The New Indian Express News

Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa, where a devastating fire claimed the lives of 25 people, failed to get interim relief from a Delhi court on Wednesday as it posted their plea seeking transit anticipatory bail for hearing on Thursday. Additional Sessions Judge Vandana, who was hearing the plea, also sought a response from the state government on the transit anticipatory bail filed by the two brothers. Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the two primary

AHMEDABAD: A fresh disclosure in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday has brought Gujarats food security framework under intense scrutiny, revealing 75,17,392 active ration cards but overshadowed by a persistent and rising wave of deletions across the past five years. In total, Gujarat has removed 6.34 lakh ration cards between 2020 and October 2025, revealing a continuous churn in its beneficiary list. The deletions signal an ongoing verification drive that has raised pressing questions on beneficiary id

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan on Wednesday demanded dedicated emergency lanes on roads for ambulance movement, saying that in India, groceries reach doorsteps in under 15 minutes, pizzas in 30 minutes, but patients bleed to death due to the delay in reaching the hospital. Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, Bachchan demanded that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health should also look into the issue of patient death due to the delay in reaching the hospit

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow Police on Wednesday arrested a former IPS officer in connection with an alleged case of fraud and forgery related to the allotment of an industrial plot in Deoria district in 1999, officials said. According to the police, the accused, Amitabh Thakur, allegedly misused his official position as the then superintendent of police of Deoria to facilitate the allotment of an industrial plot by the District Industries Centre, in the name of his wife, Nutan Thakur, by using forged d

A group of former judges on Wednesday slammed what they described as a motivated campaign against Chief Justice of India Surya Kant for his recent comments on Rohingya refugees during a hearing. In a statement titled 'Disparagement of the Supreme Court is Unacceptable,' the group of 44 retired judges of the Supreme Court and high courts said attempts were being made to malign the judiciary or attribute political motives to the CJI. Judicial proceedings should only be subject to fair and reasoned

CHANDIGARH: A joint team of Haryana Police and state Excise Department seized a large consignment of 'illicit' foreign liquor from a high-end liquor vendor under the name Theka Wine Shop near Signature Tower in Gurugram. Around 42,000 bottles of liquor estimated to be worth Rs 10 crore were seized. The seized stock was smuggled into the country without paying customs or excise duty. These bottles of premium international brands are sold between Rs 5,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh per bottle. It is believed

Aviation regulator DGCA has summoned IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to appear at its headquarters on Thursday at 3 pm, demanding a detailed briefing on the airlines recent operational meltdown. The directive, issued Wednesday, requires Elbers and key departmental heads to present comprehensive data on flight restoration efforts, pilot and cabin crew availability, recruitment plans, cancellations, and refunds. The move follows days of massive disruptions that saw thousands of IndiGo flights cancelled,

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday slammed the Union government for failing to prevent the chaos caused by cancellation and delays in flights of Indigo airline. A Division Bench of Chief JusticeDevendra Kumar Upadhyayaand JusticeTushar Rao Gedelaasked if the government was ' helpless' in acting againt IndiGo. The Bench noted that the government stepped in only after the situation in air travel turned worse. You allowed the situation to precipitate and only then did you take action. Why did you al

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday questioned the Central government as to why the situation that led to the cancellation of a number of flights by IndiGo precipitated, and termed it a 'crisis'. The high court said besides trouble and harassment caused to the stranded passengers, the question is of the losses caused to the country's economy. A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also asked how other airlines could take advantage of the crisis s

CHANDIGARH: The largest-ever consignment of illicit foreign liquor was seized from a high-end liquor outlet named Theka in Gurugram by a joint team of Haryana Police and the state excise department. Around 42,000 bottles, allegedly smuggled into the country, were confiscated, with an estimated black market value of Rs 10 crore. According to sources, the seized bottles, lacking valid holograms, were recovered from The Theka Wine Shop near Signature Tower. The stock, comprising premium internation

Amid the US governments new social media vetting policy for H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, appointments across consulates in India have been postponed or rescheduled, with the US Embassy issuing an advisory on the immigration process. The US Mission in India confirmed that visa appointments scheduled for December and the coming weeks had been shifted, with immigration attorneys saying many were pushed to March to allow time for the social media vetting. The embassy warned that ar

PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said the government will cancel the licences of tourist establishments that do not comply with the fire safety norms. In the wake of a nightclub fire that claimed 25 lives , Sawant held a high-level meeting with officials of the North and South Goa district administrations, police and tourism stakeholders to ensure strict safety measures ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations. State Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte also attended the m

NEW DELHI: CPI-M leader A A Rahim on Wednesday held the union government responsible for the recent IndiGo crisis, arguing that it was the direct result of unchecked privatisation and deregulation that has turned India's aviation sector into a duopoly. He urged the government not to dilute Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules to accommodate the airline. Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Rahim said the crisis was not IndiGo's alone. The sole culprit behind this huge cris

Over a billion individuals worldwide aged 15 and above had experienced sexual violence during childhood, while around 608 million females were exposed to intimate partner violence in 2023, according to estimates published in The Lancet journal . Highest prevalence of both intimate partner and sexual violence were found to be concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In these regions, the health impacts of violence are compounded by high rates of HIV and other chronic conditions, researc

NEW DELHI: Deepavali was inscribed on the prestigious UNESCOs Intangible Cultural Heritage list of humanity on Wednesday during the 22nd session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) being held in Delhi. New inscription on the #IntangibleHeritageList: Deepavali, #India Congratulations!, the UNESCO post read. Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat termed the development as 'historic' and a 'matter of pride'. Deepaval

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday categorically stated that he would not accept an award named after VD Savarkar, nor attend a related event, even as a senior party colleague wanted the Congress MP to not accept any honour named after the ideologue whom he claimed owed before the British. Tharoor said that he will not accept the Veer Savarkar Award and also won't attend the event where it will be presented in the absence of clarifications about its nature or the organisation prese

DEHRADUN: A major political storm has erupted in Uttarakhand's capital after highly offensive, digitally manipulated images and videos targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi began circulating widely on social media. The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) quickly filed a complaint at the Vasant Vihar police station, alleging a coordinated attempt to tarnish the Prime Ministers image using sophisticated AI tools. Devendra Bisht, Mahanagar President of the BJYM, submitted a written complaint namin

Ajay Gupta, one of the co-owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, was brought to Delhi Polices Crime Branch on Wednesday in connection with the devastating fire at the North Goa nightclub that claimed 25 lives. Speaking briefly to reporters while entering the office, his face largely concealed by a mask, Gupta insisted he was only a partner in the establishment. According to sources, Goa Police questioned Gupta in Delhi and have begun formal procedures to take him into custody, including seeking a transi

US President Donald Trump has once again asserted that he intervened to halt the brief conflict between India and Pakistan earlier this year, reiterating a claim that he has now repeated nearly 70 times. Speaking at a campaign rally focused on the economy in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, Trump listed several international disputes he claimed to have ended. In 10 months, I ended eight wars, including Kosovo and Serbia, Pakistan and India, they were going at it. Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia,

Parliament gears up for fresh debates on electoral reforms and Vande Mataram Both Houses of Parliament are set to witness fresh debates on Wednesday, with the Lok Sabha beginning discussions on electoral reforms and the Rajya Sabha taking up deliberations on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. During Tuesdays proceedings, leaders including Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, and Union Parliamentary Affairs M

JAIPUR: Four people were killed and 27 others injured after a bus collided head-on with a truck on Jaipur-?Bikaner National Highway in the Sikar district of Rajasthan on Tuesday night. The sleeper bus was travelling from Bikaner towards Jaipur when they rammed into each other. The police said that four persons died in the accident, adding that 15 injured were admitted to the Sikar district hospital while 13 were given primary treatment at Fatehgarh. One critically injured person referred from th

SAGAR: Four constables of a bomb squad from Morena were killed and another cop was seriously injured when their vehicle collided with a container truck in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district on Wednesday, an official said. The accident occurred at around 4 am on National Highway- 44 between Bandri and Malthone in Sagar district, the official said. The vehicle carrying personnel of the bomb detection and disposal squad collided head-on with a container truck parked on the wrong side of the highway, B

KOLKATA: Suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir asserted that he would emerge as a kingmaker after the 2026 assembly elections in West Bengal, claiming that no government could be formed without the support of his proposed new political outfit. Claiming that neither the ruling TMC nor the BJP would be able to touch the majority mark on their own in 2026, Kabir said his estimate suggested that no party would cross the 148-seat mark in the 294-member assembly. I will be kingmaker after the

PANAJI: Ajay Gupta, one of the four owners of Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, who was detained in Delhi, will be brought to Goa on Wednesday for questioning in connection with a fire at the establishment that claimed 25 lives, a senior official said. Earlier, a Look Out Circular (LOC) had been issued against Gupta after a Goa police team failed to find him at his Delhi residence. We later managed to detain him in Delhi, the official said, adding that Gupta would be placed under arrest after the c

PANAJI: Ajay Gupta, one of the four owners of Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, who was detained in Delhi, will be brought to Goa on Wednesday for questioning in connection with a fire at the establishment that claimed 25 lives, a senior official said. Earlier, a Look Out Circular (LOC) had been issued against Gupta after a Goa police team failed to find him at his Delhi residence. We later managed to detain him in Delhi, the official said, adding that Gupta would be placed under arrest after the c

NEW DELHI: A platform of ten Central Trade Unions (CTUs) on Tuesday demanded a judicial probe into last weeks IndiGo crisis, which left lakhs of passengers stranded. It also called for exemplary punishment for those responsible and adequate compensation for all affected. A media statement said, The incident shows the height of corporate arrogance and total negligence of the safety of the workers and the passengers. The warning by the central trade unions on privatisation and monopolisation espec

NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: As many as 107 INDIA bloc MPs, led by DMK, submitted a notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday, seeking impeachment of Madras High Court judge G R Swaminathan for his order of December 1 and 3 directing Subramaniya Swamy temple authorities at Thirupparankundram to allow lighting lamps on a pillar (deepathoon) near a dargah on the hill. The impeachment notice accused Justice G R Swaminathan of the Madurai bench of Madras HC of conduct that raises serious questions reg

VARANASI: Continuing its efforts to counter the long-standing charge that the BJP promotes Hindi cultural dominance, the BJP-led union government has initiated numerous efforts to teach Tamil through multiple languages of the country, particularly through Hindi. It is evident from the theme of the Kashi Tamil Sangamams fourth edition (KTS 4.0) going on from December 2 to 17 Tamil Karkalam (Let us learn Tamil), the event is aimed at teaching Tamil to Hindi-speaking students. The roads of Varana

NEW DELHI: The debate on electoral reforms in the Lok Sabha turned combative on Tuesday, with the Opposition targeting the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Treasury benches firing back with the BJPs emphatic victory in the Bihar elections. Initiating the discussion, Congress MP Manish Tewari said the Election Commission has no legal basis to conduct SIR, and it must be stopped while making a slew of suggestions for election reforms, including mandating a 100 pe

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the NDA Parliamentary Party on Tuesday that laws must never place unnecessary burdens on citizens. He said rules and regulations should exist only for peoples convenience, not to make their lives harder. According to a senior NDA source, the Prime Minister told MPs that the government has now entered a full-fledged Reform Express phase, where reforms are moving rapidly and with clear intent. He stressed that all reforms under the NDA government are en

There has been a buzz around Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars son, Nishant Kumar, entering politics for a long time. While Nitish has not spoken on the issue so far, Nishant has also not given any clear indication that he wants to join politics. However, the Janata Dal (United) workers and leaders, including Nitishs close aides, are saying that he should take a plunge into active politics. Senior JD(U) leader and minister Shravan Kumar has also joined the chorus and contended that Nishant shou

PATNA: The Bihar cabinet on Tuesday approved a 5% hike in the dearness allowance (DA) for over 10 lakh government employees and pensioners and creation of three new departments, including one for employment and skill development. Government employees and pensioners receiving salaries and pensions under the sixth Central Pay Commission will now receive 257% DA instead of 252%. Similarly, those getting salaries and pensions under the fifth Central Pay Commission will receive 474% DA instead of 466

BHOPAL: A special meeting of the Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday approved series of proposals focussed on the development of states Bundelkhand region which has been counted among the most backward and underdeveloped regions of the country since decades. Chaired by CM Dr Mohan Yadav in the states tourist city Khajuraho in Chhatarpur district the state cabinet meeting approved a special industrial incentive package for Bundelkhand, ushering investments worth Rs 24,240 crore and direct employ

NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a sharp attack against the ruling party accusing it of committing the biggest anti-national act by orchestrating vote theft in collusion with the Election Commission and undermining the idea of India. Participating in a discussion on election reforms, Gandhi also outlined a slew of electoral reforms to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process. Making suggestions, he called for providing machine-readable vot

GURUGRAM: The winter fog window officially begins across airports nationwide, including Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), on Wednesday, December 10, and will continue until February 10 next year. Dense fog in northern India, particularly around Delhi, has historically caused massive flight delays and disruptions during this period. Air India held a briefing on Tuesday at its Gurugram headquarters, outlining proactive steps taken to ensure minimal impact on flights this year. A senior o

NEW DELHI: Following widespread disruptions in Indigos flight operations, senior officers from the Civil Aviation Ministry began inspections at ten major airports across the country on Wednesday. The inspections, ordered by Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, are expected to continue till Friday. The airports under review include Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Guwahati, Goa, and Thiruvananthapuram. Officers at the level of Deputy Secretary, Director, or

NEW DELHI: Efficient and advanced planning by the Tata-owned Air India Group ensured that both Air India and Air India Express sailed through smoothly after the revised roster chart for airline crew, ordered by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, came into effect from November 1. The poor management and negligence by Indigo resulted in 1,232 cancellations last month, which cascaded into a full-blown catastrophe from December 1, crippling airport operations in the country. It even brought

NEW DELHI: India and Brazil on Tuesday struck an understanding in the area of the Exchange of Information related to Maintenance of Scorpne-class Submarines and other Naval Vessels. As per the Indian Navy, the landmark tripartite Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Indian Navy, Brazilian Navy, and Mazagon Dockyard Ltd during the ongoing visit of the CNS to Brazil. The Indian Navy said, The MoU will enhance life-cycle support, enable experience sharing in maintenance, logistics and

The Belgium Supreme Court has dismissed Indian fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksis plea challenging his extradition to India in a Rs 13,850-crore scam, CBI officials said on Tuesday. Choksi had approached Belgiums top court on October 30, challenging the October 17 order of the Antwerp Court of Appeals, which had termed Indias extradition request enforceable. The spokesperson for the Court of Cassation, Advocaat-general Henri Vanderlinden, said, The Court of Cassation rejected the appeal. So,

NEW DELHI: Nearly 400 Indigo flights across the country were cancelled on Tuesday marking the lowest impact on its operations since the aviation crisis on December 1. However, Indigo CEO claimed in a video message, Indigo is back on its feet, and our operations are stable. Earlier, we had indicated we would normalise between December 10 and 15. Today, as of December 9, our operations are fully stabilised, which means flights reflecting on our website are scheduled to operate with an adjusted net

JAIPUR : In a significant move, the Rajasthan government has approved an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) investigation against six officers, including former Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the Water Resources Department, Subodh Agarwal, in connection with alleged fraud and irregularities in Jal Jeevan Mission tenders. The list also includes Gopal Singh, brother of BJP MLA Devi Singh Shekhawat. The sanction for investigation under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act was

MUMBAI: Goa police on Tuesday issued a Blue Corner Notice against the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, where a fire on December 6 killed 25 people . The main accused Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra along with partner Ajay Gupta, fled from Delhi to Thailand just hours after an FIR was registered against them on December 7. According to Goa Director General of Police Alok Kumar, the Luthra brothers reached Delhis international airport at 3 am on Sunday and boarded IndiGo flight 6E-1073

NEW DELHI: Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker met Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in New Delhi on Tuesday, with both sides focusing on advancing the strategic agenda set by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their February meeting. The US Embassy Spokesperson said the discussions aimed at translating that vision into concrete progress that enhances U.S. security, jobs, and competitiveness, while supporting Indias long-term goals. Hooke

JAIPUR: To mark the completion of two years of the Bhajanlal-led BJP government in the state, Pravasi Rajasthani Divas 2025 is being organized at the Jaipur Exhibition & Convention Centre (JECC) on December 10. The state government has made extensive preparations to ensure that the event becomes a major showcase of Rajasthans investment potential. The event is expected to serve as a significant platform for economic expansion, with reports indicating that industrialists will announce large-scale

BHOPAL: At least three lower-rung staff/workers of a prominent three-star hotel-cum-tourist resort in Madhya Pradeshs world-famous tourist city, Khajuraho, have died due to suspected food poisoning, while at least three to four are stated to be in critical condition at a government hospital in Gwalior. The tragic incident happened after the lower-rung employees had a delayed lunch at around 5 pm in their portion at the Gautam Hotel and Resort on Monday. The condition of 11 of the staff members d

NEW DELHI: Underlining the significance of bilateral ties, the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the Indian Army and Nepal Army jointly witnessed and validated the two-day Battalion-level Validation Exercise conducted as part of Exercise Suryakiran, marking the culmination of an intensive combined training cycle at the Foreign Training Node, Pithoragarh. The validation exercise successfully demonstrated joint Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) for counter-terrorism opera

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has requested Interpol to issue a Blue Colour Notice against two owners of the Birch nightclub in Goa, where a fire on December 6, 2025, claimed 25 lives . The notice comes as Goa Police conduct raids to locate the third owner in India. The accused owners, Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, reportedly fled to Thailand shortly after the tragic fire. The CBIs request follows a call from Goa Police to issue the notice, which is used to gather info

RANCHI: For the first time in Jharkhand, volunteers from different universities studying botany and zoology will be deployed for the tiger census in the state. According to forest officials, besides creating a young workforce, this move will help raise awareness about comprehensive tiger estimation and conservation. This is also the first time tiger census activities will be conducted outside the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR), covering forest ranges in Ranchi, Dumka and Hazaribagh. The Field Direct

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday rejected the bail plea of Abdul Malik, who is accused of being the main conspirator in the violent February 2024 riots in Banbhoolpura , Haldwani. Malik will remain in judicial custody. The court also directed the State Government to file a detailed report listing all allegations against him. In a split decision, the Division Bench comprising Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Pankaj Purohit granted bail to three other accused in the 16 cases li

RANCHI: The newly formed Bihar cabinet on Tuesday approved the creation of three new departments to ensure better and effective implementation of its schemes and policies, aimed at providing jobs and employment opportunities to one crore youth over the next five years. For this purpose, three new departments, youth, employment and skill development, higher education, and civil aviation. have been created. These are in addition to the existing 45 government departments, cabinet secretariat depart