West Bengal recorded its highest-ever voter turnout in the 2026 assembly polls since Independence, with a cumulative 92.47 per cent polling in two phases, the Election Commission said on Wednesday.
The Election Commission has announced a stringent security plan for the second phase of the West Bengal assembly polls, ensuring voters can exercise their franchise without fear. Security personnel will be deployed constituency-wise, and area domination exercises will be stepped up in sensitive neighbourhoods. CCTV cameras will be installed at every polling station, and central forces will remain deployed at booths.
A rape accused who escaped from police custody at a Prayagraj hospital has been re-arrested in Pratapgarh district after sustaining injuries in a police encounter. The accused, Jalaluddin, was initially arrested for allegedly raping a two-year-old girl and later escaped while receiving treatment at a hospital.
'The AIADMK front comes second, and then the TVK.'
A 21-year-old IIT-Kharagpur student was found dead on campus, with police suspecting a suicide.
A prominent cleric, Sheikh-ul-Hadith Maulana Muhammad Idrees, was shot dead in a targeted attack in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The assassination has sparked protests and condemnation from political leaders.
A Delhi court acquitted a man accused of repeated rape, stating the evidence suggested a consensual relationship that soured. The judge highlighted inconsistencies in the complainant's testimony and the lack of evidence supporting the charges.
The Supreme Court of India has observed that the practice of excommunicating Parsi women for entering into interfaith marriages is prima facie discriminatory, emphasising that the right of conscience is a birthright.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss deepening strategic partnerships and the regional situation, following meetings with Saudi Arabian leaders earlier in April.
A close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was shot dead in West Bengal, leading to accusations of political violence and demands for investigation.
Suryakumar Yadav was seen practicing in the nets ahead of Mumbai Indians' IPL match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, while Rohit Sharma's availability remains uncertain due to a hamstring injury.
Sheikh Yousaf Afridi, a key Lashkar-e-Taiba figure and a close associate of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police said.
The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has arrested nine individuals linked to coaching institutes in connection with an alleged Rs 37.20-crore scam involving a Delhi government scheme.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has demanded a CBI inquiry into the murder of a girl in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, alleging that the state has become unsafe for women under the BJP government. He visited the victim's family, offered financial assistance, and criticised the state administration for failing to protect her despite her repeated appeals to the police.
A 21-year-old B Tech student in Hyderabad allegedly committed suicide after being harassed by a college official for demanding money for a hall ticket due to low attendance.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has demanded a CBI inquiry into the killing of a girl in Hardoi's Bilgram area, asserting that Uttar Pradesh has become 'number one' in crimes against women under the BJP rule.
Authorities in Jammu demolished three houses belonging to alleged drug peddlers as part of an ongoing campaign against drug trafficking in the region.
Thane police arrested 23 people, including two foreign nationals, and seized narcotics worth nearly 1.4 crore during a week-long anti-drug campaign.
A tigress was found dead in Chandrapur, Maharashtra, shortly after critically injuring a forest guard during an operation to move her and her cubs away from a village.
Gurugram Police have launched an enquiry after a video surfaced on social media showing a man physically assaulting a woman near Bristol Chowk. Bystanders did not intervene. Police are working to identify the man despite no formal complaint being filed.
The delimitation of constituencies, which aimed to reduce the influence of minority candidates, is a significant factor in the NDA's strong performance in the Assam elections, where they secured a record 102 seats. The 2023 delimitation exercise redrew constituencies, reserving some Muslim-majority seats for indigenous communities, which increased the BJP and its allies' seat count.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has refused to send a 10-year-old girl to Canada to join her father, stating that a child's welfare is paramount, even over a foreign court's order.
A wanted criminal, Mohammad Rizwan, carrying a reward of Rs 15,000, was arrested after a brief exchange of fire with the Delhi Police in Amar Colony. He sustained a bullet injury during the encounter and is now in custody.
A Delhi court acquitted a man accused of murdering his wife during the COVID-19 lockdown, citing the prosecution's failure to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt due to hostile witnesses and lack of supporting evidence.
Commuters in Kolkata and surrounding areas are experiencing significant difficulties due to a shortage of buses, as many vehicles remain engaged in election duties related to the West Bengal polls. Normal service is not expected to resume until after the counting process on May 4.
Lakshmi N. Mittal and his son Aditya Mittal, along with Adar Poonawalla, have acquired a majority stake in Rajasthan Royals with a bid of $1.65 billion after another consortium pulled out.
Government sources indicate a potential increase in petrol and diesel prices due to rising global crude oil costs and losses incurred from a prolonged freeze on retail rates.
The Aam Aadmi Party has petitioned for the disqualification of seven Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the BJP, citing violation of the anti-defection law and betrayal of the people's mandate.
Police in Pune have registered a case against five law students for allegedly ragging a junior, following a complaint initially lodged with the college authorities in 2024. The FIR was filed after the complainant escalated the matter through the UGC's anti-ragging mechanism.
Former Union minister Dinesh Trivedi has been appointed as India's next High Commissioner to Bangladesh, signalling efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
Three people have been killed in two separate incidents of firing between armed groups of rival tribal communities in Manipur's Ukhrul district, officials said.
Actor-turned-TMC MP Dev congratulated the BJP on winning the West Bengal assembly elections and expressed hope that the new government would protect artistic freedom and unity within the Bengali film industry.
Bengaluru police have arrested two individuals involved in two-wheeler thefts and recovered 20 vehicles worth Rs 15 lakhs. The arrests followed a complaint filed in March, leading to the apprehension of the accused and the recovery of stolen vehicles from various locations across the city.
The Chhattisgarh High Court has upheld the acquittal of ten accused in the 2010 Tadmetla Maoist attack case, citing lack of direct evidence and procedural lapses in the investigation.
Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has mandated that all commercial passenger vehicle drivers in the state must possess a working knowledge of Marathi, warning of strict action against those who refuse to comply.
'Remember Vijay had never spoke of himself as a Christian when he was a film star.' 'The BJP strategy is they want the Christian minority constituency to move away from the DMK.' 'That is what the BJP wants so that it will be very easy to mobilise Hindu votes.' 'This strategy is to weaken the Dravidian ideology and bring in religion based politics into Tamil Nadu.'
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has accused the BJP of attempting to destabilise the state and create an atmosphere of fear ahead of upcoming elections, following twin blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar.
A special court in Gujarat's Bhuj sentenced six Pakistani nationals to 20 years in prison for smuggling heroin worth Rs 384 crore into India. They were caught off the Gujarat coast in December 2021.
Two law students from Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU) died after their motorcycle crashed into a pit near the university. The accident occurred when the rider lost control of the speeding motorcycle.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted fresh searches in connection with its ongoing probe into the Andhra Pradesh liquor "scam", which allegedly occurred under the previous YSRCP government in the state.
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