AHMEDABAD: One of the three persons arrested by Gujarat police's Cyber Crime Branch for allegedly uploading videos of women being medically examined in hospitals had also done the same with clips of women pilgrims bathing during Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, a police official said on Friday. Chandra Prakash, a resident of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, had started a YouTube channel named 'CP Monda' a few months ago and uploaded videos of women pilgrims bathing at the ongoing Mahakumbh, Ahmedabad Cyber Cr

NEW DELHI: In an oblique reference to those who create linguistic differences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said there has never been any animosity among Indian languages and each has enriched the others. Speaking at the inaugural function of the 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan here, Modi said, Marathi is a complete language and there has never been any enmity among Indian languages, instead they have always adopted and enriched each other. He further added, It is our soc

DEHRADUN: In a groundbreaking development during the budget session on Friday, the Uttarakhand Assembly passed an amendment bill aimed at strengthening the state's land law. This significant legislation effectively nullifies the land law established during the tenure of former Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat in 2018. This amendment is a crucial step towards enhancing land governance and ensuring the rights of our citizens, said a government official following the bill's passage. The new law

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday cautioned against attempts to discriminate on the basis of language, asserting that there has never been any animosity among Indian languages and each has enriched the other. Addressing the inaugural function of the 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan (ABMSS) here, Modi hailed Marathi as a complete language and recited a verse of Saint Dyaneshwar that described Marathi as sweeter than nectar. The prime minister said he has special affec

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Assembly turned into a battleground during Question Hour as a huge controversy erupted over a remark regarding former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on Friday. Heated exchanges led to multiple disruptions, forcing the House to be adjourned three times. The controversy stemmed from Social Justice Minister Avinash Gehlot's statement during a discussion, where he remarked, As always, you named this scheme after your 'Dadi' (grandmother) Indira Gandhi, in the last budget of 2023-

LUCKNOW: The worlds largest spiritual congregation, Mahakumbh-2025, has not only reinforced the countrys rich cultural heritage but also proved economically fruitful. According to the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), the ongoing Mahakumbh is projected to generate over Rs 3 lakh crore ($360 billion USD) in trade, making it one of Indias biggest economic events so far. CAIT General Secretary Praveen Khandelwal emphasized that this milestone highlighted the deep connection between faith a

SHEOPUR: Five cheetahs were released into the wild in Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district on Friday, an official said. Jwala, which was brought to KNP from Namibia, and her four cubs were released into the wild from their enclosures, an official statement informed. This takes the total number of cheetahs in the wild to 12, while 14 remain in enclosures, it added. Earlier, seven cheetahs, comprising two males and an equal number of females as well as four cubs, were rele

PATNA: Nishant Kumar, the only son of Bihar chief minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, on Friday dismissed RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav's allegations and claimed that his father is enjoying good health and is also able to govern the state properly. Talking to media persons at Patna airport after his arrival from New Delhi, Nishant said, His (Nitish's) health is 100 per cent fine. In response to a media query, Nishant said that he would appeal to people once again to vote for his father

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat is grappling with a shortage of top bureaucrats, with 56 IAS and 9 IPS posts lying vacant, the state government said during the budget session. Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Medical Education Rushikesh Patel and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi revealed that as of December 31, 2024, the state has only 257 IAS officers against an approved strength of 313, with 14 on central deputation. The IPS cadre faces a similar crunch, with 198 officers in place against 20

NEW DELHI: Dismissing PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltds Article 32 petition in relation to tax recovery demand, the Supreme Court on Friday granted a week's interim protection to the company that runs the news portal NewsClick, and granted it the liberty to approach the Delhi High Court. According to reports, the bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan was hearing a writ petition filed under Article 32 by the company against the tax recovery d

NEW DELHI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Friday said it has busted and dismantled seven modules involved in printing Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) and arrested nine people following a massive crackdown across the four states of Maharashtra, Haryana, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh. Officials said the action was part of the agencys ongoing drive against modules involved in importing security paper and printing FICNs. DRI officials conducted simultaneous searches at 11 locations a

GUWAHATI: Protests broke out in different parts of Manipurs Imphal valley on Friday after security forces apprehended 28 village volunteers. According to reports, the persons, believed to be from the Meitei radical group Arambai Tenggol, were picked up during an early morning raid carried out at Panjao Pallumda in the Kakching district. They were later taken to a camp in Thoubal district and were reportedly released. When news about their apprehension spread, protests erupted in the five distric

MUMBAI: Mumbai police has arrested two persons from Maharashtra's Buldhana district in connection with emails threatening to blow up Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's car, officials said on Friday. As per the preliminary investigation, the emails were sent as mischief and not as part of a serious conspiracy, an official said. The duo were identified as Mangesh Wayal, 35, and Abhay Shingne, 22, both residents of Deulgaon Mahi locality in Deulgaon Raja town in Buldhana. Emails threatening to b

PATNA: A 16-year-old student shot dead one student and injured two others following differences over cheating in the 10th examination held by Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) in Bihar's Rohtas district. The incident took place under Dhodhandh police station limit in Rohtas district. Police said that a 16-year-old student along with his two friends opened fire at an auto-rickshaw causing bullet injuries to three examinees returning home after writing their papers at the Saint Anna School exa

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat's public debt has surged to Rs 3,77,962 crore in the financial year 2023-24 and is expected to climb to Rs 3,99,633 crore in 2024-25, according to figures presented in the state Legislative Assembly on Friday. With Gujarat's population at six crore, this translates to an estimated debt burden of Rs 66,000 per person. The governments reply also revealed significant repayment figures, with Rs 23,442 crore paid as interest and Rs 22,159 crore as principal in 2022-23. In 2023-24 (

CHANDIGARH: In an alleged security breach, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's cavalcade was forced to wait for over 15 minutes on Wednesday night as the gate on the road leading to Punjab Bhawan and Haryana Bhawan was locked. The Haryana government has taken up this issue with the Chandigarh Police. Khattar and Saini were on their way to Haryana Niwas in Sector 3, Chandigarh, when their cavalcade was suddenly stopped for over 15 minutes on Wednesday

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday decided to put the resignation of its president Harjinder Singh Dhami on hold and said that a five-member panel would meet him and urge him to reconsider his decision. On February 17, Dhami had resigned amid a row over the SGPC's decision to sack Giani Harpreet Singh as the Jathedar of the Takht Damdama Sahib near Bathinda -- one of the five seats of temporal authority of Sikhism like the Akal Takht in Amritsar. The sacking

The Centre on Friday raised serious concerns over recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, who alleged that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) allocated a USD 21 million fund to India with the intent of influencing its electoral process. Addressing a weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the claims as deeply troubling and assured that the matter is being examined by relevant authorities. Trump's remarks ca

RAE BARELI: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks to the US press on the controversy involving Adani Group, saying it was not a personal matter but one about the country. Gandhi made the remarks while addressing youths at an event in the Lalganj area during the second day of his visit to his parliamentary constituency. The Congress leader was referring to PM Modi's media interaction during his recent US visit when he was

NARAYANPUR: A jawan of the District Reserve Guard was injured when a pressure improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district on Friday, police said. The injured DRD jawan was being airlifted for treatment, he said. The incident took place around 1.45 pm between Toymeta and Kawanar villages when a joint team of DRG and district force from Chhote Dongar police station was out patrolling for a road security operation, a police official said. Wh

A speeding Sedan crash and three dead women in a house have kept the Kolkata police on their toes over the last couple of days. Police are left flummoxed and were struggling to unravel the mystery behind the case. In the early morning hours of February 19, a speeding Sedan carrying three persons smashed into a pillar at 100 kmph near the Avishikta crossing on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in Kolkata. The three persons travelling in the car had a miraculous escape. They have been identified as

ALIGARH: A 25-year-old masters student at Aligarh Muslim University allegedly died by suicide outside his hostel room on Friday, police said. Mohammad Shakir, a first-year student of MA Theology student, was found dead outside his room in 'Mumbai Hostel' on the university premises, according to AMU Proctor Mohamad Waseem Ali. Shakir was seen in his room till around 10 pm last night had also eaten his evening meal as usual, he said, adding that his roommates reported that he appeared to be normal

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday affirmed that India is emerging as a global power and requires leaders capable of developing institutions of global excellence. Speaking at the inauguration of the first edition of the School of Ultimate Leadership (SOUL) Leadership Conclave 2025 in Delhi, PM Modi stated, In future leadership, SOUL's objective should be to instil both the Steel and Spirit in every sector to build Viksit Bharat. The Prime Minister, in his address, emphasised that

KOLKATA: A day after the post-mortem examinations of two women and a teenage girl, who were found dead in their Kolkata home, confirmed that they were murdered, police are now trying to identify those involved and the motive behind the crime, an officer said on Friday. The investigators are also probing the possible involvement of the two women's husbands, who are siblings, or outsiders, he said. The post-mortem reports suggested that the two women and the girl were killed and the findings raise

RANCHI: In a significant relief to IAS officer Pooja Singhal, who is accused in a money laundering case linked to the MGNREGA scam, the special PMLA court in Ranchi on Friday rejected the Enforcement Directorates (ED) petition seeking to bar her from receiving any government posting. The special PMLA court, after hearing arguments from both sides on Monday, had reserved its verdict, which was pronounced on Friday. The ED, following the revocation of Singhals suspension, had argued that granting

GUWAHATI: he Assam Police have identified 10 people involved in the attack on Congress MP Rakibul Hussain in Nagaon district on Thursday. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the development on social media, stating that the police had identified those responsible for the assault. The individuals named are Harun from Jamtola, Haresh from Fakoli, Basir from Tamulitup, Kasem Ali and Rosidul from Kawoimari, Ayub from Gunabari, Lutkior from Rail Station, Khaleque from Rowmari, Mojibur from G

PATNA: Congress National Womens President Alka Lamba is holding a meeting of Bihar State Congress Womens executive committee in the state capital to plan a detailed strategy for the assembly elections scheduled for October-November this year. Lamba, who arrived in the state capital on Thursday, said she will visit every Lok Sabha constituency in the coming days and take necessary steps to remove the NDA government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar from power. She emphasized the need to strength

VARANASI: Six people were killed while five others seriously injured when a jeep carrying devotees to Prayagraj collided with a parked truck on GT Road near Mirzamurad here on Friday, police said. Station House Officer (SHO) of Mirzamurad police station Ajay Raj Verma said the devotees hailed from Karnataka. He said the collision was so strong that the front part of the vehicle was completely damaged and the police had a tough time pulling out the trapped people. Verma said the injured have been

JAMMU: India and Pakistan on Friday held a flag meeting along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district in an effort to ease tension after several recent incidents of cross-border firing and an IED attack, official sources said. The sources said the brigade-commander level flag meeting took place in the Chakkan-Da-Bagh crossing point area with both sides highlighting the need to maintain peace along the borders. The 75-minute long meeting started around 11 am, they said. T

The Railway Ministry has directed platform X to remove 285 social media links featuring videos of casualties from the tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on February 15, reports said. The action stems from new authority granted on December 24, when the Railways ministry empowered its executive director of information and publicity (Railway Board) to issue takedown notices directly to social media platforms under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act. Previously, such reques

PATNA: At least six people, including four women, were killed when their car rammed into a stationary truck near Dulhinganj Bazar in Bihars Bhojpur district early on Friday. The victims were returning home to Patna after attending the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The deceased have been identified as Sanjay Kumar (62), his wife Karuna Devi (58), their son Lal Babu Singh (25), and daughter Priyam Kumari (20), all residents of Jakkanpur in Patna. The other two victims, Asha Kiran (28) and

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday sought response of Maharashtra and Assam governments on a plea of YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani seeking to quash or transfer to Mumbai an FIR registered in Guwahati in connection with a case of allegedly promoting obscenity in an online show. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued notice and tagged Chanchlani's plea with influencer Ranveer Allahbadia's pending petition. At the outset, the bench told Chanchlani's counsel that he was already

NEW DELHI: A court here on Friday reserved for February 25 the order on the quantum of sentence against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. During the hearing, a complainant, whose husband and son were killed by a mob instigated by Kumar, urged the Delhi court to award the death penalty to the former Congress MP. The complaint made the submission through her lawyer before Special judge Kaveri Baweja, who reserved for February 25 the order on the quantum of sentence again

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh jail administration made arrangements to bring holy water from Prayagraj's Sangam to 75 prisons across the state. UP Jail Minister Dara Singh Chauhan who oversaw the process in Lucknow Jail said, While people from across the world can reach Sangam, inmates from our jail cannot do it.So we decided to make arrangements for our inmates in jails. Over 90,000 inmates are currently lodged in 75 jails, including seven central prisons, across the state, Prison Department officials

LUCKNOW: Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for questioning her party's present political approach, BSP president Mayawati on Friday accused the Congress of fighting the Delhi assembly polls as BJP's 'B' team. Her remarks came a day after the former Congress president said he was disappointed that the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) did not join the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in the Lok Sabha elections. In a post on X, Mayawati said, It is a common discu

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested an absconding militant, who had been on the run for 18 years, from a forest area near Gujjar Kothian in Reasi district. According to a police spokesperson, Anwar Ali Chouhan, 40, a resident of Gujjar Kothian in Reasi district has been wanted in several criminal and militancy-related cases. He had joined the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militant outfit in 2001 and remained active for seven years. He later surrendered in 2007 in Kashmir but subsequently w

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to reconsider the state's opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, asserting that the policy is designed to strengthen linguistic diversity and improve education standards. In a letter addressed to Stalin, Pradhan accused the state of opposing the policy for political reasons and claimed that such resistance deprives students and teachers of the benefits it offers. Don't choke education bud

CHANDIGARH: The Manali-Leh Highway has been closed for vehicular traffic following heavy snowfall in higher areas of several districts in Himachal Pradesh, cutting off Lahaul Valley from the rest of the state and leaving both locals and tourists stranded. With snow accumulation reaching up to 60 cm on the road connecting the North Portal of the Atal Tunnel to Keylong-Jispa, the route has become impassable. The tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti is experiencing severe weather conditions. In resp

MUMBAI: A sessions court has ruled that sending messages such as you are slim, look very smart and fair, I like you to an unknown woman at night amounts to obscenity. The Additional Sessions Judge (Dindoshi) D G Dhoble made these observations while upholding the conviction of a man booked for sending obscene messages on WhatsApp to a former corporator. The obscenity must be judged from the perspective of an average person applying contemporary community standards, noted the order of February 18.

CHANDIGARH: All is not well in Punjab Congress. While state party president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring announced that the party would introduce at least 60-70 new faces in the 2027 Assembly elections, internal discord resurfaced as senior Congress leader and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa called for strict action against indiscipline within the party. His remarks followed sharp criticism from Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh, who recently lashed out at Warring and Leader of the Opposi

KOLKATA: Former Team India captain Sourav Ganguly's convoy met with an accident in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district but none were injured in the incident, police said on Friday. The accident took place on Thursday near Dantanpur on Durgapur Expressway when Ganguly was travelling in a car and a speeding lorry overtook it, they said. In the sudden movement of the lorry, the driver of Ganguly's car had to apply a sudden brake which led to a collision with vehicles in his convoy following him,

CHANDIGARH: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday searched the Mohali premises of a man who is an alleged suspect in Canada's biggest-ever gold heist of more than USD 20 million, official sources said. The sources identified the man as Simran Preet Panesar, who is in his thirties. The man could not be contacted for his response on the allegations. The federal probe agency has recently filed a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to investigate the said loot from Cana

GUWAHATI: The Assam Assembly on Friday witnessed uproarious scenes over the attack on Congress MP Rakibul Hussain in Nagaon district . Speaker Biswajit Daimary adjourned the House twice within the first 30 minutes as the opposition Congress MLAs created noisy scenes after their adjournment motion to discuss the matter was disallowed. Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia of Congress raised the demand for adjournment motion as soon as the House assembled at 9.30 am. He maintained that the chief m

Meghalaya govt rubbishes CMs charge The Meghalaya govt has rejected Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarmas allegations that the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) is issuing fake degrees and certificates to students. Chief Secretary DP Wahlang said, USTM is a state university, mandated by the Assembly of Meghalaya. Degrees are recognised by UGC and Medical Council. Therefore, there is no question of it being fake. It is a genuine university supported by the Meghalaya government. Recent

NEW DELHI: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders, buoyed by their victory in the Delhi assembly election, have decided to contest all upcoming state elections together over the next two years. The decision was made at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of all NDA leaders and chief ministers, shortly after the swearing-in of Delhis Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President J P Nadda attended the meeting. The NDAs first challeng

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday issued a release, quoting a scientist to debunk doubts about the purity of Ganga water at the Maha Kumbh and assert that the river water is as pure as alkaline water. According to UP government figures, over 58 crore people have taken a dip in the sacred waters of Triveni Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, at the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj since January 13, when the religious fair started. The UP government release was in

NEW DELHI: Frowning upon the protracted trial in heinous offences, the Supreme Court has said indefinite incarceration would violate the expanded meaning of liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution as it granted reliefs to two alleged Maoist sympathisers, booked under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA. Two different benches of the apex court granted relief to the accused after noting delayed trial. In one case, the trial was expedited while in the other, bail was granted by the top court. A

DEHRADUN: In a bold move to enhance infrastructure while maintaining economic stability, the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led Uttarakhand government has unveiled a Rs 1,01,175.33 crore budget for the financial year 2025-26. Finance Minister Prem Chandra Aggarwal presented the budget on Thursday in the State Assembly in Dehradun, outlining a comprehensive roadmap for the state's development. This budget focuses on key sectors such as agriculture, industry, energy, infrastructure, connectivity, tourism, an

JAIPUR: After a massive uproar over the alleged phone tapping of a cabinet minister, the Bhajan Lal Sharma government finally presented its response on the issue in the Rajasthan Assembly on Thursday. Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham said Agriculture Minister Kirori Lal Meenas phone was not tapped by the government and claimed that Meena himself had denied the allegations. A fortnight ago, a huge political storm had erupted after Meena had accused his own government of snooping on

LUCKNOW: Visiting his parliamentary constituency Rae Bareli for the first time after the Delhi assembly election outcome, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday, claimed that the BJP would have lost the 2024 Lok Sabha polls had the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) joined the INDIA bloc. Questioning the political strategy of the BSP chief, Rahul Gandhi asked, Why does Mayawati not contest elections properly? We asked her to join the INDIA bloc but she refused. If all three parties including