Two people have been detained and are being questioned by Meerut police in connection with the alleged kidnapping and extortion of comedian Sunil Pal. Pal's wife visited the Lal Kurti police station in Meerut with three lawyers to inquire about the matter. Last week, Pal claimed that he was abducted while on his way to Uttarakhand for a show. He claimed the kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs 20 lakh, but he managed to secure his release after paying Rs 8 lakh, which he collected from some friends. The comedian said he was dropped by the side of a road in Meerut, from where he made his way to the Delhi airport and flew to Mumbai. The kidnapping case of comedian Sunil Pal has been transferred from Mumbai to Meerut. The police are also looking into an audio clip that has surfaced online, in which Pal allegedly discusses the kidnapping plan with an unidentified person, mentioning his wife's awareness of the situation and media discussions about the episode. Pal's wife, Sarita, claimed the viral audio clip had been edited. She said Pal is currently at home but is unwell, which is why she came to Meerut to meet police officials. When asked about any connection to the recent kidnapping case of Bollywood actor Mushtaq Khan, Sarita said she had no knowledge of it.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the Union Budget as a "people's budget" that fulfills the dreams of every Indian and said that it is a "force-multiplier" that will boost consumption, investment and growth. He highlighted a host of measures for different sectors, including welfare initiatives for gig workers, tax relief for the middle class, and support for the manufacturing sector.
'The BJP lacks a credible mass leader who matches Mamata Banerjee's popularity.' 'Given the division of votes among Opposition parties, the West Bengal government's dole-giving strategy, and the consolidation of the poor, significant sections of scheduled caste groups and Muslim minorities behind the ruling party, it will be difficult to dislodge the Trinamool from power.'
Five soldiers were killed and five others were injured when an Army vehicle carrying them skidded off the road and rolled down into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. The accident occurred in the Gharoa area when the vehicle was on its way to Banoi in the district. Rescue teams have recovered five bodies. The vehicle plunged into a gorge, approximately 300-350 feet deep.
'Pakistan's only concern has been while they were on the FATF watch list was to distance their State institutions and organs from any direct connection with the actual execution of militancy inside Kashmir.'
Ahead of their planned protest in Chandigarh on March 5, several Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders were detained in early morning raids at their residences on Tuesday and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann denounced the agitating farmer unions, saying they have turned Punjab into a 'state of dharnas' and caused huge losses to it.
Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said the TBM that is struck inside will be cut into pieces by using gas cutters and removed. After this, the Army, Navy, Rat Miners and NDRF teams will make another serious effort to rescue the eight persons who are missing, without compromising their own safety.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and party's candidate from Kalkaji, Ramesh Bidhuri, has yet again courted controversy by allegedly saying that after victory in the Delhi assembly polls next month, he will develop smooth roads in the constituency like Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi's 'cheeks'.
Delivering a thinly veiled message to Pakistan from its soil, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said activities across borders characterised by the 'three evils' of terrorism, extremism and separatism are unlikely to encourage trade, energy flows and connectivity.
'In the case of a road accident, prevention is the only answer.' 'There's no cure to death or disability when the accident happens, and when it's due to reckless or negligent driving, it's worse because it's avoidable.'
There was talent and a pathway, but a decade down the road the UAE have not made any other appearances in a global event.
As the Indian stock markets tumble under the panic set off by US President Donald Trump's tariff tantrums, three market experts weigh in on the reasons behind this fall, how much pain is left and how should investors adapt their strategies to invest in markets.
'Understand your financial goals. Next, categorise them by size. Then evaluate your investment options.'
An Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) team visited AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal's residence in New Delhi following allegations of the BJP attempting to poach AAP candidates ahead of the Delhi election results. AAP leaders, however, refused to allow the ACB officials to meet Kejriwal, accusing them of acting under the BJP's influence. The situation turned tense as the ACB officials were unclear about their purpose and did not have a warrant or mandate for investigation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Mukhwa temple in Uttarakhand, the winter abode of Goddess Ganga, and offered prayers. The visit is expected to boost winter pilgrimage and tourism in the state. Modi also flagged off a trek and bike rally and addressed a public meeting in Harshil. This comes a day after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved two major ropeway projects to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib worth over Rs 6,000 crore.
As the ice-covered parts of the Arctic Ocean melt due to climate change, China has flagged its interest to take part in building 'Polar Silk Road', raising prospects for the emergence of a new sea route.
With India's EV penetration at just 2.5 per cent, the market presents an opportunity -- provided Tesla gets its pricing right.
Modi also met the construction workers who worked meticulously amid harsh conditions to complete the tunnel.
A Chinese rocket start-up has suffered yet another launch failure, resulting in the loss of three satellites as part of a commercial constellation being assembled for global weather forecasting and earthquake prediction.
'The true measure of Project Tiger's success is not just rising tiger numbers, but our ability to ensure harmonious human-wildlife coexistence'
An investigation has been initiated in the matter, they said, adding that based on the circumstances in which the body was found, there is a possibility the victim was raped and murdered before her body was dumped on the highway.
Forty-one Border Road Organisation labourers working to clear snow near the high altitude border village of Mana in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district were trapped under an avalanche on Friday.
Actor Sapna Singh staged a protest in Bareilly after her 14-year-old son was found dead under suspicious circumstances. Police arrested his two friends, Anuj and Sunny, on charges of murder. The postmortem report indicated possible poisoning or drug overdose, and the friends confessed to consuming drugs and alcohol with the victim before he collapsed.
The time is ideal for a 'Dream Budget' akin to the 1991 reforms that sparked high growth and unlocked significant gains in productivity, points out Rajeswari Sengupta.
'I am committing suicide because I was subject to torture and humiliation in the police station.'
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has detected 22 suspected cases of Guillain-Barr syndrome (GBS), an immunological nerve disorder, in the city. Samples from the affected patients have been sent to ICMR-NIV for testing. Most of the cases were detected in the Sinhgad Road area. According to doctors, GBS is a rare condition that causes sudden numbness and muscle weakness. While the condition is prevalent in both pediatric and young age groups, it does not lead to an epidemic or pandemic. The PMC has constituted a committee of experts to investigate the outbreak and conduct detailed surveillance of the patients. The civic health department has assured that there is no need for panic as of now.
Eight District Reserve Guards (DRG) jawans and a civilian driver were killed in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district when Naxals detonated an improvised explosive device targeting their vehicle. The incident occurred near Ambeli village while the security personnel were returning from an anti-Naxalite operation. This is the biggest Naxal attack on security forces in the region in the past two years.
President Droupadi Murmu addressed both Houses of Parliament, highlighting the government's achievements in various sectors, including economic growth, social welfare, and infrastructure development. She emphasized the government's efforts to lift the economy out of "policy paralysis" and create a more inclusive society. Murmu also acknowledged the challenges posed by digital fraud and cybercrime and stressed the need for a social infrastructure revolution. The President's speech is considered a policy statement, outlining the government's vision and roadmap for the future.
A special NIA court in Lucknow has sentenced 28 people to life imprisonment for the 2018 killing of a 22-year-old youth in clashes during a 'Tiranga rally' on Republic Day in Kasganj district of Uttar Pradesh. The case drew significant attention as the killing of Chandan Gupta sparked widespread riots in Kasganj for three days. The prosecution demanded the severest punishment while the defence counsel pleaded for leniency. The court awarded life sentences and imposed a fine of Rs 80,000 on each of the convicts. Gupta's family expressed satisfaction at the verdict but vowed to continue its fight for harsher penalties for the main accused and those acquitted.
Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman has presented a forward-looking Budget, reinforcing the government's commitment to 'Reform, Perform, and Transform'.
The train, on its maiden trial run, arrived at Srinagar station in the Nowgam area on Srinagar's outskirts from Katra in Jammu.
Train services on the Central Railway's main and harbour lines were disrupted on Sunday morning due to an extended mega block for a bridge girder launch, causing inconvenience to local and long distance travellers. As many as 11 long distance trains that depart from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in south Mumbai have been rescheduled and nine trains which arrive at CSMT have been short-terminated due to the block. There were also reports of a labourer getting injured during the girder launch. The six-hour-long mega block conducted for launching the girder of the under-construction Carnac Bridge was initially scheduled to end at 5.30 am but was delayed. The Central Railway's local train operations were cancelled between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Byculla and between CSMT and Wadala stations on the main and harbour lines due to the mega block.
The Lucknow bench of the court said the persons concerned may file their responses to the notices within 15 days and directed the state authorities to consider the said replies and a pass reasoned order on those.
Both new and completed project values as of December 2024 remain below pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019.
In line with India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy, the largest share of aid portfolio has been granted to Bhutan with the allocation of Rs 2,068 crore.
The project is critical as the region expects huge investments in the automotive, renewable energy, and space sectors.
Who'd have imagined that a bunch of poor, illiterate women in a slum would be able to achieve this?
While the BJP has assured voters that these benefits will not be discontinued, AAP leaders have questioned the party's long-term commitment.
In the months immediately following the 2024 tragedy, reporting on the landslide per se had been a straightforward affair. On one side was death and destruction. On the other side, survivors and the business of survival. It was black and white. What direction to take was clear. Rehabilitation in comparison, felt like a complex situation. One that is fraught with shades of grey. As grey as human life, explains Shyam G Menon.
A deadly collision involving a gas tanker and multiple vehicles turned a stretch of the Jaipur-Ajmer highway here into an inferno on Friday morning, killing seven people, injuring more than 35 and engulfing over 30 vehicles in flames as thick black smoke filled the sky.
