In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, East Agartala Police seized a massive consignment of 1,10,000 Yaba tablets from a hotel in the city. The raid was conducted at Woodland Park Hotel, Room No. 207, in Moth Chowmohani which led to the arrest of three individuals. During the operation, the police recovered one large trolley bag containing 11 yellow plastic packets, each filled with 10,000 Yaba tablets, Rs 1,600 in Indian currency, and three smart mobile phones. "Today, we received secret information that drug smuggling was taking place at Hotel Wooden Park. Acting swiftly, we formed a team under the leadership of the SDPO (Sadar) and the OC (East Police Station) and conducted a raid. During the operation, we arrested three individuals from Room No. 7", Dr Kiran Kumar K, SP, West Tripura said. The arrested individuals have been identified as Sadul Hussain Talukdar (32), a resident of Dudh Patil, Silchar Sadar; Nayan Mani NamaSudhra (29), a resident of North Kachu Chara under Kachuchara PS; and Biswajit Biswas (28), a resident of Purba Dulo Chara under Salema PS. "Upon searching their belongings, we discovered a trolley bag containing eleven packets. Each packet held approximately 10,000 Yaba tablets, making a total of 110,000 tablets. The estimated market value of these drugs is around Rs 5.5 crore. We quickly secured the contraband and arrested the suspects", he said. The operation was carried out under SDPO Sadar, Debaprasad Roy, O/C East Agartala PS, Rana Chatterjee, SI Dilip Das, SI Subendu Das, and SI Amlesh Debbarma. "The mastermind behind this operation has been identified as Sadul Hossain Talukdar, a notorious drug dealer from Assam. Another suspect, Nayan Moni Namashudra, is from Khowai, while Biswajit Biswas is from Dhalai. The key figure behind the smuggling ring is based in Assam and is known to be a major trafficker of narcotics", SP Kiran Kumar K added. "We have taken them into custody and will seek remand for further interrogation. A case will be registered against them under the NDPS Act. Our goal is to extract all possible information about their network. This raid is one of the biggest operations we have conducted in the past three months", he said. OC Chatterjee also stated that the case has been registered under East Agartala PS Case No. 2025/EAG/035 dated 21/03/2025 under sections 22(C), 27(A), and 29 of the NDPS Act. The seizure marks a significant success in the fight against narcotics in the region. Authorities are now investigating further links to the smuggling network, and the arrested individuals are in police custody, with legal proceedings. 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
22 March,2025 10:54 AM IST | Agartala | ANIHitting out at DMK over its opposition to the three-language formula, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said no attempt should be made to divide the nation on the basis of language and "some people are using language as a cover to hide their scams and corruption". Amit Shah, who was replying to the debate in the Rajya Sabha on the working of his ministry, said the Tamil Nadu government "does not have the courage" to translate medical and engineering study material into Tamil. "I would like to say something so that those who divide the country in the name of language do not get their agenda. Under the Department of Official Languages, Narendra Modi government has set up Indian Languages Section which will work to enhance the use of all Indian languages - Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese, Bengali, all languages. After December, I will have written correspondence with citizens, CMs, Ministers and MPs in their own language," Amit Shah said. Without naming DMK, he accused it of using language issue to hide scams. "This is a strong reply to those who run their shops in the name of language to hide their corruption...What are they saying? That we oppose languages of the south? How can this be possible?...I come from Guajrat, Nirmala Sitharanan from Tamil Nadu. How can we oppose this? What are you saying?" he said. Amit Shah said when an NDA government comes to power in Tamil Nadu, it will provide medical and engineering course in Tamil. "We have worked for languages...I would like to tell Tamil Nadu Government - we have been saying for two years that you do not have the courage to translate medical and engineering study material into Tamil...You cannot do this. When an NDA government comes to power (in Tamil Nadu), we will provide medical and engineering course in Tamil, in Tamil Nadu," he said. The Home Minister said that Hindi has no competition with any other Indian language and is a friend of all Indian languages. "I would like to tell those who spread poison in the name of language that you like languages from thousands of kilometres away but you do not language of India...I have said this again and again Hindi has no competition with any other Indian language. Hindi is a friend of all Indian languages, all Indian languages strengthen from Hindi and Hindi strengthens from all Indian languages," he said. He also said that the BJP will expose DMK's "wrongdoings" by visiting every village and engaging with the public. There has been a stalemate between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government over the implementation of the three-language formula as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Union Home Minister said that the Inter-State Council operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs and works to resolve issues between the center and the states. Between 2004 and 2014, only 11 meetings of the Zonal Council were held, but since 2014, 27 meetings have taken place. The Standing Committee had 14 meetings between 2004 and 2014, but since 2014, 33 meetings have been held. In the past, only 448 issues were resolved in the Zonal Council meetings, but during our government, 1280 issues have been resolved. He said that the Inter-State Council is an important tool in strengthening our federal structure. Amit Shah said that the Vibrant Village Programme is important initiative. There has been migration from villages located in difficult conditions on the country's borders in search of better facilities, and a country whose border villages are empty can never be safe. Earlier, the villages located on the borders were called the "last villages," but due to the new approach of the Modi government, these are now called the "first villages." In the next few years, these villages will also become the first in terms of facilities, and this is the aim of the Vibrant Village Programme. Under this programme, 90 per cent of the funding is from the central government, and 10 per cent from the state government. In the first phase, 455 villages from Arunachal Pradesh, 75 from Himachal Pradesh, 51 from Uttarakhand, 46 from Sikkim, and 35 from Ladakh have been adopted under this programme. The Union Home Minister said that many efforts have been made for border security. He mentioned that "out of the total 12 Land Ports, 11 have been established during our time, and through these Land Ports, trade worth Rs70,959 crore and the movement of over 30 million passengers have taken place". Amit Shah further stated that the government has plans for a total of 26 Land Ports. He said that the Padma Awards have been given to people who were heroes to ordinary citizens and dedicated their entire lives to bringing small changes in society and the country. 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
22 March,2025 10:53 AM IST | New Delhi | ANIGovernment has “zero tolerance policy” towards terrorism, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday as he also asserted that Maoism will end in India by March 2026. Replying to a debate in Rajya Sabha on the working of the home ministry, he said the Narendra Modi government fulfilled the dream of the architects of the Constitution by abrogating Article 370. Shah said the issue of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, left-wing extremism, and insurgency in the Northeast were among the biggest challenges for India. He also said the number of deaths of civilians and security personnel in terror incidents has drastically come down, while there has been zero incidents of stone pelting in the Kashmir valley. “There has been a 70 per cent reduction in deaths due to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir during Modi govt; terror incidents too fell sharply,” he said. Shah also said grassroots level democracy has been established in Jammu and Kashmir by successfully holding elections in urban and rural local bodies. He also accused previous governments of not taking action against Naxalism. “By March 21, 2026, Maoism will end in this country,” he said. Talking about the Northeast, Shah said the region is by and large peaceful, and ever since the Modi government came to power, a new era of development has been ushered in. 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
22 March,2025 08:07 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesThe Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday announced a major organisational reshuffle, naming former minister Saurabh Bharadwaj as president of its Delhi unit and senior leader Manish Sisodia as its in-charge for Punjab, over a month after losing the Assembly polls in its home turf, Delhi. While Bharadwaj replaces Gopal Rai, Sisodia takes charge of Punjab, the only state in the country where the AAP is currently in power. The decisions were made during a meeting of the AAP's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) at the residence of party supremo Arvind Kejriwal. AAP General Secretary (Organisation) Sandeep Pathak, after the meeting, said Rai would now be in charge of Gujarat, where the party is aiming to expand its base. “We will strengthen the party and expand the organisation,” said Bharadwaj after his appointment. Sisodia, in a post on X, thanked Kejriwal and the party leadership for giving him the responsibility to work as in-charge of Punjab. 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
22 March,2025 08:04 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesEighteen BJP MLAs were suspended for six months from the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Friday for “disrespecting” Speaker U T Khader after a resolution, was moved by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister. The incident occurred on the last day of the Assembly’s budget session, when BJP MLAs staged a massive protest. They climbed onto the podium and threw papers at the Speaker. The protest was sparked by opposition anger over the allocation of a four percent reservation to Muslims in public contracts. Earlier, the BJP had protested, accusing the state government of attempting to “honey trap” a minister and demanding a judicial probe into the matter. Among those suspended are BJP chief whip Doddanna Gouda Patil, C N Ashwath Narayan, B A Basavaraju, M R Patil, Sharanu Salagar, Yashpal Suvarna, B P Harish, Bharat Shetty, Muniratna and Basavaraj Mattimood. 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
22 March,2025 08:02 AM IST | Bengaluru | AgenciesFollowing reports of alleged cash discovery from sitting Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma’s official home, the Supreme Court on Friday said the Delhi High Court chief justice had initiated an in-house inquiry against him and the proposal to transfer him to the Allahabad High Court was separate. The purported discovery of a huge stash of cash happened following a fire at Varma’s Lutyens Delhi residence at around 11.35 pm on March 14, prompting the Delhi fire department personnel to rush to the spot and douse it. Delhi Fire Services Chief Atul Garg, however, denied claims of the cash discovery by the fire fighters. The incident created ripples in the legal circuit, with many voices calling for the judge’s resignation while criticising the Supreme Court collegium decision to transfer him. To put to rest the supposed conjectures, the top court issued a statement which read, “There is misinformation and rumours being spread with regard to the incident at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma.” While confirming reports that the apex court collegium met to discuss the matter, the top court said Delhi High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya would submit a report to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna in this matter. Upon receiving the information, the apex court said, Justice Upadhyaya “commenced the in-house enquiry procedure collecting evidence and information”. The Supreme Court further said the proposal for transfer of Justice Varma, who is the second senior-most judge in the Delhi HC, to the Allahabad HC was “independent and separate from the in-house enquiry procedure”. The apex court said the proposal for transfer him was examined by the apex court collegium comprising the CJI and four senior-most judges on March 20, and thereafter letters were shot off to the consultee judges of the top court, the chief justices of the high courts concerned apart from Justice Varma. ‘Not trash bin’ The Allahabad High Court Bar Association on Friday opposed the transfer of Delhi HC judge Justice Yashwant Varma, saying it was not a “trash bin”. In a resolution passed soon after the news of the judge’s transfer by a Supreme Court collegium was reported, the association said, “We were taken aback that the Supreme Court has transferred Justice Yashwant Varma back to Allahabad High Court.” The resolution, naming association president and senior advocate Anil Tiwari as the signatory, claims that the discovery of the “unaccounted money” from the judge’s house was of “R15 crore”. “The Supreme Court has taken cognisance of the matter immediately and unanimously decided to repatriate Justice Yashwant Varma to Allahabad High Court,” it said. The statement added, “The decision of the collegium raises a serious question as to whether the Allahabad high Court is a trash bin?” Aside from expressing concerns over Justice Varma’s transfer, the statement referred to issues such as the shortage of judges there and the supreme court “time and again” censuring the high court. 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
22 March,2025 08:00 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesMeerut Police have busted an illegal international telephone exchange operating from a house, which was allegedly being used to convert international VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calls into local voice calls, causing significant revenue losses to the Indian Government, officials said on Friday. Four men have been arrested, while three others are absconding. Over 200 SIM cards, SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) boxes, and other communication equipment were allegedly recovered from the accused, police said. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rakesh Kumar Mishra said the illegal exchange, running from the upper floor of Junaid's house in Lakhipura, was exposed during a raid led by Lisadi Gate SHO (Station House Officer) Subhash Chandra Gautam and SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) team in-charge Arun Kumar Mishra. Apart from Junaid, his brother Shakib, as well as two other accused, Aris and Asif, have been arrested, while efforts are underway to apprehend the absconding accused, identified as Shahrukh, Zeeshan, and Haji Irfan. According to the police, the accused had been illegally converting international VoIP calls into regular voice calls, making it difficult to trace caller identities and resulting in financial losses to the exchequer. The gang allegedly earned Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 daily through this operation. Investigations revealed that Junaid and Zeeshan allegedly hatched the plan and secured an investment of Rs 4 lakh from Haji Irfan, who was promised 60 per cent of the profits. They then roped in Asif, who set up the exchange for Rs 3.45 lakh with the help of Shahrukh, who provided SIM cards, SIM boxes, and technical expertise, the official said. The exchange was initially tested at Rizwan's house in Dehradun before being shifted to Meerut in November 2024, he said. A case has been registered against the accused at Lisadi Gate police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Indian Telegraph Act, and the IT (Information Technology) Act. The police said the operation posed a serious national security threat, as it masked caller identities and made it difficult to track suspicious communications. 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.
22 March,2025 01:02 AM IST | Meerut | PTIThe Maharashtra Government's Labour Department has initiated an inquiry into the Pune bus fire incident in the Hinjewadi area of the district that claimed the lives of four employees of a factory, news agency ANI reported. Additional Labour Commissioner Abhay Gite said on Friday that a thorough investigation would be conducted to ascertain compliance with labour laws at the factory in question. "As far as the Labour Department is concerned, we have sent our officials to the concerned factory, and we are going to investigate it under various labour laws. If we find any violations or non-compliance, we are going to prosecute them," Gite told ANI. The tragedy has prompted the department to prioritise the welfare of the deceased workers' families. Authorities have assured that the necessary benefits under the Workmen's Compensation Act would be provided, ANI reported. "We have informed the Workmen's Compensation Commissioner through a letter this morning to ensure that the families receive the benefits as expected," Additional Labour Commissioner Gite added. The investigation will also examine other aspects, including if payments and bonuses were appropriately disbursed to the workers and whether the factory adhered to regulations under the Motor Transport Vehicle Act for its transport vehicles. "If any violations of labour laws are found, we will take action against the factory," he said. Four employees of Vyoma Graphics, based in the Hinjewadi area of Pune district, were killed in the fire incident on Wednesday. Six others also sustained injuries in the Pune bus fire incident. According to Pimpri Chinchwad police, the bus driver, identified as Janardan Hambardikar, allegedly "premeditated" the Pune bus fire incident. Tragically, the emergency exit door at the rear of the bus could not be opened, contributing to the fatalities. The victims, identified as Shankar Shinde, Rajan Chavan, Gurudas Lokare, and Subhash Bhosale, were among the 14 employees being transported from Warje to Hinjewadi. Following these revelations, the Pimpri Chinchwad Police filed a first information report (FIR) against Hambardikar under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The accused has been arrested, and further investigations are underway. Police investigations suggest that the bus driver harboured grievances against his colleagues and was enraged over not receiving his salary on time, the lack of a Diwali bonus, extra work, and daily disputes with his co-workers. This led him to orchestrate the Pune bus fire incident as an act of revenge, they said. Meanwhile, a team of Pimpri Chinchwad Police also reached the Vyoma Factory for the investigation on Friday. Niten Shah, the factory owner of Vyoma Graphics, told reporters, "I am in shock... A police investigation is ongoing. We are fully cooperating with the Police. We are helping the injured get medical treatment. We are taking care of everyone [the employees who were on the bus]." "They are all like an extended family to us... The driver's salary is not pending," he added. (With ANI inputs)
22 March,2025 12:33 AM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis arrived in Nagpur late on Friday evening for the first time after Vidarbha's largest city experienced violence earlier this week, news agency PTI reported. Stone-pelting and arson were reported in several parts of Nagpur on Monday following rumours that a 'chadar' with holy inscriptions had been burned during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which was calling for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. The CM will be staying overnight in Nagpur and has no public engagements, an official confirmed. According to PTI, sources indicated that he may meet the media on Saturday and visit the riot-affected areas of the city. Earlier in the day, the CM stated that social media posts should have been tracked more effectively on the day of the violence in Nagpur, as it would have helped the police understand what was being planned. However, he denied that there was any intelligence failure, asserting that the police response was appropriate and could not be deemed inadequate. "Some social media posts had content in Bengali, which is also spoken in Bangladesh. It needs to be ascertained whether this is part of a larger design," the CM said at an event. He added that social media should have been monitored more closely in the afternoon, the day the violence erupted. "It was not done the way it should have been," said the CM, who hails from Nagpur and heads the home department. Court sends 17 Nagpur violence accused in police custody until Saturday Messages were sent via social media calling for people to gather, Fadnavis explained, adding that these individuals are being arrested. "We have the capability, but the habit [of tracking social media posts] needs to be inculcated. Had social media been tracked properly that afternoon, we would have known what was being planned," he said. During the Nagpur violence, the problem was not on the main roads but in narrow lanes, Fadnavis noted. "The police showed the courage to venture into these lanes and face the situation. That’s why the situation did not escalate," he said, defending the police. Earlier, police had stated that they had identified and reported more than 140 objectionable posts and videos across social media platforms, aimed at inciting communal unrest over the Nagpur violence. Thirty-three police personnel, including three Deputy Commissioner of Police-rank officers, were injured during the violence on Monday. A court in Nagpur has remanded 17 accused in the case into police custody until Saturday, PTI reported. Police have charged Fahim Khan, the key accused in the violence, and five others with sedition and spreading misinformation on social media. On Tuesday, Fadnavis assured the Maharashtra Assembly that no one involved in the Nagpur violence would be spared. He also stated that the film 'Chhaava', based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, depicted true history, which had led to people's emotions overflowing. "The people are showing their anger towards Aurangzeb," Fadnavis said, referring to renewed calls from various groups to remove the Mughal emperor’s tomb from Khultabad in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Meanwhile, when asked which Thackeray — Uddhav or Raj — he is closest to, Fadnavis responded, "In the last five years, I had no ties with Uddhav ji and I have been in touch with Raj. There is no fight [with Uddhav]. If we come across each other, we talk, but there are no ties left." He also confirmed that the ruling Mahayuti, comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), will contest local body elections, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, together. "There could be one or the other civic body where an alliance might not work out. But the overall resolve is to contest together," he added. (With PTI inputs)
21 March,2025 11:49 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondentCongress leader Shashi Tharoor slammed the Centre over private members' business "scrubbed" from the Lok Sabha's revised list of business on Friday and wondered whether Parliament exists only for the government to pursue its own agenda. Tharoor pointed out that there has been no private members' business in the Lok Sabha since July 2024. "I was ready to introduce three Private Members' Bills today on important national issues. MPs are normally given opportunities every other Friday to introduce their Bills when Parliament is in session. But yet again, the item for private members' business was scrubbed from the Lok Sabha's revised list of business today, the Friday when it was due," the Congress MP from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram said in a post on X. There has been no private members' business in the Lok Sabha since July 2024, he pointed out. "Does Parliament exist only for the government to pursue its own agenda?" the former Union minister asked. In July last year, Tharoor introduced a private member's bill seeking to reserve 10 seats in the Lok Sabha for those below 35 years of age, asserting that young members are a clear minority in Parliament and this is leading to a "democratic deficit". Tharoor also introduced a private member's bill on Friday, proposing a 1-per cent reservation for transgender people across categories in government establishments, including educational institutions. 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.
21 March,2025 10:59 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIShiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has written to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna seeking disqualification of Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra of Allahabad High Court for delivering a "misguided verdict" in a case of molestation of a minor girl and said the case should be moved to the Supreme Court. In her letter to the Chief Justice, Priyanka Chaturvedi said it was a "flawed judgement by a depraved judge". "It is alarming that when 51 crimes against women happen every hour in the country, this is the level of commitment to women's safety demonstrated by our judicial system," she said. "I request that Justice Ram Manohar Narayan be disqualified for delivering such a misguided verdict. Further, the case should be moved to the Supreme Court to ensure justice for the girl and her family. Finally, periodic sensitisation training must be conducted for judges at all levels to prevent such insensitive judgements in the future. I urge you to take the necessary action for the same," she added. The letter cited paragraphs from the judgement. "In the present case, the allegation against accused Pawan and Akash is that they grabbed the breasts of the victim and Akash tried to bring down lower garment of the victim and for that purpose they had broken string of her lower garments and tried to drag her beneath the culvert, but due to intervention of witnesses they left the victim and fled away from the place of incident. This fact is not sufficient to draw an inference that the accused persons had determined to commit rape on victim as apart from these facts no other act is attributed to them to further their alleged desire to commit rape on the victim," Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra said in his judgement. Paragraph 24 of the judgement said that the allegations "levelled against the accused Pawan and Akash and facts of the case hardly constitute an offence of attempt to rape in the case. In order to bring out a charge of attempt to rape the prosecution must establish that it had gone beyond the stage of preparation. The difference between preparation and actual attempt to commit an offence consists chiefly in the greater degree of determination". Chaturvedi said the quoted sections of the judgement clearly highlight that despite physical assault and an attempt to bring down the minor girl's lower garment, the judge has not considered it as an attempt to rape. "Moreover, it is questionable what a 'preparation stage' to rape constitutes and why it is not viewed as an attempt to rape," she 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.
21 March,2025 10:56 PM IST | New Delhi | ANIADVERTISEMENT
