AHMEDABAD: Forty-one years later, a wrongful confinement case has caught up with former Gujarat DGP Kuldeep Sharma. The Bhuj Sessions Court had issued an arrest warrant against the retired IPS officer after he failed to surrender following his conviction for wrongful confinement in the 1984 Kutch smuggling-linked case. The court had ordered Sharma to appear and surrender within 15 days. After he failed to do so in connection with the criminal case dating back to 1984, the court expressed its dis

AHMEDABAD: Sahil Majothi, a young man from Gujarat's Morbi who went to Russia hoping for a better future, now stands accused as a mercenary in the Ukraine war. The shocking saga unfolded after the Ukrainian Army released a video of his surrender. A mother's cry is echoing louder in Morbi than the chaos of war. His mother claims he was framed, trapped, and lured into the Russian Army following a false drug case. His family pleads for justice, saying their sons dreams were crushed. Sahil left for

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday reserved its order on the plea filed by actor Vijays political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and others challenging the Madras High Courts order constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the Karur stampede incident. We will pass appropriate orders. We will see what can be done, said a two-judge bench of the top court, comprising Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice N.V. Anajaria. During the hearing, the bench questioned the manner in

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Friday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her remarks on the proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, accusing her of threats that there will be iots and violence in the state if the Election Commission starts the process. This came a day after Banerjee launched a blistering attack on the poll panel, alleging that its officials were hreatening officers of her government and acting under political influence even before the announce

PATNA: Bihar CM Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United) is set to face another setback ahead of assembly elections as former Purnea MP Santosh Kushwaha has decided to quit the party and join Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) led by former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. Kushwaha, who served as MP from Purnea for two terms, was in touch with Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav ever since he lost the election last year. Sources said that RJD is planning to field Kushwaha against Lesi Singh, JD(U) M

NEW DELHI: Although the nomination process for 121 seats in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections began on Friday, ahead of polling on November 6, both the JD(U)-led NDA and the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan are yet to finalise seat-sharing arrangements within their alliances and the announcement of candidate lists. The situation highlights how forming and managing pre-poll alliances in Bihar has become increasingly difficult, driven by shifting political equations and competing ambitions. S

RANCHI: The Supreme Court on Friday granted conditional bail to former Ranchi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Chhavi Ranjan in a money laundering case linked to a land scam. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 4, 2023, and has been in judicial custody since then. Chhavi Ranjan, a 2011 batch IAS officer, has served as the Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi and was posted at the Department of Social Welfare when he was arrested by the ED. The bail plea was heard in the Supreme Court by

CHANDIGARH: The Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government in Haryana is exploring the possibility of replacing Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Rohtak Narendra Bijarnia by sending them on long leave, while appointing an officiating DGP amid mounting pressure on the state administration to act on the explosive allegations made by senior IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar in his nine-page suicide note . The case has snowballed into a major political and adm

SRINAGAR: The body of a second missing elite para commando has been recovered from the Gadole forest area in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag district on Friday. The body of the second missing para commando was recovered by the security force personnel today during the ongoing search operation in the dense forest area of Gadole in Kokernag in Anantnag district, sources said. The body of the other missing para commando was recovered by security force personnel from the forest area yesterday. The ident

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday came down heavily on the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing them of fostering a feudal mindset and turning a blind eye to rising caste-based violence in the country. Referring to NCRB data from 2013 to 2023, Kharge stated that crimes against Dalits have increased by 46%, while crimes against Adivasis have surged by 91% during the same period. In a post on X, he accused the BJP of enabling and justifyin

PATNA: Filing of nomination papers began on Friday for the elections to 121 seats in the first phase of the Bihar assembly polls, officials said. The first round of the elections will be held on November 6. Candidates can file their nomination papers til October 17, and the scrutiny of such documents will be held on the next day, according to a notification. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 20 for the first phase of the assembly polls. Patna, Darbhanga, Madhepura, Saharsa,

NEW DELHI: In a significant diplomatic step, India has announced the upgrading of its Technical Mission in Kabul to a full-fledged Embassy, the clearest signal yet of New Delhis intent to deepen engagement with Afghanistan under the Taliban administration. The announcement came during the meeting betweenExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Afghanistans Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi ,where both sides discussed a wide-ranging agenda, from reconstruction and humanitarian aid to se

The Supreme Court on Friday granted the Central government four weeks to respond to a series of petitions seeking the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. A bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was hearing multiple petitions, including those filed by academician Zahoor Ahmad Bhat and socio-political activist Ahmad Malik. The petitioners urged the Court to ensure the implementation of the Centres earlier assurance to reinstate statehood to the Union Territor

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses of the Centre and the Election Commission on a PIL seeking recognition of voting rights for nearly 4.5 lakh undertrial prisoners lodged in jails across India. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran took note of the submissions of lawyer Prashant Bhushan that the present blanket ban imposed under Section 62(5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, violates constitutional guarantees and international

India has launched the National Red List Assessment initiative, marking a significant step towards a science-based, equitable, and people-centred approach to the conservation of flora and fauna by 2030, as announced in Dubai. The initiative is part of Indias commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the KunmingMontreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). In a statement, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), which is leading the National Red

RANCHI: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is willing to contest at least 12 assembly seats in the upcoming Bihar polls as an ally of the INDIA bloc, a party leader said on Friday. The final decision on the number of seats where the party will field candidates will be made only after a meeting with the INDIA bloc partners, he said. The seat-sharing deal among the INDIA bloc constituents will be finalised in a day or two, JMM general secretary Vinod Kumar Pandey said. We have conveyed our intention

KANPUR: About 100 quintals of illegal firecrackers worth over Rs 50 lakh have been seized and six persons arrested after an explosion triggered by illegal storage of crackers left eight people injured in a market here, police said on Friday. The extensive crackdown on illegal firecrackers across the city has been initiated after a massive explosion rocked the congested Mishri Bazaar area here on Wednesday, leaving eight people injured and two scooters damaged. Police said the explosion took plac

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Assam Polices Crime Investigation Department has arrested two Personal Security Officers (PSOs) linked to the late singer Zubeen Garg in connection with his sudden demise in Singapore. Zubeen Garg, a celebrated singer, passed away on September 19, in Singapore, just a day before he was scheduled to perform at the Northeast India Festival. The SIT has taken into custody Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya, who had long served as Gargs personal security office

NEW DELHI: In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday held that age restrictions would not apply to all intending couples who began the process of having a child prior to the enactment of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021. The court ruled that couples who had frozen their embryos before the implementation of the law on 25 January 2022 would be allowed to proceed with surrogacy irrespective of their age. The right to make reproductive choices, including pursuing surrogacy, is a fa

SRINAGAR: In a significant political move, the Awami Ittihad Party (AIP) of jailed Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) MP Er Rashid has announced that itwont support either the opposition BJP or the ruling National Conference (NC) but instead will field its own candidate in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls inthe J&K Union Territory. The AIP has a lone legislator in the 90-member J&K Assembly. Talking to TNIE, AIP chief spokesman Inam-un-Nabi said the party, after thorough discussion, has decided not to s

NEW DELHI: To achieve self-sufficiency in pulse production, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch the Dalhan Atmanirbhar Mission, an ambitious initiative aimed at boosting both production and productivity over the next five years. With a budget outlay of Rs 11,440 crore, the government plans to distribute 12.6 million quintals of certified seeds to help increase pulse production from the current 24 million tonnes to an ambitious target of 35 million tonnes. Additionally, it aims to raise

BIJAPUR: A boy suffered injuries after an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxals went off in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said on Friday. The incident took place on Thursday afternoon in Pidia village within the jurisdiction of Gangaloor police station, a police official said. The minor inadvertently came in contact with the pressure IED, which exploded, causing him injuries, he said. Local villagers informed security forces about the incident, following which a joint tea

The United States has imposed sanctions on more than 50 entities, individuals, and vessels, including two Indian nationals for allegedly facilitating the sale of Iranian energy products, as part of its broader effort to dismantle Irans oil and petrochemical export network. The sanctions, announced Thursday by the US Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), target actors accused of helping Iran export billions of dollars worth of petroleum and related products, which Washingt

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Friday said special arrangements will be made at polling stations in Bihar for dignified identification of women voters in burqa or purdah. In a statement, the poll authority said to encourage participation of 'purdanasheen' (in burqa or purdah) women, special arrangements will be made at the polling stations as per its instructions for their dignified identification in the presence of lady polling officers or attendants while ensuring their privacy. Address

Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president Keisham Meghachandra on Friday slammed the National People's Party (NPP), accusing it of contributing significantly to the political and social instability in the strife-torn state. His remarks come amid Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP chief Conrad K Sangmas two-day visit to Manipur. Calling the visit a 'political manoeuvre', Meghachandra claimed it was aimed at reviving the NDAs diminishing influence in Manipur, which has been grappling with ethnic

NEW DELHI: Next to the United States, India has the highest number of educational institutions figuring in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026. A total of 128 institutes from India have made it to the rankings, with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore rated the best in the country and categorised in the 201-250 rank band. For the tenth consecutive year, the University of Oxford was rated the best in the world, the rankings state. A total of 2,191 institut

NEW DELHI: In a strong push for business expansion, job creation, and education partnerships, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Keir Starmer on Thursday reiterated their commitment to unlocking the full potential of the recently signed IndiaUK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Meeting in Mumbai, the two leaders jointly addressed the CEO Summit and the Global Fintech Fest, laying out a clear vision for strengthening economic ties and catalysing growth in ke

NEW DELHI: British Prime Minister Keir Starmers visit to India has renewed momentum behind the IndiaUK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), with Indian businesses hopeful of improved market access and British firms eyeing Indias talent and growth potential. Indian exporters expect immediate gains in sectors such as garments, footwear, seafood, and engineering goods, as the deal slashes tariffs on 99% of Indian exports. British companies, meanwhile, are looking to deepen their prese

NEW DELHI: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the UPA government of being too soft on Pakistan, Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram responded on Thursday, saying that PM Modis attack on him was a figment of imagination. In a post on X, Chidambaram said, It is disappointing to read that the Honble prime minister of India imagined the words and attributed them to me. The statement has three parts, and each one of them is terribly wrong, said Chidambaram. I quote t

NEW DELHI: Sex education should be provided to children from a younger age, not from Class IX onwards, the Supreme Court held. We are of the opinion that sex education should be provided to children from a younger age and not Class IX onwards. It is for the authorities concerned to apply their mind and take corrective measures, so that children are informed of the changes that happen after puberty, and the care and cautions to be taken in relation thereto, said, the bench. A two-judge bench made

NEW DELHI: Countering Pakistans comments on Jammu and Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Lok Sabha MP PP Chaudhary, asserted that the Union Territory remains an integral and inalienable part of India. Leader of Indias first delegation to the UNGA, Chaudhary dismissed Pakistans remarks as baseless. Delivering Indias statement during the general debate in the third committee of the forum, he further said the comments reflected Islamabads habitual misuse of UN platforms to diver

NEW DELHI: From the coming academic year, candidates aspiring to take up the competitive exams conducted by the National Testing Agency are likely to be allotted centres based on the Address in their Aadhaar card. This is aimed at transparency and is a response to criticism about the far-flung centres allocated for many students during the exams held in 2025. Aadhaar-address-based centre allotment will be followed, and candidates can no longer choose any test centre they prefer, according to rel

Cong corporator ousted over Love Jihad case The Indore Municipal Corporation has ended the membership of Congress Corporator Anwar Qadri, also known as Anwar Dacoit. The decision was passed by voice vote amid a walkout by Congress members. Qadri had surrendered before a local court in a June 2025 case that alleged funding of men to target and convert women from other communities. He is also accused in several other criminal cases in Indore, including forcing women into prostitution. The corporat

NEW DELHI/PATNA : The BJP has shortlisted candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections for seats falling under its quota, sources in the party said on Thursday. This followed a series of party meetings in Patna. The final approval of these candidates is likely to take place on October 11 during the BJPs Central Election Committees expected meeting, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other key members. According to the sources, the BJP central leadership will also hold a fi

DEHRADUN: A growing tiger population in Uttarakhand is creating tension in the forests, not just among humans but also among wildlife. With more tigers staking claim to prime jungle areas, leopards are being forced out of their natural habitats and into nearby human settlements, sowing the seeds of a human-animal conflict. Forest Department sources said the leopards, caught between the dominance of tigers in the jungle and the dangers of human settlements outside, are struggling to survive. The

RAIPUR: The resignation of IIM Raipur Director, Prof. Ram Kumar Kakani, highlights the inconsistencies between the IIM Act and the institutes HR policies, which some academics acknowledge have persisted for years and are seen as a key reason behind his decision to step down. Prof. Kakani said the contradiction between the institutes HR policies and the spirit of the IIM Act of 2017 was limiting his professional scope, thereby hindering his work and decision-making. He resigned abruptly on July 2

NEW DELHI: An Indigo flight from Hyderabad to Mumbai was delayed by 37 minutes as a passenger, who is also a pilot, could not board his flight on time. The First Officer had to board this flight as a passenger so that he could report for duty in Mumbai! Flight 6E 5099 was scheduled to leave at 2.25 pm from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Thursday. However, it took off only by 3.02 pm, according to flight tracking platform flightstats.com. An Indigo source said, The First Officer, who got d

CHANDIGARH: Two days after Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar was found dead at his residence, the Chandigarh Police late Thursday evening registered an FIR against those named in his suicide note. The FIR has been filed under Sections 108, read with 3(5), of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 3(1)(r) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act at the Sector 11, Chandigarh police station. A senior police official said, We have registered an FIR based on the complaint by Amneet P Kumar. The c

NEW DELHI: Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who arrived in India on Thursday for a multi-day visit, is expected to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Darul Uloom Deoband seminary in Uttar Pradesh the spiritual birthplace of the Deobandi school of thought that shaped the Talibans ideology. The visit comes against the backdrop of growing unease in AfghanistanPakistan relations. After Pakistani airstrikes killed 46 people in Afghanistan in December 2024, the Taliban openly criticized I

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh police on Thursday arrested a student of the International Institute of Information Technology in Nava Raipur, accused of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create morphed obscene photos of around 36 girl students of the institute. A police team was sent to the IIIT on Wednesday after some inputs about the shocking incident were received, but were told by the institute management that an internal inquiry was being conducted by a three-member women's staff committee. We la

SRINAGAR: Security forces found the body of a soldier in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Thursday, while a search operation to locate another missing soldier entered its third day, officials said here. The body of one of the two soldiers who went missing on Tuesday was found from the Gadole forests in the Kokernag area of Anantnag, the officials said, adding that a preliminary examination suggests that he died of hypothermia. They said searches to track the other missing soldier are ong

BHOPAL: Unsatisfied with steps taken by the state government for containment of the residual ash generated from incineration of toxic waste of Union Carbide factory site, the Madhya Pradesh government has directed the government to relocate the ash to a place which is far away from human habitation, vegetation and water sources. A division bench of the HC, comprising Justices Atul Sreedharan and Pradeep Mittal directed the state government to file a report citing alternate sites for containment

MUMBAI: Maharashtra home minister for the state and Shiv Sena MLA Yogesh Kadam landed into trouble over permitting a gun license to infamous rowdy Nilesh Ghayawal, despite receiving a negative report from the local police. Oppositions demanded an inquiry and the resignation of Minister Yogesh Kadam. Nilesh Ghayawals brother, Sachin Ghayawal, had sought a gun license. There are serious criminal charges against Ghahayal. The local Police in its report said that the court has not exonerated the cha

LUCKNOW: A massive LPG cylinder explosion in the Pagla Bhari village, under the Puraklandar police station area of Ayodhya on Thursday killed five members of a family, including three chidlren. Those who lost their lives in the explosion included house owner Ram Kumar Kasodhan alias Pappu, his wife, and three children, while four others were injured. According to Ayodhya Police, the blast was triggered by an LPG cylinder and was so powerful that it scattered debris within a 100-metre radius. A b

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (CPI) has been offered six seats as part of the seat-sharing arrangement within the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections though the party had demanded 10 seats. With disagreement over seat allocation continuing among alliance partners, CPI General Secretary D Raja departed for Patna on Thursday to hold final negotiations regarding the deal. An official announcement is expected to be made on Friday, said the Left party

NEW DELHI: A day after the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the Congress party finalised the names of 25 candidates for the upcoming Bihar elections, top leaders of the party landed in Patna on Thursday to hold direct talks with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Yadav on the seat-sharing formula. According to sources, the direction to hold talks with Yadav came from senior leader Rahul Gandhi, who is currently on a four-nation visit to South America. The fresh negotiations are aimed at

GUWAHATI: Clashes broke out between villagers from Assam and Meghalaya at a place on the interstate border on Thursday, which left one person dead and another injured. The violence occurred when villagers from Meghalaya went to harvest paddy. When a group of villagers from Lapangap village in Meghalayas West Jaintia Hills district reached the site at around 9:30 am, the residents of Tahpat village in Assams West Karbi Anglong district objected to it over disputes surrounding land ownership. Soon

BHOPAL: As the death toll of children from cough syrup poisoning continued to rise in Madhya Pradesh, the states chief minister Dr Mohan Yadav has accused the Tamil Nadu government of not providing adequate support on the issue. According to official sources, the death toll of children at hospitals in Nagpur and Chhindwara stands presently at 23, including 20 from Chhindwara, one from Pandhurna and two from Betul district. In an associated development, Ranganathan, the 75-year-old owner of the T

RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday, quashed a local court order linked to alleged derogatory remarks made by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi against the then BJP President Amit Shah. A single-judge bench of Justice Anil Kumar Choudhary also sent the matter back to the lower court for fresh consideration. While passing the order, the court observed that the Chief Judicial Magistrate appeared to have been influenced by the directions of the Sessions Court while taking cognizance in the

NEW DELHI: As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen national security and enhance operational preparedness against evolving aerial threats, the Indian Army has begun procuring an indigenously developed Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid System named Saksham. The Army on Thursday said, The system is designed to detect, track, identify, and neutralise hostile drones and unmanned aerial systems in real time, ensuring complete airspace security across what is now defined as the Tactical B