IBTimes

Actor Sanjay Dutt said his remarks on India and peace during Shekhar Tonite were part of a scripted humorous exchange. The clarification came after social media backlash over his comments and a satirical monologue delivered in his Munna Bhai style.

Police used tear gas and baton-charged to disperse the crowd as protesters attempted to breach multiple layers of barricades. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show several protesters being beaten. The Delhi Police maintained that force became necessary after demonstrators turned violent.

Former AIADMK MLA and organising secretary N. Murugumaran has joined Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) after resigning from the AIADMK. Murugumaran, who represented Kattumannarkoil twice, accused the AIADMK leadership of sidelining committed workers and favouring financially strong candidates.

Delhi Police have transferred complaints from three women journalists alleging sexual harassment by police personnel during the October 3 Jantar Mantar protest to the Crime Branch. The demonstration targeted CEC Gyanesh Kumar amid opposition to the SIR of electoral rolls.

The J&K School Education Department has declared the alleged 2013 appointment of an employee from Srinagar null and void after a departmental inquiry found that his appointment, confirmation, and promotion orders were not issued by the competent authority. The employee had allegedly drawn a salary for 13 years and was also promoted as a teacher. The department has ordered recovery of financial and other benefits received on the basis of the alleged appointment.

The march began from Metro Cinema in South Mumbai and ended in front of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters, where Uddhav and Raj Thackeray addressed the crowd.

J&K Police have busted an alleged fake recruitment module in Budgam with the arrest of a lawyer and a politician accused of issuing forged letters for the appointment of SPOs. In a separate case, the Economic Offences Wing has filed two chargesheets against a Kupwara man accused of cheating job seekers, impersonation and forgery, and allegedly collecting around Rs 62 lakh through promises of government jobs and land allotments.

An SBI-led consortium has told the Bombay High Court that 8,751.86 crore remains recoverable from Vijay Mallya as of August 31, 2026, despite 10,270 crore being temporarily recovered. The lenders' claim counters Mallya's argument that banks have already recovered more than his outstanding dues.

Security forces killed Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa in an overnight operation in the Yousmarg forests of Budgam district. Moosa, a former Pakistani Army commando, was reportedly involved in several attacks on security forces in Rajouri, Poonch, Kulgam and north Kashmir. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.

Four CISF personnel, including an assistant commandant and a sub-inspector, were killed in a firing incident at a CISF camp at the Sewa-II Hydroelectric Power Project in Basohli, Kathua, on Tuesday. A CISF head constable, who allegedly opened fire on his colleagues with his service weapon, was taken into custody.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police busted an alleged fake currency printing gang in Jammu and arrested three persons from a rented accommodation in Chowadhi. Police recovered counterfeit notes with a face value of Rs 13,500, along with a printing machine, paper cutter, ink bottles and other materials used in the alleged operation.

The J&K Legislative Assembly witnessed unprecedented uproar during the discussion and passage of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's resolution seeking restoration of full statehood to the Union Territory. Four BJP and Congress MLAs were marshalled out amid sloganeering and protests, while BJP members objected to references to autonomy and the pre-1953 situation. The resolution was passed after heated proceedings, with the BJP later walking out of the House.

BJP MLAs have served a notice seeking the removal of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, alleging repeated violations of parliamentary rules, constitutional principles and established conventions. BJP MLA R.S. Pathania placed the notice before the Speaker, citing provisions of the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, and the Assembly's Rules of Procedure. The notice has been signed by 26 BJP MLAs.

The J&K Horticulture Department has established 1,103.79 hectares under high-density apple plantations across Kashmir, benefiting around 4,428 farmers, with Gala and Red Delicious strains accounting for nearly 90 per cent of the area.

The J&K Legislative Assembly witnessed heated exchanges on Tuesday after NC MLA Abdul Majeed Larmi demanded restoration of holidays linked to Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and suggested reconsidering the holiday marking Maharaja Hari Singh's birth anniversary. The demand triggered strong protests and sloganeering by BJP legislators, with the Speaker intervening to restore order.

As the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly begins its autumn session, five nominated seats remain vacant nearly two years after the 2024 elections. The nominations, provided for under the J&K Reorganisation Act, could take the Assembly's strength to 95 and alter the majority mark.

Kulgam Police arrested three persons, including a woman from Anantnag, in two separate operations and recovered heroin from their possession. Police suspect the woman's involvement in a narco-terror module operating across South Kashmir and are investigating the wider drug-trafficking network.

BJP seeks month-long session, accuses NC government of undermining legislative accountability; Omar hits back, says BJP-ruled states have held even shorter sessions

Jammu and Kashmir Police have busted a Lashkar-e-Taiba-linked terror module in Rajouri with the arrest of three overground workers. Investigators said the accused were allegedly providing logistical support and facilitating the movement of terrorists in the Pir Panjal region.

BOPEE has invited offline applications for four MBBS seats under the Central Pool for the 2026-27 academic session, reserved for spouses and children of civilian terror victims in Jammu and Kashmir. Selection will be based on NEET-UG 2026 rank, with priority given to children who lost both parents, followed by children of deceased sole breadwinners and dependents of victims with permanent disabilities or serious injuries.

Days after the conclusion of Jammu and Kashmir Police's 100-day Nasha Mukti Abhiyan, a probationer sub-inspector posted in Kathua's Hiranagar was allegedly caught consuming heroin. The incident has raised questions about drug abuse within the police force, particularly as several police personnel have previously faced arrest, dismissal or termination in narcotics-related cases.

Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati, a senior judge of the Rajasthan High Court, has been appointed Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court by President Droupadi Murmu. He is scheduled to take the oath on September 9 at SKICC, Srinagar.

Sonam Wangchuk says padyatra will be revived if the Centre talks fail to deliver substantive progress on statehood, the Sixth Schedule safeguards and other key demands.

Jammu and Kashmir is set for a political showdown on September 2, with the ruling National Conference and opposition BJP announcing rival demonstrations. While the NC plans protests outside BJP offices demanding restoration of statehood and accountability from the Union government, the BJP will gherao the Civil Secretariat over the Omar Abdullah government's alleged failures.

Congress has once again refused to join Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's government in Jammu and Kashmir, maintaining that it will not accept any cabinet berth until statehood and the constitutional rights of the people are restored. JKPCC chief Tariq Hamid Karra said the party would continue supporting the National Conference government against any attempt by the BJP to destabilise it.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the J&K Police Crime Branch has arrested Junaid-ul-Islam from Bengaluru in connection with an alleged Rs 2-crore investment fraud case. The accused allegedly collected money from several people in Kashmir by promising monthly returns of 10 per cent while claiming an association with an e-commerce company.

Punjab Police has busted an alleged arms-smuggling module in Amritsar, arresting two suspects and recovering 10 sophisticated pistols, magazines and live ammunition. The action comes amid an NIA probe into suspected Pakistani and Australian links to a June drone-based arms drop near the Punjab border in June this year.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said issues concerning the Union Territory must be resolved by New Delhi and not Washington during his meeting with US Ambassador Sergio Gor. Meanwhile, former CM Mehbooba Mufti urged Gor to review and withdraw the US travel advisory for Kashmir, saying it was hurting tourism and the livelihoods of thousands of families.

A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs has expressed concern over the growing drug menace in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly among youth, and called for a comprehensive strategy combining strict enforcement with prevention, early intervention, de-addiction, rehabilitation and social reintegration.

Security has been intensified across parts of Jammu and Kashmir following a purported threat letter issued by the United Liberation Council, a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba-linked shadow outfit, targeting Kashmiri Hindu employees. The communication allegedly names six employees and contains threats against government officials and police personnel. Security agencies are examining the threat, while Panun Kashmir has demanded a probe into the purported communication.

The annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra will remain suspended from August 9 on the Chandanwari and Baltal routes to facilitate track repairs and maintenance following recent rains. More than 4.8 lakh pilgrims have performed darshan at the Holy Cave so far. The traditional Chhari Mubarak procession will proceed through the Pahalgam route and mark the formal culmination of the 2026 pilgrimage on August 28.

J&K Police have issued a public advisory cautioning citizens that scammers are exploiting AI-powered deepfake and morphing tools to misuse publicly shared photos, videos, reels, and voice clips creating fake identities and impersonation scams that appear alarmingly authentic. The advisory urges the public to limit exposure of personal content, use masked copies of sensitive documents like Aadhaar, enable two-factor authentication, and report suspicious accounts or DMs promptly.

A high-level committee headed by retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Navlekar will visit J&K from August 10 to 12 to conduct a ground-level assessment of demographic changes, cross-border movement, alleged infiltration, identification of foreign nationals, document verification and unusual settlement patterns. The panel is expected to visit sensitive areas along the IB and LoC, interact with officials and residents, and examine alleged movement from border districts to the interior and Kashmir Val

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has reiterated that normal relations with Pakistan can move forward only in an environment free from terrorism, hostility and violence. In the Lok Sabha, he outlined India's diplomatic and strategic measures following the Pulwama and Pahalgam terror attacks. Separately, MoS External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said India is pursuing permanent membership of an expanded UN Security Council through bilateral and multilateral engagements.

The J&K government has ordered an immediate review of the PMAY-G 2.0 beneficiary list following complaints that several deserving rural families were wrongly excluded from the housing scheme. The Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department has directed field officers to identify and rectify such cases, warning that officials responsible for negligence or improper verification will be held accountable.