New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) The Congress on Tuesday recalled Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi's earlier letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding immediate implementation of women's reservation in legislatures, saying the Modi Government "slept" on the demand and delayed it now by linking it to delimitation.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh recalled that in 2017, Sonia Gandhi had written to Prime Minister Modi on the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in her capacity as the then Congress President.

"The Congress Party's stance has been unflinching and unchanged. It is the Modi Government that slept on this demand and has then tried to delay it by linking it to delimitation," Ramesh said on X and shared Gandhi's letter to the PM.

In her letter, Sonia Gandhi had said, "I am writing to request you to take advantage of your majority in the Lok Sabha to now get the Women's Reservation Bill passed in the Lower House as well. The Congress Party has always and will continue to support this legislation which will be a significant step forward in the empowerment of women."

"You may recall that it was, in fact, the Congress Party and its late leader Shri Rajiv Gandhi who first mooted the provision for reservation for women in panchayats and nagarpalikas in the Constitution Amendment Bills which the Opposition parties thwarted in the Rajya Sabha in 1989 but later were passed by both Houses of Parliament in 1993 becoming the 73rd and 74th Amendments," she had said.

In another post, Ramesh said Rahul Gandhi, as Congress President, had written to the Prime Minister on July 16, 2018, demanding the immediate implementation of women's reservation.

"Eight years later, the Prime Minister - keen to delay the implementation of reservations by linking it to delimitation - is still to act on this demand," Ramesh said.

He also shared Rahul Gandhi's letter to the PM from 2018, in which he had requested support to ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the then-upcoming monsoon session of Parliament.

"As you are aware, the Women's Reservation Bill, passed by the Rajya Sabha on the 9th of March, 2010, has been stalled on one pretext or the other, in the Lok Sabha, for over eight years now. When this bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with the support of the BJP, the then leader of the opposition, Arun Jaitley ji, called the passage of the bill 'historic and momentous'.

"Since then, while the Congress party has been unwavering in its commitment to the bill, the BJP appears to have had second thoughts, even though this was one of its key promises in its 2014 manifesto," Rahul Gandhi had said.

"Mr. Prime Minister, in many of your public rallies you have spoken about your passion for empowering women and involving them more meaningfully in public life. What better way to demonstrate your commitment to the cause of women, than by offering your unconditional support to the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill? And what better time than the upcoming session of Parliament? Any further delay will make it impossible to implement before the next general elections," Rahul Gandhi had said.

"On the issue of empowering our women, let us stand together, rise above party politics and send India a message that we believe the time for change has come. Women must take their rightful place in our state legislatures and in Parliament, where they are at present abysmally represented," he had said in his letter to Modi.

The Congress on Monday had said the striking down of the Modi government's delimitation push in the garb of women's quota was a defeat of "bulldozer politics" and that the Centre's agenda was not women's reservation but Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "preservation".

The opposition party had also demanded that the Centre immediately implement the women's quota on the existing Lok Sabha strength by bringing a bill in Parliament's Monsoon Session or May-end.

The Congress' assertions come days after the government's Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to implement women's quota and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated in the Lower House on Friday.

While 298 members voted in support of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of the 528 members who voted, the Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.

The Bill proposed to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.

Seats were also to be increased in assemblies of states and Union territories to accommodate a 33 per cent reservation for women. PTI ASK AMJ

AMJ

Chandigarh, Apr 21 (PTI) Academician Madhu Kishwar has been booked following a complaint by a Chandigarh resident over the alleged circulation of forged and misleading content on social media.

An FIR has been lodged against Kishwar and some other social media users under relevant sections, including 196 (criminalises acts that promote enmity, hatred, or ill-will between groups based on religion, race, language), 336 (1) (forgery) and 356 (criminal defamation) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act at Police Station Sector-26 here.

According to an official statement issued by the Chandigarh police on Monday, a city-based complainant on April 19 alleged that some forged and misleading social media posts and video clips with obscene text and content were being circulated by various social media users, misidentifying the person in the video.

Further investigation into the matter is underway.

As per the complainant, it is a deliberate act of creating a false electronic record using obscene words and phrases, having knowledge and sufficient reason to believe that the posts are misleading and false, with the intent to cause damage or injury.

The video, which circulated with the intent to cause harm to the reputation of a constitutional authority and to disturb public peace and tranquility, should be investigated, and appropriate action should be taken, according to the complainant.

As per the complainant, the person seen in the video is a travel vlogger whose wife regularly posts updates about their activities on social media. The original video was shared from her social media account.

"As per the statement of the woman, she disclosed that the person in the video shared from her account is her husband. Statements of her husband and another lady in the video have also been recorded during preliminary investigation," said police in the statement.

Meanwhile, Kishwar, in a social media post, said a team of Chandigarh police had visited her late Monday night to serve her notice regarding the FIR registered against her.

"Since the law forbids the police to visit or arrest women after dark and before sunrise, I spoke on phone to the leader of the delegation. She told me that their team has come to serve notice regarding an FIR registered against me in Chandigarh. I insisted that they go by the law and come in the morning," she wrote on X. PTI CHS SUN AMJ

AMJ

Kolkata, Apr 21 (PTI) North Bengal, with its 54 assembly seats, has once again emerged as one of the principal theatres of the West Bengal assembly polls, with the BJP striving to retain the region that powered its rise in the state, and the TMC seeking to reclaim lost ground amid shifting political equations.

Voting in all 54 seats will be held in the first phase on April 23. For the BJP, north Bengal remains the most viable route to offset the TMC's dominance in south Bengal. For the ruling party, a recovery here is essential if it is to blunt the saffron surge, and deny the opposition the momentum it needs.

The region presents a complex electoral mosaic where old loyalties are under strain and new fault lines are emerging.

The BJP, which turned north Bengal into its strongest bastion after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and consolidated that rise in the 2021 assembly election, is now battling anti-incumbency, local dissidence and unease over candidate selection.

The TMC, on the other hand, believes it has repaired its organisation, rebuilt bridges with social groups and regained some of the ground it had ceded.

That shifting contest plays out differently across the region's eight districts: Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda. From the hills and tea gardens to the Rajbanshi belt and the minority-dominated plains, each district is shaped by its own mix of identity, welfare, local grievances and political memory.

"North Bengal is no longer a one-wave region. The BJP still has a structural advantage, but the contest is much closer than it was in 2021," political analyst Subhomoy Maitra said.

The BJP had swept north Bengal in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, winning seven of the eight parliamentary seats, and consolidated that rise in 2021 by bagging 30 of the 54 assembly seats against the TMC's 24.

The saffron camp retained an edge in 2024, though it slipped from its 2019 peak, winning six of the eight Lok Sabha seats and leading in 31 assembly segments.

That electoral memory has made the region the focal point of an intense contest. The BJP has set itself a target of winning 48 of the 54 seats, banking on its hold over the Rajbanshi belt in Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri, the tea gardens of the Dooars and Terai, and the hills of Darjeeling and Kalimpong.

The party has sharpened its campaign around regional neglect, promising an AIIMS, IIT, IIM and cancer hospital, besides land rights for tea garden workers and recognition for local languages.

Yet, beneath the BJP's confidence, there are signs of unease. The unresolved demand for Gorkhaland in the hills and the call for Kamtapur or Greater Cooch Behar in the plains continue to simmer. While local leaders occasionally invoke the idea of a Union Territory or separate state, the BJP's state leadership has stopped short of endorsing such demands, wary of a backlash in south Bengal.

The Kamtapur State Demand Council has backed the BJP, while in the hills the party is relying on the Bimal Gurung-led GJM. But, sections of Gorkha and Rajbanshi voters remain disillusioned over the absence of any "permanent political solution".

Sensing an opening after the BJP's marginal dip in 2024, the TMC has stepped up its campaign. Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee began her north Bengal push from Alipurduar and the adjoining tea belt, underlining the importance the party now attaches to the region.

The TMC is banking on women, minorities and beneficiaries of welfare schemes, while also trying to make inroads among tea garden workers and Rajbanshis. It has tied up with Anit Thapa's Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha in the hills, conceding Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong to the ally in a tactical move aimed at countering the BJP-GJM combine.

More significantly, both the BJP and the TMC believe the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls could alter the political arithmetic in several districts.

The revision has led to large-scale deletions – 2.42 lakh voters in Cooch Behar, 2.01 lakh in Jalpaiguri, 1.9 lakh in Darjeeling, 3.63 lakh in North Dinajpur, 4.59 lakh in Malda and 1.95 lakh in South Dinajpur.

The BJP believes the deletions may help it by reducing what it calls inflated rolls in minority-dominated Malda and North Dinajpur. The TMC and Congress, however, allege that genuine voters, especially minorities and migrant workers, have been struck off.

"The BJP is trying to win north Bengal through the back door after failing to fulfil its promises on the CAA, tea wages and Gorkhaland," TMC leader Gautam Deb said.

Union minister and Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumdar rejected the charge. "North Bengal has suffered neglect for decades. People want development and dignity. The mood here is in favour of change," he said.

The Congress, concentrating on Malda and the two Dinajpur districts, hopes the SIR controversy and minority consolidation will help it regain relevance.

"There is anger among voters whose names have disappeared from the rolls. The contest is more open than it appears," state Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

The region's political geography remains sharply divided. The BJP dominated Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Darjeeling in 2021 and edged past the TMC in Jalpaiguri.

The TMC retained the upper hand in minority-dominated North Dinajpur and Malda, while South Dinajpur was evenly split.

The BJP is facing resentment over ticket distribution and the induction of defectors, while the TMC, too, is battling factionalism in parts of Jalpaiguri and Rajganj.

Political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty said the election in north Bengal was no longer being driven by a single issue.

"Identity, welfare and regional neglect are intersecting in a very complex way. The BJP still has an advantage, but the TMC has narrowed the gap. Much will depend on turnout, the impact of SIR and whether local grievances override broader narratives," he said.

If north Bengal once scripted the BJP's Bengal ascent, April 23 will show whether the story still has another chapter – or whether the TMC has finally found a way to rewrite it. PTI PNT RBT

Jodhpur, Apr 21 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Secretary V Srinivas held a discussion with HPCL chairman on Tuesday morning regarding the fire that occurred on Monday in an oil refinery in Pachpadra.

"Detailed discussions will be held regarding yesterday's incident in a meeting today at the refinery," the chief secretary told reporters in Jodhpur.

He halted in Jodhpur before leaving for the refinery to take stock of the situation. CM Bhajanlal Sharma is also scheduled to visit the refinery and hold meetings with officials there on Tuesday.

Srinivas, who is overseeing the issue, left for the site along with a team of officials.

Speaking to reporters before departure, Srinivas said he would review the situation on the ground and hold detailed discussions with authorities concerned.

He said the state government is taking the incident seriously and monitoring every aspect closely.

Chief Minister Bhajanlal will also reach Pachpadra, where a comprehensive review of the incident will be conducted.

A fire broke out at the Pachpadra refinery in Rajasthan's Balotra district on Monday, a day before its scheduled inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Following the incident, the PM's scheduled visit was postponed.

Fire tenders rushed to the spot and it took two hours to douse the flames.

The fire broke out in the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) section of the refinery, leading to some chaos within the premises as emergency response teams moved in to contain the situation. The incident raised concerns over safety arrangements at the site ahead of the high-profile event. PTI SDA

-- MNK

MNK

Chennai, Apr 21 (PTI) The high-intensity poll campaign for the April 23 election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly will end at the close of the day on Tuesday, bringing the mandatory silent period.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and former Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal besides Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami, and Deputy CM son Udhayanidhi crisscrossed the state holding roadshows and campaigning for the AIADMK-led NDA and DMK-led SPA candidates in fray from 234 assembly constituencies.

Though issues like development, central fund allocation, family rule, and corruption allegations dominated the nearly month-long electrifying campaign, apart from mutual personal attacks, the countdown to the election date saw the delimitation exercise assuming the centre stage.

Two powerful alliances - the Secular Progressive Alliance led by DMK and the National Democratic Alliance led by AIADMK are pitted against each other, promising a tough contest. While the DMK is contesting 164 seats (out of 234 constituencies) and its allies are fighting it out in 70 constituencies, the AIADMK is contesting from 169 seats and its allies are contesting from 65 seats.

What makes the election more interesting this time is the presence of actor Vijay-led fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in the fray from all the constituencies. The ruling DMK has roped in actor-politician Kamal Haasan, who heads the Makkal Needhi Maiam party, to campaign against Vijay, who is contesting from Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East constituencies.

Former film director Seeman-led Naam Tamilar Katchi is also contesting from all the 234 seats, thus making the poll battle a keenly watched quadrangular contest. PTI JSP JSP ADB

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) The Congress on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen to delay the implementation of women's reservations in legislatures by linking it to delimitation and recalled then Congress president Rahul Gandhi's letter to him in 2018 demanding the immediate implementation of women's quota.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said Rahul Gandhi, as Congress President, had written to the Prime Minister on July 16, 2018, demanding the immediate implementation of women's reservation.

"Eight years later, the Prime Minister - keen to delay the implementation of reservations by linking it to delimitation - is still to act on this demand," Ramesh said.

He also shared Gandhi's letter to the PM from 2018, in which he had requested support to ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the then upcoming monsoon session of Parliament.

"As you are aware, the Women's Reservation Bill, passed by the Rajya Sabha on the 9th of March, 2010, has been stalled on one pretext or the other, in the Lok Sabha, for over eight years now. When this bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with the support of the BJP, the then leader of the opposition, Arun Jaitley ji, called the passage of the bill 'historic and momentous'.

Since then, while the Congress party has been unwavering in its commitment to the bill, the BJP appears to have had second thoughts, even though this was one of its key promises in its 2014 manifesto," Gandhi had said.

"Mr. Prime Minister, in many of your public rallies you have spoken about your passion for empowering women and involving them more meaningfully in public life. What better way to demonstrate your commitment to the cause of women, than by offering your unconditional support to the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill? And what better time, than the upcoming session of Parliament? Any further delay will make it impossible to implement before the next general elections," Gandhi had said.

"On the issue of empowering our women, let us stand together, rise above party politics and send India a message that we believe the time for change has come. Women must take their rightful place in our state legislatures and in Parliament, where they are at present abysmally represented," Gandhi had said in his letter to Modi.

The Congress on Monday had said the striking down of the Modi government's delimitation push in the garb of women's quota was a defeat of "bulldozer politics" and that the Centre's agenda was not women's reservation but Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "preservation".

The opposition party had also demanded that the Centre immediately implement the women's quota on the existing Lok Sabha strength by bringing a bill in Parliament's Monsoon Session or May-end.

The Congress' assertions come days after the government's Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to implement women's quota and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated in the Lower House on Friday.

While 298 members voted in support of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of the 528 members who voted, the Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.

The Bill proposed to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.

Seats were also to be increased in assemblies of states and Union territories to accommodate a 33 per cent reservation for women. PTI ASK AMJ

AMJ

Washington, Apr 21 (PTI) The ceasefire between the US and Iran is expected to be extended beyond the initial two-week period, as both sides are willing to continue negotiations, former Central Command chief David H Petraeus has said.

The ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire on Wednesday.

Petraeus, the former general who also served as CIA director, said that there is a “reasonable expectation” that the ceasefire could be prolonged as negotiators from both sides prepare for a possible second round of talks in Islamabad, although uncertainty remains over final participation.

“I think both the US and Iran want to extend the ceasefire,” he told PTI Videos in an interview on Monday.

His comments came amid US media reports that Vice President J D Vance is likely to travel to Islamabad on Tuesday for peace talks with Iran to end the seven-week war. On the other hand, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that his country has yet to decide whether to attend the next round of talks with the US.

Petraeus warned that the situation on the ground remains volatile, with both the US and Iran enforcing rival blockades in the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, effectively halting maritime traffic.

"There may be use of force, as required for the US to implement the blockade that has been required in response to Iran's blockade. There have been occasional attacks also that appear to have come from Iran, individual attacks that have seemed to threaten or force ships to turn around that were trying to go through the Strait," he said.

The former CIA director said the US military campaign aims, among other objectives, to “break Iran’s grip” on the Strait of Hormuz and ensure unrestricted international transit through the waterway.

Outlining two key American "negotiating objectives", Petraeus said, "One is to restore freedom of navigation to the Gulf and to the Strait of Hormuz without any control by Iran or tariffs or tolls paid to Iran."

"And the second is that Iran renounces its right to enrich uranium and allows the International Atomic Energy Agency or some other body to verify the removal of the stockpile of nearly 1,000 pounds of 60 per cent enriched uranium," he added.

Iran, however, has so far resisted calls to halt its uranium enrichment.

On the military front, Petraeus described the US-led campaign, carried out alongside Israeli forces, as “impressive” in degrading Iran’s air defences, missile systems and military infrastructure.

However, he said the overall outcome of the conflict remains “incomplete”.

Despite tactical successes, Petraeus warned that failure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to free navigation could leave Iran “strategically somewhat strengthened” even if militarily weakened.

On future scenarios, he said options remain open, including resumption of intensive air operations or deployment of ground forces, though "large-scale offensives to topple the regime or something like that" are unlikely.

Petraeus, who served as the commander of CENTCOM from 2008-2010, also indicated that the US had prior knowledge of Israel’s intent to strike Iran, driven by concerns over Tehran’s evolving missile capabilities.

“The US was aware Israel would attack Iran amid missile threat concerns,” he said.

The US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.

In the last round of talks on April 11 and 12 in Islamabad, the US and Iran failed to reach an agreement to end the war. PTI SCY ZH SCY

Sydney, Apr 21 (The Conversation) With a shaky ceasefire in place between the US, Israel and Iran – and little progress on talks to resolve the complex issues at the heart of the war – where is this conflict going?

The most likely scenario is a frozen conflict.

A frozen conflict is not static, but is an unresolved war that continues at a low level below the threshold of full-scale combat.

This typically occurs when a comprehensive political agreement cannot be reached, such as the fighting in eastern Ukraine from 2014 until Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. This conflict was considered frozen despite the deaths of some 14,000 military personnel and civilians and persistent cyber and information warfare.

Even if negotiations resume this week in Pakistan and an eventual agreement is reached, there are still three reasons we believe this is headed towards a frozen conflict, not a comprehensive peace agreement.

1) Trump equates ceasefires with an end to war

--------------------------------------------------------

US President Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy has shown that he does not treat ceasefires as pauses for negotiations to agree on substantive political issues. Rather, he declares a ceasefire as a US success, then moves on to the next global issue.

Trump claims to have ended ten wars, including the current conflict with Iran and Israel’s war in Lebanon. A closer look reveals that in most of these conflicts, a shaky ceasefire has held while substantive issues remain unresolved.

This has left frozen conflicts in place with ongoing tensions. In India and Pakistan, which engaged in a brief armed conflict last year, for example, there is a continued risk of renewed hostilities. And a lasting peace between Thailand and Cambodia after last year’s border spats remains elusive.

Yet, Trump has walked away from these conflicts and claimed an end to war as soon as a cessation of major hostilities was in place.

2) Asymmetric wars are difficult to resolve

--------------------------------------------------

The current war is asymmetric because of the huge difference in military strength between the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other.

Iran has intentionally used asymmetric tactics to counter the US’ overwhelming military power, including targeting infrastructure in Persian Gulf countries not involved in the war and closing the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping traffic to disrupt the global economy.

Research shows asymmetric wars are inherently protracted and often open-ended. As a result, they are more likely to end in a frozen conflict than an enduring political settlement.

The reason for this is simple. The weaker actor cannot win a conventional military battle against the stronger actor. So, it tries to exhaust the more powerful nation with political, economic and psychological pressure, forcing a withdrawal and cessation of hostilities.

This is what we are seeing now between the US and Iran. Trump is feeling these rising pressures and is pursuing a ceasefire, while trying to claim a US victory.

Iran, meanwhile, has agreed to a ceasefire in a bid for survival as the weaker actor, rather than a commitment to an enduring end to the conflict.

This is reminiscent of the Taliban in Afghanistan, who survived 20 years in a frozen conflict with the US before taking back control of the country when the US withdrew.

3) There’s been no focus on the more complex issues

--------------------------------------------------------------

Neither the US nor Iran appears committed to any long-term resolution of the underlying tensions at the root of the conflict. Key among these is the question of Iran’s nuclear program.

For Washington, the first round of peace talks in Pakistan on April 11–12 was aborted because Iran refused to compromise on its nuclear program. And Iran has long argued it has an inalienable right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes.

The negotiations that led to the multilateral 2015 deal on Iran’s nuclear program – the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – took 20 months to conclude. Trump withdrew from the agreement three years later, calling it a “horrible one-sided deal”.

Given this history, a quick and clear resolution to this complex dispute is unlikely.

Some analysts believe the US and Iran could announce a partial agreement that would leave many of the technical aspects to be ironed out later.

But Trump is now facing an opponent that is unlikely to become more accommodating with respect to its long-term “nuclear rights”. In fact, Iran has already shown its resolve by asserting a new geostrategic norm, closing the Strait of Hormuz and disrupting the global economy.

What a frozen conflict means for the region

---------------------------------------------------

The Iran-US war may conclude with a series of ceasefires, but will likely remain a frozen conflict due to these underlying tensions. This means more threats from both sides over Iran’s nuclear program and periodic flare-ups of violence between Israel and Iran, the US and Iran, or both.

This is much like the frozen situation in Gaza. Last October, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire under Trump’s 20-point peace plan. The first phase of the plan was then largely implemented, leading to a hostage-prisoner exchange, a decrease in Israel’s heavy bombardments of Gaza and a resumption of aid into the strip.

However, there has since been no progress on the more complex questions of the post-war governance of Gaza, redevelopment of the strip and – crucially – the disarmament of Hamas fighters. As a result, Israel has refused to completely withdraw its troops, and violence has continued.

From a historical perspective, the frozen conflict in the Koreas is also instructive. The war ended with an armistice in 1953 and no peace treaty, effectively leaving North and South Korea at war to this day. This led to the North developing an underground nuclear weapons program that continues to pose a threat to the world.

Similarly, the decades-long frozen India-Pakistan conflict has led to an arms race (including the development of nuclear weapons on both sides), instability in South Asia and periodic flare-ups of violence.

A frozen conflict between the US, Israel and Iran will no doubt create similar long-term instability in the Middle East, including a possible arms race in the Middle East and more flare-ups of violence, particularly around control of the Strait of Hormuz. (The Conversation) SKS

SKS

Georgia, Apr 21 (The Conversation) The market for oil is global, which is why events like the war in Iran affect oil prices – and prices of the wide range of products made from oil – literally everywhere.

Federal data shows that the price at the primary crude oil hub in the US was USD66 a barrel in late February 2026 – before the US and Israel attacked Iran – and USD101 a barrel on April 13. Similar price increases have reverberated around the globe.

As an energy economist and an international trade economist, we field a lot of questions during such episodes, because when oil prices go up, manufacturers, businesses and ultimately consumers pay more.

Some basic economics

-------------------------

Crude oil may be the most important commodity in the global economic system.

It’s a literal fuel for the industrial economy. It powers the engines that drive transportation and paves the roads vehicles drive on. It’s a source for plastics from which the world’s products get made and packaged, and a key ingredient at some point in almost every supply chain. Even fertilizers that boost the food supply are made from it. In short, it is difficult to imagine modern life without oil and its derivatives.

And when its supply changes, its price changes. Economists explain this using a fundamental model of our field: the supply-demand diagram. When there’s less of something to go around, competition among consumers who want it and companies that need it can drive the price up.

Sometimes this process can play out over time, allowing people to adjust their purchasing or activities to dampen price shocks. But when a significant source of the world’s oil is effectively blocked without much advance notice, such as when the the US and Israeli attacks on Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, prices can rise sharply in a short period of time.

A natural question many people ask when oil prices spike is: Where does all that additional money go, and who benefits from it?

Some people have written entire books dissecting all the places that money goes when it leaves consumers’ pockets. But ultimately, the bulk of the money heads in the direction of the source of the oil itself – the oil companies.

What they do with the money varies widely, depending on where in the world an oil company is operating and who owns it. What also matters is the business environment – the set of laws and regulations – in which the company operates.

Middle East faces danger

-------------------------

Oil producers in the Middle East face significant new risk because of the war in Iran, including threats to production, processing locations and shipping routes. These risks raise their costs for insurance, security and transportation.

But production costs in the region are relatively low, so higher global oil prices typically still translate into strong profits.

For a major exporter such as Saudi Arabia, the government owns and controls nearly all oil production, so high prices generally benefit the government’s finances and investments, even during a war. In Saudi Arabia, oil revenue has historically been used to fund public spending.

West Texas gets a windfall

---------------------------

The Permian Basin, the largest oil field in the US, is a long way from the Persian Gulf. When global oil prices rise because of the war in Iran, oil companies operating in West Texas effectively get a windfall gain: Prices rise more quickly than costs, at least in the short run.

The immediate effect is more income from higher prices. The money largely goes to company owners – meaning shareholders – through dividends, debt reduction, company-backed purchases of its own stock, and reinvestment in drilling and production. Over time, companies may decide to spend some of that windfall on building more production capacity or pipelines to get more oil and gas to market.

North Sea boosts government revenue

-----------------------------------------

In the North Sea, between the island of Great Britain and Scandinavia, a mix of multinational and government-owned companies produce most of the oil.

In the U.K., private shareholders are the primary beneficiaries of higher profits from increased oil prices, though an additional tax on oil and gas companies’ profits means the government also collects a significant share of the money, which it uses to help pay public expenses.

In Norway, oil revenues flow into the Government Pension Fund Global, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, valued at over USD2 trillion. Laws govern how much, and for what purposes, money can be withdrawn from the fund, supporting public spending and preserving wealth for future generations. This is a similar model to Alaska’s state-owned program, funded by oil revenue, that pays for government services and sends an annual dividend to every permanent resident.

Russian oligarchs get rich

---------------------------

Russian oil is subject to stringent economic sanctions imposed by major industrial countries as a response to the Russian invasion and occupation of parts of Ukraine. While the US cannot control how much Russia charges for its oil, it can control services needed to move Russian oil around the world. Under current price sanctions, Western shipping, insurance and financing can be used to ship and sell Russian crude oil only if the price is below USD60 per barrel.

Russia’s oil industry is dominated by government-controlled companies whose leaders maintain close ties to President Vladimir Putin. The dealings of those shadowy figures are often shrouded in secrecy, but it is likely that they and Putin’s military-industrial complex – not the Russian people – are the main beneficiaries of high oil prices.

What this means for you

-------------------------

Everyday US consumers may not like the idea of their hard-earned cash going into the already deep pockets of any of these groups. But in the short run, there’s not much to do but pay the price. For the long run, however, people around the world are already thinking and talking about, and opting for, sources of energy that don’t depend on fossil fuels. (The Conversation) AMS

AMS

Washington, Apr 21 (PTI) US Vice President J D Vance is likely to travel to Islamabad on Tuesday for peace talks with Iran to end the seven-week war, according to a media report.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump told The New York Post that the Vance-led delegation was already en route to Islamabad, while other media outlets reported that the vice president was very much in Washington.

Vance is expected to reach Islamabad as the two-week ceasefire, agreed to between the US and Iran on April 8, ends amid threats by Trump to bomb bridges and power plants in Iran if both sides fail to reach a deal.

With Vance expected to reach Islamabad late Tuesday, Trump has effectively extended the ceasefire by a day till Wednesday.

“Vice President Vance is expected to depart for Islamabad by Tuesday morning for talks with Iran over a potential deal to end the war,” American news outlet Axios reported, quoting three US sources.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to join Vance.

The fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran was tested once again on Sunday when a US guided-missile destroyer fired on and seized an Iranian cargo ship after it tried to get past the US naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman, further angering the Iranians.

The Iranian team was urged to join the meeting by mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkiye, Axios reported, but, according to the source, didn't leave until they received approval from Iran's supreme leader.

The Iranian delegation's plan to travel to Islamabad was also reported earlier on Monday by the New York Times, citing two Iranian officials.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed-Bagher Ghalibaf is expected to lead the delegation.

Axios, quoting a source with knowledge, said the Iranians were stalling amid apparent pressure from the Revolutionary Guards on the negotiators to hold a firmer line – no talks without an end to the US blockade.

“The United States has never been closer to a good deal with Iran, unlike the horrible deal made by the Obama Administration, thanks to President Trump’s negotiating ability,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News.

“Anyone who cannot see President Trump’s tactics to play the long game is either stupid or willfully ignorant,” she said Monday night.

During the first round of talks on April 11, American negotiators proposed a 20-year pause on Iran's enrichment of uranium, a source familiar with the discussions was quoted as saying by CNN.

Iran responded with a proposal for a five-year suspension, which the US has rejected, according to a US official.

Trump insisted Monday he wasn’t feeling pressure to reach a deal, despite the war’s rising unpopularity among the American public and the role it’s played in higher gas prices.

"I am under no pressure whatsoever, although it will all happen relatively quickly!” he wrote on Truth Social. PTI SKU AMS

United Nations, Apr 21 (PTI) India's economy is projected to grow at 6.4 per cent this year and 6.6 per cent in 2027, according to a report by the United Nations.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) said in the report released Monday that economies in South and South-West Asia grew by 5.4% in 2025, compared to 5.2% in 2024, driven largely by strong growth in India.

India's growth edged up to 7.4% in 2025, “supported by robust consumption, especially from the rural economy along with goods and services tax rate cuts, and export frontloading ahead of the United States’ tariffs,” the report, titled Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2026, said.

It said in India, economic activities moderated in the second half of 2025 as exports to the United States declined by 25 per cent following the introduction of 50 per cent tariffs in August 2025. The services sector remained a key growth driver.

The report projected India to register a 6.4 per cent growth rate in 2026 and 6.6 per cent next year. Inflation for the country is projected to be 4.4 per cent this year and 4.3 per cent in 2027.

The report said that FDI inflows to developing Asian and Pacific economies declined amid trade tensions and geopolitical uncertainty. After an increase of 0.6% in 2024, FDI to the region declined by 2% in 2025, even as global flows increased by 14%.

“Within the Asia-Pacific region, the countries that attracted the largest share of greenfield FDI in the first three quarters were India, Australia, the Republic of Korea and Kazakhstan with USD 50 billion, USD 30 billion, USD 25 billion and USD 21 billion in announced investments, respectively,” it said.

It further said that personal remittances, sent by Asian and Pacific workers employed outside of their home countries, continued to rise, cushioning the impact of vulnerable domestic employment conditions.

Remittances have helped sustain the consumption of many households, but are facing headwinds.

In India and the Philippines, about 40 per cent of the transfers are used for essential spending, including medical expenses, of recipient households.

“However, as the world’s largest remittance recipient of USD 137 billion in 2024, India could face a sizeable loss as the United States has levied a 1% tax on all remittances since January 2026,” it said.

The report also cited estimates by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) that suggested that there were around 16.6 million green jobs globally, with annual job creation of around 0.8 million between 2012 and 2024, 7% annual growth.

Out of these 16.6 million jobs, 7.3 million were in China, 1.3 million in India and 2.5 million in the rest of Asia – 44%, 8% and 15% of the global total, respectively.

“Governments can leverage the energy transition to an environmentally sustainable economy to foster new domestic industries and build supportive constituencies,” it said.

It noted that public investment and targeted industrial policies can accelerate the emergence of beneficiaries such as renewable manufacturers, grid developers, storage providers and green industrial clusters.

The report cited India’s production-linked incentive scheme, saying it illustrates how macroeconomic policy can foster green industrial development through incentives for domestic manufacturing of solar photovoltaic, batteries and green hydrogen, reducing import dependence while creating new industrial beneficiaries with a vested interest in sustaining the transition.

“Across developing economies in Asia and the Pacific, targeted industrial policies are being used to scale clean technology manufacturing and accelerate the energy transition. Initiatives include India’s Production Linked Incentive scheme for high-efficiency solar modules, China’s strategic subsidies for electric vehicle battery manufacturing,” it said. PTI YAS SCY SCY

New York, Apr 21 (PTI) Issues related to United Nations peacekeeping were among the key topics discussed during a meeting between senior Indian and UN officials here, the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations said on Tuesday.

The meeting was held between Sibi George, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations.

Gorge and Khiari held a "productive discussion on various topics, with particular focus on UN peacekeeping", the mission said in a social media post.

According to the UN India website, India is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions. More than 275,000 Indian troops have served under the UN flag since 1948. PTI SCY SCY

Washington, Apr 21 (PTI) A committee of the US House of Representatives has urged victims of sexual misconduct by a member or staffer to report their accusations to congressional authorities, days after two lawmakers quit amid similar allegations.

The statement from the House Ethics Committee on Monday came after lawmakers Tony Gonzales, a Republican from Texas, and Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California, resigned following allegations of inappropriate sexual relationships with or sexual assault of former staffers.

“There should be zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, harassment, or discrimination in the halls of Congress, or in any employment setting,” the committee members said.

The committee also released a list of 28 instances, dating back to 1976, where it investigated claims of sexual misconduct against lawmakers. In at least 12 cases, the lawmakers in question resigned from Congress, thus making the committee proceedings infructuous.

The list includes the ongoing probe relating to Cory Mills, a Republican from Florida, who has been accused of various improprieties, including illicitly engaging in federal contracts while in federal office.

The list shared by the committee noted that the inquiry against Mills involves allegations of “Sexual misconduct and/or dating violence.”

“The greatest hurdle the Committee faces in evaluating allegations of sexual misconduct is in convincing the most vulnerable witnesses to share their stories,” the members said in their statement.

“Accordingly, the Committee’s practice has been to release only the information that is necessary to hold Members accountable for misconduct and address public reporting that impacts the integrity of the House,” the statement said.

Members of the committee noted that their panel does not have the authority to handle lawsuits related to sexual misconduct allegations.

Anyone who may have experienced sexual misconduct by a House member or staffer, or who has knowledge of such conduct should contact not only the Ethics panel but also the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights — which handles claims from legislative branch staffers who may have experienced misconduct — or the Office of Employee Advocacy — which provides legal services to House staffers who may be bringing those claims.

The Committee said that some matters referred to it had to be removed from its jurisdiction due to members' resignations and acknowledged that it was unfortunate that some cases were never reported to it.

“As the Committee has repeatedly asserted to the House community, through investigative matters and other actions, it treats allegations of sexual misconduct with the utmost seriousness,” the statement said.

The statement said the panel would continue to prioritise witness confidentiality and safety, so that those witnesses feel comfortable coming forward and providing it the opportunity to hold wrongdoers accountable.

The Committee said it will continue to publicly release its findings and seek appropriate sanctions in matters where it finds evidence of sexual misconduct.

The Committee does not release transcripts of its interviews or share the source of allegations, the statement said. PTI SKU AMS

Singapore, Apr 21 (PTI) Countries standing up for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz are sending “the right message”, the head of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) said as tensions between Iran and the United States continue to threaten global shipping.

Speaking to Singapore media on Monday, Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the IMO, also cautioned against the growing use of shipping as leverage in geopolitical conflicts.

Dominguez said the IMO has drawn up evacuation plans for roughly 20,000 seafarers stranded aboard more than 1,600 vessels still stuck in the Persian Gulf.

The organisation has also worked out arrangements with a group of countries to ensure the Strait of Hormuz is cleared of mines and other hazards when shipping eventually resumes, The Straits Times reported on Tuesday, citing the IMO chief.

Hopes that a two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran would ease pressure on the shipping industry were dashed after a brief and confused reopening over the April 18 weekend ended with the US maintaining its blockade of Iran’s ports and seizing an Iranian cargo ship.

Commercial traffic through Hormuz returned to a virtual standstill on April 20 as uncertainty looms over whether the US-Iran truce, due to expire on April 22, will hold. Plans for a second round of negotiations in Pakistan also remain uncertain.

Given the current situation, disruptions to fertiliser and natural gas supplies could extend into 2027 — and that is only if hostilities end and work to restore global trade flows can begin, Dominguez said after arriving in Singapore to attend Singapore Maritime Week, being held from April 20 to 24.

“The reality is that we need the global community to rally behind a de-escalation of the conflict to allow us to trade as usual,” he said, noting that the IMO has been in contact with Iran and neighbouring countries such as Oman to discuss how safe trade through the Strait of Hormuz can resume after the conflict ends.

“It’s not over yet but the sooner it comes to an end, the sooner we can all start tackling the next round of challenges,” the daily quoted Dominguez as saying.

“The longer this goes on, the more negative impacts we will see on the global economy.”

Still, he said he was hopeful the situation would improve. “I still see positives in the fact that the parties engaged in the conflict are talking to each other,” he said.

Dominguez also rejected the idea of tolls or payment mechanisms in waterways used for international navigation.

“I want to highlight the position of the Government of Singapore, which was very loud and clear that it was not going to negotiate on those terms,” he said.

The IMO chief did not specify which countries had made commitments, pointing only to a summit of 51 nations led by France and the United Kingdom that met on April 17 to discuss the Gulf crisis.

So far, 22 countries have publicly signed on to a “defensive” multinational mission to keep the waterway open should peace be achieved.

However, he emphasised that such plans can be carried out only when it is safe.

“We cannot put the seafarers at risk,” he said, noting that vessels that sailed through the strait during the brief weekend window reported near misses with military drones and missile fire.

Asked whether shipowners may need added security arrangements such as armed escorts or patrols once the waterway reopens, Dominguez said these may be required initially to provide a sense of security and ensure insurance remains affordable, limiting the impact on freight costs.

But he stressed this would not be sustainable in the long term.

“We have to remember that we are not military assets and seafarers are not trained for combat.”

The IMO is also open to other solutions, such as establishing additional shipping corridors in the Strait of Hormuz, though this must comply with international law and IMO rules.

“We need cooperation between Iran and Oman, not unilateral decisions,” he added. Oman also borders the strait and controls some of its shipping lanes.

Asked about the precedent the crisis may set for other maritime chokepoints such as the Strait of Malacca and the Singapore Strait, Dominguez pointed to a cooperative mechanism between Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia as a model.

Formed in 2007, the mechanism allows the three countries and the wider maritime community to hold dialogue on navigational safety and environmental protection in the two straits.

“It improves the operations of shipping and we can replicate it in other areas,” he said.

Reflecting on the impact of the closure of Hormuz, Dominguez said the crisis underscores the importance of keeping shipping free and secure.

“If we start transferring cargo from the Gulf region to other means of transportation, they will only be able to ship between 5 and 10 per cent of what shipping transports daily,” he said.

“We can find new ways of operating, we can find new routes. But we’re not going to be able to supply the demands of the global economy,” the IMO chief was quoted as saying. PTI GS NB

Washington, Apr 20 (PTI) India and the US are negotiating finer details of a bilateral trade agreement in light of the US Supreme Court decision against the sweeping tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

A team of officials, led by Darpan Jain, an additional secretary in the Department of Commerce, is on a three-day visit here to finalise the bilateral trade agreement.

“The Indian trade delegation will be arriving in Washington this week. A great step to finalise our bilateral trade deal. A win-win for both nations,” US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said in a post on X on Monday.

India and the US announced the framework of the bilateral trade agreement on February 2 and released the text of the deal on February 7.

India is seeking preferential access to the US markets as part of the agreement, as the two countries eye the target of achieving bilateral trade of USD 500 billion by 2030.

According to that framework, the US had agreed to reduce tariffs on India to 18 per cent, from 50 per cent. It had removed the 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods for buying Russian oil and was to cut the remaining 25 per cent to 18 per cent under the pact.

But on February 20, the US Supreme Court ruled against Trump's reciprocal tariffs, which were imposed under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). 

However, the Trump administration imposed a 10 per cent tariff on all countries from February 24 for 150 days.

As circumstances have changed, every country is engaging with the US to see the nature of its trade agreements with America.

China has overtaken the US to emerge as India's largest trading partner in 2025-26. The US was India's largest trading partner for four consecutive years until 2024-25. PTI SKU RD

RD

London, Apr 20 (PTI) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday said that he would have withdrawn the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK's Ambassador to the US if he had known Mandelson had not passed security checks.

Starmer made the remarks while addressing the House of Commons to present the timeline of his decision to appoint Mandelson as envoy to the US despite his scandalous links with American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

An embattled Starmer, fighting for his job, was forced to defend the move after it emerged that Mandelson had been given the green light for the diplomatic post despite failing the mandatory security vetting.

While the Opposition has questioned his judgment and accused him of misleading Parliament, the Prime Minister has insisted that he was never made aware of the failed UK Security Vetting (UKSV).

“If I had known before he took up his post that UKSV recommendation was that developed vetting clearance should be denied, I would not have gone ahead with the appointment,” Starmer told MPs.

The UKSV recommended to the UK Foreign Office that clearance should be denied, but on the following day, officials overruled that to allow for the appointment to stand.

“Many members across the house will find these facts to be incredible. To that, I can only say they are right. It beggars belief that throughout the whole timeline of events, officials in the Foreign Office saw it fit to withhold this information from the most senior ministers in our system of government,” said Starmer.

He said it's "absolutely unforgivable" that the foreign secretary was advised on, and allowed to sign a statement, without being told that the vetting security agency recommended Mandelson be denied clearance.

“The recommendation in the Peter Mandelson case could and should have been shared with me before he took up his post,” he stressed.

After weeks of battling controversy over what he knew and when about the process, Starmer acknowledged that the “sensitive personal information” provided by appointees being vetted must be protected. However, he expressed his dismay that the appointing minister could not be told of the recommendation by UKSV.

He added: “Indeed, given the seriousness of these issues and the significance of the appointment, I simply don’t accept that Foreign Office officials could not have informed me of UKSV’s recommendations while also maintaining the necessary confidentiality that vetting requires.

“There is no law that stops civil servants sensibly flagging UKSV recommendations, while protecting detailed sensitive vetting information, to allow ministers to make judgments on appointments or explaining matters to Parliament.”

The issue was thrown back into the spotlight last week when it emerged that Lord Mandelson had failed the obligatory security vetting that is carried out for high-profile government appointments. However, it emerged that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) had overridden that intensive scrutiny to greenlight the appointment regardless last year.

The government has blamed Foreign Office officials, with the department's topmost civil servant, Sir Olly Robbins, being sacked for the blunder.

However, Opposition MPs and some of Starmer's own Labour Party colleagues have questioned the credibility of the claims that the Prime Minister was made aware of the failed vetting by the UK’s security services only days before.

The issue has continued to plague his government as a Metropolitan Police investigation was launched into further revelations around Mandelson’s ties with the late American sex offender.

While he denied wrongdoing, Mandelson was sacked seven months into his role in Washington and the files related to his appointment process were released by the British government under transparency norms. PTI AK ZH

ZH

Kathmandu, Apr 20 (PTI) Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Monday instructed the universities and health institutions to dismantle the political party-based student and employee unions.

PM Shah issued the directives during a three-hour-long discussion with the vice chancellors of universities and heads of health institutes at his office in Singh Durbar secretariat.

In their response, vice chancellors had mentioned that initiatives are being taken to dismantle such organisations, as student politics has become irrelevant after the Gen Z movement, according to the PM's secretariat.

PM Shah stressed that no politics should be entertained in any academic institutions and that no law stands as a barrier to implementing the decision.

He said those willing to engage in politics should disassociate from professional obligations as the government will not tolerate political parties' flags, influence or organisations in places such as hospitals, colleges and universities.

Shah also assured that the government will provide full security to enforce its decision.

The ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party, in its 100-point commitment paper, promised to scrap political party-based students' unions. PTI SBP RD  RD

RD

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Gold prices on Tuesday dropped marginally by Rs 3 to Rs 1,53,940 per 10 grams in futures trade amid a fall in spot demand.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange, gold contracts for the June delivery traded lower by Rs 3 at Rs 1,53,940 per 10 grams in a business turnover of 439 lots.

Analysts attributed the fall in gold prices to weak global cues.

Globally, gold futures declined by 0.55 per cent to USD 4,794.27 per ounce in New York. PTI DR HVA

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Silver prices on Tuesday fell by Rs 946 to Rs 2,51,599 per kilogram as participants reduced their bets.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange, silver contracts for the May delivery declined Rs 946, or 0.37 per cent, to 2,51,599 per kg in a business turnover of 778 lots.

Analysts said a sell-off by participants mainly weighed on silver prices.

Globally, silver was trading 0.55 per cent lower at USD 79.29 per ounce in New York. PTI DR HVA

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Crude oil prices fell Rs 154 to Rs 8,030 per barrel in the futures trade on Tuesday, amid weak global trends as oversupply concerns weighed on prices.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange, crude oil futures for May delivery slipped by Rs 154, or 1.88 per cent, to Rs 8,030 per barrel in a business turnover of 4,226 lots.

Analysts said the prices fell after participants offloaded their holdings amid weak demand in the spot market.

Globally, West Texas Intermediate crude oil was trading 1.14 per cent lower at USD 88.59 per barrel, while Brent Crude fell 1.27 per cent to USD 94.27 per barrel in New York. PTI DR HVA

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Guar seed prices on Tuesday rose by Rs 11 to Rs 5,828 per quintal in futures trade amid higher bets by investors.

On the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, guar seed contracts for May delivery climbed Rs 11, or 0.19 per cent, to Rs 5,828 per quintal with an open interest of 5,828 lots.

Marketmen said higher bets by investors, despite a fall in spot prices, supported guar seed prices in futures trade. PTI DR HVA

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Guar gum prices on Tuesday rose Rs 10 to Rs 11,327 per quintal in futures trade as speculators increased their holdings amid a firm spot demand.

On the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, guar gum contracts for May delivery traded higher by Rs 10, or 0.09 per cent, to Rs 11,327 per quintal with an open interest of 59,030 lots.

Analysts said after tracking a firm physical market trend, traders raised their bets, which led to a rise in guar gum prices. PTI DR HVA

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Coriander prices on Tuesday declined Rs 46 to Rs 13,350 per quintal in futures trade as speculators reduced their positions amid weak demand in the spot market.

On the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, coriander contracts for May delivery fell Rs 46, or 0.34 per cent, to Rs 13,350 per quintal in 25,135 lots.

Market analysts said subdued demand in the spot market led to the decline in coriander prices here. PTI DR HVA

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Cottonseed oil cake prices on Tuesday increased by Rs 8 to Rs 3,426 per quintal in futures trade, as speculators created fresh positions amid higher demand.

On the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, cottonseed oil cake for May delivery traded higher by Rs 8, or 0.23 per cent, to Rs 3,426 per quintal with an open interest of 59,250 lots.

Marketmen said the widening of positions by participants amid increasing demand for cattle feed mainly influenced cottonseed oil cake prices. PTI DR HVA

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Zinc prices on Tuesday fell Rs 1.05 to Rs 337.30 per kg in futures trade as speculators reduced their exposure, tracking negative cues from the spot market.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange, zinc contracts for May delivery slipped by Rs 1.05, or 0.31 per cent, to Rs 337.30 per kilogram in a business turnover of 50 lots.

Analysts said the trimming of positions by participants, owing to slackened demand from consuming industries in the physical market, mainly weighed on zinc prices. PTI DR HVA

Mumbai, Apr 21 (PTI) Actor Avinash Tiwary says filmmaker Imtiaz Ali pushed him into uncharted territory with their upcoming series, “O Saathi Re”, which he describes as one of the most difficult roles he has ever done.

The series reunites the actor with Ali after the 2018 romance-drama, “Laila Majnu”, that has achieved cult status for its storytelling. The filmmaker had written the screenplay of the film, which was directed by his brother Sajid Ali.

Tiwary credits Ali for altering his perspective on “vanity and desirability” first with “Laila Majnu” and now with “O Saathi Re”, a romantic-drama series for Netflix.

“He made me go beyond, the idea of the physical self-existing with ‘Laila Majnu’. And it has affected me to a point, where post that in my head, the idea of physical beauty became redundant, to my eyes, and my understanding, the value for it and the way it's celebrated,” the actor told PTI in an interview.

“It continues with ‘O Saathi Re’, where we let go of the physical, is when we get into figuring out what's going on really inside, and that is what he's able to do,” he added.

Billed as an “evocative exploration of the vintage feeling of love in contemporary times”, “O Saathi Re” explores themes of love, relationships, and human dilemmas. It also stars Aditi Rao Hydari and Arjun Rampal.

What makes Ali’s direction unique, according to Tiwary, is his ability to uncover emotional depths that even actors may not be consciously aware of.

“He's someone who brings out the layers that are stuck deep inside, which you are not aware yourself. I feel that is possible when you are yourself beyond the idea of physical. It's pushed me in that direction, I'm not sure it's the best thing for an actor, but I want to hold on to it because I admire it. That's a really big contribution that he has made,” he said.

For Tiwary, working with Ali is a “blessing” as he simply has to surrender to the filmmaker, who understands the depths of the human psyche better than he does.

“…Every time action was said my body would resist, I would run away from the part. So, to hold on to him has been really difficult. Thankfully, I'm working with creators, who know much more than I do and that is a blessing in itself. I don't have to think much, I just have to bring my 100 per cent into it.

"But this one was difficult and I really hope it comes through (in good way), and it doesn't look that effort has been put into it and looks effortless.”

Tiwary also reflected on his last released film, “O Romeo”, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.

While the film, which was released on February 13, was a significant milestone in the actor’s career as it gave him the opportunity to collaborate with one of Indian cinema’s most respected directors but Tiwary hoped that the film was liked by many more during its theatrical run.

“O’ Romeo” is a fictional take on the real-life story of gangsters Sapna Didi and Hussain Ustara and inspired by a chapter of Hussain Zaidi’s “Mafia Queens of Mumbai”.

The action thriller, featuring Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri, received mixed response from critics and audiences. Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, the film has minted over Rs. 100 crores worldwide.

Tiwary said working with Bhardwaj on “O’ Romeo” has been one of the most precious moments of his acting career of close to two-decade.

“…As an artist, I have grown. I know that in that part, I’ve tried and expanded many things which I have never (done), a lot of which you don't see in the film that you saw finally. But it's taken a lot from me,” the actor said.

Tiwary is keen to collaborate with Bhardwaj again on some project, with which he is hoping they will win the heart of audiences.

“I really hope that I get a chance again to work with him and then all the people who have been slightly disheartened, we both are able to win them all over. That's the only hope I have.”

The actor is awaiting the release of his feature film, “Ginny Wedss Sunny 2”, which is set to hit theatres on April 24. It is a sequel of the 2020 romantic-comedy of the same name.

The film is presented by Zee Studios and Soundrya Production and produced by Vinod Bachchan and Umesh Kumar Bansal. It also stars Medha Shankr, Lillete Dubey, Sudhir Pandey, Govind Namdev, and others. PTI KKP

BK

BK

New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur on Monday announced that he is all set to direct and produce a "tentpole series" based on the best seeling novel "My Name is Memory".

Written by Ann Brashares, the author of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants", the 2010 novel revolves around a mysterious young boy, Daniel, who can remember his past lives. He is searching for a girl Sophia and hopes to find her before her vengeful, centuries old brother Joaquim does.

“Confirming that I have signed with Amazon studios in the US to adapt, direct and produce a tentpole series based on the best selling novel.. .. My Name is Memory,” Kapur shared on X.

The filmmaker, known for his films "Masoom", "Mr India", "Bandit Queen" and "Elizabeth", said the novel follows "a beautiful and intense love story that transcends and survives internal and external conflicts over many centuries and geographies”.

"It is an exciting, mysterious, heartbreaking and ultimately heartwarming adventure... that takes the audience through wars, conflict and empires, and even into the future.”

Kapur most recently directed the Indo-British film "What's Love Got to Do With It?". He is also working on a sequel to "Masoom", starring daughter Kaveri. PTI BK BK

BK

Mumbai, Apr 20 (PTI) If "O' Romeo" allowed him to channel his personal angst through its hero, he will return to his poetic style of storytelling in "Lust Stories 3", says filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj.

The 60-year-old acclaimed director, best known for films like “Maqbool”, “Omkara”, “Kaminey”, and “Haider” among others, said it was a conscious decision to transform his inner turmoil in Shahid Kapoor-starrer, “O’Romeo”.

“I’ve tried to add personal angst in it (‘O’Romeo’) for instance the people you can’t kill in real-life, so how and where do you express angst, we can’t say or do anything, so I thought of expressing my angst in cinema. ‘O’ Romeo’ gave me (the opportunity) to explore my personal angst,” Bhardwaj told PTI in an interview.

“O’ Romeo” is a fictional take on the real-life story of gangsters Sapna Didi and Hussain Ustara and inspired by a chapter of Hussain Zaidi’s “Mafia Queens of Mumbai”.

The action thriller, featuring Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri, received mixed response from critics and audiences. Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, the film released on February 13, has minted over 100 crore worldwide.

With “Lust Stories 3”, Bhardwaj said, “I’ve tried to do something new and make it as poetic as possible.”

The third chapter of Netflix's popular anthology movie “Lust Stories 3” will have four stories with directors Bhardwaj, Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao and Shakun Batra exploring relationships and intimacy with their respective creative lens.

Bhardwaj was talking on the sidelines of the book launch event of Zaidi’s new book, “Mafia Queens of India”.

The filmmaker said that the portrayal of violence has always been embedded in storytelling and that it isn’t a trend or a recent shift.

“There is toxicity and hyper masculinity in society and that’s what is reflected in our films. In our country, from the time of Mahabharat, if you read it carefully in detail, you will see there’s so much gory violence, so it (violence) has come from there, it’s there in our genes. I don’t think this is a new thing (that we are showing),” he said.

Speaking of Aditya Dhar’s “Dhurandhar”, Bhardwaj said he genuinely enjoyed the first part of the film but he has some reservations about watching its sequel, which was released on March 19.

“I’ve watched the first part of ‘Dhurandhar’ and I liked it very much. I haven’t seen the second one but I have heard so much that I am afraid to even look at it,” the filmmaker said, without divulging the reason in detail.

“Dhurandhar” franchise, which has amassed over Rs. 3,000 crores, has been praised for its world building, technical brilliance, music and performances by the actors while some have criticised the gory violence and political propaganda. PTI KKP

BK

BK

BK

Mumbai, Apr 20 (PTI) Actor Jaideep Ahlawat says he always looks to go beyond the tropes of a typical hero and villain role by adding layers to even "vanilla characters".

Known for his work in titles like “Gangs Of Wasseypur”, “Raees”, “Pataal Lok”, “Broken News”, “Three of Us”, “Jaane Jaan”, and “The Family Man 3”, said he has little interest in playing one-dimensional roles.

“I’ve not got to play a vanilla character yet. I feel when the character has more layers than it becomes much more interesting to essay that role, as compared to single dimensional character. So, if there aren’t any layers, I try to put elements or layers in a character to make it look believable as an actor,” the actor told PTI in an interview on the sidelines of the book launch event of journalist-turned-author Hussain Zaidi’s latest book, “Mafia Queens of India”.

The “Pataal Lok” star said his other aim is to make his characters look believable.

“The emotion with which the character is written must be conveyed so that the story makes sense; otherwise, it becomes flat. As an actor, I feel the more layering in a character, be it positive or negative character, then it will be fun to play such a part,” he said.

Ahlawat was most recently seen in a cameo in director Sudip Sharma's "Kohrra 2". PTI KKP

BK

BK

New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) Actor Adarsh Gourav, known for his performance in movies such as "The White Tiger", "Kho Gaye Hum Kahan" and "Tu Yaa Main", is all set to reprise his role in the second season of Ridley Scott's "Alien: Earth".

"Games of Thrones" star Peter Dinklage also joins the star studded cast of the series, which is set to begin filming next month.

Following a widely acclaimed turn in Season 1, Adarsh returns to reprise his role as “Slightly”, a character noted for its emotional depth and complexity.

Created by Noah Hawley, with Ridley Scott serving as executive producer, "Alien: Earth" has quickly established itself as a major global sci-fi title rating amongst the top shows of 2025.

The second season will see Adarsh share screen space with a formidable ensemble cast including Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, Timothy Olyphant, and Dinklage.

“Being a part of 'Alien: Earth' has been an incredibly special experience for me. The response to season one, especially to my character, has been truly overwhelming and deeply encouraging. Slightly is such a unique and emotionally complex character, and getting the opportunity to explore his journey further in Season 2 is something I’m really looking forward to.

"Working with a team led by visionaries like Noah Hawley and Ridley Scott is inspiring in every sense, and being surrounded by such talented co-actors pushes you to constantly grow. I’m excited to get back on set and dive into this world again,” Gourav said in a statement. PTI BK

BK

BK

New York, Apr 20 (PTI) Hollywood star Charlize Theron has called out Timothee Chalamet for his controversial remarks that "no one cares" about opera or ballet, saying it was a "reckless comment on art forms".

Chalamet made the controversial comments during “A CNN & Variety Town Hall Event” right in the middle of his Oscar campaign for "Marty Supreme" in February, leading to bashing on social media and from the art world.

The actor said that he didn't want theatrical movie going to end up like “ballet or opera,” where artists want to “keep this thing alive” even though “no one cares” about it anymore.

In an interview with The New York Times, Theron was asked to comment on Chalamet's claim when she spoke about her respect for dancers.

"Oh, boy, I hope I run into him one day. That was a very reckless comment on an art form, two art forms, that we need to lift up constantly because, yes, they do have a hard time. But in 10 years, AI is going to be able to do Timothee's job, but it will not be able to replace a person on a stage dancing live.

Theron is a trained ballet dancer who studied at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York and started dancing from the age of four. She stopped ballet after a knee injury but still has a lot of respect for what it taught her.

“And we shouldn’t **** on other art forms. Dance taught me discipline. It taught structure. It taught hard work. It taught me to be tough. It’s borderline abusive. There were several times that I had blood infections from blisters that just never healed. And you don’t get a day off. I’m literally talking about bleeding through your shoes. And that’s something that you have to practice every single day, the mind-set of just, you don’t give up, there’s no other option, you keep going,” she said. PTI BK

BK

BK

New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) Production banner Hombale Films announced the next instalment in the "Mahavatar" series, titled "Mahavatar Parshuraam".

The film will release in December 2027 and is directed by Ashwin Kumar.

Hombale Films shared the news with a post on its official X handle on Sunday, which featured the poster of the film.

"WHEN DHARMA FALLS THE PARSHU RISES. Presenting the next from the Mahavatar Cinematic Universe #MahavatarParshuraam Coming December 2027. Not a ruler, but a force against adharma, restoring balance across ages. Wishing you #ParshuramJayanti," read the caption.

The "Mahavatar Cinematic Universe" series, which is set to "bring to life the stories of Lord Vishnu’s many avatars", was unveiled in 2025 and is set to comprise seven films in total. The film series spans 12 years and will conclude in 2037 with " Mahavatar Kalki Part 2".

The first film, "Mahavatar Narsimha", released in 2025 and was also directed by Kumar, who marked his directorial debut with it. It went on to cross over Rs 300 crore at the global box office and also emerged as India's highest-grossing animated film.

It revolved around the legend of Prahlad’s devotion and Lord Vishnu's fierce fourth avatar, Narsimha (half-man, half-lion), emerging to destroy the demon king Hiranyakashipu. PTI ATR

ATR

Bhubaneswar, Apr 19 (PTI) Sadhvi Satish Sail of Goa was crowned Femina Miss India World 2026, a statement said.

Sail, who will now represent the country at the 75th Miss World pageant, bagged the title from among 30 participants from across the country at a star-studded event in Bhubaneswar on Saturday night.

Rajnandini Pawar from Maharashtra was crowned Femina Miss India 2026, the first runner-up, while Sree Advaita G of Jammu and Kashmir was adjudged the second runner-up.

Sail described the win as "surreal", expressing gratitude for the opportunity to represent the nation on the international stage.

Actor Zeenat Aman, who was present at the event, said, "What can I say about Miss Femina? I was a part of it many years ago and even represented India. It is a platform that gives girls exposure and grooming. You can see how our girls have gone on to succeed across the world. They have achieved so much."

During their stay in the city, the top 30 contestants participated in various activities, including visits to the Sun Temple in Konark and Chandrabhaga Beach.

This was the first time that the event was held in Odisha. PTI AAM AAM SOM

New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) Actor Shivaleeka Oberoi and director Abhishek Pathak announced the birth of their first child, a baby girl.

Oberoi is known for featuring in the action thriller "Khuda Haafiz". Pathak is the director behind films such as "Drishyam 2" and "Ujda Chaman".

The couple shared a collaborative post on their respective Instagram handles on Sunday. "Our little Goddess Laxmi has arrived on an auspicious day. A blessing in its purest form," read the caption.

"In a moment, our hearts found a whole new meaning! With immense love and gratitude, we welcome our precious baby girl. 19th April 2026. Shivaleeka and Abhishek," read the note on the poster.

Oberoi and Pathak met on the sets of the 2020 film "Khuda Haafiz" and got engaged in 2022. The couple tied the knot in February 2023.

They announced their first pregnancy on social media in December 2025. "Our love story has found its sweetest verse — a tiny blessing is joining our universe," read the caption.

Pathak's next film is "Drishyam 3", starring Ajay Devgn. The film will release on October 2.

Oberoi last appeared in the 2022 film "Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2" alongside Vidyut Jammwal. It was a sequel to the 2020 film. PTI ATR

ATR

ATR

New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) Celebrated music composer Ilaiyaraaja has joined Bhavna Talwar’s upcoming film "Valmiki Ramayana".

Ilaiyaraaja, whose acclaimed work includes compositions such as "Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu " and "Sundari Kannal", will compose the music for the theatrical retelling of the ancient Hindu epic.

The makers shared the new posters of the film on Sunday on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, confirming Ilaiyaraaja's attachment to the project. "Valmiki Ramayana" is set to release in theatres on October 2. It has dialogues by Chandraprakash Dwivedi AND cinematographery by Binod Pradhan.

The screenplay has been written by Anand Neelakantan (based on the original Valmiki text), and Resul Pookutty is the sound designer.

Ilaiyaraaja made his debut as a music composer in the 1976 Tamil film "Annakili", directed by Devaraj-Mohan. His work on the film revolutionised Tamil cinema by blending modern Western orchestration with Tamil folk melodies.

Over the years, Ilaiyaraaja has extensively composed for several films across the industries, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi.

The composer entered politics in July 2022 when he was nominated as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Rajya Sabha. PTI ATR

ATR

ATR

Mumbai, Apr 19 (PTI) Even as Aditya Dhar’s “Dhurandhar” dominated screens, the Marathi-language film “Tighee” has managed to carve its own space at the box office. For the movie’s debut director, Jeejivisha Kale, this success indicates that her story has successfully struck a chord with audiences.

Set in Pune, the film features Bharti Achrekar, Neha Pendse, and Sonalee Kulkarni in the lead roles.

It delves into the fractured bond between a terminally ill mother, Hemlata (Achrekar), and her two daughters, Swati (Pendse) and Sarika (Kulkarni). The daughters reunite to care for their mother but are forced to confront their own personal demons and long-held secrets.

The film released on March 6 in 125 screens across Maharashtra, Goa, and Bangalore, with English subtitles.

“It shows different stories can co-exist. The audience has carried the weight (of this) for me; once they know what they like, they make it their responsibility. Making a wholesome film is one thing, and for it to be received this way is another,” Kale told PTI in an interview.

The Nashik-born director said she was pleased to know that the film was watched by different age groups.

“I’m told that people have watched it thrice, seeing it with different sets of people every time. It's something I might be able to dissect and talk about better years from now. For now, I’m grateful this is happening, I don't want to question how and why.”

Producer Suhrud Godbole said it's a "big deal" for them that "Tighee" has continued to sustain in theatres for 50 days alongside Dhar's "Dhurandhar".

"‘Dhurandhar' came when we were in the third week. It was a good demonstration that people want to watch all kinds of cinema, like a big-budget action entertainer and an intimate film like 'Tighee'," Godbole said, adding that the film will be screened at the New York Indian Film Festival next month.

Kale, whose cinematic influences include acclaimed filmmakers like Sai Paranjpye, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Chatterjee, and Guru Dutt and mainstream actors like Govinda and Sachin Pilgaonkar, penned the script. The screenplay and dialogues were written by Nikhil Mahajan and Prajakt Deshmukh, respectively.

Critics have praised the film for its emotionally charged narrative and the performances by the lead actors. Some have even compared the emotional resonance of “Tighee” to Shoojit Sircar’s 2015 hit “Piku", which starred Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone in the roles of a father and daughter.

When asked about the comparisons with “Piku,” Kale said the Hindi-language film, which garnered wide acclaim for its tender portrayal of a father-daughter relationship, was never a reference point for her.

“‘Piku’ is one of my favourite films. When I watch it, I forget I’m watching a film; I watch it not to study the craft but to cry with it, with the characters and live with them. I know how scary it can be to even think of your father passing, when you have such a strong bond with him,” she said.

The director said the idea for “Tighee” emerged in early 2024 from her desire for an elder sibling, and that longing shaped the narrative structure.

“Every child watching should momentarily wish they had a sibling. The film became a form of catharsis, translating years of emotion into moments that feel raw and real,” Kale said.

With “Tighee”, the 32-year-old director also examined the emotional world of children, often overlooked in adult conflicts.

“We are all busy with our lives, we all have our traumas, but who is looking at the children? When we are looking at them, are we actually understanding them? Are we giving them that space to be their own people?

"You remember how it was to be a child and then not be understood by an adult. They don't necessarily have the vocabulary, but their feelings are real,” Kale, who has spent hours immersed in stories like “The Little Prince”, “The Ugly Dachshund”, and “Alice in Wonderland”, said.

“They all believed in the film. In fact, Neha believed in it so much that she and her husband, Shardul decided to back the film till the very end. I was extremely privileged; all of my wishes were granted, except for the certification,” Kale added.

Despite its focus on family bonds, “Tighee” received an A certificate from the CBFC 24 hours before its release. The director said she was a bit disheartened that younger audiences are alienated.

However, she expressed gratitude to her producers Shardul Singh Bayas, Nehha Pendse Bayas, Nikhil Mahajan, Suhrud Godbole, and Swapnil Bhangale, for being the film's strong pillars.

“We've gone through a lot of difficult situations to get the film out, the making of the film was comparatively easy. The fact that we even got that certificate an afternoon before is because they (producers) did not back down, and we did not accept cuts. For that, I have to thank my producers for the belief they have shown,” Kale said.

Even as the director processes the overwhelming response to her debut, she has already begun exploring new stories, a thriller-comedy and a middle-aged love story. PTI KKP

ATR

ATR

Ahmedabad, Apr 20 (PTI) Back to winning ways after four defeats in a row, a happy Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya said he always had faith in Tilak Varma's talent and it was about time the Hyderabad man delivered as per his potential, like he did in the 99-run victory over Gujarat Titans on Monday.

Tilak played a stunning knock of an unbeaten 101 off 45 balls. After being 19 off 22, he got an earful from his skipper during the second strategic time-out, and things changed rapidly from there.

"The message I think, I realised that the kind of talent Tilak has, he really doesn't have to worry. So my message to him was just watch the ball and hit the ball. Was about time he came out and delivered. It was much needed for Tilak, the group and Mumbai Indians," Pandya said after the match here on Monday.

This was the first time MI won in Ahmedabad and Pandya believes this could be "The Match" when it starts falling in place for his side.

"It's always challenging to go away and win but at the same time Ahmedabad has been a tough place for Mumbai Indians. We played some good cricket. Feels very special because it was much needed."

He also took a dig at critics who have questioned the move to not use Japrit Bumrah first up.

"It's quite fascinating. I see a lot of people asking why Jassi isn't bowled up front but he's only bowled the first over 7 or 8 times in 140 odd games. So it's not a Hardik Pandya problem, it's an everybody problem because Bumrah is so special you want to use him later on."

For Tilak, the first hundred indeed was special.

"Of course, first 100 will be always special. It was very important for us. We don't have much time from here. Every game is important for us.

"In the last five games, I haven't had much time in the middle. So this game I wanted to spend time in the middle. So you saw first 20 balls, I was just batting ball by ball. And then later on, I was aware about the the ability I have," he said about scoring 82 off last 23 balls.

"I was just seeing the situation and what the team needs and I was just stable and keeping my head still and following my basics. I have all the fancy shots but when the team is under pressure it's just about backing your skills and today it's given me good results."

Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill was visibly dejected and didn't mince word about the last six overs in which they gave away as many as 95 runs.

"Honestly, I think we gave away too many runs in the middle overs. On a wicket like that, 160-170 was a par score," Gill said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Towards the end, three overs -- two from Prasidh Krishna and one from Ashok Sharma -- cumulatively cost them 67 runs and Gill wasn't pleased at all.

"I think the wicket was on the slower side. I don't think we hit the right areas. Length balls, some were coming on nicely some weren't. We weren't able to hit that length more consistently."

He was also critical of the batting effort stating that the it "could have been better because there was dew."

However, he also didn't want to dwell too much on the heavy defeat and termed it a "small hiccup".

"Small hiccup but now we have a couple of games on the road so hopefully we'll come back in winning form." PTI KHS KHS AH

AH

Ahmedabad, Apr 20 (PTI) Tilak Varma played a knock for the ages as his maiden IPL century turned the corner for Mumbai Indians with the five-time champions crushing Gujarat Titans by 99 runs here on Monday.

Spurred by skipper Hardik Pandya's 'hard talk' asking him to get a move-on during the strategic break after he scratched his way to 19 off 22 balls, Tilak changed gears in a flash to amass 82 off the next 23 deliveries and end on an unbeaten 101 off 45 balls.

Mumbai Indians' 199 for 5 was good enough as Jasprit Bumrah broke his wicket-less streak for five matches with a first-ball dismissal of Sai Sudharsan and GT never recovered from there to get all out for 100 in 15.5 overs.

The introduction of left-arm seamer Ashwani Kumar proved to be decisive as he snared 4 for 24 to run through the middle-order along with Mitchell Santner (2/16 in 3 overs).

The defeat also exposed the chinks in GT armoury, especially their fragile middle-order where they have carried two 'non performing assets' in Rahul Tewatia and M Shahrukh Khan for the longest time.

Between them, they played 24 balls and scored only 25 runs and it is baffling to see head coach Ashish Nehra placing so much faith in the mediocre duo.

The win, after four straight defeats, took Mumbai Indians to seventh place in the points table, but more importantly, it improved their net run rate significantly (+0.067).

MI looked a different outfit till the 14th over when the second strategic time out was taken. Post that, Tilak did the unthinkable to give the total respectability, which looked improbable after the powerplay thanks to an intimidating first spell by Kagiso Rabada.

At the strategic time-out post 14th over, TV cameras caught skipper Pandya animatedly telling something to Tilak, who had looked unconvincing till that point of time and was occasionally booed by the Motera crowd.

But after that break, one saw the Tilak that one has always known as he threw the kitchen sink at GT's fastest bowlers. Prasidh Krishna went for 19, and new pace sensation Ashok Sharma was toyed with for 26 runs.

Before Monday's innings, Tilak's poor form was one of the talking points as he managed only 43 in the previous five outings. In all, he hit eight fours and seven sixes on the day, with a few over covers and some hit down the ground.

Pandya (15 off 16 balls) did push Tilak but hardly did anything of note himself in their 81-run stand off only 38 balls. The last six overs yielded 96 runs, largely due to the ever inconsistent Prasidh Krishna (1/54 in 4 overs), who gave away 41 in his final two overs.

This was after Rabada (3/33 in 4 overs) got the ball to seam at a quick clip as he blew the top-order away inside powerplay to ensure that it would be another day of below par total for the five-time champions who had been looking completely out of sorts until then.

Rabada, rated as one of the legends of his generation alongside Pat Cummins, Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood, bowled the 'Test match length', faster, fuller and attacked the stumps to get three wickets.

Danish Malewar (2) understood the gulf between domestic and world class bowling as he couldn't get his bat down on time and Rabada rapped him on the pads plumb in front. Quinton de Kock (13 off 11 balls) played a rasping square cut when Rabada gave him width but a short ball saw him balloon a pull shot, which the bowler collected gleefully.

The best dismissal certainly was the one where he set up out-of-form India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav (15 off 10 balls). Surya had clipped Rabada for a six into the cow corner and straight drove him for a boundary.

Rabada came back with a banger -- a 152 kmph delivery pitched up on fourth stump line that cut back sharply. There was no visible footwork and the bat was away from the body as it breached through the defence to peg the stump back.

Naman Dhir, who scored a fifty in the last game, resurrected the innings. He used Ashok Sharma's pace to get a couple of boundaries and kept pushing the scoreboard although he never dominated the attack.

It was only post the strategic break that Tilak suddenly changed gears and played the most memorable knock of his IPL career. It was the fastest hundred for Mumbai Indians in the history of the tournament. PTI KHS KHS KHS AH

AH

Gujarat Titans:

Sai Sudharsan c Krish Bhagat b Bumrah 0

Shubman Gill c Naman Dhir b Ashwani Kumar 14

Jos Buttler lbw b Pandya 5

Washington Sundar c Naman Dhir b Santner 26

Glenn Phillips c & b Santner 6

Rahul Tewatia c de Kock b Ashwani Kumar 8

M Shahrukh Khan c Naman Dhir b Ashwani Kumar 17

Rashid Khan c sub b Ashwani Kumar 4

Kagiso Rabada st de Kock b Ghazanfar 12

Ashok Sharma not out 1

Mohammed Siraj lbw b Ghazanfar 0

Extras: (W-7) 7

Total: (All out, 15.5 overs) 100

Fall of wkts: 1-0, 2-5, 3-40, 4-54, 5-55, 6-79, 7-85, 8-86, 9-99.

Bowling: Jasprit Bumrah 3-0-15-1, Hardik Pandya 1-0-18-1, Krish Bhagat 2-0-10-0, Ashwani Kumar 4-0-24-4, AM Ghazanfar 2.5-0-17-2, Mitchell Santner 3-0-16-2. PTI AM AM

AM

Ahmedabad, Apr 20 (PTI) Tilak Varma roared back to form with a magnificent maiden century in the Indian Premier League, helping Mumbai Indians break their four-match losing streak with a 99-run mauling of Gujarat Titans here on Monday.

Tilak remained not out on 101 off 45 balls, reaching the milestone with a boundary off the innings' last ball to lift MI to 199 for five after a forgettable start.

In reply, GT were bowled out for 100 in 15.5 overs, with left-arm seamer Ashwani Kumar returning excellent figures of 4/24 in four overs.

None of the GT batters could make any contribution of note.

Asked to bat first, MI were in trouble after Kagiso Rabada (3/33 in 4 overs) picked three wickets in the powerplay.

Naman Dhir came in and made 45 off 32 balls, but it was Tilak who did the heavy lifting for MI, smashing seven sixes and eight fours to bring to an end a run of poor scores in the early stages of the league.

Brief scores:

Mumbai Indians: 199/5 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma not out 101, Naman Dhir 45; Kagiso Rabada 3/33, Mohammed Siraj 1/25).

Gujarat Titans: 100 all out in 15.5 overs (Washington Sundar 26; Ashwani Kumar 4/24, Mitchell Santner 2/16). PTI AH AH AM

AM

New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) Punjab FC produced a clinical performance to defeat Inter Kashi 3-0 in their Indian Super League match here on Monday.

Samir Zeljković (37'), Effiong Nsungusi Jr (51'), and Bede Osuji (72') scored for the Shers to secure three important points and move to 14 points from eight matches, consolidating seventh place.

Inter Kashi, meanwhile, remain eighth with 11 points from nine matches. Zeljković was named the Player of the match.

Punjab started on the front foot and looked sharp in the early exchanges, with Bede Osuji at the heart of their attacking play.

Twice within the opening ten minutes, Osuji's clever backheel flicks released Dani Ramírez inside the box, but Inter Kashi goalkeeper Lluis Tarrés reacted well on both occasions to deny the Spaniard.

The hosts continued to dominate possession, with Manglenthang Kipgen dictating play from midfield, while Effiong Nsungusi Jr and Osuji caused constant problems for Inter Kashi' defence.

Despite Punjab's control, Inter Kashi threatened sporadically, with Tomba Singh and Narender Gahlot both going close from set-piece situations.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 37th minute following a well-worked move. Pramveer Singh won possession near the halfway line and initiated an attack down the left, finding Osuji, who quickly combined with Nsungusi Jr inside the box.

After a brief tussle, Nsungusi regained control and squared the ball to Samir Zeljković, who calmly slotted home with his right foot to give Punjab a deserved lead.

Inter Kashi attempted to respond before the break, with Alfred Planas and Sergio Llamas combining well, but Arshdeep Singh remained composed in goal to ensure Punjab carried their advantage into half-time.

Punjab doubled their lead shortly after the restart in the 51st minute, capitalising on a costly midfield error. Dani Ramírez seized possession and surged into the box from the left, evading multiple defenders before cutting the ball back to Nsungusi Jr, who finished clinically from close range to make it 2-0.

The hosts maintained their intensity and control, pressing high and restricting Inter Kashi to limited opportunities. Pramveer and Bijoy V. were particularly impressive defensively, cutting out passing lanes and halting any potential counter-attacks.

Punjab added a third goal in the 72nd minute when substitute Leon Augustine drove forward from the left and slipped a precise pass into the path of Osuji, who turned smartly inside the box and unleashed a powerful right-footed strike into the top corner, leaving Tarrés with no chance.

With a comfortable lead, Punjab managed the remainder of the game with composure, continuing to press high and maintain their defensive shape. PTI AH AH KHS

Ahmedabad, Apr 20 (PTI) Spurred by skipper Hardik Pandya's 'hard talk' asking him to get a move-on during the strategic break, Tilak Varma played the best knock of his career, smashing his maiden IPL hundred to take Mumbai Indians to 199/5 and gain some breathing space against Gujarat Titans here on Monday.

Tilak (101 not out in 45 balls) did the unthinkable, scoring an incredible 81 runs off 23 balls to give the total respectability, which looked improbable after the powerplay thanks to an intimidating first spell by Kagiso Rabada.

At the strategic time-out post 14th over, TV cameras caught skipper Pandya animatedly telling something to Tilak, who had scratched around to reach 19 off 22 balls and was occasionally booed by the Motera crowd.

But after that break, one saw the Tilak that one has always known as he threw the kitchen sink at GT's fastest bowlers. Prasidh Krishna went for 19, and new pace sensation Ashok Sharma was toyed with for 26 runs.

Before Monday's innings, Tilak's poor form was one of the talking points as he managed only 43 in the previous five outings. In all, he hit eight fours and seven sixes on the day, with a few over covers and some hit down the ground.

Pandya (15 off 16 balls) did push Tilak but hardly did anything of note himself in their 81-run stand off only 38 balls. The last six overs yielded 96 runs, largely due to the ever inconsistent Prasidh Krishna (1/54 in 4 overs), who gave away 41 in his final two overs.

This was after Rabada (3/33 in 4 overs) got the ball to seam at a quick clip as he blew the top-order away inside powerplay to ensure that it will be another day of below par total for the five-time champions who had been looking completely out of sorts.

Rabada, rated as one of the legends of his generation alongside Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood, bowled the 'Test match length', faster, fuller and attacked the stumps to get three wickets.

Danish Malewar (2) understood the gulf between domestic and world class bowling as he couldn't get his bat down on time as Rabada rapped him on the pads plumb in front. Quinton de Kock (13 off 11 balls) played a rasping square cut when Rabada gave him width but a short ball saw him balloon a pull shot, which the bowler collected gleefully.

The best dismissal certainly was the one where he set up out-of-form India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav (15 off 10 balls). Surya had clipped Rabada for a six into cow corner and straight drove him for a boundary.

Rabada came back with a banger -- a 152 kmph delivery pitched up on fourth stump line that cut back sharply. There was no visible footwork and the bat was away from the body as it breached through the defence to peg the stump back.

Naman Dhir, who scored a fifty in the last game, resurrected the innings. He used Ashok Sharma's pace to get a couple of boundaries and kept pushing the scoreboard although he never dominated the attack.

It was only post the strategic break that Tilak suddenly changed gears and played the most memorable knock of his IPL career. It was the fastest hundred for Mumbai Indians in the history of the tournament. PTI KHS KHS AH

AH

Ahmedabad, Apr 20 (PTI) Scoreboard of the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans here on Monday.

Mumbai Indians:

Quinton de Kock c & b Rabada 13

Danish Malewar lbw b Rabada 2

Naman Dhir c Rabada b Prasidh Krishna 45

Suryakumar Yadav b Rabada 15

Tilak Varma not out 101

Hardik Pandya c Phillips b Mohammed Siraj 15

Sherfane Rutherford not out 1

Extras: (B-1, LB-4, W-2) 7

Total: (For 5 wkts, 20 overs) 199

Fall of wkts: 1-10, 2-25, 3-44, 4-96, 5-177.

Bowling: Mohammed Siraj 4-0-25-1, Kagiso Rabada 4-0-33-3, Ashok Sharma 3-0-38-0, Rashid Khan 4-0-31-0, Prasidh Krishna 4-0-54-1, Washington Sundar 1-0-13-0. (More) PTI AM AM

AM

Ahmedabad, Apr 20 (PTI) Tilak Varma roared back to form with a magnificent maiden century in the Indian Premier League, lifting Mumbai Indians to 199 for five against Gujarat Titans in their match here on Monday.

Tilak remained not out on 101 off 45 balls, reaching the milestone with a boundary off the innings' last ball.

Asked to bat first, MI were in trouble after Kagiso Rabada (3/33 in 4 overs) picked three wickets in the powerplay.

Naman Dhir came in and made 45 off 32 balls, but it was Tilak who did the heavy lifting for MI, smashing seven sixes and eight fours to bring to an end a run of poor scores in the early stages of the league.

Brief scores:

Mumbai Indians: 199/5 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma not out 101, Naman Dhir 45; Kagiso Rabada 3/33, Mohammed Siraj 1/25). PTI AH AH AM

AM

Rajgir (Bihar), Apr 20 (PTI) Defending champions West Bengal made a commanding start in the men's section of the Senior National Rugby Sevens Championship on Monday, registering emphatic wins over Chandigarh and Chhattisgarh.

They defeated Chandigarh 49-7 and followed it up with a dominant 66-0 victory against Chhattisgarh.

Multiple-time national champions Haryana also delivered an impressive performance, securing convincing wins against Uttar Pradesh (29-0) and Madhya Pradesh (47-0).

Among other notable results, Maharashtra recorded the biggest win of the day, thrashing Andaman & Nicobar 92-0. Odisha, Bihar, and Rajasthan also posted comprehensive victories in their respective matches.

In Pool I, which featured only Delhi and Karnataka, the former won the opening match 10-0. However, Karnataka bounced back in the reverse fixture to claim a 21-14 victory.

In other group-stage matches, Chhattisgarh edged Chandigarh 7-5, while Uttarakhand defeated Punjab 10-5.

The tournament will now move into the knockout stage as the race for the national title intensifies. The pre-quarterfinals are scheduled later in the day, with the quarterfinals set to take place on Tuesday. PTI AM AM AH

AH

Thane, Apr 21 (PTI) Police on Tuesday clarified that a man seen in a viral video in a disoriented state on a road in Thane was not under the influence of a so-called “zombie drug,” but had taken an overdose of Pregabalin, a medicine used to treat nerve pain.

The video, which surfaced on April 15, showed a man standing in a dizzy condition in the Bhayander area of Maharashtra's Thane city.

Taking note of the clip, the crime detection branch was directed to trace the person and verify claims made on social media that he was under the influence of the alleged "zombie drug", the Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar police said in a release.

"During the investigation, it was found that the video was recorded at around 10 pm on April 13 and the person seen in the footage was identified as Sameer Rajendra Rawal (22), a labourer hailing from Achham district in Nepal and currently living on a footpath outside Borivali Railway Station in Mumbai," the police said.

The man was traced to a road in Bhayander on April 17. During questioning, he disclosed that he had come from Nepal last month in search of work and had been addicted to consuming Pregabalin tablets for the last two years, the release said.

"He informed that he used to purchase a strip of 10 tablets for Rs 100 and consume them for intoxication," it said.

After coming to Bhayander, he procured the tablets from a medical shop in Navghar without any prescription. On April 13, he consumed five Pregabalin tablets at once. Subsequently, while walking in the Bhayander area, he felt dizzy and was unable to move, which left him standing in one place, the police said.

"It has been established that the incident occurred due to excessive consumption of Pregabalin, which is a Schedule-H drug used for nerve pain. No substance such as a 'zombie drug' was involved," they said.

A team, along with officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), inspected the medical shop from where the tablets were procured. It was found that the shopkeeper had left the area after the video went viral.

A report has been submitted to the FDA, Thane, for necessary action against the medical shopkeeper for illegally supplying Schedule-H drugs without a valid prescription, the police added. PTI COR GK

Thane, Apr 21 (PTI) An accused in a murder case in Thane who was absconding for nine years has been arrested from Jharkhand, police said.

Rajesh alias Uttam Muneshwar Ravidas (34), an alleged contract killer and the main accused, was apprehended from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand on April 15, Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Madan Ballal said on Monday.

On April 6, 2017, some unidentified persons shot dead Shamu Lahiri Goud (40) at Mira village under Kashimira police station limits in Maharashtra's Thane district, he said, providing details of the case.

During the investigation, it was found that another accused, Sunilkumar Rajak, borrowed Rs 5 lakh from Goud in 2015 to secure bail in a previous murder case. As Goud was repeatedly demanding repayment, Rajak gave a contract of Rs 2 lakh to Ravidas to eliminate him, the official said.

"After accepting the contract, Rajesh Ravidas came to Mira Road from Jharkhand with a country-made pistol and three accomplices. After conducting a recce, they executed the murder," Ballal said.

The Kashimira police subsequently registered a case under Sections 302 (murder), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Arms Act.

Two accused in the case were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a Thane court last month, but Ravidas, who carried out the firing, had been absconding since the incident, the official said.

During the investigation, the police learned that he was hiding in Hazaribagh. Accordingly, a police team from here proceeded to Jharkhand and monitored the premises where he was staying before arresting him, he said.

The accused had earlier been arrested by the Talaiya police in Jharkhand in a case of murder, for which he allegedly took a contract of Rs 1.5 lakh, he added. PTI COR GK

Latur (Maharashtra), Apr 21 (PTI) A 25-year-old woman allegedly jumped into a well with her two minor children in Maharashtra’s Latur district following a family dispute, leading to their deaths, police said.

The incident occurred at Kharosa village in Ausa tehsil around Sunday midnight.

The woman, identified as Nikita Amardeep Bhure, along with her children Shivani (5) and Shivansh (3), jumped into a well located adjacent to their residence, police inspector Dr Vishal Shahane told PTI.

Some villagers spotted the woman's body floating in the well on Monday morning.

Upon receiving information, Killari police personnel rushed to the spot and the three bodies were later fished out, the official said.

The police have launched an investigation into the incident, he added. PTI COR GK

Mumbai, Apr 21 (PTI) A nine-member inter-state gang has allegedly duped a Mumbai-based businessman of Rs 3.25 crore with promises of high investment returns and also assaulted and threatened him, police said.

The nine accused, two of them women, are residents of Mumbai, Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand, an official from Vile Parle police station said on Monday.

The complainant, who runs a private enterprise, came into contact in July 2025 with four of the accused, who introduced themselves as brokers. The accused convinced him to invest in a company named Arkship Group, promising lucrative returns, according to the official.

Falling prey to their claims, the businessman transferred Rs 1 crore online. However, he later found the amount had been diverted to the account of an NGO named 'Manav Dharmayog'.

When the victim questioned the accused, he was called for a meeting at a hotel near the Western Express Highway in Vile Parle along with his company's general manager. At the hotel, the gang members allegedly assaulted the duo and threatened them at gunpoint, he said.

The gang then demanded Rs 3 crore as ransom, threatening to kill the businessman if he failed to pay. Fearing for his life, he transferred approximately Rs 2.25 crore online to bank accounts provided by the accused, the official said.

After receiving the money, the accused released him, but warned him of dire consequences if he approached the police. However, on the advice of his family members and friends, the victim later approached the police and lodged a complaint.

After verifying the complaint, police recently registered an FIR against the nine accused on various charges, including cheating, criminal breach of trust, extortion, causing grievous hurt, and issuing death threats.

The case has been handed over to the Mumbai Crime Branch for further investigation. Preliminary findings suggest the accused are part of a larger interstate network, the official added. PTI ZA RSY GK

Rajkot, Apr 21 (PTI) Three officials of leading private banks have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a Rs 2,500-crore cyber fraud in Gujarat's Rajkot district, raising the number of those held in the case to 20, police said.

So far, police have identified 85 bank accounts linked to the racket, with 535 complaints filed on the cybercrime portal.

Those arrested have been identified as Maulik Kamani, a personal manager at Yes Bank in Padadhari; Kalpesh Dangariya, a manager at Axis Bank in Jamnagar; and Anurag Baldha, a personal banker with HDFC Bank, Rajkot (Rural) Superintendent of Police Vijay Gurjar said on Monday.

Dangariya and Baldha were previously employed with Yes Bank, he added.

Kamani allegedly assisted the earlier arrested accused in opening and managing suspicious accounts. He also helped bypass banking alerts triggered by high-value transactions by submitting additional documentation to keep accounts active, the SP said.

The official said Kamani was allegedly involved in cash withdrawals that were later routed through hawala channels (an illegal money transfer system), supported by digital evidence recovered from his mobile device.

Dangariya is accused of facilitating the opening of fraudulent accounts using fake or misrepresented identities, police said.

He also assisted in structuring documentation, including Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC)-related papers, to prevent transactions from being flagged as suspicious, they said.

On the other hand, Baldha opened new accounts after verification and certification processes as part of the racket, Gurjar informed.

All three accused are in police custody, while others are in jail under judicial remand, the official added.

The total transaction linked to the cyber fraud exceeds Rs 2,500 crore, police said.

The earlier fraud amount was pegged by police at Rs 1,500 crore. PTI KVM PD RSY GK

Jalaun (UP), Apr 20 (PTI) A dispute over division of agricultural produce between brothers turned violent in a village here, leaving two siblings dead in separate acts of killing, police said on Monday.

The incident took place between 5 and 6 pm in Mirzapura Jagir village under Rampura police station limits.

Additional Superintendent of Police Ishan Soni said three brothers Kailash (45), Jitendra alias Allu (33), and Guddu (26), were arguing in a farmland outside the village over sharing of grain when the dispute escalated.

During the altercation, Jitendra allegedly shot Kailash with a country-made pistol, killing him on the spot, he said.

Enraged by the incident, their father Jaynarayan Chaturvedi and the youngest brother Guddu chased Jitendra as he tried to flee and beat him to death with sticks, the officer added.

Police reached the spot soon after receiving information, and senior officials, including the Additional SP, also visited the scene.

The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination, and Jaynarayan Chaturvedi and Guddu have been taken into custody, police said. PTI COR KIS

PRK

Gurugram, Apr 20 (PTI) A 33-year-old taxi driver allegedly strangled his wife to death before killing himself at their rented house in Ambedkar Nagar, Sector 9, police said on Monday.

The deceased were identified as Deepak Kumar and his wife Sonam Bai, who were natives of Alwar, Rajasthan. The couple had a love marriage eight years ago and lived with their six-year-old son, according to police.

After getting information about the incident, a police team reached the spot and took the bodies into custody. No suicide note was found at the spot, police said.

The bodies were handed over to the kin after a postmortem examination, and an FIR on murder charges has been registered against the deceased taxi driver, they added.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Deepak Kumar was an alcoholic, which led to quarrels between the couple from the beginning of their marriage, according to police.

Deepak started living separately about a month ago, prompting Sonam to invite her sister Amrita, police said.

On Saturday, Amrita returned to the house after doing some work outside and found Sonam's body lying in the kitchen, police said, adding that Deepak's body was hanging in another room.

Their son was also present in the house.

Amrita raised an alarm, alerting neighbours, who the informed police.

Police said there were strangulation marks on the wife's body.

"Investigation revealed that Deepak was an alcoholic. They would quarrel when Sonam refused to let him drink. We are investigating all angles," Sector 9A SHO Avtar Singh said. PTI COR

PRK

Mumbai, Apr 20 (PTI) A nine-member inter-state criminal gang allegedly duped a Mumbai-based businessman of around Rs 3.25 crore in a cheating-cum-extortion case and also assaulted and threatened him, a police official said on Monday.

According to the Vile Parle police station official, a case has been registered against all the nine accused, two of them women, under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

They are residents of Mumbai, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand, he said.

The complainant, who runs a private enterprise, in July 2025 came in contact with four of the accused who introduced themselves as brokers. The group convinced him to invest in a company named Arkship Group, promising lucrative returns, according to the official.

Falling prey to their claims, the businessman transferred Rs 1 crore online. However, he later discovered the amount had been diverted to the account of an NGO named 'Manav Dharmayog'.

When the victim questioned the accused, he was called for a meeting at a hotel near the Western Express Highway in Vile Parle along with his company's general manager. At the hotel, the gang members allegedly assaulted the duo and threatened them at gunpoint, he said.

The gang then demanded Rs 3 crore as ransom, threatening to kill the businessman if he failed to pay. Fearing for his life, he transferred approximately Rs 2.25 crore online to bank accounts provided by the accused, said the official.

After receiving the money, the accused released him, but warned him of dire consequences if he approached police.

However, on advice of his family members and friends, the victim later approached police and lodged a complaint. After verifying the complaint, police registered an FIR against nine accused for cheating, criminal breach of trust, extortion, causing grievous hurt, and issuing death threats, among other charges.

The case has now been handed over to the Mumbai Crime Branch for further investigation. Preliminary findings suggest the accused are part of a larger interstate network, the official added. PTI ZA RSY

Rajkot, Apr 20 (PTI) Three officials of leading private banks were arrested for their alleged involvement in a Rs 2,500-crore cyber fraud racket in Gujarat's Rajkot district, bringing the number of those held so far in the case to 20, police said on Monday.

Those arrested were identified as Maulik Kamani, a personal manager at Yes Bank in Padadhari; Kalpesh Dangariya, a manager at Axis Bank in Jamnagar; and Anurag Baldha, a personal banker with HDFC Bank, Rajkot (Rural) Superintendent of Police Vijay Gurjar said.

Dangariya and Baldha were previously employed with Yes Bank, he added.

Kamani allegedly assisted the earlier arrested accused in opening and managing suspicious accounts. He also helped bypass banking alerts triggered by high-value transactions by submitting additional documentation to keep accounts active, the SP said.

Kamani was allegedly involved in cash withdrawals that were later routed through hawala channels (illegal money transfer system), supported by digital evidence recovered from his mobile device, he added.

Dangariya is accused of facilitating the opening of fraudulent accounts using fake or misrepresented identities, police said.

He also assisted in structuring documentation, including Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC)-related papers, to prevent transactions from being flagged as suspicious, they said.

On the other hand, Baldha opened new accounts after verification and certification processes as part of the racket, Gurjar informed.

All the three accused are in police custody, while others are in jail under judicial remand, SP said.

So far, police have identified 85 bank accounts linked to the racket with 535 complaints filed on the cyber crime portal.

The total transaction linked to the cyber fraud exceeds Rs 2,500 crore, police said.

The earlier fraud amount was pegged by police at Rs 1,500 crore. PTI KVM PD RSY

Shivpuri (MP), Apr 20 (PTI) An MLA from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Madhya Pradesh, whose son is accused of hitting and injuring five people with his SUV, has landed in a controversy following his alleged remarks against an IPS officer who took action in the case.

Legislator Pritam Lodhi's son Dinesh is accused of ramming his SUV, a Mahindra Thar, into three young men riding a motorcycle and two women walking on road under the Karera police station area of Shivpuri district on Thursday, leaving them injured.

Pritam Lodhi is the BJP MLA from Pichhore in Shivpuri district.

Police registered a case against Dinesh Lodhi and summoned him to the Karera police station for questioning.

Karera Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDOP) Ayush Jakhar said Dinesh Lodhi was questioned at the police station and taken to the accident spot as part of investigation in the case.

The IPS officer added that the black film on the vehicle was removed and a challan was filed under the Motor Vehicles Act.

Pritam Lodhi later claimed Jakhar told his son not to be seen in Karera in the future.

In a video circulating on social media, the MLA is purportedly heard telling Jakhar that Karera is not anyone's "daddy's property." The ruling party legislator is also heard saying his son will come to Karera and contest elections from there.

PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee President Jitu Patwari, sharing the video on "X," sharply criticised the BJP government, saying the state no longer experiences the "rule of law," but rather the open abuse of power and anarchy in the name of "Mohan Raj" (referring to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav).

He said the incident of the MLA's son hitting innocent people with his vehicle has shocked the entire state, but even more worrying and shameful is that when the law began to take its course, the lawmaker resorted to openly threatening senior officers.

"This is not just the arrogance of one individual, but the result of failure of the entire governance system," the Congress leader added. PTI COR BNS MAS RSY

Satna (MP), Apr 20 (PTI) An 11-year-old boy studying in class five was murdered by an unidentified person who dumped his body in a drum at his house in Satna city of Madhya Pradesh on Monday, a police officer said.

The incident occurred in Bank Colony under Kolgawan police station limits when the boy was alone at home, said Additional Superintendent of Police Shivesh Singh.

Police broke open the house during a search and found blood stains inside along with a blood-soaked pillow and a sharp-edged weapon, he added.

During the inspection of the premises, the body of the boy was found in a drum.

The police officer said the deceased had multiple injury marks on his neck caused by a sharp weapon.

"At the time of the incident, the boy's mother had gone out for work, while his siblings were also not around," said Singh.

Family members suspected the role of a local dry cleaner who has been untraceable, with his mobile phone switched off.

Police have formed three teams to trace the suspect, and further investigation is underway, Singh said. PTI COR LAL NSK

Important cases to be heard in the Delhi High Court on Tuesday, April 21:

HC to hear a plea by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh seeking to quash the FIR and charges framed against him in connection with sexual harassment of several women wrestlers. PTI ADS AMJ

AMJ

Important cases listed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 21:

* Nine-judge Constitution bench to hear review pleas in the Sabarimala case related to the entry of women into the temple.

* Pleas concerning appointment of director general of police (DGP) in states. PTI PKS AMJ

AMJ

Lucknow, Apr 20 (PTI) A judge of the Allahabad High Court on Monday recused himself from hearing a plea related to the alleged dual citizenship controversy involving Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and requested the Chief Justice to assign the matter to another bench.

Justice Subhash Vidyarthi, while passing the order, acknowledged that a notice should have been issued to Gandhi, the proposed accused, before dictating his earlier order in open court on April 17.

Hearing the plea earlier, the judge had dictated an order directing the Uttar Pradesh Police to register an FIR against Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, in connection with the alleged dual citizenship issue.

However, when the order was uploaded on the court's website on April 18, it noted that before the order could be finalised and signed, the judge became aware of a binding precedent of the high court mandating the issuance of notice to the proposed accused before passing any such order.

Subsequently, instead of signing the order, the judge posted the matter for further hearing on April 20 to consider the question of issuing notice to Gandhi.

In his order on Monday, Justice Vidyarthi clarified that it was mandatory to hear the proposed accused before passing any order in the case.

During the hearing, the judge also took exception to certain social media posts made by the petitioner, S Shishir Vignesh, a BJP worker from Karnataka.

"The messages posted by the petitioner on social media after passing of the order on April 17 amount to casting aspersions on this Court and, keeping those in consideration, I find it appropriate to recuse from hearing this case," he said.

Expressing displeasure over the lack of proper legal assistance, Justice Vidyarthi observed, "I am pained to note that the lawyers appearing in this case have failed to perform their duty of providing assistance to the Court in a fair manner."

The petitioner has sought registration of an FIR and a detailed probe, levelling allegations under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Official Secrets Act, the Foreigners Act and the Passport Act.

During earlier hearings, the bench had asked the Centre about action taken on a complaint alleging Gandhi's British citizenship and had summoned records from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Although the records were produced, the court chose not to examine them.

The complaint was initially filed before a special MP/MLA court in Rae Bareli. On December 17, 2025, the high court transferred the case to Lucknow. PTI COR KIS KSS

KSS

Lucknow, Apr 20 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court on Monday rejected a plea seeking quashing of prosecution proceedings against Sarfaraz Ansari alias Munni, an alleged sharpshooter linked to deceased gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari, in connection with the Usri Chatti massacre case in Ghazipur district.

Justice Rajiv Singh of the Lucknow bench of high court observed that a chargesheet has already been filed before the trial court and charges have been framed against the petitioner.

The court also noted that the testimony of a key witness, Shailendra Kumar Rai, father of the deceased Manoj Rai, has been recorded.

"In such circumstances, there is no justification for quashing the entire prosecution proceedings by exercising powers at this stage," the court said.

According to the petition, the incident dates back to 2001 when a group led by Brijesh Singh allegedly attacked Mukhtar Ansari's group, resulting in multiple deaths, including that of Manoj Rai, who was said to be associated with the rival faction.

However, in 2023, Manoj Rai's father lodged an FIR at Mohammadabad police station in Ghazipur, alleging that his son had been abducted from Buxar in Bihar and murdered by associates of Mukhtar Ansari, who later portrayed his death as part of the Usri Chatti incident.

During investigation, Sarfaraz Ansari's name surfaced and a chargesheet was filed, following which trial proceedings commenced.

Opposing the plea, Additional Advocate General V K Shahi argued that the 2001 incident and the 2023 FIR were based on different sets of facts and that the ongoing prosecution was legally sustainable. PTI COR KIS KVK

KVK

Meerut (UP), Apr 20 (PTI) Stand-up comedian and actor Sunil Pal on Monday deposed before a court here and identified two persons who were allegedly involved in his kidnapping in 2024.

Speaking to reporters in the court complex, Pal said he was abducted from Meerut on December 2, 2024, and was held hostage in Bijnor. He added that all the accused in the case have since been arrested and the judicial process is underway.

Expressing gratitude to the Uttar Pradesh Police and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Pal said he was hopeful of getting justice. "I want that what happened to me should not happen to anyone else," he said.

The actor also said that he has been going through mental trauma following the incident and has lost around 10 kg of weight. He added that he now feels scared to step out and remains wary about his safety. PTI COR KIS

SKY

SKY

Ahmedabad, Apr 20 (PTI) A special court here on Monday sentenced a man to 15-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) in a drug trafficking case and also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on him.

The accused, Sajid Miya malek, was arrested for involvement in inter-state smuggling of mephedrone (MD), a psychotropic substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, nearly four years ago.

The special court convicted Malek and sentenced him to 15-year RI and also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh under provisions of the NDPS Act for smuggling mephedrone, a synthetic stimulant drug, from Mumbai to Ahmedabad.

Officials of the NCB Ahmedabad zonal unit intercepted Malek on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai highway and arrested him on July 21, 2022. He was travelling on a bus from Mumbai to Ahmedabad and was found in possession of 0.391 kg mephedrone, they had said. PTI KA RSY

New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed an appeal by the Unnao rape survivor seeking death penalty for former BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar in the custodial death case of her father, observing that she failed to show “sufficient cause” for condonation of delay of 1,945 days.

A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja ruled that the appeal against the trial court's 2020 decision to convict and sentence Kuldeep Sengar, his brother Jaideep Sengar and others in the case was filed after an "unexplained" delay of 1945 days.

Calling it a case of "deliberate inaction and negligence", the bench observed that the deceased's daughter was aware of the outcome and was "actively participating" in connected proceedings but "consciously chose not to avail the statutory remedy of appeal within the prescribed period of limitation" despite availability of legal advice from her advocate.

It added that entertaining a belated appeal seeking enhancement of conviction and sentence would seriously prejudice the rights of the accused as he would be exposed to the uncertainty of prolonged litigation and the possibility of aggravated penal consequences long after the trial concluded.

"The grounds urged in the application, namely financial constraints, issues relating to accommodation, alleged physical debilitation, and assertions of threats or harassment, do not inspire confidence at the stage of considering the application for condonation of delay.

"These grounds are vague in nature, unsupported by any documentary material, and do not disclose the period during which such circumstances prevailed. Mere assertions, without substantiation, cannot constitute 'sufficient cause'," the court observed.

"The delay being gross, unexplained, and attributable to negligence, the application deserves to be dismissed. Since the application for condonation of delay is dismissed, consequently, the captioned appeal is also dismissed as barred by limitation," he court ruled.

Senior advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey appeared for Jaideep Sengar and submitted that the victim had been participating in the proceedings since the very beginning and there was no ground to condone the delay in filing the appeal.

The survivor's counsel, Mehmood Pracha, earlier argued that she was living under adverse conditions and it was a "miracle" that she was able to pursue other cases.

Kuldeep Sengar's counsel, advocate Kanhaiya Singhal, said the present case was an example of conscious inaction.

CBI counsel said the agency has accepted the order of conviction and sentence passed by the trial court and left the present issue to the court.

On February 19, the court had issued notice to Sengar and other convicts on the survivor's plea seeking condonation of a delay of over 1940 days in filing the appeal against the 2020 trial court order on conviction and sentencing.

She sought enhancement of their sentence of 10-year imprisonment in the case to death sentence. The appeal prayed that Sengar and other convicts should be held guilty under Sections 302 of the IPC for murder and sentenced to death, and the trial court's decision, which found them guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, should be modified.

Kuldeep Sengar was convicted of raping the minor survivor and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life on December 20, 2019.

The girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped by Sengar in 2017 when she was a minor.

On March 13, 2020, Kuldeep Sengar along with his brother Jaideep Sengar alias Atul Singh was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment by the trial court, which also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh, in the custodial death case of the rape survivor's father.

The girl's father was arrested at the alleged behest of the accused under the Arms Act and died in custody on April 9, 2018, owing to police brutality.

The trial court had said "no leniency" could be shown for killing a family's "sole bread earner".

The trial court, however, did not hold the accused guilty of murder under the IPC and awarded the maximum sentence of 10 years for the offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder to the convicts under Section 304 of the IPC after holding that there was no intention to kill.

The case was transferred to Delhi from the trial court in Uttar Pradesh on the directions of the Supreme Court on August 1, 2019. PTI ADS KVK

KVK

Shimla, Apr 20 (PTI) The Kullu District and Sessions Court on Monday sentenced a woman and her accomplice to life imprisonment for murdering her husband in 2018, police said on Monday.

Judge Prakash Chand Rana also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each. In the event of non-payment of the fine, each convict will undergo an additional one year of simple imprisonment.

The convicts were identified as Priyanka, a resident of Chhattisgarh and Kishore Tappa, a resident of West Bengal.

They killed Surendra Tigga by throwing him in a well on the night of January 24, 2018, Kullu District Attorney Kulbhushan Gautam said.

His body was recovered on April 1, 2018.

Investigation into the case revealed that Surendra, a resident of Chhattisgarh, who worked as a labourer at the company in Jia, was murdered jointly by his wife and Tappa.

A case was registered at the Sadar Police Station, and upon completion of the investigation, a charge sheet was submitted to the court.

To prove the case, the prosecution presented 18 witnesses before the court, based on whose testimonies the court convicted both the accused. PTI BPL APL

APL

Chennai, Apr 20 (PTI) The Madras High Court on Monday ordered notice to the I-T department on a petition against TVK chief C Joseph Vijay that sought a direction to the tax authorities to conduct an enquiry into "contradictory" disclosure of total value of assets in the nomination papers for the April 23 Assembly polls.

The petition sought a direction to the Income Tax officials over Vijay's affidavits filed before the Returning Officers of Tiruchirappalli (East) and Perambur constituencies by the actor-turned-politician.

The matter came up for hearing before a division bench comprising Chief Justice S J Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arulmurugan.

During the proceedings, the bench observed that showing a difference of approximately Rs 100 crore in asset value between two different constituencies is a "serious irregularity”.

The petition was filed by V Vignesh, a resident of Vyasarpadi and a registered voter in the Perambur constituency.

According to the petitioner, Vijay, who is contesting from both Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East in the April 23 Assembly elections, submitted conflicting financial data in his Form-26 affidavits.

The petition highlights that in the affidavit filed for the Perambur constituency, the TVK leader declared total assets valued at Rs 115.13 crore. However, in the documents filed for the Tiruchirappalli East constituency, the valuation was stated as Rs 220.15 crore.

The petitioner argued that this discrepancy of over Rs 100 crore constitutes a willful suppression of facts and a violation of the voter's fundamental right to be truthfully informed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.

The petitioner further sought a direction to the Election Commission of India and the Income Tax Department (Investigation) to scrutinise the financial disclosures, sources of income, and statutory corporate filings of the respondent.

The plea emphasised that if such discrepancies are not addressed before the date of polling, the electorate would be forced to make an uninformed choice based on misleading information.

After hearing the preliminary arguments, the court directed the Income Tax department to file its response regarding the alleged inconsistencies. The bench adjourned the matter to next week for further hearing.

Responding to the matter, TVK leader C T R Nirmal Kumar sought to dismiss the case as being based on entirely false information.

"This case is registered based on completely incorrect data," Kumar told reporters, adding some reports were being carried without verification.

"We demand that this case be dismissed immediately..." he added. PTI JR CORR JR SA

Ranchi, Apr 20 (PTI) Jharkhand High Court on Monday set a two-week deadline for the state government to furnish information on the whereabouts of a missing minor girl from Gumla, and cautioned that the case may be handed over to the CBI if no concrete progress is made.

A division bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Chandramuni Urain, whose six-year-old daughter has been missing since September 2018.

The court observed that despite seven years of investigation, police have not been able to trace the victim and questioned the Gumla SP on the current status of the probe, expressing concern over the "tardy pace" of probe.

Earlier, the court was informed that a special investigating team was formed to find the girl, which had gone to Delhi to locate her.

However, despite trying their best, the SIT has not been able to locate her as yet.

Pictures of the victim had been circulated and uploaded on various portals by police, but to no avail.

The court was also informed that in the course of the investigation, police were successful in finding nine other missing children from different parts of the state.

The HC in another matter pertaining to a missing girl from Bokaro has passed strict orders directing the government and police to ensure that the victim is traced. PTI CORR NAM MNB