Mumbai: The Bombay high court quashed and set aside a city sessions court’s Oct 19, 2024 conviction and life sentence of a Kanjurmarg (E) man for the murder of his elder brother with a cement paver block.Allowing his appeal, Justices Ajey Gadkari and Shyam Chandak on March 10 instead convicted Hemant Devrukhkar under IPC Section 304 (Part I) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and sentenced him to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment (RI).According to the prosecution, Sainath was addicted to tobacco and spat in the house. He abused and assaulted his mother and brother, who persuaded him to give up the vices. On April 12, 2018, around 9 pm, a quarrel ensued after Sainath began spitting and making loud noises. Sainath beat up Hemant, who was unwell with jaundice. The next morning at 7 am, the mother heard the sound of a stone falling, followed by Sainath’s cries. He was hit with a cement block on the head and mouth. Hemant told her he put an end to the daily disputes. The next day, Sainath succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. Hemant’s advocate, Nitesh Nevshe, argued that Sainath’s death was caused without premeditation on account of the sudden fight and in the heat of passion. The offence could not be murder but culpable homicide not amounting to murder, he said. Prosecutor Ashish Satpute said such quarrels occurred on previous occasions and Hemant “intentionally” killed Sainath to put an end to disputes.The judges said witnesses’ evidence corroborated Hemant’s “extra-judicial confession” to his mother, which cannot be overlooked. She admitted Sainath’s behaviour was “unbearable”. The spot panchnama clearly showed the family resided in a small room, and Sainath “further created hardship by spitting tobacco and keeping it unhygienic”. The judges noted that Sainath assaulted Hemant, though he was unwell and not at fault. “On the contrary, he wanted Sainath to give up his addictions and improve,” they said.The judges concluded that Hemant’s “act of causing the homicidal death of Sainath” fell under Exception 1 of IPC Section 300 (murder), where the offender loses self-control by grave and sudden provocation, causing the death of the provoker or any other person by mistake or accident. They said Sainath’s “cumulative and continued abuse” towards Hemant and his mother over a period of time, coupled with a provocative assault on Hemant during their last quarrel, resulted in “continuing the stress by provocation, which ultimately led to the unfortunate homicidal death of Sainath.” The “appropriate” conviction is Section 304 (Part I), they added.

NEW DELHI: Election Commission on Sunday said announcements and policy decisions before the poll announcement are a prerogative of the govt in office – Centre or state. The model code of conduct, prohibiting any new announcement by a govt, comes into effect only from the time of the official announcement of election dates, the panel said while declaring the assembly poll schedule for West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry. Responding to questions on whether announcements, including dearness allowance for state govt employees, made by Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee less than an hour before EC announced the poll schedule are a violation, CEC Gyanesh Kumar said, “The model code of conduct comes into effect after the announcement of polls and not before.” There have been instances of incumbent govts announcing decisions, including financial assistance to beneficiaries, just before the code kicked in, and opposition parties have often termed these as “inducements” to influence voting. On Sunday, several reporters mentioned the Rs 10,000 financial help extended to women by the Nitish Kumar govt in Bihar just before the 2025 assembly election, and the M K Stalin govt in TN depositing Rs 6,550 crore into the bank accounts of over 1.3 crore women as of Feb. Mamata, who is TMC chief, announced dearness allowance for thousands of state govt employees on X, saying they “will start receiving their ROPA 2009 DA arrears from March 2026 onwards as per the modalities detailed out in notifications issued by our finance department.” Calling the DA announcement a “joke”, Bengal BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari said on X, “After years of looting the state treasury and cheating them blind, this is your desperate last-minute poll gimmick? Zero accountability, zero funds, zero delivery… Classic TMC poll drama.”

‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge,’ or ‘Dhurandhar 2,’ is all set to arrive in theaters in a few days. The buzz around the movie is at an all-time high, and amidst this, a report about ‘Dhurandhar 3’ has surfaced on the internet. The latest development in the film franchise will leave you even more excited.

Makers urge Aditya Dhar to develop ‘Dhurandhar 3’

According to Variety India, witnessing the advance booking for ‘Dhurandar: The Revenge’, the makers are exploring the idea of expanding the universe even further. As per the report, the studio has urged Aditya Dhar, the director of the ‘Dhurandhar’ franchise, to develop ‘Dhurandhar 3’ as well.

The report stated, “It’s a kind of subject that can be made into multiple parts. Given the phenomenon created by ‘Dhurandhar’ and the unprecedented buzz around its sequel, a third part cannot be ruled out.”The report further added that Aditya Dhar already has an idea for the third chapter; however, he has not committed to anything as of now. Reportedly, the studio doesn’t want to miss out on the opportunity and has asked the filmmaker “to at least include a post-credit tease in ‘Dhurandhar 2’ to hint at a possible third film to sustain audience excitement.”

Is Aditya Dhar excited for the third installment?

The report further added that the makers might announce the third installment as the production house wants it. However, the announcement will not guarantee that the movie will be actually made.Reportedly, the twist is that Aditya Dhar is not keen on it, as he doesn’t prefer making a franchise and instead loves to challenge himself with each new project. The filmmaker would want to work on another project, “as he finds following the same trend again and again plainly boring.”The report stated, “‘Dhurandhar’ worked because it broke the usual template of the YRF Spy Universe and the popular South Indian action movies. Dhar may not want to trap himself within the very trend he challenged.”

Aditya Dhar has signed a deal with the production house

As per the report, Aditya Dhar has signed a deal with the production house in which he will be producing multiple projects for the studio. Though he has not yet decided on his next film, he is keen on reuniting with Ranveer Singh for another large-scale mythological action adventure. Reportedly, he will start working on the script by the end of this year.Meanwhile, ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ is set to arrive in cinemas on March 19, 2026.

Former CSK batter Suresh Raina has suggested a massive change in the KKR batting order and has backed Rinku Singh’s promotion in the batting order. Last season, KKR had struggled significantly with their middle-order batting.

The Kolkata Knight Riders will undergo a massive change for the upcoming season, especially with the arrival of new coach Abhishek Nayar and new assistant coach Shane Watson. However, they have retained Ajinkya Rahane as their captain.

If Rahane wishes to quit the captaincy role, then Rinku Singh might be the next man in this setup to take up the role on the KKR side. Kolkata Knight Riders already miss out on Harshit Rana’s availability, and Matheesha Pathirana’s unavailability will be another big question.

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The former CSK batter Suresh Raina commented on KKR’s middle-order batting position. Raina mentioned that the middle order was where they struggled the most last season. He mentioned that Rinku Singh should be promoted to strengthen the batting order.

“Last season, their net run rate was not that good. Ajinkya Rahane batted well, but the middle order did not click. The three R’s – Russell, Ramandeep, and Rinku Singh- were all coming in at 7,8,9.

“Rinku will have to bat higher. He can come in at No. 4 because he is not a slogger. He is a proper batsman. He has won matches for them, so he can play the long innings. [Ankrish] Raghuvanshi is in good form,” claimed CSK batter Suresh Raina.

Suresh Raina picks Finn Allen to open alongside Sunil Narine

The CSK batter also went on to claim what will be the probable changes in the KKR batting order. Alongside the promotion of Rinku, he considered that New Zealand opener Finn Allen should be part of the playing XI.

Knight Riders had picked both the Kiwi openers Finn Allen and the other opener Tim Seifert in the mini-auction. Their performance in the ICC T20 World Cup will blow the heads of the KKR coaches as they have to settle with just one of them.

Suresh Raina feels it should be Finn Allen, while the other overseas players will be Sunil Narine, Cameron Green, and one of the pacers, Matheesha Pathirana or Blessing Muzarabani.

“Sunil Narine will have to bat at the top with Rahane. .” – Sanjay Bangar

While former RCB coach Sanjay Bangar opined that Sunil Narine will have to open the innings whatever changes they consider making to the Kolkata batting order.

“No matter how much you evaluate, Sunil Narine will have to bat at the end with Rahane. You can bat Cameron Green at No. 3. So in this way, they can manage the top order. Then in the lower order, you have Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, and Ramandeep,” he opined.

Kolkata retained Ramandeep Singh, which means they will use the Punjab all-rounder to the best of his ability at least this season.

ALSO READ: KKR star LEAKS team India’s ‘secret recipe’ for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup glory

KOLKATA: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announced Sunday that her govt would pay Rs 10,000 crore in DA arrears to nine lakh state employees and pensioners from March and hike the monthly honorarium for Hindu priests and Muslim muezzins by Rs 500 to Rs 2,000, squeezing in both just before the model code of conduct kicked in. Mamata made the clergy honorarium hike on her official X handle at 2.40pm. The DA arrears assurance followed at 3.05pm, 55 minutes before the start of CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s presser to declare the poll schedule for four states and one Union territory. Pay 25% of DA arrears by March 31, SC had told TMCBengal govt employees and pensioners “will start receiving their ROPA (Revision of Pay and Allowances) 2009 DA arrears from March 2026 onwards, per the modalities detailed in the notifications issued by our finance department,” CM Mamata Banerjee posted on X Sunday, less than an hour before the CEC’s presser to declare the poll schedule for four states, including Bengal. In Feb, Supreme Court directed the Trinamool govt to pay 25% of DA arrears – amounting to Rs 10,000 crore – by March 31. The remaining arrears are to be paid based on a schedule drawn up by a committee headed by Justice (retd) Indu Malhotra. Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the timing had nothing to do with elections. “The CM had planned this scheme well in advance and made the formal announcement when she deemed it appropriate,” he said. Bengal’s leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari dismissed the DA announcement as “a joke” and a “classic TMC election drama”. Responding to a question, CEC Kumar said there was nothing wrong about the Union or a state govt implementing a new policy decision before the announcement of polls. But once the model code takes effect, “any decision affecting the outcome of elections or acting as an inducement is not allowed”, he said. Bhaskar Ghosh of Sangrami Joutha Mancha, a union of state govt employees, called the announcement “the result of sustained pressure by agitating employees from a non-partisan platform”. The hike in honorarium came as relief to around 2.5 lakh priests, of whom close to 1.7 lakh are registered with the Paschimbanga Rajya Sanatan Brahman Trust. This will benefit them significantly,” trust president Rajib Banerjee said.

Landfills first revealed themselves to artist Navjot Altaf not in a city, but in a forest. She and activist friends from the Koyla Satyagraha travelled through Bastar several years ago when they stopped at a viewpoint along a tributary of the Mahanadi River, where elephants usually paused to drink. It was a beautiful place, and Altaf took in the view.“As I was looking at the landscape, I saw a huge pit to my left, as large as half a taalaab (pond). And in it were broken TV sets, radios… at least two truckful,” says the artist, who lived and worked in Bastar since 1997. “We saw ash dykes for miles in the area because of coal mining. But now, we started to see the same waste in forests that we saw in cities. And not just any waste, but electronic waste. That’s when I started looking at landfills carefully.“She began studying them with the compound eye of an environmentalist, cultural historian, material archivist, and social activist—reading in those palimpsests of cardboard packaging, leaking batteries, plastic food tubs, and tangled wire both contemporary history and prophecy. “I started looking at landfills not just as sites of discard, but as layered histories of human desire; histories that are inscribed in the very matter of that earth.”She presents this exegesis in a new body of work titled Waste Archives as Landscape, now on view at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS). The exhibition, curated by Puja Vaish, comprises 30 works in gouache on paper, along with two installations and two video works created over the past three years.One installation, Take-Make-Waste, resembles a kind of Tetris made of large pipes mounted on the ceiling and operated by a hidden motor. It mimics supply chains that convey product parts in an unending ballet of production, only to spew out a steady stream of mounting waste at one end. “I took the title from the linear economy, which believes that you can extract as much as you can, shape it into objects for brief use, and then discard them.” The maze also alludes to global waste trade routes that ship waste from richer economies to poorer ones, risking their public health and environmental safety. As landfills multiply, they begin to transform from geological lookalikes into actual landscapes. This gradual usurpation consumes potential habitats, stifling spaces where biodiversity might otherwise have thrived. “The landfill, to me, appears as a sublime grotesque,” she writes. “A theatre where beauty and horror entwine. It is a landscape that insists on presence, that refuses to vanish even when buried.”Altaf’s field studies took her to the landfills at Deonar and Kanjurmarg in Mumbai, and to the Pirana Landfill (Mount Pirana) near Citizen Nagar in Ahmedabad. The latter is the setting for Instinct, an animated short that captures the cries of a dying dog, presumably affected by something toxic it consumed at the landfill.The artist’s new work extends themes she explored in earlier projects such as Soul Breath Wind and Barakhamba, which “look at things that are destroying the ecological rhythm.” Mined minerals eventually reappear as mountains of e-waste, in a kind of Frankensteinian reshaping of the earth.Ultimately, Altaf notes, it is not only power systems—industrial and govt, global and regional—that create markets and landfills for ‘things’, but consumers who are also complicit in this ‘landscaping’. We became dependent on conveniences that generate such waste, she says. “Even in villages, what appears like fields of white flowers are actually plastic as you draw near.”Flowers also appear in her gouache works—a first for Altaf—tightly framed and juxtaposed with images of trash. When the leaves of a plant fall, she says, they may appear like ‘waste’ on the ground. “But what this waste does and what that waste does,” she says, referring to landfill waste, “is that the minutest component of that waste can contaminate the soil and the water, while on this side, fallen leaves and flowers sustain biodiversity.” The ecofeminist lens Altaf brings to her work reminds viewers “to nurture the environment in ways that allow all living beings to exist.” Embedded in this worldview is the principle of consuming less. “I’m against the model of progress driven by the global economy where you have relentless production, relentless consumption, then relentless waste,” she says. “The way to prosperity is not the accumulation of goods—that’s the patriarchal way.“

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh’s sitting TDP MP Putta Mahesh Kumar tested positive Sunday for the banned substance methamphetamine (meth) in a blood test ordered after what investigators allege was an attempt to dodge a drug screening at a farmhouse party raided by Hyderabad Police the previous night, reports Srinath Vudali. The Eluru MP’s test result took the number of high-profile guests failing drug checks at the Moinabad property, owned by former Tandur MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy of BRS, to six out of 11. Delhi-based businessman Namith Sharma, whose urine samples were found to contain traces of cocaine during Saturday’s raid, has also been charged with attempt-to-murder and assault.MP faked drug test with water sample during farmhouse bustHe has been booked under sections 109 and 131 of the BNS for firing at police with a .32 revolver belonging to Rohith’s brother Rithesh Reddy Pajugula. Apart from Rohith and MP Mahesh Kumar, those accused of substance abuse are Rithesh, Namith, businessman Tiruveedula Arjun Reddy and advocate Kaushik Ravi. “All 11 people at the farmhouse party have been charged with violation of the Telangana Prohibition Act. We have invoked the NDPS Act against the six who have tested positive (for meth or cocaine). Three of them — Namith, Rohith and Rithesh — additionally stand accused of violating the Arms Act,” Moinabad DCP Yogesh Gautham said. Rohith, Namith and Rithesh have been arrested while Mahesh Kumar and the other two guests received bail. They have all been asked to visit a deaddiction centre, an official said. During Saturday night’s drug bust, MP Mahesh Kumar cleared the urine test after allegedly filling his sample cup with water from the washroom instead of urine. “A blood test conducted Sunday revealed meth. The same test confirmed substance abuse by the other five who tested positive for cocaine,” said SP R Girdhar of the state’s Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE). CM N Chandrababu Naidu ordered an internal inquiry by TDP, with instructions to Mahesh Kumar to stay away from party events “until the matter is clarified”, sources said. MP has contested the allegations and said he will “come out clean”. BRS working president KT Rama Rao said he was willing to undergo a drug test at any time, responding to Telangana PCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud’s demand that all public representatives be put through such checks. Saturday night’s raid involved a team from EAGLE and Future City Police scaling the boundary wall of the Moinabad farmhouse — around 30km from Hyderabad — to find the high-profile gathering on couches around a swimming pool, allegedly surrounded by hookah pots, liquor and drugs. Police seized about two grams of a white substance. They suspect a portion of the drugs was flushed. A packet confiscated from Rohith’s driver Sharath Kumar has been sent for forensic examination. Investigators believe both cocaine and meth were used at the party. The seized drug was allegedly brought by Kaushik from Shimla through a contact.

The eighth edition of the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) will be held on March 21, 2026, in Lucknow, celebrating the achievements and inspiring journeys of India’s finest athletes across multiple disciplines. TOISA 2025 will honour performances delivered between January 1 and December 31, 2025, recognising standout displays at major international tournaments and world championships. Featuring more than 45 award categories, the event acknowledges both established stars and rising talents who brought pride to the nation.The winners will be decided by a distinguished jury comprising some of India’s most celebrated sporting icons, including Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, hockey legend PR Sreejesh, former batting great Mithali Raj, Paralympic champion Devendra Jhajharia, table tennis stalwart Sharath Kamal and tennis legend Leander Paes. Their expertise ensures a credible and comprehensive evaluation of excellence across Indian sport.The hockey nominees for TOISA 2025 reflect India’s strong performances on the continental stage during the year. Among the men, Asia Cup-winning captain Harmanpreet Singh led from the front with six goals, while forward Abhishek Nain was named Player of the Tournament after scoring six times in the title-winning campaign. Defenders Jugraj Singh and Amit Rohidas also impressed with consistent performances across the Asia Cup and Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.In the women’s category, defender Udita Duhan stood out with a Player of the Tournament display in India’s runners-up finish at the Asia Cup. Forwards Navneet Kaur and Mumtaz Khan were joint top scorers for India with six goals each, while Rutuja Pisal added four goals to underline the depth and promise in India’s attacking lineup.Here are the nominees for Hockey at TOISA 2025:HOCKEY – MALEAbhishek NainDate of Birth: August 15, 1999Place of Birth: Sonipat, HaryanaSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Winner – Player of the Tournament (6 goals)Sultan Azlan Shah Cup: Runners-upAbhishek Nain enjoyed a breakthrough 2025 season as a forward for the Indian men’s hockey team, emerging as one of the side’s most influential performers. He was instrumental in India’s triumphant campaign at the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar, where he scored six goals and was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for his outstanding displays. Abhishek also made a significant impact at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, finding the net three times as India finished runners-up in the prestigious invitational tournament.Harmanpreet SinghDate of Birth: January 6, 1996Place of Birth: Amritsar, PunjabSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Winner – Captain (6 goals)Harmanpreet Singh led from the front as captain of the Indian men’s hockey team, guiding the side to a memorable title triumph at the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar. A commanding defender and one of the finest drag-flick specialists in world hockey, Harmanpreet once again showcased his prowess from penalty corners, scoring six goals during the tournament. His leadership and clinical finishing proved crucial in India’s successful campaign, further cementing his reputation as one of the game’s premier defenders.Jugraj SinghDate of Birth: December 11, 1996Place of Birth: Attari, PunjabSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Winner (4 goals)Sultan Azlan Shah Cup: Runners-up (4 goals)Jugraj Singh enjoyed an impressive 2025 season, playing a key role in India’s triumphant campaign at the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar. The defender was instrumental in the title-winning run, contributing four crucial goals during the tournament. He carried that form into the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, where India finished runners-up, once again scoring four goals and making a significant impact at both ends of the pitch. His consistency across the two major tournaments underlined his growing importance in the national setup.Amit RohidasDate of Birth: May 10, 1993Place of Birth: Sundergarh, OdishaSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Winner (2 goals)Sultan Azlan Shah Cup: Runners-up (4 goals)Amit Rohidas put together a strong 2025 campaign, playing a vital role as vice-captain of the Indian men’s hockey team. The seasoned defender was instrumental in India’s title-winning run at the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar, where he contributed two crucial goals and marshalled the backline with authority. He continued his fine form at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, scoring four goals as India finished runners-up. Reliable in defence and effective in attack, Rohidas made a telling impact at both ends of the pitch across the two major tournaments.HOCKEY – FEMALEUdita DuhanDate of Birth: January 14, 1998Place of Birth: Hisar, HaryanaSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Runners-up – Player of the Tournament (3 goals)Udita Duhan was instrumental in India’s runners-up finish at the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup in Hangzhou, China. The defender delivered standout performances throughout the tournament, scoring three goals while anchoring the backline with composure and authority. Her all-round impact earned her the Player of the Tournament award, highlighting her pivotal role in India’s impressive campaign.Navneet KaurDate of Birth: January 26, 1996Place of Birth: Shahabad Markanda, HaryanaSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Runners-up (6 goals)Navneet Kaur delivered a strong performance at the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup in Hangzhou, China, playing a key role in India’s runners-up finish. The experienced forward finished as the joint top-scorer for the team with six goals during the tournament, consistently leading the charge in attack as India went all the way to the final before finishing behind hosts China.Mumtaz KhanDate of Birth: January 15, 2003Place of Birth: Lucknow, Uttar PradeshSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Runners-up (6 goals)Mumtaz Khan impressed with a strong showing at the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup in Hangzhou, China. The young forward struck up a fine attacking partnership with senior pro Navneet Kaur, with both players scoring six goals each — the joint-highest for India in the tournament. Mumtaz’s contributions were vital in powering India to the final, where they eventually finished runners-up to hosts China.Rutuja PisalDate of Birth: November 28, 2002Place of Birth: Satara, MaharashtraSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Runners-up (4 goals)Rutuja Pisal emerged as another bright spark in India’s forward line at the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup in Hangzhou, China. The young attacker netted four goals during the tournament, playing an important role in India’s run to the final, where they eventually finished runners-up to hosts China. Earlier in 2025, the Satara, Maharashtra native produced a match-winning display in the Hockey India League, scoring both goals to power the Odisha Warriors to a 2-1 victory over Soorma Hockey Club in the championship clash.