The Supreme Court has agreed to urgently hear the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling, who has been incarcerated for seven-and-a-half years in the 2018 Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, with the hearing scheduled for next week.
Despite international fame, she remained rooted in village traditions. Friends recalled that success never changed her lifestyle.
Forest officials in Odisha's Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) have arrested three individuals and seized the skin of a rare melanistic tiger. This marks the third reported case of black tiger poaching in Similipal, the only place in the world where these tigers are found in the wild.
The Bombay High Court has granted bail to activist Surendra Gadling, who was arrested in 2018 in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. The bail was granted due to his long incarceration and the unlikelihood of a trial commencing soon.
A woman in Odisha's Bolangir district allegedly died by suicide after her husband succumbed to injuries from a road accident. The woman, identified as Padmini Bag, jumped off a hospital building, overwhelmed by the sudden loss.
Five Naxal functionaries, carrying a total bounty of Rs 38 lakh, surrendered in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra. Additionally, eight Maoists from Maharashtra, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh were arrested during joint operations with the CRPF.
A court in Karnataka has sentenced six convicts to death in connection with the 2025 murder of BJP leader Venkatesh Kurubara.
Three individuals with a history of burglaries and thefts have been banned from entering Beed, Latur, and Dharashiv districts in Maharashtra for three years.
A man was arrested in Beed for allegedly stealing a gold ring from a person after promising to show him magic. The incident occurred at the Kaij bus stand when the victim was approached by two men who convinced him to remove his ring for a 'miracle'.
Jharkhand sprinters Shiv Kumar Soren and Prithvi Oraon emerged as the fastest athletes at the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games, while hosts Chhattisgarh secured medals in shot put and discus throw.
A BJP functionary in Latur, Maharashtra, attempted suicide after being passed over for a nominated corporator position in the municipal corporation, highlighting internal party tensions.
Two Naxalites, carrying a collective reward of Rs 7 lakh, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. The operation was launched based on inputs about the presence of Maoist cadres in the area.
A special NIA court in Mumbai has denied Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case accused Hany Babu permission to visit Kerala, citing previous similar rejections and readily available medical facilities in Mumbai.
With all the evasions, one assertion made by the Pune (Rural) police stood out: They had found no connection of the Elgar Parishad with the violent incidents of January 1, 2018. Yet, the case against the 'Bhima Koregaon 16', which is based on exactly this alleged connection, continues, and seven of the accused continue to be behind bars under the UAPA, explains Jyoti Punwani.
A special NIA court in Mumbai has denied poet-activist Varavara Rao's request to permanently relocate to Hyderabad, citing a lack of authority to modify bail conditions set by the Supreme Court in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.
As the March 31 deadline arrives, a wave of Maoist surrenders suggests insurgency's end, but political and social concerns remain.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced that his party, the NCP, is in discussions with the Shiv Sena regarding seat sharing for the upcoming Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls. This comes as alliances blur in the state-level elections.
Once the might of the Indian establishment turned completely against the Maoists, there was no way they could survive -- either in Gadchiroli or anywhere else, points out M R Narayan Swamy.
While the National Investigation Agency (NIA) sought a stay on the operation of the bail order so as to appeal before the Supreme Court, the HC refused the request, stating that Babu has been in jail for over five years.
If an extension is granted, the Commission's next hearing will be a long one: From October 16-28, so as to complete the cross-examination of all remaining witnesses.
This is just another instance of the indifference with which the Commission has been treated by the government.
Supreme Court Justice M M Sundresh recused himself from hearing the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. The case has been adjourned multiple times.
Accused's wife Varsha has demanded capital punishment for her husband.
'The moment they fall foul of the party in power, they become unsafe. Then nobody can guarantee their safety.'
Rashmi Shukla's testimony comes as a revelation because the proceedings of the Elgar Parishad form the basis of the Bhima Koregaon case which has become an international cause celebre.
'The law under the guise of security represents a grave and unnecessary expansion of State power at the cost of fundamental rights,' asserts Aakar Patel.
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday registered a money laundering case in the Elgar Parishad and Bhima Koregaon violence case and has begun investigations, according to a source.
The former BJP corporator was named by a villager in a police complaint made three days before the January 1, 2018 violence at Bhima Koregaon. Yet, the police did not include his name in the FIR.
ACP Shivaji Pawar has been asked to file his affidavit by August 15.
Testimony presented before the Bhima Korgaon Commission over the last two months reveals the background to the violence that broke out on January 1, 2018.
Last month, ink was thrown at Patil during an event in Pimpri town of Pune district in an apparent protest against his controversial remark about Dr B R Ambedkar and social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.
The Mahars have a historical connection with this victory pillar.
'This shows how casually these officials approached a dispute simmering for years which finally erupted into violence.'
The case pertains to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the 'Elgar Parishad' conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which, the police claimed, triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial located on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city.
Heavy rains lashed several parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, on Monday, resulting in one death and the rescue of 48 people from inundated areas. The state received widespread rainfall, with Pune, Satara, Solapur, Raigad, and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) experiencing significant precipitation. Mumbai recorded 135.4 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, leading to waterlogging and power outages in some areas. The India Meteorological Department has predicted more rain in Mumbai over the next 24 hours, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds.
No report of the violence was sent by Mumbai's police commissioner to the government. Why was the violence then considered serious enough to be included in the Terms of Reference? Was it a balancing act to counter the accusations that were then being made against Hindutva leaders Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote?
'We want the Commission to finish its work; the issue it is investigating is too crucial for its work to be left incomplete.'
The panel had earlier summoned Pawar in 2020, but he could not appear before it due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Later, another summons was issued to Pawar for appearing before the commission on February 23 and 24 this year, but the senior politician had sought a fresh date, saying he wanted to file an additional affidavit before recording his testimony.
'Isn't it tragic, comic as well as ironic that the people who owe their allegiance to the Constitution of India are declared deshdrohis without an iota of evidence?' 'But this mistake has to be corrected and those who actually and directly fomented the Bhima Koregaon riots and the masterminds behind these people will have to be exposed now.'
Sharad Pawar claims he is not in a position to name the organisations behind the violence at Bhima Koregaon, 'though active role of right-wing forces behind the violence cannot be ruled out.'
