Foot-tapping music and soulful classical renditions reverberated at Vijay Chowk on Wednesday as the Republic Day celebrations culminated with the Beating Retreat ceremony in New Delhi.
The personnel who lost their lives were from the CRPF 128 Battalion deployed at the Naransena area in Bishnupur district in the state.
The 'black cats' will reflect a dashing sheen to the parade as they will be dressed in their trademark black coloured overalls, balaclava headgear and special assault rifles MP-5 along with the iconic commando dagger.
A policeman was also injured in the gunfight that broke out in Bajaad village in the Gandoh area around 9:50 am.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has condemned the killing of six people, including three women and three children, by suspected Kuki militants last week. He assured that his government would not rest until the culprits are brought to justice. Search operations are underway for the killers, who had taken the victims hostage in Jiribam district. Singh also expressed gratitude to the CRPF for their swift action in repelling an attack on displaced persons' camps in Jiribam, which led to the deaths of 10 insurgents. The CM has appealed for peace and condemned the violence as a crime against humanity.
At one location, seven bodies of the troops were recovered and the tree trunks bore bullet shots, indicating that a fierce gun battle took place in the area.
The arrest of an Indian Army Major for allegedly killing a fellow officer's wife he was "obsessed" with is not the first incident of alleged inappropriate conduct in the history of the country's armed forces. In the past, a number of such cases have hogged the limelight at different points in time. Here are some of such cases.
A company commander has written to authorities that the troops were given drinking water from water canons.
Indo-Tibetan Border Police director general S S Deswal said that the force is putting together the manpower for the facility that was first operationalised in June-July last year when COVID-19 cases in Delhi were witnessing a steep rise.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday mooted the idea of "One Nation, One Uniform" for the police, saying it is just a suggestion for consideration and he is not trying to impose it on the states.
Marking the culmination of the four-day-long Republic Day celebrations, the beating the retreat ceremony will be held on Friday evening at the Vijay Chowk in New Delhi.
This year, 15 military bands, 15 pipes and drum bands from Regimental Centres and Battalions are participating in the ceremony to be held on January 29 at the historic Vijay Chowk.
Foiling a major terror plot, four suspected Pakistan-linked terrorists on their way to Telangana to deliver explosives were nabbed in Haryana's Karnal on Thursday and arms, ammunition and IEDs were recovered from their vehicle, senior police officials said.
Date, a 1990 Indian Police Service officer of the Maharashtra cadre who once sold newspapers in Pune to financially support his family, was honoured with the President's Police medal for gallantry for his role in what has come to be known as the 26/11 attack.
A cache of arms and ammunition was recovered after a prolonged gunbattle between security personnel and Maoists in naxal-affected Kondagaon district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Friday. The exchange of fire took place in Chhote Usri's Patelpara forest under Mardapal police station limits Thursday evening, Kondagaon Additional Superintendent of Police Surjit Atri told PTI.
This is Gen Pande's first visit to the sector after taking over as the chief of the Indian Army on April 30.
"Only time will tell us about that but I am quite sure that if a youngster who has, as you said, got brainwashed (into terrorism), joins the services under the scheme and stays with us for four years, I am sure he will be a different person and probably more of an Indian than a radical as you brought out," the air marshal told reporters.
The Naxals have claimed that they do not have any hostages.
The Central Reserve Police Force and the police have seized a huge cache of arms from Maoist hideouts during a search operation in West Bengal's West Midnapore District.
'The non-implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission, almost a year after it was implemented for civilians, is gradually beginning to hurt morale in the armed forces,' says Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd).
At the 'Sarva Jatiye Mahapanchayat', participants from Palwal, Gurugram and other nearby places took part, and it was decided that the yatra will resume from Nalhar in Nuh and then pass through Firozpur Jhirka's Jhir and Singar temples in the district.
Huge tri-colour-themed banners have been put up along the Kartavya Path while the theme for this year's tableaux that would roll down the boulevard where the annual Republic Day celebrations take place is 'Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas', focusing on 75 years of the enactment of the Constitution.
'This is leading to anarchy.'
Security forces tightened their cordon around a forest area in the higher reaches of Doda district on Tuesday evening following an encounter with hiding terrorists, officials said.
'The feeling of being part of one family, which is an essential part of the armed forces ethos, is weakening.' 'And when there is a feeling of distrust, then even a small spark can lead to an explosion.'
"The exercise was carried out to instill a sense of security and confidence among people and tell them that the administration will not allow any breach of law and order," a Home department official said.
The 75th Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path on Friday showcased India's rich cultural diversity, military prowess, and 'Nari Shakti'.
A contingent of about 140 personnel in black overalls, balaclava headgear and carrying special assault rifle MP-5 added dashing sheen to the parade.
Police also said that people will have to adhere to all Covid-protocols, such as wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing, at the programme on Rajpath on January 26.
The Trinamool Congress moved the Supreme Court on Friday seeking a probe by a court-monitored panel into the alleged large-scale violence during the municipal polls in Tripura.
Instead of the usual cavalcade of around 100 trucks, decked up elephants, akhadas and singing troupes, this year's procession consisted of only three chariots, pulled by nearly 100 youths from the Khalasi community, and four to five other vehicles.
Officials said on Thursday that the force recently issued a circular also asking its troops and other staff to avoid sharing official orders on WhatsApp and desist from discussing and sharing operational matters over social media.
The party also doubted "there is no way of knowing with certainty as to whether these weapons were indeed recovered during the search or whether they were surreptitiously planted by the CBI or NSG".
The Imphal Valley in Manipur remained peaceful but tense on Friday, however intermittent gunfights between militant groups and security forces were reported from the hill districts surrounding the valley.
The panel said that vacant posts in the CBI are not being filled up at the required pace and recommended that "every effort should be made to fill up vacancies at the earliest".
'Military is too serious a matter to be taken as a tour for a few years.'
Two AK-47 rifles, two Glock pistols, and a huge cache of ammunition were seized from them, he said.
'One of our MLA's homes has already been attacked by the mob. This legislator was beaten. This MLA belongs to the Meitei community.' 'There is a complete collapse of law and order in Manipur.'
It's a single phase polling in Mizoram while first phase of assembly elections is underway in Chhattisgarh.
Polling is being held for 224 seats in what is being seen mainly as a three-cornered contest between the ruling BJP, the Congress and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's Janata Dal-Secular.
