Friday, September 19, 2025

Latest in Politics

PM Modi to Inaugurate Expanded Facilities at Tripura Sundari Temple
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PM Modi to Inaugurate Expanded Facilities at Tripura Sundari Temple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Tripura on September 22, 2025, to inaugurate expanded facilities at the Tripura Sundari Temple in Udaipur, Gomati district. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha inspected the arrangements on September 18, 2025, for the event. The Central Government funded this redevelopment and expansion project for the 16th-century Tripura Sundura Temple, one of India's 51 Shakti Peethas. The initiative aims to boost religious tourism by enhancing civic amenities, lodging, restrooms, parking lots, and eateries. PM Modi will offer prayers at the temple but will not address an audience during his brief visit.

September 19, 2025•1 min read•
Sentiment: Positive
Indian-Origin U.S. Woman Murdered in Punjab at Instigation of NRI Man
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Indian-Origin U.S. Woman Murdered in Punjab at Instigation of NRI Man

A 71-year-old Indian-origin U.S. citizen, Rupinder Kaur Pandher, was found bludgeoned, burnt, and dumped in a Ludhiana drain, police revealed on September 19, 2025. Investigations show she was killed in July at the alleged instigation of Charanjit Singh Grewal, a U.K.-based NRI she intended to marry but who later refused. Grewal reportedly hired Sukhjeet Singh, a Ludhiana court typist, promising him ₹50 lakh and help to move abroad for the murder. Sukhjeet Singh has been arrested and confessed to hitting Pandher with a baseball bat on July 12, burning her body, and disposing of the remains. Pandher’s sister alerted authorities after her disappearance, and Grewal has also been booked.

September 19, 2025•1 min read•
Sentiment: Negative
Experts Caution Against Overstating Impact of Modi-Xi Meet on India-China Relations
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Experts Caution Against Overstating Impact of Modi-Xi Meet on India-China Relations

Experts at a recent book launch acknowledged that the meeting between PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO summit in Tianjin 'repaired' India-China relations, but cautioned against overstating its significance. Veteran diplomats like Shivshankar Menon and Shyam Saran discussed 'China: Indian Perspectives.' Former Ambassador Ashok Kantha noted the meeting stabilized ties, while Manoj Joshi from ORF called it a process to mend a relationship broken in 2020, emphasizing the ongoing disengagement at the border. The importance of Tibet to India was also highlighted. Former Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale warned of China's centralized power stifling economic growth and stressed the need for India to engage more deeply.

September 19, 2025•1 min read•
Sentiment: Neutral
Supreme Court Fines PWD ₹5 Lakh for Manual Sewer Cleaning Violation
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Supreme Court Fines PWD ₹5 Lakh for Manual Sewer Cleaning Violation

The Supreme Court on September 18, 2025, imposed a ₹5 lakh penalty on the Delhi Government’s Public Works Department (PWD) for violating its orders against manual sewer cleaning. The fine was levied after laborers, including a minor, were observed clearing drains without protective gear directly outside the court premises. A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria criticized PWD for flouting its October 2023 directives, ordering the amount to be deposited with the National Commission for Safai Karmacharis within four weeks. The court cautioned that officials must 'wake up from slumber' to ensure compliance and warned of future FIRs for non-adherence, though it refrained from doing so this time.

September 19, 2025•1 min read•
Sentiment: Neutral
Heavy Rains Trigger Landslides and Road Closures in Himachal and Uttarakhand, Claiming Lives
RainsLandslidesHimachalUttarakhandNatural disaster

Heavy Rains Trigger Landslides and Road Closures in Himachal and Uttarakhand, Claiming Lives

Heavy monsoon rains have severely impacted Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on September 18-19, 2025. Himachal Pradesh reported 606 road closures, including two national highways, with Kullu and Mandi districts being the worst-hit. Thunderstorms also occurred in several areas like Shimla. In Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, torrential rains caused landslides and floods, resulting in two deaths and seven missing. This followed a recent deluge in Dehradun that killed 21. Rescue operations are underway by NDRF, SDRF, and other agencies in affected areas, addressing extensive damage to homes and infrastructure.

September 19, 2025•1 min read•
Sentiment: Negative
CBI Charges Anil Ambani, Rana Kapoor in ₹2,796-Crore Corruption Case
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CBI Charges Anil Ambani, Rana Kapoor in ₹2,796-Crore Corruption Case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a charge sheet on September 18, 2025, against Anil Ambani and others, including former Yes Bank CEO Rana Kapoor, in a ₹2,796-crore corruption case. The charges relate to alleged fraudulent transactions between Ambani’s Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) and Reliance Home Finance Limited (RHFL), Yes Bank, and firms linked to Kapoor’s family, causing significant losses to the bank. Anil Ambani is implicated as chairman of the ADA Group. The CBI had registered two cases in 2022 following a complaint from Yes Bank’s chief vigilance officer, with findings indicating systematic diversion of public money through siphoning of funds invested by Yes Bank into RCFL and RHFL despite their poor financial health.

September 19, 2025•1 min read•
Sentiment: Negative
Lalit Modi’s Brother Arrested in 2019 Rape Case, Lawyer Alleges Extortion
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Lalit Modi’s Brother Arrested in 2019 Rape Case, Lawyer Alleges Extortion

Samir Modi, brother of fugitive businessman Lalit Modi, was arrested at Delhi airport on September 18, 2025, in connection with a 2019 rape case. Police confirmed his custody after an FIR under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) was registered. His lawyer, Simran Singh, claims the charges are false and part of an extortion attempt for ₹50 crore, presenting WhatsApp chats as evidence. The complaint, filed on September 10, alleges Modi repeatedly raped, threatened, and cheated the complainant since 2019, luring her with career opportunities and false marriage promises. Modi has been remanded to one-day police custody, with his counsel asserting it's an abuse of law and hasty police action.

September 19, 2025•1 min read•
Sentiment: Negative
Supreme Court Upholds Interim Bail for MLA Jegan Moorthy in Abduction Case
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Supreme Court Upholds Interim Bail for MLA Jegan Moorthy in Abduction Case

The Supreme Court on September 19, 2025, confirmed the interim bail granted to Kilvaithinankuppam MLA ‘Poovai’ M. Jagan Moorthy in an abduction case, despite strong objections from the Tamil Nadu Additional Advocate General citing the gravity of accusations. The top court had initially provided protection from arrest in June, conditioned on his cooperation with the probe and non-tampering of evidence. Moorthy had approached the apex court after the Madras High Court denied his pre-arrest bail, noting his uncooperative behavior. The case involves the alleged abduction of a minor boy on May 10, linked to his elder brother’s elopement with a girl, with the boy later released at a nearby location.

September 19, 2025•1 min read•
Sentiment: Neutral
India to Launch Pilot Projects in Venezuela Amid Bilateral Talks
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India to Launch Pilot Projects in Venezuela Amid Bilateral Talks

India is set to initiate pilot projects in Venezuela across key sectors including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and digital public infrastructure. This move follows discussions during Venezuelan Vice-Minister Raul Hernandez's recent visit to India. Talks also covered potential cooperation in AI training, space technology, and tourism. Bilateral trade between the two nations reached approximately $1.8 billion in 2024-25, with India exporting pharmaceuticals and importing significant crude oil. India currently supplies almost 40% of Venezuela's annual pharmaceutical demand. Experts suggest Venezuela's strengthened outreach to India is partly due to escalating tensions with the United States.

September 18, 2025•1 min read•
Sentiment: Positive
Pilot's Father Demands New Probe into Air India Ahmedabad Crash
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Pilot's Father Demands New Probe into Air India Ahmedabad Crash

Pushkaraj Sabharwal, father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, has requested a fresh investigation into the fatal Air India Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad. He alleges that preliminary findings by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and subsequent leaks have unfairly tarnished his son's reputation, implying psychological distress. Sabharwal, a 91-year-old, describes the initial report as 'deficient, diversionary & discrepant' and highlights his son's unblemished 25-year flying record. The AAIB had earlier indicated a cut-off fuel supply to both engines post-takeoff but urged against premature conclusions.

September 18, 2025•1 min read•
Sentiment: Negative