GURGAON: Dense fog, biting midnight cold and deserted stretches of the Gurgaon–Faridabad Road created a chilling window for a brutal crime, as a 25-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped inside a moving van in the early hours of Tuesday, with her cries for help going unheard for nearly three hours. A day later, police arrested two van drivers in the case and said an identification parade will be conducted to ensure a fair trial. Faridabad police said the identities of the accused have been withheld as the survivor is yet to formally identify them in a parade. The suspects, drivers from Jhansi and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, were arrested by the Sector 48 crime branch, which also seized the Maruti Suzuki Eeco allegedly used in the crime.

Police said the woman had left her home around 8.30pm on Monday after an argument with her mother and told her sister she was going to a friend’s house. Though she planned to return within a few hours, she got delayed and eventually began her return close to midnight. Unable to find public transport at that hour, the woman accepted a lift in the van, unaware that two men were inside. Instead of taking her home, the men allegedly drove towards the Gurgaon–Faridabad Road and took her beyond the Hanuman temple on the stretch, steering through isolated pockets shrouded in dense fog. According to investigators, the woman was held captive in the vehicle for nearly three hours as it moved through lonely stretches of Faridabad. She allegedly screamed for help during the ordeal, but with poor visibility, biting cold and little traffic on the road, no one heard her cries. The family alleged the two men took turns to rape her inside the van before throwing her out of the vehicle while it was still in motion around 3am near Mula Hotel at Raja Chowk in SGM Nagar. The impact left the woman with serious facial injuries that required 12 stitches. She managed to contact her sister, who rushed her to a hospital in Faridabad. Though doctors advised shifting her to a Delhi hospital, the family admitted her to a private facility in the city. Police said a case has been registered at Kotwali police station under sections 70(1) (gang rape), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) (acts committed by multiple persons) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The Maruti Suzuki Eeco used in the crime has been seized, and further investigation is underway.

Left-arm fast bowler Chetan Sakariya featured in his first domestic game in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Saurashtra after not having played a single game since his injury in 2024. The pacer shared his inspiring comeback story after having lost all hope for a return to cricket.

Injuries are the biggest woes in a sportsman’s life. For cricketers, especially bowlers, a blow to their bowling arm can almost draw curtains on their career. Indian left-arm bowling sensation Chetan Sakariya from Saurashtra also struggled with the same in the early days of his career.

However, he made his return and played for the Kolkata Knight Riders last season in the IPL and finally gathered courage and returned to domestic Indian cricket with the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season.

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Chetan Sakariya on comeback from career-ending wrist injury

Once considered one of the finest young talents from India, Chetan Sakariya was considered one of the future superstars of fast bowling from the nation. He came to fame after winning the Ranji Trophy with Saurashtra in 2020.

However, his career took several unexpected blows. The first blow came in the form of a personal tragedy, but the concerning blow that almost ended his career came with a left-wrist injury in February 2024. The impact of the injury was such that Sakariya felt it would end his playing career.

“When I got injured, I thought I would never come back,” Sakariya told news agency PTI. However, the bowler recently made his return and is taking small steps towards a full-fledged return to the game. “Now, I am feeling very good after playing in this domestic season, feel so good after bowling for Saurashtra,” said the cricketer.

“It was very mentally challenging for me. I didn’t believe that I would be able to play cricket again. Some doctors told me that I might not be able to grip the ball again,” he added.

Sakariya opens up on the toughest phase of life and the support extended by friends and family

However, the wrist injury was not the first time Sakariya’s career was affected. He had to deal with a major challenge back in 2021, when he endured a massive family tragedy. Both his father and brother died around the same time.

Chetan Sakariya has revealed that it was the toughest phase of his life, and he was very young during that time; however, the incidents taught him about resilience. “So at that time, if I hadn’t been a cricketer, I don’t think I would have been able to come back to life. Now, I feel that if any tough situation comes in my life again, I am prepared for it. I know what I have to do,” he said.

Sakariya also claimed that his friends and family were a massive support during that time. They backed him and pushed him to play further again, and hence he started to rehab under the guidance of the Saurashtra Cricket Association.

Chetan Sakariya extends special mention to the KKR coaches for his rehab and training

Chetan Sakariya, despite not having played a single match in the 2024-25 domestic season, found a spot in the Kolkata Knight Riders camp, as he was called in to replace an injured Umran Malik. He extended his thanks to Chandrakanth Pandit, the former head coach of KKR, for the belief in him and for aiding his rehab and training in the KKR camp.

He further added that the presence of Bharat Arun, the former India bowling coach, in the camp helped Chetan Sakariya improve his knowledge of the game.

“He helped me work on my rhythm and skills. He told me how to advance in modern cricket. After working with Bharat sir for two and a half months, I have improved a lot in my knowledge of bowling,” he explained.

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Draft rules released for public review

NEW DELHI: Gig and platform workers need to be engaged for at least 90 days with an aggregator within a financial year to avail social security benefits formulated under the new Social Security Code, draft rules released for public comment have proposed. For workers engaged with multiple aggregators, the threshold has been proposed at 120 days. The rules treat a worker as engaged from the day they start earning an income, regardless of the amount. If a worker is associated with multiple aggregators, their days of work will be counted cumulatively across all platforms. For example, if a gig or platform worker is engaged with three aggregators on a particular day, this will be counted as three days. The rules also clarified that an eligible gig or platform worker will include all such workers engaged by the aggregator directly or through an associate company, subsidiary or limited liability partnership or through a third party. The new labour codes mandate social security such as health, life and personal accident insurance for gig workers and other arrangements that govt may propose. Labour ministry has already started registering gig workers on ‘e-Shram’ portal and will be part of ‘Ayushman Bharat’. They may also be eligible for pension later based on contribution by both the platforms and gig workers. The rules said all gig workers above 16 years need to have Aadhaar-linked registration, with each aggregator sharing details of their gig and platform workers on Centre’s designated portal for generation of a universal account number, unless the worker is already registered. Every eligible registered gig and platform worker will be issued an identity card, digital or otherwise, the rules proposed. Besides, the draft notification has laid down the proposed composition of National Social Security Board, which will be responsible for assessing the number of gig workers and platform workers, identifying new types of aggregators and formulating welfare policies for them. The board will have five representatives nominated by govt from associations of unorganised sector workers and employers’ each. Gig workers will become ineligible for social security benefits once they turn 60, or if they haven’t worked for 90 days with an aggregator – or 120 days across multiple aggregators – in the previous fiscal.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has publicly backed Shubman Gill, linking the young batter’s rapid rise to a lesson he received early in his own international career from Rahul Dravid. Speaking on JioHotstar, Pathan recalled how Dravid prepared him for the demands of international cricket when he broke into the Indian team as a teenager.

“When I entered the Indian team at the age of 19, the great Rahul Dravid told me that you have come to the team, it is good, but the things would get tougher from here. I asked what to do in case things get tough. He told me you would get used to it,” Pathan said. Pathan believes the same process of adjustment and growth now applies to Gill, particularly after being handed leadership responsibilities at a young age. “Same can be said for Gill. He became captain, in that England series, he increased his average and authority within the team. Then he got the ODI captaincy, when that happens, you get an opportunity to grow a lot,” he added. Gill’s 2025 began steadily in the ODI format, with consistent returns in bilateral series before playing a key role in India’s ICC Champions Trophy triumph. He finished the tournament with 188 runs, highlighted by a century against Bangladesh. The defining phase of Gill’s year, however, came during his first full Test tour of England. With Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin unavailable, the burden of leadership fell heavily on the young Test captain. Gill responded with a historic series, scoring 754 runs in five Tests at an average of 75.40, including four centuries and a career-best 269. Pathan also addressed the weight of comparisons that follow elite Indian batters across generations. “He has a lot of talent. There will be always comparisons. Virat was compared with Sachin (Tendulkar), and now Gill is being compared to Virat, who has scored those 25,000–30,000 runs. I think he is fully capable of it. He has a fine range of shots,” Pathan said. Gill’s only notable setback came in T20 internationals, where a run of modest returns saw him score 291 runs in 15 innings at an average just over 24 in 2025, eventually missing out on selection for India’s T20 World Cup squad. Pathan views that phase as part of a broader learning curve. “The more responsibility and challenges he gets, he will grow more as a cricketer. I have seen that he is always ready for cricket. Always willing to learn. He has that attitude in him,” he said.

Mumbai: Vakola police have booked a 25-year-old mother of two for allegedly slashing her lover’s private parts with a sharp weapon after he refused to leave his wife and marry her. The incident took place after the New Year celebrations at her Santacruz residence in the wee hours of Thursday.The 42-year-old victim is the brother of the accused’s sister-in-law and they have been in an extramarital affair for seven years, said police. The woman, who has two children aged four and seven, is on the run.The victim was initially rushed to the nearby V N Desai Hospital, and later referred to Sion Hospital where he was immediately taken for surgery. “Our urology and general surgery teams operated on him soon after he was brought to hospital. He is recovering right now,” said Sion Hospital dean Dr Pramod Ingale.Police said the accused had wanted to marry the victim, but he refused to leave his wife and children. When his wife found out about their relationship, she started quarrelling with him. In his police complaint, the victim said that he then asked the accused to “understand the situation”. The accused then left for her hometown in Bihar, but returned a month later, on Dec 19.On Dec 24, the victim once again “tried to make her understand the siutation” as both had children and families, he told the police.Around 1.30am on Jan 1, the accused invited him to her residence “to have sweets” to celebrate the New Year. “When the victim tried to leave, she allegedly used a sharp object to slash his private parts even while her two children were sleeping in the room,” said a police officer.The victim, who was bleeding profusely, managed to escape and alerted his son and brother who rushed him to V N Desai Hospital. “Even when she was in Bihar, she would threaten him over the phone,” said the officer.Police have formed a team to nab the accused, who has been booked under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for causing grievous hurt by dangerous means and criminal intimidation.

Mumbai: BEST bus drivers involved in accidents could be temporarily assigned alternative duties as a sensitisation measure to reinforce passenger safety awareness and accountability, undertaking’s general manager Sonia Sethi instructed the personnel department following the Dec 29 Bhandup mishap, where an AC electric bus rammed into pedestrains, killing four and injuring 10. Sethi’s directives apply to all electric bus drivers, including BEST on-roll and wet-lease operator drivers, who also have to undergo mandatory refresher and skill-upgrade training with immediate effect. The training focuses on defensive driving, safe handling of EV buses, speed regulation, braking behaviour, and overall road safety practices, an official said.BEST also undertook a comprehensive review of driver service records. Drivers with a history of default, repeated violations, or prior suspension were to be withdrawn from active driving duties forthwith and not deployed until further review and clearance as per norms.“A mobile driver training vehicle will be integrated into the training programme to cover all 27 BEST depots, to ensure uniform dissemination of safety practices and on-site sensitisation of drivers,” the official said.Officials said supervisors will conduct structured counselling sessions, with clear instructions on standard operating procedures. Drivers were directed to halt properly at designated stops and wait until the last passenger boarded safely before moving. An official said that passenger safety and pedestrian safety come before schedule pressure.Alongside operational checks, the counselling programme will also address driver wellbeing. Every driver will receive guidance, and any psychological or stress-related issues flagged during interactions will be handled through appropriate support.However, the safety push comes amid continuing operational strain. BEST’s own bus fleet dropped to 249, while wet-lease buses stand at 2,495. Driver shortage remains a challenge, with some contractual buses now being operated by full-time BEST drivers. In the Bhandup incident, the driver was provided by BEST to a private contractor operating the midi bus involved in the mishap.