Thane Crime Branch arrested two individuals with 2.72 kilograms of ambergris, also known as whale vomit, valued at Rs 2.72 crore in the international market. The protected marine substance, used in luxury perfumes, was seized during a trap operation, and a case has been registered under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Sargun Kaur Luthra has come a long way from making her television debut in Kaal Bhairav Rahasya in 2017. The Delhi-born actress went on to win audiences over as Dr Preesha in Yeh Hai Chahatein, a role that made her a familiar face in Indian households.
A delegation from Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) met Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, demanding a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe rape allegations against former SGPC member Amarjit Singh Chawla. Chawla resigned after being booked for rape, wrongful confinement, and criminal intimidation. The delegation highlighted serious questions surrounding the case, including the woman's travel, arrest, and stay in various facilities, and expressed concern over the impact on revered Sikh institutions.
A businessman from Vrindavan, Ratan Lal Agarwal, was defrauded of Rs 30 lakh in a "digital arrest" scam. A cyber fraudster, posing as an ATS officer, threatened Agarwal with a criminal case linked to his wife's mobile number and kept him under constant surveillance, coercing him into transferring the money. Police have registered a case and frozen part of the scammed amount.
The Supreme Court has ordered the reinstatement of R Saravanan, a deputy registrar of Periyar University, who was dismissed for alleged disproportionate assets. The court observed that dismissal is akin to a "death penalty" for a government servant and criticised the university's inquiry for lacking evidence, upholding the single-judge bench's decision.
Two individuals have been arrested following the death of a 60-year-old man during an illegal hunting expedition within the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Thane. The victim, Vijay Sapte, was accidentally shot by an accomplice who mistook his mobile flashlight for an animal's eyes. The group attempted to conceal the crime by hastily cremating the body and involving a private practitioner for a fraudulent death certificate.
Madhya Pradesh's Lokayukta police raided 15 premises linked to head constable Firoz Khan in Indore and Dewas, uncovering assets worth Rs 6.27 crore. This amount is more than three times his legitimate income over 24 years of service. Khan is accused of misusing his position in property dealings, and an FIR has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, with a woman associate also named as an accused.
A 22-year-old social media influencer and gym trainer, Arif Ayub Shaikh, has been arrested in Palghar, Maharashtra, on charges of rape, physical abuse, and attempting to force a woman to convert her religion under the guise of marriage. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has labelled the case as "love jihad," alleging a larger network exploiting young Hindu girls in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Police recovered over 100 explicit video clips from Shaikh's phone, with some potentially distributed abroad.
The Delhi High Court has refused anticipatory bail to YouTuber Ajeet Bharti in a case involving alleged casteist remarks against Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad, citing a statutory bar under the SC/ST Act.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought a report from jail authorities regarding the non-appearance of separatist leader Yasin Malik for a virtual hearing in a terror funding case. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is seeking the death penalty for Malik, who is currently serving a life term, arguing that his guilty plea should not preclude capital punishment for a terrorist. Malik had previously expressed a desire to argue in-person against the NIA's plea.
Uttar Pradesh has significantly ramped up its efforts against narcotics trafficking, confiscating properties worth approximately Rs 78.5 crore in 69 cases this year. This marks a more than fourfold increase from the previous year, with authorities also initiating detention proceedings under the PIT-NDPS Act to dismantle drug networks and target assets acquired through illegal trade.
The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch has arrested two men from Rajasthan for allegedly defrauding people of Rs 8 lakh by selling fake garba event passes during Navratri. The accused used Instagram, forged email IDs, WhatsApp, and AI tools like ChatGPT to create authentic-looking tickets and promotional material, targeting around 40,000 people. They sold 686 bogus passes for various high-end events before being apprehended based on a complaint from a garba organiser.
A Mumbai court has granted bail to Rohan Parikh, a 24-year-old student, and his bodyguard, Dilip Kunde, who were arrested for entering Jio World Plaza with a firearm and a fake PMO identity card. The court cited the lack of "overt malicious act" and the potential prejudice to the student's future as reasons for bail, setting a cash bond of Rs 50,000 each.
Police in Bareilly have arrested a man accused of raping a minor, recording the act, and circulating the video. The minor subsequently died by suicide. A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and IT Act.
The Patna High Court has set aside a man's conviction for attempted rape of a widow due to insufficient evidence, but upheld his conviction for assaulting her with intent to outrage her modesty and house trespass. The court directed him to pay a Rs 25,000 fine to the victim as compensation.
A POCSO court in Bhubaneswar has sentenced Dillip Bhoi to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping an eight-year-old girl near her school last year. The court also imposed a fine and ordered compensation for the victim.
The Delhi High Court has upheld a police notice requiring All India Students' Association president Neha Bora to execute a peace bond, stating there was sufficient material for the Special Executive Magistrate to take such action against her.
The Supreme Court has upheld the Bombay High Court's decision to quash the Yes Bank administrator's write-off of Rs 8,415 crore worth of Additional Tier 1 (AT-1) bonds, criticising the RBI and Yes Bank's conduct.
The Bombay High Court questioned former assistant police inspector Sachin Waze's use of high-end cars and extended hotel stays, linking it to extortion allegations. The court is hearing an NIA appeal against Waze's bail in the Antilia bomb scare and Mansukh Hiran murder case, with the NIA arguing against his release due to potential tampering and past conduct.
Police in Uttarakhand's Tehri district have registered a case against an assistant professor for alleged molestation of two female students, including a minor, following an internal inquiry at a government college. The case has been filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act, with authorities initiating a thorough investigation.
The Kerala Crime Branch has arrested Raveendran Nair, former caretaker of Jayamadhavan Nair, for his murder nine years ago. The investigation, initially treated as an unnatural death, gained momentum through forensic evidence, contradictory statements, and a forged will, leading to the unravelling of a property dispute motive.
A school teacher in Jharkhand's Garhwa district was arrested on Thursday for allegedly abducting and sexually exploiting a minor Class 10 student. The FIR was lodged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and POCSO Act after villagers intercepted the teacher and student on Wednesday.
A POCSO court in Assam's Dhubri district has sentenced Utpal Ray to death for the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in 2023, terming the crime "rarest of rare". The convict also received life imprisonment for rape and other sentences for related offences.
Karnataka authorities conducted a three-day statewide crackdown on illegal diversion of subsidised Public Distribution System (PDS) foodgrain, seizing 5.65 lakh kg of rice and 24 transport vehicles worth a total of Rs 4.76 crore. Six criminal cases have been registered against nine individuals, and two officials have been suspended for dereliction of duty.
Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested four individuals linked to a cross-border drug-smuggling racket, recovering over 1 kg of narcotics, a pistol, and ammunition. The arrests followed an investigation into an alleged airdrop of drugs in Arnia sector, with the accused admitting links to Pakistan-based handlers. Additionally, nine other drug peddlers were arrested in separate operations across Reasi, Poonch, and Jammu districts as part of the 'Nasha Mukt Jammu-Kashmir' campaign.
Five suspects involved in a murder case were arrested in Faridabad following a police encounter. One suspect sustained a gunshot injury. This brings the total arrests in the case to eight, with police continuing their search for remaining accused. The case involves the murder of 45-year-old Laxman and injury to his nephew during an attack on Sunday night.
Three drivers of Gem Granite founder R Veeramani have been arrested in Chennai for their alleged involvement in the sexual harassment of minors. The arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into five cases against Veeramani, who was previously arrested along with accomplices after a pendrive allegedly containing video evidence triggered the probe.
President Donald Trump has advocated for stricter electoral laws in the US, praising India's election system and its requirement for photo identification. He highlighted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's questioning of the lack of voter ID in American polls and used India's high voter turnout with minimal postal ballots as an example. Trump is pushing for the SAVE America Act, which would mandate proof of citizenship and nationwide voter ID, though the bill faces division in Congress.
All India Students' Association (AISA) President Neha Bora has challenged a Delhi Police notice requiring her to execute a 'peace' bond, arguing it is vague and an attempt to suppress peaceful dissent.
Mumbai Police are transporting three individuals from Kota, including a juvenile, who were apprehended in connection with the firing incident at actor Tiger Shroff's car. One of the accused is allegedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which claimed responsibility for the attack that occurred on Sunday evening in Juhu.
The Surguja district administration has challenged a subordinate court's order granting bail to an accused in a case involving the alleged illegal transfer of tribal land. Collector Ajeet Vasant wrote to the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Ambikapur, alleging that the bail was granted without hearing the prosecution and that the case falls under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, requiring a Special Court. The accused, Azad Iraqi, is implicated in fabricating documents to mutate tribal land into his name.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized methamphetamine tablets worth Rs 43 crore in Guwahati, arresting two individuals from Manipur. The consignment, originating from Myanmar, was found hidden in specially fabricated cavities in fuel tanks of two trucks. The NCB is investigating to dismantle the trafficking network and has also apprehended six other persons in separate NDPS cases.
Delhi Police have arrested 11 individuals involved in multiple "digital-arrest" scams, recovering over Rs 12 crore. The scams, linked to handlers in Southeast Asia, have affected 78 complainants nationwide, totaling Rs 73 crore. A retired scientist was defrauded of Rs 1.25 crore, with the entire amount frozen. The investigation uncovered a network arranging mule bank accounts and using cryptocurrency for commissions.
Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj has been remanded to one-day judicial custody by a Delhi court in connection with the alleged assault on the father of a student activist during a protest at Jantar Mantar. The Delhi Police have added charges under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and criminal intimidation, along with a POCSO case, following his detention and previous claims of "cracking the skull" of the activist's father.
The Supreme Court has directed the Delhi police commissioner to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe a complaint filed by lawyers who were allegedly assaulted during a protest demanding the resignation of Bar Council of India (BCI) chairman Manan Kumar Mishra. This directive comes after the Delhi High Court had dismissed a similar plea, stating it was not maintainable.
The CBI has filed a charge sheet in a Rs 3,750-crore cheating case against Reliance Communications Ltd. (RCom), former executives of the Reliance ADA Group, and a former Chief Investment Officer of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). The case involves LIC subscribing to NCDs worth Rs 1,500 crore from RCom in 2012 based on alleged misrepresentations, with funds subsequently diverted to ADA group companies, causing wrongful loss to LIC.
National Commission for Women chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar urged protection officers to prioritise "first response" in domestic violence cases, emphasising sensitive handling and immediate intervention to prevent tragedies. She highlighted that the success of protection officers lies in timely protection for women, not just file processing. Rahatkar stressed the importance of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, and called for a comprehensive "One Woman, One Support System" approach involving various services, continuous training, and prevention through awareness and empowerment.
The Delhi High Court has refused to grant bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in a case filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) concerning the "larger conspiracy" behind the February 2020 north-east Delhi riots. The court cited a Supreme Court order and the ongoing investigation into their alleged roles as masterminds.
Police in Nanded district, Maharashtra, seized five brass of illegally excavated river sand and apprehended the truck driver on Friday. The driver failed to produce valid permits, leading to a case registered under the BNS and Maharashtra Land Revenue Code for theft and unauthorized resource extraction.
Avinash Arun's Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam emerges as a rare honest film in contemporary Bollywood, skillfully navigating the sensitive narrative of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and the prosecution of Ajmal Kasab without succumbing to propaganda, observes Prasanna D Zore.
