India's news, from every side

Police book judge on evidence-destruction charge in Kochi Mercedes crash

Latest: Police book judge on fresh charge of attempting to destroy evidence in Kochi crash case

Police have booked the additional district judge on fresh charges of attempting to destroy evidence, after the victim's family alleged he forced an officer to delete a photo of his son at the crash site. The October 25 crash killed scooter rider Jayabalakrishnan, and the car was allegedly driven by the judge's 17-year-old son. The Kerala government removed Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar on October 28, naming R Nishanthini as successor, a day after four Cheranalloor police personnel were suspended. The judge, earlier booked under Section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act and for culpable homicide, has interim protection from arrest from the Kerala High Court and told the court he was asleep and unaware his son took the car. Police have moved court to cancel the teenager's bail, and one outlet reported the sessions court denied bail.

Azam Khan moves Supreme Court against ED arrest

Latest: Azam Khan challenges ED arrest in Supreme Court; bench refuses urgent listing, says plea may be heard this week

Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan has moved the Supreme Court against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate and the Ghaziabad special court's remand order. A bench led by CJI Surya Kant refused urgent listing and said the plea may be listed this week. Khan is in judicial custody until November 13 after the ED arrested him on his release in the dual PAN card case. The agency alleges government funds were diverted to build Jauhar University, and some reports say its case rests on 58 FIRs, while his lawyers say the arrest is illegal and politically motivated.

Guwahati hotel shooting accused taken to scene for recreation

Latest: Victim's daughter objects to security for accused Gogoi; court order bars torture and requires medical checks

Police say five people were killed and one injured in firing at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati's Ulubari on the night of October 26, and that four of the dead were from one family. Leaseholder Ghanakanta Gogoi was arrested and remanded to seven days of police custody, with the court reportedly ordering no torture, medical checks every 24 hours and adequate security during evidence recovery. A six-member SIT was formed and on November 2 he was taken to the hotel for crime scene recreation. Police suspect a dispute over the lease and its renewal, his wife was questioned, and a victim's daughter has reportedly demanded the harshest punishment.

Supreme Court dismisses NIA plea against Khurram Parvez's bail

A Supreme Court bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and P.B. Varale declined to interfere with the Delhi High Court's bail order for Khurram Parvez. The NIA alleges a Lashkar-e-Taiba-linked conspiracy, while the High Court cited Article 21 liberty and the long delay in trial.

Tamil Nadu raises government job age limit by five years

Latest: More outlets confirm Tamil Nadu's five-year age relaxation, adding Group II/IIA and differently abled limits

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay ordered a five-year rise in the upper age limit for direct recruitment to Tamil Nadu government services, according to an official release. The relaxation responds to representations from competitive exam aspirants, applies on top of existing concessions and stays in force for five years from October 30, with Group I general category limit going from 32 to 37 years and Group II and IIA from 30 to 35.

ED attaches Azam Khan-linked Jauhar University assets in Rampur

Latest: Economic Times repeats ED's claim that Jauhar University assets worth Rs 1,170 crore were attached

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) provisionally attached land and buildings of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur under the money laundering law. It put the attached value at Rs 426.46 crore and the market value at about Rs 1,170 crore, and said its probe, which began from 26 FIRs and included searches on 19 August, continues; the claims are the agency's allegations.

SC not satisfied with NBEMS's limited NEET-PG answer key disclosure

The Supreme Court said it was not satisfied with NBEMS's policy of limited disclosure of NEET-PG answer keys and asked it to file written submissions. NBEMS argued that the question bank is limited and a national asset, while a petitioners' lawyer said past papers were sold on Amazon.

BJP wins six, SP five of 11 UP council seats

Latest: UP council tally put at BJP six, SP five as SP wins both Varanasi seats

The BJP won six and the SP five of 11 UP Legislative Council seats, with the SP taking both Varanasi seats and the Lucknow Graduates' seat, according to later reports. Earlier, PM Modi said on X that council polls for 28 seats in four states used ballot papers and asked how many seats Congress won, with outlets reporting Congress won none. Akhilesh Yadav alleged malpractice and called the result a PDA victory, while Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said the SP won where it should not have and the BJP would review the results. UP minister Dayashankar Singh said the SP had only held its own seats apart from Lucknow.

Rafale Marine jet lands on INS Vikrant for first time

A Rafale Marine jet flown by French pilots landed on INS Vikrant on 29 October, reportedly on its first attempt, and later took off. India has ordered 26 of the jets for about ₹63,000 crore, and the trials are meant to adapt the jet to the carrier's ski-jump system.

Andhra Pradesh civic polls begin, TDP-YSRCP workers clash in Pulivendula

Polling in Andhra Pradesh's urban local body elections began at 7 am on Sunday and runs until 5 pm, with counting set for November 3. Police say TDP and YSRCP workers clashed and threw stones in Pulivendula, and a large security force has been deployed statewide.

SC orders expelled JD(U) MLA Anant Singh to surrender by December 1

The Supreme Court cancelled the Patna High Court's bail to expelled JD(U) MLA Anant Singh in the Dularchand Yadav murder case and told him to surrender by December 1. It also asked Bihar Police to finish the investigation within four months, while Singh denies the allegations and calls the case a political conspiracy.

BJP-JD(S) win all four Karnataka Legislative Council seats

Latest: Analysis says Congress now has 37 Council members as insiders admit internal fissures after sweep

The BJP and JD(S) won all four Karnataka Legislative Council seats, two Graduates' and two Teachers', in ballot-paper polls held on 23 October. The BJP won three seats and the JD(S) took Bengaluru Teachers' by 908 votes. CM D K Shivakumar said Congress accepts the verdict and will review the results, while BJP leaders, including Yediyurappa, PM Modi and Union ministers, used the result to attack Congress. Analysts noted that only graduates and teachers vote in these polls, so the result cannot be read directly as a statewide verdict, and the government's Council majority is not threatened, though one analysis said Congress insiders admit internal fissures and its strength is now 37 of 75.

Omar Abdullah adds four ministers to J&K cabinet

Latest: BJP's Sunil Sharma says expanded J&K cabinet lacks regional and cultural balance, calls NC discontent internal

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha swore in four National Conference leaders, taking the J&K cabinet to nine including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Independent MLA Satish Sharma was dropped, an independent MLA boycotted the oath and some NC supporters protested. Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma of the BJP said the cabinet lacks regional and cultural balance, while Congress said it will not join until statehood is restored.

IAF chief Dixit outlines 'VAYU' vision, stresses squadron revival

Latest: Dixit's first address names Tejas, AMCA and squadron revival as top priorities

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit took charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff, succeeding AP Singh, who retired. In his first address he outlined a 'VAYU' vision of vigilance, self-reliance, ingenuity and unity of effort, naming restoration of combat squadron strength as his foremost task and the Tejas Mk-1A, Mk-2 and AMCA as key indigenous priorities. Reports put current strength at about 29 to 30 squadrons against a sanctioned 42.5 and note the pending 114-Rafale deal. Outlets differ on whether he took over on 31 October or 1 November.

EPFO launches WhatsApp service for PF balance and passbook

Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched the service on EPFO's 74th Foundation Day, letting members see balance, passbook details and the last five transactions on WhatsApp. Two outlets report that users complained of errors and missing OTPs soon after launch, while EPFO had not publicly responded at the time of writing.

Delhi winter pollution plan: Rs 68.4 lakh fines, new school rules

Latest: Delhi schools told to improve ventilation and curb dust under Winter Action Plan, alongside day-one fines

On day one of Delhi's Winter Action Plan, officials say Rs 68.4 lakh was collected in fines and environmental compensation, with 1,539 of 14,930 checked vehicles turned back and 566 challaned for lacking pollution certificates. Separately, a Directorate of Education circular of October 29 asks schools to improve ventilation, control dust and run anti-firecracker campaigns, with air purifiers planned in phases starting with 10,000 government school classrooms.

Centre cuts petrol export duty to nil, raises diesel, ATF levies

The Finance Ministry notified a nil export duty on petrol and higher duties on diesel and ATF, effective October 31. Diesel's combined levy rose to Rs 11.5 per litre from Rs 8.5, and ATF's to Rs 11 from Rs 10.5.

Two foreigners die in suspected Bengaluru hotel pool electrocution

Latest: Explainer puts incident at 5:15 pm on 30 October, raises hotel pool safety questions

Two foreign guests, a German Lufthansa crew member and a Slovak national, died around 5:15 pm on Friday, 30 October, after suspected electric shocks in the third-floor pool of the Conrad hotel in Bengaluru. Two people who tried to rescue them were hurt, and police have registered a case and are examining the pool's electrical systems, while an explainer on 2 November raised wider questions about hotel pool safety.

Supreme Court names Justice Ranjana Desai mediator in Reliance gas dispute

The Supreme Court appointed former judge Ranjana Prakash Desai as sole mediator in the KG Basin gas migration dispute between the Reliance-led consortium and the Centre. She is to take help from two domain experts suggested by the parties, after settlement talks did not produce a solution.

ED registers money laundering case against Zee founder Subhash Chandra

Officials say the Enforcement Directorate has registered a PMLA case against Subhash Chandra, based on a CBI FIR over two loans from LIC Housing Finance. The FIR alleges a loss of ₹1,322 crore; the allegations remain under investigation.

Ladakh women's groups suspend liquor policy protest after written assurance

Four women's wings of Buddhist, Shia, Sunni and Christian organisations suspended their dharna after a Home Department letter accepted their demands in principle, according to Sonam Wangchuk. The organisations said the administration sought a week to formalise the agreement.

Supreme Court seeks Rahul Gandhi's reply on journalist push plea

Latest: Supreme Court issues notice to Rahul Gandhi, orders CCTV footage of October 12 incident preserved

A Supreme Court bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notice to Rahul Gandhi and others on an application alleging a pregnant journalist was pushed during the 12 October opposition march. The court also directed that CCTV footage and digital records of the incident be preserved. The application seeks an FIR and compensation, and the allegations are unproven. One outlet reports that Congress rejects them and that the next hearing is on 3 November, and another reports, citing police sources, that Delhi Police have registered four FIRs over the march.

Hardeep Puri files Rajya Sabha nomination in Bhopal

Latest: Puri files Rajya Sabha nomination in Bhopal with CM Mohan Yadav; Youth Congress leaders detained

Union petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri filed his nomination in Bhopal on October 31 as the BJP candidate for the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha bypoll on November 12, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav present. Police detained Youth Congress district president Amit Khatri and other leaders before the filing, and Khatri said asking questions and protesting is a citizen's right. The seat fell vacant when L Murugan resigned to focus on Tamil Nadu, and if elected Puri would serve until April 2, 2030. Outlets link the move to Puri's omission from the BJP's Uttar Pradesh list, where his term ends on November 25, and one outlet notes opposition questions over his Epstein emails and photos, with the BJP quoting him as saying the references were misinterpreted.

Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, director of Kaante, dies at 57

Director and producer Sanjay Gupta has died aged 57, according to reports. Outlets said he reportedly fell in his bathroom, and police have registered an accidental death report; the exact cause is not yet known.

Meta restores Fadnavis World Hindu Congress video after removal

Latest: Meta restores Fadnavis World Hindu Congress video, reportedly after earlier removal on a legal request under IT Rules

Meta restored a video of Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis inviting Hindus to the World Hindu Congress on October 29, according to VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal, who alleged bias in Meta's moderation. Meta had restricted the video after it was posted on October 26 and, per one outlet, told organisers it acted on a legal request under the IT Rules; organisers had approached Mumbai Police, Delhi Police and MeitY. Meta's own account has not been reported, and two outlets note the bias claim has not been independently established.

Six Indian trekkers stranded in Nepal's Dolpa rescued by helicopter

Six Indian tourists, two women and four men, were stranded by heavy snowfall in Upper Dolpa, Nepal, and rescue was delayed by bad weather and helicopter problems. Aaj Tak reports they were airlifted on Monday morning in normal health, while earlier reports described them as stranded or missing.

Digi Yatra trials for international flyers begin at seven airports

Latest: More outlets confirm Digi Yatra international trials running November–December at seven airports, with wider rollout planned for 2027

The Civil Aviation Ministry said Digi Yatra trials for international passengers began on Sunday at Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar. Indian nationals with e-passports can use it on select Air India and IndiGo flights during November and December, and feedback will shape a wider rollout in 2027.

Sonia Gandhi meets Lalu Prasad Yadav in Delhi

Sonia Gandhi met RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav at Misa Bharti's Delhi residence on Monday and enquired about his health. Lalu said on X they recalled UPA-era welfare laws, while Tejashwi Yadav called for opposition unity after the INDIA bloc's Ramlila Maidan rally.

MBA student dies after fall from Jaipur university building

A 23-year-old second-year MBA student died after falling from the sixth floor of a private university building in Jaipur on Saturday, 31 October. Shivdaspura police are investigating and no reason has been confirmed, while the university postponed her mid-semester exam.

Omar Abdullah marries journalist Nidhi Razdan, shares photos online

Omar Abdullah and Nidhi Razdan shared wedding photos on Saturday, with Abdullah writing that a 'new journey' began the day before. The Supreme Court had dissolved his earlier marriage to Payal Abdullah by mutual consent in July, according to the reports.