Calcutta high court’s acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul declined on Friday ED’s request to assign its petition seeking a CBI probe against Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, DGP Rajeev Kumar and Kolkata Police commissioner to a new bench. The matter remains before a single-judge bench, which had earlier postponed hearings to Jan 14 after courtroom commotion.
CHANDIGARH: Clarifying that the death of a soldier cannot be solely attributed to alcohol consumption, Armed Force Tribunal has held that other service-related factors, including deployment on higher altitude are also contributing factors, reports Ajay Sura. The tribunal passed these orders while granting special family pension to the widow of an IAF soldier who died from a fatal medical condition at 1,500m Kurseong in Darjeeling (West Bengal). A division bench comprising Justice Suresh Kumar Gupta, judicial member, and Major General Sanjay Singh (Retd.), administrative member, of Lucknow bench of AFT passed these orders while allowing an application filed by Kavita Talan, wife of late Corporal Jasvindra Singh Talan. The tribunal held that her husband’s death occurred in the performance of official duty. Talan died on July 15, 2015. During the hearing, govt argued that medical summary shows Talan was a ‘regular alcohol consumer’ for six years prior to his death. The bench observed attributing the death solely to alleged alcohol consumption was unsustainable & lacked a definitive medical basis.
New Delhi: Observing that preventive detention can’t be used just to prolong the custody of stubborn offenders, the SC has said it cannot be invoked because there is apprehension that an accused may not mend ways and commit another crime after getting bail. SC said if an accused commits fresh offence while on bail, then it can be handled under ordinary law by seeking cancellation of bail or by challenging bail in higher courts, but it cannot be the sole reason for ordering preventive detention.
Quashing the preventive detention of a woman facing 3 cases under NDPS Act, the court held “mere apprehension on the part of the detaining authority that in the event of the detenu being released on bail, she was likely to indulge in similar crimes that would be prejudicial to maintenance of public order would not be a sufficient ground to order her preventive detention”. In this case, the accused was in judicial custody but the Hyderabad collector had ordered to detain her if she gets bail to prevent her from committing crime. Detention order lacks proof of public threat: SC he authority, suspecting that she would return to peddling ganja, said, “I strongly believe that you are not amenable to ordinary law, unless you are detained by an appropriate order of detention as a last resort, in the interest of public at large”. The accused challenged the order in Telangana HC on ground that detention order was passed merely as an alternative to cancellation of bail. HC rejected her plea and was of the view that repeated and well-planned actions of the detenu were sufficient to raise presumption of threat and alarm amongst the public regarding their health. SC quashed the HC order and said, “Detention order ought to indicate the recording of subjective satisfaction by the detaining authority in that regard. It is well settled that there is a fine distinction between ‘law and order’ and ‘public order’. Mere registration of three offences by itself would not have any bearing on maintenance of public order unless there is material to show that narcotic drug dealt with by detenu was in fact dangerous to public health under the Act of 1986. This material is found to be missing in the order of detention.” The court said detention order does not indicate in what manner the maintenance of public order was either adversely affected or was likely to be adversely affected so as to detain the detenu. It said that if the detaining authority was of the view that detenu had violated any conditions of bail, steps for cancellation of her liberty could have been taken but noted that it was not done in this case.
PANAJI: Goa officially breached the 1-crore mark in total tourist arrivals last year, riding a booming domestic market. However, foreign tourist arrivals are struggling to regain pre-pandemic levels, currently sitting at nearly 42% below 2017 numbers, data for 2025 released by the tourism department showed. In 2017, Goa welcomed 8.9 lakh foreign tourists. In 2025, that number dwindled to 5.2 lakh. This decline stands in sharp contrast to the domestic market, which rocketed from 68.9 lakh in 2017 to a record-breaking 1 crore in 2025, propelling total arrivals to an all-time high of nearly 1.1 crore travellers.
The most dramatic collapse was observed in the charter flight segment, traditionally the backbone of Goa’s winter tourism. In 2017, the state saw 1,024 charter flights bringing in nearly 2.5 lakh tourists. In 2025, this plummeted to 189 flights carrying 40,336 passengers. Even with the operationalisation of Manohar International Airport (Mopa) alongside Dabolim, the combined charter traffic continued to slide annually since pandemic recovery began. “The tourist arrival data highlights a clear recovery trajectory across all segments, particularly in the post-pandemic period. The consistent growth in domestic tourism, the return of international charter operations, increased international flight movements through both Dabolim and Mopa airports, and the steady contribution of cruise tourism reflect coordinated efforts in infrastructure development, connectivity enhancement, and destination management,” said tourism director Kedar Naik. The scheduled international flight segment showed more resilience, but did not fully recover. In 2017, scheduled flights brought in nearly 3.4 lakh foreigners. In 2025, that figure stood at nearly 2.4 lakh. Mopa became the primary gateway, handling 1,141 international flights in 2025 compared to Dabolim’s 643. “Foreign tourist arrivals through charter flights played an important role in Goa’s inbound tourism, particularly from traditional source markets. Foreign tourist arrivals through international scheduled flights consistently contributed to Goa’s inbound tourism. In 2017, 2,460 international flights operated through Dabolim airport, carrying 3,35,573 foreign tourists. This number gradually declined until 2021, when only 265 flights and 11,971 tourists were recorded due to travel restrictions. A steady recovery began in 2022, with 1,135 flights and 1,34,922 tourists,” said a tourism department official. Cruise tourism is also undergoing a demographic shift. While the total number of cruise passengers in 2025 was 51,510, the vast majority are now domestic travellers. Foreign cruise passengers, who numbered over 40,822 in 2017, accounted for just 10,086 arrivals in 2025. Tourism minister Rohan Khaunte remained optimistic, pointing to the “resilience” of the sector. He said the steady rise in domestic arrivals and the gradual revival of international segments, bolstered by improved connectivity via Mopa, underlined the state’s “destination readiness”.
JAMMU: A drone from Pakistan dropped a consignment of arms and ammunition in a border village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district on Friday, police said on Saturday.“Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of BSF and special operations group of police launched a search operation in Paloora village of Rajpura area on Friday night. A packet containing one Chinese HE grenade, 16 rounds of 9mm cartridges, one Glock pistol with a magazine, and one Star pistol with two magazines was recovered from the site,” police said.The recovery was made amid heightened security measures to thwart any attempt by terrorists to disrupt the upcoming Republic Day celebrations, police added.Earlier, on Nov 21, a Pakistani drone was sighted over a forward village along international border in Ghagwal tehsil of Samba, prompting security forces to conduct a search operation for suspected airdropping of narcotics, weapons, or other payloads.On Oct 27, BSF foiled a major narcotics smuggling attempt from across the border in Ranbir Singh Pura in Jammu district. Two bags dropped by a Pakistani drone were recovered, containing over five kilograms of heroin worth more than Rs 25 crore in the international market.
Uttarakhand Tourism on Saturday launched its first nationwide integrated roadshow campaign, beginning from New Delhi, with the aim of promoting the state as a year-round tourism destination. The multi-city outreach programme is being held under the guidance of Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and tourism minister Satpal Maharaj, according to an official press release.The curtain-raiser event in the national capital was attended by over 250 stakeholders from the tourism industry, including representatives from Uttarakhand and the Delhi NCR region. The roadshow series is scheduled to travel to several major metropolitan cities across the country to engage with the national travel trade and showcase Uttarakhand’s tourism offerings.The campaign seeks to position Uttarakhand as a destination offering tourism opportunities across all seasons, including adventure, culture, spirituality, wellness, winter tourism and nature-based experiences. Tourism officials said the initiative is in line with the state’s vision of a 365-day tourism economy. that functions throughout the year rather than being limited to peak seasons.Tourism minister Satpal Maharaj attended the event as the chief guest, along with tourism secretary Dheeraj Singh Garbyal, additional secretary Abhishek Ruhela, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) managing director Vishal Mishra and Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) managing director Vineet Tomar. Senior officials made presentations outlining tourism products and business opportunities in the state.As part of the programme, industry experts shared views on areas such as adventure tourism, winter tourism, wildlife-based ecotourism, hospitality growth and homestay development. The roadshow also featured business-to-business meetings, interactive sessions and networking engagements with industry stakeholders.According to the tourism department, the campaign will also focus on promoting winter tourism activities, spiritual circuits, wedding tourism and partnerships to develop new tourism products, as Uttarakhand looks to expand its presence in domestic and international travel markets.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday staged protests across Punjab, accusing the BJP, Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal of hurting religious sentiments by circulating a “doctored” video of senior party leader and former Delhi chief minister Atishi.The AAP alleged that the “edited” video, which amounted to “beadbi” (sacrilege) of the Guru Sahib, was circulated on social media for political gain.The party also said an FIR has been registered in the matter, and a forensic examination has “confirmed deliberate manipulation” of the clip.On Friday, the Jalandhar police commissionerate filed an FIR in connection with uploading and circulating the “edited” and “doctored” video of Atishi in the Delhi Assembly.Using the clip, Delhi BJP leaders, including law minister Kapil Mishra, alleged on Tuesday that Atishi insulted Guru Tegh Bahadur in the assembly during a debate on a programme organised by the Delhi government to mark the 350th martyrdom day of the ninth Sikh Guru last November.The Delhi assembly has taken cognisance of the FIR, with speaker Vijender Gupta saying strict action will be taken against the Jalandhar police commissioner for “breach of privilege” because the video clip is a property of the Delhi vidhan sabha.On Saturday, hundreds of AAP workers held demonstrations outside the residences of BJP leader Ashwani Sharma in Pathankot, Congress leader Pargat Singh in Jalandhar cantonment, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal in Lambi, and Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira in Bholath.Senior AAP leader and the party’s Punjab in-charge, Manish Sisodia, said those who circulate fake videos for petty political interests and insult Guru Sahibs deserve strict action.In a post on X, Sisodia said public anger against such leaders is justified, and demanded that those responsible be sent to jail.He also alleged that several leaders from the BJP, Congress and the SAD shared the “edited” video, which was originally posted by a BJP minister from Delhi, and claimed the act showed a coordinated attempt to spread misinformation.Addressing a protest in Jalandhar, Punjab minister Mohinder Bhagat claimed the opposition parties are resorting to false propaganda because they have failed to challenge the Bhagwant Mann government on development and governance issues.“Leaders from all three opposition parties knowingly circulated the edited video to mislead the public without considering its consequences,” Bhagat said.The AAP leaders said the party will not tolerate any attempt to hurt religious sentiments or mislead people with “fabricated” content.Atishi, on her part, has accused the BJP of indulging in petty politics by dragging the name of the ninth Sikh guru into the controversy.In a video post on X, Atishi claimed that she was talking about the BJP running away from a discussion on pollution and about their protest in the Assembly on the issue of stray dogs.But the BJP deliberately added a false subtitle and inserted the name of Guru Tegh Bahadur into it, she claimed, referring to the clip.The former Delhi chief minister also said that she belongs to a family in which, for generations, the eldest son adopted Sikhism.She would rather die than insult the Guru Sahib, Atishi said.
The Indian Army on Saturday said it conducted exercise ‘Sanjha Shakti’, a joint Military–Civil Fusion exercise, at the Dighi Hills Range under the aegis of the Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area of the Southern Command. The exercise focused on strengthening coordination between the armed forces and civilian agencies to deal with complex security challenges and emergency situations, as per a post shared by the Southern Command of the Indian Army on X.
According to the Indian Army, the exercise was aimed at enhancing civil–military synergy, improving rapid response capabilities and ensuring public safety. More than 350 personnel participated in the drill, which brought together the Indian Army and 16 key civilian agencies, including the Maharashtra Police, Force One and various fire departments. The joint exercise tested interoperability, communication protocols, decision-making processes and rapid response mechanisms through realistic, mission-oriented scenarios, the post said.The Army stated that exercise Sanjha Shakti validated seamless coordination between civil and military stakeholders, particularly in situations involving, disaster response and public safety. The emphasis was on preparedness and joint action to address emergencies in the hinterland effectively.Lt Gen DS Kushwah, AVSM, SM, General Officer Commanding of the Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area, highlighted the importance of close civil–military cooperation. He stressed that such synergy is critical for safeguarding the hinterland, responding swiftly to disasters and providing support to veterans and their families, as per the Indian Army’s post.The exercise reaffirmed the Indian Army’s role in rear area security and public safety, the Southern Command said, adding that it underlined the shared commitment of civil and military agencies to work together under the framework of Military–Civil Fusion to ensure safety and security.
JAMMU: Three alleged drug peddlers were arrested along with heroin in Udhampur and Jammu districts on Saturday, police said. Manik Oberoi and Sachin Kumar were arrested after 4.23 grams of heroin were recovered from their car during checking at Udhampur’s Rehambal, a police spokesperson said. He said Oberoi was driving the car when police stopped and subjected the vehicle to checking. Sunil Choudhary, a resident of Suchetgarh, was arrested after 3.30 grams of heroin was recovered from his car during checking at Chakrohi in RS Pura area of Jammu, he said. All the three drug peddlers were booked under relevant sections of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and further investigations are on, the spokesperson said.
NEW DELHI: Janshakti Janta Dal chief Tej Pratap Yadav has called for former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav to be awarded the Bharat Ratna along with Nitish Kumar.Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Tej Pratap Yadav said, “Lalu Prasad Yadav should also be awarded the Bharat Ratna. If people are saying that Nitish Kumar should receive it, then give it to him too, because it is said that my father and Nitish Kumar were like brothers... This is Janshakti Janta Dal’s demand…” The comments come days after Janata Dal (United) leader K C Tyagi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to consider bestowing the Bharat Ratna on Nitish Kumar. In his letter, Tyagi described Kumar as a “precious gem” of the socialist movement and said many leaders had received the honour during their lifetime. Referring to the recent awards, Tyagi wrote, “March 30, 2024 was a day to honour our ancestors. Thanks to your efforts, they were bestowed with the highest honour, the ‘Bharat Ratna’.” He added, “Impressed by your efforts, I humbly request that Nitish Kumar, a precious gem of the socialist movement, is also worthy of this honour.”However, the JD(U) quickly distanced itself from Tyagi’s appeal. Party national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said Tyagi’s views did not reflect the organisation’s position. “The former party MP has made several statements in the recent past which have not been in line with the party’s ideology and not the official stand. All statements made by him shall be deemed to have been made in his personal capacity,” Prasad said, adding that office bearers were unsure whether Tyagi continued to hold any post in the party.Reiterating this stand, Prasad later told ANI, “Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is healthy. He is continuously serving the people of the state… He has absolutely no connection to the party’s activities… His statements are made in a personal capacity, and the party has no connection to them.”In 2024, Bharat Ratna awards were conferred on former prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan and former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur.
