district to commemorate the victims of the violence.

Hundreds of protestors were witnessed in Bishnupur district’s Nambol area organised by the United Protection Committee, a civil body. While, a public convention under the banner ‘Three Years on Manipur Crisis’ was also organised in Imphal East by Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an apex civil body of Manipur.

The convention also resolved six points demand to press the central government for reconciliation of peace in Manipur. Among the six points, COCOMI demanded commemorating May 3 as “Anti-Narco Terrorism Day”. “The public discourse is being held on the occasion of 3-years of conflict in the state, attacked by Kuki-ZO narco terrorist,” COCOMI spokesperson Shanta Nahakpam said.

Meanwhile, Kuki bodies called for total shutdown in Kangpokpi district while public meeting was held at Churachandpur district in commemoration of the victims of the crisis. Kangpokpi and Churachandpur are both Kuki-Zo dominated districts of Manipur. In both the districts, business establishments, public transportation services came to a standstill.

In Kangpokpi, Kuki body Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) had imposed a 12-hour total shutdown with effect from 6 am of Sunday.

Additionally, Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), a forum for Kuki-Zo community in Churachandpur district, commemorated the day as “separation day from Meitei” at Peace ground while Zomi community at the Martyrs Park in Churachandpur.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rallies-shutdowns-in-manipur-mark-third-anniversary-of-ethnic-violence-101777857776803.html

An Indian-origin woman working for Microsoft in the US has shared a glimpse of her arduous journey that ultimately led to a green card.

An Indian-origin woman working for Microsoft in the US has shared a glimpse of her arduous journey that ultimately led to a green card. Aishani B, a senior software engineer at Microsoft US, said that her H-1B application was rejected seven times before she got a green card.

A green card is the common name for the US Permanent Resident Card which allows a non-US citizen to live and work permanently in the United States. An H-1B visa, on the other hand, allows foreigners to work in specialised professions in the US. Unlike a green card, an H-1B visa is temporary and usually valid for three years.

Seven H-1B rejections

Aishani said that between 2019 and 2025, she entered the H-1B lottery seven times. She was rejected each time.

“I entered the H1B lottery 7 times between 2019 and 2025. I didn’t get selected. Not once,” the Indian-American techie said in her LinkedIn post.

She admitted that the first rejection made her feel bad. By the second rejection, she had started to rationalise.

“The first rejection stings. The second, you rationalize,” she revealed. “By the third, fourth, fifth — you stop telling people. Not because you’re ashamed. But because there’s nothing new to say.”

From rejections to green card

Aishani said that what nobody talks about is the self doubt that creeps in after repeated rejections. “It’s not one moment of disappointment. It’s a slow, quiet erosion of certainty,” she wrote.

Over time, she began to question whether she is “good enough” to be in the US. “Would someone else have figured this out by now? How long do I keep trying?” she wondered.

In 2022, the Indian-origin techie left the US and moved to Canada. The following year, she returned to the US on an L-1 visa. Microsoft, meanwhile, kept filing for her H-1B visa.

All the hard work and years of uncertainty paid off in 2025, when Aishani received her green card.

“A path I never thought I’d qualify for — especially not after 7 rejections. I sat with that for a long time. Because the version of me losing lottery after lottery didn’t feel extraordinary. She felt exhausted,” she confessed in her LinkedIn post.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/indian-microsoft-techie-overcomes-7-h-1b-rejections-to-achieve-green-card-dream-101777861966123.html

Regarding the territorial claims of Nepal, MEA said that India has maintained that these claims are “neither justified nor based on historical facts.”

India on Sunday rejected Nepal’s objection to the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra being conducted via Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, saying Kathmandu’s claim on the region was not justified or based on historical facts.

Earlier on Sunday, the Nepal government sent diplomatic notes to India and China objecting to the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage’s route through Lipulekh Pass, which Kathmandu claims as its territory. Nepal’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Poudel Chhetri said his country’s concerns had been conveyed to both neighbours through diplomatic channels.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded to Nepal’s claims related to border issues in the context of the annual pilgrimage to a holy mountain and lake in Tibet region by saying India’s position on the matter has been consistent and clear.

“As regards territorial claims, India has consistently maintained that such claims are neither justified nor based on historical facts and evidence. Such unilateral artificial enlargement of territorial claims is untenable,” Jaiswal said.

Lipulekh Pass has been a long-standing route for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra since 1954 and the pilgrimage through this route is “not a new development”, he said.

“India remains open to a constructive interaction with Nepal on all issues in the bilateral relationship, including on resolving agreed outstanding boundary issues through dialogue and diplomacy,” Jaiswal said.

The pilgrimage was also conducted through Lipulekh Pass in 2025, when it was resumed after a gap of five years as part of efforts by India and China to normalise their relations following the end of a prolonged military stand-off on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The pilgrimage is set to take place from June to August. Ten batches, each consisting of 50 pilgrims, will travel through Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand state, and another 10 batches, also consisting of 50 pilgrims, will travel through Nathu La in Sikkim state.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/from-prison-to-assembly-why-akhil-gogoi-s-sivasagar-re-election-is-a-litmus-test-for-regionalism-101777384612607.html

A video from a state-aided madrasa in Barabanki allegedly shows teachers’ attendance being marked with plastic cards instead of biometric verification. The footage has raised questions over oversight, prompted scrutiny by the NHRC and led officials to order an enquiry.

A fresh case of alleged fake biometric attendance in Uttar Pradesh’s state-aided madrasas has surfaced from Barabanki, with a video purportedly showing how teachers’ attendance is being marked using plastic cards instead of actual biometric verification. The incident has raised serious questions over monitoring mechanisms, with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also taking cognisance.

In the video accessed, names of multiple teachers are seen written on plastic cards, which are then used to mark attendance in place of thumb impressions. The footage allegedly shows staff marking attendance for absent teachers, suggesting manipulation of records that are later used for salary disbursal.

Officials say biometric attendance is mandatory in all aided madrasas, with records compiled at the district level by minority welfare officers before salaries are released. However, the system in this case appears to lack proper administrative control and is reportedly not linked to any Aadhaar-based online authentication.

BARABANKI CASE ADDS TO SERIES OF IRREGULARITIES

The Barabanki revelation comes close on the heels of a similar case in Jaunpur, where fake attendance was allegedly marked using thumb impressions of a madrasa manager’s family members. Investigations in that case are still ongoing.

Sources said the Barabanki madrasa, identified as Islamia School in Maila Reganj, has around two dozen teachers. Despite the presence of biometric devices, the absence of real-time online verification is believed to have enabled such practices.

SYSTEMIC GAPS, LACK OF OVERSIGHT FLAGGED

Experts and officials point to gaps such as lack of Aadhaar-based face authentication, limited inspections, and offline record-keeping as key vulnerabilities being exploited. Attendance records are reportedly printed and submitted manually, raising concerns over verification.

The issue also revives concerns flagged earlier by court directives that recommended online authentication systems across madrasas to prevent misuse.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/up-madrasa-attendance-scam-barabanki-video-shows-fake-biometric-entries-using-plastic-cards-2904708-2026-05-02

At a Labour Day event in Nagpur, Nitin Gadkari said Hindus and Muslims pay the same price for gas, petrol and diesel. He used the remark to reject caste politics and call out leaders seeking tickets while raising caste slogans.

In a blunt and striking address during a Labour Day event in Maharashtra, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari pushed back against caste and religion-based narratives, saying access to essentials like fuel does not differ by faith.

Speaking in Nagpur, Gadkari said, “The price at which Hindus get gas, petrol and diesel, Muslims also get it at the same price.” His remarks come at a time when political discourse in several states has seen sharp religious and caste-driven campaigning during recent elections.

Gadkari made it clear that he distances himself from such divisions. “Outside, people may fight on caste lines, but I do not do that,” he said, stressing that such issues bring little real benefit to society.

He added that leaders who raise slogans around caste often act differently behind closed doors. “Many leaders shout slogans about caste. Then they come to my house and whisper in my ear asking for tickets for their sons or wives,” he said, calling them “hypocritical”.

STRONG WARNING TO POLITICIANS

In one of the most forceful lines of his speech, Gadkari warned against continuing caste-based politics. “Whoever talks about caste, I will kick him hard,” he said, drawing attention for the unusually direct tone.

His comments come in the backdrop of recent elections across several states, where Hindu-Muslim narratives and caste equations dominated campaign speeches and strategies.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/nitin-gadkari-caste-politics-hindus-muslims-same-fuel-price-2904732-2026-05-02

The bodies of the nine people killed in the blaze were recovered from the second floor of the building, while three others were found in the staircase. The body of one other person was recovered from the first floor.

At least nine people have died, and four others have been injured in a fire that broke out in a four-storey residential building in Delhi’s Vivek Vihar in the early hours of Sunday. Prima facie, the blaze is believed to have been caused by an AC blast.

As many as 12 fire tenders were rushed to the site following information about the fire.

The bodies of five of the nine people killed in the blaze were recovered from the second floor of the building, while three others were found in the staircase mumty, which was found locked. The body of one other person was recovered from the first floor.

Among those who lost their lives on the first floor, Shikha Jain (45), wife of Naveen, was found dead.

The victims on the second floor (backside) were Arvind, son of Chotte Lal (60), Anita Jain (58), Nishant Jain (35), Anchal Jain (33) and a one-year-old boy.

The deceased on the third floor belonged to a single family: Nitin Jain (around 50), his wife Shailey Jain (around 48), and their son Samyak Jain (around 25). Naveen Jain (48) was among the injured. Overall, four men, four women and one child lost their lives in the incident.

While over a dozen people have been rescued so far, it is feared that the death toll may rise further.

Information about the incident was received by authorities at 3.47 am.

Following the call, police officials immediately arrived at the spot. Fire trucks also reached the scene shortly after.

According to the police, the fire engulfed apartments on the second, third and fourth floors of the building, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.

The exact cause of the deadly blaze is yet to be ascertained.

Reacting to the tragedy, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the incident was extremely tragic and expressed grief over the loss of lives. She added that the injured are undergoing treatment and wished for their speedy recovery, while assuring that authorities are closely monitoring the situation and providing all possible assistance.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed sorrow over the incident, offering condolences to the bereaved families and praying for the recovery of those injured.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/cities/delhi/story/8-killed-4-injured-after-suspected-ac-blast-causes-fire-in-building-in-delhis-vivek-vihar-2904920-2026-05-03

As Nida Khan remains absconding, three police teams are reportedly conducting searches across various parts of Maharashtra to secure her arrest

In a significant setback for Nida Khan, a prime accused in the alleged Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) harassment and religious conversion scandal, a Nashik sessions court on Saturday rejected her anticipatory bail application. The court’s decision follows intense arguments by the prosecution, which emphasised that the gravity of the offences necessitates her custodial interrogation. Despite Khan citing her two-month pregnancy as grounds for pre-arrest protection, the bench aligned with the Special Investigation Team (SIT), noting that her role in the case remains central to the ongoing probe.

Allegations of Coercion and Religious Influence

The FIR against Nida Khan contains startling claims regarding the workplace environment at the IT major’s Nashik unit. According to the prosecution, Khan allegedly pressured female colleagues to adopt Islamic traditions, including advice on dressing and dietary habits. Detailed evidence presented by Special Public Prosecutor Ajay Misar suggested that Khan influenced one complainant by providing a burqa and hijab, teaching religious prayers, and installing Islamic learning applications on her mobile phone.

Further allegations include a planned name change for a victim to “Hania” and a strategic plot to move her to Malaysia for a job. Investigators believe Khan’s custodial interrogation is vital to recovering her mobile phone and diaries, which may reveal external funding sources and broader links to conversion networks in Malegaon and Malaysia.

The SIT Probe and Multiple FIRs

The Nashik Police’s Special Investigation Team is currently probing nine separate FIRs related to exploitation, molestation, and forced conversion at the TCS facility. So far, eight individuals have been arrested, including a female operations manager.

On the same day Khan’s bail was rejected, the court extended the police custody of four other co-accused—Raza Rafiq Memon, Tausif Bilal Attar, Danish Ejaz Sheikh, and Shahrukh Husain Shaukat Qureshi—until 5 May.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/no-shield-for-nida-khan-in-tcs-case-why-nashik-court-rejected-pre-arrest-bail-despite-pregnancy-plea-10070191.html

An Indian-origin tech professional working in the US shared an emotional post after a personal tragedy left him questioning the cost of chasing life abroad.

An Indian-origin tech professional working in the United States has shared a deeply personal story about losing his mother while being unable to travel back to India because of visa-related delays. His post has started a wider conversation online about the emotional cost of living abroad on work visas.

Gautam Dey, who works in the US on an H-1B visa, wrote on LinkedIn that he could not reach India in time to see his mother during her final days as he struggled to get a visa stamping appointment. He described the experience as “the biggest regret of my life.”

He Shares His Mother’s Illness

In his LinkedIn post, Dey explained that he was speaking not as a software engineer or visa holder, but as a son dealing with grief. “Today I am writing this not as an engineer, not as an H-1B worker… I am writing this as a son,” he wrote.

According to Dey, his mother had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and remained hospitalised for 17 days. During that time, he said he made repeated efforts to secure the required visa appointment so he could travel to India.

“My mother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. She was hospitalised for 17 days. During that time, I was desperately trying to get a visa stamping appointment so I could travel to see her,” he said.

Dey also shared details about his professional journey in the US. He said he moved there in 2007 after being hired by a multinational company for specialised software work.

“I did not come here to undercut anyone’s salary. I was brought in for my expertise to solve a serious software problem and fix vulnerabilities that needed attention,” he wrote.

Visa Delays Left Him Stuck

As his mother’s health continued to worsen, Dey said the immigration process left him trapped in a painful situation. He explained that leaving the US without securing the proper appointment carried serious risks.

According to him, travelling without a visa stamp could have left him stranded outside the country for months and affected both his job and his family’s legal status. “If I travelled without an appointment, I could be stuck outside the US for months. I could lose my job, my legal status, and my family’s status,” he wrote.

Dey said he tried continuously for nearly a month to secure an emergency appointment. “I sent hospital documents to the Consulate. I tried for 26 days to get an appointment. I refreshed, waited, prayed, and hoped. But time did not wait,” he wrote.

Despite those efforts, he could not make it back to India before his mother passed away. “I could only see her through a phone screen. I could only hear her voice over the phone. That will remain the biggest regret of my life,” he shared.

He Calls It An Impossible Choice

A 30-year-old Delhi court judge, Aman Kumar Sharma, was found hanging at his residence in South Delhi’s Safdarjung area on Saturday. His body was discovered in the bathroom of his Green Park home after his brother-in-law alerted police. While suicide is suspected, officials said all angles are being investigated and a post-mortem has been ordered.

A 30-year-old judge was found dead at his residence in south Delhi’s Safdarjung area on Saturday. Aman Kumar Sharma, a Delhi court judge, was found hanging at his residence in the Safdarjung area. His body was reportedly found inside the bathroom of his Green Park home.

Sharma was found hanging from a ceiling fan, and his brother-in-law informed the police. The body has been sent for a post-mortem and, while suicide is suspected, all angles are being investigated, an official was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Who was Aman Kumar Sharma?

Aman Kumar Sharma handled both criminal and civil cases. He earned his BA and LLB from Symbiosis Law School in Pune in 2018 and joined the Delhi Judicial Services on 19 June 2021, according to news agency Press Trust of India.

As a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) and a civil judge, he handled a variety of criminal and civil cases. Sharma began working as the full-time Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority, North-East District, at the Karkardooma Courts in Delhi on 18 October 2025.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/who-was-aman-kumar-sharma-30-year-old-delhi-judge-dies-by-suicide-at-safdarjung-home

The poll body said fresh voting will take place in all 285 polling stations of the constituency, including auxiliary polling stations, on May 21.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced repolling in all polling booths of West Bengal’s Falta Assembly constituency, citing “severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process”.

The poll body said fresh voting will take place in all 285 polling stations of the constituency, including auxiliary polling stations, on May 21. The timings of the polling will be from 7 am to 6 pm, and votes will be counted on May 24.

“On consideration of severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process during the polling in a large number of polling stations on 29th April 2026 in 144-Falta Assembly Constituency, West Bengal, the ECI directs that a fresh poll shall be conducted in all the 285 polling stations, including auxiliary polling stations,” the poll body said in its order.

This means on May 4, the counting of votes will be conducted for 293 seats in West Bengal.

Reacting to the repolling announcement, Trinamool General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who is the MP from the Diamond Harbour constituency – of which Falta is a part – said the BJP would never win the seat.

Calling his model the “Diamond Harbour model”, he claimed nothing would put a dent in it. “Bring everything you have got. I challenge the entire Union of India – Come to Falta,” he wrote on X.

BJP vs Trinamool Over ‘EVM Tampering’

The poll body’s action came days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged voting machines had been tampered with in the Falta seat.

During voting for the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections on April 29, the BJP alleged its button on the electronic voting machines (EVM) had been taped in several polling booths in Falta in South 24 Paraganas’ Diamond Harbour area.

The Trinamool Congress denied the allegation, claiming the BJP had raised a false alarm because it was losing in the state. It also slammed the Election Commission and police observer Ajay Pal Sharma, the IPS officer known as “Singham”, who the party had earlier accused of threatening their candidate Jehangir Khan.

On Friday, the Election Commission announced repolling in 15 booths in West Bengal’s Diamond Harbour and Magrahat Paschim constituencies following complaints of irregularities.

Repolling in the two constituencies took place today, with the combined voter turnout exceeding 90 per cent. However, the supporters of the BJP and the Trinamool clashed in Falta, alleging threats and intimidation by TMC workers.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/poll-body-announces-repolling-in-all-285-polling-stations-in-west-bengals-falta-cites-subversion-of-democratic-process-11440564?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The villagers scanned CCTV footage that showed a 65-year-old man entering a cow shed with the girl.

Public outrage gripped Nasrapur village, in Bhor taluka, on Friday following the brutal assault and murder of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl, with protests intensifying in the village and spilling onto the Pune–Satara highway. The protest, which began as a peaceful sit-in, escalated when demonstrators attempted to block the busy highway, leading to major traffic disruptions.

On Friday, at around 3 pm, grandparents of the three-and-a-half year old girl in Nasrapur village set about looking for her as she had been missing for a few hours. As their hunt was futile, they alerted locals and registered a complaint at the Rajgadh police station in Bhor taluka, about the missing child.

The villagers scanned CCTV footage, which showed a 65-year-old man entering a cow shed with the girl. They tracked him down and beat him up; while on the other hand, following the footage, police tracked down the body of the child at around 7:30 pm with her head smashed and covered with dung in the shed.

A search operation led police to the 65-year-old by a riverside as he was being beaten up by a group of villagers. He was arrested. An investigating officer of Pune Rural police said: “The man, a labourer, confessed that he had lured the child into the cattle shed on the pretext of showing her a calf, where he sexually assaulted and killed her. ”

Sandeep Singh Gill, superintendent of police, Pune Rural, told HT: “The tragic incident occurred on Friday in Nasrapur, where a three-and-a-half-year-old girl was sexually assaulted and murdered. The accused was arrested within one-and-a-half hours, and a case has been registered at Rajgad PS. Investigation is on.”

Police suspect that after the sexual assault, the accused allegedly killed her by hitting her face with a stone, and to conceal the evidence, hid the body under a heap of dung.

Rajgad Police Station has filed a case under sections 137(2), 103,64,74, 140 (a), 140(c) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhiat (BNS) and sections 4,6,8, 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

A sessions court in Pune remanded the accused to police custody till May 7.

According to Gill, the accused has previous cases of molestation registered under the POCSO Act in 1998 and 2015; he was acquitted in a case in 2019. “He is an elderly man with a similar pattern of behaviour. The victim is from Pune and had come to visit her grandmother to the village on a summer vacation. As the village is sparsely populated, police are investigating how the accused lured the child while she was playing,” said Gill.

Will seek capital punishment: Fadnavis

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also heads the home department, said on Saturday that the state government will demand capital punishment against the 65-year-old accused. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, he said: “The case will be taken up in by a fast-track court.”

“This is a condemnable and tragic incident. The accused has been arrested. I would like to request the high court to give us a special public prosecutor; we will demand capital punishment in the court,” said Fadnavis.

Fadnavis also called attention to the Shakti Bill being passed by the state legislature in 2020 and sent to the Centre for the President’s assent. The Maharashtra legislative council in March 2026 unanimously passed the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill 2026 to include provisions in the Shakti Bill to protect the identities of acid attack victims and ensure jail terms for online sexual overtures.

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MP Supriya Sule urged people to “maintain restraint” while assuring that “the strictest action will be taken” in the alleged sexual assault and murder case. She called the incident “inhuman” which “tarnished humanity”.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/bhopal-news/mp-boat-tragedy-death-toll-rises-to-10-with-recovery-of-one-more-body-3-tourists-still-missing-101777730425043.html

A viral video shows a mother holding her four-year-old son moments before a cruise capsized in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur. Their bodies were later found wrapped in the same life jacket.

A viral video shows a mother clutching her four-year-old son in a final embrace moments before a cruise capsized in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur, which claimed nine lives. The clip from inside the vessel shows the woman, wearing a life jacket, holding her child as passengers hurriedly passed around life jackets while water entered the boat.

The mother and the son can be seen on the left side of the footage during the final moments before the cruise overturned in the Bargi dam reservoir on Thursday evening. Hours later, rescuers recovered their bodies from the water, still wrapped together in the same life jacket, which became the most haunting image of the tragedy.

The emotional recovery left family members in tears as their bodies were brought ashore. Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Minister Rakesh Singh, who visited the site, was visibly moved by the scene and could not hold back his tears.

The river cruise, carrying around 30 passengers, overturned after being caught in a sudden storm. Officials said strong winds lashed the reservoir around 6 pm, turning the waters rough and making the boat unstable.

Eyewitnesses claimed passengers repeatedly urged the crew to return to shore as weather conditions worsened, but the boat drifted further into the reservoir before capsizing.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/jabalpur-cruise-capsize-video-mother-clutching-son-bargi-dam-tragedy-2904562-2026-05-02

Global oil prices eased on Friday compared to the record levels reached on Thursday, yet remained highly elevated compared to their pre-war levels. Benchmark Brent Crude on Friday was hovering around the $111 per barrel mark, up 0.6 percent, while WTI Crude remained almost flat at $105 per barrel

Global oil prices eased on Friday compared to the record levels reached on Thursday, yet remained highly elevated compared to their pre-war levels.

Benchmark Brent Crude on Friday was hovering around the $111 per barrel mark, up 0.6 percent, while WTI Crude remained almost flat at $105 per barrel.

Friday’s level of Brent is over $15 lower than Thursday, when it had peaked at $126 per barrel, the highest in the last four years.

The ease in prices came despite United States President Donald Trump signalling resumed military action if diplomacy does not turn into favourable developments.

He also said that Iran was eager to make a deal. On the other hand, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has described the US naval siege of Iranian ports as an “extension of military operations” and “intolerable.”

Despite remaining lower than the previous day, crude prices are over 70 percent higher than pre-war levels and about 25 percent higher than what has been the cost of a barrel during the last few weeks.

Traders are tracking developments in Washington and Tehran before taking a sigh of relief. To further add to the negative sentiment, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said it was unrealistic to expect quick outcomes from discussions with the US.

According to experts, the United States’ pressure tactic of blocking Iranian ports has not borne the expected results, as Iran has faced harsh sanctions earlier.

The US is preparing to ensure secure transit through the Strait of Hormuz in coalition with allied countries and shipping companies.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/brent-crude-eases-to-110-per-barrel-from-record-levels-but-war-mongering-continues-to-support-elevated-prices

Amid the current geopolitical trends and volatile movement of financial indicators, several high-stakes developments kept the week buzzing for the global economy and domestic market.

The last week of April witnessed a host of significant developments that could shape the next few weeks of the new fiscal 2026-27 (FY27). Amid the current geopolitical trends and volatile movement of financial indicators, several high-stakes developments kept the week buzzing for the global economy and domestic market. Some of these were the US-Iran ceasefire, heatwave conditions in India, state exit poll results, April auto sales data, and a more. In global markets, benchmark Brent crude hit a record high and the US stock market ended the week on a positive note over Iran’s Strait of Hormuz-led updates.

Here’s a recap of the week that was:

Markets on home turf

Domestic equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty 50 partly recovered from March’s steep selloff with gains in April, but Thursday’s decline highlighted lingering fragility as surging oil prices and a weakening rupee hurt sentiment. Nifty 50 fell 0.74% to 23,997.55 and BSE Sensex shed 0.75% to 76,913.50, while the rupee hit a record low after a jump in crude prices and a hawkish US Federal Reserve. Still, Nifty and Sensex rose 7.5% and 6.9% in April, logging their best month since December 2023, partly recovering from March’s more than 11% slump despite record foreign fund outflows.

Heatwave in India

Light to moderate rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday brought an end to a week-long spell of heatwaves in most parts of north and central India, the first of the season. However, another heatwave spell is unlikely for the next two weeks at least, according to the latest forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Temperatures might remain high, not just in the summer months but extending into the monsoon, and thereafter. That means several heatwave spells could be possible in the coming months.

UAE Exits OPEC

The United Arab Emirates announced its exit from both OPEC and OPEC+, dealing a significant setback to the oil producers’ bloc and its de facto leader, Saudi Arabia, at a time when the Iran war has triggered a historic energy shock and rattled the global economy. The exit came into effect from May 1. The development comes as Gulf producers face mounting challenges in exporting crude via Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage through which one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies transit. The move is also being viewed as a strategic win for Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised OPEC for inflating oil prices.

Exit Poll Results 2026

Ahead of the state election results, poll of exit polls show the Trinamool Congress winning 146 seats in West Bengal, while the BJP and allies are likely to win 140 seats. West Bengal has 294 seats. In Tamil Nadu, DMK and allies may win 128 seats, while the AIADMK and allies could take home 86 seats. Actor Vijay’s new party TVK is forecast to win 17 seats. In Kerala, exit poll results show the UDF winning 78 seats in Kerala, while the LDF is likely to win 58. Kerala has a total of 140 seats.

US Fed Policy

The US Federal Reserve kept its key lending rates on hold, as the US-Iran war and resultant strain in energy supplies as sparked inflation concerns. Accordingly, it retained the benchmark lending rates, or the federal funds rate, in the range of 3.5%-3.75%. “Inflation is elevated, in part reflecting the recent increase in global energy prices,” said the statement issued by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) following the conclusion of its two-day meeting on Wednesday.

Source : https://www.ndtvprofit.com/markets/heatwave-in-india-uae-exits-opec-exit-poll-results-us-fed-policy-q4-results-auto-sales-the-week-that-was-11437613

A French man in his 40s shocked neurologists when scans revealed that most of his skull was filled with fluid instead of brain tissue.

An incredible case of neuroscience was described by doctors from Marseille, France, in 2007. A 44-year-old civil servant went to see doctors at a local hospital because of weakness in his left leg. In scientific publications about the case, the patient’s full name was not revealed to anyone, all people were informed was that he had a good job, was married, had two kids, and seemed to lead a typical lifestyle.

During routine checkups, doctors performed a brain scan in order to get information on what caused the patient’s condition. The results were shocking for everyone.

It turned out that almost all the space inside the man’s skull was occupied by cerebrospinal fluid, while his brain mass was squeezed to form a thin film attached to the inside wall of the skull. Scientists concluded that 90 percent of the patient’s brain mass was absent.

However, the absence of a huge amount of grey matter had not affected the man’s cognitive abilities too much; he did not experience severe memory issues, difficulties with speech and other impairments. IQ test gave the result of 75 for the man.

It was identified to have started from hydrocephalus, which is an illness due to fluid accumulation in the brain. He had suffered from the illness in his infancy stage. In the early years of life, doctors inserted a shunt into his body, which is used to lower the brain pressure.

The shunt was removed during the patient’s teenage years. As time passed, fluids began to accumulate again but in a gradual process. The brain has time to adapt during a process that takes place gradually.

This process enabled the surviving neurons to readapt. This is because regions that control actions, speaking, memory, and functions were still working despite the brain’s compression. It has become one of the most amazing cases of the phenomenon of neuroplasticity. The man never realized anything strange about himself since he did not have serious symptoms.

He only got diagnosed during his middle-aged years when the situation worsened. Brain tests revealed that even though his entire skull was filled with fluids, the tissue layer along its edges was functional. Scientists stated that the case was a challenge to conventional thoughts about the required amount of brain tissue.

Source : https://www.news18.com/viral/he-shouldnt-be-alive-but-this-brain-mystery-stunned-doctors-ws-l-10068577.html

Seven-year-old Ishank swam 29 kilometres across the Palk Strait from Sri Lanka to India after training daily for hours at Ranchi’s Dhurwa Dam.

Seven-year-old Ishank Singh from Ranchi has made history after swimming across the Palk Strait between Sri Lanka and India. At an age when most children are busy with school and playtime, he completed a nearly 29-kilometre sea swim and earned a world record for the achievement.

The young swimmer crossed the stretch from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Dhanushkodi in India in 9 hours and 50 minutes. His feat has brought attention from people across the country, with many praising his hard work and determination at such a young age.

Young Swimmer Creates Record

Ishank, who lives in Dhurwa in Ranchi, completed the challenging swim on April 30, 2026. According to reports, he has now become the youngest swimmer in the world to cross the Palk Strait route.

The crossing is considered difficult because of changing sea conditions and strong currents. Despite the challenge, Ishank successfully completed the swim in under 10 hours. For this achievement, he received the “Youngest and Fastest Palk Strait Swimmer” certificate from the Universal Records Forum.

Daily Practice Helped Him Prepare

The seven-year-old reportedly trained for several hours every day before attempting the swim. He practised at Dhurwa Dam in Ranchi and followed a strict training schedule.

His coaches, Aman Kumar Jaiswal and Bajrang Kumar, guided him through the preparation. Reports said Ishank spent around four to five hours daily in practice to build the stamina needed for the long-distance swim.

People from Jharkhand have celebrated the achievement, calling it a proud moment for the state and the country.

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𝐈𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐦

Seven-year-old swimmer Ishank Singh🇮🇳creates history by successfully crossing the 29-km Palk Strait.

He completes the open-water swim from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Dhanushkodi in… pic.twitter.com/AfuWqawmII

— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) May 1, 2026

School Praises His Achievement

Ishank studies in Class 3 at DAV Shyamali in Ranchi. His school reportedly also praised his achievement and described it as a moment of pride for students and teachers alike.

As per reports, the school principal said Ishank showed courage, discipline and focus by taking on such a difficult challenge at a very young age. He added that the young swimmer’s success proves that dedication and proper guidance can help achieve big goals.

The principal also said Ishank’s achievement would inspire many other students to work hard toward their dreams.

Social Media Users React

Many people reacted to the news online and praised the child swimmer for his effort and determination. A user wrote, “Indian Navy potential kid, hope he keeps up with the sport.”

Another said, “A matter of pride for Jharkhand and India! Heartiest congratulations to Ishaan, his parents, and his coach. You are a hero!”

Source : https://www.news18.com/viral/7-year-old-ranchi-boy-makes-history-ishank-singh-completes-29-km-epic-swim-from-sri-lanka-to-india-in-10-hours-ws-l-10068352.html

 

This unique application is based on the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, diverging from typical astrology platforms that use machine learning.

In an unusual blend of ancient knowledge and modern technology, Hyderabad-based Aja AstroTech Pvt Ltd has launched a mobile application, Dosha Nivarana (DNA), that translates classical Vedic astrology principles into a digital format for everyday users.

Aja AstroTech Pvt Ltd launched Dosha Nivarana (DNA), billing it as India’s first app built entirely on the foundational principles of the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra — the revered Vedic astrology canon attributed to Sage Parashara Muni.

The distinction matters to the founders. Unlike the wave of astrology platforms that layer machine-learning prediction over horoscope data, the DNA app’s engine is, at its core, a faithful software translation of classical Jyotisha logic — every calculation tracing back to the original Parasara text, not a neural network.

“This is not a horoscope app. This is a karma engine,” said Phaniraj Jaligama, Founder & CEO, Aja AstroTech Pvt Ltd.

The app was unveiled at a formal Hyderabad event in the presence of Badiga Srikanth, Group Director of Phonix; retired district judge Hemanth Kumar Dintyala; and former T-Hub CEO Srinivas Rao Mahankali.

CEO Phaniraj Jaligama walked attendees through the engine’s core premise: that the celestial alignment at the exact moment of a person’s birth creates a “cosmic blueprint” — and that Parashara’s principles, when encoded correctly, can read that blueprint with a rigour no general-purpose AI is designed to replicate.

India has invoked force majeure for government contracts hit by the West Asia conflict, shielding defence and drone firms from penalties amid supply disruptions, soaring component costs, and shipment delays.

The Centre has allowed companies hit by the West Asia conflict to seek protection under the “force majeure” clause in government contracts, giving a major breather to sectors such as defence and drone manufacturing.

Force majeure is a legal provision that excuses a company from meeting contractual deadlines when extraordinary events – such as war, natural disasters, or other unforeseen crises – make normal operations impossible.

The Finance Ministry said the ongoing conflict in West Asia, triggered by the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, can be treated as a war-like situation for government contracts.

“In cases where disruptions arising from the prevailing West Asia situation have directly affected, or consequentially impacted contractual obligations (for goods and services contracts, construction/ works contracts with Government Agencies), the procuring entities may invoke Force Majeure,” the Finance Ministry said in its order.

This means affected companies can avoid penalties if they miss delivery deadlines because of supply chain disruptions linked to the conflict.

Under the relief package, government agencies can grant delivery extensions of two to four months. However, this will only apply to companies that were meeting their obligations as of February 27. Each request will be reviewed individually.

The decision is particularly important for defence and drone manufacturers, many of whom depend heavily on imported components from Israel and other global suppliers.

According to a report in Economic Times, citing industry sources, the supplies from Israel have been severely disrupted, while delays at cargo hubs in the UAE have further slowed shipments from other countries.

Since most defence contracts are with government agencies, the industry had been seeking this relief for months.

“Over the past few months, the industry has been dealing with component shortages, logistics delays and tighter export controls, all of which are beyond the control of domestic manufacturers but directly affecting delivery timelines,” said Smit Shah, president of the Drone Federation of India.

Companies warn that the disruption may last much longer than four months. Demand has piled up, cargo routes remain congested, and several suppliers have sharply raised prices.

According to industry executives, delivery timelines for critical components such as computing modules and cameras have doubled from three months to six months in some cases. Prices have also surged dramatically.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/companies/big-relief-for-defence-drone-firms-india-invokes-force-majeure-amid-west-asia-war-article-154221062

Rescuers at Jabalpur boat tragedy site recovered the bodies of a mother and her young son, still locked in their final embrace.

In what became the most heart-wrenching image of the boat tragedy in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur that claimed nine lives, rescuers on Friday recovered the bodies of a mother and her four-year-old son locked in a final hug.

The bodies of the woman and her child were pulled out of the water with a life jacket secured around them.

Family members gathered at the spot broke down upon witnessing the recovery, and state Cabinet Minister Rakesh Singh, who visited the site, was also visibly moved and struggled to hold back tears.

Nine people died and many are missing after a river cruise boat carrying around 30 passengers overturned in the Bargi dam reservoir after encountering a sudden storm on Thursday. Twenty two people have been rescued so far.

Rescue efforts are being carried out on a war footing, with teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with local police and administration officials, deployed at the spot.

According to officials, strong winds lashed the reservoir around 6 pm on Thursday, turning the waters choppy. Eyewitnesses said passengers raised alarms and urged the crew to return to shore, but their cries went unheard as the boat drifted further before capsizing.

Some locals managed to rescue a few passengers using ropes, particularly those wearing life jackets. However, others drowned.

A survivor has alleged a lack of basic safety measures, claiming that all passengers were not provided with life jackets.

Minister Singh, who spoke to the media from the spot, said “the situation will be clear in some time” and “after the rescue operation concludes, it will be clear why people could not be saved even when they were wearing life jackets”.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said earlier assured all possible assistance to affected families, saying “the state government stands with full sensitivity”, adding that efforts were underway to trace the missing.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/womans-body-found-clutching-4-year-old-son-after-boat-sinks-in-madhya-pradeshs-jabalpur-2904082-2026-05-01

Rekha Gupta said that if any discrepancy is found, the school will face the strictest action and may even be taken over.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday warned private schools of strict action if they force students and parents to buy uniforms, books, and stationery from specific vendors. Her warning comes after the Directorate of Education (DoE) asked schools not to compel students or parents to purchase books, writing materials, or uniforms from particular vendors.

Gupta said she can walk into any private school in Delhi at any time to check whether schools have clearly stated on their notice boards, websites, and at any store they operate that parents are free to buy uniforms, books, and stationery from anywhere.

“I can personally inspect any private school in Delhi. On every school’s notice board, website, or store, where they provide books, you must state in writing that parents can purchase uniforms, books, or stationery for their children from anywhere. There is no compulsion to buy them from the school itself or from a single vendor you recommend. There will be no compulsion for any parent to buy books only from the vendor you recommend,” Delhi CM said in a video posted on X from the CMO’s handle.

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I can walk into any private school in Delhi for an inspection, anytime.

Every school will state it clearly on its notice board, on its website, and at any store it operates that parents are free to buy uniforms, books and stationery from anywhere. There will be no coercion, no… pic.twitter.com/HvCiB8Yyqc

— Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha) April 30, 2026

She further added that if any discrepancy is found, the school will face the strictest action and may even be taken over.

“There will be no coercion, no captive buying, no single-vendor diktat. If a school wishes to suggest shop options for convenience, it may provide a written list of five to six shops, but there will be no compulsion of any kind,” Gupta further said.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sakht-action-hoga-delhi-cm-rekha-gupta-warns-private-schools-against-forcing-parents-into-captive-buying-books-uniforms-101777602159657.html

 

A cruise boat carrying 29 people capsized in the Bargi River in Madhya Pradesh, resulting in the tragic deaths of six individuals. Rescue operations are ongoing, with 15 passengers successfully saved so far.

A cruise boat with 29 people on board overturned in the Bargi River in Jabalpur district, Madhya Pradesh, on Thursday (April 30). At least nine people died in the tragic incident, while search operations are continuing to find the missing people. 15 people have been rescued so far as the operation is underway for the rest of the people. The cruise boat tilted and sank after being caught in a sudden and violent gust of wind this evening, claiming the lives of four people. Notably, the cruise service is operated by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Corporation (MPT).

A total of 29 tickets were issued for the cruise in the Bargi dam reservoir, and among them, nine people drowned, while 15 were rescued, the official said. The Bargi Dam has been constructed on the river Narmada in Jabalpur district.

A search and rescue operation for the missing passengers was continuing on a war footing. The Jabalpur collector and Superintendent of Police, along with SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) and other rescue teams, are present at the site, the official said.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the local administration and rescue personnel were continuing their operation after the tragic cruise boat accident in the Bargi dam due to a severe storm.

Public Works Minister Rakesh Singh, Tourism Minister Dharmendra Singh Lodhi, senior divisional police officials, and local people’s representatives have been directed to reach the scene of the tragedy to oversee the rescue operation, the CM said in a post on ‘X.’ Through a swift operation, 15 citizens were rescued and efforts were underway to locate those who are still missing, said Yadav.

“In this hour of crisis, the state government stands with the affected families with full sensitivity and is ensuring all possible assistance,” he maintained.

PWD minister Rakesh Singh, who reached the spot soon after arriving here from Delhi, termed the incident as most unfortunate. He said the CM has announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the kin of the deceased.

“The incident took place around 6-6:15 pm. There were 29 passengers as well as two crew members. Fifteen passengers were rescued, while four others died. The boat has been set right. After completion of the search and rescue operation, a thorough probe would be initiated into the incident,” Singh said.

The priority is to search for those missing, with the operation getting difficult due to darkness setting in, he added.

Saini was taken to a hospital and later referred to a district facility, where doctors declared him dead.

Days after he was on the run after a triple murder in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr, Jeetu Saini was killed in an exchange of fire with a police team early on Thursday. He was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000.

The encounter took place near the Dharau police outpost.

According to officials, two men on a scooter were asked to stop but tried to flee while opening fire. Police chased them and surrounded them on Jhajhar Road, where firing continued.

“When police resorted to retaliatory firing in self-defence, one accused sustained bullet injuries while the other managed to escape under the cover of darkness,” an official told news agency PTI.

Saini was taken to a hospital and later referred to a district facility, where doctors declared him dead.

Two police personnel were injured in the exchange. Police recovered an illegal .32 bore pistol, cartridges and a scooter without a number plate from the spot.

Saini was on the run in a case related to a shooting on April 25 during a birthday gathering in Khurja, where three members of a family were killed. The victims were identified as Amardeep, 30, Manish, 28, and Akash, 18.

What was meant to be a celebratory gathering at a local gym and later near a residence soured when the victims reportedly applied cake to the face of the birthday boy, Jeetu Saini. The playful gesture was met with unexpected hostility, leading to a heated argument.

Sanjay Saini, the brother of one of the victims, recounted a chilling sequence of events. He claimed that following the initial argument, the accused retreated only to return with an arsenal of firearms.

Sanjay received a call from the accused party claiming his brother was “abusing” them. Sanjay attempted to de-escalate, promising to resolve the matter in the morning.

“It was Jeetu Saini, son of Subhash Halwai’s birthday. He invited people here. These people argued and left our Amardeep behind. I got a call saying, ‘Your brother is abusing’. I told them that I’ll talk to them in the morning, as I had to attend a wedding,” he told ANI at the time.

He further alleged that the accused returned armed and escalated the situation, killing the three victims.

With Saini’s death, police said six accused have been taken into custody so far. Two others had been arrested a day earlier after a separate encounter.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/up-man-who-murdered-3-in-gym-over-birthday-cake-killed-in-encounter-11433356?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

LPG Price Today: As opposed to the anticipation, the government didn’t raise fuel prices for retail consumers after the polling schedule.

Despite mounting pressure to raise fuel prices amid the Iran war disruption, the central government has decided to keep the domestic LPG rates unchanged.

However, the price of commercial LPG (19 kg) has been increased by Rs 993 (on average). Commercial LPG cylinder prices in Delhi are now at Rs 3,071.50 (from Rs 2,078.50 earlier). Similarly, commercial LPG cylinder prices in Mumbai have been raised from Rs 2,031 to Rs 3,024.

Significantly, the price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder has been increased thrice since February 28 when the Iran war began. It was first increased by Rs 144 in March, followed by another hike of nearly Rs 200 on April 1.

The triple hike is expected to hit restaurants, eateries, and other businesses hard, since they rely on cooking fuel for their day-to-day operations. The restaurants are likely to pass on the burden to the consumers, making outside dining and food delivery a bit more expensive.

Petrol, Diesel Prices Remain Unchanged

Meanwhile, the retail prices of petrol and diesel also remain unchanged. Separately, in a big relief for the aviation sector, the government has also made no change in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices for domestic airlines (scheduled operations).

While the decision has been welcomed by households, oil marketing companies (OMCs) will have to continue bleeding money to shield consumers. As NDTV reported earlier, OMCs are losing Rs 16,000 crore (approximately) every day as they are buying crude oil at an elevated rate (over $120 per barrel), but selling at the same price. With voting in states concluded, OMCs were pushing for an increase in petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel and LPG prices, according to media reports.

The government is also walking a tight rope. While raising prices would ease OMC finances, it could risk stoking inflation and weigh on country’s growth. Also, the government is already bearing the increased cost of LPG and fertiliser subsidies. However, OMCs, as per reports, may reach out to the Centre for some compensation to absorb petrol and diesel under-recoveries.

The initial bet after the war-driven price surge was that OMCs could absorb losses. These companies recorded strong profits in recent years. However, with no end to the Middle East crisis in sight, absorbing further losses can become unsustainable.

So far, OMCs have selectively raised prices. Prices of premium petrol, bulk diesel and ATF for international flights have been increased in line with global trends. In contrast, regular pump prices for petrol and diesel remain unchanged. ATF for domestic airlines has been only partially raised.

New LPG Cylinder Rules From May 1

While the price of domestic LPG remains unchanged, households in cities will now be able to book cylinder only after 25 days (as opposed to 21 days earlier).

India’s three major oil marketing companies — Indian Oil Corporation (Indane), Bharat Petroleum (Bharat Gas), and Hindustan Petroleum (HP Gas) — have finalised new rules (effective May 1).

Starting May 1, the interval between LPG bookings has been increased from 21 to 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural areas. The system will automatically block any booking attempt made before the permitted gap has elapsed.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/commercial-lpg-prices-hiked-by-rs-993-amid-iran-us-war-no-changes-in-domestic-rates-petrol-diesel-prices-11433884?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

With just two days left for counting in the high-stakes Assembly elections, the Trinamool alleged that the ballot boxes were opened without the presence of authorised party representatives.

Bengal witnessed a late-night drama on Thursday amid Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) concerns over alleged tampering of electronic voting machines (EVMs), with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spending hours inside a strongroom and her party staging a sit-in protest.

With just two days left for counting in the high-stakes Assembly elections, the Trinamool alleged that the ballot boxes were opened without the presence of authorised party representatives – shortly after the second and final phase of polling concluded in the state. Mamata Banerjee, along with her election agent, visited the counting centre for the Bhabanipur Assembly segment at Sakhawat Memorial School in Kolkata on Thursday evening, alleging possible malpractice.

After spending nearly four hours inside the strongroom, she emerged around 12:07 am with a defiant tone and warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process.

“Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media,” she told reporters.

Stressing the need for transparency, she said, “People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter. If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated.”

During this time, Kolkata Mayor and Trinamool candidate from the Kolkata Port seat, Firhad Hakim, too reached the spot, but could not meet the Chief Minister.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is contesting against Banerjee in Bhabanipur, shared a video on X showing his election agent keeping “strict surveillance” in the EVM strongroom where the Chief Minister went in for hours.

“I wish to assure the esteemed community of voters from the entire state of West Bengal, including the Bhabanipur constituency, that the Trinamool Congress candidate from this center, namely the outgoing Chief Minister, the Honorable, has been strictly instructed to refrain from availing any undue advantages. As long as she was present in the strong room premises, my election agent, Advocate Suryanil Das, was personally there keeping her under strict surveillance so that she could not resort to any dishonest means,” he said.

Adhikari added, “No matter how much effort she makes, she has been unable to engage in any activities outside the rules.”

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ভবানীপুর নির্বাচনী এলাকা সহ সমগ্র পশ্চিমবঙ্গবাসী ভোটার ভদ্রমণ্ডলী কে আশ্বস্ত করতে চাই যে এই কেন্দ্রের তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস প্রার্থী তথা বিদায়ী মুখ্যমন্ত্রী, মাননীয়া কে কোনোরকম বাড়তি সুবিধা নেওয়া থেকে বিরত থাকতে বাধ্য করা হয়েছে।
উনি যতোই চেষ্টা চালান না কেন, কোনো রকম নিয়ম বহির্ভূত… pic.twitter.com/9hxyr3A97x

— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) April 30, 2026

Simultaneously, the Trinamool held a sit-in protest outside a strongroom at Netaji Indoor Stadium in central Kolkata, where EVMs for several Assembly constituencies in north Kolkata are kept – hours after Mamata Banerjee released a video message warning party workers about the possibility of EVM tampering and urged them to guard strongrooms until counting begins.

At the centre of the protest was Bengal minister Shashi Panja and Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh – both of whom are candidates in the Assembly elections.

Alleging discrepancies in the process, Ghosh said, “Party workers and supporters were present outside the strongroom till 3.30 pm. Suddenly, an email was sent informing that the strongroom would be opened again at 4 pm. We contacted our workers, and they said they had left. We then rushed here. Now we are not being allowed to enter. BJP is being invited.”

Panja, who is contesting from Shyampukur constituency, also questioned the procedure and said, “The strongroom is extremely sensitive. If it is opened, all political parties must be informed. Why was no one informed?”

Election Commission denies allegations

The Election Commission dismissed the claims regarding the handling of polled materials at the centre, asserting that all procedures were duly followed and the strongrooms remain secure.

“The last strongroom was closed in the morning around 5:15 am. All strong rooms containing polled EVMs are safely secured and sealed. There is another strongroom in the same premises for the postal ballots, wherein we have kept AC-wise polled ballots as done by different polling personnel and ETBPS,” the EC said in a statement.

BJP’s response

Senior BJP leader Tapas Roy dismissed the allegations made by the Trinamool party.

“These are all pure rumours that the TMC is spreading now to create an environment of fear because they’re themselves scared. I have also come here to check the strongroom. The TMC is spreading lies,” he said.

BJP’s IT Cell head, Amit Malviya, called Banerjee’s visit to the strongroom the “clearest exit poll for West Bengal”.

“Mamata Banerjee’s theatrics this evening are perhaps the clearest “exit poll” for West Bengal. The writing on the wall is evident and so is the desperation to distract from it,” he said.

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Mamata Banerjee’s theatrics this evening are perhaps the clearest “exit poll” for West Bengal. The writing on the wall is evident and so is the desperation to distract from it.

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 30, 2026

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/mamata-banerjees-visit-trinamool-protest-late-night-evm-drama-in-bengal-bjp-responds-ballot-boxes-opened-west-bengal-elections-11434024 

 

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has implemented a major overhaul of India’s cooking gas framework effective May 2026.

In one of the most sweeping overhauls of the country’s cooking gas framework in recent years, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has introduced a raft of new rules for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) consumers, effective 1 May 2026.

Government Targets Dual LPG-PNG Households Amid Energy Crisis

The government has begun identifying households that hold both LPG and PNG connections after banning dual ownership to curb misuse and better target subsidies. Under a March 14 amendment to the LPG Regulation Order, households with piped natural gas must surrender their domestic LPG connections and are no longer eligible for LPG refills or new connections. Oil companies and distributors have also been directed not to supply LPG to such consumers.

The move aims to prioritise LPG for households without PNG access and to support expansion of piped gas networks. So far, over 43,000 users with dual connections have surrendered LPG, though officials expect higher compliance. The decision comes amid energy supply disruptions linked to tensions in West Asia, which have affected imports.

Stricter Booking Rules and OTP Deliveries

Consumers across the country under Indane, Bharat Gas, and HP Gas now face new rules covering booking intervals, OTP-based delivery, and mandatory KYC updates. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has increased the booking interval from 21 to 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural areas.

Commercial Cylinder Prices Revised Sharply

Since March 2026, oil marketing companies have hiked the 19 kg commercial cylinder price three times. The first hike was in the range of Rs 28 to Rs 31 on 1 March, followed by another increase of Rs 114.5 per cylinder on 7 March, and a further hike of Rs 196 to Rs 218 across major metro cities for April. A further revision has now been effected on 1 May, with sources citing a cumulative increase touching Rs 993 since the crisis began.

Domestic Prices and Petrol Held Steady

Domestic LPG prices remain unchanged. The cost of a 14.2 kg household cylinder, last raised by Rs 60 on 7 March, continues to stand at Rs 913 in Delhi. Petrol and diesel prices have also been left untouched, remaining at Rs 94.77 per litre and Rs 87.67 per litre respectively in Delhi.

At current rates, oil marketing companies are incurring an under-recovery of Rs 380 per cylinder, with cumulative losses projected to reach Rs 40,484 crore by the end of May.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/lpg-rules-change-from-may-1-dual-connections-barred-commercial-cylinder-prices-increased-11433957

In February, Alok (name changed), a business analyst based in the western Indian city of Pune, got a text message asking him to pay 1,000 rupees ($10.75; £7.9) as a speeding fine.

The message asked him to settle the amount quickly to avoid his driving licence being suspended, prompting Alok to immediately click on the link to pay. He was asked to share an OTP (one-time password) to complete the payment.

Minutes later, his credit card was charged $3,225, the maximum transaction limit.

Alok had inadvertently authorised a much larger sum than what was supposed to be the fine, falling prey to a common scam in India where fraudsters send fake messages mimicking official websites that direct unsuspecting individuals to phishing links and drain their bank accounts.

Experts call this a type of fraud “social engineering” – where scammers dupe their victims using psychological manipulation, instilling fear and urgency.

India has seen an alarming rise in such fraud with the unprecedented adoption of digital payments in the country over the last half decade.

Nearly 2.5 million people have lost some $2.5bn in 2025, a staggering 4,300% rise since 2021. The explosive jump in cases has finally prompted India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to step in.

In a discussion paper released earlier this month, the central bank said it was mulling several measures to tackle the problem.

These include a one-hour lag at the payer’s end in account-to-account transactions and additional authentication by a “trusted person” for high-value digital payments by vulnerable sections of society such as elderly people.

The paper also talks about limits and reviews of large credits to customer accounts to ensure these aren’t mules (accounts used for illegal transfer of money), and giving people more control to switch on/switch off digital payments and set limits like they can for cards.

Axis My India has predicted actor Vijay’s new party TVK in its first election contest would win 98-120 seats in Tamil Nadu

Axis My India has predicted actor Vijay’s new party TVK in its first election contest would win 98-120 seats in Tamil Nadu. If the exit poll results hold, the TVK would assert a strong force in the results, upsetting the ruling DMK and its partners.

Even winning 98 seats in the lowest band of the exit poll would make the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) feat extraordinary and likely take the southern state into a new era of politics.

Below are details of other exit polls:

Peoples Pulse has predicted the DMK and allies would win 125-145 seats, while the AIADMK and allies would get 65-80 seats.

Peoples Insight gave the DMK and allies 120-140 seats, and the AIADMK and allies may win 60-70 seats.

Praja Poll says the DMK and partners would get 148-168 seats; the AIADMK and allies may get 61-81. TVK is forecast to win 1 to 9 seats.

P-Marq has given DMK and allies 125-145 seats; AIADMK and allies 65-85 seats, and actor Vijay’s TVK 16-26 seats.

Matrize has given DMK and allies 122-132 seats; AIADMK and allies 87-100 seats, and actor Vijay’s TVK 10-12 seats.

Kamakhya Analytics has given DMK and allies 78-95 seats; AIADMK and allies 68-84 seats, and actor Vijay’s TVK and allies 67-81 seats. This puts the actor’s new party firmly in place to play a big role, if the exit poll results hold.

JVC has given DMK and allies 75-95 seats; AIADMK and allies 128-147 seats, and actor Vijay’s TVK 8-15 seats.

The main contest was between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes the Congress, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) on one side, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by AIADMK with the BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ndtv-exit-poll-results-live-vijays-tvk-to-win-98-to-120-of-tamil-nadus-234-seats-predicts-ndtv-exit-poll-11426772?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

West Bengal has been the most closely contested poll in this election cycle.

The ballots have been cast in India’s most hotly contested political battleground, and the only question on everyone’s mind is whether the BJP’s sustained project to breach Mamata Banerjee’s fortress of West Bengal has finally been successful.

Exit polls indicate that it has.

While the Axis My India exit poll data for West Bengal will be released on Thursday for greater accuracy because voting in the state has just ended, six other pollsters have released their numbers, and four of them have said the BJP is poised to come to power in the state for the first time.

Of 294 constituencies in the Bengal Assembly, with 148 required to get a majority, Praja Poll’s numbers will give any Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporter pause. The agency has predicted that the BJP will win 178-208 seats, up from 77 in 2021, while the TMC will be restricted to 85-110, down massively from 215.

P-Marq’s numbers state the BJP will win 150-175 constituencies and the Trinamool between 118 and 138.

Matrize has predicted 146-161 seats for the BJP, and Poll Diary 142-171. These pollsters say the TMC will get 125-140 and 99-127, respectively.

On the other end of the spectrum is Janmat Polls, whose data states that the Trinamool Congress will get a thumping majority for the third straight time.

The agency has predicted between 195 and 205 seats for the Mamata Banerjee-led party and 80-90 for the BJP, which is very close to the figures both parties had in the 2021 elections.

Peoples Pulse has also said that the Trinamool Congress will win 177-187 constituencies while the BJP will be restricted to between 85 and 110.

On one point, though, all of the agencies agree – the Congress and the Left parties are set for a dismal performance once again. Most have predicted that both will be unable to open their accounts and the best numbers for these parties are from Poll Diary, which has given the Congress 3-5 seats and the Left 2-3.

Health warning: Exit polls often get it wrong.

How It Has Played Out So Far

If the polls have got it right, the BJP will have achieved something which is very rare in India’s electoral history. In a span of just a decade, the party would have gone from winning just three seats and having a vote share of 10.3% to getting a majority on its own.

And the journey has been gradual.

The Trinamool Congress got the first taste of the BJP as a rising force in Bengal, capitalising on the Left’s decline, when the party won 18 of 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The TMC was only marginally ahead with 22.

Realising that Assembly elections in 2021 could throw up a similar result, Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool then went all out with planning and campaigning, focusing on the Bengali identity and attempting to paint the BJP as an outsider. The efforts paid off, and the TMC got 277 seats against the BJP’s 77.

The Trinamool Congress redoubled its efforts in the Lok Sabha elections three years later and managed to restrict the BJP to just 12 seats while winning 29 itself.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/west-bengal-ndtv-exit-polls-poll-of-polls-mamata-banerjee-bjp-trinamool-congress-suvendu-adhikari-pm-modi-2-exit-polls-give-bjp-edge-in-bengal-1-to-tr-11426451?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

A poultry farm owner in Uttar Pradesh has filed a police complaint after 140 chickens died at his farm, alleging that the cause was loud music from a DJ system used during a wedding procession that passed nearby on the night of April 25.

A poultry farm owner in Uttar Pradesh has filed a police complaint after 140 chickens died at his farm, alleging that the cause was loud music from a DJ system used during a wedding procession that passed nearby on the night of April 25.

The incident occurred in UP’s Sultanpur district. On the fateful night, the wedding procession for the daughter of local resident Babban Vishwakarma moved through the village. The procession had come from Ram Bhadra Purva in the Kudwar area and included a DJ playing music at high volume.

Sabir Ali, who operates Sabir Ali Poultry Farm located near the village, stated that the procession passed in front of his farm around 9:30 PM. According to his account, the intense noise from the DJ caused panic among the chickens. He said the birds could not tolerate the sound and 140 of them died as a result.

In his complaint to the police, Sabir Ali described the sound as high-decibel and said it frightened the poultry, leading directly to the deaths.

“The noise was so intense that the chickens got frightened and died,” the complaint stated.

Following the complaint, the police registered a case on Tuesday night against Kavi Yadav, a DJ operator from Parsipur.

The police are investigating whether the music system was operating beyond the permissible sound limits at the time. Officers are also looking into the sequence of events to determine if the noise levels contributed to the loss of the chickens.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/fowl-play-140-chickens-die-after-wedding-dj-plays-loud-music-11427688?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

A 23-year-old woman in Pune’s Shirur delivered her baby on a roadside after reportedly being turned away from a hospital, with locals and a nearby doctor stepping in during the emergency.

What should have been a routine hospital delivery turned into an emergency on a public road in Pune, where a young pregnant woman gave birth in the most unexpected circumstances, surrounded not by hospital staff, but by strangers who stepped up when it mattered most.

The incident took place on Saturday in Shirur, involving 23-year-old Supriya Nitesh Kale. She had reportedly been advised by Shirur Rural Hospital to seek delivery services elsewhere, as the facility was no longer admitting patients for childbirth. The couple was directed to travel to Ahalyanagar or Pune for treatment.

However, before they could reach any alternate facility, Kale began experiencing intense labour pain near Nirman Chowk while en route. Witnesses said her condition rapidly worsened, and she collapsed on the roadside at around 10:15 am, triggering panic among bystanders.

As the urgency of the situation became clear, locals wasted no time in seeking medical help. They reached out to Dr Sunita Pote, a nearby gynaecologist whose clinic was located less than 500 metres away. Responding swiftly, Dr Pote arrived at the scene and took charge of the situation.

In an extraordinary display of community support, residents, particularly women, came together to create a makeshift enclosure using sarees, gowns, and bedsheets, ensuring Kale’s privacy as the delivery was carried out in the open.

Despite the challenging conditions, the delivery was successfully completed, and both mother and newborn were reported to be safe. A video capturing the moment, where Dr Pote is seen presenting the newborn to the relieved crowd, has since gone viral on Instagram, shared by the handle @advyashomatiinc.

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Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/viral/locals-create-delivery-room-on-busy-pune-street-to-save-mother-baby-viral-video-article-154157579 

From creative arts at NCPA’s Summer Fiesta to yoga camps, nature trails, heritage walks at Kanheri Caves, and Bandra explorations, Mumbai offers exciting summer activities for kids. These programs combine fun with learning, helping children build creativity, fitness, and curiosity while making the most of their vacation beyond screens and routine indoor play.

If you’re already hearing “I’m bored” echo around the house, it’s time to switch things up this summer. From creative workshops to outdoor adventures, there’s plenty your kids can do beyond screens. This season, turn their holidays into a mix of fun and learning with experiences that spark curiosity, creativity, and confidence.

NCPA Summer Fiesta 2026

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If your child loves performing or wants to explore creativity, Summer Fiesta 2026 at NCPA is a perfect pick. From theatre and dance to storytelling, stand-up comedy, and even content creation, the programme offers immersive workshops led by industry experts. It also includes live plays for kids, making it a complete arts experience.

When: April 29 to July 19, 2026 (Workshops) | Plays till August 2

India touched an all-time peak power demand without any shortage, and it was solar that stepped up at the most critical hour, supplying nearly 21% of the electricity. This moment underscores a quiet but decisive shift that the sun is no longer just a supplement but a key driver of India’s energy resilience.

When India’s power demand surged to a record high, it wasn’t only the coal-fired plants that kept the lights and fans on. The Sun quietly blessed and delivered its share. Amid the searing heatwave, the country saw power demand soar to an all-time high of 256 gigawatt (GW), which was achieved without a shortage. Even as thermal power dominated with a 66% contribution, solar stepped in a big way with a 21% share. The country’s energy story is beginning to reflect a subtle but significant shift towards cleaner, daylight-driven power.

The subtle shift helped in the miracle at 3:38 pm on April 25, when India achieved its all-time highest peak electricity demand of 256.1 GW without any shortage, and simultaneously maintaining electricity exports to neighbouring countries. Solar power contributed 57 GW of total energy generation during the peak demand.

According to data released by GRID India, a government enterprise under the Ministry of Power that operates the national grid, at 12.30 pm on the same day, the solar plants and rooftop systems (RTS) energy generation reached about 81 GW, which accounts for one-third of the total electricity generated, 242 GW.

Previously, the all-time high power demand in India was recorded at 250 GW on May 30, 2024.

One gigawatt equals one billion watts. One gigawatt of electricity is enough to power a crore (10 million) 100-watt bulbs.

ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION SPIKED IN APRIL 2026, PRESSURE ON POWER GRID

The demand for electricity in India typically peaks during the summer months of June–July. This demand is largely driven by the widespread use of fans, air coolers and air conditioners (ACs) in homes and commercial spaces.

This year, however, the surge has arrived as early as April, signalling an early onset of heat stress across key regions. The last time the annual peak demand was recorded this early was in the year 2022–23. It is generally seen in May.

The increase in power demand is also significant on a year-on-year basis. The peak demand rose from 235 GW in April 2025 to around 256 GW this April.

According to the Ministry of Power, the spike in demand comes as summer conditions intensify across the country in 2026, driving higher usage of cooling appliances. Electricity consumption recorded a significant growth of 8.9% during April 2026 (April 1–27) compared to the same period last year, underlining the increasing pressure on the power grid as temperatures climb.

The Ministry of Power projected that the electricity demand would reach 271 GW this year. “Renewable energy, particularly solar, made a significant contribution, complemented by hydro and other flexible resources during peak conditions,” the power ministry’s statement added.

SUN IS THE SOLUTION: INDIA’S RISING SOLAR ENERGY PRODUCTION

Solar energy is rapidly emerging as a central pillar of India’s power mix, helping the country meet rising electricity demand while reducing dependence on fossil fuels. As per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India crossed 150.26 GW of installed solar capacity as of March 31, 2026, marking one of the fastest expansions in the energy space. This surge has been driven by record annual additions in FY 2025–26, positioning solar as the country’s fastest-growing power source.

Backed by consistent policy support and rising capacity, solar energy is no longer just a supplementary source but a strategic solution for India’s energy security. “India’s power system is entering a new phase of its transition, driven by record additions in solar and wind capacity in 2025,” Duttatreya Das, energy analyst for Asia at Ember, was quoted by PV Magazine, a Germany-based solar market specialist magazine.

“Going forward, investments in grid infrastructure and flexibility resources will be critical. India is on the right track, with auction designs already evolving to include greater energy storage components. As these projects scale, they will enable more efficient use of low-cost clean power across the system,” he added.

The impact of this growth is now visible in current electricity generation.

According to data from the Central Electricity Authority, solar energy generation in 2025-26 was 173.52 billion units (BU), which contributes to around 9.46%, making it the largest contributor among renewable sources. Overall, non-fossil fuel capacity has crossed 50% of India’s installed power capacity, signalling a structural shift in the country’s energy mix, supported by a policy push (like subsidies) and falling costs of solar deployment.

Solar’s importance becomes most evident during peak demand hours. Solar alone contributed to 21.5% of the total supply, highlighting its growing role in stabilising the grid during high-demand periods.

MODI GOVT GAVE BIG PUSH TO SOLAR ENERGY

India’s push for solar began with the launch of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in 2010 and has accelerated sharply over the decade. Solar capacity of India has grown from just a few gigawatts in the early 2010s to over 150 GW by 2026. This expansion aligns with India’s broader goal of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the 133rd episode of the Mann Ki Baat radio programme, underscored the growing importance of renewable energy amid global volatility, describing solar and wind as central to India’s future and urging wider adoption of clean energy. He also hailed the Kalpakkam fast breeder reactor achieving criticality as a significant milestone for the country’s nuclear energy programme.

A major driver of solar energy growth has been large-scale deployment schemes and subsidies. Flagship programmes like the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana aim to install rooftop solar (RTS) systems in 100 million (1 crore) households, offering up to 300 units of free electricity per month. According to the last available government data, nearly 2.4 million (24 lakh) households have adopted RTS as of December 2025.

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme has focused on solarising agriculture by supporting solar pumps and decentralised plants. Data from the Press Information Bureau (PIB) shows that these schemes have significantly expanded solar adoption across both urban households and rural farming sectors. As of March 2026, the PM-KUSUM has benefitted over 21.77 lakh farmers across India.

The government has also pushed for domestic manufacturing under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for high-efficiency solar modules, with an outlay of Rs 24,000 crore, is aimed at reducing import dependence and building a strong domestic supply chain. In parallel, infrastructure initiatives like solar parks, which are targeting 40 GW capacity, have streamlined land acquisition and transmission access, accelerating project execution.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-solar-news-peak-demand-electricity-april-heatwave-solar-energy-thermal-energy-2903439-2026-04-30

Eyewitnesses reported a scene of chaos and panic as the vehicle, which was reportedly overloaded beyond capacity, flipped multiple times.

A devastating road accident in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district claimed the lives of 12 people on Wednesday night, leaving 13 others critically injured, officials said.

The incident occurred around 8.30 pm near a petrol pump when a pickup truck carrying approximately 35 labourers suddenly lost control and overturned.

Eyewitnesses reported a scene of chaos and panic as the vehicle, which was reportedly overloaded beyond capacity, flipped multiple times. Among the deceased are several children, adding a heart-wrenching dimension to the tragedy.

Residents and police immediately rushed to the site to initiate rescue operations, pulling trapped victims from the wreckage and transporting them to the district hospital.

Medical officials at the district hospital have confirmed that 13 individuals remain in serious condition, with some currently battling life-threatening injuries. While authorities are investigating the exact cause of the crash, preliminary reports suggest the driver lost control of the vehicle due to excessive weight and speed.

The labourers were reportedly travelling together when the vehicle met with the accident on the dark stretch of the highway.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended condolences to the families of those killed in the accident and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/madhya-pradesh-dhar-road-accident-12-dead-13-critical-after-labourers-pickup-truck-overturns-2903519-2026-04-29

The case came to light after an Ahmedabad businessman noticed he had stopped receiving OTPs from his bank for two days. He approached the police after noticing something was amiss.

The Ahmedabad Police Cyber Crime Branch on Wednesday arrested four men who allegedly used artificial intelligence, including Google’s Gemini AI tool, to create deepfake videos of a businessman and bypass Aadhaar biometric verification to carry out a fraudulent loan transaction without triggering OTP alerts.

The case came to light after a city-based businessman, who is engaged in import-export work, noticed he had stopped receiving OTPs from his bank for two days and approached the police suspecting something was wrong.

During the investigation, the police found that the mobile number linked to his Aadhaar had been changed without OTP verification and that his biometric data had been tampered with.

The investigators also found that a bank account was also opened in his name and a loan of Rs 25,000 was taken from it. Police also discovered that the gang also accessed businessman’s DigiLocker account in a bid to retrieve stored documents.

According to the officials, the gang used Google’s Gemini AI tool to generate deepfake videos of the victim, which were then used to bypass Aadhaar biometric authentication and change his registered mobile number, redirecting all OTPs to a number controlled by the accused.

Using the businessman’s Aadhaar number and other personal data, the gang attempted to open accounts across three banks through e-KYC. They succeeded with Jio Payments Bank, through which they took a Rs 25,000 loan.

One of the arrested men worked at a Common Service Centre and allegedly misused his access to Aadhaar systems and official kits to execute the mobile number change.

Investigators said they were surprised by the sophistication of the method used in the fraud.

The four arrested have been identified as Kanubhai Parmar, Ashish Vanand, Mohammad Kaif Patel and Deep Gupta.

The incident comes days after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired a high-level meeting with top bank officials to discuss how rapidly advancing artificial intelligence tools could pose a risk to the country’s banking system.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/aadhaar-fraud-ahmedabad-police-arrest-four-ai-deepfake-video-biometric-bypass-loan-2903506-2026-04-29

Rahul Gandhi slammed the Centre’s mega project in Great Nicobar Island, calling it a direct assault on fragile ecosystems and indigenous communities. He argued that the scale of environmental damage and displacement risks far outweighs any projected strategic or economic gains.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday targeted New Delhi’s most ambitious Rs 81,000 crore strategic infrastructure project in Great Nicobar, calling it “one of the biggest scams and gravest crimes against this country’s natural and tribal heritage in our lifetime.”

The Congress leader, currently visiting the island, said the Centre’s ambitious project there is nothing more than “destruction dressed in development’s language.”

Rahul took to X and said, “The government calls what it is doing here a ‘project.’ What I have seen is not a project. It is millions of trees marked for the axe. It is 160 square kilometres of rainforest condemned to die. It is communities that have been ignored while their homes have been snatched away.”

During a visit to the forests of Great Nicobar Island, Rahul Gandhi said the trees there are “older than memory.”

He added that forests nurtured over generations and the “beautiful” people living on the island “are being robbed of what is rightfully theirs.”

“The government calls what it is doing here a ‘project.’ What I have seen is not a project. It is millions of trees marked for the axe. It is 160 square kilometres of rainforest condemned to die. It is communities that have been ignored while their homes have been snatched away,” he added.

At the heart of the controversy is the clearance granted by the National Green Tribunal to the mega infrastructure project, which the Congress had earlier described as “half-baked” and “ill-conceived.”

The plan to build a transshipment and logistics hub at the southernmost tip of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago has previously drawn criticism from Sonia Gandhi, who urged the Centre to reconsider, citing the region’s rich biodiversity and indigenous communities.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/great-nicobar-project-rahul-gandhi-crime-against-nature-tribes-2903143-2026-04-29

Tamannaah Bhatia, Huma Qureshi, and other stars turned heads at The Devil Wears Prada 2 screening. Here’s a look at who were the best-dressed.

Bollywood stars attended the special screening of The Devil Wears Prada 2 in Mumbai last night. For the occasion, celebrities stepped onto the red carpet in chic outfits. The guest list included stars like Tamannaah Bhatia, Dia Mirza, Pratibha Ranta, Aaman Devgan, Orry, Karishma Tanna, and Huma Qureshi, among others. Here’s a look at who the best-dressed celebrities were and what they wore:

Other areas of the national capital region including Noida and Ghaziabad also witnessed rain, thunderstorm on Wednesday morning.

Delhi woke up to strong winds, rain, and thunderstorm on early Wednesday morning as the weather took a sharp turn compared to last few days to bring some respite from rising temperatures.

Other areas of the national capital region, including Noida and Ghaziabad also witnessed a similar weather on Wednesday morning.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert warning for Delhi, which is valid till around 8.30 am. Gurgaon and Faridabad are also under a yellow alert, while the weather department has issued an orange alert warning for Noida and Ghaziabad.

Other districts in west Uttar Pradesh including Bulandshahr, Meerut, Hapur, and in Haryana such as Jhajjhar, Rewari, Rohtak, Mahendragarh and others were also under orange alert on Wednesday morning.

This turn in weather in and around Delhi comes day after the national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 39.2 degrees Celsius and minimum temperature of 28.4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, April 28.

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#WATCH | Delhi: Weather turns pleasant in Delhi after days of scorching heat, with strong winds and light showers this morning. pic.twitter.com/HEiCopokYT

— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2026

The weather department’s bulletin issued on Tuesday said that the maximum temperature in Delhi on Wednesday will settle between 37-39 degrees Celsius and minimum temperature will hover around 26-28 degrees Celsius.

It also said that Delhi on Wednesday may witness spells of light rain accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning, and strong surface winds with speed of around 30-40 kmph during afternoon and evening.

Similar weather may sustain on Thursday as well, as the weather department has predicted cloudy sky, light rain, and thunderstorm in Delhi NCR for one more day, before the weather turns back to normal later in the week.

Weather forecast for rest of India

The IMD predicted that heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and Sikkim.

It also said that some areas of West Bengal may also witness heavy rainfall on Wednesday as the state votes for the second phase of assembly polls across 142 seats.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/today-weather-delhi-ncr-rain-thunderstorm-noida-ghaziabad-gurgaon-weather-report-april-29-101777423802765.html

 

Centre tells Supreme Court of multi agency crackdown on digital arrest scams, 9400 WhatsApp accounts blocked, new safety tools, SIM and bank checks.

The Union government has informed the Supreme Court that a wide ranging crackdown involving multiple agencies is underway to deal with rising cases of digital arrest scams across the country. The action also includes the removal of 9,400 WhatsApp accounts linked to such frauds since January.

The update was placed before the court through a detailed status report filed by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The report follows earlier directions issued by the Supreme Court on February 9, which had taken suo motu notice of online fraud cases, including digital arrests.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant had earlier asked key institutions, including the Reserve Bank of India, the Department of Telecommunications and other stakeholders, to work together on a framework to provide compensation in such cases.

WhatsApp Steps Up Crackdown On Scam Networks

According to the report, WhatsApp carried out a special investigation starting in January 2026 after concerns were raised by I4C, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications. The platform used a structured approach to track and remove scam networks operating in India. As a result, 9,400 accounts were blocked.

The report said WhatsApp is also introducing stronger safety tools. These include systems to detect and remove accounts that use police or government logos in profile images. It is also planning alerts for users when they receive calls from newly created accounts, which are often linked to scams. Another step under consideration is hiding profile photos of unknown callers to reduce misuse of identity.

Faster Action On Fraudulent SIM Cards

Telecom authorities and service providers have also agreed on faster action against fraudulent SIM cards. The goal is to block suspicious SIMs within two to three hours of detection.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has set a threshold of Rs 10 crore loss for taking up such cases. It has already re-registered three major investigations, including large fraud cases in Gujarat and Delhi, where one victim lost Rs 22.92 crore.

The report also mentioned a proposal for a Biometric Identity Verification System to track SIM issuance in real time. The Department of Telecommunications has been asked to implement it by December 2026.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/whatsapp-bans-9400-accounts-linked-to-digital-arrest-scams-since-january-centre-tells-sc-ws-el-10063099.html

A contract sanitation worker at the Taj Mahal was dismissed after filming a reel from a restricted minaret and posting it on Instagram. The ASI said the worker accessed the area without permission. Following the breach, authorities imposed stricter rules, including a ban on mobile phones and photography in sensitive zones of the monument.

A contract sanitation worker at the iconic Taj Mahal was dismissed after filming a reel video from one of its restricted minarets, triggering swift action from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The incident has prompted authorities to impose stricter rules, including a ban on carrying mobile phones in sensitive areas of the monument.

Viral Video Shows Aerial View From Minaret

The incident came to light after a video was posted on Instagram by an account named “its_vishal_bhai.” The clip showcased a striking 360-degree aerial view from the top of a minaret. Since all four minarets of the Taj Mahal are strictly off-limits to visitors, the video immediately raised serious concerns among officials.

A preliminary inquiry by ASI revealed that the footage had been recorded by a contract cleaning staff member working at the site. According to officials, the employee accessed the restricted area without authorisation and filmed the video ‘out of excitement.’ Senior Conservation Assistant Kalander Bind stated that the video was recorded approximately five to six days before it surfaced online, as reported by UP18news.

Taking serious note of the breach, ASI acted immediately to have the video removed from social media platforms and terminated the services of the employee with immediate effect. Officials stressed that such actions compromise both the security and the dignity of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/viral/taj-mahal-inside-reel-goes-viral-contract-worker-sacked-for-filming-video-in-restricted-minaret-area-asi-tightens-security-norms

A $15 billion Google AI data centre project was launched near Visakhapatnam, with Adani Group and Airtel as key partners. Jeet Adani and Rakesh Bharti Mittal said the project will boost infrastructure, energy, and connectivity, positioning the city as a digital gateway and major hub in India’s fast-growing AI ecosystem.

Adani Group Director Jeet Adani and Bharti Enterprises Vice Chairman Rakesh Bharti Mittal on Tuesday underlined the importance of infrastructure, energy, and connectivity in shaping India’s AI ecosystem, asserting that Visakhapatnam is set to emerge as a major digital gateway.

Speaking after the foundation-laying ceremony of the USD 15 billion Google AI data centre near Visakhapatnam, Jeet Adani said the Adani Group and Airtel are also playing a key role in its construction.

He added that the global AI race is being defined not only by software but also by the ability to build large-scale infrastructure, noting that India stands at a crucial juncture.

“There are moments that define the course of history, and today marks one such moment in Visakhapatnam as it steps forward to anchor India’s AI-driven digital future,” said Jeet Adani.

The project, being developed in partnership with AdaniConneX and Nxtra by Airtel, aims to establish a gigawatt-scale AI ecosystem aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat (developed India).

He noted that India currently has about 1.3 gigawatts (GW) of data centre capacity and said nearly 1 GW is being envisaged in a single location in Visakhapatnam, reflecting the scale of the transformation.

Jeet Adani highlighted that energy remains central to the AI ecosystem, stating that the cost of intelligence is directly linked to the cost of power and that affordable energy will drive widespread adoption.

He pointed out that the development of undersea cable infrastructure in the port city would position it as a new digital gateway, reducing latency and enabling faster AI workloads.

Meanwhile, Mittal said that the Andhra Pradesh government led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has consistently demonstrated policy clarity and execution capability.

He said Visakhapatnam, historically a maritime gateway, will now evolve into a gateway for the intelligence age, supported by strong fibre networks and digital infrastructure.

“The opportunity for this region is immense, and Visakhapatnam will serve as the gateway for Digital India and intelligence-driven infrastructure,” Mittal said.

He highlighted that Nxtra by Airtel currently operates over 120 data centres across India and said the upcoming project would be sustainable and powered by renewable energy.

Mittal added that the initiative would include a state-of-the-art cable landing station and robust intra-city and inter-city fibre networks to enhance resilience and capacity.

Both corporate leaders emphasised that strong partnerships involving global technology firms and domestic infrastructure providers will play a key role in building India’s AI capabilities.

They noted that lower energy costs would reduce the cost of computing, training, and deployment of AI models, making the technology more accessible and scalable.

Highlighting Andhra Pradesh’s leadership, they said the state’s focus on speed, policy clarity, and execution is helping attract large-scale investments and positioning Visakhapatnam at the centre of India’s AI ambitions.

They expressed confidence that the project would drive innovation, expand access to technology, and create new economic opportunities across sectors.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/15-billion-google-ai-data-centre-in-vizag-jeet-adani-rakesh-mittal-hail-indias-new-digital-gateway

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has set up a dedicated control room in Kolkata to monitor the ground situation in real time.

Massive security deployment has been put in place ahead of the second phase of the Assembly elections in West Bengal. Around 2,500 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed, along with more than 6,000 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) to ensure law and order.

In addition, the state police have deployed 26 senior officers on special duty across various districts. After a relatively less violent first phase, the Election Commission is focusing on ensuring a violence-free second phase. With 142 seats going to polls, all booths have been categorised as sensitive.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has set up a dedicated control room in Kolkata to monitor the ground situation in real time.

CRPF IG Shalabh Mathur, speaking to News18, said the forces are on high alert with extensive deployment across the state. “You can see the control room from here. We are prepared from every perspective,” he said.

He added that a robust system has been developed in coordination with the state police. Every polling booth is being manned by CAPF personnel, supported by over 6,000 QRTs. A wireless communication network and a dedicated social media monitoring team have also been put in place.

“We have ensured a strong deployment strategy for polling day. Districts have been divided into clusters, armoured vehicles are in position, and systems are in place to handle medical emergencies,” he said.

Appealing to voters, he said, “Do not be afraid. Please come out and vote. Every booth is secured by CAPF personnel.”

The CRPF West Bengal Sector, under the State Force Coordinator’s office, has also issued helpline numbers for the public:

• Mobile: 8420272101, 8420272343
• Landline: 033-23671117

Mathur said all inputs are being acted upon promptly. “We have learnt from the first phase and further strengthened our system. I assure you that CAPF personnel are present everywhere,” he added.

He also advised voters to use the helpline in case of intimidation. “We have a SAFE app through which ground-level personnel feed real-time data, enabling quick response during emergencies,” he said.

According to officials, more than 1,700 miscreants have already been arrested as part of preventive measures.

Separately, Lok Bhavan has introduced special arrangements for citizens. A 24×7 helpline will remain operational until 10 May 2026 to assist voters during the election period.

Citizens can report election-related complaints, security concerns, and other issues through the helpline. Authorities said complaints are being received from across the state and assured that all cases will be handled confidentially and resolved promptly.

Voters can directly reach out in case of any obstruction, intimidation, or difficulty in exercising their franchise. Lok Bhavan has also released multiple helpline numbers and email IDs for public access.

Bike Patrols To Counter ‘Bike Bahini’ Intimidation

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Kolkata Police, along with central forces, have begun joint bike patrolling across the city ahead of the elections.

The move is aimed at countering intimidation tactics often carried out by political party workers operating in so-called “bike bahinis” in the run-up to polling. Traditionally, such groups use motorcycles to move quickly across areas and influence or intimidate voters.

This time, security forces are adopting a similar strategy by deploying coordinated bike patrols across Kolkata. Officials say the objective is to ensure rapid mobility, increased visibility, and to deter any attempts at voter intimidation.

According to police sources, this is the first time such large-scale, coordinated bike patrolling has been undertaken in the city as a preventive security measure.

Source : https://www.news18.com/elections/2500-capf-companies-24×7-helplines-bike-patrols-security-tightened-for-west-bengal-phase-2-voting-ws-l-10061073.html

 

Dola’s deportation is seen as a massive blow to the underworld’s narcotics trade, as the gangster was allegedly managing a significant portion of the D-Company’s drug operations from overseas.

In a breakthrough for Indian law enforcement and intelligence agencies against the international drug syndicate, Salim Dola, a high-ranking member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang and a notorious drug kingpin, was deported to India on Tuesday (April 28). Dola was brought to the Delhi Airport via a special aircraft in the early hours of Tuesday morning following a successful coordinated operation between Indian intelligence and international agencies.

The development occurred a day after Dola was apprehended in Turkey’s Istanbul. His deportation is seen as a massive blow to the underworld’s narcotics trade, as the gangster was allegedly managing a significant portion of the D-Company’s drug operations from overseas. His alleged cartel was operating a drug and narcotics network to the tune of more than Rs 5,000 crore a year, with no estimates available about the transnational syndicate’s revenues.

“If Dola has been detained, then it’s great news, and a big blow to his trafficking network,” a senior officer from Mumbai police, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said right after the news of his arrest came to light.

Upon his arrival at the airport, he was immediately taken into custody for an intensive round of interrogation by senior intelligence officials.

Sources indicate that after the initial questioning by central agencies, Dola will be handed over to the Mumbai Police or the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for further legal proceedings and investigation into his extensive network.

CRACKDOWN ON DOLA’S SON, AIDE

From a sharp personal jibe to claims of a year-long conspiracy, AAP’s response to Raghav Chaddha’s exit has escalated tensions, bringing out detailed accusations and counter-claims over his political shift.

The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday launched a sharp attack on former leader Raghav Chadha after he explained his decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party, with senior leader Saurabh Bharadwaj accusing him of betraying the party and going personal in his criticism.

“If you could get married today, that is because the party made you a member of Parliament. Otherwise, no one would have asked you,” Bharadwaj said.

He added that Chadha had the right to leave the party but questioned his conduct. “You could have left the party, but you chose to conspire against it. No matter how angry you were, you should not have done this,” he said.

‘DON’T COMPARE POLITICS WITH JOBS’

Responding to Chadha’s analogy of switching parties like changing jobs, Bharadwaj said, “When we change jobs or work in a company, it has nothing to do with ideology. You join a party because of ideology and live in it.”

He added, “Even when people switch jobs, they don’t conspire against their parent company.”

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Response to Raghav’s Video

Raghav Chaddha says his changing party is like someone switching a job from one company to another.

Though it’s not the same but even when people switch jobs, they don’t hatch conspiracy against their parent company

For more than a year, Raghav… pic.twitter.com/RxfnTsv9Ms

— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) April 27, 2026

‘CONSPIRACY WITH BJP’

Bharadwaj alleged that Chadha had been working in tandem with the BJP for over a year.

“For more than a year, Raghav conspired with the BJP’s Central government to create a neutral image of a young politician who raises middle class issues,” he said.

He claimed that several issues raised by Chadha, including matters related to airport vendors, mobile recharge, paternity leave and gig workers such as those working with food delivery platforms, were part of a larger understanding.

“The Central government shared these issues so that if you raise them, your popularity would increase and you would get a neutral image,” he alleged.

‘REPEATED COMPLAINTS, STILL NO CONTRADICTION’

Bharadwaj said the Centre never contradicted Chadha’s interventions in Parliament.

“The Central government always had a chance to say that what Raghav is saying is already their work, but it was never contradicted. Why? Because there was a conspiracy,” he said.

CHADHA’S EARLIER STATEMENT

Yesterday, Chadha had addressed criticism over his decision, saying he had spent 15 years with AAP and was a founding member.

“I didn’t come into politics to make my career. I gave 15 years of my prime youth to this party with my blood, sweat, and a lot of hard work,” he said.

Explaining his move, he said he felt “the right man, but in the wrong party”.

“We did not leave out of fear but because of disappointment, disenchantment, and disgust,” he said.

See more

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/raghav-chadha-bjp-switch-aap-accuses-former-leader-of-conspiring-before-exit-says-got-married-because-we-made-you-rajya-sabha-mp-2902438-2026-04-27 

 

A common link among many of them was Dhorimanna in Barmer, a region where several members either belonged or had family connections

It was called Operation Vishgrahan, or “sniffing out the poison.” A codename inspired by modern-day drugs that are often sniffed or inhaled as a method of consumption. It became the Rajasthan Police Anti-Narcotics Task Force’s most dramatic drug bust, one that involved an exchange of fire between police and smugglers, and led to the arrest of six hardened criminals in a network spanning several states.

But how did the police reach a remote village along the Jodhpur-Jaisalmer highway, in the fields of Balesar, only to uncover a full-fledged factory manufacturing MD drugs worth crores in an isolated location?

Police sources say the gang caught in Balesar were seasoned smugglers with prior criminal records. Hapu Ram, the kingpin, had been jailed twice between 2015 and 2018 in Jodhpur, and again in 2019 and 2024 in Udaipur. He had always been on the police radar.

“Once a criminal learns how to make money through crime, he is rarely satisfied with honest earnings. That is why drug traffickers with criminal backgrounds remain on our radar, even after they leave jail,” IG ANTF Vikas Kumar said.

According to Vikas Kumar, this is precisely why Hapu Ram was kept under continuous surveillance. The 28-year-old from Barmer began his criminal career trafficking doda chura, a variant of poppy straw, a by-product of opium harvesting. Initially part of a larger network, Hapu Ram eventually branched out after serving jail time. He built his own syndicate, handpicked his team, many of them former associates, and moved into a more lucrative and dangerous drug: MD.

The police first got a clue about his activities through a social media app the gang used to communicate. They began tailing him. After nearly six weeks of surveillance, they decided to launch Operation Vishgrahan. Commandos of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force left Jodhpur shortly after midnight on April 25.

At around 1 am, they reached Balesar. And then began the most challenging phase. The MD drug unit was located in a small field, nearly 1.5 km away from any human habitation. To avoid detection, the force literally crawled for three hours to reach the site.

The under-construction structure stood on slightly elevated ground, giving the smugglers a clear view of any approaching movement. After surrounding the factory, the police called out to the men inside to surrender.

But Hapu Ram, along with Arjun, who was in charge of security, had taken position on the roof. From there, they opened fire on the police. It was pitch dark. Meanwhile, four others on the ground attempted to flee. The police repeatedly warned the men on the roof, “Put your pistol down and come down slowly or you will be shot. If you surrender, you will have another chance at life.”

But Hapu Ram and Arjun refused to give in. What followed was an exchange of nearly 15 rounds of fire. In a desperate attempt to escape, both men jumped from the roof. Arjun was quickly overpowered, and his weapon, a replica foreign-made pistol with a high-capacity magazine, was seized.

Hapu Ram tried to flee under the cover of darkness, but was caught after injuring his leg during the jump. Both sustained injuries while attempting to escape. Inside the under-construction building, the police found large quantities of MD drugs in the process of being manufactured. A total of 176 kg was recovered and laid out to dry before being processed further for supply.

The estimated value: nearly Rs 90 crore, with each kilogram selling for around Rs 30 lakh.

The Anti-Narcotics Task Force had Hapu Ram and his associates under surveillance. However, the gang communicated only through encrypted social media apps, making it difficult to trace their exact location. So investigators shifted focus to the supply chain. A key component in the manufacture of MD drugs is ice.

The breakthrough came when police identified unusually large consignments of ice being delivered to a remote location in Balesar. That was the clue they needed. Once confirmed, the police moved in, launching the raid that led to the arrest of six smugglers caught red-handed, and the seizure of drugs in the middle of production.

Hapu Ram was the kingpin, the one who recruited the others. Naresh served as the chief chemist. Arjun, a local from Balesar, handled security and was the one who opened fire during the raid. The others, Shrawan and Budhram, assisted the chemist and managed deliveries. Narendra was in charge of production. He had previously served time in a Hyderabad jail and was an experienced member of the syndicate.

A common link among many of them was Dhorimanna in Barmer, a region where several members either belonged or had family connections. Interestingly, investigators found that all the accused used iPhones to evade surveillance. These devices allowed them to communicate via encrypted apps that are difficult to track through conventional mobile tower data.

The under-construction building located in an isolated agricultural field belonged to Jiya Ram, Arjun’s uncle. It had been leased to the syndicate for Rs 2.5 lakh, far above its actual value of around Rs 5,000.

Jiya Ram was not present during the raid and reportedly fled after hearing the gunfire. The Anti-Narcotics Task Force believes it has dismantled a crucial segment of the MD drug network in Rajasthan.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/gunfight-drugs-and-remote-farmhouse-inside-story-of-rajasthans-breaking-bad-11416416?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

A new study has found that while 73% of undergraduate freshers expect salaries above Rs 5 lakh per annum, only 40% actually secure it.

“I did everything right. Why doesn’t it add up? As someone who is overqualified and still underpaid, I feel this quiet mix of anger and helplessness that never really leaves…”

That’s how Anoushka Tyagi, a young job aspirant interning in Delhi, describes her present. 98% in Class 12. A reputed college under University of Delhi. First division. A carefully followed script of what “success” should look like.

Yet, her biggest worry today is not performance. It is dignity. “The way my degree, my effort… all shrink down to a salary that doesn’t match the life they imagined for me.”

Her fear is not personal. It is statistical.

A new study by hiring platform Unstop has found that while 73 per cent of undergraduate freshers expect salaries above Rs 5 lakh per annum (LPA), only 40 per cent actually secure it.

The gap between aspiration and outcome has rarely been this wide.

Expectation vs Reality (In Numbers)

The Unstop Talent Report 2026, based on inputs from 500+ HR leaders and 37,000+ students, shows this is not a hiring slowdown. In fact, 88 per cent of companies are in hiring mode and 90 per cent have maintained or increased hiring budgets. Yet placements tell a different story:

• 84% of UG students are still unplaced
• 85% of engineering students are unplaced
• 17% of UG students faced offer delays or rescinded offers
• Only 14% freshers get salaries above Rs 9 LPA, though 60% expect it
• The traditional degree premium is shrinking:
• 30% MBAs earn below Rs 10 LPA
• 39% engineers earn below Rs 7 LPA

This is not a cyclical dip. The report calls it a structural shift.

‘India Inc. Is Done Paying For Potential’

Ankit Aggarwal, Founder & CEO of Unstop, puts it bluntly: “The salary gap isn’t a market crash; it’s a structural correction. For too long, pedigree was a proxy for pay. India Inc. is done paying for ‘potential’. They are hiring for ‘Day One’ contribution.”
Recruiters, he says, no longer care about CGPA or college tags. They want proof of capability.

The report backs this: 64 per cent of HR leaders now define premium talent by AI/ML, Data, Cloud and Cybersecurity skills, not pedigree.   In fact, 94 per cent of employers say they have moved beyond pure pedigree hiring.

Skills > Degree is no longer a slogan. It is a salary determinant.

‘AI Eroding Entry-Level Salaries’

Dr Poornima Gupta, PGDM Director (Organisational Behaviour) at Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon, points to a deeper disruption: “Technology, particularly AI, is eroding the bottom layer. Companies are experimenting if they can do away with that bracket, and automate entry-level tasks.”

This explains a paradox in the report:

• 80-86 per cent students are already using GenAI for job applications and interviews
• But 55 per cent of UG and 46 per cent of engineering students have no formal AI training
• Meanwhile, 57 per cent of companies use AI for screening and 55 per cent for AI-led interviews

Students are using AI to get jobs. Companies are using AI to filter them out. And in between, entry-level roles are getting compressed. “For youngsters, they will have to accept lower salaries. The number of high-paying jobs is limited, while the cost of education keeps rising,” Dr Gupta says.

Why this hurts UG students the most? The data shows the pain is sharpest at the undergraduate level:

• 84 per cent unplaced
• Highest offer disruption (17 per cent)
• Lowest campus access to recruiters
• Highest sensitivity to pay opacity and rude interviewers
• 48 per cent say they may leave within one year of joining

UG students are also 2X more likely to prefer government jobs or consider studying further, simply because the private job market feels unpredictable.

This is where Anoushka’s words echo the report: “It feels like a gamble where the odds are quietly stacked against you.”

Students Are Pragmatic. The System Isn’t.

Interestingly, over 90 per cent of students say they are willing to accept a lower CTC if it offers better learning and growth. Their top motivator is learning, not pay. Their top quit reason later is no growth, not compensation.

But HR teams rank salary mismatch as their last concern, while students rank pay opacity as the #1 red flag. The mismatch is not in hiring. It is in expectations, communication, and design.

“Maybe the return on education will come from entrepreneurship” Dr Gupta offers a stark, but practical suggestion: “I recommend students become entrepreneurs after taking some experience. That’s where the return on money — on education — will come in.”

With layoffs, AI automation, and geopolitical uncertainty making companies conservative, she believes the traditional campus-to-corporate pipeline will remain volatile. The safer path, she suggests, may be to learn inside a system briefly, then build outside it.

‘Weight Of Disappointment’

“Sometimes I feel like I’m not just struggling to build a career, I’m also carrying the weight of their disappointment,” says Anoushka. Her story is no longer an exception. It is a pattern now visible in data.

Nikhar Arora, Founder & CEO of Mentoria, said, “Students as young as 15 start choosing their streams, start targeting and getting into colleges as early as age 17, and later, start taking loans, their first real loan, expected to be Rs 10-15 lakh, by age 19. The evidence that students gather first-hand salary data is accurate as of 2018. Majority Jobs, a top job aggregation and analytics platform, positions the starting salaries of IT services to be stagnant to this date, and places them no higher than Rs 3.3-4.5 lakh per annum.”

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/freshers-salary-package-work-lower-ctc-salary-expectation-gap-genz-ai-hiring-disruption-job-market-campus-placement-11418184?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

When Jitu approached the bank to withdraw the Rs 19,300 remaining balance in his sister’s account, the bank manager refused, saying either the account holder must be present or he must furnish legal heir documents.

A man in Odisha’s Keonjhar district walked three kilometres under the scorching sun, carrying his dead sister’s skeletal remains on his shoulder to a bank in an attempt to retrieve Rs 19,300 from her account.

The man, Jitu Munda, is from Keonjhar’s Dianali village. His sister, Kakra Munda, held an account at Odisha Gramin Bank, Mallipasi. Kakra died two months ago. Her husband and only child died earlier, leaving Jitu as her sole surviving relative.

When Jitu approached the bank to withdraw the Rs 19,300 remaining balance in his sister’s account, the bank manager refused, saying either the account holder must be present or he must furnish legal heir documents.

A tribal man with no education, Jitu had no death certificate or succession papers and returned helpless after not being able to understand the complex process.

On Monday, Jitu went to the village cremation ground. He dug out his sister’s remains, wrapped the skeleton in cloth, and walked 3 kms to the bank in blazing heat.

Once Jitu reached the bank, the sight left the locals stunned. While some wept, others fumed in anger. Villagers accused the bank of extreme insensitivity. “Is it this hard for a poor man to get his own money?” they asked.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/man-digs-up-sisters-skeleton-carries-it-to-bank-for-rs-19-300-balance-11417528?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

India and New Zealand sign FTA to enhance trade, investment, and bilateral cooperation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, signed today in the national capital, marks a landmark moment in the India-New Zealand partnership and will benefit farmers, youth, women, MSMEs, artisans, startups, students and innovators.

PM Modi said that the FTA will add unprecedented momentum to India-New Zealand developmental partnership.

“Today marks a landmark moment in the India-New Zealand partnership! I am delighted that the India-New Zealand FTA signed today will add unprecedented momentum to our developmental partnership. It reflects the deep trust, shared values and ambition that bind our two nations,” PM Modi said in a post on X responding to a post by his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon.

PM Modi said the FTA will open new avenues for growth and deepen synergy across sectors.

“This agreement will greatly benefit our farmers, youth, women, MSMEs, artisans, startups, students and innovators. It will open new avenues for growth, create opportunities and deepen our synergy across sectors. The investment commitment of $20 billion by New Zealand will further strengthen our cooperation in agriculture, manufacturing, innovation and technology, paving the way for a more prosperous and dynamic future for both countries,” the Prime Minister said.

In his post, the New Zealand Prime Minister said that the agreement matters not just because of what it does economically, but because of what it says strategically.

“Today, we mark a historic milestone in the relationship between India and New Zealand: the signing of our Free Trade Agreement. It was only 13 months ago that I travelled to India to meet with Prime Minister Modi and launch Free Trade Agreement negotiations. India is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing economies, but our trade relationship has only begun to scratch the surface of its potential. Prime Minister Modi and I could see that an FTA would be a massive opportunity for both our two countries,” he said.

“Since my visit last March, Ministers Piyush Goyal and Todd McClay, and their officials, have worked tirelessly to negotiate a deal. The outcome of that hard work is a deal that delivers for India and for New Zealand. My congratulations to Minister Goyal, Minister McClay and all the negotiators who made this possible,” he added.

PM Luxon said that for New Zealand, the FTA opens the door to one of the world’s most dynamic markets and creates unprecedented opportunities to trade, invest, innovate and connect.

“This deal will help diversify New Zealand’s export markets, support the goal of doubling the value of our exports over 10 years, and put New Zealand exporters on a more level playing field with competitors already enjoying preferential access in India,” he said.

“For India, this deal means growth, innovation and new opportunities. It gives Indian exporters tariff-free access to the New Zealand market from day one, and it gives Indian consumers improved access to our high-quality exports. It creates new ways for India to partner with New Zealand on agricultural productivity and benefit from New Zealand’s world-leading agri-tech and food-production expertise. This agreement matters not just because of what it does economically, but because of what it says strategically,” he added.

PM Luxon said that the FTA is a clear commitment by both sides to stable, predictable, and rules-based trade at a time of global uncertainty.

“And the India-New Zealand story is about more than trade. New Zealand and India are building a relationship that is bigger, deeper and more exciting every year – across trade, investment, defence, sport, and innovation,” he said.

“New Zealand’s vibrant Indian diaspora is central to the strong relationship between our two countries. In Prime Minister Modi’s words, the diaspora is a ‘living bridge’ between New Zealand and India. The contribution of the Indian community to New Zealand is immense: in business, in science, in education, in health, in the arts, in sport, and in communities right across the country. While today is a big milestone, it is also just the beginning. We are excited about the next chapter in India-New Zealand relations,” he added.

Earlier, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal read a message from PM Modi during the FTA signing ceremony.

In his message, the Prime Minister said that the agreement marks a milestone in India’s journey towards deeper global engagement and shared prosperity.

He said the signing of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement reflects the strengthening bilateral economic partnership and a convergence of values, trust and shared ambition between two vibrant democracies.

He congratulated the people of the two countries, especially the youth, “who are the heartbeat of our economies”.

“Modern and balanced, this FTA synergizes the complementarities of our two economies through collaborations that drive collective growth. The FTA catalyzes new opportunities for our farmers, artisans, youth, entrepreneurs, women, and MSMEs unlocking pathways for global market access and enterprise across sectors from agriculture and manufacturing to technology, education and services,” he said.

PM Modi said the agreement reaffirms the commitment to deepen bilateral ties, grounded in democratic values and strong people-to-people connections.

“The agricultural productivity partnership and Centers of Excellence bring together New Zealand’s advanced agricultural expertise and India’s national priorities to drive transformational gains in productivity and infrastructure while delivering meaningful benefits to our farmers and rural economies. In the last decade or so, India has been working to become a significant part of the global supply chain in manufacturing,” he said.

“Our Make in India flagship initiative offers synergy to New Zealand’s investment commitment of US dollars 20 billion in India, and delivers a vibrant partnership that goes beyond trade. This will support the startup ecosystem, entrepreneurs, innovators, women-led enterprises, MSMEs, energising job creation and redefining innovation, driven growth,” he added.

The Prime Minister said India is a nation with one of the largest populations of youth and the skills, strengths and talents of the country’s youth are lauded worldwide.

“The FTA recognizes the importance of skills, talent and mobility in shaping future growth across sectors and in new and emerging technologies. It expands opportunities for talented, skilled professionals – our youth and students. As a pioneering collaboration, the FTA promotes the global relevance of traditional knowledge systems of both countries, including organics, Ayush and yoga, thereby bridging our traditions with future opportunities to expand the dimensions of our partnership,” he said.

“By aligning our strengths, we will advance supply chain resilience and build affordable, competitively priced goods and services, creating new engines of growth for both nations. Our collaboration will be a decisive and win-win alliance that benefits the citizens of both nations. Let us build the future together defined by a shared purpose and shared aspirations of our people,” he added.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/fta-is-a-landmark-moment-in-india-new-zealand-partnership-pm-modi-11418274?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

Recognition of such mergers within legislature parties by the Speakers amounts to a fraud on the constitutional scheme of anti-defection.

On Friday, seven Rajya Sabha MPs from the Aam Aadmi Party joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and termed their move a “merger” within Para 4 of the Tenth Schedule of Constitution which prohibits such defections. This purported merger of two-thirds of the MPs, in the absence of a merger between the original political parties, raises a significant constitutional issue of subversion of the anti-defection laws . It is yet another instance in a long line of contested mergers within legislature parties, including the so called “mergers” of Telugu Desam Party MLAs with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi in Andhra Pradesh (2016), TDP Rajya Sabha MPs with BJP (2019), Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs with the Congress in Rajasthan (2019), Congress MLAs with the TRS  in Andhra Pradesh (2019) and Congress MLAs with the BJP in Goa (2022).

The 10th schedule frowns on elected representatives changing party allegiance and crossing the floor after being elected on the mandate of a particular political party, because this amounts to a betrayal of voter trust, and undermines the democratic process, thereby endangering the foundations of representative democracy.

But when two-thirds or more elected representatives of a party join another political party, can they claim protection from the anti-defection law by citing a merger of the Legislature Party?

This will need to be examined within the legal framework of two laws, which together constitute a composite scheme governing political parties and Legislature Party (elected representatives of a political party in the House). The conduct of legislators (member of Legislature Party) vis-à-vis their political party is primarily regulated by the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for disqualification for unprincipled and unethical political defections, whereas the constitution, recognition and electoral activities of such political parties are governed by the Symbols Order, 1968.

At its inception, the Tenth Schedule contained two exceptions to disqualification, viz., split and merger. Since the deletion of the defence of split in 2004, merger remains the sole exception to disqualification. It provides that merger of original political party with another political party will be deemed to have taken place, if and only if not less than two-thirds of the members of the legislature party concerned have agreed to such merger. Properly construed, this provision indicates that a valid merger is premised on the merger of the original political party itself; the concurrence of not less than two-thirds of the members of the legislature party simply being a constitutional requirement to validate the underlying party merger of the original political party within the House.

In the absence of such a merger of the original political party, the claim of a merger within the legislature party cannot, by itself, attract the constitutional protection from disqualification. The Supreme Court in Subhash Desai (2023) also held that a clear demarcation is made between political party and Legislature Party for the purpose of a merger under Para 4 of the Tenth Schedule, and the two cannot be conflated.

However, in an earlier judgment of Girish Chodankar (2022), the Bombay High Court, without taking note of the constitutional and statutory scheme governing mergers, held that in view of the deeming fiction provided for under Para 4(2), the merger of the original political party is not a sine qua non for invoking the exception . This judgment, while considering Para 4 of the Tenth Schedule in isolation, failed to take note of the provisions of the Symbols Order, especially Para 16 thereof, which deals with merger (amalgamation/joining together) of political parties. Significantly, the Symbols Order does not conceptualize merger of legislature party, the consequence being that questions of recognition, merger, identity etc. of parties can only be determined at the level of the political party, of which legislature wing is only one part. Para 16 of Symbols Order has been interpreted by the Supreme Court in a catena of judgments, such as in Samyukta Socialist Party (1967) and All Party Hill Leaders’ Conference (1977), which hold that the merger of a political party can be validated only if a majority of the members of the political party (and not only the members elected to the legislature) accept this merger. The Court has also held that the consequence of merger is that the political party or the political parties, as the case may be, cease to exist.

If the interpretation of Bombay HC is accepted, it would mean that while a group of legislators is treated as having merged into another political party, the original political party continues to function outside the House as a separate entity. Thus, though the seven AAP MPs have “merged” with the BJP, the original political party continues to operate outside the House. Such interpretation is contrary to the letter and spirit of Para 4 of the Tenth Schedule, completely opposed to Symbols Order and decisions of Supreme Court and, in effect, is prompting wholesale defection, which was the mischief sought to be curbed by the deletion of the defence of split from the Tenth Schedule.

Recognition of such mergers within legislature parties by the Speakers amounts to a fraud on the constitutional scheme of anti-defection. What are, in substance, splits within the legislature party, are being portrayed as mergers so as to project them as constitutionally valid acts. A genuine merger must be initiated at political party level and must result in the obliteration of the original political party; however, actions such as the present one create an anomalous situation where the original political party continues to exist outside the House.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mass-merger-or-defection-mps-bjp-switch-highlights-constitutional-issues-101777338979995.html

The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard

The National Investigation Agency(NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.

The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.

In pursuance to the home ministry’s order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.

“The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property,” the spokesperson said.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.

It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.

The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.

The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/nia-registers-case-to-probe-recovery-of-79-crude-bombs-in-poll-bound-west-bengal-3981936