In a major breakthrough, Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force has arrested two most-wanted Lawrence Bishnoi gang operatives from the Patiala-Ambala national highway near Shambhu village, bordering Haryana, Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Thursday.

Both have criminal history and over 15 heinous crime cases registered against them in Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

He said preliminary investigation revealed that they fled to Nepal after committing the murder and returned on the directions of foreign-based handlers to commit a sensational crime in the state.

The accused were also wanted in the recent murder of Bharat Ratan in Fazilka.

The police recovered one Glock 9mm pistol and six cartridges.

Heavy rain continued to pound parts of Telangana under the impact of a low-pressure area, paralysing normal life and affecting road connectivity to some villages.

Rivulets, lakes and ponds were overflowing due to incessant rain, inundating low-lying areas. The low-pressure system has impacted south Telangana with heavy to very heavy rain at a few places, officials said.

United Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Adilabad, Khammam and Rangareddy districts received heavy rains since last night.

Maddukur in Bhadradri Kothagudem district received the highest rainfall of 12.7 cm, followed by 12.6 cm in Jadcherla in Mahabubnagar district and 12.4 cm in Pargi in Vikarabad district.

Heavy rain lashed parts of Telangana, including Hyderabad, on Wednesday under the impact of the low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, while the Hyderabad Meteorological Centre has issued a red alert for the entire state for two days.

Director of the Meteorological Centre, K. Nagaratna, said that a red alert has been issued for Wednesday and Thursday across Telangana.

Red warnings have been issued for the districts of Sangareddy, Vikarabad, Medak, Medchal–Malkajgiri, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Bhupalpally, and Mulugu districts.

The Met office has forecast heavy rainfall in Kolkata and adjoining areas from Wednesday, following the formation of a low-pressure area over the central Bay of Bengal.

The system is drawing in moisture from the sea and is expected to intensify over the next 48 hours before moving towards the Bengal coast.

Under its influence, heavy to very heavy rain is likely in several south Bengal districts, particularly South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Howrah, and Hooghly. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore said the monsoon trough currently extends from Jalpaiguri in north Bengal through Haflong in Assam to Manipur.

“The low-pressure area will strengthen in the next 24 hours and bring heavy rain to both south and north Bengal,” a Met department official said.

A soldier was killed on Wednesday as the alert troops foiled an infiltration bid on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri sector.

“One soldier was killed during a fierce gunfight with terrorists. The Army has launched a counter-infiltration and border action team (BAT) operation in the area, and a search operation is underway. The troops foiled the infiltration bid in the Churunda area of Uri in the Baramulla district," the officials said.

A counter-infiltration operation has been launched in the area to track down the terrorists. An exchange of fire is going on, and further details are awaited, the sources added.

Meanwhile, the protracted anti-terrorist operation in the Akhal Devsar forest area of Kulgam district in Kashmir entered its 13th day on Wednesday.

The Economic Offences Wing of the J&K Crime Branch on Wednesday carried out searches at multiple locations in Srinagar city in connection with a fake investment scam wherein high returns were promised to investors.

A statement by the crime branch said, “The Economic Offences Wing (Crime Branch Kashmir) today carried out searches at multiple locations in District Srinagar in connection with case FIR No. 11/2025 under Section 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B IPC of P/S EOW-S (Crime Branch Kashmir).

“The brief facts of the case are that Crime Branch Kashmir received an online complaint, wherein it was alleged that the complainant has been duped/ cheated by two fraudsters namely Majid Nazir Najar, son of Nazir Ahmad Najar, resident of Batamaloo, and Mubarak Ahmad Rather, son of Nissar Ahmad Rather, resident of Gulshan Nagar, Gulposh Colony, who promised high returns on investment in Adarsh Cooperative Society, SBI Life insurance and HDFC Insurance companies and provided the complainant with deposit certificates," said offiicals.

The Telangana government has ordered the closure of all schools in five districts for two days in view of the red alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and declared half-day schools in Hyderabad, while IT companies have been advised to enable work from home.

With very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall likely in Hanumakonda, Jangaon, Mahabubabad, Warangal and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri districts on August 13 and 14, the school education department has declared holidays for two days to all government and private schools in these districts.

The department has also declared a half-day holiday on both days to all government and private schools in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area. The director of school education stated in an order that the schools shall function only in the morning shift.

In a major push towards clean and sustainable energy, Haryana has set a target of installing 2.2 lakh rooftop solar systems under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSG: MBY) in 2026-27.

Reinforcing its leadership in green energy adoption, the state aims to solarise all government buildings by December 31, without availing any central financial assistance.

Surveys have already been conducted on 4,523 government buildings, identifying a cumulative solar potential of 122 MW.

The roadmap was unveiled on Thursday at the state-level coordination committee meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, where senior officers presented the scheme's progress and outlined strategies for faster rollout.

As many as 274 individuals stranded in disaster-hit areas of Uttarkashi have been rescued and brought to Harsil on Thursday, bringing the total number of rescued people to 409, officials involved in the ongoing relief and rescue efforts confirmed.

Apart from these, 135 people have already been evacuated to safer destinations, as operations intensify in the aftermath of the devastating flash floods triggered by cloudbursts. In total, 409 people have been rescued so far.

Two days after torrential rains caused destruction in the Uttarkashi region of Uttarakhand, relief operations are proceeding at full pace. People are being airlifted to safer elevations, while those injured are receiving prompt medical attention.

Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans were killed and 10 injured on Thursday in a road accident in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district.

Officials said that three CRPF jawans were killed and 10 others injured after the vehicle in which they were travelling plunged into a deep gorge in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur district.

The CRPF vehicle was on its way to a location in the hilly terrain when it went out of the driver's control, skidded off the road and rolled down into a deep gorge, leading to casualties, the officials said.

The rescue operation was immediately started, and all the injured were evacuated from the accident site.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Kolkata and several districts in South Bengal, forecasting light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds (30-40 km/h) through the weekend.

According to the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata's Alipore, heavy rainfall is likely to occur in South Bengal districts like Hooghly, East Burdwan, Bankura, South 24 Parganas, and Nadia.

At the same time, light to moderate rain with thundershowers is likely at one or two places in Birbhum, Murshidabad, East Burdwan, Bankura, West Midnapore, and South 24 Parganas districts, as per the weather department.

Light to moderate rain is also likely at most places in some of these districts on Friday. There is also a possibility of heavy rain in Purulia, accompanied by gusty winds. The intensity of rain over South Bengal will reduce from Saturday.

At least 50 civilians, eight jawans and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) are still missing after a cloudburst triggered flash flood and landslides in Dharali in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district early this week.

After the cloudburst in the Dharali region near Harsil on August 5, the area remains largely inaccessible, with key road links at Bartwari, Linchigad, Gangrani, Harsil, and Dharali severely damaged.

Besides, around 180–200 tourists were stranded in Gangotri.

The Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel are providing the stranded tourists with food, medical aid, and shelter.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday launched a fresh crackdown in the Rs 800 crore Goods and Services Tax (GST) scam, conducting raids at six locations across Ranchi.

The raids target individuals linked to Kolkata-based Shiv Kumar Deora, believed to be the mastermind behind the multi-crore scam.

One of the key premises searched includes the residence-cum-office of businessman Krishna Thakkar on the fourth floor of Krishna Apartment in the P.P. Compound area, a major residential and commercial hub in Ranchi. Simultaneous operations are underway at five other locations in the city.

Sources indicate that coordinated raids are also being carried out at locations in Kolkata and Mumbai. This fresh round of enforcement action follows evidence and documents gathered during the first phase of the investigation.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued a red alert for Uttarkashi and several other Uttarakhand districts, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall there.

The department also predicted light to very light showers in Delhi-NCR over the coming week.

Meanwhile, an orange alert has been issued for parts of western Uttar Pradesh, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is also expected at several places.

At least two people were killed and three others injured in a high-intensity blast at an oxygen-making unit in Punjab's Mohali, near here, on Wednesday, police said.

Around 25 employees were present in the unit, located in the Industrial Area in Phase 9, when the blast took place.

High Tech Gases Private Limited supplies medical oxygen to the PGI, Chandigarh, and other government hospitals in the region.

The cause of the blast is yet to be known.

Senior police and civil administration officials, including the sub-divisional magistrate, rushed to the spot immediately after the blast was reported.

In a major rescue effort, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), in coordination with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), rescued 413 stranded pilgrims from the Kinnaur Kailash trek route in Himachal Pradesh after two makeshift bridges on the trail were washed away due to torrential rains and cloudbursts.

Heavy rainfall in the region triggered cloudbursts and caused a bridge over the Tangling drain to be swept away on Wednesday morning, leaving scores of tourists and pilgrims stranded on the remote trekking route.

Responding swiftly, a rescue team from the ITBP's 17th Battalion carried out the evacuation using a rope-based traverse crossing technique, successfully moving all 413 individuals to safer areas.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted raids at 11 locations in the national capital and three states in connection with a global cyber fraud case involving Rs 260 crore.

The ED conducted the raids under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act based on FIRs registered by the Delhi Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The raids were taking place in Noida, Gurugram, Dehradun, and Delhi

The fraudsters cheated foreign and Indian nationals by posing as police or investigating officers, and extorted money after threatening them with the consequences of arrest.

The accused also impersonated Microsoft or Amazon tech support service agents and duped the victims.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted extremely high rainfall in Kerala on Wednesday.

Kerala is expected to see generally cloudy conditions on Wednesday morning, with rain advancing by early afternoon and continuing into the evening and night.

The current temperature is around 24 degrees Celsius, expected to rise to a high of about 29 degrees Celsius before cooling through the evening.

A red alert has been issued for Kannur and Kasaragod districts, while an orange alert is in place for Malappuram, Wayanad, and Kozhikode.

Several rivers across Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal are flowing above danger levels, posing a risk to the people living in the low-lying areas. Torrential rainfall in the mountain states has further swollen the rivers.

In Uttarakhand, rivers like the Alaknanda, Mandakini, and Bhagirathi are flowing above danger levels in Rudraprayag, Tehri, and Haridwar districts.

In Rudraprayag, the Mandakini is exactly at the danger mark of 1976.8 m, while Alaknanda is 0.6 m above the danger level.

The IMD forecast has also stated that heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places across several districts, including Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun, Nainital, Champawat and Pauri Garhwal. This would further swell the regional streams and rivers.

Heavy rainfall also continues to wreak havoc in Himachal Pradesh, leading to landslides and flash floods.

A day after twin cloudbursts struck Uttarkashi district, sweeping away an entire village and triggering widespread panic, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued a 'heavy rainfall' warning and a red alert for Uttarakhand.

The IMD forecast stated that heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places across several districts, including Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun, Nainital, Champawat and Pauri Garhwal.

It further warned that thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and intense to very intense spells of rain are likely at isolated locations in all districts of the state.

In response to the IMD alert, all schools and Anganwadi centres from Class 1 to 12 have been closed for the day in multiple districts, including Dehradun, Nainital, Tehri, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Champawat, Pauri Garhwal, Almora and Bageshwar.

A devastating cloudburst struck the Dharali area near Harsil in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district on Tuesday afternoon, triggering flash floods and landslides that caused widespread destruction in the region.

Following the calamity, the Indian Army mounted a prompt and large-scale rescue operation to assist the affected civilians.

The landslide occurred around 1:45 PM near Dharali village, just 4 km from the Indian Army camp at Harshil. Within ten minutes of the incident, the Army mobilised 150 personnel to the disaster site.

A 27-year-old man has been arrested on charges of stealing Rs 55 lakh from his employer's home in Delhi, police said on Tuesday.

The accused was identified as Narendar Sharma, a resident of Bhamanvas Kheta, Haryana, the police said in a statement.

The police have also recovered Rs 55 lakh cash from the accused.

Acting on a complaint by Nand Kishore, a property dealer and a resident of Lawrence Road, Delhi, that his delivery boy had absconded with Rs 55 lakh which had to be delivered to a party, a case under the relevant Section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered, said Bhisham Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North-West).

Satyapal Malik, who served as the 10th Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir state passed away on Tuesday after a protracted illness at the age of 79.

The veteran leader died around 1 p.m. at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, where he was undergoing treatment.

Born on July 24, 1946, in Hisawada village in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, Malik passed his B.Sc. and LL.B degrees from Meerut University.

He began his political career with Bharatiya Kranti Dal, followed by Janata Dal, Indian National Congress, Lok Dal, Samajwadi Party, and finally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Malik first came to prominence as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 1974 to 1977.

Even as districts in North Bengal are reeling under a prolonged spell of heavy showers, the Met office on Tuesday forecast heavy rains for several South Bengal districts as well for the next few days.

According to the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata's Alipore, heavy rain will occur in South Bengal districts of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Bankura, and Murshidabad on Wednesday and Thursday.

"For the next six days, heavy to very heavy rain will continue in all districts of North Bengal. At the same time, heavy rain will occur in several South Bengal districts as well," said a Met department official.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said that 29 people have lost their lives due to rain in Madhya Pradesh in the last week of July.

The Union Communications Minister said that during a survey conducted by the Madhya Pradesh government, it was found that Shivpuri had witnessed disasters due to floods, where 22 people died, while seven people lost their lives in Guna district.

He further stated that more than 3,000 people were rescued in Guna, Shivpuri, and Ashoknagar districts after 72 hours of rainfall caused floods in several areas.

"Armed forces, NDRF and SDRF teams have airlifted around 400 people and shifted them to relief camps, set up at multiple locations in Guna, Shivpuri and Ashoknagar districts," the Union Minister told media persons.

In an alarming case, the Delhi Police have arrested four individuals who allegedly posed as spiritual men or ‘babas’ to carry out a snatching incident in broad daylight.

The incident, which occurred on August 1, unfolded when a woman travelling from Moti Nagar to Connaught Place in a Rapido taxi was targeted by a group of men disguised as holy men smeared with ash.

According to a press release issued by the West District Police, the woman reported that as her vehicle halted at the Shadipur Flyover red light, three individuals aged between 20 and 25 approached her side of the taxi.

Dressed in the attire of priests, they initially begged for alms. The woman handed over Rs 200 to them, but moments later, one of them snatched a gold and diamond ring from her middle finger and fled the scene. A case was promptly registered at the Moti Nagar Police Station, and an investigation was launched.

 After the employees' union of the state-owned transport corporations decided to go on an indefinite strike, bus services across Karnataka were severely affected on Tuesday, causing major inconvenience to passengers.

Most RTC staffers did not report for duty in support of the strike. The staffers have been demanding the fulfilment of their various demands, including salary revision.

Despite a High Court order against the strike and the state government's implementation of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), only 10 per cent of employees turned up for work.

The Haryana Human Rights Commission has taken serious note of a complaint submitted by senior citizen Amar Singh Murwala, a resident of Panipat district, and has raised concerns regarding administrative functioning and denial of basic entitlements.

The complaint before the commission highlighted three key issues: Arbitrary deactivation of Parivar Pehchan Patra; denial of housing assistance under government schemes; and inhuman and unsanitary living conditions in an old-age home.

The complainant, a verified beneficiary under the Antyodaya category, had reported that his Parivar Pehchan Patra was deactivated without any prior notice, enquiry, or opportunity to be heard.

As a result, he was deprived of multiple welfare schemes, including Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Old-Age Pension.

In view of the heavy rain alert issued by the Meteorological Department, Jhalawar District Collector Ajay Singh Rathore on Monday extended school holidays in the district till August 6.

The holidays that had been declared earlier have now been extended as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students.

Chief District Education Officer (CDEO) Ram Singh Meena informed that all government and private schools from Class 1 to 12 will remain closed for students until August 6.

Similarly, Anganwadi centres in the district will also remain shut during this period. Importantly, the order specifies that the holidays are applicable only to students. All academic and non-academic staff are required to attend school as usual.

Ahmedabad Regional Transport Office (RTO) has suspended over 2,161 driving licenses and collected fines amounting to Rs 10.98 crore over the past 16 months in response to a surge in reckless and illegal driving practices across the city.

With roads turning dangerous due to overspeeding, wrong-side driving, and blatant disregard for traffic laws, the RTO’s action signals a tougher stance on road safety.

From April 2024 to July 2025, the department initiated stringent action against a wide range of violations -- wrong-side driving, overspeeding, overloaded vehicles, expired fitness certificates, and even fatal accidents, as per data issued.

In a tragic incident on Monday, a truck driver was burned alive after his vehicle lost control and overturned near Ghasiyar on the Udaipur-Pindwara highway. According to officials, the truck was transporting acid from Pindwara when the accident occurred.

Moments after the overturning, the trailer caught fire, leading to a horrifying situation.

The driver, trapped inside the vehicle, was burned alive and died on the spot, said officials.

The impact of the accident was severe, as the acid spilled across the entire highway stretch, making the road extremely dangerous and forcing a complete shutdown of traffic between Gogunda and Udaipur.

A 20-year-old youth succumbed to a fatal gunshot injury in northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area.

The victim, identified as Rohit Brar, a resident of Sardar Colony, Rohini Sector-16, was brought to BJRM Hospital by three acquaintances after sustaining a firearm injury near H Block, Jahangirpuri.

According to an official press note issued by the Jahangir Puri police station, "On August 3, 2025, information was received at PS Jahangir Puri from BJRM Hospital regarding a gunshot injury case. A young male, later identified as Rohit Brar (20), R/o Sardar Colony, Rohini, Sector-16, was admitted to the hospital by his acquaintances Pankaj @ Pankha, Alam, and Akash after sustaining a firearm injury near H Block, Jahangir Puri."

 At least five Kanwariyas lost their lives when a DJ-fitted vehicle overturned in a rain-swollen river in Shahkund police station area of Bhagalpur district in Bihar.

The incident happened late Sunday night, and what was meant to be a night of devotion turned into a devastating tragedy for the families.

The incident occurred around 11.30 p.m. near Belthu Mahato Sthan on the Shahkund-Bhagalpur main road, when 12 young devotees were on their way to Sultanganj Ganga Ghat to collect holy water, a ritual performed before offering it at Jaithornath Dham in Amarpur on the last Monday of Sawan.

The DJ vehicle was carrying not only the devotees, a generator and a sound system. Rescue efforts were immediately launched by villagers and Shahkund police, who pulled the victims from the water and rushed them to Shahkund Community Health Centre, where five were declared dead.

A Special CBI court in Jodhpur has sentenced a Senior Section Engineer (SSE) of the North-Western Railway (NWR), Ram Hari Meena, to three years of simple imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 50,000 in a bribery case dating back to 2019.

The case was registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on September 8, 2019, after the accused was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000.

According to the CBI, Meena, who was posted in Suratgarh at the time, had demanded the bribe from a complainant in exchange for allowing the laying of a pipeline beneath the railway track at KM 71/5.6 on the Suratgarh–Anupgarh section. Following the trap operation and arrest, the CBI carried out a detailed investigation and filed a chargesheet on December 16, 2019.

In a massive joint operation, the Forest Department and District Administration launched a large-scale anti-encroachment drive on Saturday in the Dargah area of Ajmer, and demolished over 150 illegal shops.

The campaign targeted over 250 illegal shops constructed on the footpaths of Andarkot, Meetha Neem, and Bade Peer and witnessed a heavy deployment of police forces, effectively turning the Andarkot region into a cantonment kind of area.

To ensure smooth execution, around 900 personnel, including forest workers, police officers, administrative officials, and labourers, have been mobilised from Ajmer and neighbouring districts like Tonk, Bhilwara, and Nagaur.