SC Asks for Proof That Contaminated Ghee Was Used in Preparation for Tirupati Laddus

At least two people were injured after a fire broke out at the Jalaram Bakery located at the Sindhi Colony in Gujarat's Rajkot. 

Pink-themed polling stations are set up in Jammu to attract women voters. A total of 40 constituencies will go to polls in the third phase tomorrow in Jammu and Kashmir. 

A case has been registered against unknown individuals at Patuli Police Station under sections 152, 285, 3(5) of BNS regarding the "Kashmir Mange Azadi" slogan shouted yesterday at the 8B bus stand in Kolkata. The case is being registered, and the protesters have been identified and will soon be summoned by the police. 

The Maharashtra government on Monday disbursed Rs 2,399 crore to cotton and soybean growers under a new scheme that provides a Rs 5,000 per hectare subsidy to farmers. Farmers who cultivated cotton and soybean in the 2023 kharif season and had registered themselves on the state government's portal for the same received the subsidy amount directly into their bank accounts.

The Chennai airport on Monday announced closures extending up to a maximum of two hours between October 1-8 on account of the IAF's Air show slated here on October 6. To ensure minimal disruptions, the airport has shared a detailed schedule of these closures, ranging from 15 minutes to two hours at various intervals, CV Deepak, Airport Director said in an official release.

Nepal government Spokesperson, Prithivi Subba Gurung said, "Nepal to observe three days of national mourning in wake of the flooding and landslide disaster across the nation. Rs 2 Lakh each to be given to those killed in Saturday’s rain-induced flood and landslide. Prime Minister and Ministers will donate, a month's salary to the PM relief fund to be utilized for the aid efforts to the victims and deceased."

The Pentagon on Monday said that the US is sending an additional “few thousand” troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to be prepared to defend Israel if necessary. The increased presence will come from multiple fighter jet squadrons, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters. It follows recent strikes in Lebanon and the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a significant escalation in the war in the Middle East, this time between Israel and Hezbollah.

A joint exercise between the militaries of India and Kazakhstan seeking to enhance the military capability of both sides to undertake counter-terrorism operations in a sub-conventional scenario under the norms of the UN Charter got underway on Monday. The 8th edition of 'Exercise KAZIND' commenced at Surya Foreign Training Node, Auli in Uttarakhand, the defence ministry said.

On a purported video allegedly showing protestors at RG Kar chanting "Azadi" slogans, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said, "We are not supporting this. We are opposing and condemning this. This is a democratic state. Everyone here has the right to agitate. But it doesn't mean you will raise slogans of ''Kashmir mange Azadi" in RG Kar issue. Kashmir is a part of India. It is ours. This "Azadi", we condemn this separatist approach amid RG Kar issue."

The Delhi High Court on Monday said it will not tolerate the "obstructionist attitude" of authorities in relation to the implementation of the recommendations of a six-member expert committee on improving medical services in hospitals run by the city government. A bench headed by Chief Justice Manmohan, which had earlier assigned the task of implementation to the AIIMS director, asserted that the stakeholders cannot indulge in "stonewalling" the progress and directed that a fresh meeting with city officials be called by Dr M Srinivas on October 5.

On an FIR filed against MUDA scam petitioner Snehamayi Krishna, BJP MP Lahar Singh Siroya said, "According to the RTI Act when the RTI activist collects documents from the government and matter of corruption come to light, then this government keeps harassing the RTI activist. They are also troubling investigative journalists."

On Karnataka High Court stays the probe against FM Nirmala Sitharaman, he said, "If anarchy keeps spreading like this, then it will affect the industrial sector too. People would think that if the state government can make such allegations on FM, then what would be the condition of the common man."

Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and MPs Kumari Selja and KC Venugopal displayed a show of strength at a public rally in Ambala on Monday. 

On Monday, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said, "I congratulate the people of Jammu and Kashmir for participating in the celebration of democracy. We witnessed the voting percentage, number of candidates, processions, campaigning, everything increased. In the last two phases of polling, there have been no cases of boycott and repolling. This voting turnout is a history in itself. We request every section of the society to cast their vote in the third phase of elections. In 17 assembly constituencies, the voting percentage of women is higher than that of men."
 

On Monday, a fresh spell of rain lashes parts of Hyderabad city, Telangana.

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the civic authorities to prepare and implement a programme to deal with the monkey menace in the national capital. Remarking that the monkey population was "increasing" but no action was being taken, a bench headed by Chief Justice Manmohan asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to ensure that monkeys are caught and released in the Asola Bhati Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Election Commission of India (ECI), on Monday, stated that to enhance women's participation, pink booths have been set up in various districts amid ongoing assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Rajiv Kumar said, “Do not believe in rumours. It is our ultimate goal to give voting rights to every eligible voter. People in border areas are participating in large numbers. We hope that they will participate in large numbers in every phase. Our effort is to increase women's participation in voting. Congratulations to all the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir for participating in the celebration of democracy. The world saw long queues for voting. Participation in democracy has increased at every level. The voting percentage increased and the number of candidates increased, the number of campaigning has increased.” 

The Supreme Court will next hear the RG Kar Medical Hospital rape and murder case on October 14.

On illegal Bangladeshi infiltration, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "The illegal Bangladeshi infiltration has now become a national problem, it is not only the problem of Assam. There should be a detailed discussion in the Parliament on the matter of national-level NRC. We want an error-free NRC in Assam. We should give the facility to conduct 20% re-verification. Like this, the NRC should happen in Jharkhand and other states also, because foreigners can go to other states through Assam and West Bengal and they can again come back to Assam by getting an Aadhaar Card. Every day we are apprehending Bangladeshis in the bordering areas."

The Supreme Court asks Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to apprise on the next date of hearing about the people, under investigation for financial irregularities, still employed in RG Kar Hospital.

The Supreme Court begins hearing over suo motu petition on the rape and murder of a doctor in state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Himanta calls for NRC at national-level, says issue of illegal immigrants not limited to Assam

SC peruses status report of CBI on progress made so far in probe. 

 SC Reiterates Ban on Publishing Victim's Name and Photo in R G Kar Hospital Case

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will inaugurate a three-day Global South Conference on Infection Prevention, Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship (G-SPARC)-2024 here on October 3.

An action plan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by the state government will be released during the conference, Dr Ranga Reddy Burri, president, Infection Control Academy and R Govind Hari, chairman, Pragyaan Sustainable Health Outcomes Foundation said on Monday.

Six states in India have AMR plans in place. Chief Minister Reddy will release the AMR plan during the conference and Telangana will be the seventh state in the country to have the plan, they said.

Antibiotic or antimicrobial resistance is when drugs designed to kill infectious bacteria and fungi are rendered ineffective because the bugs have evolved and developed an ability to defeat these drugs.

Kerala Minister for Waqf and Haj Pilgrimage V Abdurahiman has raised objections and concerns about the Waqf Amendment Bill during a meeting with Joint Parliamentary Committee Chairman Jagdambika Pal in Chennai.

Kerala Waqf Board Chairman M K Sakeer was also present at the meeting. The minister had earlier met Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to present these concerns.

According to the release, Kerala has about 12,000 registered Waqf properties, along with an equal number that are not registered.

"Given this situation, the minister requested a special sitting of the JPC in Kerala to gather opinions from different sections of the state about the Waqf amendments. The JPC chairman indicated that this request would be considered," it said.

The minister also demanded that any amendments that go against the basic principles of Waqf be withdrawn.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday refused to intervene in the ongoing bonus issue of tea garden workers of Darjeeling hills where they were observing a 12-hour general strike.

She alleged that the impasse was the result of political disturbances.

"I don't support any strike. A tripartite meeting is going on with the Labour Commissioner regarding the demands of the tea garden workers. They will decide (the matter)," Banerjee told reporters in Siliguri before leaving Kolkata.

Tea garden workers were demanding a 20 per cent bonus while management proposed only 13 per cent, leading to an impasse.

Labour unions representing tea garden workers in the Hills have announced a 12-hour general strike after negotiation over the bonus failed to yield any result.

Our govt cares about farmers: Rajnath Singh in Himachal 

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addresses rally in Himachal Pradesh 

The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Delhi government and BJP leader Rajiv Babbar on a plea of Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal challenging the high court order refusing to quash a defamation case against them.

A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti issued a notice in the matter and stayed the proceedings in the trial court.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Atishi and Kejriwal, submitted that the defamation case has been filed by Babbar, as authorised representative of BJP Delhi.

"BJP, neither central nor Delhi, has not filed any complaint. Babbar is not the person I have allegedly defamed," he submitted.

Hundreds of people held a protest in the old city area here against the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in Israeli airstrikes, officials said on Monday.

The call for the protest was given by Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad who also declared a three-day mourning starting Sunday following Nasrallah's death. He asked people to hoist black flags atop their houses and close shops.

Holding black flags and torches in their hands, the anti-Israel protests were held on Sunday evening between Chhota Imambara and Bada Imambara, they said.

The protesters, many of whom were holding portraits of Nasrallah, raised slogans against the US and Israel and said Nasrallah was a martyr.

Jawad expressed grief over Nasrallah's death and termed it as an irreparable loss.

The Delhi government has set up a 24x7 'Green War Room' to enhance the execution of its 21-point winter action plan aimed at curbing pollution in the national capital, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Monday. Addressing a press conference, Rai said that a team of eight environmental experts will manage the war room, which has been assigned seven key responsibilities.  A new task assigned to the war room this year includes analysing drone mapping and conducting real-time source apportionment studies, Rai said.  "The war room will also analyse satellite data of stubble burning, along with information from 13 pollution hotspots," said the minister.

Social activist Snehamayi Krishna, the complainant against the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) 'scam', has been booked on a complaint by a woman, who alleged that he had threatened her over a property matter, police said on Monday.

The Supreme Court on Monday granted interim protection from arrest to Malayalam film actor Siddique in a rape case. A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma issued notice to the Kerala government and the victim in the case during the hearing of a plea by Siddique challenging a Kerala High Court order which denied him anticipatory bail. At the outset, the top court asked senior advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the victim, about the reason for the delay in registering the complaint against the actor.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the "biggest terrorist after Adolf Hitler" as the Jewish leader has turned Palestine and Lebanon into "gas chambers". Mehbooba had earlier condemned the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Israeli airstrikes and cancelled her election campaign for a day to extend support to the people of Lebanon and Palestine.

The Supreme Court told Andhra Pradesh government’s counsel that the lab reports indicate that the ghee which was subjected to test, was the rejected ghee. It asks State as to what was the need to go to the press after it ordered SIT probe into it. Till outcome of SIT probe, what was the need to go to the press?, asks Supreme Court from the Andhra Pradesh government. At least the Gods should be kept away from politics, says Supreme Court. Supreme Court asked the Andhra Pradesh government about the proof that the contaminated ghee was used in preparation for prasadam Laddus.
 

The Supreme Court told Andhra Pradesh government’s counsel that the lab reports indicate that the ghee which was subjected to test, was the rejected ghee. It asks State as to what was the need to go to the press after it ordered SIT probe into it. Till outcome of SIT probe, what was the need to go to the press?, asks Supreme Court from the Andhra Pradesh government. At least the Gods should be kept away from politics, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday began hearing a batch of petitions seeking court-monitored investigation into the allegations of use of animal fat to make laddus which were served as Prasadam at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala.

Flood situation has worsened in several Bihar districts as rain wreaked havoc, on Monday.
 

A two-day rat control drive began at the Ramniwas Garden and Albert Hall here on Monday morning by a team from the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA), officials said. In order to facilitate the operation, Ramniwas Garden, Albert Hall and surrounding areas will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday, during which pesticides will be used, an official said.

Ahead of Maharashtra assembly elections, the MVA held a crucial meeting to discuss seat sharing arrangements.

A nine-member SIT team will test quality of Tirupati laddu.

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Monday appealed to the people, including the poor and needy, to converge in a show of unity at the Dussehra rally to be held at Narayangad in Maharashtra's Beed district. Dussehra will be celebrated on October 12 this year. Jarange also said he will speak at the rally, which would be attended by the Maratha community people and farmers, but there will no politics at the event.

“No infighting in BJP; confident about forming government for third time,” said Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini on Monday.

Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jeevana School, and Velammal Vidyalaya in Madurai received bomb threats through e-mails. Police and Bomb Disposal Squads reached the spot. Further details awaited.

Delhi cabinet ministers led by Chief Minister Atishi hit the ground running on Monday morning, inspecting and identifying damaged roads across the city to ensure a pothole-free national capital by Diwali. Atishi, accompanied by Public Works Department (PWD) engineers, visited different areas in south and southeast Delhi.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday termed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public meeting in Jammu and Kashmir "absolutely distasteful and disgraceful". Shah said "a bitter display of spite", Kharge unnecessarily dragged the prime minister into his personal health matters by saying that he would die only after removing Modi from power.

The Madhya Pradesh government will soon recruit 30,000 health workers, including 3,000 doctors, to strengthen medical services in the state, Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla has said. Once a sufficient number of doctors and paramedical staff are available, the arrangements in the district hospitals as well as community and primary health centres will improve, Shukla said on Sunday.

Four policemen will undergo a polygraph test in connection with Odisha assault case, on Monday. A Crime Branch team has left for Gujarat. The four cops who will face polygraph test in Gandhinagar are Dinakrushna Mishra, SI Baisalini Panda, ASI Salilamayee Sahoo, ASI Sagarika Rath. 

The latest Israeli strikes against Houthis killed at least four people and injured 29, the Houthi-run Health Ministry said in a statement. Moreover, the residents said the bombing had caused power outages in most parts of the port city of Hodeidah.

Security forces in Manipur are making all-out efforts to trace two of the three youths, who were allegedly abducted by armed men in Manipur's Kangpokpi district three days ago, police said on Monday. One of the three youths has already been rescued.

Police have detained a teenage boy for allegedly sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl on the premises of a school in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam city, an official said. The incident came to light after the girl told her mother about "bad touch" by the boy, the official said on Sunday. The accused is the son of a watchman at the private school, where the victim is a UKG (upper kindergarten) student.

Police have registered a case against three women and a man for allegedly thrashing a BJP corporator at a public place in Bhopal while accusing him of extorting money from them, an official said. A video of the three women assaulting corporator Arvind Verma, who represents ward no. 48, has surfaced on social media.

In a major reshufle, the Odisha government has transferred 55 IPS officers, including SPs of 21 districts, according to notifications. Senior IPS officer AK Ray of the 1988 batch was appointed DG (Prisons and Correctional Services), while Vinaytosh Mishra of the 1993 batch was made ADG (Crime Branch). RP Koche was made the new Director of Intelligence, Arun Bothra was appointed ADG (Railways & Coastal Security) and Saumyendra Kumar Priyadarsi was named the new ADG (Modernisation), according to a notification issued on Sunday.

A flood-like situation was witnessed in Bihar's Muzaffarpur as water entered Bakuchi Power Grid complex in Katra.

Search operation is underway by security forces in J&K' Rajouri district after a suspicious movement was witnessed at Manial Gali under Thanamandi Police Station yesterday. 
 

At least two people were killed after Israeli strikes apartments in Beirut,  Lebanese security source says. This marks to be the first Israeli strike on the city. However, there was no immediate comment from Israeli officials.

US President Joe Biden on Sunday said that he will speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu soon amid rising tensions in the Middle East increase following the assassination of Hezbollah chief Nasrallah. "Yes, I will be talking to him," he said. He added "We really have to avoid” all-out war in the Middle East, saying, “We’ve already taken precautions relative to our embassies and personnel who want to leave, but we’re not there yet. But we’re working like hell with the French and many others."

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will begin seat-sharing talks ahead of Maharashtra assembly elections, on Monday.

Dozens of aircraft struck Houthi targets in Yemen on Sunday in response to a recent attack on Israel, according to the Israeli military. The military says it targeted power plants and sea port facilities in the city of Hodeida.

The Supreme Court will on Monday resume hearing on RG Kar case today.

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and AAP MLA Manish Sisodia inspected the condition of roads in the Patparganj area of Delhi, on Monday morning.