Banihal/Jammu, Sep 30 (PTI) Authorities on Tuesday ordered the suspension of a doctor, who was subsequently booked by the police over allegations of misconduct with a female patient at a government hospital in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district, officials said.

A female patient levelled allegations of misconduct against a consultant gynaecologist at the sub-district hospital, Banihal, triggering anger among people in the area on Tuesday.

The issue was subsequently raised by Banihal's National Conference MLA, Sajjad Shaheen.

In a post on social media, he wrote “I immediately spoke to the Health Minister, Madam Sakina Itoo, and briefed her about the incident, strongly urging strict action against the erring doctor. The minister has assured that exemplary action will be taken and such shameful acts will never be tolerated."

Shaheen also wrote that the doctor has been arrested following the complaint. Police has not confirmed that he has been arrested.

District Development Councillor, Banihal and senior Congress leader Imtiaz Ahmed Khanday said that he met Health Secretary Syed Abid Shah in Srinagar, demanding the doctor’s suspension and strict action. “The health secretary assured immediate action,” Khanday said.

Later in the evening, the government issued an order suspending the Dr Girdhari Lal Manhas, Consultant Gynaecologist at SDH Banihal.

“Pending inquiry into his conduct, Dr Manhas is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect. During the suspension period, he shall remain attached with the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu,” an order issued by Health Secretary Shah said. PTI COR AB OZ SKY

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Dehradun, Sep 30 (PTI) Uttarakhand Police on Tuesday formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the death of journalist Rajiv Pratap, days after his body was recovered from the Bhagirathi river, officials said.

Pratap had gone missing on the night of September 18 and his body was found on September 28 near Joshiada barrage in Uttarkashi district. His damaged vehicle was recovered from the river bank on September 20.

Earlier police had said citing the postmortem report that he died due to internal injuries to his chest and abdomen.

Director General of Police (DGP) Deepam Seth said the SIT, headed by the Uttarkashi deputy superintendent of police, will examine all aspects of the case, including CCTV footage, electronic evidence, call details and statements of people last seen with the journalist.

A technical evaluation of his car will also be conducted, he said.

Seth said Pratap's family had reported that he had received threatening calls, though no complaint has been lodged in this regard yet, the SIT will also probe this aspect, he added.

The DGP said that police had launched a massive search, with the help of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), drones and dog squads upon receiving information about Pratap's disappearance on September 19.

Pratap was last seen driving in a CCTV footage on September 18 and his damaged car was found on the river bank two days later, he said, adding that an FIR for abduction was lodged based on the complaint filed by the journalist's family.

According to Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Sarita Dobal, the post-mortem report attributed the cause of death to internal injuries to the chest and abdomen, consistent with an accident. No external injury marks were found, she said.

The formation of the SIT followed demands from opposition leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who termed Pratap's death "tragic" and called for an "immediate, impartial and transparent" probe.

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi had said, "There should be an immediate, impartial, and transparent investigation into Rajiv ji's death, and the victim's family should receive justice without delay." PTI COR DPT OZ

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Dehradun, Sep 30 (PTI) Tension gripped Dehradun's Patel Nagar area after an alleged derogatory social media post against Prophet Mohammad triggered protests, prompting police to carry out a flag march on Tuesday night.

Police said the people were asked to maintain peace and cautioned against any attempts to disrupt communal harmony. The situation in the area is tense but under control, they said.

According to officials, a screenshot allegedly containing derogatory comments about Prophet Muhammad was posted on social media on Monday by 19-year-old Gulshan Singh, a resident of Patel Nagar, originally from Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi district.

Pramod Shah, in-charge of the Bazaar police post in Patel Nagar, registered a case against the youth under Sections 196-1 (promoting enmity), 302 (hurting religious feelings), and 29 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and he was detained for questioning. The post was also removed.

Soon after, around 800 members of a community gathered near the police post and created a ruckus, Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh said.

"They blocked the road, raised provocative religious slogans, and were attempting to stoke communal tension. Police from nearby police stations were immediately called in. Fearing that the law and order situation could escalate, the crowd was dispersed using mild force," the officer said.

Singh said a case has been registered against the unidentified mob for attempting to incite communal discord and disrupt peace under sections 121-2 (causing hurt to public servant), 126-2 (wrongful restraint), 190, 191-2 (unlawful assembly), 196, and 302 of the BNS.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said any form of religious fanaticism and anarchy will not be tolerated in the state.

"Strict action has been taken against those who created anarchy in Patel Nagar, Dehradun, and are trying to vitiate the atmosphere of the state," he said. PTI DPT RHL

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Delhi government is conducting a survey of all public and private organisations to compile data on the formation of internal complaints committees (ICCs) to ensure that the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, is properly implemented, officials said.

The move comes in the wake of a recent Supreme Court order directing strict implementation of provisions of the Act by all states and Union territories.

The Act provisions intend to ensure a safe workplace and provide easy access to a redressal mechanism to victims of sexual harassment at workplaces.

Section 4 of the Act provides that every employer employing 10 or more employees will mandatorily constitute an Internal Complaint Committee.

The Supreme Court, hearing a case in August this year, passed certain directions, including a survey of such organisations or establishments having ICCs, by the district officers (district magistrates) concerned, and assistance from labour commissioners.

The Women and Child Development (WCD) department of the Delhi government, in a letter, has said that the data of organisations will be shared by all the labour department offices in the districts and the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health with the district magistrates concerned, a Delhi government officer said.

Urgent compliance with the apex court order has been directed.

The district magistrates have been appointed as district officers under Section 5 of the said Act and have an overall responsibility for the effective implementation of various provisions of the Act.

The court has issued a number of directions seeking specifically the number of organisations, both in public and private sectors, within each district, which have already constituted internal complaints committees, the officer said.

The court has directed the chief labour commissioner of each state to ensure that relevant data is collected by the labour commissioner in each district, so that the district officer can send it to the chief secretaries, who can then submit the data before the court. PTI VIT SKY

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Uttarkashi, Sep 30 (PTI) The postmortem report of an Uttarakhand journalist whose body was recovered from a lake in Uttarkashi district said that he died due to internal injuries to his chest and abdomen, police said on Tuesday. Doctors said such injuries are sustained during accidents.

Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Sarita Doval said the postmortem report did not reveal any signs of assault on the journalist's body.

Rajeev Pratap was missing since the night of September 18 and his body was recovered from Joshiyara barrage 10 days later on Sunday.

The journalist's family has alleged that he had been receiving threats following some of his news reports. Some journalists' organisations have also demanded a thorough probe into the circumstances of his death.

SP Doval said, "The postmortem report states that he died due to internal injuries to his chest and abdomen. According to doctors, such injuries occur during accidents."

The SP said on the night of September 18, after having dinner with his friend at the Chauhan Hotel at the Uttarkashi bus stand, Pratap left Uttarkashi in his friend's car for Gangori.

When he did not return, his friend informed the police and his family on September 19, she said.

Based on the family's complaint, the police registered a case and launched an intensive search.

Doval said CCTV footage examined during the investigation showed Pratap driving alone at 11:39 pm on September 18, and the next day his car was found about 500 metres away from the location.

She said his slippers were recovered from his car after a search.

The officer said that investigation is still going on in the case and that Pratap's family has also brought forward some information.

Further action will be taken based on the facts that emerge, she added. PTI DPT SKY

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Leh, Sep 30 (PTI) Ladakh Administration on Tuesday rejected claims of a "witch-hunt" or a "smoke-screen" operation against activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was detained under the National Security Act last week. It asserted that the actions taken by law enforcement agencies were based on credible inputs and documents.

The administration appealed that the process of law should be allowed to take its own course and expressed confidence that “together we will bring back normalcy in the peace-loving Leh township and continue with our dialogue process”.

Wangchuk, the primary face of the agitation seeking statehood and Sixth Schedule safeguards for Ladakh, was detained under the stringent NSA following the violent clashes between protesters and security personnel on September 24.

Talks between the Centre and representatives from Ladakh have hit a roadblock with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) backing the Leh Apex Body's (LAB) decision to suspend dialogue until Wangchuk and others were released.

Terming the release of Wangchuk and others as the key condition for resuming negotiations, scheduled for October 6, the two powerful organisations also demanded a judicial inquiry into the police firing in Leh that left four people dead and scores of others injured.

Gitanjali Angmo, Wangchuk's wife and co-founder of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL), has alleged that a "witch-hunt" was underway to project her husband as an "anti-national."

She claimed there was "no need to impose the NSA on Sonam Wangchuk" and asserted that authorities have not provided her with formal documents detailing the charges.

In a statement issued on Tuesday night, the Department of Information and Public Relations said, "The administration of UT of Ladakh would like to clarify a few issues in the background of a series of press conferences and media statements given by certain sections.

"There have been reports in the media of baseless allegations of victimisation of certain individuals, including Wangchuk, by government agencies. There is no question of witch-hunting or smoke screen," it said.

The administration said actions taken by the law enforcement agencies were based on credible inputs and documents. “The agencies should be allowed to continue with their investigation impartially without vitiating the process.”

It said the case of financial irregularities and foreign currency violations by HIAL is under investigation by agencies. “Prima facie, there is evidence available, which merits such investigation.”

Further, the statement said, despite knowing that it is not a recognised university, HIAL is issuing degrees to young men and women, jeopardising their future prospects.

“HIAL did not make full disclosure of foreign funds in their balance sheets in the relevant Financial Years. FCRA cancellation of SECMOL is based on clear evidence of multiple violations (not just one).

“After observing these irregularities, appropriate action has been taken. There are established processes and forums available to appeal to the appropriate authorities, which the organisation can resort to,” it said.

It said the government had already announced dates for talks on September 20 and had also expressed flexibility for dates, taking into consideration the convenience of the Ladakh leaders.

“Still, Wangchuk made multiple provocative statements. He gave the reference of Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on several occasions from the Anshan venue, trying to incite the public, especially the youth,” it said.

During an interview with Ladakh Express on September 11, the statement said, Wangchuk stated, “the youth are saying that they do not want peace and Mahatma Gandhi's path is not necessary. People are not scared of the security forces deployed, and if people come out worse may happen.

"Before starting his anshan, Wangchuk suggested (Sept 9) people to wear masks, caps and hoodies, etc., while participating in the protest, citing Covid as an excuse, though there is no sign of spread of Covid in Ladakh,” it said.

He said Wangchuk, in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel 'Achoe Nyingstam' (a dedicated channel for the Ladakhi audience wherein he speaks only in vernacular), stated (June 8, 2025) that he would bring an 'Arab Spring' type revolution in India to overthrow the government.

“Wangchuk had suggested 'overthrow' of government on the lines of 'Arab Spring', if their demands were not met, besides putting forth the idea of self-immolation for instigating agitation for this purpose, as happened in Arab countries including Tunisia,” the statement said.

On multiple occasions, the statement said he suggested self-immolation by Ladakhis on the lines of protests in Tibet.

Referring to the September 24 violent protests, it said even though other LAB leaders, including elders, rushed to pacify the aggressive crowd, Wangchuk made no attempts to ensure peace.

“When the situation was out of control, Wangchuk called off his fast and discreetly moved out from the backside of the anshan venue, thereby indicating his overall sense of irresponsibility,” it said.

It said Wangchuk did not call off his hunger strike despite the government announcing the date of the next meeting of the High Powered Committee, although he sat on the strike demanding talks with the government.

“The government also expressed flexibility for dates as per the convenience of the Ladakh leaders. This irresponsible act of continuation of the hunger strike for personal and political gain is responsible for all the further unfortunate developments,” the statement said.

As regards the grounds of detention, it said the same has been duly served to Wangchuk. PTI TAS RHL

Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) Surekha Yadav, Asia's first woman loco pilot who helmed several prestigious trains in the country during her career spanning over 36 years, retired on Tuesday, leaving behind a legacy of grit and inspiration.

The Central Railway hailed Yadav's contribution, saying the "trailblazing journey" of the "pioneer" will continue to inspire generations to come, while she said despite her work being challenging and full of responsibility, she enjoyed it thoroughly.

Yadav had joined the Indian Railways in 1989, breaking the barriers in the male-dominated railway sector. In 1990, she became an assistant driver, earning the distinction of being the continent's first woman train driver.

Besides Mumbai's suburban locals, she operated goods trains through India's steepest 'ghat' (mountain pass) sections, and also drove some of the country's most prestigious trains - from the Vande Bharat to the Rajdhani Express.

Born in a farming family in Satara district of Maharashtra on September 2, 1965, Yadav completed her diploma in electrical engineering before taking up her railway assignment.

She gradually rose through the ranks, operating her first goods train in 1996, and was promoted to motorwoman in 2000. In 2010, she qualified as a Ghat driver and later took command of long-distance mail and express trains across various routes.

In a major milestone, she drove the inaugural run of the Vande Bharat Express between Solapur and Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) on March 13, 2023.

Before retirement, she got an opportunity of piloting the prestigious Rajdhani Express on the Hazrat Nizamuddin-CSMT route between Igatpuri and CSMT as a final assignment a few days ago.

In a post on X, the Central Railway said, "Farewell to a Pioneer. Smt. Surekha Yadav, Asia's First Woman Train Driver, bids adieu today after 36 glorious years of service. Her trailblazing journey will continue to inspire generations of railway women and men alike."

Yadav completed all the formalities related to her retirement on the last day. As per the tradition, her colleagues gave her a grand farewell a few days back.

Interacting with reporters, Yadav said, "My journey started from farms and ended at platform number 18 of CSMT station."

She was referring to her last assignment as a loco pilot of Rajdhani Express.

She said her parents were farmers, but whatever she achieved today was due to the education they provided to her.

After her selection as an assistant loco pilot, the railway authorities had asked her if she would be able to do her job as no woman had done it prior to that, to which she replied in the affirmative, he said.

"If no one has done it before, it means someone will do it in future. It is not like if I had not come forward (to accept the job of assistant loco pilot), another girl would not take it up. But I was determined not to give it up if I got the chance," Yadav said.

She said her journey as assistant loco pilot was started from the Kalyan loco shed, during the era of DC (direct current) locomotives, which were later replaced by AC (alternate current) locomotives.

Yadav said that her work was challenging and full of responsibility.

There was neither a fixed timetable nor duty hours, but she enjoyed the job thoroughly, she said.

"Everyday, there used to be different locomotives, different destinations, colleagues and load. We had to be prepared for everything...I respected my job and I did it very well," she said.

According to her, the death of trespassers leaves an adverse impact on the loco pilots and hence people should avoid crossing the tracks.

On April 14, 2000, Yadav piloted the first ladies' special local to Dombivli from the CSMT.

"Mumbai's lifeline being piloted by a woman was a very big thing then," Yadav said.

She added that whatever she achieved is because of support from her colleagues, seniors and most importantly her family members, who always supported her despite there being no fixed duty hours and she had to stay away from home for days.

She said her official retirement function will be held on October 1 due to some technical problems.

"Even though today is my last working day ,official handing over of papers will be on Wednesday at CSMT," she informed. PTI KK NP

Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) Mumbai registered 65,441 cases in 2023 and remained in the fourth place in terms of registration of criminal cases among the metropolitan cities, according to the National Crime Records Bureau report.

Delhi topped the list with 3,43,483 cases, whereas Bengaluru was ranked second with 68,520 cases and Kochi with 67,616 cases, the report said.

In 2022, Mumbai had witnessed 89,098 criminal cases.

India's financial capital was also in the fourth spot in 2023 when it came to murder cases. The metropolis registered 124 cases in which 125 persons were killed. PTI DC KRK

Chennai, Sep 30 (PTI) Nine migrant workers died after an under-construction building collapsed at the Ennore thermal power station here on Tuesday, police said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin ordered Power Minister S S Sivasankar and TANGEDCO Chairman K Radhakrishnan to immediately oversee relief work at the accident site.

Police sources said officers have been rushed to the spot.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened by the mishap and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased.

"Saddened by the mishap due to the collapse of a building in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families in this difficult hour. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured." Modi said.

"An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF (Prime Minister's National Relief Fund) would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," the Prime Minister's Office said on 'X'.

Earlier, CM Stalin expressed sadness over the death of nine people and conveyed his condolences.

"I am deeply saddened to hear that nine workers from Assam lost their lives in an accident that occurred during the construction work carried out by BHEL in Ennore. I convey my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives," he said in a social media post on Tuesday.

Stalin announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of each deceased and ordered that steps be taken to transport the mortal remains to their home state.

Tamil Nadu Congress president K Selvaperunthagai also expressed grief over the demise of the nine people.

Citing media reports, he said those injured are being treated at the Government Stanley Medical College in the city. He called for rigorous safety measures to prevent such incidents in future.

"On behalf of the Tamil Nadu Congress, I extend my deep condolences to the bereaved family members. I wish those injured a speedy recovery," he added. PTI VIJ KVK

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Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) Hundreds of drivers of app-based taxis and auto rickshaws from Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra on Tuesday staged a protest at Azad Maidan here to press their various demands including fare hike.

Keshav Nana Kshirsagar, president of the Maharashtra Gig Kamgar Manch which has been leading the strike of app-based cab drivers, said they were forced to protest as app-based aggregator companies failed to comply with the directive of the transport authorities even after a midnight.

Earlier this month, assistant transport commissioner Bharat Kalaskar, who is also the secretary of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority, had directed Ola, Uber and Rapido to follow the fares of Black & Yellow cabs until the state decided on separate rates for app-based cabs.

The Maharashtra Gig Kamgar Manch has demanded a rationalisation of fares, bringing fares on par with those of the conventional Black & Yellow metered cabs, prohibition of bike taxis and a cap on permits of Black & Yellow cabs and auto rickshaws, among other things. PTI KK KRK

Peshawar, Sep 30 (PTI) Nine people, including four militants, were killed in two separate bomb-related incidents on Tuesday in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police said.

Both incidents occurred in the South Waziristan district of the province, which borders Afghanistan. 

In the first incident, five villagers were killed in Ashangi Lagad village after coming into contact with a bomb-like object lying on the road.

The device detonated with a powerful blast, killing all five on the spot. 

The explosion triggered panic in the area, with residents urging authorities to intensify efforts to clear the region of unexploded bombs and ensure the safety of civilians. 

Security personnel and local administration officials reached the scene and launched an investigation.

In another incident in the Wacha Khawora area of Wana, four militants were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) they were attempting to plant went off. 

Among the dead were a local militant commander, Yar Muhammad Muslim, Zameed Alam of the Ashangi tribe, and two unidentified accomplices. PTI AYZ RD

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Beijing, Sept 30 (PTI) President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said China will resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and external interference, and firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a reception held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

"Efforts should be made to deepen exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait, resolutely oppose 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities and external interference, and firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Xi said.

Earlier, Xi, along with other leaders from the ruling Communist Party of China and the state, attended a ceremony at Tiananmen Square in central Beijing, where they presented flower baskets to honour fallen national heroes.

The event was held to commemorate Martyrs' Day, a day ahead of the National Day. Starting Wednesday, China will officially observe a week-long holiday to celebrate National Day.

This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression during World War II.

In his address, Xi called on the nation to keep on working hard and forge ahead with determination in advancing Chinese modernisation.

"Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is an unprecedented cause," Xi said.

"Both aspirations and challenges inspire us to seize every moment and persevere with unwavering vigour," Xi said.

He noted that over the 76 years since the founding of New China, the CPC has led the people to score splendid accomplishments through a spirit of self-reliance and continuous efforts. PTI KJV ZH

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Colombo, Sep 30 (PTI) Sri Lankan Buddhists and catholic church leaders have joined hands to oppose the tourism authority’s decision to endorse NGO’s promotion of LGBTIQ tourism in the country.

The four chief prelates of influential sects of the Buddhist clergy in a letter addressed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Tuesday strongly protested against what they allege “action to promote unethical homosexual practices”

This followed a speech made by the head of the Catholic Church, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, on Saturday. He protested against attempts to promote new, unacceptable cultural practices.

The protests came after the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) praised an NGO for its work on diversity programmes within the tourism industry, including LGBTIQ.

In a letter dated September 9, the Chair of the SLTDA appreciated the non-governmental organisation Equal Ground for its work ahead of the World Tourism Day 2025. 

The religious leaders urged Dissanayake to intervene and stop the move, which is "unethical" and is against the values of Buddhist philosophy.

Homosexuality is an offence under Sri Lanka’s penal code. The article 365 criminalises sexual acts deemed “against the order of nature”, including consensual same-sex activity. PTI CORR

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Islamabad, Sep 30 (PTI) Pakistan's top leadership will decide on the deployment of troops as part of the peacekeeping force of the Muslim nations in Gaza under the recently announced peace deal to end the bloodshed in the region, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday.

Dar addressed a press conference where he was asked if Pakistan would send troops to Gaza under the peace plan announced by President Donald Trump on Monday.

He talked at length about the effort to bring a ceasefire and ultimate peace in Gaza, including the preparatory meeting of leaders of eight Muslim countries with President Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York last week.

“The idea is to have an independent Palestinian government of technocrats there. It will be overseen by an international oversight body, which, too, will mostly comprise Palestinians...," he said.

"The force [here] is a peacekeeping force. On the ground, there will be Palestinian law-enforcement agencies...there will be [separate] forces supporting them. Indonesia has offered 20,000 troops for that. I am sure Pakistan's leadership will also be making a decision on this," he said.

"We have asked them to document the arrangement, whatever it is, at the [UN] Security Council,” he added.

Giving some details of the meeting with Trump, he said the objectives were to try for a ceasefire in Gaza, make arrangements for sending humanitarian aid, stop the forced displacement of Palestinians and make arrangements for the return of the displaced Gazans.

He said that the Muslim leader also wanted to have a plan for Gaza’s reconstruction and to stop Israel’s attempts to annex the West Bank.

“When these objectives were conveyed to him (Trump) and he was asked to work with us on achieving them,” Dar said, adding that the US president then proposed that his team would devise a “workable solution” with the foreign ministers of the eight Muslim countries that were part of the meeting.

But he stopped short of providing any further details, saying that it was decided to keep the details as “classified”.

Dar also said he had received messages from the Saudi foreign minister about the peace plan for ending the bloodshed.

“He told me that five countries had reached a consensus on a joint statement [regarding the Gaza plan] and that our agreement was needed on this matter as well, and that they had also reached out to Indonesia and the UAE.

“I then consulted the foreign secretary and proposed some changes. I spoke to the Saudi foreign minister again...as I had some objections...He then sent me a revised version...and the joint statement was released," Dar added.

Dar said that the Palestinian Authority also welcomed the statement while acknowledging that some people had some reservations and were criticising it. PTI SH ZH

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New York/Washington, Sep 30 (PTI) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday repeated his claim that he ended the “very big” conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.

In his remarks to military leaders in Quantico, Trump also said that he was "honoured" when Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, "who is a very important guy in Pakistan", praised him for saving millions of lives.

"I have settled so many wars" in the nine months of his administration, he said. "I've settled seven. And yesterday we might have settled the biggest of them all, although I don't know, Pakistan and India was very big, both nuclear powers. I settled that.”

Referring to his peace plan to end the Gaza conflict, announced on Monday, Trump said, “We got it, I think, settled. We'll see. Hamas has to agree, and if they don’t, it's going to be very tough on them. But it is what it is. But all of the Arab nations, Muslim nations, have agreed.”

In his remarks, Trump again went back to the conflict between India and Pakistan and praised the Pakistani officials for lauding him for saving millions of lives.

“I had India and Pakistan, (they) were going at it. And I called them both, and in this case, I used trade,” Trump said.

Trump said he told the “two big nuclear nations” that he is “not going to trade" with them. They responded, "'No, no, no, no, you cannot do that'. I said, 'yes, I can. You go into this freaking war that I'm hearing about’,” Trump said, adding that they shot down seven planes. He, however, did not specify which country's jets he was referring to.

“It was starting. There's a lot of bad blood. And I said, ‘You do this, there is not going to be any trade'. And I stopped the war. It was going, it was raging for four days, but that was just the beginning, and we stopped it. It was a great thing,” Trump said.

Last week, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Munir met Trump in the White House.

Trump said the Prime Minister of Pakistan “was here along with the Field Marshal, who's a very important guy in Pakistan, and he was here three days ago. And I didn't even realise it, as beautiful as he said it, but he said that to a group of people that were with us, two generals, but a group, he said, ‘This man saved millions of lives because he saved the war from going on, and that war was going to get very bad, very, very bad. President Trump saved millions and millions of lives. That was a bad war’.” 

Trump said he “was very honoured. I loved the way he (Munir) said it.”

He added that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was there at the meeting too, and "she said that was the most beautiful thing. But we saved a lot of them. Saved a lot of them.”

Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim nearly 50 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between India and Pakistan.

In his address to world leaders from the UN podium last week, Trump repeated his claim that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan.

India has been consistently maintaining that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of the two militaries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear in Parliament that no leader of any country asked India to stop Operation Sindoor. 

Trump had said he was told that if he could stop the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, he should get the Nobel Prize. 

"I said, 'Well, what about the seven others? I should get a Nobel Prize for each one'. So they said, 'but if you stop Russia and Ukraine, sir, you should be able to get the Nobel'. I said I stopped seven wars. That's one war, and that's a big one," he said.

He added that he had thought the Russia-Ukraine conflict would be easy to resolve "because I have a good relationship with President Putin, disappointed in him, but I do. I thought that would be the easiest one, but we'll get it done one way or the other." PTI YAS ZH

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London, Sep 30 (PTI) Researchers from the University of Sheffield are investigating how plants use “natural genetic engineering” to borrow genes from other species and adapt more quickly to environmental change. 

This groundbreaking research will focus on Lateral Gene Transfer (LGT), a process where plants acquire useful genes directly from other species. Unlike the slow process of random mutation and natural selection, LGT could allow plants to bypass traditional evolutionary pathways and respond more quickly to environmental pressures. 

While it’s long been understood that evolution happens through the gradual accumulation of random mutations, this research aims to understand a more dynamic process.

LGT involves the direct movement of genetic material between organisms without sexual reproduction. Though well-known in bacteria - where it spreads traits like antibiotic resistance - the role of LGT in plants is only now being fully explored. 

The study, led by Dr Luke Dunning, will use grasses as a model system to understand LGT in a natural setting. Previous research by Dr Dunning has proven that LGT is widespread in grasses, and they are also of great ecological and economic importance, including crops such as wheat and maize.  

By uncovering how natural genetic engineering works in these species, researchers hope to provide insights that could support the development of crops more tolerant to drought, heat and poor soils. 

“This project will have significant implications for global food and agriculture challenges. By understanding "natural genetic engineering", we aim to provide a new framework for how plants naturally adapt to a rapidly changing climate and inform the creation of more resilient crops," said Dr Luke Dunning, from the University of Sheffield’s School of Biosciences.

“If we can uncover how plants share and integrate genes, we can better understand how crops like wheat and maize adapt - knowledge that could ultimately help ensure stable food supplies in the face of climate change,” he added. 

The research team, including collaborators from Bangor University, will seek to answer three fundamental questions: 

How does it happen? The team will test whether LGT in grasses is driven by reproductive contamination - where DNA from a third party is introduced during sexual reproduction. 

How often does it occur? The researchers will quantify the background rate of LGT in natural grasslands to understand its significance in driving rapid adaptation.

Where do the genes go? The study will investigate whether foreign genes are inserted into specific, non-random locations in the recipient plant’s genome, a crucial factor for their successful integration and function. 

The GBP 950,000 project is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Dr Dunning is also part of a team led by Dr Alex Twyford at the University of Edinburgh that is researching LGT more broadly in flowering plants, with both NERC-funded projects pushing the frontiers of environmental research. 

The University of Sheffield’s School of Biosciences is ranked among the UK’s best for biological research, enabling students to work with leading academics on projects that shed new light on the processes driving life on earth and help tackle pressing environmental challenges. PTI HSR MPL RD

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Peshawar, Sep 30 (PTI) Two ministers of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province cabinet resigned on Tuesday amid widening rifts within the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial leadership.

Aqibullah Khan, brother of former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, and Faisal Tarakai, brother of former provincial minister Shahram Tarakai, submitted their resignations to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, according to party members.

CM Gandapur had long expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the two ministers and had earlier contemplated their removal, they said.

He also raised complaints against them during a meeting with PTI’s founding chairman Imran Khan on Monday.

Following the meeting, Khan authorized Gandapur to make decisions regarding the cabinet’s composition, which paved the way for the ministers’ exit.

Both outgoing ministers hail from Swabi district. PTI leader Asad Qaiser later confirmed their resignations in a post on the social media platform X.

Interestingly, the resignation letters did not cite any reason for stepping down. The ministers, however, pledged continued loyalty to Imran Khan and vowed to serve PTI as workers of the party. PTI AYZ RD

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FGN55 US-TRUMP-INDOPAK

****Pakistan and India conflict was 'very big', I settled that: Trump

New York/Washington: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday again claimed that he settled the "very big" conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.****

FGN51 UK-GANDHI-STATUE

****UK police investigate ‘racially aggravated’ vandalism of Gandhi statue

London: Britain’s Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday that it has begun its investigation into the criminal damage caused to Mahatma Gandhi’s statue at Tavistock Square in London, a crime which the force is treating as “racially aggravated”.****

FGN44 PAK-MISSILE

****Pakistan successfully test-fires Fatah-4 cruise missile

Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday successfully conducted a training launch of the newly inducted and indigenously developed cruise missile 'Fatah-4' that can strike targets up to 750 kilometres, the army said.****

FGN32 PAK-LD BLAST

****Blast near paramilitary headquarters in southwest Pakistan kills 10, injures several others

Karachi: At least 10 people were killed and over 30 others injured on Tuesday in a bomb attack against the paramilitary forces in Pakistan’s troubled Balochistan province.****

FGN15 PAK-POK-PROTESTS

****1 killed, several injured during protests in PoK

Islamabad: At least one person was killed and over a dozen others injured, including a policeman, in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), as the region observed a shutter-down and wheel-jam strike amid a communications blackout, according to a media report on Tuesday.****

FGN14 US-H1B-LUTNICK

****US Commerce Secy signals 'significant' number of H1B visa changes before 2026

New York/Washington: US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said there will be “a significant number of changes” in the H1B visa process before February 2026, when the new fee of USD 100,000 goes into effect, as he described as “just wrong” the idea of “inexpensive” tech consultants coming into the country and bringing their families.****

FGN26 GAZA-JOINT STATEMENT

****Eight Arab & Muslim nations welcome Trump's Gaza peace plan

Dubai: Eight Arab and Muslim majority nations on Tuesday welcomed US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza and restore peace in the troubled region.****

FGN11 US-TRUMP-GAZA-PAK

****Trump says Pak PM, field marshal back his plan to end Gaza conflict ‘100 per cent’

New York/Washington: US President Donald Trump has said Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir back his plan to end the Gaza conflict “100 per cent”, as he listed them among the world leaders “very much involved” in the negotiations on the issue.****

FGN30 CHINA-TRUMP-GAZA

****China welcomes Trump's peace plan to end war in Gaza

Beijing: China on Tuesday expressed its support for US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, which includes an immediate cessation of hostilities and the release of 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas.****

FGN43 RUSSIA-TRUMP-GAZA

****Russia says it welcomes and supports any efforts by Trump to end war in Gaza

Moscow: Russia on Tuesday said it welcomes and supports any efforts by US President Donald Trump to restore peace in Gaza, a day after the American leader proposed a 20-point peace plan to end the war and restore peace in the troubled region.****

FGN18 PAK-IMF

****Pakistan, IMF begin review talks on USD 7 bn loan

Islamabad: An IMF mission held a formal kick-off meeting with Pakistan's economic team to review the implementation of a USD 7 billion loan and a USD 1.1 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility, according to a media report on Tuesday.****

FGN37 UK-PAK-CWG REPORT

****Credibility, transparency of Pakistan's 2024 election impinged: Commonwealth report

London: A combination of factors, including the non-allocation of the cricket bat symbol to Imran Khan's party, impinged on the "credibility, transparency and inclusiveness" of the electoral process during Pakistan's 2024 general elections, said the Commonwealth's independent election observer group in a report released on Tuesday.****

FGN56 CHINA-DIPLOMAT

****Chinese Communist Party appoints veteran diplomat to head its International Department

Beijing:China's ruling Communist Party has appointed Liu Haixing, a veteran diplomat specialising in European affairs, as the head of its influential International Department.****

FGN34 CHINA-XI-TRIBUTE

****Chinese President Xi pays tribute to national heroes ahead of National Day

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders from the ruling Communist Party of China and the state attended a ceremony on Tuesday at Tiananmen Square in central Beijing, where they presented flower baskets to honour fallen national heroes.****

FGN54 RUSSIA-LAVROV-TOMAHAWK

****Tomahawk missiles in Ukraine not to change battleground situation: Russian FM Lavrov

Moscow: The Tomahawk cruise missiles will not affect the situation on the battleground in Ukraine in any way, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday, noting that Washington may be spreading the reports about the supply of these long-range missiles to Kyiv to reassure its European allies.**** PTI RD

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Beijing, Sep 30 (PTI) China's ruling Communist Party has appointed Liu Haixing, a veteran diplomat specialising in European affairs, as the head of its influential International Department.

The 62-year-old diplomat replaces Liu Jianchao, who was detained and removed from the post in August.

Liu Haixing's appointment is expected to be formally announced at the annual conclave of CPC leaders scheduled for October 20-23.

Over the past three decades, Liu Haixing has held various diplomatic roles. He has been the deputy director of the office of the National Security Commission since 2018, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said.

Liu Jianchao has not been seen in public since late July.

Before his detention, Liu Jianchao, 61, led a Communist Party of China (CPC) delegation that attended the Liberation Movements Summit in South Africa on July 28.

He was the highest-ranking Chinese diplomatic official after the ouster of the then Foreign Minister Qin Gang in 2023. Qin was considered a protege of Xi Jinping. The reasons for Qin's removal were not disclosed.

In China's diplomatic system, the CPC's International Department plays a vital role in shaping policies and strategies implemented by the Foreign Ministry.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also positioned highly within the CPC hierarchy. In addition to being a member of the CPC's powerful political bureau, he serves as the director of the Party's Foreign Affairs Commission. PTI KJV MPL ZH

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New York/Washington, Sep 30 (PTI) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday again claimed that he settled the "very big" conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.

"I have settled so many wars since we're here. We're here almost nine months, and I've settled seven. And yesterday we might have settled the biggest of them all, although I don't know, Pakistan (and) India was very big, both nuclear powers, I settled that,” Trump said in his remarks to military leaders in Quantico.

Referring to his plan to end the Gaza conflict, announced on Monday, Trump said, “We got it, I think settled. We'll see. Hamas has to agree, and if they don't, it's going to be very tough on them, but it is what it is. But all of the Arab nations, Muslim nations, have agreed."

Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a "full and immediate" ceasefire after a "long night" of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim nearly 50 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between India and Pakistan.

In his address to world leaders from the UN podium last week, Trump had repeated his claim that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan.

India has been consistently maintaining that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of the two militaries. PTI YAS ZH

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Moscow, Sep 30 (PTI)  The Tomahawk cruise missiles will not affect the situation on the battleground in Ukraine in any way, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday, noting that Washington may be spreading the reports about the supply of these long-range missiles to Kyiv to reassure its European allies.

“The Kremlin has already stated quite clearly that even if Tomahawks emerge in Ukraine, this will not change the front-line situation,” Lavrov was quoted as saying in the Black Sea resort of Sochi by TASS.

The Ukrainian leadership’s statement about the possibility of carrying out long-range strikes deep inside Russia can be perceived only negatively, the Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on Tuesday.

In a statement released by TASS on Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has warned that the Zelinsky regime, in the face of "inevitable military defeat," is using Europeans as a cover to take extreme measures even at the risk of sparking a “major war”.

“According to information obtained by Russia’s SVR, the Kiev regime, following its attempts at provocations with unmanned aerial vehicles in Poland and Romania’s airspace, continues its efforts to draw European NATO countries into an armed confrontation with Moscow,” it said.

The statement said that another provocation is being prepared that “revolves around a sabotage and reconnaissance group allegedly made up of servicemen from Russia and Belarus’ special forces.”

It claimed that the Ukrainian intelligence service, with the collaboration of the Polish counterparts, has enrolled militants of anti-government Russian and Belarusian legions raised by them for enacting terror strikes in Poland, to accuse Moscow and Minsk of attempting to destabilise the situation in a NATO country. PTI VS RD

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Chennai, Sep 30 (PTI) Auto-components maker Wheels India has signed a technical agreement with SHPAC (SHINHUNG Precision Machinery Company Ltd), a leading hydraulics cylinder manufacturer in South Korea, to facilitate a technology transfer in manufacturing.

The city-headquartered Wheels India has identified hydraulic cylinders segment, as one of the strategic growth areas and this collaboration is expected to drive its growth further in this segment.

In a press release on Tuesday, company MD Srivats Ram said, "It has been our stated intent to focus and grow the hydraulics cylinder business significantly over the next few years. We believe this business segment has potential to be an important growth driver for Wheels India globally, going forward."

Wheels India, which is a leading manufacturer of wheels for the construction equipment global industry, has been expanding its presence in Europe and North America, he noted.

"We expect to leverage the technology transfer by accessing existing customers and will continue to invest in the hydraulic cylinder business as opportunities arise."

On the technical agreement, he said, "SHPAC is a leading manufacturer of hydraulic cylinders in South Korea with a successful track record over the last few decades in this business exporting their products worldwide."

"Our technical technology transfer agreement with them is expected to create new growth opportunities for Wheels India in the global hydraulic cylinder industry and we expect this to give a fillip to our drive to grow this business over the next few years," he added. PTI VIJ ROH

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman here and submitted a detailed representation seeking financial support for the state under the Centre's Purvodaya Scheme.

The Purvodaya Scheme, launched by the Centre for the holistic development of eastern states, has identified Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh as key beneficiaries. It aims to unlock the economic potential of eastern regions by promoting agriculture, industry, and infrastructure growth.

Emphasising the need for balanced regional development, Naidu outlined the state government's plans to utilise the scheme's funds, an official statement said.

He said the government aims to promote horticulture in Rayalaseema, expand coffee plantations, cashew and coconut farms in North Andhra, and strengthen aquaculture activities in Coastal Andhra.

The Chief Minister asserted that targeted funding would improve productivity, generate employment, and enhance rural incomes. He underlined that the scheme would play a transformative role in uplifting backward regions such as North Andhra and Rayalaseema, which have historically lagged in industrial and economic development.

Later in the day, speaking at the curtain-raiser of the 30th CII Partnership Summit in New Delhi, Naidu invited global industry leaders to the event scheduled for November 14-15 in Visakhapatnam.

He said Andhra Pradesh is endowed with unique advantages, including a long coastline, investment-friendly policies, and a skilled youth workforce.

This will be the seventh time Naidu is hosting the summit. Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said India is experiencing rapid industrial growth. With the vision of achieving a USD 2.4 trillion economy in Andhra Pradesh, the government has unveiled the Swarnandhra Vision 2047, he added.

As part of this plan, leveraging the state's 1,000-km coastline, ports or harbours will be developed every 50 km, he said. Priority areas include logistics, deep technology, product perfection, Space City, electronics, drones, and aerospace hubs.

A Quantum Valley will also be developed in Amaravati, where a quantum computer will begin functioning by January 2026, with full-scale production set to start within two years, the Chief Minister said.

Naidu noted that while Prime Minister Modi has set a target of 500 GW in the renewable energy sector, Andhra Pradesh has fixed its goal at 160 GW. The state, with its strong agricultural and aquaculture base, plans to establish advanced food processing units on a large scale, he added.

Andhra Pradesh, ranked first in ease of doing business, is now focusing on "speed of doing business", Naidu said, inviting global investors and assuring pro-industry policies and full cooperation for rapid industrial growth.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal described Naidu as the architect of reforms who transformed people's lives. He said Naidu believes in high technology and is developing plug-and-play facilities across three industrial hubs-- Visakhapatnam, Orvakallu and Kopparthi. PTI LUX MR

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Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) Registration of properties in the Mumbai municipal region rose by 32 per cent in September to 12,070 units on strong festive demand, according to Knight Frank India.

Citing Maharashtra government data, real estate consultant Knight Frank India said that Mumbai city (area under BMC jurisdiction) recorded 12,070 property registrations in September against 9,111 units in the same month last year.

The data pertains to registration of properties transacted in both primary (first sale) and secondary (resale) markets.

"Mumbai city (area under BMC jurisdiction) recorded 12,070 property registrations in September, marking a 32 per cent YoY (year-on-year) increase," the consultant said.

Stamp duty collections touched Rs 1,292 crore, up 47 per cent YoY.

The market continues to be driven by residential demand, with 80 per cent of all registrations in the month attributed to residential properties, the statement said. PTI MJH MR

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) The Finance Ministry on Tuesday extended the deadline for opting for the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) till November 30, following a tepid response by the central government employees covered under NPS.

In a communication to the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Chairman, the Department of Financial Services, under the Finance Ministry, informed about the decision to extend the cut-off date for exercising the choice of opting for UPS by another two months from the current deadline of September 30, 2025.

"Various positive changes have been announced recently under UPS, including the switch option, benefits on resignation, compulsory retirement, tax exemptions, etc. Requests have been received from various stakeholders that some more time needs to be given to employees to exercise the option in view of these changes," it said.

Accordingly, it has been decided to extend the cut-off date to exercise choice for UPS by two months -- up to November 30, 2025, for eligible existing employees, past retirees and the legally wedded spouse of the deceased past retirees, it added.

This has been approved by the Finance Minister, the communication to the PFRDA said.

As per PFRDA (Operationalisation of UPS under NPS) Regulations, 2025, eligible existing employees, past retirees and the legally wedded spouse of the deceased past retirees have been given a time-frame of three months to exercise choice for UPS -- up to 30 June 2025, it noted.

However, it said, based on various representations received from stakeholders, this deadline was subsequently extended till September 30, 2025, vide letter dated July 1, 2025.

PFRDA is requested to carry out necessary changes, including required entablements in the CRA systems, regulations or issue a circular to give effect to the decision of the government in this regard, it said.

Around 31,555 central government employees had opted for the UPS till July 20. According to reports, about 1 lakh out of 23 lakh government employees have opted for UPS till the deadline of September 30.

From April 1, 2025, the government has introduced UPS as an option under the National Pension System (NPS) for central government employees. UPS will provide assured payouts to the employees.

UPS is applicable to the central government employees, who are covered under the National Pension System (NPS) and choose this option under NPS, which came into effect on January 1, 2004. The option to choose between UPS and NPS can be exercised by 23 lakh government employees.

On August 24, 2024, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved UPS.

Under the old pension scheme, which ended in January 2004, employees got 50 per cent of their last drawn basic pay as pension.

Unlike the OPS, UPS is contributory in nature, wherein employees will be required to contribute 10 per cent of their basic salary and dearness allowance, while the employer's contribution (the central government) will be 18.5 per cent. PTI DP BAL

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New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) The government has achieved a milestone of solarising 20 lakh homes under the PM SuryaGhar Muft Bijli Yojana, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi said on Tuesday.

The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is the world's largest domestic rooftop solar initiative, transforming India's energy landscape with a bold vision to supply solar power to one crore households by March 2027.

In a post on X, the Minister for New and Renewable Energy said, "Under the visionary leadership of Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji, 20 lakh homes are now solar-powered under the @PMSuryaGhar Muft Bijli Yojana, lighting lives, saving costs and powering a sustainable future".

India achieved yet another milestone in the clean energy revolution, he added. PTI ABI BAL

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New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Electronics manufacturing services firm Optiemus Infracom and Ordinary Theory LLC USA have announced to set up a joint venture for manufacturing, market development, and sales of smart enterprise hardware and integrated industrial solutions, a regulatory filing said on Tuesday.

The joint venture will focus on creating smart enterprise hardware solutions spanning payments, retail, logistics, and AI.

“This partnership with Ordinary Theory LLC excites us as it will help us further strengthen our world-class manufacturing capabilities for Smart Enterprise Hardware & Industrial Solutions of today and tomorrow. These products will also support the rapidly growing fintech, logistics, retail and AI space, where we aim to play a pivotal role,” Optiemus Infracom, Chairman, Ashok Kumar Gupta said in a statement.

Optiemus will own a majority stake in the joint venture.

"We are delighted to join hands with Optiemus, a recognised leader in India’s electronics manufacturing sector. Together, we will introduce innovative, secure, and scalable fintech and smart enterprise hardware and integrated industrial solutions, proudly developed and manufactured in India, to accelerate the growth of the country’s digital economy,” Ordinary Theory LLC, CEO, Shen Tianzhou, said.

Under the pact between the two companies, Ordinary Theory brings end-to-end innovation delivering cutting-edge hardware and software for payments, logistics, retail, and AI while Optiemus will leverage its world-class production facilities in India to deliver robust, high-quality devices.

The venture will support the rapid digital transformation underway in India and globally, offering locally manufactured smart enterprise hardware and industrial solutions that the firms claim will serve as reliable alternatives to international products. PTI PRS PRS MR

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) KP Group on Tuesday signed an agreement with multiple players to explore opportunities in the area of green hydrogen.

KP Group has formed a strategic international partnership with South Korea's Jeonbuk Province to advance the global green hydrogen ecosystem, a filing said.

"KP Group, through KPI Green Hydrogen and Ammonia, signed an MoU with Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, South Korea, along with energy leaders GH2 Solar Ltd and AHES Co Ltd. This collaboration marks a pivotal step in strengthening international cooperation for clean energy, especially in the emerging global green hydrogen sector," KPI Green Energy said.

The agreement focuses on technology exchange in water electrolysis and hydrogen facilities.

Joint development of large-scale green hydrogen projects and expansion of the green hydrogen market across India and international geographies, the company said. PTI ABI BAL

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New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Tata Motors on Tuesday announced a fresh investment of Rs 120 crore in leading digital freight ecosystem Freight Commerce Solutions.

The latest infusion builds on the company's earlier investment of Rs 150 crore in October 2023, bringing the total investment to Rs 270 crore in Freight Commerce Solutions (Freight Tiger), the Mumbai-based automaker said in a statement.

"With this investment, we're not just funding technology - we're fundamentally reimagining logistics through artificial intelligence," T V Swaminathan, Vice President & Head- Digital Business, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles, said.

The company's enhanced investment reaffirms Tata Motors' commitment to not only powering India's logistics infrastructure, but also shaping its digital future by enabling smarter, more connected, and customer-centric freight operations for businesses and consumers, he added.

In a separate regulatory filing, Tata Motors said its subsidiary has incorporated a unit in the Netherlands.

"We wish to inform you that TML CV Holdings Pte Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, has incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary in the name of TML CV Holdings B.V., in the Netherlands," the Mumbai-based auto major said in a regulatory filing.

The new entity has been incorporated as a holding company with the primary objective of participating in managing and administering participations and interests in businesses, legal entities and companies, it added.

On July 30, Tata Motors announced the acquisition of Italian firm Iveco Group NV in a deal pegged at around 3.8 billion euros. PTI MSS MR

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) State-owned SJVN on Tuesday said it has commissioned 128.88 MW solar capacity of its 1,000 MW Bikaner project in Rajasthan.

With this, the project has achieved a total cumulative commissioned capacity of 629.90 MW out of 1,000 MW as on date and the remaining capacity is expected to be commissioned soon, the company said in a filing.

The overall capacity of the Bikaner Solar Power Project is 1,000 MW, the company said.

This is to inform that a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, SJVN Green Energy Limited (SGEL), has achieved commercial operation of 128.88 MW part capacity out of 1,000 MW Bikaner Solar Power Project on September 30, 2025, the filing said. PTI ABI MR

Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) The Reserve Bank on Tuesday announced a year-long incentive scheme for banks to reduce the volume of unclaimed deposits.

Under the 'Scheme for Facilitating Accelerated Payout' Inoperative Accounts and Unclaimed Deposits', banks will be eligible to get a differential payout depending on the period of an account remaining inoperative and the amount of deposits in it.

"The scheme aims to reduce both the stock of existing unclaimed deposits and fresh accretion of flows to the DEA Fund," an official communique from the central bank said.

"The objective (of the scheme) is to encourage banks to actively pursue customers/ depositors for re-activation of their inoperative accounts and return of their unclaimed amounts lying with Depositors Education Awareness (DEA) Fund to the rightful claimant in a timely and efficient manner," the central bank said.

Unclaimed money in accounts which are inoperative for more than 10 years goes into the depositor education and awareness (DEA) fund, but a depositor can reclaim the money later as well.

As of June this year, the unclaimed deposits stood at over Rs 67,000 crore.

The RBI had earlier launched a dedicated portal called 'UDGAM' to enhance accessibility and simplify the search process for unclaimed deposits.

The incentive scheme for banks announced on Tuesday will run from October 1 to September 30.

Under the scheme, banks will get 5 per cent of the amount or Rs 5,000, whichever is less, for an account which is inoperative for up to 4 years, and the same will go up to 7.5 per cent or Rs 25,000, whichever is less, in case of an account that is inoperative for over ten years, as per the RBI.

The RBI asked banks to submit their claim for payouts on a quarterly basis in the prescribed format within one month at the end of each quarter, and the same was to be signed by a senior executive identified by the top management of a bank. PTI AA BAL

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Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) Netflix India has secured nine nominations at the Asian Academy Creative Awards (AACA) for their shows including “Black Warrant” and “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack”.

The nominees will now go on to represent India and compete in the Grand Awards, across the APAC region, in December 2024 in Singapore.

“The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan” and “Modern Masters – SS Rajamouli” are also nominated.

“Black Warrant” led the tally with five nominations across key categories — Best Promo or Trailer, Best Editing (Tanya Chhabria), Best Sound (Kunal Sharma), Best Screenplay (Satyanshu Singh and Arkesh Ajay), Best Cinematography (Saumyananda Sahi), and Best Actor in a Leading Role (Zahan Kapoor), the streamer said in a release.

“Modern Masters – SS Rajamouli” was nominated for Best Documentary Programme (One-Off), while “The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan” earned a nod for Best Documentary (Series).

“IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” was recognised for Best VFX, credited to Dipen Bhaskar and Vivek Dey.

Tanya Bami, Series Head, Netflix India said, “We are so excited and humbled to be acknowledged for such a diverse range of stories and genres, representative of our series slate. It is a testimony to the amazing work our partners bring to life together with us.

“What makes this even more special is seeing both our seasoned creators and emerging talent as well as those who work behind the scenes, receive this recognition. This is Indian creativity at its finest, and we couldn't be prouder to support these voices.”

Actor Zahan Kapoor, who received a nomination for Best Actor for his performance as Sunil Gupta in Black Warrant, said, “Being a part of ‘Black Warrant’ has been an unforgettable journey, and to be recognised by the Asian Academy Creative Awards for this role feels truly surreal.

"Portraying Sunil Gupta, a man who spent decades within the walls of Tihar Jail, bearing witness to the lives and last moments of death row inmates, was a profound and humbling experience.”

Crediting Vikramaditya Motwane, Satyanshu Singh and shows’ writers, Kapoor said it was a once in a lifetime role for him.

Sameer Nair, MD of Applause Entertainment, said, “Black Warrant has been a truly special journey for all of us, and these numerous nominations at the Asian Academy Creative Awards are both humbling and gratifying..."

“We’re immensely proud that Black Warrant secured the most National Wins this year, and are looking forward to the Gala Awards in December, where the show will represent India in so many prestigious categories.”

At the 2024 edition, Netflix India received nominations for “Amar Singh Chamkila”, “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar”, “The Railway Men” and “The Hunt For Veeruppan”. PTI BK SKY

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New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Producers and distributors say it is too early to assess the exact implication of US president Donald Trump's announcement of a 100 per cent tariff on foreign-made films but if it applies to Indian films releasing in America, then the ticket rates will go up.

On Monday, Trump reiterated his comments in May by announcing that he will be imposing a "100 per cent tariff" on any and all movies that are "made outside of the United States”.

Asked about Trump's latest announcement, Shibasish Sarkar, president of the Producers Guild of India, said he is taking a wait and watch approach to the matter as there is no clarity about how the tariffs on movies will be implemented.

"We should wait till he comes with a circular on the same. It seems that he is focused on the US films which are going outside of the US for production and he wants to raise the tariff when they come to home country for exhibition. The objective is to bring local employment, investment. In such a scenario, a non-US film, releasing in the US, I don’t foresee any major impact," Sarkar told PTI.

However, if the tariff applies to all films, both American and foreign, being released in the US market, then Indian films could feel the impact.

"In that case, the producer will pass on the ticket prices to the consumer, then the footfalls will come down. For Indian films it is not of much significance because a substantial amount of business comes from domestic ticket sales. Among overseas markets, the US is big, but it constitutes only 6 to 7 per cent of overall revenue for Hindi films.

"For Tamil and Telugu films, the US is a significant market. If there’s a tariff of 100 per cent, then there will be an impact of 5 to 6 per cent for South films, and for Hindi films it will be 3 to 4 per cent at the revenue level,” he said.

Leading distributor Rajesh Thadani also said that there was not much clarity about Trump's proposed tariff.

"If the 100 per cent tariff is applicable to Indian films and companies, then it will definitely have some impact on us. The US is a significant market for Indian films, especially South language movies like ‘Baahubali’, ‘KGF’, and others. If the tariff is on Indian films being shown there, then the ticket rates might go up and fewer people will go to theatres. It is yet to be known whether the streaming platforms like Netflix and others come under this tariff or not,” he said.

Exhibitor-distributor Akshay Rathi said North America is a significant market for Indian films, particularly for Telugu films.

"The movie fraternity can continue to release their films in North America. It is in the interest of the theatres over there to make sure they price the ticket sensibly, where the 100 per cent tariff works out to be reasonable so that enough people turn up at cinemas. I’m sure they will find a solution to make sure that the consumption of movies is not hampered because of the tariff.

"However, it is important to wait for the fine print of the policy to be out because then that will lead to more clarity," he said.

Ramesh Taurani of Tips Films highlighted the uncertainty and lack of clarity in many of Trump's statements.

"It’s too early to comment on this, he keeps saying something new daily. We should wait and watch for things to get sorted," he said.

In his post on Truth Social, Trump said the movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America by other countries.

"... Just like stealing 'candy from a baby.'"

He said the new tariff would be imposed "on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States". Trump, however, did not specify when the tariff would take effect.

It also remained unclear whether the levy would cover films on streaming platforms like Netflix and Prime Video in addition to theatrical releases, or how it would be calculated.

In May, the US president said he would talk to Hollywood executives about his plan and to begin the process of imposing the levy because America's film industry was dying "a very fast death". PTI KKP RB RB BK

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New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has emerged as India's most prolific star, featuring in 20 out of 130 most popular Indian movies, said a new report by IMDb.

The report, titled "25 Years of Indian Cinema (2000-2025)", was released on Tuesday by IMDb, the global movie database with over 250 million monthly users.

It is based on the top five most popular Indian movies released each year between January 2000 and August 2025, collectively accounting for more than 9.1 million user ratings worldwide.

According to the study, Khan dominated the early 2000s, starring in eight of the 25 most popular films released between 2000 and 2004.

He also headlined the top movie for five consecutive years during this period.

His enduring stardom has ensured that even in years without a release, he remained a constant presence on IMDb’s Popular Indian Celebrities list, featuring in the top 10 every week of 2024.

Khan said it is encouraging for him to see the impact his films have had on people.

"It’s pleasantly surprising and encouraging to see the impact films that I have been a part of have made. The goal has always been to entertain people and win over their love through storytelling. It’s always been my belief that the power of cinema lies in the fact that it can transcend boundaries of language and culture," he said in a statement.

"To see that my films have entertained people not just in India but elsewhere, is very fulfilling. I am thankful that my journey over these 25 years has been highlighted in the IMDb report…. can’t help but say, ‘picture abhi baaki hai," the 59-year-old actor said.

The report also highlighted the shifting landscape of Indian stardom.

While the first five years of the millennium saw 13 male leads dominate the 25 most popular films, the past five years have featured 23 different male stars, with only Prabhas, Allu Arjun, Suriya, and Vijay appearing more than once.

“Stars were once engines of success, but today they are a component of a larger machinery,” IMDb said.

“They function less as guarantors of success and more as multipliers of a movie’s intrinsic strengths. The fans of today may line up for a selfie, but they may not show up for the movie," it added. PTI ATR BK RB

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New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone, who made it to the top five of IMDb's list of 'Indian Cinema's Most Prolific Headliners' in the last 25 years, said she was often told how to navigate her career path as a woman but she was never afraid to challenge the status quo.

The list was topped by Shah Rukh Khan topped the list, with Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan securing the second position, and Deepika Padukone ranking third.

"When I began my journey, I was often told how a woman must or is expected to navigate her career in order to be successful. However, from the very beginning, I was never afraid to ask questions, ruffle feathers, walk a more difficult path and challenge the status quo in order to reshape the mould we have all been expected to fit into," Padukone told IMDb.

She thanked her fans for supporting her through their choices and added that securing a spot in the list further validates her choices.

"The faith my family, fans and collaborators have had in me, have also empowered me to make the choices and decisions that I have, hopefully forever altering the path those after me will tread. IMDb’s Report on 25 Years of Indian Cinema further validates and strengthens my belief that honesty, authenticity and resilience matter, and that by being true to your core beliefs with consistency, change is possible," she added.

Her comments come amid the news surrounding her exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's "Spirit" and the sequel to "Kalki 2898 AD".

Her rift with Vanga started when she allegedly demanded an eight-hour work schedule as a new mother. She was then replaced in his film by Triptii Dimri, who has previously worked with Vanga in "Animal". "Kalki 2898 AD" filmmakers said they were parting ways with the actor as the movie needed "commitment and much more".

Padukone was last seen in Rohit Shetty's "Singham Again" and is set to appear alongside Shah Rukh Khan in "King". PTI SMR SMR BK

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Chandigarh, Sep 30 (PTI) At just 19-years of age, Moga-based Paramjeet Kaur aka Param has become a new sensation in the Punjabi music industry with her song "That Girl" which attracted more than 35 lakh views within a week of its launch.

Her latest song has been getting constant traction with many people comparing her singing style with that of slain singer Sidhu Moosewala who was shot dead in 2022 and calling her "Lady Moosewala."

The song was produced by UK-based music producer Manni Sandhu who specially came to India for it.

Sandhu shared a post on Instagram handle on Tuesday recalling how the song was recorded.

"The craziest thing is we recorded this track in no expensive studio. There was no acoustic treatment. It was a random Airbnb. You could hear cars outside, people shouting but the vocals were coming out so crisp."

"Within 10 minutes, we already had the vibe of the song down. So I took the vocals back to my studio, added all the final touches and the song was pretty much done. For the music video, we linked up with our good friends Tru Makers. We gave them the vision we had for the video and they took the idea and absolutely smashed it. It is getting so much love," he added.

Param hails from Duneke village in Punjab's Moga district. Her mother works as a house help and father is a daily-wager.

In one of the previous videos shared by her on social media, the singer explained how she decided to start making the songs after noticing her friends doing it.

"In college, my friends were writing and singing songs and then after seeing them, I thought I should also do this."

Param is studying in DM College in Moga. PTI CHS

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New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) “Bridgerton” star Simone Ashley posed alongside Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, as both walked for Le Defile L'Oreal Paris show at Paris Fashion Week.

Ashley shared a selfie with Bachchan on her Instagram handle, which featured both the actors getting ready for the show. Both walked the ramp on Monday.

Bachchan wore a custom-designed outfit from a renowned designer, Manish Malhotra, which comprised an Indian sherwani adorned with statement accessories. The designer shared a note on his social media, describing the outfit.

"It reflects a world where tradition transforms, where a woman can command the grandeur of sherwani menswear and rewrite its codes with elegance," he said.

Ashley opted for golden shimmery attire from Elie Saab's RE25 collection, complemented with fringes all over. She kept her hair open and added matching footwear to complete the look.

The 30-year-old actor also uploaded a series of pictures on her Instagram, summing up her visit to France for the event. One of the pictures featured her posing with Bachchan.

Besides Ashley and Bachchan, supermodel Cara Delevingne, veteran actors Helen Mirren and Jane Fonda, television personalities Heidi Klum and Bethenny Frankel, and actor Eva Longoria, among others, walked the ramp at fashion event. PTI ATR

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Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) Actor Varun Dhawan says the box office clash between his upcoming film “Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari” and “Kantara: Chapter 1” was unavoidable and he is confident that both the films are different and will do "big business".

Both "Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari" and "Kantara: Chapter 1" are releasing on October 2. Varun stars in Shashank Khaitan film alongside Janhvi Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra and Rohit Saraf in the main cast.

"Sunny..." was initially slated to release in April but it was pushed to a later date due to the ill health of Khaitan, who is known for his romantic comedies “Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania”, “Badrinath Ki Dulhania”, and “Dhadak”.

Dhawan said he is happy that his director is back to good health and they got the film they wanted.

"... And Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra is a very big date, two films can really do big business, and they are very different films. I don't know what is the best time (to release a film), I would love to come on a date where no film comes on...

"Also, how much can you delay it? So, unless you are this very big film, which is made at a budget of Rs 200-300 crores, you can't. We can't dictate terms or we can't find any place. Whatever our distributors felt, Karan (Johar) sir felt, they chose that date. And as actors we are doing our best (to promote the film)," Dhawan told PTI in an interview.

The actor said they have a lot of love and admiration for south cinema and Hombale films.

"It's in a very healthy, good space... It's South Indian cinema. So, it's our cinema eventually. I’m as proud of that cinema like I’m proud of any film over here. I feel that my country is going to make a film eventually, it's not coming from any other country,” Dhawan added

“Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari” is a romantic-comedy that revolves around two former lovers reuniting to separate their respective exes who are getting married.

Khaitan said his film was delayed because he went through "a really big health challenge".

"I was struggling for almost seven-and-a-half months. So, making it in April would have been very tough. When we started the film, we started it on a wheelchair,” the director said.

“Genuinely, we all wish the best for each other as well. Every film that does well, creates more employment, creates more joy and makes the industry bigger,” Khaitan said.

Dhawan said another big festive date could’ve been Diwali, but they would not have ideally liked to release the movie as “Thamma” will be out in cinema halls.

“Both Dinoo (Dinesh Vijan) and Amar (Kaushik, producers) are very good friends of mine. We can't go there because there is a genuine friendship there.”

Backed by Karan Johar’s Dharma Production, the film also stars Manish Paul, Akshay Oberoi, and others. PTI KKP BK

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New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan walked the ramp on the opening day of Paris Fashion Week, wearing a custom-designed outfit from the renowned designer Manish Malhotra.

The outfit comprised a black coloured "reimagined" Indian sherwani, adorned with diamond-embroidered cuffs and statement accessories. She graced the ramp on Monday for L'Oreal Paris' show.

Malhotra shared a video from the show and penned a note alongside, on his Instagram handle on Tuesday. The designer, who is known for dressing top celebrities not only in India but also internationally, described the details of the outfit.

The post also had glimpses of how the outfit was made, with the closer shots of the outfit's details.

"This look reimagines the Indian sherwani, rooted in heritage menswear through an androgynous couture lens, the custom-made sherwani becomes a canvas where structure meets softness: tailoring that asserts power yet carries modern sensuality," he wrote.

"The 10-inch diamond-embroidered cuffs transform the sleeve into a statement of modern regalia-part armor, part adornment. They extend the gesture of 'wearing your heart on your sleeve,' amplifying both strength and vulnerability in equal measure. The result is an expression of modern royalty-defined not by lineage but by presence, individuality, and global relevance. It reflects a world where tradition transforms where a woman can command the grandeur of sherwani menswear and rewrite its codes with elegance."

"In 2025, this vision stands both timeless and progressive: a couture statement that bridges cultures, transcends gender, and positions Indian craft in dialogue with the international stage. @manishmalhotrajewellery @manishmalhotraworld," he concluded.

Paris Fashion Week commenced on Monday and will conclude on October 7. PTI ATR

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Chandigarh, Sep 30 (PTI) Punjabi singer Rajvir Jawanda, who was hospitalised in Mohali last week after sustaining serious injuries in a road accident in Himachal Pradesh, continues to be on life support, the hospital authorities said on Tuesday.

The singer's neurological condition remains critical, with minimal brain activity and no significant improvement despite ongoing advanced medical management, said Fortis Hospital in a statement.

"He continues to require prolonged ventilator support. The overall prognosis remains guarded," the statement read.

Jawanda (35) was seriously injured in an accident in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district while going to Shimla on a motorcycle on September 27.

The accident took place in the Baddi area when he lost control over the motorcycle, police had said earlier. He was brought to Fortis Hospital in Mohali, Punjab, in an "extremely critical" condition on Saturday.

The singer sustained serious head and spine injuries in the road accident and was put on ventilator support, Fortis Hospital had said on Saturday.

On Sunday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann visited the hospital to enquire about Jawanda health.

Many Punjabi artistes have also prayed for his speedy recovery.

Hailing from village Pona in Ludhiana's Jagraon, Jawanda is also known for his songs "Tu dis penda", "Khush reha kar", "Sardari", 'Surname", "Afreen", "Landlord", "Down to earth" and "Kangani".

Jawanda also acted in Gippy Grewal-starrer Punjabi movie "Subedar Joginder Singh" in 2018, "Jind Jaan" in 2019 and "Mindo Taseeldarni" in 2019. PTI CHS RB

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New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Actor Paresh Rawal's upcoming film "The Taj Story" has sparked a huge controversy over its poster depicting him removing the dome of the Taj Mahal and a statue of Lord Shiva emerging from it, prompting the filmmakers to say it does not "deal with any religious matters".

Presented by Swarnim Global Service Pvt Ltd, the movie is directed by Tushar Amrish Goel and produced by CA Suresh Jha.

Rawal and the filmmakers released the poster of the film on Monday. The poster caption reads, "What if everything you’ve been taught is a lie? The truth isn’t just hidden; it’s being judged. Unveil the facts with #TheTajStory on 31st October in cinemas near you," read the caption.

The backlash was swift with many social media users terming it "propaganda" and "fake".

Swarnim Global Service Pvt Ltd countered with a statement shortly after.

"The makers of the film 'The Taj Story' clarify that the movie does not deal with any religious matters, nor does it claim that a Shiv temple resides within the Taj Mahal. It focuses solely on historical facts. We would kindly request you to watch the film and form your own opinion," it said.

But the debate continued.

Several people said it appeared to be the latest example of propaganda in cinema after recently released titles like "The Udaipur Files" and "The Bengal Files".

"Looking at the poster, it seems like an attempt to portray the Taj Mahal as a religious site. The Taj Mahal is the tomb of two lovers. Nothing more than that.

"In the medieval period, all the European travelers who came to India, whether François Bernier, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, or Peter Mundy, described the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum built by Shah Jahan, not a temple," said one user on X.

Another user criticised Rawal for doing a movie like "The Taj Story".

"What a downfall @SirPareshRawal. From 'OMG' to #fake 'The Taj Story'," posted the user, referring to Rawal's critically-acclaimed 2012 movie "Oh My God", in which he played an atheist lawyer who sues God.

"The film The Taj Story revives the debunked claim that the Taj Mahal was once a Hindu temple. Historians reject it as pseudo-history, but critics fear it fuels communal divides. The Taj remains a 17th-century Mughal masterpiece - India’s shared heritage," a user posted.

Another post read, "Bollywood now pushing propaganda with #TheTajStory a film twisting history by showing the Taj Mahal as a temple. A country boasting of being the 4th largest economy is drowning in fantasy & communal myths. When propaganda feels ashamed, you know it’s India 2025."

A person called Taj Mahal "India’s pride in global tourism".

"But BJP/filmmakers wants to rewrite its story with The Taj Story movie—turning heritage into propaganda. History doesn’t change just because you want votes," the person posted.

Rawal was BJP MP from Ahmedabad East from 2014 to 2019.

Though the plotline film remains unclear, the makers had said in an earlier statement that the film raises the "questions and the secrets that are buried behind the 22 sealed doors of The Taj Mahal".

The movie also "promises to present a chapter from Indian history that no one has ever dared to present before", the makers claimed.

On August 14 this year, Rawal, 70, had shared a brief scene from the movie on his social media handles. He captioned it, "After 79 year of Independence are we still a slave of Intellectual Terrorism?"

The courtroom scene showed Rawal's character arguing in front of the judges and saying, "Azaadi ke 78 saal baad bhi humari soch, nazariya unhi logo ke talve chaat raha hai jinhone lesh matra sankoch nahi kiya humari poori sabhyata ko khatam karne ki, humare astitva ko mitane ki. (Even after 78 years of independence, our thinking and perspective still bow down to those who did not hesitate in the slightest to try and destroy our entire civilisation and erase our existence)."

The character then says it is time to now raise questions.

"If we do not raise them today, our history and our very existence will remain nothing more than questions," he adds.

The cast of "The Taj Story" also includes actors Zakir Hussain, Amruta Khanvilkar, Sneha Wagh, and Namit Das. PTI RB BK MIN

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Los Angeles, Sep 30 (PTI) "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling penned a lengthy note on X to address her rift with Emma Watson on Monday, saying the actor cannot go on criticising her publicly and then hope for reconciliation.

Watson played the role of Hermione in the film adaptations of the "Harry Potter" books alongside Daniel Radcliffe who payed Harry and Rupert Grint who played Ron.

The rift between the two began in 2020 when the author shared her views on the trans community which many deemed to be extremely transphobic. Following this, Watson and her "Harry Potter" co-stars publicly opposed Rowling in a public statement.

Watson and Rowling’s rift came up in the headlines again this month after the actor addressed the controversy in recent episode of the “On Purpose With Jay Shetty” podcast and said she still loves and treasures the author.

Now Rowling has responded with her own statement and called her "ignorant".

"Like other people who've never experienced adult life uncushioned by wealth and fame, Emma has so little experience of real life she's ignorant of how ignorant she is," the author wrote on X.

Rowling began by saying that she is not owed eternal agreement from any actor who once played a character that she created and Watson and "Harry Potter" stars have every right to embrace their gender identity ideology.

The author, however, said they shouldn't act like spokespersons for the world she created.

"... Emma and Dan in particular have both made it clear over the last few years that they think our former professional association gives them a particular right - nay, obligation - to critique me and my views in public. Years after they finished acting in Potter, they continue to assume the role of de facto spokespeople for the world I created," she wrote.

Rowling said since she worked with the actors when they were really young, she feels a certain "protectiveness" for them and has often declined to comment on them but what hurt her was that the actor asked someone to pass on a handwritten note to her with the sentence: 'I'm so sorry for what you're going through' when she was facing threats.

The author said when she was going through a bad period for her comments, Watson poured more petrol on the flames.

"I wasn't a multimillionaire at fourteen. I lived in poverty while writing the book that made Emma famous. I therefore understand from my own life experience what the trashing of women's rights in which Emma has so enthusiastically participated means to women and girls without her privileges," she wrote.

The author explained that "had Emma not decided in her most recent interview to declare that she loves and treasures her", she wouldn't have commented publicly.

"Emma is rightly free to disagree with me and indeed to discuss her feelings about me in public - but I have the same right, and I've finally decided to exercise it," she added. PTI SMR SMR BK

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Ranchi, Sep 30 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh’s 25-year-old javelin thrower Rishab Nehra stole the spotlight as he joined the 80m club while winning gold on the final day of the 64th National Open Athletics Championships here on Tuesday.

Nehra sent the spear to a distance of 80.12m in his third attempt which turned out to be a winning throw of the day.

“The domestic javelin throw in the men’s group is very competitive. I’m proud to have joined the 80m club today,” Nehra said of achieving his personal best.

Nehra’s previous best was 77.38m achieved three years ago.

It was a topsy-turvy season for Nehra as he battled a niggle and skipped major domestic events. However, armed with self-belief, he was able to conquer a new boundary in Ranchi.

"Joining the 80m club has given a big boost to my confidence. Now that I’ve achieved new heights this season, 2026 will be more exciting,” he added.

Away from the throwing arena, Asian medallist Pooja was a cut above the rest in the women’s 800m event. She was a comfortable winner in the two-lap race.

Men’s 100m champion Manikanta Hoblidhar of Services and Railways' 800m gold medallist Pooja were declared best male and female athletes respectively.

As expected, Services claimed the men’s team trophy with 152 points while Railways collected 175 points to take home the women’s team trophy.

Railways also won the overall team championships with 274 points.

Results:

Men: 200m: Sandeep Singh (SSCB) 20.95 seconds, Abhin Devadiga (Railway Sports) 21.20 seconds, Prasanna Kumar (Karnataka) 21.28 seconds.

800m: Prakash Gadade (SSCB) 1:50.01, Satyajeet Pujari (Maharashtra) 1:50.34, Basant Chauhan (Chandigarh) 1:50.48.

10,000m: Prince Kumar (All India Police) 30:25.15, Abhishek Pal (Railway Sports) 30:27.83, Sawan Barwal (SSCB) 30:29.33.

400m hurdles: Ruchit Mori (Gujarat) 50.47 seconds, Karna Bag (Railway Sports) 51.20 secs, Rakshith Naik (Karnataka) 51.29 secs.

3,000m steeplechase: Vikram Singh (SSCB) 8:38.91 seconds, Rohit Verma (SSCB) 8:39.69 secs, Raj Kumar (SSCB) 8:44.66 secs.

Triple jump: Dinesh V (Tamil Nadu) 16.27m, Sebastian VS (SSCB) 16.25m, Karthik U (SSCB) 16.07m.

Javelin throw: Rishab Nehra (Uttar Pradesh) 80.12m, Uttam Patil (SSCB) 78.01m, Shivam Lohakare (SSCB) 77.98m.

4x400m relay: Railways 3:06.35 (meet record, previous 3:06.63 by SSCB in 2015), SSCB 3:06.81, Tamil Nadu 3:09.09.

Women: 200m: Sakshi Chavan (Gujarat) 23.78 seconds, Neeru Pathak (Uttar Pradesh) 23.87 seconds, Simran Kaur (Punjab) 24.41 seconds.

800m: Pooja (Railway Sports) 2:03.16 seconds, Lili Das (Railway Sports) 2:04.15, Amandeep Kaur (Punjab) 2:04.78.

10,000m: Ravina Gayakwad (Maharashtra) 35:30.16, Basanti Kumari (Railway Sports) 35:40.42, Soniya (Uttarakhand) 36:13.79.

400m hurdles: Olimba Steffi (Railway Sports) 58.93 seconds, Neha Dhabale (Railway Sports) 1:00.06 secs, Deekshita R (Karnataka) 1:00.19 secs.

3,000m steeplechase: Ankita (Railway Sports) 10:01.74, Komal Jagadale (Railway Sports) 10:14.34, Rebi Pal (Railway Sports) 10:37.26.

Hammer throw: Tanya Chaudhary (Uttar Pradesh) 60.83m, Divya Shandilya (Odisha) 57.92m, Manpreet Kaur (Punjab) 56.52m.

Long jump: Bhavani Yadav (Railway Sports) 6.13m, Bhairabi Roy (Railway Sports) 6.07m, Sherin A (Tamil Nadu) 6.07m.

Heptathlon: Anamika KA (Kerala) 5629 points, Pooja (Railway Sports) 5358 points, Swapna Barman (Railway Sports) 5260 points.

4x400m relay: Railway Sports 3:39.28 seconds, Punjab 3:41.03 secs, Karnataka 3:43.43 secs. PTI PDS AM PDS AM

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Guwahati, Sep 30 (PTI) The 14th Women's World Cup opened on a dazzling note at the ACA Barsapara Stadium here on Tuesday, with the ceremony featuring a moving tribute to Assam's cultural icon Zubeen Garg.

During the mid-innings break of India-Sri Lanka game, renowned Bollywood singer Shreya Ghosal captivated the 25,000-odd spectators with a 13-minute performance dedicated to Zubeen, blending a medley of his hits with the World Cup theme song, 'Bring It Home.'

The stadium echoed with chants of "Joy Zubeen Da!" as fans waved banners in homage to the late singer, whose untimely death on September 19 in Singapore had plunged the state into mourning.

The emotional high point of the glittering ceremony came when Shreya concluded her performance with Zubeen's iconic song "Mayabini Ratir Bukut".

The song, which the late singer had wished to be sung by his fans after his death, reverberated through the ACA Barsapara Stadium.

Fireworks also lit up the sky, adding a celebratory contrast to the somber tribute.

The Assam Cricket Association had redesigned the opening ceremony to honour Zubeen blending the festive spirit of Durga Puja with the state's grief.

"The match is being held on the cusp of two extremes -- mourning for Zubeen Garg and the peak Durga Puja festival (Maha Ashtami)," BCCI secretary Devjit Saikia said.

"We wanted the opening ceremony to pay homage to the son of the soil.”

Five thousand tickets were reserved exclusively for members of the Zubeen Garg Fan Club, while 10,000 complimentary passes were distributed, ensuring his fans could be part of the historic moment.

Such was the mood and emotion surrounding the tribute to Zubeen that the opening match set a new attendance record of 22,843. It's the highest ever for a Women’s World Cup league game, surpassng the previous mark of 15,935 set during the India-Pakistan clash at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Dubai.

Before the start of the match, the BCCI also felicitated former stalwarts of Indian women's cricket to celebrate the growth and legacy of the game.

"Zubeen Da will always remain with us. He is Assam's No. 1 icon. We may not have seen Bhupen Hazarika, but Zubeen was one of us, relatable and close to our hearts," said a 23-year-old hotel management student.

Fans sported jerseys of Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj, while many also used the occasion to remember Indian cricket legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, with their jerseys spotted across the stands.

Twelve former captains were honoured: Shantha Rangaswamy, Diana Edulji, Shubhangi Kulkarni, Purnima Rau, Nilima Joglekar, Anjum Chopra, Sandhya Agarwal, Pramila Bhatt, Chandrakanta Kaul, Mamtha Maben, Mithali Raj, and Anju Jain.

Former Test and ODI cricketer Sudha Shah was also felicitated.

The contributions of Neetu David (former Chairperson, Women's Selection Committee & ICC Hall of Fame recipient), Renu Margrate (Member, Women's Selection Committee), and Shyama Dey (Member, Women's Selection Committee) were also acknowledged. PTI TAP AT PDS

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Sri Lanka: (Target 271 in 47 overs)

Hasini Perera b Goud 14

Chamari Athapaththu b Sharma 43

Harshitha Samarawickrama lbw b Shree Charani 29

Vishmi Gunaratne lbw b AB Kaur 11

Kavisha Dilhari c Ghosh b Sharma 15

Nilakshika Silva b Rana 35

Anushka Sanjeewani c H Kaur b Sharma 6

Sugandika Kumari b Rana 10

Achini Kulasuriya c Mandhana b Shree Charani 17

Udeshika Prabodhani not out 14

Inoka Ranaweera lbw b Pratika Rawal 3

Extras: (LB-4, NB-1, W-9) 14

Total: (All out, 45.4 overs) 211

Fall of wkts: 1-30, 2-82, 3-103, 4-105, 5-130, 6-140, 7-173, 8-184, 9-199.

Bowling: Kranti Goud 9-0-41-1, Amanjot Kaur 6-0-37-1, Sneh Rana 10-0-32-2, Deepti Sharma 10-1-54-3, Shree Charani 8-0-37-2, Pratika Rawal 2.4-0-6-1.

India won by 59 runs (DLS method). PTI AM AM

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Guwahati, Sep 30 (PTI) India defeated Sri Lanka by 59 runs under DLS Method in a rain-shortened ICC Women's World Cup opener here on Tuesday.

Amanjot Kaur (57 off 56 balls) and Deepti Sharma (53 off 53 balls) shared a 103-run partnership for the seventh wicket as India made 269/8 with two rain disruptions forcing the match to be reduced to 47 overs per side.

Chasing a DLS target of 271, Sri Lanka were all out for 211 in 45.4 overs with Deepti returning figures of 3/54 as India began their campaign in style.

Sent in to bat first, India were in all sorts of trouble with Sri Lankan spinner Inoka Ranaweera taking four wickets for 46 runs as the hosts were reduced to 124/6 before Amanjot and Deepti did the repair work.

Brief scores:

India: 269 for 8 in 47 overs (Amanjot Kaur 57, Deepti Sharma 53; Inoka Ranaweera 4/46).

Sri Lanka: 211 all out in 45.4 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 43, Nilakshika Silva 35; Deepti Sharma 3/54, Sneh Rana 2/32, Shree Charani 2/37). PTI AM AM PDS

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Indore, Sep 30 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) president Mahanaryaman Scindia on Tuesday said the association was ready to host the first Women's World Cup match at Indore's Holkar Stadium.

Australia and New Zealand will clash at the Holkar Stadium on Wednesday as part of the ICC Women's One Day Cricket World Cup.

Reviewing the preparations for the match, Scindia told reporters, "We have made special arrangements in and around the stadium to provide a great experience to women players and spectators from India and abroad."

Ticket prices have been kept lower than those for other international matches so that people from all walks of life can watch the match, he said.

Scindia (29) took charge on September 2 as the youngest president in the history of the MPCA, which was established in 1957.

Indore will host a total of five matches of the Women's World Cup. This includes the clash between India and England on October 19.

The Holkar Stadium can accommodate approximately 30,000 spectators. PTI HWP MAS KRK

Panaji, Sep 30 (PTI) Back from the Asia Cup victory, India captain Suryakumar Yadav was the cynosure of all eyes in Goa on Tuesday as he participated in the inauguration of a private cricket stadium in South Goa district.

Thousands of cricket fans thronged the `1919 Sportz Cricket Stadium' at Verna village.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and transport minister Mauvin Godinho were amongst those present at the inauguration. Later, Sawant was seen bowling a tennis ball to Yadav, who hit it above the crowd.

Addressing the crowd, the chief minister invited the Indian captain to play a match in Goa.

Goa has only one international-standard stadium at Fatorda which is used for both cricket as well as football, but this private stadium is exclusively for cricket, noted the chief minister.

Sawant congratulated the Indian team for winning the Asia Cup and also congratulated Yadav for giving the winning amount to the Indian Army.

Talking to reporters, Yadav said that such stadiums are required.

The India captain recalled the time when he played Ranji matches against Goa. "The Goa team is doing well," he said. PTI RPS KRK

Chennai, Sep 30 (PTI) Telugu Titans registered a 37-28 win over Patna Pirates courtesy a brilliant performance from Vijay Malik in the Pro Kabaddi League here on Tuesday.

Malik was unstoppable on the night, scoring a Super 10. This is Telugu Titans’ third win in a row, which has helped them move into the top three.

Patna Pirates’ Ayan Lohchab also shone with a Super 10 of his own, keeping his side in the contest with some fine raids. However, his efforts were not enough as the Titans played a strong all-round game and held their nerve in the crucial moments to secure the victory.

Telugu Titans opened the game in style, with Avi Duhan pulling off a brilliant Super Tackle to get the first points on the board. Soon after, Vijay Malik added to the tally with a successful raid, giving the Titans a 2-0 lead.

However, Patna Pirates struck back quickly as Ayan completed a fine raid to put his team on the scoreboard. The Titans, though, showed good determination and continued to push ahead, building a 3-point lead within the first six minutes of play.

The Pirates worked hard to close the gap and managed to bring the score down to 8-7, but the Titans still held a narrow one-point advantage when the first-half Strategic Time Out was called. PTI BS AM BS AM

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New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) A 22-year-old woman allegedly hanged self at her in-laws' house in outernorth Delhi's Shahbad Dairy after being harassed for dowry, police said on Tuesday.

The woman had married Ankit Kumar (25), a resident of Shahbad Dairy, on June 2, 2023, they said.

According to the complaint filed by her father Rampal (53), she was harassed by her husband, mother-in-law Geeta and father-in-law Mahender for dowry.

They initially demanded money to buy a motorcycle and later sought a television set and jewellery, the complainant said.

"Upon refusal, the victim was abused, beaten and repeatedly sent back to her parental home. On the intervening night of September 28 and 29, around 2.30 am, Ankit informed Rampal that his daughter had hanged herself. She was taken to ESIC Hospital in Rohini where doctors declared her brought dead," a senior police officer said.

The statement of the complainant was recorded before the sub-divisional magistrate of Narela under Section 196 (magistrate must conduct an inquiry into the cause of death under specific circumstances) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the officer said.

Based on the complaint, a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), police said. Her husband Ankit Kumar has been arrested and further investigation is underway, they added. PTI SSJ OZ

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Kolkata, Sep 30 (PTI) A woman died allegedly after falling ill at a Durga Puja pandal in south Kolkata's Behala area, police said.

The incident took place after the woman, identified as Sangita Rana, a resident of Haridevpur area, visited Nutan Dal puja pandal in Behala around Monday midnight, a police officer said.

She collapsed near the exit gate shortly after viewing the idol.

"On-duty officers immediately administered CPR at the spot. As her condition worsened, she was rushed through a green corridor to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead," the officer told PTI.

The deceased was a chronic asthma patient, he said.

The family members of the deceased woman, however, accused the police of mishandling the situation.

A relative alleged that repeated requests for oxygen support were ignored by the police, and the ambulance that arrived had no oxygen facility.

The family also claimed she became unwell following an argument with another visitor inside the pandal.

Police have started an investigation into the death and the body has been sent for post-mortem examination, he added. PTI SCH ACD

Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, has topped the list of metropolitan cities in economic offences with 6,476 such cases registered in 2023, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data showed.

However, as compared to the number of economic offences Mumbai reported in 2022, it saw a dip in such cases in 2023. While it reported 5,671 and 6,960 such cases in 2021 and 2022, respectively, this figure came down by 484 cases in 2023 as compared to its previous year, according to it.

Out of these cases, the police have filed chargesheets in 37.9 per cent cases, the report mentioned.

In the list metropolitan cities, Mumbai was followed by Hyderabad with 5,728 cases of economic offences registered, whereas Jaipur occupied the third spot with 5,304 such cases.

Maharashtra's graph in terms of the number of financial fraud cases saw an upward rise over the past few years with 19,803 such offences in 2023 as compared to 18,729 in 2022 and 15,550 in 2021, the NCRB report said.

Rajasthan was on the first spot with 27,675 financial fraud cases, whereas Telangana was at the second spot with 26,321. Maharashtra followed these two states at the third spot.

Among the total economic fraud cases registered in 2023, the police had filed chargesheets in 54.9 per cent cases, the data showed.

In terms of cyber crime cases, the state recorded 8,103 cases and was at the fourth spot.

Karnataka was at the first spot with 21,889 cases registered in the year 2023.

In metropolitan cities cyber crime cases, Mumbai had registered 4,131 cases in 2023 and remained on the third spot.

Bengaluru was on first spot with 17,631 cases registered during the year 2023, whereas Hyderabad was on second spot with 4,855 cases, the report mentioned. PTI DC NP

Ballia (UP), Sep 30 (PTI) A case has been registered against four persons, including a private hospital doctor, on Tuesday on charges of causing death by negligence in connection with the death of a constable posted at Dubhar police station, officials said.

Constable Abhay Pratap Patel, a native of Pratapgarh district and recruited in 2021, died on Monday while undergoing treatment at the district hospital.

He had recently returned to duty after a five-day leave and was scheduled to be married next month, police said.

According to police, he was initially admitted to a private hospital at the district headquarters where his family alleged negligence in treatment, which led to his condition worsening and eventual death.

When the family members reached Ballia on Tuesday, they refused to accept the body and demanded registration of a case.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (City) Mohammad Usman told PTI that on a complaint filed by the constable's uncle, Kapildev Patel, an FIR has been registered against the private hospital doctor Akash Singh, Monu Singh and two others under Section 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

A detailed probe is on in the matter, police said. PTI COR ABN OZ

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Jaipur, Sep 30 (PTI) Rajasthan Police has claimed to have a busted a racket involved in honey-trapping, insurance fraud and illegal arms trade in Jhalawar district, arresting 13 people including a woman, officials said on Tuesday.

Police suspect that 20 to 25 more people from Uttar Pradesh and other states are linked to the racket.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Amit Kumar said the racket, led by history-sheeter Hemraj Suman, was active in extortion, blackmail and fraudulent insurance claims.

The officer said a complaint received on September 24 revealed that the gang financed tractors and other heavy vehicles in the names of farmers and later disposed them off. Fake theft cases were then lodged to claim hefty amounts from insurance companies.

Acting on the input, around 20 police teams carried out simultaneous raids in Jhalawar, Jhalrapatan, Sarola and Kota, arresting Suman and his associates red-handed.

During searches, police uniforms were recovered from Suman's car, along with several bank passbooks, chequebooks, original vehicle documents, property-related stamps and agreements from his house, the SP said.

The gang also used women to trap influential persons in honey-trap and blackmail cases, threatening them with false rape charges. Fake police uniforms and illegal arms were used to create fear and extort large sums of money, police said.

Kumar said 13 accused, including gang leader Suman and a woman, have been arrested, while further investigation is underway to trace the wider network. PTI AG OZ

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Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) Police have arrested from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh a 34-year-old autorickshaw driver, days after he allegedly raped and murdered a sex worker in Mumbai, officials said on Tuesday.

The incident took place on September 25 in Malad area of the city, and the accused was identified as Chandrapal Ramkhiladi alias Neta, they said.

"The police last week received a call about a woman lying unconscious at Sawant Compound in Church Road. A police team rushed to the spot and took the victim to a nearby hospital, where she was declared dead," an official of Malwani police station said.

Her autopsy showed she was strangled to death, prompting the police to file a case of murder, he said.

Police examined the CCTV footage and identified the accused to be an auto driver and the victim to be a commercial sex worker.

The video footage showed the auto driver killing the victim using her 'dupatta' (long veil). It was a fallout of some financial dispute between them, he said.

After police found that he was from Agra and was hiding in Mathura, a team of investigators was sent there. They nabbed him and during interrogation, he admitted to have committed the crime.

The accused was produced before the court there, and being brought to Mumbai on a transit remand, the official said. PTI ZA NP

Thane, Sep 30 (PTI) A man claiming to be a Shiv Sena (UBT) worker and his associate forcibly entered two hotels in Thane city and vandalized television sets, apparently as an act of protest against India-Pakistan cricket match in the Asia Cup final, police said on Tuesday.

The Kasarvadavali police have registered a case against the two individuals, who barged into the hotels in the Brahmand Naka area and smashed TV sets telecasting the Asia Cup final match played between arch-rivals India and Pakistan on Sunday night in Dubai, they said.

Videos of the vandalism have surfaced on social media platforms. The Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) has vehemently opposed India playing cricket matches against Pakistan in view of Islamabad sponsoring terrorism in the country.

Senior Police Inspector Nivrutti Kolhatkar confirmed that the vandalism took place at around 9 pm.

"Pradeep Yashwant Purnekar (who claimed to be a Shiv Sena-UBT worker in videos) and his accomplice forcibly entered Hill Top and California Hotel in Brahmand Naka and damaged TV sets in the hotel premises," he stated.

A formal complaint was filed on Tuesday, leading to the registration of an FIR against Purnekar and his accomplice at the Kasarvadavali Police Station, said the inspector.

The case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 332 (house trespass in order to commit offence) and 324 (mischief and criminal acts intended to cause wrongful loss or damage to property).

Further investigation was underway, Kolhatkar added. PTI COR RSY

Bhubaneswar, Sep 30 (PTI) A 26-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly stalking a girl and forcibly entering her house in Bhubaneswar, police said.

The arrest was made on the basis of an FIR lodged by the victim's mother at Kharvelnagar police station here on September 28.

The accused has been identified as Narayan Behera, a resident of Jagatsinghpur district, a police officer said.

According to the complaint, the accused had been working at a fast food stall in the Master Canteen area here. He used to harass the girl by stalking and verbally abusing her. He also threatened to kidnap her.

On the night of September 27, Behera forcibly entered the victim's house, verbally abused her and her family members and tried to abduct the girl.

However, due to the resistance of the complainant and the intervention of the nearby residents, he failed to kidnap her and fled from the scene, as per the FIR.

After conducting an investigation, police arrested the accused from the Master Canteen area. He was later arrested, the police added. PTI BBM BBM ACD

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Every week in 2023, Delhi reported nearly 88 new cases of economic offences on an average, adding up to 4,586 in the year, which was highest among Union territories, according to the latest NCRB data.

The picture that emerges is one of a city grappling with a wide range of financial crimes, from everyday scams to high-value frauds running into crores of rupees. Of the total cases in the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) data for the UT, about 93 per cent (4,286 cases) were filed under forgery, cheating and fraud.

Another 262 cases were linked to criminal breach of trust, where money or property placed in someone’s care is dishonestly misused, and 38 cases related to counterfeiting, including fake notes and forged stamps.

The rate of economic offences in Delhi stood at 21.4 per lakh population, compared with the national UT average of 14.7, according to the NCRB Crime in India 2023 report.

The money involved in some of the economic offences were staggering. As many as 1,942 cases involved between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 10 lakh and 921 cases involved losses of less than Rs 1 lakh. Another 433 fell in the Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh range and 217 in the Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore bracket.

At the higher end, 87 cases reported losses between Rs one crore and Rs 10 crore, 30 between Rs 10 crore and Rs 25 crore, and 17 between Rs 25 crore and Rs 50 crore. Nine cases even involved losses of between Rs 50 crore and Rs 100 crore, while three cases crossed the Rs 100 crore mark.

The spread shows how Delhi’s economic crimes ranged from everyday cheating to rare but very large-scale frauds.

On the policing front, the year began with 16,492 pending cases from 2022 in the UT data. With 4,586 fresh complaints added, the total cases under investigation rose to 21,078.

Arrests ran into the thousands. Police picked up 3,807 people in economic offence cases during the year, including 3,713 men and 94 women, and 2,923 were charge-sheeted.

In the UT category, Delhi recorded a charge sheeting rate of 53.8 per cent, slightly below the national UT percentage of 54.5. The pendency percentage in Delhi UT was 80.3 percent, far higher than the national UT average of 55.2.

In the metropolitan city category, which covers 19 cities with more than two million population, Delhi logged 4,580 economic offence cases in 2023, ranking behind Mumbai, Hyderabad and Jaipur.

The city-level breakdown was almost identical to the UT figures , 4,281 forgery, cheating and fraud cases, 261 of criminal breach of trust, and 38 of counterfeiting.

The rate of economic offences in metropolitan Delhi stood at 28.1 per lakh population, against a national city average of 14.7.

Delhi began the year with 15,905 pending cases from 2022 in the metropolitan category. With 4,580 new complaints added, cases under probe totalled 20,485.

The charge sheeting rate in Delhi (metro) stood at 53.8 per cent, slightly above the national metro figure of 51.6. Pendency was higher in the capital, with 79.7 per cent of cases awaiting completion compared with 67.5 percent nationwide.

In the national city rankings, Delhi came fourth with 4,580 while Mumbai reported the most economic offences among metros with 6,476 cases, followed by Hyderabad with 5,728, Jaipur with 5,304 offences.

In the key sub-category of cheating and fraud in economic crimes, Delhi ranked third with 4,281, while Hyderabad topped with 5,593 cases and Mumbai followed with 5,244.

Delhi was also the highest among Union Territories in every category of economic offences, followed by Jammu and Kashmir with 820 reported economic offenses, Chandigarh (312), Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (128), Puducherry (94) and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (93).

The NCRB compiles its annual report from data supplied by state police, Union Territories and central agencies. The statistics are prepared under the principal offence rule, where only the most serious crime in a case is recorded for counting.

Officials point out that higher figures may sometimes reflect better reporting and registration practices in large cities rather than a sudden surge in incidents. PTI SGV SKY

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Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) A special SEBI court in Mumbai on Tuesday rejected a plea by former stockbroker Ketan Parekh, a key accused in a securities scam dating back more than two decades ago, seeking permission to travel abroad.

Parekh is facing criminal charges for his alleged role in the 2000-2001 scam that resulted in him being debarred from the stock market for 14 years.

A detailed court order was not immediately available.

Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the prosecuting agency, has claimed Parekh executed the offence with the aid and active connivance of other accused persons, which resulted in creating an artificial market for the scrip of Lupin Laboratories and large-scale manipulation of the price of the said share.

He had moved a petition before special SEBI court judge S M Jadhav seeking permission to travel abroad for a family vacation and to attend weddings between October 4, 2025, and February 3, 2026.

According to the plea, Parekh wanted to visit destinations such as the UK, the UAE, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, South Africa, the European Union, and Georgia.

Opposing the plea, the market watchdog pointed out that multiple cases are pending against the key accused before the special court.

These cases are at various stages of trial and have been filed on the grounds of large-scale securities market manipulations carried out and masterminded by the accused, the SEBI argued.

The regulator further submitted that the accused has not filed any detailed itinerary pertaining to the extensive travel being contemplated over a period of four months.

The SEBI stressed Parekh and his related entities have filed the plea "not only with a sinister motive to avoid the surveillance of the market regulator and avoid court proceedings, but also try to settle in foreign country".

It emphasised the case is at the stage of evidence and the presence of the accused was paramount at the current juncture.

"The prosecution is of the firm belief, considering the conduct of the accused in the securities market, he is a major flight risk and the likelihood of him returning to India is very dim," the SEBI submitted.

The regulator contended that if permitted to travel abroad, monitoring Parekh's activities or communications would be impossible.

The court, concurring with the SEBI's submissions, rejected Parekh's plea. PTI AVI RSY

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) A total of 1,77,335 cases of crime against children were registered in the country in 2023, showing an increase of 9.2 per cent over 2022, according to the latest NCRB report.

The data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showed that the crime rate in 2023 stood at 39.9 per one-lakh child population, in comparison to 36.6 in 2022.

In 2022, a total of 1,62,449 cases of crimes against children were recorded, while the number stood at 1,49,404 in 2021.

"A total of 1,77,335 cases of crime against children were registered during 2023, showing an increase of 9.2 per cent over 2022 (1,62,449 cases)," the NCRB report said.

In percentage terms, major crime heads under "Crime Against Children" in 2023 were "Kidnapping and Abduction of Children" (79,884 cases or 45 per cent) and "Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act" (67,694 cases or 38.2 per cent).

Victim demographics show that 762 victims were aged below six years, 3,229 aged between six and 12 years, 15,444 aged between 12 and 16 years and 21,411 aged between 16 and 18 years, bringing the total number of child victims to 40,846.

Most were girls in rape-related sections.

Of the 40,434 cases, the offenders were known to the victims in 39,076, which included family members in 3,224 cases, family friends or neighbours or employers or other known persons in 15,146 cases and friends or online friends or live-in partners on the pretext of marriage in 20,706 cases.

These figures include 40,434 cases of penetrative sexual assault (sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act, often combined with IPC section 376 for rape), affecting 40,846 victims. Aggravated assaults and harassment (sections 8 and 10 of the POCSO Act with IPC section 354) followed with 22,444 cases.

Kidnapping and abduction emerged as the largest contributor, with 79,884 IPC cases reported, victimising 82,106 children -- a rate of 18 per one lakh.

Over 58,927 of these were general abductions, including 37,844 instances where the missing children were deemed kidnapped.

Notably, 14,637 cases involved abducting minor girls to compel marriage.

Other significant IPC crimes included 1,219 murders (1,384 victims), with 89 linked to rape or POCSO violations; 3,050 simple-hurt cases and 373 cases of abetment to suicide. Special and Local Laws (SLL) beyond the POCSO Act added to the tally, with 6,038 cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and 1,390 under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act.

Regionally, Madhya Pradesh topped the list with 22,393 total cases (rate: 77.9), followed by Maharashtra (22,390; rate: 62) and Uttar Pradesh (18,852; rate: 22.1).

Assam reported a sharp spike of 10,174 cases (rate: 84.2, the highest among the states), while Bihar saw 9,906 cases. Union Territories like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (143.4) and Delhi (140.3) had disproportionately high rates, with Delhi alone registering 7,769 cases.

While the overall chargesheeting rate was 64.3 per cent, it varied widely -- high in Tamil Nadu (93.7 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (91.3 per cent), but low in Delhi (31.7 per cent) and Haryana (39.6 per cent).

Police disposal showed 1,12,290 cases chargesheeted out of the 2,57,756 investigated, with 80,198 pending at the end of the year (pendency: 32.2 per cent).

According to an analysis by Child Rights and You (CRY), a rise or fall in the number of cases of crimes against children depends on many factors, including increased community awareness leading to enhanced trust in law enforcement and more proactive reporting due to improved access to legal remedies.

According to the NCRB 2023 data released by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and analysed by CRY, on an average, 486 crimes were committed against children every day, meaning such a crime was committed every three minutes in the country.

Further analysis highlights that crimes against children clocked nearly a 10-fold rise since 2005, when 18,700 cases were recorded. The upward trend accelerated after 2012-13, somewhat dipped temporarily during the COVID-19 years (2019-20), but has since surged again, reaching the all-time high of 1.77 lakh cases in 2023.

Overall, the trend follows an exponential growth path, with projections suggesting that the figures could cross 2.5 lakh in the near future, CRY said.

"While the government has taken many significant steps and systemic interventions to effectively address the overall safety and protection of children, the current trend underscores the requirement of creating more awareness among the civil society and th other stakeholders concerned, apart from the government," said Puja Marwaha, CEO, CRY.

The data revealed that in 2023, two in every five crimes against children were under the category of sexual offences.

There were 70,053 cases of sexual offences recorded against children in 2023 -- a 5-per cent rise over the 66,996 such cases reported in 2022.

This means, on an average, around 192 cases of sexual offences were recorded against children every day.

Among all sub-categories under sexual offences against children, crimes under the POCSO Act (read with sections 376, 354 and 509 of the IPC) witnessed the sharpest increase of 7 per cent -- from 63,414 (2022) to 67,694 (2023). However, the percentage of sexual offences in total crimes against children slightly decreased from 41 per cent in 2022 to 40 per cent in 2023.

However, according to CRY, an increase in the number of crimes cannot always be regarded as an indication of the environment turning more hostile towards children.

From a statistical perspective, the association between registered cases and the actual number of crime incidents may be shaped by confounding multiple factors, such as greater public awareness of child protection laws, improved trust in law enforcement and enhanced access to legal remedies.

Hence, these figures should be viewed as indicative of both the occurrence of crime and the increasing responsiveness of communities and institutions in seeking justice for children, rather than as a simple causal measure of rising crimes, CRY said. PTI UZM RC

Bengaluru, Sep 30 (PTI) The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday refused to interfere with a single-judge order that had stayed the operation of the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) (Amendment) Rules, 2025 that sought to cap cinema ticket prices at Rs 200.

On September 23, a single judge had granted an interim stay on the rules following a plea by the Multiplex Association of India and others.

Hearing an appeal filed by the Karnataka State Film Chamber of Commerce, a vacation bench comprising Justice Suraj Govindaraj and Justice Rajesh Rai K on Tuesday expanded the interim arrangement while directing accountability measures for multiplexes.

The bench instructed the Multiplex Association of India and its members to maintain detailed accounts of ticket sales -- both cash and electronic, excluding GST, and submit periodical statements to the licensing authority by the 15th of every month.

"In case the petitioners fail in their challenge, the electronically collected excess amount can be refunded to cinegoers. Cash transactions will be dealt with by the court at a later stage," the order stated.

The court also observed that if the petitioners lose, amounts collected in cash could be appropriated for "public good."

Further, the court accepted the State's request to ensure transparency by directing multiplexes to display the order prominently in cinema halls and on screen before movie screenings.

The appeal argued that amendments to a statute enjoy a presumption of validity and cannot ordinarily be stayed at the interim stage without examining their constitutionality.

However, the bench noted that the single judge was influenced by the possibility of irreversible financial loss to the petitioners if the cap remained in force and was later struck down.

In its September 23 order, the single judge had observed that the parent Act did not specifically empower the government to fix ticket prices, raising doubts about the validity of the rules.

The order also pointed out that a blanket cap could distort the film exhibition market, forcing producers to increase the number of shows to recover costs. It further remarked that the amendment risked treating "unequals as equal and equals unequally" and interfered with contractual arrangements between cinema owners and patrons.

The division bench posted the matter for further hearing on November 25. PTI COR KSU SA

Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) A special NIA court here on Tuesday framed charges against four accused in the 2006 Malegoan blasts case.

At least 37 people were killed and 125 injured in blasts at a Muslim cemetery at Malegaon in north Maharashtra's Nashik district on September 8, 2006.

Judge Chakor Baviskar of the special court for National Investigation Agency cases framed charges against Lokesh Sharma, Dhan Singh, Manohar Singh and Rajendra Choudhary under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act after they pleaded not guilty.

According to police, two bombs strapped to bicycles exploded at the cemetery located next to a mosque, triggering a stampede.

After the blasts, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested nine suspects. However, a special MCOCA court granted bail to all of them in November 2012. PTI AVI KRK

Prayagraj, Sep 30 (PTI) Deciding a case involving child marriage and a maintenance claim against a minor husband, the Allahabad High Court has held that an application under sections 125 and 128 CrPC seeking maintenance against a minor is maintainable.

Giving the above ruling, Justice Madan Pal Singh observed, "There is no bar in entertaining the application under section 125 and section 128 CrPC filed against a minor."

According to the counsel for the petitioner, the husband was 13 years old when he was married to the opposite party no. 2. Two years later, a child was born to the couple.

When the husband was about 16 years old, an application under section 125 CrPC was filed by the wife seeking maintenance from him.

The Additional Principal Judge (family court), Bareilly granted maintenance of Rs 5,000 per month for the wife and Rs 4,000 per month for the child.

During the court proceedings, challenging the order of the court, the counsel for the revisionist pleaded that since the revisionist was a minor, no application under section 125 could be filed against him. It could only be filed through his guardian, the counsel added.

It was also pleaded that since the wife had refused to live with the revisionist without reasonable cause, she is not entitled to maintenance according to section 125 (4).

The court observed that Chapter IX of the Code of Criminal Procedure did not provide that applications against minors must be filed through their guardians. There is no bar regarding applications under section 125 or section 128 on seeking maintenance from minors.

However, the court noted that the high school certificate of the revisionist was not available before the lower court but was filed before the high court. It also observed that though on the date of the application, the husband was a minor, he had attained majority on the date of the judgment.

To avoid an increase in pendency, the court did not remand the matter back to the trial court, and observed: "This court has also room to doubt that a minor person himself dependent upon his parents and in any case, it cannot be presumed that he has sufficient means to maintain himself. In any view of the matter, he cannot able to maintain his wife and daughter.

"However, as and when he attains the age of majority i.e. 18 years of age, he has to bear his responsibly in order to maintain his legally wedded wife and his real minor daughter."

The findings of the trial court regarding the wife not wanting to live with the husband due to cruelty and demand of dowry, the court held that assuming he was a labourer after attaining majority, he would be earning Rs 18,000 per month.

Relying on the decision of the Supreme Court in Rajnesh Vs Neha, the high court, in its decision dated September 25, reduced the maintenance amount to Rs 2,500 for the wife and Rs 2,000 for the husband, i.e., a total of Rs 4,500, which is 25 per cent of his income.

The court directed that arrears, if any, shall be calculated based on the amount fixed by the high court. PTI COR RAJ KSS

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Srinagar, Sep 30 (PTI) The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Tuesday agreed to consider setting up a bench to hear a plea challenging the government's order to forfeit 25 books for allegedly propagating "false narrative and secessionism" in the region.

The plea, filed by former Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak, author Sumantra Bose, Radha Kumar and former Central Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, has sought quashing of the notification issued by the Jammu and Kashmir government on August 5.

The petitioners have also prayed for the return of all confiscated copies of the books.

The petition was mentioned by advocate Vrinda Grover before a bench headed by Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court Justice Arun Palli for urgent hearing.

The Chief Justice said he will look at the papers and then pass orders for the constitution of a special bench of three judges to hear the plea at the earliest.

The petition has invoked Section 99 read with Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and seeks to quash and set aside the notification which ordered the forfeiture of the publications.

The order alleged that the works "propagate false narrative and secessionism in Jammu and Kashmir" and were prejudicial to the security and integrity of India.

According to the petitioners, the books in question largely concern the socio-political life, cultural history, and political struggles of Kashmir, with many of them being academic works considered part of the historical record. PTI SJK RHL

Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) A special SEBI court in Mumbai on Tuesday rejected a plea by former stockbroker Ketan Parekh, a key accused in a securities scam dating back more than two decades ago, seeking permission to travel abroad.

Parekh is facing criminal charges for his alleged role in the 2000-2001 scam that resulted in him being debarred from the stock market for 14 years.

A detailed court order was not immediately available.

Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the prosecuting agency, has claimed Parekh executed the offence with the aid and active connivance of other accused persons, which resulted in creating an artificial market for the scrip of Lupin Laboratories and large-scale manipulation of the price of the said share.

He had moved a petition before special SEBI court judge S M Jadhav seeking permission to travel abroad for a family vacation and to attend weddings between October 4, 2025, and February 3, 2026.

According to the plea, Parekh wanted to visit destinations such as the UK, the UAE, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, South Africa, the European Union, and Georgia.

Opposing the plea, the market watchdog pointed out that multiple cases are pending against the key accused before the special court.

These cases are at various stages of trial and have been filed on the grounds of large-scale securities market manipulations carried out and masterminded by the accused, the SEBI argued.

The regulator further submitted that the accused has not filed any detailed itinerary pertaining to the extensive travel being contemplated over a period of four months.

The SEBI stressed Parekh and his related entities have filed the plea "not only with a sinister motive to avoid the surveillance of the market regulator and avoid court proceedings, but also try to settle in foreign country".

It emphasised the case is at the stage of evidence and the presence of the accused was paramount at the current juncture.

"The prosecution is of the firm belief, considering the conduct of the accused in the securities market, he is a major flight risk and the likelihood of him returning to India is very dim," the SEBI submitted.

The regulator contended that if permitted to travel abroad, monitoring Parekh's activities or communications would be impossible.

The court, concurring with the SEBI's submissions, rejected Parekh's plea. PTI AVI RSY

Aizawl, Sep 30 (PTI) A court in Aizawl has sentenced two officials from the Land Revenue Department of the Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) in Mizoram's Lawngtlai district to one-and-half-year imprisonment each for issuing fake land settlement certificates, an official said on Tuesday.

Special Court (Prevention of Corruption) judge F Rohlupuia on Monday also imposed a fine of Rs 1.10 lakh each on the two officials, T Zairikhima and B Hrangchhuma, both circle supervisors of the Land Revenue Department of LADC, he said.

They were involved in issuing fake LSCs to landowners whose lands were purportedly acquired for Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP), which connects Lawngtlai in southern Mizoram to Zochachhuah along the India-Myanmar border.

Besides the two convicted persons, the case also implicated 120 landowners who were suspected of being involved in the fraudulent issuance of LSCs.

However, the court acquitted the landowners due to insufficient evidence, even though initial investigations suggested that the LSCs were issued under questionable circumstances.

The investigation revealed that some of the LSCs were processed on government holidays, including weekends, raising further doubts about their legitimacy.

The KMMTTP is a bilateral project of the India and Myanmar governments to connect both countries by sea route and road transport.

Launched by the erstwhile UPA government in 2008, the project, when completed, would first link the eastern Indian seaport of Kolkata to Sittwe seaport in Myanmar across the Bay of Bengal, a distance of 539 km.

From Sittwe, the route will continue over River Kaladan to the western Myanmarese town of Paletwa. Paletwa will then be connected to the India-Myanmar border by a 110-km-long road. The international border will then be connected by road with Mizoram's Lawngtlai town 87.18 km away. PTI CORR ACD

Sonbhadra (UP), Sep 30 (PTI) A local court here on Tuesday sentenced a man to 10 years' imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 in connection with a 2022 murder case, a government counsel said.

In default of payment of fine, the convict will have to undergo an additional four months in jail, government cousel Vinod Kumar Pathak said.

According to the prosecution, complainant Kamlesh Kumar Gond of Chopan area had lodged a written complaint with police on September 5, 2022, stating that his elder brother, Ravishankar Gond, had gone towards a cowshed on August 31, 2022, but never returned.

During inquiries, locals told him that the victim was last seen heading towards the house of Vinod Baiga, son of Shivnath, a resident of Billi Markundi under Chopan police station.

The next day, Ravishankar's body was recovered near Baiga's house, the complaint stated.

Police registered a case and, after investigation, filed a chargesheet against Baiga.

Additional Sessions Judge (First) Jitendra Kumar Dwivedi held him guilty and awarded the sentence on Tuesday, Pathak added. PTI COR ABN NB

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Mathura (UP), Sep 30 (PTI) A special fast-track court here has sentenced a man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping and duping an European woman of 1 lakh Euros on the pretext of marriage, officials said on Tuesday.

The court also awarded five years’ imprisonment to his mother for abetting the crime and imposed fines of Rs 7.90 lakh and Rs 5.90 lakh on the two respectively.

Assistant District Government Counsel (ADGC) Subhash Chaturvedi said Additional District and Sessions Judge (Fast-Track Court-Crimes Against Women) Sushil Kumar (Pancham) delivered the verdict on Monday.

According to prosecution, the victim had lodged a complaint in 2018 with the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mathura, alleging that Govind Nagar resident Harendra Kumar, along with his parents Vikram Singh and Leela Devi alias Neelam, wife Mamta Raghav, and friend Sarabjit Mangu Singh, had cheated and exploited her.

During trial, proceedings against Vikram Singh and Mamta Raghav were separated as they did not appear before the court.

The case against Harendra Kumar and his mother was transferred to the fast-track court.

The judge held the accused guilty on September 22 and pronounced the sentence on Monday.

The court also cancelled the bail of Leela Devi granted earlier and directed her to surrender immediately.

According to the complaint, the woman had come to Mathura from Holland in 2009 along with her foster brother Sarabjit Mangu Singh for spiritual pursuits.

She later came into contact with Harendra Kumar, who posed as a bachelor and proposed marriage.

He allegedly tricked her by performing a symbolic wedding ritual at his home and, over time, siphoned off nearly 1 lakh Euros from her through cash and ATM transactions, showing her forged investment documents.

Investigations later revealed that Harendra was already married and that his family members actively supported his actions, the prosecution said. PTI CORR ABN ABN NB

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New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) The Delhi Court on Tuesday pulled up Rajasthan Police for arresting two minors from the national capital without informing their parents or the local police.

The high court observed that they were relatives of a tribal man who was allegedly killed while in custody of Madhya Pradesh Police’s in April.

A bench of Justices Jyoti Singh and Anish Dayal questioned Rajasthan Police for flouting the law while hearing a plea of habeas corpus filed by the mother of one of the minors.

The woman claimed on September 26, her 15-year old son and her relative's 17-year old son were "illegally and forcibly" taken away by unknown persons in civilian clothes.

“Hamare jurisdiction se aap le kaise gaye? Aapko kanoon nahi pata? Aap le kaise gaye Delhi police ko inform kiye bina? Aapka maamla Supreme Court bheje? (How did you take them away from our jurisdiction? Don't you know the law? How did you take them away without informing the Delhi Police? Should we send your case to the Supreme Court?)” the court asked Rajasthan Police.

The remarks came after Pushkar police officer, appearing virtually, informed the court that a team of officials from his police station came to Delhi on September 25 and arrested the minors after conducting probe.

He, however, accepted that the local police was "not informed" before the officials' visit to Delhi or during investigation or before the arrests.

The woman, a street hawker who sells toys at the Dussehra Park near Bharti College, Janakpuri, Delhi, alleged that her relatives went to Janakpuri Police Station at around 9 pm, where they were asked to contact Hari Nagar Police Station, but even the whereabouts of the children remained a mystery.

Multiple attempts to lodge complaints of the missing persons at both the police stations were unsuccessful, after that they moved the high court, the petition said.

The high court on September 29 directed the the standing counsel for the GNCTD to file a status report and kept the matter on Tuesday.

The court perused the status report filed by the GNCTD which informed it about the arrests.

"Looking at the backdrop of the matter as also the sensitivity involved, considering that children arrested in the present case are relatives of Deva Pardhi, it is directed that the status report will be filed under the signatures of Vandita Rana, SP, Ajmer, Rajasthan. The status report will be filed during the course of the day," the bench said.

The court would resume the hearing on October 1.

On September 25, the Supreme Court while hearing a case over the alleged custodial deaths slammed the Madhya Pradesh government and the CBI for the delay in suspending absconding police officials accused and warned of contempt action.

The SC noted the police officials had been absconding since April and hadn't been suspended.

The top court is hearing a contempt plea of the mother of the 24-year-old victim alleging non-compliance of the top court's May 15 order, transferring the investigation from Madhya Pradesh Police to the CBI. PTI UK UK AMK

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Thane, Sep 30 (PTI) A court in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday granted interim pre-arrest bail to Manorama Khedkar, former probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar's mother, in connection with a road rage case.

Manorama had filed an application for pre-arrest or anticipatory bail in the Belapur court, which granted her temporary bail till October 13 as the hearing would continue, said a senior police official.

As per the FIR, on October 13, a cement-mixer truck grazed an SUV owned by Dilip Khedkar, Puja's father and Manorama Khedkar's husband, on Mulund-Airoli road.

Following the incident, the helper of the truck was allegedly kidnapped. While Dilip Khedkar allegedly absconded, Manorama was accused of obstructing police officials when they visited the family's residence in Pune for investigation, and also playing a role in destroying evidence.

Puja Khedkar was in news following allegations of cheating and irregularities in the UPSC examination. PTI COR DC KRK

Kochi, Sep 30 (PTI) The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Tuesday held that there was "inordinate" and "unjustifiable" delay on the part of the Kerala government in forwarding the vigilance status report of IPS officer Yogesh Gupta to the Centre and directed it to do so within five days of receiving this order.

The Ernakulam Bench of the CAT issued the direction on a plea by Gupta -- presently posted as the DGP of Fire and Rescue Service, Civil Defence and Home Guards, Kerala -- seeking that his vigilance status report be forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) immediately and disciplinary action be initiated against those who caused the delay.

The bench of judicial member Justice Sunil Thomas and administrative member V Rama Mathew while issuing the direction to the state government, observed that there was "absolutely no valid reason" for not replying to the repeated communications sent by the MHA for the officer's vigilance status report.

"The conduct of respondents nos. 2-4 (state government, chief secretary and secretary of General Administration Department) in not forwarding the vigilance status report and even not responding to the repeated communications is not at all justifiable.

"Since the limited request of the union government was for a vigilance status report and column 13 of the report only asked for the pendency of an inquiry, the state government was bound to answer the request in the prescribed format," the tribunal said.

It noted that there was no response to the Centre's request despite a lapse of five months from April when it was first sought.

The state government had claimed that Gupta was facing a confidential inquiry in connection with certain decisions taken by him when he was Director of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) and since the probe was pending, a vigilance clearance report in respect of him cannot be given.

The CAT said that an analysis of the pleadings and materials on record showed that there were no other factual or legal reasons to refuse to forward vigilance status report, except the pendency of an inquiry.

"The respondents have not projected any sustainable ground for not forwarding the vigilance status report. The vigilance status report being a mere factual report, answering the various facts sought in questions Nos. 1-13 in Annexure A11, including the pendency of any inquiry, under no circumstances can be declined by respondents nos. 2-4," the tribunal said.

It also noted that when Gupta was being considered for the post of State Police Chief, a similar status report regarding any pending criminal or disciplinary proceedings against him were forwarded by the Kerala government to the Union Public Service Commission.

"The pendency of an inquiry cannot be a reason for not forwarding the vigilance status report sought by the Union Ministry," the tribunal added.

It directed that a vigilance status report as sought by the Centre and complete in all respects be forwarded to the MHA "as expeditiously as possible at any rate within 5 (five) clear working days from the date of receipt of a copy of this order"

Gupta had claimed that the delay in sending the report has prevented him from being considered for the post of Director General in various central government posts, earmarked for Central Deputation Reserve (CDR). PTI HMP HMP ROH