Punjab's 13 Seats, 44 Others Go To Polls In Last Phase Today: 10 Points

1. Of the 57 seats going to polls today, nine are from West Bengal, 13 from Uttar Pradesh, eight from Bihar, six from Odisha, four from Himachal Pradesh, three from Jharkhand, and the lone seat of Union Territory Chandigarh.
2. All 13 seats of Punjab are also on today's list. The election is expected to be triangular, with INDIA allies Congress and Aam Aadmi Party having a "friendly" contest that is expected to split the non-BJP vote and play into BJP hands.
3. Polling will also take place for the remaining 42 assembly seats and six Lok Sabha seats in Odisha. The BJP, which has replaced the Congress as the main Opposition party, is hoping to corner Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal.
4. By-elections are being held on six assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh, which will also have a bearing on the fortunes of the state's Congress government. All six seats were held by Congress but the MLAs had turned rebel and cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha election, resigned and joined the BJP.
5. Varanasi, the constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also votes today. PM Modi had won the seat first in 2014. The Congress has fielded Ajai Rai, who finished third in the two last Lok Sabha elections.
6. The other prominent leaders in fray include the BJP's Union Minister Anurag Thakur, who is contesting from Hamirpur, Junior finance minister Pankaj Chaudhary from Maharajganj, actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut, who is contesting against Congress's Vikramaditya Singh in Mandi, the other actor-politician Ravi Kishan from Gorakhpur.  
7. NDA leaders like RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha from Karakat, Apna Dal (Sonelal)'s Union Minister Anupriya Patel from Mirzapur are also in fray.
8. From the Opposition, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew and Trinamool Congress candidate Abhishek Banerjee is contesting from Diamond Harbour; Misa Bharti, daughter of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad from Pataliputra, and Congress's Charanjeet Singh Channi from Jalandhar.
9. The election will be followed by exit polls, which have been boycotted by the Congress. This the BJP has said, makes it clear that the Opposition has conceded defeat. "I want to tell the Congress party not to run away, face the defeat and introspect," Union minister and the BJP's chief strategist Amit Shah has said.
10. The counting of votes will take place on June 4. Along with the Lok Sabha seats, counting will also be held for two state polls – Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Votes for Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will be counted on Sunday.

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Explained: Why Have Temperatures Reached Record Highs In India?

Several parts of India grappled with unusually high temperatures this week, forcing schools to close and hospitals to create special units to treat heat-related illnesses, while workers on construction sites were given a "paid holiday" in the afternoon.

Here is a look at what caused the unprecedented heat in the country.

HOW UNUSUAL HAS THE SITUATION BEEN THIS YEAR?

While every year temperatures in India tend to peak in the months of May and June, the number of heatwave days recorded over northwestern and eastern parts of the country this season have been more than double the normal, with eastern India also experiencing its hottest April on record.

India declares a heatwave day when the maximum temperature in any given region is 4.5 -6.4 degrees Celsius higher than normal.

Parts of the country have touched new highs in terms of the maximum temperature, including Delhi, which recorded the country's highest ever temperature at 52.9 C (127.22 degree F) on Wednesday.

While this figure may be revised as officials are investigating whether it was caused by an error in the sensor, two areas in Delhi also recorded 49.9 C a day earlier - an all-time high for the city.

In northern Haryana state, which surrounds Delhi from three sides, the Rohtak region recorded its highest-ever temperature on Friday at 47.5 C.

WHY HAVE TEMPERATURES RISEN THIS SEASON?

Scientists from India's weather department said that while a rise in temperatures during May and June is normal, it is usually controlled by periodic western disturbances, which are weather systems originating in the Mediterranean Sea that bring moisture-laden winds.

These neutralise the impact of the hot, dry air coming from the direction of Pakistan and Afghanistan into northern India.

This year, however, there were more western disturbances between March and early May than usual, while their strength has reduced over the last "10-15 days", leaving the wind coming from neighbouring countries unchecked and causing temperatures to rise.

Global and India-based experts say such weather changes are being worsened by human-driven climate change.

WHY IS THE SITUATION IN DELHI PARTICULARLY BAD?

Surrounded by alluvial plains in the north and east, the Thar desert in the west, and the Aravalli hill ranges in the south, Delhi, with a population of about 20 million, is one of India's fastest-growing areas.

Officials and experts say apart from its location, the capital is also particularly vulnerable because of its large population, scattered vegetation, and increased construction in the last two decades, with the built-up area increasing from 31.4% in 2003 to more than 38% in 2022.

WHEN WILL THE HEAT ABATE?

According to the India Meteorological Department, the temperature in northwest, central, and east India will gradually decline over the next three days because of the impact of the approaching western disturbance, rainfall, and the southwesterly wind blowing from the Arabian Sea.

Monsoon rains reached the southernmost state of Kerala on Thursday, bringing relief to residents there.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Mercedes That Killed 2 Returned To Owner, Victim's Family Slams Cops

A speeding Mercedes C200 that killed two men on a two-wheeler in Nagpur on February 25 has been returned to the owner even as the investigation into the case is still open.

The car, being driven by a woman - identified as Ritika Maloo, collided with the side wall of the Ram Jhula bridge in the city before crashing into the two-wheeler and killing the rider and the pillion - Mohd Hussain Mustafa and Mohd Ateef Ziya.

Now, NDTV Marathi has traced the black Mercedes C200 parked on the road under a tow sign while the police are yet to arrest the woman accused of drunk driving, three months after the accident.

Mohammad Atiq, Mohd Ateef Ziya's brother, accompanied the NDTV team to where the car was parked and identified it as the one that killed his brother and another man. "The police were more concerned about returning the car that killed my brother instead of arresting the driver Ritika Maloo and her friend Madhuri Sarda. It is not okay, sir," he said.

"My family is still reeling under the shock of my brother's death three months ago. They are still grieving and with this, their wounds have once again been laid bare," he said.

According to media reports, Ms Maloo and her friend Ms Sarda were returning home from a club in the night when the accident happened. The two women fled the spot and the two men were rushed to the Mayo Hospital for treatment where they died.

The police scanned CCTV footage from the club and recovered the liquor bills as evidence.

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ISIS-Linked Outfit Threatens Attack On India-Pak T20 World Cup Match In US

ISIS-K has called for a "Lone Wolf" attack on the India-Pakistan World Cup Cricket match here next month, a top police official has warned while putting security on high alert.

In a video that has gone global, the terror group is "calling for that 'Lone Wolf' to act out", said Patrick Ryder, the Police Commissioner of Nassau County where the match is scheduled for June 6.

"Lone Wolves" are members or sympathisers of terrorist organisations who take cues from the organisations and operate independently by themselves making it more difficult to track them down.

On Wednesday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that she has "directed the New York State Police to engage in elevated security measures, including an increased law enforcement presence, advanced surveillance, and thorough screening processes".

Bruce Blakeman, the head of Nassau County bordering New York City, said at a news conference, "We make sure that we are on top of every situation that could potentially arise. Now to that end, we have taken many many precautions."

Additional police officers will be mobilised at the cricket stadium at Eisenhower Park, Ryder said at the news conference.

"We will go to every fine detail when it comes to the security and safety of the residents here," he added.

Earlier there had been some ambiguity about the level of the threat posted in a chat group by ISIS-Khorasan, the offshoot of the Islamic State terrorist organisation operating in South and Central Asia.

Before the news conference by Nassau officials, Hochul had said that "there is no credible public safety threat at this time," but added, "We continue to monitor the situation closely."

"My administration has been working for months with federal law enforcement and Nassau County to ensure New Yorkers and visitors are safe," she said.

Blakeman said at the news conference, "We take every threat seriously. There are the same procedures for every threat. We don't minimise threats. We track down all of our leads."

Ryder said, "When you have a game and a crowd as big as this, everything is credible."

He said they had received threats starting in April "where it was a global and international style threat from what's called ISIS-K".

"Then it got a little bit more specific towards the actual game of India versus Pakistan but did not name the place," he said.

"And then yesterday, you all saw the video that went global, and they are calling for that 'Lone Wolf' to act out."

He was referring to a video with "an image of the cricket stadium at Eisenhower Park in Nassau County with drones flying over it showing the date, "9/6/2024", when the India-Pakistan match, that was posted by ISIS-K on a British chat site.

With the display of drones as attack vehicles, NBC New York TV reported that county officials "say they've requested the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) to make Eisenhower Park a no-fly zone for drones".

ISIS-K has carried out attacks in Pakistan and has threatened terror strikes on India.

In March, ISIS-K terrorists attacked a concert hall in Moscow killing about 130 people adding gravity to the latest threat.

The World Cup Cricket stadium, which has a 30,000-capacity, was built specially for the tournament and will share the fixtures in the US with the arena in Dallas.

It will kick off on June 1 with an exhibition match between India and Bangladesh and will be followed by regular tournament matches starting on June 3, pitching India against Sri Lanka, and running till June 12 with an India vs US match.

NBC New York TV said that the security preparations for the World Cup event were the largest that Nassau County has undertaken and it is being treated on par with presidential debates.

As part of the safety precautions, it said, "Local hospitals also involved just in case they're needed."

The British newspaper Express first reported on the threat, which it said was also directed against sporting venues in Europe, including the Wembley Stadium.

It said that ISIS "followers are encouraged to target major events" including the Cricket World Cup.

"There were also extensive discussions on the forum as to how the terror group should use drones laden with explosives to murder civilians at major sporting events across Europe," the Express said of the postings on a chat group posted on the British website Matrix.

The Express said, "Chat room members who shared the stadium threats listed their terror skills, including firing AK-47 rifles, and discussed sums of money in pound Sterling, suggesting some might be based in Britain."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"No Better Way To Serve Humanity, India": Major Set To Be Honoured By UN

Major Radhika Sen, a peacekeeper who served with the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was pursuing a career in biotechnology before she joined the Indian Army. Major Sen said it was after she made the switch that she realised there was no better way for her to serve humanity and the country.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV, the Major, who will be honoured by the United Nations with the prestigious 2023 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, also said that being part of the Indian Army made the challenges faced by her in the Congo easier because soldiers in the force work in different regions of the country and are exposed to different environments.

Major Sen will receive the award, which recognises a military peacekeeper who has best integrated a gender perspective into peacekeeping activities, from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Asked about the challenge of ensuring that peacekeepers under her command recognised the importance of gender and socio-cultural norms in the country, Major Sen, who served with the Organisation Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), said, "The country has a long history. It has its own culture. It has its own tradition. There are many socio-economic issues that happen. But, I would say, being a part of India, which is a culturally rich and a diverse country, and especially being a part of the Indian Army, helped.

"Because all my soldiers have been working in different regions of the country, and they have served in different terrains, they have seen different environments, it was not really challenging for me to have a team. I would say it was their support and cooperation which has motivated me and helped me to get the information and the concerns of the people better. So, (it was) because we are from India and the Indian Army gives you all the opportunity and exposure possible (that) it was easy for me," she asserted. 

On rape and violence being used as an implement of warfare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Major Sen said it is very important for peacekeeping forces to have a gender perspective because it helps build an inclusive and sustainable peace process.

"In any conflict, it is always the women and the girls who are more affected and who face increased risk of abuse. So, I would say, why should any human being suffer? As women peacekeepers, we try and address their concerns and encourage them to raise their voices," she said. 

The officer explained that they realised that talking to the country's leadership wasn't enough and they began to speak to local communities to get a better idea of issues facing the people in the country. 

"We had also involved ourselves into creating awareness about many topics that concern women, like women's health and education on sexual violence in conflict. We also engaged with people on creating employment training, like baking and tailoring for women and English training for children. So there were multiple things that we tried to do in order to engage with people which could help us address their concerns better," she said. 

The major also spoke about misinformation spread against MONUSCO and said there were times when they were engaging with people that they had to get into vehicles and return because stones were thrown at them. 

The Major Switch

Major Sen graduated as a biotech engineer and was pursuing a Master's degree from IIT Bombay when she decided to join the Army. 

When she was asked about what made her make the switch, she said, "I always wanted to serve humanity and India, but I always thought I would I'll be a scientist and do it. In my last year of college, I applied for an SSB (Service Selection Board), just for the sake of it. And I went for the SSB just to see Allahabad, I thought I will see a new place and, somehow, I just cleared it."

"I was enjoying studying - I love science. I love to study. It was my parents who have taught me there are many ways of serving mankind and the country, and I think there's no better way for me to do it than what I'm doing now. And I cannot be happier that I chose this field and it's just really good to be a part of the armed forces," she emphasised.

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Amidst Wedding Rumours, Munawar's Pic With Mehzabeen Trends On The Internet

A few days after reports of Munawar Faruqui's rumoured wedding to  Mehzabeen Coatwala took over the Internet, pictures of the couple cutting cake have now surfaced on social media. In the photos shared by a couple of fan pages on Instagram, the couple can be seen smiling widely while cutting a cake. In the picture, Munawar can be seen dressed in a white shirt, while Mehzabeen looks beautiful in lavender. They can be seen cutting a white cake. However, whether the couple is married and when the picture was taken is unclear.

This is the picture we are talking about:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MunawarXTabish (@munawar___faruquiiii)

On Monday, rumours surfaced that Munawar had gotten married for the second time. Times Now quoted a source as saying, “Yes, Munawar is now married. Usne shaadi kar li hai. Woh yeh sab under wraps rakhna chahta hai tabhi koi khass pictures bhi nahi milega apko (He got married. He wants to keep it under wraps; hence, you would not find any pictures of the two).”

Munawar was previously married to Jasmine with whom he has a six-year-old son Mikael. Munawar Faruqui took home a cash prize of ₹ 50 lakh and a car after being declared the winner of Bigg Boss 17. The show was hosted by Salman Khan. Munawar, a stand comedian, was also the winner of the TV reality show Lock Upp (season 1).

Speaking of Bigg Boss 17, Abhishek Kumar was the first runner-up. Mannara Chopra was in the top 3, while Arun Mashettey and TV star Ankita Lokhande reached the top 5 in the finals. The 17th season of Bigg Boss premiered on October 15, 2023 with 17 contestants, also including Vicky Jain, Ayesha Khan, Anurag Dobhal, Aishwarya Sharma, Neil Bhatt, Isha Malviya, Jigna Vora, Firoza Khan aka Khanzaadi, and Rinku Dhawan. K-pop singer Aoora had joined the show as a wild card entrant. Salman Khan, hosted the Weekend Ka Vaar episodes.

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Arvind Kejriwal's Prediction After Court Summons Atishi In Case By BJP

Atishi will be arrested next, said Arvind Kejriwal shortly after the Delhi Minister was summoned by a city court in connection with a defamation case filed by the BJP over her poaching claim.

The Delhi Minister has been asked to appear before the court on June 29. The case has been filed by BJP's Delhi media head Praveen Shankar Kapoor over allegations of 'poaching' AAP legislators.

"I had said earlier that they will arrest Atishi next. They are planning to do so now. Complete dictatorship. In completely flimsy, frivolous and false cases, they are arresting ALL leaders of AAP one by one. Every single opposition leader will be arrested if Modi ji comes back to power. AAP is not imp. Saving our dear country from dictatorship is imp," Chief Minister Kejriwal, who is out on interim bail, posted on X.

I had said earlier that they will arrest Atishi next. They are planning to do so now. Complete dictatorship. In completely flimsy, frivolous and false cases, they are arresting ALL leaders of AAP one by one. Every single opposition leader will be arrested if Modi ji comes back to… https://t.co/qDqV0wg03n

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 28, 2024

Earlier this year, Atishi had alleged that the BJP was attempting to "poach" party MLAs by offering Rs 25 crore each.

Bansuri Swaraj, BJP leader and candidate from the New Delhi constituency, said that AAP has an old habit of "shoot and scoot".

"They keep leveling false allegations and think that there will be no consequences. ACMM Rouse Avenue summoned Atishi ji on June 29 in the defamation case. She will now have to give clarification on her 27 Jan 2024 tweet and allegations leveled at BJP during a press conference on 2nd April in which she said that she got an offer to join BJP," she said.

Ms Swaraj further said that the AAP cannot make defamatory statements against BJP repeatedly and not be accountable.

"Atishi ji will now have to appear before the court to present her side," she added.

"On April 2, Delhi government minister Atishi gave a statement, saying that the BJP approached her to join the party through an individual who was personally close to her and that attempts were being made to break the party. After which, on the same day, the BJP gave a legal notice to Atishi to apologise. However, when she did not apologise, we filed a case of defamation in court," said Delhi BJP media head Praveen Shankar Kapoor.

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"Sketchy, Tainted": Court Condemns Probe In Murder Case Against Ram Rahim

Gurmeet Ram Rahim, chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, was acquitted in a 22-year-old murder case today, with the Punjab and Haryana High Court citing  lapses in investigation and lack of solid evidence against the accused.

The court also listed the areas in which investigation was "tainted and sketchy" -- including the weapon used for the murder, ballistic reports, post-mortem report, and polygraph test which did not bear out the prosecution claims in the murder of former sect manager Ranjit Singh.

Influenced by media glare, the investigating officer(s) "carried out a tainted and sketchy investigation into the crime," said the bench of Justices Sureshwar Thakur and Lalit Batra.

The case "is a stark portrayal of the necessity of Courts of law making an incisive and objective analyses of the evidence as exist on record," the judges said.

Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year-sentence for raping two of his disciples and has a 16-year-old murder case against him as well.

Ranjit Singh was killed allegedly for his suspected role in the circulation of an anonymous letter, which said how women were being sexually exploited by Ram Rahim at the Dera headquarters.

Ram Rahim, who was accused of conspiracy, and four others were convicted by a CBI court in Panchkula, Haryana, in October 2021 and given life imprisonment. He is currently in jail at Haryana's Rohtak.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim's conviction in 2017 in the rape cases sparked massive violence and arson in parts of Punjab and Haryana. Thirty people died, more than 250 were injured and the Army had to be called in.

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"Won't Work": Naveen Patnaik Snuffs Out BJP "Discussion" About His Hands

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has responded to BJP jibes about his trembling hands and close aide VK Pandian's efforts to hide it from public view, with his trademark calmness.

"I believe the BJP, which is known to make non-issues into issues, are discussing my hands. This will certainly not work," said the 77-year-old, who, amid assembly elections in the state, has been increasingly targetted by the BJP over his health.

Earlier today, Mr Pandian was caught on camera trying to hide Mr Patnaik's trembling hands while he was delivering a speech.

The first off the block was Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who tagged it an effort by Mr Pandian to capture power in the state.

Mr Sarma posted the video on X, formerly Twitter, with a lengthy caption.

"This is a deeply distressing video. Shri VK Pandian ji is even controlling the hand movements of Shri Naveen Babu. I shudder to imagine the level of control a retired ex bureaucrat from Tamil Nadu is currently exercising over the future of Odisha! BJP is determined is give back the reins of Odisha to the people of the State," the caption read.

This is a deeply distressing video. Shri VK Pandian ji is even controlling the hand movements of Shri Naveen Babu. I shudder to imagine the level of control a retired ex bureaucrat from Tamil Nadu is currently exercising over the future of Odisha!

BJP is determined is give back… pic.twitter.com/6PEAt7F9iM

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (Modi Ka Parivar) (@himantabiswa) May 28, 2024

Last week, Union home minister and the BJP's chief strategist Amit Shah had put the spotlight on the health of the five-time Chief Minister.

Mr Patnaik, he said, should retire due to his "advanced age and health issues". The BJP, he added, would replace him with a younger son of the soil if voted to power.

Mr Patnaik's response was acerbic. Mr "There is a limit to the lies the BJP can tell. As you can see, I am in very good health, and I have been campaigning for around a month all over the state," he told news agency ANI.

That Mr Pandian is a bugbear for the BJP was evident by Mr Shah's attack on him. Hitting out at the bureaucrat-turned-politician without naming him, Mr Shah said a "Tamil babu" is ruling the roost in Odisha and people will vote for the BJP to free the state from "babu raj".

Recently, Mr Pandian had listed nine "self goals" of the BJP, which he claimed would ensure that the state stays in the hands of the ruling Biju Janata Dal.

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Key Accused In Gujarat Game Zone Fire, Which Killed 28, Arrested In Rajasthan

The main accused in the case of a gaming zone fine in Gujarat's Rajkot, which killed 27, has been arrested, the police said on Monday.

The key accused Dhawal Thakkar was arrested from Abu Road in Rajasthan. The police received information that he had been hiding at his relative's house in Rajasthan.

A local court earlier today sent three men arrested in connection with the game zone fire to police custody for 14 days.

Special public prosecutor Tushar Gokani said that when asked about certain documents, the accused claimed they got burnt in the fire.

A first information report (FIR) was filed against six partners of the TRP game zone. Two partners in Raceway Enterprise, which operated the TRP game zone, Yuvrajsinh Solanki and Rahul Rathod, and the manager of the recreation centre, Nitin Jain, were arrested earlier today.

As per the FIR, the accused erected a 50-metre-wide and 60-metre-long structure that was as high as a three-storey building using metal sheet fabrication to create a game zone.

They did not have proper firefighting equipment and had not obtained no-objection certificate (NOC) from the local fire department.

Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said the government-appointed special investigation team (SIT) had seized all files related to the game zone for further investigation.

"The SIT has seized all relevant files from 2021 till 2024 in my presence from various departments such as the road and building department, police and Rajkot Municipal Corporation. We will not spare those found guilty of any wrongdoing," Mr Sanghavi told reporters in Gandhinagar.

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Influencer Bobby Kataria Arrested Over Human Trafficking Charges

Social media influencer Balwant Kataria alias Bobby Kataria was arrested on Monday for allegedly human trafficking of two Uttar Pradesh youths, police said.

The case has been registered against Kataria under section 370 of the IPC at the Bajghera Police Station Gurugram, police said.

The complainants, Arun Kumar, a resident of Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh and Manish Tomar, a resident of Hapur, said that they were unemployed. They were in touch with Kataria via Instagram.

The complainants told the police that on Bobby's YouTube channel MBK, they saw an advertisement about abroad-based job. Following this they called Bobby Kataria on on his WhatsApp. Bobby called them to meet his office in Sector 109 on the pretext of getting them a job in a foreign country.

The complainant then met Kataria in his office on 1 February 2024 and paid Rs 2,000 for registration.

After this, on the request of Bobby Kataria, on February 13, Rs 50,000 was transferred to his official account which was registered in the name of MBK Global Visa Private Limited.

Thereafter, on Bobby's instruction on March 14, another amount of Rs 1 lakh was transferred to the account of a person named Ankit Shaukeen. Kataria sent the tickets of Vientiane (Laos) through Shaukeen's WhatsApp.

On March 28, as per the instructions of Bobby Kataria, Kumar got Rs 50,000 converted into USD at the airport and boarded the flight to Vientiane.

Similarly, lakhs of rupees were taken from his friend Manish Tomar on the pretext of sending him to Singapore, but he was also made to board a flight to Vientiane.

When both of them landed at Vientiane airport, they met a young man named Abhi, who described himself as a friend of Bobby Kataria and a Pakistani agent.

He dropped them off at the Hotel Mican Son in Vientiane, where they found a young man named Ankit Shaukeen and Nitish Sharma alias Rocky. They took the victims to an anonymous Chinese company. There both the friends were severely beaten and their passports were snatched.

At the same time, they were forced to commit cyber fraud against US citizens. Both of them were threatened that if the work was not done as per their instructions then they would not be able to return to India and they would be killed there.

"About 150 Indians including women were brought into that company through human trafficking by brokers like Bobby Kataria on the pretext of jobs. Somehow, we escaped from there and reached the Indian Embassy and came back to India and filed a police complaint against Kataria," the complainant told the police.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Mamata Banerjee Posts Special Message For KKR After IPL 2024 Title Victory

Kolkata Knight Riders claimed their third IPL title after defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday. KKR looked completely in control throughout the match as the Shreyas Iyer-led side registered a comprehensive eight-wicket victory in the IPL 2024 final. After the win, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee took to social media to post a special message. "Kolkata Knight Riders' win has brought about an air of celebration all across Bengal. I would like to personally congratulate the players, the support staff and the franchise for their record breaking performance in this season of the IPL. Wishing for more such enchanting victories in the years to come!," she posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Kolkata Knight Riders' win has brought about an air of celebration all across Bengal.

I would like to personally congratulate the players, the support staff and the franchise for their record breaking performance in this season of the IPL.

Wishing for more such enchanting…

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 26, 2024

Coming to the match, KKR produced a sensational bowling performance to bundle out SRH for 113 as Andre Russell took three wickets while Vaibhav Arora and Mitchell Starc took two.

Bowling coach Bharat Arun opened up about the performance.

"It has been pretty tough the last two years, we didn't qualify and there has been introspection and we worked on areas which needed to be worked on. [on Rana] He has been outstanding and it's about the bowler understanding what his strengths are and when he does, it comes out beautifully on the ground. Mitch coming into the team boosted the confidence of the other youngsters."

"He has been one of the best bowlers in world cricket and he has been in such situations before, it's about understanding Indian conditions and once he did that, it is magic all over. They have been outstanding, spinners mature with age, both bowling in tandem has worked exceptionally for us. He has brought a totally different dimension to our batting this year and it was Gautam who insisted that Sunny open and what Sunny did was outstanding," Arun said after the match.

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Cyclone Remal Begins Landfall, To Continue For 4 Hours: 10 Points

1. The met department said, "The forward sector of wall cloud region is entering into land. The landfall process has commenced over coastal areas of Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal. It will continue for next 4 hours". Wind speeds are expected to range between 110 and 120 km per hour and gusts can reach up to 135 kmph.
2. Coastal districts are expected to experience extremely heavy rainfall, while Kolkata and its surroundings may encounter heavy to very heavy rainfall.
3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting earlier this evening to check the preparedness for Cyclone Remal. He said the Centre has extended full support to the state and must continue to do so. More teams of security forces have been kept on standby, he said.Sixteen battalions each from the state disaster management and NDRF have already been deployed in the coastal areas,.
4. Air and rail traffic have already been shut ahead of the landfall as a precautionary measure. Kolkata airport authorities have suspended flight operations for 21 hours starting at noon today. The Eastern and South Eastern Railways have cancelled several trains.
5. A total of 394 flights - both international and domestic - will not operate during the flight suspension period, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said.
6. Kolkata and its adjoining districts have been receiving Intermittent showers and gusty winds since morning. Traffic has been thin on the roads.
7. Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim convened a meeting with officials in the afternoon to assess preparedness for the impending cyclone. He added that approximately 15,000 civic employees have been mobilised to address post-cyclone scenarios.
8. The Bengal government has evacuated around 1.10 lakh people from coastal regions, including the Sundarbans and Sagar Island, to secure shelters.
9. Authorities in the coastal areas, especially in Digha, Shankarpur, and Tajpur, have issued advisories urging tourists to vacate hotels and refrain from venturing into the seas as a precautionary measure.
10. In Bangladesh, over 800,000 people from vulnerable areas have been evacuated to shelters on Sunday.
    
    (The Kolkata Police has also announced two helpline numbers - 9432610428 and 9432610429 - for citizens)

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Low Pressure System Over Bay Of Bengal Intensifies Into Cyclonic Storm

A low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into cyclonic storm 'Remal' and is expected to make landfall between West Bengal's Sagar Island and Bangladesh's Khepupara at midnight on Sunday, the IMD said.

This is the first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this pre-monsoon season.

The deep depression over the east-central Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm 'Remal' and was centred approximately 360 km south-southeast of Khepupara and 350 km south-southeast of Sagar Island, according to an update issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) at 7:50 pm on Saturday.

The storm is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm by Sunday morning and is expected to cross the West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh coasts between Sagar Island and Khepupara with wind speeds of 110 to 120 km/hr, gusting to 135 km/hr around midnight on Sunday, the IMD said.

The Met Office has warned of extremely heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal and north Odisha on May 26-27. Parts of northeast India may also experience extremely heavy precipitation on May 27-28.

A storm surge of up to 1.5 meters is expected to inundate low-lying areas of coastal West Bengal and Bangladesh at the time of landfall.

The weather office advised fishermen not to venture into the sea in the north Bay of Bengal until the morning of May 27.

A red alert was issued for the coastal districts of South and North 24 Parganas in West Bengal for May 26-27, where extremely heavy rain is expected in some areas.

An orange alert is in place for Kolkata, Howrah, Nadia, and Purba Medinipur districts, warning of wind speeds of 80 to 90 km/hr, gusting to 100 km/hr, and heavy to very heavy rainfall at some places on May 26-27.

In north Odisha, the coastal districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, and Kendrapara will receive heavy rains on May 26-27, while heavy precipitation is likely in Mayurbhanj on May 27.

The IMD has warned of localised flooding and significant damage to vulnerable structures, power and communication lines, kutcha roads, crops, and orchards in South and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal.

People in the affected areas have been advised to remain indoors. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Fact Check: Painting Behind Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Not Of Jesus Christ

After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared a selfie of him and Sonia Gandhi having voted during the sixth phase of polling for the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the photo was widely shared on social media.

The claim

Those sharing the photograph took a dig at Gandhi calling himself a 'janeudhari brahmin', (thread-wearing Brahmin), while claiming that he had a photo of Jesus Christ in his room, but none of Hindu Gods.

• Among those sharing this is X (formerly Twitter) user 'MrSinha_'.

But...?: The photo does not show Jesus.

• It is a painting titled 'Madonna Oriflamma' by Russian painter Nicholas Roerich, where the lady in the painting is holding a banner of peace.

How did the Quint find out the truth?: We noticed that the photo in the background showed a person holding a banner with three red dots, surrounded by a red circle.

• Using this description ('person holding red circle with three dots painting') as a search term led us to a 2017 blog post with the same image.
• It identified the image as a 1932 painting titled 'Madonna Oriflamma' by one Nikolai Roerich.
• It also mentioned that the geometrical art was Roerich's creation, which he called the 'Banner of peace', elaborating on the symbolism of the banner.
• We looked up the name of the painting and found it on several websites across the internet.
• One of the results included the painting's WikiArt page, last updated in 2013, which mentioned that the art was on display at the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York.

• The museum's Facebook page also shared the painting's photograph in 2021, discussing its meaning and symbolism.
• Moreover, Roerich's website also carries a visual of the painting with details about its medium and dimensions, stating that it has been on loan to the museum since 1960.

Reproduced and printed versions of the painting are also easily available for purchase on the internet, as seen here, here, and here.

Conclusion: The painting seen in Rahul and Sonia Gandhi's photo is not one of Jesus Christ.

(This story was originally published by The Quint and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective.)

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Kate Middleton Will Not Appear In Public This Year: Report

Months after Princess of Wales Kate Middleton announced she had been diagnosed with cancer and was in the “early stages” of treatment, royal family sources revealed she might “not appear in public for the rest of the year.”

Kate is “surrounded” by her family as she undergoes preventive chemotherapy, The Daily Beast reported.

The Princess of Wales is expected to spend the next week at the country home on the Sandringham Estate with her family. Her parents would likely join them.

Over the next six weeks, Prince William will likely spend more time with his family. He was given time off after the British royal family noted they would be stepping back from a few engagements to avoid distracting from the upcoming general elections scheduled for July 4.

A source, quoted by the publication, said the Princess of Wales is not expected to be seen in any public-facing role in the medium term, adding to the possibility of her remaining absent from public life for the rest of 2024.

"Lots of people involved in planning need to know what the principals are doing a long way in advance. I am told that Kate's diary for this year is empty. There is nothing planned. She may not appear in public for the rest of the year," the source told the outlet.

So, how does the Royal Family plan to deal with the inevitable resurgence of conspiracy theories and speculations that her absence would trigger?

The source shared the possibility of another video message updating the country on her health can't be ruled out, adding it worked as an "effective way" to keep the conspiracy theorists at bay.

A friend of the royal couple, on the condition of anonymity, said that for now, the most crucial thing for Kate is to avoid stress and anxiety so she can move on with getting better. They will bail out and be off to Sandringham the moment school breaks up, the friend said.

The Princess of Wales prefers to confide in her family rather than her friends - most of whom are expected to attend the Duke of Westminster's wedding next month, the friend said, adding that she is surrounded by her parents, Carole and Michael, and her sister Pippa Middleton and brother James have "obviously been there for her as well."

"They are an incredibly tight family, and Catherine feels absolutely confident relying on them. They have been there for her for decades and never let her down," the source added.

According to reports, the Princess of Wales has not appeared in public in the last several months. On March 22, she announced her cancer diagnosis in a video statement.

In the video, she said initially her condition was believed to be non-cancerous. But she discovered the truth after a successful abdominal surgery in January as subsequent tests revealed cancer was present.

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Indian Filmmaker's 'All We Imagine As Light' Wins Grand Prix At Cannes

Filmmaker Payal Kapadia on Saturday scripted history as her spellbinding drama "All We Imagine as Light" won the Grand Prix award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

The film bagged the award, which is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or, during the closing ceremony of the 77th edition.

Ms Kapadia's feature directorial debut, which screened on Thursday night and has received glowing reviews in the international press, already registered its name in the history books after it became the first Indian film in 30 years and the first ever by an Indian female director to be showcased in the main competition.

The screening of the film received an eight-minute standing ovation from the audience members. "All We Imagine as Light", a Malayalam-Hindi feature, is about Prabha, a nurse, who receives an unexpected gift from her long-estranged husband that throws her life into disarray. Her younger roommate, Anu, tries in vain to find a private spot in the big city to be alone with her boyfriend.

One day the two nurses go on a road trip to a beach town where the mystical forest becomes a space for their dreams to manifest, according to the plotline.

International critics have given the film a thumbs up and praised Ms Kapadia's storytelling prowess.

An alumna of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), Ms Kapadia is best known for her acclaimed documentary "A Night of Knowing Nothing", which premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival's Director's Fortnight side-bar where it won the Oeil d'or (Golden Eye) award.

Her short film "Afternoon Clouds" in Cinefondation, a category dedicated to supporting the next generation of talented filmmakers. "All We Imagine As Light" is an Indo-French co-production between Petit Chaos from France and Chalk and Cheese Films from India.

The main competition jury was chaired by filmmaker Greta Gerwig and also included Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona, Turkish actor-screenwriter Ebru Ceylan, Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino, American actor Lily Gladstone, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, Lebanese actor-director Nadine Labaki and French stars Eva Green and French actor Omar Sy.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Delhi, Haryana Vote Today In Penultimate Phase: 10 Points

1. Voting will take place today in eight seats each in Bihar and Bengal, seven in Delhi, 10 in Haryana, four in Jharkhand, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, and the final seat in Jammu & Kashmir -- Anantnag-Rajouri, where poling was moved from the third to the sixth phase.
2. Odisha will pick representatives for 42 assembly constituencies and six Lok Sabha seats.
3. By the end of today, election will be completed in 486 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. Polling will also be completed in Haryana, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.
4. The most riveting contest will be for national capital Delhi, where the BJP swept all seven seats in 2019. This time, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party is out to prise a few with its "Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se" campaign. AAP is contesting four seats in the national capital, its ally Congress three.
5. The phase will be crucial for NDA, which has to keep its score intact to meet its "400-plus" target. In 2019, the BJP alone won 40 of the 58 constituencies going to polls today in the Hindi heartland and the east. Its NDA allies won five more seats.
6. The parties of the Opposition INDIA bloc -- Trinamool Congress, National Conference and Samajwadi Party – had won five seats, the Congress none.
7. Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party -- which contested the election in alliance with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party in 2019 and is now unaligned -- and Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal also won a few.
8. The key candidates for this phase are the BJP's Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan from Sambalpur,  Manohar Lal Khattar from Karnal, Sambit Patra from Puri, Maneka Gandhi from Sultanpur, late Union minister Sushma Swaraj's daughter Bansuri Swaraj from the New Delhi constituency, Manoj Tiwari from North East Delhi and industrialist Naveen Jindal from Kurukshetra.
9. On the Opposition bloc are former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti from Anantnag, actor-turned politician Raj Babbar from Gurgaon, Deepender Singh Hooda from Rohtak, JNU students' union's former president Kanhaiya Kumar from North East Delhi.
10. The counting of votes will be held on June 4 after the last phase of the election ends on June 1.

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CSK CEO's New Twist To MS Dhoni Retirement Saga, Says "We Do Expect..."

Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan said he is 'very, very hopeful' of former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni participating in IPL 2025 as a player. Dhoni, who led CSK to a record five Indian Premier League titles, stepped down as the skipper before the start of the ongoing season, handing the responsibilities to Ruturaj Gaikwad, who led the team to a fifth place finish. Speculations have been rife that this could be Dhoni's final season in the tournament but Viswanathan asserted that it was completely up to the former India captain to take a final call on his future.

"I do not know. It is a question which only MS can answer. The question for us, we have always respected the decisions taken by MS. We have left it to him," he said to a question on CSK's YouTube channel.

"As all of you know, he has always taken his decisions and announced them at the appropriate time. We do expect that we will get a decision as and when he decides.

"But we are very, very hopeful that he will be available for CSK the next year. That is the view and expectations of the fans and mine."

Dhoni, who had undergone surgery to treat a knee injury issue last year, scored 161 runs in 73 balls at a strike rate of 220.55 this season. He was also good behind the stumps.

A mega IPL auction has been scheduled later in the year and if Dhoni continues, CSK will undoubtedly be retaining him.

However, the number of players allowed to be retained still needs clarity.

Viswanathan said that discussions are yet to take place on the same with the BCCI.

"It is too early because we have still not heard from BCCI on the kind of retentions which are going to be part of the next cycle of auction.

"So we are expecting that the BCCI would discuss with all franchise owners before they take a decision on retention."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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After Gavaskar Slams Stars For Leaving IPL, Vaughan Drops 'Pakistan' Logic

The IPL 2024 playoffs started on Tuesday with Qualifier 1 between Kolkata Knight Riders and SunRisers Hyderabad. KKR missed the services of their fiery opener Phil Salt in their clash. Salt hails from England. It's not only KKR, other like Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be missing some England players in the playoff stage. The reason for that is that England players have left India to join the national side before the 2024 T20 World Cup. 

The decision was slammed by former India cricketers Sunil Gavaakar and Irfan Pathan. Now, former England captain Michael Vaughan defended the decision.   

"If you are going back to represent your country, which England players have done, I think that's fair enough. They are playing a series against Pakistan. The England players wouldn't have gone back if it wasn't for the Pakistan series," Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.

"The series was on the calendar. With English cricket, the defence of the 50-over World Cup was a poor one by England here in India. So I think, Jos and his team, 5 games against Pakistan, they get together. The actual lead-up to the 50-over World Cup wasn't perfect either. There were a lot of swaps and changes. They have now gone back to 5 matches, get all the squad together, work on a bit of culture, everyone playing their right roles, I think it will give them a better chance."

Punjab Kings' all-rounder Liam Livingstone on Monday returned to England from the ongoing IPL to undergo a knee recuperation ahead of the next month's T20 World Cup. Along with Livingstone, Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals), Will Jacks and Reece Topley (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) also have left the IPL to join England squad ahead of the T20I series against Pakistan, beginning on May 22. 

Other player who had left were - Moeen Ali (CSK), Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow (PBKS).

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Video: Noida Man's Bizarre 'Stunts' In SUV Involve Scaring College Students

A 25-year-old Delhi resident, accused of endangering the safety of pedestrians by allegedly driving his SUV recklessly on a street here, was arrested on Friday, police said.

Prince Mavi has been booked for violation of road traffic rules and fined Rs 35,000 as a penalty, they said.

In videos that surfaced on social media, he is seen driving an SUV on a street near Amity University and braking close to pedestrians, leaving them terrified. Those terrified by his acts included college-going men and women, it was seen in the videos.

"On Friday, a viral video on social media came to the notice in which a Mahindra Thar registered in Haryana was seen dangerously performing stunts, putting the lives of people in danger on the road of a private university in Sector-125, Noida," a police spokesperson said.

"Based on the video, an FIR was registered at the local Sector-126 police station and an investigation was launched, after which the driver of the car, accused Prince Mavi, son of Pitambar Mavi, resident of Hari Nagar Extension Part-2 in Delhi, was arrested," the official said.

The vehicle has been impounded, police said.

Separately, the traffic police said it has slapped challans totalling Rs 35,000 on Mavi for flouting multiple rules of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Use of tinted glasses, faulty number plates (which had casteist mentions on them), dangerous driving, and violation of prescribed levels of air pollution, were among the violations, police said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Indian Student From Andhra Pradesh Dies In Bike Accident In New York

In a tragic incident, an Indian student In New York died after he met with a bike accident.

Shri Belem Atchyuth from Andhra Pradesh was a student at The State University of New York (SUNY) and passed away in a bike accident Wednesday evening.

"Saddened to learn about the untimely demise of Shri Belem Atchyuth, a student at SUNY who met with a bike accident and passed away yesterday evening," the Consulate General of India said in a post on X.

Saddened to learn about the untimely demise of Shri Belem Atchyuth, a student at SUNY who met with a bike accident and passed away yesterday evening; our deepest condolences to the family; @IndiainNewYork is in touch with the bereaved family & local agencies to extend all…

— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) May 23, 2024

Expressing "deepest condolences" to his family, the Consulate said they are in touch with the "bereaved family & local agencies to extend all assistance including sending the mortal remains back to India".

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Did Mallikarjun Kharge Say 'Congress Is Finished'? A Fact Check

A video circulating on social media claims that Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that "the party is over" during a 2024 Lok Sabha election rally. In the video, Mr Kharge says in Hindi, "Congress is finished. Congress is dead. And now you can't see Congress anywhere."

The posts sharing this video claim that Mallikarjun Kharge admitted Congress has been disbanded and is no longer functioning. Archived versions of similar posts can be viewed here and here.

Screenshot of viral posts shared on social media (Source: Instagram/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, our investigation reveals that Mr Kharge's video was edited and shared with a misleading narrative. The original video shows him quoting remarks by Congress critics in Ahmedabad.

What did we find?

A reverse image search of a screenshot from the viral clip led us to a YouTube video live-streamed on the official channel of the Indian National Congress (archived here) on May 2, 2024. In the video, Mr Kharge is speaking at an election rally in Ahmedabad.

At the 12:04 timestamp, he discusses Ahmedabad and says, "Ahmedabad is one such big and famous city. Mahatma Gandhi ji, Sardar Patel ji, Dadabhai Naroji, and many more great leaders were born here. They made Gujarat great. Gandhi ji and Sardar Patel, Bhulabhai Desai, Vithalbhai Patel, and the Speaker of our Lok Sabha, Mavalankar ji - all the leaders have built the country, and among them, three members became the presidents of our Congress party - Sardar Patel, Mahatma Gandhi ji, UN Dhebar - all of them held the position of party president and strengthened it."

He then says, "So, I want to say, the foundation of the Congress party in Ahmedabad city is very strong. No one can remove it, and no one can dare to say that we will finish the Congress. Few people say, 'Congress is finished, Congress is dead, and Congress will not be seen anywhere for you' - the leaders here say this. I only want to ask them this: this Ahmedabad city is Mahatma Gandhi ji's holy place. But it is surprising that in this land, people with such ideology are born who are thinking about finishing Gandhi ji's ideology."

The part of the speech highlighted in bold above has now been selectively edited and circulated with a misleading narrative, alleging that Mr Kharge said the 'Congress party is finished'.

Logically Facts debunked several such election rally videos shared out of context. Our checks can be found here, here, and here.

The Verdict

The viral video falsely portrays Mallikarjun Kharge as saying that Congress is "over" during an election rally in Ahmedabad. In reality, he was quoting critics who claim the party is "finished." As a result, the claim has been marked as misleading.

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"Non-Recovery Of Cash Can't Be...": High Court In Manish Sisodia Hearing

Non-recovery of cash cannot be a prima facie proof that no corruption has taken place as the offender's mind uses new technology to commit offences without leaving behind any trace, the Delhi High Court has held while denying bail to AAP leader Manish Sisodia in the excise policy scam cases.

The high court said it cannot accept the argument put forth by Mr Sisodia about the non-recovery of cash from him in view of the statements of some hawala dealers and other witnesses recorded during the investigation.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma dismissed the bail pleas filed by the former Delhi deputy chief minister in the corruption and money laundering cases lodged by the CBI and ED, respectively, in connection with the alleged liquor scam.

While the two petitions were dismissed on Tuesday, the detailed order was uploaded on the high court's website on Wednesday.

“This court is of the view that the prosecution has made out a prima facie case of commission of money laundering under Section 3 of PMLA against Manish Sisodia, at this stage. It is to be noted at the outset that the requirement of recovery of cash amount from a particular person may not necessarily be a mandatory requirement in a money laundering case where the allegations are of being part of a conspiracy consisting of multiple accused persons,” the high court said.

“In this court's opinion, non-recovery of any amount of money in cash cannot be a proof prima facie that no corruption has taken place since the offender‘s mind uses the new technology to commit offences without leaving traces of commission of offences,” it said.

The court observed that the case involves commission of "serious offence" of corruption in public office and money laundering.

These offences "strike at the heart of our economic and social systems, undermining the rule of law and eroding public trust in our institutions", it said.

“Moreover, the form of corruption which has the tendency of stealing the legitimate resources of the poor ordinary people and giving it to the rich can be one of the worst forms of corruption,” the high court said in a 106-page judgment.

The court said small and medium-sized enterprises, which are managed by common people and are the backbone of economic growth and job creation, are particularly vulnerable to the detrimental impacts of corruption that is prima facie visible in the formulation of the new excise policy.

It said the new excise policy has “eradicated” the common and small-time businesses and gave the entire playing field in the liquor business to those who had “money, power and had created a cartel” on the basis of financial gains to those formulating a policy, which adds to the seriousness of the offence.

“The courts of law may be considered as constant thorns in the way of free-flowing corruption and, even if that be so and are termed as thorns, it scores the victory for the masses,” Justice Sharma said.

The high court observed in its order that the matter involved grave misuse of power and breach of public trust by Mr Sisodia.

The AAP leader's conduct amounted to a "great betrayal of democratic principles", the court said, adding he allegedly indulged in destruction of crucial evidence, including electronic evidence.

It said Mr Sisodia was a very influential person within the power corridors of the Delhi government as he had the responsibility of 18 portfolios in the city dispensation.

The former deputy chief minister had challenged a trial court's April 30 order by which his bail pleas were rejected in the corruption and money laundering cases lodged by the CBI and ED, respectively, in connection with alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.

While seeking bail for Mr Sisodia, his counsel had submitted before the high court that the ED and CBI are still arresting people in the money laundering and corruption cases, and there is no question of early conclusion of the trial.

Both the ED and CBI opposed Mr Sisodia's bail pleas on grounds that concerted efforts were made by the accused to delay the process of framing charges.

Mr Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for his alleged role in the liquor "scam". The ED arrested him in the money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2023.

He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.

The probe agencies have alleged that the beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.

According to the probe agencies, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to the licence holders.

The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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England vs Pakistan 1st T20I Live Score Updates: Will Rain Play Spoilsport?

England vs Pakistan 1st T20I, Live Updates: England will be taking on Pakistan in the 1st T20I of the four-match series on Wednesday in Leeds. Pakistan will be coming to clash after winning the three-match T20I series against Ireland by 2-1 scoreline. Babar Azam and co have released pacer Hasan Ali from the squad, seeing the fitness of Haris Rauf. On the other hand, England will be playing without Liam Livingstone, who is recovering from his knee injury. Apart from this, the likes of Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Phil Salt, Sam Curran, and others have joined the England squad, coming from IPL. (Live Scorecard) 

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Watch: Suhana, AbRam, Gambhir's Wild Celebration As KKR Dismantle SRH

Mitchell Starc's sheer pace and Varun Chakaravarthy's craftsmanship with spin helped Kolkata Knight Riders bundle out Sunrisers Hyderabad on 159 in the Indian Premier League Qualifier 1 on Tuesday at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Starc made the Sunrisers regret on their decision to bat after winning the toss. SRH are known for their fearless high-scoring approach in the first six overs. But Starc's pace left the Hyderabad batters rattled in the powerplay. KKR chased down the target in 13.4 Overs to enter IPl 2024 finl. 

On the second delivery of the first over, with a bit of late outward movement, Starc castled Travis Head for a two-ball duck and drew the first blood.

In the next over, both openers were sitting back in the dugout. Vaibhav Arora took Abhishek Sharma by surprise as the ball didn't come as quickly as the youngster would have expected.

Abhishek (3) miscued his shot and the ball fell into the safe hands of Andre Russell.

Starc rode high on his sheer pace and trapped Rahul Tripathi in front of the stumps with a searing yorker.

Despite the appeal, the umpire didn't raise his finger. KKR decided to not review the decision and the replay after the incident confirmed that the ball was nipping the stumps.

Even after facing a setback, there was no stopping Starc from picking wickets. In his third over in the powerplay, he struck back-to-back wickets to completely put KKR in the driver's seat.

In the fifth over, Nitish Reddy (9) tried to create room for himself. But he ended up pulling off a thick outside edge which went straight to the keeper behind the stumps.

On the next delivery, Starc dislodged Shahbaz Ahmed's middle stump to leave SRH hanging in the dry.

The fall of wickets was celebrated wildly by Suhana Khan and Abram Khan, children of KKR co-owner Shah Rukh. SRK looked happy but calmer than his children. KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir, meanwhile. also celebrated wildly. 

Shah Rukh Khan, Suhana Khan, Abram Khan & Pooja Dadlani celebrating after 2 back to back wickets#ShahRukhKhan #KKRvsSRHpic.twitter.com/BVX8JqQ41x

— Shah Rukh Khan Warriors FAN Club (@TeamSRKWarriors) May 21, 2024

Gambhir represents the mood rn #KKRvsSRH
pic.twitter.com/r5Na7yQU2Q

— Johns (@JohnyBravo183) May 21, 2024

SRH ended the powerplay with a score of 45/4 which marked their third-lowest powerplay score for SRH this season.

From that point, Tripathi and Heinrich Klaasen forged a 62-run stand in a mere 37 deliveries to impose control. Tripathi raised his bat for his 12th IPL fifty following a reverse sweep to find the fence for a four.

But Klaasen's Achilles heel came back to sting him. His struggle against spinners was once again on display. Varun Chakaravarthy lured the power hitter to slog but Klaasen didn't find the ideal connection.

He tried to clear the boundary but Rinku Singh made no mistake at deep mid-wicket. Klaasen walked back with a score of 32(21).

Abdul Samad came in, tonked a maximum on his first ball and made his clear intent to the KKR bowlers.

On the first ball after the timeout, Samad cleared the ropes once again off Sunil Narine. On the next ball, well-set Tripathi (55) got run out. Samad chopped the ball and continued to run while Tripathi stood watching the ball.

By the time he realised the situation, Russell had dispatched the ball to Gurbaz who comfortably dislodged the bails off the stumps.

In a moment of desperation, SRH brought in Sanvir Singh as the impact substitute. Narine spoiled SRH's plans as Sanvir tried to deflect away the turning ball. The ball deflected off his pads and crashed into the stumps. SRH's impact sub walked back for a golden duck.

With five overs left, the responsibility fell on Abdul Samad's shoulders to take SRH to a competitive total.

However, Harshit Rana's slower delivery caught Samad off-guard and ended his stay on the crease for a score of 16(12).

Chakaravarthy went on to remove Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a four-ball duck with a sharp spinning delivery.

Skipper Pat Cummins took the fight back to KKR with his knock of 30(24). But he fell to Russell in the final over as SRH bundled out on 159.

Brief score: Sunrisers Hyderabad 159 (Rahul Tripathi 55, Heinrich Klaasen 32; Mitchell Starc 3-34) vs Kolkata Knight Riders.

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"Am A Love Child": Philippines Town Mayor Denies Being Chinese Spy

The mayor of a small Philippines town who has been accused of being a Chinese spy has rebutted the charges and clarified that she is a filipino. Alice Leal Guo, the mayor of Bamban town in Philippines, is being investigated for her alleged ties to China after she failed to give clear answers when asked about her family background during a senate hearing.

"I want to tell the public is that I am not a Chinese spy. I am a Filipino. I love my own country. I am not an asset," said Alice Leal Guo in an interview to ABS-CBN news. 

According to BBC, she has also said that she is a "love child" of her father who was Chinese and his Filipino maid and that her mother had abandoned her. "I am my father's love child with a maid... It's a very private matter. I can't just tell anyone that my own mother had deserted me," she said.

Ms Guo also said that during the hearing, her mind just "went blank". 

The clarification comes amid heat she has been facing for being an alleged "asset of China". 

Alice Leal Guo is under investigation after an online offshore casino in her town, also called POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations), was found to be a front for a scam centre. POGOs are online gaming firms for foreign customers, particularly Chinese nationals since gambling there is illegal. As per BBC, the land on which the casino was built was partially owned by Ms Guo. However, she has claimed that she sold her stakes before becoming the mayor in 2022. 

While facing a senate hearing for this, Ms Gua gave vague answers when asked about her childhood and family background. She revealed that her birth certificate was registered when she turned 17 because she was born in a house, not a hospital. She also said that she was home-schooled, however, couldn't give more details about that. 

Ms Guo's inability to share a clear picture of her childhood and her alleged links to the POGO centre in her town raised suspicions about her nationality. 

''Is she, along with others like her who have mahiwaga [mysterious] backgrounds, an asset inserted by China into our government to have a heavy influence in Philippine politics?'' said a senator, Risa Hontiveros, on May 8.

President Ferdinand Marcos has also raised his concerns saying, "I know all the politicians from Tarlac [province], no one knows her. So, we are wondering where she came from. We don't know. That's why an investigation is really needed."

According to South China Morning Post, Ms Gua said that allegations against her regarding the POGO centre didn't affect her, however, the scrutiny she faced over suspicions of being a Chinese spy has "hurt" her. She also said that she hopes to find her mother some day. 

Philippines and China have been embroiled in a diplomatic row over claims on the South China sea. China's territorial claim over the entire sea overlaps with that of other countries including the Philippines. 

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Sanjay Dutt Quits Akshay Kumar's Welcome 3 Due To Health Issues: Report

Sanjay Dutt has reportedly quit Akshay Kumar's Welcome 3 due to health issues. According to a Pinkvilla report, the actor had shot only one day for the film. Pinkvilla quoted a source stating, "The actor had shot for the film headlined by Akshay Kumar for only one day in Madh Island." The souce added, "His character had a lot of action in the movie, and hence, he decided to walk out considering his health issues." Sanjay Dutt joined the shoot of Welcome 3 last December.

Welcoming Sanjay Dutt onboard, Akshay Kumar shared a reel on his Instagram. In the reel, we can see Akshay Kumar riding on a horse while Sanjay Dutt follows him on a bike. Incidentally, the first film of the Welcome franchise, Welcome, completed 16 years on that very day. Mentioning that, Akshay Kumar wrote in the caption, "What a lovely coincidence that we celebrate 16 years of Welcome today while I am shooting for the franchise's third part WelcomeToTheJungle. And it's wonderful to welcome Sanju Baba in this one. What do you think?" Take a look:

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A post shared by Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar)

FYI, Sanjay Dutt is a cancer survivor. In October 2020, Sanjay Dutt shared that he was cancer free. Sharing a tweet, he said, "My heart is filled with gratitude as I share this news with all of you today. Thank you."  In the post, he said, "And today, on the occasion of my kids' birthday, I am happy to come out victorious from this battle and be able to give them the best gift I can- the health and well-being of our family." Take a look:

My heart is filled with gratitude as I share this news with all of you today. Thank you 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/81sGvWWpoe

— Sanjay Dutt (@duttsanjay) October 21, 2020

Welcome 3 has a huge cast. The film stars Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Krushna Abhishek, to name a few. Ahmed Khan is directing the film.

Welcome released in 2007. Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar headlined the film. Anees Bazmee directed the film.

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IndiGo Reacts To Friendship Story That Started With Napkin Note On Flight

A heartwarming video capturing an unexpected friendship between two strangers on an IndiGo flight is going viral on social media. The clip, shared on Instagram, shows how the friendship between Siddhi Chokhani and Shubham Pille began on a flight and has endured for a decade since. The video opens to show Ms Chokhani facing the camera while sitting in her seat on the flight, and the text insert appears on the screen. It reads, "I found a cute guy on the flight. As the video progresses, it shows Mr Pille seated in front of Ms Chokhani and using his phone. Ms Chokhani then pens a cute note on a napkin and passes it to him. 

"You're cute," the note read. It also included her phone number. Mr Pille, after reading the note, then wrote something on the napkin and returned it to her with a smile. His message read, "Just like you". 

The video was shared on Instagram just a few days back with the caption, "A decade and counting". 

Watch the video below: 

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A post shared by Siddhi Chokhani (@siddhicee)

Since being shared, the clip has accumulated more than 1 million likes and over 29 million views. It also caught the attention of IndiGo Airlines. "Who knew that a chance meeting at 30,000 feet could lead to a friendship that soars even higher? Here's to the unexpected connections that make life's journey truly remarkable. Cheers to many more adventures together!" the airlines wrote in the comments. 

Meanwhile, in the comments section, users were amused by the unpredictability of life and the joy of meeting genuine people along the way. Some even expressed surprise that the duo did not end up together romantically. 

Also Read | Woman Finds "Oily Frothy Liquid" In Ice Cream Ordered From Zepto, Company Reacts

"I wish someone gets inspired and does this to me," wrote one user. "Let sudden things happen. All are strangers anyways," said another. 

"Why I never find such 'cute guy' in flights that I catch?" wrote a third user. "Finally I learnt a very important trick from reel. definitely gonna try," expressed another. 

"Bro was called Cute and Friendzoned," jokingly said one user. "That's like getting approached by a company yet getting hired for associate position," added another. 

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