Mumbai: Observing that a minor’s self-representation as an adult on a dating app does not absolve an accused of criminal liability, a special Pocso court rejected the discharge pleas of two city men booked in 2018 for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy. The men argued that the boy had portrayed himself as a major on the dating app and had contacted adult members of his own accord, but special judge Sonali B Rathod held that this could not be grounds for discharge. “Since the victim boy is minor and his consent is immaterial, the criminal liability of the accused in the given circumstances would be determined during the trial. But at this stage, it cannot be said that there is no material against the accused,” said the court on Monday. Eight accused are named in the case. One of the suspects also allegedly took money from the boy. The statements of the boy and his mother are part of the chargesheet.

The boy’s parents are divorced. He lives with his mother and a younger sibling in a 3BHK flat, while his father resides in the vicinity. He said in Class 10, his mother gave him a separate room to study near the flat’s main door. He said he joined the dating app in 2017 claiming he was an adult. He said after chatting and exchanging sexually explicit photos with men on the app, he used to meet them at designated spots. On May 17, 2018, the mother woke up in the middle of the night and caught a 20-year-old man sneaking out of the flat. She questioned both the man and her son; the boy told her he was a friend. Suspecting that something was amiss, she took his phone and saw the app and the sexually explicit chats. The FIR was lodged that June. The accused claimed they were falsely implicated. Special public prosecutor Veena Shelar opposed their discharge applications, arguing that the gravity of the offence and the specific evidence presented necessitate a trial. The prosecution said the boy explicitly identified the accused and provided a detailed allegation of oral sex, noting that the initial contact occurred via the dating app. Given these specific allegations and the identified connection between the parties, the prosecution said there is sufficient material to proceed with the framing of charges. The judge noted that at this stage, it cannot be said there is no material against the accused as the chargesheet contains specific allegations of sexual activities. While the accused were not named in the initial police report, investigators identified them through the victim’s phone records and app data. “Prima facie, the victim is a minor boy and there are specific allegations of sexual activities with him against the accused. In my view, this much material is sufficient to frame the charge against the accused,” said the judge. The boy said in Feb 2018, he confided in his mother that was sexually attracted to only boys. At this, he said, his mother took him to a doctor for counselling. He also said he had borrowed money from his father under the pretext of helping out a friend and transferred sums to one of the accused through his father’s credit card.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has reached its business end, and all eyes are now on the high-voltage semi-final between India and England at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. With a place in the final on the line, the contest promises to be a gripping battle between two modern-day powerhouses of white-ball cricket.

India have looked clinical throughout the tournament, blending explosive batting with disciplined bowling. England, on the other hand, have rediscovered their rhythm at the right time, peaking during the Super 8 stage and entering the knockout clash with confidence. Given the history between these two sides in global tournaments, fans are bracing for another unforgettable chapter.

The Wankhede pitch, known for its pace and bounce early on and dew under lights, could add an extra layer of intrigue to this already mouth-watering encounter.

Former CSK star picks three England players as major threats for India

Former India cricketer and ex-Chennai Super Kings batter Subramaniam Badrinath has identified three England players who, in his view, could pose serious problems for India in the semi-final.

The first name on his list was Harry Brook, who has been in sublime touch in the tournament. Brook’s ability to accelerate against both pace and spin makes him a dangerous middle-order enforcer. His fearless strokeplay and composure under pressure could test India’s bowling attack, especially in the middle overs.

Badrinath then turned his focus to England’s pace spearhead, Jofra Archer. Known for his sharp pace and steep bounce, Archer could exploit the lively conditions at Wankhede. With the new ball, he has the capability to strike early and unsettle India’s top order. If he finds rhythm, his short-ball tactics combined with pinpoint yorkers could prove decisive.

The third threat, according to Badrinath, is leg-spinner Adil Rashid. Rashid’s slower pace through the air and clever variations have troubled batters worldwide. On a surface that may assist spinners as the game progresses, his control and guile could force Indian batters into risky shots. As Badrinath highlighted, using footwork effectively against Rashid will be key for India’s middle order.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Badrinath said, “I feel three England players can be a threat to India. One is Harry Brook, he is batting really well. In the bowling, two players. One is Jofra Archer. There will be some extra bounce at the Wankhede, and one more is Adil Rashid. He is bowling very slow and that will be a challenge for Indian batters, they will have to use their feet.”

Also READ: Sunil Gavaskar identifies two players as India’s game-changers for T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against England

Fans expect a thriller at Wankhede

With match-winners on both sides, anticipation is soaring among fans. The Wankhede Stadium has witnessed countless historic moments, and supporters are hoping this semi-final adds another classic to the list.

Indian fans are banking on their star-studded lineup to rise to the occasion, while England supporters believe their team’s fearless brand of cricket can silence the home crowd. Social media has been abuzz with predictions, tactical debates, and throwbacks to past India-England clashes in ICC events.

Also WATCH: Axar Patel playfully mocks Sanju Samson after his match-winning heroics against West Indies in T20 World Cup 2026

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Lakshya Sen (PTI Photo/Nand Kumar)

Lakshya Sen showed grit and stamina to beat China’s Shi Yu Qi in a thrilling three-game battle on Tuesday, winning 23-21, 19-21, 21-17 at the All England Open Badminton Championships. It was his first victory over the former world No. 1 in a BWF World Tour event, and it didn’t come easy.The match was intense from start to finish, with long rallies and both players pushing each other to the limit. Lakshya started strongly, taking control of the first game with sharp smashes and quick net play. Although he nearly let it slip after leading comfortably, he held his nerve in a tense finish to take the opener.Coach Vimal praised his performance, saying, “Lakshya was very calm and composed today. Right from the start, he made Shi work hard for every single point, and eventually the Chinese player began to tire.”Even when Shi fought back to win the second game, Lakshya didn’t lose focus.“At one stage in the second game, I felt Lakshya was getting a bit fatigued, but he recovered well and raised his level. His attacking play was excellent too,” he added. “Overall, it was a very confidence boosting win.”The deciding game was again tight, but Lakshya’s speed, defence and smart shot selection made the difference. He stayed aggressive, forced errors from Shi, and closed out the match when the Chinese player hit long on match point.In other matches, Malvika Bansod lost to China’s Chen Yu Fei in straight games. However, the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto secured a straight-game win over Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin.

Apple’s new MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips delivers up to 4x faster AI performance over the previous generation, with Neural Accelerators baked into every GPU core. Storage starts at 1TB for M5 Pro and 2TB for M5 Max, with SSD speeds doubling to 14.5GB/s. India pricing begins at Rs 2,49,900, with pre-orders opening March 4 and availability from March 11.

Apple has officially taken the wraps off the new MacBook Pro lineup powered by the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, and the upgrades this time are heavily tilted towards on-device AI. Pre-orders open tomorrow, March 4, with units shipping from March 11.The headline number: up to 4x faster AI performance compared to last year’s M4 Pro and M4 Max models. That jumps to 8x when compared against the M1 generation. In practical terms, Apple says LLMs will run significantly faster locally—so tools like LM Studio should feel noticeably snappier on the new hardware.Both chips are built on what Apple calls Fusion Architecture, combining two dies into a single system on a chip. The CPU now packs up to 18 cores, including six “super cores” that Apple claims deliver the world’s fastest single-core CPU performance. The GPU gets Neural Accelerators baked into each core, which is where much of the AI grunt comes from.

What’s actually new beyond the chips

Storage gets a meaningful bump. The M5 Pro model now starts at 1TB (up from 512GB previously), while the M5 Max starts at 2TB. SSD speeds have doubled too, topping out at 14.5GB/s—handy for anyone juggling 8K timelines or large AI datasets.There’s also the N1 chip, Apple’s own wireless networking silicon, bringing Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 to the MacBook Pro for the first time. Battery life holds steady at up to 24 hours on the 16-inch model.

How much does the new MacBook Pros cost in Inda

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro starts at Rs 2,49,900 (Rs 2,32,900 for education). The 16-inch M5 Pro variant begins at Rs 2,99,900. If you want the M5 Max, the 14-inch starts at Rs 3,99,900 and the 16-inch at Rs 4,29,900.The entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with the standard M5 chip also gets a storage upgrade to 1TB and starts at Rs 1,89,900.Both finishes—space black and silver—are available across all configurations for . Pre-orders go live on Apple Store app starting March 4.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

A clutch of India-based global capability centre (GCC) leaders are commanding blockbuster paydays. A few crossed the $2 million (around Rs 18 crore) mark, while a growing cohort now earns over $1 million (about Rs 9 crore) annually. Yet these headline figures represent the top of the pyramid—most senior GCC leaders earn in the Rs 3–5 crore range. Compensation typically comprises fixed pay, variable bonuses, long-term incentives, and, increasingly, stock-linked rewards. Data sourced from GCC advisory firm Wizmatic through MCA filings and exclusively shared with TOI shows that IBM and Dell lead the pay rankings. IBM India MD Sandip Patel’s compensation rose 62.2% to nearly Rs 21 crore in FY24, up from about Rs 13 crore in FY21. The analysis covers nearly 50 firms and leaders classified as key managerial personnel (KMP) as per Registrar of Companies (RoC) records. However, in several cases, comparable disclosures were unavailable, restricting trend comparisons to data up to FY24. Former Dell India MD Alok Ohrie saw his pay jump 130% to Rs 20.6 crore in FY24 from Rs 9 crore in FY21. At Capgemini, former India head Ashwin Yardi was among the highest-paid leaders in FY24, with compensation of Rs 11 crore, though the absence of FY21 data makes growth comparisons difficult. Compensation gains were visible across sectors. Lowe’s India MD Ankur Mittal’s pay rose to Rs 10.5 crore from Rs 8.4 crore over the same period. Manu Saale, MD of Mercedes-Benz Research & Development India, recorded a 324% surge to over Rs 9 crore. Allstate India country head Chetan Garga’s compensation grew 120% to Rs 7.5 crore. Sajid Ahmed, former EVP and head of Technology at Wells Fargo India & Philippines, earned Rs 8.2 crore in FY24; this is not directly comparable with FY21, as the India head role was then held by Arindam Banerrji. Ahmed is currently India head at global alternative investment firm Point72.

Sandeep Panat, founding partner at GCC advisory Wizmatic, said leadership pay reflects the strategic weight global enterprises now place on their India operations. “Unlike P&L-linked IT services compensation, GCC leadership pay mirrors enterprise mandate and global trust,” he said. In mature GCCs, executive team compensation is rising faster than CEO pay, signalling a shift towards bench-led operating models rather than single-leader structures. BFSI GCCs, he added, consistently ranks at the upper end of the compensation spectrum. Lalit Ahuja, founder of ANSR, said GCC leaders are increasingly global functional heads—for instance, global engineering heads rather than India-only leads—with compensation benchmarked to Asia-Pacific or global bands. The earlier “hardship allowance” model for relocated leaders largely faded, replaced by differentiated base pay with expectations of local cost alignment within 12–24 months. ANSR’s research shows that pay structures evolved. Where fixed pay once formed 80–85% of total compensation, leaders now see 40–60% linked to performance. Annual bonuses can range from 30–50% of base pay, tied to P&L, delivery and talent metrics, while long-term incentive plans (20–40%) typically vest over 3 to 4 years. Unlike traditional India roles, GCC heads now routinely receive stock grants or options, especially in technology and financial services firms, aligning them more closely with global parent performance. For US returnees, ANSR said, companies peg base pay to India benchmarks and apply a 1.3–1.8 times premium for global exposure and specialised skills. In high-impact areas such as AI/ML architecture and product leadership, firms often create separate “global role” bands 40–60% above local market levels, reflecting the expanding strategic mandate of India’s GCC ecosystem. Table: Leadership pay jumps across GCCs (FY2020-24)Lowe’s India: Senior leadership compensation increased from Rs 8.8 crore in FY20 to Rs 21.3 crore in FY24.Target India: Leadership pay rose from Rs 8.8 crore in FY20 to Rs 21.3 crore over the same period.Dell India: Executive leadership compensation grew from Rs 22.8 crore in FY20 to Rs 24 crore in FY24.Allstate India: Senior leadership pay climbed from Rs 4.3 crore in FY20 to Rs 14 crore in FY24.Source: Wizmatic, RoC records

With tensions escalating in West Asia, the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday said it is closely tracking the situation but cautioned that it is “too early to assess the economic impact on the region and the global economy,” as disruptions to trade and energy markets intensify.In a statement, the IMF said it has “observed disruptions to trade and economic activity, surges in energy prices, and volatility in financial markets.”“The situation remains highly fluid and adds to an already uncertain global economic environment,” it said, reported ANI.“It is too early to assess the economic impact on the region and the global economy. That impact will depend on the extent and duration of the conflict,” the IMF added.The remarks come as governments evaluate the fallout of the widening hostilities in the region, particularly on oil supplies and global financial stability.In India, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri earlier said the country is “fully prepared amid evolving situation in the Middle East and energy supplies are robust.”He stated that “the country is well stocked with crude oil and inventories of key petroleum products including petrol, diesel and ATF to deal with short-term disruptions arising from the Middle East.”According to the minister, Indian energy companies have access to supplies that are not routed through the Strait of Hormuz, and such cargoes will remain available to mitigate any temporary disruptions affecting shipments passing through the strait.The Petroleum ministry has also set up a 24×7 Control Room to continuously monitor supply and stock positions of petroleum products across the country.The government is “reasonably comfortable in terms of stocks,” the minister said, adding that safeguarding the interests of Indian consumers remains the highest priority. Based on continuous monitoring, the government is cautiously optimistic that phased measures can be taken, if required, to further mitigate the situation.Government sources said India currently holds about eight weeks of crude oil and petroleum product inventories, including strategic reserves. They added that only about 40 per cent of India’s crude oil imports transit through the Strait of Hormuz, limiting exposure to regional disruptions.Sources maintained that the country remains in a comfortable position on energy security and is closely monitoring developments, while being prepared to manage potential supply-side challenges through adequate inventory levels and diversified sourcing.

One of the most popular social media influencers, Faisal Shaikh, popularly known as Mr Faisu, has been juggling back-to-back shows and projects. Now, after gaining immense fame and success in his career, the actor is reportedly preparing to step into a new chapter in his personal life. According to media reports, Faisal is all set to get married. It has also been reported that the wedding might take place in July.Although he has not made any official announcement yet, the news has already created a buzz among fans, who are excited to know more about this new chapter in his life.As soon as the news came out in the media, it quickly went viral amongst fans. As the news spread like wildfire, paparazzi quizzed Adnaan Shaikh about the wedding reports. He replied to the question and confirmed the buzz regarding Faisu’s wedding. He said, “Faisu is getting married this year, but the date is not yet confirmed.”For the uninitiated, Mr Faisu is currently seen in The 50 and is rumoured to be the winner of the show. Before his rise to fame, Mr Faisu grew up helping his father run a small nightie business. He started working at the age of 21. Recalling his struggles, he once said, “I grew up helping dad run a small nightie business. The work was demanding and the pay was too low. So at 21, I got a job as a salesman on Linking Road. For Rs 50 a day, I spent 9 hours in the heat & threw myself at passersby to buy clothes.”Despite the hardships, he never gave up on his dreams. He even started making videos on social media on a daily basis. Speaking about this phase in his life, he shared, “But I didn’t have time to wallow—I found a new job and added another hustle—creating fun videos online. I began making 14 videos every day for a year—on my way to work, during lunch breaks or even when I was sick. My friends & I would dance & lip-sync to songs.”