NOIDA: A criminal case was registered against three doctors for medical negligence after a foreign object was found inside a woman’s abdomen more than a year after she underwent a delivery procedure at a private hospital in Greater Noida. The complaint, filed by the woman’s husband earlier this week, also names the chief medical officer and two health department officials appointed to investigate the case. Police have filed an FIR against the six accused under BNS sections 125 (endangering life or personal safety due to rashness or negligence), 125b (endanger life or personal safety through rashness or negligence, with punishments escalating from fines and short jail time for minor incidents to imprisonment for up to three years if grievous hurt occurs), 255 (penalises public servants who knowingly disobey the law with the intent to shield someone from punishment) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) after the complaint was submitted at Knowledge Park police station on Dec 24.

The complainant, a resident of Delta-1 in Greater Noida, has alleged that a piece of surgical cloth, nearly half a metre long, was left inside her abdomen during childbirth at a private hospital in the Knowledge Park area in Nov 2023. The object remained undetected for 15 months, during which the woman suffered persistent abdominal pain and repeated health complications before it was finally removed during surgery in April this year.Police said an FIR names three doctors from the hospital, including its CMO. The woman, who works as a domestic worker and supplements her income through sewing and embroidery, underwent a Caesarean delivery at a private hospital at Tughlakpur on Nov 14, 2023. She was discharged two days later.Soon after returning home, the woman began experiencing severe abdominal pain. Over the following months, her condition worsened. She developed persistent discomfort and later noticed a lump forming near the surgical site.Unable to cope with the pain, she travelled to her parents’ home in Muzaffarnagar, where doctors advised an ultrasound and further diagnostic tests. She consulted multiple medical facilities there, and later sought treatment at Sharda Hospital in Greater Noida and several other private hospitals. Despite repeated consultations, her treatment continued for months without a clear diagnosis. On March 22 this year, after developing a high fever and experiencing intense abdominal pain, she visited Yatharth City Hospital in Greater Noida’s Delta 1 area. She was given medication, but the cause of her symptoms remained unclear. The woman then approached GIMS Hospital on April 7, where an MRI and other tests were conducted. The reports were described as normal. A day later, on April 8, she sought help at Naveen Hospital in Greater Noida, where doctors advised further imaging and cancer-related tests. On April 14, she visited Kailash Hospital after the abdominal lump became more pronounced and was recommended a second surgery. She underwent a second surgery on April 22. During the procedure, the surgical team discovered and removed a cloth from the woman’s abdomen. The complainant has submitted photographs and video footage of the object being extracted as evidence.The woman’s husband filed a written complaint with the chief medical officer the following day. According to the complaint, the CMO assured the family of a fair inquiry and appointed a two-member medical team for inquiry. However, the complainant alleged that the investigation was deliberately delayed for nearly two months and that the cloth recovered during surgery was never sent for forensic examination.The woman and her husband have alleged that they were threatened and warned against pursuing the case.The woman has stated that the prolonged negligence resulted in her undergoing two major surgeries. During the second operation, she required eight units of blood. Doctors have reportedly informed her that a third surgery is not possible, raising concerns about her ability to conceive again.

JAIPUR: Over 1,230 mining leases, most of them disputed, continue to exist across Rajasthan’s Aravali region. Together, these leases cover 17,393 hectares within the Aravali system.“At present, most leases in the Aravalis are under dispute and pending before courts. Some mines are closed, while others continue to operate,” a senior mining official said.Incidentally, Rajasthan mining department was considering a proposal to lease out additional pits for excavation in the Aravalis but the Centre invoked a blanket ban on the grant of new mining leases in the mountain range following public outcry over a proposed “new definition” of one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges.An official source said, “The mining department issued notifications for 126 new leases in Nov 2025. Of these, 50 are located within Aravali districts, while 76 fall outside the Aravali region.”

District-wise data highlights the scale of concentration, with Rajsamand district alone accounting for over 540 leases. Udaipur follows with 162 leases and Jaipur has 139. Alwar, Sirohi, and Bhilwara together account for over 250 leases, reflecting how deeply mining has penetrated the Aravali belt.Mining expert Pradeep Singh said the new ban does not cancel existing permissions retrospectively, allowing hundreds of leases to continue, particularly in Rajasthan. “In many areas where leases are operational, environmental degradation is visible and, in several places, irreversible. Hills have been hollowed out, forest cover has thinned, and natural drainage systems have been disrupted,” he said.Across Rajasthan, the mining footprint extends far beyond the Aravalis. The state has 16,116 mining leases, of which around 10,060 are operational, along with nearly 18,000 quarry licences.Mining expert Kishore Kumawat said area-wise data within the Aravali region shows Udaipur accounting for 6,084 hectares under mining, followed by Sojat with 2,575.4 hectares, Bhilwara with 1,229 hectares, and Rajsamand with nearly 800 hectares.

Family and friends pay tribute to Anjel Chakma at his home in Tripura

DEHRADUN: A 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura, who confronted a group of men hurling racial slurs at him and his younger brother, died in a Dehradun hospital on Friday after fighting for his life for over 14 days. The stabbing happened on Dec 9, minutes after Anjel Chakma said, “We are not Chinese… We are Indians. What certificate should we show to prove that?” The six men allegedly responded with brutal violence.What began as a regular grocery run to the local market in the Selaqui area of Uttarakhand’s capital city turned into a fatal confrontation that evening. Anjel and his brother Michael, both students in Dehradun for over a year, were stopped and taunted by a group of men who allegedly referred to them in derogatory terms. When Anjel calmly stood his ground, the situation turned uglier.

‘Tragic that patriotic people of northeast are referred to as Chinese and attacked’Michael would later tell police and friends how his brother calmly but firmly corrected them. That assertion, of identity and dignity, was met with knives. “Soon after Anjel replied, they attacked him and his brother while hurling abuses,” said a friend of Anjel’s, who remained at the hospital through the two weeks that followed. “Anjel suffered serious injuries to his neck and spine. Michael is also injured and still in a serious condition.“The friend requested anonymity, but his voice carried anger and disbelief. “He was one of the calmest, friendliest people. We’re all broken by what happened.” Anjel’s body was flown to Agartala on Saturday, as Tripura erupted in anger. His family was assisted by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, chairman of Tipra Motha Party and a member of the erstwhile Tripura royal family, who had been in touch with the family since the day of the incident and had supported his medical treatment.Speaking to TOI, Debbarma said on Saturday, “It’s tragic that the patriotic people of the northeast are called Chinese and attacked. Those who hurl racist slurs forget that it is because of the brave people of the northeast that China cannot enter the country. These incidents don’t just hurt families. They divide our people. And when we are divided, we are vulnerable. We don’t want that. We want justice.”Suraj Debbarma, state president of Youth Tipra Federation, the youth wing of Tipra Motha, who helped coordinate Anjel’s last rites, said: “People from the northeast face racial slurs and xenophobic attacks in the north regularly. But when students from north Indian states come to central institutions in the northeast, they are welcomed like fellow countrymen. We lost an innocent soul in a hate crime. That’s the tragedy.“Police said the case was registered on Dec 12 on a complaint filed by Michael Chakma, 21. Five of the six accused – including two juveniles – were apprehended on Dec 14.Senior sub-inspector Jitendra Kumar of Selaqui police station said on Sunday, “Yagya Awasthi, the main accused, is suspected to have fled to Nepal… Two police teams have been dispatched to track him down and nab him, and a reward of Rs 25,000 has been announced. After Anjel’s death, we added additional BNS sections – 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (committing crime with common intention).”Initially, the FIR was filed under BNS sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 118 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons), and 351(3) (criminal intimidation). On Dec 14, based on doctors’ statements, sections 109 (attempt to murder) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) were added. The charges were upgraded again after Anjel’s death. In his final days, friends recalled how Anjel struggled but never regained full consciousness. Protests have begun in colleges in the northeast, demanding a national law against racial hate crimes. In Dehradun, too, student organisations are beginning to speak up.

Activists protest against bail to Sengar outside Parliament

NEW DELHI: Invoking Supreme Court‘s verdict in L K Advani case in which it was ruled that anyone who holds public office, like MPs or MLAs, would be deemed a public servant, CBI has told Supreme Court that Delhi high court erred by declaring that Kuldeep Singh Sengar, an MLA when the offence was committed, was not a public servant to be prosecuted under Pocso and granted him bail, reports Amit Anand Choudhary. A vacation bench will take up CBI’s plea Dec 29.Seeking quashing of HC’s order, CBI said when lawmakers can be prosecuted under the Prevention of Corruption Act for being a public authority, then they should be deemed public servants to be prosecuted under Pocso. HC had ruled that Sengar’s case was not covered under Section 5(c), which talks about aggravated penetrative sexual assault. CBI: HC ignored MLA vested with public trust, authorityThe provision says the offence becomes severe when penetrative sexual assault is committed by specific individuals like police officers, armed forces, public servants, or staff of educational institutions/hospitals, leading to stricter penaltiesCBI said, “The HC failed to consider that a sitting MLA, by virtue of holding a constitutional office, is vested with public trust and authority over the electorate and that such position carries heightened responsibility arising from duties owed to the state and society… It has erred in law by failing to adopt a purposive interpretation that advances the object and intent of the Pocso Act…”It said HC “failed to correctly appreciate the judgment of this Hon’ble Court in the case of L K Advani v CBI wherein the accused MLA was held to be a public servant within the meaning of Section 2 (c) (viii) of Prevention of Corruption Act…”“It is submitted that the offences under Section 5(c) of the Pocso Act are of greater gravity than corruption offences by MP’s/MLA’s… The legislature has therefore provided for stringent mandatory penalties, protective procedural safeguards, and enhanced liability for persons in positions of trust or authority, reflecting the higher societal interest in protecting the vulnerable over abstract institutional harm,” the appeal said.“A comprehensive and meaningful reading of section 5(c) the Pocso Act leads to an irrefutable conclusion that it seeks to punish exploitation and sexual abuse of children from public servants, owing to use of their power, position or status be it political or otherwise,” it said.CBI said a life convict can be given the benefit of suspension of sentence only if, prima facie, the conviction appears unsustainable and there is a high chance of success in appeal. “Mere long incarceration or delay in hearing the appeal, by itself, does not automatically justify suspension in heinous offences; courts must balance individual liberty with societal interest and the gravity of the crime,” it said.

Congress leaders at the CWC meet

NEW DELHI: Calling “decimation of MGNREGA” a one-man decision of PM Modi like demonetisation, Congress brass of Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi announced a nationwide campaign from January 5 to force the government to restore the job guarantee scheme.They argued the disbanding of the job scheme will devastate the rural economy, seriously hurt the SC/ST/OBC/women/minorities/poor, burden the states, and divert the money to billionaires like Adani.The announcement came after a marathon meeting of Congress Working Committee that discussed the Modi government’s contentious replacement of MGNREGA with VB-GRAMG.​​After discussing the issue over three hours, the CWC members read out a five-point pledge that Congress “vows to lead a MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan from January 5, 2026… to oppose by all democratic means possible the attempt to convert the rights of the workers to a government dole”.Following up on the elaborate brainstorming, Congress fielded its top duo of Kharge and Rahul to brief the press in a bid to send out a message of intent that would resonate beyond the party circles. Rahul expressed confidence that entire opposition will be united in the future course of action to seek restoration of MGNREGA.“Those dependent on MGNREGA are angry. That anger will cost this govt heavily. Remember, the government had to take back the three farm laws after the way the farmers and the opposition fought against them,” Kharge warned.Rahul said MGNREGA was “destroyed singlehandedly by the PM” without studying the matter. “I am told the PMO took this decision, even the minister and the Cabinet were not asked,” he alleged, calling the move as reflective of “one man show” of present times in which “Modi does whatever he wants to do”.“It will benefit Adani in full measure. That is the purpose of this – to take money from the poor and hand it to people like Adani,” he said.CWC also discussed SIR, and Kharge spoke about the nexus between the BJP and the EC. It was said that party units and BLAs should take care that the votes of marginalised communities are not deleted.Kharge mocked the Modi government’s claims to have made India the fourth largest economy, in which Adani, Ambani can take unlimited money as bank loans, but govt could not bear 30% of the MGNREGA budget that has now been shifted to the states under the new law. He said the extra financial burden will stall development work in states.

Supreme Court (Picture credit: ANI)

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of concerns linked to the definition of the Aravali Range, signalling fresh judicial scrutiny of an issue that has sparked protests and debate over mining and environmental protection. According to news agency ANI, a three-judge vacation bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant will hear the matter on Monday.The court’s decision comes amid widespread concern over how the Aravali hills are being defined for regulatory purposes, particularly in relation to mining activities. The definition accepted earlier by the apex court has triggered objections from environmentalists and civil society groups, who fear it could weaken conservation safeguards for one of India’s oldest mountain systems.The Union environment ministry has moved to address some of these concerns by deciding to further expand areas where mining will be prohibited across the Aravali range. The ministry has directed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to identify additional landforms and zones where mining should be banned, beyond areas already under restriction.Currently, only about 0.2 per cent of the Aravali’s total area of around 1.4 lakh sq km is eligible for mining, and the new exercise could reduce this further.The ministry has said this step would “further enlarge the coverage of areas protected and prohibited from mining in the entire Aravalis, keeping in mind the local topography, ecology and biodiversity”. States spanning the Aravali range, including Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, have also been told not to grant any new mining leases until a comprehensive Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) is finalised.The controversy centres on a 100-metre height-based definition of Aravali hills adopted by the Supreme Court on November 20 for mining-related decisions. Under this definition, a hill is identified as a landform rising 100 metres or more from the lowest enclosing contour, with nearby hills within 500 metres grouped as a range. Environmentalists argue this approach could significantly shrink the area officially recognised as Aravali hills, as much of the range is low-lying.Despite the criticism, the environment ministry has maintained that the new definition does not dilute mining controls and that existing safeguards remain in place. It has also clarified that for mines already in operation, state governments must ensure strict compliance with environmental norms and Supreme Court directions.

Christmas is now over and December is about to end, too. It’s that time of the year when there’s chill in the air and hope in people’s hearts, as a new year is just around the corner. New Year’s Eve on December 31 is one of the most widely celebrated occasions across the world and it symbolises fresh beginnings, renewed hope, and the promise of positive change. Most people celebrate New Year by spending quality time with their close friends and family by attending parties, hosting dinners, or participating in countdowns as the clock strikes midnight. Meanwhile, some cultures have traditional customs for the New Year. For example, in Spain eating 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve is considered to bring in good luck and love in the coming year. In Denmark, people throw old plates at their friends’ doors; they do this as it is believed to show their affection for their friends and also invite good fortune throughout the new year!

No matter how one celebrates the New Year, its essence remains the same– the New Year is all about connection, hope, and togetherness. It is also a reminder to heal, take up new opportunities and move forward in life. To help you wish your loved ones on this special occasion, here we list some wishes, messages and quotes you can send them this New Year. Read on to know more:

1. Here’s wishing you all a very happy new year, from our family to yours! 2. Happy New Year, my dear friend. Make the most out of these 365 days! 3. A new year is an opportunity to make new mistakes, learn from them and make memorable memories in the process. Happy New Year 2026! 4. May your 2026 be happy and prosperous. Happy New Year 2026! 5. Here’s wishing you and your family a very happy and prosperous 2026. Happy New Year 2026! 6. May the new year wrap you in hope and guide you toward everything you’ve been working so hard for. 7. Thank you for being such an important part of my journey this year. Happy New Year 8. May the new year bring you gentle mornings and peaceful nights. 9. I hope 2026 surprises you with kindness and strength. 10. May 2026 give you courage when life feels uncertain. Happy New Year! 11. Another year, another chance to forgive, grow, and love a little more. Happy New Year! 12. Wishing you more peace and purpose in 2026! 13. Here’s to more laughter, shared memories, and quiet moments in the coming year. Happy New Year! 14. We might be miles apart, but here I am wishing a very happy New Year to someone truly special. 15. Wishing you joy beyond measure in 2026! Happy New Year!

16. May the coming months be kinder, brighter, and filled with moments that remind you how strong you are. Happy New Year! 17. Here’s to fresh starts, open hearts, and dreams that finally find their way to reality. Happy New Year! 18. May this year reward your patience, celebrate your efforts, and surprise you with unexpected blessings. Happy New Year! 19. May your new year be filled with meaningful moments, heartfelt conversations, and reasons to believe again. Happy New Year! 20. 19. A fresh year, a fresh page— may you write a story filled with love, courage, and fulfilment.

1. “A new year … a fresh, clean start! It’s like having a big white sheet of paper to draw on! A day full of possibilities! It’s a magical world, Hobbes, ol’ buddy … let’s go exploring!”– Bill Watterson, It’s A Magical World: A Calvin And Hobbes Collection 2. “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” – Oprah Winfrey 3. “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson 4. “The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.” – Josiyah Martin 5. “This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change.” – Taylor Swift 6. “A new heart for a New Year, always!”― Charles Dickens 7. “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language And next year’s words await another voice.”― T.S. Eliot 8. “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”― L.M. Montgomery 9. “I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me.”― Anaïs Nin 10. “The horizon leans forward, Offering you space to place new steps of change.”― Maya Angelou 11. “What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” – Vern McLellan 12. “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” – Eleanor Roosevelt 13. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis 14. “New Year’s Day is every man’s birthday.” – Charles Lamb 15. “Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘It will be happier.’” – Alfred Lord Tennyson

16. “Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.” – Brad Paisley 17. “If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is — infinite.” ― William Blake 18. “Hope Smiles from the threshold of the year to come / Whispering ‘it will be happier’…”-from ‘Robin Hood and Maid Marion’ by Alfred Tennyson 19. “The beginning is always today”-from The Short Stories of Mary Shelley by Mary Shelley 20. A new year. A fresh, clean start! It’s like having a big white sheet of paper to draw on!” – Bill Watterson 21. “Take a leap of faith and begin this wondrous new year by believing.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach 22. “New Year’s Day… now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.”-Mark Twain 23. “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” – Plato 24. “The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written.” – Melody Beattie 25. “I keep turning over new leaves, and spoiling them, as I used to spoil my copybooks; and I make so many beginnings there never will be an end.” -from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 26. “Every moment is a fresh beginning.” – T.S. Eliot 27. “And now let us welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.” – Rainer Maria Rilke 28. “Each year’s regrets are envelopes in which messages of hope are found for the new year.” – John R. Dallas Jr. 29. “The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes.”― G.K. Chesterton, A Chesterton calendar. 30. “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” – J.P. Morgan