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

Jhansi (UP), Apr 21 (PTI) An Army jawan posted at the Babina Cantonment in Jhansi district allegedly died by suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle while on duty, police said on Tuesday.

The deceased has been identified as Komal Singh. He was a native of Gwalior and held the rank of naik in the Defence Security Corps at the cantonment.

Police said the incident occurred on Monday afternoon, and he was on duty when he shot himself in the head using his INSAS rifle.

Upon witnessing this, a havaldar stationed nearby alerted his seniors about the incident, and with the assistance of other soldiers, Singh, who was bleeding profusely, was rushed to the Army Hospital.

He succumbed to his injuries a few hours later.

Babina police station SHO Vinay Kumar Sahu said that the deceased's body has been sent for a post-mortem examination, and his family members have been informed of the tragedy.

Sahu also said that while the exact cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained, an investigation into the matter is being conducted in coordination with the Army. PTI COR NAV AMJ

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Imphal, Apr 21 (PTI) People protesting the death of two children in a recent bomb blast in Manipur clashed with security forces during a torch rally in the state capital Imphal, police said.

Two children died in a bomb blast at Tronglaobi in Bishnupur on April 7. The Imphal Valley districts have been witnessing daily protests over the incident.

A seven-km-long torch rally was brought out from Mayai Lambi to Keishamthong in Imphal West district on Monday night, but the participants turned violent and clashed with the security forces, a police officer said.

Security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells in Keishamthong area after hundreds of protesters defying curfew demanded they be allowed to proceed for another 200 metres towards Keisampat area, which is close to the Lok Bhavan and the BJP state office, he said.

Orders prohibiting the movement of any individuals outside their respective homes are in force in all the five valley districts from 5 pm to 5 am.

"Protesters pelted the security forces with stones and iron pellets from catapults, endangering the lives of the heavily outnumbered security forces," the officer said.

Manipur Police have, meanwhile, arrested 19 people for violating curfew and committing offences, including blocking roads and damaging public property, in the Greater Imphal area. They were nabbed from different parts of Imphal West district on Sunday, a police statement said.

In the Ukhrul district headquarters, a candlelight vigil was held on Monday night to honour the two Tangkhul Naga civilians who were killed in an ambush in TM Kasom area in the district on April 18.

Various civil society organisations from both the valley and hill areas strongly condemned the brutal killings, alleging that the victims were shot by Kuki militants using sniper rifles. PTI COR ACD

Mumbai, Apr 21 (PTI) Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rallied in early trade on Tuesday as reports of second round of talks between US and Iran are keeping hopes of resolution to the West Asia conflict alive.

Also, Brent crude oil prices trading below the USD 100 per barrel mark provided optimism to the markets.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 445.82 points to 78,966.12 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty advanced 121.15 points to 24,486.

From the 30-Sensex firms, Axis Bank, InterGlobe Aviation, Adani Ports, NTPC, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank were among the major winners.

Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Tata Consultancy Services and UltraTech Cement were among the laggards.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, traded 0.51 per cent lower at USD 94.99 per barrel.

"In the near-term the market will continue to be news-driven, oscillating between hope and fear. Reports of second round of talks between US and Iran are keeping hopes of resolution to the conflict alive. Brent crude at USD 95 and declining spot prices of crude reflect market confidence that the conflict may not last long.

"But if it does, crude price will again spike impacting stock markets," VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

In Asian markets, South Korea's benchmark Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225 index and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index were trading higher, while Shanghai's SSE Composite index quoted lower.

US markets ended marginally lower on Monday.

"On the commodities front, Brent crude oil continues to trade within a consolidation range of USD 93–96 per barrel, reflecting a balance between geopolitical risk premium and demand-supply dynamics," Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth-tech firm, said.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 1,059.93 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.

On Monday, the Sensex closed marginally up 26.76 points or 0.03 per cent at 78,520.30. The Nifty edged up 11.30 points or 0.05 per cent to settle at 24,364.85. PTI SUM SUM DR

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New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday greeted civil servants on the occasion of Civil Services Day and said it is time to further strengthen the resolve to work towards good governance and nation building.

The Vice President said as the enduring pillar of India's administrative framework, the efforts of the civil servants in strengthening governance and delivering public services are of immense significance.

The prime minister said from the grassroots to policy-making, the efforts of civil servants touch countless lives and contribute to India's progress

"On the occasion of Civil Services Day, I extend my warm greetings to all civil servants and convey my sincere appreciation for your dedication and exemplary service to the nation," Radhakrishnan said in a post on X.

He said the theme for this year, "Viksit Bharat: Citizen-Centric Governance and Development at the Last Mile", aligns with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and underscores the Government's commitment to transparent, accountable, and citizen-centric governance, with a strong emphasis on last-mile delivery and inclusive development.

"Let us all celebrate the day and continue to work collectively towards building an inclusive and developed India," he said.

The Vice President will deliver the keynote address at the Civil Services Day celebrations at Vigyan Bhawan here on Tuesday.

In his message, Modi greeted all civil servants on Civil Services Day and said this is an occasion to further strengthen the resolve to work towards good governance and nation building.

"May our civil servants continue to serve with excellence, compassion and innovation, upholding the highest standards of duty," he said.

The prime minister said service to the nation is the foundation of a 'Developed India'.

"On the glorious occasion of Civil Services Day, let us reaffirm our resolve to build a strong, prosperous, and sensitive India by bringing the person standing at the last line into the mainstream of development," he said.

The central government celebrates April 21 every year as 'Civil Services day' as an occasion for civil servants to rededicate themselves to the cause of citizen and renew their commitments to public service and excellence in work.

This date is chosen to commemorate the day when the first Home Minister of Independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, addressed the probationers of Administrative Services Officers in 1947 in Delhi, and referred to civil servants as the 'steel frame of India'. PTI NAB ACB DV

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Mumbai, Apr 21 (PTI) The rupee declined 16 paise to 93.32 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday, as the American currency stayed firm and the Reserve Bank eased restrictions on speculative bets on the Indian currency.

Positive domestic equity markets and inflows of foreign funds supported the local currency even as uncertainties surrounding the West Asia peace agreement kept investors worried, forex traders said.

The Reserve Bank on Monday partially withdrew directives taken on April 1 to curb excessive speculation in the rupee. The banking regulator had capped the net open positions in non-deliverable forward markets at USD 100 million, mandating banks to comply by April 10.

Under revised directives, authorised dealers or banks can resume offering non-deliverable derivative contracts involving INR to resident or non-resident users, but must comply with certain restrictions on related-party transactions.

At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 93.25 and fell to the 93.37 level before trading at 93.32 against the greenback in early deals, registering a loss of 16 paise from the previous closing level.

On Monday, the rupee settled with a loss of 25 paise at 93.16 against the US dollar. The currency had gained 47 paise in the preceding two sessions.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.04 per cent to 97.94.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.51 per cent down at USD 94.99 per barrel in futures trade.

Analysts said crude prices remained volatile due to persistent worries over disruptions of supplies of oil from the Persian Gulf if Iran continues to block tankers from exiting the Strait of Hormuz. Also, the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran is scheduled to expire on Wednesday.

In the domestic equity markets the 30-share Sensex was trading 379.33 points or 0.48 per cent up at 78,899.63 in early trade, while the Nifty rose 103.70 points or 0.43 per cent to 24,468.55.

Foreign Institutional Investors bought equities worth about Rs 2,066 crore on Monday, according to NSDL data. PTI HVA DR

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Imphal/Shillong, Apr 21 (PTI) Manipur was struck by an earthquake of 5.2 magnitude on Tuesday morning, officials said.

The quake occurred at 5.59 am with its epicentre located in Kamjong district, they added.

Tremors were felt in neighbouring Ukhrul district and state capital Imphal, and even Meghalaya but no casualty or damage has been reported so far. PTI COR JOP ACD

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Around 23 per cent candidates in fray in the second phase of West Bengal assembly polls have declared criminal cases against themselves, while 22 per cent are crorepatis, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Out of 1,445 candidates analysed, 338 (23 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves and 295 (20 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves, the report showed.

While 16 candidates have declared cases of murder, 80 face attempt to murder charges, it said.

Among the major parties, 102 (72 per cent) out of 141 candidates analysed from the BJP, 49 (35 per cent) out of 142 candidates from TMC, 51 (51 per cent) out of 100 candidates from CPI(M) and 37 (26 per cent) out of 142 analysed from the Congress have declared criminal cases against themselves in their poll affidavits, the ADR report said.

Out of 142 constituencies, 63 (44 per cent) are "red alert" constituencies which have three or more candidates with criminal cases, it said.

Out of the 1,445 candidates, 321 (22 per cent) have assets worth over Rs 1 crore.

Among the major parties, 103 (73 per cent) out of 142 candidates analysed from TMC, 73 (52 per cent) out of 141 candidates analysed from the BJP, 36 (25 per cent) out of 142 candidates from the Congress and 33 (33 per cent) out of 100 candidates analysed from the CPI(M) have declared assets valued more than Rs 1 crore, the ADR said.

The average of assets per candidate contesting in the West Bengal assembly elections 2026 Phase II is Rs 1.21 crore, it added.

Among major parties, the average assets per candidate for 142 TMC candidates analysed is Rs 5.05 crore, for 141 BJP candidates is Rs 3.28 crore, for 100 CPI(M) is Rs 1.22 crore and for 142 Congress candidates is Rs 1.04 crore, the report said. PTI AO AMJ

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Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 21 (PTI) Kerala Police have warned of a cyber fraud targeting users of Vivo and iQOO smartphones through fake "OriginOS Update" messages that trick users into installing malware and stealing sensitive data, including banking credentials.

According to a police statement, users are being shown pop-up alerts such as "Urgent System Update Required" while using their phones.

Clicking the link in such messages downloads malicious files instead of official updates, according to a statement issued on Monday.

Once installed, the malware gives fraudsters control over the device, enabling them to access the camera, microphone, SMS, contacts and other personal data.

The primary aim of the scam is to siphon money from victims' bank accounts, it said.

The police advised users to install system updates only through the phone's official "System Update" option in settings and not via links received through browsers or messages.

Users have also been cautioned against responding to threatening messages claiming that their phone will be blocked if the update is not installed.

As a precaution, the police recommended keeping the "Install from Unknown Sources" option disabled and using only trusted antivirus software on mobile devices.

In case a user has accidentally clicked on such a link, they should immediately disconnect the internet, scan the device using security applications, and remove any suspicious apps.

Passwords for banking and social media accounts should be changed immediately using a secure device, it said.

Victims of financial fraud have been advised to report incidents promptly by calling the cyber helpline number 1930 or by lodging a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Portal, police added in the statement. PTI LGK ADB

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Twenty-six candidates have bagged a perfect 100 NTA score in the engineering entrance exam JEE-Main 2026, according to the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Twenty-four candidates had achieved the feat in 2025.

While over 13 lakh candidates had appeared in the first edition of the crucial exam in January, more than 10 lakh candidates appeared in the second edition in April. Over eight lakh common candidates appeared in both sessions.

Among the candidates who have secured an NTA score of 100, five each are from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana followed by four from Rajasthan, three from Delhi and two each from Maharashtra and Haryana, officials said on Monday.

One candidate each from Chandigarh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Gujarat have achieved the feat.

All 26 candidates are male.

According to officials, the NTA score is not the same as the percentage of marks obtained but normalised scores.

"The NTA scores are normalised scores across multi-shift papers and are based on the relative performance of all those who appeared for the examination in one shift. The marks obtained are transformed into a scale ranging from 100 to 0 for each shift of examinees.

"The NTA score is not the same as the percentage of marks obtained," a senior official explained.

No candidate from the Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories featured among the 100 percentile scorers, continuing a pattern seen in previous years.

This year, 96,873 candidates from the general category qualified for JEE (Advanced), followed by 67,597 Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates, 37,522 SC, 25,009 Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and 18,790 ST candidates, taking the total to 2,50,182.

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main is India's largest engineering entrance test and serves as the gateway to undergraduate programmes in institutions such as the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) and other centrally funded technical institutions.

The exam is held in two sessions each year in a computer-based format, with candidates allowed to appear in one or both sessions and their best score considered for ranking. PTI GJS AMJ

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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

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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

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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

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****VP Radhakrishnan concludes Sri Lanka visit, inks several agreements to deepen bilateral cooperation

Colombo: Vice President C P Radhakrishnan concluded his two-day visit to Sri Lanka on Monday during which he held talks with the island nation's top leadership as the two countries inked a number of agreements to deepen bilateral cooperation.****

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****Uncertainty prevails over second round of US-Iran talks in Pakistan

Islamabad: Uncertainty prevailed over the much-touted second round of peace talks between the US and Iran on Monday, amidst exhibitory brinkmanship by both sides.****

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****Pak's Deputy PM Dar speaks with Iran's Araghchi, pushes for dialogue

Islamabad: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and emphasised the importance of continued engagement and dialogue, amid uncertainty over the second round of talks between the US and Iran.****

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****NSA Doval discusses bilateral relations, regional situation with Saudi leaders

Riyadh: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has met Saudi Arabia's senior leaders and discussed the bilateral relations, the regional situation and other areas of mutual interests.****

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****China calls Hormuz international waterway; Xi presses for reopening

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz for normal passage of ships, as Beijing described it as an "international waterway" amid assertions by Iran that it has an inalienable right over it.****

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****Defence Chief General Anil Chauhan in UK for training, operations dialogue

London: The Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, is in London for talks covering the spectrum of military training, operations and defence industry partnerships between India and the UK.****

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****UK calls for 'toll-free' Strait of Hormuz

London: Britain on Monday called for a lasting settlement to ensure freedom of navigation and a toll-free Strait of Hormuz as the US-Iran ceasefire hung in the balance.****

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****Trump says US seized Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to pass blockade near Strait of Hormuz

Washington: President Donald Trump said the US forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to get around a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first such interception since the blockade of Iranian ports began last week.****

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****Nepal's government employees to get paid on fortnightly basis

Kathmandu: Nepal’s Government has decided to give salaries to its employees on a fortnightly basis to boost spending and revitalise the economy.**** PTI SKS

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Islamabad, Apr 20 (PTI) Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and emphasised the importance of continued engagement and dialogue, amid uncertainty over the second round of talks between the US and Iran.

Dar, who is also the Foreign Minister, spoke with Araghchi over the telephone, the Foreign Office said in a post on X.

"FM emphasised the importance of continued dialogue and engagement at the earliest to resolve all pending issues, in order to promote regional peace and stability,” it said, adding that both agreed to remain closely engaged.

The Iranian media said they discussed regional developments and ceasefire-related issues, exchanging views on ongoing coordination.

The development comes amid uncertainty over the second round of talks between the US and Iran. A two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire on Wednesday.

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said that his country has yet to decide whether to attend the next round of talks with the US.

Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called Dar and praised Pakistan’s “constructive role” in facilitating dialogue as well as its continued commitment to diplomatic efforts.

“She commended Pakistan’s continued commitment to promoting diplomatic engagement in this regard,” the FO said in a statement.

Dar briefed Wong on the ‘Islamabad Talks’ held on April 11–12 and reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to continue encouraging dialogue and constructive engagement.

“The two leaders expressed concern over the broader implications for the global economy, particularly for developing countries, and emphasised the importance of peaceful conflict resolution,” the statement read. PTI SH  ZH

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Male, Apr 20 (PTI) India and the Maldives on Monday decided to establish a formal joint business council to boost trade and investment and foster meaningful partnerships.

The decision was taken during the first session of the Maldives–India Business Engagement Series held at the Economic Ministry headquarters here, Sun.mv web portal reported. 

“@HCIMaldives & @MoEDmv launch Maldives–India Business Engagement Series - a new platform to boost trade, investment & private sector ties. First session focused on setting up Maldives–India Business Council. 60 years of diplomatic ties, growing stronger,”  the High Commission of India in the Maldives posted on X.

According to the Maldives’ Ministry of Economic Development, the leaders from the government and the private sector held discussions on strengthening trade and investment ties and fostering meaningful partnerships.

The delegates also discussed advancing a more dynamic, results-oriented economic relationship between the two countries.

“The session concluded with the decision to establish a formal Maldives–India Business Council to further institutionalise dialogue and support sustained private sector engagement,” the ministry posted on X. 

The session was attended by Maldives’ Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed, Indian High Commissioner G Balasubramanian, and representatives from Maldivian and Indian businesses. PTI RD RD

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Colombo, Apr 20 (PTI) Sri Lanka on Monday repatriated 19 Indian fishermen, days after the island nation's navy arrested 16 Indians for allegedly poaching in its territorial waters.

The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka.

"19 Indian fishermen are being repatriated from Sri Lanka today and will return home by evening," the High Commission of India here said in a post on X.

According to the Sri Lanka Navy, 128 Indian fishermen have been arrested for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters so far this year.

On April 13, the Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended four Indian fishermen for alleged poaching in the sea area north of Mannar.

Two days before that, it arrested 12 Indian fishermen for the same reason off Kovilam in Kareinagar, Jaffna.

Those arrested were handed over to authorities for legal proceedings.

Lankan Navy personnel even fire at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seize their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.

Sri Lanka claims a similar attitude by Indian authorities.

The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries, who are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters. PTI GRS

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New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Acai Theory, a health-focused quick service restaurant (QSR) brand, announced on Tuesday it has secured Rs 4 crore in a pre-seed funding round.

The investment was led by All In Capital and TDV Partners, with participation from angel investors, including Rinshul Chandra, former COO of Zomato Food Delivery; Harpreet Grover, founder of Curious Parent; Anurag Prasad, CEO of Visit Health; Harish Varadarajan, CEO of Fragaria; and others.

The fresh capital will support the company's expansion, team building and brand visibility, as well as improvements to its supply chain and research and development. The company plans to open 8-10 stores in Bengaluru in 15-18 months, establish a central kitchen for consistent quality, and introduce AI-led tools to boost operational efficiency and scalability across outlets.

"With this capital, we are focused on growing our footprint in Bengaluru and setting up the right foundation to expand into other key markets. Our goal is to make 'healthy indulgence' an everyday choice, not an exception," Rishav Ranjan and Akash Kyal, Co-founders of Acai Theory, said. PTI ANK DR

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Mumbai, Apr 21 (PTI) Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rallied in early trade on Tuesday as reports of second round of talks between US and Iran are keeping hopes of resolution to the West Asia conflict alive.

Also, Brent crude oil prices trading below the USD 100 per barrel mark provided optimism to the markets.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 445.82 points to 78,966.12 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty advanced 121.15 points to 24,486.

From the 30-Sensex firms, Axis Bank, InterGlobe Aviation, Adani Ports, NTPC, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank were among the major winners.

Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Tata Consultancy Services and UltraTech Cement were among the laggards.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, traded 0.51 per cent lower at USD 94.99 per barrel.

"In the near-term the market will continue to be news-driven, oscillating between hope and fear. Reports of second round of talks between US and Iran are keeping hopes of resolution to the conflict alive. Brent crude at USD 95 and declining spot prices of crude reflect market confidence that the conflict may not last long.

"But if it does, crude price will again spike impacting stock markets," VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

In Asian markets, South Korea's benchmark Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225 index and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index were trading higher, while Shanghai's SSE Composite index quoted lower.

US markets ended marginally lower on Monday.

"On the commodities front, Brent crude oil continues to trade within a consolidation range of USD 93–96 per barrel, reflecting a balance between geopolitical risk premium and demand-supply dynamics," Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth-tech firm, said.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 1,059.93 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.

On Monday, the Sensex closed marginally up 26.76 points or 0.03 per cent at 78,520.30. The Nifty edged up 11.30 points or 0.05 per cent to settle at 24,364.85. PTI SUM SUM DR

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Mumbai, Apr 21 (PTI) The rupee declined 16 paise to 93.32 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday, as the American currency stayed firm and the Reserve Bank eased restrictions on speculative bets on the Indian currency.

Positive domestic equity markets and inflows of foreign funds supported the local currency even as uncertainties surrounding the West Asia peace agreement kept investors worried, forex traders said.

The Reserve Bank on Monday partially withdrew directives taken on April 1 to curb excessive speculation in the rupee. The banking regulator had capped the net open positions in non-deliverable forward markets at USD 100 million, mandating banks to comply by April 10.

Under revised directives, authorised dealers or banks can resume offering non-deliverable derivative contracts involving INR to resident or non-resident users, but must comply with certain restrictions on related-party transactions.

At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 93.25 and fell to the 93.37 level before trading at 93.32 against the greenback in early deals, registering a loss of 16 paise from the previous closing level.

On Monday, the rupee settled with a loss of 25 paise at 93.16 against the US dollar. The currency had gained 47 paise in the preceding two sessions.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.04 per cent to 97.94.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.51 per cent down at USD 94.99 per barrel in futures trade.

Analysts said crude prices remained volatile due to persistent worries over disruptions of supplies of oil from the Persian Gulf if Iran continues to block tankers from exiting the Strait of Hormuz. Also, the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran is scheduled to expire on Wednesday.

In the domestic equity markets the 30-share Sensex was trading 379.33 points or 0.48 per cent up at 78,899.63 in early trade, while the Nifty rose 103.70 points or 0.43 per cent to 24,468.55.

Foreign Institutional Investors bought equities worth about Rs 2,066 crore on Monday, according to NSDL data. PTI HVA DR

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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

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

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New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) South Korean tech giant NAVER Corp and India's largest IT company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Monday inked a Memorandum of Understanding, one of 16 agreements signed at the India-Korea Business Forum to deepen bilateral cooperation.

NAVER's mapping and search solutions are currently developed, operated, and supported in-‘house by its teams in Korea.

According to TCS sources, under this collaboration, the Tata Group company will extend this existing IT services capability by setting up a delivery centre in India, which will function as a dedicated extension of NAVER's Korea-‘based teams. NAVER will retain full ownership of the platforms, products, and intellectual property.

TCS will enable market research support for Indian market for potential go-to-market strategy development, the source said.

The MoU was signed between NAVER CEO Choi Soo Yeon and TCS President - India market, Ujjwal Mathur.

NAVER Corp. is a global ICT company, behind South Korea's leading search portal 'NAVER' and has business portfolios encompassing commerce, Fintech, content, community, and MAP services.

NAVER's sustained investment in research and development across proprietary AI, cloud computing, robotics, mobility, and other cutting-edge technologies is enabling the company to bring future innovations into everyday use.

The MoU with TCS involves mutual cooperation in map services, according to details circulated at the event. As per that, the MoU outlines "entry into India's mapping services market through a strategic collaboration combining the capabilities of Tata Group, India's largest conglomerate, and NAVER, a leading Korean IT company."

The TCS sources further said that the partnership involves establishing and operating an India-based Offshore Delivery Centre (ODC). The ODC in India will leverage TCS's AI expertise and global delivery model to support NAVER in selected digital, cloud, AI, and enterprise technology workloads. PTI MBI MR

New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) IT services company HCL Technologies (HCLTech) on Monday announced the appointment of Kimsuka Narsimhan as an independent director with immediate effect.

A Chartered and Cost Accountant by qualification, Narsimhan brings with her over 35 years of extensive experience in the consumer goods industry, having held senior leadership roles across finance, risk management, strategy, and business transformation with leading global organisations.

"HCLTech, a leading global technology company, today announced the appointment of Kimsuka Narsimhan as an Independent Director with effect from April 20, 2026," according to a release.

Narsimhan has worked across multiple geographies, including Europe, the Middle East and Africa, India, and Southeast Asia.

She served as CFO -- Asia Pacific at Kimberly-Clark, CFO -- India Region at PepsiCo, and held global and India leadership roles at Unilever.

Narsimhan has over a decade of experience as Director on the Boards of prominent organisations such as Bharti Airtel, Meesho, Akzo Nobel and Astra Zeneca. She has also served as a member/Chair of Board Committees, including audit, nomination and remuneration, ESG and risk committees. PTI MBI TRB

Chandigarh, Apr 20 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday invited technology giant NXP Semiconductors to explore the feasibility of establishing a research and development centre in Mohali.

During a meeting with executive director and Country Manager, NXP Semiconductors Netherlands Maurice Geraets and Head of Public Policy, NXP Semiconductors Dr. Ankit Pal, the Chief Minister asked them to explore avenues of collaboration in advanced electronics, semiconductor design, and innovation-led ecosystems.

"Mohali is considered a potential location, leveraging the state's strong talent pool and emerging electronics ecosystem," he said in a statement here.

Mann also apprised the company officials of the state government's plans to develop a 'Silicon Valley'- like ecosystem at Kalkat Bhawan, Mohali, strategically located near the international airport and IT City.

The CM discussed potential collaboration on system design solutions and the NXP Startup Challenge programme in partnership with 'Startup Punjab', aimed at fostering innovation, supporting startups, and co-developing cutting-edge technology solutions.

He also advocated leveraging Punjab's growing automotive and auto-components ecosystem to develop solutions in areas such as Near Field Communication (NFC), Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and secure connectivity technologies, aligned with global industry trends.

He invited the NXP leadership to visit Punjab to explore the state's vast potential and collaborative opportunities adding he also batted for taking forward discussions in the areas of research, innovation, and startup ecosystem development, aimed at strengthening Punjab's position in the global semiconductor value chain.

"As part of the Punjab government's ongoing investment promotion outreach in the Netherlands, they are in process of business engagements with leading global companies to explore strategic partnerships and attract investments in priority sectors," he said. PTI CHS MR

New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has collected over Rs 80 crore as environment compensation charge (ECC) from commercial vehicles entering the city between January 1 and April 20 this year, according to official data.

The civic body's toll tax dashboard showed that a total of Rs 80,43,86,000 was collected as ECC during the period, with no exemptions or waivers.

According to data, 4,00,672 vehicles were recorded under the ECC category across 116 entry points in the city between January and April 2026.

The MCD’s toll collection during the same period stood at Rs 1,04,35,94,100, while the total collection by the civic body, including toll and other components, amounted to Rs 2,12,42,69,300.

Commercial vehicles such as trucks, multi-axle vehicles and other goods carriers that are liable to pay ECC upon entering Delhi. In addition to ECC, these vehicles also contributed to the MCD’s toll revenue.

The total collection from this category stood at Rs 23,92,08,100 during the period. Officials said the ECC is levied on commercial vehicles entering Delhi as part of measures aimed at curbing air pollution by discouraging non-essential vehicular movement.

The data further showed that there were no vehicles exempted from ECC and no waiver amount was recorded during the reporting period.

According to officials aware of the matter, the civic body is set to soon invite tenders for modernising toll collection at Delhi’s entry points, with plans to introduce a seamless, non-stop system.

“We are moving towards an ANPR camera-based toll collection system on the lines of highways, so that vehicles do not have to halt. The process is in its final stages and the tenders will be floated in next 2-3 weeks,” an official said.

As part of the project, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will roll out a barrier-free Multi-Lane Free Flow tolling system. The MCD operates toll collection across 121 entry points in the national capital. PTI VBH RT

New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Monday announced a collaboration with SHI India (formerly Locuz) to support indigenous AI model development under the IndiaAI Mission.

This initiative makes AI capabilities accessible to government departments, startups, enterprises, academic institutions, and research and development organisations across India, according to a release.

SHI India, empaneled under the IndiaAI Mission, has provisioned AWS AI services including 'Amazon SageMaker', giving organisations an option to train and customise Large Language Models without requiring complex AI infrastructure expertise, the release added. PTI MBI MR

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) Actors Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone on Sunday announced they are expecting their second child.

The couple shared a collaborative post on their respective Instagram handles, which featured their first daughter, Dua, holding a positive pregnancy test kit.

Several celebrities went on to congratulate the couple in the comment section, including Kiara Advani and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

Singh and Padukone tied the knot in November 2018 in Italy. They welcomed their first child on September 8, 2024.

Singh's latest work is Aditya Dhar's directorial "Dhurandhar: The Revenge", which released in March and has earned over Rs 1500 crore at the global box office.

The film is a sequel to Dhar's 2025 directorial "Dhurandhar", which featured the actor in the role of Hamza Ali Mazari, an undercover Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) operative.

Padukone is set to feature alongside Shah Rukh Khan in "King'. The film is directed by Siddharth Anand and will release in December. It also reunites Padukone with Khan and Anand, with whom she has worked in "Pathaan". The film released in 2023. PTI ATR

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) Struggling Lucknow Super Giants are set to receive a significant mid-season boost with swashbuckling Australia batter Josh Inglis likely to join the squad ahead of their IPL clash against Mumbai Indians on May 4.

The 31-year-old had decided to skip the first half of the season due to his wedding. Having tied the knot on April 18, Inglis is expected to fly to India after a brief hiatus from action.

According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, Inglis, who was secured for Rs 8.6 crore despite his unavailability for the first part of the season, is likely to be available for the last six matches of LSG, starting with the May 4 clash against MI.

The Rishabh Pant-led team has lost its last three matches to lie at the eighth spot in the points table.

While Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran have been part of their playing XI, South African spinner George Linde featured in two of their last three games.

Inglis amassed 278 runs at a strike rate of 162.57 for Punjab Kings last season but was released from the squad ahead of the 2026 auction.

Lucknow next play against Rajasthan Royals at home on April 22. PTI ATK ATK AH

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Hyderabad, Apr 20 (PTI) Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani on Monday said T20 cricket is about "impact" rather than consistency as he backed his batters' match-winning contributions, while confirming skipper Axar Patel is fit for the IPL clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Badani dismissed concerns over inconsistency in Delhi's batting, saying the team remained satisfied with its process despite a couple of setbacks.

"If I have to answer this in a nutshell, this format does not rely on consistency. It relies on impact. It relies on seizing the moment. It relies on stepping up when it really matters. And I think we have done that," Badani said ahead of the match.

"I think we have consistently stuck to the process. Results will come, will not come. But we are happy with the way we are going.

"Even if you speak of the couple of losses that we have had, one I think the whole world knows that with that Miller one run, things could have been very different. The other game was the only game that we speak of, the one that is against CSK," he added.

Badani strongly backed Sameer Rizvi, pointing to the batter's ability to deliver in crucial moments.

"If somebody has won you two games single-handedly... first game this year was a man-of-the-match, second game this year was a man-of-the-match, I am happy with it.

"He is in a great space. I mean, this format, if somebody has won you two games single-handedly, he has actually got three man-of-the-matches from last year. I don't think many of you would remember that the last game that he played for us was a man-of-the-match," Badani said.

He also confirmed there were no fitness concerns over captain Axar Patel.

"All good. He is fit to play," he said.

Backing veteran David Miller after criticism following Delhi's narrow loss to Gujarat Titans, Badani said the South African had shown strong character in the win against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, against whom his two decisive sixes in the last over sealed the issue in DC's favour.

"I still believe that he has taken the right call... We trust in you. And he has literally shown us the faith within two games," he said.

"I understand that everyone has an opinion. But to come out of that, I think he has shown character. And I think the world sees that he is somebody who can finish games. He has done that in the past. And we believe in him..

"And if you go back and see the visuals and the way we backed him even after that one run loss, the conversation from the captain to the coach, to the management, to the players was straightforward. It is absolutely okay, it can happen.".

On Sunrisers Hyderabad's ultra-aggressive approach, Badani said their high-risk style could also create opportunities for Delhi's bowlers.

"When you have a high-risk side, it also gives you a chance to pick wickets," he said, adding Delhi had "possibly been the best bowling side right now.

"I think if you go back and see the stats and the numbers, which pretty much tells you that we have possibly been the best bowling side right now. And when you have a high risk side, it also means that it gives you a chance to pick wickets..

"So it is pretty much a case of them sticking to their style of play. But I think it augurs well for us also that if someone wants to go high risk, it also gives them the chance to pick wickets.".

Badani also said there had been "zero conversation" around changing Tristan Stubbs' role and expressed confidence in Delhi's squad at what he described as a high-scoring venue. PTI AH AH KHS

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

Mumbai, Apr 20 (PTI) An unidentified fraudster allegedly hacked the mobile phone of a woman constable of Mumbai Police by sending an APK file and fraudulently availed a personal loan of Rs 12.46 lakh in her name through a bank, an official said on Monday.

Police registered a case on charges of cheating and other sections of the Information Technology Act.

The complainant, currently posted as a constable at Vikhroli police station in Mumbai, noticed that Rs 27,832 had been debited from her salary account. When she approached the bank for clarification, she was informed that the amount was an EMI for a personal loan issued in her name.

The constable denied taking any such loan, following which the fraud came to light.

As per the preliminary investigation, the victim had received an APK file link related to a traffic e-challan in a school WhatsApp group on January 18, which she opened accidentally, police said.

"Subsequently, her mobile phone was allegedly hacked and taken control of by the cyber fraudster. During this period, she did not receive any suspicious calls or messages, and even her new debit card stopped functioning," police said.

The accused allegedly secured a personal loan of Rs 12,46,781 in her name. The entire amount was transferred to multiple bank accounts on the same day. Between February and April, three EMIs amounting to Rs 78,590 were also debited from her account.

Upon discovering the fraud, the complainant approached the Vikhroli Police and lodged a complaint. PTI ZA 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