The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Friday arrested Dr Athuturi Namratha alias Pachipalli Namratha for alleged money laundering in connection with an illegal surrogacy racket. The ED’s Hyderabad Zonal Office arrested the accused under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, during the course of investigation into an illegal surrogacy racket allegedly run by her in the name of Universal Srusthi Fertility & Research Centre. The central agency said she was produced before the Metropolitan Sessions Judge court, which remanded her to judicial custody till February 26. According to the ED, during her statements recorded after being released on bail in November last year, she remained evasive and non-cooperative despite being confronted with evidence confirming her role in relation to the proceeds of crime and the offence of money laundering. The agency initiated the investigation on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by Gopalapuram police station, Hyderabad, for charges including fraud, cheating, criminal conspiracy, illegal surrogacy and child trafficking. Dr Namratha was allegedly providing childless couples with newborn babies through a surrogacy racket she had orchestrated via her clinic, along with her employees and agents. She and others were earlier arrested by the police during the investigation. She was released on bail on November 27, 2025. During the PMLA investigation, statements of Dr Namratha and her associates were recorded in judicial custody, and searches were conducted at various premises, resulting in the seizure of documents evidencing her alleged involvement in the racket since 2014. The investigation revealed that she allegedly continued the illegal surrogacy operations even after multiple cases were registered against her and her medical licence was suspended by the authorities, the ED said in a release. The ED further alleged that Dr Namratha collected huge sums of money from childless couples on the promise of delivering a baby through a surrogate mother. To project the procedure as genuine, their gametes were collected for implantation into a surrogate mother. However, the newborn babies were allegedly sourced from poor and vulnerable parents who were unable to raise the child and had sought to terminate the pregnancy. A network of agents and sub-agents was found to be involved in the racket, arranging poor and needy pregnant women and luring them with money to give up their child soon after birth. The ED claimed that Dr Namratha used to pay around Rs 3.5 lakh for a female child and Rs 4.5 lakh for a male child. Such deliveries were allegedly conducted at her hospital in Visakhapatnam after the licence of her Secunderabad hospital was revoked by the authorities. Further, the birth reports forwarded to the municipal authorities were allegedly forged and reflected the names of the childless couples as parents instead of the biological parents. The investigation also revealed that several couples were allegedly cheated and large sums were collected from them by way of cheque and cash. A portion of these amounts was allegedly paid to agents and sub-agents as commission and to the biological parents of the trafficked babies. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
13 February,2026 07:21 PM IST | Hyderabad | IANSPrime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Friday shifted to his new office, Seva Teerth, from the colonial-era South Block building near Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raisina Hill. देशवासियों की सेवा के अटूट संकल्प और 'नागरिक देवो भव' की पावन भावना को साथ लेकर, आज ‘सेवा तीर्थ’ को राष्ट्र को समर्पित करने का सौभाग्य मिला।‘सेवा तीर्थ’ कर्तव्य, करुणा और ‘राष्ट्र प्रथम’ के लिए हमारी प्रतिबद्धता का सशक्त प्रतीक है। मेरी कामना है कि यह आने वाली पीढ़ियों को… pic.twitter.com/YWYUuSHtsD — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 13, 2026 The move coincided with February 13, marking 95 years since the formal inauguration of New Delhi as India’s modern capital in 1931. PM Modi arrived at the Seva Teerth complex in a motorcade along with Union ministers Manohar Lal and Jitendra Singh and senior PMO officials. He inaugurated the complex, which houses the PMO, the National Security Council Secretariat, and the Cabinet Secretariat. He also garlanded a statue of Lord Ganesha at the PMO and took decisions aimed at the welfare of women, farmers, youth and vulnerable sections. In the presence of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Singh and other senior officials, including Principal Secretaries PK Mishra and Shaktikanta Das, PM Modi signed files approving the launch of the PM Rahat Scheme and setting a new target for “lakhpati didis”. Also, under the PM Rahat initiative, accident victims will receive cashless treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh, officials said, adding that the aim is to ensure timely medical assistance. PM approves Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 with Rs 10,000 crore corpus for innovation The government has crossed the mark of three crore lakhpati didis ahead of the original March 2027 timeline. A new target of six crore lakhpati didis has been set for March 2029. In a boost to the agriculture sector, the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund has been doubled to Rs 2 lakh crore to strengthen the farm value chain. The PM also approved the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore. “To power India's innovation ecosystem, especially in deep tech, early-stage ideas, advanced manufacturing and breakthrough technologies, the Prime Minister has approved the Startup India FoF 2.0 with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore,” an official said. Earlier, Modi unveiled the plaque of Seva Teerth at the new complex, with the name inscribed in Devanagari script. The motto ‘Nagrik Devo Bhava’ (citizen is akin to God) is displayed below it. The relocation brings together the PMO, Cabinet Secretariat and National Security Council Secretariat under one complex, as part of the Central Vista redevelopment. Officials said that since 2014, the government has taken steps to move away from colonial-era names and symbols. Rajpath has been renamed Kartavya Path, Race Course Road as Lok Kalyan Marg, and several buildings have been given new names. A statement from the PMO said the new complex aims to consolidate administrative functions in modern facilities, addressing issues such as fragmented offices, coordination challenges and ageing infrastructure in the Central Vista area. (With PTI inputs)
13 February,2026 05:04 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Rajya Sabha witnessed a stormy start to the Budget Session 2026 on Thursday, with the government and the Opposition getting into verbal confrontation over denial of permission to Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi to speak in the Lok Sabha as well as over attempts to stall Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. Lok Sabha was adjourned moments after reconvening on Thursday, following which the Upper House witnessed noisy scenes and uproar with Opposition accusing the government of gagging the Leader of Opposition. This invited strong counters from Leader of House in the Rajya Sabha JP Nadda and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju. Rijiju slams Opposition for distrupting PM's address, urges MPs to follow House rules Rijiju condemned the Opposition’s conduct and schooled the members on following Parliamentary protocols. "Today we all are expecting that all MPs will follow rules and traditions of the House. All the Parliamentarians are waiting to hear the Prime Minister's speech today. Congress doesn't want to listen to the PM's address, but all other members do. Your LoP Lok Sabha doesn't follow the House rules," Rijiju told the House. Mallikarjun objects to remarks on Nehru, Indira Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge took strong objections to ‘humiliation’ of late Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi by BJP lawmakers, apparently referring to citations from controversial books, and insisted that Rahul Gandhi be given a chance to speak in the House. "Parliament means Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The LoP, Lok Sabha, wanted to speak on the country's interests, but was not allowed to speak. How can you run the House like this?" Kharge said. Nadda counters Opposition amid slogan-shouting in Rajya Sabha Nadda, responding to Kharge, said, "The LoP should know that the proceedings of the Lok Sabha cannot be discussed in the Rajya Sabha." While the leaders engaged in fierce arguments, uproar prevailed in the House with Opposition members resorting to slogan-shouting. Earlier, the floor leaders of the INDIA bloc held a meeting inside the Parliament House to deliberate on their strategy to corner the government. (Inputs from IANS)
13 February,2026 04:46 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Forum For People's Collective Efforts (FPCE) has claimed that more than 75 per cent of State Real Estate Regulatory Authorities (RERA) across India have failed to publish their legally required annual reports, an official statement said. The findings come shortly after the Chief Justice of India criticised the functioning of RERA authorities. Under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, publishing an Annual Report is a statutory obligation under Section 78. However, FPCE’s research states that seven states — Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Goa — have never published a single Annual Report, it said. Nine other states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, had initially published reports but later stopped doing so. Among the five states that are up to date — Gujarat, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand — none have followed the reporting format prescribed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in February 2023, according to FPCE, the statement said. Concerns over transparency FPCE President Abhay Upadhyay said that partial data shared by RERA authorities does not present the full picture. He stated that simply publishing figures on registered projects or disposed complaints is not enough. According to him, authorities must also disclose how many housing projects were completed on time, how many refunds were actually paid, and how many recovery orders were executed. The MoHUA reporting format requires detailed information on project completion status, compensation payments, recovery warrants and defaulting builders. FPCE claims that much of this information remains unavailable. Lessons from past housing crisis FPCE referred to the Amitabh Kant Committee Report, which had earlier highlighted a backlog of over four lakh stalled housing units across the country. The report estimated a financial impact of more than Rs 4 lakh crore. Upadhyay warned that without proper monitoring and transparent reporting, similar problems could arise again, leaving homebuyers unprotected even years after the implementation of RERA. Demands for immediate action FPCE has urged the Ministry to direct all RERA authorities to publish Annual Reports in the prescribed format. It has also called on state governments to take action under Sections 82 and 83 of the Act against non-compliant authorities. The organisation further suggested that the law be amended to give the central government powers to remove RERA officials who fail to meet statutory obligations. FPCE stressed that accurate and transparent data is essential for protecting homebuyers and ensuring effective policymaking.
13 February,2026 04:26 PM IST | Bengaluru | Vinod Kumar MenonLeader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday met leaders of farm unions from across the country in Parliament House complex during which the need for a nationwide movement to oppose the India-US interim trade deal as well as safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers and farm labourers was discussed. During the meeting, the farm union leaders expressed their opposition to the India-US trade deal, and conveyed their deep concern for the livelihoods of farmers of corn, soyabean, cotton, fruits and nuts, the Congress said. Gandhi said the trade deal has opened the door for agricultural imports and that many other crops would soon follow, according to the party. The farm leaders and Rahul Gandhi discussed the need for a large-scale national movement to oppose the deal, and safeguard the livelihoods of farmers and farm labourers, it said. The farm leaders who met Gandhi here included All India Kisan Congress chief Sukhpal S Khaira, Ashok Balhara of the Bharatiye Kisan Mazdor Union, Haryana, Baldev S Zira of the BKU Krantikari, R. NandKumar of the Progressive Farmers Front, Amarjit S Mohri of the BKU Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Guramneet S Mangat of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha -- India, and Hameed Malik of the J-K Zamidara Forum, among others. The meeting comes a day after Gandhi asserted that the government can file cases or a privilege motion against him but he will stand strongly with farmers. He had also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being "anti-farmer" and "selling" the country through the India-US interim trade deal. The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha had shared a video statement on X in which he made a scathing attack on the government over the India-US interim trade deal. In a post in Hindi on X along with the video, Gandhi had said, "FIR is filed, a case is registered, or a privilege motion is brought -- I will fight for the farmers.""Any trade deal that takes away the farmers' livelihood or weakens the country's food security is anti-farmer. We will not let the anti-farmer Modi government compromise on the interests of the food providers," he had said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
13 February,2026 03:42 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIWest Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, on Friday congratulated the Prime Minister-designate, Tarique Rahman over the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) emphatic victory in the general elections in the neighbouring country, which was conducted on Thursday, with the results becoming clear on Friday morning. In a statement posted on the wall of her official social media handle, Chief Minister Banerjee also congratulated the people of Bangladesh for their participation in the general elections, which were conducted more or less peacefully on Thursday. “My hearty congratulations, 'Shubhonandan', to all my brothers and sisters, all the people in Bangladesh. My advance Ramazan Mubarak to all of them. For this great victory, my congratulations to my Tarique-Bhai, his party, and all the parties. Pray, you all will be well and happy. Wish that our relations with Bangladesh will always be cordial,” the Chief Minister said in her social media post. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Tarique Rahman and the BNP leadership over the victory in the Bangladesh elections. “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Tarique Rahman for leading the BNP to a decisive victory in the parliamentary elections held in Bangladesh. This result reflects the confidence of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership. India will continue to extend its support for a democratic, progressive, and inclusive Bangladesh. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our multifaceted relationship and advance our shared development goals,” the Prime Minister said. However, neither the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, nor the BJP’s state president in West Bengal, Samik Bhattacharya, had issued any statement on the Bangladesh elections at the time the report was filed. The former state BJP President in West Bengal and the current Union Minister of State, Sukanta Majumdar, just shared the Prime Minister’s statement on the wall of his social media handle. Only the former BJP state president in West Bengal, Dilip Ghosh, made a brief comment to mediapersons that he was hopeful of improvement in the relations between India and Bangladesh in the coming days. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
13 February,2026 03:04 PM IST | Kolkata | IANSA 32-year-old man from Pune was found dead in a gorge near Lion’s Point, Lonavala in Maharashtra, in the early hours of Thursday. The man worked with an IT company in Baner, Pune. According to preliminary information by Shivdurg rescue team- Lonavala, his car was found parked at Lion’s Point early on Thursday morning. "He had reportedly sent messages and emails to his friends and wife in the early hours, following which a search was launched in the nearby gorge. The body was located around 250 feet below the point where the vehicle was parked," said a member from Shivdurg rescue team- Lonavala. Maharashtra Police initiate probe into the incident Members of the Shivdurg rescue team conducted the search and recovery operation. The body was retrieved around 4.30 am and handed over to the police for further procedure. Police have initiated an investigation into the incident.
13 February,2026 02:40 PM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet JadhavPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated Barbados PM Mia Amor Mottley on her third consecutive electoral victory. PM Modi expressed readiness to work closely with Mottley to further strengthen bilateral ties for the benefit of the people of the two nations. "Warm congratulations to Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley on her historic third consecutive electoral victory. India deeply values its long-standing friendship with Barbados, which continues to expand across diverse areas of cooperation. I warmly recall our meeting on the sidelines of the India-CARICOM Summit in 2024 and look forward to working closely with her to further strengthen our partnership for the benefit of our peoples," PM Modi posted on X. Warm congratulations to Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley on her historic third consecutive electoral victory. India deeply values its long-standing friendship with Barbados, which continues to expand across diverse areas of cooperation. I warmly recall our meeting on the… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 13, 2026 PM Modi's congratulatory message came after Barbados Labour Party (BLP) claimed every seat in the House of Assembly for the third consecutive general election, delivering yet another 30-0 mandate to Mia Amor Mottley. Mottley marked the election win by announcing on Friday a national public holiday and a national thanksgiving and celebration rally to be held at the National Botanical Gardens on Saturday, 'Barbados Today' reported. She said, "Friday will be a national bank holiday in Barbados." "All roads on Saturday afternoon, 4 pm at the National Botanical Gardens. Saturday is not only the day of love. Saturday is the day of red, red, red," Barbados Today quoted her as saying. In November 2024, PM Modi and his Barbados counterpart Mia Amor Mottley held a meeting on the margins of the India-CARICOM Summit in Guyana's Georgetown and reviewed cooperation across several key areas, including health, Pharma, climate change action, culture and people-to-people ties. India and Barbados share friendly bilateral ties, and this relationship is reinforced by the two nations' commonwealth membership, the English language and love for cricket, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Both countries interact actively in the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Barbados has committed support for India’s bid for Permanent Membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). India and Barbados work closely with each other in multilateral fora. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
13 February,2026 01:31 PM IST | New Delhi | IANSUttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed the organisation of special medical and health camps for journalists, considering their lifestyle, heavy workload, and irregular routines. In compliance with these instructions, a one-day medical camp was organised on Thursday at the Haldwani Media Centre by the Information and Public Relations Department in collaboration with the Health and Medical Department. District Magistrate Lalit Mohan Rayal, Chief Medical Officer Nainital, and Joint Director Information Nitin Upadhyay attended the camp and reviewed the health services being provided. On this occasion, the District Magistrate said that healthy journalism is the foundation of a strong democracy, as free, fair, and fearless media play an important role in making the administration accountable and spreading awareness in society. He also said that the state government is sensitive towards the health and welfare of media representatives and ensuring their health security is among its priorities. In line with the public welfare vision of Chief Minister Dhami, the camp provided modern health facilities, including X-ray, ECG, BP, sugar, thyroid, and various blood tests. During the camp, cardiologists, orthopaedic specialists, gynaecologists, ophthalmologists, dentists, and physicians conducted comprehensive health check-ups of the beneficiaries. Necessary medicines were also distributed free of cost after the tests. Media representatives from print, electronic, and social media, along with their family members, from Haldwani, Ramnagar, Lalkuan, and Kaladhungi, participated in the camp. More than 100 journalists and their family members benefited from the camp. Joint Director Information Nitin Upadhyay, who was present at the camp, said that as per government instructions, such health camps will be organised from time to time in all regions so that maximum media personnel and common citizens can benefit from quality health services. This camp is an excellent example of the state government's visionary approach, under which health services are being expanded to every section of society with the spirit of "Health for All, Development for All." The camp was jointly inaugurated by District Chief Medical Officer Dr. Harish Chandra Pant and Joint Director Information Nitin Upadhyay. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
13 February,2026 12:43 PM IST | Uttarakhand | ANIA 33-year-old man was killed and another critically injured in a late-evening firing incident in Goregaon town of Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra, stemming from a long-standing rivalry between two groups, police said. Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra: A violent clash broke out late at night in Ghodegaon, Nevasa taluka, due to an old rivalry between two groups. In the firing, Nitin Vilas Shirsath (33) died, while Suraj Fulmali (23) from the rival group was seriously injured( Visuals From the Hospital… pic.twitter.com/aeuylJg2RN — IANS (@ians_india) February 13, 2026 The victim was identified as Nitin Vilas Shirsath, while Suraj Fulmali (23) from the rival group, sustained grievous injuries and is undergoing treatment. Ahilyanagar Police say old dispute led to firing Superintendent of Police Somnath Gharge told IANS: "This evening in Goregaon, which is a town area, an incident occurred at a hospital involving Nitin Shirsath and another person, Suraj Fulmali. They had a dispute with each other during which one side opened fire. Nitin died, and Suraj is injured. Police is investigating. The primary information that we have got is that they had a fight with each other due to some old issues. And one of them fired at the other." Police have registered a case under relevant sections and launched a probe to identify all involved parties and gather evidence. Authorities have assured strict action against those responsible. Further details are awaited.
13 February,2026 12:28 PM IST | MumbaiTelangana's ruling Congress party has taken the initial lead in the municipal elections as the counting of votes is underway on Friday. The Congress party secured majority in six municipalities while main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) bagged on municipality. Over 73 per cent voters had cast their votes in the municipal elections in 116 municipalities and seven corporations on Wednesday. Counting of votes was taken up from 8 a.m. on Friday amid tight security. Out of 2,582 wards in municipalities, results were declared for 400 seats by 10.30 a.m. The Congress party bagged 229 wards while BRS secured 123 wards. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was distant third with 36 seats. The first result among municipalities went in favour of BRS. It won 14 out of 18 wards in Gaddapotaram municipality in Sangareddy district. The Congress party could get three seats. The Congress party secured majorities in Nandikonda and Halia municipalities in Nalgonda district, Ashwaraopet in Khammam district, Dornakal and Maripeda in Mahabubabad district, and Sultabanad in Peddapalli district. A total of 52,17,413 voters were eligible to cast their votes in 2,981 wards in the 123 urban local bodies. According to State Election Commission (SEC), 38,09,406 voters cast their votes. The voter turnout in municipalities was 75.88 per cent while in municipal corporations 66.05 per cent electorate exercised their franchise. The political fortunes of 12,944 candidates were sealed in the ballot boxes. Polling was held for 2,569 wards in 116 municipalities. Twelve candidates in nine municipalities were elected unopposed. A total of 10,719 candidates were in the fray 116 municipalities. They include 2,358 candidates of Congress party, 2,478 of BRS and 2,252 of BJP. Polling was held in 412 wards in seven municipal corporations. Candidates in two wards in Mahabubnagar and Ramagundam were elected unopposed. As many as 2,225 candidates were in fray in these corporations. They included 410 candidates of Congress, 401 of BRS and 382 of BJP. Notification for elections to Municipal chairpersons and vice-chairpersons and corporation mayors and deputy mayors will be issued on Saturday. Newly-elected councillors and corporators will take oath on February 16 (Monday) and the same day they will elect Municipal chairpersons and vice-chairpersons and corporation mayors and deputy mayors. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
13 February,2026 12:27 PM IST | Hyderabad | IANSADVERTISEMENT
-1770990169386_d.png?tr=w-436,h-271 "ED books Dr Namratha in surrogacy racket probe. Representational Image")
-1770974453478_d.png "LoP Rahul Gandhi. File Pic")
-1770973910166_d.png "Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. File Pic")
