BHOPAL: From late-night raids to routine seizures spread across villages miles apart, they were present everywhere – many a time simultaneously at different locations. Allegations of ‘omnipresent’ police witnesses in Madhya Pradesh’s Mauganj district have snowballed into a major controversy after scrutiny of digital crime tracking records confirmed that the same six individuals were repeatedly cited as govt witnesses in hundreds of cases registered at Laur and Naigadhi police stations in the district. The pattern of a few selected names recurring case after case emerged from FIRs accessed through Crime & Criminal Tracking Network & Systems, a home ministry project. At the centre of the allegations is Jagdish Singh Thakur, former in-charge of Naigadhi and Laur police stations, against whom complaints were lodged by an RTI activist, accusing him of misusing his position to register over 150 questionable FIRs. The complaint alleged that under his charge at the two police stations, the same favoured individuals were repeatedly cited witnesses to facilitate routine police action, justify the cases on paper and enable corruption. One of the six individuals, Amit Kushwaha, who was cited as a witness in hundreds of cases, allegedly moved with Thakur during his transfers. The activist, Kunj Bihari Tiwari, first lodged a police complaint in 2022. He filed another detailed complaint in Dec 2025, sharing ‘proof’.People say they were not ‘witnesses’, cops say probe will reveal allActing on the complaint, Mauganj SP Dilip Soni removed Thakur as Naigadhi police station incharge Sunday. “We are getting the complaint probed in detail. The complainant shared details regarding 145 FIRs with common witnesses,” Soni told TOI. He however, added that “this was not the only reason, but one of the reasons for which the action was taken”. Some of the ‘witnesses’ have now distanced themselves from the police’s move.

Dinesh Kushwaha, a vegetable vendor, told TOI: “I signed as a witness in only one or two cases where I was present. I wasn’t a witness in so many other cases. Police wrote my name as a witness without my knowledge.” Another witness, Rahul Vishwakarma, said: “I was not present during the action. Iused to sign after the accused were arrested and brought to the police station. But I did not sign as a witness in so many cases. I am a driver.” Tiwari claimed the rot runs much deeper. “I examined FIRs of more than a year and found around 200 cases with common names. When I scanned the records from the year 2000, I found similar names in about 1,000 FIRs. I am also a victim, as I was framed in a case by the same police officer,” the complainant alleged. TOIaccessed and examined copies of over 40 such FIRs and found the same names repeatedly listed as witnesses across unrelated cases. Police officers said the probe will determine whether legal procedures and norms were violated and whether disciplinary or criminal action was required.

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)leader K Annamalai on Monday launched a broadside against Raj Thackeray and dared the MNS chief to stop him from entering Mumbai. The reaction came a day after Thackeray mockingly referred to the BJP leader as “rasmalai” and questioned his standing to speak on issues related to Mumbai.

At a press conference in Chennai, the BJP leader alleged that he has received multiple threats, with some people even threatening to cut off his legs.“Who are Aaditya Thackeray and Raj Thackeray to threaten me? I am proud to be a farmer’s son. They have organised meetings just to abuse me. I don’t know whether I have become that important,” Annamalai said.“Some have written that they will cut my legs if I come to Mumbai. I will come to Mumbai—try cutting my legs. If I were afraid of such threats, I would have stayed in my village. If I say Kamaraj is one of India’s greatest leaders, does it mean he is no longer a Tamil? If I say Mumbai is a world-class city, does it mean Maharashtrians didn’t build it? These people are just ignorant,” former Tamil Nadu BJP chief added.Earlier on Sunday, Thackeray attacked Annamalai for suggesting that Mumbai is an “international city”. Thackeray also referred to his uncle Bal Thackeray’s slogan from the 1960s and 1970s — “Hatao lungi, bajao pungi.”“One rasmalai came from Tamil Nadu… what is your connection to here? Hatao lungi, bajao pungi,” Thackeray said at a joint UBT–MNS rally in Mumbai.Additionally, Thackeray also said that he would “kick” people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh out of Maharashtra if they “try to impose Hindi”.“People from UP and Bihar should understand that Hindi is not your language. I don’t hate the language… but if you try to impose it, I’ll kick you. They’re coming from all sides to Maharashtra and snatching away your share. If land and language are gone, you will be finished,” Raj Thackeray was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray also mounted a joint attack on the rival BJP over what they described as “fake Hindutva”, saying their political reunion was prompted by an imminent “danger” to Mumbai.Uddhav said he and Raj Thackeray had set aside their differences in the interest of the Marathi manoos, Hindus, and Maharashtra. Appealing to the core Marathi vote bank, Raj said the two leaders had come together as Mumbai was facing danger.Calling the BMC polls the “last election for the Marathi man”, Thackeray said: “If you miss this opportunity today, you will be finished. Unite for Marathi and Maharashtra.”The State Election Commission in Maharashtra has announced elections to 29 municipal corporations across the state, including the Pune Municipal Corporation, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. Polling will be held on January 15, with counting scheduled for January 16.

Devdutt Padikkal delivered another special moment in domestic cricket on Monday, January 12, as he hit the headlines with a historic achievement in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. Devdutt Padikkal became the first batter ever to score 700 or more runs in two different seasons of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Devdutt Padikkal Makes History in Vijay Hazare Trophy

The Karnataka opener Devdutt Padikkal reached the milestone during the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 quarterfinal against Mumbai at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru on Monday. Devdutt Padikkal needed 60 runs to cross the 700-run mark this season and got there in the 24th over of Karnataka’s innings.

During his match-winning knock of 81* runs, Padikkal moved into a league of his own, as no other batter has scored 700+ runs twice in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The 25-year-old batter had achieved the same feat in the 2020-21 season when he scored 737 runs in 7 innings for Karnataka.

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Only a handful of players have crossed 700 runs in a single Vijay Hazare Trophy season, including Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Narayan Jagadeesan, Karun Nair, and Padikkal himself. But now, Padikkal stands alone as the only player to do it in two different editions.

Eye on the Bigger VHT Record

Now, Padikkal is on the verge of breaking Narayan Jagadeesan’s (830) record for most runs in a single Vijay Hazare Trophy season. The left-handed batter was also twice the leading run scorer in India’s premier 50-over tournament. Now, he has a couple of matches to repeat the feat thrice.

Incredible Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 Season For Padikkal

The ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 has been remarkable for the Karnataka batter. Padikkal has so far smashed four centuries and two half-centuries. He started the campaign with a brilliant 147 from 118 balls against Jharkhand. He continued his rich form with 124 runs in Karnataka’s second Elite Group A match against Kerala.

However, Padikkal managed a low score of 22 against Tamil Nadu, but he bounced back in spectacular fashion by scoring two more centuries in consecutive matches against Puducherry and Tripura, scoring 113 and 108 runs, respectively, in the tournament.

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In the match against Rajasthan on January 6, the RCB star narrowly missed another century, getting out for 91. Then, he managed 35 runs from 39 balls against Madhya Pradesh in Karnataka’s final Elite Group A match in the 50-over tournament. And on Monday, he made 81* against Mumbai.

Learning Through Batting Positions

Recently, the Karnataka star admitted that the ongoing season feels different because batting in different positions has taught him more about his own game.

Devdutt Padikkal was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo, “When you start batting in different positions, you learn a lot more about your own game. I feel in cricket, it’s important to understand your game inside out; that’s when you can get the best out of yourself.

Batting in different positions has helped me understand which areas I need to target in different phases of the game, and it has helped me build my innings much better over the years.”

DHAKA: Renowned Hindu musician and senior Awami League functionary Proloy Chaki has died in police custody in Bangladesh, with his family members accusing the prison administration of denying necessary medical care to the 60-year-old and rubbishing police’s claim that it was a “natural death”, reports Ahsan Tasnim.Proloy – held in a blast case linked to the 2024 anti-discrimination student movement that grew into the ‘July Uprising’ and led to Sheikh Hasina’s ouster as PM – died on Sunday night. The cultural affairs secretary of the party’s Pabna unit, Proloy was picked up by police from his house in Pabna’s Dilalpur on Dec 16 and later shown as arrested.Son: Proloy Chaki arrested in Bangladesh without any case Proloy Chaki’s death comes at a time when Bangladesh is in the grip of relentless violence against minorities, particularly Hindus, and groups, parties and institutions aligned with Awami League. Seven Hindus have died and properties of minorities targeted by arsonists since the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh on Dec 18. Pabna jail superintendent Md Omar Faruk said Proloy had been suffering from multiple health complications, including diabetes and heart disease.

“He suffered a cardiac arrest and was first taken to Pabna General Hospital on Friday. Later, as his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where he died around 9 pm on Sunday,” Omar said, adding that “it is a natural death”. Proloy’s son Sony Chaki said, “My father was arrested despite not being named in any case at the time. He had been suffering from diabetes and heart disease for a long time. His condition worsened in jail, but authorities did not officially inform us.” “We rushed to the hospital after being informed by others, but he did not get proper treatment, which led to his death,” he said. Jail superintendent Omar has rejected the charges. Besides political identity, Pabna Sammilito Shangskritik Jote secretary Bhaskar Chowdhury said, “Proloy was a renowned singer and music director. He had also served as secretary of Shree Shree Ram Krishna Shebashrom.” Proloy was a prominent cultural activist of the 1990s, he said.

NGO’s S N Shukla said Supreme Court, in the M S Gill case, had ruled that it should not make Election Commission a law unto itself

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court has agreed to test the constitutional validity of a law giving lifelong immunity to the Chief Election Commissioner and election commissioners from civil and criminal prosecution after a PIL alleged it would make the Election Commission a law unto itself, reports Dhananjay Mahapatra. After hearing arguments from S N Shukla for NGO ‘Lok Prahari’, a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi issued notices to the Union govt and EC, and sought their responses. “We will examine whether it is constitutionally permissible to give CEC and ECs (election commissioners) such immunity from prosecution,” the bench said Monday.Present provision could jeopardise free and fair elections, NGO tells SCNGO ‘Lok Prahari’ challenged Section 16 of CEC and Other ECs (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which provided that “…no court shall entertain or continue any civil or criminal proceedings against any person who is or was a chief election commissioner or an election commissioner for any act, thing or word, committed, done or spoken by him when, or in the course of acting or purporting to act in the discharge of his official duty or function”. The NGO’s S N Shukla said Supreme Court in the M S Gill case, while giving Election Commission independence and autonomy to conduct elections, had ruled that it should not make EC a law unto itself. The present provision would enable the CEC and election commissioners to act in an unaccountable manner and could jeopardise free and fair elections, which is the basic requirement of a democracy. The NGO alleged that Section 16 was not part of the original bill tabled in Parliament in Aug, 2023 and was surreptitiously introduced “as an afterthought in the last-minute amendment to the bill at the time of debate on the bill in Dec, 2023 without giving any valid reason and adequate justification in support of it”. Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had recently targeted the CEC and election commissioners by saying if Congress and its allies came to office at Centre, it would disband this immunity and change the law retrospectively to hold them accountable for any past wrongdoings in the conduct of elections. The NGO said Section 16 is against the settled law that no one is above the law, and pointed out govt gave no reason for hurried inclusion of immunity clause for CEC and election commissioners. The petitioner claimed that such immunity is not available to the President, governors or judges. The NGO alleged the offending clause was not discussed during the debate on the bill and that “the amendment was put to vote in a rushed hush hush manner”. The petitioner said, “Evidently, the approval of the House on the said amendment was obtained and given without application of mind.” It said, “The blanket permanent immunity from all civil or criminal proceedings against any present or former CEC or election commissioners is not only against the constitutional scheme and the intentions of the framers of the Constitution.”

NEW DELHI: BJP working president Nitin Nabin is set to take over as full-fledged national president of the party on Jan 20, in the presence of PM Modi and other senior leaders, including chief ministers, national office-bearers, state party presidents and national executive council members, reports Akhilesh Singh. He will replace JP Nadda, one of the longest-serving party presidents. Since his appointment as working president, Nabin has enjoyed the support of the party brass. His ascension, following elections on Jan 20, therefore, is being seen as a formality.Nabin ascension is seen as a move towards overhaul of BJP With full-throttle endorsement from the saffron fountainhead, RSS, Nitin Nabin (46) will be the youngest party president, and his ascension is seen as a move towards a complete overhaul of the party, with a possible mix of youth and experience. Party sources have indicated that nominations for the president’s election will take place on Jan 19, followed by election the next day. Party sources said that after completing the nomination process, Nabin will be elected national president the next day. He had been appointed BJP working president on Dec 15, but his formal takeover was on hold due to “kharmas”, an inauspicious phase when Hindus avoid taking up new work or marking a beginning. Since his appointment, Nabin has been meeting party workers at the BJP headquarters. Widely regarded as an organisational chief, Nabin currently represents Bankipur assembly constituency in Patna district. Nabin is the son of the late BJP politician and former BJP MLA Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha. With nearly two decades of organisational experience, Nabin has held several key roles within the party, including as Bihar president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and BJP’s election in-charge for Chhattisgarh.

Canada updated its country-wise travel alert in the first week of January and advised Canadians to avoid traveling to a list of countries. This takes into account political tension, flight situations, internal protests etc.

Iran

Canada advises its nationals to avoid all travel to Iran due to ongoing nationwide demonstrations, tensions in the region, the high risk of arbitrary detention and the unpredictable enforcement of local laws. “The Iranian authorities have arrested and/or detained individuals, including foreign and dual nationals, to exert political or diplomatic influence on their governments. You should leave Iran if you can do so safely. Many airlines have suspended flights to and from Iran at this time, but there are overland crossing options. Our ability to provide consular services in Iran is extremely limited,” it said.

Venezuela

“Avoid all travel to Venezuela due to the heightened security situation, unstable political and economic situations, significant level of violent crime, the risk of arbitrary detention, and the decline in basic living conditions, including shortages of medication, gasoline and water,” the advisory said.

Central African Republic

“The political and security situation remains unstable in the Central African Republic. Military operations are regularly taking place throughout the country and armed criminal groups are committing acts of violence in several regions. The security situation is more stable in Bangui but could deteriorate rapidly,” the alert said.

South Sudan

Avoid all travel to South Sudan, due to the ongoing volatile security situation, armed conflicts, inter-ethnic violence and high levels of violent crime, the advisory said on South Sudan. “You should leave by commercial means if you can do so safely. If you choose to stay in South Sudan, you do so at your own risk,” it said.

Yemen

“Avoid all travel to Yemen, including the Island of Socotra, due to ongoing tensions in the region, armed conflict, terrorist attacks, and kidnapping. If you’re in Yemen, you should leave the country if it’s safe to do so.”Also on ‘do not travel list’ but last updated in December 2025SyriaSudanRussiaNigerMaliLibyaIraqBurkina FasoBelarusAfghanistanUkraineHaitiSomaliaMyanmarNorth Korea

Avoid non-essential travel

This is the list of countries where the Canadian government advises to avoid non-essentual travel. NepalEthiopiaBurundiChadDemocratic Republic of CongoEritreaLebananMauritaniaNigeriaPapua New Guinea

Why India is on the list of ‘high degree of caution’

The advisory, last updated in December 2025, listed India as a destination where a high degree of caution is to be exercised due to the “threat of terrorist attacks throughout the country”. The advisory listed J&K, border areas with Pakistan in Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan under ‘do not travel’ and Assam, Manipur under ‘avoid non-essential travel’.