Category: India

When prasad was being distributed among devotees during the programme, two people who live in the neighbourhood objected to holding the event late at night, police said.

Jaipur: Ten people associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were injured after being attacked by some people during a religious programme at a temple here, police said on Friday.

A ‘jagran’ programme was under way in the temple on Thursday night on the occasion of Sharad Purnima. When prasad was being distributed among devotees, two people who live in the neighbourhood objected to holding the event late at night, they said.

After an altercation over the issue, the accused called others and attacked people with a knife, in which 10 RSS workers got injured, they said.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/rajasthan/rss-workers-attacked-during-religious-event-in-rajasthans-jaipur-10-injured-3237879

Cancellations of the booking made beyond the ARP of 60 days will, however, be permitted. There will be no change in the case of certain day time express trains like Taj Express, Gomti Express, etc. where lower time limits for advance reservations are, at present, in force.

The Railway Board has reduced the advance reservation period of seats from existing 120 days to 60 days with effect from November 1, 2024.

“It has been decided that from 01st November 2024, the existing time limit for advance reservations by trains will be reduced from 120 days to 60 days (excluding the date of journey)” stated the letter written by Sanjay Manocha, director passengers- marketing , railway board to the Principal Chiefs Commercial Managers of all zonal railways and managing director of Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) recently.

“With effect from 01st November 2024, the ARP( Advance Reservation Period) will be of 60 days (excluding the day of journey) and bookings will be done accordingly. However, all the bookings done upto 31st November 2024 under the ARP of 120 days will remain intact” stated the letter.

Cancellations of the booking made beyond the ARP of 60 days will, however, be permitted. There will be no change in the case of certain day time express trains like Taj Express, Gomti Express, etc. where lower time limits for advance reservations are, at present, in force. The letter also stated that, “There will also be no change in the case of limit of 365 days for Foreign Tourists” further stated the letter. The circular did not cite any reason for the reduction in ARP.

“The Ministry of Railways has announced this change in the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) for train bookings by Indian travelers in order to promote genuine passengers” said an official adding that the decision will help the Railway Board to improve the visibility of genuine demand for rail travel in India.

“With a shorter ARP, passengers will now once again have better clarity in their travel plans, reducing the current 21% cancellation rate. This important policy decision of advance reservation period was last time revised to 120 days from 60 days with effect from 1st January 2015. In the remote past, during 1st September 1995 to January 1998, this period was as low as 30 days,” said official.

“It was being noticed that about 21 percent of reservations done for 61 to 120 day periods were getting cancelled. Further, 5 percent of passengers were neither canceling their tickets nor were they undertaking the journey. This No Show trend was also one of the factors behind the decision, which will help Indian Railways in better planning of special trains during peak seasons” said an official adding that the decision aims to improve ticket availability for genuine passengers and reduce instances of cancellations and no-shows, which result in wastage of reserved berths.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/indian-railways-reduces-advance-reservation-period-from-120-to-60-days-no-change-in-limit-for-foreign-tourists

Shruti Haasan On Relationships And Financial Independence: I Need A Man With A Good Sense Of Humor

The petition has been filed by advocate Gopal Shankarnarayan, requesting the court to restore the region’s statehood.

A plea seeking a time-bound restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir was mentioned in the Supreme Court on Thursday for urgent hearing and the apex court has agreed to hear the matter.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the applicants, requested an urgent hearing before a bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

“There is an MA (Miscellaneous Application) for conferring statehood. It was noted (in last year’s judgement) that it has to be time-bound,” the senior lawyer said.

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud responded by saying, “I will deal with it.”

The fresh application was filed by Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, an academician, and Khurshaid Ahmad Malik, a socio-political activist in Jammu and Kashmir.

On December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court had unanimously upheld the revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The court had also directed that assembly elections be held by September 2024 and emphasised that the state’s status should be restored “at the earliest.”

Elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly were held in three phases, from September 18 to October 1, resulting in the formation of a government by the National Conference-Congress alliance.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-plea-seeking-restoration-of-jammu-and-kashmir-statehood-101729147710093.html

Salman Khan has been under the watch of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is believed to be involved in both the Mumbai and Navi Mumbai cases.

A man from Haryana has been arrested by the Navi Mumbai police for allegedly doing a recce of actor Salman Khan’s farmhouse in Panvel in February.

The police registered an FIR on April 24, claiming a conspiracy to attack the actor at his farmhouse, marking this as the second attempt following a shooting incident outside his Bandra residence in Mumbai on April 14.

The charge sheet filed by the police mentioned that the accused was promised ₹25 lakh to carry out the attack, with plans to obtain weapons from Pakistan.

However, the plot was thwarted when senior inspector Nitin Thakare received a tip-off regarding the suspects’ activities, leading to the arrest of five individuals involved in the case, The Indian Express reported.

The arrested accused, who has been identified as Sukhbir Balbir Singh, alias Sukha was allegedly an arms supplier intending to connect with a Pakistan-based contact named Dogar for arms procurement.

Navi Mumbai police had been searching for Sukha and recently learned he was hiding at a hotel in Panipat, having altered his appearance by growing his hair and beard.

Investigations revealed that 16 to 17 individuals were implicated in the recce operation at Panvel. In June, the police arrested four accused linked to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, identified as Dhananjay Tapesingh (alias Ajay Kashyap), Gaurav Bhatia (alias Nahvi), Vapsi Khan (alias Waseem Chikna), and Rizwan Khan.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/plot-to-kill-salman-khan-rs-25-lakh-supari-ak-47-m16-rifles-from-pakistan-says-charge-sheet-101729216472669.html

Maxime Bernier claimed that Nijjar wasn’t a Canadian and proposed posthumously revoking his citizenship to correct this administrative error.

Maxime Bernier, leader of the People’s Party of Canada, said on Thursday that allegations from the RCMP and the Liberal government regarding Indian diplomats engaging in criminal activities in Canada are highly serious and need to be addressed decisively if proven true.

Maxime Bernier, however, added that while the claims are serious, no solid evidence has been presented so far by the Canadian government, and accused Justin Trudeau of using this crisis to divert attention from other controversies.

“If true, allegations made by the RCMP and the Liberal government that Indian diplomats participated in criminal activities on our territory are very serious and should be dealt with. So far however, we haven’t been given any proof. And Trudeau is clearly using this crisis to divert the attention from other controversies,” Maxime Bernier said in a post on X (formerly Twitter)

Bernier also dismissed the claim that Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Khalistani terrorist killed last year, was a Canadian.

“One myth should be dispelled though: That the central figure in this controversy, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Khalistani militant who was murdered last year, was a Canadian. He was actually a foreign terrorist who used fraudulent documents to claim asylum in Canada several times starting in 1997. His claims were rejected but he was nevertheless allowed to stay in this country and was somehow granted citizenship in 2007,” Maxime Bernier wrote.

Bernier claimed that Nijjar wasn’t a Canadian and proposed posthumously revoking his citizenship to correct this administrative error, saying he should have been deported.

“Nijjar wasn’t a Canadian. We should perhaps posthumously take away his citizenship to right this administrative error. He should have been deported after his first fake asylum claim, like the hundreds of thousands of fake asylum claimants who are in Canada right now,” he added.

Bernier pointed out that this situation stems from Canada’s long history of inviting foreigners and their conflicts, urging the need to recognise this blunder and collaborate with the Indian government instead of risking relations with an important ally.

“All this is happening because Canada has for decades deliberately invited these foreigners and their tribal conflicts into our country. We should recognize this major blunder and work with the government of India to find solutions instead of jeopardizing our relations with a rising world power and an important ally over this issue,” the People’s Party of Canada leader added.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/he-was-a-foreign-terrorist-canada-leader-maxime-bernier-advises-justin-trudeau-to-collaborate-with-india-101729209006211.html

While Chief Minister Nitish Kumar directed officials to conduct a “comprehensive probe” and take “stern action” against those responsible, the Congress and the RJD blamed the government for “failing to stop illegal liquor trade in the State”

The death toll in the Bihar hooch case touched 25 on Thursday (October 17, 2024) with several people hospitalised and some among them losing their eyesight. The incident occurred in the Siwan and Saran districts of the State on Wednesday(October 16, 2024).

Director General of Police Alok Raj told news agency PTI that 20 people died in Siwan and five in Saran. He said 12 people have been arrested for allegedly selling spurious liquor and they were likely to be “tried under the most stringent laws and punished by the court”.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bihar/18-more-die-after-consuming-illicit-liquor-in-bihar-toll-reaches-24/article68764480.ece

As per the prosecution, the accused had shouted a pro-Pakistan slogan which amounted to promoting enmity between different groups and his act was prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony and national integration.

Jabalpur: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has granted conditional bail to a man accused of shouting a pro-Pakistan slogan to salute the Tricolour at a police station in Bhopal 21 times and raise ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai slogan’ till the conclusion of the trial.

The accused has been directed to salute the National Flag and raise the ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ slogan on every first and fourth Tuesday of the month.

The accused Faizal alias Faizan was arrested after an FIR was registered against him at Misrod police station in Bhopal in May under section 153B (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) of the lapsed Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“It is further directed that he shall continuously mark his presence before police station Misrod, Bhopal every 1st and 4th Tuesday of the month till the conclusion of the trial and shall salute the National Flag unfurled on the building of the police station 21 times by raising the ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’,” the HC stated.

Justice DK Paliwal stated that the applicant may be released on bail by imposing some conditions which may enthuse in him a sense of responsibility and pride for the country in which he was born and living.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/madhya-pradesh/madhya-pradesh-high-court-grants-bail-to-man-directs-him-to-salute-tricolour-21-times-with-bharat-mata-ki-jai-slogan-3235484

About 23 premises in cities of Rajkot, Junagadh, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar and Veraval were being raided by the federal agency after a case was filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. Premises linked to arrested journalist Mahesh Langa, who works with The Hindu newspaper, were also being covered.

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted multi-city searches in Gujarat in connection with a money laundering case linked to a GST “fraud” in which eight people, including a journalist, were arrested recently by the state police, official sources said.

About 23 premises in cities of Rajkot, Junagadh, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar and Veraval were being raided by the federal agency after a case was filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. Premises linked to arrested journalist Mahesh Langa, who works with The Hindu newspaper, were also being covered.

The money laundering case stems from an FIR of the Ahmedabad Police Crime Branch.

The city Crime Branch registered the FIR against several persons and entities after getting a complaint from the Central GST over an alleged scam involving shell firms set up to defraud the government through bogus input tax credits and fraudulent transactions.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/gujarat/ed-conducts-raids-in-gujarat-in-gst-fraud-case-3235924

Nagendra charged the ED with arresting him under pressure from the BJP as part of a conspiracy to destabilise the Congress government.

Former Karnataka minister and Congress MLA B Nagendra, who walked out of jail on Wednesday, alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) pressured him to implicate chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar in a multi-crore scam involving the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. Nagendra, who was arrested by the ED in connection with the scam, claimed the central agency acted under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as part of a conspiracy to destabilise the Congress-led government in the state.

Speaking to reporters after being granted bail by a special court, Nagendra said, “For three months, I was harassed by the ED with the intention to destabilise our government. Despite having no role in the Valmiki scam, I was suddenly arrested. Under pressure from the BJP’s central leadership, the ED attempted to disrupt the state government by arresting me.”

The former minister claimed he was specifically asked to name Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in connection with the scam but refused.

“I rejected it, saying that when I have no role, where is their role? There is no connection between the government and the scam, which is related to the bank,” he said, alleging the BJP both at the state and central levels conspired to falsely link the Congress leadership to the scandal.

Nagendra, who had resigned as Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister in June following allegations of his involvement, said that the scam involved the misappropriation of funds by bank officials.

“This is not a state government scam; it is a bank scam. Neither the chief minister nor I as the concerned minister was aware of it. Unnecessarily, ED is trying to link his (CM) name to it,” he said.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ed-pressurised-me-to-frame-karnataka-cm-his-deputy-in-valmiki-scam-congress-mla-nagendra-101729086392676.html

Bahraich returning to normalcy with private schools reopening on Wednesday; Internet services remain suspended for the third day in a row

BAHRAICH One of the six accused named in the FIR filed by the Bahraich victim’s family was arrested near the Raji crossing in Mahsi block of the district on Wednesday while attempting to flee to Nepal. The other five accused were absconding, said police.

SHO Kamal Shankar said the police had obtained custody remand of Danish alias Shahir for interrogation while raids were being conducted at various locations in search of the main accused, Sarfaraz, and other individuals.

The deceased Ram Gopal Mishra’s family had lodged an FIR against 10 people — six named and four unnamed. Danish was among the six and was reportedly present at the scene of the incident alongside the main accused Sarfaraz, said the SHO.

Meanwhile, Bahraich was returning to normalcy with private schools reopening on Wednesday and no untoward incident being reported here since Tuesday, days after the communal violence that broke out on Sunday leading to the death of a youth, said officials.

Internet services remained suspended for the third day in a row in Maharajganj town of the district, affecting daily life and businesses. There was heavy police deployment, particularly in the 20-km radius of Maharajganj town in the Mahsi tehsil where communal violence broke out.

In view of the situation in Bahraich, which shares an international border with Nepal, the Sashastra Seema Bal increased vigilance on the border and reached out to their counterparts, too, asking them to put a check on “unnecessary” movement of people, a senior officer said.

As many as 10 FIRs were lodged in connection with the communal violence. One was filed by the victim’s family against those who killed Ram Gopal Mishra while six others were filed in connection with arson and brawl. Three cases were lodged by Muslim families against miscreants for setting up houses and properties on fire. The miscreants were being identified through video footage and raids were being conducted in the area to nab them, said SHO (Hardi) KS Chaturvedi.

The SHO of Hardi police station SK Verma and in-charge of the Mahsi police outpost Shiv Kumar had already been suspended. Additionally, CO Mahsi, Rupendra Gaur, was replaced by CO Ravi Khokhar.

The move followed the violence that reportedly broke out after an argument between two groups over some objectionable songs being played on the DJ as the procession passed through a Muslim-dominated area during an idol immersion procession in Maharajganj market area.

₹10L compensation for victim’s family

Ram Gopal Mishra’s family was given ₹10 lakh compensation through two cheques of ₹5 lakh on Tuesday night. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had met the kin at his official residence in Lucknow on Tuesday and announced the ex gratia amount, a house under PM Awas Yojana and benefits of other government schemes to the family.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/bahraich-violence-one-named-accused-nabbed-security-upped-along-nepal-border-101729103272123.html

The management of the Bengaluru tech park has pumped out the rainwater from the campus and the water-logged roads are now cleared.

A day after rain created havoc in Bengaluru’s Manyata Tech Park and flooded the 300-acre campus, normalcy is slowly restoring at the campus. The management of the tech park has pumped out the rainwater from the campus and the water-logged roads are now cleared.

The Embassy group that operates Manyata Tech Park said in a statement that comprehensive flood risk management has been done to keep the tech park running. The statement from the real estate giant read, “Over the years, we’ve made substantial investments in building #EmbassyManyata’s infrastructure, incorporating comprehensive flood risk management measures based on expert assessments. These efforts have significantly strengthened our ability to manage such events.”

The group also claimed that the flood water was cleared within 2 to 4 hours of waterlogging. “Through the development of a new culvert, annual desilting & raising the nallah embankment, strategic positioning of external stormwater sumps & deployment of high-capacity dewatering systems that cleared road within 2-4 hrs, our on-ground teams ensured business continuity,” the statement further read.

Meanwhile, many companies that have offices in Manyata Tech Park announced work from home for the employees for a few days to avoid any kind of mishaps while commuting to work. The Karnataka government has already advised the IT companies on Tuesday to allow employees to work from home on Wednesday, and a few companies extended it for another day.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/bengaluru-news/bengaluru-rain-normalcy-slowly-restores-at-submerged-manyata-tech-park-as-water-being-pumped-out-101729132793897.html

As Jammu and Kashmir turned another page in its troubled history, the 54-year-old Abdullah was sworn in along with five other ministers.

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday said it was a “constitutional misdemeanour” to have reduced Jammu and Kashmir to a Union Territory and asserted that it was time to restore its statehood.
His remarks come a day after National Conference leader Omar Abdullah took oath as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, heading the first elected government in the union territory since 2019 when its special status was revoked.

As Jammu and Kashmir turned another page in its troubled history, the 54-year-old Abdullah was sworn in along with five other ministers, three from Jammu region and two from the Kashmir Valley.

In a post on X, Sibal said, “It was a constitutional misdemeanour to have reduced the state of J&K to a Union Territory. It was wrong for the Supreme Court not to have decided that issue.” “Time to restore statehood. This is the constitutional right of the people of J&K,” the former Union minister asserted.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/reducing-j-k-to-ut-constitutional-misdemeanour-statehood-must-be-restored-sibal-6807764

The 17-year-old boy, who is from Chhattisgarh, had been summoned by the Mumbai Police on Tuesday.

A minor has been taken into custody by the Mumbai Police over a series of bomb threats being issued to various airlines since Monday, leading to some flights being diverted, including one to a remote airport in Canada. Police said the threats were allegedly issued because the boy wanted to frame one of his friends, with whom he had a dispute over money.
The 17-year-old boy, a school dropout from Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh, and his father had been summoned by the Mumbai Police on Tuesday. While he has been taken into custody and is being taken to a remand home, his father is still being questioned, police sources said. The teenager allegedly created a handle on X in the name of the friend with whom he had a dispute and posted bomb threats from it.

At least 19 threats have been issued, starting with four on Monday, and the Mumbai Police has registered three first information reports (FIRs). The teenager has currently been taken into custody in connection with the first FIR, which is about Monday’s threats.

Police said that, on Monday, the boy had issued hoax threats to four flights, three of which were on international routes. Of these, two were delayed, including Air India flight AI 119 from Mumbai to New York, which was diverted to New Delhi, and one had to be cancelled.

At least seven flights were impacted on Tuesday, including Air India flight AI 127 from Delhi to Chicago, which was diverted to the Iqaluit airport in Canada. IndiGo flight 6E 98 from Damman in Saudi Arabia to Lucknow made an emergency landing in Jaipur and threats were received by Air India Express, Akasa Air and Alliance Air as well.

Tuesday’s threats were issued from an X handle which began posting on the social media platform in the afternoon.

The hoax calls continued on Wednesday, with a New Delhi-Bengaluru Akasa Air flight (QP 1335) returning to the capital and Indigo’s Mumbai-Delhi flight 6E 651 being diverted to Ahmedabad. Five other flights also received bomb threats, including two from SpiceJet.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/minor-taken-into-custody-over-hoax-bomb-threats-to-airlines-6803831

A meeting of NDA chief ministers and deputy chief ministers will be held in Chandigarh, a month ahead of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections.

Looking to keep up the pressure on the Opposition after the BJP pulled off a stunning victory in Haryana, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will hold a meeting of all chief ministers and deputy chief ministers from the coalition in Chandigarh on Thursday, immediately after Nayab Singh Saini takes oath as the chief minister of the state for the second time.
The meeting, which comes ahead of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections, will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP President JP Nadda, among others. While India’s development and celebrating the Constitution are also on the agenda, a notable item is the “year of 50th anniversary of the attempt to murder democracy” – a reference to the Emergency – which is seen as being aimed squarely at the Congress and the opposition INDIA alliance.

The BJP alone has 13 chief ministers and 16 deputy chief ministers and the others in attendance at the show of strength and unity will be the chief ministers of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Nagaland and Meghalaya, who are from other NDA parties. A statement from the BJP said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio will also “lead discussions”.

“Deliberations in this meeting will cover a structured agenda covering national development issues. It will also discuss subjects like the observance of Samvidhan Ka Amrut Mahotsav and the year of the 50th anniversary of the attempt to murder democracy,” the statement said.

Date Signalling

Mr Saini’s swearing-in ceremony and the meeting will both be held on Valmiki Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Maharishi Valmiki, the author of the Ramayan. The date, BJP sources said, has been carefully chosen to send a signal to Scheduled Castes, whose vote was seen as having tilted towards the INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha elections, in which the BJP fell short of a majority for the first time in 10 years and had to settle for 240 seats.

The Congress, with its emphasis on the Constitution and narrative that the BJP wanted the NDA to have 400 MPs so it could make amendments and “end reservations”, bettered its tally to 99 while the INDIA alliance as a whole won 234.

7th Pay Commission: Cabinet has cleared a 3% hike in Dearness Allowance for central government employees ahead of Diwali. With this hike, the DA is now increased to 53% and will benefit around a crore staff and pensioners.

The Union Cabinet has cleared a 3 per cent hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) for central government employees ahead of Diwali, NDTV reported on October 16.

With this hike, the DA is now increased to 53 per cent. This change is expected to benefit over a crore central government employees and pensioners, with employees also likely to receive arrears.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “Union Cabinet has approved a three per cent hike in DA for central government employees and Dearness Relief for pensioners. A total of ₹9,448 crore annually will be added to the paycheck of central government employees…”

What is Dearness Allowance?
Dearness Allowance (DA) is a percentage of employees’ basic salary designed to help mitigate the effects of inflation on their living expenses. This allowance is typically revised every six months to reflect fluctuations in the cost of living index.

DA is determined by the All India Consumer Price Index (AICPI), which monitors retail price fluctuations, and is updated twice annually. An increase in DA results in higher take-home pay for government employees, offering some relief as inflation continues to affect households.

Last year, the government announced an increase prior to the festive season. This year, the Himachal Pradesh government has surprised its employees with an early Diwali gift by implementing a 4 per cent DA hike just before Dussehra. This change is anticipated to benefit 180,000 employees and 170,000 pensioners in the state.

The Centre typically raises the dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief for employees and pensioners twice a year, in January and July, with announcements generally occurring in early March and October.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/economy/seventh-pay-commission-cabinet-clears-3-percent-da-hike-dearness-allowance-for-central-govt-employees-ahead-of-diwali-11729066148786.html

At least seven more flights got hoax bomb threats on Wednesday, taking the number of such cases to nearly 20 in the past three days. Bomb threats were received by four IndiGo flights, two SpiceJet flights and one flight of Akasa Air today.

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said law enforcement agencies are actively pursuing all cases of bomb threats against airlines and the government is closely monitoring the situation,

Against the backdrop of at least 19 flights operated by Indian carriers receiving bomb threats in three days that later turned out to be hoax, he also said the Mumbai police have arrested a minor responsible for issuing bomb threats targeting three flights.

“All others responsible for the disruptions will be identified and duly prosecuted,” the minister said in a statement as he expressed deep concern over the recent disruptive acts targeting the airlines.

Condemning any attempt to compromise the safety, security and operational integrity of the aviation sector, Naidu also said that he is monitoring the situation regularly.

Delhi’s air quality remained in the ’poor’ category for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, with some monitoring stations recording levels that slipped into the ’very poor’ and ’severe’ categories.

Emissions from transportation account for approximately 19.2 per cent of Delhi’s air pollution, according to the Centre’s Decision Support System for Air Quality Management in Delhi.

Another major contributor to the worsening air quality is stubble burning in neighbouring states. Satellite data on Wednesday reported 99 fire incidents in Punjab, 14 in Haryana, 59 in Uttar Pradesh, and one in Delhi.

As winter approaches, Delhi residents are already feeling the impact of worsening air quality as the Air Quality Index reading of 230 at 4 am on Wednesday is a decline from Tuesday’s reading of 207 at the main monitoring station.

Monitoring stations at ITO, Chandni Chowk, and Lodhi Road remained in the ’moderate’ category.

At Anand Vihar, the AQI reached a severe level of 430, while the Mundka station reported a ’very poor’ level of 327.

The CBI has sent a letter to West Bengal Health Secretary NS Nigam asking him to furnish details about why officials, allegedly involved in the RG Kar Hospital corruption case, are still holding key positions at the medical establishment, a source said on Wednesday.

The Calcutta High Court on August 23 ordered the transfer of the probe into the alleged financial irregularities at the hospital from a state-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the central agency.

The CBI is also probing into the alleged rape and murder of an on-duty postgraduate trainee inside the hospital on August 9.

In the letter to Nigam, the agency has questioned why two doctors — Debasish Som and Sujata Ghosh — were still holding their respective positions.

Som is the former Head of the Forensic Department of RG Kar Hospital and is currently holding the position of a ’Demonstrator’ at the Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (FMT), the hospital website said.

Sujata Ghosh is an Associate Professor of the Anaesthesiology department.

”These people were very very close to the arrested former principal of RG Kar hospital Sandip Ghosh. There is evidence of that,” a CBI officer told PTI.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/rg-kar-corruption-case-cbi-asks-bengal-govt-why-corrupt-officials-still-in-key-posts-9088636.html

Sukha was one of the accused who conducted a recce of actor Salman Khan’s farmhouse in Panvel. He played a key role in plotting the planned attack on Salman Khan’s farmhouse.

In a major operation by Navi Mumbai Police, shooter Sukha was arrested in the state of Haryana this morning. The Panvel City Police of Navi Mumbai arrested notorious shooter Sukha from Panipat, Haryana. An FIR had already been registered against Sukha by the Navi Mumbai Police.

Sukha was one of the accused who conducted a recce of actor Salman Khan’s farmhouse in Panvel. He played a key role in plotting the planned attack on Salman Khan’s farmhouse.

Earlier, five other accused were arrested in connection with this case. Sukha is now being brought to Navi Mumbai for further interrogation.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/salman-khan-farmhouse-case-navi-mumbai-police-arrest-shooter-sukha-from-panipat-haryana

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar explained that the batteries put in EVMs are single-use batteries, and the signatures of each political party’s representative are also taken on them.

Dismissing allegations of ‘varying EVM battery levels’, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said Electronic Voting Machines are totally “safe and robust,” and have batteries like a calculator, not like a mobile which will be charged everyday.
CEC Kumar explained that EVMs had three-layered security including the batteries and in each level signatures of political party representatives were taken to ensure transparency.

“People also ask, if pagers can be hacked then why can’t EVMs be hacked? Pagers are connected but EVMs are not,” he said during a press conference while announcing the poll dates for Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections on Tuesday.

Notably, Israel had hacked pagers of terrorist outfit Hezbollah.

He explained that the batteries put in EVMs are single-use batteries, and the signatures of each political party’s representative are also taken on them.

“This is a single use battery… like a calculator, not like a mobile which will be charged everyday. One battery can be used for around five years,” the CEC said.

“When a machine is commissioned, the battery is put on that day, this is done five or six days before voting. .. even on the battery there are signatures of party representatives. We also do not know when we made this rule, but now it is useful to us,” he said.

CEC Kumar also explained that EVMs had three-layered security and signatures of political party representatives were taken to ensure transparency.

“When the EVMs are sealed, they will be double locked, there will be a three-layer security, where CAPF must be there, and observers will be there too. On the day of polling the whole process will be repeated and it is also videographed,” he added.

“This sort of system, with public disclosure, participation, please tell me where else is there such a robust system,” Mr Kumar added.

The IMD has issued a red alert for parts of Tamil Nadu with warnings for “very heavy rainfall” on October 17 and 18.

Heavy rain continued in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, bringing residential neighborhoods and roads under knee-deep water and leading to traffic congestion besides affecting public transport services. Visuals from the city show incessant rainfall leading to waterlogging in several parts of the city, including the Madley Subway and the Mambalam area.
As parts of the state reel under the heavy downpours, efforts to pump out the water are underway in the city including the Choolaimedu area.

The IMD has issued a red alert for parts of the state with warnings for “very heavy rainfall” on October 17 and 18.

Earlier on Tuesday, streets and roads were flooded with muddy water following heavy rainfall, and garbage was found floating from the Pattalam area of the city.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday took stock of the rain situation in the state capital amid incessant downpours.

In a handwritten letter to PV Narasimha Rao, late Ratan Tata expressed his respect for Mr Rao’s “outstanding achievement” in heralding much-needed economic reforms in India.

In a heartfelt tribute to the late industrialist Ratan Tata, RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka shared a picture of a handwritten note, penned by Ratan Tata in 1996, addressed to former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. In a letter, Mr Tata expressed his respect for Mr Rao’s “outstanding achievement” in heralding much-needed economic reforms in India.
Former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao is often called the ‘Father of Indian Economic Reforms’ for changing the face of India’s economy in 1996 and leading it on the path of recovery and transformation.

Lauding Mr Rao for making India, a part of the global community, Mr Tata wrote, “Every Indian should owe you a debt of gratitude for the courageous and far-sighted “opening up” of India.”

The letter serves as a reminder of Mr Tata’s unwavering commitment to India’s progress.

While sharing the letter, Mr Goenka wrote, “Beautiful writing from a beautiful person….”

Source:https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/circa-1996-ratan-tatas-personal-note-to-narasimha-rao-for-opening-up-of-india-6799332

The Bagdogra-Bengaluru Akasa Air flight received a bomb threat which was communicated to the pilot, the airline said in an official statement. This was the seventh such threat incident on Tuesday.

In yet another bomb threat in a plane, an Akasa Air Bagdogra to Bengaluru flight (QP 1373) carrying 167 passengers received a bomb threat on Tuesday. Two infants and seven crew members were also present when the threat was received. This was 7th flight to receive such threats in one day and the 10th in two days. On Monday, three international flights from Mumbai had to return midway after bomb threats.

Three International-bound flights, including one to New York, returned midway following a security concern arising out of a bomb threat in the aircraft, officials said on Monday. The aircraft were taken to the isolation bay and the passengers disembarked.

Security Agencies’ Submit Report To Aviation Ministry

Meanwhile, the central security agencies have given their initial report to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in a high-level meeting following 10 bomb threats received from Sunday-Tuesday. The meeting was chaired by Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu and Bureau of Civil Aviation, CISF, and other senior officials in airport security were present in the meet.

The CISF has confirmed that more than 10 bomb threats have been received on social media. An elaborate operation involving multiple agencies has been launched to track down the sender of threat Tweets.

Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (i4C), has also started to investigate the matter. The investigators suspect the real address to have been suppressed in multiple layers of encryption and will use advanced “unmasking programmes” to identify the sender. The flight details could have been procured from open-source data

Akasa Air On Bagdogra-Bengaluru Flight Bomb Threat

On the Bengaluru-bound flight, according to Akasa Air official statement, the Captain followed all required emergency procedures and landed safely at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru at 01:39 pm.

“All passengers were deplaned, and the local authorities undertook the necessary safety and security checks after which, the aircraft was released for operations. The Akasa Air team was on ground to assist all passengers, including providing regular updates and refreshments throughout the process,” the Airline said.

“On completion of all required safety procedures, passengers exited the airport terminal at 16:30hrs. At Akasa Air, passenger safety and comfort are our highest priority, and our crew followed all protocols according to our operating procedures,” it added.

This is reportedly the seventh such incident today. Earlier, an Air India Express (AIX 685) Madurai-Singapore flight also received a bomb threat.

10 flights that received bomb threats are:

1. Air India Delhi-Chicago
2. Air India Express Jaipur-Ayodhya
3. Indigo Dammam-Lucknow Flight
4. IndiGo Bengaluru-Dehradun flight was diverted to Chandigarh due to a threat.
5. Akasa Air Bagdogra-Benbgaluru flight
6. Air India Express Madurai-Singapore Flight
7. SpiceJet Darbhanga-Mumbai Flight
8. Air India FlightMumbai to JFK
9. IndiGo Flight Mumbai to Jeddah
10. IndiGo Flight Mumbai to Muscat

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/bengaluru-bagdogra-akasa-air-plane-seventh-indian-flight-to-get-bomb-threat-in-a-day-delhi-chicago-air-india-indigo-spicejet-article-114258862

Omar Abdullah will take oath as the first chief minister of sworn in as the first chief minister of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Congress party is unlikely to be part of the Omar Abdullah-led cabinet in Jammu and Kashmir, but it will support the government, sources said. The development comes ahead of Omar Abdullah being sworn in as the first chief minister of the union territory.

The oath-taking ceremony, along with his council of ministers, will be held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar at 11:30am.

Omar Abdullah, who previously served as the chief minister of the erstwhile state from 2009 to 2014 under an NC-Congress coalition will be administered the oath by lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/congress-unlikely-to-be-part-of-omar-abdullah-led-cabinet-in-jammu-and-kashmir-101729050600308.html

Superstar Rajinikanth’s house in Chennai’s Poes Garden, which is a landmark in the city, has been flooded after heavy rain.

A severe rainstorm battered Chennai and surrounding districts on Tuesday, causing widespread flooding, traffic chaos, and disruption of essential services. The city’s infrastructure struggled to cope with the deluge, leaving residents stranded.

The luxurious villa of superstar Rajinikanth in Poes Garden, a landmark in the city, has been inundated, with floodwaters entering the premises, according to Deccan Herald. Social media platforms are filled with visuals showcasing the flooding, highlighting the severity of the situation. (Live updates)

The city’s drainage system has been overwhelmed by the intense downpour, leading to this crisis. However, civic authorities have initiated emergency measures to pump out the water around Rajinikanth’s residence, according to reports. His staff members are closely monitoring the situation to minimize damage.

While the superstar is yet to make a public address, reports say Rajinikanth is taking all necessary precautions to ensure household safety. This isn’t the first time Rajinikanth’s residence has faced flooding; a similar incident occurred in 2023 due to Cyclone Michaung

Transportation disruptions in Chennai

The Southern Railway canceled four express trains, including the Chennai Central-Mysuru Kaveri Express, due to waterlogging. Several trains were diverted or stopped short of Chennai Central railway station. Domestic flights were also canceled as passengers stayed indoors.

Weather warning

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted more rains for the next two days, with a well-marked low-pressure area intensifying into a depression. “Heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy rain at one or two places is likely” in Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, and Chennai districts.

The two accused initially arrested in the Baba Siddique case watched YouTube videos to learn shooting and did “dry practice” at a Kurla house rented in the name of the third accused shooter, who is on the run. The investigation into the murder of the NCP leader has also revealed that all the accused used social media apps like Snapchat and Instagram to communicate, the Mumbai Police said.

According to the Mumbai Crime Branch, the two arrested shooters — Gurmail Singh and Dharamraj Kashyap — learned to shoot by watching videos on YouTube and would practice shooting without a magazine in Mumbai. They were given Siddique’s banner photo to practise target shooting without bullets.

On Tuesday, a 7.62 mm pistol was recovered from a black bag found near the crime scene. The crime branch has arrested four accused so far, while three are still on the run, in the murder of former NCP leader Baba Siddique. He was shot at on the night of October 12 near his son and MLA Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Mumbai’s Bandra, and later succumber to his injuries at Lilavati hospital.

Arrested earlier in the day, the fourth accused — identified as 23-year-old Harishkumar Balakram Nisad — provided money and weapons for the crime by functioning as the middleman. Pravin Lonkar, another accused in custody, and his brother Shubham Lonkar, one of the accused on the run, gave Rs 2 lakh to Gurmail and Dharamraj, and this money was delivered by Harishkumar, police said.

The Mumbai Police said Harishkumar, who has lived in Pune for the past nine years, also gave two mobile phones to the accused shooters. The investigation also shows that the accused used social media to communicate — Snapchat to pass on messages and Instagram to make calls, police said.

They said Shubham Lonkar, the brother of one of the accused in custody, has knowledge of messaging apps and had asked all the members involved in the Siddique murder conspiracy to speak through Instagram and chat through Snapchat to avoid surveillance.

Conspiracy to kill Siddique started 3 months ago, murder planned in Pune

The investigation has further revealed that the plan to kill Baba Siddique began three months ago when the accused visited his house several times without weapons. Police said the accused also undertook a reconnaissance of the politician’s house 25 days before the incident.

In this regard, officials said the crime branch has seized an Apache motorbike allegedly used to conduct a recce of Siddique’s residence ‘Maqba Heights’ and his office in Kher Nagar.

According to the information received from the crime branch, the entire murder plan was drawn up in Pune. The accused then moved to Mumbai and were here for one-and-a-half months before the crime, an official said.

So far, the statements of more than 15 people, including many eyewitnesses present at the time of the incident, have been recorded.

What do we know about the other accused?

The Mumbai crime branch has formed various teams to nab Shivkumar Gautam, the third shooter on the run, and accused Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar among others wanted in the case. Pravin’s brother Shubham could be another key accused, as he is suspected to have links with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

Two Singapore air force F-15SG jets scrambled and escorted Air India flight AXB684 away from populated areas after the airline received an email that there was a bomb on board its plane, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post.

Singapore’s air force mobilised two fighter jets late on Tuesday in response to a bomb threat on an Air India Express flight bound for the city-state, its defence minister said.

Two Singapore air force F-15SG jets scrambled and escorted Air India flight AXB684 away from populated areas after the airline received an email that there was a bomb on board its plane, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post.

Ng said the plane was escorted and landed safely at Changi Airport at 10:04 p.m. (1404 GMT) on Tuesday, adding that Singapore’s ground based air defence systems and explosive disposal team were also activated.

“Once on the ground, the plane was handed to the airport police,” Ng said.

The police said “no threat items were found” on board the plane after completing security checks, adding that investigations were ongoing.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/singapore-fighter-jets-escort-air-india-flight-after-bomb-threat-3234224

India on Monday expelled six Canadian diplomats and withdrew its High Commissioner and five other diplomats from Ottawa. Canada, however, said the Indian diplomats were expelled.

Amidst an unprecedented diplomatic row between India and Canada, the Canadian Trade Minister has assured the country’s business community that they are committed to supporting the well-established commercial ties between the two countries.

Canadian Trade Minister Amid Tensions

Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, made these remarks on Tuesday as tensions between India and Canada escalated after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday accused the Indian government of supporting criminal activities targeting Canadian citizens.

India on Monday expelled six Canadian diplomats and withdrew its High Commissioner and five other diplomats from Ottawa. Canada, however, said the Indian diplomats were expelled.

Following the order of the court, police had to withdraw BNS 163 and guardrails to allow common people in the Esplanade area. According to the High Court sources, Justice RK Kapoor has mentioned that implementation of BNS 163 is ‘not needed’ to stop ‘Droher Carnival’.

In yet another setback for the state government and Kolkata Police, Calcutta High Court on Tuesday gave nod to the senior doctors to hold ‘Droher Carnival’ alongside ‘Durga Carnival’ organized by the state government. Following the order of the court, police had to withdraw BNS 163 and guardrails to allow common people in the Esplanade area.

According to the High Court sources, Justice RK Kapoor has mentioned that implementation of BNS 163 is ‘not needed’ to stop ‘Droher Carnival’. “The Justice has mentioned that everyone has the right to protest,” said the court sources.

Soon after the guardrails were removed, a large number of people including several senior doctors entered Rani Rashmoni Avenue to take part in the Carnival. People were seen blowing conches and playing ‘Dhaak’ (drums) to celebrate the court’s order to organize the carnival.

“It is a big slap on the police. The state government tried to stop us through the Kolkata police. But till Justice is met we will not leave the streets and on the contrary the level of protests will increase,” mentioned the protesting common people.

Several senior doctors also added that ‘Droher Carnival’ will not affect ‘Durga Carnival’. Dr. Abhijit Chowdhury welcoming the order of the High Court said that the police and government is being ‘criticized’ at every step in the court.

During the ‘Droher Carnival’, a scuffle broke out between the protestors and police after common people claimed that the police are purposely trying to disrupt their protests by allowing vehicles in their protests site.

Later common people and junior doctors were seen giving protection to police by forming a human chain. On the other hand, while doing duty at Durga Carnival, a doctor Tapabrata Roy was detained by police for wearing a t-shirt with symbols of protests. Later, however, after being pressured by IMA Dr. Roy was released.

Former Supreme Court justice Ashok Gangopadhyay said, “Gradually West Bengal is emerging as a state ruled by police. Every moment they are being criticized in court but even then, nature doesn’t change.”

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court while hearing the RG Kar matter had asked the West Bengal government to submit an affidavit mentioning how civic volunteers are recruited in the state about civic volunteer’s salary and nature of work done by them by next hearing.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/west-bengal-people-celebrate-droher-carnival-and-durga-carnival-together

Siddique (66) was shot outside the office of his son Zeeshan Siddique, near the Colgate Ground in Nirmal Nagar near Khetwadi in Bandra East.

Film director, screenwriter and producer Ram Gopal Varma spoke about former minister Baba Siddique’s killing on Monday, after the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the sensational murder which has shaken Maharashtra’s political class.

The Bishnoi gang has not only claimed responsibility for the murder of Baba Siddique but also threatened anyone who helps actor Salman Khan, according to reports.
The filmmaker made tweets suggesting a situation if someone comes up with a Bollywood movie on the incident.

In a post on X, Varma said, “A lawyer turned gangster wants to take revenge for a deer’s death by killing a superstar and as a warning, orders some of his gang of 700, which he recruited through Facebook to first kill a big politician who is a close friend of the star … The police can’t catch him because he is under the protection of the government in a jail and his spokesman speaks from abroad.”

“If a Bollywood writer comes up with a story like this, they will thrash him for writing the most unbelievable and ridiculous story ever,” Varma’s X post read further.

“LAWRENCE BISHNOI was just a 5 YEAR OLD KID when the deer was killed in 1998 and Bishnoi maintained his grudge for 25 years and now at age 30 he says that his LIFE’S GOAL is to kill SALMAN to take REVENGE for KILLING that DEER .. Is this ANIMAL love at its PEAK or GOD playing a WEIRD JOKE ? (sic),” he added.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/if-a-bollywood-writer-comes-up-with-story-like-this-ram-gopal-varma-on-baba-siddiques-murder-3231351

The visa allows Indians aged 18 to 30 to live, work, and study in Australia for up to 12 months.

New Delhi: About 40,000 applications have been submitted in just two weeks for 1,000 spots under Australia’s new Working Holiday Maker visa program, Australian Assistant Minister for Immigration Matt Thistlethwaite said on Monday.

The visa, which allows Indians aged 18 to 30 to live, work, and study in Australia for up to 12 months, marks a key step in strengthening ties between the two nations, he said at the launch event of Australian Working Holiday Maker program.

The visa ballot process opened on October 1 and will close by the end of the month. Afterward, successful candidates will be randomly selected, and those chosen can begin their stay in Australia early next year, he said.

Thistlethwaite noted that the visa offers young Indians an opportunity to immerse themselves in Australian culture and gain work experience across various sectors.

“The great thing about the Working Holiday Maker visa is that there are no restrictions on the jobs you can do. Till now, 40,000 applications have been received for the 1,000 visa spots,” he said.

While many participants are expected to work in hospitality and agriculture, they will also have the option to pursue short courses or improve their English skills, he added. This initiative reflects the close and growing relationship between the two countries, with nearly one million citizens of the Indian heritage now residing in, Thistlethwaite said.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/40000-indians-apply-for-1000-spots-in-australias-new-working-holiday-maker-visa-program-3231333

Taking to instagram, Uttar Pradesh Shiv Kumar Gautam posted a picture of himself donning a grey checkered shirt and blue denim jeans, posing with a TVS Raider motorcyle. “Yaar tera gangster hai jaani (your friend is a gangster)” Gautam had captioned his photo post on his Instagram account

Gautam hails from Gandara village in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh, where locals and police said he had no criminal history. They added that he had gone to work at a scrap shop in Maharashtra’s Pune.

With 511 followers at the time of writing this story, and following 49 accounts including PM Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Chirag Paswan, the accused has so far made 33 posts.

Another post of his on July 8 was captioned “Sharif baap hai # (expletives) hum nahin”. On May 26, he posted a brief video of a city skyline along with background music from “KGF”, a film about a mercenary, with its dialogue “powerful people make places powerful”.

His mother, after hearing about his involvement in the murder of Baba Siddique, Suman, had expressed shock and disbelief over the police’s claim that Gautam was among those involved in the sensational killing of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former lawmaker Baba Siddique (66) at Kher Nagar in Mumbai’s Bandra area, just outside his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office, on Saturday night. Baba Siddique was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital, where he was declared dead.

Suman told the media that her son had last visited her in Gandara during Holi. She had claimed that after the visit, Gautam left for Pune in the first week of April.

Gautam’s Instagram profile showed his last post on the social media platform was on August 4, when he had posed for a photo on a motorcycle.

A post on April 10 showed him working at a warehouse, packing orders. The video was captioned “yeh kam karte hain hum order ready karne ka”. His other posts largely carried cryptic messages about heartbreak while one was about religious pride.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/yaar-tera-gangster-hai-baba-siddiques-killer-flaunted-criminal-status-on-instagram-80-days-ago-article-114216423

An email, which was sent by an unidentified person to the official ID of the GNLU registrar on Sunday evening, claimed a bomb had been placed in the campus of Gujarat National Law University.

The email, which was sent by an unidentified person to the official ID of the GNLU registrar on Sunday evening, claimed a bomb had been placed in the campus, Deputy Superintendent of Police RI Desai said.

Police today informed that the threat email turned out to be a hoax as nothing was found on the premises of the university. Cops are now looking for the person who sent the threat email and said an action will be taken as soon as the accused is nabbed.

Deputy SP Gandhinagar RR Desai said, “Yesterday a bomb threat mail was received on the official mail of the GNLU (Gujarat National Law University) registrar mail…Soon after receiving the information, the police team reached the university and along with the dog squad a search was conducted at the university…Nothing was recovered, and our technical team is working we will soon find the person who sent this mail and action will be taken against him…”

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/bomb-in-campus-gujarat-national-law-university-gets-threat-email-what-police-found-article-114220873

This would be the first time that legislators from the two warring communities of Meitei and Kuki will meet under the same roof. CM N Biren Singh, a Meitei, will not attend the meet, a BJP legislator said.

Legislators from both Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur are likely to meet for peace talks — for the first time since the ethnic clashes broke out in the state in May last year — in New Delhi on Tuesday, officials aware of the matter said. The talks, being supervised by the ministry of home affairs (MHA), will be mediated by Naga MLAs.

While Naga MLAs have met their Meitei and Kuki counterparts separately in neutral places such as Kolkata and Guwahati over the last 10 months, this would be the first time that legislators from the two warring communities will meet under the same roof.

“Many MLAs have already reached Delhi. Others are scheduled to reach today (Monday). The talks are set to be held tomorrow (Tuesday). We are not sure how many Kuki MLAs will be present in the meeting but (we) have been assured that MLAs from all communities will be there,” an official in the Manipur government said.

Chief minister N Biren Singh, a Meitei, will not attend the meeting, a BJP legislator from the state said.

Union home minister Amit Shah on September 17 said the MHA was in talks with representatives of both communities to restore normalcy. Manipur remains divided on ethnic grounds since May 3 last year with Meiteis living in valley districts while tribal Kukis shifting to the hill districts. Over 200 people have died in the ethnic strife so far.

A Kuki MLA, who has been living in Delhi since last May, confirmed that the Centre’s interlocutor AK Mishra’s office informed them about the talks four days ago, but added he was not sure if the legislators from his community would attend the Tuesday meeting.

“We are not sure if we will attend the meeting. We are told that Meitei and Naga MLAs would be part of the meeting. We were informed four days ago about it. But even before the meeting, some people have leaked the news and announced the meeting,” the Kuki legislator said, requesting anonymity.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/manipur-mlas-peace-meet-in-capital-today-101728933297657.html

The resolution demanded that the Centre take steps to provide immediate financial aid and write off the bank loans of those affected by the landslides.

The Kerala Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on Monday against the Central government’s delay in extending aid to the landslide-hit Wayanad.

The substantive motion was presented by Parliamentary Affairs Minister M B Rajesh at the outset of an adjournment discussion in the House on the matter.

In the resolution, the minister said a memorandum had already been submitted to the Centre detailing the destruction suffered during the landslides that had affected theChooralmala, Mundakkai, and Punchirimattom areas in Meppadi panchayat of Wayanad on July 30.

No immediate assistance has been received so far, and the delay in receiving Central aid would adversely impact the rehabilitation of landslide survivors, the minister pointed out.

The resolution demanded that the Centre take steps to provide immediate financial assistance and completely write off the bank loans of those affected by the landslides.

Noting that it was one of the worst landslide tragedies ever reported in the country, the minister said it had devastated an entire area in the hill district.

After the unprecedented tragedy, the state has approached the Centre seeking financial assistance for necessary rehabilitation initiatives, he said.

A similar request was made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the landslide-hit areas and in a personal letter, the minister explained.

As per the norms of the National Disaster Management Act, the landslide that occurred in Meppadi was classified as a ‘disaster of severe nature,’ he said.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/kerala-assembly-unanimously-passes-resolution-against-centre-delaying-aid-to-wayanad-101728918506143.html

Sunday was the first “poor” air day since the monsoon withdrew, marking the beginning of a transition to winter

Residents of the Capital experienced “poor” air for the second day running on Monday as a shallow haze of pollution continued to hover the city, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to hold an emergency meeting, during which it was decided to invoke all 27 measures under Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap).

Sunday was the first “poor” air day since the monsoon withdrew, marking the beginning of a transition to winter when meteorological factors, farm fires in Punjab and Haryana, and local emissions create a toxic cocktail in the city’s air.

On Monday, the average air quality index (AQI) stood at 234 (poor) at 4 pm on Monday – a deterioration from Sunday’s 4 pm reading of 224 (poor), according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

Experts attributed this deterioration to calm winds, low temperature and local sources of pollution.

Noting that AQI was likely to stay in the “poor” category in the coming days due to unfavourable meteorological conditions, CAQM said that Stage-1 measures will come into effect at 8am on Tuesday.

To be sure, measures in this category of Grap are meant to be preventive rather than restrictive, with an aim to curb rising air pollution.

The 27 measures include shutting down any construction and demolition site with an area over 500 sqm that is not registered with the state government; deployment of traffic police at congestion-prone intersections; asking discoms to minimise power supply interruptions; and carrying out periodic mechanised sweeping and water sprinkling across roads, among others.

It also states diesel generator sets can no longer be used as a regular power supply source.

The AQI touched “poor” (exceeding a reading of 200) on Monday, a day after effigy burning took place on Dussehra on Sunday. On Sunday, the AQI was 155 (moderate).

“We are not seeing any significant change in the weather at the moment. During the day, we are seeing dust being raised, but winds become calm at night as temperature starts to dip. This leads to pollutants accumulating,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet.

“While comprehensively reviewing the air quality scenario in the region as well as the air quality forecast made available by IMD and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, it was noted that there has been a notable dip in air quality parameters in the last 24 hours in the region… the forecasts also predict air quality to mainly remain in ‘poor’ category in coming days owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions,” said CAQM in a statement on Monday evening.

CPCB classifies AQI between 0-50 as “good”, between 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”, between 101 and 200 as “moderate”, between 201 and 300 as “poor”, between 301 and 400 as “very poor” and over 400 as “severe”. CAQM is authorised to declare Stage-1 of Grap any time the AQI exceeds 200.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/graps-stage-1-rolls-out-as-calm-winds-low-temp-keep-air-poor-in-delhi-101728928549607.html

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee alleged that the main goal of the protesters was to gain media attention and get admitted in the hospital.

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee on Monday sparked a row over his remark on doctors protesting against the RG Kar rape and murder case.

The TMC lawmaker accused the doctors of lacking the resolve to conduct a “genuine” hunger strike and said their fast unto death was becoming “fast unto hospitalisation”.

The senior MP’s comment comes as health condition of two more protesting doctors worsened on Monday, and one among them was hospitalised, news agency PTI reported.

“What kind of hunger strike is this? It starts from the protest venue and ends once they get hospitalised. The hunger strike that we know is a fast-unto-death, not a fast-unto-hospitalisation. What these doctors are doing is a fast-unto-hospitalisation. Do they have just this much fire in their belly?” Banerjee asked.

The TMC MP also questioned the timeline of hunger strike claiming that it starts at the protest venue and eventually ends at the hospital. He also alleged that the main goal of the protesters was to gain media attention and get admitted in the hospital.

“Just the day before yesterday, I saw one of the doctors join the fast and get admitted to a hospital the next day. Such tricks are being employed to gain media attention,” he added.

Meeting fails to resolve impasse

The meeting between representatives of 12 doctors’ associations, state chief secretary Manoj Pant and home secretary Nandini Chakraborty failed to resolve the deadlock as the state government refused to set a timeline to implement their list of demands to ensure the safety and security of doctors in West Bengal.

Pant claimed that the state government addressed seven out of their ten demands and urged the junior doctors to end their hunger strike “immediately”.

“For the remaining three demands, they were requesting specific timelines. These are administrative decisions that the state needs to consider, so we cannot provide a deadline at this point. We assured them that we have noted their issues and grievances. We urged them to persuade the junior doctors to withdraw their hunger strike, as we are concerned about their health and well-being,” Pant said.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rg-kar-rape-murder-case-tmc-mps-fast-unto-hospitalisation-jibe-at-protesting-doctors-sparks-row-101728913617597.html

The Uttar Pradesh government has sent top officials, including the home secretary and ADGP (law and order) to Bahraich to bring the situation under control.

The last rites of 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra, who died in Sunday’s communal violence in Maharajganj near Rehua Mansoor village, were held under heavy police security.

Around six people were injured in the stone-pelting and firing that erupted after Mishra’s death. Police officials confirmed that internet services have been suspended in Bahraich district as a precaution.

Police have arrested three people and filed a case against six identified and 24 unidentified individuals for murder and other charges. Around 30 people have been detained, with raids ongoing to apprehend Salman, one of the main accused.

Here is how the situation has unfolded in Bahraich

1. Protests erupted at various locations with slogans against police and officials, as police conducted flag marches. Black smoke rose from burning shops, houses, and vehicles.
2. Mishra, a villager, was part of the Durga idol immersion procession when he was shot. He was taken to the hospital but died during treatment, his family said.
3. The angry crowd blocked the busy road in front of Mahsi tehsil, sitting with the body. They refused to cremate it until justice was served and demanded a police encounter for those responsible, house demolitions, and compensation for the family.
4. As tensions escalated, the Uttar Pradesh government has sent top officials including home secretary Sanjeev Gupta and additional director general of police (law and order) Amitabh Yash to Bahraich.
5. Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya posted on X, saying, “Any attempt to disturb peace in Uttar Pradesh will fail. Those supporting the rioters are becoming active again, so we must remain cautious and vigilant.”
6. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav appealed for peace and termed the Bahraich violence as “sad.”. He alleged the  government knows the reason for the violence and its action against junior officials won’t help the situation. The administration should have been alert while the (Durga idol) procession was being taken out.
7. Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed that the violence in Bahraich along with the administration’s “inaction,” is “extremely sad and unfortunate.”
8. Sunday’s violence was triggered by a disagreement over music being blasted out from loudspeakers while the procession was passing through the area.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bahraich-tense-after-youth-killed-in-clashes-shops-torched-internet-suspended-10-points-101728951665185.html

Baba Siddique Murder: Shooters Gurmail Baljit Singh and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap were arrested the night of the crime. A third shooter, Shiv Kumar, managed to escape.

Raj Kanojia, the man who suffered a bullet injury in the leg on the day Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai, rues the fact that he will be out of action for two months. This, he says, makes it difficult for him to contribute to his sister’s wedding in February.

Six rounds were fired on Baba Siddique, two of which hit the former Maharashtra minister on the chest, outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Bandra between 9:15pm and 9:30pm on Saturday. A stray bullet hit the 22-year-old as he was returning from a fruit juice centre.

“Madad kya sir ab toh pair main goli lag gayi hai. February main shadi hai sister ki. Do mahine kuch kar nahi paayege hum (What help, sir. I have been shot in the leg. My sister’s wedding is in February. I won’t be able to do much,” lamented Mr Kanojia, dressed in a white kurta, from his hospital bed.

“The atmosphere was such. It felt like crackers were being burst. I felt as if a cracker had exploded on my feet. When I checked, I found blood. Soon, chaos ensued. People started running everywhere. People shouted, there’s been a firing, there’s been a firing. Hobbling on one leg, I somehow reached the nearby temple. Some people took me inside and then I was taken to a hospital,” said Mr Kanojia, fighting back tears.

The Mumbai Police suspects Baba Siddique was killed at the behest of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is incarcerated in Gujarat jail.

Shooters Gurmail Baljit Singh and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap were arrested the night of the crime. A third shooter, Shiv Kumar, managed to escape.

Two of the three alleged shooters in the case – Kumar and Kashyap – are from Gandara village in Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh. From poor families, both had moved to Pune from their village after Holi to earn money. When NDTV reached out to their families, they said they had no information about why and when they went to Mumbai. The third accused, Singh, is from Haryana.

Alleged shooter Shiv Kumar had taken to posting online content in recent months, flaunting his “gangster” status.

“Yaar tera gangster hai jaani (Your friend is a gangster),” Kumar had captioned his photo post on his Instagram on July 24. The photo showed him on a motorcycle as a Haryanvi song played in the background.

Death threats to Bollywood actor Salman Khan, Sidhu Moose Wala’s brutal murder, a gym owner shot dead in posh South Delhi, and now NCP leader Baba Siddique’s killing — all have one name in common: Lawrence Bishnoi, a man lodged in Gujarat’s Sabarmati Jail but operating an intricate network of gang members via mobile phones and VPN connections.

With Bishnoi’s alleged involvement in the high-profile murder of Baba Siddique, known to be a close friend of Salman Khan, there is now fear that he could revive three decades’ worth of gang wars and underworld activity from 1970s Mumbai — linked to notorious names like Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Rajan and Abu Salem.

The alleged gangster is charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). But, how is he running his gang from behind bars? How did he become what he is today? What are the high-profile cases linked to him? Let’s take a deep dive.

Who is Lawrence Bishnoi and Charges Against Him?

The 31-year-old gangster is a son of an affluent agriculturist from the Dhattaranwali village in Punjab’s Ferzopur district. He belongs to the Bishnoi community whose members are settled in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

He studied till Class 12 and later shifted to Chandigarh in 2010 to pursue a college education. Following enrollment in DAV College, he joined student politics and became president of the Student Organisation of Panjab University between 2011 and 2012.

The first criminal charges against him were framed in April 2010 for attempt to murder, followed by another FIR for trespass in April 2010. In February 2011, a case of assault and robbery of a cell phone was registered against him. All three cases were related to student politics.

Bishnoi was jailed for the first time in Bathinda in 2012, and then shifted to Tihar after being charged with the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

An enquiry committee set by India will travel to the US for investigation in the case related to “failed plot” to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.

As per a readout from the US State department, the Enquiry Committee will be traveling to Washington, D.C. on October 15, as part of their ongoing investigations to discuss the case, including information they have obtained, and to receive an update from US authorities regarding the US case that is proceeding.

“An Indian Enquiry Committee that was established to investigate activities of certain organized criminals is actively investigating the individual who was identified last year in the Department of Justice’s indictment as an Indian government employee who directed a foiled plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen in New York City,” it said.

The department also said that India has informed the United States they are continuing their efforts to investigate other linkages of the former government employee and will determine follow up steps, as necessary.

Who is Nikhil Gupta? What Are The Charges Against Him in Plot to Kill Khalistani Terrorist Pannun?

Indian national Nikhil Gupta was charged by federal prosecutors in November last year, in connection with his involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate Pannun. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic last year at the request of the US government.

US federal prosecutors had charged that Gupta was working with an Indian government employee and had agreed to pay an assassin USD 1,00,000 to kill Pannun, who lives in New York City.

Who is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun?

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a designated terrorist in India, is a leader leader of Khalistani separatist organisation Sikhs for Justice Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).

A dual citizen of the United States and Canada, Pannun was born in Khankot village on the outskirts of Amritsar and is the son of a former Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board employee named Mahinder Singh.

He graduated from Punjab University in the 1990s and reportedly founded the SFJ in 2007. He was a senior systems analyst at finance firm Merrill Lynch while attending law college in New York from 1997 to 2002, after a master’s in business administration.

The video shows the elderly woman, dressed in a blue saree, seated near a window, reciting prayers along with other devotees. Suddenly, a man from outside the window extended his hand and grabbed the gold chain from around her neck. The thief managed to flee the scene with half of the chain, weighing approximately 30 grams.

A woman’s gold chain was snatched from outside a temple window while she was attending prayers in Bengaluru’s Shankar Nagar area. The incident reportedly took place at the Ganesh Temple on October 10 and was captured on video by a fellow devotee.

Video Shows Theft In Temple

The video shows the elderly woman, dressed in a blue saree, seated near a window, reciting prayers along with other devotees. Suddenly, a man from outside the window extended his hand and grabbed the gold chain from around her neck. The thief managed to flee the scene with half of the chain, weighing approximately 30 grams, according to an India Today report.

Following the incident, the woman filed a complaint with the police. Local police have since collected CCTV footage from the temple and are actively investigating the case to track down the thief.

Thief Returns Stolen Idol In UP

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has taken responsibility for Baba Siddique’s murder.

Former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique was shot under the cover of a Dussehra procession and fireworks. The 66-year-old was killed on Saturday evening, around 9.30 pm, as he left his son, MLA Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Mumbai’s Bandra East. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has taken responsibility for the shooting.
A reconstruction of the killing made it clear how the shooters took advantage of the confusion and noise during the procession.

The four killers had apparently stationed themselves close to Siddique’s waiting car. As he came and tried to get inside, they let off some device that covered the area in thick smoke. Many thought it was the smoke from the firecrackers, which also masked the noise of gunshots.

Siddiqui was shot four times, on his chest and stomach. One of his aides also sustained gunshot wounds.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the murder, for which they had apparently put out a ₹ 25 crore contract.

They have also warned that anyone who helps actor Salman Khan — near whose house it has already fired warning shots — will be targetted.

Siddique was known for hosting lavish parties and a five-year-long cold war between Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan was resolved at his Iftaar party in 2013.

Three persons have been arrested for the murder, two of them are the shooters and the third a conspirator, the officers of Mumbai police have said.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/how-shooters-used-procession-firecrackers-as-cover-to-kill-baba-siddique-6782217

Over 155,000 candidates have registered for about 91,000 opportunities on the internship portal since it was opened for applicants on Saturday evening, according to sources in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
A shortlist using artificial intelligence would be prepared to identify eligible candidates and match them to the suitable internship opportunity. The shortlist would be shared with the companies on October 15.

This is part of the pilot for the Prime Minister internship scheme launched on October 3. The actual internship would start from December 2. The scheme was announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as part of the government job-push agenda in her budget speech on July 23.

A court ordered an ossification test of the accused on Sunday in which it was proved that he was not a minor, the official said.

Mumbai: Mumbai Police investigating the murder case of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddiqui conducted an ossification test of accused Dharmaraj Kashyap in which it was proved that he is not minor, an official said on Monday.
Baba Siddiqui was shot dead by three assailants on Saturday at suburban Bandra.

Mumbai police had arrested Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), a resident of Haryana and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), from Uttar Pradesh, whereas there one aide, who was at the spot during the firing, fled from the spot.

The accused were produced before the court by the crime branch team, where Dharmaraj Kashyap’s lawyer claimed that he was a minor, an official said.

A court ordered an ossification test of Kashyap on Sunday in which it was proved that he was not a minor, the official said.

He was produced before the court and sent to police custody till October 21, he said.

In late evening development, the crime branch of Mumbai Police arrested 28-year-old Pravin Lonkar from Pune.

He is the brother of Shubham Lonkar who is involved in the Nirmal Nagar firing case.

The brothers had hatched the conspiracy of killing Siddiqui and enlisted Kashyap and Shivkumar Gautam in the plot, the official said.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bone-test-of-accused-in-baba-siddique-murder-case-proves-he-is-not-minor-6783407

A Bengaluru-based product designer has slammed Swiggy Instamart for adding free tomatoes to his order, calling it a “dark pattern” from the quick commerce site.

A Bengaluru-based product designer has slammed Swiggy Instamart for adding free tomatoes to his order, calling it a “dark pattern” from the quick commerce platform. Chandra Ramanujan noted that customers do not have the option to remove the free add-on which was automatically added to his cart. His screenshot on X shows 500 grams of tomatoes added to his order for free.

“Very bad design in Swiggy Instamart, where an item is automatically added to my cart. I don’t want tomatoes but I cannot remove it from my cart,” Ramanujan wrote on the social media platform X. “Even if I am not paying for it, this is basket sneaking which is a dark pattern.”

A dark pattern is a design trick used by websites or apps to make users do things they might not really want to do – like buying something extra, signing up for something, or giving away personal information. Dark patterns can make it difficult for users to opt out, cancel subscriptions, avoid additional charges, or protect their privacy.

In this case, Ramanujan conceded that he was not being asked to pay additional charges for the tomatoes, but called it a dark pattern nevertheless.

Take a look at his post below:

Social media users were largely surprised by his post, although many agreed with the Bengaluru product designer whose X post has been viewed over 68,000 times.

“I’m trying to understand this better – if it’s free, is it still considered a dark pattern? I do understand that you’re unable to remove it,” asked one X user.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/bengaluru-man-slams-swiggy-instamart-for-adding-free-tomatoes-to-his-order-calls-it-dark-pattern-101728865491451.html

Uttar Pradesh minister and BJP leader Sanjay Singh Gangwar on Sunday made an unusual claim saying that cancer can be cured by cleaning cowsheds and lying in them. He further went on and said that the dosage of blood pressure medicines can be cut in half by petting cows and serving them.

The BJP lawmaker further urged the people to celebrate their marriage anniversaries and their children’s birthdays in cow shelters.

The minister made these unwonted claims while addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Kanha Gaushala, built at a cost of Rs 55 lakh in Nougawa Pakadiya in Pilibhit district.

“Blood pressure could be cured by petting the back of the cow. There are cows here and people should pet a cow on its back every morning and evening and serve it. After doing this, if the person was taking a 20 mg dose of blood pressure medicine, it would come down to 10 mg within 10 days. It is a tested formula,” the minister said in Hindi during the event, as reported by news agency PTI.

Delhi’s air quality worsened to the ’poor’ category on Sunday, the day after Dussehra, with the Centre deciding to closely monitor the situation before taking anti-air pollution measures under Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

Effigies of demon king Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghnad packed with firecrackers went up in flames at open grounds in the national capital during Dussehra celebrations on Saturday.

Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 224 on Sunday, according to the 4 pm AQI bulletin from the Central Pollution Control Board.

The Commission for Air Quality (CAQM) Sub-Committee reviewed the current air quality and weather forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), according to a statement.

It said Delhi’s air pollution had already started declining, dropping to 222 by 5 pm, and is expected to decline further.

The IMD/IITM forecast also predicts air quality to improve to the ’moderate’ category.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/delhi-records-poor-air-quality-day-after-dussehra-likely-to-improve-9084888.html

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), a body representing Resident Doctors’ Associations (RDAs) across India, on Sunday called for a nationwide shutdown of elective services in hospitals from Monday in solidarity with medics’ ongoing protest in West Bengal, an official of the body said.

The decision was taken after a meeting of FAIMA on Saturday. The body, however, requested all RDAs to ensure that emergency services remain functional 24/7, he said.

FAIMA said it stands in full solidarity with the junior doctors of West Bengal.

”After exhaustive discussions, we have unanimously decided that it is time to unite on a national scale. We had given an ultimatum for escalation to the Chief Minister of West Bengal in a previous letter, however no satisfactory action has been seen, compelling us to request all RDAs and medical associations across the country to join us in our call for a shutdown of elective services across the country, commencing Monday,” the body said in a communication.

The open letter was addressed to National Medical Associations, state Resident Doctors’ Associations (RDAs) and Resident Doctors’ Associations (RDAs) from various medical colleges and institutes of national importance.

”However, we request all RDAs and associations to keep emergency facilities open 24×7, since patients who need our urgent service must not suffer,” the letter read.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/kolkata-medics-protest-doctors-association-calls-for-nationwide-shutdown-of-elective-services-in-hospitals-from-monday-9084789.html

‘We do not have any enmity with anyone but whoever helps Salman Khan and the Dawood gang, keep your accounts in order,’ read the Facebook post in Hindi by ‘Shibu Lonkar’, believed to be the Bishnoi gang associate Shubham Rameshwar Lonkar.

Mumbai: A day after veteran politician and former minister Baba Siddique was shot dead, the mystery deepened over the killing even as the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed the responsibility of the sensational murder that shook Maharashtra’s political class.

The Mumbai Police has formed 15 teams and several detectives have been fanned out to multiple locations in five states in search of the killers.
The police are probing different angles, including a possible contract killing, business rivalry, personal disputes or threat over a slum rehabilitation project in Mumbai.

Any international links to the crime is also under investigation.

Siddique (66) was shot outside the office of his son Zeeshan Siddique, an MLA near the Colgate Ground in Nirmal Nagar near Khetwadi in Bandra East.

He was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on admission.

On Sunday morning, the post-mortem was conducted at the Cooper Hospital after which the body was handed over to the family for cremation at the Bada Kabrastan in Marine Lines.

After the FIR at the Nirmal Nagar police station, the Crime Branch-CID took over the investigations.

Two of the shooters – Gurmail Singh (23) from Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh were caught by locals and police personnel.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/baba-siddique-murder-mystery-over-killing-deepens-as-lawrence-bishnoi-gang-claims-responsibility-3230712

With this, 1,289 kilograms of cocaine and 40 kilograms of hydroponic Thailand marijuana worth Rs 13,000 crore have been seized by the law enforcement agencies within a fortnight in Delhi and Gujarat.

New Delhi: In a joint operation, Delhi Police and Gujarat Police on Sunday seized 518 kilograms of cocaine worth Rs 5,000 crore in Gujarat’s Ankleshwar.

With this, 1,289 kilograms of cocaine and 40 kilograms of hydroponic Thailand marijuana worth Rs 13,000 crore have been seized by the law enforcement agencies within a fortnight in Delhi and Gujarat, sources said.

Delhi Police’s Special Cell and Gujarat Police on Sunday claimed to have recovered 518 kilograms cocaine during a search conducted at a pharmaceutical company in Ankleshwar.
Value of the seized cocaine in the international market is said to be around Rs 5,000 crore, sources said.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/gujarat/drugs-worth-rs-5000-crore-recovered-in-gujarat-3230759

While the two shooters already arrested by the Mumbai police are Gurmail Singh from Haryana and an Uttar Pradesh native Dharmaraj Kashyap; another accused Shiv Kumar is on the run.

While one of the two shooters, Gurmail Singh nabbed by the Mumbai police, in the sensational murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique, has a Haryana connection, it has identified another accused as Yasin Akhtar, who is a native of Punjab’s Jalandhar district.

While the two shooters already arrested by the Mumbai police are Gurmail Singh from Haryana and an Uttar Pradesh native Dharmaraj Kashyap; another accused Shiv Kumar is on the run. The Mumbai police has also identified another accused, Yasin Akhar, who is a native of Jalandhar district of Punjab.

According to Haryana police, Singh, has a prior criminal history, including a murder case against him; A native of village Narhar in district Kaithal, Singh had murdered one Sunil, brother of his friend Ashok in 2019 by stabbing him over 50 times with a sharp-edged weapon. He was caught and was sent to Kaithal jail where he got in touch with several gangsters; he was learnt to have run away to Mumbai after getting bail in 2022. Singh was close to gangster Rohit Godara, who was a close associate of notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

According to police Singh’s parents had passed away; his other family members said that the family had disowned him 11 years ago. Media reports also quoted his grandmother as saying that he meant nothing to the family and that the family did not need him whether he lived or died. It had been over four months that the family had heard from him, she said.

Meanwhile, according to information, Yasin, a native of Punjab’s Jalandhar city, also had a criminal history with seven case registered against him. He was also arrested and was lodged in Patiala jail where he made contacts with other gangsters who were members of Bishnoi gang. He had come out on bail in June this year. More details about him are awaited.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/baba-siddiques-murder-shooter-singh-belongs-to-haryana-another-accused-from-punjab

A video from the Jaipur car fire showed how the car moved and sped as crowd gathered to witness the incident. It left bikers trying to dodge and escape the spot without coming into contact with the ablaze vehicle. The car was said to hit the divider only after which it halted.

On Saturday, a car on Ajmer Road in Jaipur got engulfed in flames. A while after driver Jitendra Jangid noticed smoke coming out from the vehicle and got down, the car caught fire and moved forward by itself. The driver miraculously escaped the vehicle before the intense fire broke out.

He had parked the vehicle during his travel towards Sudarshanpura Pulia after noticing smoke being emitted from the car’s AC vent. As he stepped out to check the vehicle, the car’s engine caught fire.

Jangid consulted his brother after seeing smoke coming out of his vehicle. He was reportedly advised to open the bonnet to inspect the matter. It was when he opened the bonnet that he discovered the engine was on fire.

Fortunately, as Jangid was outside the car when it caught fire, he managed to rescue himself from the disaster and escape safely.

Soon, the fire incident was reported to officials who visited the spot and doused off the fire. However, by then, visuals showed the driverless car covered in flames moving by itself on the road.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/viral/video-moving-car-catches-fire-hits-divider-on-jaipurs-ajmer-road-driver-miraculously-escapes-incident

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and several top political leaders took part in Dussehra celebrations on Saturday.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/photo/in-pics-president-murmu-pm-modi-sonia-gandhi-take-part-in-dussehra-celebration-2616023-2024-10-13/8

NASA’s JPL constantly scans the skies for potentially hazardous asteroids, tracking their paths to ensure Earth’s safety. This careful monitoring offers insights into these ancient objects, shedding light on the solar system’s history.

An asteroid of the size of Golden Gate Bridge will brush past Earth today, NASA has warned. NASA JPL has classified 1998 ST27 as a “Potentially Hazardous Asteroid” due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

The asteroid designated as 363027 (1998 ST27) orbits the Sun every 271 days (0.74 years), coming as close as 0.39 AU and reaching as far as 1.25 AU from it. 1998 ST27 is about 0.6 km in diameter, making it larger than 97 percent of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

However, there is no imminent threat as the asteroid will pass at a distance of 3,561,149 km from the Earth.

NASA uses advanced observation techniques and modelling to track asteroid paths. This helps scientists predict possible threats. Asteroids have significantly changed Earth’s biosphere in the past. For example, the asteroid that struck the Yucatán Peninsula 6.5 million years ago is thought to have wiped out 75% of Earth’s species, including the dinosaurs.

The scientific interest in asteroids is due largely to their status as the remnant debris from the inner solar system formation process. Because some of these objects can collide with the Earth, asteroids are also important for having significantly modified the Earth’s biosphere in the past.

Source: https://www.businesstoday.in/science/story/nasa-sounds-alarm-asteroid-the-size-of-golden-gate-bridge-hurtling-towards-earth-today-449793-2024-10-12

“If any evil person dares to touch our sisters, his hand will be chopped off with this very sword,” MLA Mithilesh Kumar said.

BJP MLA Mithilesh Kumar distributed swords among girls during the Vijayadashami celebration in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district on Saturday.
“If any evil person dares to touch our sisters, his hand will be chopped off with this very sword,” he said while addressing the gathering at one of the Puja Pandals at Kaprol Road in Sitamarhi city.

“We have to make our sisters capable of cutting off their hands and, if needed, me and you all would have to do this. All those evildoers who have ill will against our sisters must be destroyed,” Mr Kumar said.

Mithilesh Kumar appealed to the people to support him in his initiative and encouraged people, especially women, to act against evildoers. The swords were distributed to school- and college-going girls.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/act-against-evildoers-bjp-mla-distributes-swords-among-girls-in-bihar-6774506

Minutes after NCP leader Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai’s Bandra East on Saturday evening, News18 obtained the first image of the three individuals who allegedly opened fire at him.

Siddique, 66, a former Congressman and Maharashtra minister, was immediately rushed to Lilavati Hospital but was declared dead. He had joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP earlier this year in February.

The Mumbai Police have arrested two of the three suspects, who are currently being interrogated. One suspect is from Uttar Pradesh, while the other is from Haryana. The third suspect is still at large, and efforts are underway to apprehend him. The investigation has been transferred to the Crime Branch.

Visuals of Siddique’s car have also emerged, showing bullet marks. Siddique was reportedly inside his car when the three individuals opened fire at him, leading to his death.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/baba-siddique-shot-dead-first-image-of-suspects-linked-to-his-killing-emerges-in-pic-9084222.html

In a tragic incident, at least nine labourers were killed and one person was injured after a wall collapsed on them at a construction site in Gujarat’s Mehsana district on Saturday, news agency PTI reported citing the police.

Rescue efforts have been ongoing since the collapse, with emergency personnel working tirelessly to recover the bodies and locate any survivors.

The incident took place when the labourers were digging a pit for an underground tank for a factory at Jasalpur village near Kadi town, approximately 37 km from the district headquarters. The under-construction wall collapsed and the labourers were buried alive under loose soil.

The incident took place at around 1:45 PM at a private company’s building construction site, Mehsana District Development Officer Dr Hasrat Jasmine told news agency ANI.

“As per our information, 9-10 people were trapped, out of which 6 bodies have been recovered,” Dr Jasmine said. A 19-year-old boy was pulled out alive, offering hope to rescuers. Based on his account, there were 8-9 workers on site, and efforts continue to free the remaining 2-3 people. “We pray to God that we rescue them alive,” she said.

#WATCH | Gujarat: District Development Officer (DDO) of Mehsana, Dr. Hasrat Jasmine says, “This is a private company which was under construction. The incident happened around 1.45 pm. As per our information, 9-10 people were trapped, out of which 6 bodies have been recovered. A… pic.twitter.com/QUeiYC07GL— ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2024

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragic incident, calling it “extremely sad.”

PM Modi also wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. He assured that the local administration, under the state’s supervision, is providing all possible assistance to the victims.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/gujarat-wall-collapse-7-workers-killed-at-construction-site-in-mehsana-rescue-operations-underway-9084038.html

A variety of brand new cars ranging from Hyundai, Tata, Maruti Suzuki and Mercedes Benz were presented to the employees as a token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication

Chennai: Seeking to enhance employee productivity and motivate them to perform better, a structural steel design and detailing company, Team Detailing Solutions has gifted as many as 28 cars and 29 bikes to its employees.

A variety of brand new cars ranging from Hyundai, Tata, Maruti Suzuki and Mercedes Benz were presented to the employees as a token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication, an official said.

Managing Director of the city-based company, Sridhar Kannan said, “We wanted to show our appreciation for their (employees) tireless efforts in driving the company’s success. We believe our employees are our greatest assets.”

“Our employees have demonstrated exceptional commitment and dedication, and we are proud to recognize their achievements.”

Addressing reporters, Kannan said the company has an employee base of about 180 people who hail from humble background and are highly skilled.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/tamil-nadu/chennai-firm-gifts-28-cars-29-bikes-to-employees-3230051

A day after Sharjah bound Air India Express flight suffered a mid-air hydraulic failure, which forced the pilot to circle the skies of Tiruchi for the fuel to dry up and make a safe emergency landing, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation commenced a probe into the scary incident.

A day after Sharjah bound Air India Express flight suffered a mid-air hydraulic failure, which forced the pilot to circle the skies of Tiruchi for the fuel to dry up and make a safe emergency landing, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation commenced a probe into the scary incident.

“A senior DGCA official landed in Tiruchi on Saturday to conduct a probe. The official will submit a report to the Civil Aviation authorities in Delhi,” a source at the Tiruchi International airport confirmed. The source said, three infants were among the passengers who had a miraculous escape on Friday.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/tamil-nadu-dgca-begins-probe-after-air-india-express-flight-ix613-faces-hydraulic-failure-passengers-safely-landed-at-tiruchi-airport

Former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba died at a state-run hospital here due to health-related complications on Saturday, merely seven months after he was acquitted in a case of alleged links with Maoists after 10 years in prison.

Former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba died at a state-run hospital here due to post-operative complications on Saturday, seven months after he was acquitted in an alleged Maoist links case. He was 54.

Saibaba was suffering from gall bladder infection and was operated on two weeks ago but developed complications subsequently. He breathed his last around 9 pm on Saturday, an official told PTI. He was admitted to Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) for the last 20 days.

In March, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court acquitted Saibaba and five others in the alleged Maoist links case, noting that the prosecution had failed to prove the case against him.

The court also set aside his life sentence.

It had held as “null and void” the sanction procured by the prosecution to charge the accused under provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Jind Superintendent of Police Sumit Kumar said Ajmer made a death threat on October 8, the day of vote counting in the state, in a WhatsApp group.

A man has been arrested for allegedly giving a “death threat” to the Haryana chief minister in a WhatsApp group in Julana, police said on Saturday.

The accused was identified as Ajmer, a native of Deverar village of Jind district.

Statement Of Jind Superintendent

Jind Superintendent of Police Sumit Kumar said Ajmer made a death threat on October 8, the day of vote counting in the state, in a WhatsApp group.

The most recent data means almost a fifth of the sensitive technology that goes into Russia’s military-industrial complex got there via India, the officials said.

India has surged to become the second-biggest supplier of restricted critical technologies to Russia, US and European officials said, highlighting the challenge in efforts to choke off exports fueling President Vladimir Putin’s war machine.

Indian exports of restricted items such as microchips, circuits and machine tools surpassed $60 million in both April and May, about double from earlier months this year, and leaped to $95 million in July, according to the officials, who asked not to be identified discussing private assessments. India is exceeded only by China.

Even more frustrating to Ukraine’s allies, some of them said, is that envoys who raise the issue have received little response from their Indian counterparts. India’s Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment when asked about the trend.

The most recent data means almost a fifth of the sensitive technology that goes into Russia’s military-industrial complex got there via India, the officials said.

The fresh data underscores the difficulty the US and its allies have faced in crimping Russia’s ability to fight in Ukraine two and a half years since Putin’s forces invaded. Exports of most such dual-use items directly to Russia are banned, so the country has taken to buying them from third countries — sometimes from unwitting subsidiaries of western firms or networks of intermediaries.

A State Department spokesperson said Friday that the department would reiterate rising concerns with Indian government officials as well as companies.

The US and European Union have focused most of their efforts on a list of technologies found in Russian weapons or are needed to build them.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/india-is-now-russias-second-biggest-supplier-of-restricted-technology-3229726

The ongoing agitation has also led the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) to warn that it would declare a nationwide ‘complete shutdown of medical services’ if ‘any harm befalls brave junior doctors’.

Kolkata: Junior doctors in West Bengal continued their indefinite hunger strike for the sixth consecutive day, drawing support from several senior doctors across the country and prompting the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to urge Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to intervene before the situation escalates.

The ongoing agitation has also led the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) to warn that it would declare a nationwide “complete shutdown of medical services” if “any harm befalls brave junior doctors”.

The agitating doctors are demanding justice for their murdered colleague at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, along with a safer working environment and other important issues.

After visiting another junior medic admitted to RG Kar hospital, he expressed his admiration for the protesters, stating, “I am touched by the way these children are fighting for the cause of the people and not for themselves. They are the real heroes, and we are all very proud of them.” Asokan called on the CM to address the situation “without wasting any more time.” He noted that while the junior doctors did not discuss ending their fast, they remained focused on their demands and confident in their pursuit of justice for their late colleague.

“They did not talk much about withdrawing the fast but focused on their demands and the indifferent attitude of the state government towards their movement. They are quite confident about carrying forward their protest and get justice for the deceased woman doctor,” he said.

In a show of solidarity, the junior doctors encouraged the public to observe “Arandhan” (no cooking) on Ekadashi, coinciding with the completion of their seven-day fast. “When our freedom fighters were on hunger strike, the common people observed ‘Arandhan’ in their support,” one doctor explained.

In response to the protesting doctors’ recent mail, chief secretary Manoj Pant provided a status report on various healthcare initiatives in West Bengal, outlining extensive safety improvements being implemented, including the installation of over 7,000 CCTVs, new duty rooms, and better facilities across medical colleges.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/kolkata-rape-murder-case-bengal-govt-silent-on-demands-of-junior-doctors-condition-of-fasting-medics-deteriorating-3229497

Langa was arrested on the morning of October 8 by the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) along with three others in Gujarat.

The two deceased Agniveers have been identified as Gohil Singh and Saifatat Sheet.

The deceased have been identified as Gohil Singh and Saifatat Sheet. According to initial reports, the explosion took place while they were loading artillery, leading to a catastrophic event that claimed their lives.

He used his rifle to kill himself. His body has been handed over to his family members. Srikant was cremated at his native village, Narayanpur, on Thursday evening with a Guard of Honour by IAF personnel from the Bihar unit.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/2-agniveers-killed-after-explosion-during-training-session-at-nashik-artillery-centre-in-maharashtra-article-114147384

A 26-year-old man named Vimlesh Tripathi tragically lost his life in Amethi after he was attacked by unknown assailants while he was sleeping. The incident occurred early Friday morning in Sidhiavan village. The victim after being transferred to a trauma center in Lucknow, succumbed to his injuries. Police are actively investigating the matter to identify the culprits.

After the attack, residents rushed Vimlesh to the local Community Health Centre in Jagdishpur. The doctors there quickly realized his condition was critical and referred him to a trauma center in Lucknow for further treatment, where despite the best efforts of the medical team, Vimlesh could not survive and succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

Officer Dhirendra Yadav who is in charge of the local police station has confirmed that a postmortem examination is being conducted and legal proceedings are ongoing. Police has launched a full investigation to identify and apprehend those responsible for the brutal attack.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/youth-beaten-to-death-in-amethi-police-investigate-attack-article-114154882 

Unknown miscreants allegedly vandalised a Goddess Durga idol and ransacked the mandap and puja materials in Hyderabad’s Nampally exhibition ground on Friday early hours amid Navratri celebrations across the nation.

The organisers of the event informed the police after learning about the incident on Friday morning.

A police team reached the spot and found that it was a deliberate act done by unknown persons after the dandiya event was over.

“At the pandal, there was a watchman who was there till 3 am. When he went to attend nature call at the nearby college, the unknown accused gained entry and committed the offence,” Assistant Commissioner of Police A Chandrasekar was quoted as saying by TOI.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/idol-of-goddess-durga-vandalised-amid-navratri-celebrations-in-hyderabad-probe-launched-9082928.html

The incident unfolded when Nikith Shetty reportedly sent a private message through social media to Shahbaz Ansar, warning him to advise his wife to change her clothing style

A business development professional has been dismissed from his position following his alleged threat to carry out an acid attack on a social media influencer due to her choice of clothes. The threat came to light after the influencer’s husband, journalist Shahbaz Ansar, made the matter public on social media, calling for immediate intervention from the authorities.

The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, unfolded when Nikith Shetty reportedly sent a private message through social media to Shahbaz Ansar, warning him to advise his wife to change her clothing style. The message included a the threat, “… kindly tell your wife to follow a good dress especially in Karnataka or else I may splash acid on her face.”

Alarmed by the violent nature of the threat, Shahbaz shared the message on social media tagging senior officials in the Karnataka government, including Bengaluru police, chief minister Siddaramaiah, and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, urging them to take immediate steps to prevent any potential harm to his wife.

In his tweet, Shahbaz wrote: “This is serious. @DgpKarnataka, @CMofKarnataka, @DKShivakumar. This person is threatening to throw acid on my wife’s face for her choice of clothes. Please take immediate action against this person to prevent any incident from happening.”

The post quickly gained traction on social media, sparking widespread outrage and leading to calls for accountability. Within hours of the threat going public, Etios Services, Shetty’s employer, responded with a public statement on Instagram, expressing shock and condemnation over its employee’s behaviour.

“We are deeply saddened to address a serious incident involving one of our employees, Nikith Shetty, who made a threatening statement regarding another individual’s choice of clothing. This behaviour is absolutely unacceptable and goes against the core values we uphold at Etios Services,” the company’s statement read.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/man-gives-acid-attack-threat-to-social-media-influencer-over-choice-of-clothes-sacked-from-job-101728672538439.html

Noel Tata, Ratan Tata’s half-brother, was appointed head of Tata Trusts. He has a background in various Tata companies and serves as chairman of multiple firms.

OBC chairman Ajay Yadav said the party should introspect over its failure in the Ahirwal region where it won just one seat out of 11 seats.

Knives are out in the Congress after its debacle in the Haryana assembly elections. Former Haryana minister and party’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) chairman Ajay Yadav alleged there was poor coordination among the national and state leadership and that the party’s national general secretary, KC Venugopal remained unreachable.

Yadav said the party should introspect over its failure in the Ahirwal region where it won just one seat out of 11 seats.

“Ahirwal has no representation in the Congress Working Committee, party’s central election committee, All India Congress Committee or the Haryana Pradesh Congress committee. The party has appointed me as OBC national chairman which is of no use as it is toothless. We lost the election because there was no coordination with the state and national leadership,” he said.

He further said, “When the party’s state in-charge Deepak Babria was hospitalised, why was his duty not assigned to another leader. Party’s state chief Udai Bhan himself was contesting, that’s why he failed to take proper feedback and help the candidates in finalising the strategy.”

A former minister, Yadav said that the senior party leaders from AICC had asked him to make arrangements for Rahul Gandhi’s roadshow but the leader never visited his area.

“We finalised Kumari Selja’s programme in Rewari and she expressed unwillingness to come because of the unavailability of chopper. Our sitting MLA from Ferozepur Jhirka, Mamman Khan’s statement also went against us. He won by a huge margin because majority of voters were Muslim there but we lost due to his controversial remarks. The campaign was spearheaded by individuals and other leaders were missing. We lost due to polarisation and poor election management,” Yadav added.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/knives-out-in-congress-after-haryana-election-debacle-101728666291649.html

Vijayadashami marks the end of Durga Puja and commemorates Lord Ram’s victory over demon king Ravan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday greeted people on Vijayadashami.
“I wish all of you achieve victory in every sphere of life with the blessings of Maa Durga and Prabhu Shri Ram,” he said on X.

Vijayadashami marks the end of Durga Puja and commemorates Lord Ram’s victory over demon king Ravan.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/dussehra-pm-modi-greets-nation-on-vijayadashami-6771278

There was no substantive discussion between PM Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau in Vientiane, govt sources said, adding while India attaches importance to relations with Canada, these cannot be repaired till Ottawa takes verifiable action against Khalistan separatists.

Trudeau had earlier said he had a brief exchange with Modi in which he emphasised there’s work to be done by both sides in the relationship.Reacting to Trudeau’s remarks, official sources said India continues to expect that anti-India Khalistani activities will not be allowed to take place on Canadian soil and that firm action, which is lacking thus far, will be taken against those advocating violence, extremism, and terrorism against India from Canadian territory. The growing nexus of such forces with organised crime, drug syndicates, and human trafficking should be a concern for Canada as well, govt said.

“India attaches importance to relations with Canada but these cannot be repaired unless the Canadian govt takes strict and verifiable action against those who actively pursue anti-India activities and have conspired to promote hate, disinformation, communal disharmony, and violence in India as well as Canada,” it added. Trudeau had also said in his remarks that “real issues” between the two countries needed to be resolved.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pm-modi-meets-justin-trudeau-but-no-substantive-discussions/articleshow/114158778.cms

Wazirabad, Bhangrola, Nakhrola, Badshahpur village, Bhondsi, Bhorakalan, and Garhi reported the highest number of cases

At least 104 dengue cases have been reported in Gurugram so far this year of which 10 cases required hospitalisation, officials said on Friday. Areas such as Wazirabad, Bhangrola, Nakhrola, Badshahpur village, Bhondsi, Bhorakalan, and Garhi reported the highest number of cases, they added.

Officials said that most affected areas are vulnerable due to congested living conditions, inadequate sanitation, stagnant water in shared overhead tanks, coolers, and flowerpots.

“Residents must inspect their homes for stagnant water and ensure cleanliness. Wearing full-sleeved clothing and using mosquito repellents are critical. If anyone experiences symptoms like fever or body aches, they should consult a doctor immediately,” said Dr Virender Yadav, chief medical officer of Gurugram.

Dr Jai Prakash, a public health expert, said that the warm, humid weather in Gurugram continues to foster mosquito breeding. “The Aedes mosquito thrives in such conditions, especially in areas with overcrowding and poor sanitation. Community cooperation is essential to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and control the spread of dengue,” he said.

Khushboo Lassa, a 28-year-old resident of Garhi, said, “Living in such a crowded space made it difficult to avoid dengue. Despite trying to stay safe, the mosquitoes were everywhere. I have been dealing with fever and body pain that’s kept me in bed for days.”

Abhay Bhati, 32, from Nakhrola, said, “In our area, people are not fully aware of the need to clean up stagnant water. The shared tanks and coolers are full of it, and that’s where mosquitoes breed. I have had fever and joint pain for more than a week now.”

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/gurugram-news/104-dengue-cases-in-gurugram-so-far-this-year-101728670912815.html

The flight, which took off from Trichy at 5:40 PM, faced hydraulic issues shortly after takeoff, causing the plane’s landing gear to malfunction and preventing the wheels from retracting.

A technical malfunction onboard an Air India flight from Trichy to Sharjah left 141 passengers in a state of concern on Friday evening.

The flight, which took off from Tamil Nadu’s Trichy at 5:40 PM, faced hydraulic issues shortly after takeoff, causing the plane’s landing gear to malfunction and preventing the wheels from retracting.

As a result, the pilot declared an emergency and initiated safety protocols, which included circling the Trichy airspace for over an hour to reduce the aircraft’s fuel weight, a necessary step for a safe emergency landing.

Ambulances, rescue teams on standby

Donald Trump said the biggest charger of all is India.

Vowing to introduce a reciprocal tax if elected to power, former US president Donald Trump on Thursday alleged that India, among all major countries, imposes the highest tariffs on foreign products.

“Perhaps the most important element of my plan to make America extraordinarily wealthy again is reciprocity. It’s a word that’s very important in my plan because we generally don’t charge tariffs. I started that process, it was so great, with the vans and the small trucks, etc. We really don’t charge. China will charge us a 200 per cent tariff. Brazil is a big charger. The biggest charger of all is India,” Trump said in a major economic policy speech in Detroit.

“India is a very big charger. We have a great relationship with India. I did. And especially the leader, Modi. He’s a great leader. Great man. Really is a great man. He’s brought it together. He’s done a great job. But they probably charge as much,” he said.

“I mean, I think they probably charge more than, in many ways, China. But they do it with a smile. They do it… Sort of a nicer charge. They said, thank you so much for purchasing from India. Harley Davidson came to the White House a long time ago during my third year or second year. I met with them. They were based in Wisconsin. I said, how’s business? Good, good. What are the bad countries? Well, India is very tough. And they gave me some others. Why? Tariffs. I said, what are they? And they said like 150 per cent, some massive amount,” Trump told the members of the Detroit Economic Club.

“I said so do you sell many motorcycles because you think people want to buy a Harley. No, we sell very few in India, but they want us to go there. They said, if you go there and build your plant there, we’re not going to charge you anything. I mean, you can do whatever you want. I said I don’t like that. And I see they went, they built the plant, and now they do their business with India. They probably do it outside of India too. They built a very big plant in many countries, they do that. Then all of a sudden, you hear that they’re leaving Milwaukee or they’re leaving wherever they may be located,” he said.

Thursday’s remarks by Trump come following his praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week.

Trump described Modi as “the nicest human being”, saying the Indian leader is “a friend of mine”.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/donald-trump-says-india-is-biggest-tariff-charger-and-he-will-reciprocate-if-elected-to-power-6764073

The BJP retaliated against the AAP, saying that Atishi is making a ‘futile attempt to play the victim card’

Officials of the Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) on Thursday inventoried items at 6, Flag Staff Road – a bungalow that is the latest flashpoint of the imbroglio between the Aam Aadmi Party government on one side and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and lieutenant governor on the other – even as Delhi chief minister Atishi alleged that the BJP is trying to “occupy the CM’s residence by force” because it has been unable to win Delhi assembly elections for the past 27 years.

The BJP retaliated against the AAP, saying that Atishi is making a “futile attempt to play the victim card”.

Early on Thursday, four senior PWD officials along with other support staff, visited the house and started making an inventory, after which they submitted a report to their seniors, officials familiar with Thursday’s developments said.

A separate PWD official said that four PWD officials including two electrical engineers, one executive engineer, and one junior engineer with staff visited the CM residence in the afternoon for inventorisation during which they made the list of all the goods in the house such as air conditioners, furniture, electronic items, and others by visiting all areas of the CM bungalow complex.

The official did not share the details of the inventory that was found at the former CM’s residence. It was not known if they also video-recorded the inventorisation process or not.

The inventory report was submitted to deputy secretary housing allotment section of the PWD.

The officials cited above, however, did not share the list of the items at the Flag Staff Road bungalow.

“The Delhi CM office has requested that the bungalow where Arvind Kejriwal lived from 2015 to 2024 (weeks after resignation) be allotted to incumbent CM Atishi… The inventorisation of the bungalow was done by local PWD officials on Thursday and the report was submitted to the PWD officials concerned. A decision on the allotment of the bungalow is likely to be taken on Friday,” said another senior PWD official, asking not to be identified.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pwdtakes-inventory-of-delhi-cm-s-official-house-bjp-trying-to-seize-it-atishi-101728582939394.html

Delhi drug haul: The drugs were kept in open packs of namkeen.

Days after recovering 560 kg of cocaine, the Delhi police on Thursday found a drugs consignment of 200 kilograms at a closed shop in the Ramesh Nagar area of the national capital. The drugs were kept in open packs of namkeen. The drugs are valued at ₹2000 crore in international markets. The combined value of the two drug hauls is more than ₹7000 crore.

Here are points on the Delhi drug haul:

1. “Delhi Police Special Cell has recovered a consignment of cocaine from a closed shop in Ramesh Nagar. About 200 kg of drugs have been recovered, whose value in the international market is more than ₹2,000 crore. This drug was kept in packets of namkeen,” the police said.
2. The police have arrested a man named Akhlaq, who is a resident of Hapur district. He had transported the consignment. A UK citizen had stored the drugs in the national capital; he is absconding.
3. “200 kg of cocaine was recovered from the warehouse in Ramesh Nagar. The person who kept the drugs in that warehouse is a UK citizen and after keeping the cocaine there, he is absconding. Police got information about this UK citizen only after interrogating Ikhlaq (arrested in a ₹5,000 crore drug case).
4. In the 560 kg cocaine recovery, the police have arrested four people. The police said they found 15 kg of cocaine in the personal possession of the accused Tushar Goyal, Himanshu and Aurangzeb. Marijuana and cocaine were found in the godown.
5. “Around 15 kg of cocaine was recovered from the personal possession of Tushar Goyal, Himanshu and Aurangzeb. They were caught when they were coming out of the godown in Mahipalpur Extension to give the supply to the receiver. Remaining marijuana and cocaine were found in the godown. Tushar Goyal is a resident of Vasant Vihar in Delhi while Himanshu and Aurangzeb are his two associates. Bharat Jain, a receiver from Kurla West (Mumbai), has also been caught,” a senior police officer had said.
6. The police said the two drug hauls are linked to the cartel headed by a Delhi-based businessman who is in Dubai.
7. The cocaine was found in packets labelled as Chatpata Mixture. The packets were opened.
8. The alleged cartel kingpin has been identified as Virender Basoiya, who met Goyal in Tihar in 2011. He allegedly sent the consignment from South America to India via Dubai using an old cargo ship.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rs-2000-cr-drugs-found-in-namkeen-packs-delhi-man-under-scanner-10-points-101728609244147.html

RG Kar rape and murder: One of the junior doctors on hunger strike at the Esplanade area was hospitalised on Thursday night after his health deteriorated.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written a letter to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee regarding the ongoing hunger strike of junior doctors in the wake of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder, saying the protestors “deserve your immediate attention”.

“It has been almost a week since the young doctors of Bengal are on a fast-unto-death struggle. Indian Medical Association supports their just demands. They deserve your immediate attention. The Government of West Bengal is entirely capable of meeting all the demands. Peaceful ambience and security are not a luxury. They are a prerequisite. We appeal to your good self to settle the issues with the young generation doctors as an elder and the Head of the Government. The entire medical fraternity of India is concerned and trusts you would be able to save their lives. If the offices of the Indian Medical Association could be of any help we would gladly assist,” reads the letter.

Meanwhile, one of the junior doctors on hunger strike at the Esplanade area was hospitalised on Thursday night after his health deteriorated.

The medic was identified as Aniket Mahato, one of the seven on fast unto death since Saturday evening.

“Aniket Mahato’s condition worsened and his parameters were not good. He was taken to RG Kar hospital and will be admitted to the intensive care unit,” senior doctor Subarna Goswami told a news channel.

Mahato, along with a few others, has been at the forefront of the agitation seeking justice for the rape and murder victim of RG Kar for the last two months.

Another agitating doctor accompanying Mahato said, “His pulse rate was very low and his other health parameters were also not normal.”

A team of four specialist doctors was sent by the state health department to the venue of the hunger strike by junior doctors in the Esplanade area to assess the health condition of the seven doctors who have been on hunger strike for the past five days.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/security-not-a-luxury-ima-writes-to-bengal-government-over-doctors-hunger-strike-101728617105115.html

Police said Sharma, who is a native of Rajasthan but settled in Chennai, is accused of touching the woman passenger in an inappropriate manner while travelling from Delhi to Chennai on Wednesday.

Chennai: A 43-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly molesting a woman passenger on board a Delhi-Chennai flight operated by IndiGo, police said here on Thursday. The man, identified as Rajesh Sharma, was arrested on Wednesday evening based on a complaint filed by the woman.

Police said Sharma, who is a native of Rajasthan but settled in Chennai, is accused of touching the woman passenger in an inappropriate manner while travelling from Delhi to Chennai on Wednesday.

“A complaint was filed against Sharma by the woman. Hence, we had to take him into our custody,” a police officer said. According to the complaint, the man touched the woman inappropriately when she was asleep, the officer added.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/tamil-nadu/man-arrested-for-molesting-female-passenger-on-delhi-chennai-flight-3227846

Veteran industrialist and Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata’s family members were present for his funeral service and final rites on Thursday, amid a sea of mourners who paid their last respects to the national icon.

Ratan Tata’s ailing younger brother, Jimmy Naval Tata, arrived to pay his last respects while stepmother Simone Tata also came for the final rites in a wheelchair.

Jimmy, who is the younger son from Naval Tata’s first marriage to Soonoo Tata, is known to live a quiet life. He and Ratan Tata were adopted by their grandmother Navajbai Tata when their parents got divorced.

Naval Tata then married Simone Tata, who had Noel Tata, whose children Neville, Maya and Leah are also potential successors to the Tata legacy.

Jimmy mostly remains out of the public spotlight and resides in a humble 2 BHK in Mumbai. He holds a significant number of shares in various Tata Group companies including Tata Steel, Tata Motors and TCS.

Tata’s stepbrother Noel Tata, a strong contender to inherit the family legacy, was also spotted at the funeral service. He was seen accepting condolences from high-profile business leaders, including Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani, politicians, film stars and Tata employees.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/ratan-tata-death-final-rites-tata-family-noel-tata-jimmy-tata-simone-tata-last-latest-news-9082138.html

On 9 August, the Indian city of Kolkata was shaken when a trainee doctor was found raped and murdered at one of its oldest hospitals. Though an arrest was swiftly made, accusations of a cover-up and evidence-tampering quickly surfaced, fuelling public outrage. Since then, daily protests, human chains and candlelight vigils have filled Kolkata’s streets. Now, the city’s largest festival unfolds amid some of the city’s most fervent protests in years.

Kolkata is celebrating its biggest annual festival – Durga Puja, when the ten-armed Goddess Durga is said to visit her earthly home, her entire family in tow.

At Durga Puja pandals – or temporary temples – the goddess stands in the middle astride a lion, flanked by her children – elephant-headed Ganesha, warrior god Kartikeya on his peacock, the goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati – while the defeated buffalo demon lies at her feet, symbolising the triumph of good over evil.

These days, it’s not just the gods that draw the crowds. The pandals have become quite elaborate. Some recreate landmarks like Dubai’s Burj Khalifa or the mangrove forests of Sundarbans. Others are installations with social messaging – conserve water, pray for world peace, save handicrafts.

That led to Durga Puja being billed as one of the biggest street art festivals in the world. Arts organisation Mass Art has been putting together previews of selected Pujas, especially so that foreign guests can get a sense, says its secretary, Dhrubajyoti Bose Suvo, of how a “city transforms into a public gallery”.

But this year, the largest street art event of the city has come face to face with the biggest street protests Kolkata has seen in years. Some of the idols are different, and even the artwork on the walls reflects anguish and protest with figures of women and animals rendered in stark red, black and white.

The protests broke out after the 31-year-old doctor was found brutally killed at RG Kar Medical College on the night of 9 August. After a gruelling 36-hour shift, she had fallen asleep in a seminar room due to the lack of a designated rest area. Her half-naked body, bearing severe injuries, was discovered the next morning on the podium.

“Of course there is an effect [of the incident] on us,” says visual artist Sanatan Dinda. “I do not paint inside an ivory tower. I speak of the society around me in my work.”

Upset over the incident, Dinda resigned from a government-run arts organisation. He says, “Now I am on the streets with everyone else. Now I have no fear.”

In September, Dinda and the clay artists who built the Durga images in the historic artisan neighbourhood of Kumartuli led a protest march demanding justice for the woman they called “our Durga”.

Dinda says he has made “improvisations” to the Durga images he was working on this year.

At one in Bagha Jatin in south Kolkata, his mother Goddess looks more fierce than maternal. The lion she normally rides is springing out of her chest. Each of her ten arms holds a spear to slay evil. The artwork on the walls reflects anguish and protest with figures of naked women and animals rendered in stark red, black and white.

Art as protest is not new.

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Defacement, commemorating the 1983 police killing of a man allegedly writing graffiti in the New York subway, found renewed relevance during the Black Lives Matter movement. Public artists like Jenny Holzer, Keith Haring, Diego Rivera, and Banksy – whose stencils span walls from Kyiv to the West Bank – have long used art to deliver political messages.

Durga Puja art is public art, but it’s also central to a religious festival that fuels the state’s economy. A British Council report valued Durga Puja’s 2019 economic impact at over $4.5bn, nearly 3% of West Bengal state’s GDP.

With so much at stake, neighbourhood clubs organising pujas have to tread warily. They cannot alienate thousands of ordinary citizens looking for a good time, not a sermon. They get financial grants from the government that’s facing the protests. They have to work with the police on permits and traffic control.

A few have opted to forego taking money from the government.

One puja in Kankurgachi, in the northeastern side of the city, chose Lajja (Shame) as its theme after the protests erupted. Its Durga is covering her eyes, her lion keeping vigil over the body of a woman wrapped in a white sheet. The organiser is openly affiliated with the state’s opposition party.

Close by, another puja creates a tableau of the bereaved family, the mother sitting on the bed, the father at a sewing machine, their daughter’s picture in doctor’s scrubs on the wall. Other organisers are more circumspect, not wanting to wade into political waters.

“But we still want to make a point, especially as a women-led women-run club,” says Mousumi Dutta, president of the Arjunpur Amra Sabai Club.

Their theme this year is Discrimination. The artist uses the Constitution of India and its articles promising equality as the backdrop to the goddess while local actors enact the gap between the promise of the Constitution and reality through street theatre.

The theme had been decided earlier but the tragedy gave it a different urgency. “We have decided to not call this year’s Durga Puja a festival,” says Dutta. “We are calling it a pledge instead. A pledge to create a world where we won’t have to keep coming out on to the streets to demand justice.”

The demand for justice for a woman resonates with Durga Puja anyway, a festival built around a goddess vanquishing evil. One puja had already chosen women power as its theme which now matches the zeitgeist.

Durga puja theme designers say they were already neck-deep in work when the protests erupted.

“Perhaps if it had happened earlier it would have been different. By August I was committed to the organisers and to some 450 people working with me,” says Susanta Shibani Pal. But he says the issue “subconsciously” crept into the art.

His installation Biheen (The Void) for the Tala Prattoy puja, covers 35,000 sq ft, immersing the viewer into what he calls a “black hole”.

His Durga has no body, her life force represented by a flickering candle, much like the candles that are part of the protests. “A viewer might read this as my protest. I might call it coincidence. I started this work before RG Kar happened,” he said.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1wnzrq88g2o

All three patients tested positive at private healthcare facilities, and reports from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, on October 8 confirmed the presence of the virus infection

After a significant decline in fresh Zika virus cases in September, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health department has confirmed three fresh cases in the city.

All three patients tested positive at private healthcare facilities, and reports from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, on October 8 confirmed the presence of the virus infection.

The fresh cases include a 19-year-old woman from Paud Phata, a 69-year-old man from Warje Naka and a 59-year-old man from Karve Nagar.

Dr Nina Borade, health officer of PMC, said, all these three patients are mild symptomatic and complained of fever in September. “Their samples tested positive for Zika infection at a private laboratory. Later the samples were sent to the NIV, Pune, which on Tuesday confirmed the Zika virus presence in their samples,” she said.

The city reported its first Zika virus case this year on June 20, and to date, as many as 103 cases have been reported. Of these 5 cases were reported in June, 54 cases in July, 39 cases in August, 2 cases in September and 3 cases in October respectively.

Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health officer of PMC, said, the entomological survey and containment measures helped to break the Zika virus transmission chain in the city. The situation is under control and citizens should not panic.

“Sporadic cases are likely to be reported in the city but an outbreak with a large number is unlikely to happen. The awareness campaigns and fogging operations in affected areas have already been started,” he said.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/pune-news/pune-reports-three-fresh-zika-virus-cases-101728497454081.html

NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday cleared the mega indigenous project to build two nuclear-powered attack submarines as well as the deal to acquire 31 weaponised MQ-9B Predator drones from the US, collectively worth around Rs 68,000 crore, as part of the long-term plan to counter China’s aggressive and expansionist tactics in the region, sources told TOI.

The PM-led cabinet committee on security (CCS) approved the long-pending Rs 40,000 crore `Project-77’ to construct the two nuclear-powered attack submarines (called SSNs in naval parlance), which will be armed with conventional missiles, torpedoes and other weapons, at the ship-building centre at Visakhapatnam , the sources said.

The CCS also gave the green signal to the around Rs 28,000 crore ($3.3 billion) acquisition of the 31 MQ-9B drones, with 15 Sea Guardians earmarked for Navy and 8 Sky Guardians each for Army and IAF, paving the way for the govt-to-govt deal to be inked within the next few days.

Both the SSNs and the MQ-9B remotely-piloted aircraft are `hunter-killer’ weapon platforms because they can quietly gather intelligence, track enemy targets at extended ranges and then destroy them if required. The twin-capability, one deep underwater and the other high in the air, is crucial given China’s rapidly-expanding naval footprint in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond.

“It will take around 10-12years for the first SSN, with a 190 MW pressurised light-water reactor and a displacement of almost 10,000-tonne, to roll out. The two SSNs will be around 95% indigenous, with foreign help only being taken for some design consultancy,” a source said.

The original case was for six such SSNs, which with their speeds of over 30 knots, long endurance and capability to discreetly operate in enemy waters are meant for conventional (non-nuclear) warfare. “Apart from anti-ship missiles and torpedoes to take out enemy warships and submarines, they will also have land-attack cruise missiles. The other four SSNs will be cleared at a later stage,” a source said.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-clears-two-mega-defence-projects-for-2-indigenous-nuclear-submarines-31-predator-drones/articleshow/114095147.cms

Since September 9, more than a thousand workers have been on protest. Now, questions are being raised over the state government’s handling of the crisis

As the labour strike at Samsung’s plant on the outskirts of Chennai enters its second month, threatening Tamil Nadu’s business-friendly reputation and exposing cracks in the ruling DMK’s political alliance, there appears to be no immediate resolution to the stalemate.

Early Wednesday morning, Tamil Nadu police detained 11 key union leaders and allegedly dismantled protest tents. Since September 9, more than a thousand workers affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) have been pressing for recognition of their newly formed union and improved working conditions.

The police action came ahead of the visit of top leaders of DMK’s alliance partners, including Congress, CPI(M), CPI, MDMK, and VCK, to the protest site on Wednesday.

When the protest started in early September, it was a critical time for Chief Minister M K Stalin, who was on a US tour to woo global investments. The DMK prides itself on Tamil Nadu’s business-friendly environment, but the timing of the protest by a DMK ally – just as Stalin was signing deals abroad – was seen by many in the party as a betrayal by the CITU and CPM, which has long supported the Stalin government.

Samsung India has, meanwhile, been reluctant to engage with the CITU, ostensibly spooked by recent developments beyond India’s borders. In July, Samsung Electronics faced unrest at its Seoul plant, where more than 6,500 workers went on strike demanding better pay and working conditions. According to reports, rumours of North Korean communist involvement had spooked management, fostering a cautious approach to unionisation, particularly in communist-linked labour protests.

The company’s stance in Tamil Nadu was clear: they would negotiate directly with workers, but not with outside leaders heading the CITU. The company, which started the plant in 2007 and has not faced such an issue before, also has concerns that allowing CITU a foothold in Sriperumbudur could create ripple effects at other plants.

Meanwhile, a request for the registration of the trade union was stopped by the state government, forcing CITU to approach the Madras High Court.

On Monday, talks led by three senior ministers, representing labour, MSME, and industries ministries, fell flat, even as Samsung agreed on increased wages and some additional benefits, and the government claimed that a settlement had been reached.

“Samsung India today signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the workmen committee of its Chennai factory… We are cognizant of the Tamil Nadu government’s efforts to end the illegal strike and are thankful to the authorities for their constant support,” their spokesperson said afterwards.

However, CITU president A Soundararajan said the workers who signed the memorandum on Monday were a few who weren’t part of the strike. He also reiterated that the strike will continue until the core demand of recognition of a union is met.

On Wednesday, Soundararajan and CITU Kancheepuram district secretary Muthukumar were among those taken into custody by the police. In an indication of the schism within the ruling alliance, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan as well as CPI and CPM leaders visited them in police custody.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chennai/as-samsung-strike-enters-second-month-ruling-dmk-faces-alliance-heat-tamil-nadu-police-detain-union-leaders-9612602/

Indicating the start of a new face-off between the AAP and Centre, the Delhi Chief Minister’s Office claimed Lt Governor Vinai Saxena “forcibly removed Atishi’s belongings from the official home “at the behest of the BJP”.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi has been evicted from her official residence two days after she moved there, the Aam Aadmi Party claimed today. Indicating the start of a new face-off between the AAP and Centre, the Delhi Chief Minister’s Office claimed Lieutenant Governor Vinai Saxena “forcibly removed” Atishi’s belongings from the official home “at the behest of the BJP”, an allegation dismissed by the sources in Mr Saxena’s office.
“For the first time in the history of the country, the Chief Minister’s residence was vacated. At the behest of the BJP, the Lt Governor forcibly removed Chief Minister Atishi’s belongings from the Chief Minister residence,” the Chief Minister Office or CMO alleged.

The sources in the Lieutenant Governor’s office rubbished the claims by the AAP and said, “Atishi herself kept her belongings in that house even before it was allotted to her and then removed them herself”.

“This house has not been allotted to Chief Minister Atishi yet. Her allotted residence is still 17 AB Mathura Road. How can two houses get allotted?” they claimed.

Atishi was allotted the AB-17 residence last year after she was appointed a minister in the Arvind Kejriwal government.

The sources assured the “bungalow will be allotted to the Chief Minister immediately after the PWD prepares the inventory”.

Visuals showed several cartons and luggage being taken out of the official residence.

A double lock has been put on the residence, sources said, adding proper paperwork was not submitted to the Public Works Department (PWD) regarding the handover of the keys.

The bungalow has sparked yet another clash between the AAP and the BJP with both parties coming out with alleged documents to support their case.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/delhi-chief-minister-atishis-belongings-thrown-out-of-official-home-claims-aap-6752611

A shortlist of the biggest headlines, recommended stories, and a special collection of news items that you should check out.

The ongoing stir by doctors in West Bengal intensified on Wednesday with more senior doctors in various government-run medical institutions tendering mass resignation in support of the junior doctors’ protest in Kolkata seeking justice in the grisly rape and murder of their colleague at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Meanwhile, a late-night meeting between the state government and agitating junior doctors failed to resolve the impasse.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday that his country’s response to Iran for its recent ballistic missile attack will be “lethal” and “surprising”. Israel has vowed a harsh response to Iran for its ballistic missile attack on October 1, which the latter said was a response to Israel killing Hasan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The Jewish state has been in talks with its main backer, the United States, to decide on the scale and intensity of its response.

Sports goings
India registered a terrific 82-run victory in the third match of their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign. Not only did India need to secure the points, they also needed to do so in an emphatic fashion to recover their poor net run-rate insofar. India now find themselves on 4 points ahead of Pakistan and New Zealand, and recovered their NRR all the way to being ahead of Pakistan. India now sit on 0.58, while Pakistan are on 0.56, and the Kiwis are all the way back on -0.050 after their big opening win against India was nullified by a slightly bigger loss to Australia.

Entertainment focus
Anees Bazmee is returning to direction with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, the horror-comedy releasing this Diwali. The director is known for making some of the most memorable comedies in Hindi cinema, from No Entry and Welcome to Singh Is Kinng. But while they may be called cult, Bazmee says the first reactions to some of them were not positive. In an exclusive chat with HT, the filmmaker talks about the time when he was hospitalised for stress after Welcome’s test screenings tanked.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/morning-briefing-more-senior-doctors-resign-in-west-bengal-israel-warns-iran-of-lethal-action-and-more-101728532214413.html

Chittorgarh Superintendent of Police Sudhir Joshi said the seizure was made on the Chittorgarh-Neemuch highway police personnel were checking vehicles.

Jaipur: A young man was arrested in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh district on Wednesday after nearly 3.5 kilograms of MDMA estimated to be worth around Rs 7 crore was seized from his car, police said.
Chittorgarh Superintendent of Police Sudhir Joshi said the seizure was made on the Chittorgarh-Neemuch highway.
He said police personnel were checking vehicles on the highway when they spotted a car that aroused suspicion and signalled it to stop.
Instead of stopping, the car accelerated and tried to escape but was intercepted, Joshi added.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/rajasthan/rj-drugs-arrest-5-3226441

Wangchuk and others have been on a foot march from Leh to Delhi to demand sixth Schedule for Ladakh, which was carved out of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir as a Union Territory in 2019.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the response of the Delhi Police to a plea seeking permission for Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk and others to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar in national capital.

The Division Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Amit Sharma asked the authorities to respond to the plea by October 16 and ordered listing of the case on October 22.

The case was listed today following a mentioning for urgent listing.

“We couldn’t read the whole thing [petition copy]… we have only seen the prayer. We will seek response from Delhi Police,” the Court said.

Apex Body Leh, an organisation based in Ladakh, moved the High Court seeking directions to the Delhi government and Delhi Police to allow Wangchuk and others, who came to the national capital on foot, to hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar from October 8 to October 23.

The protesters had started from Leh on September 1 to raise awareness about the “ecological and cultural collapse” in Ladakh. Their main demand has been Sixth Schedule for the Union Territory which was carved out of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Sixth Schedule to the Constitution provides for implementation of measures to have an autonomous administration in tribal areas to protect the rights and identity of locals. At present, it is applicable only to Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram in northeast India.

However, on reaching near Delhi, Wangchuk and others were detained at Singhu Border on September 30. They were later released.

Meanwhile, they had sought permission to hold protest at Jantar Mantar. The Delhi Police on October 5 turned down the body’s request for holding the protest at Jantar Mantar.

During the hearing of the plea today, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said there can be no urgency on proceeding on a fast or dharna. He opposed the request for early listing of the matter.

“There cannot be any urgency for proceeding on any fast or dharna,” Mehta submitted.

Challenging the police decision, the body argued that denial of permission to hold peaceful protest violates the fundamental right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.

Source: https://www.barandbench.com/news/delhi-high-court-seeks-delhi-police-reply-plea-permission-sonam-wangchuk-dharna

Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group, is renowned not only for his exceptional business acumen but also for his philanthropic efforts. Often described as “a man with zero haters,” he has successfully led the conglomerate for decades, positioning it as a key Indian brand on the global stage.

Tata Group’s Succession Plan

The curiosity around the succession plan in the Tata Group is buzzing as to who would step in to Ratan Tata’s shoes to lead the Rs 3800-crore empire. Succession planning is well established at the Tata Group. N Chandrasekaran has been serving as chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company, since 2017. Other family members are leading various segments of the business and are likely candidates for future leadership positions.

The Rise Of Noel Tata

Noel Tata, born from Naval Tata’s second marriage to Simone, is Ratan Tata’s half-brother. This connection positions Noel Tata as a key contender for inheriting the Tata legacy. Noel Tata has three children — Maya, Neville, and Leah Tata who could be the potential heirs of the conglomerate.

Maya Tata: Leading the Way

Maya Tata, 34, is making significant strides within the Tata Group. With an education from Bayes Business School and the University of Warwick, she has held key positions at Tata Opportunities Fund and Tata Digital. Notably, she played a crucial role in launching the Tata Neu App, showcasing her strategic acumen and vision.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/companies/who-will-succeed-ratan-tata-in-leading-his-rs-3800-crore-empire-meet-tata-groups-future-leaders-article-114086149

Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, passed away at 86 in Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. Tributes poured in from various leaders, including Prime Minister Modi and Anand Mahindra, who recognized Tata’s dedication to excellence and innovation. Among his legacies is the ongoing Rs 165 crore Small Animal Hospital (SAHM) project in Mahalaxmi, covering over 98,000 square feet.

As India mourns the death of Ratan Tata, let’s take a look at the 86-year-old’s last ‘dream project’, which is still under works. The Tata chairman emeritus had started the Small Animal Hospital (SAHM) in Mumbai. The Rs 165 crore project – an ode to his love for animals – is based in Mahalaxmi. It is over 98,000 square feet.

SAHM opened on July 1. It provides 24×7 emergency care for animals, especially strays. However, the project will reportedly have a phase 2 roll-out soon.

As of now, the state-of-the-art pet hospital has ICUs and HDUs with life support for critically ill and injured animals. It also provides advanced diagnostic imaging services, surgery units, an in-house pathology lab; separate waiting areas for dogs and cats, and inpatient wards.

The hospital was first announced in 2017. It was initially scheduled to be situated in Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai. However, plans changed and the SAHM was opened in Mahalaxmi. With phase 2, the pet project will be able to deal with specialised surgeries, such as orthopaedics and laparoscopic work, complex medical management, physiotherapy and advanced oncology.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/economy/ratan-tatas-last-dream-project-is-still-under-works-article-114096864