New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) An Air India plane carrying 211 people from Delhi to Chicago was diverted to an airport in Canada on Tuesday following a bomb threat, according to officials.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the flight made an emergency landing at Iqaluit, Nunavut, and all the 211 passengers and the crew disembarked.

Air India said flight AI127 operating from Delhi to Chicago on October 15 was the subject of a security threat posted online and, as a precautionary measure, has landed at Iqaluit Airport in Canada.

The flight was operated with a Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft.

"The aircraft and passengers are being re-screened as per the laid down security protocol. Air India has activated agencies at the airport to assist the passengers until such time that their journey can resume," the airline said in a statement to PTI.

Officials said the flight received a bomb threat.

Around 1240 am (IST) Wednesday, one of the officials said that local agencies are carrying out security checks of the aircraft. Passengers are in a temperature-controlled area at the airport and have been served refreshments and food, the official added.

In a post on X at 1230 am (IST), Air India said colleagues at the airport are working to arrange the best alternative flight for the passengers to reach their destination at the earliest.

In its statement issued earlier in the day, the RCMP said, "All 211 passengers and crew disembarked the aircraft and were relocated to the Iqaluit International airport." Air India, in the statement, also said that the carrier as well as other local airlines have been subject to a number of threats in recent days.

"Though all have subsequently been found to be hoaxes, as a responsible airline operator all threats are taken seriously. The inconvenience to customers is sincerely regretted," it said.

Further, the airline said it is extending all cooperation to authorities in identifying the perpetrators of such threats to ensure that they are held accountable for the disruption and inconvenience caused to passengers.

Air India also said it will consider legal action against those responsible to recover damages incurred by the airline.

On Tuesday, apart from Air India's Delhi-Chicago flight, six other Indian flights received bomb threat messages through a social media handle.

On Monday, an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York was diverted to Delhi after a bomb threat.

Following standard security protocols, a thorough inspection was conducted and no suspicious item was found inside the aircraft. PTI RAM IAS TIR

TIR

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) With the young medics' indefinite hunger strike in West Bengal entering the ninth day on Tuesday, Indian Medical Association chief Dr R V Asokan said doctors have always been "soft targets" and that "injustice inflicted on the medical fraternity has no parallel".

Doctors in West Bengal began their hunger strike on October 5, following nearly 50 days of 'cease work' in two phases, over the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

In a statement, posted on X by the IMA, Dr Asokan said on Tuesday that from the word go a doctor in India is a "slave chained by the Bond system".

In the post titled "Meek shall inherit the Earth", Dr Asokan said the rape and murder of the resident doctor at Kolkata's R G Kar Hospital and Medical College has brought out the "rot that has set in the country's medical colleges".

"We are witness to how the sacrifice of the young resident suffocated and raped to a brutal death is haunting the empire. Her death brought out the rot that has set in our medical colleges," he said.

Comparing the doctors' agitation to the Fast undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi in Kolkata in the sunset hours of the British Empire, he said the "children of Hippocrates are waging a war by silence and suffering. The State has no clue."

He raised questions on whether the residents who are postgraduates are there to learn clinical medicine or are the employees of the state to run medical colleges.

"Who is responsible for 30 hours duty rosters? Who is accountable for 100 hours a week burden of these children? How many young suicides will open our eyes to the horror that our medical colleges have become," he asked.

He further said that there are 706 medical colleges and 72 more are on the anvil.

He said 1.5 lakh MBBS doctors unemployed at any given time are "loitering in inhumane coaching institutions". Governments cry of shortage yet have no clue how to deploy these fine graduates of medicine, he said.

Dr Asokan further stressed that the crime at RG Kar is only a symptom and "nothing short of a renaissance could fix the mess. Maybe we doctors were soft to be misunderstood as meek".

"One RG Kar is more than enough, It is just a wake-up call. Invest in Health. The violence in Hospitals is directly related to decades of criminal underfunding. Industrialisation of Healthcare is not the answer. Redeem Health," he said.

Meanwhile, several junior doctors and medical students across India observed a 12-hour-long hunger strike on Tuesday to express their solidarity with the striking doctors in Kolkata following a nationwide hunger strike call given by the IMA's junior doctors' wing.

The young doctors initially went on "cease work" following the alleged rape and murder of their colleague on August 9. They ended their stir after 42 days on September 21 following assurances from the state government to look into their demands.

However, they began the indefinite fast at the Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala in the heart of Kolkata again claiming that the government did not fulfil their demands.

Some of the demands of the protesters are justice for their colleague, immediate removal of Health Secretary N S Nigam, and formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms and washrooms at their workplace. PTI PLB

TIR

TIR

Lucknow, Oct 15 (PTI) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said two crore new members have joined the BJP in the state, as the party closed the second phase of its membership campaign that began on October 1.

In a post on 'X', Adityanath welcomed these members to the BJP family and praised the collective efforts of the workers on this achievement.

"There is full confidence that every member of the state BJP family, imbued with the spirit of 'Nation First', will prove to be a partner with full energy and commitment in the fulfilment of the resolution of 'Developed Uttar Pradesh - Developed India'," he said.

According to a statement issued here by the BJP, two crore new members have joined the ruling party in the state.

The second phase of BJP's membership campaign started on October 1 and continued till October 15.

The party's state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary had announced a target of two crore new joinees, in a meeting of party officials, public representatives and workers held here last month. PTI ABN RPA

Prayagraj, Oct 15 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to a man accused of raping a girl on the pretext of marriage and impregnating her, with the condition that after release, he has to marry the teenager and take care of their newborn baby.

Justice Krishan Pahal, while passing the order, also directed the accused to pay Rs 2 lakh for a fixed deposit to be opened in the name of the newborn child.

The applicant Abhishek is being released on bail on the assurance of his counsel that "he shall marry the victim within three months from his release from jail and take care of her as well as the newborn baby", Justice Pahal said.

"The applicant shall deposit a sum of Rs 2,00,000 in the name of new born baby of the victim till her attaining the age of majority within a period of six months from the date of release from jail," the court said, imposing the condition.

The man allegedly deceived the girl, aged about 15 years, and established physical relations with her under the false promise of marriage, according to the prosecution.

The victim later became pregnant and the accused allegedly refused to fulfil his promise of marriage and even threatened her. Subsequently, a rape case was registered against him under the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act at Chilkana police station of Saharanpur district.

The counsel for the applicant claimed that the survivor is a major and as per ossification report, she is 18-year-old.

Besides, in her statement before magistrate under Section 164 of criminal procedure code, the survivor stated that no force was applied to her, Abhishek's counsel added.

During the hearing, the bench was informed that the accused is willing to take responsibility of the survivor and marry her. He is also prepared to take care of the baby girl born to the accused and the survivor, the counsel assured the court.

The lawyer further stated that the applicant has been in jail since April 4, 2024 and assured that if granted bail, he would not misuse his liberty.

After hearing the rival arguments, the court said a nuanced approach is required in cases involving adolescent relationships.

"The challenge lies in distinguishing between genuine cases of exploitation and those involving consensual relationships. This requires a nuanced approach and careful judicial consideration to ensure justice is served appropriately," the court added. PTI COR RAJ RPA

Keonjhar (Odisha), Oct 15 (PTI) One person died and three others were injured in a clash between two groups over an old rivalry at a village in Odisha’s Keonjhar district on Tuesday, police said.

The incident took place at Pandua village in the evening when a young man of one group was allegedly hacked to death by a member of the rival faction, they said.

Following this, members on the side of the deceased retaliated and set the assailant’s house on fire besides attacking his father, mother and brother, a police officer said.

As tension escalated, the police deployed additional personnel in the village to bring the situation under control.

“The police have arrested the main accused in the murder,” the officer said. PTI CORR AAM RBT

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) The AIIMS-Delhi is planning to start a weekly OPD to spread awareness among patients on how they would like to be medically treated or not treated should they lose the decision-making capacity due to an accident or disease.

The proposed move comes in the backdrop of the Union health ministry issuing draft "Guidelines for Withdrawal of Life Support in Terminally Ill Patients".

Dr Sushma Bhatnagar, the chief of Dr B R Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital at AIIMS, said that the weekly OPD would be started by the cancer institute to extend counseling to registered patients about the Advance Medical Directives (AMD) and get the legal document made.

Advance Medical Directives (AMD) is a written declaration made by a person with decision-making capacity documenting how they would like to be medically treated or not treated should they lose capacity.

"Terminally ill patients or those who suffer fatal accidents and are not salvageable are put on life support and keep on getting treated unnecessarily. The idea is that one can make such AMDs when they are still in sound mind and decide on how they want to be treated or not treated should they lose the decision-making capacity later," Dr Bhatnagar said.

The fundamental principle of Palliative care is not to prolong suffering by putting someone on life support unnecessarily but ease their pain by taking proper care of the symptoms, Dr Bhatnagar explained.

"The idea is not to hasten death or desert them. Putting such patients in the ICU or on life support makes them cut off from the entire family," Dr Bhatnagar said.

"People talk about health literacy but death literacy among the masses is equally important," she said, underlining promoting AMDs is not because of any pressure on resources and medical infrastructure, but to take the medical treatment in the right direction.

In 2018, the Supreme Court for the first time stated explicitly that ADMs are legally valid documents and laid down guidelines on how it should be implemented, advocate Dhvani Mehta said.

In 2018, to execute an ADM one had to go to a judicial magistrate but now one can do it before a notary or a gazetted officer.

"The first principle of medical ethics is autonomy in how the patients want to be treated when they fall sick. When I am a person of sane mind and can exercise decision-making capacity I tell the doctor I don't want this treatment and they are bound to respect it.

"The idea behind an AMD is why should that same autonomy not exist when you have lost your decision-making capacity. There will be situations arising out of dementia, stroke or accident when one may lose their decision making capacity but if they had made the AMD in a sane informed decision stating clearly that they do not wish to be put on life support then accordingly doctors and family members would take a decision," Mehta said.

Since the Supreme Court order in 2018, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of people getting their AMDs made, Dr Bhatnagar said.

The draft "Guidelines for Withdrawal of Life Support in Terminally Ill Patients", also state that doctors should take a considered decision to not start a life supporting measure in a terminally-ill patient, that is unlikely to benefit the patient and is likely to harm in terms of suffering and loss of dignity.

The draft document states that many patients in the ICU are terminally ill, and not expected to benefit from life sustaining treatments (LST).

"In such circumstances, LST are non-beneficial and increase avoidable burdens and suffering to patients and therefore, are considered excessive and inappropriate. Additionally, they increase emotional stress and economic hardship to the family and moral distress to professional caregivers," the draft said. PTI PLB TIR

TIR

Kolkata, Oct 15 (PTI) Over 85 award-winning Durga Puja committees displayed idols of the goddess on decorated tableaux, which moved in a procession on Red Road here in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and several envoys on Tuesday evening.

The state government-organised ‘Durga Puja Carnival’ featuring 89 puja committees took place simultaneously with the agitating junior doctors’ 'Droher Carnival' (carnival of protest) over the RG Kar incident, at Rani Rashmoni Road in Esplanade area.

Projecting various themes from Bengal's cultural heritage to women's empowerment, freedom struggle, communal harmony and devotion, the tableaux travelled on the over 1-km road stretch in the heart of the city in a dazzling show.

The ‘Durga Puja Carnival’ is annually held since 2016. UNESCO had conferred the 'intangible heritage' status to Bengal's Durga Puja in 2021, elevating the state’s biggest festival to the global stage.

The Forward Club, Santoshpur Trikon Park, Chetla Agrani, Suruchi Sangha, Ballygunge Cultural Association, Behala Nutan Dal, Ahiritola Sarbojanin, Chaltabagan Sarbojanin, Chorbagan, Naktala Udayan Sangha, Tridhara, Lalabagan Nabankur, Babubagan, Sreebhumi Sporting, Salt Lake FD Block and Hatibagan Sarbojanin were among the 89 puja committees.

The chief minister was present at the programme along with her cabinet colleagues. Among others who attended were diplomats of different countries, film stars and notable personalities from various fields.

Later, in a post on X, the CM said: “I thank the lakhs of spectators who joined the Immersion Carnival today evening in Kolkata in different modes to witness the grand finale of the Durga Puja festival of Bengal this year. On Red Road, Kolkata, marched about a hundred great icons of the Devi in their full splendour, and we saw their majestic journey to the immersion ghats on the river Ganga, spellbound and in awe.”

“By now, the festival is international. Career consuls of foreign missions as well as hundreds of foreign tourists visited the Carnival this year too. The lights, the music, the dances, the Puja organisers' sparkling processions and performances, and the underlying deep humane bhakti for the Mother Goddess mesmerized the literati and the glitterati, the common men and women alike,” she added.

The state-sponsored carnival began at 4:45 pm and continued till 9:15 pm.

Meanwhile, the junior medics launched their 'Droher Carnival' from Rani Rashmoni Road, shortly after the Calcutta High Court set aside prohibitory orders in areas near the ‘Durga Puja Carnival’ on Red Road.

The protest rally saw participation of people from all walks of life, who joined the doctors demanding justice for the RG Kar hospital medic raped and murdered in August.

"This is a response from the common people who want to protest against the West Bengal government's insensitive approach. CM Mamata Banerjee seems unconcerned that young doctors are on a fast-unto-death," said Debasish Halder, one of the protesting doctors.

The medics have been on a hunger strike since October 5.

On Red Road, the tableaux moved in a procession, as members of the Durga Puja clubs danced and sang on the carnival stretch to the beats of ‘dhak’ (traditional drum), while folk artistes took part in a brief cultural performance.

Thousands of people also gathered to witness the event, cheering the performances and the artwork.

Kolkata Police personnel, deployed in large numbers, kept vigil along the carnival route, including many who were atop watch towers. Drones were also used to ensure tight security, officials said. PTI SUS RBT

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) said on Tuesday that a lack of network of workers and farmers movements across villages and insufficient unity among them failed to decisively unite people against the BJP in the Haryana polls.

In a statement, the SKM, which led the farmers' protests of 2020, said there are lessons to be learnt from Haryana election results and work towards uniting farmers and workers to fight the "corporate loot and anti-farmer policies" of the BJP-led Union government.

"Even though the majority of the people had voted against the anti-worker, anti-farmer BJP, the opposition political parties failed to displace it from governance due to disunity and internal conflicts among them," they said.

"Insufficient unity of the kisan movement and lack of network of workers and farmers movements across the villages to decisively unite the people caused the failure to isolate and oust BJP," SKM said.

Appealing for greater unity of the farmer organisations, the SKM said it will take efforts to reach out to all sections of working people who "still remain unaware that the acute agrarian crisis and the extreme unemployment stems from the neo-liberal, pro-corporate development policies being pursued by the BJP-NDA combine".

The SKM also said that despite BJP's claim of growing support in its favour, 60.1 per cent voting was against it.

"BJP secured only 39.9 per cent votes - 7 per cent less than the 46 per cent they got in the Lok Sabha election. The toiling masses should recognise the RSS-BJP game plan to divide workers and farmers on caste and religion," they said.

The SKM also said that election manifesto of opposition political parties did not categorically include legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops at "C2+50 per cent" formula.

It also did not include "comprehensive loan waiver to the farmers and farm workers and minimum wage and social security to the workers" and so failed to arouse and rally maximum sections of the farmers and workers in support of them, the SKM said.

"The SKM and Central Trade Unions had convened the Kisan-Mazdoor Mahapanchayat at Hisar, organised village level Kisan-Mazdoor Mahapanchayat and observed 28th September 2024, the birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh as anti-corporate day in villages as part of the 'Expose, Oppose, Defeat BJP' campaign. These campaigns helped to rally the majority of the workers and farmers to vote against the pro-corporate BJP," they said.

"SKM congratulates the people of Haryana for putting BJP in visible minority out of the polled votes," it added.

Despite predictions by many pollsters about a Congress win, it lost the assembly polls in the state, which was one of the main centers of the ongoing farmers' agitations.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 39.94 per cent of the vote share and won 48 seats in the 90-member Haryana assembly in the recently conducted elections, while the Congress got 39.09 per cent and won 37 seats. PTI AO SKY

SKY

Kolkata, Oct 15 (PTI) Agitating junior doctors on Tuesday evening took out a protest rally from Rani Rashmoni Road in the city's Esplanade area, shortly after the Calcutta High Court set aside prohibitory orders in areas around the West Bengal government’s ‘Durga Puja Carnival’ nearby.

The 'Droher Carnival' by the Joint Platform of Doctors saw participation of people from all walks of life, who joined the doctors in demanding justice for the RG Kar hospital victim.

"This is a response from the common people who want to protest against the state government's insensitive approach. The CM seems unconcerned that young doctors are on a fast-unto-death," said Debasish Halder, one of the protesting doctors.

The medics have been on a hunger strike since October 5.

The rallyists chanted slogans while others marched alongside, holding posters highlighting the junior doctors' demands.

Among the several celebrities who joined them was noted actor and director Aparna Sen.

"I am with them. I have come here to show my support... This is the place where I belong and not the (government’s) Puja Carnival," Sen said.

Over 85 award-winning Durga Puja committees displayed idols of the goddess on decorated tableaux, which moved in a procession on Red Road here in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and several envoys.

Meanwhile, the protesting doctors and common people, who gathered at the Dorina Crossing, had a brief argument with DC (Central) Indira Mukhopadhyay and other senior police officers who arrived there when the agitators were trying to form a human chain.

During the day, two more junior doctors – Sapdan Chowdhury and Rumelika Kumar – joined their other colleagues in their ongoing ‘fast-unto-death’ over the RG Kar incident.

Sourav Dutta, one of the fasting medics, was admitted to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital after his health condition deteriorated, an official of the medical facility said. PTI SCH RBT

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Union minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said from being a "taboo", the BJP rose with the highest vote share in Jammu and Kashmir, marking an incredible journey in the recent assembly elections in the Union Territory.

Addressing a media conclave, Singh said the BJP registered its best ever performance in J&K and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for having introduced in the last 10 years a new work culture wherein the benefits of development and public welfare schemes reached to every section of society regardless of caste, creed or religion.

"This was a huge departure from the politics followed by Congress party which was primarily based on vote bank considerations," the science and technology minister said.

He said the BJP is a party that has ensured fair deal to every citizen, following the mantra for "justice to all, appeasement to none".

Singh said there were times when a returning officer would reject all the nomination papers and accept only that of the ruling party candidate and declare him a winner uncontested even before the day of polling.

"From there we have traversed into a long spell of militancy where, for over three decades, elections were held under fear of gun with boycott call by Pakistan and separatist groups resulting in just eight per cent to 10 per cent polling managed by a handful of individuals and families to perpetuate their rule from generation to generation," Singh said.

The senior BJP leader said this was for the first time that mainstreaming of democracy took place in J&K and the elections witnessed the same festivity and enthusiasm as anywhere in the country. PTI SKU KVK

KVK

Washington, Oct 16 (PTI) India has stated it is taking seriously the allegations of a plot to kill an American citizen, the United States on Tuesday said as a team of visiting Indian officials had a meeting with the officials of the State Department and Department of Justice here.

“I don’t have a readout on the meeting yet. The meeting was here as a follow-up on conversations we have been having with the Government of India at the senior-most levels over the past several months,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference.

“They have told us that they are taking the allegations seriously, that the activities contained in the DOJ indictment do not represent government policy,” Miller said in response to a question.

“So the meeting that happened this week or that is happening today by India’s inquiry was to discuss their active investigation into the matter, for us to update them on our active investigation into the matter, and to continue to share sides about steps that could happen in the days and weeks to come,” he said in response to a question.

The remarks came after an Indian enquiry committee established to investigate the American allegations of the involvement of an Indian government official in a foiled plot to assassinate a US national visited here on Tuesday.

In November last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. Gupta, arrested in the Czech Republic in June last year, was extradited to the US on June 14.

India has denied the allegations but has constituted an internal investigations team to look into it.

Responding to another question, he said India continues to be an incredibly strong partner of the United States.

“We work with them on a number of matters, including our shared vision for a free, open, prosperous Indo-Pacific. And when we have concerns, we have the kind of relationship where we can take those concerns to them and have very frank, candid conversations about those concerns. And that’s what we’ve been doing,” Miller said. PTI LKJ AS

AS

AS

Washington, Oct 16 (PTI) The United States on Tuesday said any kind of threats against commercial aviation are inappropriate as several Air India flights, including those headed to Chicago and New York, received threat of a bomb in the planes.

The New Delhi-Chicago flight made an emergency landing at Iqaluit Airport in Canada, Mumbai-New York flight landed in New Delhi while fighter jets were deployed for the plane headed towards Singapore. For the past several months, a group of American and Canadian citizens, primarily from separatist Sikh groups, have been openly calling for blowing up Air India flights.

“Any kind of threats against commercial aviation are inappropriate and matters that are dealt with extremely seriously by our own law enforcement agencies. I would refer to those law enforcement agencies to speak about …I think it's a matter for law enforcement agencies, predominantly the Department of Justice, to speak to as, a first instance,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference.

In a statement, Air India said the other local airlines have been subject to a number of threats in recent days.

“Though all have subsequently been found to be hoaxes, as a responsible airline operator all threats are taken seriously,” it said.

Air India said it is extending all cooperation to the authorities in identifying the perpetrators of such threats to ensure they are held accountable for the disruption and inconvenience caused to the passengers and will consider legal action against those responsible to recover damages incurred by the airline. PTI LKJ AS

AS

Washington, Oct 16 (PTI) India is not cooperating with Canada on the latter’s investigation into the killing of a Sikh separatist last year, the United States alleged Tuesday.

“When it comes to the Canadian matter, we have made clear that the allegations are extremely serious and they need to be taken seriously. We wanted to see the government of India cooperate with Canada in its investigation. Obviously, they have not chosen that path,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a day earlier alleged that officials of the Indian government were involved in the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last June in Surrey.

“The RCMP has clear and compelling evidence that agents of the Government of India have engaged in, and continue to engage in, activities that pose a significant threat to public safety. This includes clandestine information gathering techniques, coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians, and involvement in over a dozen threatening and violent acts, including murder. This is unacceptable,” Trudeau alleged.

Rejecting the allegations, India not only called back its High Commissioner from Canada but also expelled six of its diplomats from New Delhi.

“Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side. This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.

“Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence. In 2018, his visit to India, which was aimed at currying favour with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort. His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard,” it said.

“That his government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-à-vis India, only aggravated matters. Under criticism for turning a blind eye to foreign interference in Canadian politics, his government has deliberately brought in India in an attempt to mitigate the damage. This latest development targeting Indian diplomats is now the next step in that direction. It is no coincidence that it takes place as Prime Minister Trudeau is to depose before a Commission on foreign interference. It also serves the anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau government has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains,” the Minister of External Affairs said.

India said the Trudeau government has consciously provided space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate the Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada.

“This has included death threats to them and to Indian leaders. All these activities have been justified in the name of freedom of speech. Some individuals who have entered Canada illegally have been fast-tracked for citizenship. Multiple extradition requests from the Government of India in respect of terrorists and organized crime leaders living in Canada have been disregarded,” it said.

The United States refrained from commenting on the India-Canada diplomatic row.

“I don't have any comment on that. But as we've said before, they're serious allegations. And we have wanted to see India take them seriously -- seriously and cooperate with Canada's investigation. They have chosen an alternate path,” Miller said. PTI LKJ AS

AS

Islamabad, Oct 15 (PTI) Hours after External Affairs S Jaishankar landed in Pakistan to attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Islamabad on Tuesday said it was for India to decide if it wants to have a bilateral meeting with the Pakistani side on the sidelines of the conclave.

Pakistan's Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said that as the host of the SCO meeting, Islamabad would go by what the guests would like to have.

"We cannot propose. We have to go by the guests. If the guests want a bilateral meeting, we will certainly be too happy," he said.

Iqbal was responding to a question on whether Pakistan would like to propose a bilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan.

"As hosts, we cannot really, impress upon anyone whether they want a bilateral meeting," he said.

Both sides have already ruled out any bilateral talks between Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar on the sidelines of the SCO heads of the government summit.

Asked whether Pakistan would like to restore trade ties with India, Iqbal did not give a direct reply but said both sides should go by the spirits of the Lahore declaration.

The Lahore Declaration was signed on February 21, 1999 following talks between then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

It was considered as a key milestone in India-Pakistan relations.

"If we go to the spirit of Lahore declaration, I think there would be no problem that we cannot solve together," Iqbal said.

Jaishankar's visit to Pakistan is being seen in Islamabad as a positive move by India.

It is the first time in nearly nine years that India's foreign minister travelled to Pakistan even as the ties between the two neighbours remained tense over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

The external affairs minister will lead the Indian delegation at the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit on Wednesday.

The last Indian Foreign Minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj. She had travelled to Islamabad to attend the 'Heart of Asia' conference on Afghanistan that was held on December 8 to 9 in 2015.

The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India's warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack.

The relations further deteriorated after India on August 5, 2019 announced the withdrawal of special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and the bifurcation of the state into two union territories.

Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with India after New Delhi abrogated Article 370.

India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility for such engagement. PTI MPB SCY

SCY

Islamabad, Oct 15 (PTI) There is a "deep appetite" in Pakistan to see improvement in its ties with India, Pakistan's former interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said on Tuesday.

His comments came hours after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in the Pakistani capital to attend the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Kakar said Pakistan military, political parties and various other segments in the country desire forward movement in relations between New Delhi and Islamabad, but at the same time there is a realisation of the ground realities.

"I don't think there is any expectation that there would be a breakthrough in bilateral relations," he said, replying to a question by the Indian media.

Asked why Pakistan did not propose a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries if it seeks to improve bilateral ties, Kakar said the Pakistani establishment is also apprehensive of facing criticism from the opposition parties if it makes such a move.

If anyone in this polarised political environment concedes an inch, then there may be fall-out for that, he noted.

Kakar was Pakistan's caretaker prime minister between August 2023 and March this year.

"Pakistan is quite happy about hosting the multilateral (SCO meeting) and portraying itself as a confident player," he said.

Kakar strongly pitched for improvement in ties between Pakistan and India, saying both sides must find ways for it.

In the evening, Jaishankar exchanged pleasantries and briefly interacted with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The brief exchange took place at a dinner reception hosted by Sharif at his residence in honour of the delegates of the SCO member countries.

It is the first time in nearly nine years that India's foreign minister travelled to Pakistan even as the ties between the two neighbours remained tense over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

The external affairs minister will lead the Indian delegation at the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit on Wednesday.

The last Indian Foreign Minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj. She had travelled to Islamabad to attend the 'Heart of Asia' conference on Afghanistan that was held on December 8 to 9 in 2015.

The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India's warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack.

The relations further deteriorated after India on August 5, 2019 announced the withdrawal of special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and the bifurcation of the state into two union territories.

Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with India after New Delhi abrogated Article 370.

India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility for such engagement. PTI MPB SCY

SCY

Singapore, Oct 15 (PTI) Singapore Armed Forces on Tuesday scrambled two fighter jets to escort an Air India Express plane away from populated areas following a bomb threat before the aircraft landed safely at Singapore's Changi airport.

The Air India Express plane operating flight IX 684 from Madurai to Singapore had received a bomb threat.

Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said Air India Express received an email that there was a bomb on board flight AXB684 that was bound for Singapore.

"Two of our RSAF F-15SGs scrambled and escorted the plane away from populated areas, to finally land safely at Singapore Changi Airport at around 10:04 pm tonight," he said in a series of posts on X.

The Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) systems and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) were also activated. Once on the ground, the plane was handed to the airport police, he said and added that investigations are going on.

"Many thanks to the dedication and professionalism of our SAF and Home Team that keep us safe in our homes, even when threats exist around us," he said.

SAF refers to Singapore Armed Forces.

The number of passengers onboard the aircraft could not be immediately ascertained. There was no immediate statement from Air India Express on the incident. PTI RAM MR

Kathmandu, Oct 15 (PTI) More than 1,000 foreign tourists have been stranded in Nepal after bad weather led to the cancellation of flights to Lukla, the gateway to Mt Everest, according to state-run media on Tuesday.

Lukla serves as a major transit point for trekkers heading to the world’s highest peak.

Around 1,300 tourists, en route to the Everest base camp, have been stranded in Manthali at Ramechhap district for the past two days after dozens of flights were grounded due to inclement weather, the government-owned daily Gorkhapatra reported.

Some tourists have opted to travel by land via Faplu, while others have taken helicopters to Surkhet, it said.

An official from the Civil Aviation Authority at Manthali confirmed that the stranded tourists had arrived there through various private airlines, intending to continue their journey to Lukla.

The autumn season attracts a large number of trekkers to the Everest region. PTI SBP SCY

SCY

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) India's Gen Z population, now at 377 million, is not just the largest generation in the country's history but also a powerful economic force with a collective spending power of USD 860 billion, a report has revealed.

Gen Z is the generation of people born between 1996 and 2010.

The "The USD 2 Trillion Opportunity: How Gen Z is Shaping the New India" report by technology firm Snap (parent company of Snapchat) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) revealed that Gen Z currently holds a collective spending power of USD 860 billion, accounting for 43 per cent of India's total consumer expenditure.

"Gen Z is already driving 43 per cent of India's consumer spending. Their influence is not limited to select categories -- it cuts across categories ranging from fashion, eating out, to automobiles and consumer durables," said Nimisha Jain, Senior Partner and Managing Director, BCG India.

Gen Zs are poised to play an increasingly vital role with their spending power projected to reach an astounding USD 2 trillion by 2035, the report said.

Collective spending consists of direct spending -- made by working Gen Zs with their earnings, and influenced spending -- by dependent Gen Zs; these spends are mostly made by families where Gen Zs play an active role in influencing product/brand choice.

Direct spending currently stands at USD 200 billion, with 1 out of every 4 GenZs in the workforce. The figure is projected to reach USD 250 billion by 2025 when every second Gen Z will be working, the report said.

"By 2035, these figures (direct spends) are expected to change dramatically, with direct spending projected to reach USD 1.8 trillion, implying that every second rupee of consumer spend in 2035 will be driven by Gen Z," it said.

The report is based on the findings of a survey carried out among around 1,000 parents to evaluate their influence, alongside insights gathered from around 1,200 Gen Zs and millennials to identify their core values and purchasing behaviours. It also took insights from the combined expertise of BCG and Snap in the domain.

Further, Jain said it is important for marketers to take note that this generation is driven by unique values and beliefs, however, it was observed that only 15 per cent of brands surveyed are actively taking steps to tap into this opportunity.

"For businesses, understanding and authentically engaging with Gen Z isn't just good to have; it's necessary for winning today and will be imperative for survival tomorrow," she said.

The report said that while 45 per cent of businesses acknowledge Gen Z's potential, only 15 per cent have actively leveraged these insights -- a gap that presents brands with a prime opportunity to forge deeper connections with the generation shaping India's consumer future.

It recommended rapidly innovating in line with trends, integrating social interaction throughout the shopping journey, providing visually immersive experiences both online and offline, and engaging with the right influencers in the right way as initiatives brands should take to capitalise on the opportunity. PTI ANK HVA

BAL

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Quality and safety are two cultural edifices of the company, which are very important for making quality products, said Nestle Chairman and Managing Director Suresh Narayanan on Tuesday.

While speaking at a session at the Indian Foundation for Quality Management (IFQM), Nestle CMD said the business is a consequence of safety and quality, and its continuity like anecdotes and the storytelling within the organisation is extremely important.

"There is no Jugaad in quality, either you get it right or you get it wrong. There is no half a house there," he said in a panel discussion on "Innovative India for Global Reach".

"So, quality and safety are two cultural edifices of the company, which are very important every meeting of mind, irrespective of whether it's a business meeting, a process meeting environment, begins with a statement on safety, and we put down there what is the safety record," Narayanan added.

The outgoing Nestle CMD also said that compliance is extremely important.

While referring to the Maggi crisis in India, he said, "Quality and safety come to your rescue. It is your kavach. It is your armour".

"In crisis, about 10 years ago, we faced an existential crisis with this Maggi. People attribute all kinds of magical powers to me as the chairman of the company. That's all rubbish. What helped the company was a strong backbone of quality," he said. PTI KRH KRH BAL

BAL

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Financial services company Capital Group on Tuesday divested a 1.7 per cent stake in IT firm Mastek for over Rs 148 crore through an open market transaction.

According to the bulk deal data available on the BSE, US-based Capital group through its arm SmallCap World Fund Inc offloaded 5.30 lakh shares, amounting to a 1.7 per cent stake in Mastek.

The shares were sold at an average price of Rs 2,801.68 apiece, taking the deal value to Rs 148.49 crore.

After the share sale, Capital group's holding in Mastek has come down to 6.24 per cent from 7.94 per cent.

Meanwhile, Aalidhra Textool Engineers bought 2 lakh shares of the company at an average price of Rs 2,800.81 per piece. This took the deal value to Rs 56.01 crore.

Details of the other buyers of Mastek's shares could not be ascertained.

Shares of Mastek rose 4.65 per cent to close at Rs 2,904.25 apiece on the BSE. PTI HG HVA

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Shree Cement on Tuesday said its laboratory at the Ras plant in Rajasthan -- Asia's largest single-location cement manufacturing facility -- has received accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) under the Quality Council of India.

It represents a vital step in the company's ongoing commitment to upholding stringent quality assurance standards, ensuring that every batch of cement produced meets the highest levels of safety, performance, and durability, the company said in a statement. PTI KRH TRB

Singapore, Oct 15 (PTI) Singapore Armed Forces on Tuesday scrambled two fighter jets to escort an Air India Express plane away from populated areas following a bomb threat before the aircraft landed safely at Singapore's Changi airport.

The Air India Express plane operating flight IX 684 from Madurai to Singapore had received a bomb threat.

Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said Air India Express received an email that there was a bomb on board flight AXB684 that was bound for Singapore.

"Two of our RSAF F-15SGs scrambled and escorted the plane away from populated areas, to finally land safely at Singapore Changi Airport at around 10:04 pm tonight," he said in a series of posts on X.

The Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) systems and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) were also activated. Once on the ground, the plane was handed to the airport police, he said and added that investigations are going on.

"Many thanks to the dedication and professionalism of our SAF and Home Team that keep us safe in our homes, even when threats exist around us," he said.

SAF refers to Singapore Armed Forces.

The number of passengers onboard the aircraft could not be immediately ascertained. There was no immediate statement from Air India Express on the incident. PTI RAM MR

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) India has raised concerns over a jump in imports of silver products, platinum alloy, and dry dates from the UAE and urged the country to ensure that the rules are not circumvented under the free trade agreement (FTA), an official statement said on Tuesday.

The UAE has agreed to examine the concerns raised by India, the commerce ministry said.

Following a significant increase in imports, India sought a review of certain provisions of the FTA with the UAE that came into force on May 1, 2022.

The concerns were raised during the second meeting of the joint committee (JC) under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in the UAE on October 14.

The Indian delegation was led by Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce Ajay Bhadoo and Assistant Undersecretary for International Trade Affairs, Ministry of Economy of the UAE, Juma Al Kait co-chaired from the UAE side.

"Indian side raised the issue related to the recent surge in imports of silver products, platinum alloy and dry dates and urged UAE to verify compliance to the rules of origin norms and ensure that the rules are not circumvented," the ministry said.

Indian industry has raised issues with regard to the increase in imports of dry dates from some third country into India from the UAE by misusing the agreement norms.

The UAE is the third-largest trading partner of India, with USD 83.65 billion in bilateral trade in 2023-24.

Seeking an urgent review of the pact, think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) has said the India-UAE CEPA allows unlimited imports of gold, silver, platinum, and diamonds from the UAE into India with zero tariffs in the coming years.

GTRI has claimed that many imports do not meet Rules of Origin conditions and, hence, do not qualify for concessions.

India's gold and silver imports from UAE have skyrocketed 210 per cent to USD 10.7 billion in 2023-24. India allows 7 per cent tariffs, or customs duty concessions, on import of unlimited quantities of silver and a 1 per cent concession on 160 metric tonnes of gold.

The Indian side also urged that the Indian Jewellery Exposition Centre in Dubai be categorised as a Designated Zone so that the benefit of concessional duties can be availed by domestic jewellery manufacturers, including non-registered entities under the UAE's domestic regulation.

"UAE side conveyed its willingness to examine this request after consulting its internal stakeholders, including federal tax authorities," it said.

On issues related to sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS)/TBT (technical barriers to trade) measures, India asked to grant recognition to the i-CAS (India Conformity Assessment Scheme) Halal scheme that will considerably ease the certification process and promote the export of animal products to the UAE.

"Both sides also agreed to take forward the discussion on fast-tracking registration as well as reference pricing mechanisms for pharma products.

Both sides agreed on early finalisation of MoU on food safety between their competent authorities," it added.

Further, the Indian side highlighted the need for professional bodies from both sides to enter into mutual recognition agreements to enable professionals such as chartered accountants, lawyers, and nurses to provide their services without the need for another certification.

Both sides agreed to work on an actionable plan in this regard. PTI RR TRB BAL

BAL

BAL

Shimla, Oct 15 (PTI) The New Development Bank (NDB) has given a go-ahead to the Himachal Pradesh Ropeways Corporation to float advance tenders for the construction of Rs 1,734-crore Shimla ropeway project.

Once complete, the project is expected to decongest the state capital.

The tender process is expected to start soon and 50 per cent of the 13.79-km ropeway will be completed in two years, officials said here on Tuesday.

"A big success for state capital Shimla, NDB has given permission for floating advance tenders for the project, paving way for construction of the ropeway. The 13.79-km ropeway would be the longest ropeway in the country and second longest in the world," Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who also holds the portfolio of transport and ropeways, said in a post on his social media account.

The contribution of the Himachal Pradesh government will be 20 per cent while NDB will fund the remaining 80 per cent, of which 90 per cent will be subsidy and 10 per cent loan.

The ropeway, which will connect Tara Devi and Shimla, will be executed on engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) mode. The ticket prices are yet to be finalised. PTI BPL TRB

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Appliances and consumer electronic major Samsung has welcomed trade body CITU's decision to call off over one month long strike at its Tamil Nadu-based plant and said it would not take any action against workers who merely participated in the strike.

Samsung India also thanked the Tamil Nadu government, which held extensive discussions with the concerned parties at various stages, according to a company statement.

"Samsung India welcomes CITU's decision to call off the illegal strike. We thank the government of Tamil Nadu for its support and welcome our workers who have decided to return to work unconditionally. We will not take action against workers who merely participated in the illegal strike," said a Samsung India spokesperson.

The spokesperson further said: "We are committed to work closely with our workers to make the Chennai factory a great place to work."

The 37-day strike by the employees of the Tamli Nadu-based plant was called off on Tuesday following extensive discussions between the representatives of trade union, the state government and the company's management.

The strike was called off after various departments held meetings with concerned parties at various stages and Samsung management announced several welfare measures in the interest of the workers, according to a statement issued by the Tamil Nadu government. PTI KRH HVA

Mumbai, Oct 15 (PTI) Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who is playing the role of an agent in "Citadel: Honey Bunny", on Tuesday said women doing the "heavy lifting" in action sequences in spy stories is fantastic.

The Prime Video series, also starring Varun Dhawan in the lead, is billed as a riveting narrative that fuses elements of a gritty spy action thriller with the heartwarming allure of a love story.

“From time immemorial, if there’s a spy series or film, there’s always a male character at the centre of it, doing all the cool action, dialogues, and saving the day. What sets this apart is, I get to kick some a**, and it’s fantastic," Prabhu said at the trailer launch of the India chapter of the series.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas leads the parent show of "Citadel" while Matilda de Angelis stars in "Citadel: Diana".

"With people like Priyanka Chopra and Matilda doing some of the heavy lifting, I think it is an amazing way to represent women of society correctly. We do it all, don’t we? It is a balanced world of ‘Citadel: Honey Bunny’. It was too tempting an offer and I manifested it,” the actor said.

The actor, who has previously tried her hands on action while working on season two of “The Family Man”, said it’s great to see women doing action sequences and that the future seems “bright”.

"It sounds cool that it is female (driven) but it should be an equal playing ground where intelligence, talent, and strength decide your fate, irrespective of gender, and that would be an amazing place to be at. I’m happy to be part of this world, and that has already started to take centre stage. The opportunity to work with talent from across the world, the platform is becoming wider, and the future seems bright for everyone."

The India chapter of the global drama "Citadel", also starring Kay Kay Menon, Saqib Saleem, and Sikander Kher, will premiere on November 7 on Prime Video. PTI KKP BK

BK

Los Angeles, Oct 15 (PTI) Actor Lupita Nyong'o got emotional after she saw a clip of the late Chadwick Boseman from "Black Panther" at a BFI London Film Festival event, where she revealed that she hadn't watched their film since his death in 2020.

The Oscar winner was at the festival to promote her new film "The Wild Robot", reported Entertainment Weekly.

"I have to admit I haven't seen the film since Chadwick died. So I'm having a moment," she said.

As the audience encouraged her with a round of applause, Nyongo added: "It's okay. The grief is just the love with no place to put it, right? I don't want to run away from the tears or the grief. You just live with it."

The actor, who played Nakia, the love interest of Boseman's Black Panther/Prince T'Challa in the movie, said she doesn't know whether she will ever be done shedding tears from "losing my friend".

"That experience will never be separate from the love that was formed... I watch this clip and I'm filled with grief... But I'm like, we get to see him alive, and that's so wonderful," she said.

Boseman died at the age of 43 in August 2020 after a secretive four-year-long battle with colon cancer. PTI RDS RDS

RDS

Mumbai, Oct 15 (PTI) Varun Dhawan on Tuesday revealed that he once asked Aditya Chopra to cast him in an action film but the producer turned him down saying the actor was not "at that place" yet to justify the budget required to make a good movie in the genre.

Dhawan, who is leading the India chapter of a global spy series "Citadel" with "Citadel: Honey Bunny" opposite Samantha Ruth Prabhu, revealed the story during the trailer launch of the Prime Video show.

“During lockdown, I met Aditya Chopra, he was playing badminton, and Maneesh Sharma was there. They were making ‘Tiger’ (3) at that time. I asked him, 'Why don’t you make an action film with a younger talent?'. He was like, 'I want to give you acting roles, and don’t want to give you action (roles)'. I kept pursuing it,” Dhawan said.

“He (Chopra) was like, 'I can't do that because I can't give you that budget right now. You're not at that place where I can give you such a big budget'. I kept thinking and then I messaged him and asked him, ‘What is the budget?’ And he gave me a figure, that this is the budget you need to make something big in action.”

Dhawan said when "Honey Bunny" came his way, the first question he asked creators Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK of "The Family Man" and "Farzi" fame, and Amazon Prime Video was about its budget.

"...Because I got this knowledge from Aditya Chopra that you need this much budget to make something look good in action. I'm grateful to Amazon and Raj & DK for giving us this platform because that is needed to make something look big, to make actors look larger than life.”

Dhawan, who is set to star in Atlee-produced "Baby John", said he is grateful to South filmmakers for giving him the opportunity to explore the action genre and hoped that Bollywood also takes note.

“I had a great time (doing action). It is a wake-up call, and hopefully, a lot of people take notice of this. Right now, I feel only South Indians are taking notice of me and giving me great opportunities in action, which is true. I started working with Raj & DK, and Sam, and next, I’m working with Atlee and Keerthy (Suresh, actress). Hopefully, that will lead the way for other people in our industry to give me (action roles),” he said.

"Citadel: Honey Bunny", set in the 90s, is billed as a riveting narrative that fuses a love story with action beats.

The Hindi series, also starring Kay Kay Menon, Saqib Saleem, and Sikander Kher, will premiere on November 7 on Prime Video. PTI KKP BK

BK

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Pop singer Neeraj Shridhar is set to team up with Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh and American rapper for the title track of the upcoming horror comedy "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3".

According to the makers, the song, originally sung by Shridhar in the 2007 film "Bhool Bhulaiyaa", aims to blend Bollywood's energy with "international beats".

Actor Kartik Aaryan shared the teaser of the track, which will be launched on Wednesday.

"Rooh Baba goes Global with the Coolest Collab. DILJIT x PITBULL. N the OG NEERAJ. Get Ready for the #SpookySlide," he captioned the post on X.

The soundtrack of the new song is composed by Tanishk Bagchi in collaboration with Pritam, who composed the original "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" melody. Lyrics are by Sameer.

Directed by Anees Bazmee, "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3" promises to be a perfect blend of scares and laughs. It also stars Madhuri Dixit, Vidya Balan and Triptii Dimri.

Produced by T-Series, the film is slated to be released in Diwali on November 1. PTI RDS RDS

RDS

Kochi, Oct 15 (PTI) Actor Sreenath Bhasi was arrested and later released on station bail in connection with a road accident in which a car he was allegedly traveling in collided with a bike and failed to stop, police said on Tuesday.

The Ernakulam Central Police said it had registered a case against the actor following the incident, which occurred last month.

The victim had sustained injuries after his bike was struck by the car.

While Bhasi appeared before the police on Monday, his arrest was recorded, and he was released on bail, a police officer said, without elaborating. PTI TGB TGB KH

Los Angeles, Oct 15 (PTI) Hollywood veteran Jeff Goldblum says his days as Dr. Ian Malcolm, the iconic mathematician from the "Jurassic Park" franchise, are likely over.

As the series gears up for a relaunch with Jurassic World Rebirth, Goldblum spoke about stepping away from the role that made him a fan favourite during an interview with Total Film.

The new movie, which opens in theatres worldwide in July 2025, features Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali.

"I think Ian Malcolm may have ridden off into the sunset. Maybe. Because this next one — my friend Scarlett Johansson, and my new friend Jonathan Bailey from 'Wicked', I think, are taking up the reins. And I can’t wait to see what they do. I think that’s a good idea," Goldblum said.

The American actor first portrayed Dr. Ian Malcolm, the charismatic and witty mathematician specialising in chaos theory, in Steven Spielberg's 1993 film "Jurassic Park". He later returned as the lead in "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" (1997).

Decades later, he reprised the role in "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" (2018) and "Jurassic World Dominion" (2022).

"Jurassic World Rebirth" is directed by Gareth Edwards, known for "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" and "The Creator", from a script by David Koepp.

According to an official synopsis, the film is set five years after the events of "Jurassic World Dominion", when the planet’s ecology has become largely inhospitable to dinosaurs.

“Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the ones in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind," it reads.

"Jurassic World Rebirth" will also feature Rupert Friend, Philippine Velge, Bechir Sylvain, Ed Skrein, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. PTI RB

RB

Los Angeles, Oct 15 (PTI) Hollywood stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson are teaming for an upcoming musical feature film.

Titled "Song Sung Blue", the movie will be directed by Craig Brewer for studio Focus Features, reported entertainment news outlet Deadline.

The movie's cast also include Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir and Hudson Hilbert Hensley.

"Song Sung Blue" follows the journey of two struggling musicians, played by Hudson and Jackman, who form a tribute band dedicated to iconic American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond.

Along the way, they discover that it's never too late to find love or reignite their passion for life.

The film is based on a true story from the 2008 documentary of the same name directed by Greg Kohs.

Brewer, best known for movies such as the 2011 remake of "Footloose" as well as Eddie Murphy-starrers "Dolemite Is My Name" and "Coming 2 America", has also penned the script for the film.

"Song Sung Blue" will be produced by John Davis and John Fox for Davis Entertainment along with Brewer. PTI RB RB

New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) Actor Bujou Thaangjam, known for his roles in “Mary Kom” and “Shivaay”, has accused the casting team behind the Alia Bhatt-starrer “Jigra” of unprofessional behaviour.

According to the actor, who has been credited for character roles in many Hindi films, he was asked to be available in December to shoot for the movie but never received a follow-up call.

The actor, in a post on X, said he didn’t want to stir up controversy but thought it was time to speak up.

“Back in 2023, I was approached by their casting team to audition for a role. I sent my tapes twice over the span of four months, playing along with their timeline. By the end of November, they told me I’d be shooting in December — fantastic, right? Except they never gave me any firm shoot dates.

“Still, they booked me for the entire month of December, expecting that I’d be ready to shoot for them at any moment. As someone based in Imphal, Manipur, I made it very clear from the start that travel arrangements would need to be made, but that didn’t seem to matter,” Thaangjam recalled.

The actor said he was kept in the dark throughout the month except for a brief message that they were waiting for a “revert”.

“Meanwhile, I’d lost out on other projects because I was sitting around, waiting for them to give me the go-ahead. But, of course, that never came,” the actor said.

As an actor from Northeast, Thaangjam said the experience felt “particularly dismissive, almost discriminatory”.

“My time was wasted and I missed out on other opportunities just because they expected I'd be available at a moment's notice," he wrote.

“Jigra” has faced a number of controversies, including the negativity surrounding Bhatt’s casting in the movie and actor Divya Khosla Kumar’s comments that the film, a jailbreak drama, resembled the plot line of her last film “Savi”. PTI BK SKY

SKY

Dubai, Oct 15 (PTI) Captain Hayley Matthews and her opening partner Qiana Joseph struck fine half centuries as the West Indies registered a thumping six-wicket win over England to qualify for the semifinals of the Women's T20 World Cup here on Tuesday.

England were knocked out of the showpiece following the defeat.

Matthews (50 off 38 balls) and Joseph (52 off 38 balls) shared 102 runs for the opening wicket in 12.2 overs to take the game away from England as West Indies chased down the target of 142 with 12 balls to spare.

Both got out in quick succession but Deandra Dottin's 27 off 19 balls ensured that West Indies reached 142 for 4 in 18 overs.

South Africa will face Group A winners and defending champions Australia in the first semifinals on Thursday while West Indies take on Group A runners-up New Zealand in the second semifinals on Friday.

West Indies finished their league engagements with six points from four matches, the same as South Africa and England. But the Caribbeans have the highest Net Run Rate of + 1.504, followed by South Africa (+1.382). England, who ended with NRR of + 1.117, finished third in Group B and were eliminated.

India have already been eliminated from the semifinal race after finishing third in Group A.

Put in to bat, England slumped to 34 for 3 just after power play but recovered to post 141 for 7 with Nat Sciver-Brunt top-scoring with 57 not out off 50 balls while captain Heather Knight retired hurt on 21 off 13 balls.

For West Indies, leg-spinner Afy Fletcher took three wickets for 21 runs from her four overs while Hayley Matthews got two scalps.

Brief Scores:

England: 141 for 7 in 20 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 57 not out; Afy Fletcher 3/21).

West Indies: 142 for 4 in 18 overs (Hayley Matthews 50, Qiana Joseph 52; Sarah Glenn 1/20). PTI PDS PDS AH

AH

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Former India captain Mithali Raj on Tuesday attributed the national team's underwhelming performance in the Women's T20 World Cup to lack of growth across departments over the past three years.

It was first time under Harmanpreet Kaur's long captaincy tenure that India failed to qualify for the knock-outs of the ICC mega event, extending the team's title-less run in world events and putting serious questions over her future in the team as captain.

Speaking to PTI from Dubai, Mithali said the team's downfall was a result of not getting used to the familiar conditions in the UAE quick enough, lack of role clarity in the batting department, untested bench strength and below-par fielding standards.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. How wold you assess India's performance in tournament?

A. If we talk about the Australia game, it was a match to win. I thought at some point we had a chance but it seemed like we are following the same old template against Australia.

Taking the match deep but falling short eventually. It's not working, the middle overs have always been the problem area for the team we were slow in the middle overs. We cannot always leave 11-12 runs per over to get in the last 5 . We will not always get true pitches . This is exactly what happened in the end on these slow tracks .

Q. Do you think the loss to New Zealand hurt the team more compared to defeat against Australia?

A. We surprisingly took time to adjust to the slowness of the wicket. Unlike an ODI World Cup, it is a short tournament, you don't have a lot of time to adjust to the conditions. Someone like Sophie Devine was able to score that many runs against us and she is not even used to playing on slow tracks and also was a little out of form , meaning thereby we bowled poorly and fielded quite mediocrely.

Q. Considering the frequent changes in the batting order (Harmanpreet and Jemimah juggled between number 3 and 4), would it be fair to say there was lack of role clarity in that department?

A. We expect the openers to do well, we always expect Shafali to go big. But things have changed over the years, both the openers need to go well now , there cannot be over reliance on just one opener . Smriti is a terrific stroke player she should have the luxury in the team to bat more freely and rotation of strike should be a regular feature in the partnership .

The middle overs have always been a bane. In most games we suffer from same problem, we don’t run hard between overs and don’t sometimes capitalise on the lose deliveries or fifth or sixth bowlers . We leave too much to do for the last five . Richa is a superb striker, infact India’s best in the last 2 years but sadly she couldn’t get going in this World Cup .

The powerplay and the death overs is where we do well in but in the middle overs we've to find ways to get better.

I was doing commentary in the Asia Cup. To be very honest, I didn't know what was happening. I'm sure they were aware that Asia Cup is the last series of matches that they're going to play before the World Cup. When you know that this is the last game time that you're going to have before you enter the big tournament you do at least 70 percent of your planning or 80% of your planning.

Like who your number 5 and number 6 are, these are people who would walk in a particular situation. But there it seemed they were playing only for that tournament. It didn't seem like it was in anywhere closer to... what we got to see in the World Cup.

We could have given more opportunities to the bench against lower-ranked teams in Asia Cup but we didn't. Why does the men's team do well? Because immediately after a big series or a big tournament, they're trying others. If we are talking about depth then when are we giving them chances?

Q. A lot of work was done in the fielding department ahead of the World Cup but it did not produce the desired results. Would you agree?

A. Against Australia, I was very disappointed to see, other than Radha Yadav and Jemimah I don't think there was anybody else . So we cannot have just two players out of the eleven fielding well.

In terms of fitness, we need to have like a benchmark. You can't do much in a month? It's something that you have to do around the year. It's not like just before the tournament, you have a camp and it's going to really show the difference on the field in pressure situations. Dubai ring lights anyway make catching tough.

Q. Harmanpreet Kaur has captained India in T20 World Cups since 2018 but the results have not come. Should the selectors move on from her and appoint someone younger?

A. It's up to BCCI and the selectors to take a call but If they are looking to change this would be the ideal time because if you delay more then we have another World Cup on the horizon ( two years ) . If you are not doing now, then don't do it later. Then it is too close to the World Cup.

Smriti is there of course and can be a choice to consider for the selectors (has been vice-captain for long) but I personally think someone like Jemimah, she's 24, she's young, she will serve you longer in the T20’s and she’s someone who I feel on the field gets that energy. She speaks to everybody. I was very impressed by her in this tournament.

Despite playing those cameo roles, she never could convert her starts, but she is someone who really made an effort to build a momentum if there was no momentum and if there was a momentum she tried to carry that momentum. PTI PTI BS AH

BS

Kathmandu, Oct 15 (PTI) Captain Ashalata Devi will become the first Indian woman footballer to play 100 international matches when she takes the field in the SAFF Championship opening match against Pakistan here on Thursday.

The 31-year-old Manipuri made her India debut in the pre-Olympics tournament in Dhaka against Bangladesh in March 2011, and the star defender has come a long way since then.

"When she pulled on an Indian shirt for the first time ... in the pre-Olympics in Dhaka against Bangladesh in March 2011, few would have imagined that Ashalata Devi would take Indian women’s football by storm in quite the way she has," the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said while hailing Devi's feat.

Devi was called up for the India U-17 team in 2008 when she was 15.

Born in Imphal, she began playing football at the age of 13. She was initially with the Indian Railways football team and joined New Radiant Women's Football Club of Maldives in 2015.

Later, she played for Rising Student Club (Cuttack), KRYPHSA (Imphal), Sethu (Madurai) and Gokulam Kerala in the Indian Women's League. She is currently with East Bengal.

"I am excited and happy that I will play my 100th game against Pakistan. The focus, however, will be on winning all the games and taking the trophy back home. This is the main dream and motive for coming to Nepal,” Ashalata said after reaching here for the SAFF Championships.

"I am looking forward to all the matches in the championship because it is an extremely important tournament to us. We already suffered a setback in the last SAFF, but it will be different this time," she said in an AIFF release.

In the 2022 edition, India, then considered as overwhelming favourite, failed to defend the title.

"This is the sixth time I will play in SAFF. We were champions four times. I want to win this year's title for us because it's a special championship for me. We are determined to prove ourselves," she said.

Devi was a part of the Indian team that won two South Asian Games gold medals in 2016 and 2019. She was also part of the team that won the SAFF Women's Championship four times consecutively -- in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2019.

She was one of the nominees for the AFC women's player of the year in 2019 and was named the AIFF women's player of the year for 2018–19. PTI PDS PDS AH

AH

Mumbai, Oct 15 (PTI) Thane's Atharv Soni recorded a win over Om Gada to share the lead with IM Vikramaditya Kulkarni and three others after the sixth round of the All India FIDE Rating Chess Tournament here on Tuesday.

Among those in the lead are Maharashtra’s Yash Watarkar and Arnav Kherdekar as well as Delhi’s AIM Saikath Nath. All six are on 5.5 points each.

Soni (rating 1968), playing with the black pieces started with the French Tarrasch variation. Gada (1807) made a mistake on the 24th move by playing the pawn to G4 and allowed Soni the upper hand. The black Bishop pair proved very strong and was instrumental in securing the win for Soni.

Kulkarni (2125) was forced to share the honours with city mate Kherdekar (1846) while Watarkar (1963) from Pune faced quite a challenge from Nath (1829) before splitting two points.

Following closely behind the lead pack are Sanjeev Mishra, Kshaunish Jaiswal, and Yash Kapadi. Each of these three won their respective sixth-round matches and are in contention to finish among the top with five points each.

Mumbai’s Mishra (1885) defeated Thane’s Anirudh Subramanian (1627) on the fourth board, while Jaiswal (1641) beat the higher-ranked Saurabh Kulkarni (1839).

Palghar’s Kapadi (1818) of Palghar got the better of Manya Balani (1590) of Gujarat to stay in the hunt.

Darsh Shetty (Mumbai), Deepak Soni (Palghar), Yuti Patel (Mumbai), and Tarun N (Delhi) also won their sixth round matches and are in contention of finishing at the top all having five points each.

Results (top 10): Round-6: IM Vikramaditya Kulkarni (5.5) drew with Arnav Kherdekar (5.5) - 0.5-0.5; Yash Watarkar (5.5) drew with AIM Saikat Nath (5.5) - 0.5-0.5; Om Gada (4.5) lost to Atharv Soni (5.5) - 0-1; Sanjeev Mishra (5) beat Anirudh Subramanian (4.5) - 1-0; Kshaunish Jaiswal (5) beat Saurabh Kulkarni (4) - 1-0; Yash Kapadi (5) beat Manya Balani (4) - 1-0; Dhruv Muthe (4) lost to Darsh Shetty (5) - 0-1; Shriyans Agharkar (4) lost to Deepak Soni (5) - 0-1; Rajeev Rudra (4) lost to Yuti Patel (5) - 0-1, Shravana Agraval (4) lost to Tarun N (5) - 0-1. PTI DDV APA

APA

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Indian defender Udita Duhan emerged as the costliest buy at the Hockey India League women's auction after she was acquired by Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers for Rs 32 lakh here on Tuesday.

Dutch star drag-flicker Yibbi Janssen was the second most expensive player and was bought by Odisha Warriors for Rs 29 lakh, followed by young Indian forward Sunelita Toppo, who was picked up by Delhi SG Pipers for Rs 24.00 lakh.

Indian players Lalremsiami (for Rs 25 lakh to Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers), Sunelita Toppo (for Rs 24 lakh to Delhi SG Pipers), and Sangita Kumari (for Rs 22 lakh to Delhi SG Pipers) attracted significant attention during the auction.

Several overseas players, including Belgium's Charlotte Englebert (for Rs 16 lakh to Soorma Hockey Club), Germany's Charlotte Stapenhorst (for Rs 16 lakh to Soorma Hockey Club), and Australia's Jocelyn Bartram (for Rs 15 lakh to Odisha Warriors) were the notable buys.

Veteran India striker Vandana Katariya fetched Rs 10.5 lakh from Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers.

India captain Salima Tete (Rs 20 lakh), Ishika Chaudhary (Rs 16 lakh) and Neha Goyal (Rs 10 lakh) were picked up by Odisha Warriors.

Former India captain Savita (Rs 20 lakh), Sharmila Devi (Rs 10 lakh) and Nikki Pradhan (Rs 12 lakh) are some of the big Indian names bought by Soorma Hockey Club.

Delhi SG Pipers also picked up India internationals Navneet Kaur (Rs 19 lakh), young goalkeeper Bichu Devi Kharibam (Rs 16 lakh) and Deepika (Rs 20 lakh).

After approving a request from unsold players of the Indian senior women's and junior teams to reduce their base price to Rs 2 lakh, players such as Madhuri Kindo (for 3.40 lakh to Odisha Warriors), Jyoti Chhatri (for 5 lakh to Odisha Warriors), Deepika Soreng (for 2.20 lakh to Soorma Hockey Club), and Rutuja Dadaso Pisal (for 4.90 lakh to Odisha Warriors), among others, secured their place in the inaugural edition of the Women's HIL.

At the auction, all four franchises made strategic bids to build their core team.

Each team consists of 24 players -- 16 Indian and 8 overseas. The teams had a purse of Rs 2 crores, with players categorised into three price slabs -- Rs 10 lakh, Rs 5 lakh, and Rs 2 lakh.

The HIL 2024-25 will be held from December 28, 2024 to February 1, 2025 at two venues -- Rourkela (for men) and Ranchi (for women).

The inaugural season of the women's edition of HIL 2024-25 will feature a total of four teams, with two additional teams to be introduced in the tournament's second season. PTI SSC AM SSC AM

AM

AM

Mumbai, Oct 15 (PTI) Online ticket sales for the third and final Test between India and New Zealand, scheduled to take place from November 1-5 at the Wankhede Stadium, will begin on Friday.

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) announced the date of ticket sale after its apex council meeting here on Tuesday.

The apex council unanimously agreed on the proposal made by MCA president Ajinkya Naik that free passes for the Test match should be given to children from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation schools as well as the semifinalists of the Harris and Giles Shield tournaments.

The upcoming contest between India and New Zealand will be the first Test in three years at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, with these two teams facing off here in December 2021 last.

The season pass for the North Stand, the Sachin Tendulkar Stand as well as the Vijay Merchant Stand for general public will be of Rs 1500. For the Sunil Gavaskar Stand, the price will be Rs 325 (east lower) and Rs 625 (east upper). PTI DDV APA

APA

Odense, Oct 15 (PTI) India's Lakshya Sen battled hard against China's Lu Guang Zu but ultimately lost in three games to make an early exit from the Denmark Open Super 750 badminton tournament here on Tuesday.

Lakshya, a 2021 World Championship bronze medallist, squandered an opening game advantage, losing 21-12 19-21 14-21 to Lu in a men's singles opening-round match, which lasted 70 minutes.

The 22-year-old from Almora, who finished fourth at the Paris Olympics, had previously lost in the second round of the Arctic Open in Finland last week.

Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu moved into the second round after her opponent Pai Yu Po of Chines Taipei retired midway in the second game with the score reading 21-8 13-7 in favour of the Indian.

However, Malvika Bansod, who had reached the quarterfinals at the China Open, couldn't cross the opening hurdle, going down to Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh 13-21 12-21 in women's singles.

Aakarshi Kashyap also faced an early exit, losing 13-21 12-21 to seventh-seeded Thai shuttler Supanida Katethong.

Panda sisters -- Rutaparna and Swetaparna -- also made a first-round exit after losing 18-21 22-24 against Chinese Taipei's Chang Ching Hui and Yang Ching Tun in women's doubles.

Lakshya, competing in his second event since the Olympics, kept pace with his Chinese rival before pulling ahead at 8-8 to take an 11-9 advantage at the break.

The Indian kept his nose ahead after resumption and jumped to 20-11 with a seven-point burst to comfortably pocket the opening game.

After the change of sides, Lakshya surged to 8-2 but Lu rallied to narrow the gap to 11-12.

The Indian extended his lead to 16-11 but Lu's persistence paid off as he kept troubling Lakshya and reversed the situation, taking a 19-18 lead. The Indian drew parity but Lu got the required two points to script a comeback.

In the decider, Lu maintained his composure and pulled ahead to 14-9, while the Indian struggled to keep pace. In a jiffy, Lu seized six match points and sealed the victory when Lakshya went long. PTI ATK APA AM APA AM

AM

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Boxing great M C Mary Kom, who is also the chairperson of IOA's athletes' commission, says she has stopped giving suggestions to the National Olympic Committee as it doesn't pay attention to them.

Mary Kom was among 10 elite sportspersons who were elected on the IOA athletes' commission back in November 2022.

The IOA is currently witnessing intense infighting with a section of the office-bearers questioning the governance of president P T Usha, who has denied all allegations against her.

"I am not into the IOA functioning. We shared so many things with IOA but they don't listen to it. I have a voice but they don't listen to what I suggest. I don't know politics and I don't want to blame anyone," Mary Kom told PTI when asked about the ongoing power struggle in the IOA.

The boxers returned without a medal from the Paris Olympics and Mary Kom was terribly disappointed at that outcome. The 41-year-old lamented that nobody in the Boxing Federation of India sought her help ahead of the Olympics.

"I can't pinpoint what went wrong because they did not invite me at all. They could have used my experience. I can tell the boxers their weak and strong points," she said on the sidelines of Indian Gaming Convention.

The 2012 Olympic bronze medallist feels medals won't come regularly unless the coaching structure is revamped.

"The coaching system is outdated. I have been trained by experienced coaches who are not achievers. I follow all their advice what they say but my knowledge is different to other boxers. They have the degrees and diploma but they don't have achievements. Winning medals matters a lot," added Mary Kom.

She has also won as many as five Asian titles alongside a gold in 2014 Asian Games and 2018 Commonwealth Games. PTI BS SSC

SSC

BS

Bengaluru, Oct 15 (PTI) It's always special to return to the place where it all began and senior India batter KL Rahul is feeling the same as he takes guard one more time at the hallowed Chinnaswamy Stadium here for India's first Test against New Zealand beginning Wednesday.

Rahul cut his teeth at the very same venue as a 11-year-old boy and he is now one of India's key batters.

"It's always special for me to come back here, to your home ground, the place where you grew up and played all your cricket," Rahul said in a video posted by the BCCI on its social media handle.

"The first match when I played here was when I was 11 and half years old. I am 32 now and so a lot has changed. But the feeling of an 11-year-old boy who came here first time, played a game, that feeling has not changed, I still remember it so many years later."

Rahul is set to play his third Test here. He scored 90 and 51 as an opener in India's 75-run win against Australia in March 2017 and made 54 as No. 3 batter in the team's innings and 262-run victory over Afghanistan one year later.

"From the time you leave the dressing room, walk out to the middle, there are so many emotions that go through, so many memories that come back. In two minutes you see a whole three-hour movie and your head is having the flashbacks going about the time I played here first.

"My journey as a cricketer to playing U13, U15, U19, age group, then Ranji Trophy and IPL and now international stage, all of them come into your head. You have goosebumps and it's a magical feeling for a player," he said in the video titled 'Namma Maga' (our son).

He said cricketers all around the world, Indian or foreigners, in the IPL or otherwise, enjoy coming here and playing "in this beautiful city I called home".

Rahul recollected the days when he used to have dosa and coffee at the clubhouse canteen at the stadium, though he has not gone there for some time.

"From age group cricket to when we were playing Ranji Trophy, that used to be the place where we used to have breakfast and come to the ground for training, finished our training and go there for lunch.

"So, we spent a lot of time at the canteen at the clubhouse behind and at the ground. I have not been there for more than a year, I don't know whether that place has been changed now.

"But it used to have really delicious food there, I start my mornings with dosa and coffee there," said Rahul who has so far made 2969 Test runs from 52 matches at an average of 34.52.

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja made a guest appearance in the video and said Rahul's hair must be easier to maintain than his.

"It's not easy to maintain curly hair, it's difficult, need to bowl also with these long hair. I can say KL will be easier to maintain than his hair," Jadeja joked.

Rahul said his family has no issues with him having long hair.

"My mom just wants to oil my hair, nothing else. She is OK with me growing hair.

"I have had long hair once before, they make fun of me but they never say don't grow your hair," said Rahul who made a plea to the general public to come in large numbers and support the Indian team. PTI PDS PDS AH

AH

Multan, Oct 15 (PTI) Pakistan batter Kamran Ghulam, who on Tuesday scored a resolute century on Test debut, said there was immense pressure on him to perform after taking Babar Azam's place in the team, adding that his perseverance in domestic cricket for the last four years had finally paid off.

Ghulam's ton came on a tricky recycled wicket here as Pakistan scored 259 for 5 at stumps on Day 1 of the second Test against England.

Replacing Babar at No. 4, Ghulam made a patient 118 off 224 balls and became the 13th Pakistan batsman to score a century on Test debut and the first to do so against England.

"It has been frustrating waiting for nearly four years to finally get a chance to play for Pakistan. I had so much passion and wanted to do well when I got the chance," Kamran told the media.

"I waited patiently as I knew sooner or later I would get my chance. I think years of grinding it out in domestic cricket has given me the temperament and skills to play on all sorts of pitches and all types of bowlers.

"Just the habit of getting runs in domestic cricket prepares you for the big stage rest is all about temperament and handling the pressure," he added.

Ghulam admitted that it was not easy to replace a player of Babar's stature.

"Yes the pressure was there playing in his (Babar) place but I think the desire I had to succeed overrode that pressure."

The century came at a time when the selectors and the Pakistan Cricket Board were under pressure from critics for daring to drop the out-of-form Babar for the last two Tests against England.

"I am just happy that he (Kamran Ghulam) got his chance at last and he grabbed it with both hands," a national selector said.

Ghulam finally got a chance after he hit two centuries in the recent Champions Cup ODI event organised by the board in Faisalabad. PTI Cor SSC SSC

SSC

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Little-known Sonam Maskar provided the silver lining on a rather disappointing day for India with the Kolhapur shooter finishing second in the 10m air rifle event on the opening day of the ISSF World Cup Final here on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old, who started competitive shooting just two years back and came into the national squad only last year, fired a superb 252.9 in the final with top-notch scores to finish behind Paris Olympics silver medallist, China's Huang Yuting, who shot a world record final score of 254.5.

Tilottama Sen, after the disappointment of missing out on the Olympic Selection Trials earlier this year, finished sixth in the eight-shooter final.

Arjun Babuta, after missing bronze in Paris, was again unlucky to end up fifth in men's 10m air rifle despite the young marksman from Chandigarh leading the field for a good part of the medal round.

A poor 9.8 in the fourth elimination round saw his medal chances go up in smoke in the elite competition being held at the Karni Singh Range.

Olympian Rhythm Sangwan saw her bronze medal chances evaporate in women's 10m air pistol following a shot that fetched her just eight points in the fifth elimination round, as the Indian finished fourth. She had earlier made a valiant effort, climbing from eighth position to third, but all the hard work was undone in the end. She finished with a score of 197.2.

Upcoming shooter Surbhi Rao finished fifth.

France's Camille Jedrzejewski clinched the gold medal in style with a final shot that fetched her a perfect 10.9, as the Paris Olympic silver medallist in 25m sports pistol added a second World Cup final gold to her bag. She had earlier won gold in the 2022 World Cup final.

Olympian Arjun Singh Cheema's woeful season ended in more despair with the 10m air pistol marksman finishing last in the 10m air pistol final after a series of rank bad shots.

However, Sonam, who took up shooting just two years back, won the biggest medal of her short career with unrivalled display of marksmanship.

Inspired by Abhinav Bindra's gold medal-winning feat at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Sonam took up the sport in 2018 but the Covid pandemic put the brakes on her shooting aspirations.

She gave it another shot in 2022 and qualified for the National Championships from West Zone. Once she secured a place in the National Centre of Excellence here, Sonam made the most of the opportunity, and on Tuesday, it was very much apparent.

She shot 632.1 in the qualification round to finish fourth going into the final in a high-quality field.

The B.Com final year student then came up with some breathtaking scores in the medal round to earn the silver.

"The feeling is so good that I won a sliver medal. I train at the same venue and with the fans and team-mates cheering for me, I was extremely motivated for the final," said Sonam, who hails from Kolhapur, which has produced several top-notch rifle shooters like world champion Tejaswini Sawant and Paris Olympics bronze medallist Swapnil Kusale.

On her entry into the Indian squad, she said, "I qualified for the Nationals from West Zone, from there I gave good trials and made it to the national team. I took up shooting after getting inspired by Abhinav Bindra.

"I worked really hard for this event here. I was missing an individual World Cup medal by a few decimal points and it was affecting me. But I tried to keep those thoughts away and overcame that hurdle today."

In women's skeet, Ganemat Sekhon was the best Indian on show on day one of qualification, shooting 74 out of 75 to stay behind leader Samantha Simonton (75) of the USA. Olympian Maheshwari Chauhan was further back with 69.

In men's skeet, Olympian Anantjeet Singh Naruka shot 73 to be in third position in the 10-man field. Veteran Mairaj Khan was lying seventh with 71.

In men's trap, Vivaan Kapoor shot 73 to lie second behind Australian James Willet on count-back, while Bhowneesh Mendiratta was placed fourth with 72 hits after the first three rounds.

Shreyasi Singh and Rajeshwari Kumari shot dismal 66 and 58 respectively to lie ninth and 11th respectively in women's trap competition. Paris Olympics silver medallist Silvana Maria Stanco of Italy led the field with a perfect 75. PTI AM AM AH

AH

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Three people were arrested and a juvenile apprehended for allegedly robbing a man and his domestic help at knifepoint in his house in north Delhi's Sarai Rohilla area, police said on Tuesday.

The accused were identified as Jaskirat alias Aman (25), Mukul (22), Arjun alias Nonnu (22) and a 17-year-old boy, all living in the same area as the victim man, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia said a PCR call was received on October 8 regarding robbery in a house in Sarai Rohilla.

The man said at around 1.20 pm, two persons allegedly barged into his house at knife point and tied his and the maid's mouth and hands with cloth, and robbed cash and jewellery worth Rs 12 lakh, Banthia said.

When the CCTV footage of the area was checked, two accused Mukul and the juvenile were identified.

"With the help of technical surveillance and local enquiry, Mukul was arrested on October 10," the DCP said.

Jaskirat, the alleged main conspirator, was arrested on Mukul's instance and Rs 3 lakh looted cash was recovered from him, the officer said.

Subsequently, the other two accused were also apprehended from the same area and cash of Rs 2,79,000 was found in their possession.

During investigation, it was found that Jaskirat was an acquaintance of the victim man's younger daughter and he used to frequent their home, Banthia said.

He was also aware that huge amount of money was kept in the house as the victim man is suffering from a serious health condition and is under treatment, he said.

Jaskirat, along with his associates, then allegedly hatched the conspiracy to steal the cash from the house.

The police said the accused distributed the robbed cash among themselves. They are being further interrogated to find about previous involvements in such crimes. PTI ALK RPA

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Delhi Police on Tuesday said all five accused, including three co-owners of the pharmaceutical company from where 518 kg cocaine worth around Rs 5,000 crore was recently recovered, have been brought here from Gujarat for further interrogation.

The five accused -- Vijay Bhesaniya, Ashwani Ramani, Brijesh Kothiya, Mayur Desale and Amit -- were nabbed by a team of Special Cell and Gujarat police from Ankleshwar in Gujarat on Sunday.

Vijay, Ashwani and Brijesh are the co-owners of the company Avkar Drugs Limited Company.

"On Tuesday, all of them were brought to Delhi from Gujarat for further interrogation. They are on four days of transit remand," a police officer privy to the investigations said.

The officer said the police are trying to establish the links of the accused with the drug syndicate.

"We are trying to know the time and exact route of the transportation of this drug brought from South American countries to Gujarat," the officer said.

On Monday, PTI reported that around 1,300 kg of narcotics was brought from countries in South America to Avkar Drugs Limited Company for purification before being supplied to the national capital.

The three owners of the company were promised to be paid in crores for purifying and further supplying the drugs to other parts of the country, the officer said.

The officer further said Amit, who is a resident of Vadodra, has suspected links with United Kingdom-based handlers, who were operating on directions of Virender Basoya alias Veeru, kingpin of the international syndicate operated from Dubai.

Mayur was an employee of the pharmaceutical company, according to the police.

On October 2, the Special Cell seized more than 560 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana estimated to be worth Rs 5,620 crore from a godown in south Delhi's Mahipalpur and arrested four people. Two others were subsequently apprehended from Amritsar and Chennai.

In the second big drug haul in a week, the Special Cell seized 208 kg of cocaine worth Rs 2,080 crore from a rented shop in west Delhi on October 9 and arrested one person from Uttar Pradesh's Hapur.

The officer said that with the latest seizure from Gujarat, 1,289 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana, worth more than Rs 13,000 crore, have been recovered from Delhi and Gujarat this month so far. The number of arrests in these cases has risen to 12. PTI ALK RPA

RPA

Gurugram, Oct 15 (PTI) The Gururgram Police have recovered over 5,000 grams of marijuana from a courier parcel at the Amazon transportation services for delivery, officials said on Tuesday.

A senior police officer said that while checking the package on Monday, the employees at the Amazon transportation at Bhangrola village detected something unusual in the package and called the police.

Following this, the police opened the package and found 5,972 grams of marijuana, he said. A complaint was filed in the case.

"In the parcel, marijuana was packed in two different polythene. The marijuana was found in the packs which weighed 5,972 grams. Upon checking the details of the parcel, it was shipped to Raj Kumar Paramhans in Ludhiana, Punjab. The accused committed a crime by giving marijuana to Amazon to get it ordered", ASI Dharam Singh said in his complaint.

Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered under the Narcotic Drugs And Psychotropic Substances Act on Monday, police said. Further investigation is underway. PTI COR HIG

HIG

Balrampur (UP), Oct 15 (PTI) A Dalit mother-son duo were allegedly hacked to death in a village here on Tuesday, police said.

Ramlal (45) and his mother Lakhraji (75) were killed by some persons in Sonar village with sharp-edged weapons, Superintendent of Police, Vikas Kumar said.

They used to live in a house outside the village, he said.

Bodies of victims have been sent for the postmortem examination.

Prima facie it appeared to be a case of enmity, the SP said adding that four teams have been made to investigate the case. PTI COR ABN HIG

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) A petrol pump manager was injured in a robbery bid in northeast Delhi's Gokul Puri area, police said on Tuesday, adding that two people have been arrested in the case.

The accused were identified as Satender alias Baba (45) and Rahul Kashyap (39), they said. The accused were previously involved in cases of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), murder, robbery, theft and arms act.

On Monday, a PCR call was received at 10.36 am regarding a firing incident at a petrol pump in Gokul Puri, senior police officer said.

"Staff reached the spot and found that petrol pump manager Ravinder Pal Singh (48) was rushed to GTB Hospital after he suffered a bullet injury on his left arm," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Rakesh Paweriya said.

Paweriya said that Singh was under treatment and told the police team that he along with his associate were going to deposit cash at a bank near the petrol pump when two persons on a motorcycle stopped them and tried to snatch the bag. When he resisted, they shot him in the left arm.

Police said that a team on Tuesday apprehended Satender and Rahul Kashyap after checking multiple CCTV footage.

One person who used to work at the petrol pump had informed the accused about the case. Teams are conducting raids to nab the third accused. Further investigation is underway. PTI BM HIG

Jajpur, Oct 15 (PTI) Two persons were killed as a truck hit their motorcycle from behind in Odisha's Jajpur district on Tuesday evening, police said.

The incident happened near Rathia Chhak on NH-16 in the Dharmasala police station area, they said.

The deceased were identified as Bulu Singh and his friend Rabindra Singh of Mayurbhanj district. They were returning home after finishing some official work in Bhubaneswar when the speeding container truck hit them from behind, a police official said.

The bodies were sent for post-mortem examinations, and a case was registered, he said. PTI COR BBM BBM SOM

Bhawanipatna/Bhubaneswar, Oct 15 (PTI) Four children allegedly died by drowning in two separate incidents in Odisha's Khurda and Kalahandi districts on Tuesday, police said.

In Khurda, a 13-year-old girl and her younger brother drowned while they were bathing in a pond. The incident happened in the morning in Subala village in the Balianta police station area on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

The deceased were identified as Subhashree Jena and her brother Bhagirathi Jena (9).

Subhashree and Bhagirathi were rescued and taken to the Capital Hospital, where the doctors declared them dead, police said.

In Kalahandi, two girls drowned in the Sandol river while they were bathing. The incident happened in Bilat village in Narla block, they said.

The deceased girls were identified as Naina Durga (17) and Rinki Harijan (16). Their bodies were brought out of the river by fire services personnel.

A case of unnatural death was registered and the bodies were sent for post-mortem examinations, police said. PTI CORR BBM BBM SOM

Gurugram, Oct 15 (PTI) A youth has become the latest victim of cybercrime wherein a woman made an obscene video call and recorded the act, police said on Tuesday.

The accused later demanded money under the threat to defame the youth by uploading the video on social media, police said.

According to a complaint filed by Harish Madhwani, a resident of Gurugram, on September 30, he received a video call on Instagram. The caller showed an obscene video and recorded the call which lasted for 10-15 seconds.

"Soon after making my video, they said that they would share it with all my followers. Under pressure, I made payments of Rs 1.20 lakh through different transactions," Madhwani said in his complaint to the police.

Following the complaint an FIR was registered at cyber-crime police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on Monday, said police.

A senior cyber police officer said that they are trying to identify the accused and they will be arrested soon. PTI COR HIG

HIG

Gwalior (MP), Oct 15 (PTI) An octogenarian woman and her daughter were found dead at their flat in Gwalior city of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, with the police suspecting that they were killed after a robbery bid against them.

The incident occurred under the limits of the University police station here.

Fifty-six-year-old Reena Bhalla lived with her mother Indu Puri, 81, in flat number 322 of the Garden Homes Society. On Tuesday morning, when their maid came to their house for work, she saw the bodies of the mother-daughter duo lying in their bedroom, Gwalior Range Inspector General (IG) Arvind Saxena said.

The maid immediately informed the neighbours and other members of the housing society, who informed the police about it, the official said.

The police rushed to the spot with a forensic team. While Puri's body was found on the floor, that of her daughter was on a bed, he said.

Some marks were found on the faces and necks of the victims, which indicated that there was a scuffle. The investigation carried out so far showed that the places where some valuable items were kept in the house have been searched, he said.

"There is a possibility that this crime was committed for robbery," Saxena said.

The bodies are being sent for post-mortem, which will ascertain the cause of their death, he said, adding that the CCTV footage of the housing society is also being examined. PTI COR ADU NP

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Police have arrested a B.Tech dropout for allegedly duping several people of lakhs of rupees by selling fake tickets for the upcoming Diljit Doshanj's concert here, officials said on Tuesday.

After selling the tickets, Kaushik Raj (29) bought an iPhone worth Rs 1.35 lakh and one Apple watch amounting to Rs 50,000 from the defrauded money. He also travelled to Bengaluru, Goa and Mumbai and spent the amount in clubs and hotels, police said.

Sharing details of the case, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan said that they received a complaint from a resident of Neb Sarai that Raj had sold him 69 fake tickets of the Diljit Doshanj's concert to be held on October 26 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

"Soon after receiving the complaint, an FIR was lodged and further investigation was taken up. The complainant told police that he was searching for tickets when his Chandigarh-based friend provided the contact number of the Kaushik Raj," said the DCP.

The complainant the contact Raj for the tickets. He first sold him five tickets for the event and sent them through e-mail. The complainant then decided to purchase more tickets for his friends and family. Till September 11, the complainant had purchased 69 tickets of the concert in different categories, amounting to Rs 4.76 lakh, DCP said.

He called the helpline number to verify the tickets and found them to be fake. He then approached the police, the DCP added.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered. During the investigation, the police found that Raj had cheated a man in Delhi and two others in Chandigarh and West Bengal. He sold them fake tickets of Diljit Dosanjh's concert. After receiving the money, Raj switched off his mobile phone and fled from Delhi, he said.

"He then travelled to Bengaluru, Goa and Mumbai, staying at various hotels. Raj spent the cheated money at clubs during his stay in these cities and purchased an iPhone and Apple watch," Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan said in a statement.

"The police team analysed bank transactions of the accused in which the entire cheated amount was transferred. During analysis of the statement of the bank account, it was found that amount of Rs 4.61 lakh in 16 transactions was transferred to the bank account and the same was utilised by the account holder," Chauhan said.

Raj's location was initially zeroed down in Bangalore, and a team was immediately dispatched. However, he was later arrested from Nizamuddin Railway Station.

"He confessed to his crime. From his possession, one mobile phone used in the commission of crime, one iPhone worth Rs 1.35 lakh and one Apple watch amounting to Rs 50,000 all purchased with defrauded money, were recovered. Five different debit cards were also recovered," DCP said.

Further investigation into the matter is underway, he said.

Another police officer privy to the investigation said that he used to edit concert tickets and sell them.

The officer said that Kaushik Raj is a native of Muzaffarpur in Bihar. He was residing in Uttam Nagar. He dropped out of college in the second year of Bachelors of Technology and began working as a freelancer in event management. PTI BM HIG

Mahoba (UP), Oct 15 (PTI) A 10-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a man in a village here, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place on Monday when the girl was playing outside her house and Devideen Anuragi (21) took her to secluded place and raped her, Station House Officer Manish Kumar Pandey said.

An FIR was registered on Monday evening based on the complaint lodged by the girl's family, Pandey said.

The accused has been detained and interrogation is underway. Police will produce him in court on Wednesday, he added. PTI CORR ABN ABN OZ

OZ

Prayagraj, Oct 15 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to a man accused of raping a girl on the pretext of marriage and impregnating her, with the condition that after release, he has to marry the teenager and take care of their newborn baby.

Justice Krishan Pahal, while passing the order, also directed the accused to pay Rs 2 lakh for a fixed deposit to be opened in the name of the newborn child.

The applicant Abhishek is being released on bail on the assurance of his counsel that "he shall marry the victim within three months from his release from jail and take care of her as well as the newborn baby", Justice Pahal said.

"The applicant shall deposit a sum of Rs 2,00,000 in the name of new born baby of the victim till her attaining the age of majority within a period of six months from the date of release from jail," the court said, imposing the condition.

The man allegedly deceived the girl, aged about 15 years, and established physical relations with her under the false promise of marriage, according to the prosecution.

The victim later became pregnant and the accused allegedly refused to fulfil his promise of marriage and even threatened her. Subsequently, a rape case was registered against him under the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act at Chilkana police station of Saharanpur district.

The counsel for the applicant claimed that the survivor is a major and as per ossification report, she is 18-year-old.

Besides, in her statement before magistrate under Section 164 of criminal procedure code, the survivor stated that no force was applied to her, Abhishek's counsel added.

During the hearing, the bench was informed that the accused is willing to take responsibility of the survivor and marry her. He is also prepared to take care of the baby girl born to the accused and the survivor, the counsel assured the court.

The lawyer further stated that the applicant has been in jail since April 4, 2024 and assured that if granted bail, he would not misuse his liberty.

After hearing the rival arguments, the court said a nuanced approach is required in cases involving adolescent relationships.

"The challenge lies in distinguishing between genuine cases of exploitation and those involving consensual relationships. This requires a nuanced approach and careful judicial consideration to ensure justice is served appropriately," the court added. PTI COR RAJ RPA

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) The National Green Tribunal has directed the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to "duly consider" the allegations that a private medical college and hospital in Agra was operating without environmental clearance (EC) and other permissions.

The NGT was hearing a plea claiming FH Medical College and Hospital in the district was operating without EC, the consent to establish (CTE) and the consent to operate (CTO).

Businesses, including healthcare establishments, need to apply for the CTE and CTO from the UPPCB while the EC is provided by the state-level environment impact assessment authorities (SEIAA).

In an order dated October 4, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted the applicant’s submissions about the lack of action by authorities concerned despite a legal notice regarding the hospital not obtaining the EC being sent to the SEIAA in June.

The bench also comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel said that the plea did not disclose some relevant information, such as the constructed area of the hospital.

It said, "We are of the opinion that the grievance raised by the applicant can be duly looked into and examined, at the first instance, by the member secretary, UPPCB.

"Thus, we dispose of the original application (OA) directing the member secretary to duly consider the grievance of the applicant.The member secretary will examine the issue and take an appropriate decision in accordance with law as expeditiously as possible preferably within three months," the tribunal said. PTI MNR MNR TIR RT

RT

Mumbai, Oct 15 (PTI) A court here has said that a man accused of driving a car rashly and causing an accident that killed his teenage friend can not be tried for `culpable homicide not amounting to murder'.

Sourya Jain, the accused, allegedly crashed a car into a stationary bus in Marine Drive area here in May 2020, injuring himself as well as his friend Aryaman Nagpal, who was on the front seat. Nagpal, son of a hotelier, succumbed to his injuries.

Additional sessions judge S D Tawshikar, in a order passed on October 14, noted that "no doubt an innocent young boy has lost his life, but at the same time one cannot lose sight from overall circumstances in which offence took place."

Police first registered a case against Jain under Indian Penal Code sections 304-A (rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide) and 279 (rash driving). But section 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) was pressed when it was found that Jain possessed no valid driving licence at the time of the incident.

Defence lawyer Hrishikesh Mundargi argued that the incident was unforeseen, and Jain could not have had the intention to cause the accident or even knowledge that it would take place.

The court accepted that one could not assume that the accused knew that the car would crash into a bus. "Stretching an accusation too far to include graver offence without there being prima facie material, to my mind, goes against principles of fair trial," the judge said.

This was not a case where a car killed a person outside, and the accused himself had suffered severe injuries, the court said, adding, "The incident can at the most be result of rash or negligent act of the applicant."

The judge then sent the case to a metropolitan magistrate for conducting the trial for other, lesser offences. PTI AVI KRK

Kochi, Oct 15 (PTI) The Kerala High Court on Tuesday sentenced seven Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) workers to life imprisonment in the 2015 murder case of a Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activist in Kozhikode district.

On October 4, the High Court had set aside the order of the Kozhikode additional sessions court after an appeal was filed by the state and the father of the deceased DYFI activist, C K Shibin.

The division bench that heard the case convicted the IUML activists and directed the police to arrest and produce them all before the court on October 15 for a hearing on sentencing.

The division bench comprising Justices P B Suresh Kumar and C Pratheep Kumar, also imposed a fine of Rs 1,10,000 each on the convicts.

Out of the fine amount collected, a sum of Rs 5,00,000 shall be paid to the father of the deceased Shibin, and the balance shall be paid equally to the individuals who suffered injuries during the incident, the order said.

The additional sessions court had, in 2016, acquitted all 17 accused in the murder of Shibin of Nadapuram in Kozhikode.

According to the prosecution, Shibin(19) was killed by an armed gang allegedly affiliated with the IUML at Vellur near Thooneri on January 22, 2015. PTI COR TGB TGB ROH

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday expressed its concern over the non-completion of certain upcoming state-run hospitals, saying urgent steps were required to ensure they were not dilapidated or "stuck in litigation" after money was spent on construction.

A bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet P S Arora, observed that some projects were almost over 85 per cent complete and a further delay would only increase the expenditure.

"The minister (concerned) will have to find a way of completing the project. Huge money has been pumped in," the bench said.

The counsel appearing for the Delhi government informed the court that a committee had already been constituted to deal with the issue.

The court further remarked that the projects were "haphazard" and incomplete at the moment.

The bench's remarks came on a suo motu case it initiated in 2017 over the alleged lack of critical care in government hospitals here.

In a status report filed in the case earlier, the Delhi government said it was undertaking the construction of 11 "greenfield" and 13 "brownfield" hospitals in the national capital.

The court had directed the AIIMS director to implement the recommendations of an expert committee under renowned physician Dr SK Sarin Committee with respect to reforms in critical care.

On Tuesday, the court reiterated that the city government and officials must ensure that the decisions taken by the AIIMS director in this regard were implemented.

The court remarked that a review meeting of the senior city officials, including the chief secretary, with the AIIMS director will be held on November 8 and posted the hearing on November 13.

The court, however, turned down the request of a senior counsel appearing for the Delhi government to permit the health minister to participate in the meeting.

The AIIMS director was tasked to consider the minister's concerns.

"We are working in accordance with a strict framework.. Let your suggestions be placed before the (AIIMS) director. Let him take it up," the bench said.

On September 2, the high court had observed that all was "not well" in the Delhi government's health department, which was witnessing a "bitter" fight among authorities.

The high court, therefore, directed the AIIMS director to take over the responsibility of implementing the recommendations of the Dr S K Sarin committee.

The committee had reportedly pointed out deficiencies in the health system, including vacant posts, shortage of critical faculty members, infrastructure, medical or surgical consumables, emergency operation theatres and trauma services besides the referral system. PTI ADS AMK ADS AMK

AMK

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Jalan Kalrock Consortium (JKC), which was handed over the grounded air carrier Jet Airways, on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that the creditors had delayed the resolution process by raising pleas at every stage of compliance.

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on March 12 had upheld the resolution plan of the grounded air carrier and approved the transfer of its ownership to the consortium.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was hearing an appeal of State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and JC Flowers Asset Reconstruction Private Limited challenging the March 12 verdict of the NCLAT.

The NCLAT had directed the Jet Airways monitoring committee to complete the transfer of ownership within 90 days.

The consortium, having won the bid to revive the once-grounded airline, is facing a complex legal battle over the compliance with the resolution plan.

Additional Solicitor General N Venkatramani, appearing for the appellant banks and others, had submitted that the successful resolution applicant (SRA) had defaulted on payments prescribed under the resolution plan.

The law officer had said that the consortium was four years behind on its payment schedule at the moment.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the consortium, represented by law firm Karanjawala and Company, said that the creditors had delayed the resolution process.

The bench questioned the compliance and merits of the SRA's performance under the resolution plan.

It sought a clarification on why the consortium had not complied with the court’s previous directives, specifically the infusion of funds in cash and the execution of the Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG).

Rohatgi said the revival of Jet Airways was a commercial endeavour, subject to various external factors and the consortium cannot be held solely responsible for delays caused by security clearances and other procedural hurdles.

He said the creditors had obstructed the resolution process at every stage, causing the consortium to incur more than Rs 600 crore in losses.

The bench will resume the hearing on October 16.

The NCLAT, in its verdict, had approved the transfer of its ownership to the consortium by upholding the NCLT Mumbai's verdict of January 13, 2023.

The NCLAT had also directed the lenders of Jet Airways to adjust the Rs 150 crore paid by the consortium as PBG.

"The PBG of Rs 150 crore, which is lying with the monitoring committee/MC lenders, shall be adjusted towards the first tranche payment of Rs 350 crore as Rs 200 crore have already been paid by the SRA (JKC). By adjustment of PBG as per the resolution plan, the first tranche of payment of Rs 350 crore shall be completed," it had said.

Jet Airways, which has remained grounded since April 2019, had in September, 2023, said the new proposed promoters -- the Jalan-Kalrock consortium -- had completed an additional infusion of Rs 100 crore into the carrier.

With this infusion, it had said, JKC has fulfilled its total financial commitment of Rs 350 crore equity as per the court-approved resolution plan.

The consortium has fulfilled all other commitments to take control of the airline, it had added.

The airline had also said it was looking to re-launch operations from 2024.

After grounding in 2019 owing to a severe liquidity crisis at that time, the full-service carrier underwent an insolvency resolution process. However, it was having a dispute with the lender.

In 2021, JKC emerged as the successful bidder of Jet Airways. PTI SJK AMK SJK AMK

AMK

Kolkata, Oct 15 (PTI) The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday set aside prohibitory orders imposed in areas adjacent to the ‘Durga Puja Carnival’ venue on Red Road, allowing a simultaneous protest rally by junior doctors nearby.

The orders under Section 163 of BNSS were imposed on some roads and areas near the Red Road where the West Bengal-organised carnival was held on Tuesday evening.

The junior medics launched their 'Droher Carnival' to protest against the RG Kar incident from Rani Rashmoni Road, shortly after the high court set aside the prohibitory orders.

On a petition by the Joint Platform of Doctors, the court permitted them to hold the protest rally.

Observing that the width of prohibition contained in the order is disproportionate, excessive and unreasonable, Justice Ravi Krishan Kapur set aside the restrictions imposed by the state government.

"Such restrictions on fundamental rights cannot possibly achieve any bonafide purpose," the court observed.

It said the prohibitory order "severely restricts and reflects an unfettered exercise of discretion, which opens the doors to arbitrariness and is an antithesis to the Rule of Law."

Justice Kapur directed the state to put barricades and/or guard rails between Rani Rashmoni Road and Red Road to ensure that there was no breach of peace.

The West Bengal government has been organising the ‘Durga Puja Carnival’ since 2016, showcasing several award-winning idols in the city. PTI AMR RBT

Mumbai, Oct 15 (PTI) Jailed gangster Abu Salem has moved an application before a special court here, seeking to know the exact date of his release from prison after completion of his jail sentence.

Extradited from Portugal in 2005, Salem was convicted and awarded life sentence in 2017 for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

In his plea, moved before a special TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act) court last week, Salem states that on July 20, he had written to the Superintendent of the Nashik Central Prison, where he is lodged, for information on the number of days left in prison.

However, since he did not get any response, he approached the special court for directions to the prison authorities.

Salem, in his plea, claimed that he has completed more than 23 years and seven months in prison.

He requested the court to direct the prison authorities to furnish the date of his release from Nashik jail on completion of his imprisonment or to let him know the days he has to spend in prison further.

After Salem's plea, the court has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to respond.

The matter will be next heard on October 17.

Salem had claimed that as per India's solemn assurance to the Portugal government during his extradition, he cannot be put behind bars beyond 25 years. PTI AVI NP

Bengaluru, Oct 15 (PTI) A special court here on Tuesday granted bail to Karnataka BJP MLA Muniratna, who is in judicial custody, in connection with a rape case.

A case was registered after a woman lodged a complaint at Kaggalipur police station in Ramanagara, alleging that Muniratna, who represents the Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency, raped her at various locations.

Before these accusations surfaced, Muniratna had already been arrested in a separate case involving caste abuse and death threats made to a contractor. After securing bail in that case, the rape allegations emerged, leading to his re-arrest.

In response to the woman's allegations, the state government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate.

The MLA was taken into custody for questioning and later transferred to jail. PTI COR GMS ROH

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court Tuesday ruled that mere existence of a benchmark disability of 40 per cent does not bar a candidate from being considered for admission to an educational institution, unless a medical assessment board opines the disability will come in way of pursuing the course.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai, Aravind Kumar and K V Viswanathan also held that if the Disability Assessment Boards conclude the candidate won't be able to pursue the course, it should state why.

"We hold that quantified disability per se will not disentitle a candidate with benchmark disability from being considered for admission to educational institutions. The candidate will be eligible, if the Disability Assessment Board opines that notwithstanding the quantified disability the candidate can pursue the course in question," the bench said.

The top court gave its detailed reasoning in the case of Omkar Ramchandra Gond, an aspiring medical student from Maharashtra who qualified the NEET (UG)-24.

Gond was held as ineligible from pursuing an MBBS course as he suffered 45 percent speech and language permanent disability under the Graduate Medical Education Regulations of 1997.

The top court had on September 18 granted admission to Gond after seeking an opinion from a medical board.

Justice Viswanathan, who penned the verdict on behalf of the bench, said that it is the constitutional goal that within the limits of its economic capacity and development, the State was to make effective provisions for securing the right to education including for the persons with disabilities.

In its 42-page verdict, the bench directed that the DABs assessing the candidates should positively record whether the disability of the candidate will or will not come in the way of the candidate pursuing the course in question.

"The Disability Assessment Boards should state reasons in the event of the Disability Assessment Boards concluding that the candidate is not eligible for pursuing the course," it said.

The bench added that pending formulation of appropriate regulations by the National Medical Commission (NMC), pursuant to the communication of January 25, 2024 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the DABs will keep in mind the salutary points while forming their opinion.

"Pending creation of the appellate body, we further direct that such decisions of the Disability Assessment Boards which give a negative opinion for the candidate will be amenable to challenge in judicial review proceedings," it said.

Justice Viswanathan said the court seized of the matter in the judicial review proceedings shall refer the case of the candidate to any premier medical institute for an independent opinion and relief to the candidate will be granted or denied based on its the opinion.

The top court set aside the August 29 order of the Bombay High Court refusing to interfere with the decision of not allowing Gond to pursue an MBBS course.

The bench said the appendix H-I of the Regulations of 1997, which deals with admission to students with specified disabilities under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act with respect to MBBS courses, provides a "peculiar scenario".

"While people with less than 40% disability are not eligible for PwD quota, though they can pursue the Medical Course, persons with equal to or more than 40% disability are not eligible for the medical course," it added.

It said lumping together persons with benchmark disabilities who can pursue the educational course with those with the same disabilities who, in the opinion of the medical board, cannot pursue the course would tantamount to over inclusion and this is precisely what "Article 14 frowns upon".

"We are constrained to hold that the Appendix H-1 in the notification of May 13, 2019, issued by the Medical Council of India cannot be interpreted to mean that merely because of the quantification of the disability percentage exceeding the prescribed limits, a person automatically becomes ineligible for the medical course," it held.

Referring to the communication of January 25 issued by the Centre, the bench said the NMC was obliged to take into account the developments in aids and assistive devices and also technologies which are capable of reducing the effects of disability and ensure that the statutory requirements of RPwD Act are followed in letter and spirit.

The top court said that it has no reason to doubt that the NMC will expeditiously comply with the requirements in the January 25 communication.

"In any event, we direct that the needful be done by the National Medical Commission before the publication of the admission brochure for the academic year 2025-26," the bench said.

The top court said that in the revised regulations and guidelines which the NMC will issue, an inclusive attitude will be taken towards persons with disabilities from all categories furthering the concept of reasonable accommodation recognised in the RPwD Act.

"The approach of the Government, instrumentalities of States, regulatory bodies and for that matter even private sector should be, as to how best can one accommodate and grant the opportunity to the candidates with disability. The approach should not be as to how best to disqualify the candidates and make it difficult for them to pursue and realise their educational goals," it said. PTI MNL MNL TIR

TIR