NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has warned police officers across all states and Union Territories that any violation of laws, rules, and guidelines regarding arrests will lead to strict action. The court emphasized that even a criminal must be treated as per the law, which guarantees certain rights and protections. A two-judge bench, led by Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, made these remarks while hearing an appeal by Vijay Pal Yadav. Yadav, an accused in a case, cla

NEW DELHI: The government informed Parliament on Wednesday that five statesMaharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadureported the highest number of suicides due to bankruptcy or debt in 2022. According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Maharashtra recorded the most cases with 1,941 suicides. Karnataka followed with 1,401 cases, Telangana with 1,163, Andhra Pradesh with 912, and Tamil Nadu with 844. Among Union Territories, Delhi had the highest number

BHOPAL: A key member of an alleged terror group that planned to carry out serial bomb blasts in Jaipur in 2022 was arrested in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, on Wednesday. The arrested man, identified as Feroz alias Sabji, was one of the five founding members of the Al-Suffah group based in Ratlam. He had a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on him, declared by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), for his role in the failed Jaipur blasts plot. He was caught at his sister Rehanas house in the Anand Nagar Colony ar

PATNA: Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor on Wednesday created a stir in political circles by asking Muslim leaders of Janata Dal United (JD(U) to quit the party if JD(U) extended its support to its ally BJP on Waqf Amendment Bill tabled on the Lok Sabha. Taking a jibe at Bihar chief minister and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar for his partys decision to lend support to Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, Kishor said that if the Bill gets approval from the Lok Sabha, then Nitish sh

JAMNAGAR: A Jaguar fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed at a village near Jamnagar IAF station in Gujarat on Wednesday night while on a training mission with one of the pilots ejecting safely, police officials said. The second pilot was missing, they added. The fighter jet crashed in an open field at Suvarda village, nearly 12km from Jamnagar city and caught fire, said District SP Premsukh Delu. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. While one pilot safely ejected before the cr

The Centre introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill , 2024, in Parliament on Wednesday, triggering a heated clash between the Modi-led government and the Oppositions INDIA bloc. While the government is keen to pass the bill, the Opposition strongly opposed it, calling it unconstitutional. With 293 MPs, the NDA comfortably exceeds the required simple majority of 272 votes. The vote on the bill is expected later tonight. Ahead of the bills introduction, both the ruling BJP and the Congress party issue

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Thailand tomorrow to attend the BIMSTEC summit. After the summit, he will visit Sri Lanka from April 4 to 6. The BIMSTEC summit on April 4 will focus on improving maritime cooperation. Leaders will sign an agreement called the Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation. This agreement will help in better cargo and passenger transport across the Bay of Bengal. It will also improve trade and connectivity among BIMSTEC countries, which include

AHMEDABAD: A devastating incident at a factory in Deesa has claimed 21 lives, with 19 victims identified so far. The identities of two remain unknown. Among the shattered families, one father sits in the civil hospital, desperately searching for his missing 11-year-old son. Santosh Nayak, along with his wife and two sons, had arrived in Deesa just two days ago for work. Their first day on the job passed uneventfully, but tragedy struck on the second. In mere moments, their hopes turned to horror

DEHRADUN: As the portals of revered Kedarnath shrine are set to open on May 2, the state government has heightened its alert status due to the detection of equine influenza virus in 12 horses and mules along the pilgrimage route. In response to this alarming finding, all affected equine animals have been placed under quarantine. Uttrakhand's Animal husbandry minister Saurabh Bahuguna convened a meeting at the secretariat, issuing strict directives to officials. It is imperative that we focus on

AHMEDABAD: Of the 21 dead in the devasting firecracker factory blast in Gujarat's Deesa, only 19 have been identified. Seated in a corner of the civil hospital is a father desperate to find at least the body of his missing 11-year-old son. Two days ago, Santosh Nayak had arrived in Deesa with his wife and two sons, to work in the firecracker factory. Unforeseen tragedy struck on the second day of work, claiming 21 lives. The bodies of Santosh's wife and elder son, Dhanraj, have been recovered; h

LUCKNOW: The troubles for the chairman of the Shahi Jama Masjid management committee in Sambhal deepened when five of his family members, including his son, elder brother, and two nephews, were 'bound down' by the district administration with a surety of Rs 1 lakh, fearing a breach of peace or disturbance of public tranquility. The district administration initiated the action on Tuesday against Zafar Alis son Haider Ali, his elder brothers Tahir Ali advocate and Qamar Hasan, along with nephews M

LUCKNOW: The troubles for the chairman of the Shahi Jama Masjid management committee in Sambhal deepened when five of his family members, including his son, elder brother, and two nephews, were 'bound down' by the district administration with a surety of Rs 1 lakh, fearing a breach of peace or disturbance of public tranquility. The district administration initiated the action on Tuesday against Zafar Alis son Haider Ali, his elder brothers Tahir Ali advocate and Qamar Hasan, along with nephews M

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has fundamentally changed India's political discourse, shifting the focus to governance and public welfare. Addressing an executive summit in Ludhiana, Mann emphasised the role of AAP volunteers as the backbone of the partys success and reiterated its commitment to the people. AAP volunteers are not just political workers; they are a revolution in themselve

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday asserted that for vote bank politics, fear is being spread that Waqf bill is interference in religious matters of Muslims and properties donated by them. Making an intervention in Lok Sabha during a debate on the Waqf amendment bill, he also said that non-Muslims in Waqf council and boards are meant purely for ensuring administration of properties in accordance with stated aims. He underlined that Waqf is a type of charitable institution wher

DEHRADUN: Uttrakhand's historic Galogi Hydroelectric Project has set a new record by generating 8.075 million units of electricity in the financial year 2024-25. This marks the highest annual electricity generation since the project was commissioned in 1907. Speaking exclusively with TNIE , Uttarakhand Jal Vidhyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) Managing Director, Dr. Sandeep Singhal, stated, The 3.5 MW Galogi Hydroelectric Project, situated between Kyarkuli and Bhatta near Mussoorie in district Dehradun,

AHMEDABAD: A convoy of ambulances, escorted by police, transported the bodies of 21 workers killed in the deadly firecracker factory explosion in Deesa, Banaskantha, to Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday at 8:15 am. The blast, which occurred at Deepak Traders on Dhunwa Road, had caused the godowns roof slab to collapse, leaving behind devastation. The factorys owners, father and son Khubchand Mohan and Deepak Mohan, were arrested by the Local Crime Branch (LCB) and charged under multiple sections, incl

PATNA: Former Bihar chief minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad has been admitted to a private hospital in the state capital after he developed some complications due to sudden rise in his blood sugar level on Wednesday. He has been referred to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi for further treatment. Sources close to the RJDs first family said that arrangements were being made to take Lalu to Delhi by an air ambulance. Earlier, he was scheduled to board an Air India flight at

NEW DELHI: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated on Wednesday that more trains will offer regional cuisines based on the areas they pass through. Speaking in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour, he highlighted an initiative under the Southern Railways as an important step in this direction. The minister was responding to queries from DMK MP Sumathy Thamizhachi Thangapandian, who urged that Vande Bharat trains operating in Tamil Nadu should also serve South Indian cuisine. She also pointed out

NEW DELHI: The central government has approved over 11,000 Anganwadi-cum-crches under the Palna scheme, but only 1,761 have been made operational as of February 28 this year. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, stated that the Palna scheme was introduced under the Samarthya vertical of the Umbrella Mission Shakti Scheme from April 1, 2022. The initiative aims to provide daycare facilities and protection to children across all

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said in the Lok Sabha that the Waqf Amendment Bill is aimed at polarisation and will send a wrong message to the world denting the country's secular image. Participating in a debate on the bill in the Lower House , Yadav alleged that the bill has been introduced to manage BJP's diminishing vote bank and will prove to be a waterloo for the BJP as some members might be claiming to support the bill but inside they are not happy about the

BHOPAL: In an early morning anti-Maoist operation by the Madhya Pradesh police, two armed women Maoist cadres (both wanted and carrying a collective bounty of Rs 28 lakh) were gunned down by the state police in the jungles of Mandla district on Wednesday. The women Maoists duo identified as Mamta alias Rambai (special zonal committee member) and Pramila alias Masey Mandawi (area committee member), hailed from Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh respectively and were part of the left-wing extremists (LW

AHMEDABAD: A major forgery racket was exposed in Surat, where an Odisha-based MBA student used fake signatures and stamps of BJP MLA Kumar Kanani from the Varachha constituency. The scam ran for three and a half months before Kapodara police cracked down, arresting a 26-year-old suspect. Authorities are now searching for the mastermind behind the forged documents. Kapodara police busted the fraud operation after discovering that a man had forged MLA signatures and official seals to manipulate Aa

NEW DELHI: Over 30,000 Indian parents are waiting for adoption in the country, the centre informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. In a written reply, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, said there are 32,856 In-Country Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) and 859 Inter-Country Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) waiting for adoption as per data on Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS) portal. She said the WCD ministry is the nodal ministry

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking withdrawal of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 . Stalin said the Constitution grants every citizen the right to follow their respective religion and it is the duty of the elected governments to uphold and protect this right. However, the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act, 1995 have not taken into consideration the constitutional protection given to minorities and are ound to severely harm t

NEW DELHI: The Immigration and Foreigners Bill 2025 sends a message that all foreigners are potential criminals who are to be viewed with serious suspicion by India, Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi said in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Opposing the Bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on March 27, he demanded that it be sent to a standing committee as it delegates excessive power to lowly officials and lacks provisions for appeal, oversight and accountability, among other things. The propos

NEW DELHI: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday said the INDIA bloc will oppose the proposed changes to the Waqf law and called the bill an attack on the basic structure of the Constitution with an aim to dilute its provisions, defame minorities, disenfranchise them and divide the Indian society. Hitting back, former Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said when large number of Waqf properties are lying vacant and being looted, the government has all powers to bring a law to regul

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday took a swipe at the BJP, questioning its delay in selecting a national president. Responding sharply, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the BJP follows a democratic process involving crores of members, unlike other parties, where leadership is decided by family members. Speaking at Lok Sabha Yadav said, The party that calls itself the world's largest party has not yet been able to choose its national president. While speaking in the Lo

RANCHI: At least 21 inmates of a remand home in Chaibasa escaped through the main gate after attacking the guards on duty on Tuesday evening while Sarhul was being celebrated across the state. Immediately after the incident, the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Superintendent of Police (SP), and Subdivisional Police Officer rushed to the spot to assess the situation. Later, four of the 21 escapees returned to the remand home, while a search is ongoing for the remaining 17. According to officials, the i

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday after Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju tabled the Waqf Amendment Bill . Gogoi accused the government of attempting to defame and disenfranchise minorities and staging what he described as a 4D assault on the Constitutiondiluting the Constitution, defaming minorities, disenfranchising them, and dividing Indian society. Gogoi began by expressing concerns over the government's int

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court has upheld a sessions court's order acquitting six men in the killing of three British nationals during the 2002 riots that broke out after the Godhra train burning incident. A division bench of Justices A Y Kogje and Samir J Dave passed the order on March 6 and it was made available recently. The HC considered the testimonies of witnesses and the investigating officer, and observed that it did not find any reason to interfere with the judgment and order of acqu

SAMBHAL: The hearing on the bail plea of Zafar Ali, the president of Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, was postponed to April 4 due to the unavailability of the case diary, a lawyer said on Wednesday. Ali was arrested on March 23, and his bail plea was initially set for hearing on March 27. However, ADJ-II court of judge Nirbhay Narayan Rai in Chandausi refused him interim bail and set April 2 as the date for hearing his regular bail application. Additional district government advocate Hariom Prakas

NEW DELHI: DMK MP Tiruchi Siva on Wednesday voiced strong opposition to the Waqf Amendment Bill, saying that his party firmly opposes it as the proposed legislation raises concerns regarding the country's secular fabric. It is a crucial bill which has again put the question of secularism in this country to the test. DMK is against the bill. Our leaders have categorically expressed this. Yesterday, all the opposition parties decided to vote against the bill. They (the BJP) always bulldoze the bil

MUMBAI: A banker who had attended Kunal Kamra's controversial show in the city was summoned as a witness after a case was registered against the comedian over his alleged jibes against Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, police said on Wednesday. While the police later told the Navi Mumbai-based man that his presence was not needed immediately, Kamra took to social media to express regret over the inconvenience caused to him, and offered to schedule your next vacation anywhere you'd

JAIPUR: The incident took place late Tuesday night, when a police team attempting to arrest a suspect in an assault and robbery case was met with violent resistance in Daala Wali Dhani in Sikar. Villagers, who had earlier taken three policemen hostage, attacked the rescue team by pelting stones and vandalizing police vehicles. Eleven officers, including a Circle Inspector and a Sub-Inspector, sustained injuries. The confrontation took place around 11:30 PM. Upon learning of the situation, Superi

NEW DELHI: Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday tabled the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 , as proposed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, in the Lok Sabha for consideration and passage. The bill seeks to improve the administration of Waqf properties, introduce technology-driven management, address complexities and ensure transparency. Introducing the bill, Rijiju said the consultation process of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was the largest ever exercise carried out

NEW DELHI: A ceasefire violation has been reported along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch region of Jammu and Kashmir, with reports of unprovoked firing and an incursion by the Pakistan Army. Army Public Relations Officer Lieutenant Colonel Suneel Bartwal said on Wednesday that the Indian Army responded effectively in a controlled and calibrated manner. On April 1, a mine blast occurred in the Krishna Ghati sector due to a Pakistan Army intrusion across the Line of Control. This was follo

NEW DELHI: The Indian Navys mission deployed warship has succeeded in seizing a large consignment of narcotics in the Western Indian Ocean region. The Navy on Wednesday said, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Tarkash, a frontline frigate of the Indian Navy operating under the Western Naval Command, has successfully intercepted and seized over 2500 kg of narcotics in the Western Indian Ocean. On March 31, 2025, while on patrol, INS Tarkash received multiple inputs from Indian Navy P8I aircraft regarding su

NEW DELHI: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) , a major organisation representing Muslims in India, on Wednesday said it will challenge the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in court and take the fight against the lack law that threatens the community's rights to the streets. The Waqf legislation is being taken up for debate and passage in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday . If passed by the Lower House, the bill will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha. Criticising the bill at a press conference, AIMPLB m

NEW DELHI: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) , a major organisation representing Muslims in India, on Wednesday said it will challenge the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in court, calling it a lack law that threatens the rights of the community. The Waqf legislation is being taken up for debate and passage in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday . If passed by the Lower House, the bill will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha. Criticising the bill at a press conference, AIMPLB member Md Adeeb claimed it i

PATNA: Poster war between the main opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) led by Lalu Prasad and ruling Janata Dal (United) led by chief minister Nitish Kumar has begun ahead of the Bihar assembly elections due later this year. On Wednesday, posters erupted at different locations in the state capital, including Beerchand Patel Marg, where the offices of many political parties are located, drawing a parallel between two stalwarts, Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar. The posters claimed that the Lalu era

PATNA: Bihar is set to open a high-security prison on the lines of Delhis Tihar Prisons to contain the activities of notorious criminals and Maoist activists operating in the state. The high-security prison will be located far from urban areas, with no access to transportation or mobile phone connectivity. We are going to submit a proposal for setting up a high-security prison, the first of its kind in Bihar, to the state government soon. We hope the proposal will be approved by the government a

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday transferred to the Patna High Court a PIL that raised concerns about the safety and longevity of bridges in Bihar after several of them collapsed in recent months. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said the Patna High Court may monitor, preferably on a monthly basis, the steps taken to ensure structural and safety audits of bridges in the state. The bench asked PIL petitioner and lawyer Brajesh Singh, state authoriti

JAUNPUR: A final-year BSc student of biotechnology at Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University allegedly died by suicide in her hostel room soon after talking to her fiance over phone, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place in Jaunpur on Tuesday night when Shivangi Mishra (22), who was set to tie the knot with her fiance on November 25, reportedly took the extreme step, Superintendent of Police, Kaustubh, said. A resident of Kotwalpur village under the Jalalpur police station limits,

BHOPAL : Two women Naxalites were killed in an encounter with police in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla district on Wednesday morning, a senior official said. The gun-battle took place under Bichhiya police station limits, Director General Police (DGP) Kailash Makwana said. An SLR rifle, an ordinary rifle, wireless set and some items of daily use were recovered from the spot. Search was on for other Naxalites, the DGP said. More details were awaited.

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a delegation of MPs from various political parties to convey their stance on behalf of the Joint Action Committee for fair delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies. I have requested a meeting with you, alongside MPs from various parties, to present our memorandum on the concerns surrounding the proposed delimitation. This follows resolutions from the Joint Action Committee meetin

MUMBAI: Mumbai Police has issued a third summons to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra asking him to appear on April 5 in a case registered against him for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, officials said. The summons was issued on Tuesday and Kamra (36) was asked to appear at the Khar police station where a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him last month, they said. He had been summoned twice by the police earlier but fail

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave a ortuous explanation to his question on capital expenditure, asserting that the numbers conclusively proved that there was a cut in capex during 2024-25. Chidambaram said this in a statement late on Tuesday evening while responding to the answers given by Sitharaman in the Rajya Sabha. The former finance minister said Sitharaman has given a laboured and tortuous explanation to a simple question on

The Centre is set to introduce the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Parliament today , setting stage for a high-stakes showdown between the Modi-led government and the Oppositions INDIA bloc. While the government is determined to push the bill through, the Opposition condemned it and called it unconstitutional. The government requires a simple majority of 272 votes, which should be smooth for the NDA with 293 MPs. On Tuesday, Minorities and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Speaker

The Centre is set to introduce the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Parliament today , setting stage for a high-stakes showdown between the Modi-led government and the Oppositions INDIA bloc. While the government is determined to push the bill through, the Opposition condemned it and called it unconstitutional. The government requires a simple majority of 272 votes, which should be smooth for the NDA with 293 MPs. On Tuesday, Minorities and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Speaker

BULDHANA: Five persons were killed in a collision of a bus and an SUV in eastern Maharashtra's Buldhana district on Wednesday morning, police said. A bus of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) collided with a Bolero on Khamgaon-Shegaon highway, a police official said. Soon thereafter, a private bus collided with the two vehicles, he said. Efforts were on to extricate the driver of the private bus from its mangled front cabin, the official added.