Category: India

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s son fled the scene of an accident after his Audi hit several vehicles in Nagpur.

Sanket Bawankule, son of the Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, reportedly fled the spot after an Audi owned by him hit several vehicles in Nagpur on Monday, reported PTI.

The incident took place around 1am on Monday in the Ramdaspeth area of Nagpur, when five people including Sanket Bawankule, were returning from a beer bar in Dharampeth, news agency PTI reported.

Two occupants of the car, identified as driver Arjun Hawre and Ronit Chittamwar, were detained, while Sanket and two others fled the scene.

Arjun Hawre and Ronit Chittamwar were first taken to a tehsil police station and then transferred to the Sitabuldi police station for further investigation. Their medical examinations were still underway.

An official from the Sitabuldi police station, told PTI, “A case of rash driving and other offences was registered on the complaint of Sonkamble. No action has been taken so far against Sanket Bawankule and the other two occupants who reportedly escaped from the scene at Mankapur bridge.”

The medical examination of the driver and the other occupant includes blood tests for alcohol detection. Preliminary reports say that both Arjun Hawre and Ronit Chittamwar were intoxicated at the time of the crash, reported India Today.

At 1am on Monday, the Audi first collided with the car of Jitendra Sonkamble, the complainant in the case. It also struck a moped, injuring the two people riding it. It hit several more vehicles near Mankapur area, including a Polo car at a T-point.

The driver of the Polo chased the car down and stopped it near Mankapur bridge. The occupants of the Polo car also stopped Arjun Hawre and Ronit Chittamwar from fleeing. Arjun Hawre could be arrested at any moment, an official told PTI.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/maharashtra-bjp-chiefs-son-sanket-bawankule-flees-after-audi-hits-several-vehicles-in-nagpur-101725925800479.html

Rahul Gandhi in US: Rahul Gandhi claimed that the “fear of Prime Minister Narendra Modi” among people has vanished after results of Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Rahul Gandhi in US: Rahul Gandhi of the Congress continued his attack on ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, claiming that the “fear of Prime Minister Narendra Modi” among people has vanished after the the results of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Addressing an Indian diaspora event in Virginia’s Herndon in US on Monday (local time), Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP and PM Narendra Modi spread “so much fear and the pressure” of agencies on small businesses, but everything vanished within seconds.

“Something has changed after the elections. Some people said ‘Darr nahi lagta ab, dar nikal gaya ab’ (We are not afraid anymore, the fear is gone now). It is interesting to me that the BJP and PM Modi spread so much fear, and the pressure of agencies on small businesses, everything vanished within seconds. It took years for them to spread this fear and vanished within seconds,” news agency ANI quoted Rahul Gandhi as saying at the event.

“In Parliament, I see the Prime Minister right up front and I

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also met with students at Georgetown University, followed by the diaspora event in Virginia. Rahul Gandhi will be in Washington for two days before heading back to Delhi.,

“The BJP doesn’t understand that this country is of everyone… India is a union. In the Constitution, it is written clearly… India that is Bharat is a union state, histories, tradition music and dance. They (BJP) say it is not a union, it is different,” the Congress leader alleged.

can tell you that the idea of Mr Modi, 56-inch chest, direct connection with God, that’s all gone now, it’s is all history now,” Rahul Gandhi added.

Watch the video here:

The incident took place at Guramkhedi on Jabalpur-Itarsi rail route at 10am, Pipariya RPF police station in-charge Gopal Meena said.

A rail mishap was averted on Monday in Madhya Pradesh after a tractor stalled on the tracks and a train driver stopped in time by applying brakes, a police official said.
The incident took place at Guramkhedi on Jabalpur-Itarsi rail route at 10am, Pipariya RPF police station in-charge Gopal Meena said.

“The driver of Somnath Express applied brakes after seeing a tractor on the track. His alertness averted a mishap. An RPF team removed the tractor. Efforts are on to nab the tractor driver,” Mr Meena said.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/train-accident-averted-in-madhya-pradesh-after-tractor-found-on-track-6529766

The 2024 Hyundai Alcazar facelift goes on sale in India, and here’s all the information about the newly launched Tata Safari, Mahindra XUV700 rival.

Hyundai India has launched an updated avatar of its 7-seater SUV – Alcazar. The Creta-based 3-row SUV was long due for a mid-cycle refresh. The 2024 Hyundai Alcazar facelift is launched at a special introductory starting price of ₹ 14.99 lakh for petrol variants and ₹ 15.99 lakh for diesel variants. It will continue to take on its existing set of rivals – Tata Safari, Mahindra XUV700, MG Hector, Citroen C3 Aircross, Kia Carens and more. In the last few months, the Alcazar has been a dull seller. The update, however, is expected to add some more numbers to the SUV’s monthly sales tally.

The 2024 Hyundai Alcazar isn’t just a stretched-out Creta, in terms of its looks. It opts for a bold-looking design theme, comprising of a rather butch-looking front facet with H-shaped connected LED DRLs, a large radiator grille, and a wide scuff plate.

Around the sides, the big change is the addition of new 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, bigger rear quarter windows, black-painted cladding, and bridge-type roof rails. The rear face of the Alcazar is also heavily tweaked with the use of a new spoiler, a reworked bumper, and a fresh design for the skid plate. It also gets connected LED taillamps with sequential turn indicators.

2024 Hyundai Alcazar: Dimensions

As for the dimensions, the Alcazar is 4,560 mm in length, 1,800 mm wide, and 1,710 mm tall. In comparison to the outgoing model, the 2024 Alcazar is 60 mm longer, 10 mm wider, and 35 mm taller. The wheelbase remains unaltered at 2,760 mm.

2024 Hyundai Alcazar: Cabin & Features

On the inside, the big change on the 2024 Hyundai Alcazar is a new dashboard layout, which is borrowed from the facelifted Creta. The cabin is now upholstered in new shades – noble brown and haze navy. The dual-tone treatment gives a premium appeal to the overall cabin.

Besides, the 6-seater variant now features ventilated second-row seats with folding armrests, which improve the accessibility to the third-row. Unique thigh extenders are a key highlight of the Alcazar’s interior.

The feature list further includes a power walk-in device, wing-type headrest, driver power seat memory function, 8-way power-adjustable front seats, digital key with NFC, 70+ connected car features, 270+ voice commands, 10.25-inch displays for infotainment unit and instrument cluster, auto-dimming IRVM, 6 airbags, Level-2 ADAS, 8-speaker Bose sound system and more.

2024 Hyundai Alcazar: Specs & Mileage

The Alcazar facelift gets a total of two powertrain choices – 1.5L Diesel and 1.5L turbo-petrol. The oil burner is a 4-cylinder unit, and it belts out a peak power output of 115 Hp and 250 Nm of max torque. It gets two transmission choices – 6-speed MT and 6-speed AT. The 1.5L, 4-cylinder, turbo-petrol unit is tuned to push out a peak power output of 160 Hp and 253 Nm of max torque. The transmission choices include a 7-speed DCT and a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/auto/2024-hyundai-alcazar-launched-in-india-at-rs-14-99-lakh-price-specs-features-6523702

Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Doctors in Bengal said they would continue their cease work to protest rape and murder of a RG Kar Medical Hospital trainee doctor.

Protesting junior doctors in West Bengal have said they would continue their ‘cease work’ to demand justice for the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered, despite Supreme Court’s deadline directing to resume duties by 5pm on Tuesday, September 10.

On Monday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA)’s Bengal branch also said it was “totally disheartened” with the Supreme Court’s direction of the protesting doctors.

Meanwhile, rallies were taken out in different parts of the Kolkata as part of an event termed ‘9-9-9’, with people assembling for nine minutes when the clock struck 9 on Monday evening, demanding justice for the RG Kar hospital doctor.

Singing the national anthem, hundreds gathered for nine minutes at Shyambazar, Esplanade, New Town, Jadavpur 8B terminus, apart from Bally and Mandirtala in neighbouring Howrah town.

Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: 10 updates

1. On Monday, the Supreme Court directed the striking medics to resume their duties by 5pm on Tuesday to avoid adverse action by the West Bengal government. The court passed the direction after the West Bengal government assured it that no action, including punitive transfers, shall be taken against the protesting doctors if they resume work.
2. The striking doctors said they would also take out a rally to ‘Swasthya Bhavan’ – the headquarters of the health department in Salt Lake – on Tuesday noon demanding the resignation of the state’s health secretary and director of health education.
3. “Our demands are unfulfilled and justice is not meted out to the victim. We will continue our agitation as well as the ‘cease work’. We want the health secretary and DHE to resign. Tomorrow noon, we will hold a rally to the Swasthya Bhavan,” news agency PTI quoted one of the protesting doctors as saying after their governing body meeting in Kolkata.
4. In a statement, the IMA Bengal state branch criticised the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the case, and the West Bengal government, accusing them of not taking enough steps to ensure justice to the trainee doctor and crackdown on the health syndicate.
5. The IMA also said protests “won’t die down” and that it would “become more stronger” till a solution was reached.
6. “We are totally disheartened by the proceedings of the court and CBI. No step was taken for a speedy trial to deliver justice to our colleague. We were even more disheartened to learn that Hon’ble Supreme Court has asked the junior doctors, who are the forerunners of this protest to return to work by 5pm tomorrow,” the IMA said in the statement.
7. The ruling Trinamool Congress hailed the Supreme Court direction asking protesting doctors in West Bengal to resume work and said the primary duty of the medics is to save lives and this commitment cannot be compromised.
8. The mother of the deceased trainee doctor has accused West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee of lying about not offering financial compensation. On Monday, she refuted the CM’s claim, stating that Mamata Banerjee did offer money following her daughter’s tragic death. “The Chief Minister is lying. My daughter will not return. Would I lie in her name? The chief minister told us that we would receive money and suggested that we create something in our daughter’s memory. I responded that I would come to her office to collect the money once my daughter gets justice,” news agency ANI quoted the victim’s mother as saying.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/kolkata-doctor-rape-murder-supreme-court-5pm-deadline-doctors-protest-ima-rg-kar-hospital-mamata-banerjee-10-updates-101725931433954.html

The gunfight broke out late Sunday night in the Laam sector of Nowshera after the troops picked up the movement of a group of terrorists trying to infiltrate from across the border.

Rajouri/Jammu: Two heavily armed terrorists were killed in a gunfight as alert Army troops thwarted an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday.

The gunfight broke out late Sunday night in the Laam sector of Nowshera after the troops picked up the movement of a group of terrorists trying to infiltrate from across the border, they said.

In a post on X, the Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps said that based on inputs from intelligence agencies and police regarding a likely infiltration bid, an anti-infiltration operation was launched on the intervening night of September 8 and 9 in the general area of Laam.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/jammu-and-kashmir/two-terrorists-killed-as-army-foils-infiltration-bid-along-loc-in-j-ks-rajouri-3182098

In the video, the boy is seen talking to his friends when the government bus rams into the boy and crushes him to death before the driver applies breaks.

Other children also follow and cross the road; they all appear to be forming a queue on the other side of the road. The deceased body was also there talking to his friends when a government bus rammed into him and crushed him.

Disturbing Visual: Viewers’ Discretion Advised

The other kids began shouting out of fear as some ran away while a few called people to help the victim. The bus driver immediately stopped the bus after it hit the child.

A few days back in Hyderabad, a class 6 student died after a lorry initially struck the two-wheeler she was riding as a pillion passenger and then ran over her with its rear tyres. The victim, identified as Kameshwari, was travelling with a family member near Habsiguda when the truck collided with their vehicle.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/city/belagavi-10-year-old-boy-crushed-to-death-by-karnataka-government-bus-article-113167027

Concerned about the increasing incidents of theft, the villagers decided to take matters into their own hands to protect their community. They increased vigilance during the night and also started questioning suspicious people entering the village.

In a shocking incident, the villagers tied a man to the tree and thrashed him brutally over the suspicion of theft in Uttar Pradesh. The incident occurred in the village of Khinjhana Mallawan, located in the Baddupur police station area of Barabanki, where a growing number of thefts have left the residents in fear. A video of the villagers brutally beating the man has surfaced on the internet and the video is going viral on social media.

Concerned about the increasing incidents of theft, the villagers decided to take matters into their own hands to protect their community. They increased vigilance during the night and also started questioning suspicious people entering the village.

The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday (September 7) night, when a group of men entered the village with the intention of stealing. However, the alert villagers were quick to act. They managed to catch one of the persons and, in their frustration and anger, tied his hands and feet with ropes before severely beating him.

The grand old party has given tickets to the former senior INLD leader Ashok Arora who had joined Congress in the past, from Thanesar seat and former Speaker Kuldeep Sharma from the Ganaur seat, he represented earlier.

The Congress in its list of nine more candidates released late Sunday night for the upcoming October 5 assembly elections in Haryana has fielded party’s senior party leader Birender Singh’s son Brijendra Singh against Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader and former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala from Uchana Kalan seat.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Harish Chandra, told news agency PTI that the locomotive pilot saw the LPG cylinder placed on the tracks and applied the emergency brakes.

A gas cylinder was placed on the railway track near the crossing of Munderi village, between Barrajpur and Bilhaur stations, on the Kanpur-Kasganj route, in an attempt to derail the Kalindi Express.

The speeding train, traveling at 70-80 km/h, collided with the cylinder, which was flung away upon impact. A loud explosion followed, and the train’s driver immediately brought the train to a halt.

The Kanpur Police Commissionerate quickly responded after the alert was raised. Forces from six police stations, along with ACPs from Bilhaur and Ghatampur, rushed to Bilhaur station and Shivrajpur Munderi railway station. During the investigation, a filled LPG cylinder was found near the track, along with a petrol bottle and a matchbox in a bag.

The incident occurred at 8:25 PM when the Kalindi Express (14117) was traveling from Kanpur to Bhiwani and passed through Munderi Crossing. The locomotive pilot, Raj Kishore, stopped the train after hearing a loud sound caused by the collision with the cylinder. The train remained halted on the tracks for around 22 minutes. Meanwhile, the Lucknow-Bandra Express, heading to Bandra Terminus from Lucknow, was also stopped at Bilhaur station as a precaution.

CV Ananda Bose, the West Bengal governor, on Sunday directed Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to replace the police chief and summon an emergency cabinet meeting.

The governor believes the state government is unable to handle the current law and order situation in the state.

CV Ananda Bose, the West Bengal governor, on Sunday directed Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to replace the police chief and summon an emergency cabinet meeting.

The governor believes the state government is unable to handle the current law and order situation in the state.

West Bengal and its capital, Kolkata, along with other major cities has been tense following protests demanding justice and accountability for the trainee doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered last month at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The protests demanding the culprits be nabbed has also rocked other states and state capitals.

CV Ananda Bose has criticised the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the state for its handling of the case.

He is on record that the government cannot evade responsibility and remain silent on the disturbing developments in the state, he said.

The governor stated that the state must operate according to the Constitution and rule of law. “The ostrich-like attitude will not pay, and the state must address the public demand to remove the Police Commissioner of Kolkata,” the governor said.

Pune’s health department has vaccinated over 4,524 adults with the BCG vaccine in a study to assess its efficacy against tuberculosis over three years.

The health department has administered Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine to over 4,524 adults in Pune district as part of its study to determine the efficacy of the vaccine in preventing Mycobacterium Tuberculosis infection among adults, said officials.

These adults were vaccinated as part of a statewide study started on September 3. Under the study, Pune district has been divided into two groups; the interventional group (Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune Rural) wherein beneficiaries will be administered one shot of the BCG vaccine unlike the controlled group (Pune city).

The interventional group included individuals who have reported at least one episode of Tuberculosis in the past five years, close contacts of current Tuberculosis patients, people exposed to Tuberculosis patients, individuals aged 60 years and above, self-reported individuals with a history of diabetes, smokers, and individuals with a body mass index of less than 18, said district health officer Dr Sachin Desai.

Dr Laxman Gophane, health officer of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) said that a population of 3.28 lakh in Pimpri-Chinchwad was identified for the study. Of the 3.28 lakh people, 2.78 people agreed and gave their consent for BCG immunisation. “We have made vaccination available at eight hospitals and people should come forward to get the BCG vaccine,” he said.

Dr Anjalli Gaikwad, district programme coordinator, said that in Pune Rural, out of the 7.65 lakh eligible people, around 4.32 lakh agreed and showed willingness to participate in the study. “The immunisation will be conducted for three months. Later, a mop-up round will be carried out to cover the leftover population. Thereafter for the next three years, people in both groups will be studied for effectiveness of the vaccine, complications, response to the treatment and period for cure amongst others,” she said.

Both vaccinated and unvaccinated populations will be examined for the protective effects of the BCG vaccine against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis infection for the next three years.

Dr Vikas Wadgye, district Tuberculosis officer, said, “The BCG vaccine, traditionally administered to newborns, is now being explored for its potential to reduce Tuberculosis infection among adults and people in the high-risk category. Similar studies have already been carried out in a few states such as Goa and Himachal Pradesh (HP) among others.”

Sam Pitroda said Rahul Gandhi is a highly educated strategist.

Addressing the Indian diaspora in Texas, senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda declared on Monday that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is “not Pappu”.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) often mocks Rahul Gandhi by calling him “Pappu”.

Pitroda said that Rahul Gandhi’s agenda is to celebrate diversity.

“Rahul Gandhi has a different agenda which is more focused on something that we have been trying to address for a long time but have not been able to quite address well and that is inclusion, celebration of diversity..,” he said.

Pitroda explained that democracy is not that simple and cannot be taken for granted.

“Democracy is not that simple… Democracy requires work from a large number of people like us. We can’t take it for granted because there are people who are focused on hijacking democracy. We have seen it in many countries… At the time of independence, there was this fervour about the independence movement and leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, Maulana Azad, Sardar Patel, and Subhash Chandra Bose were very clear about the kind of nation they wanted to build. Everyone understood what freedom meant and the opportunities free India would create… I want you to join the Indian Overseas Congress, improve the quality of our activities, and quantity of our members and bring in a more diverse group of people,” he said.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sam-pitroda-in-texas-rahul-gandhi-is-no-pappu-he-is-101725848171412.html

Manipur’s CM N Biren Singh seeks state control over security amid escalating ethnic violence, demanding more powers and resuming operations against militants.

A police official said they received a complaint from Bajrang Punia after which they launched an investigation.

Olympic wrestler Bajrang Punia, who joined the Congress, has received a threat message over WhatsApp warning him with dire consequences, police said on Sunday.
Bajrang Punia has filed a complaint at Bahalgarh police station in Sonipat.

A police official said they received a complaint from Bajrang Punia after which they launched an investigation.

When asked that some reports say that in the threat message Bajrang Punia was asked to quit Congress or be prepared to face dire consequences, Bahalgarh police station SHO Madan Singh said, “The matter is under investigation.”.

Olympians Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat entered the political arena on Friday by joining the Congress.

The party later fielded Phogat from Julana seat for the Haryana Assembly polls while Bajrang Punia was appointed as working chairman of All India Kisan Congress.

Bajrang Punia won bronze in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bajrang-punia-receives-threat-message-days-after-joining-congress-probe-on-6520608

According to forest officials, the attack took place when the villagers were going to the fields in the morning.

Pilibhit (UP): Seven people, including two children, were injured in a jackal attack in two villages under the Jehanabad Police Station area of the district on Saturday.

The attack occurred in Suswar and Pansoli villages of the Jehanabad Police Station area in which five men and two children aged nine and three were injured.

Puja Khedkar is accused of fraudulently clearing the civil services examination held by the UPSC

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Friday discharged former trainee officer Puja Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) after finding her “ineligible” to be a candidate for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) in 2022, DoPT sources said on Saturday.

This comes over a month after the Union Public Service Commission cancelled Khedkar’s candidature for CSE 2022 following allegations of forgery and misconduct against her. According to the UPSC, she allegedly changed her name from Puja Diliprao Khedkar to Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar to appear for the examination beyond the maximum number of attempts allowed, and also changed the names of her parents.

A PhD student from Chennai has unexpectedly gained international fame after being featured in a viral video by American vlogger Christopher Lewis.

A PhD student in biotechnology has unexpectedly gained international attention after appearing in a viral video that American vlogger Christopher Lewis recently posted on his timeline. Lewis discovered the student’s street food cart while he was travelling in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, using Google Maps.

Lewis struck up a discussion with the seller while he waited for his order of Chicken 65 and was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was a doctorate candidate in biotechnology. Lewis’s followers were immediately drawn to the unexpected encounter, which rocketed the student to internet fame.

Chris Lewis shared the video with a caption that reads, “$100 Gift for Hard-working Student Selling Chicken 65 in Chennai, India.”

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/american-vloggers-video-makes-chennais-phd-food-vendor-an-internet-sensation-6514044

Six people were killed in fresh violence this morning in Manipur’s Jiribam district, the police said

Six people were killed in fresh violence this morning in Manipur’s Jiribam district, the police said. Suspected Kuki insurgents attacked Nungchappi village in the district 229 km from the state capital Imphal, killing a 63-year-old man identified as Yurembam Kulendra Singha. The attack came a day after an elderly man from the valley-dominant Meitei community, who was offering prayers, was killed in a rocket-propelled bomb attack by Kuki insurgents in Manipur’s Moirang town, according to the police.
The five others were killed in a gunfight between armed groups of the Meitei community and the hill-dominant Kuki tribes, sources said. These groups call themselves “village defence volunteers”.

The Jiribam Superintendent of Police (SP) and a police team rushed to the area, but were fired at, the police said in the statement, adding the team “retaliated strongly and controlled the firing.”

In Imphal, the Inspector General of Police (Intelligence) K Kabib today told reporters, “… Yesterday, some Kuki militants attacked and fired at some fringe areas including Bishnupur and Churachandpur border. In response to that, combined teams of the security forces conducted combing operations. They have destroyed two bunkers which was previously occupied by militants. After that, there was a long-range rocket fire from the hills by Kuki militants at Moirang, in which one senior citizen was killed and six others were injured.”

“Today morning, the Kuki militants attacked a village in Jiribam, killing a senior citizen. The militants kept firing and ran away. Some village volunteers retaliated, and when the Jiribam police reached the area, they were fired at, after which the police also fired back,” Mr Kabib said.

Jiribam is where Meitei and Hmar leaders met for peace talks last month, along with security forces commanders. They had given a joint statement agreeing to work for peace. Churachandpur-based Kuki groups, however, had objected to the peace talks, alleging the peace talk parties did not represent their interests and met only at Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s bidding.

The Hmar Inpui, however, declared it would not recognise the peace initiative and warned the individuals who participated in the meeting to “stop their blind and selfish efforts”. The Hmar Inpui had said these leaders appeared to be bowing to the “whims and fancies of a divisive and communal government under the leadership of Biren Singh…”

Anti-Drone System, Chopper Patrol

Navdeep, who competes in the classification meant for athletes of short stature, originally ended with a silver after he upstaged world record holder Sun Pengxiang of China with a 47.32m throw.

India’s Navdeep Singh’s silver medal was upgraded to gold after initial winner Iran’s Sadegh Beit Sayah was disqualified for repeatedly displaying an objectionable flag following a dramatic men’s javelin throw F41 final at the Paris Paralympics on Saturday. This is India’s first-ever gold medal in the men’s javelin F41 category. The 23-year-old para-athlete from Haryana, who had finished fourth at the Tokyo Games three years ago, produced a personal best effort of 47.32m to claim the top position.

Navdeep, who competes in the classification meant for athletes of short stature, originally ended with a silver after he upstaged world record holder Sun Pengxiang of China with a 47.32m throw.

However, that was upgraded to an unprecedented gold after Sadegh’s disqualification. Pengxiang (44.72m) finished with a silver.

Sayah had managed to nose ahead of the field with a new Paralympic record of 47.64m in his penultimate throw but lost the medal owing to his antics.

The International Paralympic Committee rules bar athletes from making any political gestures at the event and Sayah was thrown out of the final results for unsporting/improper conduct.

Iraq’s Nukhailawi Wildan (40.46) claimed the bronze medal.

Starting the competition with a foul, Navdeep, who entered the event with a personal best of 44.29 metres and a season best of 42.82 metres, came up with a throw of 46.39 metres in his second attempt, propelling him to the second place. But it was his third throw that electrified the stadium.

With a monstrous throw of 47.32 metres, Navdeep shattered the Paralympic record and surged into lead, only for Sadegh to better the Indian’s mark with an effort of 47.64 metres in his fifth attempt.

Navdeep’s Journey: From adversity to international podium

Born in Panipat, Haryana, Navdeep faced challenges from the start but he refused to let his condition define him.

Inspired by his father, a national-level wrestler and Gram Sachiv, Navdeep channelled his passion into athletics, overcoming societal expectations and physical limitations.

After completing his education at Unique Public School and earning a B.A. in Hindi (Hons.) from Delhi University, Navdeep’s commitment to sports only grew stronger.

His career took a decisive turn in 2017, when he began professional coaching and made his international debut at the Asian Youth Para Games, where he won gold in the javelin throw.

The victory marked a turning point, proving that his determination and grit could overcome any challenge. Navdeep went on to claim five national gold medals and secured an international gold at the 2021 Fazza International Championship in Dubai.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/paralympic-games-2024/how-flag-controversy-saw-indias-navdeep-singh-clinch-javelin-throw-f41-gold-medal-in-paralympics-6514618

Single-judge Justice Vikas Mahajan held that Section 15A(10) of SC/ST Act, which mandates video recording of proceedings, does not carve out any exception as regards sexual offences.

The Delhi High Court recently ruled that all proceedings including bail proceedings under the Scheduled Castes and Schedules Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989 (SC/ST Act) should be video graphed even if the alleged offences involve sexual crimes against women and children [Laxmi Narayan vs. State NCT of Delhi].

Single-judge Justice Vikas Mahajan held that Section 15A(10) of the SC/ST Act, which mandates the video recording of proceedings, does not carve out any exception as regards sexual offences.

“The legislature has not carved out any exception in Section 15A(10) of the Act for the sexual offences made punishable under Section 3(1)(w) and Section 3(2)(va). It is thus, amply clear that the legislature intended compliance of Section 15A(10) in respect of sexual offences committed under the Act as well as under IPC involving female victims whose identity, under the law, is required to be protected,” the Court said.

The Court was hearing a bail petition filed by one Laxmi Narayan, who is accused of the rape and murder of a minor girl belonging to a scheduled caste community.

He was booked for rape (Section 376) and murder (Section 302) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), aggravated penetrative sexual assault under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) and sexual atrocities against a woman under Section 3 of the SC/ST Act.

The complaint against him was lodged by the victim girl’s father (complainant).

The accused moved a bail application before the Patiala House Court which was rejected. Subsequently, he moved the Delhi High Court.

During the bail hearings, advocate Mehmood Pracha, appearing for the complainant-father, submitted that in view of Section 15A (10) of the Act, all proceedings relating to offences under the Act, including the present one, have to be video recorded.

He contended that in the present case, the minor daughter of the complainant was raped and murdered by the accused persons. Since the complainant belongs to the scheduled caste community, he is a victim within the meaning of Section 2(1)(ec) of the SC/ST Act, it was argued.

Further, as some of the offences invoked in the present case are under the SC/ST Act as well, the provisions of Section 15A(10) of the Act will apply to the present bail proceedings and it is obligatory to video record the same.

He pointed out that Section 15A of the SC/ST Act is titled ‘Rights of victim and witnesses’ and thus, it is the right of a victim to seek video recording of the proceedings and the same needs to be protected.

Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Ritesh Kumar Bahri opposed Pracha’s argument. He said that the Supreme Court had laid down in the case of Nipun Saxena and another vs. Union of India that no person can print or publish in print, electronic, social media, etc., the name of the victim under the POCSO Act or even disclose any remote fact which could lead to the victim being identified or which could make her identity known to public.

He also referred to Section 23 of the POCSO Act and Section 228A IPC, which penalises the disclosure of the identity of the victim of sexual offences. He said that these provisions would override Section 15A(10) of the SC/ST Act.

Since the bail proceedings in the present case involved offences under the POCSO Act, the same should not be video recorded, he maintained.

A similar argument was advanced by the counsel for the accused.

Pracha rebutted this stance by arguing that Section 15A(10) of the SC/ST Act speaks only of video recording of the proceedings and does not, at all, say anything about the publication of video recording, or even the supply of such recording to any person.

Further, he submitted Section 23 of the POCSO Act and Section 228A IPC are in the nature of safeguards to protect the identity of the victim of sexual offence, which would apply with equal force to the video recordings under Section 15A(10) of the SC/ST Act.

He explained that such video recording cannot be provided to any person other than the victim. In this way, the identity of the victim remains protected even if the proceedings are video recorded, Pracha contended.

Pertinently, he argued that Section 20 of the SC/ST Act provides for an overriding effect over other laws.

The Court, after considering the arguments and examining the provisions of the SC/ST Act, said that the reference to the expression ‘all proceedings’ under Section 15A(10) will undoubtedly include the ‘proceedings’ in respect of bail, both before the special court and the High Court.

“In the present case, the language of the provision of Section 15A(10) is clear and admits of no ambiguity, thus, expression ‘all proceedings relating to the offences under this Act’ will include the bail proceedings before the Special Court, as well as, before the High Court in relation to the offences under the Act,” the Court said.

With regard to the protection of the identity of the victim, the Court said that the SC/ST Act does not provide for the disclosure or dissemination of such video to anyone.

“Section 15A(10) while providing that all proceedings under the Act shall be video recorded makes no reference to the dissemination of such recording to anyone, which means that the recording is to be preserved for the usage of Court,” the Court noted.

If at all such recording is to be provided to the victim or his/her advocate or to non-government organisations, or social workers, it need not be given without specific court orders, the single-judge added.

Thus, the Court concluded that the identity and anonymity of the victim can be safeguarded while video recording bail proceedings under the SC/ST Act.

“Clearly, there is no inconsistency between the provisions of recording of the bail proceedings to protect the rights of the victims under Section 15A(10) of the Act on one hand and Section 228A of IPC and Section 23 of the POCSO Act on the other hand,” the single-judge underscored.

Source: https://www.barandbench.com/news/delhi-high-court-video-recording-bail-proceedings-sc-st-act-mandatory-sexual-offences

Pooja Ojha prepares to compete in the Para Canoe Women’s KL1 200m Semi-finals. She will be the only Indian athlete to compete on the final day

India had a historic Paris Paralympics with 29 medals so far in the competition. The ongoing Paralympics Games will conclude on Sunday following a Closing Ceremony Parade in Paris. However before the conclusion, India will have a chance to make it 30 medal as Pooja Ojha prepares to compete in the Para Canoe Women’s KL1 200m Semi-finals. She will be the only Indian athlete to compete on the final day of the Paralympic Games.

On Saturday India had a disappointing campaign as they failed to win any medal. India’s para-cyclists Arshad Shaik and Jyoti Gaderiya wrapped up their Paris Paralympics journey without any medals, finishing the men’s and women’s road race C1-3 events a lap behind the leaders .

Suyash Jadhav failed to enter the final of the men’s 50m butterfly S7 here on Saturday. The 30-year-old finished in the fifth spot in his heat with a timing of 33.47 and 10th-spot overall.

India’s last medal came on Friday night as Hokato Hotozhe Sema won a historic bronze in the men’s shot put. The Paralympics in Paris saw the Indian team eclipse its 19-medal haul in the Tokyo Games three years ago to register its best ever performance in the biggest multi-sporting event The closing ceremony, in which sprinter Preethi Pal and archer Harvinder Singh will be India’s flag-bearers,

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/india-at-paris-2024-paralympics-day-11-schedule-pooja-ojha-looks-to-add-one-more-medal-on-the-final-day

Vinesh Phogat, along with fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia, recently joined the Congress party and was fielded from the Julana seat. The Julana seat is situated in the Jat-dominated Bangar region, which has long been controlled by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP).

Olympic wrestler and Congress candidate from Julana constituency in Haryana Vinesh Phogat is set to kick off her election campaign this Sunday. She will start her journey from her husband’s ancestral village, Bakta Khera. Phogat, aged 30, will be addressing a mass gathering of seven khap panchayats, including the Rathi community. Her candidacy has made Julana a crucial constituency, given her stature as a sports star and a Jat representative.

About The Julana Seat

The Julana seat is situated in the Jat-dominated Bangar region, which has long been controlled by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP). These parties have held the seat for the last 15 years. In the 2009 and 2014 elections, Parminder Singh of the INLD won, while in 2019, Amarjeet Dhanda of the JJP claimed victory. Phogat’s entry into the political fray brings a fresh dynamic to the seat, as Congress positions her as a key candidate to challenge the hold of INLD and JJP.

It has not been, it’s safe to say, an all-timer Venice Competition lineup. Despite that, rumor has it that the 81st edition’s jury, presided over by Isabelle Huppert and comprising filmmakers James Gray, Andrew Haigh, Agnieszka Holland, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Abderrahmane Sissako, Giuseppe Tornatore, Julia von Heinz and actress Zhang Ziyi, took some time to come to their decisions during a prolonged deliberation session yesterday.

Speculation was also rife that, insofar as festival juries pay much attention to precedent, due to the string of high-profile US films that have won Venice in recent years (five of the last seven Golden Lions have gone to a US production, or in the case of last year’s “Poor Things,” co-production) they might have been discouraged from awarding the top prize to another American, or even American-led movie.

A detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) will be prepared for the purpose and this will be implemented from October 1, Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

All new applicants for Aadhaar cards in Assam need to submit their NRC application receipt number (ARN), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday.

A detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) will be prepared for the purpose and this will be implemented from October 1, he said.

The submission of the application receipt number of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will stop the “influx of illegal foreigners” and the state government will be ”very strict” in issuing Aadhaar cards, he said.

”Applications for Aadhaar cards are more than the population…It indicates that there are doubtful citizens and we have decided that new applicants will have to submit their NRC application receipt number (ARN),” the chief minister said at a press conference here.

He also said, “It will not be easy to get Aadhaar in Assam and hopefully, other states will also be strict in issuing Aadhaar cards.” The submission of the ARN will not be applicable to the 9.55 lakh people whose biometrics were locked during the NRC process, and they will get their cards,Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

It will also not be applicable in the tea garden areas as many have not got their Aadhaar cards due to some practical difficulties like non-availability of adequate biometric machines, the CM said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma pointed out that four districts have reported “more applications for Aadhaar cards than their total projected population”.

“These districts are Barpeta with 103.74 per cent, Dhubri with 103 per cent, and both Morigaon and Nagaon with 101 per cent,” he said.

According to him, the Centre has given the right to the state governments to decide on whether an Aadhaar card can be issued to an individual or not.

”In Assam, we have decided that Aadhaar cards will be issued to new applicants only after a no objection certificate is given by the district commissioner concerned. Such certificates will be issused after minutely examining all aspects. If the applicant has the NRC ARN, it becomes clear that he was in the state before 2014,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The chief minister said his government will “intensify the process of identification of illegal foreigners as several Bangladeshis were apprehended in the last two months and handed over to the authorities of the neighbouring country”.

Recent reports indicate an “increase in the number of illegal immigrants being detected, necessitating intensified efforts across the state to proactively curb the movement of illegal migrants while also taking steps to repatriate these individuals”, he pointed out.

Himanta Biswa Sarma said border surveillance and patrolling will be strengthened in areas under the jurisdiction of border outposts to detect and prevent illegal border crossings.

Stronger coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF) and other central agencies will be established to facilitate seamless information sharing and joint operations for enhanced border security, he said.

Intelligence-gathering mechanisms, focusing on cross-border networks and infiltration routes will be enhanced along with community awareness programmes in border areas, he said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that residents in border areas will be encouraged to report suspicious movements or new settlers, which will help early detection of potential illegal immigrants.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/no-nrc-application-number-no-aadhaar-himanta-sarmas-big-warning-6514374

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the rape and murder of a doctor and alleged financial irregularities at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, told a special court that the ex-principal of the college, Dr Sandip Ghosh, corrupted the process for the recruitment of medical house staff at the hospital and made appointments without following the norms.

The central agency further accused him of granting the hospital’s contracts to his close one, violating the rules. The CBI made the abovementioned submissions before the special court in Alipore on September 3.

News18 accessed the remand copy of CBI which has made certain revelations.

The preliminary scrutiny has made the agency add Section 120 B, 420, 467,409 in the FIR. It also mentioned that raids were carried out on August 25 and various documents were recovered which hints nexus of Sandip Ghosh with co-accused.

Sandip Ghosh Corrupted Appointments: CBI

CBI claimed that Sandip Ghosh knew Biplab Singh and Suman Hazra (Main vendors) of RG Kar from the time he was posted as HOD of Murshidabad college. Ghosh helped Biplab to get the tender. In fact, after Murshidabad wherever Ghosh was appointed, Biplab used to get tenders at his college. Suman, another vendor known to Biplab Singh, was also a part of this nexus.

The building, identified as the Harmilap Building, was used as a warehouse for a pharmaceutical business and collapsed around 5 pm on Saturday.

Lucknow building collapse: The death toll in the Lucknow building collapse rose to eight after rescuers recovered three more bodies from the debris on Sunday morning. 28 people have been injured in the incident.

The collapsed building, located in the Transport Nagar area, housed godowns and a motor workshop.

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) recovered the bodies of Raj Kishore (27), Rudra Yadav (24), and Jagrup Singh (35) during the rescue operation, according to Relief Commissioner G S Naveen, reported PTI.

A senior district administration official said that the focus is now on ensuring no one else remains trapped under the rubble.

The rescue operation is ongoing.

What happened?
The building, identified as the ‘Harmilap Building’, was used as a warehouse for a pharmaceutical business. The collapse occurred around 5 pm on Saturday.

The police reported that the building, constructed about four years ago, was undergoing some construction work at the time of the collapse. Most of the victims were working on the ground floor when the incident happened. The injured have been taken to various hospitals, including Lok Bandhu Hospital.

Officials said that the building housed a motor workshop and warehouse on the ground floor, a medical godown on the first floor, and a cutlery warehouse on the second floor.

Akash Singh, who worked in the medical godown and is among the injured, said that a pillar in the building had developed a crack. “We had come down to the ground floor because it was raining. We noticed that a crack had developed on a pillar of the building. Suddenly, the entire building collapsed on us,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed district officials to accelerate relief efforts and ensure that those injured in the incident are immediately taken to the hospital and given appropriate medical care.“UP CM Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the building collapse incident in Transport Nagar, Lucknow,” the Uttar Pradesh chief minister’s office (CMO) wrote on X.

Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) lawyer reached the Sealdah court 50 minutes late to oppose the bail plea filed by the prime accused in Kolkata Doctor’s rape and murder case Sanjay Roy.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Pamela Gupta on Friday emphasised the gravity of the situation and the need for more prompt action from the CBI.

Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) lawyer reached the Sealdah court 50 minutes late to oppose the bail plea of Sanjay Roy, stating that it would hamper the investigation. As they kept the court waiting, ACJM Gupta at one point asked, “Should I grant bail to Sanjay Roy?”

As the lawyer was not present in the court, the magistrate asked the CBI officer to call him. The officer present in the court, who identified herself as the assistant investigating officer, stepped out of the courtroom and made a call. Upon returning, the officer said that the lawyer was on his way. “It is gross negligence on the part of CBI,” said the magistrate.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/kolkata-rape-murder-case-cbi-lawyer-arrives-50-mins-late-miffed-court-asks-shall-i-grant-bail-to-sanjay-roy-article-113142410

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations to kickstart and Mumbai’s beloved Lalbaughcha Raja gets a massive donation with a 20-kgs of gold crown from Anant Ambani

The much-anticipated first look of Mumbai’s iconic Lalbaugcha Raja was unveiled earlier this evening, just ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Devotees were mesmerized by the sight of Lord Ganesha, or Bappa, dressed in elegant maroon attire, adorned with exquisite jewelry. One of the most striking features of this year’s Lalbaugcha Raja is the stunning 20-kg gold crown, reportedly worth Rs 15 crore, donated by Anant Ambani and Reliance Foundation. This generous offering has added even more grandeur to the already revered deity.

Anant Ambani has a longstanding association with the Lalbaugcha Raja committee, spanning over 15 years. His contributions to various initiatives of the committee have been well-recognized, and he is a regular attendee at many events held during the Ganeshotsav celebrations. Anant Ambani also participates in the idol immersion ceremony at Girgaon Chowpatty Beach every year, a tradition cherished by countless Mumbaikars. In addition, through the Reliance Foundation, the Ambani family has extended their support to various healthcare-related inity Ganeshotsav, which begins on September 7, is one of Maharashtra’s biggest festivals, celebrated with grand rituals, joyiatives associated with the Lalbaugcha Raja committee.

During the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee faced financial difficulties in continuing its social work. Anant Ambani stepped in to provide critical assistance, including donating 24 dialysis machines to support the committee’s patient aid fund. His commitment to the cause was further recognized when he was appointed an executive advisor to the Lalbaugcha Raja committee.

Source: https://www.spotboye.com/trending/trending-news/omg-anant-ambani-offers-20-kg-gold-crown-to-mumbai-s-lalbaugcha-raja-ahead-of-ganesh-chaturthi/66daaa5e90e06b057b60fd8f

The supercapacitors can be used in various devices, including streetlights and self-powered electronic devices such as sensors, Bengaluru-based IISc said in a press release.

Bengaluru: Researchers at the Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics (IAP), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and collaborators have designed a new supercapacitor that can be charged by shining light on it.

The supercapacitors can be used in various devices, including streetlights and self-powered electronic devices such as sensors, Bengaluru-based IISc said in a press release.

“Capacitors are electrostatic devices that store energy as charges on two metal plates called electrodes. Supercapacitors are upgraded versions of capacitors – they exploit electrochemical phenomena to store more energy,” Abha Misra, Professor at IAP and corresponding author of the study published in the ‘Journal of Materials Chemistry A”, was quoted as saying in the release.

The electrodes of the new supercapacitor were made of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanorods grown directly on Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide (FTO), which is transparent. It was synthesised by Pankaj Singh Chauhan, first author and CV Raman postdoctoral fellow in Misra’s group at IISc.

Both ZnO and FTO are semiconductors with appropriately aligned energy levels, enabling superior performance of the photo-rechargeable supercapacitor, the release said.

FTO, being transparent, allows light to fall on the optically active ZnO nanorods, which charges the supercapacitor.

The capacity for storing charges (capacitance) is inversely proportional to the distance between the electrodes, it said.

“As the distance becomes very small, the capacitance shoots up,” Misra stated.

“In electrostatic capacitors, maintaining a small distance between electrodes is difficult. However, in a supercapacitor, the electrodes’ charges attract the electrolyte’s oppositely charged ions, resulting in the formation of a charge layer just atoms away from each other – called an electric double layer or EDL. This results in the high capacitance of supercapacitors,” the release stated.

When the researchers shined ultraviolet (UV) light on their supercapacitor, they noticed a huge increase in the capacitance, several times higher than previously reported supercapacitors.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/iisc-researchers-collaborators-design-supercapacitor-that-can-be-charged-by-shining-light-on-it-3179560

Concluding its probe with the submission of the fifth and final charge sheet in the case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that Kejriwal already had a ‘pre-conceived idea of privatising’ the excise policy, which was scrapped after allegations of corruption surfaced.

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was “party to the criminal conspiracy” of the formulation and implementation of the Excise Policy since the beginning, the CBI has alleged in its latest supplementary charge sheet in the case.

Concluding its probe with the submission of the fifth and final charge sheet in the case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that Kejriwal already had a “pre-conceived idea of privatising” the excise policy, which was scrapped after allegations of corruption surfaced.

“He (Kejriwal) demanded monetary support for his party AAP in the month of March 2021, when the policy was being formulated by the GoM headed by the co-accused Manish Sisodia.

“His close associate and in-charge of media and communication of AAP (and) accused Vijay Nair was approaching different stakeholders of the Delhi excise business and demanding illegal gratification from them in lieu of a favourable excise policy,” the agency has alleged.

The AAP has denied the allegations.

Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar jail while he was lodged there in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The Supreme Court’s verdict on his petition challenging the arrest by CBI is awaited.

In its submissions, the CBI further alleged that Vijay Nair acted as a conduit for Kejriwal to contact the accused persons of the “South Group” headed by co-accused and BRS leader K Kavitha and obtained Rs 100 crore from them in lieu of a favourable excise policy.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/delhi/excise-policy-case-kejriwal-was-party-to-criminal-conspiracy-says-cbi-3180809

In a press release, the body led by its President Mahalakshmi Pavani expressed indignation and condemnation to an appalling murder of a female advocate in Kasganj of Uttar Pradesh.

New Delhi: Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association on Friday demanded all government agencies and both public and private sector authorities to ensure installation of fully operational CCTV systems in every workplace and institution, across the country as an effective measures to control crime against the women.

In a press release, the body led by its President Mahalakshmi Pavani expressed indignation and condemnation to an appalling murder of a female advocate in Kasganj of Uttar Pradesh.

The SCWLA said installing of CCTVs will not only serve as crucial evidence for investigating crimes more effectively and apprehending perpetrators, but also offer significant benefits for ensuring women’s safety.

“CCTV cameras can act as a deterrent against potential misconduct, provide real-time monitoring to swiftly address any incidents, and enhance overall security by documenting activities and establishing a visible presence of surveillance,” it said.

The women lawyers also called for the adoption of a ‘Zero-Tolerance Attitude’ towards the perpetrators of such egregious crimes against women, guaranteeing that justice is equitably accessible to all women across our nation.

The women lawyers’ body said this tragic incident highlighted an urgent and escalating crisis regarding the safety of women in the field of law and legal spheres.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/supreme-court-women-lawyers-body-demands-installing-cctvs-to-prevent-crimes-against-women-3180622

At least 17 people, that includes women as well as children, were killed on Friday when a roadways bus collided with their van on the Agra-Aligarh National Highway near Hathras, Uttar Pradesh.

All sixteen injured have been admitted to a government hospital and are currently undergoing treatment.

According to reports, several passengers were seen using magazines to cool themselves.

IndiGo issued an apology on Saturday after passengers aboard the Delhi-Varanasi flight complained that the aircraft’s air conditioning system had malfunctioned. Responding to the entire matter, sources within IndiGo said that the AC was functioning properly, but a temperature shift caused the cabin to heat up, leading to panic among the passengers.
“We extend our apologies for the inconvenience experienced on flight 6E 2235 operating from Delhi to Varanasi on September 5, 2024,” read a press statement from the airlines.

“The discomfort was attributed to fluctuations in cabin temperature, which were adjusted in response to passenger requests. Our cabin crew promptly extended assistance to the affected passenger to address the situation,” added the statement.

The video of the incident, which took place on Thursday on flight 6E 2235, shows flyers in utter discomfort.

According to reports, several passengers fainted due to intense heat and suffocation, while others were seen using magazines to cool themselves.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indigo-flyers-say-ac-malfunctioned-on-delhi-varanasi-flight-airline-responds-6509883

Following the unprecedented torrential downpours and floods in Vijayawada, Chandrabau Naidu made multiple visits to the flood-hit places to personally supervise the relief work.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been putting in all efforts to work for the relief of flood-ravaged people in the state, which also included surveying a swollen rivulet from a railway bridge when a train whizzed by.
Following the unprecedented torrential downpours and floods in Vijayawada, Mr Naidu made multiple visits to the flood-hit places to personally supervise the relief work.

Mr Naidu was assessing the flood situation firsthand from atop a small railway bridge in Vijayawada over a gushing rivulet-like water body on Thursday, accompanied by several officials and NSG commandos.

During that time, a train whizzed by, and the 74-year-old, standing by the bridge’s railing on a narrow platform very close to the moving train, was unperturbed.

Kolkata RG Kar doctor rape-murder case: A CBI lawyer reached a Sealdah court 50 minutes late, and opposed Sanjay Roy’s bail plea, stating it would hamper probe.

Kolkata RG Kar doctor rape-murder case: A Sealdah court on Friday expressed displeasure after the Central Bureau of Investigation’s investigating officer and lawyer failed to appear at the hearing of Sanjay Roy, the prime suspect in the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor from Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

However, a CBI lawyer reportedly reached the court 50 minutes late, and opposed Sanjay Roy’s bail plea, stating it would hamper its investigation, The Times of India reported.

The court emphasised the gravity of the situation and the need for more prompt action from the CBI, The Indian Express reported.

India Today reported that additional chief judicial magistrate Pamela Gupta was so miffed over the investigating officer’s absence and the prosecutor’s delay that at one point she asked, “Should I grant bail to Sanjay Roy?”

“This shows a very lethargic approach by the CBI. It’s highly unfortunate,” the magistrate added.

What happened in the Kolkata court?

The Times of India reported that the CBI lawyer delayed the Sealdah court hearing for 50 minutes regarding the bail application of Sanjay Roy.

“If the lawyer isn’t present, he (Sanjay Roy) should be granted bail,” Pamela Gupta said when informed by a CBI officer at 4:10pm that the public prosecutor was running late, ToI reported.

As the delay continued, and the lawyer Dipak Poria had yet to arrive, the magistrate instructed the CBI officer to call him. “It’s 4:20 now. This is very unfortunate,” she said.

The officer, identifying herself as an assistant investigating officer, left the courtroom to make the call and returned 15 minutes later, stating that Dipak Poria was on his way, the report added.

When Poria finally arrived at 5:00pm, defense lawyer Kavita Sarkar questioned why CBI wasn’t represented by the counsel who attended the previous hearing on August 23. Dipak Poria replied saying that he was the probe agency’s full-time lawyer and briefly opposed Sanjay Roy’s bail without giving specific reasons.

During the hearing, the court rejected the bail plea of Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer with Kolkata Police, who was arrested on August 10.

The court also remanded the accused to 14 days of judicial custody. Sanjay Roy will remain in judicial custody till September 20 under the supervision of the CBI.

Kavita Sarkar had argued for Sanjay Roy’s bail, pointing out that he had no criminal record and the CBI had yet to present any evidence against him, India Today reported.

Trinamool Congress slams CBI

Reacting to the development, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale alleged that CBI wanted to get Sanjay Roy on bail.

“CBI wants to get the rape & murder accused monster RELEASED on bail. An active effort is being made by CBI, BJP, & the Modi Govt to run a political agenda and BURY this case. How can CBI allow this monster to get bail? What is the sinister agenda that is being played out? Why was CBI ABSENT in court today?” Saket Gokhale wrote on social media X.

Police recovered 6 pressure cooker bombs in Chhattisgarh’s Kondagaon district, on Friday. These included 3 IEDs of 4 kg each and 3 IEDs of 3 kg each. The Naxalites had planted IEDs in the Dhanora Mandgaon area to harm the security forces.

Police recovered 6 pressure cooker bombs in Chhattisgarh’s Kondagaon district, on Friday. These included 3 IEDs of 4 kg each and 3 IEDs of 3 kg each. The Naxalites had planted IEDs in the Dhanora Mandgaon area to harm the security forces.

Actually, the security forces team had gone out for regular patrolling in the Naxal-affected police station Dhanora Madgaon area. During this time, the Naxalites had planted IEDs with the intention of harming the police force but the timely alertness of police teams detected the IEDs.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/chhattisgarh-police-recover-and-detonate-6-ieds-planted-by-naxalites-in-kondagaons-dhanora-mandgaon-area

Reacting to the development, Chief Minister Saini said every person has his or her own opinion about which ideology they want to associate with. However, he took a dig at Congress, saying it has opposed decisions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Congress on Friday released its first list of 31 candidates for Haryana assembly elections and fielded former wrestler Vinesh Phogat from Julana.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda will contest from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi and state Congress chief Udai Bhan from Hodal.

The party has fielded Mewa Singh against Chief Minister and BJP candidate Nayab Singh Saini in Ladwa.

Pradeep Chaudhary is in the fray from Kalka, Neeraj Sharma from Faridabad NIT, Aftab Ahmed from Nuh, Geeta Bhukkal from Jhajjar (SC), Bharat Bhushan Batra from Rohtak, and Surender Panwar from Sonipat.

In a big boost to Congress, Olympian wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat joined the Congress earlier in the day.

Panja also said that the opposition should protest outside the CBI office as the case is now being handled by the central agency. Praising the ‘Aparajita’ bill recently passed in the state Assembly, Panja said, “This is the solution to fight against such social diseases.”

In a new twist of an event, a day after the RG Kar victim’s parents and relatives taking part in candle light protest in RG Kar hospital on Wednesday late evening raised finger at police and said that the police had offered them money, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and minister Shashi Panja on Thursday slammed the opposition for such purported videos.

“Several fake videos are appearing one after the other. On Wednesday a video appeared where the victim’s parents alleged police offering him money. Today again another video surfaced where it was seen that the parents themselves calling it a fake video. We have solidarity towards the family. The political parties should not play vulture politics over dead bodies,” said Panja.

Panja also said that the opposition should protest outside the CBI office as the case is now being handled by the central agency. Praising the ‘Aparajita’ bill recently passed in the state Assembly, Panja said, “This is the solution to fight against such social diseases.”

Addressing the media on Wednesday late evening, from RG Kar hospital, the victim’s parents and relatives alleged that DC North had offered them money at their residence while the dead body of their daughter was kept in the house.

“I have a few questions. Why is DC central Indira Mukherjee telling lies? Why without any medical checkup why was it said that my daughter has committed suicide? Why was the autopsy done so late? Who will answer all these questions? The DC North had offered us money which we refused instantly,” said the victim’s father.

It can be recalled that the victim’s aunt also slammed the police on Wednesday for their ‘proactiveness’ till the body was cremated.

“There was a car outside the hospital, which I thought was for the family members but the police didn’t allow us to enter the car and only police got inside the car. Then we saw the body of our daughter cordoned off by the police leaving the hospital. Then we booked a van and suddenly called the victim’s father and heard they were in Tallah police station. When the body was inside the house police even offered us money. After the body was cremated then the police became inactive and didn’t even care for the family members. Is this human?” further questioned the aunt of the victim.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/kolkata-rape-murder-case-tmc-refutes-allegations-of-police-bribing-rg-kar-victims-parents

Speaking at the state award distribution ceremony of the basic education and madhyamik education departments on Thursday, CM Adityanath also advised teachers not to act like trade union members “as it goes against the dignity of the profession”.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has proposed that verses from the Bhagavad Gita or Ramcharitmanas should be recited in the school assemblies to instill spiritual learning among students.

Speaking at the state award distribution ceremony of the basic education and madhyamik education departments on Thursday, CM Adityanath also advised teachers not to act like trade union members “as it goes against the dignity of the profession”.

“Teachers cannot and should not act like trade union members as it goes against the dignity of the profession. Whenever teachers act like trade union members, they risk undermining their own respect and honour,” the Chief Minister said at the programme held at the Yogiraj Baba Gambhirnath auditorium here. Recalling former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, CM Adityanath extended Teachers’ Day greetings to the people of the state.

He described Radhakrishnan, a Bharat Ratna recipient, as an eminent scholar and a great philosopher, noting that his birth anniversary is celebrated as Teachers’ Day. On the occasion, Minister of State for Basic Education (independent charge) Sandeep Singh said the foundation of any country’s progress lies in its culture and educated citizens.

Visuals of the fire incident have surfaced on the internet showing the Times Tower burning on one side. Massive flames and black smoke can be seen billowing from the building.

A major fire broke out at the Times Tower building in the Kamala Mills area of Lower Parel West, Mumbai on Friday. According to initial reports, nine fire tenders were sent to the scene.

The basement plus 14-storey glass facade building is a commercial establishment. Currently, a firefighting operation is underway. No injuries reported till now, confirmed the fire officials.

As per information received from the BMC’s Disaster Management Cell the fire started from ground floor and has spread across the 5th, 6th and 7th floor of the building. Officials of Mumbai fire brigade along with local police and staff of ward office has rushed to spot. Five fire engines, 7 jumbo tankers and ambulance deployed are also on the site.

Efforts Taken By Firemen To Break Doors

As per fire officials,”Fire is confined in electric duct from 3rd to 7th floor from back side of the building. The firemen used chisel hammer to break the locks of the doors of the second floor offices up to the 14th floor. Fire extinguishing work is in progress.

There are cases of Chikungunya with Encephalitis, Meningoencephalitis, Myocarditis, Gastroenteritis, kidney injury, sepsis and Guillan–Barré syndrome, doctors said

During the Chikungunya outbreak in Alandi a decade ago, there were very few patients with severe complications. This year however, not only has the number of Chikungunya cases surpassed the number of Dengue cases, the number of Chikungunya cases with severe complications involving vital organs has also increased. There are cases of Chikungunya with Encephalitis, Meningoencephalitis, Myocarditis, Gastroenteritis, kidney injury, sepsis and Guillan–Barré syndrome, doctors said.

Chikungunya is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes. The symptoms include fever, muscle pain, headache and fatigue, and rash may also occur. The treatment provided is symptomatic. However, severe complications of Chikungunya in newborns and the elderly indicate that there is a mutation in the virus, experts said.

Dr Ameet Dravid, infectious diseases expert at Noble Hospital, said, “We have come across more than 15 such patients and most of them had Encephalitis. Patients initially come with Chikungunya symptoms like fever, joint pain and rash. Later in the second week, the inflammation reaches the vital organs like the brain and patients start complaining of weakness, drowsiness, disorientation, inability to walk and urinary incontinence among others. The mortality in such cases is high and the treatment too is costly,” Dr Dravid said.

Speaking at a press conference following a high-level meeting with representatives from 35 departments, Rai emphasised that the government is adopting a proactive approach this year.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced on Thursday that the government will implement a 21-point Winter Action Plan to combat air pollution, featuring real-time drone monitoring of pollution hotspots and the creation of a special task force to tackle worsening air quality during the colder months.

Speaking at a press conference following a high-level meeting with representatives from 35 departments, Gopal Rai emphasised that the government is adopting a proactive approach this year.

“This year, for the first time, we will be using drones to monitor pollution at 13 major hotspots across Delhi. A special task force will also be formed to tackle air pollution more effectively. These measures are part of our 21-point plan to ensure a cleaner winter for the residents of Delhi,” Gopal Rai said.

The winter action plan will focus on key issues such as vehicular pollution, dust, stubble burning, and industrial emissions, among others, Gopal Rai said. Each department involved has been given specific tasks and has been directed to submit its action plan by September 12.

In addition to drone monitoring and task force creation, the plan also outlines measures such as promoting work-from-home policies, preparing for the odd-even vehicle scheme, and exploring the possibility of inducing artificial rain to settle pollutants.

The government has also committed to upgrading its Green War Room and Green Delhi App, used for real-time pollution monitoring and citizen complaints, he said.

A joint meeting was held with 35 key departments including Environment Department, Delhi Police, Public Works Department (PWD), Transport Department, Delhi Metro, and various other agencies. The departments were assigned responsibilities for areas such as dust pollution control, stubble burning prevention and enhancing green cover in the city.

During the press conference, Gopal Rai also highlighted the significant progress Delhi has made in recent years, noting that pollution levels have dropped by 30 per cent in the last nine years, thanks to the Kejriwal government’s sustained efforts. He cited the increase in the number of “good” to “moderate” air quality days from 110 in 2016 to 206 in 2023 as evidence of this progress.

“This action plan will expand on our previous 15-point plan from last year and bring in new areas of focus. Our goal is to build on the successes we’ve achieved and further reduce pollution during the critical winter months,” he added.

The 21-point action plan includes stricter controls on vehicle emissions, more extensive dust management practices, and initiatives to curb open burning of garbage and industrial waste.

The Environment Department will act as the nodal agency for coordinating these efforts across departments, while a real-time source apportionment study will help identify and address pollution sources as they arise.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/drone-monitoring-to-be-part-of-winter-action-plan-in-delhi-aaps-gopal-rai-6499368

Rahul Gandhi indicated that the Prime Minister might have apologised after realising that there was corruption in the construction of the 35-foot statue of Shivaji Maharaj.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday doubled down on his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Maharashtra, saying it was an insult to the revered 17th century warrior king.

Speaking at an event in Sangli, Gandhi alleged that the contract to construct the statue was given to an RSS worker while lambasting PM Modi over his apology on the sensitive issue.

“The statue collapsed just a few months after it was constructed. This is an insult to Shivaji Maharaj,” the Leader of the Opposition said in the poll-bound state.

Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Victim’s family, speaking to a Bengali news channel, claimed that the video was shot forcibly by the police days after the incident.

Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: The RG Kar Medical College and Hospital doctor’s rape-murder case in Kolkata is becoming increasingly complicated. While only one accused – Sanjay Roy – has been arrested so far in the case, videos of the victim’s parents contradicting claims against the Kolkata Police are making the death of the trainee doctor even more perplexing.

The family members of the deceased medic, who joined the protesting doctors at RG Kar hospital on Wednesday night, accused the Kolkata Police of attempting to suppress the case by hastily cremating the body.

“We wanted to keep the body of our daughter but extraordinary pressure was mounted on us and the body was cremated,” the woman’s father said as he joined doctors protesting at the college.

He also alleged that a senior police officer had taken him aside and offered him money when his daughter’s body was brought home after an autopsy and before cremation.

“I gave him a piece of my mind and refused to take any money,” he said, without specifying why the money was offered.

West Bengal women and child development minister Shashi Panja, at a press conference on Thursday, said that the government would not conduct a “postmortem” of the parents’ comments.

“We respect what the family is saying, they have lost their daughter,” she said at a media briefing where she also urged the federal police, who took over the probe last month, to conclude the investigation quickly and “reveal the truth”.

TMC refutes accusations of police cover-up
The TMC refuted accusations of a police cover-up by the parents of the woman doctor, insisting that a newly surfaced video contradicts their claims by showing the family previously satisfied with the investigation.

Family reacts
But the family was quick to respond, claiming that the video was forcibly recorded by the police just after the cremation.

In response to the allegations, senior TMC leader and minister Shashi Panja stated that a new video of the parents claimed that such allegations were false.

“A video went viral yesterday where it is claimed that a police official offered money to the parents in the aftermath of the incident. Another video has appeared in the public domain, where the parents clearly stated that such claims are lies and they only want justice for their daughter,” she said.

The video, the authenticity of which could not be independently verified by HT, was played during a press conference at the TMC office, where the parents were heard saying that they were never offered money.

“We cannot imagine the pain of the grieving parents. The incident is extremely unfortunate and saddening, and we have all been demanding justice for the victim. But, there shouldn’t be politics here. We want to humbly appeal that there should be no political pressure on the parents to do anything,” Panja said.

However, within an hour, the family, speaking to a Bengali news channel claimed that the video was shot forcibly by the police days after the incident.

“The video was shot by the police just days after the incident took place and we were forced to participate. The truth is that the police tried to hush up the case and attempted to protect (former) RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh,” a family member told the news channel.

Panja accused the BJP of not seeking justice, but rather using the tragedy for political gains.

Panja also condemned the proliferation of such “fake” videos on social media, and alleged that those were being spread by the BJP’s IT cell.

Amit Malviya posts parents’ video
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya also posted the video clip of the victim’s parents who spoke the news channel.

“TMC hacks are circulating a video of the deceased RG Kar doctor’s family and claiming that WB Police didn’t offer any money to them. Now listen to the parent’s version. They claim that Mamata Banerjee’s police threatened to derail the investigation, if they didn’t come on camera and deny the allegations of being offered money, to withdraw the case. Distraught parents complied,” Amit Malviya wrote on X.

“Later, when the parents realised that the Kolkata Police was doing everything to cover up the crime and were conducting a sham investigation, they decided to speak the truth. The parents, who had just lost a 31 year old daughter, were being hounded by Vineet Goyal and his team of officers on the instructions of Mamata Banerjee,” he added.

It said that its judgment would be carefully framed to obviate demoralising subordinate judiciary while contributing to the evolution of criminal law

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest in connection with the now scrapped excise policy, observing that its judgment would be carefully framed to obviate demoralising subordinate judiciary while contributing to the evolution of criminal law.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener challenged the August 5 decision of the Delhi high court, which upheld his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and refused to entertain his plea for bail because Kejriwal did not go to the trial court first.

“Whatever judgment we pass, we will make sure our institution is not demoralised in any manner…it’s the duty of the constitutional court to contribute to the development of law…not to apply law in a regressive manner,” said a bench of justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan.

The comment came after CBI’s counsel warned the court against setting a precedent that might “demoralise” the subordinate courts; but the bench assured him that the Supreme Court’s ruling would carefully consider the integrity of all judicial institutions.

Kejriwal has been in custody since March 21 following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the same case, apart from a 21-day interim bail in May granted by the top court for Lok Sabha elections campaigning. On July 12, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Kejriwal in the ED case, acknowledging that he had spent over 90 days in incarceration. Still, he continued to remain in custody due to his arrest by CBI on June 26 in the excise policy matter.

“Snakes and ladders” with bail

The day-long hearing on Thursday witnessed intense exchanges between senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, and additional solicitor general (ASG) SV Raju, who defended CBI’s actions.

Singhvi focussed his arguments on what he described as an “unwarranted” arrest, noting that “for two years, the CBI did not see the need to arrest” Kejriwal after registering the case in August 2022.

Tokyo Games bronze-winner Harvinder Singh became the first Indian archer to win a gold medal at the Paralympics, beating Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek in a lop-sided final here on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old Indian, who lost to Kevin Mather of the USA in the Tokyo Paralympics semifinals before securing a bronze three years ago, put up a dominant show to knock out Ciszek 6-0 (28-24, 28-27, 29-25).

The Supreme Court on Thursday began hearing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s pleas seeking bail and challenging his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with his alleged involvement in the excise policy scam.

The case is being heard by a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi is representing Kejriwal, while Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju is representing the CBI.

During the proceedings, Singhvi noted that this is the “only case” in which bail has been granted twice to Kejriwal under the stringent PMLA provisions, in addition to regular bail.

The senior counsel further emphasised that Kejriwal poses no threat in the PMLA case. “He is not a threat in the PMLA case. Currently, there is only the triple test remaining; the next step is to obtain regular bail from the trial court under Section 45 of the PMLA. This order was stayed by the High Court through an oral mention. Effectively, there are three orders in play,” Singhvi said.

Kejriwal’s files two separate petitions

In his special leave petition, Kejriwal has filed two separate petitions challenging the denial of bail and his arrest by the CBI on June 26 in the case. He has also contested the August 5 order of the Delhi High Court, which upheld his arrest..

The top court had, on August 23, permitted the CBI to file its counter affidavit and granted Kejriwal two days to submit a rejoinder.

Previously, a trial court had granted bail to Kejriwal on June 20 after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in the money laundering case. However, this bail order was subsequently stayed by the Delhi High Court.

Additionally, the Supreme Court had ordered, on July 12, that Kejriwal be released on interim bail in connection with the case filed by the ED. However, he remained in custody due to his arrest by the CBI.

On August 5, the Delhi High Court had upheld the arrest of the chief minister as legal, stating that there was no malice in the CBI’s actions. The court noted that the CBI had demonstrated how the AAP supremo could potentially influence witnesses, who only found the courage to testify after his arrest.

Nayab Singh Saini replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as the chief minister this year.

Looking to get the first-mover advantage in the Haryana Assembly polls, the BJP has released its first list of candidates, declaring names for 67 out of the state’s 90 constituencies. The list includes the names of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who will be contesting from the Ladwa constituency, and former minister Anil Vij.
Mr Vij will be the BJP’s candidate from the Ambala Cantonment constituency, a seat he has won three successive times since 2009.

Mr Saini, who was an MP from Kurukshetra until he replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as the Haryana chief minister in March this year, currently represents the Karnal Assembly seat, which he won in a bypoll in June.

The other candidates include Ambala Mayor and former Union Minister Vinod Sharma’s wife Shakti Rani Sharma, who will be contesting from the Kalka assembly constituency. Ms Sharma is the mother of Manu Sharma, a convict in the Jessica Lal murder case.

Shruti Choudhry who left the Congress and joined the BJP with her mother – Rajya Sabha MP Kiran Choudhry – in June has been given a ticket from Tosham. Three former legislators from the Jannayak Janata Party, which was the BJP’s ally until this year, have also been fielded. These are Devender Singh Babli from Tohana, Ram Kumar Gautam from Safidon and Anoop Dhanak from Uklana.

Some of the other inclusions are Deepak Hooda, who has been the captain of the Indian Kabaddi team, from Meham and Union Minister Om Prakash Dhankar, who will be contesting from Badli.

The list includes eight women, 13 leaders from the Scheduled Castes and nine from other backward communities (OBCs). The party has also dropped some MLAs, including some ministers.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bjp-names-67-candidates-in-first-list-for-haryana-assembly-elections-chief-minister-to-contest-from-ladwa-6490866

Andhra Pradesh, Telangana floods: In Andhra Pradesh, NTR and Krishna districts are under orange alert for heavy rain on Wednesday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a “yellow alert” for four districts in Telangana – Jayashankar Bhupalapalle, Komaram Bheem, Mancherial, and Mulugu – warning of heavy rain on Wednesday, September 4.

An orange alert has also been issued for NTR and Krishna districts in Andhra Pradesh. According to the meteorological centre in Hyderabad, heavy rain is expected in parts of Telangana until September 7.

Local media reported the Andhra Pradesh government has declared a holiday for schools and colleges in the NTR district on September 4 due to heavy rainfall. The IMD observed a cyclonic circulation over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, and nearby areas between 3.1 km and 5.8 km above mean sea level. The weather body added, “A fresh low-pressure area is likely to form over west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal around September 5.”

Torrential rains in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh led to the death of 35 people, damaged roads, submerged rail tracks, and flooded crops across thousands of acres. Residents are struggling to meet their daily needs as rescue and rehabilitation efforts continue.

Floodwaters have begun to recede in many areas of both states as there were no heavy rains on Tuesday, prompting the state governments to intensify relief operations in the affected regions. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy visited some of the flooded areas in their respective states.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/heavy-rain-alert-for-telangana-schools-closed-in-andhra-pradeshs-ntr-weather-updates-101725412473981.html

The victim’s parents said that they want to be with the protesting students who have been fighting for justice.

Parents of the 31-year-old trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital will join the protesting doctors at the state-run medical facility on Wednesday, a day before the Supreme Court hearing. The victim’s parents said that they want to be with the protesting students who have been fighting for justice.

“We want to go to RG Kar. My daughter worked and died there. We wish to be with the protesting doctors at that place,” the victim’s father was quoted as saying by Times of India.

Protesting doctors at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital said that the parents’ decision to join them will motivate them to continue with their fight. One of the protesting doctors said that they will continue to stand by the victim’s family till they get justice.

The junior doctors have visited the parents on several occasions to give them mental support. They also apprised the parents of their movement for justice.

Furthermore, junior doctors resumed their protest march to Kolkata Police headquarters Lalbazar, demanding the resignation of police commissioner Vineet Goyal.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a special court on Tuesday that Sandip Ghosh, the former RGKMCH principal, was part of a “bigger nexus” that needed to be unearthed.

The central agency said that there were more people involved. Sandip Ghosh is currently in CBI custody till September 10.

Not only this, his security guard Afsar Ali Khan, RG Kar Hospital vendor Biplab Singha and a Howrah medical shop owner Suman Hazra have been arrested so far.

Source: https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/kolkata-doctor-rape-murder-case-victims-parents-to-join-rg-kar-protest-before-sept-5-sc-hearing-444333-2024-09-04

The Indian Coast Guard said the incident happened while the helicopter was approaching the vessel for the evacuation.

The Indian Coast Guard has launched a massive search operation after one of helicopters with four aircrew, including two pilots, onboard, was reportedly forced to make an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea off the Porbandar coast during a rescue operation on Monday night.

While one diver has been recovered and the search for the remaining another diver and the two pilots was still underway. The condition of the diver recovered from the sea to said to be stable.

BJP leader Anil Vij said that the Congress lacks the strength to contest the Haryana elections alone and is “cosying up” to AAP as a result.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is seeking 10 seats for the upcoming Haryana assembly elections, while the Congress is willing to concede seven.

The two parties in the INDIA bloc are having tough talks about sharing seats, with both sides negotiating hard. As of Tuesday, the Congress’ central election committee has approved candidates for 66 out of 90 seats.

The state government has directed the health officials to take strict measures to control the spread of dengue in Bengaluru and other towns in the state.

As dengue fever cases are rapidly growing across the state, the Karnataka government has declared it as an epidemic. The state government has directed the health officials to take strict measures to control the spread of dengue in the state.

According to data released by the health department, Karnataka has recorded 25,408 dengue cases in the state and death toll raised to 12. Bengaluru has the highest number of dengue patients with over 11 thousand positive cases, including three deaths. Other areas like Mandya, Hassan, Mysuru and Kalaburgi also have significant number of cases.

The health department has warned house owners of penalising them if mosquito breeding was observed around the houses. A fine of ₹400 in urban areas and ₹200 in rural areas will be collected if the owners do not keep their premises clean. In commercial areas, the penalty would be ₹1,000 in urban regions and ₹500 in rural neighborhoods. Owners of active construction areas which provide space for mosquitoes to breed will be fined ₹2,000 in urban localities and ₹1,000 in rural ones.

Indians won silver and bronze in both men’s high jump T63 and javelin throw F46 after Deepthi Jeevanji’s bronze in the women’s 400m T20 category.

A late medal rush on Day 6 helped India surge past its previous best-ever Paralympic medal haul of 19 on Tuesday. The country has hit the 20-medal mark for the first time at the Games (3 gold, 7 silver and 10 bronze) thanks to superlative performances by the country’s track and field athletes in Paris late on Tuesday.

The country ended the day at 17th place. The track and field athletes won as many as five medals (two silver and three bronze) at the Stade de France. India had won five gold, eight silver and six bronze medals at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Javelin throwers Ajeet Singh and world record holder Sundar Singh Gurjar won silver and bronze with throws of 65.62m and 64.96m respectively in the F46 category. F46 category is for field athletes with moderately affected movement in one or both arms or the absence of limbs.

Rio Paralympics gold medallist Mariyappan Thangavelu became the first Indian to win three Games medals, winning bronze in the men’s high jump T63 final. He had won silver at Tokyo 2020. Thangavelu jumped 1.85m to clinch the medal while compatriot Sharad Kumar won silver with a jump of 1.88m. T63 is for high jumpers with available movement moderately affected in one leg or the absence of limbs above the knee.

Earlier, world champion sprinter Deepthi Jeevanji won bronze on her Paralympic debut. Deepthi clocked 55.82 seconds in the women’s 400m T20 event. She finished behind Yuliia Shuliar (55.16sec) of Ukraine and world record holder Aysel Onder (55.23sec) of Turkey. Daughter of farm labourers from Kalleda Village in Telangana’s Warangal district, Jeevanji was diagnosed with intellectual impairment after being spotted at a school-level athletics meet by one of her teachers.

The youngster was also assisted by national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand after she began training with her formative coach Nagpuri Ramesh. The T20 category is meant for athletes who have intellectual impairment.

Avani Lekhara’s campaign ends

However, ace Indian shooter Avani Lekhara missed out on a second medal at the Games as she finished fifth in the final of the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 competition in Chateauroux.

The 22-year-old, paralysed waist-down at 11 years of age owing to a car accident, shot a total of 420.6 across the three stages of kneeling, prone and standing in a world-class eight-woman field.

However, she has lots to celebrate after becoming first Indian woman to win consecutive gold medals at Paralympics following a top finish in the 10m air rifle competition last week.

Germany’s Natascha Hiltrop won the gold with a total of 456.5, Slovakian Veronika Vadovicova claimed silver with 456.1, and China’s Zhang shot 446.0 to bag the bronze.

The SH1 class is designated for athletes with lower-limb impairment for competition in rifle shooting events. Here shooters are able hold their gun without difficulty and shoot from a standing or sitting position (in a wheelchair or chair).

Jadhav ends 5th in shot put

Bhagyashri Jadhav finished fifth in the women’s shot put (F34).

Jadhav, making her second appearance at the Paralympics, produced a throw of 7.28m but it was not enough for a podium finish.

China’s Lijuan Zou won the gold with a season’s best of 9.14m while Poland’s Lucyna Kornobys secured the silver with an effort of 8.33m.

The 39-year-old Indian, who hails from Nanded district in Maharashtra, is an inspiring story of resilience. She slipped into depression after losing the use of her legs due to an accident in 2006.

But she fought back to reclaim her life as a para-athlete with help from friends and family.

Archer Pooja’s campaign ends in quarters

World Para Championship silver medallist Pooja Jatyan beat Yagmur Sengul of Turkey in straight sets to storm into the quarterfinals of recurve women’s open archery competition.

However, the 27-year-old could not sustain the momentum and lost to Tokyo Paralympics bronze-medallist Wu Chunyan of China in the last-eight stage.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/others/india-achieve-historic-medal-haul-in-paris-paralympics-surpass-19-in-tokyo-after-double-medals-in-javelin-and-high-jump-101725410890520.html

The polling for the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir assembly will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will kickstart his party’s campaign for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly election on Wednesday, September 4, with two mega public rallies in the Ramban and Anantnag districts. The rallies are part of the campaign for the Congress candidates contesting in the first phase of the elections on September 18.

According to Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Tariq Hamid Karra, Rahul Gandhi, who will arrive in Jammu from New Delhi, will first campaign for former Jammu and Kashmir unit party chief Vikar Rasool Wani, who is contesting from the Banihal assembly constituency, reported news agency PTI.

Following this, Rahul Gandhi will fly to the Dooru area of Anantnag district, where he will address another rally in support of Congress general secretary and former minister Ghulam Ahmed Mir, who is contesting the Dooru assembly segment.

Rahul Gandhi will return to Delhi in the evening from Srinagar, Karra said.

Exuding confidence in Gandhi’s campaign, the JKPCC chief said it would give a “new impetus” to the party’s outreach during the elections and improve its poll prospects, reported PTI.

The Congress is relying on Rahul Gandhi to reclaim the party’s dominance, especially in Jammu, which has gradually shifted towards the BJP. In the recently held Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won both seats in Jammu.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also confirmed her participation in the party’s campaign in the union territory – which will unfold in three phases.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-in-j-k-today-congress-leader-assembly-poll-campaign-ramban-anantnag-rallies-september-4-101725409285109.html

Director General of Police (DGP) Abhinav Kumar reached Haridwar on Tuesday. He inspected the crime scene and met the showroom owner and assured him that the police were seriously engaged in solving this case.

Haridwar: Following the robbery of Rs 5 crore that took place in broad daylight at the showroom of Shri Balaji Jewelers in Haridwar, Director General of Police (DGP) Abhinav Kumar reached Haridwar on Tuesday. He inspected the crime scene and met the showroom owner and assured him that the police were seriously engaged in solving this case.

The DGP expressed confidence that the police and the Special Task Force will soon arrest the accused.

Director General Of Police (DGP) Abhinav Kumar Speak On The Robbery

“It is one of the major incidents that have taken place. The CM has also enquired about the incident and is monitoring the progress of the investigation. Whenever any major incident of this type takes place, it is a challenge but I believe that this is also an opportunity for our Uttarakhand Police to showcase its efficiency, its wisdom, its courage. I am fully confident that soon, our Haridwar Police team and STF team will soon give a positive update on the matter,” DGP Kumar said on Tuesday.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/uttarakhand-haridwar-jewellery-store-robbed-of-5-crore-in-broad-daylight-probe-underway-visuals-surface

16 people died in Telangana due to rain-related incidents, and CM Reddy urged Centre to declare the floods as a national calamity.

At least 16 people have lost their lives so far due to heavy rain in Telangana. The Telangana government announced an ex-gratia amount of ₹5 lakh for the kin of those killed during the rain, and urged the Centre for immediate assistance.

The Revanth Reddy-led Telangana government put the damage at ₹5,000 crore as per preliminary estimates and sought immediate assistance of ₹2,000 crore from the Centre. Reddy also urged that the Centre declare the Telangana floods as a national calamity.

The incessant rainfall caused inundation of low-lying areas, damage to agricultural crops and disruption of the state’s rail and road links with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Telangana rain:

• Heavy rain in Telangana led to flooding in low-lying areas and significant damage to property and structures. According to preliminary estimates, damage worth ₹5,000 crore was reported from the state due to the floods.
• Reddy urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the rain-hit areas and declare the floods a national calamity. The chief minister visited rain-hit areas to assess the situation and met with top officials regarding the same.
• The flood-hit areas of Khammam presented a scene of extensive damage as household items were washed away and some items carried away by water were stuck to the gates of houses.
• Transportation took a major hit due to the incessant rains, with the gravel on the train tracks on multiple routes washed away amid floods. Trains were delayed and the restoration work is currently underway.
• Several lorries were stranded on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada National Highway near Kodada due to water flowing on road. The officials urged those travelling to Vijayawada to use the Narkatpalli-Addanki highway as an alternative.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/telangana-rain-16-dead-in-heavy-downpour-cm-seeks-national-calamity-tag-top-updates-101725280898040.html

The accused, identified as Anil Kaushik, Varun, Krishna, Adesh and Saurabh, pursued Aryan and his friends, Shanky and Harshit, over a 30-kilometre stretch near Gadhpuri on the Delhi-Agra National Highway.

A tragic incident occurred in Haryana’s Faridabad, where a Class 12 student, Aryan Mishra, was allegedly chased and killed by cow vigilantes who mistakenly believed him to be a cattle smuggler. The incident took place on August 23 and five members of a cow vigilante group have been arrested in connection with the attack.

The accused, identified as Anil Kaushik, Varun, Krishna, Adesh and Saurabh, pursued Aryan and his friends, Shanky and Harshit, over a 30-kilometre stretch near Gadhpuri on the Delhi-Agra National Highway, according to an India Today report.

Vigilantes Had Tip About Cow Smugglers In Their Area

The vigilantes had reportedly received information about cattle smugglers driving Renault Duster and Toyota Fortuner cars, which led them to search for the alleged suspects. Upon spotting a Duster car at Patel Chowk, they assumed it belonged to the smugglers and attempted to stop it. However, the driver, Harshit, did not stop the vehicle. The group of friends feared that they were being chased due to a rivalry Shanky had with others, leading them to believe that their pursuers were hired goons.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/haryana-class-12-student-mistaken-for-cow-smuggler-shot-dead-in-faridabad-after-30-km-chase-5-vigilantes-arrested

Congress accused Buch of holding an office of profit at the ICICI Bank and receiving ₹16.8 Cr in substantial benefits from the bank and its subsidiaries.

Following Congress party’s allegations, ICICI Bank on Monday clarified that neither it nor its group companies have paid any salary or given employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) to SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch after her retirement, except for her retirement benefits.

“During her employment with the ICICI Group, she received compensation in the form of salary, retiral benefits, bonus and ESOPs, in line with applicable policies,” the bank said in a statement.

It also mentioned that as per rules existing at the time of her ESOP grant, employees including retired employees had the choice to exercise their ESOPs anytime up to a period of 10 years from the date of vesting.

“As per Income Tax rules, the difference between the price of the stock on the day of exercise and the allotment price is treated as perquisite income and is reflected in Part B of the Form16 of employees, including retired employees. The Bank is required to deduct the perquisite tax on this income. In addition, Form -16 covers the payment made towards the retiral benefits of former employees,” statement added further.

The Congress on Monday accused Buch of holding an office of profit at the ICICI Bank and receiving ₹16.8 crore in substantial benefits from the bank and its subsidiaries.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Congress leader Pawan Khera alleged that between 2017 and 2024, Buch received ₹12.63 crore from ICICI Bank, ₹22.41 lakh from ICICI Prudential, ₹2.84 crore from Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), and ₹1.10 crore in Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) payments from ICICI, in addition to her salary from SEBI, which totaled ₹3.3 crore.

Khera questioned how the top authority of a regulatory body could ethically take income from an entity it regulates, and said, “Anyone with a little shame would not wait to give a resignation after this exposure.”

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/icici-denies-paying-salary-esops-to-sebi-chief-madhabi-buch-after-retirement-101725289597238.html

The Defence Acquisition Council is also expected to clear seven heavy stealth frigates for the Indian Navy at the cost of RS 70,000 crore.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is on Tuesday expected to pave the way for the acquisition of 26 Rafale-Maritime strike aircraft for aircraft carrier INS Vikrant with the cost negotiating committee to be convened soon after the final amendment is adopted, people familiar with the matter said.

While the government is tight-lipped over the DAC meeting, HT learns that Singh will also take a call on approving the construction of seven more Project 17 B stealth frigates at a cost of ₹70,000 crore. The new frigates will weigh around 8000 tonnes each and are expected to have significant strike capability.

HT also learns that DAC will drop the amendment for integrating the DRDO’s experimental AESA radar on Rafale-M fighters as the cost of integration of a new radar is prohibitively expensive and will further delay the project. The Indian Navy requires Rafale-M fighters for its latest aircraft carrier INS Vikrant as the MiG-29K fighters onboard INS Vikramaditya are limited in numbers and need upgrades.

In the coming three months the capability of Indian armed forces, particularly the Indian Navy will get a big boost as the deal for the acquisition of 41 MQ 9B Predator armed drones will be signed before October 31, and the acquisition of Rafale-M fighters as well as indigenous construction of three additional Kalvari class submarines will be approved by the end of the year. The acquisition of the Predator drones was discussed during Singh’s visit to the US this month with the manufacturer General Atomics making a presentation to him in the Pentagon.

The Biden administration has made it clear that it was ready to supply any hardware to India for its military requirement and the Emmanuel Macron government is ready to boost India’s indigenous capability for manufacturing fighters, underwater drones and long range missile systems.

Even though the Indian Navy was expected to be a 200 warship force by 2027 as per long term prospective plans, there is a time lag on the count of resources and procedure. India has no options but to boost its maritime capability as the PLA Navy is expected to send long range patrols in the Indian Ocean in the next two years with turn around bases in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Djibouti, Cambodia and an eye on Bangladesh. The PLA Navy is already showing belligerence against Japan and Philippines by sending ships and aircraft into Japan’s EEZ and taking muscular action against the Philippines Navy.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rafalem-acquisition-to-clear-final-hurdle-at-dac-today-101725330692126.html

As protests over the rape-murder of the young doctor spread, former Deputy Superintendent of RG Kar Hospital Akhtar Ali had filed an appeal in High Court, requesting that the Enforcement Directorate investigate the alleged financial misconduct under Sandip Ghosh.

Kolkata: Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the Kolkata hospital where a doctor was raped and murdered last month, has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI after a marathon two-week questioning session. The arrest was made in connection with the allegations of financial irregularities during his tenure, which are being investigated by the central agency alongside the rape-murder case.
Three others have been arrested along with Sandip Ghosh. Sources said they are vendors Biplav Singha and Suman Hazara, who supplied medicine to the hospital and Afsar Ali, a security guard.

As Principal of the RG Kar Medical College, where the woman doctor’s body was discovered on the morning of August 9, the role of Sandip Ghosh has been questioned by many. Even the Supreme Court had questioned why he, the head of the institution, had not lodged a First Information Report immediately.

His transfer to another hospital hours after he resigned his post under the pressure of public opinion, had caused the second shockwave, where the role of the state government had also raised eyebrows. While coming down heavily on the government, the Calcutta High Court had suggested that instead of taking up the post, Sandip Ghosh go on a long leave.

The CBI, which took over the rape-murder case after an order from the Calcutta High Court, had started questioning Sandip Ghosh from August 16. Each session lasted for 10 to 14 hours.

After the financial irregularities case was also handed to it by the High Court, the agency, on August 25, had conducted a search at his home. Late in the evening, asked if they have gathered any evidence, an official had said, “lots”. The former Principal has undergone two rounds of polygraph tests.

As protests spread, former Deputy Superintendent of RG Kar Hospital Akhtar Ali had filed an appeal in High Court, requesting that the Enforcement Directorate investigate the alleged financial misconduct.

In his appeal, Akhtar Ali had accused Sandip Ghosh of illegal sale of unclaimed corpses, trafficking of biomedical waste and passing tenders against the commission paid by medicine and medical equipment suppliers. He also alleged that students were pressured to pay anything between ₹ 5 and 8 lakh to pass exams.

Sandip Ghosh has already been suspended by the Indian Medical Association. His appointment to premier Calcutta National Medical College also backfired, with the students locking him out of the Principal’s office long before the Supreme Court order.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ex-principal-of-kolkata-hospital-where-doctor-was-raped-murdered-arrested-6475279

Award-winning actress-turned-filmmaker Aparna Sen, celebrity directors Srijit Mukhopadhyay and Birsa Dasgupta, singer Shovan Ganguly, movie stars like Swastika Mukherjee, Sudipta and Bidipta Chakraborty, Chaiti Ghosal, and Sohini Sarkar marched with the activists, youths, students and medics.

Filmmakers, movie stars march with activists, students, medics to add momentum to protest against rape, murder of doctor in Kolkata

Kolkata: Film and theatre personalities, artists, civil society activists, students, and junior doctors took to the streets in Kolkata on Sunday to seek justice for the postgraduate trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at a hospital run by the government of West Bengal on August 9.

The march followed by a sit-in demonstration added fresh momentum to the apolitical protests against the rape and murder of the 31-year-old doctor at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital after the outrage of the citizens was slightly eclipsed by the attempts by Bhartiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress to turn it into a political movement against the state’s Trinamool Congress government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The BJP and the CPI(M), however, continued with their own sit-in demonstration and protest marches in Kolkata as well as other places in West Bengal.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/r-g-kar-rape-murder-filmmakers-movie-stars-march-with-activists-students-medics-to-add-momentum-to-protest-3172885

Ramchandra is one of the councillors who left AAP and joined the BJP last Sunday and four days later, traced his steps back.

A councillor of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party has alleged that he was kidnapped today by a group of BJP leaders. Ramchandra is one of the councillors who left AAP and joined the BJP last Sunday and four days later, traced his steps back. After hours of hue and cry, the councillor showed up, and alleged that he was forcibly picked up by several BJP men.
“In the morning, five or six people came to my house, took me to the BJP office in a car. There they threatened me with CBI and ED. My leaders called the police commissioner and they got me released,” he told reporters.

“I am not scared of CBI and ED. I am a true soldier of Arvind Kejriwal,” he added.

Delhi BJP’s media in-charge Praveen Shankar Kapoor denied that his party has anything to do with this.

“You guys are the kings of fake sensationalism. Councillor Ramchandra is not in your party. We have nothing to do with it, but It is certain that he is sitting in his house And you people are spreading rumours,” read his post on X. formerly Twitter.

Earlier today, in a post on X,  senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia said: ” BJP threatened councillor Ramchandra ji with ED and CBI. When he did not get scared, BJP goons picked him up in a car and took him away”.

It was a comment on a video posted by party colleague Sanjay Singh.

The video shows the councillor’s son Akash Ramchandra alleging that his father has been forcibly abducted from his office by a local BJP leader and his aides. The leader came to meet his father this morning. They threatened to get him framed by the Central investigating agencies, forced him into their car and drove off, he alleged.

Addressing party workers at Ghatkopar in Mumbai, Sharad Pawar slammed the state government over the collapse of the statue of the legendary warrior king in Sindhudurg district on August 26.

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Sunday said the opposition won’t sit quietly till the Mahayuti dispensation in Maharashtra is dislodged from power in the next two months and a new government is formed on the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Addressing party workers at Ghatkopar in Mumbai, Mr Pawar slammed the state government over the collapse of the statue of the legendary warrior king in Sindhudurg district on August 26.

He said those in power in the state have no “faith” in Shivaji Maharaj. The ruling Mahayuti comprises BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and NCP headed by Ajit Pawar.

“I assure you (party workers) that if you show your unity, then we will not sit quietly till the government in Maharashtra is changed in the next two months and a new government is formed on the ideals of Shivaji Maharaj that will safeguard the interests of people,” Mr Pawar said.

The collapse of the 35-foot Shivaji statue at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil has triggered a firestorm in the state, with the opposition targeting the Mahayuti for “corruption” and “insult” to the icon.

Besides Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other state leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also apologised over the incident.

Mr Pawar said there are allegations of corruption while constructing the statue but he has no evidence about it.

“But how does a statue collapse? This means the quality of the statue deteriorated. Shivaji had never been insulted the way he was under this government,” Mr Pawar said.

The government says a new statue will be constructed but what about the damage that was done, he asked.

The NCP (SP) chief said “wrong and corrupt decisions” were taken while constructing the statue.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/wont-sit-quietly-till-maharashtra-government-is-changed-in-2-months-sharad-pawar-6468489

Meanwhile, AAP MP Sanjay Singh criticised the investigative agency for being “ruthless”.

Amanatullah Khan, Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Delhi’s Okhla Assembly constituency, claimed in a social media post on Monday morning that a team from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had reached his home and intended to arrest him.

In another post, the AAP MLA released a video statement saying, “The ED came to my residence with a search warrant. This is related to a 2016 case that is currently ongoing in the trial court. I was arrested in 2022 by the ACP but was granted bail within 10 days. Last year, on October 10, the ED conducted a search at my place. I want to ask why they came today. What else do they want to search? Nothing has been proven till now.”

Reacting to Amanatullah Khan’s post, AAP leader Manish Sisodia attacked the BJP for the ED raid.

“This is the only work left for the ED: to suppress every voice raised against the BJP. Break it. Arrest and imprison those who do not break or surrender,” said Sisodia.

Meanwhile, AAP MP Sanjay Singh criticised the investigative agency for being “ruthless”.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/delhi-aap-mla-amanatullah-khan-claims-ed-team-has-reached-his-house-to-arrest-him-in-2016-case

The wolves have killed eight people in the area. So far four wolves have been caught and search for two more is underway.

Even as officials have caught four wolves in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich under ‘Operation Bhediya’, locals in the area, who claims to have been attacked by wolves narrate the story of the horrifying attack.
The wolves have killed eight people in the area. So far four wolves have been caught and search for two more is underway. Seven children and a woman have been killed in wolf attacks in Bahraich in the past two months.

A man and a child suffered animal attack in Bahraich. Injured people claimed it to be a wolf attack.

A relative of the injured child told ANI, “I am the child’s uncle. He was attacked by the wolf at around 1:30 am. When we screamed then the wolf left him and went away. We chased it but it went into sugarcane fields. It was a wolf. There is its footprint in the house.”

A man who claimed to have been attacked by an animal said, “At 4 in the morning an animal attacked me. He attacked my neck with its jaws. It was bigger than a jackal. I was not able to identify the animal. I got nervous at that moment. So I am not sure which animal it was. If I would not have caught his mouth, he would have killed me.”

Mahasi Civil Health Centre Incharge, Dr Ashish Verma told ANI that whether it was a wolf attack or not, the matter is of investigation for the forest department.

“There are minor injuries on both people. One came at 2 am and another person came at 5 in the morning. They are not in any critical situation. The patient has claimed that it is a wolf attack. However, it is a matter of investigation for the Forest Department,” Dr Verma said.

Notably, officials said on Sunday that they have detected the presence of two wolves through drones and will capture them by today or tomorrow.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/attacked-my-neck-with-its-jaws-up-locals-live-in-horror-amid-wolf-attacks-6464375

Two IMA volunteers took a crocodile found in Vishwamitri River in Vadodara to the forest department office on a scooter.

Amid heavy rainfall in Gujarat, Vadodara is dealing with an unusual problem of crocodiles getting spotted in different parts of the city. The Vishwamitri River has overflowed, causing these crocodiles to move into residential neighbourhoods. In one such recent video, two men were spotted carrying a crocodile found in the Vishwamitri River in Vadodara to the forest department office on a scooter.

This video was posted by a user @DixitGujarat on X (formerly Twitter). The men were identified as Indian Medical Association (IMA) volunteers by the Indian Express.

This video was posted with the caption, “Even the crocodile will remember the thrill of a ride on a two-wheeler. In fact, two young men are transporting a crocodile from the Vishwamitri River to the forest department office”.

The river is home to 440 crocodiles, many of which move into residential areas during flooding caused by water release from the Ajwa dam. Several crocodiles have been spotted on house roofs, roads, and in colleges. Videos of the crocodiles are going viral on social media.

Take a look at the post here:

The river is home to 440 crocodiles, many of which move into residential areas during flooding caused by water release from the Ajwa dam. Several crocodiles have been spotted on house roofs, roads, and in colleges. Videos of the crocodiles are going viral on social media.

This video was posted on Aug 31, 2024, and has gained more than 3.96 lakh views and 370 comments.

Reacting to the viral video an X user, Pritika Kothari, commented, “They’re handling it so casually, seems like it’s their pet. I wanna be this brave”.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/gujarat-floods-2-men-carry-a-crocodile-on-scooter-in-viral-video-watch-101725181764245.html

Paris Paralympics 2024 Day 4 Highlights: India’s Nishad Kumar won the silver medal in Men’s High Jump T47 event at Paris Paralympics 2024.

Paris Paralympics 2024 Day 4, Highlights: India’s Nishad Kumar won the silver medal in Men’s High Jump T47 event at Paris Paralympics 2024. Nishad, who also finished second in Tokyo three years back, registered his season best attempt of 2.04m. Earlier, Preethi Pal scriped history after winning a bronze medal in the Women’s 200m T35 final. Meanwhile, shuttlers Nitesh Kumar and Suhas Yathiraj are assured to win a silver at least after entering the finals of the Men’s SL3 and Men’s SL4 categories, respectively. Meanwhile, Sukant Kadam will play for bronze after he lost the semi-final of the SL4 category to compatriot Suhas. India’s Thulasimathi Murugesan defeated Manisha Ramadass in badminton Women’s Singles SU5 Semifinal. Murugesan is now assured of at least a silver, while Manisha will fight for bronze. So far, India have won seven medals (Medals Tally)

Here are the Highlights of Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Day 4 (September 1):

NBCC, a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise, informed exchanges on August 31 that the Board of Directors has recommended issuing Bonus Shares to shareholders at a 1:2 ratio, i.e., one new fully paid-up equity share of Rs 1 each will be issued for every two existing fully paid-up equity shares of Rs 1 each, to the eligible members of the Company as on Record Date.

The record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders for the bonus shares has been set for October 7, 2024.

Mumbai sees a spike in chikungunya cases, with 164 reported in August due to intermittent rains. BMC urges residents to eliminate stagnant water to prevent mosquito breeding.

Mumbai: As the city received intermittent rains in August, doctors are seeing a spurt in cases of chikungunya – a viral infection spread by an infected Aedes Aegypti mosquito, with people coming to the clinics with acute joint pain and other symptoms such as fever and rashes.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said it has seen six times more chikungunya cases after the rainfall. An alarming data from the civic body revealed that the city saw 164 cases of chikungunya just in August, compared to 25 cases in July of this year and 35 cases in August of last year.

“Intermittent rains in August led to more breeding of mosquitoes and hence the rise in the number of chikungunya cases and waterborne infections,” said Dr Daksha Shah, executive health officer, BMC.

The BMC has urged citizens to ensure there is no stagnant water in or surrounding their homes. “Stagnant water is the breeding spot for the mosquitoes as female mosquitoes lay their eggs in the moist spot. If any such spots are identified, immediate action should be taken to drain them,” said BMC, cautioned.

Private hospitals in the city have also witnessed a spike in chikungunya cases, marked by high-grade fever and lasting severe joint pains along with weakness and other viral symptoms.

“Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne disease and recently we have seen a sudden rise in cases. We keep seeing around 8-10 cases a week of chikungunya. This is the same mosquito which spreads dengue and is highly prevalent in urban areas, especially where construction work is going on or clean stagnant water is stored in the form of water pots, overhead tanks, and flower pots,” said Dr Neeraj Tulara, Infectious disease specialist in DR L H Hiranandani Hospital, Powai.

Dr Tulara said the city is dotted with construction sites with craters which are spots for stagnant water. “The sites turn into breeding spots for mosquitoes which in turn spread disease, be it chikungunya, dengue or malaria.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/intermittent-rain-leads-to-outbreak-in-chikungunya-164-cases-in-august-101725131721826.html

A worker died, and two others were injured in an ammonia gas leak at a factory here on Friday evening, said police. The worker, identified as A Hariharan (24) was attending to a faulty pipeline at a chemical and fertiliser factory in Muthiahpuram here, when the ammonia gushed out all of a sudden from the pipeline.

The worker, identified as A Hariharan (24) was attending to a faulty pipeline at a chemical and fertiliser factory in Muthiahpuram here, when the ammonia gushed out all of a sudden from the pipeline.

He died instantly while two other workers: S Dhanraj of Thoothukudi, and C Marimuthu of Tiruppur, who inhaled the colourless gas, have been admitted to a government hospital and were undergoing treatment, said police.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/video-ammonia-gas-leak-in-tamil-nadu-factory-1-dead-2-injured-article-112956418

Flight 6E573 from Kolkata to Bangalore, which became airborne at 10.36 pm on Friday, made an emergency landing at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport at 10.53 pm after failure of its left engine, he said.

A Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight had to make an emergency landing at the Kolkata airport minutes after take-off on Friday night due to an engine failure, a senior official said.
Flight 6E573 from Kolkata to Bangalore, which became airborne at 10.36 pm on Friday, made an emergency landing at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport at 10.53 pm after failure of its left engine, he said.

However, no fire or spark was reported, the Airports Authority of India spokesperson said on Saturday.

The full emergency declared at 10.39 pm was withdrawn at 11.08 pm, he said.

Both the runways at NSCBI airport were handed over to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) to make those available for the plane to land back safely, the spokesperson said.

“It was learnt that the left side engine of the aircraft failed after take-off as a result of which it had to come back to Kolkata,” he said.

The airline in a statement said the flight returned to origin after take-off “due to technical issues”.

“The pilot followed necessary procedures and landed back at Kolkata,” it said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation found that the MCD issued an occupancy certificate for the building on August 9, 2021, designating the basement for parking.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has accused the owner of Rau’s IAS Study Circle of “knowingly” using the basement for commercial purposes, violating the usage approved by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Three UPSC aspirants died due to drowning in the basement library of the Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar on July 27.

Citing the “seriousness” of the charges, the CBI which took over the probe on August 2 from Delhi Police has requested permission from the special court to conduct “custodial interrogation” of Rau’s IAS Study Circle owner Abhishek Gupta and the other accused inclduing Deshpal Singh, Harvinder Singh, Parvinder Singh, Sarabjeet Singh and Tajinder Singh, who are currently in judicial custody.

On Saturday, additional chief judicial magistrate Nishant Garg ordered all six accused to be placed in CBI custody till September 4. The investigation agency in its submission to the court has revealed that the coaching institute had operated without a fire safety certificate for nearly a year despite concerns raised by the Delhi High Court in 2023.

Last year, when the high court highlighted that many local coaching institutes lacked mandatory fire safety certificates, the MCD issued a show cause notice to the owner of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, instructing compliance with Masterplan-2021.

The owner responded on August 8, 2023 by assuring the MCD that he had applied for the certificate, which was eventually issued to the institute on July 9, 2024.

The investigation has also revealed that the MCD had provided an occupancy certificate for the building on August 9, 2021, specifying that the basement was only to be used for parking, storage, and other non-commercial purposes.

Despite this, the coaching institute’s owner, Abhishek Gupta, signed a lease agreement on January 5, 2022 for nine years, paying ₹4 lakh in monthly rent and converted the basement into a library and exam hall, violating the approved usage.

“In contravention of the approved usage of the basement, the lessor and the lessee knowingly agreed to use the basement for the commercial purpose of running the coaching institute,” the CBI has told a special court.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ias-aspirants-death-owner-of-raus-ias-study-circle-knowingly-used-based-for-commercial-purpose-cbi-tells-court-101725149351774.html

The police is not accepting the driver’s theory, whereas the police is registering the case on the driver’s complaint, but is not believing on the driver statements.

More than 1500 iPhone has been stolen from high security cargo truck, which was heading towards New Delhi from the company headquarters Chennai, said Sagar police on Saturday. The burglary was done in filmy style. The cost of the stolen phones is around 15 crore.

According to police the truck was heading to New Delhi and reached Lakhnadon on August 15 th . In the truck one guard and a security in-charge was also accompanying.

In midway near Narsinghpur, they all had tea together and after sometime the driver started feeling sleepy. The guards and the in-charge asked the driver to park the truck and have a nap.

The driver did it accordingly, when the driver woke up he found himself tied with ropes and he was almost 125 kilometers far from where the truck was parked. Anyhow he managed to got freed from the ropes and called people for help.

The matter came to know to the IG Sagar Pramod Verma.

SP Sagar Vikas Sehwal told Free Press that the IG has suspended two and have line attached police station in-charge and head constable for negligence in their duties.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/shocking-500-iphone-worth-15-cr-stolen-from-running-cargo-truck-in-madhya-pradesh-probe-on

The incident took place shortly after the train departed Meerut, with Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel intervening to restore order. The Vande Bharat Express, recently flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a virtual ceremony from Delhi, was on its maiden journey when the altercation occurred.

Meerut: On the inaugural run of the Vande Bharat Express from Meerut to Lucknow, a girl was allegedly harassed, and her brother slapped, leading to an uproar among passengers. The incident took place shortly after the train departed Meerut, with Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel intervening to restore order.

The Vande Bharat Express, recently flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a virtual ceremony from Delhi, was on its maiden journey when the altercation occurred.

According to the victim, she was on her way to collect food items from her cabin when a man stopped her, stating, “This is BJP’s cabin. You cannot go from here. We are BJP workers.”

The girl, who claimed to be affiliated with BJP through a YouTube channel focused on Skill India, alleged that she was pushed and shoved, and that her brother was slapped when he intervened.

The girl’s brother expressed his frustration, accusing the police present on the train of siding with the BJP workers. He alleged that his sister was mistreated and that the RPF staff attempted to mediate between the two parties.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/meerut-lucknow-vande-bharat-express-bjp-workers-accused-of-harassing-onboard-passengers-on-inaugural-run-incident-captured-on-video

In an interesting incident, anticipating threshing by the crowd, two thieves called the police for help. The incident took place in Kolayat of Bikaner on Thursday late at night.

In an interesting incident, anticipating threshing by the crowd, two thieves called the police for help. The incident took place in Kolayat of Bikaner on Thursday late at night.

According to the police, the thieves entered the house of Madan Pareek located in ward number 10 of Kolayat at around 2 on Thursday night. The owner of the house, Madan had gone to his brother’s house nearby. He found a broken lock when he came back after some time Showing courage, he locked the gate from outside and informed the neighs.

Seeing a crowd outside, the thieves tried to break the window inside the room but did not succeed then they locked themselves from inside and called the police for help. The police reached the spot and after assuring that police have arrived then only both the thieves came out of the house.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/rajasthan-thieves-call-police-for-help-after-being-trapped-in-house-by-crowd-during-theft-attempt-in-kolayat-2-arrested

The decision by the ECI has been taken to honour both the voting rights and the traditions of the Bishnoi community, which has upheld a centuries-old practice of participating in the Asoj Amavasya festival celebration in remembrance of their Guru Jambheshwar as per the ECI.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday revised the polling day for Haryana Assembly polls from October 1 to October 5, this year as well as moved the counting of votes for both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana Assemblies from October 4 to October 8.

The decision has been taken to honour both the voting rights and the traditions of the Bishnoi community, which has upheld a centuries-old practice of participating in the Asoj Amavasya festival celebration in remembrance of their Guru Jambheshwar as per the ECI.

ECI Reschedules Polls After Bishnoi Community Appeals to Preserve Voting Rights Amid Asoj Amavasya Festival

The Commission said it had received representation from National President, All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner (Rajasthan) for rescheduling the date of polling set for October 1.

As per the representation for generations numerous families in Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana have observed a long-standing tradition of visiting their native village Mukam, in Rajasthan during the Amavas in the month of “Asoj” for their annual festival in Bikaner district, in the memory of their Guru Jambheshwar.

This year, the festival will take place on October 2 and thousands of Bishnoi families residing in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar would be travelling to Rajasthan on poll day, denying them their voting rights, the Election Commission of India said.

In the past, the Commission has also adjusted election dates to respect the sentiments of various communities.

For instance, during the Punjab Assembly Elections in 2022, the polls were postponed by a week to accommodate devotees to travel to Varanasi for Guru Ravidas Jayanti.

The Election Commission on Wednesday directed the transfer of senior police officials from Srinagar, Baramulla, Kupwara districts, and Handwara SP, instructing the administration to submit a panel of IPS officers for their replacement.

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday night appointed four officers from the J&K Police Services (JKPS) as new Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) for Srinagar, Baramulla, and Kupwara districts, and as Superintendent of Police (SP) of Handwara, in accordance with approval from the Election Commission of India.

As per an order issued by the Principal Secretary Home, Chandrakar Bharti, seven police officials, including two IPS officers, have been transferred and given new assignments across three districts and one police district.

The Election Commission on Wednesday directed the transfer of senior police officials from Srinagar, Baramulla, Kupwara districts, and Handwara SP, instructing the administration to submit a panel of IPS officers for their replacement.

JKPS officer Imtiyaz Hussain Mir has been appointed as SSP Srinagar, Mohammad Zaid as SSP Baramulla, Ghulam Jeelani Wani as SSP Kupwara, and Ifroz Ahmad as SP Handwara, the order stated.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/elections/jammu-and-kashmir/jk-government-orders-transfer-of-7-police-officers-following-eci-directive-3171474

In her second letter to PM Modi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed frustration over not receiving a response to her initial correspondence, highlighting the seriousness of the issue.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee with Prime Minister Narendra Modi (PTI/File)

The union minister also slammed the West Bengal government for sharing “factually incorrect” information over Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) in the state.

“…Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) are specifically dedicated to deal with Rape and POCSO Act cases. Inspite of pendency of 48,600 rape and POCSO cases in West Bengal, the State has not operationalized additional 11 FTSCs which may be exclusive POCSO Courts or combined FTSCs dealing with both Rape and POCSO cases, as per the State’s requirement. As may be seen, the information contained in your letter in this regard is factually incorrect and appears to be a step in the direction to cover up the delays in operationalizing the FTSCs by the State,” Annpurna Devi pointed out in her letter to Mamata Banerjee.

In her letter, Devi, who is Union Minister of Women and Child Development, also addressed the issue of appointing judicial officers to these courts. The minister said that states have the option to engage retired judicial officers on a contractual basis for the disposal of rape and POCSO Act cases.

‘No Reply On Such A Sensitive Issue’: Mamata Banerjee In 2nd Letter To PM

Mamata Banerjee on Friday (August 30, 2024) wrote a second letter to Prime Minister Modi expressing disappointment over the lack of a direct response from the Prime Minister to her first letter, which she deemed critical in light of the ongoing situation in West Bengal.

The Trinamool leader acknowledged receiving a reply from the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, but pointed out that the response failed to address the gravity of the issue.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/central-minister-annpurna-devis-sharp-response-to-mamata-banerjees-letter-to-pm-narendra-modi-over-kolkata-rape-murder-appears-to-be-step-to-cover-up-delays-article-112938662

The latest complaint has been lodged by a young actor who alleges he was sexually abused by Ranjith in 2012.

The #MeToo movement across the Malayalam film industry has created waves across the country with several young actors now speaking out about the abuse they faced at the hands of veteran directors, producers, and actors. Film director Ranjith now facing serious allegations of sexual misconduct, with two separate cases filed against him. The latest complaint has been lodged by a young actor who alleges he was sexually abused by Ranjith in 2012.

According to the complaint filed with the Kochi police, the victim was lured to a hotel in Bengaluru under the pretext of an audition. Ranjith allegedly forced the victim to strip and assaulted him, promising prominent roles in exchange. The victim claimed he believed it was part of the audition process and was even offered money the next morning.

This is the second case of sexual allegations against Ranjith. Earlier, a Bengali actor had filed a complaint against him, alleging sexual assault. The Kochi police have registered an FIR in connection with her complaint, which alleges that she was assaulted in a hotel in Kochi.

Ranjith denied the accusations, explaining that Mitra was called for an audition for the movie ‘Paleri Manikyam’, but he decided that she was not suitable for the role and sent her back.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has urged the Centre to convene a meeting with stakeholders to evaluate the feasibility of cloud seeding for artificially inducing rain to combat the city’s winter air pollution.

In a letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, Rai emphasised the critical air quality situation that Delhi faced each November, stating that it was imperative to assess cloud seeding as a potential emergency measure.

“Given the dire conditions, we must explore all available options to provide immediate relief to the residents of Delhi,” Rai said.

Cloud seeding, a method of artificially inducing rain, has been under consideration by the Delhi government as part of its broader strategy to tackle the hazardous air quality situation.

In 2023, the city government considered cloud seeding as an emergency measure during hazardous air quality days and asked IIT-Kanpur to come up with a comprehensive presentation.

The cyclone building up over Gujarat’s Saurashtra-Kutch region is unusual for this time of year. It is projected to head towards Oman.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘red alert’ for coastal Karnataka in response to the rare Cyclone Asna threat, forecasting very heavy rain for Gujarat on Saturday, August 31.

The cyclone building up over Gujarat’s Saurashtra-Kutch region is unusual for this time of year. It is projected to move into the Arabian Sea and head towards Oman.

Pakistan proposed the name Cyclone Asna as the storm intensified. Between 1891 and 2023, only three such storms have formed over the Arabian Sea in August with instances recorded in 1976, 1964, and 1944, reported English Jagran.

The 1976 storm originated in Odisha, moved west-northwest into the Arabian Sea, circled and eventually weakened near Oman’s coast. Similarly, the 1944 storm intensified after reaching the Arabian Sea before losing strength. In 1964, a brief storm developed off the South Gujarat coast but weakened near the shoreline, the report said.

Cyclone Asna, which Pakistan has named, is the first cyclonic storm to develop in the Arabian Sea in August since 1976. The storm is now advancing west-northwest, moving away from the Indian coast.

In the past 6 hours, the deep depression over the Kachchh coast, parts of Pakistan, and the northeast Arabian Sea has been moving westward at 6 kilometres per hour. It has intensified into Cyclone Asna and was located around 11:30 AM at the same spot, approximately 190 kilometres west-northwest of Bhuj, Gujarat, according to the IMD.

Wind speeds in a deep depression vary from 52 to 61 kmph, whereas cyclones have wind speeds between 63 and 87 kmph.

How rain wreaks havoc in Gujarat?
In Gujarat, recent rainfall has caused the loss of 26 lives over the past four days. Over 18,000 individuals have been evacuated, and around 1,200 people have been rescued from areas severely impacted by flooding.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/cyclone-asna-red-alert-for-karnataka-imd-forecasts-heavy-rain-for-gujarat-101725070566646.html

Speaking at an event at Lok Bhavan, the CM highlighted the state’s progress and distributed incentives worth Rs 1,333 crore to 32 industrial units, along with Letters of Comfort to 10 units for investments totaling over Rs 4,500 crore.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a pointed critique of the opposition, asserted on Friday that the transformation of Uttar Pradesh from a state mired in challenges to an investor-friendly hub was a testament to his government’s effective governance.

Speaking at an event at Lok Bhavan, the CM highlighted the state’s progress and distributed incentives worth Rs 1,333 crore to 32 industrial units, along with Letters of Comfort to 10 units for investments totaling over Rs 4,500 crore.

“Those who once deemed investing in Uttar Pradesh an impossibility must now acknowledge how this government has turned that impossibility into reality,” said Adityanath, referencing the state’s progress under his leadership since 2017

He contrasted the current administration’s achievements with the previous government’s record, accusing them of fostering chaos, anarchy, and crime through a narrow-minded and visionless approach.

Adityanath pointed to the success of the Global Investors Summit in February 2023, where the state secured investment proposals exceeding Rs 40 lakh crore. He noted that proposals worth over Rs 10 lakh crore have already been actualized through the Ground Breaking Ceremony, signaling a new era of industrial growth in Uttar Pradesh.

Criticizing the law and order situation under the previous administration, Adityanath recalled a time when daily riots and extended curfews were the norm, causing widespread insecurity, even in the capital. He stated that the youth of the state faced an identity crisis during this period.

In contrast, the Chief Minister emphasized the significant improvements in law and order, ease of doing business, and ease of living under his government. He cited the implementation of 27 sectoral policies, developed with input from stakeholders, as key drivers of the state’s industrial growth.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the deployment of 125 CM Fellows across the state to address entrepreneurs’ concerns in collaboration with the Industrial Development Department. He reaffirmed his government’s zero-tolerance policy toward crime, corruption, and criminal activities, assuring investors that the government would meet all commitments made to them.

“Our government has no hesitation in implementing the commitments it has made to investors. Under the policy of governance, the double engine government will break all barriers to provide convenience to investors,” Adityanath asserted.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/up-has-become-dream-destination-for-investors-cm-yogi-adityanath-lauds-states-transformation-criticises-previous-administration

Attacks by political opponents on the government have to be responded to on a “strong footing”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told his colleagues, adding that they must maintain the positive energy and celebrate the 10-year anniversaries of the government’s landmark schemes.

At the Council of Ministers meet earlier this week, Modi commended the women and child development ministry for its quick response to the Mamata Banerjee government when the chief minister wrote to the PM for ‘stronger anti-rape laws’.

Sources said the prime minister cited this as an example to stress on “quick response time” by the government, saying the response must be on “strong footing”. The WCD ministry had written to the chief minister, pointing to non-operationalisation of fast-track courts in West Bengal for addressing rape and POCSO cases.

PM Modi also said the upcoming 10-year-anniversaries of various landmark schemes of the government must be celebrated like the Finance Ministry had done with ‘10 years of PM Jan Dhan Yojana’, and that this model must be adopted by all.

A picture of the crowded seminar room after the body of the 31-year-old doctor was recovered from Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital went viral on social media. Soon after the picture showing many individuals present inside the seminar hall grabbed attention on Friday, several questions were raised as to how so many people were allowed to enter the crime scene. Besides this, it was alleged that the crime scene was altered.

Earlier during a hearing in Supreme Court, CBI alleged that the evidence in the case had been hampered and the crime scene was altered.

Meanwhile, responding to the allegations levelled in reference to the viral picture, the Kolkata Police rejected the claims made by the central probe agency and asserted that the crime scene was “not compromised”. In fact, it was clarified that all individuals seen in the photograph were fully authorised to be there and have been identified.

“We are talking about the photo in question. The area is cordoned off. Behind the cordon is the body. I can tell you the names of all the people who are in the picture. They were all part of the investigation team. At no point in time could anybody enter this area who was not authorised. Nobody entered who was not associated with the investigation process,” Indira Mukherjee, DCP Central, Kolkata Police said during a press briefing.

Frustrated by the alleged inaction of the state women’s commission, the BJP’s women’s wing will march to the commission office, accusing it of partisanship since the discovery of the victim’s body on August 9.

Kolkata: The city is set for a series of rallies and demonstrations on Friday, protesting the rape-murder of a doctor, with political parties and several civil society organisations planning to take to the streets.

Both the ruling TMC and opposition BJP will hold demonstrations, as the protests enter their third week.

Frustrated by the alleged inaction of the state women’s commission, the BJP’s women’s wing will march to the commission office, accusing it of partisanship since the discovery of the victim’s body on August 9.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said Mahila Morcha members would lock the office from the outside.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/doctor-rape-murder-tmc-bjp-to-hold-protests-in-kolkata-on-august-30-3170285

Beijing also agreed to strictly abide by its “border-related agreements” with New Delhi, which had repeatedly alleged over the past few years that the violation of the 1993 and 1996 pacts by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army had necessitated countermeasure by the Indian Army and had led to the stand-off along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

New Delhi: After a meeting between the diplomats of the two nations to completely resolve the military stand-off along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, Beijing on Tuesday claimed to have “further narrowed differences” with New Delhi while India described its latest round of talks with China as “frank, constructive and forward-looking”.

Beijing also agreed to strictly abide by its “border-related agreements” with New Delhi, which had repeatedly alleged over the past few years that the violation of the 1993 and 1996 pacts by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army had necessitated countermeasure by the Indian Army and had led to the stand-off along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/china-agrees-to-abide-by-its-border-pacts-with-india-progress-made-on-ladakh-lac-military-stand-off-3169825

Harbhajan Singh spoke exclusively to Times Now on women’s safety and urged people to come together to ensure the safety of women in the wake of Kolkata rape-murder case and ‘Me Too’ movement in Mollywood.

Harbhajan Singh urges people to come together against atrocities against women