NEW DELHI: Amidst the ongoing rift within the Aam Aadmi Party surrounding its leaders and party MP Raghav Chadha, former AAP Haryana leader Naveen Jaihind called Chadha Arvind Kejriwal‘s “raazdaar”, stressing that the whole dispute belongs to the money which was “extorted” from Delhi and Punjab.Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Jaihind alleged that Raghav Chadha collected the extortion money from Delhi and Punjab, which was later taken to London by him, which was earlier supposed to be taken to Singapore. The former AAP leader alleged that following all the developments, Chadha was beaten first in New Delhi and later in a “secret mansion” in Chandigarh.

New Delhi: Hardik Pandya didn’t turn up for either of the two afternoon practice sessions of Mumbai Indians ahead of their Saturday match against Delhi Capitals. Understandably, the Mumbai Indians captain doesn’t want to push his injury-prone body during the gruelling two-month IPL schedule. Hardik, however, is fighting another battle besides planning the campaign for the five-time champions.TOI understands he has been working overtime for the last four months to assure the Indian team management and the selectors that he is ready to bowl his full quota of 10 overs in ODI games beyond the IPL. India’s preparation for the ODI World Cup in Oct-Nov 2027 will be in full swing after the IPL.

LUCKNOW: In a sensational daylight robbery on Thursday, a burqa-clad woman looted a jewellery shop in Ayodhya, threatening the man on cash counter with a pistol and decamping with a Rs 3.6 lakh gold chain with the help of her boyfriend who was waiting outside the shop on a motorcycle.On Friday, police arrested both the accused and disclosed that the burqa-clad accused was a Hindu, 21-yearold Payal Kori, and her boyfriend, Rahul Kumar (27). She is pregnant and was carrying a toy gun to commit the crime.They were nabbed while allegedly attempting to flee the district. Police said the duo had carefully planned the robbery and used disguise to avoid identification.According to officials, the incident took place around 12:30 pm in the Kothi Bazar area under Rudauli Kotwali limits of Ayodhya.“Payal, wearing a burqa and carrying a backpack, entered a jewellery shop posing as a customer and asked to see a gold necklace and chain. After engaging the shopkeeper in conversation and asking for water and snacks, she waited for the staff to be distracted,” said SSP, Ayodhya, Gaurav Grover.At an opportune moment, she picked up a gold necklace and chain weighing about 26 grams, valued at approximately Rs 3.6 lakh. When the shopkeeper tried to stop her, she pulled out a pistol from her waist and threatened to shoot before fleeing, the SSP added.She ran out of the shop and escaped on a motorcycle driven by Rahul, who was waiting nearby. The entire incident was captured on multiple CCTV cameras installed at the shop and along the escape route.Theft was well planned, say Bunty & BabliPolice formed multiple teams and scanned footage from nearly 60 CCTV cameras to trace the motorcycle’s registration number. This led them to Rahul, and subsequently to Payal. Both were arrested near the Barabanki border.Additional director general of police (Lucknow Zone) Praveen Kumar said the accused were acting like “Bunty and Babli” -characters from Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee-starrer -and had used a toy pistol to carry out the robbery.“During the interrogation, the duo reportedly confessed to planning the crime in advance. Rahul had purchased the burqa and toy gun from the market, while Payal executed the robbery inside the shop,” said SHO, Rudauli, Sanjay Maurya, who conducted the probe.Police said Payal had recently returned to her parental home in Ayodhya to appear for her intermediate examinations, while her husband works in Punjab. Police said that the two had wanted to buy a house by doing heist in the city and had also planned in the adjoining areas.

MUMBAI: Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar has dialled Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray to seek his support for winning the Baramati assembly byelection unopposed, reports Chaitanya Marpakwar.Congress staked its claim to the Pawar family’s traditional Baramati seat, with the party’s state chief, Harshwardhan Sapkal, holding online interviews with aspirants for the seat over the past few days.The Baramati bypoll has once again exposed cracks in the Maha Vikas Aghadi as Congress announced its intent to fight the bypoll, while the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) said it won’t field any candidate against Sunetra. The Sena (UBT)’s stand is set to be crucial if the elections are to happen unopposed.Deputy CM and NCP chief Sunetra Pawar has approached the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for his party’s support in the upcoming Baramati by-poll. The bypoll was necessitated following the death of Sunetra’s husband Ajit Pawar, who was the deputy chief minister at the time, in a plane crash on Jan 28.“DCM Sunetra Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray spoke over the phone yesterday. They discussed the Baramati byelection. This contest has drawn everyone’s attention. What happened in that discussion and what the party decides will soon be communicated by the party chief himself,” said Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut. “Ajit Pawar was a trusted and close associate of Uddhav Thackeray. So I think Uddhav Thackeray will talk to us (regarding the unopposed byelection). Sunetra Pawar’s party is not in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. It is with the BJP. If Congress makes a different decision, we should examine it as MVA. But Uddhav and Ajit Pawar had an emotional bond…,” Raut said.Raut said he does not know if Sunetra Pawar discussed the issue of an unopposed election with the Congress. “But the BJP has fielded candidates in many byelections. Ajit Pawar had fielded Nana Kate against Ashwini Jagtap in Pune too,” Raut said.Sapkal said, “We have received six applications for Baramati and four for the Rahuri seat so far. If NCP (SP) is not contesting these seats, our party will, and we are firm about it.”Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said all parties must support Sunetra Pawar’s candidature. He said that when NCP’s RR Patil passed away, the BJP had decided not to contest the 2015 by-poll, facilitating an unopposed election.“I think all parties should support Sunetra Pawar. If this by-election is held unopposed, Maharashtra will be in a favourable position. Maharashtra has held unopposed by-elections many times before. All parties should be brave and hold this election unopposed,” Fadnavis said.Meanwhile Congress’s decision to contest both the Baramati and Rahuri bypolls has prompted senior members of Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) to huddle for internal discussions to finalise a candidate for the Rahuri seat. In Baramati, Jay Pawar, the younger son of late Ajit Pawar, has stepped up to steer the campaign for his mother, Sunetra Pawar. Responding to Congress’s decision, Jay said party seniors would hold talks with the Congress leadership, but said even if Congress chooses to proceed, NCP would not object.Sunetra will file her nomination for the Baramati bypoll on Monday, the final day for submitting nominations. (With inputs from Anurag Bende in Pune)